My Father Is the Number One Under Heaven - Chapter 159
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 159. Successor of the Martial God
On the day Yeo Un-hwi departed for the Shiwan Great Mountains after his conversation with Jin So-baek, a meeting of the Five Great Clans convened early at the Peng Estate in Hebei.
There were several pressing matters to discuss: how to deal with the remnants of the Demonic Sect, and how the Five Great Clans would contend with the Demonic Sect in future conflicts.
Yet among those gathered, there was an unfamiliar face present.
It was Jin So-baek, Master of Hao Wen.
He had come at Peng Mugang’s special request.
‘Ha… in all my years, I never imagined I’d attend a Five Great Clans Patriarch council.’
It was truly a peculiar turn of events.
Of course, this decision had not been Peng Mugang’s alone.
The other patriarchs of the Five Great Clans had already consented to Jin So-baek’s participation.
Everyone understood.
They all knew how crucial Jin So-baek and Hao Wen had been in this conflict with the Demonic Sect.
Without him, they could not have repelled the Demonic Sect’s forces.
Thus, none would have objected to such a man attending the council.
Still, wedged between the Five Great Clans’ patriarchs as he was, Jin So-baek could scarcely help but feel awkward and out of place.
‘Heh. This is indeed remarkable.’
Yet despite his inner thoughts, Jin So-baek maintained an outward composure as he sat, and Peng Mugang found himself inwardly impressed.
From what he had already witnessed, Peng Mugang knew well enough that this man was no ordinary person.
What puzzled him was how such a man treated Yeo Un-hwi—his son-in-law—with a deference reserved for one’s own lord.
It was truly remarkable.
This was clearly no mere relationship built on overwhelming force and coercion alone.
Given the circumstances, Peng Mugang found himself increasingly astonished by the true nature of his son-in-law.
As Peng Mugang sat lost in thought about Yeo Un-hwi, who was absent from this meeting—
Hwangbo Gyun opened his mouth with urgency.
“Come now, let’s get on with it. We need to return to our territories as soon as this concludes.”
His voice carried impatience as he rapped his knuckles against the table.
The fighting forces of each clan were fully mobilized to aid the Peng Estate.
With the Demonic Sect defeated in battle, no one could predict their next move, and each patriarch naturally worried about their depleted home grounds.
But someone eased his concerns.
“If it is the security of your families that troubles you, there is no need to worry.”
It was Jin So-baek.
“Considering the current situation, I have already stationed auxiliary forces from Hao Wen’s branches at each of the great houses. Of course, entirely discreetly—no one would notice.”
“Ah? Is that truly so?”
“Moreover, there has been no sign of unusual movement from the Demonic Sect, so they appear unaware of this situation as yet. Should any suspicious activity arise, I will inform you at once.”
“Ho! Well, then!”
“I should have reported this beforehand, but it seemed an urgent matter requiring swift handling, so I took the liberty of acting independently. My apologies.”
“Hah, no, no!”
“Indeed, we are grateful!”
At last, a faint look of relief settled over the patriarchs’ faces.
Truly, here was a man who executed matters with crisp efficiency.
There was good reason why one so young had become Master of Hao Wen.
Hwangbo Gyun, apparently quite taken with Jin So-baek, laughed heartily.
“My, my! You are indeed a talented individual! Have you no interest in serving my clan?”
“I beg your pardon, but I am Master of Hao Wen.”
“All the better! Why not bring Hao Wen with you and join my house?”
……
…What sort of novel idea was this?
Jin So-baek’s expression went blank.
Immediately, the others cast curious glances toward Hwangbo Gyun.
Even Dang Jinwoo was waving his hand subtly at Jin So-baek—clearly signaling ‘ignore the nonsense.’
Following that advice, Jin So-baek simply laughed it off.
“No, why do you only laugh? I am quite serious——!”
“Enough of that. Let us move on to the matter at hand.”
It was Dang Jinwoo.
Hwangbo Gyun’s quiet protest at having his words cut short was swiftly quelled by the other patriarchs.
“But before that, there is something I am curious about. And I suspect we all share the same question.”
Everyone immediately sensed what Dang Jinwoo wished to raise.
It was something they had wondered about since the moment they entered this room—or rather, from the moment they witnessed it yesterday.
Every patriarch’s gaze turned toward Peng Mugang.
“Mm.”
He’d anticipated a question like this.
It was only natural.
They had witnessed something so extraordinary with their own eyes, after all.
If anything, he was surprised they’d held their tongues this long.
Sure enough, Namgoong Hwan spoke next.
“Your son-in-law—you said he was an unlearned scholar with no knowledge of Martial Arts, didn’t you?”
“I did.”
“Then how in blazes did Mu-wi reach such a state?”
Namgoong Hwan and the other patriarchs of the Five Great Clans were men who’d spent their entire lives striving with blood and sweat to grow stronger.
Some among them had even earned a place among the Ten Great Masters, and others set their sights on joining the Twelve Supremes.
It was easy to see, then, just how extraordinary and unprecedented the Mu-wi displayed by Yeo Un-hwi truly was.
Ordinarily, they would never press so deeply into another man’s martial techniques—it simply wasn’t their nature.
Each harbored tremendous pride in their own family’s arts.
But with Yeo Un-hwi, everything was different.
They wanted to know.
How had he reached such a transcendent pinnacle at so young an age? And what martial discipline could possibly grant such overwhelming power?
Peng Mugang fell silent for a moment.
Even he was uncertain how much to reveal.
After his deliberation, he finally spoke.
“There’s nothing particularly complicated about it. To put it plainly, he obtained a Fortuitous Encounter long ago, or so he told me.”
“A Fortuitous Encounter?”
“What kind of encounter produces results like that? Just who was the one who left such a legacy?”
Just then,
“The Martial God.”
Jegal Seung, patriarch of the Jegal Clan, spoke up.
“The one who left that Fortuitous Encounter was the Martial God, was it not? That must be it.”
“How did you know?”
“The Jegal Clan maintains extensive records spanning the ages. Among them are accounts written by those who witnessed the Martial God’s martial techniques firsthand.”
It was so typical of the Jegal Clan.
The meticulous detail of their records was remarkable enough, but the fact that they had absorbed and studied them in their entirety was simply astounding.
“Our records speak of a Golden Dragon descending from the heavens, burning away all demonic energy beneath the sky. That is precisely what we witnessed.”
A brief silence fell over the chamber.
Peng Mugang exhaled deeply and nodded.
“Yes. I’ll speak plainly now. My son-in-law is indeed the Successor of the Martial God.”
Every eye in the room widened.
The Successor of the Martial God.
The implication was clear: the heir to the Martial God had appeared in this age.
“That is… quite a matter.”
“It is. Quite extraordinary.”
Yet for all his nodding agreement, Peng Mugang’s expression was far from bright.
Hwangbo Gyun was the first to notice this shadow across his face.
Watching him carefully, Hwangbo Gyun ventured: “Your color is poor. What troubles you? Are you worried?”
At Hwangbo Gyun’s question, all eyes shifted—first to him, then to Peng Mugang.
Peng Mugang hesitated before answering, then nodded quietly.
“It is indeed so. It concerns the Martial Arts of the Martial God itself. If that truth is revealed to the Martial World…”
He didn’t finish, but his meaning was plain.
The Martial World flowed according to the logic of force.
Should it become known that the Successor of the Martial God had appeared, Yeo Un-hwi would find himself at the very center of the Martial World’s currents, willing or not.
And many would come seeking—whether his arts or his life.
The tremendous power Yeo Un-hwi now possessed had not paved a path of flowers before him.
A treacherous fate awaited him.
The patriarchs, understanding what weighed on Peng Mugang’s mind, each nodded quietly.
Their concern was warranted.
In the Martial World, the mere rumor of some former celestial master’s secret manual was enough to drench the ground in blood.
Yet there was a saying that circulated in the world:
Worry was something one indulged in only when no solution appeared in sight.
Hwangbo Gyun, tapping his temple thoughtfully, suddenly spoke.
“You know, I’ll be honest with you. I don’t have the confidence to defeat your son-in-law.”
“…….”
Peng Mugang regarded Hwangbo Gyun with a dismissive look.
What was he going on about at a time like this?
Seeing that dismissal in Peng Mugang’s eyes, Hwangbo Gyun—who’d been thinking, ‘This man, truly his comprehension is lacking’—clicked his tongue and continued.
“What I mean is this: I, Hwangbo Gyun, fear nothing in the Martial World that might stand against me. I am strong! Who would dare block my path? Whatever stands in my way, I will brush it aside without effort.”
“Yes. That’s surely true.”
Hwangbo Gyun was indeed strong enough to make such bold proclamations and back them with confidence.
“But all the more—what of your son-in-law?”
“……!”
Peng Mugang’s eyes widened.
He understood what Hwangbo Gyun was driving at.
“No matter what unfolds, your son-in-law will be unshaken by it. In fact, from what I gather, it already seems as though the Martial God himself is half-manifested in him.”
“Ha. That much is certainly true.”
“I think so as well.”
All the clan patriarchs nodded in agreement with Hwangbo Gyun’s words.
Peng Mugang let out a hollow laugh.
Most of the time the man seemed foolish, yet every so often he grew remarkably sharp.
“Your son-in-law is strong. Wherever he goes, he won’t be the one taking a beating. So don’t fret overmuch. Instead, simply guide him well, ensure he doesn’t stray down a dark path. From all I’ve seen thus far, he strikes me as someone with an upright heart.”
“That’s true enough.”
“Forget worrying about your son-in-law. Rather, concern yourself with protecting the rest of your family. If they cannot reach your son-in-law, they’ll certainly target your family instead.”
“That’s a fair point as well.”
Peng Mugang had already been wrestling with that very concern.
He had made his decision.
From now on, he would be not the most fierce and ruthless, but the most vigilant protector.
“Speaking of which—why didn’t your son-in-law join us today? I’d have liked to see his face.”
“I meant to bring him along, but he’s been nowhere to be found since this morning.”
It wasn’t as though he’d gone to train while Baeklang Dae remained absent.
“Ah? He left without saying anything?”
At the sudden quiet remark, all eyes turned toward Jin So-baek.
For some reason, Jin So-baek seemed to know where Yeo Un-hwi had gone.
“Do you happen to know?”
“Eh? Ah, well… I did hear him mention something about urgent business, but as for where exactly…”
Jin So-baek’s words trailed off.
Then Peng Mugang pressed him.
“Where?”
“Just that he had pressing matters to attend to.”
“Are you certain?”
“Y-yes, of course. Ah ha ha…”
Peng Mugang, suspicious, asked once more, but Jin So-baek quickly nodded in agreement.
On reflection, since Yeo Un-hwi hadn’t mentioned it before leaving, it seemed he shouldn’t reveal it either.
Besides, how could he say it? ‘Actually, your son-in-law picked a fight with the Demonic Sect and went to destroy them!’
“Aha ha ha.”
In the end, Jin So-baek chose to laugh it off.
Laugh. When the moment calls for it, you laugh it away. Ha ha ha…
Meanwhile, at that very moment.
Crack-crack-crack-crack-crack.
A streak of golden light shot forth in the direction of the Shiwan Great Mountains.
Thunder roared in its wake.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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