Third-rate Martial Family Becomes the Best Under Heaven - Chapter 157

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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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Third-rate Martial Arts Family, Greatest Under Heaven – Episode 157
Namgung Cheon-hu had heard the same words since childhood, or rather, since birth.
“Cheon-hu. You must bring honor to the name of Changcheon Namgung.”
“The weight of the Namgung name rests upon the Young Master’s shoulders, heavy indeed. You must endure it.”
“Cheon-hu. True to your name, cry out your grand ambitions toward the heavens for all to hear!”
He was the Young Master, bearing the expectations of every member of the Namgung Family upon his shoulders.
With exceptional talent, he was a prodigy whom everyone believed would realize their hopes without question.
…That was before his younger brother, Namgung Cheon-yeong, was born.
‘If only I had lacked talent instead.’
Then he would never have borne the weight of everyone’s expectations in his youth.
He would never have dreamed of becoming the head of the Namgung Family and bringing glory to its name.
‘They shaped me this way, raised me this way. How could they abandon me?’
Dreams twisted into desire.
All twisted things rot.
They corrupted and blackened, becoming vile and putrid.
To fulfill this desire, he had no hesitation about anything.
Even if it defied natural order and violated the bonds of heaven.
Yet suddenly, a thought emerged.
‘When did I begin to harbor such feelings?’
Separate from the question, his mouth fell open. His lips moved and words poured forth.
Words are tools for communication with others. When one speaks alone, it is soliloquy.
Literally, a flame burning within one’s own mind until it turns to pure white ash.
“I will kill them. I will surely kill them. Cheon-yeong. My brother. Baek Yang-hwi. Such audacity. Father. How could you do this to me? Heavens, why? Corruption, yes, corruption. If I can grasp it, what matter if it becomes filthy? The Changcheon Sword Sect… the Namgung Family. The Dang Clan. I must deal with them.”
No more questions arose.
Namgung Cheon-hu’s mind was already burning white-hot, consuming itself like kindling.
‘There are far too many things blocking my path. How dare they.’
The Dang Clan, a mere tool trying to slip its leash.
His younger brother Namgung Cheon-yeong, born far too late, yet daring to covet what was his.
And Baek Yang-hwi.
“Baek Yang-hwi. Baek Yang-hwi. Baek Yang-hwi. Baek Yang-hwi…!”
The flame in his mind burned all the more intensely.
Though much white ash remained, it showed no sign of extinguishing.
Yet strangely, the color of the flame was black.
Perhaps because the emotions that became kindling were black.
‘I will kill him. I will surely kill him, Baek Yang-hwi.’
An emotion so deeply black it deserved to be called pitch darkness.
The source of this rotten, corrupted emotion was Baek Yang-hwi.
Baek Yang-hwi, who possessed a younger brother with talents as exceptional as his own.
Yet unlike himself, Baek Yang-hwi embraced his younger brother.
Namgung Cheon-hu feared Namgung Cheon-yeong.
I harbored only respect and affection for my elder brother, yet I despised the younger sibling whose monstrous talent was crumbling everything he had built.
‘Hatred? Did I truly hate Cheon-yeong?’
-What else could it be called, if not hatred, to wish someone did not exist in this world?
Yes, I hated him. I had always hated him.
Meanwhile, Yang Hwi spoke of his own younger brother in these terms.
“He is my pride and joy, my beloved younger brother.”
The reason one could take pride in and cherish a younger brother of exceptional talent.
It was talent itself.
An overwhelming talent that Namgung Cheon-hu himself had not been born with.
A talent so vast and unfathomable that even Namgung Cheon-yeong, whom I had deemed a monster, seemed to pale in comparison—a distance so immense that even whether he had transcended it was beyond my mortal comprehension.
‘He must die.’
I would become the master of the Namgung Family, and moreover, I would seize the entire realm in my grasp.
Therefore, not only Namgung Cheon-yeong, but Baek Yang-hwi as well—nay, every towering giant whose shadow loomed over the realm—their sprouts must be trampled.
Even if it meant borrowing the hands of the wicked dark path.
‘If only I could kill him, I would not mind if my entire body were stained black.’
Namgung Cheon-hu’s original plan had been to make contact with the Hyeongsan Sect, leak information through them, and thereby position the Namgung Family as the leading force in the subjugation of the dark path in Gangwon.
That initial plan was abandoned the moment I witnessed the gulf between myself and Baek Yang-hwi.
I had become consumed with the desire to kill him.
Thus, I decided to add one hand to the other, staining both my hands completely black.
But.
This too came to naught when Baek Yang-hwi moved with sudden unpredictability.
He even orchestrated a situation where Namgung and Hyeongsan had no choice but to annihilate each other.
I lost half of the precious Changcheon Sword Sect Members, who were meant to become my instruments in the future.
‘Yes, I acknowledge it. You have won, Baek Yang-hwi.’
Yet in the very end, the Baek Family would face destruction.
No matter how stained my body became, I would ensure it came to pass.
As such thoughts consumed him, Namgung Cheon-hu suddenly paused.
‘Can one become the master of Great Namgung while covered entirely in filth?’
The Changcheon Sword Sect’s Great Namgung. A righteous and orthodox sword sect acknowledged by all under heaven.
It was no place for one stained black to claim dominion.
Therefore, to become the Family Head of Namgung, one must distance oneself from darkness.
-All ravens under heaven have black wings.
-Do they then feel shame for their blackness?
-Stains upon the hands? That is insufficient.
No. The raven does not regard its own blackness as shameful.
-Why would one feel ashamed of what one was born with?
Yes, that was it.
Not stained black. Born black.
In that moment of revelation, Namgung Cheon-hu felt a surge of exhilaration.
‘What does it matter if my body becomes utterly filthy? I need only conceal it beneath spotless white robes.’
Isn’t that simply the nature of humanity?
Shallow creatures who judge others by their clothing and alter their attitudes accordingly.
-Yes, that’s it!
-Indulge your desires! Follow your true nature!

* * *
I opened my eyes at the presence I felt while cultivating my inner energy.
It wasn’t from Adu or Jegal Seol-ha, who now lounged about my quarters as a matter of course—it was Chu Dal.
“Brother.”
“Mm. Did you learn something?”
“Only a little, but didn’t I tell you that this younger brother is no longer the Chu Dal of old?”
Yang Hwi whistled.
No matter how much Yeo Un-hyeok had assured him, sending a first-rate master into a den teeming with peak experts had weighed heavily on his mind.
Yet Chu Dal spoke with such confidence that he must have uncovered considerable information.
‘The world truly is vast, and the Martial Arts World endlessly strange.’
A first-rate master possessed the secret technique of concealment to rise beyond the notice of peak experts?
No matter how superior the Divine Vein’s bloodline, this was clearly abnormal.
‘This is why one must never grow careless.’
Even a peak expert could fall to a first-rate master depending on the unique properties or compatibility of the techniques they had mastered.
I myself, when still first-rate, had defeated a peak expert, had I not?
“Speak. If the intelligence is worthwhile, I’ll promote you to ten li.”
Chu Dal’s expression darkened.
“A first-rate master infiltrated a den of multiple peak experts and executed a brilliant scheme, yet you offer only ten li? What standard are you using, brother?”
“Chu Dal.”
“What.”
“What?”
“Huh?”
My hand moved like lightning.
Though Chu Dal had indeed changed greatly from before and managed to attempt evasion,
Crack!
“Aaaaah!”
“You fool. Did you forget that dodging only makes it twice as painful?”
“Aaaaah! Not twice! Aaaah! This is ten times worse!”
Though Chu Dal had endured the torment of the Asura Hell Technique itself, my flick to the forehead was so painful he couldn’t help but scream.
It was merely a flick, yet his entire head rang like a bell.
In other words,
“Heh. Your realm isn’t the only one that’s risen. I’ve mixed in some subtle sound technique.”
“Who puts that kind of thing into a simple flick!”
“Me.”
“…”
Jegal Seol-ha interjected with a subtly superior expression.
“Brother, even if he’s your sworn brother, isn’t that a bit harsh? You’ve never laid a finger on me, your disciple.”
Chu Dal cried out with an aggrieved expression.
“What?! Sister Seol-ha, is that really true?!”
“Yes. I’ve never been hit even once.”
‘Hmm. That’s not right. I remember flicking her forehead at least once.’
I possessed the kind of memory that could recite the miscellaneous writings I’d read in my past life without a single error.
So my recollection had to be absolutely correct.
But if I said it now, Jegal Seol-ha’s face would transform into something as terrifying as a demon’s.
“Brother! This is discrimination! We’re both your siblings, so why do you only hit me?!”
“Then why don’t you become a peerless beauty yourself?”
“Sexual discrimination! And you’re supposed to be the Young Master of a prestigious family, yet you discriminate against people!”
“It’s not sexual discrimination—it’s discrimination based on appearance. Who told you to resemble that ugly otter?”
Chu Dal’s expression looked like he was about to burst from indignation.
‘I don’t resemble that ugly otter, you bastard!’
Not out of self-praise, but Chu Dal objectively possessed refined and decent features.
That older brother of mine simply liked to tease him about resembling an ugly otter.
“You seem quite dissatisfied. Seol-ha, remove your veil once.”
“Yes!”
Though Jegal Seol-ha usually disliked revealing her face, now she showed not a moment’s hesitation.
Instead, she smiled brightly and flipped her veil away with a flourish.
“….”
Chu Dal stood dazed upon seeing Jegal Seol-ha’s bare face.
No matter how many times he saw it, he couldn’t get used to such breathtaking beauty.
“Any complaints?”
“…None.”
Just as I was suppressing Chu Dal’s objections, it happened.
“Aha, brother.”
“Hmm? What?”
“You’ve never shown it before, but it seems you’ve always held my beauty in high regard, haven’t you?”
“High regard doesn’t even begin to cover it—you’re the most beautiful woman under heaven.”
“Really?”
Jegal Seol-ha broke into a wide grin.
“Wait, cancel that. Seeing you smile like that, I don’t think you’re quite the most beautiful woman under heaven after all.”
“Ugh!”
“Your tone is also a deduction. What kind of most beautiful woman under heaven makes such a crude response?”
‘I was about to say something far worse, but I cleaned it up because brother was here.’
How could he abandon his speech habits and now say such things?
This is why people should know how to reflect on themselves.
‘Well… still, I feel good. Hehe.’
In truth, it was far more than just “good”—I was genuinely delighted.
No matter how well I knew I was a peerless beauty, having someone who had been as cold as stone suddenly compliment my appearance sent my spirits soaring.
“Chu Dal, ignore our eldest brother’s nonsense. Tell us what you’ve discovered quickly. We need to discuss countermeasures urgently.”
“This concerns the Main Residence, so how can you dismiss me, an outsider?”
“Tsk. If you keep nitpicking like this, I’m telling Father.”
Uncle Jegal Seon was the worst daughter fool among everyone I knew.
Besides, I already owed him quite a debt.
“Chu Dal, enough banter. Speak up.”
“Banter? Me? Me?”
“Alright, that’s enough joking.”
I adopted a serious expression and continued.
“If I had to guess, I’d say it’s a surprise attack. Am I right?”
“You’re correct. How did you know?”
“I discussed it with Seo Seong-saeng.”
After pooling our minds, we concluded that the only way for the Namgung clan to shake the Baek Family Estate was through a surprise attack.
There were other options, but they were either far too difficult or incapable of inflicting significant damage.
“As you said, the Hyeongsan Sect and the Namgung Family intend to strike at the Main Residence’s Manor.”
I listened to the explanation.
“In three days, with two hundred warriors, they will annihilate the Main Residence.”
“Two hundred is hardly a large number, so I suspect there will be quite a few masters of the highest caliber among them.”
“That’s likely.”
Now that we knew the enemy’s numbers, the Baek Family had two choices.
Hastily summon the forces returning from Gilju and fortify our defenses.
Or face the enemy with our current strength and crush them.
“Objectively speaking, the Main Residence’s current forces cannot defeat them in direct combat. You understand that, don’t you?”
“Yes, that’s true. If we’re only comparing raw strength.”
But.
I grinned as I looked at Jegal Seol-ha.
“Are you ready, Seolha?”
Jegal Seol-ha rolled up her sleeves and flexed her graceful forearms with determination.
“Of course, Elder Brother.”

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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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