Third-rate Martial Family Becomes the Best Under Heaven - Chapter 169

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Third-rate Martial Arts Family, Greatest Under Heaven – Episode 169
To Baek Heon-so, Yang Hwi seemed like a remarkably human person.
Though he possessed talents that made one question whether he was truly the same species.
Before reaching ten years old, he served as a martial arts master elevating others to peak mastery, and by fifteen he himself had become a peak expert—possessing talents beyond heaven itself.
He harbored a depth of mind so profound it was unbelievable for someone of similar age, and the Baek Family Head had achieved tremendous feats in transforming the Baek Family from a third-rate martial clan into a martial school representing Gangwon.
Yet at least, he had never displayed anything inhuman or otherworldly.
Separate from the talents he possessed, he had always been a good son to Father and a good elder brother to me.
But…
‘Elder brother. What exactly are you…’
He was simply circulating his qi through breathing exercises.
I heard that last time too, something strange occurred while he was ascending into the sky during his cultivation.
Well, masters are capable of such things, so let’s leave it at that.
But when dozens of hawks suddenly flew down from the sky and stared intently at the carriage Yang Hwi was riding in—
The sight alone sent shivers down one’s spine.
‘It feels like I’m witnessing proof that the heavens themselves stand with my elder brother.’
There are old legends like that. A child with the qualities to become a hero was abandoned due to unfortunate fate, yet birds and beasts gathered to protect the child, and such tales.
Baek Heon-so now felt as though he were witnessing a scene from such ancient legends.
Meanwhile, Chu Dal—
“Huh.”
He was simply bewildered.
What kind of person summons hawks just by doing some qi cultivation?
Does his body emit a delicious scent?
“Elder brother truly is different from the very seed.”
Dang-gun, standing beside with arms crossed, responded to Chu Dal’s muttering.
“It seems they gathered in response to the qi released during cultivation. Certainly a miraculous phenomenon.”
Dang-gun’s face was filled with intrigue.
The reason was simple.
“That white hawk that appears to be the leader. It’s no ordinary hawk.”
“Is it not merely white in feathers? How can you tell?”
As Chu Dal looked on with questions, Dang-gun continued.
“One of the Dang Family’s tasks is training the poison hawks of Geom-gak. Thanks to that, I’m quite knowledgeable about hawk ecology.”
“A poison hawk means a hawk imbued with poison?”
“Exactly. Do you know of the Jimjo from the Classic of Mountains and Seas?”
The Jimjo was a legendary poison creature known to have toxins in its feathers potent enough to melt the earth.
“It’s said to be the poison creature that inspired that very legend.”
Dang-gun continued his explanation.
“Setting aside the strange behavior of staring at someone in cultivation, the hawks—dozens of them—are displaying collective action. Anomalies have a cause. I suspect it’s that white hawk.”
In other words, that white hawk possessed something special enough to make solitary hawks form a collective.
“In any case, they show no hostility, so let’s observe for now. Well, chasing away a few hawks is something we can do anytime.”
Miracles are miracles because they rarely occur.
It was a sight rarely witnessed, so I found myself intrigued and decided to observe for a moment.
Then, in that instant.
-Keeeeee!
The moment the White Hawk raised its head and let out a cry.
As if contagious, dozens of hawks all shrieked with piercing calls.
-Keeeeee!
-Keeeeee!
-Keeeeee!
“Ha, now that’s quite a spectacle.”
“Whatever else, it’s certainly fascinating.”
“My heart is racing.”
Amid the cacophony of cries, Yang Hwi opened the carriage door and stepped out.
A puzzled expression crossed his face.
The party’s attention fixed upon Yang Hwi.
In old tales, this was when man and hawk would recognize their shared destiny and journey forth together….
“Heaven must have sent them so I can fill my belly before climbing that treacherous mountain.”
‘Pardon?’
‘Eat them?’
‘They’re clearly spiritual creatures?’
‘Is that right?’
It wasn’t only the party that was taken aback.
The White Hawk’s face too bore unmistakable bewilderment.
-Kee?
The expression was so vivid that a person could read the hawk’s emotions simply by looking at its head.
“A hawk with expressions, no less.”
Yang Hwi leaped so high he reached the top of a tall tree.
The White Hawk immediately spread its wings and soared into the sky.
“Oh? Quite swift, aren’t you?”
Trees naturally grow thinner toward their tops.
Yet Yang Hwi stepped upon the slender, swaying treetop like a willow branch and launched himself upward once more.
As he did, he shouted.
“What are you all doing! If we want to eat our fill, we need to catch the other hawks too!”
No one moved.
The mystical thrill from moments before shattered like glass.
“Goodness, so that’s how it is with him.”
“I tell you, when you see him like this, he’s the most human of us all.”
“Ha ha ha… Hwi’s words aren’t wrong, but… ha ha ha….”
Drawing his blade in mid-air, Yang Hwi immediately swung it toward the White Hawk.
The White Hawk flinched and dodged, but the sword’s edge still grazed its wing.
Clang!
“Huh? A scratch?”
Even without channeling my qi, it should have been enough to sever a new wing.
-Kiiiiaaah!
What a fascinating hawk. How does a bird’s cry convey emotions so vividly?
Just moments ago, it sounded like it was saying, “You hit me!? You really hit me!?”
“So, do I strike for real or fake? You seem like a spiritual creature—let me get a taste!”
The hawk soared high into the sky, reaching heights that a wingless human could never touch.
But.
-Kiiiiack!
“You can’t escape. You’re destined to be my meal!”
Even as I fell, unable to overcome gravity unlike the hawk, I hurled my blade like a beam of light.
With the subtlety of flying sword technique, my blade cut through the air and struck the careless hawk’s head.
‘The feathers seem as hard as steel. But it’s still just a bird’s skull.’
The light faded from the white hawk’s eyes.
After landing, I caught the falling white hawk in my hands.
“No matter how high you fly, you’re still in the palm of my hand, you brat.”
The texture of the feathers felt through my palms.
While the feathers possessed their characteristic softness, they were indeed as hard and resilient as steel, just as I’d expected.
“Wow, you actually caught it. A flying creature and a spiritual beast at that… I always said Hwi’s Younger Brother had remarkable skills.”
“Thanks for the praise, Sister Dang. I’ll specially give you one of the legs.”
Whether it’s chicken or any bird, the legs are always the most delicious!
“But something strange is happening.”
“What do you mean… Oh? The other hawks…”
After witnessing their companion being hunted, the other hawks should have fled completely.
Yet the hawks that saw the white hawk caught in my hands had perched back on the branches and were crying softly.
“Despite being mere beasts, their camaraderie is quite remarkable.”
“Right? If I catch a few more and eat them, it’ll be perfect… Oh, it’s already awake. Stop squirming, you brat.”
-Kiiiaaa! Kiiiaaaa!
A desperate cry that seemed to say, “How could you do this to me! How could you!”
Appealing to a human—and a stranger at that—rather than to its own kind. This bird was amusing.
Since it wouldn’t listen, I flicked its head with my finger.
-Kiiiek!
“Brother, are you really going to eat it? I feel a bit uneasy about it.”
“Chu Dal is right. It doesn’t seem ordinary—it’s clearly a spiritual beast. Wouldn’t it be better to tame it instead, Brother?”
After all, the white hawk is the symbol of the Baek Family.
Baek Heon-so’s eyes were already gleaming as he imagined taming and keeping the white hawk spiritual beast with him.
“Seo, spiritual beasts look impressive, but they’re more troublesome than they’re worth and rarely useful.”
‘Thinking back to my previous life when I wasted time trying to tame one out of vanity… I’d be better off nourishing my body.’
“It doesn’t seem likely, but if an inner core happens to come out, that alone would be worth something.”
-Kiiiaaaa!
Once again, I managed to understand the meaning hidden in the white hawk’s cry.
“Wouldn’t it be more certain to separate fact from fiction by checking directly?”
-Kee-aaa!
Watching the mournful cry and seeing regret drip from Baek Heon-so’s face, I smacked my lips.
“Seo, is that how you want to raise it?”
“Yes. It would be magnificent, wouldn’t it?”
“There’s no guarantee you can tame it.”
“If it escapes, I’ll just consider it a good experience.”
“Hmm… well then. It doesn’t seem to have any particularly special abilities, but if it proves useless, I could at least use it as a messenger bird.”
Wait. This creature commands other hawks, doesn’t it?
Could I establish the Main Residence’s own independent messenger bird communication network?
Thinking about it that way, if I tame it, I could put it to quite good use.
“Listen here. I won’t eat you, so go catch me a wild boar.”
-Kee-aaa!
“What? I’m holding your companions hostage. You understand what happens if you run, right?”
-Kee-aaa…
Shortly after, the white hawk returned, gripping a wild boar in its talons.
Despite the boar being dozens of times heavier than its own body, it flew so effortlessly that it was clearly a spiritual creature.
“Haha, quite impressive.”
“Everyone can fill their bellies before we pass through Geom-gak?”
“Let’s prepare the meal first. Everyone, get moving!”
“Understood!”
My subordinates busily boiled dried provisions and vegetables in pots while others began butchering and roasting the wild boar.
I cut a small piece of the boar’s liver and gave it to the white hawk.
-Kee-a!
“Tch. For a bird, you sure know how to kick with your feet. Are you sulking?”
-Kee-aaa!
“Then why did you appear before my eyes and bring this suffering upon yourself?”
-Kee-aaa…
“I don’t understand. A bird trusting humans. Are there no hunters in Geom-gak?”
-Kee-aaa!
“You trusted me, not humans? But we just met?”
The white hawk flapped its wings back and forth, venting its grievance.
It seemed desperately trying to explain something.
Though I could roughly understand it, since it was still just a hawk, I couldn’t quite grasp exactly what it was trying to say.
‘Certainly, it’s far more intelligent than that one I failed to tame in my previous life.’
Still, taming a spiritual creature is never easy.
‘To tame it properly, I’ll need to invest considerable time and effort.’
And even then, these spiritual creatures often escape at some point despite your efforts.
Looking at this one, it seems like all its affection would dry up the moment I release it, and it would bolt immediately.
Still, since I’ve decided to tame it, I should look for more ways to put it to use.
“Ah, now that I think about it, Elder Dang. Wasn’t the Dang Family quite interested in the poison creatures living in Geom-gak?”
“Indeed. We’ve been investing considerable time trying to tame the Geom-gak poison creature and make it one of the Main Residence’s weapons.”
Perfect timing.
“Hey. You’re a poison creature, right?”
-Kee-aah.
“I want to catch that one. Help me out.”
-Kee-aah!
“Sounds like it’s saying if you’re going to catch and kill it, you might as well kill me instead?”
Judging by how violently it’s reacting, they must be friends?
Well, there aren’t many spiritual creatures descended from hawks, so it wouldn’t be strange if they had a connection.
“Hwi’s Younger Brother. Were you just having a conversation with the hawk?”
“More or less understanding what it’s saying.”
“Impressive. I have no intention of killing the poison creature. Rather, I’ll treat it lavishly and raise it well so it can breed.”
“Is that so?”
-Kee-aah-aah-aah!
“I’m not killing it. I’ll treat it graciously and make it happier than living in harsh mountains. Your friend’s happy life or your own miserable death. Choose one.”
The white hawk, which had been desperately deliberating, suddenly nodded its head.
-Kee-aah….
Since I was heading to the Dang Family anyway, I’d hoped to have a presentable gift, and this works out perfectly.
Thus began the operation to hunt the Geom-gak poison creature!
“Alright then, persuade it with sweet words.”
As I threw it skyward, the white hawk made a whooshing sound and became a tiny speck in an instant.
“That speed is truly like an arrow—befitting a spiritual creature….”
That was the moment.
Something connected. My vision shifted.
Like the butterfly dream—as if I had become a butterfly in a dream, the hawk’s senses and vision unfolded before me.
“This is….”
The high sky, with the sharp peaks of Geom-gak stretching below.
A sight that made my chest feel refreshed just looking at it.
In that instant, I trembled.
A hawk possessed such an ability?
‘This creature….’
It was the greatest scout under heaven.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————