Third-rate Martial Family Becomes the Best Under Heaven - Chapter 206

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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 206
Henan, the sheer cliffs of Mount Song.
A boulder the size of a house was tumbling down at breakneck speed.
Though perhaps “breakneck” wasn’t quite the right word.
Its circumference was at least thirty feet across—so massive that nearly ten grown men would need to join hands to encircle it.
The sound it made as it rolled was like thunder itself.
Crash! Crash! Boom!
In the path of this descending boulder stood a monk in a horse stance.
His massive frame was so imposing one might question if he were truly human, yet his face was youthful and innocent, belying his hulking physique.
Adu—the greatest prodigy of the past hundred years even among Shaolin, that thousand-year-old monastery of the north.
Adu thrust his head forward as he gazed at the boulder and let out a shout.
“Haaah!”
The boulder collided with his head. Both were round, but which one would shatter was painfully obvious.
And yet.
Craaaash!
The boulder split in half. From within the billowing dust so thick the sky disappeared, a cheerful voice rang out.
“Master! I did it! Hehe!”
An elderly monk, gaunt and frail in a way unbecoming of Shaolin, laughed as brightly as Adu himself.
Lakbul, the Abbot of Shaolin—one of the Cheonmu-sip-jon, those ten masters whose martial prowess was said to touch the heavens.
“Hehehehe, well done. Congratulations on your achievement, my disciple.”
For most warriors—and by most, I mean at least those at the peak realm—
splitting a boulder in half was hardly a difficult feat.
Yet there was a reason Lakbul praised Adu.
“You overcame the boulder without drawing upon your inner force, using only the pure strength of your body. Your Iron Head Technique has reached completion.”
Among Shaolin’s Seventy-Two Secret Arts existed the Iron Head Technique.
Literally, a martial art meant to harden one’s skull like steel.
Why would Shaolin, greatest under heaven, call something as seemingly crude as the Iron Head Technique one of their secret arts?
“Your skull has become stone, and thus your body draws ever closer to the Diamond Indestructible Body.”
The head—the most vulnerable of all protruding organs on the human body, one of the two critical weaknesses of any warrior—eliminated.
Moreover, it was the foundational step toward achieving the Diamond Indestructible Body through Shaolin’s fundamental technique, the Muscle-Tendon Changing Scripture.
That was the true essence of the Iron Head Divine Technique.
But Adu knew nothing of this—or rather, he’d heard it but paid no attention.
He was simply upset at being called a blockhead.
“Master! I’m not a blockhead!”
“Inseok, if you split rocks with your head, that makes you a blockhead.”
“Whimper.”
“Hehehehe, Adu. If your head is hard as stone, what of the rest of your body? In the not-too-distant future, you’ll thank this master for this.”
Lakbul, having uttered such lewd remarks, waved his hand up and down.
It was the behavior of a lecherous old man, but since Adu was the only witness and possessed the purity of a blank slate, there was no risk to Lakbul’s dignity.
“Tsk. How dull. If he were a proper monk, he’d blush at such words—that’s what makes teasing fun.”
“Master, my senior brother said to tell you if he says anything foolish like a monk.”
“…That Beop-gak, blocking everything without even being the Precept Hall Director.”
Lakbul, who had been cautiously observing, asked again.
“Will you tell me?”
“Yes!”
“Why?”
“Because my senior brother promised to give me rice cakes!”
Lakbul slapped his knee.
“Then I’ll have to make sure you don’t run into Beop-gak! Let’s go, Adu! We’re heading to the Dragon Phoenix Gathering!”
“Hmm… I want to talk and eat rice cakes though….”
“Ah, but shouldn’t you go meet your friend? What was his name—Yang Hwi?”
Adu’s face brightened instantly.
“Yang Hwi! Yes, I want to go meet him!”
The last conversation with Yang Hwi flashed through Adu’s mind.
Though it had been three years ago, it felt as vivid as yesterday.
-Let’s stay apart for ten nights and meet again. If you behave well, I’ll grant you one wish.
-Then I want to try drinking alcohol!</
-Ah… yes. A cup of reunion wine. That sounds good.
"I should get some alcohol from Yang Hwi. It'll be delicious, right?"
"Well now. When my disciple returned after so long and showed interest in the Way, I was going to initiate him directly."
"But my senior brother told me not to eat anything the Master gives me."
Lakbul was none other than the Shaolin Abbot himself, yet he constantly offered his disciples alcohol and meat.
Because of this, Beop-gak, Lakbul's other disciple and the true power behind Shaolin who handled all the difficult work, had issued strict orders.
In other words, karma of his own making.
Lakbul smacked his lips.
"…There's a certain elegance to sharing the first cup with a friend. Hehehehe."
Suddenly, Lakbul's expression grew serious.
"Adu. The Shamans are making their move, eyeing the position of Greatest Under Heaven. Jeomchang, Kunlun, and the three sects of the frontier are drifting away from the Gu-pa alliance, and the Five Great Families are moving for their own ambitions. The prestige of the Baek Family and other renowned clans burns fiercely, yet the heavens foretell turbulent times. So I wish your purity would clear the murky chaos of the world."
Words heavy with profundity, unlike his previous foolish demeanor.
Originally, Shaolin had not sent its disciples to the Dragon Phoenix Gathering.
Had they done so, Shaolin would not have been called the sect of benevolent restraint.
Worldly fame held little meaning for Shaolin.
Yet this time was an exception.
"Huh? I don't understand what you mean."
He had not expected Adu to comprehend. He merely unburdened his troubled heart.
"The old swordsman's intentions have grown too distant. So let me lay a different foundation, creating deviation from human artifice to guide things aright. My disciple, you must become the greatest dragon under heaven."
"I don't really understand."
Lakbul had spoken with rare gravity and profundity, but it mattered little to Adu.
"Yang Hwi! Since it's been so long, he'll be happy! And I'll make him happy too!"
"Hehehehe. Yes. That's just like you."
Lakbul also knew who Adu's friend was—Baek Yang-hwi.
Pacheon Eumhu, the Master of the Seongeumok Ryeongmun, a sect with centuries of history, was a girl of such brilliant talent that she had shattered the tradition of single-line succession.
A disciple of Cheonmu-sip-jon, called the Heaven dwelling in the mortal realm, and the one who had brought about a second golden age to the family founded by the greatest martial artist under heaven centuries ago—a member of the group of disciples.
"This shall be one of my diversions. How entertaining. Among the waves of the Yangtze, which will surge largest and fastest? Hehehehe."
"Adu, if you fight, you will win. Otherwise, you'll have no face to show Eumhu."
"How delightful!"
"Yes, carry no burden. Enjoy yourself. Life exists solely for enjoyment. The Buddhist Way is precisely the spirit of finding joy!"
Lakbul. His form stretches and elongates as he laughs, hehehehe.
From one to two, then three, and finally nine.
The Buddha took nine steps upon his birth, and with each step, lotus flowers bloomed.
Shaolin's supreme divine technique, the Lotus Pedestal Nine Grades, perfected to its zenith.
"Let us depart."
"Yes!"
Currently, there is no greatest martial artist under heaven.
However, there exists the greatest sect under heaven.
Shaolin.
The Master of the greatest sect under heaven and the greatest talent of the greatest sect under heaven departed from Mount Song.
The Meeting of Dragon and Phoenix. True to its name, dragons and phoenixes were converging in infinite numbers.
Each harboring different purposes, yet seeking the same thing in the end.
The greatest under heaven!
"But Master, if we leave without a word, my senior brother will be furious."
"Once he realizes we're gone, he'll chase after us on his own. Hehehehe."

* * *
A single boat that had been slowly pushing against the river current creaked as it touched the dock.
"We've arrived at Gechun County in Hubei Province! Those disembarking, please do so, and those boarding, please come aboard!"
Gechun County in Hubei Province—the easternmost county in Hubei and a region facing the Yangtze River.
Going upriver, one would find the Jegal Family among the Five Great Families, and it served as a crucial junction connecting to neighboring Anhui Province, making it a place with considerable transient traffic.
This was the stronghold of the Taeguk Sect.
"Tch. I spent a whole month on this, and there's nothing concrete to show for it."
As Yang Hwi grumbled, Dang-gun offered words of consolation.
"It's not entirely fruitless. We discovered and eliminated Blood Cult members three times over."
"That's true, but we didn't gain any significant information from it."
For a month after meeting Jegal Seol-ha, I traveled through Jiangxi and Anhui, continuously gathering disciples.
Disguising ourselves as assassins and disciples of the Somunju sect, we engaged in covert operations, getting attacked by Blood Cult members and striking back in turn, achieving our initial objectives.
But they were all small fry at the very bottom, so I couldn't extract any truly meaningful information.
For me, it was a result worth complaining about.
"Innocent… the fact that we prevented needless casualties makes our month worthwhile. So don't regret it too much."
"When you say such righteous things, it makes me feel awkward. Well, shall we head out?"
The group left the cabin and disembarked from the boat.
Since we had business with the Taeguk Sect anyway, we planned to rest in Gechun County for a few days.
"Huh! Those people…!"
"Green martial robes! White martial robes embroidered with feathers!"
"It's definitely them, isn't it?"
"Seems like it."
Whispers echoed from all directions.
A result, or rather a consequence—it stemmed from the changes brought about by my actions over the past month.
"There are quite a few people who recognize us. It's rather bothersome."
"It can't be helped. Word must be spreading quite a bit in these parts."
"Heh, well, we've been stirring things up quite a bit, so it's inevitable."
Going downriver from Gechun County along the Yangtze would lead to Wuhan.
Because of this, those tired from the long boat journey would eat or rest for a few days.
In other words, Gechun County was now packed with disciples from martial sects located in the eastern regions.
"Pardon me for intruding."
"Young Master, and young ladies. Are you perhaps from the Dang Family and Baek Family?"
A group of disciples approached with curious expressions.
I nodded slightly, and a cry of admiration mixed with awe burst forth.
"So it really is them!"
"The Blade Leaf Spy Squad!"
"What? Squad? Spy squad?"
"Eek!"
As I frowned, the disciples fled.
Pai meant a gang or faction.
I never expected to be called such a thing, and I'm not even part of the Black Blade Sect or the Blade Tyrant Sect.
Though I suppose it's only natural—I've been extorting betrothal gifts from innocent disciples like some back-alley thug shaking down money, so earning such a reputation is fitting enough.
"Brother. It seems we've earned quite the notorious reputation. Is this really acceptable for the main family, which values righteousness?"
"At this rate, we might end up with an even worse epithet. The Betrothal Gift Extortion Sect is already something of a title, if you think about it."
Yang Hwi replied without a shred of shame.
"Besides, the more epithets one has, the better. It simply means you're that much more famous. Even the Hegemon-King of Chu, who once rivaled the Han Emperor of old, was called by many names—the Tyrant of Chu, Unmatched Under Heaven, Strength to Move Mountains and Qi to Darken the Sun, and so forth."
"That's right. Even our ancestors of the Jegal Family bore multiple epithets. The most famous was Sleeping Dragon, though they were also called Crouching Dragon, and at Red Cliffs they earned the renown of the Master of Wind and Fire. Those close to them even called them the Scholar with the White Feather Fan, after the fan they wielded."
As the group listened to Yang Hwi and Jegal Seol-ha's words, they found themselves genuinely wondering if this was truly something to celebrate.
"Miss, I am a young master from Hebei…"
"Not interested."
"Haha! To think such a beautiful flower blooms here in Hubei…"
"How rude. Leave."
Jegal Seol-ha had already rejected the fourth man to approach her with cold indifference.
It had only been about an hour since they'd left the boat, yet this was already the fourth time.
'Sigh. Bees and butterflies are swarming quite persistently.'
Still, there was no real problem. Jegal Seol-ha's demeanor was as frigid as a north wind and winter snow.
Just moments ago in the cabin, she had been so lively and spirited that she seemed almost reckless.
Seeing her conduct herself so coldly now felt rather strange.
'Could she be in a bad mood?'
"Seolha."
"Yes?"
No, that wasn't it.
"I was just calling out to you."
"What? How silly. Are we heading straight to the Taeguk Gate?"
"Yeah. Let's pull out this one horn and enjoy ourselves in peace."
A grand manor located on the most bustling street in Geochun County.
A plaque inscribed with "Taeguk Gate" stood in imposing splendor.
According to rumor, it was personally written and bestowed by the Taeguk Sword Master, one of the Cheonmu-sip-jon.
"Brother. Do you see that well-built young master standing in front of the gate? That's Somunju."
It appeared the news that the Betrothal Gift Extortion Sect had arrived had already reached the Taeguk Gate.
As they drew close enough to converse, Somunju spoke with a stern demeanor.
"It seems you have business with our sect. I am Seong Ju-hon, Somunju of the Taeguk Gate."
Looking at him, it seemed unnecessary to exchange names.
He already seemed to know exactly what their purpose was.
Still, I had to show proper courtesy, so I clasped my fists in salute.
"I am Yang Hwi of the Baek Family."
"Welcome. Please, come in."
A vast martial training ground. Scattered everywhere were marks of excavation and destruction, as if to boast of the countless martial matches held recently.
"There's no need for lengthy words. Our sect accepts martial challenge requests from all disciples without restriction. Is it a martial match you seek?"
"Yes. I wish to experience the martial arts of the Taeguk Gate."
Somunju broke into a confident smile.
"I hear the momentum of the Baek and Dang families swells with each passing day. Allow me to show you that there exists a heaven above your heaven."
Grandiose words. Though, for someone of Somunju's standing from the Taeguk Sect, such declarations carried weight.
Still.
Let me see what he's truly capable of.
-Seo, step forward.
"Yes, brother. Somunju, I humbly request instruction!"
When Baek Heon-so stepped forward instead of Dang-gun or Yang Hwi, Somunju's expression hardened.
Yet, befitting a disciple of a prestigious orthodox sect, he maintained his courtesy and asked.
"If I'm not mistaken, Young Master Baek Heon-so is the second son and not yet of age."
"That's correct. I appreciate your consideration."
"So neither the Soga-joonim of the Dang Family nor even the Young Master of the Baek Family, but this young master wishes to face me?"
"I hope it will be a worthy match."
Somunju, whose expression had grown rigid with silence, drew his sword.
"Very well. It shall be quite the learning experience."
'Well, well. He's irritated.'
But then, hmm.
Does he truly have the right to be?

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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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