Third-rate Martial Family Becomes the Best Under Heaven - Chapter 212

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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 212
Life is the aggregate of accumulated years, and thus tracing back through time leads to one’s earliest memory.
For Hyeon Geom, the beginning of life was nothing but crimson.
“Hehehehe! Kill them all!”
“Slaughter them and set fires! Today this place shall be our feast hall!”
“Before you kill them, don’t forget to make them reveal where they’ve hidden their treasures, you fools!”
I didn’t know it then, but it was commonplace.
Those who called themselves bandits would massacre an entire mountain village.
Yet there was a difference.
That first day in my memory did not lead to my death.
“Creatures who have abandoned righteousness.”
A divine general from the heavens descended—a monster beyond the mortal realm.
Though it was a mountain village, its expanse stretched hundreds of paces, spacious enough to house hundreds of people.
I witnessed it.
Throughout every corner of that village, pale and translucent blades materialized.
“Kraaaagh!”
“Kraaaagh!”
“P-please… kraaaagh!”
Though humans walk upon the earth, the old man descended from the heavens showed no mercy in his hands.
As if proclaiming that from such bandits, the only words worth hearing were death cries, every bandit fell to a single stroke.
Thus that single stroke became hundreds of blades.
Soon after, a child who could only crawl upon the ground met the old man who walked through the heavens as he descended.
“Young one. You alone have survived.”
A warm word. Or rather, I truly couldn’t remember what emotion was contained in my Master’s voice then.
For I was overwhelmed by an immense divine presence.
“What is your name?”
“M-my name….”
“Yes. You must have a name, mustn’t you?”
“I-I don’t know.”
I truly didn’t know. My parents, siblings, and the villagers I no longer remember.
The shock of witnessing everyone’s slaughter was enough for a young child to lose all memory.
“Alas. Such trauma has sealed your spirit. A common occurrence. What can be done.”
The Taeguk Sword Master did not utter words like he would take me in as it was fate.
Though he saved me, life itself must be entirely one’s own.
His role ended here, and it was the child’s burden to build the life ahead.
That was how it was meant to be.
“Blades. Blades… many….”
A single word that stopped the Taeguk Sword Master’s steps.
“You saw them?”
“Yes. My eyes… such a dazzling sight….”
He was the child of an ignorant mountain villager who had never even learned a single basic martial technique.
How could such a child have witnessed the sword of the Taeguk Sword Master, who had been revered as one of the Cheonmu-sip-jon for over a decade?
“He saw the heart sword—a blade he should never have been able to see.”
It was extraordinary talent.
This child was a jewel worthy of touching the realm beyond heaven itself.
“Child, do you have a place to stay?”
“I do not know, sir….”
The Taeguk Sword Master questioned him on many matters, and the child answered everything faithfully.
“You have lost everything completely. A child who has lost even the beginning of himself.”
“I am sorry….”
“Sorry for what? Rather, this is fortunate. Today is the day a new destiny has been granted to you.”
The child gazed into the old man’s eyes.
I saw the emotions dwelling within them, the resentment beginning to extend toward me.
“Child, become my disciple. From now on, your name shall be Hyeon Geom—a single sword reaching toward the infinite end.”
Being needed by someone can sometimes become the driving force of one’s life.
The child, who would henceforth be called Hyeon Geom and live as the greatest talent of the Shaman sect, answered without the slightest hesitation.
“Thank you, sir.”
“Call me Master.”
“Yes, thank you, Master.”
Thus Hyeon Geom became the second-highest authority in the Shaman sect.
Immediately upon entering, he was praised as the talent who would make the Shaman sect’s greatest swordsman into the world’s greatest swordsman, receiving the expectations of all.
“Hyeon Geom. The bond between master and disciple is a heavenly mandate connected through human virtue. A disciple must not disappoint his master, nor must a master disappoint his disciple.”
I lived that way.
To realize what my Master desired, who had become the starting point of my new life.
More privately, to obtain the hundreds of swords my Master showed me in that first moment of memory.
I trained only with the sword. Though I had a father, I had no mother, so I made the sword my mother.
Upon opening my eyes, I always grasped the sword—it was like a brother to me, and whenever I had leisure, I wielded it—it was my childhood friend.
I lived that way.
“Hyeon Geom. This Master will ensure that all under heaven never forget the will of your Grand Master.”
My Master lived for his own Master.
Therefore, I too should live for my Master.
It was the right answer.
Hyeon Geom, a sword reaching toward the infinite end.
Realizing the meaning contained in my name and title was my life itself, my purpose.
I lived that way.
Until not long ago, that is.
“Go and participate in the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.”
“Master, is there truly a need for your disciple to participate directly?”
Hyeon Geom had clearly surpassed the level of the later generation.
Even at the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering where all the world’s talents gathered, it was nothing but child’s play to Hyeon Geom.
“It is for the Shaman.”
No further explanation was necessary.
Hyeon Geom bowed his head.
“Yes, Master.”
“You are inheriting all that I am with righteousness. I entrust all worldly judgments to you.”
This had happened countless times before.
Among the Shaman’s disciples, Hyeon Geom held the second-highest rank after the Taeguk Sword Master, and because of this, the other disciples—though of higher rank—were reluctant to travel with someone so much younger than themselves.
“I shall properly manifest your will, Master.”
Thus Hyeon Geom departed from the Shaman’s mountain, heading toward Wuhan, the center of the secular world in Hubei Province.
“The Yeon-Wol Grand Selection? I am to compete merely to be chosen by a woman?”
“Yes, Taesa Baek.”
Through reports from the other late-stage disciples of the Shaman who had come along, I learned the truth.
It was a rumor that could never benefit the Shaman’s reputation, and I immediately sought out the woman called Jegal Seol-ha.
“Ensure that the Shaman’s name and the title Hyeon Geom are not mentioned in whatever schemes you orchestrate henceforth. If you do so, I shall not punish you.”
Baek Yang-hwi, was it? An unpleasant man.
The more I tried to understand why he was unpleasant, the less I could discern, which only made it worse.
Then it would be all the more prudent to avoid entanglement, and I was even considering harsh measures to achieve this.
“Seolha. There is still time before the appointed hour—why have you come down already?”
Though I did not refuse out of deference to my Master’s wishes, I harbored no particular interest in the woman called Jegal Seol-ha.
My life existed solely to become a sword for the sword, and women were unnecessary to such an existence.
But then.
They say opportunity visits a life three times.
In other words, this means that pivotal moments exist within a human’s life.
‘The… second.’
In this moment, I realized that today was an extraordinarily significant turning point in my life.
“It is an honor to meet you, Hyeon Geom Dou.”
The basis for this realization was singular, yet unmistakably clear and certain.
I was experiencing the same shock as when I first met the Taeguk Sword Master, my Master.
The life of a man who had lived solely for the sword began to undergo a dramatic transformation in this very moment.

* * *
In Hubei, where the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering was being held, there was only one rumor that set the province ablaze.
-The champion of this Dragon-Phoenix Gathering will emerge from either Shaolin or the Shaman sect!
-The champion may be uncertain, but the two finalists are already confirmed.
-Shaolin’s greatest talent and the Shaman sect’s greatest talent! This year’s supreme dragon will be one of these two!
No matter how prestigious Shaolin and the Shaman sect were, the world was vast and talents were plentiful.
Yet only Shaolin and the Shaman sect’s names were being mentioned—this meant the Shaman sect was deliberately manipulating the rumors.
What did this signify?
‘The Shaman sect is serious about this Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, and they trust Hyeon Geom that much.’
I had just realized one reason why I’d never heard Hyeon Geom’s name in my past life.
In my past life, Adu had met his end years ago.
I’d heard rumors that Shaolin, having lost their greatest talent, moved about in extreme fury—so it was certain.
‘The picture has changed from my past life. If I want to thwart the Shaman sect’s intentions, I need to sketch a new design myself.’
While I was contemplating this, the finest brush was handed to me.
The most beautiful brush in the world, no less.
-It’s said that Jegal Seol-ha, the most beautiful woman under heaven, wishes to choose her betrothed, and talented young men from across the realm have flocked like clouds!
-And so they’ve taken to calling it the Yeon-Wol Proclamation—ha ha! Isn’t it amusing!
I had succeeded in dividing the attention of everyone gathered in Hubei into two.
The clash between Adu and Hyeon Geom, the two greatest talents.
This was essentially about determining the supreme dragon under heaven—the greatest talented young man.
But here’s the thing: among men, supremacy itself…
…is also the position claimed by the man chosen by the most beautiful and exceptional woman under heaven.
‘I’ve successfully muddied the waters. And on top of that, Hyeon Geom as well.’
I could tell the moment I saw Hyeon Geom’s expression after meeting Jegal Seol-ha.
This simple-minded swordsman who knew nothing but his blade had now fallen into my grasp.
“A proclamation means competition! A battle! We must determine victory and defeat. The event shall be held under the name of the Jegal Family—maintaining order without limits.”
As evidenced by how I’d spread rumors about the clash between Adu and Hyeon Geom, amplifying interest exponentially.
The Shaman sect was attempting to maximize their influence in Hubei, which was the Jegal Family’s domain.
Now, if Hyeon Geom, the Shaman sect’s greatest talent, were to conduct order-maintenance activities under the Jegal Family’s command?
‘While it may not completely ruin the Shaman sect’s plans, it’s certainly enough to throw off their first move.’
Hyeon Geom clearly understood this fact as well.
His expression changed drastically the moment I spoke.
“What will you do, Hyeon-geom Dou?”
‘Let’s see. What choice will you make?’
It didn’t matter what he chose.
If he withdrew from the game? Hyeon Geom would become a coward who fled from competition.
If he participated? The Shaman sect’s disciple would appear to be following the Jegal Family’s orders, allowing me to maintain control of Hubei.
“I… I suppose if I withdrew from this, it might bring shame to the Shaman sect’s name.”
Well, constantly glancing at Jegal Seol-ha while saying such things hardly inspired confidence.
I chuckled quietly to myself and continued speaking.
“Then, the late-stage martial artists who wish to participate in the Yeonwol Assembly… I shall provisionally call them the Yeonwol Members.”
The Yeonwol Assembly—in other words, a declaration that we would take on the form of an organization.
The expressions of Namgung Cheon-yeong and Hyeon Geom shifted dramatically.
It was inevitable.
Every organization required a leader.
If I became the leader of the Yeonwol Assembly, which would encompass all these late-stage martial artists, the benefits would be boundless.
“How do you intend to select the leader?”
“If you attempt to seize it under the pretext of Jeong In, I will not stand idle.”
I had anticipated this response.
Yang Hwi spoke without losing his smile.
“Of course. From the start, there will be over a hundred who wish to join the Yeonwol Assembly—we cannot possibly decide among ourselves, can we?”
I opened the guest room door. Below, I could see the countless late-stage martial artists who had gathered.
As I had instructed beforehand, Chu Dal conveyed the message to the Yeonwol Assembly participants.
“Now then, we shall select the leader of the Yeonwol Assembly, through which we shall move as one! As I mentioned earlier, we have just received the consent of the Namgung Family Head and Hyeon-geom Dou!”
The late-stage martial artists erupted in unison.
It was a natural reaction.
I had already promised them the opportunity to command the Namgung Family Head and the Shaman’s First-rate Talent as subordinates.
“Now then, I’m certain you’re all curious about the method for selecting the Yeonwol Assembly leader!”
“Tell us at once!”
“I’m so curious I could burst!”
“A martial duel? A duel would be the simplest method, but surely you won’t decide it so simply?”
If it were a duel, it would inevitably be either Namgung Cheon-yeong or Hyeon Geom.
With the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering looming, the others’ interest would naturally wane.
“Impossible! Our leader must not be a mere brute who simply wields a sword well!”
“Right! Absolutely right!”
“Gaecheon Geomryong, please announce the method for selecting the leader!”
Yang Hwi chuckled and gazed toward Jegal Seol-ha.
“We have all gathered with a single purpose, so should not she who selects our leader share that same purpose?”
Jegal Seol-ha took a few steps and stood by the window.
Beautiful music echoed from every corner of the building.
The most beautiful woman under heaven moved her delicate lips.
“I wish for the one who stands beside me to possess both martial prowess and wisdom.”
It was but a single sentence, yet it was enough to stir the hearts of all present.

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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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