Third-rate Martial Family Becomes the Best Under Heaven - Chapter 218

—————
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 218
Lakbul. Meeting him was a first for me across both my past and present lives.
In my previous life, he never once left Songshan after Adu’s death.
‘His impression is quite different from what I expected.’
Typically, monks abstain from meat and thus possess slight frames.
But Shaolin Monks were the exception.
Since the Muscle Change Scripture that formed their foundation was an exceptional external technique, they emphasized physical conditioning more than any other sect under heaven.
‘Adu… or rather, even Law Gak Monk possessed a more robust physique than most ordinary men.’
On the surface, Lakbul appeared no different from an ordinary elderly monk.
So aged and frail that one wondered if he could walk without a staff.
But.
‘His eyes. Those eyes…’
When describing warriors who had reached enlightenment, people spoke of bulging temples and a crystalline light dwelling in the eyes.
Indeed, martial training genuinely transforms one’s gaze. It was not difficult to witness eyes harboring qi or a transcendent presence.
Yet Lakbul’s eyes surpassed even that.
They were eyes that seemed capable of perceiving anything—eyes only one who had transcended something could possess.
‘It was the same with Eum Hu. Fortunately, she viewed me favorably. But what of Lakbul?’
I had stripped away the Dang Family’s curse.
I had allowed Chu Dal to inherit the Divine Vein of Martial Lineage, which had been a legacy of the martial world for generations.
The first was disadvantageous to Gu-pa, and the second was an act worthy of criticism.
“What is your intention?”
As the atmosphere grew strange, the anxious Adu interjected.
“Master! Yang Hwi is kind. He’s doing good things.”
My disciple, meeting me after so long, was planting seeds of gratitude from the very start of our reunion.
If this went well, I’d take him to the most expensive pastry shop in Mu-han.
“Adu.”
“Yes?”
“Good intentions are not always virtuous.”
Lakbul swept his gaze across everyone in the banquet hall with those characteristically profound eyes.
“Just as that old Sword Master does.”
Everyone’s bodies went rigid. It was a statement impossible to overlook.
“The Sword Master. He pursues only righteousness, seeking to dye the world in chivalry. But this humble monk finds himself unable to walk that path with him.”
I recalled the Taeguk Sword Master from my previous life without thinking.
The chivalry of the Shaman was neither pretense nor hypocrisy; it genuinely sought to guide the world toward righteousness.
Yet as a result, the world became stained with blood.
“Still… didn’t you say so, Master? To find good people and play with them.”
“That is precisely why I ask. I must know whether a virtuous person’s good intentions ultimately lead to virtuous deeds.”
‘Thank you, Adu.’
Now that I understood Lakbul’s true purpose was to verify virtue, my answer was determined.
“I say to the Monk: I seek only to advance the chivalry of the common people.”
“The Way of the Heavens’ Chivalry.”
Someone explained.
“The Baek Family, to which Baek Sohyeop belongs, is called the Heavens’ Baek Family precisely because he proclaimed the Way of the Heavens’ Chivalry before all when declaring total war against the Kangxi Black Path.”
Can one compromise on chivalry and still stand with honor?
Can one be a pristine blank slate without even a speck of darkness?
No. And yet.
Is not the pursuit of the unattainable both the greatness and the folly of mankind?
“If those in need call upon us, we turn away from none, no matter the circumstance. For righteousness and chivalry, we never bend, and we do not hesitate even when it defies reason. Thus we must become the roof that shelters all under heaven. This is what my father, the Family Head, proclaimed.”
“Then do you seek to inherit his will?”
No. It was different.
The Heavens’ Baek Family, founded by the greatest martial artist under heaven and called one of the Five Great Families, had fallen.
Stripped of its great family status and losing the right to proclaim the Way of the Heavens, it had descended into obscurity as just another third-rate martial clan.
Yet despite this, Baek Moo-ryang—my father—proclaimed the Way of the Heavens through his own leadership as Family Head.
In both my past life and this one, I loved my father for this, and my desire was to make the Baek Family the greatest under heaven for his sake.
‘Should I deflect? Or speak truthfully?’
To bare one’s deepest heart.
To paint only truth with a three-inch tongue.
In truth, it is not an easy thing.
But in this moment, I felt that I must proceed with righteousness and directness.
I must be honest.
“No. My purpose is to spread my father’s will and the path my family walks throughout all under heaven.”
“Then you do not seek to practice chivalry.”
“That is not so. I merely follow the code of chivalry I have set for myself.”
Lakbul stroked his smooth, beardless chin.
Then he spoke.
“Young one.”
“Yes, Monk.”
“The Sword Master is like that.”
“….”
“He firmly believes himself to be chivalrous without doubt. What is the difference between you and the Sword Master?”
This was a turning point. I sensed that Lakbul’s judgment would hinge upon my answer.
Should I dress it in pleasing words?
‘No. That would be wrong.’
I must be honest.
“I do not know. How should I know from the start?”
Everyone gasped at such an audacious answer.
To speak so recklessly before Cheonmu-sip-jon Lakbul?
“It is a will I have set for myself. I walk because I wish to walk, and whether it is right or wrong, I do not know.”
Though I softened the words, the meaning was clear—pay no mind to such things. Gasps of admiration erupted from all around.
“Hah!”
“Tsk…”
Regardless of others’ reactions, I kept my gaze fixed solely on Lakbul.
The opinions of others were beneath my concern.
Of course.
A hero from the streets? In truth, it was nothing but nonsense—comparable to a ship that flies through the heavens.
I wasn’t walking about unaware of that.
“Hmm. Ah. Hmm.”
Lakbul’s reaction was somewhat different from what I’d anticipated.
He continuously stroked his beardless chin, and the corners of his mouth gradually began to rise.
“Adu.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Stay by his side. This one will be entertaining to observe.”
“Yes! Playing with Yang Hwi is fun!”
Well, it seemed I’d passed the test for now.
Though I was curious about the reason.
It was a bold statement, honest as it was—I wondered where I’d crossed the line.
Hearing Lakbul’s following words, I could find the answer.
“You are only yourself. Because you hold no certainty, blind faith cannot take root, and because you have no intention of walking together with others, you do not impose.”
-Visit Shaolin sometime later. Ah, but keep it secret from Eum Hu. She’ll scold you for being presumptuous.
Thus my conversation with Lakbul came to an end.
“Master, are you finished talking?”
“All done, you rascal.”
“Then I have something to say too.”
Adu called out brightly, looking at me.
“Yang Hwi! Buy me some alcohol!”
“Huh?”
“You promised to buy it when we met again!”
“What?”
I cautiously glanced at Beop-gak’s expression. Seeing it darken, I had no choice but to comply.
After all, everyone present here was either a monk or a Taoist.
“Adu.”
“Yes, Monk.”
“Would this humble monk also be able to have a drink?”
“Eh?”
Finally, Beop-gak erupted.
“You reckless brat!!”

* * *
How to describe it—a day like a tempest. It was only natural, having encountered three of the Nine Sects unexpectedly.
‘Well, I didn’t have much to discuss with Huashan and Songshan anyway.’
When Il-pil-hwi-seo asked if I was from the Baek Family, I confirmed it, and the disciples of Huashan and Songshan left satisfied with that answer.
‘They probably didn’t all come together just to verify this one thing.’
Thinking about it, even if they’d intended to press the matter upon arrival, they wouldn’t have been able to.
With Lakbul himself acknowledging and letting it pass, who could say anything?
‘Still, I should account for this as a variable. I never expected a novel to cause meaningful changes in two of the Nine Sects.’
It was somewhat troubling. Songshan aside, Huashan was a sect I needed to pay special attention to.
The reason was simple. I recalled the conversation I’d had with Huashan’s elder.
“Elder Ok Jeong, how many Huashan disciples are participating in this Dragon-Phoenix Gathering?”
“Curious about your competition? Haha, five in total.”
‘Since no dramatic changes occurred… the future shouldn’t diverge too drastically. And if I had to judge it good or bad, it leans toward good.’
When I first reversed time, there were several things I’d resolved to change, apart from the main family’s affairs.
Among them, I saved Chu Dal and kept my promise with Dang-gun.
And with Huashan… I intended to begin something with this Dragon-Phoenix Gathering as the catalyst.
“Shhhhh. Haaaaah.”
With a deep breath, pristine white feathers began to bloom into existence.
Feathers manifested by pure energy alone—formless yet tangible.
Vitality Energy. Seizing Objects from the Void. Sword and Spirit as One. Three enlightenments necessary to reach the pinnacle.
A divine realm that only those who had awakened all three could command—in principle, a state of being equal to the Sword of Light the Geom-ong had displayed before.
Dozens, hundreds of feathers danced gracefully in the air, forming a synchronized choreography.
I recalled the moment in my past life when I first obtained this divine realm.
Each feather carried memories within it.
‘I saved him, I kept my promise. Now comes the time to repay a debt.’
It was then.
A wave of energy felt from far away. Someone was calling.
A summons I could not ignore.
‘This is something. So the wind does indeed strike all at once when it blows.’
The problem is that the bastards from the Hyeol Sa-ryeon haven’t come, yet other winds keep blowing in.
I opened the window instead of the door and threw myself out. As I headed toward a distant hillside, a figure came into view.
A physique that rivaled Adu’s—so massive I wondered if they were the same person.
A single sword that matched that enormous frame.
His face appeared to be in his forties, and with his roughly grown beard and eyebrows like a tiger’s, the impression of boldness came naturally.
Combined with the aura he openly radiated.
“It is an honor to meet you, Great Sea Dragon King Daehaeyongwangdo, Former Family Head Peng Fan.”
The middle-aged man chuckled heartily and replied.
“Sharp eyes you have. To recognize me at a glance like that.”
“With such an aura radiating from you, how could I not recognize you?”
Even from the energy alone, I could sense an existence that could not be opposed.
Every time I encountered Eum Hu, I felt a certain sensation, and now that appearance was added to it—there was no way I couldn’t recognize her.
“Eum Hu nagged me so much that I was holding back, but hearing that Lakbul stepped forward… my patience just snapped, you know.”
The Great Sea Dragon King’s eyes swept over me with unbridled curiosity.
“Would it be alright if I examined you a bit?”
Of course, he wasn’t suggesting we spend some indecent time together.
‘On the surface, he looks like he’d just charge ahead, but he’s more courteous than I expected.’
Since refusing would gain me nothing, I nodded readily.
“Yes. Please, feel free.”
“Much obliged.”
The Great Sea Dragon King’s energy immediately began probing my entire body.
“Oh. Oh?”
His expression shifted. His energy persistently traced my dantian and meridians.
His expression grew increasingly intense, transcending mere curiosity into astonishment and exhilaration.
“Ohhhhh! Ohhhhhhhhhhh!”
‘What is this?’
What I’d accumulated since my regression was certainly shocking by any standard, but to someone of Cheonmu-sip-jon’s caliber, it shouldn’t be anything remarkable.
“This can’t be! This can’t be! I found it! I finally found it! Finally!”
The Great Sea Dragon King suddenly made a proposal.
“Young brother. Become my disciple.”
…Pardon?
It was the moment a second member of Cheonmu-sip-jon appeared, trying to claim me after Pacheon Eum Hu.

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