Third-rate Martial Family Becomes the Best Under Heaven - Chapter 228

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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 228
When Peng Fan, the Great Sea Dragon King, heard that Eum Hu and the Taeguk Sword Master intended to have their disciples fight as substitutes, he found it amusing and forced his grandson to participate regardless of whether his face would be lost.
He even went so far as to coerce his grandson into fighting to win the new wager he had made with Yang Hwi.
If he harbored such resentment, what kind of wager should I propose to make him accept?
The answer was simple.
“What if we structured the wager like this?”
Before stating the wager, I borrowed Chu Dal’s mouth once more to hear the specific format of the secondary finals.
‘Breaking it down broadly, there are three rules.’
First. Three participants form one team, and their legs are bound together with an iron chain one zhang in length.
Second. Ten teams, thirty people in total, are deployed in a battle arena approximately three hundred zhang wide.
Third. Find the hidden flags and bring them to the Referee to pass. The number of flags determines which team members are eliminated.
‘The condition is delivering them to the Referee. So it means either hide them well after finding them, or steal from whoever finds them first. This is going to be absolute chaos.’
There are five flags in total. At least five out of ten teams are guaranteed to be eliminated.
Moreover, if a team obtains only a single flag, two out of three members will be eliminated.
In other words, even the three members of the same team must fight over who will submit the flag.
And they must do so while bound by an iron chain.
‘Strange as it may seem, can they even manage to conduct this with such rules?’
‘
To prevent cheating and such, it seems they’d need at least dozens of people glaring and watching.
Just thinking about it sounds like a nightmare.
‘Though the common people will find it even more entertaining and will go wild over it.’
Such positive sentiment would likely extend to the Martial Alliance announcement the Shaman would make later.
Perhaps they designed the rules with this in mind all along.
“There is a wager that fits perfectly with this battle format.”
“Don’t think you can use a wager as an excuse to persuade this Peng Wang.”
“Don’t worry. It’s purely a wager for entertainment.”
“Let me hear it anyway.”
Ultimately, the core of the rules came down to the number of flags collected.
“We compete over who collects more flags.”
Peng Wang snorted derisively.
“I’m planning to make sure you don’t collect a single flag. Didn’t I tell you? I’m going to make a mess of you.”
Tsk. The resentment he harbored from being coerced seemed too deep to be swayed merely by stimulating his competitive spirit.
“If word spreads, wouldn’t that be shameful?”
“People experience shame sometimes in life.”
There was nothing to say to that.
Still, there had to be a way to persuade him.
“You intend to steal the flags once I find them, don’t you?”
“Of course that’s my plan.”
“Whether we fight early or late, a mess is still a mess—why not pursue some entertainment while you’re at it?”
It wasn’t wrong, so Peng Wang paused for a moment.
Indeed, if the winner of the wager is determined by the number of flags collected, then all I need do is seize all of Yang Hwi’s flags at the end and transfer them to another participant.
“You seem confident you can take my flags. If that’s the case, then it hardly matters how many I possess, does it?”
A subtle provocation. Peng Wang took the bait immediately.
“Of course it does!”
Yet, true to his nature as the Soga-joonim, he also delivered a sharp counterpoint.
“But tell me, Baek Gong-ja! You’re not lacking confidence in breaking through this Peng Wang’s interference to find flags, are you?”
That wasn’t quite it—I simply despised anything tedious.
I had no desire to find myself in an aggravating situation because some participant decided to scatter filth everywhere.
‘If I’m honest, he’ll just defecate all over the place out of spite. I need to deflect this carefully.’
“If word spreads that I defeated the Soga-joonim of the greatest family under heaven, who fights with utmost sincerity, it would greatly benefit my reputation.”
Peng Wang’s expression hardened.
“Hahaha! So you intend to use this Peng Wang as a sacrifice for your fame? Young master, your audacity has grown excessive—you’ve become quite ill-mannered. Your grandfather would have been pleased.”
He shrugged and continued.
As the saying goes, a wager must have stakes to be worthwhile.
“If I win, please share a drink with me in Juru’s banquet hall, where countless eyes will witness it.”
Though it seemed trivial, the reward was quite substantial.
“And if Baek Gong-ja loses?”
“In my family’s main branch, there is a man called Il-pil-hwi-seo. I shall have him compose a book praising and extolling the Peng Family and Peng Wang the Soga-joonim. What do you say?”
Peng Wang’s expression grew intrigued.
“The Il-pil-hwi-seo who has recently shaken the realm? He was from the Baek Family?”
“You are well-informed. If verification is needed, you may inquire with the Jegal Family or the Dang Family.”
“Ho. The Baek Family is quite intimate with the Dang Family, I hear? There must be a reason Il-pil-hwi-seo published a book praising the Dang Family back then.”
Peng Wang struck the table with a resounding thud.
“Excellent! I accept the wager! This does seem rather entertaining!”
‘Fortunately, he didn’t notice the trap.’
Yang Hwi smiled wickedly.

* * *
The day of the second preliminary round had arrived.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Jin Yeong-jin. I am Baek Yang-hwi.”
The young man who received my greeting made no effort to hide his displeasure.
Jin Yeong-jin. A scion of the Peng San Jin Family, renowned among the thirty-six major sects for their exceptional martial prowess, and my teammate assigned to Group Sixteen.
“Baek Yang-hwi. I hear you’ve only just come of age this year. Since I’m your senior, I’ll speak informally. But tell me—why are you only showing up now?”
The three members of a group must bind themselves together with an iron chain around their feet.
In other words, to use martial techniques, the three had to move in perfect synchronization.
“Other groups gathered immediately after the team assignments were announced and practiced their coordination—some even drilled the qualifying techniques. Did you know that?”
“Of course I did.”
I answered calmly, but his accusatory tone kindled a spark of irritation within me.
‘Then why didn’t you come find me first?’
The way he openly displayed his displeasure on first meeting suggested he believed smaller families should seek out larger ones.
After all, the Peng San Jin Family’s reputation and influence outweighed my own clan’s.
“I saw no necessity in coordinating beforehand.”
“And why is that?”
“One snap of the fingers and we’re in sync. It’s all about intuition and feeling.”
“That’s nonsense—”
“What’s wrong? Surely you can do it too? It’s strange—everyone around me manages it just fine.”
My pointed insinuation—*Can’t you do it?*—caused Jin Yeong-jin’s face to flush slightly.
‘Ah, so there’s another reason for his displeasure.’
My keen intuition read the emotions beneath his reaction.
The reason his face reddened. It wasn’t mere anger or irritation.
‘Anxiety about elimination. Compulsion. Resentment and inferiority toward a rival. There was a reason he didn’t come find me first.’
He hadn’t been waiting for me to approach him out of arrogance.
Had it been a matter of status, I would have sought out Peng Wang first.
The reason Jin Yeong-jin hadn’t come to find me and Peng Wang first.
He’d been attempting a psychological test of wills.
‘Since I didn’t visit him either, he interpreted it as a hostile signal.’
His pride wounded in the process, he was now openly sulking.
If that was the case, this could be resolved simply.
“Jin Yeong-jin. I make you this promise: if you cooperate with me, I will ensure your advancement.”
“Bold words. How should I trust that?”
“Believe it or don’t. Just keep it in mind.”
I’d barely managed to placate someone who’d openly declared his intent to cause trouble with a wager.
Having another team member be difficult would be a nuisance, so it was best to give him this assurance.
“Hmph. If introductions are done, let’s go bind the chains.”
Peng Wang’s remark came from where he’d been watching with his arms crossed.
The three of us moved toward where the referees stood.
“Group Sixteen, I see. Decide who will stand in the middle.”
At the Referee’s words, the three of them exchanged glances.
“Jin Namgung Cheon-yeong will use fist techniques in the center, and Soga-joonim on the right flank. How does that sound?”
With the fist master at the center, it formed a formation of left swordsman and right blade master.
“Baek Gong-ja, will you take the left flank?”
“Yes. I can wield a sword with my left hand as well.”
I can handle it just as freely as with my right hand.
I’ve been training it recently.
“Then that settles it.”
After binding the chains, we waited about half an hour.
One of the Referees raised his voice.
“Now, I shall announce which groups will be deployed together.”
Unlike the group compositions, how the ten groups being deployed were paired had not been revealed.
Due to concerns about match manipulation.
“Groups 113, 25, 50… These ten groups will be deployed together!”
I had already memorized the group compositions.
Yang Hwi’s eyes gleamed.
‘My, what a dazzling lineup of competitors.’
Namgung Cheon-yeong, glaring at us.
Adu, waving his hand with a grin.
And even Okcheon was there.
“Haha! Baek Gong-ja! They say human connections are woven by fate! We’ve ended up fighting over flags! I, Okcheon, a disciple bearing the honor of Hwa-san’s greatest dragon! I shall do my utmost, so let us have a worthy match!”
His voice was as booming and talkative as always.
I had wondered if something was on his mind since he suddenly left and hadn’t approached us, but it seemed he had made his decision.
The fact that he spoke first suggested he had settled on his stance.
“Brother Okcheon, please just call me Baek Je.”
“I cannot do that! There is quite an age difference between us! Of course, Baek Gong-ja, you may call Bin-do however you wish!”
In my past life, this man wouldn’t even respond unless I called him Brother Okcheon.
It seemed his thoughts weren’t fully settled yet.
“Understood. Let us have a good match.”
I smiled faintly and turned my head away.
In that moment, my eyes met with Namgung Cheon-yeong, who was frowning.
‘Your intentions are transparent, boy. I can see you’re determined to eliminate me by any means.’
There were a total of five flags hidden in the arena.
Out of ten groups, a maximum of five—only five out of thirty people—could advance.
Depending on circumstances, all advancing participants could come from two or three groups.
Having particularly hostile individuals in another group was certainly not good news.
-If the Soga-joonim of the Namgung Family falls in the second round, the people of Anwhui will be quite shocked, won’t they?
In any case, he’s still young. The way he gnashes his teeth at a light provocation shows it.
-The people of Gangseong won’t be surprised at all if you fall. It will be as expected.
What? They’ll be absolutely shocked.
Even now, in the Gangseong region, I’m already being called the most promising candidate for the greatest under heaven.
Still, if he hears that provocation and keeps his mouth shut, that bastard will think he’s won.
-If I fall, I’ll console myself by spending the whole day playing with Seolha, just the two of us. If you fall too, ask me to play with you. I might just say yes.
-Ha! This is ridiculous!
-Oh, did I mention? Seolha finds you incredibly annoying. She complained about you so much to me! Hahahaha!
Namgung Cheon-yeong’s killing intent was palpable. He turned his body away with an ostentatious smile.
It seemed like something I’d use often when my back itched from that sting.
“Now! All advancing participants, pay attention!”
The Referee clapped his hands together and continued speaking.
“Find the flags positioned throughout the area and return here—that’s all you need to do to pass. Understand?”
I raised my hand because there was something I needed to clarify.
The Referee looked at me.
“Is it the case that each team can only collect up to three flags?”
“You may collect more if you wish.”
“Understood.”
If one team monopolizes all five flags, they could eliminate nine out of ten teams.
The rules were designed to be entertaining in multiple ways.
“When I count to three, we begin. All teams, take your positions at your designated starting points!”
I moved to stand above the character “16” carved into the ground.
Just one step forward and I’d be entering the competition zone.
“One! Two! Three! Begin!”
All the advancing participants drew upon their inner qi at full force and deployed their lightness techniques.
“Hyah!”
Standing beside Team 16, which I belonged to, were three members of Team 91.
I closed the distance in an instant and, watching the shock in my opponent’s eyes, delivered a kick to his knee.
“Kraaagh!”
The opponent, having taken a direct hit to the joint, collapsed while clutching his knee, and everyone’s gaze turned toward me.
“Why are you all staring? This isn’t a spectacle.”
“…Isn’t that against the rules?”
Someone’s murmur. I responded confidently.
“There’s no rule saying you can only fight when there are flags around!”
I was genuinely sincere about it.
The sooner you eliminate competitors, the better your position.
Isn’t it the fault of someone who let their guard down and couldn’t deploy their lightness technique?
“You filthy bastard! Don’t you even know the meaning of fair play!”
Namgung Cheon-yeong erupted in fury.
By the way, Team 91 is the team that Namgung Cheon-yeong belongs to.

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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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