Third-rate Martial Family Becomes the Best Under Heaven - Chapter 236

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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 236
Jegal Seon truly lived up to his title as the Jegal Family’s heir.
What I mean is, during the time we’ve spent together, my martial prowess has grown at a pace befitting a direct descendant of a renowned clan.
‘Ugh. This hurts.’
I rubbed my face with an egg that Chu Dal had procured from somewhere.
I mean, while not quite as resilient as Adu, my body was sturdy enough to hold its own anywhere, so was this really necessary?
How seriously did he hit me?
“Ahem. My apologies. I didn’t even consider that Seol-ha had asked me to do it.”
“I told you! I told you before you hit me!”
“Did you? When my eyes go wild, I can’t hear very well.”
…The truly frustrating part was that getting angrier here seemed pointless.
‘I could have dodged if I wanted to, but then his anger wouldn’t have subsided. And thinking about why he was angry, dodging felt like a sin.’
If I put myself in his position, anyone would have felt the same way.
‘If my daughter suddenly brought Jeong In without permission later….’
I’d kill him. Absolutely kill him.
The daughter is one thing, but the man is the problem.
To be so foolish as to not even think of seeking permission from the family elders before deepening such a relationship?
Then he deserves to die. Am.
“Has your anger subsided somewhat?”
Even after learning the circumstances, Jegal Seon’s expression remained stern.
“I won’t say I’m sorry. No matter how much of a performance it was, you should have informed me beforehand.”
When I glared sharply at Jegal Seol-ha, she laughed with an “ehehe” and avoided my gaze.
“Instead of an apology, I offer my gratitude. Yang Hwi, your actions have benefited the main family.”
He was referring to the establishment of the Yeon-wol Society.
“The Shaman seeks to extend influence over Hubei through this Dragon-Phoenix Contention. Over Hubei, our Jegal Family’s front yard! Thanks to you, we’ve gained both justification and external initiative.”
If the main family thinks this way, then half the purpose of establishing the Yeon-wol Society has been achieved.
“Such matters are naturally expected between the main family and the Jegal Family.”
“I’m pleased to hear you say so. However….”
Jegal Seon continued after letting out a sigh.
“Your actions have also created troublesome circumstances for the main family.”
“Hmm? What matter are you referring to?”
“You should hear about that from someone else.”
Someone else. There was only one person Uncle Jegal, holding the position of heir, would refer to this way.
“The Family Head wishes to see you. Can you spare the time?”
Jegal Pae, the Family Head of the Wa-ryong Jegal.
I nodded, recalling the impression he gave—so composed it seemed cold.
“Of course.”

* * *
Jegal Pae, the Family Head of the Jegal Family, was staying in the guest reception hall prepared by the Shaman.
In Hubei, the land of the Jegal, he occupied quarters provided by the Shaman—a gesture laden with significance.
The implications were considerable.
“Yang Hwi of the Baek Family from Gaecheon offers his respects to the Family Head. It has been far too long since we last met.”
As I offered a respectful bow, I also exchanged a nod with the man attending to Jegal Pae.
It was Jegal Hwa-un, Jegal Seon’s son and Seol-ha’s older brother.
‘Now that I think about it, Elder Brother Jegal didn’t participate in the Dragon-Phoenix Contention.’
“Indeed. Has more than a decade truly passed? You’ve grown considerably.”
Jegal Pae remained unchanged, as he always had been.
He wore the Wa-ryong Crown, the symbol of a Family Head, and his gaze was cold and piercing.
“I called you here because I have something to ask.”
“Please, ask away.”
“Why did you accept Seol-ha’s proposal? You are not one to be ignorant of the proper sequence of things.”
“….”
“Because of you, problems have arisen with the marriage discussions I was conducting with the Namgung Family.”
He was subtly shifting the blame onto me.
All strategists seemed to share this habit, it seemed.
If I were being fair, the fault lay with Jegal Seol-ha, who had made the proposal in the first place.
‘If not for Seol-ha’s grandfather, I would have spoken up. But now is not the time.’
“Gaicheon’s Baek Family in Jiangxi. The Dang Family in Sichuan. The Namgung Family in Anhui. And the Jegal Family of Rong-jung Mountain.”
Jegal Pae immediately grasped my intention.
“Not Hubei, but the Jegal Family of Rong-jung Mountain.”
He had deliberately omitted the regional designation only for the Jegal Family.
“In fact, I had the opportunity to speak with the Taeguk Sword Master, Venerable One, just today. He came to find me.”
That one of the Cheonmu-sip-jon would personally seek out even Jegal Pae was undoubtedly astonishing.
“The Sword Master sought you out? For what reason?”
“He asked if I would walk the path with him. It seems he viewed me favorably.”
“What was your answer?”
“I declined. The Jegal Family is the house of my father’s sworn brother.”
In essence, my answer was that I accepted Seol-ha’s proposal for the sake of the Jegal Family.
I wondered how Jegal Pae would respond to this.
“The Namgung cannot join hands with the Shaman. They are ambitious and wish to relinquish no hegemony. And you have obstructed the marriage discussions with the Namgung.”
From the Jegal Family’s perspective, the Namgung Family was the most desirable ally.
He was suggesting that my intention was to hinder this alliance.
‘Indeed, he is astute.’
There was certainly such an intention on my part.
The Shaman and the Jegal. The Namgung and the Baek Family.
By maintaining equilibrium among these competing powers that preyed upon one another, I could secure advantage.
“Enough of this roundabout talk. You have damaged the assets of the main house. How do you intend to make restitution?”
“….”
I fell silent for a moment, observing Jegal Seon and Jegal Seol-ha seated beside me.
To speak of her as an asset when she has a granddaughter—how brazen.
Well, it was true, though.
In all great families, daughters are precious assets.
But….
‘Hmm. The best response would be to mention Eum Hu and claim I made Seol-ha valuable.’
This moment held tremendous importance for the Baek Family.
The future landscape could shift entirely depending on what transpired here.
Therefore, I needed to respond rationally, playing only my strongest moves.
-Seol-ha.
-Yes?
-Don’t make that expression.
Jegal Seol-ha treasured her family deeply.
Yet she had just heard her grandfather call her the family’s asset.
It struck me anew—while I could get along with Seol-ha and Uncle Jegal, that old man Jegal Pae seemed impossible to befriend.
“What makes a great family’s daughter valuable, sir?”
“Tell me.”
“Beyond strategic marriages, she is a means to bring in a powerful son-in-law. She represents an opportunity to introduce fresh blood into a bloodline that can only stagnate within the family.”
Certainly, a direct daughter was the family’s asset.
But if she possessed only one use, the daughters of prestigious families would never venture into the martial world.
They would be kept tightly wrapped, raised only as sheltered ladies.
Jegal Pae’s expression grew intrigued.
“And then?”
“As you know, I am an adopted son. The Baek Family’s legitimate line will continue through my younger brother, Seo. So what becomes of me?”
“Hoho?”
Sigh. No matter how I thought about it, this was like shackling my own feet.
But seeing my cherished disciple’s pained expression, hurt by disappointment, I lost the desire to continue the conversation along Jegal Pae’s logic.
I had received much help from them over the years—this much for Seol-ha was nothing.
“Then you’re saying you’ll become a son-in-law to our Jegal Family?”
“That is not my intention. My relationship with Seol-ha was all performance, and I have no intention of entering a loveless marriage. However, I also have no intention of watching Seol-ha enter a loveless marriage.”
I smiled slightly and added,
“I am Seol-ha’s senior brother. Involving myself in a senior and junior brother’s marriage is hardly overstepping, is it?”
If they tried to frame this as a family matter, I would simply refute it as a matter of the school.
“….”
After a brief silence, Jegal Pae spoke.
“There is merit in that. However, you must bear responsibility for your words and actions now.”
“Of course. As a man, I do not speak words I cannot take responsibility for.”
I anticipated what Jegal Pae would say next and prepared my rebuttal.
He would likely try to compensate for losses caused by the Jeong In matter through the Baek Family, wouldn’t he?
I need to prevent them from perfectly deflecting everything and passing the buck.
After all, the Namgung Family will keep trying to walk a tightrope using the betrothal as bait, so I should nudge that a bit as well….
“That will suffice.”
…Pardon?
“If I say I will take full responsibility, then I must bear it completely.”
I said I would take responsibility, but I didn’t say I’d take full responsibility for everything, did I?
“I’ve heard that the Twin Saber Cooperative’s Baek Moo-ryang is a knight who speaks only one truth. I cannot bring shame upon my father’s righteous reputation.”
‘His reaction is completely different from what I expected.’
“I called you here for another reason. Let’s discuss that matter. I wish to speak about the Eve Banquet.”
The Dragon-Phoenix Contention becomes known as the True Dragon Tournament and True Phoenix Tournament once the final sixty-four are selected.
The Eve Banquet was a gathering held the night before the True Dragon Tournament and True Phoenix Tournament began, where the senior members of the advancing contestants’ families assembled for a feast.
“You’re thrashing about like a mudskipper, muddying everything around you. Do you have a plan?”
“Would a plan even be necessary? It’s a banquet, so we simply eat, drink, and enjoy ourselves.”
“The Family Head asked you to be honest. You’re not one to be unaware of what the Namgung are scheming.”
Well, that’s true enough.
After insulting Namgung Cheon-yeong so thoroughly, it would be strange if he simply let it pass.
“Ah, if it’s about them, I do have some thoughts.”

* * *
This generation’s True Dragon Tournament was far more magnificent than any in the past.
The reason was simple.
The Great Sea Dragon King. Pacheon Eumhu. Yeoilrakbul. The Taeguk Sword Master.
Four of the Cheonmu-sip-jon themselves were in attendance.
-It has been a long time, Master. I hope you have been well?
-Ah, Seo. Do enjoy yourself.
I sent a transmission to Eum Hu seated far away at the head table, and her reply came back.
Just as the Taeguk Sword Master said, she seemed to prefer keeping some distance.
‘Besides the masters, there are quite a few illustrious figures gathered here.’
Right there was the Family Head of the Jegal Family, and beside him was the Patriarch of the Open Sect scratching his belly.
Among the others were the leaders of several renowned families. The Dang Family Head, Dang Seong, was also visible at the head table.
Seeing him smile subtly in my direction, I bowed my head respectfully.
I should pay my respects to him later.
‘When will things truly begin?’
The purpose of the Eve Banquet is ostensibly to gather together and eat and drink!
But with those who hold sway over the world gathered here, the gathering could hardly end with mere enjoyment.
The Eve Banquet is a stage for alliances and secret schemes.
“Seo, you go over there. Go make connections and build relationships with the rising talents.”
“Yes, brother.”
After sending Baek Heon-so away, only Chu Dal remained beside me.
“Brother. What will you do?”
“What do you mean?”
“Just look at the atmosphere—something feels off. There’s a chill hanging in the air.”
I’d read it correctly. Everyone was laughing and chattering, but it was the calm before a storm.
“I’ll improvise based on their reactions.”
“Packaging a lack of planning quite eloquently, aren’t we?”
That’s not it, you fool.
I’ve thought this through completely.
I simply want to observe their reaction first.
“Hahahaha, what a delightful gathering this is!”
Ah, so the reactions are beginning to surface.
The man who rose with a hearty laugh was Namgung Sa-geom, an elder of the Namgung Family.
It seemed the Namgung side hadn’t yet sent their Family Head either.
“On behalf of the Namgung Family, I express our gratitude to the Shaman!”
After tedious pleasantries, Namgung Sa-geom broached the real matter.
“At this auspicious gathering, I find myself somewhat troubled that one without proper qualifications has joined us!”
It was a statement that commanded everyone’s attention.
“Without proper qualifications? Whom do you speak of?”
At the question from the Hwa-san-pa Jang-mun-in, Namgung Sa-geom smiled knowingly.
“It is merely a concern that something unseemly occurred in the preliminary rounds before the True Dragon Tournament participants were finalized, Jang-mun-in.”
“Something unseemly?”
Namgung Sa-geom cast his gaze across the entire banquet hall.
“You all surely know of the disgrace our Family Heir suffered. There’s no way you wouldn’t.”
As I heard this, my interest suddenly spiked.
Oh, so he’s choosing a direct confrontation?
“Hwa-san’s prodigy Okcheon Taoist, the Peng Heir who is the grandson of the Great Sea Dragon King, Adu Gong the disciple of Lakbul—and alongside them, our Family Heir and the Baek Family Heir engaged in a fierce competition. You all witnessed this, yes?”
Murmurs of acknowledgment rippled through the hall.
“In the final flag seizure that followed, something occurred that my limited understanding cannot fathom.”
To summarize what followed:
Baek Yang-hwi committed what amounted to fouls from the very start.
Okcheon and Adu avoided collision with Yang-hwi’s Sixfold Technique by abandoning the flag itself.
Finally, the Peng Heir, though in the same group, aided Yang-hwi before ultimately forfeiting advancement.
“The Peng Heir displayed exemplary conduct. However, contrary to his claim of yielding to his junior, he had already handed his flag to the Baek Family Heir, who possessed one.”
Had he truly intended to yield, he should have competed fairly for the final flag.
But the flag passed into Yang-hwi’s hands, and as a result, Namgung Cheon-yeong suffered utter humiliation.
“Does this not strike you as strange? Moreover, the reason the Peng Heir surrendered his flag was that he lost a wager to the Baek Family Heir. The grandson of the Great Sea Dragon King lost to someone from an insignificant family?”
After mentioning every point that could sow discord through his eloquent words,
Namgung Sa-geom cried out loudly.
“I cannot comprehend this. Perhaps my understanding is lacking. I wonder if there might be hidden circumstances, but I am curious to hear the opinions of others present.”
In short, it amounted to this:
You all conspired together behind the scenes in a cowardly joint attack, didn’t you?
So you and your close friends formed a faction and tried to humiliate Namgung Cheon-yeong, a formidable competitor?
‘Clever strategy. Deliberately invoking the Cheonmu-sip-jon like that.’
I regarded Peng Wang, who served as the Great Sea Dragon King’s aide.
From Peng Wang’s position, he could no longer claim he had truly lost.
The matter had escalated to a question of the Cheonmu-sip-jon’s pride.
“Brilliant late-stage contestants gathered and competed. Yet a disciple from a martial family we had scarcely heard of until recently achieved the most outstanding results?”
In the Dragon-Phoenix Contention, it was common for lesser-known individuals to gain sudden fame through their performances.
Nevertheless, Namgung Sa-geom’s eloquence was sufficient to create discord.
“Against none other than the Namgung Heir, the previous generation’s First Dragon, Shaolin’s greatest prodigy, and Hwa-san’s First Disciple? I confess, I cannot fathom this Namgung individual at all.”
The total number of contestants advancing to the True Dragon Tournament and True Phoenix Tournament was one hundred twenty-eight.
At least one hundred martial sects participated in the preliminary rounds.
Once the question of fairness had been raised, it could not be brushed aside quietly.
Once doubt and suspicion had taken root, other families might at the very least regard the Baek Family with disfavor.
‘If even one of the Cheonmu-sip-jon spoke up now, the situation would unravel.’
Unfortunately, none of them appeared inclined to intervene.
Two remained expressionless, while the other two had their lips curled upward in expressions of amusement.
‘It seems I must step forward myself.’
“Elder Namgung Sa-geom.”
I rose to my feet and performed the fist salute.
Namgung Sa-geom spread his arms as if inviting me to attack him.
“Speak, Young Master Baek. Your answer is what I was most curious about.”
“Forgive my words, but… there exists a world known only to martial artists—one that those below the Pinnacle realm cannot comprehend.”
“…What did you say?”
“I merely said that since only masters can understand such matters, it is natural that you would not grasp it.”
Namgung Sa-geom’s eyes widened.
‘From his reaction, I struck the right nerve. So that was his weakness?’

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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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