Third-rate Martial Family Becomes the Best Under Heaven - Chapter 257

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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 257
I had unexpectedly encountered Geom Seon and Yeo Dong-bin.
Regardless of how it happened.
The thought that I might be able to unravel the countless mysteries filling my mind brought me genuine joy.
With such thoughts, I sprawled out without hesitation.
“Phew, what clouds—softer than a luxury bed.”
It wasn’t a joke; they truly were remarkably soft.
How much money would I need to purchase a bed of this quality?
“….”
“….”
A brief moment of silence.
“Dou.”
“Yes?”
“You seem quite exhausted.”
I blurted it out suddenly.
“Of course. It appears you have something to say, but since my energy is completely drained, I should rest for a moment first.”
Now, this is where the real conversation begins.
I continued muttering complaints under my breath while glancing sideways at Geom Seon.
“I’m truly grateful that you sent me back, but how exactly am I supposed to defeat a monster like the Cheonma?”
Instead of answering, Geom Seon offered a light smile.
‘Hmm. He’s not telling me directly.’
Still, I had obtained two pieces of information.
First. Contrary to my assumptions, it may not have been Yeo Dong-bin who performed the miracle of regression.
And, second.
“The Cheonma. He didn’t die, did he?”
I asked, but I was already certain.
It seemed too easy for him to die.
There’s no way the leader of the three great demonic sects would meet his end without even a final struggle.
“Correct. You are indeed perceptive.”
“You don’t need to be so formal.”
“Bin-do uses the same tone with everyone, so please don’t mind it.”
“I see. Understood.”
I examined Geom Seon’s appearance.
He truly looked like a celestial immortal painted by a master artist.
If a painter witnessed this scene, they would surely create the masterpiece of their lifetime—a portrait of an immortal in paradise.
“You said you were glad to see me. I’m curious about your reason.”
As I finished speaking, I thought to myself.
‘If he starts with zen riddles, I’m throwing a punch.’
I was already frustrated enough with the Cheonma’s evasive answers.
If Yeo Dong-bin did the same?
I would finally break free from the near-death experience with the Cheonma.
“All things in the universe exist in pairs, Master Yang Hwi and Dou. Yin and yang. Front and back. Light and darkness. Good and evil. You are a being of brightness… seeking to shine in the light—how could the heavens not welcome such a one?”
‘Good, this confirms I’m going to charge in.’
I was about to furrow my brow when Yeo Dong-bin continued.
“A being of brightness means one appointed by heaven to concern oneself with the evil and darkness that inevitably exist in this world.”
‘In other words, my very existence is within heaven’s design?’
“So my innate talent as the greatest under heaven… wasn’t because I was exceptional, but because of heaven’s plan?”
This was somewhat shocking.
“Not so. Your existence itself originated from the Cheonma.”
“Pardon?”
That was shocking in a different way.
Originating from the Cheonma—what kind of nonsensical babble was this?
“Thus, how could I not cherish you? Born from evil and darkness, yet you defied your destined fate to become a being of brightness.”
In that moment, the Cheonma’s words flashed through my mind.
‘Father said that when he gave me the name Yang Hwi and accepted me as his son, that was the beginning of my transformation.’
If I had never become Father’s son, what kind of life would I have lived?
“….”
I could say with certainty that whether I had learned martial arts or not, I would never have walked a path close to Baekdo.
For an orphan of heaven with no reason to live, existence itself would have been neither righteous nor pure.
“You have become part of the mandate of heaven from outside it. Because you defied fate, you could also defy time itself.”
‘So I escaped from the predetermined flow thanks to Father, and that’s why heaven spares me.’
Hmph, for someone supposedly spared, my previous life wasn’t exactly smooth sailing.
Still, one thing is certain.
Yeo Dong-bin, despite his immortal appearance, was not speaking in Zen riddles.
‘It’s refreshingly straightforward. Let me get to the bottom of this while I have the chance.’
“Did you send me back to kill the Cheonma?”
“Defying heaven to restore fate, returning to the source, completing the cycle. You need only do as you wish, Master Dou.”
‘Cancel that. This old man does like his Zen riddles. He’s definitely an immortal.’
Whether he couldn’t or wouldn’t speak plainly, I’d have to dig out the answer myself.
“How did the Cheonma escape death?”
“The body of Honeum is not singular. Once you reach that realm, you will naturally understand.”
Could it be one of those legendary techniques passed down in stories? Something like that?
When martial prowess touches the heavens, does a clone appear and all that?
‘Well, the method doesn’t really matter.’
“What does it mean that I originated from the Cheonma?”
“Two of Honeum’s arrangements. You and your companion. Having escaped the arrangement, that is truly a joyous thing.”
The companion would be Seolha.
“What if we fall back under the arrangement?”
To be frank, if I submitted to the Cheonma, making my family the greatest under heaven would be far easier.
Well, aside from it not being my preference, Father would absolutely never accept it anyway.
As if peering into such thoughts, Yeo Dong-bin simply smiled contentedly.
“Dou need only walk his own path. I force nothing upon him.”
‘…Is that so, Geom Seon. My own path.’
It was an answer laden with feeling.
“Am I growing well according to Heaven’s design?”
I waited for his answer, slightly tense.
After a brief pause, Yeo Dong-bin shook his head.
“Though a river splits into tributaries, the river remains one current. Heaven’s will, one’s destiny—such is its nature. Simply walk your path, Dou. Even if you flow backward, if that is your path, then it is natural order and natural flow.”
“….”
A thoughtful answer. Thanks to it, I could be certain.
‘If he said I was doing well according to design, I would have struck him down.’
Heaven or whatever else—I despise being played with in another’s palm.
Walking one’s own path. That is the true calling of a warrior.
In that sense….
“….”
A sigh escaped.
“Geom Seon.”
“Speak, Dou.”
“I will certainly kill the Cheonma. I decided today.”
“Since you harbor such resolve, Bin-do shall offer encouragement.”
But.
But.
“Can I truly kill the Cheonma?”
Even the Cheonmu-sip-jon are absolute beings beyond reach.
The Cheonma, who appeared to die receiving the combined assault of four such absolute beings.
Was merely a divided form.
Surely the true body is far stronger.
‘Can I truly reach it even if I dedicate my entire life?’
Since reversing time, I have rushed in one direction.
The path ahead was clear.
But now… I cannot see clearly.
“It feels as though the path has vanished. I cannot see the way forward.”
Though countless paths exist in this world, not a single one reaches the heavens.
Using Yeo Dong-bin’s words, that is natural order.
Yang Hwi fell silent. Yeo Dong-bin offered no words of comfort.
Instead, he drew his sword.
Clang!
“Dou.”
“Yes, Geom Seon.”
“You walk your own path, Dou. You have never once walked a path Heaven carved for you.”
Geom Seon finished speaking and began to dance the sword form, flowing and graceful.
Watching it, my mind grew calm and my thoughts crystallized.
Why did I feel this way?
‘Ah. I see. I understand now.’
Geom Seon’s counsel had pierced the core of my confusion.
By setting aside emotion and thinking clearly, I could grasp the truth.
‘No path? It never mattered in the first place.’
What did it matter if there was no path?
I knew precisely where my destination lay.
If no path existed, I would forge one myself.
Until now, I had carved my own way through pathless terrain—why hesitate now?
‘How shameful. When did I become afraid of that Cheonma bastard?’
I had shown strength to his face, made crude jabs with my tongue.
It was no different from a frightened dog barking.
Now that I understood, I should do more than bark—I should bite.
‘Cheonma? I admit the dog is strong.’
But listen here, you pup—wait just sixty years, or even thirty.
I will absolutely surpass you.
An old monster born before me bragging about his strength?
A question stirred in the depths of my heart.
Was it possible?
I nodded.
‘It is possible. My talent is the greatest under heaven.’
Unwavering conviction. Absolute faith in myself.
That was the moment.
My energy began to roil and surge.
“Ugh?!”
My Hwa-cheon Seon-gi—more precisely, the Seon-gi aspect of my unified internal energy—was transforming of its own accord.
“Do not worry.”
“Did you cause this, Geom Seon?”
“No. You harbored your intention from a place of goodness and righteousness, and that intention was established correctly—with a true heart. Thus it naturally manifests the appropriate transformation. If I were to speak plainly, I would not deny it.”
Geom Seon winked with one eye and smiled, then resumed his sword dance.
I observed the changes within myself while watching this immortal form before me.
A state of selflessness began naturally. How much time had passed this way?
‘My Seon-gi… my Hwa-cheon Seon-gi has transformed.’
I couldn’t quite grasp the specifics of how.
“Can you tell me how it has changed, Geom Seon?”
“Seonran Hwayong-sul. Truly a magnificent technique.”
An answer that dodged the question, yet the intent was clear enough.
He was saying I would understand once I tried infusing my Seon-gi into another.
‘An unexpected windfall.’
But it still wasn’t enough.
If I could just sweet-talk him a bit more, maybe I could squeeze out more benefits.
“Geom Seon. Does Heaven wish for me to slay the Cheonma?”
“Simply walk the path.”
“Assuming that’s true, I’m being asked to accomplish something so monumental—surely there’s something more you could offer?”
I rubbed my hands together like a merchant and let out a shameless laugh.
With a smile like that while spitting such words, even an immortal couldn’t achieve enlightenment, could they?
Come on, give me a little more!
“….”
Geom Seon, who had worn only the serene smile of an enlightened sage—no, an immortal—showed emotion for the first time.
It seemed like bewilderment, though subtle.
In moments like this, I had to push forward shamelessly.
“If that won’t work, then perhaps teachings on the sword? This place seems like some celestial realm, doesn’t it? Couldn’t I train here for, say, ten years while only a day passes in the lower world? That sort of thing?”
“Is that so?”
Tsk. So that’s a no.
As I smacked my lips in disappointment, Geom Seon waved his hand.
“The time has come. We shall end here. You must descend now.”
What? So suddenly?
With a whistling sound, Geom Seon’s figure rapidly receded into the distance.
“Wait! Where is this place? Can I come back next time? There’s still so much I haven’t asked!”
Geom Seon waved his hand.
A faint whisper drifted down to me.
[My final disciple, carried by the flowing currents of fate.]
[May you walk your own path and reach its end.]
[This immortal, Yeo Dong-bin, offers this prayer.]
I fell.
Down and down, growing distant.
A disciple, he called me. Since I’ve learned the Cheondon Sword Technique, he’s acknowledging me as his successor.
Generous of him, considering I never even paid proper respects.
Still, I felt regretful.
My hands and feet trembled with frustration.
‘Damn it! I should have extracted at least one more thing!’

* * *
I opened my eyes.
Despite having been injured and knocked unconscious, I felt refreshed rather than sore.
That’s when it dawned on me.
‘Wow! Old Master Geom Seon, you’ve got quite the generous heart after all.’
In that moment, a fragrant scent pierced my nostrils.
Someone had suddenly thrown themselves over me.
“Brother! Brother! Are you awake?”
“Seolha?”
Tears began to glisten in her eyes.
“What do you mean! What was I supposed to do if you and Chil-ju just kept lying there unconscious! Do you know how worried I was, sob….”
A week? My conversation with Geom Seon lasted at most half an hour.
So that old saying about not noticing the axe handle rotting in the divine immortal’s pouch was actually true.
“I’m sorry.”
“Sob… You!”
“Ugh!”
Sharp pain erupted from my chest where I’d been struck.
Did she really channel her inner energy into that punch?
“Promise me you won’t swing your sword with your life on the line using Primordial Qi next time. Swear it to me.”
“Hmm, that might be difficult?”
“Should I personally send you back to the brink of death again?”
No, that’s not what I meant.
“Seolha. While I was asleep, I journeyed to the immortal realm and returned. Thanks to that, I was able to gain enlightenment about myself.”
“What kind of nonsensical ghost story is that?”
I looked at Seolha with a serious expression.
Seolha flinched, overwhelmed by my intensity.
“Seolha. I am….”
“What are you, brother?”
“I am… a hero chosen by the heavens.”
Smack!
“Ugh!”
She channeled her energy into that one too.
Ow, that hurts.
“You’re still making jokes at a time like this? What am I going to do with you?”
“Alright, stop hitting me. Anyway, next time I use Twin Wing Heaven Piercer, I won’t pass out. I’m certain of it.”
“How could you possibly know that when you were unconscious just moments ago?”
How would I know? Because Geom Seon gave me a gift.
‘His sword dance wasn’t for nothing.’
One truth I realized the moment I awoke.
The next time I use Twin Wing Heaven Piercer, my body will suffer no ill effects.
The reason was simple.
Because the Heavenly Pressure of a single instant from the Cheondu Sword Technique—something I could never have handled—had become one with my body.
‘But that wasn’t all.’
I rummaged through my bosom, which felt unusually heavy.
Something solid and remarkably weighty for its size brushed against my fingers.
My lips curved upward of their own accord.
‘Geom-ong, you old master—take a good look at your sect leader and learn from him. When you grow old, you need to have a generous spirit.’

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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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