Third-rate Martial Family Becomes the Best Under Heaven - Chapter 277

—————
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 277
Seon-gi is the vital force that guides all things correctly and righteously.
At first, it felt merely clean and pleasant with no particular advantages, so I cursed the one who had regressed it. But once I discovered its function in physical enhancement, I began using it actively.
Was that all?
‘After reversing time and meeting Gwi-no Baek-ma about a year later, I was able to understand the true function of Seon-gi.’
A sorcerer with the monstrous appearance of enslaving a hundred demon spirits.
Even if he was less skilled decades ago, the Yang Hwi of that time could never have defeated such an opponent.
Yet what was the result?
Seon-gi annihilated his demon spirits.
‘If a being is righteous, it enters the cycle of reincarnation after death. But demons are inherently against the heavens.’
In other words, Seon-gi is a fatal force against those who defy heaven, and its righteous function could neutralize all manner of heterodox and demonic techniques.
The proof was stripping away Chu Dal’s technique of the unfeeling heart.
‘Then demonic energy—is Cheonma also a being that defies heaven?’
Yeo Dong-bin had spoken thus in the Peach Blossom Paradise.
“All things in creation exist in pairs. Yin and yang. Front and back. Light and darkness.”
‘He said of me that I am a being who shines brightly in the light. That heaven appointed me to guard against all that is evil and dark.’
Moreover, Yeo Dong-bin had also said this.
“Dou’s very existence originated from Cheonma. Born in evil and darkness, yet he became Yang Hwi by defying his destined fate.”
Supposing Cheonma is a being that defies heaven—should I consider one who originated from such an existence as one who submits to heaven, or as one who defies it?
‘It’s certain. If this were Seon-gi before meeting Geom Seon and before its function was strengthened, my advantage in compatibility against Honeum would not be as decisive as it is now.’
Therefore, a question arises.
That vital force possessed by those water beetle bastards—how did they say Honeum was born?
Judging by its characteristics, it must have been created by an absolute being of Cheonmu-sip-jon’s caliber, or with high probability, by Cheonma.
‘A being like Cheonma would have no reason to hide demonic energy.’
Was it developed for subordinates because being discovered with demonic energy would make one the common enemy of all under heaven?
That Cheonma?
‘Cheonma. Nang Hon. And… Honeum.’
Dark in the first character, shadow in the second.
Of light and darkness, it is darkness. Of yin and yang, it is yin.
…Is Cheonma, like the relationship between Seon-gi and demonic energy, a being whose very origin and foundation defies heaven’s will?
Or did he, by his own will, defy heaven and incur its wrath?
If the latter, why can Seon-gi attack and overcome Cheonma’s vital force?
I don’t know.
Questions pile upon questions endlessly.
“Brother. I didn’t know you could make such a stupid-looking face?”
My thoughts were interrupted.
Ah, this bastard Chu Dal.
“Want to get hit?”
Since I wasn’t asking for his opinion, I flicked my finger sharply.
Chu Dal, unlike before, swiftly evaded the attack.
Seeing how much he’s grown made me feel good, but I couldn’t lose my authority as his older brother.
Snap!
“Ow!”
“Why are you dodging? If you’d just taken it, it wouldn’t have hurt as much.”
“I could have dodged it! It was just barely off!”
“Could you now?”
Well, if I hadn’t learned the Ilbo-cheon technique from Eum Hu, I wouldn’t have been able to land a flick with just my fingers.
In other words, Chu Dal would never escape a flick in his lifetime.
“You looked troubled, so I tried to help by talking to you, and you just hit me. Heaven will punish you for this.”
“Whether it’s punishment or not, something is definitely descending on me right now.”
Four characters emerged in my mind through the Geom Seon’s insight: “Heavenly Descent of Virtue.”
The moment I felt the honeum possessed by the water-type cultivators, everything became clear.
It was certain that the appearance of those four characters was because of the honeum’s existence.
‘Seeing how they called me at just the right time and strengthened my seon-gi, it must be true. They want me to gain something by killing those with honeum.’
Or perhaps they simply want me to eliminate all of them because the honeum itself is bothersome.
“Is your concern because of seon-gi, older brother?”
I looked at Chu Dal.
The others in our group don’t know about seon-gi.
Not even Jegal Seol-ha.
I only explained it as a characteristic from the martial techniques I’d cultivated, deliberately withholding the details.
‘I can’t tell them that when I opened my eyes, it was the past, and there was a seed of seon-gi in my dantian.’
The same applied to Chu Dal, but at least I could say that a special energy had emerged.
What did this bastard say when I told him?
He did something that wouldn’t be expected of a fourteen-year-old, which was strange, but seeing how he believed that Heaven had bestowed divine energy upon him, I figured he really was fourteen after all.
“Yeah. You’re sensing it?”
“Of course I’m sensing it. Fighting those water-type cultivators has become so easy that I can’t help but notice. What’s going on?”
“Seonran Hwayong-sul.”
“Ah, I see. It’s thanks to accepting your energy. But you said that wasn’t supposed to be about physical training.”
“I thought so too. But apparently, I was wrong.”
“You infused your beloved younger brother with an energy you don’t even fully understand yourself?”
If you’re upset about it, you shouldn’t have accepted it, you brat.
From the look on his face, it seemed he was asking for another flick.
Snap!
“Argh! It hurts! This time it really hurts!”
Chu Dal’s admittedly ugly face twisted in pain.
Twisted like that, it looked even uglier.
“Of course it hurts—I hit you because you said it hurt.”
“One day I’ll definitely get my revenge! No, before that, Heaven will punish you!”
Punishment, my foot. Looking at how things were going, he seemed to be receiving all the favor and affection one could ask for.
Though in exchange, the tasks he had to accomplish were of an absurdly difficult level.
“Those bastards possess demonic qi.”
“They called it Honeum, didn’t they? Watching them scatter in panic after taking a single blow was quite entertaining.”
“To be precise… if I had to speculate, it likely does originate from demonic qi. It’s so pure and untainted that it feels like the very essence of demonic qi itself—a force of absolute purity.”
Chu Dal pressed his swollen crown repeatedly before speaking.
“Isn’t that a tremendous advantage then? We’ve only fought once, but all the skilled ones among those Gae-cheon Jeil-ryong bastards possessed Honeum.”
It seemed Chu Dal believed he could gain enormous strategic advantage when facing the elite of the Janggang Water Alliance in future battles.
I shared the same premonition.
It would never be easy, but if I actively wielded this given weapon and ultimately achieved victory…
I could seize a result I had never even dared dream of in my imagination.
“Brother. If the plan proceeds as intended, won’t the Namgung Family and the Shamans avoid fighting those bastards?”
“If we accomplish An Hwi-haeng’s objective, that’s how it will unfold.”
“If we achieve far superior results against the bastards compared to the Namgung Family and the Shamans, despite fighting the same enemy?”
“The Baek Family’s prestige will pierce the heavens.”
“Right now we appear to be riding on the Gae-cheon Jeil-ryong’s reputation, but wouldn’t this prove that our main family itself has the qualifications to nurture a Jeil-ryong?”
“Yes.”
The world calls a clan capable of becoming a dragon’s well this way.
The Five Great Families Under Heaven, they say.
Prestigious clans like Changcheon Namgung, Oho Paeng, Wolyong Jegal, and Pilma Moyong stood in that same tier.
“We will surely be called one of the Five Great Families—no, the Six Great Families.”
Chu Dal’s eyes widened.
Even with anticipation, such words were impossible not to be startled by.
“Just ten years ago we were called a third-rate martial family, and now… the Six Great Families…”
“Well, we worked hard enough for it.”
Besides, even with the enhanced functions of Seon-gi, the journey would never be easy.
I didn’t even know if I could persuade the Namgung Family right now.
In that sense, I needed to change the plan somewhat.
“Chu Dal, navigate us. We need to head to Huangshan instead of Hefei.”
Originally, I had intended to go directly to Hefei where the Namgung Family’s estate was located.
But if one claims to be resourceful, one must be skilled at adapting to circumstances.
‘It was always strange. Since things have come to this, I should investigate the Namgung Family once.’
A powerful intuition that stimulated my mind. Suddenly, I laughed.
I had always prided myself on having instincts unmatched under heaven, and it occurred to me that perhaps all the sensations I had felt thus far were heaven’s guidance.
Of course, it was merely a playful thought.
‘What do I care about heaven’s will.’
Reversing time, Seon-gi, Yeo Dong-bin—heaven’s arrangement clearly existed.
But it was something I need not concern myself with or pay attention to.
‘I walk my own path. If it overlaps, I simply walk together for a time.’
Proving that the Gae-cheon Map inherited from my previous life’s father was the greatest under heaven.
So the place I needed to go now was not Hefei, but Huangshan.
The place where the Blood Sect’s secret stronghold existed in my previous life. In my past life, I personally eliminated it as a heretical sect, but at this point in time, it would be operating openly.
I had wanted to repay Cheonma for what I received, and this worked out perfectly.
‘While I’m at it, I should make proper chaos. With information and justification to persuade Namgung, plus revenge on top of that—truly, I am a genius.’
Any talented person must practice achieving two birds with one stone, both in body and spirit.

* * *
Though our destination changed abruptly, persuading my companions proved effortless.
“Mount Hwangsan? That sounds good. But let’s recite poetry while admiring the scenery like last time. Since we’ve set out for my older brother’s sake, I can do at least that much, right?”
“Yang Hwi, I want rainbow rice cake!”
I had managed to sway these two, disciples of Cheonmu-sip-jon, with such trivial incentives.
Neung-o naturally went wherever the wind blew, and there was no need to ask Chu Dal’s opinion anyway.
Only Dang-gun posed a question.
“Hwi’s younger brother, you speak of Mount Hwangsan. Do you mean North Mount Hwangsan, or South Mount Hwangsan?”
“Both use the same characters, so—”
In the southern regions of Anhui, there were two mountains called Mount Hwangsan, and people typically distinguished them by adding north and south to their names.
For reference, the place I visited on the way to Hangzhou a few years ago was South Mount Hwangsan.
“I intend to go to North Mount Hwangsan.”
“So you weren’t planning to stop at the Manmok Workshop in South Mount Hwangsan to commission a gift for the Namgung Family.”
“A gift for those Namgung bastards? I’m going to kill whoever needs killing and find out something I want to know.”
“I see.”
Dang-gun did not press for direct reasons.
After years of traveling with Yang Hwi, he had grown accustomed to this.
Even following sudden proposals, there was at least no loss to be had.
“Since we’ve crossed the Ying River, we should reach North Mount Hwangsan in half a day.”
“Let’s cut it down to half that by riding straight through.”
“Why go to such lengths when no one’s in danger?”
Judging by the fact that those bastards possessed honeum, they certainly had connections to the demonic sects.
Moving quickly gave me peace of mind, just in case.
“Swift action, swift resolution! We don’t have much time anyway.”
“That’s true enough.”
Fortunately, Dang-gun nodded at my hastily offered explanation.
After that, half a day later.
The group stopped as they reached the foothills of North Mount Hwangsan.
The reason we did not enter North Mount Hwangsan directly was simple.
Someone was waiting to greet us at the mountain pass.
“It has been a long time.”
Yang Hwi’s face turned as cold as ice.
Not just Yang Hwi—all those who recognized the figure hardened their expressions.
“I see the Soga-joonim… no, that’s not right. Since Namgung Cheon-hu lost the position of Soga-joonim, this must be the first time in about five years.”
A cold and arrogant face, in color closer to the hue of the sky itself.
Yet it burned red.
Unlike before, a crimson hue now stained everything.
His face. His blade.
“Namgung Cheon-hu.”
“Speak, Baek Yang-hwi.”
“I thought you at least possessed some shred of pride, but….”
A man who once served as the Family Head of one of the Five Great Families—now bowing beneath the Blood Sect?
A man with any dignity could never stoop so low.
“I misjudged you entirely. Here I was, viewing a wretched cur in a favorable light.”
A man bearing the Namgung name had become a member of the Blood Sect?
Death sentence. Confirmed.

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