Third-rate Martial Family Becomes the Best Under Heaven - Chapter 279

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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 279
Half a day before meeting Namgung Cheon-yeong.
“What did you say?”
Chu Dal was startled when he heard about the person Yang Hwi intended to send a letter to.
“You’re going to send a letter to Namgung Cheon-yeong?! Are you in your right mind, brother?”
“Yeah.”
“What’s the content? Don’t tell me you’re planning to blackmail him by saying your brother became a Blood Sect cultist and threatening him to cooperate if he doesn’t want this exposed?”
“Huh? That’s actually a good idea, isn’t it?”
“….”
Chu Dal looked at Yang Hwi with eyes that had grown distinctly cold.
Moreover, the rest of the group was sending disapproving glances as well.
“Why! What’s the problem!”
“No matter how much we’ve discovered that Namgung Cheon-hu crossed the line, and no matter how much we have a duty to inform Baek Do about it.”
“Why specifically through Namgung Cheon-yeong? Hwi, isn’t that too cruel?”
“Ugh, you’re garbage, big brother.”
“Ugh! Yang Hwi, you’re garbage!”
A sense of injustice welled up unbidden.
“G-garbage? Isn’t that language a bit harsh?”
Not a single person agreed with me.
Dang-gun, wearing a benevolent expression, asked on behalf of everyone.
“Hwi, what exactly did you do to Namgung Cheon-yeong?”
“You openly insulted him in front of people to tarnish the Namgung Family’s honor, and in the final duel, you played around with your left hand before switching your sword to your right hand and subdued him in one strike, didn’t you?”
“If I were the Namgung Family Head, I would have waged all-out war against the Baek Family.”
It was an answer that left me speechless.
Come to think of it, the bad blood between us is no joke… Hmm. Is it really that bad?
Isn’t being ambushed and dying worse than that?
‘What did I go through in my past life!’
Smack!
“Ow! Everyone said it, so why are you only hitting me!”
“You especially shouldn’t be saying things like that, you bastard.”
Why did I die in my past life? Someone’s neck got cleanly severed, and my eyes rolled back from the shock, so I ended up choosing the path to the afterlife instead of moving forward.
This guy really knows how to hurt someone’s feelings.
“Seriously, one day I’ll get my revenge too… I’ll have Baek the night warden make me iron gloves for eternal winter and beat him with those….”
While Chu Dal grieved, unaware of my past life’s tragedy, I continued speaking.
“There’s a specific reason I’m choosing to inform Namgung Cheon-yeong. That bastard Namgung Cheon-hu—his younger brother is his reverse scale.”
“Baek Do, from the conversation just now, it didn’t seem like such a reverse scale.”
“I didn’t think Neung-o would kill Myeong-wol to solve the problem until I saw it directly.”
Once I injected some perspective-taking, Neung-o immediately nodded in agreement.
“That’s true. It seems Baek Do discovered something in Namgung Cheon-hu that others cannot see.”
“Precisely, Neung-o.”
I declared this while looking at everyone.
“When it comes to reading people’s hearts, there’s no one anywhere who can match me. If your perception hadn’t been extraordinary, you would’ve already collapsed from my tongue work, wouldn’t you?”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
“That’s certainly true.”
“Just by watching how you scratch people, your ability to find their sore spots is truly remarkable.”
“Elder brother, was that statement just now boasting or self-deprecation?”
Seolha’s been speaking rather harshly lately.
Did I do something wrong somehow…?
“Elder brother is right. You all know the functions of my constitution, don’t you? Namgung Cheon-hu’s mental state only wavered distinctly when speaking about Namgung Cheon-yeong.”
“You could even see the mental state of a clone?”
“If a clone is connected, I can see it all.”
“That’s impressive.”
“Hehe, it’s nothing much at this level.”
Dang-gun stepped forward and organized the situation.
“The information Namgung Cheon-hu conveyed is threefold: the Namgung Family Head will be killed within three years, turmoil will arise in the Namgung Family, and the Blood Sect’s agents will be involved in all of it.”
A question arose here.
“The Blood Sect. I don’t know much about those bastards. But I’m thinking this: is the Blood Sect’s power really great enough to assassinate the Family Head of one of the Five Great Families by disguising it as illness?”
The Namgung Family is certainly one of the Five Great Families, and among the highest-ranking ones at that.
If the Peng Family hadn’t produced that monster called the Great Sea Dragon King, they would still be called the greatest family under heaven.
To assassinate the Family Head of such a place?
Beyond what was said outwardly, we could glean one more piece of information.
“The Blood Sect’s reach might already be deeply embedded within the Namgung Family itself.”
“So that’s why Baek Do suddenly suggested going to Hwangsan. You already knew, didn’t you?”
“I’ve had my suspicions since the Sword King’s Tomb, Neung-o. Since we’re going to persuade those Namgung guys, I thought we should learn more about this aspect to be certain.”
Everyone in the group expressed their agreement.
Separate from what we’d done to Namgung Cheon-yeong, he was the easiest person among the Namgung Family members to approach.
“To extract more information, we need to scratch him a bit, and in that regard, Namgung Cheon-yeong is perfect.”
“Ugh, elder brother is trash.”
“Yang Hwi, ugggggh!”
Jegal Seol-ha seemed pleased that our timing was so well-matched, and she bounced onto Adu’s shoulders.
“Since it seems roughly decided, shall we go to Hambi? I’ll call Namgung Cheon-yeong. Even if elder brother can’t, he’ll come if I call. Hehehehe.”
“Even though he fell for you at first sight, you’re trying to exploit those feelings. Isn’t that too wicked?”
“I don’t want to hear that from you! Want to get hit?!”
“Seeing you get touchy means you’re still bothered by it. So you do have some conscience.”
Jegal Seol-ha made a sharp expression.
“What? If I can’t bring out Namgung Cheon-yeong, it’s all for nothing, right? You don’t have to help?”
“No.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll handle Namgung Cheon-yeong myself. In exchange, you take care of something else.”
There was one more reason why Namgung Cheon-yeong, the Namgung Clan Head, had to be the first step.
“To cast bait, you need to know two things. Where the fish are swimming, and whether the bait suits their taste.”
So my companions had their role to play.

* * *
“Namgung Cheon-yeong. Your brother has become a servant of the Blood Sect. In other words, he’s a fool.”
Watching Namgung Cheon-yeong’s passionate reaction, I couldn’t help but smirk.
‘Ah, that feels refreshing.’
It was like getting slapped at the market and venting my frustration elsewhere, but my target was the Namgung Clan.
This level of treatment was nothing compared to what they deserved.
“Say it again. Your missing brother joined a demonic faction that launched attacks in Mu-han? Do you have proof?”
“No proof, but I have witnesses. The Sect Leader of Gu-pa, direct descendants of the Five Great Families, and so on.”
“…You mean Jeom Chang Jang-mun-in and Jegal Sojeo. Has Jegal Sojeo… come here?”
This bastard still has feelings for Seolha.
Well, first love burns like a fever and leaves a scar that doesn’t fade easily.
“Let’s discuss the important matters first. Do you know why I’m telling you this?”
Even raised in a greenhouse, Namgung Cheon-yeong possessed talent.
An answer came immediately.
“You want the Namgung Clan to lend a hand in the coming battle with the Janggang Water Route Alliance? Otherwise, you’ll expose the truth?”
Why do both Chu Dal and this guy assume that coercion is the default approach?
“I have no intention of exposing anything myself. I don’t plan to become enemies with the Namgung Clan.”
“…You say that now?”
“By my standards, we haven’t reached the point of being true enemies yet.”
After all, I haven’t killed anyone.
What I’ve suffered demands more repayment than what I’ve given so far.
‘If I truly wanted to be enemies, I would’ve killed at least one of you bastards already.’
“First, let me tell you this. Originally, we came to An-hwi to ask the Namgung Clan to align with us in the fight against the Janggang Water Route Alliance.”
Namgung Cheon-yeong’s expression turned incredulous.
“Do you truly believe the elders of the main house would grant such a request?”
“It’s not a request. It’s an opportunity. A chance for the Namgung Clan Head—whose face has been dragged through the mud after being utterly humiliated by a mere minor martial family’s heir—to defeat Gae-cheon Jeil-ryong and restore his reputation.”
“….”
A moment of silence. Then the sound of Namgung Cheon-yeong’s teeth grinding echoed out.
Hmm, did I push too hard?
“Moreover, I plan to send someone to the Shaman’s Hyeon Geom as well. The three of us—you, me, and Hyeon Geom—will settle once and for all who is the most outstanding late-stage martial artist. Not in some trivial sparring match, but in real combat against heretical practitioners.”
“I understand the outline. Now tell me why you came.”
I was trying to explain slowly out of consideration, but he’s rushing me ahead?
This will be quite a shock.
“There’s a Blood Sect spy within the Namgung Clan. And it’s someone of considerable rank.”
“Are you challenging me to a life-or-death duel?”
Fury rose in Namgung Cheon-yeong’s face.
“Don’t be ridiculous. Don’t insult the main house.”
His words revealed pride and faith in the Namgung Family.
Yet I could dismiss it all with a single statement.
“If Jeomchang among the Nine Sects suffered such a fate, why couldn’t the Five Great Families experience the same?”
“….”
Namgung Cheon-yeong had become a man struck dumb.
Well… it wasn’t definitively confirmed that there was a spy, but.
In negotiations, one should only reveal information favorable to one’s own side.
“How did Namgung Cheon-hu enter the Blood Sect? What connection could there possibly be? Of course, everything I’ve said could be a lie. But if I’ve spoken only truth, shouldn’t you consider this matter carefully?”
“….”
“So you’ll have to become the bait, Namgung Cheon-yeong. Let’s verify whether your words or mine are correct. Well, if you’re scared, you can back out. You can step down from the board and watch from the sidelines as an outsider if you prefer.”
“…Bait, you say? What do you want from me?”
“Tomorrow, I’ll visit the Namgung Family and ask them to participate in the war against the Janggang Water Alliance. As the clan head, you’ll express your full support for the proposal.”
Suspicion flickered in Namgung Cheon-yeong’s eyes.
“Everything you’ve said until now could be lies. You might be deceiving me to persuade the main family.”
“I stake the honor of the main family on this—everything I just said is true.”
“…I hear you said lies are permissible against the dark path and heterodox sects. You’re not treating the main family the same way, are you?”
How did he know that?
“Tacheo Gyeongsa. To draw out the hidden serpents, you must beat the grass. If you’re truly righteous, step forward.”
“….”
As his hesitation dragged on, I voiced a question that had arisen during our conversation.
“Furthermore, let me ask you this, Namgung Cheon-yeong. If you feared that our Baek Family of Gaecheon would become formidable competitors, would you lend your hand to ambushing my father and me?”
Unlike before, Namgung Cheon-yeong answered immediately.
“I would abandon the family before obeying such an order. The main family raised me differently.”
‘That’s right. Then why did you lead the ambush in your past life, Namgung Clan Head?’
I’m not curious about the circumstances anymore.
Namgung Cheon-yeong and the Namgung Family must face the karmic retribution of their past lives.
“It’s because it was neither righteous nor just, isn’t it? Then there’s no reason to hesitate, Namgung Cheon-yeong. How can you call yourself a man of Baek if you waver over striking down these bastards?”
“…I’ll convey it to my father.”
Namgung Cheon-hu referred to his father as the Family Head, but for you, the relationship of father comes before the position of Family Head, it seems.
“No. Don’t tell him. More precisely, don’t tell him yet.”
“Why?”
“Aren’t you curious? What decision they’ll make without knowing these circumstances?”
To make Namgung Cheon-yeong a more appetizing bait, I needed to force him out of his greenhouse.
Perhaps the downfall of the Namgung clan would begin from this very moment.
‘I’m truly curious what choice they’ll make.’
In my past life, after Family Head Namgung Il-geom died, the Namgung Family had carried out the ambush.
What judgment would the Namgung Family, led by Namgung Il-geom as Family Head, make?
Either way, it seemed it would be entertaining.

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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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