Third-rate Martial Family Becomes the Best Under Heaven - Chapter 283

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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 283
At the topmost floor of Juru, roughly a hundred paces away from the Namgung Family residence.
Yang Hwi’s companions had rented a guest room and were staring intently at the main gate.
“It’s already been half a day since we arrived.”
Neung-o, who had been polishing his sword, spoke in a measured tone.
“Time has already passed like that, Jang Moon-in.”
“Let’s go.”
Dang-gun’s expression became puzzled without him realizing it.
“Go where?”
“The Namgung Family.”
Though he maintained the composed and elegant bearing befitting a Taoist sage, everyone knew that Neung-o was ready to throw open the window, kick off the roof, and charge out at any moment.
“Jang Moon-in! Please wait a moment. What do you intend to do by going there?”
“An arrow is simply released.”
The answer sounded reasonable enough.
But frankly, it meant he had no plan at all.
When they first met in Sichuan, he had seemed like an intelligent type whose thoughts were impossible to read. Why had he changed so much?
‘He must have recovered his true nature.’
“Hwi’s younger brother will come out when he thinks it’s time. You know that, don’t you?”
“Though Baek Dou is certainly like that, we cannot afford to commit the error of overlooking one crucial detail among a thousand considerations.”
That wasn’t it. He simply seemed to be getting bored waiting and wanted to charge in.
The real problem was that no one refuted Neung-o’s words.
“That’s a good idea, Taoist sage. Let’s charge in!”
“If Seolha goes, I want to go too!”
“That sounds good, Monk!”
“First, let me slip in and scout the atmosphere, shall I? Hehe, I’ll test whether my concealment technique works even against the Five Great Families.”
Jegal Seol-ha, who had become identical to Yang Hwi in everything except gender.
Chu Dal, who had been perfectly normal before the hellish training warped his mind.
Adu, who simply followed along with whatever Jegal Seol-ha suggested because of his innocent nature.
And Neung-o, who was the Jang Moon-in himself! The Jang Moon-in! Yet the biggest troublemaker of them all!
Dang-gun could only press his palm to his forehead.
“Charging in as a group is not advisable, everyone.”
“They might perceive it as us applying pressure on the Namgung Family, after all.”
“Hwi’s younger brother surely wouldn’t have failed to mention our existence. Moreover, given his nature, he’s probably already pushed them to their limits. If we show ourselves, it will only backfire.”
“Hmm. You make a fair point. An arrow, no matter what, should not be released in a direction that endangers our own allies.”
Neung-o, his buttocks planted against the window frame, resumed polishing his sword.
How much longer was he going to polish that sword?
Was he sharpening the blade with cloth instead of a whetstone?
‘Sigh. Yes, please continue polishing that sword, Jang Moon-in.’
Among these people, he was the only one capable of thinking rationally.
So he had to stay sharp and keep a firm grip on the reins.
It was at that moment when Dang-gun was thinking such thoughts.
“Ah, Elder Brother has come out!”
The towering gates of the Namgung Family residence creaked open, and Yang Hwi walked out.
The leisurely way he strolled forward was so relaxed it made the wait seem pointless.
-Hwi’s Younger Brother, over here!
Yang Hwi, who received the transmission, turned his head and launched himself forward.
After several bounds, Yang Hwi landed lightly atop the window frame.
“Yeah. Everyone’s been waiting long?”
“We were about to go out to greet you, Baek Dou.”
“Neung-o is always dependable, I’ll give him that.”
“How did it go, Elder Brother?”
“How did it go? You know me—the operation was a complete success, naturally.”
At his answer, which dripped with cockiness, Jegal Seol-ha made a displeased expression.
“You really do have a way of making all our worries seem pointless.”
“Is that so? If you were worried, then thank you. I mean it sincerely.”
Only then did Jegal Seol-ha smile.
Next, Dang-gun requested a detailed explanation.
“What became of the negotiation’s conditions? As a member of the Ilik Alliance, I’m curious.”
“We took a slight loss compared to what we planned beforehand, but it’s roughly similar.”
“A loss, you say. Surely not a non-aggression declaration?”
“Yeah. But only for the Baek Family, not the entire Ilik Alliance.”
“That’s fortunate at least, but what was their reaction?”
Yang Hwi’s expression grew serious.
“They hesitated.”
Dang-gun’s expression became the same as Yang Hwi’s.
“The Namgung Family should have accepted it immediately, given what they’ve suffered. Yet they hesitated?”
From Dang-gun’s perspective, it was obvious that the Namgung Family would want to annihilate the Baek Family.
Both the former Soga Head Namgung Cheon-hu and the current Soga Head Namgung Cheon-yeong had suffered humiliation at their hands.
Moreover, the Baek Family was located in Gangseong, directly below Anhwi, and they even harbored a dragon.
“They must have some other scheme in mind.”
For instance, rather than the Namgung Family stepping in directly, they could use another faction to strike at the Baek Family.
In the case of indirect schemes, the non-aggression declaration loses its force.
“Ugh, that’s one more headache added to the pile. I’ll need to activate the intelligence network to its fullest.”
“Upon our return, I shall investigate the detailed circumstances together with Master, Soga Head.”
“I’m counting on you, Chu Dal.”
As Dang-gun’s worries deepened, Yang Hwi waved his hand dismissively to lighten the mood.
“Don’t worry too much about it. You already know that the non-aggression declaration will likely become meaningless anyway.”
Among martial sects, a non-aggression declaration acts as an enormous constraint, more than a display of trust and transfer of authority.
But.
Even if the heavens collapse, there’s always a hole through which one can escape—surely a mere declaration won’t be airtight.
With a clever mind, one could transform any loss into profit.
“The important part starts now. The slight loss I mentioned comes from other conditions.”
I had succeeded in getting the Namgung Family to participate in the war against the Janggang Water Alliance.
In exchange, I had given three things.
First. The trading rights with Sichuan through Jin Yeong-gil.
Second. The Baek Family’s unconditional non-aggression declaration toward the Namgung Family.
And finally, the third.
To lend military force to the Namgung Family upon request.
“It doesn’t seem like there’s anything urgent to handle right now, Hwi’s Younger Brother.”
“That’s true, but I thought I should get ahead of things regarding the condition of lending military force.”
Yang Hwi fumbled in his bosom and pulled something out.
The object that soon revealed itself was a banner embroidered with white and gold thread on a blue background.
“Isn’t that the banner of the Namgung Family?”
“Right. What was its name again… the Cangcheon Banner?”
Martial families typically took as symbols banners embroidered with the names and emblems representing their clans.
“You carried the Namgung Family’s Cangcheon Banner in your bosom like some street vendor’s pamphlet?”
“It’s just a scrap of cloth anyway, so what does it matter.”
“By any chance, Hwi’s Younger Brother… does the Baek Family treat the Gaecheon Banner the same way?”
“How could I treat such a precious object carelessly.”
….
“I received it as a token of agreement. I gave them my sword in return.”
Dang-gun’s eyes narrowed downward.
So that’s why it felt empty… the swordsman had given away his sword…
“You really do handle swords carelessly.”
“A sword is just a piece of iron when all is said and done.”
If it had been a sword infused with Seong Cheol and the White Lotus Absolute Strength, it might have been different, but I had already passed that one on to Baek Heon-so.
“Anyway, giving away the sword isn’t important. I’ve found a place to go.”
“Hmm? Where do you mean?”
….
Dang-gun watched Yang Hwi grin silently and felt unease rising within him.
“If you’ve received it, you have to use it.”
Shortly after, the unease became reality.
“Come on, let’s go. To crush the water bandits near Anhui. With the Namgung Family banner held high.”
….
“Wow! That sounds fun, doesn’t it, Elder Brother?”
Jegal Seol-ha’s single remark made Dang-gun feel even more sorrowful.
‘Truly… I’m the only sane one here…’
“Hwi’s Younger Brother! I absolutely oppose this!!!!!”

* * *
Dang-gun trudged forward with an expression as though he’d lost the world itself.
Yang Hwi scratched his head watching him.
“Elder Dang. Want to back out even now?”
“Hwi’s Younger Brother, what do you take me for? We came together—should I just slink away because I don’t feel like it?”
“Right. Fair point. Sorry.”
“Sorry?! When your own Elder Brother vehemently opposed this, you should never have pushed forward!”
“That’s sorry too!”
“Sorry?! Then listen to what I’m saying!”
“Uh, yeah, next time?”
“Spit on your own lips and lie through your teeth, you bastard!”
Dang-gun suddenly caught himself with a cough.
“Ahem. So what scheme are we running here?”
“I shall explain that to you, Soga-joonim.”
Chu Dal, who had flown in while dangling from the silk rope he’d planted in a tree, shouted.
“The mountain stronghold we’re about to assault is called Chungrak Stronghold, and it ranks among the top five largest establishments in Anhui.”
In terms of sheer power, it rivals any major martial sect.
The amusing part is that despite their strength, they don’t make the cut for the Yangtze River Water Route Alliance’s core eighteen strongholds.
“The Yangtze River Water Route Alliance… it’s strange to say, but we’ve ended up at war with truly formidable foes.”
“They’re one of the two greatest evil sects under heaven. If I had to compare, they’re four or five times larger than the Shaman Sect alone….”
As we walked, we arrived within sight of Chungrak Stronghold.
Though “within sight” meant we were still about two hundred zhang away.
The mountain stronghold came into view, nestled in a depression within a fan-shaped cliff formation.
“Baek Dou. What’s your call? Frontal assault?”
“Given the scale, we’ll have quite the time of it if we don’t prepare thoroughly, Hwi’s Younger Brother.”
Yang Hwi shook his head.
“Do we really need preparation to crush a bunch of bastards? Everyone’s already suffered enough helping with my request, so I’ll handle Chungrak Stronghold alone.”
“Alone?”
“Handle?”
“Older Brother, do you think that’s possible?”
“Yes.”
Though Chungrak Stronghold is called a massive mountain stronghold, the Yangtze River Water Route Alliance has dozens of strongholds of Chungrak’s caliber.
And there are eighteen upper-tier strongholds far more formidable than that.
‘So I must sweep away Chungrak Stronghold alone.’
“They dare assault our main residence? I’ll show the Yangtze River Water Route Alliance bastards what happens. Make it so they can never do this again. They’ll learn that if you bite, you get bitten back even harder.”
I trimmed a thick branch nearby into a staff and attached the Cangcheon Flag to its end.
“Just surround them and grab anyone who tries to flee.”
“You’re really going alone?”
“Setting aside the reason, do you think it’s possible, Elder?”
“Just watch. Adu?”
“Got it!”
“Throw me toward the water.”
I bounded up and landed on Adu’s palm.
His hand was broad as a cauldron lid, and the sensation of contact felt remarkably stable.
“You really want me to throw you?”
“Yeah. Put all your strength into it.”
“Got it!”
As Adu braced himself, every muscle in his body pulsed with power.
Moments later, I rocketed skyward with the momentum of a cannonball being fired.
‘This man’s strength is truly something else.’
Whiiiiissh!
The wind screamed past my ears as the Cangcheon Qi billowed violently around me.
I released a controlled burst of energy and adjusted my trajectory to land just before the water’s surface near the Chungnak Fortress.
Then I gathered my inner qi and roared out.
“You bastards! I am the Gaecheon Geomryong of the Baek Family! In the name of the Namgung Family! I shall punish you all!”
Chaos erupted as the water bandits scrambled out like ants fleeing a disturbed nest.
Watching them scatter, I laughed savagely and unleashed the Thousand-Pound Hammer technique.
‘Why would I give them time to prepare?’
I drew my sword with my right hand. Inner qi crystallized in my left, forming an energy blade.
Hawk’s Cry Resonates (鷹吼鳴振).
A supreme technique of sound-based martial arts, invoked through the sword names of the Gaecheon Bak-pal-geom.
And beyond that, Water Harmony (水合).
The subtle principle of sound-based martial arts transmitted through water rather than air.
There was one thing the water bandits always boasted about.
That water was their world, their domain?
-Kiiiiiaaaa!
The hawk residing in both blades shrieked like a madness incarnate.
The sound grew louder and louder, ringing with piercing clarity.
Building and amplifying, multiplying the technique. This was the amplification of the Great Sea.
Yongwang-do’s Great Sea amplified the hawk’s cry.
‘Let me show you. Advantage in water belongs not to you alone.’
You picked the wrong person to provoke, you bastards!
Gaecheon Sword (蓋天劍) Hawk’s Cry Resonates (鷹吼鳴振) Water Harmony (水合), New Ultimate Technique (絶招).
Hawk Meets Water, Waves Rise (鷹逢水起波)!
Wrapped in a thousand winds, unleashing sound beyond measure, descending like a true cannonball.
-Kiiiiiaaaaaaa!
-Kiiiiiaaaaaaaaaa!
-Kiiiiiaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
My body collided with the water’s surface.
Where the soaring hawk met the water, waves erupted and rose like a tempest.
A shockwave erupted outward.
A tidal wave of force spread across the expanse.
KRRAAAAAAAAASH!
A single strike.
The colossal water channel, stretching well over a hundred paces in width, collapsed entirely.

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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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