Third-rate Martial Family Becomes the Best Under Heaven - Chapter 328

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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 328
The Family Head’s office, centered around the Baek Family compound.
Baek Moo-ryang pushed the teacup toward me.
“Have some.”
I picked up the cup, held a sip in my mouth for a moment, then savored the aroma.
“This is excellent tea.”
It was just a casual remark, but Father smiled sheepishly.
“As the family’s fortune has grown, the status of the guests we entertain has risen as well, so it couldn’t be helped.”
He wasn’t making excuses because I’d criticized his extravagance—it seemed this had been weighing on his mind for some time.
‘Now that I think about it, the office has become quite lavish too.’
It didn’t feel like the vulgar excess of a nouveau riche, but it had certainly become far more refined than before.
No wonder he reacted that way to such a simple comment.
Having lived an austere life, he’d suddenly found himself surrounded by expensive things, and he simply hadn’t adjusted yet.
“Please enjoy it, Father.”
“Hmm?”
I understood why Father couldn’t bring himself to indulge.
“This is the result of Father adopting this wretch from the cave as your son. Please enjoy it. Everything is thanks to Father’s virtue.”
Over the past ten years, I had been the greatest contributor to transforming the Baek Family from a third-rate martial arts clan into an emerging power that rivaled the Five Great Families.
Not the Family Head Baek Moo-ryang, but merely an adopted son who’d been registered into the family—Baek Yang-hwi.
And Father was a man whose character could hardly be called anything but a living conscience.
‘No matter how I dress it up in fine words, he won’t truly accept it. That’s the kind of man Father is.’
So I had to say it this way.
“Without the magnanimity of Si-hyeop-il-jeol Baek Moo-ryang, neither I nor the Baek Family would exist as we do now. I am no fool, and I dare say my perception is sharper than most. If Father had adopted me as a son for personal advancement, I would have run away by the time I was fifteen.”
“Hwi.”
“This tea truly is wonderful, Father!”
Father was not a frugal man by nature. In particular, he had deep knowledge of the tea ceremony and enjoyed many varieties of tea.
He had simply lived his life abandoning everything he wished to enjoy because of the family’s circumstances.
In my previous life, he’d passed away without ever allowing himself to enjoy such things until the very end.
“I hope you’ll spend freely for the sake of dignity. Don’t think of it as extravagance. For a Family Head of a great clan, such spending is a duty.”
Even if one considered frugality a virtue, half the world would point fingers at someone who couldn’t shed the miserly habits of their impoverished past.
And no matter who it was, I was confident I’d give them a piece of my mind if they dared point fingers at Father.
“Very well, Hwi. I understand your heart. Your father will make an effort.”
“Please don’t make an effort. Just let things flow naturally.”
“Understood.”
The two of us exchanged a smile.
Baek Moo-ryang took a long sip of his tea and continued.
“Since I’ve returned after so long, I should give a report to our Baek Family’s core members.”
“Father, that’s too much credit for me.”
“Then just listen.”
“Yes.”
In just a few more months, it will have been a year since the Jang Gang Great War began.
The Baek Family, which had faced a grave crisis when their estate was ransacked at the outset, now found themselves in quite favorable circumstances.
If I had to put it plainly, the tide of victory had turned in our favor.
“Yang Hwi, your contribution has been truly immense. You transformed what was a conflict between Jang Gang-su Ro-maeng and the main family into a struggle between Jang Gang-su Ro-maeng and Baek Do.”
Jang Gang-su Ro-maeng against the Gae-cheon Baek Family—defeat was certain.
Not nine out of ten, but ten out of ten inevitable defeat.
“The allies of the Yi-ik Alliance would never have abandoned us, so even without you, the war would have proceeded as a confrontation between Jang Gang-su Ro-maeng and the Yi-ik Alliance. However…”
“The casualties would have been catastrophic, wouldn’t they?”
At that time, the Yi-ik Alliance consisted only of the Baek Family, the Dang Family, and Jeomchang.
The Jegal Family did rear their heads toward the end of the Dragon Phoenix Assembly, but they would have withdrawn rather than face Jang Gang-su Ro-maeng alongside us.
‘That’s why I absolutely had to expand the board.’
It was the reason I headed straight to the Namgung Family without assisting in the cleanup immediately after the main family was ambushed.
“Had I not drawn in the Namgung Family and arranged the current situation as a three-way contest between you, Namgung Cheon-yeong, and Hyeon Geom to determine the greatest under heaven, Hu Gi-jisu, the main family would have been annihilated by now.”
It was a truth Yang Hwi could not deny.
Jang Gang-su Ro-maeng was a force so terrifyingly vast.
“The result was not achieved solely through my perfect stratagems.”
Had it not been for heaven’s arrangement and a certain desire harbored in the heart of the Taeguk Sword Master.
Even if not the Namgung Family, I could never have drawn in the Shaman Sect.
And without a Cheonmu-sip-jon to counter Seon, it would have been impossible to seize the momentum of victory.
“Fortune too is a form of skill. It seems heaven’s fortune follows you.”
‘Heaven’s fortune… you speak truly, Father. There is heaven’s arrangement, after all. Though it’s been rather irritating of late.’
Kill yourself to seize victory from the king. No, rather—slay yourself to seize victory from the king.
Kill myself to obtain victory from the king?
Because of that, I nearly actually died. So I intend to be far more cautious in accepting such arrangements going forward.
Arrangement or not, one misstep and I would have departed this life, so I cannot blindly follow such things.
“In any case, the main family achieved victory in the battle at the Yeoh River. Jang Gang-su Ro-maeng counterattacked by occupying Mu-han, but ultimately we succeeded in reclaiming it.”
Namgung, Shaman Sect, Jeomchang, Dang Sect, Jegal, Baek Family.
Among the Five Great Families, two are now family clans of the highest tier.
No matter how much Jang Gang-su Ro-maeng is counted among the greatest sects under heaven, we do not fall short in terms of military strength.
If things proceed as they are, the Baek Do Alliance will achieve victory.
“However, we cannot afford complacency. Seon will begin targeting you in earnest.”
“I apologize for that, Father.”
“It is done. You’ve reached the Transcendent realm, then?”
“Yes.”
Baek Moo-ryang gazed upon his son with warm eyes.
“The father remains at the peak, yet the son has ascended to the transcendent realm. The student surpassing the master—even this seems too swift, though I suppose I have no right to say such things.”
Yang Hwi immediately shook his head.
“That is not so, Father.”
The saying of the student surpassing the master applies to a teacher and disciple, but a father has every right to speak thus.
You first placed a sword in my hands and transmitted the Gae-cheon-sam-geom, opening the path for me to walk as a swordsman.
“If Father hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t exist today. Haven’t I told you this countless times?”
“Yes, I’m always grateful. Anyway, I’m thinking the Baek Family should tighten our grip a bit more.”
Baek Moo-ryang unfolded a map.
“You made Payang Lake part of the Baek Family’s domain by working as a mercenary. Thanks to that battle on the Yegang, Anhui has also stabilized. So then, next.”
Baek Moo-ryang pointed to Gujiang, a crucial hub of water transport in Jiangxi Province.
“Currently, Gujiang is within the main family’s domain, but it carries the risk of being seized at any moment.”
A crucial hub of water transport naturally meant it could be attacked at any time by traveling up the Yangtze River.
“So we must fortify our defenses.”
Yang Hwi immediately grasped his father’s intentions.
“The best defense is offense.”
“Exactly. I’m thinking of taking a rough offensive stance.”
The finger pointing at Gujiang extended along the Yangtze River, continuing further until it reached a single point and finally stopped.
“The Mother of Hunan, the Greatest Lake Under Heaven.”
The broadest lake in the world is Payang Lake in Jiangxi.
However, Payang Lake could not be called the Greatest Lake Under Heaven.
There was one reason: Dongting Lake existed.
Hubei and Hunan received their names because they were located south and east of Dongting Lake, respectively.
Dongting Lake’s significance ran so deep that it determined the very names of provinces.
“Are you thinking of severing the Jang Gang-su Ro-maeng’s arm?”
“Your words are correct.”
Arms have hands attached, and people use the expression of holding hands when forming alliances with comrades.
Hunan, where Dongting Lake is located. A province that became the domain of the dark path and evil sects after the Blood Sect Leader’s era.
“Hunan is effectively under the indirect rule of the Hyeol Sa-ryeon. Dongting is where the Hyeol Sa-ryeon, one of the greatest evil sects under heaven, and the Jang Gang-su Ro-maeng’s forces intertwine.”
“If we sever it, we can eliminate one potential threat.”
Thus, Dongting Lake held immense strategic importance.
It could even be argued to be on par with the Jang Gang-su Ro-maeng’s headquarters, the Three Gorges of the Yangtze.
“Let us call this battle the Dongting Campaign. We will deploy all of the main family’s resources and achieve victory in the Dongting Campaign at any cost.”
Baek Moo-ryang was both the Family Head of the Baek Family and the Alliance Leader of the Il-ik Alliance.
In other words, he intended to mobilize as much of the Il-ik Alliance’s forces as possible.
“Moreover, if hands are insufficient, we must borrow them. I will send a messenger to the Nang Wang.”
“To the Nang Wang?”
Yang Hwi’s eyes widened slightly.
In the current martial world, the title Nang Wang carried considerable weight.
At the same time, it held quite significant meaning for Yang Hwi as well.
Cheonmu Sip-jon Baek-heun Nang-wang.
In my past life, he was the only one among the Cheonmu Sip-jon whom I had ever encountered, however briefly.
“In Nang Market, where the Nang Wang resides, the finest assassins under heaven gather. I intend to hire as many assassins as possible.”
“Father. The assassins of Nang Market are not easily hired.”
They were those who had gathered following an assassin-born member of the Cheonmu Sip-jon.
While reaching transcendence alone could earn one the title of Finest Sword in Nang Market, Nang Market was a place where one could easily encounter assassins at the transcendent level.
“Is there a way to break their pride?”
Unfortunately, the Baek Family in its current state cannot afford to hire satisfactory forces.
No matter how rapidly the Baek Family grows with the momentum of ascension, it remains merely an emerging clan.
It would be different after victory in the Jang Gang competition, but for now, it’s quite difficult.
“I intend to appeal to their sense of righteousness and compassion. These assassins may operate in the shadows, but they are still human. Surely they possess feelings as well.”
‘No, Father. They simply don’t openly engage in heretical practices, but they are the dregs of humanity.’
You cannot judge by your own standards, Father—you who were called Si-hyeop-il-jeol even in your days of lower martial prowess.
‘If someone hears Father’s reasoning and goes to Nangsi, they’ll return empty-handed after wasting their effort.’
Originally, I had planned to stay at the main family for a few days, then return to Payan Lake to resume the Suchae games.
Since I’ve completely taken over Payan Lake, I intended to expand my influence through the waterways and become a thorn in the side of the Jang Gang-su Ro-maeng.
‘If the shape of the overturned hand changes, then the next move must also change accordingly.’
“Father. I will go to Nangsi.”
“Hwi, you?”
“Yes. I bear the title Eung-hyo Je-il, so the assassins will take interest. Moreover, with my status as a disciple of Eum Hu’s private sect, I should be able to hold my own even before the Nang Wang.”
Of course, I cannot hire the Nang Wang.
Even if I spent my entire fortune, it would not be enough.
“Please grant me permission.”
“Hmm. It does seem like the best option. But I’m troubled by you taking direct action in hiring assassins.”
“It is for the sake of the main family. Besides, Seo will handle the role of Soga-joonim anyway.”
Baek Moo-ryang’s eyes hardened.
The appointment of the Baek Family’s Soga-joonim. It was one of the boulders he carried in his heart.
“Hwi, since we’re on the subject…”
Yang Hwi cut off Baek Moo-ryang’s words.
“Father. This is not a leisurely situation. I take your sending me as approval.”
“…Very well. We’ll discuss it later.”
“Then I’ll depart tomorrow… ah.”
As the conversation flowed, I forgot the original purpose of our discussion.
“Father. Will you ascend to the Transcendent Realm?”
Since receiving the Gae-cheon-bak-pal-geom from Yang Hwi, Baek Moo-ryang had reached the Peak Realm at a remarkably swift pace.
This meant his martial talent was far from ordinary.
Though time had passed, he was truly worthy of being the descendant of the greatest under heaven.
Yet… he remained at the Peak Realm.
‘It’s only natural. The Transcendent Realm is a state that most cannot reach even after a lifetime of pursuit.’
But Father would not think that way.
The Family Head of a great clan is typically a Transcendent Master.
If the Jang Gang competition ends in successful victory, there will likely be those who speak of the Baek Family’s incorporation into the Five Great Families.
Naturally, the fact that the Baek Family Head remains merely at the Peak Realm will spread widely.
I did not wish to witness that sight.
But the problem is this.
“Father. I can guide you to the Transcendent Realm. I’m not merely confident—I am certain. However, if you ascend to the Transcendent Realm by following my guidance now, you will never be able to aim for anything beyond that.”
At this moment, Baek Moo-ryang could achieve Feathered Ascension, but he had accumulated far too little to achieve True Ascension.
True Ascension. Absurd as it sounds, to rise toward heaven, one’s body and spirit must become as heavy as stone.
“Yang Hwi. Your father…”
Baek Moo-ryang hesitated before continuing.
Yang Hwi swallowed hard, awaiting the Family Head’s decision.
‘Whichever path you choose, I will respect you, Father.’

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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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