Third-rate Martial Family Becomes the Best Under Heaven - Chapter 338

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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 338
“Seon, I see the path.”
Seon’s long white eyebrows trembled finely.
The arrogant voice of a brat who hadn’t even lived a hundred years rang in his ears.
“You see the path, you say! The path to sever your neck! Ahahahahaha!”
Crash!
Seon’s residence, located at the highest point of the Three Gorges Headquarters situated in the heart of the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River.
The roof and walls had been completely blown away, lowering the building by one story.
“S-Seon!”
The middle-aged man who rushed up in shock was Ju Ja-bang, the strategist of Jang Gang-su Ro-maeng.
Seon waved his hand dismissively.
“That will do. Leave.”
“Yes, yes. I understand.”
“No, wait. How does the situation stand?”
Ju Ja-bang began his report as if he had been waiting for this.
He had been delaying his report out of fear that his head might fly off, given Seon’s foul mood of late.
“We are fortifying three major strategic points in this manner, and the most crucial location would be Dongting Lake, I believe.”
Dongting Lake—by location, it would be the primary battlefield where the Baek Family would commit their main forces.
In that moment, Seon felt the impulse to go there himself.
‘That cannot be. If I move rashly, everything will come to naught.’
It would not merely end in failure. If Seon moved, two of the Transcendent Masters from the Baek Family’s side would move as well.
Two of them, excluding Shaolin and the Peng Family who had not yet openly committed their forces.
“Furthermore… based on our surveillance, something unusual appears to be occurring, Seon.”
“Speak.”
“Yes. It is said that Pacheon Eumhu and Yeoilrakbul recently visited the Baek Family.”
“For what reason?”
“The exact purpose is unclear, but it is said to be for instructing their disciples.”
“Tsk.”
As Seon clicked his tongue once to express his displeasure, Ju Ja-bang trembled with fear.
‘That woman Pacheon Eumhu is one thing, but that bald monk used his head cleverly.’
One cannot bring up a prior agreement when visiting a disciple to fulfill one’s duty as a master.
Lakbul must have coaxed and persuaded Eumhu into this.
Pacheon Eumhu, whose appearance was that of a pure fifteen-year-old girl yet whose nature was to express her resentment immediately—for Seon, who had hoped she would move, this felt like a considerable loss.
“You said all three locations are being fortified?”
“Yes, Seon.”
With a sharp cutting sound, Ju Ja-bang’s right forearm flew off.
“Fortified? Are these mercenaries satisfied with mere fortification?”
“Ugh, extreme—Seon! I have committed a grave sin!”
“Before I sever your neck as well, speak again.”
Between life and death, Ju Ja-bang’s mind spun frantically.
“The Min River! We’ll conduct large-scale plundering across southern Sichuan and northern Yunnan, striking both the Dang Family and Jeomchang Sect!”
The Five Elements Qi surged upward. Water Qi and Wood Qi reattached Ju Ja-bang’s forearm.
“Since it took considerable time, consume a decent Spirit Pill within four days. If you don’t, your right arm will become unusable.”
“Thank you! Thank you!”
Of course, the cost of the Spirit Pill would be his burden to bear.
That was the price paid for a strategist’s head being easily turned.
“Remember this well, Ja-bang. The Jang Gang-su Ro-maeng must be victorious. Should these worthless henchmen tarnish the reputation of our main force, I’ll shred every last one of them to death—understand?”
“…I will remember.”
Ju Ja-bang answered, yet kept his head lowered for a long while.
Using pain as an excuse, he remained prostrate, grinding his teeth only in his heart.
He couldn’t clench his teeth visibly. He couldn’t furrow his brow.
Seon’s keen senses perceived even the slightest tremor.
“I will surely bring victory to Seon. These worthless henchmen of ours were able to gain the reputation of one of the Two Greatest Sects Under Heaven—I will repay even a portion of that grace with this opportunity.”
Decades ago, Seon appeared suddenly and declared himself the leader of the Jang Gang-su Ro-maeng.
Much blood was spilled, and it came to pass.
From then until now.
The Jang Gang-su Ro-maeng, once mere prey for the Baek Family hunters like the Green Forest Seventy-Two Strongholds, rose as one of the Two Greatest Sects Under Heaven.
It was thanks to serving an absolute being as their leader and accepting the blessing of the mysterious Twilight Qi.
‘Yet we remain nothing but worthless henchmen.’
Seon did not regard the Jang Gang-su Ro-maeng as his sanctuary or sect affiliation.
To Seon, the Jang Gang-su Ro-maeng was merely a tool.
“Ja-bang, does it pain you?”
“Forgive me. As you know, Seon, my martial arts are inadequate—while my mind can endure, my body sometimes cannot bear the pain.”
“Ja-bang, do you know how many times I’ve severed your forearm?”
“This is the thirty-fourth time.”
“You’ve been counting.”
“How could I forget the discipline you personally bestowed? I carve it into my bones and etch it into my mind, striving always to remember.”
“Heh heh, if that’s the reason, it’s worth counting.”
Afterward, Seon observed and received reports on various matters, issuing instructions.
As Seon was about to speak one final thing, he paused briefly.
‘The Baek Family brat. I could kill him right now if I wished.’
However, since Pacheon Eumhu and Yeoilrakbul have moved, I must accept the losses.
Must I accept losses merely to kill one brat?
‘No. Even if a path appeared, the possibility is not worth a penny—merely one-tenth of one li.’
To accept incomparable losses for such a one-in-ten-thousand possibility?
No fool under heaven would make such a choice.
“Very well. Go now.”
There’s no need to move first.
During the great battle, an opportunity to shred the Baek Family brat will surely arise.
‘Next time, let me hear screams instead of laughter.’
Colorful five-element flags swirled around Seon, dancing in the air.
Until I fulfilled my long-cherished wish, I would not die.
I would never die.
Seon was certain of this.

* * *
Why was my inner landscape nothing more than a cracked glass bead?
It was a koan that had failed to capture Neung-o, instead plunging him into affliction.
Had it been an iron bead or a stone bead, he would have accepted it.
Looking back on his entire life, there had never been a time when he was as fragile as glass.
So even if it shattered into two pieces, he would have accepted it and continued his cultivation.
‘A glass bead. Cracked, destined to break in two at any moment, a glass bead.’
Neung-o was a Taoist. However, unlike typical Taoist sects, Jeomchang School cultivated only the sword as their Way.
In other words, they did not chant of Amitabha Buddha or the Primordial Celestial Worthy.
“Damn it.”
Because of this, Neung-o uttered Yang Hwi’s habitual curse.
Somehow it felt refreshing.
‘Master. Your disciple has lost his way after a long time.’
He touched the scar on his breathing passage left by his master at the time of initiation—the Ying-an Gate.
A sharp gleam returned to Neung-o’s eyes.
‘Release it and be done. Simply let it be released.’
Recalling his master’s teachings, Neung-o went directly to find Baek Moo-ryang.
“Family Head.”
“Welcome, Jang Moon-in.”
“I heard you’re departing for the great battle at Dongjeong Lake. I wish to lend a hand.”
“Jeomchang is already engaged with the River Alliance. Why not go there instead?”
Neung-o shook his head.
“Jeomchang has many Elders present, so my involvement as a young sect leader would only be a hindrance. As a mere warrior, I wish to experience a life-and-death struggle.”
“Hmm. I doubt Jeomchang will sit idle.”
“Please grant me permission.”
Baek Moo-ryang, wearing a troubled expression, wrote something on the documents on his desk.
“I will inform Jeomchang that the sect leader attempted to fight the mercenaries alone.”
Since that was indeed his intention, Neung-o nodded.
Thus the finest environment for self-mastery had been arranged.
As evidenced by Jeomchang’s initiation ceremony, humans transcend themselves most profoundly when they experience death.
‘Baek Dou also understands this fact, which is why he steeps himself in poison of his own accord.’
“Krraaaaaaagh!”
At that moment, a harrowing cry echoed from behind the manor.
Though he said nothing, Baek Moo-ryang’s face darkened considerably.
Neung-o bowed silently in farewell and withdrew.
‘I’ll depart tomorrow. Today, I should prepare myself and spend the time in self-reflection.’
As I moved forward with this thought, Yeoilrakbul appeared, perched on Adu’s shoulders.
“Tsk tsk, Donor. Your face is brimming with worry.”
Yeoilrakbul possessed a frame so slight that even an ordinary man untrained in martial arts could likely lift him with one hand.
With such a small figure sitting astride Adu’s massive shoulders like a child on his father’s neck, their silhouettes from behind resembled a father and young son.
“Ugh… Master… so heavy….”
“You brat. You’ve received the transmission of the Bodhidharma Muscle-Changing Scripture and the Huike Marrow-Washing Scripture, yet you can’t endure this?”
“Heavy… so heavy….”
Adu was gasping like a horse that had galloped a thousand li without obtaining even a sip of water.
Of course, Lakbul paid him no mind.
“No matter how foolish you are, your heart is as unyielding as rice cake.”
“Rice cake… huff… rice cake… huff… delicious….”
“I’ll make you rice cake—the toughest and chewiest kind there is.”
The Shaolin Abbot Yeoilrakbul had transmitted the first and second of the Seventy-Two Arts of Shaolin to his disciple who had reached the transcendent realm.
The Muscle-Changing and Marrow-Washing Scripture—the beginning and foundation of Shaolin.
Within half a year, Adu would surely grow even further.
‘Considering his age, he’s a monster… or perhaps already is one.’
Even Neung-o, who was more than ten years his senior, had reached a realm where few could match his age.
Yet Adu had reached the transcendent realm before him.
Along with Yang Hwi, he was a monster beyond the comprehension of even a genius’s eyes.
However, Neung-o felt neither jealousy nor a sense of defeat.
Had I been swayed by such emotions, I would have abandoned the Way of Sa-il long ago when Jeomchang was consumed by the Ming Cult.
‘I walk my own path. Among countless Ways of Sa-il, only my own sword path.’
Yet I harbored no thought that slowness was acceptable.
In half a year, the fate of Yang Hwi, whom I regarded as my benefactor, would be decided.
Since Jeomchang reclaimed Sa-il thanks to Yang Hwi, I should be willing to offer even the life of the young Jang Moon-in for Yang Hwi’s sake.
“Hmm? The groaning has stopped. Young Taoist Donor, bid your farewell before you depart.”
“Yes, Abbot.”
“Simply call me Monk. Let’s go, Adu.”
Adu and Lakbul departed into the distance.
Neung-o walked toward the direction from which the groaning had come.
“Baek Dou.”
“Ah, Neung-hyung.”
There was Yang Hwi, reeking of all manner of bizarre stenches.
He was discussing matters with the Elders who had gathered around him in conjunction with his breathing exercises, yet no one seemed surprised.
It had already been several days since Yang Hwi had been splitting and utilizing every moment, working in parallel.
“I intend to depart for the Eastern Pavilion tomorrow.”
Yang Hwi’s face, having grasped my intention, darkened momentarily before being covered with a smile.
“Carve one more enlightenment gate and return, Neung-hyung.”
“Of course. That’s only natural. But it seems a problem has arisen.”
Worry etched itself across the Elders’ faces.
“Hmm? Oh. We’ve run into some difficulties constructing the Hunting Slaughter Water Dragon Formation.”
The Hunting Slaughter Water Dragon Formation—a formation technique and secret method designed to hunt down and kill water dragons, true to its name.
So far, only the foundation had been laid, but it seemed obstacles had emerged in the path forward.
“Since we need to layer poison, mechanisms, and people together to create a qualified formation that also functions as a mechanical array, innovation isn’t easy.”
“If you share the details, I’ll think it through carefully and offer my thoughts.”
“Hmm….”
Yang Hwi, who hesitated for quite some time, finally spoke.
“The mysteries of the Six Harmonies form the foundation, so we need six Transcendent Masters to serve as the main axis of the formation technique we’ll employ in parallel.”
The Yeoilrakbul alone had nine Transcendent Masters.
Two from Namgung, one from the Dang Family, four from the Jegal Family, and in addition to that, Yang Hwi and Adu.
So numerically, there was no problem.
“Excluding the Family Head and the Soga-joonim, if we count only those from each family who are permitted to know the secret techniques involved in the formation… we’re still one short.”
In other words, five Transcendent Masters had already been secured.
Neung-o knew three of the five, but was curious about the remaining two.
‘Baek Dou. Is Bin-do included among the remaining two?’
A question he couldn’t bring himself to ask aloud.
In that moment, Neung-o made a vow and swore an oath.
If he wasn’t included, then as an unexpected force, he would make things proceed more comfortably.
“I’ll take my leave now, Baek Dou. Take care of yourself.”
“You be careful too, Neung-o. If you fight to the death and actually die, that would be a problem.”
“Of course.”
The next day.
Neung-o headed toward Dongting Lake together with the Baek Family’s martial forces under Baek Moo-ryang.
At the rendezvous point, he joined with support forces from other martial families, and finally reached Dongting.
“Family Head Baek. Please allow Bin-do to break through the front lines.”
It was a request for permission, but in truth, he had no intention of asking.
The arrow had already chosen its target before being released.
Baek Moo-ryang did not stop Neung-o.
“Water Heap Immortal Gang-chu-san.”
The mercenaries of Dongting Lake were core forces even within the Jang Gang-su Ro-maeng.
They were called separately: the Dongting Three Generals.
Water Heap Immortal Gang-chu-san was one of the three Transcendent Masters among the Suchae.
“You Taoist bastard, who are you!”
“There’s no need to know.”
The Shooting the Sun Sword Method, the Legacy of Houyi Shooting the Sun!
An arrow was released.
Once again, it was time to pierce through a Transcendent Master.

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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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