Third-rate Martial Family Becomes the Best Under Heaven - Chapter 36

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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 036
Ten days of waiting for the daughter who had entered Jeongeum-ogwan and the nephew.
Jegal Seon, whose entire body expressed his impatience by trembling his legs in a manner unbecoming of his station, suddenly sprang to his feet before catching himself and sitting back down with restraint.
“….”
To the right of the inn where Jegal Seon’s gaze had turned, Eum Hu, still dressed in the innkeeper’s garb, was elegantly sipping tea.
‘I want to check on Seol-ha’s condition. But….’
“….”
Jegal Seon could not bring himself to voice his true thoughts.
He hesitated, fearing it might seem like he was being demanding.
Despite her youthful appearance, Eum Hu was someone whose age was estimated to exceed one hundred years.
By generational reckoning, she was an ancestor from two generations back.
Beyond all that, it was simply not easy to press one of the Cheonmu-sipseon.
“….”
His legs trembled incessantly. The vibrations from his well-trained body, befitting the young master of a great clan, traveled through the floor and resonated throughout the entire inn.
His gaze fixed on the door before flickering toward Eum Hu, then returning to the door once more.
This was a silent scream. Or rather, a scream with only the sound removed.
Eum Hu, who had been savoring the fragrant aroma of the well-brewed tea, exhaled a sigh.
“Child of the Jegal Family. It has only been ten days. Even if you went now, you would merely witness them wandering through the second or perhaps the first gate.”
As Eum Hu finished speaking, Jegal Seon seized the opportunity to respond.
“But Eum Hu. Seol-ha and Yang Hwi were thrown in without provisions…as part of the entrance ceremony. Ten days have passed since then. Seol-ha does not possess the stamina to endure such a prolonged entrance ceremony.”
“That is precisely why I sent Baek Sohyeop along.”
“But Yang Hwi is still just a child.”
“A child who discerned your identity without possessing any special talents—something even the divine strategist of the Jegal Family could not see through.”
“….”
While Jegal Seon searched for a rebuttal, Eum Hu continued first.
“If you are worried about them going hungry, there is no need. I have arranged for beasts to be able to enter the interior of Jeongeum-ogwan.”
“There is no food inside!”
From Eum Hu’s perspective, it was meant to ease his worries, but Jegal Seon was instead alarmed.
“This is not the time for this! The children may be on the brink of death from starvation!”
“Humans can survive for two weeks without eating even a single meal.”
“That is based on adults! Seol-ha and Yang Hwi are merely eight years old!”
“If one aspires to be a martial artist, one must cultivate the ability to sustain oneself anywhere.”
After finishing her words, Eum Hu leisurely sipped her tea once more.
It seemed she had no intention of going to check on the children.
Yet Jegal Seon could not remain idle.
Setting aside the fact that this was the first time he had been separated from Jegal Seol-ha for so long, he could not in good conscience stretch out his legs in comfort while his daughter was trapped inside a mechanism with inadequate safety measures. That would not be a father.
Unable to restrain himself any longer, Jegal Seon rose abruptly and performed a respectful fist salute toward Eum Hu.
“Eum Hu. I, Jegal, humbly beseech you. Would it not be possible to allow me to at least see my children’s faces from a distance?”
“…Sigh.”
Eum Hu gazed at Jegal Seon for a moment before exhaling a sigh of resignation.
Knowing that she was being so troublesome because of her denial, my heart weakened.
“Child of the Jegal Family. I have lost.”
It was when Jegal Seon’s face brightened as he watched Eum Hu rise to her feet.
“Hm? How already?”
“Why do you ask, Eum Hu?”
Her eyes widened slightly. Though her expression was subtle, it carried something akin to surprise and pride.
As if to say, ‘Look at this one, will you?’
Eum Hu sat back down in her chair.
“I did not anticipate this. There is no longer any need for me to depart.”
A moment later, Jegal Seon understood what Eum Hu’s words meant.
Jegal Seon himself possessed martial prowess sufficient to be called a master, and he could sense two auras drawing ever closer.
‘Surely not… already…!’
“Father!”
The moment Jegal Seon saw Jegal Seol-ha burst through the inn door, he unleashed his movement technique with all his might and rushed forward.
Then he embraced his daughter in his arms.
“S-Seol-ha! How are you already here… No, wait—you’re speaking! You’re speaking yet still possess the Infernal Qi!”
“Much has happened! Father, I love you!”

* * *
Yang Hwi, who had walked leisurely and entered the inn door late, caught a brief glimpse of the Jegal father and daughter enjoying their reunion, then turned his gaze toward Eum Hu.
‘Sigh. Thinking only of what was suddenly thrown at me, I really…’
I wanted to charge forward, but Eum Hu was a supreme master beyond reach even by the standards of my past life.
‘Control my expression, control my expression. If my true thoughts are revealed, I’m in serious trouble.’
Yang Hwi offered a respectful fist salute toward Eum Hu.
As a bonus, he displayed a smile overflowing with the sense of accomplishment and desire for victory befitting a boy who had completed a difficult task.
“Master. Your disciple reports that he has safely passed through the Jeongeum-ogwan.”
Eum Hu, who had been gazing silently for a moment, opened her mouth.
“Unexpected indeed. I thought that with Sohyeop accompanying you, there would be no mortal danger… yet I believed it would take at least a month.”
“I shall interpret your words as praise that your disciple’s talents exceed your expectations.”
“That is true, but it feels strange hearing such words from Sohyeop’s lips.”
It was then.
“Yang Hwi.”
Jegal Seon approached with great strides, lifted Yang Hwi up, and embraced him firmly.
“Thank you. Truly, thank you. For helping our Seol-ha, and for suppressing the Infernal Qi. I shall never forget this debt of gratitude.”
It seemed he had learned that Yang Hwi had temporarily sealed Jegal Seol-ha’s Infernal Qi using the Hwa-cheon-i-won-gong.
“No, Uncle. It was only possible because of the Main Family’s martial arts characteristics—what I actually did was nothing remarkable.”
“No. I have incurred a great debt to you, young one. I shall surely repay this kindness.”
In merely ten days, Jegal Seol-ha had changed so much that her former self seemed distant.
Perhaps because she was young, the change came swiftly, but for Jegal Seon, it was the bright countenance of his daughter that he had not seen in years.
Jegal Seon held her as tightly as his gratitude demanded, squeezing her firmly before finally setting Yang Hwi down.
‘Ugh, my chest aches.’
As Yang Hwi rubbed his chest and coughed lightly.
“Well. I’d say you’ve enjoyed this reunion sufficiently, haven’t you?”
An invisible aura slowly filled the interior of the inn.
Yang Hwi’s pupils reflected Eum Hu’s figure as she moved toward the center of the inn.
“Jegal Seol-ha. Baek Yang-hwi. Stand before me.”
Yang Hwi rushed forward first, and Jegal Seol-ha, who had been embracing her father, regained her senses and followed.
“Direct disciple of the Jegal Family, Jegal Seol-ha. Outer disciple of the Baek Family, Baek Yang-hwi.”
“Yes.”
“Yes, Master Eum Hu.”
“I hereby declare that you have passed the initiation ceremony of the Seongeum Okryeongmun. Congratulations on earning the qualifications to become my disciples.”
“Thank you! Thank you so much, Master Eum Hu!”
Jegal Seol-ha expressed her gratitude repeatedly, her eyes glistening with tears of joy. Yang Hwi also felt a sense of accomplishment.
‘As an outer disciple, I won’t be able to learn all the martial arts, but being a disciple of one of the Cheonmu-sipseon will bring considerable benefits.’
What should I ask to learn? The secret techniques will probably only be passed to direct disciples, so perhaps the foundational cultivation method?
In truth, simply being able to call Eum Hu my master is already an enormous gain.
In a sense, the Baek Family could now claim one of the Cheonmu-sipseon as their backing.
“Silence. I ask you both: do you still wish to become my disciples?”
“Yes.”
“With all my heart, Master!”
“Then both of you shall perform the nine-fold kowtow.”
Jegal Seol-ha and Yang Hwi quickly performed nine prostrations.
“With this, I declare before Heaven and Earth that the three of us are now bound by a master-disciple relationship deeper than blood.”
Eum Hu’s gaze turned toward Jegal Seon.
“Child of the Jegal Family. Father of my disciple. From this day forward, you shall return home. Seol-ha will remain with me, and meetings with members of the Jegal Family will be limited to once per year.”
Though he was suddenly facing a lifetime separation from his daughter, this had been discussed beforehand.
Jegal Seon nodded with a firm expression.
“I shall follow what you, Master Eum Hu, have decreed.”
Watching this, Yang Hwi suddenly had a thought.
If Jegal Seol-ha could only meet her family once a year… what about me?
‘If I’m in the same situation, this becomes very problematic.’
“Master Eum Hu—or rather, Master. Does this mean outer disciples can also only return to the Main Residence once a year?”
Eum Hu nodded as if it were obvious.
“Didn’t Sohyeop tell you? It is the master’s duty to cultivate disciples into immortals.”
Is this what they call karmic retribution? The very logic I had used to persuade Eum Hu came back to haunt me, and I had no words.
‘But there’s much work to be done at the Main Residence. I cannot be bound like this.’
Had I not possessed knowledge of the future, I would have accepted the teachings with a peaceful heart, but that was impossible.
In just a few years, I would need to find a skilled physician for my mother’s return and keep him as a guest, and I must also periodically submit novels to the Baek Seo Antiquarian Bookstore.
‘Most importantly, soon Chu Dal will come to retrieve that fellow, and I cannot allow my hands to be tied.’
Regardless of other matters, the timing of rescuing Chu Dal was fixed.
If I missed this opportunity, there was no guarantee when or how I could encounter Chu Dal again.
Yang Hwi smacked his lips and gazed at Eum Hu.
“Master, what if we tried it this way?”
“Hmm, Baek Sohyeop.”
“Yes, Master.”
Eum Hu looked at Yang Hwi and smiled faintly.
“Are you going to try persuading me with that three-inch tongue of yours again? Go ahead and give it a try.”
“….”
When she came at me like that, I had nothing to say.
But no matter how I thought about it, staying attached to the Main Residence seemed like it would yield far greater long-term benefits than being dragged along by Eum Hu.
Should I just throw away my position as a disciple?
‘Huh? Wait. That’s actually not bad?’
The moment Yang Hwi grinned, Eum Hu sensed something ominous.
And the feeling she received became reality.
“Master. Or rather, Eum Hu.”
The form of address had shifted from master back to Eum Hu once more.
“I have one question. As a lay disciple of the Seongeum Okryeongmun, what teachings am I to receive?”
Though Eum Hu had clearly reached a realm where it would be no exaggeration to say she had transcended the Way compared to ordinary people, in this moment she could not hide the change in her expression.
The intent behind Yang Hwi’s question was so transparent that it would be strange not to perceive it.
“In other words, you’re asking me to prove my qualifications as a master?”
“How could a mere child like myself make such a demand? I was simply asking.”
Not a disciple, but a child. I had merely rephrased it with formality, but the underlying meaning remained unchanged.
In the end, Eum Hu could not help but burst into laughter.
“I am one of the Cheonmu-sipseon, Pacheon Eum Hu. To question the qualifications of such a master, ahahaha! Do you truly believe you have the right to pose such a question to Sohyeop?”
Watching Eum Hu’s face still tinged with laughter, Yang Hwi grinned once more.
“Yes. My talent is such that Pacheon Eum Hu, one of the Cheonmu-sipseon, was so captivated that she decided to take me as a lay disciple on the spot.”
“Ahahaha, ahahaha!”
The bright and cheerful laughter of the young girl filled the entire inn.
Soon, power infused the laughter, and the entire inn began to shake as if an earthquake had struck.
Then, in that moment, all trembling ceased abruptly.
“I cannot deny what Sohyeop says. Very well. Let us do this.”
Eum Hu stepped forward.
Yet Eum Hu’s form also remained in place.
In other words, Eum Hu had become two.
“Yihyeong-hwanwi!”
Jegal Seon cried out with a voice that seemed ready to tear, utterly astonished.
To shift form and exchange position. To alter position and transform into two forms.
Thus it was called Yihyeong-hwanwi, the Exchange of Forms and Positions, and Yihyeong-hwanwi, the Illusion of Dual Forms.
It was said that by mastering Yeondae-guphum, the foremost divine technique among the Shaolin Seventy-Two Arts, to its extreme, one could possess nine illusory forms.
Only those who had reached the pinnacle of divine technique, or rather transcended even that to attain the realm beyond—only such beings could manifest this divine art, yet Eum Hu was producing it as naturally as breathing.
“Baek Sohyeop. I have a proposal for you.”
Eum Hu took another step forward, and her form multiplied into three.
The three versions of Eum Hu smiled simultaneously.
“If you become my disciple, you may learn the secret technique of Seongeum Okryeongmun—the One Step Thousand. What do you say?”
“….”
Eum Hu naturally expected Yang Hwi to accept her offer as a disciple.
Moreover, everyone in the hall shared the same thought.
It was inevitable.
The divine technique Eum Hu had displayed was something no martial artist could resist.
But.
Rather than kneel and voluntarily become her disciple, Yang Hwi simply closed his eyes in silence.
‘One Step Thousand. One Step Thousand indeed.’
I had witnessed the realm of the Celestial Beyond, transcending humanity itself.
I had directly observed a divine technique worthy of awe and reverence.
But. But.
For now, it remained utterly beyond my reach….
‘A single step equal to a thousand miles.’
The moment I opened my eyes and took a step forward.
“…!”
Eum Hu’s eyes widened dramatically.

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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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