Third-rate Martial Family Becomes the Best Under Heaven - Chapter 381
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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 381
Gwigyoe Jungok-gun.
A peculiar eccentric who rose to the position of greatest under heaven not through martial prowess alone, but by commanding bizarre artifacts and dharma treasures.
There was almost no information known about him.
Beyond the fact that he wielded all manner of artifacts and dharma treasures, one could only guess from his appearance and bearing that he hailed from Western Tibet.
‘Gwigyoe Jungok-gun had deep ties with Podal Lapgung and established a Heavy Prison somewhere in Western Tibet. His legacy would be there. That was the extent of what I had heard.’
Heavy Prison. Two characters that comprised Gwigyoe Jungok-gun’s epithet.
During his journey through the Central Plains, he hunted demons that plagued the martial world while collecting rare artifacts imbued with demonic energy, such as the Demon Sword.
His purpose was sealing. Thus the two characters meaning a heavy prison were incorporated into his name.
“Throughout the ages, many have sought out Gwigyoe Jungok-gun’s legacy, particularly those of wicked disposition.”
Understandably so. Among the artifacts he sealed were demon swords that had drenched the world in blood, and malevolent entities that could grant peerless martial prowess to whoever obtained them.
“Therefore, Gwigyoe Jungok-gun left behind a testament with such admonishment.”
A testament. Information he had never shared before.
-Older brother, this old master’s disposition seems rather questionable. I mean, after helping us this much, why didn’t you mention it before?
Well, from Seolha’s perspective, it might feel somewhat disappointing.
But as Geumryun Soja, he would naturally wish to be as cautious as possible.
Given that most of the legacy sealed in the Heavy Prison was likely to be demonic entities.
“What testament did he leave? And why did he leave it with Podal Lapgung in the first place?”
“That is because Gwigyoe Jungok-gun was the Dalai Lama.”
“What?”
The Dalai Lama. A legendary figure who underwent successive reincarnations without losing his memories, serving as the master of Podal Lapgung generation after generation.
Had he not fallen into corruption and departed from Podal Lapgung, the current master would not be Geumryun Soja but the Dalai Lama himself.
‘This complicates matters.’
If the Dalai Lama truly underwent reincarnation without losing his memories.
Then the legacy of Gwigyoe Jungok-gun had likely already fallen into the hands of the Demonic Cult.
‘No. If that were the case, the Sword Spirit’s Decree would not have displayed characters about seeking the eccentric.’
[Gain companion, merge sword paths, calculate piercing heaven.]
[Wander and roam, seek the eccentric, obtain true wish.]
The two verses of the Sword Spirit’s Decree had yet to fade away.
So there was value in investigating.
“The Lama was deeply wary of the tide of demonic influence gradually spreading across the world at that time. Thus he gathered all knowledge and created nine dharma treasures, earning the epithet Gwigyoe Jungok-gun.”
That such a figure would fall into corruption a hundred years ago.
I wondered what had transpired.
Was there some hidden circumstance that remained unrevealed?
“What was the testament he left?”
“That is….”
Geumryun Soja’s words trailed off.
Though he had already decided to share it, a moment of hesitation remained.
‘Though possessing a virtuous heart, he also bears demonic energy. In terms of cultivation and martial prowess, he is a great demon that even the Thunder Sound Immortals would genuinely follow. Is it truly right to speak?’
The masters of Podal Lapgung had been the Dalai Lamas throughout the generations.
That is why Geumryun Soja had been weighed down by the burden that pressed upon his shoulders since becoming the Palace Master.
‘Dalai Lama, why did you choose the Demon? Why do you inflict such trials and afflictions upon those who follow you?’
“Young Master. Let me feel that energy from before once more.”
The energy from before could only refer to Seon-gi.
I had been continuously circulating Seon-gi to prove to Geumryun Soja that I was not a Demon.
‘Does this relate to the prophecy?’
I gathered all the demonic energy and confined it within my Seon dantian.
Even so, demonic energy still leaked through the cracks, but I could simply conceal it with more Seon-gi.
Whoosh—!
A distinctly pure energy that felt vivid. Geumryun Soja closed his eyes.
“There will be an owner of this pure energy that has arrived with righteous people.”
“If I convey this to them, my efforts will not be rendered meaningless.”
I still couldn’t be certain. For someone to be called the owner of pure energy, the Young Master before my eyes possessed the most vicious demonic energy I had ever witnessed.
However….
At the same time, it was my first time seeing someone with such crystalline energy.
Geumryun Soja steeled his resolve.
“It is a prophecy regarding the location of Jungok. There is a prison beneath heaven, hidden within the eyes of a dog.”
Yang Hwi found himself thinking without realizing it.
‘Whether he’s the Dalai Lama or Gwigyoe Jungok-gun, this old master certainly does enjoy spouting cryptic nonsense.’
“I suspect it will not be of great help. Our palace has attempted countless times to locate the legacy, yet all have failed.”
“For example, what attempts have you made?”
Geumryun Soja recounted five or six different attempts in detail.
It was done with the hope that it might provide even the slightest assistance to Yang Hwi’s expedition.
“Thus, we of Podal Lapgung have also sought the legacy, but achieved no results. I apologize for being unable to provide greater help.”
A faint sense of guilt lingered on Geumryun Soja’s face.
The reason was simple.
Though I had received considerable help, the information I provided in return was far too meager.
Though it had been agreed from the start that information would serve as compensation, Geumryun Soja was too conscientious a person to maintain a confident demeanor.
“Thank you. It has been of great help. I believe we can find it soon.”
Geumryun Soja’s eyes widened at the unexpected words.
“…What did you say?”
“I believe we can find it soon.”
It has been several years now since I began wracking my brain interpreting cryptic nonsense.
In a sense, I have reached the level of mastery in this field.
The moment I heard it, a clear intuition suddenly struck me.
‘It must be something incomprehensible on the surface, yet simultaneously intuitive, and unreachable by just anyone.’
This is the common thread among all cryptic utterances.
And if I add the reason why Geom Seon’s Records specifically mentioned Gwigyoe Jungok-gun.
‘Gwigyoe Jungok-gun opposed the Demon. All demons originate from Cheonma. It is likely an arrangement connected with high probability.’
“It seems to refer to a specific type of terrain. Let us search for it.”
“If you need people, just say the word. The Western Territory is vast.”
“No, that’s not necessary. I have someone worth more than a thousand men. Isn’t that right, Won-woo?”
Won-woo’s cry echoed down from the sky above.
-Kiiiiiiaaaaa!
* * *
The Western Territory was a massive expanse of land, covering roughly thirty percent of the Central Plains by area alone.
Most of it consisted of deserts and plateaus, with only scattered regions where people actually settled.
The location where Gwigyoe Jungok-gun’s legacy lay sealed—the Jungok—was likely in a place untouched by human hands, which meant it would be nearly impossible to find through conventional means.
Of course, that was only true without Won-woo.
-Kiiiiiiaaaaa!
Won-woo cried out vibrantly, cleaving through the wind.
Since I shared his vision, my heart felt completely refreshed.
‘No matter how high one climbs in cultivation, experiencing a view like this would be impossible.’
Even if one reached the realm where the formless touches the heavens, one could never soar as high as a bird.
Especially considering Won-woo could fly several times higher and faster than an ordinary bird.
“Brother, how is it?”
“I don’t see anything special yet.”
“Are you really sure this method will work?”
Well, I couldn’t be certain.
I could only think the possibility was high.
“Seolha, why do you think Gwigyoe Jungok-gun hid the location of his legacy even from Podal Lapgung?”
I asked Seolha, but it was Neung-o who answered.
“Perhaps because the power was so immense that he feared future generations might harbor darker intentions.”
“Hmm, I think differently. What if he was guarding against the possibility that he himself might one day succumb to demonic influence?”
I recalled Cheon-u Geom-sin, the ancestor of the Baek Family.
The reason he had split his beloved sword into two and hidden them was likely because the Black-White Twin Swords were demonic blades.
‘Gwigyoe Jungok-gun… the Dalai Lama may have even foreseen the circumstances of today.’
It was a deduction only possible because I carried memories from my past life.
I had never heard that the Demonic Cult had actually used Gwigyoe Jungok-gun’s legacy back then.
Perhaps Gwigyoe Jungok-gun had sealed away or even erased his own memories, save for the clues left in his final words.
‘So that only one who possessed Won-woo could ever reach the legacy.’
“Well, if not, so be it. If we can’t find it, we’ll just have to suffer through searching.”
“…I really don’t want to do that. You said we were going sightseeing! How is this sightseeing?!”
“…We’re riding camels, so isn’t it sightseeing?”
“We’ve been searching for ten days straight, and all I see is sand no matter how far we go. How is this sightseeing?”
I had no words, even if I had ten mouths.
On the way back to the family, I’d have to visit every notable landmark in existence.
It was at that moment.
-Kiiiiiiaaaa!
Won-woo’s cry of discovery. Found it.
“My guess was right, then?”
“Why? Do you see something?”
“Yes.”
Looking down through Won-woo’s eyes, a single character became unmistakably clear.
Prison (獄).
A boundary line distinguished by different soil composition.
Cliffs with varying heights that reflected light differently.
A ridge formed by towering sand dunes stretching across the landscape.
All of these elements combined to form a single character.
“That’s why we couldn’t find it.”
Won-woo was flying at a height higher than most mountain peaks.
Estimating the width of the character, it was roughly fifty leagues across.
Considering there were no highlands nearby, it would have been impossible to find without wings.
‘The problem is deciding where to go in such a vast fifty-league expanse.’
Well, the prophecy did contain a clue for this too.
“Beneath heaven lies the prison, hidden in the eye of the dog.”
Breaking down the character for prison, it divides into three components.
犭. 言. 犬.
Characters meaning dog, speech, and dog respectively.
Among these, the place that could be called the eye of the dog was.
The single dot in the upper right of 犬.
“If we hurry, we can reach it in two hours. Let’s go.”
I unleashed my lightness technique to increase our speed.
Two hours later.
The dot that could be seen as the dog’s eye in 犬 was a towering rocky mountain.
“There must be an entrance to the inner prison somewhere on this mountain. Let’s search.”
Neung-o, who had been surveying the area for a moment, spoke up.
“Baek Dou, even this rocky mountain alone seems to have a perimeter of several hundred zhang.”
“I think so too.”
“It would take a month to search it all. We don’t even have a clue to guide us.”
“No. One day will be enough.”
Seolha tilted her head in confusion.
“How? Do you have some method?”
“I don’t have a method, but I have a person.”
“A person?”
“Did you forget?”
Yang Hwi placed a hand on Chu Dal’s shoulder.
Chu Dal wore a satisfied smile, as if his moment had finally come.
“Sister, who am I? Am I not the sole successor of the Divine Vein Lineage’s Spirit Ghost Sect! Hahahaha!”
It was the moment when the thief began his theft.
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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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