Third-rate Martial Family Becomes the Best Under Heaven - Chapter 393

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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 393
Swordmaster Yeo Dong-bin did not answer the question immediately.
As Yang Hwi, I had no choice but to press further.
“The Divine Dragon Immortal who calls you a friend… No, you must have been looking down on all of this from the beginning anyway, haven’t you?”
“….”
“Answer me.”
Clearly, the will of heaven represented by Swordmaster Yeo Dong-bin was to kill the Cheonma, his adversary.
Yet Yeo Dong-bin was the Cheonma’s disciple?
This meant I had to question and scrutinize everything from beginning to end.
I needed to verify once more whether I could trust him.
“Sigh… Dou.”
Yeo Dong-bin exhaled a long, weary breath and continued.
“Yes, the time has come to speak of this. That is correct. I was once a disciple of Honeum.”
“But according to what is known, you are a disciple of the enlightened immortal Hwa-ryong Jin-in, are you not?”
“That is also not false. I am a disciple of Hwa-ryong Jin-in, and I achieved the Way by slaying Gyorong.”
Hwa-ryong. And Gyorong.
The same dragon. A sudden flash of enlightenment struck my mind like lightning.
“Are Hwa-ryong Jin-in and Gyorong the same being?”
“They are.”
“That bastard was the Cheonma?”
“At that time, there was no reason to call him the Cheonma. He was simply Honeum.”
What nonsense was this?
The Cheonma was not some epithet given by the masses.
The reason the Cheonma came to be called the Cheonma was….
The reason was….
‘I cannot recall it?’
Surely, since my previous life, the Yeokcheon Singyeo had revered the Celestial Deity as a divine being, calling him the Cheonma.
The great evil born of heaven.
The greatest demon beneath the sky.
The Cheonma.
Yet I cannot remember the reason why he came to be called thus.
“The Cheonma. A being who was merely Honeum, who harbored the will of Yeok-cheon, only then became the Cheonma. When Bin-do was born and growing, the Cheonma was merely Honeum—a dragon desiring to ascend to heaven.”
Here, the word dragon did not refer to a divine beast or spiritual creature.
Just as the Divine Dragon Immortal sought to accumulate merit and achieve enlightenment, Honeum was such a being.
“Why did he take you as a disciple and raise you? Why did you draw your sword against the one you revered as master?”
“The explanation would be quite lengthy.”
“Do you lack time?”
“The window permitted is not long.”
“They say immortals at play don’t notice the axe handle rotting away—surely something can be arranged?”
Even now, Yeo Dong-bin regarded me with eyes that seemed to find the situation absurd.
“Do you think it’s as easy as it sounds?”
“If it’s difficult, then you’ll have to manage it anyway. If you want to keep using me, that is.”
“Hmph.”
Save those grunts for when you’re taking a dump.
“A supreme master who harbors both Seon-gi and Honeum within a single body. That’s exactly what I am now, old man. Let’s do this the easy way while we can. Yes?”
Yang Hwi had shifted to outright threats, and the worry etched across Yeo Dong-bin’s face deepened further.
“Of all people, why did I have to choose this one…”
Yeo Dong-bin whispered so softly it was barely audible, but Yang Hwi’s ears were exceptionally sharp.
“This one? This guy? The hero who just eliminated one of the Cheonma’s avatars, and you call him this guy?!”
“…Eliminated, you say. More like devoured it whole.”
“What’s the difference?”
“Sigh… There’s quite a lot of difference. Where should I even begin?”
There was one question that made for a perfect starting point.
“Tell me why the Cheonma is targeting me. The Divine Dragon Immortal said I should hear it directly from you.”
“Simple enough. The Cheonma must stain me with Honeum.”
In other words, a being destined to shine brightly in the light must be corrupted and fallen into darkness.
‘So that’s why it forced the Il-wol-myeon pill into my mouth?’
“From the Cheonma’s perspective, if things had gone well, it would have been a two-for-one with me and Adu.”
“Dou’s right. If it hadn’t been for the Divine Dragon Immortal… it would have been horrific.”
The Divine Dragon Immortal’s Hwacheon-won-dan. Without the energy within it and that mysterious something, both of us would have been consumed by Honeum.
“So why does the Cheonma need to corrupt me?”
“To be precise, it needs to seize a being born under the Mandate of Heaven. Only then can it achieve independence from the heavens themselves.”
Independence from the heavens.
This was tantamount to breaking free from the Mandate of Heaven.
“And why does the Cheonma desire such a thing?”
“To ascend to a place it cannot reach—to ascend to the heavens. That’s all I can tell you.”
The Divine Dragon Immortal would explain everything clearly soon enough.
“Then were you also such a being, old man? Is that why the Cheonma targeted you and took you as a disciple?”
“Correct.”
“So you almost ended up like me.”
“Indeed. However, it was impossible. Bin-do could not possess both Seon-gi and demonic energy simultaneously.”
“Then how am I different?”
“A being born from the Cheonma itself. A being that harbors the karma of Honeum. Such a being, touched by heaven’s arrangement as well.”
Karma.
I understood.
That mysterious something contained within the Divine Dragon Immortal’s Hwacheon-won-dan.
That was karma itself.
In Buddhist teachings, it refers to the actions accumulated throughout one’s life.
Good karma leads to paradise, evil karma to hell, and so forth.
‘Karma… it’s accumulated merit. The Divine Dragon Immortal passed on all the merit he’d accumulated to me.’
“When you descend, offer your gratitude once more. To put it simply, it’s as if a dragon has given up a portion of his pearl—the Divine Dragon Immortal has made a great sacrifice.”
“I was already planning to bow in respect once I return.”
I had resolved my primary curiosity for now.
Now it was time for the main matter.
‘How should I proceed from here?’
“The Swordmaster will inform you at an appropriate time.”
“Oh, you’ve read my mind?”
“I possess no such ability, but your manner of speaking is quite transparent.”
“Then you already know what I’ll say next?”
Would it kill him to just tell me things straightforwardly?
All this Zen dialogue and drawn-out pauses are driving me mad.
“It’s impossible. Not because I won’t tell you, but because it cannot yet be known.”
“But the saying goes ‘Heaven’s net is vast and nothing escapes it’—are there truly things even those in the highest heavens cannot know?”
The Swordmaster’s answer was simple.
“It is because of the Honeum. You have accepted the Honeum and made it your own.”
His answer admitted multiple interpretations.
‘So because I harbor a force beyond heaven’s reach, heaven cannot perfectly predict my future—something like that?’
Then a thought naturally came to mind.
“Ah, that’s right. What about Adu? Why can’t he be healed?”
If he said it couldn’t be done or refused to tell me the method, I was prepared to cause quite a scene.
Perhaps sensing my resolve, Yeo Dong-bin answered readily.
“Send him to Shaolin. Things will unfold naturally.”
“Oh!”
As expected, Shaolin had a way.
With their reputation as the finest sect under heaven for expelling demons and destroying evil, it was only natural.
“Your time is up. You must descend now.”
“Wait!”
I hadn’t mentioned the most important thing.
I’d unexpectedly encountered not only the Ssang-gyo-ju but also that bastard Cheonma’s avatar—where was my reward?
“I risked my life and even played hostage, surely there’s something more….”
It was already too late.
The massive cloud where Muryeong Dowon was located.
I was already falling beneath it.
Rapidly, dragged downward.
“Stop being so greedy. You’ve already obtained treasures in heaps, and yet—tsk.”
This old man certainly knows how to wound with words.
Should I show him what I’m made of?
With that thought as my last, my vision blurred.
“Ugh….”
When I regained consciousness, I was kneeling before the Divine Dragon Immortal.
“You’ve arrived. Did you have a good journey?”
I bowed deeply while kneeling.
“I owe you a great debt, Immortal. I will repay it someday in this lifetime.”
“It is settled. Thanks to Dou, I have corrected the regrets of the past, and thus Bin-do’s martial prowess has grown all the richer.”
Hearing such words eased my heart considerably.
“Now go. There is much that needs doing.”
“Yes, Immortal. Please take care of yourself.”

* * *
The descent from Gonryun Mountain proved easier than expected.
The Divine Dragon Immortal had ordered the Gonryun Sect disciples to help carry our belongings.
Thanks to this, we descended comfortably and now traveled by carriage procured from a nearby village.
“Oh, it’s snowing.”
At Seolha’s voice, we all looked up at the sky.
Soft, fluffy snowflakes like cotton bolls were falling gently.
When I extended my palm, the delicate flakes descended and melted away.
“Now that I think about it, what day is today?”
“It’s the first day of the new year, brother.”
The year had passed without my noticing.
I felt anew how swiftly time flows.
“You’ve become older than me now, brother.”
Not knowing her true birthday, Seolha had chosen the first day of the new year as her own.
For about three more months until Seolha’s birthday, I would truly be one year older than her.
Three months during which the title of older brother, forced upon me by our wager, would become genuine.
“It was a busy year. I wonder what this one will bring.”
“With the Immortal’s words, it should not be any busier, young lady.”
“Do you think so, Daoist? What do you think, brother?”
Hmm. Well.
It did seem like the coming year would be filled with much to do.
But.
“Busy or idle—what does it matter?”
One thing I had learned clearly from this journey to the West.
Neung-o. Adu. Chu Dal.
And Seolha.
“What matters is walking together.”
Okcheon, who had been my sworn brother in a past life but had parted ways in this one.
Unlike him, my path with these companions would never diverge.
I felt this conviction strongly.
“Wherever we go, let us walk forward with strength!”
“Yes!”
Seolha hummed a cheerful tune, seemingly in high spirits, as she began to play her instrument.
Ding, ding-a-ling.
The horse pulling the carriage stepped forward in rhythm with the beautiful melody.
“Chu Dal, hold the reins properly. If we get lost and our return is delayed, you know I’ll punish you.”
“Don’t worry. When it comes to geography, I’ve learned every road under heaven from Master.”
The brat sure talks big.
Anyway, if we head back now, it’ll be almost half a year since I’ve seen Father… seen…
“Oh no.”
The last time I saw Father came to mind.
The situation where I’d lied about losing my martial arts.
And to make matters worse, I’d even run away with Seolha.
“I’m doomed.”
At minimum, I was looking at a half-day lecture followed by copying the Four Books and Three Classics ten times each.

* * *
Baek Moo-ryang hesitant. Han Seok-eon resolute.
Considering their positions as Family Head and Supervisor, it was a strange sight.
“…”
“…”
“Han Supervisor.”
“It cannot be done.”
“How can it not be possible?”
“I’m telling you it cannot be done.”
Their reversed roles stemmed entirely from money.
“If I just had another thousand gold taels…”
“We don’t have that kind of money, Family Head!”
“Sigh… Ten-thousand-year cold iron came down in price…”
“Never mind ten-thousand-year cold iron—we’re barely scraping by just to manage this year’s household expenses!”
“How can it not be possible?”
Baek Moo-ryang pleaded once more.
The Family Head was actually pleading with his Supervisor.
Han Seok-eon let out an involuntary sigh.
“The amount already invested in the family’s warriors is astronomical, Family Head.”
“But we need even greater strength to protect the family!”
The great Yangtze conflict had begun when the Suro Alliance launched a surprise attack on the Baek Family’s main compound.
Baek Moo-ryang, who had nearly lost everything in an instant, had become desperate.
“Strong warriors! A strong family! Han Supervisor! Make a decision!”
A decision?
It was a decision, certainly.
A decision to struggle through hardship while patching up our broken finances.
‘Young Master… please come back soon….’
That was when it happened.
Han Supervisor’s antennae suddenly stood on end.
“Oh! Ohhhhh! Family Head, it appears you may proceed as you wish!”

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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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