Third-rate Martial Family Becomes the Best Under Heaven - Chapter 403

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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 403
Naeng Do-hyeol-su’s head was severed with a single blade.
A disciple of Hyeol Sa-ryeon, one of the Cheonmu-sip-jon themselves, lost his life with anticlimactic ease.
“Make sure to preserve this corpse well. Since he was the strongest, he’ll taste the finest.”
Though Hyeol Sa-ryeon’s disciples numbered in the hundreds, the death of a disciple was directly tied to the master’s reputation.
The Blood Demon Disciples watched Injoong Sinma, who had just made an enemy of Hyeol Sa-ryeon himself, speak so indifferently, and felt profound awe.
“D-Divine Being. In Honam, Hyeol Sa-ryeon is nearly an absolute ruler.”
These Blood Demon Disciples were under the dominion of Sim Ma through fanatical devotion, yet all hailed from Honam.
Their fear of Hyeol Sa-ryeon had bred this concern.
“What are you going on about? To Bon-jwa, Hyeol Sa-ryeon is nothing but prey.”
“…!”
“…!”
Because he was the object of their fear, their awe of Injoong Sinma—who showed no trace of fear—only deepened.
“Hah!”
“Hehe, well spoken, Divine Being!”
“We shall follow you with our very lives!”
‘That’s right, with your very lives. I’m stuck doing this grueling work, after all.’
A suppression force equivalent to the strength of a mid-tier sect. Yet to Yang Hwi, they were nothing but rabble he could annihilate in a single hour.
“Hey, you’re the commander, aren’t you?”
I had kept only one alive. I needed information to cross-reference with the intelligence Sect Leader Namgung Cheon-yeong would send.
The commander trembled as he answered.
“Y-yes… that’s correct…”
“Answer nicely and I’ll kill you nicely. If you resist, I’ll throw you to them to be devoured alive. What will you do?”
“…I’ll answer everything.”
Extracting information took more time than the battle itself.
‘There’s nothing special about Injoong Sinma being skilled enough to capture and kill. It was just a chance encounter.’
If I killed this one too, Hyeol Sa-ryeon wouldn’t even know of Injoong Sinma’s existence, buying me time.
In other words, I could devour a few more low-level suppression forces.
‘This is troubling. Should I let him live and have them send stronger ones?’
For the Blood Demon Disciples to grow large enough to become a thorn in Hyeol Sa-ryeon’s side, they needed to grow rapidly.
Better quality fertilizer was required, so to speak.
It was at that moment.
“Divine Being, absorbing all the blood and vitality of these corpses will take at least seven days, it seems.”
…These bastards got indigestion the moment I thought about growing them quickly.
Well, most of them were barely second-rate before mastering Hyeol-ma-gong anyway.
‘Well, this works out perfectly.’
Skreeeek—!
The commander’s neck was cut. The final expression on his face was one of relief.
“Search for corpses and digest them. I shall move separately for a time.”
“Yes, understood!”
“How should we maintain contact?”
“You are already in the palm of my hand. There is no need for any means of communication.”
A lie. I had simply buried the Thousand-Li Pursuit Incense that I obtained from Chu Dal.
Still, speaking this way would better cultivate their sense of awe.
‘Since I have time, I should stop by the Baek Hwa-mun.’

* * *
-Kiiiiiiiiaaaaaah!
A resonant cry echoing through my entire body.
The Hawk is the fastest winged creature under heaven, and thus the Thousand Hawk Cry Body could be called without exaggeration the supreme lightness technique in all the world.
Thanks to the Thousand Hawk Cry Body, I reached the Baek Hwa-mun in less than half a day.
‘I can sense the chaos from here.’
It was inevitable. The main force of the Baek Family was currently staying at the Baek Hwa-mun.
The Baek Hwa-mun was also one of the Heaven-class martial sects. With firm control over the surrounding region, the situation could only be more chaotic.
“Gatekeeper. Announce my arrival to those inside.”
Upon reaching the main gate of the Baek Hwa-mun, I commanded the Gatekeeper.
There was no need to introduce myself.
The Gatekeeper’s eyes widened as he immediately rushed inside.
Soon a middle-aged man fell before Yang Hwi.
“Hwi! You’ve returned safely.”
Baek Moo-ryang, the Family Head of the Gae-cheon Baek Family. My father was also staying at the Baek Hwa-mun, commanding the main force.
“Of course I had to return safely. Father, I am now one of the Cheonmu-sip-jon.”
“Even if one were the greatest under heaven, a father worries when his son enters enemy territory alone.”
“Come now, we didn’t even fight—I just infiltrated secretly and gathered information.”
This was the official pretext. I could not reveal to my father that I was acting as the Injoong Sinma and rallying the blood demons.
I had no desire to receive a beating from a whip wrapped in inner energy.
“Let us go inside first.”
Following my father into the office. It was clearly a lavish place that looked like where the Baek Hwa-mun-ju would have worked.
‘Father certainly does things thoroughly when he acts.’
My father had been uneasy right up until the moment of seizing the Baek Hwa-mun.
Yet seeing that he had even taken the sect leader’s office, it appeared he was properly establishing order.
“Have some tea. There is much fragrant tea here.”
“Usually, a sect leader of this caliber would have everything prepared for hospitality. But Father is so frugal that the main house has none of such things.”
“Brat. It is not frugality—I simply have no interest in tea. In any case, do you have anything special to report?”
Of course I do. This is where things become important.
“Honam is currently in chaos due to the Hyeol-ma-gong. Heuk-do and Sa-pa are causing havoc on all sides.”
Baek Moo-ryang’s expression grew grave.
“Then the common people must be suffering. Should we not take action?”
I knew my father would respond this way.
“If we move rashly, it could actually worsen the suffering of the common people in the broader view. Once enemies appear, they will commit slaughter to grow stronger that much faster.”
“Your words are not wrong. This is indeed a troublesome matter.”
Concern settled across Baek Moo-ryang’s face.
I felt slightly apologetic, but considering what lay ahead, there was no helping it.
“Father. Have you secured the loyalty of the Baek Hwa-mun-ju?”
“Hmm. Even with justification, I have no wish to be excessively coercive. I intend to give him time.”
As expected. This was precisely why I had deliberately brought up the serious matter first.
‘Now that the Hyeol-ma-gong has been released, those blood bastards will rapidly expand their numbers. I must move with swift decisiveness.’
“Father. From what we learned in Honam, it appears the Mado has dispatched a master of Cheonmu-sip-jon caliber.”
Baek Moo-ryang’s eyes widened like lanterns.
“Is that truly so? My goodness.”
“A creature who calls himself Injoong Sinma. He is rapidly gathering Blood Demon disciples who have mastered the Hyeol-ma-gong and expanding his forces.”
“…Hwi. The main family must absolutely punish this one. Your shoulders carry such a heavy burden….”
I apologize, Father.
I am Gae-cheon-sin-eung and Injoong Sinma.
My burden is still light as a feather.
“Yes. Therefore, we must press the Baek Hwa-mun for the sake of the common people of Honam.”
“Hmm. Your words are not wrong.”
“However, Father’s words are also not wrong. We cannot extract loyalty from fellow Baek through coercion.”
One corner of Yang Hwi’s mouth lifted slightly.
My hand had already moved to caress the sword at my waist.
“Then, would it be acceptable if I took action myself?”

* * *
“My, who do we have here! Aren’t you the one who wanted to make me your son-in-law? Should I call you Father-in-law?”
These were the first words Yang Hwi spat out upon arriving at the residence of Baek Hwa-mun-ju.
“…Gae-cheon-sin-eung. It is an honor to meet you for the first time. My previous proposal came from pure goodwill, and if it caused any offense, I, the sect leader, sincerely apologize.”
I watched Baek Hwa-mun-ju keep his head bowed for a moment, then scratched my head.
It seemed he’d been through considerable mental anguish. Looking at his hair, I felt a twinge of pity—not really.
I turned my head away slightly.
“Young lady. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
Baek A-yun, the precious jewel of Baek Hwa-mun-ju, was present alongside him—the very person who had come to the Baek Family long ago and arranged a betrothal with me.
‘So he’s trying to gain sympathy by showing his submissive side in front of his daughter.’
At the same time, he seemed to be harboring some faint hope.
Judging by how beautifully Baek A-yun’s face had been adorned.
It appeared he hadn’t done it himself but had summoned the most renowned courtesan from the area to handle her makeup.
‘It won’t work. To exercise control over Honam, I need to have Baek Hwa-mun completely under my thumb.’
According to the martial world sect rankings that enthusiasts compiled half for amusement and half in earnest, Baek Hwa-mun had once climbed to just below the Nine Great Sects among the Heavenly-class martial schools.
But now, among the thirty-six Heavenly-class martial schools, it was faster to count from the bottom.
They were in the midst of a slow decline.
‘Still, they’re a Heavenly-class martial school. A massive faction within the top thirty-six of Baekdo.’
It would be a waste to discard them entirely.
If I could use them as a branch or subsidiary force, it would be quite profitable.
And conveniently, I had one method the other side could absolutely never refuse.
“Baek Hwa-mun-ju. Let’s skip the pleasantries and get to the point. Are you still searching for your founder’s beloved sword?”
“…Yes, we are. It should rightfully be enshrined as our sect’s sacred treasure.”
“Stop looking for it.”
“….”
“Don’t misunderstand. I’m not telling you to abandon the sacred treasure, just to stop wasting your efforts.”
I deliberately placed the pitch-black sword on the table and drew it slightly.
A cry erupted as if it had been waiting for this moment.
-Kiiiiieeeee!
“It’s changed somewhat. Do you recognize it? The Black and White Twin Swords.”
“This… this cannot be…! The blade was surely kept under strict guard by our sect, so how…!”
“Ah yes, I met the Divine Dragon Immortal and we got along so well that he returned it to me. Turns out your founder had entrusted the sword’s blade to the Immortal.”
His eyes widened enormously, his pupils dilating. His mouth opened and closed repeatedly.
“It must be frustrating. You went so far as to scheme against our Baek Family trying to find your founder’s sacred treasure, and this is how it turns out.”
The predecessors of Baek Hwa-mun had not upheld the founder’s will.
They had separated as a branch and established Baek Hwa-mun, gradually altering even the fundamental principles embedded in their martial arts.
The result was their current slow decline.
It was also why Baek Hwa-mun had desperately sought the Black and White Twin Swords.
According to legend, the twin swords should have contained the founder’s enlightenment and martial prowess.
‘Come to think of it, hmm. I didn’t actually receive any tremendous enlightenment or martial arts. Was the legend a lie?’
Well, in any case.
“The Baek Hwa-mun’s future holds only ruin. Even its last hope has fallen into my hands.”
“…What is your purpose, Gae-cheon-sin-eung?”
“Before I explain, let me tell you one more thing—there’s a master of the Mado who has reached the Flower Realm in Honam. I heard he’s targeting the Baek Hwa-mun?”
“Is, is that true?”
‘It’s true. Because I’m the one targeting the Baek Hwa-mun right now.’
I nodded, and despair washed over the Baek Hwa-mun-ju’s face.
He had been humbling himself to escape the grip of the Baek Family, yet if they departed, he would be destined to be ravaged by a master of the Mado.
“What on earth is the reason….”
“If you look at this sword, you should understand. The Patriarch’s cherished blade was a Demon Sword.”
If I revealed from the start that it had always been a Demon Sword, it would tarnish the Patriarch’s honor, so I mixed in a slight falsehood.
“Perhaps it’s connected to why the Patriarch entrusted the blade to the Divine Dragon Immortal. It seems there was some secret matter in the past.”
“…How do you possess a Demon Sword?”
Ah, that’s a rather pointed question.
Yet I answered immediately as if I had prepared for it beforehand.
“Because the Divine Dragon Immortal entrusted it to me.”
At the same time, I released my aura.
A pure white and crystalline energy that swirled around my entire body.
Immortal Qi.
“For me, a Demon Sword is merely a blade without any problems. Why would I discard a sword that cuts well?”
The Baek Hwa-mun-ju gazed at the aura I emanated as if entranced.
A master who had reached the Flower Realm at merely twenty-five years old.
The martial art that allowed one to manifest such pure and profoundly deep energy.
…It was what the Baek Hwa-mun-ju had yearned for his entire life.
‘I think I’ve cast enough bait.’
Now it was time to lower the rope like a fishing line and reel in the great catch.
“Listen carefully from now on. Hundred White Blooming Flowers, White Transformation Flourishing….”
The Baek Hwa-mun-ju shot up from his seat.
“How, how do you know this?”
The incantation I had recited was the opening of the Baek Hwa-mun’s true divine martial art, the Hundred White Blooming Flowers Sword Technique.
“Well, how did I find out?”
“…Was the martial art incantation truly contained within the Patriarch’s divine artifact?”
The great catch had taken the bait.
It was time to devour an entire Heavenly-grade martial sect in one gulp.

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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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