Third-rate Martial Family Becomes the Best Under Heaven - Chapter 43

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Third-rate Martial Arts Family, Greatest Under Heaven – Episode 043
Upon consuming a spirit elixir, one must immediately begin circulating qi through the meridians.
An overwhelming surge of energy beyond one’s capacity becomes harmful, and without proper circulation, all that power dissipates uselessly.
This is an unwritten law of the Martial Arts World that never changes, regardless of circumstance.
Yet.
‘How is this possible?’
I had begun circulating qi hoping to salvage even a tenth of the spirit elixir’s power.
As if mocking such modest expectations, most of the elixir’s energy settled into my dantian.
As though it had been my inner strength all along.
A phenomenon that defied common understanding… wait?
Ah, I see what happened.
‘My nascent core absorbed all of the spirit elixir’s essence.’
The spirit elixir’s energy didn’t settle into my dantian.
My nascent core devoured all of the spirit elixir’s essence itself.
The fact that my nascent core had grown roughly tenfold in size was proof.
‘I won’t be able to wield the absorbed energy as freely as my current inner strength just yet.’
Unlike before, my nascent core now felt as solid as a spiritual creature’s inner core.
Unless I unsealed the locked essence, I could only access a fraction of it.
‘Still, my inner strength has increased five or sixfold.’
A spirit elixir left behind by a master who had reached the Ascended Immortal Realm centuries ago.
A seed—my nascent core—that took root in my dantian after reversing time itself.
What could all this mean?
I recalled the voice that had echoed from the heavens during my return.
[Defying Heaven to Change Fate]
[The flow of defiance has altered the shackles]
[Return to Righteous Flow]
[Correct and flow rightly forward]
[Return to the Point and Fulfill Your Will]
[Go back and do as you desire]
A thought occurred to me.
Perhaps there exists a vast current I have yet to perceive.
Perhaps everything, including my return, is the arrangement of some greater being.
‘…I don’t understand what’s happening. But it doesn’t change what I must do. I need to remain aware and stay vigilant.’
My dream of making the Baek Family the greatest clan under heaven.
Even if my return is someone’s design, nothing changes.
Didn’t the voice from heaven say the same?
Go back and do as you desire.
“Shhh, exhale…”
Yang Hwi opened his eyes as he finished circulating qi with a long, measured breath.
“Little brother. How is your condition? Seeing the energy radiating from you after consuming that spirit elixir, it wouldn’t be strange if you’d suffered internal injuries.”
“You still don’t understand? Extraordinary talent defies common sense.”
Yang Hwi grinned shamelessly, his tongue flicking with amusement.
Gu Ak found himself thinking he’d been foolish to worry for even a moment.
“No matter how many spirit elixirs one consumes, the martial prowess my younger brother displayed is utterly incomprehensible. How is this even possible?”
“How is it possible? A peerless prodigy meeting with fortune—it’s only natural.”
“…So a third-rate child slaughtering over a dozen second-rate masters is natural?”
“Hey now! Who said anything about third-rate!”
Yang Hwi thrust his chest out proudly.
Only then did Gu Ak’s eyes widen in shock.
“Could it be? Now that I sense it…!”
“Hehe. At eight years old, I’ve reached second-rate mastery—a heaven-defying prodigy. Please address me as Yang Hwi.”
Gu Ak was genuinely astounded. He himself, regarded as the most talented in Ak-an County, had only reached second-rate mastery at eighteen.
Yet this brat was already second-rate at ten years old!
He’d become a second-rate master a full ten years faster than me!
“How is this possible? Gaining enlightenment in battle and advancing your realm? No, it must be the spirit elixir. It has to be the elixir’s doing!”
“Now, now. Don’t deny reality. Give sincere praise to my younger brother’s talent!”
“….”
Gu Ak felt genuinely wronged.
“…If only I’d had spirit elixirs.”
“Just because you consume spirit elixirs doesn’t mean everyone and their dog advances in cultivation.”
“….”
Gu Ak was about to explode. I needed to change the subject.
“Anyway, let’s interrogate that Sect Leader. There are things we need to know.”
“…Right.”
Yang Hwi pressed the pressure points on the Nameless Ruthless Sect Leader’s body, leaving him paralyzed on the ground, and pointed his sword at his throat.
“Don’t make this complicated. Tell us everything, and I’ll let you die painlessly.”
“…Understood.”
The Sect Leader spilled everything he knew and chose a painless death.
Since I was cultivating the Emotionless Art, making purely rational judgments came easily in moments like this.
During the battle itself, the Overwhelming Pressure technique hadn’t worked, which was somewhat troublesome.
‘The Mumyeong Musalgok is essentially annihilated. There’s no one righteous enough to seek revenge, so I don’t need to worry about retaliation.’
Most importantly, I learned the true identity of the spirit elixir.
“A spirit elixir left behind by the Sword Immortal? You’ve consumed something remarkable, little brother.”
“Consumed by the eldest young master of a noble house? Should I report this to Father?”
“…I misspoke. Jealousy got the better of me.”
“Be careful. In any case, the Sword Immortal, no less. I’ve certainly consumed something extraordinary.”
“….”
Sword Immortal. In truth, the title was fairly common.
Among the most famous Nine Sects of the Martial Arts World, all nine wielded swords, and the honorific “Sword Immortal” was bestowed upon swordmasters of exceptional skill and high standing.
However.
Throughout all of history, there is only one person referred to by the title “Sword Immortal” without any prefix.
Because in the truest sense, there exists only a single Sword Immortal.
‘The patriarch of the Zhenzhenjiao, the very root of all Daoist sects. One of the Eight Immortals of Daoism—Lü Dongbin.’
Yeo Dong-bin, the greatest swordmaster of all ages and one who ascended to the ranks of immortals through the sword itself, is the true bearer of the title Sword Immortal.
“I’ve never heard that the Sword Immortal left behind a legacy. I’m not sure whether to trust the words of that Salsoo bastard.”
Gu Ak’s expression was filled with doubt. Though I nodded in agreement, my true thoughts were different.
‘The Immortal Elixir. And the Immortal Qi. There’s a high probability these are genuine legacies of the true Sword Immortal.’
Perhaps the legend that Yeo Dong-bin ascended to immortality through the Ascension Platform was real after all.
Well, for now there’s no point in thinking further about it.
The clues were simply too scarce.
‘The Sword Immortal is connected to my regression. This much I can be certain of now.’
I had finished organizing the situation.
Now it was time to do what needed to be done.
“Elder Brother Gu, there’s no point lingering here any longer. Shall we depart?”
I gathered up Chu Dal, who lay unconscious at the base of the wall.
After tucking away the iron pellet that had expelled the Immortal Elixir, I climbed onto Gu Ak’s back alongside Chu Dal.
“…What are you doing, little brother?”
“I can hardly wake the unconscious child and make him walk.”
“I wasn’t asking about the child, but about you, little brother.”
I let out a groan of pain.
“While being held captive by one man, I faced over a dozen opponents with this small body… Ah, I’m dying! Please, I must impose upon your kindness.”
“…”
Gu Ak simply sighed.
Thus, the long and arduous journey through Gu Gang came to an end.

* * *
My body swayed gently with each step—I was being carried on someone’s back.
“Elder Brother, I’m hungry. Could you catch me just one rabbit?”
“Catch it yourself.”
“Come now, when a little one asks for something so simple like a rabbit, surely you can oblige?”
“That rabbit would be more like an enemy.”
“Should I tell Sister Lang about this?”
“….”
The conversation drifted to my ears. While I didn’t recognize the adult’s voice, the child’s was unmistakably familiar.
That beggar boy’s voice—the one who spoke so annoyingly and showed such familiarity.
‘What is happening?’
My last clear memory was on the mountain behind Yuga Manor, when I had resolved to kill the Yuga-jangju.
After regaining consciousness, I hadn’t opened my eyes.
I needed to understand what situation I was in.
“You’re awake? Stop playing dead and open your eyes.”
The moment I opened my eyes, I tried to spring away and create distance, but—
Snap!
My neck was grabbed, leaving me dangling helplessly.
“You wake up and don’t even greet me? Where do you think you’re going?”
“You two brats, stop struggling on my back.”
Ignoring the words, I launched an immediate attack.
However—
“Yap! Yup! Yap! Yup!”
No matter how I exploited openings to strike, I couldn’t land a single blow on my opponent.
Only then did Lee Hu’s expression turn hollow as he spoke.
“You’ve been hiding your martial skills.”
“I wasn’t hiding them—you simply failed to recognize them, Chu Dal.”
“Chu Dal? Who are you talking about? I’m not Chu Dal.”
“No, you are Chu Dal. I’ve decided it, Chu Dal.”
“….”
After a moment of silence, Lee Hu looked at Yang Hwi.
“I’d appreciate an explanation of the situation.”
Yang Hwi fell into brief contemplation.
Should I tell him everything, or should I test the waters first?
“To put it simply, I picked you up while you were lying unconscious.”
“Just lying there unconscious? No one was trying to kill me?”
“There was a corpse, though.”
With a mind sharper than his years suggested, Lee Hu began piecing together what had transpired.
“It seems someone saved me. Could it be… that you are my benefactor?”
Gu Ak snorted derisively in response.
“Not me, little one. But does it really matter who saved you?”
“It does matter. I need to know who my benefactor is so I can repay the debt.”
The moment he woke, he sought out his savior.
This brat—his character really is admirable, I’ll give him that.
Yang Hwi decided right then not to reveal that he was the one who had saved Chu Dal.
‘If I’m to live like my past life, I should keep quiet for now.’
Chu Dal and I referred to each other as older and younger brother, yet we stood as equals.
At least, I didn’t want to hear him call me benefactor or savior.
We had never been the type to concern ourselves with such trivial matters anyway.
‘Though I can’t recreate the exact same relationship as my past life….’
Still, I wanted us to become something like the Chu Dal of my memories, even if only a little.
“There is no benefactor here, Chu Dal. We simply found you.”
“Beggar. Why do you keep calling me Chu Dal?”
“….”
In that instant, I bristled.
Wait, how long is this bastard going to keep speaking informally to me?
Thwack!
“Ow!”
A flick infused with just a touch of vital energy. Chu Dal clutched his forehead and thrashed about wildly.
Watching him squirm while held by the scruff of his neck, he looked just like a fish caught on a line.
“Hey. Say ‘older brother.'”
“….”
Thwack!
“Ow! Owww!”
“You’ll keep getting hit until you say it right?”
“Y-yes, older brother.”
“Good. You’re Chu Dal and I’m your older brother. Understand?”
“…I understand.”
“Your tongue’s still slipping, little brother.”
As I raised my hand again, Chu Dal cried out in alarm.
“Ah, I understand, sir!”
“That’s right. You need to listen well to your older brother, Chu Dal. Got it?”
“Y-yes….”
Just as Gu Ak was internally seething at having a younger brother who paid no attention to his words.
Chu Dal continued speaking.
“So where exactly are we headed?”
“Baek Manor. My family’s estate.”
“I see.”
“Do you not wish to go?”
“It doesn’t matter. I’m a vagrant anyway. Though I would like to find my benefactor, there’s simply no way to do so right now.”
Yang Hwi gazed at Chu Dal for a moment.
Unlike in my past life, his expression was blank and his demeanor utterly devoid of emotion.
…I didn’t like it.
“Chu Dal, tell me your story. How did you end up imprisoned in the Nameless Ruthless Sect?”
“It’s not particularly a tale worth sharing with others, but I understand.”
Chu Dal began his account.
A father who was an assassin. A mother slain by accumulated grudges and debts.
A father who wandered the edge of death after completing his revenge.
His father’s final words of counsel.
‘Don’t live as I have, my son. Such was his dying wish.’
Yet despite this, he fell victim to the cruel fate of being kidnapped by an assassin organization.
A past far too harsh for a child to bear.
‘And yet he recounts it all without blinking an eye.’
Indeed. I couldn’t leave him as he was.
The current Chu Dal was far too dull.
There was no fun in teasing him anymore.
It seemed I would need to take matters into my own hands.
“Hey. Cry for me.”
“What do you mean all of a sudden? I’m incapable of crying.”
“I don’t care—just try crying.”
“…?”
Yang Hwi drew vital energy from the dantian’s meridian point.
Before killing the Nameless Ruthless Sect Leader, I had already unlocked the secrets of the Emotionless Art.
According to the technique’s principles, the Emotionless Art was a crude inner method that carelessly tampered with the upper dantian.
It was utterly incomparable to the Jegal Family’s Profound Origin Dantian Divine Art.
Of course, with centuries of refinement and development, it might eventually become a respectable technique.
‘But at this point in time, its limitations are quite evident.’
“Cry for me.”
“I told you I cannot cry.”
Thwack!
“Aaaagh!”
Yang Hwi smirked and moved his hand again.
This time too, infusing it with abundant force.
Thwack!
“Ack! Ack!”
“Hurry up and cry. I’ll keep hitting you until you do.”
Thwack!
“It hurts! I can’t cry!”
Thwack!
“Aaaaagh!”
It was at that very moment when Yang Hwi noticed tears welling up in Chu Dal’s eyes.
The life force-laden hand movements had shattered the Heartless Art that had bound him.
“Chu Dal.”
“Wh-what…?”
-Don’t live a life like mine, my son.
Chu Dal felt his father’s final words echoing through his mind like the tolling of a bell.
At the same time, Yang Hwi’s voice reached his ears.
“Cry. Tears are a child’s privilege.”
“Wh-what…?”
He had fled to survive, only to be abducted by the Nameless Ruthless Sect.
The young boy had been raised as a killing machine, enduring treatment so harsh it was nearly unbearable and living under constant threat of death.
“Ugh, sob, s-sobbing…”
‘The kid. He was only held back by the Heartless Art—he’s been suffering all this time.’
Yang Hwi smiled as he looked at Chu Dal’s contorted face.
Then he spoke.
“It’s alright. You can cry now, Chu Dal.”
“Ugh, s-sob, s-sobbing…!”
Like a dam bursting open, the child finally let his tears flow.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————