Third-rate Martial Family Becomes the Best Under Heaven - Chapter 45

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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 045
A guest room provided by the Baek-ji Antique Bookstore.
Yang Hwi was absorbed in breathing exercises and circulating his energy.
‘Immortal Qi… what a wondrous energy.’
The Immortal Qi that suddenly manifested in my Immortal Core after my return.
The Immortal Qi contained within the Spirit Core that burst forth from the mysterious iron ring.
Setting aside the fact that they possessed perfectly identical qualities.
Immortal Qi was truly a wondrous energy.
Even for Yang Hwi, who in my past life had witnessed countless martial techniques and experienced various essences for the development of family martial arts, this was an energy felt for the first time.
Though I named it Immortal Qi, it differed from the righteous energy typically possessed by martial artists of Daoist sects.
It was clearer and deeper, more fundamental and primordial.
‘Truly…’
If the Immortal Realm truly existed in this world, this essence seemed as though it would fill that place entirely.
‘Ah, that couldn’t possibly be.’
Ancient legends speak of the Celestial Palace where immortals gather, and Peach Blossom Spring and such places.
But legends are merely legends, distinctly different from reality.
There exists a legend that when enlightenment reaches the heavens and one achieves the Immortal Path, one ascends as an immortal, but this too is merely legend.
Yet the Immortal Qi I possessed was such a mysterious energy that it made me wonder if those legends and myths were actually true.
‘Despite being merely energy, it naturally permeates my body, making it increasingly resilient and stronger.’
Martial techniques with such marvelous properties do exist, like Shaolin’s Muscle-Tendon Changing Classic.
However, it was unheard of for the energy itself to strengthen the body, rather than being a result of following the technique’s principles through energy circulation or training.
‘My inner strength amounts to approximately twenty years of cultivation. In terms of martial rank, I’ve reached the threshold of Second-rate. I’ve already attained Father’s level right after my return.’
For martial artists who train from childhood, reaching Second-rate typically occurs around early adulthood.
Considering Yang Hwi was only eight years old, this was truly an impossible achievement.
“Shhh, phoooo…”
I exhaled a long breath and opened my eyes.
After adjusting my robes, I opened the door and stepped outside.
“Ah, Little Brother. You’re awake.”
“Yes, Elder Brother.”
Gu Ak was loosening up his body in the courtyard directly ahead.
Beside him, Chu Dal was moving his small frame about childishly, practicing the Five-Element Six-Harmony Technique I had taught him on the way.
In that moment, I was struck by shock.
‘How is this possible? Am I actually finding Chu Dal cute?’
Even the arrogant and foul-mouthed Chu Dal could appear cute in childhood.
-Kekeke, Big Brother. I’m hungry, got some money?
-While you’re at it, buy me some wine too!
As if the heavens and earth were being remade. Yang Hwi descended into the courtyard and flicked Chu Dal’s head with a sharp tap.
Bonk!
“Ow! Why are you hitting me!”
“You brat, being disrespectful to your elder brother.”
Thwack!
“Ow! Ow! It hurts! Stop hitting me!”
Thwack!
“Ahhhhh! That was harder!”
Watching Chu Dal writhe on the ground clutching his forehead, I couldn’t help but smile with satisfaction.
Yes, this is how Chu Dal should be.
Gu Ak clicked his tongue at me before asking a question.
“Little brother. But what are you planning? You said you’d resolve the Baek Bookstore’s predicament, yet you’ve barely left your room these past few days.”
“I consumed a delicious elixir in one gulp, so I must recuperate my body, mustn’t I?”
Gu Ak smacked his lips anew.
The pill that I had swallowed whole at Yuga Manor was unmistakably a supreme spiritual elixir by anyone’s measure.
For merely an eight-year-old child, no matter how gifted, to rampage so wildly and slaughter Salsoo—that said everything.
“Some people have it easy. We suffered together, yet you ate the delicious part all by yourself.”
Seeing Gu Ak grumble, I grinned wickedly.
“A spiritual elixir, perhaps?”
“A spiritual elixir isn’t something one can simply give away… I don’t have any… but looking at your expression, it seems you might know something?”
My smile was transparent enough for anyone to see through.
Simultaneously, my shoulders rose with unmistakable arrogance, and my chin lifted even higher.
Gu Ak sensed it instinctively.
This bastard definitely knows about some hidden spiritual elixir field or something like that.
“Could it be? Really?”
“Yes. Really.”
“How?”
“Well.”
In my past life, I lived a life where I never even caught a glimpse of spiritual elixirs.
But that didn’t mean I was completely ignorant about them.
I occasionally heard rumors that shook the realm, and I felt envy and jealousy toward those who became masters of such fortuitous encounters.
‘Namgeum Trading Company. Wasn’t the reason it collapsed fifteen years later because of spiritual elixirs?’
Now that I think about it, it’s absurd.
Spiritual elixirs happened to grow on the rear mountain of the manor where the Trading Company’s headquarters was located, which caused everything to fall apart.
The Namgeum Trading Company suffered all manner of outrages from the martial artists who flocked there and was stripped of considerable wealth, falling into ruin.
Because of a spiritual elixir’s existence they didn’t even know about, the company itself had to shut down—truly, they had the worst luck imaginable.
Well, now that I know those who committed atrocities were scoundrels, I suppose it’s only fair.
“Little brother. So you really do know where the spiritual elixirs are?”
My thoughts were interrupted by Gu Ak’s urging.
“Yes. I do.”
“How? Don’t tell me you heard about it while living as a beggar. That doesn’t make sense.”
“That couldn’t be it. I found it through spiritual perception.”
“…You’d be better off saying you heard rumors. What nonsense are you spouting?”
I simply remained silent, gazing at Gu Ak with unusually clear and sparkling eyes.
“The sound… the sound… No, really?”
“Elder Brother. Do you believe an eight-year-old child slaughtered over a dozen assassins?”
“…”
Gu Ak exclaimed, thinking what a troublesome brat this was.
“Then we shouldn’t be sitting around here! What if someone finds out! We leave immediately! Get ready!”
Gu Ak’s voice rose unusually high in pitch.
But Yang Hwi shook his head.
“Elder Brother. Any prodigy of extraordinary talent must follow the principle of killing two birds with one stone.”
“Since when is killing two birds with one stone a principle?”
“It’s a saying one should pursue throughout life, so it can be considered a principle.”
Well, it was true that killing two birds with one stone was an idiom.
A four-character idiom.
“While we’re searching for the elixir, let’s also wipe out those bastards from Namgeum Trading Company, Elder Brother.”
Gu Ak asked hesitantly, watching Yang Hwi grin wickedly as if plotting something.
“Can a disciple of the righteous and honorable Baek family really speak of wiping people out?”
“We can’t exactly pet them, can we?”
That was a fair point. Gu Ak nodded in agreement.
Chu Dal interjected into the conversation.
“Brother. Is there nothing for me to do?”
“You? Of course not. What could a child possibly do?”
“But we’re only one year apart, Brother?”
“Your tone is getting more insolent by the day.”
Chu Dal quickly covered his forehead.
‘If he weren’t my benefactor, I’d… You reap what you sow, but does this brother not understand?’
He’s always hitting me whenever he feels like it.
Yet he points out trivial things like tone?
Despite his young age, Chu Dal felt a surge of indignation.
Gu Ak felt a sense of kinship watching Chu Dal.
“In any case, I wish to repay the debt I owe to you and Elder Brother Gu. Please let me help.”
“Hmm. Well, your heart is admirable.”
Yang Hwi stroked his chin for a moment, then climbed onto Chu Dal’s back.
“Hop!”
“…What are you doing right now, Brother?”
“You said you wanted to repay your debt? You’ll be my mount until we wipe out Namgeum Trading Company.”
“…You’re not giving me some special mission or anything?”
“What task would I give to a little brat?”
“A little brat! I have experience being trained in the Salsoo sect!”
Where did that tone come from? I should smack him good.
Yang Hwi moved his vital energy instead of swinging his hand.
As Yang Hwi’s weight on his back more than doubled, Chu Dal staggered.
“What is this?”
“It’s called the Thousand-Pound Weight technique, you short-sighted fool. Your role is simply to carry me around while training—just do as I say. Stability without wavering, understand?”
Chu Dal pouted but didn’t dare argue aloud, fearing the weight might increase further.
“So what is the plan, little brother?”
“It’s simple.”
Yang Hwi grinned and explained his scheme.
In just one sentence.
“Elder Brother Gu Ak, return to the Black Blade Bandits after all this time!”
“?”
What bizarre scheme was this cunning brat plotting now?
Gu Ak sighed.

* * *
Drip. A bead of sweat fell onto the earth, leaving a round mark.
The source of that sweat was Chu Dal, who had been carrying Yang Hwi for three hours straight.
“Huff… huff… Brother.”
“Yes?”
Though Chu Dal had called out to Yang Hwi, his labored breathing prevented him from continuing immediately.
‘This bastard. Even struggling like this, he won’t ask me to put him down. His willpower has been exceptional since he was young, the stubborn fool.’
In my past life, Chu Dal possessed remarkable perseverance and determination.
He had poured such virtues into the art of pursuit, earning the alias Baek Ri-chudal.
“Brother, huff, so how exactly do we achieve two birds with one stone?”
“You’ll see. Ah, turn right here.”
Carrying Yang Hwi, Chu Dal was climbing the mountain behind the headquarters of Namgeum Trading Company.
For a hill near the massive city of Namchang, it was quite treacherous, and Chu Dal continued shedding sweat with each step.
“At this fork, take the left path.”
“Huff, where… exactly… are we… going?”
“Where else? We’re gathering a spiritual herb.”
Chu Dal’s body suddenly stiffened.
So with only these careless directions—left here, right there—we were searching for a spiritual herb?
Wasn’t finding spiritual herbs supposed to require careful observation and thorough searching of the surroundings?
As Chu Dal found himself confused between common sense and reality—
“Ah, we’re getting close now.”
Yang Hwi closed his eyes and sniffed the air.
In truth, the sniffing was merely for show; I had opened my senses fully, perceiving the lingering traces of qi flowing in.
‘A touch of yin qi wrapped in dense yang qi. Three varieties, it seems.’
Since the yang qi was stronger, it wasn’t snow ginseng, but rather an ancient ginseng that had become a spiritual herb.
“We’re almost there. Push a bit harder, Chu Dal.”
“Yes… yes…”
After wandering through the mountains for over three hours, Yang Hwi spotted something and leaped down from Chu Dal’s back.
‘The natural qi of the surroundings is converging into that ravine.’
A place where qi gathers in such a manner is called the heart of the earth vein, the dragon’s lair.
After walking a short distance, red berries revealed themselves before my eyes. I drew out a small blade from my pouch and carefully excavated the base of the stem bearing the fruit.
“Seven-Fruited Threefold Ginseng.”
Five roots in total, each as thick as a radish, with three red berries hanging from every stem of the ginseng.
According to knowledge gleaned from my previous life, a single root of this spiritual herb could typically yield about thirty years’ worth of inner cultivation.
When refined into spiritual elixir through combination with other materials, it could produce even more remarkable effects.
‘I had planned to let it mature for about ten years before harvesting and consuming it. Well, there’s no harm in feeding it to my followers ahead of schedule.’
“Wow, w-wow. There really is a spiritual herb, gasp, here, gasp.”
“Of course it’s real. Your elder brother doesn’t lie.”
Yang Hwi set aside the smallest of the five roots and carefully wrapped the remaining four in the cloth bundle he’d brought, placing them in his pack.
“Chu Dal. You asked earlier how I’d achieve two gains with one stone, remember?”
“Yes, huff, huff.”
“The answer is simple. Just as one scatters bait before fishing, I’ll cast the lure and draw the fish to swarm.”
Yang Hwi pulled out the beggar boy’s clothing he’d used in Gu Gang from his pack, grinning wickedly.
“I noticed there are three or four physicians in this area. What do you think will happen if a rumor spreads that an ignorant beggar boy happened to dig up medicinal herbs from the rear mountain and wants to sell them?”
Especially if those herbs appear to be spiritual plants to a physician’s eye.
And if they’re the Seven-Fruited Threefold Ginseng, known to grow in clusters?
“Hehehehe. The most entertaining spectacle in the world is a fire, Chu Dal. Let’s set one ablaze.”
Chu Dal trembled as he witnessed the mischievous smile on Yang Hwi’s face—one so dangerously playful it felt almost menacing.

* * *
Four days later.
“Have you heard that rumor?”
“There are countless rumors in the marketplace. Which one?”
“A spiritual herb has been discovered!”
The rumor that a spiritual herb had been found spread throughout the sprawling Namchang Marketplace.
The martial artists of the surrounding region began to seethe like flames dancing across a field.

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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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