Third-rate Martial Family Becomes the Best Under Heaven - Chapter 46

—————
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 046
A resplendent establishment called Juru, situated in the heart of Nanchang.
One of the men drinking inside opened his mouth.
“Have you heard the rumor, friend?”
“There are countless rumors in this place. Which one are you talking about?”
“They say a spirit elixir has been discovered!”
The men drinking alongside him widened their eyes at his words.
Because they were all martial artists.
“Is that truly so?”
“What kind of spirit elixir?”
“It’s the legendary Chilji Samgwa Sam!”
“Ohhhhh!”
“The Chilji Samgwa Sam!”
While spirit elixirs are commonly believed to be mysterious and unknown to most people, each elixir has its own nature.
Since the world is vast and people are many, some spirit elixirs are discovered three or four times within a single generation.
“That’s right, the Chilji Samgwa Sam! The one where finding a single root and searching the surrounding area reveals entire fields of spirit herbs!”
The Chilji Samgwa Sam was so famous that even second-rate martial artists like those in conversation knew of it.
Some of the great sects even received regular shipments of it, so frequently was it discovered.
“The Chilji Samgwa Sam… surely just chewing a single root could grant half a decade’s worth of inner strength.”
The men’s eyes began to gleam with greed.
“Where was it discovered?”
“Nearby! Look at that mountain over there! Bukchang Mountain!”
Consuming just one spirit elixir could change one’s entire life.
Though increased inner strength doesn’t necessarily elevate one’s realm.
Martial power is one of the most immediately tangible proofs of strength.
“This might be an opportunity that never comes again in life.”
“Let’s go before others who’ve heard the rumor arrive!”
“If we wait any longer, there’ll be nothing left!”
Dreams inflate people’s hearts. Greed blinds their eyes.
They rushed toward Bukchang Mountain without even finishing their drinks.
“There are no inns or establishments nearby. We’ll need lodging.”
“What if we impose upon the manor near the mountain?”
“That works. Once we find the spirit elixir, we can repay the favor.”
The Namgeum Trading Company’s manor located at the foot of Bukchang Mountain. The group that rushed there realized one thing.
They weren’t the only martial artists who’d thought the same way.
“You! Do you know who I am!”
“Why should I care!”
“I am Ho-sun, the Greatest Blade of Nanchang!”
“Nonsense, I’m the Greatest Blade of Nanchang!”
Martial artists throughout the manor grounds engaged in displays of dominance and qi clashes.
There were even bloodstains scattered throughout, evidence that a fight had broken out.
It was, quite literally, a scene of utter chaos.
“…What a mess.”
“…Indeed it is.”
Everything was in disarray.

* * *
“You need not concern yourself with the Namgeum Trading Company any longer. Simply proceed with the plan.”
“Namgung Cheon-yeong. Are you truly certain this child is only eight years old?”
Chu Yong-wol’s face was filled with admiration.
The rumors that had recently spread and the difficulties the Namgeum Trading Company now faced.
It was unmistakably all the machinations of the small child seated before her.
‘Such cunning for one so young. And coupled with such bold decisiveness.’
Chu Yong-wol bowed her head in gratitude.
“I am deeply grateful to you, Namgung Cheon-yeong, for resolving the troubles that plagued the Baek Bookstore.”
“Please, think nothing of it. Though I must say, it would be premature to claim the troubles have been entirely eliminated.”
“Hmm? Do you intend to take further action?”
“Those who dared cast stones at the Main Residence’s affairs must pay the price.”
Yang Hwi smirked, his young face bearing an unsettling coldness.
‘Those loan sharks who prey upon the destitute deserve to be eliminated beforehand.’
As Chu Yong-wol observed Yang Hwi, she felt not dread but reassurance.
Such remarkable acumen despite his tender age.
Should his connection with the Baek Manor extend beyond a decade?
‘Namgung Cheon-yeong would prove to be an invaluable ally.’
With such thoughts, Chu Yong-wol spoke.
“Namgung Cheon-yeong. As a token of my gratitude, I shall reduce the interest rate on our contract by an additional one percent.”
“Oh! I am truly grateful for such generosity.”
Joy bloomed across Yang Hwi’s expression.
He had obtained the profit he had sought by involving himself in the matter between the Baek Bookstore and the Namgeum Trading Company.
“Haha, the Baek Bookstore truly understands the principles of honorable commerce.”
“You are too kind.”
“Then please begin printing immediately. I shall take my leave now.”
“Safe travels, Namgung Cheon-yeong.”
I departed from the Baek Bookstore.
I met Gu Ak and Chu Dal, who had been waiting outside.
Observing the discontented expression on Gu Ak’s face, I allowed a slight smile to cross my lips.
“Elder Brother, we may depart now. The atmosphere at the Namgeum Trading Company should be sufficiently ripe by now.”
“Young Master. Must we truly proceed with this plan?”
Gu Ak fell silent as he observed me nodding with certainty.
“Elder Brother. Consider this—we invested an entire precious root of the Seven-Branched Three-Leafed herb to create this chaos. We cannot simply leave having suffered a loss.”
“After spreading those rumors about the Seven-Branched Sword and Three-Dao technique everywhere, didn’t they eventually sell it to the Medical Society at full price?”
“Tsk. How could you compare a spirit elixir to mere pocket change?”
Setting aside the fact that it was absolutely not an amount one could describe as pocket change, Gu Ak’s ears didn’t even register the rest of Chu Dal’s words.
Tsk? Tsk?! A brat over twenty years old daring to make that sound at me?
Was this a dream or reality?
That was when Gu Ak fell into the philosophy of Zhuangzi’s butterfly dream.
“Come on, let’s hurry. Time to raid the Namgeum Trading Company.”
A second scheme following the chaos created by rumors.
Yang Hwi intended to extract appropriate compensation from the Namgeum Trading Company, who were too busy fending off the martial artists swarming around them, for the troublesome situation he’d caused.
Gu Ak suddenly snapped awake.
“Theft—no, robbery—something that was never meant for my fate.”
No matter that Gu Ak came from the Dark Path, he was still a man of considerable means.
He’d never coveted another’s wealth through such vulgar means.
…Though he had swallowed an entire business enterprise once.
“Let’s call it a righteous endeavor through vigilante activities. Besides, we’ll distribute about half to the poor folk around here anyway.”
Yang Hwi hopped onto Gu Ak’s back and gestured forward.
Chu Dal, caught off guard, climbed onto Gu Ak’s back as well.
“What are you doing? Let’s get moving.”
Gu Ak, about to push off the ground instinctively, paused for a moment.
“Hey, you two brats. Neither of you should be injured right now. And now you’re habitually treating me like a beast of burden!”
Damn. That didn’t work. I could’ve slipped away naturally.
Yang Hwi clicked his tongue and jumped down.
“I’ll use lightness martial arts and move quickly, so just carry Chu Dal. I’ll run ahead.”
Without waiting for a response, he circulated his qi first.
Following the principle of the Thousand-Step Stride, Yang Hwi’s form shot forward like an arrow.
About three li later.
Yang Hwi and his companions arrived at the hilltop near the foothills of Bukchang Mountain, where the Namgeum Trading Company’s manor came into view ahead.
“Phew, this is intense.”
Dozens—no, hundreds of qi fluctuations swirled together, creating a vortex he could sense.
It meant an enormous number of martial artists had gathered in what was merely one manor, despite its size.
“Since there’s no sound of fighting, it seems they’ve reached some kind of tacit agreement.”
“That appears to be the case.”
They seemed to have designated the manor as a sort of neutral ground until the spirit elixir was found.
Of course, without the consent of the Trading Company’s people.
“Well then, let’s go be the mudfish that muddies the waters, Elder Brother.”
Yang Hwi’s plan was simple.
Gu Ak would pretend to be a first-rate master from the Dark Path and provoke those who had agreed to the truce, creating chaos once more.
While the manor’s security guards rushed off in response to the commotion, Yang Hwi would raid the Namgeum Trading Company’s warehouse.
“Chu Dal, you keep watch. You can do that, right?”
“Yes! But give me just one gold coin!”
“Fine.”
Yang Hwi, who constantly preaches about being a refined Baek Family member, was now planning a theft.
Chu Dal, raised in the Salsoo sect from the start, harbored no qualms about theft itself.
Gu Ak, observing the two youngsters, let out a cold sigh.
Why was he, a former member of the Black Blade Gang, the most sensible one here?
“Hmph. You’d better keep your promise.”
“Of course! I’ll buy the finest hairpin for Sister Chu Yong-wol and give it to Elder Brother Gu—wait.”
Sensing something, Yang Hwi waved his hand to cut off the conversation and looked to one side.
“What is it?”
“Shh. Someone is approaching.”
Someone radiating such a murderous and ominous aura that it could be sensed from a great distance away.
‘This presence… could it be?’
Yang Hwi’s face hardened.
Why is that bastard here at this moment? He should be holed up in his den in Soe far from here?
Screeeee—
Screeeee—
As the man drew closer, sounds like human screams invaded the surroundings.
No actual sound was being produced, yet the body and soul perceived it as such.
‘Gwi-no Baek-ma.’
Twenty-five years from now.
The entire Martial Arts World would be engulfed in a catastrophic blood calamity.
The so-called Heretical Sect Uprising.
Mad practitioners who mastered demonic arts and heterodox techniques, claiming they would lead the world down the righteous path—the worst bloodshed in the history of the Martial Arts World.
‘Why is that bastard Gwi-no Baek-ma already wandering the Martial Arts World?’
Gwi-no Baek-ma, that madman who enslaves a hundred demons through sorcery, would not reveal himself until the Heretical Sect Uprising.
His presence here now meant something was wrong.
‘In my past life, he was already in this area—did he come after hearing rumors?’
Gwigok Fortress receded into the distance once more.
Gwi-no Baek-ma’s path was directed precisely toward the Namgeum Trading Company.
He had certainly come after hearing the rumors of the Seven-Finger Three-and-Three.
“We have a problem, Elder Brother.”
“Indeed. That bastard who just passed by—clearly a master of demonic arts.”
A mere demonic practitioner would have been preferable.
The terrifying aspect of Gwi-no Baek-ma was his ability to command demons to attack his enemies.
What are demons? Simply put, souls corrupted by demonic and heretical qi.
‘This is troublesome. The demons he commands cannot be cut down without sword qi.’
Demons are literally ghosts.
Slashing at them would be like cutting water with a blade—utterly meaningless.
Only sword qi, created by solidifying one’s aura, could inflict real damage.
‘Should I give up? No, I cannot.’
In my previous life, during the Sae-gyo Uprising, I experienced countless battles as a wandering swordsman.
I earned the epithet “Nangjoong Jeil-geom” precisely because of my exploits during that chaos.
However.
Since I was merely a hired mercenary, I possessed no information about why the uprising occurred or how it could be prevented.
‘If this could hinder the Main Residence’s future path, it would be wise to gather intelligence beforehand and nip it in the bud if possible.’
From that perspective, meeting Gwi-no Baek-ma might actually be fortunate.
The demon is troublesome, but the master’s own martial prowess is mediocre—once I suppress it, I can extract information.
…And as a bonus, I can accomplish my original objective as well.
“Elder Brother. Change of plans. Since that horse-faced bastard seems willing to play your role, let’s raid the warehouse together.”
If two of us plunder what one would, the profit doubles!
Gu Ak’s expression turned incredulous as he watched me smirk.
“You say such things even after seeing such a perilous creature arrive? Your audacity truly is unparalleled under heaven.”
“The greater the risk undertaken, the greater the reward obtained. Elder Brother, refrain from gambling in the future.”
I launched myself forward.
“Chu Dal, wait here. We’re going ahead, Elder Brother!”
“Wait, hold on!”
Tracing an arc through the air, I pivoted and approached the rear wall of the manor through the mountainside.
“As expected, because of that horse-faced bastard, all the guards and martial artists have been drawn away.”
The distant wails of Gwigok Fortress echo continuously from afar.
Whether there are any supreme masters among the martial artists gathered here remains unknown, but someone of Gwi-no Baek-ma’s caliber should be suppressible with power to spare.
“We may be running out of time. Let’s move with full force, Elder Brother.”
That was when.
The instant I leaped atop the wall, I collided head-on with a demon surging upward.
“What?”
Screeeech—?
Damn it, this is a mess.
Had he already dispatched the demon to search the manor in the meantime?
In a split second, I instinctively drew my blade.
Even if I cannot annihilate it, infusing my sword with qi can render it temporarily immobilized.
Whoosh—!
Screeeeeech—!
“What…?”
I found myself staring in bewilderment.
Because the demon had simply vanished.
“How is this… why did it die…?”

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