Third-rate Martial Family Becomes the Best Under Heaven - Chapter 5

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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 005
Watching my father Baek Moo-ryang’s grave expression, I felt a surge of confusion.
‘Why is he acting like this?’
Though not to the extent of this life, I had already shown promise from my first training session in my previous existence.
Considering I was merely eight years old, the fact that I had perfected the Gaecheon Sword Technique in just three years spoke volumes.
“Hwi. From now on, carefully remember and follow the inner cultivation method I’m about to teach you.”
After finishing his words, Baek Moo-ryang pressed his feet firmly against the ground and began moving his body in various directions.
‘Principle Harmony Six Unions Technique.’
Inner cultivation methods typically involve seated meditation with breath control and energy circulation.
However, the Baek Family’s inner cultivation method was merely the Principle Harmony Six Unions Technique—a moving meditation combining physical training with modest breath control.
There had apparently been a higher-level inner energy technique in the past, but it had been lost.
“Have you memorized all the incantations and movements?”
“Yes, Father.”
“Then show me once.”
I drew in a breath and began moving my body slowly.
My body was young and untrained, so my execution was clumsy, yet the profound essence of the Principle Harmony Six Unions Technique was perfectly embedded and manifested within my movements.
My father’s complexion grew even darker.
“Hwi. You truly are….”
An extraordinary genius.
‘No matter how low the level, one must memorize incantations numbering in the hundreds and execute the movements with precision to stimulate the meridian points. How could he do it so effortlessly….’
“So and Yeon.”
“Yes!”
“Yes, Father.”
“I have something to discuss with Hwi alone, so continue your training separately.”
After commanding his two children, Baek Moo-ryang pulled me to a corner of the training grounds.
“Hwi.”
“Yes, Father.”
“You may not have realized it until now, but it seems you were born with the martial talent of a peerless prodigy.”
“Yes. I was already aware of it.”
Baek Moo-ryang’s expression shifted to one of surprise.
“Hmm? You were already aware?”
“Yes. Among the beggar gangs, fights broke out more frequently than expected. Watching them exchange fists and kicks, I often wondered why they couldn’t dodge movements so slow.”
“…I see.”
After a moment of silence, Baek Moo-ryang continued.
“Hwi. I’m reconsidering my decision to take you as my son.”
“What? Why is that?”
This was completely unexpected. Why would Father say such a thing?
“You are a pearl buried in mud. Your worth is too great for the Baek Family to contain. Instead of withdrawing my adoption proposal, I intend to send you to my sworn brother.”
“….”
My father’s sworn brother was a renowned master of the Daemun Sect.
Only then did Yang Hwi understand what his father had been thinking.
‘I displayed too much talent.’
Rather than greedily claiming to have discovered a prodigy, his father intended to set him free to play in deeper waters.
‘This is who you are, Father.’
Baek Moo-ryang, counted among the foremost righteous swordsmen for his benevolence. A man of virtue renowned throughout the Martial Arts World.
In all my travels across the realm, I had never encountered a person of such character as my father.
“Father.”
“Speak.”
Yang Hwi gazed at Baek Moo-ryang with eyes both upright and resolute.
“You chose me, Father. You offered me the position of your son.”
But.
“In that moment, it was not only you who made a choice.”
I too chose the Baek Family.
“My name is Baek Yang-hwi. I am the one who will illuminate and glorify the Baek Family’s legacy. The moment you extended your hand to me, I made that resolve.”
“…Hwi.”
“I do not object to taking additional masters, but I have no intention of leaving this family. Nor do I intend to become someone who cannot call you Father.”
‘To make the Baek Family the greatest clan under heaven.’
Yang Hwi smiled as he watched his father, moved by emotion.
“I understand. Since we must lay a proper foundation regardless, let us consider this matter carefully over time.”
Baek Moo-ryang called for Baek Heon-so and Baek Yeon-yeon once more.
Baek Heon-so approached with a sullen expression, while Baek Yeon-yeon came with a bright, innocent smile.
Yang Hwi caught sight of Baek Heon-so’s face and suppressed his laughter.
‘Puffed up like a blowfish, isn’t he.’
His disposition would need some correction, but… seeing the boy in his youth, he was truly endearing.
Even if one is hated, family remains family, and a younger brother remains a younger brother.
I had never once disliked Baek Heon-so.
He was simply a younger brother who needed more guidance.
“I must take my leave now. For the next two hours, train in martial arts, then rest, and afterward cultivate your scholarly refinement.”
After observing their martial techniques for roughly two hours, Baek Moo-ryang commanded his children to continue their discipline and departed the Manor.
Thus, only the three Baek siblings remained in the training grounds.
“….”
A moment of silence. With Baek Moo-ryang, the adult and mediator, gone, awkwardness settled in.
Of course, Yang Hwi was unaffected, and Baek Yeon-yeon remained innocently carefree—only Baek Heon-so felt the discomfort.
‘This brat. Full of resentment.’
“So.”
“…I never acknowledged you as my older brother. Don’t call me that.”
So was by nature a person prone to envy and jealousy.
Yet he had flawlessly demonstrated his martial prowess, earning Baek Moo-ryang’s admiration, and even held a separate conversation with him.
It was only natural that So, at an age when he craved his father’s affection, would feel hostility.
‘…But that doesn’t mean he should act so impudently.’
Watching Baek Heon-so, a satisfied smile naturally bloomed across my face.
Of course, it was a different kind of satisfaction than what I felt seeing Baek Yeon-yeon.
‘I was planning to start his reformation anyway, and he’s conveniently providing me the justification.’
Yang Hwi extended his senses to their fullest, checking if anyone else was nearby.
Confirming that the only witness to what was about to unfold would be the grinning Baek Yeon-yeon, Yang Hwi immediately shifted his weight onto one leg and stood at an angle.
“Hey, you little brat.”
“?!”
Baek Heon-so was utterly shocked.
Even for a third-rate martial arts family, by common standards they were regional gentry of considerable standing.
In other words, Baek Heon-so had never once in his life been addressed with such a crude epithet as “you little brat.”
“You… you’re talking to me like that?”
“Is there another little brat here besides you?”
Baek Yeon-yeon raised her hand eagerly.
“I’m one too, big brother!”
A completely opposite reaction from Baek Heon-so. Baek Yeon-yeon was still grinning brightly.
More precisely, her entire being radiated an eagerness to talk with Yang Hwi right then and ask him all sorts of things.
‘Memories of my past life come flooding back.’
Baek Yeon-yeon—Yeon-ah—was my younger sister who had always resembled our kind and gentle mother, Jeong In-hwa.
Pure as blank paper and warm as spring sunlight, she was always someone I needed to protect.
I sent a warm and affectionate smile toward Baek Yeon-yeon.
“Our Yeon-ah isn’t a brat—she’s a beautiful and kind young lady, isn’t she?”
“Really?!”
“Of course.”
“But I just met you yesterday—how did you know, big brother?”
“I know everything. I can tell at a glance. For example.”
I looked toward Baek Heon-so.
“Just like how I could instantly tell that this fellow doesn’t like me.”
While Baek Yeon-yeon thought it would be strange if she hadn’t noticed that.
I continued speaking.
“You arrogant little bastard. Whether I became Father’s adopted son or not, I’m still your senior. Don’t you know the principles of respecting elders and honoring the young?”
For the well-bred Baek Heon-so, the current situation was a series of shocks.
Hearing such harsh words for the first time in his life, combined with an aggressive attitude that was the complete opposite of when Baek Moo-ryang was present.
Baek Heon-so couldn’t gather his wits.
“What exactly is your complaint about, you brat?”
“I’m the firstborn of the Baek Family. Why should I accept you as my older brother!”
“First, because Father decided it. Second, because Mother accepted it. And third, because you’ll still have to fulfill the role of firstborn going forward.”
The three reasons carried deeper meanings beyond their surface, which the young Baek Heon-so failed to perceive.
He was simply losing in the battle of words.
“Ugh….”
Watching a seven-year-old child pout indignantly, I found him rather endearing.
‘I can’t let this happen. I mustn’t grow weak like I did in my past life.’
In my previous life, Baek Heon-so had to assume the position of family head at the tender age of nineteen.
Spoiled and indulged since childhood, he never developed maturity and failed to correct his twisted nature.
As a result, the family’s fortunes declined day by day, and I had to watch the money I earned through blood and sweat melt away.
“Little brother, let me ask you something. Why can’t a beggar become your sworn sibling?”
“You don’t even share the same blood as us!”
“Surely you’ve heard the story of the Peach Garden Oath. Father himself has sworn brothers.”
“That’s… well…”
Baek Heon-so, who had been hesitating, suddenly burst out shouting.
“Anyway, it’s not allowed! You were a beggar!”
In that moment, I decided exactly how firmly I needed to discipline Baek Heon-so.
‘I can’t raise the Main Family’s head to become a reckless fool. I’ll have to wield the rod with the resolve of Mencius’s mother.’
I flicked my finger against the forehead of the brat who was still shouting loudly.
Bonk!
“Ow! What are you doing!”
“Baek Heon-so. As you said, I was a beggar. It means I’ve always earned my own meals through my own strength since birth. But I’m curious—have you ever earned even a single meal on your own?”
“What kind of boast is that!”
“It is a boast. Because I could survive alone even if I were cast out from here right now. I’m asking if you could do the same.”
I raised my hand to flick him again.
Though he was a martial artist’s son and tried to dodge quickly, as if he couldn’t bear being hit twice—
Bonk!
My flick landed precisely in the center of Baek Heon-so’s forehead.
“Ow!”
“Heon-so, you know as well as I do that among the Nine Sects of the Martial Arts World, the Gae-bang is the sect of beggars. Could you really disrespect a beggar before the Gae-bang?”
Baek Heon-so fell silent like someone who had eaten honey.
“There is no one beneath heaven who is not worthy of respect. As Father’s child, you’re surely a good-hearted person who doesn’t normally disrespect beggars.”
This wasn’t a guess but certainty. In my past life, Baek Heon-so was a kind child before he became twisted.
The real problem was that he saw me as a rolling stone that had tumbled into his life, not as his true older brother.
I raised the wooden sword.
“It seems you need some discipline. Draw your sword.”
“Hmph! As if I’d refuse!”
Baek Heon-so raised his wooden sword with a flourish.
“Baek Heon-so. If you win, I’ll grant you anything you desire. But if I win, you must call me ‘older brother’ without fail.”
“Really? A man’s word is worth its weight in gold!”
Baek Heon-so was overconfident. Being only seven years old, he couldn’t properly comprehend just how extraordinary the talent I had displayed moments ago truly was.
He simply believed with absolute certainty that he, who had trained in swordsmanship for over two years, couldn’t possibly lose to Yang Hwi, who was only one year older but was holding a wooden sword for the first time today.
“I’ll even give you three seconds as a handicap!”
A laugh escaped me.
Three seconds as a handicap? When he didn’t even have the eyes to gauge his opponent’s true strength?
“This kid really has learned nothing but the worst habits.”
I walked forward slowly and deliberately, bringing my wooden sword down from above.
Because my pace was leisurely, Baek Heon-so had no difficulty raising his sword to assume a defensive stance.
Crack!
My wooden sword curved as if bending, evading Baek Heon-so’s blade before striking him squarely on the crown of his head.
“Aaaahhhhh!”
Watching Baek Heon-so collapse, clutching his head in agony after mere seconds rather than three, I exhaled heavily.
“Get up, boy.”
“Hic, sob….”
Despite being the son of a martial family, he was merely a delicately raised seven-year-old child.
Baek Heon-so was far too young and frail to endure the pain of being struck on the head by solid wood.
Yet watching him weep profusely, I spoke with even greater severity.
“Get up. Otherwise, you’ll take another blow.”
Thud!
I struck the training ground’s stone floor with my wooden sword, and Baek Heon-so scrambled to his feet with a yelp.
His entire body trembled, clearly seized by fear.
“Baek Heon-so. If you are the son of a martial family, do not yield before pain. No matter what happens, do not release your sword. Do you understand?”
“Y, yes… sob….”
“Yes, not yeah. How dare you speak casually to your elder brother?”
“Hic, sob, y-yes….”
Seeing his reaction, I smiled with satisfaction.
‘I must raise him to be strong. Only then can he become a truly powerful person.’
“This time, I’ll give you three seconds—no, ten seconds. Come at me, Heon-so.”
“….”
There was no way Baek Heon-so hadn’t heard my words, yet his body remained frozen, hesitant and unmoving.
He was completely overwhelmed.
“If you don’t attack, I’m coming for you.”
“Eek, eek!”
Baek Heon-so charged at me desperately.
“I’ll kill you!”
Ah, this reckless brat.
‘Isn’t “kill you” a bit much, little brother?’
I met the tip of his rushing wooden sword with my own.
With minimal force, I easily redirected his blade’s trajectory, then jabbed my fingers into his waist.
“It’s true that waist strength matters in an overhead strike, but exerting force and tensing your body are two different things.”
Then I hooked his foot to trip him, but caught his collar before he hit the ground and pulled him back up.
“Don’t concentrate only on your upper body when swinging a sword. In martial arts, the lower body is always what matters most.”
In this manner, with each passing second, I pointed out Baek Heon-so’s flaws.
“There. Your final ten seconds are up.”
I gently pressed the tip of my wooden sword against Baek Heon-so’s solar plexus.
At that, Baek Heon-so released his wooden sword limply.
‘I’ve trained for years… and I lost to a kid who picked up a sword for the first time today… I lost….’
“Hic, hiccup….”
I watched Baek Heon-so sobbing quietly for a moment.
From now on, I planned to offer a carrot instead of the whip.
“So. Look at this.”
I pulled out a silver coin from my pocket and thrust it forward abruptly.
Baek Heon-so’s eyes widened like silver coins themselves.
His crying stopped completely at the shock of it.
“A silver coin…? How did you get such a large sum…?”
One silver coin was a day’s wages for a single laborer.
For an adult it might be nothing, but for young Baek Heon-so, it was a fortune.
“Yesterday I saw the Heuk-do-pa members leave their money pouch behind. I was closest to it. I snatched one.”
“Wh, why would you do such a thing…?”
I grinned wickedly.
“Why? To buy something delicious on the day I first greet my cute younger siblings. In that spirit, how about we skip training today and all go buy some sweets together?”
After all, a true older brother must also teach the joy of playing hooky!
“Yeon-yeon, what about you? Won’t you go out with this older brother?”
“Yes! I’d love to!”
Watching Baek Yeon-yeon bouncing about, Baek Heon-so whispered softly.
“Me too….”
“What? I can’t hear you, little brother.”
“Me too… I want to go….”
Even after a fight, it was too strong a temptation for a seven-year-old to resist.
I chuckled and helped Baek Heon-so to his feet.
“You’re covered in dirt. Both of you go wash up and change clothes!”
“Yes!”
“Yes….”
Yeon-yeon ran off cheerfully while So went to wash, watching my expression carefully.
Indeed, the carrot and the whip had always been excellent tools of discipline.
‘By the way, today was definitely… or rather, it was tomorrow in my past life, wasn’t it?’
I recalled what happened today in my previous life and began planning what I needed to do.
‘If I play this right, I can make allies in the Main Family and earn a fortune. For that… I need to find Gu Ak first.’
By the way, my casual approach in calling Gu Ak “older brother Gu” from the start was also for today’s purpose.
With such a small body, I needed to leave an impression so deep it bordered on the uncanny if I was to conduct business with Gu Ak.
“Well then, shall I finally hear Gu Ak call me ‘older brother’ as promised?”
I grinned slyly.

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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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