Third-rate Martial Family Becomes the Best Under Heaven - Chapter 86

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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 086
This journey began as an escort mission commissioned by Jin Geum-bo.
Yet the true objective of this journey extends beyond completing that escort.
‘Geomwang Tomb. In this life, I will claim it for the Main Residence without fail.’
In my previous life, it was the Namgung Clan who obtained the Geomwang Tomb.
They seized it quietly without even a whisper of rumor, only announcing their possession afterward.
Based on that outcome, regardless of what information the merchant Jin possessed, the Namgung Clan itself must have possessed clues about the Geomwang Tomb from the beginning.
‘In other words, for the still-weak Main Residence to land such a great prize as the Geomwang Tomb….’
I carefully tucked the letter containing the Green Forest’s contact cipher into my robes.
Thank you, Jiryeong. I’ll put this to good use.
Now then, I should check how much this side income amounts to.
“Chu Dal. Tear up the floor here.”
Chu Dal rushed over eagerly and immediately began prying up the floorboards to search for the hidden space.
Meanwhile, I rifled through the scattered papers to see if there was anything else worth taking.
‘Oh. This is rather useful.’
Terrain suitable for establishing mountain strongholds in nearby ranges.
The locations of newly established or planned mountain strongholds.
Information that had no immediate use but might prove valuable someday.
“Elder Brother. I found it!”
“Yeah?”
I leaped down in one motion.
“Oh. What in the world is all this?”
This mountain stronghold couldn’t have been established long ago.
How did they accumulate so much wealth?
I grabbed a handful of gold coins piled high in the chest and let them cascade down.
The sound of them pouring out was truly pleasant to hear.
“Converted to silver, this should be around twenty thousand taels?”
Enough to build a respectable inn in the bustling district with money left over.
It was almost absurd how much these forest dwellers had managed to accumulate.
‘Thanks to them, I’ve struck it rich.’
“Chu Dal, gather every last coin. Let’s head straight to the city and enjoy ourselves thoroughly.”
“Yes!”
After collecting the wealth and stepping outside, I immediately drew my sword.
“You help too. We need to destroy everything before we leave.”
“Should we set it ablaze?”
I glanced sideways at Chu Dal.
His manner of speech was becoming more relaxed—was his tension finally easing?
“Yeah. Burn it all down.”
“I’ll have to be careful not to wet myself at night!”
At the center of the mountain stronghold, Dang-gun and Dang-yeon waited for me.
Of course, this was after I’d killed every last bandit.
“Yang Hwi, be careful. The poison still lingers.”
“Hehe, sorry, brother. Did we go a bit overboard?”
Dang-yeon laughed sheepishly, gauging my reaction.
It seemed she was worried I might disapprove of how thoroughly they’d handled things.
“Overboard? Brilliant work, Dang-yeon. Those bandit bastards deserved exactly that kind of end.”
“Right? I knew you’d understand!”
It took roughly an hour to completely clear out the bandit den and set it ablaze.
“My, how beautifully it burns. The Hawk sect would love this, wouldn’t they?”
“Huh? Does the Hawk sect enjoy fire?”
“Yeah. Strangely enough, they seem to really love watching things burn.”
Chu Dal’s puzzled expression shifted as he changed the subject.
“Elder Brother. What should we do about the valuables in the storehouse?”
Beyond the precious items in the main hall, the storehouse was packed with grain and other goods the bandits had plundered.
The quantity was substantial enough that it seemed wasteful to leave it behind.
“We can just leave it.”
“Huh? Isn’t that a bit of a waste?”
“Tell the people of Pung-ga Village where the bandit den is and have them collect it. That’s all.”
I jingled the pouch stuffed with valuables for emphasis.
“Our share is enough with this. In terms of value, it’s roughly equal, so we should yield the storehouse goods to those who suffered from the bandits.”
I looked toward Dang-gun and Dang-yeon to gauge their agreement.
Both wore expressions of obvious approval.
In fact, they went even further.
“Yang Hwi, we only performed a righteous deed. Taking valuables feels a bit heavy on the conscience.”
“Right. We’re not in dire need of money anyway. Why not give it all away?”
“….”
This was something I’d witnessed often during the years spent with the Tang Siblings.
Sometimes they seemed more like Daoist sages than ordinary martial artists.
Why were they so free of greed?
Though it did make persuading them easier.
“You both know as well as I do that sustaining good deeds without compensation is difficult. Taking appropriate payment is, in a way, part of the righteous act itself.”
“Hmm. That’s a fair point.”
“Right?”
The Tang Family proper earned money from their medical practice and escort business, making them wealthy, but the branch house wasn’t the same.
It was best to secure every bit of supplementary income.
Anyway.
“Since we’re done here, let’s head back to Pung-ga Village. Elder Brother Gu will be waiting.”
“Let’s go.”
I deployed my lightness technique and reached Pung-ga Village in moments.
Despite six hours having passed, most of the villagers remained in place, waiting.
Elder Brother, it seems everyone was worried about us.
No, I think their fear runs deeper—they’re terrified the bandit suppression might fail and bring retaliation upon the village.
Though I have no intention of explaining such things to Chu Dal.
“Village Head.”
“Martial Artist. How did the suppression… go?”
“I severed the head of Jamryongdo, the leader of Jamryong Bandits, and sent dozens of his men to the afterlife. Jamryong Bandits no longer exist.”
Joy bloomed across the faces of the Village Head and the people of Pung-ga Village.
“Is that… truly so?”
“I’m not the sort to speak falsehoods about such matters. I stake my epithet, the Ascendant Sword Dragon, on this—Jamryong Bandits have been completely eradicated.”
Dang-gun and Dang-yeon added their voices as well.
“We can also stake the name of the Dark Dragon of the Sichuan Tang Family, everyone.”
“Though my reputation is modest, I too shall add my name—Poison Bloom.”
Moisture began to gather at the corners of the old Village Head’s weathered eyes.
It seemed he had suffered greatly from worry over Jamryong Bandits all this time.
“Thank you! Thank you so very much!”
Yang Hwi and his companions received the gratitude with warm smiles.
We had simply done what was necessary, yet to receive thanks felt wonderful.
Moreover.
“The Ascendant Sword Dragon! What a magnificent epithet you possess, Martial Artist!”
“And that’s not all! The Dark Dragon and Poison Bloom of the Sichuan Tang Family helped us too!”
“The Sichuan Tang Family? Isn’t that… a fearsome place by reputation?”
“Ah, friend, don’t you know the Tang Family Code?”
“The Tang Family Code?”
“Indeed. According to the Code, there is no place in Sichuan that reveres righteousness more than the Tang Family!”
“Ah, I see! Rumors truly cannot be trusted. But today alone, the young master and lady of the Tang Family saved us.”
“The Ascendant Sword Dragon, the Dark Dragon, and Poison Bloom. You shall become heroes of the future!”
Yang Hwi’s pride swelled. Dang-gun shrugged his shoulders with satisfaction, and Dang-yeon’s lips curved upward.
Should I add more fuel to this fire?
“Ah, I nearly forgot to mention—we’ve gathered all the treasures the bandits plundered in front of their hideout. Village Head, please send people to collect them.”
The old Village Head’s eyes widened in astonishment.
“Is it… truly acceptable for us to take them?”
“Of course. They are merely burdens to us, so please take them without hesitation. In return, I would appreciate it if you shared them with the common folk living in nearby villages.”
“I shall do exactly that! I will distribute them fairly to all!”
“Wooooooah!”
“Ascendant Sword Dragon! Ascendant Sword Dragon!”
“Dark Dragon! Poison Bloom!”
The three of them savored the atmosphere as the villagers’ cheers washed over them.
…Chu Dal, however, watched from a step away.
‘I fought hard too! I even found the treasures!’
Chu Dal found himself yearning for an epithet of his own, consumed by a sense of injustice.

* * *
After spending a day in Pung-ga Village to recover from the fatigue of battle, we resumed our journey.
Chu Dal glanced at Merchant Jin sitting in one corner of the carriage, then sent a transmission to me.
-Elder Brother. Our journey has been delayed again. Shouldn’t I apologize?
“Never mind, you brat.”
“…But I sent that through transmission, and you’re answering out loud. What does that make me?”
“Hmm. A useless little runt?”
“…”
“In any case, there’s no need for apologies. Isn’t that right, Merchant Jin?”
Jin Geum-bo, who had been gauging my reaction, laughed heartily as if on cue.
“Hahaha, of course! To witness young heroes in action with these very eyes—how could I possibly complain!”
“You’re not just thinking your reputation will rise higher because of this?”
“…!”
I watched Jin Geum-bo break into a cold sweat and smiled wickedly.
‘So it’s confirmed then?’
Why Jin Geum-bo sought out the Baek Family’s escort service among all the escort houses.
Why he specifically wanted me as his escort, even paying ten times the usual fee.
‘When will he finally reveal it?’
Well, there’s no need to rush. I’ll wait patiently.
The escort mission still has a long way to go.
Currently, the carriage is traveling through roughly Dongcheng territory.
We still need to travel a full two weeks to reach Jie-shou, located in the northern reaches of Anhui.
‘Still, it wouldn’t hurt to dangle some bait.’
“Merchant Jin. There’s something I’d like to ask you.”
“Ask two things if you wish.”
“There are two routes available. The fast path that heads toward Gwoaksan and crosses the mountain pass. And the slow path that heads toward Hefei and travels the main road.”
I offered a meaningful smile and continued.
“Which would you prefer?”
“…”
Fast or slow—that’s not the real issue.
The crux is the decision of whether to pass through Hefei or not.
Both Jin Geum-bo and I understood this.
“…If we head toward Hefei, we can pass through Soho. Since we’ve come all this way to Anhui, I’d like to enjoy the sights of Soho with these young heroes. Let me treat everyone. What do you say?”
“So you’ve chosen Hefei?”
“I simply wish to enjoy the pleasures of refined company with all of you…”
“I’ll take it as such.”
“…”
The conversation ended.
I fell silent, lost in thought.
‘Anhui. Where the Namgung Clan resides.’
Was he seeking my assistance? Or had he discovered my weakness?
Jin Geum-bo desired me. Moreover, he seemed pleased by my rising reputation.
Did the Namgung Clan have connections with him?
If they did, does he still wish to maintain that alliance now?
‘Or perhaps… a golden cicada shedding its shell?’
The information was too sparse.
I couldn’t be certain of either possibility yet.
But then again.
If I devised a plan thorough enough that it wouldn’t matter which it was, that would suffice.
“Elder Brother.”
My thoughts were interrupted when the carriage, having raced for six consecutive hours, approached dusk.
“We’ve arrived at Jie-shou.”
To be precise, we hadn’t quite arrived.
Jie-shou, one of the largest lakes in the Central Plains, appeared as a tiny dot in the distance.
Well, since it was visible, calling it an arrival wasn’t entirely inaccurate either.
Chu Dal’s summons seemed to have another reason behind it.
“Someone’s there?”
“…Yes.”
Though our group had begun this journey with different ulterior motives, we were faithfully executing our duties as couriers.
Chu Dal was already using the Gyeongsin technique to scout ahead faster than the carriage, conducting periodic reconnaissance of the road ahead.
“Who?”
“Someone Elder Brother knows, it would seem.”
I could guess without hearing the name.
There was only one person near Anhui at Jie-shou with whom both Chu Dal and I were acquainted.
“Elder Dang. And Jin Geum-bo.”
“Speak, younger brother Hwi.”
“What is the matter, young master?”
“There are people from the Namgung Clan at Jie-shou.”
Jin Geum-bo’s face hardened instantly.
Simultaneously, Dang-gun’s expression became resolute yet strangely complex.
“Younger brother Hwi. Did you request my and Yeon’s company knowing such a matter would arise?”
“No. I requested it because I thought the Tang Family’s skills would be necessary. I had no idea the Namgung would appear so suddenly. Though… it seems someone knew beforehand.”
Jin Geum-bo flinched under my gaze.
Meanwhile, the carriage arrived at Jie-shou, and our group encountered a contingent of martial artists dressed in white and blue martial robes.
“Heavenly Blue Sky Namgung.”
“It appears… the Heavenly Blue Sky Sword Brigade, indeed.”
The Heavenly Blue Sky Sword Brigade. They were counted among the elite forces of the Namgung Clan.
The one standing at their forefront was a face I recognized.
“Well, who do we have here. Young Master Tang. It’s been a while.”
The Young Master of the Namgung Clan, Namgung Cheon-hu, lifted the corners of his mouth into a smile.

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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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