Ultimate Martial Venerable - Chapter 28

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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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Chapter 28. The Family Head’s Seal
As soon as Yuk Beom crossed the threshold of the Yuk Family Estate, Kkamangi came bounding from the far end of the courtyard.
The beast circled him once before leaping up to his shoulders, and though they’d been apart less than half a day, his tail wagged as if they hadn’t seen each other in weeks.
Behind him came Yuk Cheon Gang and the younger family members, rushing forward.

“Brother, did you really defeat Mak Lim head-to-head?”
“You saw it yourself—why ask?”
“Seeing it doesn’t make it any easier to believe.”

The excited voices didn’t take long to reach the inner quarters.
Yuk Ho pushed through the crowd and quickly examined his son’s arms and shoulders. His clothes were torn, but there was barely any blood to be seen.

“Are you hurt?”
“No, Father.”

Yuk Ho Yeon, who had followed after, asked at once.

“Mak Lim was unhurt, and you didn’t ambush him?”
“Mak Lim attacked first.”
“You fought alone?”

When the same question came around a third time, Yuk Beom swallowed a short sigh.

“Yes. I fought him alone.”

Only then did surprise bloom across both their faces.
Yuk Ho Yeon stroked his beard, and finally broke into laughter.

“The Mak Clan will lose their appetite today. With Mak Lim beaten, they won’t sleep a wink tonight.”

The laughter didn’t last.

“How far have you advanced in your realm?”
Inner Gangjing Realm, third stage. I broke through the barrier during the fight.”

Yuk Ho studied his son’s face again. Even at the Martial Arts Academy selection, he hadn’t known his exact stage, and in that short span another level had passed.

“Excellent!”

Yuk Ho Yeon’s voice rang across the rear garden as he struck the table.

“Inner Gangjing Realm, third stage at your age. How many in all of Donghwa Province could match that?”

Yuk Beom could not smile before the two celebrating men.
The image of Yuk Cheon Gang’s blood-stained arm in the alley rose before him.

“I saw Yuk Cheon Gang clash with the Mak Clan’s young men today. He was being pressed by Mak Hae.”

Yuk Ho Yeon’s expression darkened.

“It seems a Flame Practitioner attached to the Mak Clan is properly driving their young men forward. Still, if you rise higher in the Academy, that will be enough. The pillar of a family is built by the strongest person, after all.”

It wasn’t wrong.
Yet he could not turn away from the eyes of the younger family members who had been following him.

“I know a Flame Practitioner.”

The hand of Yuk Ho Yeon, who had been nodding carelessly, went still.

“What did you say?”

Yuk Ho rose halfway from his chair.
A moment later, he clapped his hands together.

“Don’t tell me it’s that Iron-Faced teacher who was selling Cultivation Elixir in Ganglim Castle a year ago?”
“That’s correct.”
“What’s your relationship to him?”

It felt strange, trying to explain his relationship with himself.

“Quite good.”
“So that’s why your cultivation has progressed so rapidly?”

There was no need to add another lie. Letting them believe he’d received help from the Iron-Faced teacher made it convenient to hide both the Fusion Strong Energy

and O Jin’s existence.
Yuk Ho Yeon’s mouth widened into a broad smile as he interpreted the ambiguous silence as affirmation.

“I knew it. You’re blessed to have the guidance of such a fine Flame Practitioner.”

The patriarch got straight to the point.

“Can you ask him to prepare medicinal pills for the Yuk Clan as well?”
“A pot or two shouldn’t be difficult.”

Yuk Ho Yeon sprang to his feet and shouted toward the door.

“Open the storehouse! Bring out every medicinal ingredient in good condition, and select some suitable items from the treasure vault as well.”
“Treasures aren’t necessary.”
“So you’re saying you’d ask a Flame Practitioner to prepare pills and only offer him medicinal ingredients? It’s basic courtesy to include a Spiritual Medicine root and a treasure in each batch.”
“The Iron-Faced teacher isn’t someone who concerns himself with such things.”
“The closer the relationship, the more one must observe propriety. Let us invite him into the family this time.”
“That’s not possible.”

The answer came so swiftly that both men’s eyes turned toward him at once.
Yuk Beom cleared his throat.

“He dislikes meeting strangers. He’ll only help if I go alone to ask.”
“Then I’ll go with you at least to the base of the mountain.”
“I’ll go alone.”

If he backed down here, he’d have to appear before the patriarch again wearing the iron mask.
After a tense silent standoff, it was Yuk Ho Yeon who yielded first.

“Very well. But make absolutely certain you show respect. We are the ones asking a favor.”

Half an hour later, the Rear Garden was piled high with medicinal herbs.
Yuk Ho Yeon had culled herbs for the slightest blemish on a single leaf, even summoning two herbalists to verify the condition of everything. In the end, Yuk Beom received an escort only as far as the entrance to Seo Mountain, accompanied by a carriage laden with bundles, before being left to go alone.
The moment he confirmed the carriage disappearing in the distance, Kkamangi bounded through the herb piles.
After chewing a fragrant root twice, the beast’s face scrunched up at once. He spat it out with a gag and even stuck out his tongue.

“Other Desolate Beasts

would stake their lives to guard a single herb root.”

Yuk Beom picked up a dirt-covered root.

“Your taste has become far too refined, hasn’t it?”

Kkamangi pretended not to hear and turned away.
When they arrived at the Waterfall, O Jin was sitting on the boulder as usual.

“You’re late. Start with the sword.”
“I need to postpone training today.”

As Yuk Beom unwrapped the bundle, medicinal herbs cascaded across the boulder.
O Jin’s gaze darted between the herbs and his disciple’s face.

“Did you tell your family you’re a Flame Practitioner?”
“If I had, I wouldn’t have carried these here.”
“That’s fortunate.”
“Instead, I told them I’m close with you.”

O Jin’s eyebrows lifted.

“So you’ve grown quite close to a mirror, then.”
“We get along better than expected.”

O Jin chuckled softly and picked up one of the herbs.

“What were you thinking of making?”
A Gathering Force Pill.

Isn’t it the safest choice to push the Yuk clan disciples up by one stage?”
“Your judgment isn’t poor. Make it. I’ll just watch.”

When Yuk Beom withdrew the Gentle Fire Cauldron,

Kkamangi instinctively stepped back. Flames bloomed from his fingertips, and wind lifted a dozen medicinal herbs simultaneously into the air. The flames wrapping the leaves, roots, and stems rose to varying heights.
Just as the smell of burning herbs began to spread, O Jin’s voice cut through.

“The two on the right. The fire’s too strong.”

He immediately reduced the heat, and the darkening edges halted their char.
He mixed the finely ground herb powder with Heaven and Earth Water. The compacted herbs glowed with a clear light, but O Jin shook his head.

“Not enough water.”
“This much holds the shape.”
“If you only want shape, knead earth. The herbal strength will crack before it spreads through the meridians.”

Without a word, Yuk Beom added more moisture. The herb material, its color now softened, went into the Gentle Fire Cauldron.
For an hour, the intensity of the flames shifted countless times. Then, when fragrance and vibration aligned in a single moment, a clear chime rang out.
Ting.
The lid flew open, and a single round Gathering Force Pill shot upward.

“Not bad for a first batch.”
“Is that praise?”
“Two of the herbs were overcooked, and the powder distribution was uneven. What I meant by ‘not bad’ is that it won’t kill you if you take it.”

A smile played at the corners of Yuk Beom’s mouth.

“Then the next one will be better.”
“Move your hands, not your mouth.”

Flames rose again. The second Gathering Force Pill was smoother than the first. After passing the tenth, O Jin’s corrections ceased.

Yuk Beom asked nothing. He adjusted the temperature of the fire and the volume of water bit by bit, searching for the most stable ratio. His hands grew faster with each movement, yet he held the same careful tension all the way through to the final ingredient.
A day passed, and the night deepened once more.
The last pill dropped into the medicine bottle.
Twenty-five bottles, each holding five pills.
One hundred twenty-five pills in all.
O Jin, who had been watching Yuk Beom wipe the sweat from his brow, rose from his seat.

“You can make them alone now.”

At those brief words, Yuk Beom’s hands stilled for a moment.
O Jin had already turned his back.

“Tidy up and rest.”

The test—his first time handling the entire Alchemy Refinement process alone—ended just like that.
As he reached for the medicine bottles, Kkamangi pulled one toward himself with his front paws. When Yuk Beom tossed a single pill, the creature snatched it from mid-air and swallowed.
Crunch!
The sound of bones and muscle knitting together burst from his small frame. His body visibly swelled, and heat shimmered between his black fur.
Startled, the creature opened his mouth as if to sneeze.
Whoosh!
A torrent of black flame poured out, charring the floor pitch black.
Kkamangi looked back and forth between his own mouth and the burnt mark, then rested his front paws on the medicine bottle.
Yuk Beom closed the lid shut.

“That’s all for today. Absorb what remains in your system first.”

His drooping ears laid bare his disappointment.
As the sun rose, Yuk Beom returned to Ganglim Castle.
At the gate, Yuk Ho paced the same spot repeatedly. The moment he caught sight of his son, he stepped forward—only for his gaze to fall upon the bundle.

“Is it done?”
“I’ve made them all.”
“Come inside. Your grandfather hasn’t slept a wink all night.”

Upon hearing the news, Yuk Ho Yeon rushed out from the rear garden himself.

“How many did you make?”
“Well over a hundred.”

His grandfather’s hands patted Yuk Beom’s shoulders repeatedly.

“That Iron-Faced Master truly has a deep sense of duty.”

Yuk Beom, who had spent a full day and night before the fire, forgot his words for a moment.

“…Yes, indeed.”

After sending the servants away, the bundle was unwrapped.
When twenty-five medicine bottles lined the table, Yuk Ho opened one and examined the pills inside.

“Gathering Force Pills.”
“Five pills per bottle, one hundred twenty-five pills total.”
“The scent is far richer than what I gave you before. That Iron-Faced Master is at least Grade Two or higher.”

Yuk Ho Yeon pushed half the bottles toward Yuk Beom.

“Keep these. What remains is more than enough for the clan.”
“They won’t have much effect on me. I’ve taken them before, and the same pills grow less effective each time.”

Understanding flashed in his grandfather’s eyes.

“Master O Jin must have set aside something even better for you.”

It wasn’t a precise deduction, but he didn’t bother to deny it.

“Good. Then the clan will accept it all. But you must relay this: if he ever has need of the Yuk Clan’s strength, no one will hesitate to answer.”
“I will convey your words.”

Yuk Ho Yeon swallowed one pill without hesitation.
As the medicine’s potency spread through him, his robes rustled and a faint mist coiled around his body. He closed his eyes for a moment, then exhaled long and slow.

“Excellent. It even shook my current barrier.”

Hearing this, Yuk Ho immediately consumed his own pill. As he circulated the power through his meridians, his eyes widened.

“To affect someone at the ninth stage of the Inner Gangjing Realm like this… Master O Jin must be at least fourth rank.”

The grandfather set aside one of the medicine bottles.
“I will enter seclusion now. I aim for the Outer Gangjing Realm.”

“Right now, Grandfather?”
“Why let this opportunity slip away?”

The remaining bottles passed to Yuk Ho.

“Give one pill to each talented direct descendant. Even collateral members—if they show sincerity and potential, don’t overlook them. Keep some in reserve for urgent times.”

After giving his instructions, Yuk Ho Yeon drew a black ring from his robes.
The moment Yuk Beom saw the character ‘Yuk’ inscribed on its surface, his eyes narrowed.

“Is that the Family Head’s Seal?”

“I had originally planned to pass it to your father.”

Yuk Ho nodded silently.

“But now it serves better in your hands.”

Yuk Beom couldn’t bring himself to reach out immediately.
The ring was no mere treasure. It was an object that carried both the authority and responsibility of representing the Yuk Clan.

“I will be leaving for the Academy soon.”
“Which is precisely why you need it.”

The moment the ring settled in his palm, the Heaven and Earth Power around him gathered in a fine, steady current.

“It’s made from a stone of unknown name. When you cultivate, it draws the surrounding essence toward it.”

Yuk Ho’s hand covered his son’s fist.

“I’m not saying I’m immediately handing you the position of Family Head. I’m saying—no matter where you are, don’t forget that you belong to the Yuk Clan.”

Yuk Beom gazed at the ring for a moment, then slipped it onto his left hand.

“I will not forget.”

Only then did Yuk Ho Yeon rise to his feet with satisfaction.

“Should I fail to return, Yuk Ho will assume leadership of the Family. When you judge yourself ready in years to come, take this house into your hands.”
“Please, don’t speak such inauspicious words.”
“A practitioner’s words of caution don’t invite greater danger upon him.”

Grandfather hummed a light tune as he left the rear garden.
Even after the door closed, Yuk Beom’s gaze lingered in that spot for some time.

“Might we procure another elixir to aid the breakthrough?”
“I’ve already received considerable help from O Jin. Besides, medicinal materials for an elixir that reduces backlash would be difficult to source even in Ganglim Castle.”

Yuk Ho placed a hand on his son’s shoulder.

“A martial artist must ultimately overcome his own wall with his own strength. Trust your grandfather.”

Moments later, he lifted the box containing the medicine bottles.

“Let’s go. We should have Yuk Cheon Gang take one first.”

A playful smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, which had been heavy moments before.

“When that fellow seeks out Mak Hae again, the Mak Clan’s faces are going to be quite worth seeing, aren’t they?”

Yuk Beom smiled faintly as well.

“They’ll likely lose sleep again tonight.”

Father and son left the rear garden with the box in hand.
Within it lay twenty-five Gathering Force Pills—enough to raise the Yuk Clan’s young generation anew.

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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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