Chapter 50
Chapter 50
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Paeng Family
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People in the world loved giving names to things, so they picked the top five among the countless murim families and dubbed them the Five Great Families.
A long time had passed since then, but the Nangong Family, famed for their swords, always topped the list.
Having produced Sword Kings generation after generation, they firmly held Anhui Province in their grip and wielded immense influence over the surrounding minor and medium sects.
Where there was a first, there was always a second.
That unfortunate murim family was the Paeng Family of Northern Hebei.
Some even belittled them as eternal runners-up.
And.
The current patriarch of the Paeng Family of Northern Hebei, who wielded tyrannical saber arts based on his innate divine strength, was none other than Dao King Paeng Heonmu.
Given the upright murim folk's obsession with honor, living and dying by it,
It was only natural that Dao King's goal was to surpass the Sword King and elevate the Paeng Family above the Nangong Family.
‘But it's still difficult.’
He had reached the Transformation Realm through his exceptional martial talent, yet the reality was that he still lagged behind the Sword King.
Dao King, well-versed in his rival's techniques, could gauge the opponent's prowess just by reading his aura.
Dao King had to admit it.
The Paeng Family of Northern Hebei still ranked below the Nangong Family.
However.
‘The future will be different.’
He could see the potential to surpass the Nangong Family.
All three of Dao King's sons had become Peak Realm masters.
The family headship would go to the eldest, but in terms of martial prowess, the youngest, Paeng Jisan, was the most outstanding.
Even if Paeng Jisan had reached Peak Realm a year later than the Sword King's only grandson, Nangong Yuhyeon, there were three reasons why the Paeng Family's future looked brighter.
First, Dao King himself was younger than the Sword King.
If he held out until the Sword King retired, he could elevate the Paeng Family's status even further.
Second, Nangong Yuhyeon, who had shocked the world by reaching Peak Realm at twenty-two, had suffered an accident forcing his retirement.
The new heir in contention, Nangong Yurin, was said to have a weak personality. There were even strange rumors that she hated practicing martial arts.
Side branches could be alternatives, but the Five Great Families primarily revolved around the direct line.
Unless something extraordinary happened, Nangong Yurin would become the heir.
Third, the existence of his youngest son, Paeng Jisan, who had reached Peak Realm at twenty-three.
Reaching Peak Realm at twenty-three was no simple matter.
By simple calculation, it didn't just mean breaking through to the next realm a year earlier than someone who achieved it at twenty-four.
It was a matter of probability.
History had proven that the earlier one reached Peak Realm, the higher the chances of attaining higher realms.
Occasionally, outliers like former Demon Subduing Division Leader Jeong Rip emerged, but still.
In any case, Dao King had heard that Paeng Jisan had broken through the Peak Realm wall.
It was great news for the Paeng Family.
Such joyful tidings that Dao King himself dragged his heavy steps to the Murim Academy to comfort and encourage his son's training.
His opening words would probably be something like this.
‘Jisan, I'm proud of you. Keep up your efforts, and the title of Dao King will be yours. Don't get distracted—press on diligently.’
The patriarch position would go to the eldest, but since the strongest in martial arts didn't necessarily become head, the youngest would understand.
Joining the Murim Alliance, in fact, offered far more real combat experience.
Securing key positions in the Murim Alliance would greatly benefit the Paeng Family.
With his brothers supporting him from inside and out, the Paeng Family could expand its power even faster.
‘Sending him to the Murim Academy was truly the right choice. Group living does mature a person, after all.’
Paeng Jisan had been a sore thumb.
Despite his outstanding talent, his poor judgment and reckless words and actions had caused much trouble within the Paeng Family.
Especially since he threw himself headlong into whatever caught his fancy, disregarding all else—he had been Dao King's greatest worry, even as someone near the top of the Paeng Family.
Sent to the Murim Academy to toughen up, he had adapted well, produced results without any major incidents, and it was impossible not to be pleased.
His journey into the jianghu had seemed filled with nothing but good fortune.
But then.
On his way to the Murim Academy with a few escorts, Dao King was ambushed by a group of unidentified assailants.
He knew the jianghu situation was unstable.
Shockingly, among the attackers was a Transformation Realm expert using demonic arts.
Dao King had barely inflicted a grievous wound and repelled them, but his own condition wasn't great.
Because the Transformation Realm expert had despicably used poison.
Typical vicious demonic scum.
He was suppressing the poison with his powerful inner energy, but if not detoxified quickly, it would gradually erode his body.
He wouldn't die, but he might need long-term recovery.
Dao King urgently sought help from the Beggars' Sect.
He searched for a physician skilled in detoxification,
And headed not to the Murim Academy, but straight to the Murim Alliance's Medical Pavilion.
This was the background behind Baek Yuseong suddenly having to treat Dao King.
The man sitting in the treatment room resembled Paeng Jisan with his massive build and square-jawed middle-aged face.
An aged Paeng Jisan, so to speak.
To Yuseong, who harbored no fondness for Paeng Jisan, his appearance alone seemed disagreeable.
“How is it? Can you detoxify it?”
Yuseong nodded at Dao King's question, laced with anxiety.
“Of course. I'll check your arm after the detox as well. The wound looks severe.”
A long gash remained on Dao King's right arm.
It had been stanched with pressure points, so the bleeding had stopped, but it wasn't a wound that would heal on its own.
Seeing the large saber hanging from his left waist, it was clear he was right-handed.
It must have been quite inconvenient.
Without prompt treatment, long-term recovery might be needed there too.
“Hmph, a wound like this is nothing. The opponent was a Transformation Realm expert too. He used astonishing demonic arts—likely from the Demonic Cult. Even though he cowardly resorted to poison, I left him gravely wounded, so it's my victory.”
“...”
Dao King seemed offended that his right arm injury had been pointed out.
He insisted on framing it as his superiority over the foe.
‘Conversations with Paeng Family folks never go smoothly.’
Yuseong sighed inwardly.
“Congratulations on your victory. Then, I'll begin the treatment.”
“I've heard the One-Needle Divine Physician's skills are exceptional. I leave it to you.”
Detoxification didn't take long.
Under normal circumstances, that is.
Yuseong had one thing to test.
Instead of stabbing near the heart with a long needle, he took Dao King's pulse.
‘I've recently realized that among murim folk's acupoints, there are subtly wider paths.’
Yuseong had figured out what they were.
‘The circulation paths of their inner arts!’
Likely expanded from daily qi circulation for accumulation.
The longer one had practiced martial arts, the easier they were to detect.
In other words.
‘A perfect chance to examine Dao King's unique inner art circulation!’
Murim folk didn't easily let others take their pulse.
Unless there was a vast skill gap, it could allow the other to suppress them.
Being a physician proved useful here.
If he could at least roughly map the Paeng Family of Northern Hebei's long-developed inner art paths.
‘It'll be helpful someday. Advanced martial arts are hard to come by.’
Before detoxifying, he scanned every nook of Dao King's acupoints with Divine Power, memorizing all the subtly wider paths.
For potential use in refining his own inner arts someday.
“Then, I'll start the detoxification.”
Yuseong enveloped the clustered poison qi with Divine Power and activated the Detoxification skill.
Dao King immediately sensed the change.
The unidentified poison that had ceaselessly tormented his senses even during their talk.
The poison qi he had been suppressing with inner energy vanished in an instant from those areas.
“...This easily?”
With his vast jianghu experience.
Multiple past poisonings, but never had detoxification been this straightforward.
Stunned by how the potent poison—even a Transformation Realm expert couldn't resist—dissolved in moments.
“Now, I'll treat your arm.”
As Yuseong unwound the bandages and placed his palm on the wound.
“...!”
Dao King's eyes widened.
If he wasn't mistaken, the pain from the long tear on his arm was gradually fading, wasn't it?
The wound even looked more healed than before.
Yuseong soon fetched needle and thread, skillfully suturing Dao King's arm.
His stitching was so precise that the needle intervals piercing the flesh were perfectly even, without a hair's deviation.
“It's done. But you should stay here a few days until I remove the stitches.”
Dao King flexed his arm several times and grinned in satisfaction.
“As expected of unheard-of medical arts. Your skills are truly remarkable. I owe you a great debt. Coming here was the right call.”
“You flatter me.”
“Let's get along well from now on. As you can see, I tend to get injured often.”
Dao King's upper body was covered in all sorts of scars.
They spoke to how diligently he had trained and gained combat experience.
A sane warrior knew that befriending a skilled physician was beneficial.
For Yuseong too, building ties with a master like Dao King was no loss.
If they grew closer, he could subtly complain about Paeng Jisan's rudeness.
“Ah, my son attends the Murim Academy too—have you heard of him by any chance?”
“...Yes.”
“You look about the same age, so it would be good if you got along.”
That won't happen.
I'm already holding back the urge to vent about your son's misdeeds right now.
Unless we get much closer, I'm not friendly enough to badmouth your son in front of you.
Yuseong kept his words brief.
“Then I'll take my leave. I'll stay in the Alliance and return in a few days.”
As the treated Dao King rose, servant Jang Chil relayed a message.
“Dao King, senior. Upon hearing you were injured, Paeng Jisan has come and is waiting outside.”
“Oh, perfect timing. White-Clothed Physician, do you have a moment? Let me introduce my son.”