Chapter 40: The Strongest Clan Under the Heavens

“Impossible.”

Father Dancheon Gang answered firmly.

Uncle Yeo Baek, who was seated next to him, couldn't hold back his laughter.

“See? Wasn't I right?”

Had Uncle Yeo Baek already guessed that I would give up the Young Clan Head competition?

I didn't know the reason, but his expression and behavior were so.

Uncle Yeo Baek was accepting my declaration of surrender as if it were a predetermined future.

“Tsk.”

As Dancheon Gang clicked his tongue, Uncle Yeo Baek quickly suppressed his laughter.

Even though he had firmly said impossible, the emotion etched in Father Dancheon Gang's gaze was not rejection or firmness, but curiosity.

I saw that as a sign that there was room for conversation and persuasion.

“You have achieved the State of Harmony.”

“Yes.”

I quietly nodded my head.

He must have seen the constellation of stars that formed on my sword when I confronted the First Elder, so it was not something I could feign ignorance about.

“Now that you have achieved the State of Harmony, does the position of Young Clan Head seem fleeting?”

“No, it does not.”

“Then, why is that?”

I could tell that the Clan Head Dancheon Gang was misunderstanding something.

I know that a lot of words and proof are needed to clear up this misunderstanding.

It is a truly arduous process.

It was a waste of time to spend it on such things.

Fortunately, I had a way.

Wasn't there an attitude I had always adhered to?

That was, a frontal breakthrough.

“I want to become the next Head of the Guard of the clan.”

I answered while looking at Uncle Yeo Baek.

He seemed surprised, as if he hadn't expected this.

My heart told me so.

Wouldn't it be good to prevent the Great War of Righteousness and Evil and succeed Uncle Yeo Baek's position?

Wouldn't that be the place I would return to?

Such a thought had occurred to me.

Clan Head Dancheon Gang quietly shook his head.

“The position of Clan Head must be the strongest.”

In reality, not all clans are like that.

But for the Dancheon Clan, which had adopted primogeniture as its family tradition and maintained its status as a prestigious clan for a long time, it would be one of the important rules.

Honestly, it was a reaction I had expected.

But I had come with an answer to this as well.

“Won't it be fine if my elder brother enters the State of Harmony?”

“…….”

My father and uncle simultaneously closed their mouths.

I know that even if he is not the strongest in the clan, if Dancheon Hak, who has reached the State of Harmony, ascends to the position of Clan Head, the problem will disappear.

The State of Harmony is that kind of realm.

“I will help my elder brother reach the State of Harmony.”

I know that if someone were to say this, ninety-nine out of a hundred would call it a lie.

It is because the State of Harmony is something one reaches on their own, not something someone else makes for them.

But could this declaration, made by me who had reached the State of Harmony in my early twenties, also be dismissed as an empty boast?

The weight of words ultimately comes from the person's footsteps.

“Five years.”

“What about it?”

“I will make my elder brother reach the State of Harmony within five years.”

This meant to postpone the succession competition for five years.

If Dancheon Hak reaches the State of Harmony within five years, he can ascend to the position of Clan Head, and even if he fails, the matter of the Young Clan Head's position can be discussed again then.

My father, Dancheon Gang, is a martial artist in his prime, just over forty years old.

In reality, postponing the succession competition for five years would not be much of a burden.

Postponing the succession competition for five years is not a bad option compared to stubbornly shouting that I will withdraw.

“I will think about it.”

The Clan Head said solemnly, but…….

“Thank you.”

“Heh heh. Five years.”

Seeing the Clan Head smiling without realizing it, it wouldn't be difficult to predict the result of his deliberation.

Since it was a satisfactory deal for both sides, a warm breeze was soon blowing in the Clan Head’s quarters.

“I have something prepared.”

Now that the dark clouds over the clan had been lifted, it was time to make the Dancheon Clan the strongest clan under the heavens.

By letting go of my stubbornness, I naturally came to know.

The fact that I could sufficiently achieve this even if I did not become the Young Clan Head.

“Please accept this.”

I took out two glass bottles from my bosom and handed one each to Clan Head Dancheon Gang and Uncle Yeo Baek.

“What is this?”

Uncle Yeo Baek, unable to contain his curiosity, asked first.

“That is Immaculate Pomegranate.”

“……!”

That familiar expression I had seen several times now appeared on their faces as well.

The foundation of the strongest Dancheon Clan under the heavens would not be the day I won the Young Clan Head competition, but today.

* * *

“What are you doing?”

Dancheon Hak suddenly visited my quarters.

“What about it?”

“You're giving up the Young Clan Head competition?”

It seems there are only people with loose lips in the clan.

I don't know how rumors spread so quickly.

I would say that even setting up a Beggar's Gang branch with the people of the Dancheon Clan would not be enough.

Deobseok.

Dancheon Hak grabbed my collar with a rough hand.

It was the first time he had laid a hand on me like this, so even though I could have avoided it, I did not.

I felt Dancheon Hak's hand gripping my collar tremble slightly.

“Are you, pitying me?”

Dancheon Hak's voice was shaking.

Since Dancheon Hak had also confirmed that I had entered the State of Harmony, it was not difficult to infer what kind of thought process he had gone through to reach such a conclusion.

“Elder Brother.”

Although I could have knocked away Dancheon Hak's hand at any time, I just opened my mouth.

“Elder Brother, why do you want to become the Clan Head?”

It was a single question.

Even with just that, the strength disappeared from Dancheon Hak's grip, and the collar-grabbing was released.

“Why is a reason necessary? I was just born that way.”

That self-deprecating statement was not wrong.

Having been born as the eldest legitimate son of a prestigious martial clan like the Dancheon Clan, dreaming of becoming the Clan Head would have been like the law of nature.

“As for me.”

But am I not different from Dancheon Hak?

I was the second son, an illegitimate child.

“I wanted to make a place for myself in the Dancheon Clan.”

“…….”

“That was all.”

Dancheon Hak did not give any answer to my calm confession.

He was not unaware of my circumstances either.

I wanted to establish a place for myself in the Dancheon Clan.

I wanted to become a family.

It was likely a manifestation of deficiency.

The narrow-minded me had thought that there was no other way than to occupy the position of Clan Head.

But was that really the case?

“I'm actually not interested in the position of Clan Head. It's because I have a bigger dream in my heart.”

Having achieved the State of Harmony in my early twenties, it could be said that I was not lacking in dreaming a bigger dream.

“Elder Brother.”

“What is it?”

Seeing him accepting all my words even while being displeased, it seems he was curious about my thoughts.

“If you become the Young Clan Head, and then the Clan Head, will you kick me out of the clan?”

“I think that would be the right thing to do.”

Seeing Dancheon Hak answering so, a chuckle escaped me.

“You won't do that, Elder Brother.”

Even in my past life, Dancheon Hak had never kicked me out.

It was just that I, who had lost my place in the clan, had turned my back on the clan myself.

“Elder Brother, I have found the place I want to be in the clan.”

“…….”

Since Dancheon Hak had even heard the rumor that I would withdraw from the Young Clan Head competition, he would also know that I intended to succeed the Head of the Guard.

That's right.

I want to succeed Uncle Yeo Baek.

I have no further greed in the Dancheon Clan.

It means that Dancheon Hak and I have no need to compete.

I think that Dancheon Hak was a person of a larger vessel than I thought, so he would be able to embrace me.

Even me, who had become the strongest person under the heavens.

However, I know that there will be a prerequisite.

“So, about that…….”

Saying so, I tossed a glass bottle from my bosom to Dancheon Hak.

Before he, who had caught the bottle, could even harbor a question, I continued.

“Elder Brother, you must enter the State of Harmony.”

“What?”

As I said it like a declaration, Dancheon Hak made a dumbfounded expression.

“I will not accept any counterarguments.”

I will refuse any refusal, is what I'm saying.

“Look forward to it.”

Now that all the karma of the past had been cleared, I would now live for the future.

Well, it would be inevitable that Dancheon Hak would have to struggle a bit in that process.

“Elder Brother, you must become the Clan Head.”

Preferably, the Clan Head of the strongest clan under the heavens.

* * *

The head of the Council of Elders, the First Elder, was a spy of the Demonic Cult.

Naturally, the Dancheon Clan went through a bout of sickness.

A re-examination of the origins and trustworthiness of all the retainers was conducted, but fortunately, no additional problems arose.

Thus, a month passed in tension and peace.

The Second Elder, who had no presence, succeeded the head of the Council of Elders, but it was not a big deal.

It was because it was closer to him taking over temporarily until Bang Yeo-baek entered the Council of Elders in the future.

And when Bang Yeo-baek enters the Council of Elders, I will succeed the position of Head of the Guard.

If everything proceeds according to my plan, that is.

The most important link in that was Dancheon Hak entering the State of Harmony.

“Elder Brother! Come out!”

A scene that had not existed in my past life unfolded day after day.

My daily visits to Dancheon Hak's quarters were one of them.

Dancheon Hak's retainers now considered my visits as a matter of course and no longer even performed a formal security check.

“You're here?”

“Hurry and get ready.”

“Can't we rest for just one day?”

While grumbling, Dancheon Hak, already neatly dressed in his martial arts uniform, crawled out of his quarters.

I would say that such a temperament was the spitting image of his mother, Baek Yeo-hae.

It seemed like a truly hateful sight, but now seeing that sight made me laugh.

“Let's go.”

As a master of the Transcendent Peak and a master of the State of Harmony lightly unfolded their Stepping on Clouds Gait, it was truly an instant to the training ground.

And no more words were needed.

“Come at me.”

“Hmph!”

While snorting, Dancheon Hak's body was honest, as he rushed at me.

Shiiing!

Blue Sword Qi clashed, decorating the space.

Shiiing! Shiiing! Shiiing!

Dancheon Hak's powerful sword strikes were repeatedly blocked by my sword and could not achieve their purpose.

“Elder Brother, as I've said many times, your sword path is monotonous.”

With my words, my sword, which was swung unexpectedly, made Dancheon Hak jump back.

“If you create such a distance with a single move from your opponent, you won't have a chance of winning.”

The essence of martial arts lies in the unity of offense and defense.

As I lectured the master of the Transcendent Peak as if teaching the basics that everyone who holds a sword learns, a vein popped out on his forehead.

It was a sight that had not changed even after a month had passed.

“Shut up, you brat!”

Shiiing!

I blocked his sword and gave him a mischievous grin.

“You were honest again.”

In reality, the martial prowess that Dancheon Hak was showing now could be called remarkable.

Since my goal was to temper Dancheon Hak, I did not use Sword Flux.

However, it is right to say that it is remarkable for him, who is only at the Transcendent Peak, to exchange blows with me like this.

It is because the difference between the Transcendent Peak and the State of Harmony does not come from Sword Flux.

Dancheon Hak, who had risen to the Transcendent Peak on his own and consumed the Immaculate Pomegranate, was advancing in a way that the expression ‘diligence’ was not an exaggeration.

But even so, I don't know when Dancheon Hak will enter the State of Harmony.

It is because there is no way to raise a martial artist of the State of Harmony.

Except for one, the Healing Sage’s Mind Cultivation Art.

I just believe.

That Dancheon Hak will reach the State of Harmony within five years.

The difference from relying on luck is that I'm not just waiting with my hands folded, but with constant external tempering and…….

“Are you tired already?”

“Eek!”

Shiiing!

The fact that his own efforts were added.

Thus, in an instant, over three hundred exchanges passed.

“Heok. Heok.”

Before I knew it, the tip of my sword was touching Dancheon Hak's throat.

“You've worked hard.”

Sreung.

Dancheon Hak glared intensely at my sheathing form.

“Tomorrow will be different.”

“I'll look forward to it.”

In his appearance, I saw my own from a time when I faced Uncle Yeo Baek.

However, this was not a thing of the past.

“Now you have to do it with me, right?”

With those words, Uncle Yeo Baek rushed at me.

Shiiing!

Uncle Yeo Baek's sword, which had jumped in with an excited expression, and my sword were ethereally intertwined.

But before we could even exchange a hundred blows…….

“……It's because I'm low on stamina.”

“Haha, who said anything?”

Uncle Yeo Baek's sword was aiming for my defenseless heart.

In reality, I know it was an excuse myself.

I still can't get used to Uncle Yeo Baek's Stepping on Clouds Gait after he consumed the Immaculate Pomegranate, so I still have a long way to go.

And…….

“Who is bullying my sons?”

Kukung.

Finally, as Clan Head Dancheon Gang appeared.

“Heek!”

The Clan Head's sword turned towards his shield, the Head of the Guard.

Kwang!

While frowning at the sound of the clash of swords, which was on a different level from ours, my and Dancheon Hak's gazes did not move as if they were nailed down.

“Ah, go easy in front of the kids!”

“Do it properly. Before you get a sword in your stomach.”

“Heek!”

Kwakwang!

The duel between Uncle Yeo Baek and the Clan Head continued for a long time.

It would be right to call it an unprecedented fortuitous encounter to witness the duel of supreme masters firsthand.

I would say that the Dancheon Clan was already moving towards becoming the strongest clan under the heavens.