Chronicles of the Martial God’s Return - Chapter 167

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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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Ku Mu-ak stirred, his eyes opening slowly against the weight of pain.
Through the blur of his vision came the familiar sight of the Hyungsan Sect’s main hall.
He exhaled in relief, gazing at the place that had become his refuge ever since he’d stumbled upon their martial techniques.
‘It…… it was just a dream.’
There was no reason such a master would come searching for him. Unless someone inside Hao Mun had betrayed him—but that was unthinkable.
Ku Mu-ak had always taken meticulous care of his subordinates, better than most. The thought of betrayal simply didn’t occur to him.
“Awake?”
“Agh?!”
The voice jolted him upright.
Pain exploded across his face, sharp and punishing. He lurched sideways, clutching his jaw with one trembling hand, his eyes darting toward the source of the sound.
A man sat by the brazier, tending to a wild boar he’d dragged in from somewhere, turning it golden-brown over the flames. He tore off one leg and hurled it toward Ku Mu-ak.
“Eat.”
“H-help……!”
The haunch landed at Ku Mu-ak’s feet.
He’d flinched, mistaking it for a hidden projectile, but relief washed over him as he eyed the meat. At least he wasn’t dead.
‘I’m still alive, then? That has to mean…… I’m still alive?’
Ku Mu-ak scrambled for the meat, all the while watching Dan Woo-hyun carefully. The fact that the man was still here suggested he hadn’t snuffed him out yet.
He bit into the meat, and only then did certainty settle over him—he really was alive.
“I was going to break your neck.”
Ku Mu-ak choked.
There was no jest in Dan Woo-hyun’s words. He set the meat down, his breath catching.
The man’s tone carried absolute truth.
“But it seems keeping you alive will prove useful in various ways.”
“Thank you! I, Ku Mu-ak, swear I will spend my life ensuring I become indispensable to you!”
“You sound exactly like someone else I know.”
Dan Woo-hyun smiled faintly.
Looking at this man brought Jang Sam-tae to mind. Perhaps that’s why he hadn’t killed him.
That one had seemed useless at first, but had grown increasingly valuable over time.
“What’s Hao Mun’s intelligence operation like?”
“Well…… among those operating in the Central Plains, we rank within the top tier…….”
Ku Mu-ak shifted uncomfortably, turning his gaze away. Any martial artist worth their salt knew of Hao Mun’s information-gathering capabilities.
They were on par with the Gae Bang and similar organizations that earned first-rate recognition for their martial prowess.
“Merely?”
“Merely? That level itself is extraordinary…….”
“Who holds the most information in the Central Plains?”
“The Gae Bang, surely? Followed by the wanderers, then the merchants…… and assassins…….”
“Many.”
“Indeed……?”
Dan Woo-hyun placed a piece of meat in his mouth, his eyes fixed on Ku Mu-ak.
His expressionless face gradually softened into a small smile. Ku Mu-ak swallowed hard, unable to read the meaning in that enigmatic grin.
“I see it differently. I believe Hao Mun itself holds the most information in this Central Plains.”
“How could that be……?”
Ku Mu-ak’s body trembled at the words.
“First, the fact that Hao Mun—nothing more than a gathering of ruffians—operates as an information broker is itself proof. Second, you’ve conducted countless transactions over the years; naturally, you’ve dealt with dangerous men. Yet Hao Mun endures.”
“That’s simply because we’ve managed to evade trouble…….”
“Third, whether officials of the highest rank or masters of the martial world, none escape Hao Mun’s sight.”
…….
That was the crux of it.
Ku Mu-ak fell silent.
The wanderers roaming the Central Plains possessed formidable intelligence networks. But when they had coin, they frequented the pleasure houses and gambling dens.
The same applied to officials and everyone else.
Thus all manner of information flowed into Hao Mun, which controlled those establishments.
This allowed them to collect intelligence far faster than any rival organization, and through careful analysis, they dealt only in verified information—a masterful operation.
That was Hao Mun.
“By my reckoning, your people know secrets they absolutely shouldn’t know. That’s why you skulk about in hiding.”
“Ha……ha……ha…….”
‘Damn. This is bad.’
Ku Mu-ak let out a rueful laugh and turned away.
In truth, he’d long believed that Hao Mun was the greatest intelligence organization in the Central Plains.
Even setting aside subjective judgment, it was so—and this was why the Hao Mun leaders throughout the generations had lived in meticulous hiding.
Much as Ku Mu-ak was doing now.
“You said you know nothing of me…… but you’ve clearly grasped something of my nature.”
……
Before that blade-like gaze, Ku Mu-ak’s jaw clenched shut.
He had lied when he said he knew nothing of the Honam Danga. He couldn’t claim complete knowledge, but he’d already pieced together most of the facts.
What he truly lacked was any useful intelligence on this man.
That he was formidable—that much was certain. That he’d resolved most of the major incidents erupting in Ak-yang since the Hukdo Society affair—that too.
But no one knew where he’d come from or which school had produced such a master.
Yet worse still was this:
“For instance, that Namgung Cheon and Sa Do-hak are living here?”
Hah, hah, hah……
He couldn’t be certain, but he’d grasped much about those two as well.
Two men operating beneath the masks of Gentleman’s Sword and Ma Cheon-gun.
Yet the intelligence was too fragmentary; he couldn’t speak with true conviction.
That’s why he’d deliberately sold out the Chu Moon Family’s secrets.
If they moved against the Honam Danga, he could learn everything that unfolded there piece by piece.
With luck, he might net information worth its weight in gold.
If Namgung Cheon and Sa Do-hak were confirmed—the value of such intelligence would defy imagination.
The apex of the Demonic Cult and the fallen Alliance Master of the Orthodox Faction.
If the Martial World learned those two lived under one roof, the shockwave would be immeasurable.
“You are formidable, Great Hero. My astonishment truly cannot be concealed.”
Ku Mu-ak realized his mask had cracked beyond repair.
Composing his expression, he performed a bow, regarding Dan Woo-hyun. Fear lingered, yes—but the man before him was worthy of such respect.
“Therefore, I would ask why you’ve spared this Ku Mu-ak’s life rather than taking my head.”
“I need information.”
“Information…… you say?”
“Yes. Is there any other reason I’d let you live?”
Ku Mu-ak swallowed a groan.
“What information do you require?”
“Intelligence concerning the Red-haired Man, and those connected to Man Hu-liang.”
“The red-haired one remains unknown to me…… but Man Hu-liang? That comes at a steep price.”
“Steeper than your own neck?”
In that instant, a piercing chill—as though ten thousand needles were boring through his flesh—washed over him.
Ku Mu-ak’s breath caught. He averted his eyes.
Cold sweat traced down his brow.
‘This is no jest.’
The Man-geum Merchant Guild had risen to a position beyond casual reach.
Rumor had it that even the imperial court treated the Man-geum Merchant Guild with special caution—and yet he demanded intelligence on Man Hu-liang himself, the guild master?
Beyond that……
‘What is this Red-haired Man?’
He hadn’t given a name, hadn’t asked for anyone specific—merely “the red-haired one.”
It was doubtful such a person even existed in the Central Plains with hair of such peculiarity.
Ku Mu-ak’s thoughts scattered like autumn leaves. He swallowed another groan.
He couldn’t begin to fathom what this man intended to do with such intelligence.
“I repeat: think of it as the price of your life.”
With those words, Dan Woo-hyun rose from his seat.
He walked away without waiting for an answer, his retreating form laden with openings—careless enough that a man might strike him down if given the chance.
Yet Ku Mu-ak shook his head.
If he moved, his head would roll.
A long breath escaped him, and then—distant now, as though Dan Woo-hyun had already vanished—his voice echoed in his ear:
-Good thinking.
Gooseflesh rose across his entire body.

***

“Huff, huff…… those insane bastards!”
Jang Sam-tae and Ma Jang-gang, who had fled Tianshan, leaned against a tree, gasping for breath. Days without food, without sleep—they were reaching the edge of madness.
The Makyung pursuit team chasing them behind closed their encirclement with relentless speed, as though they had no intention of letting their prey escape.
Both men were covered in wounds, their appearance not merely haggard but utterly devastated.
Jang Sam-tae was grateful for his own swift legs.
Without them, he would have died a dozen times over by now.
“This is insane, absolutely insane! How long do they plan to chase us?”
“I don’t know. But are you all right? You’re bleeding quite a bit.”
“You’re not any better off?”
And he was right—this was no time to worry about anyone else.
Jang Sam-tae, a tier below Ma Jang-gang in skill, had mostly been running and thus bore fewer wounds, but Ma Jang-gang, who had faced the pursuers head-on, looked as though he might collapse at any moment.
Though he was called a subordinate of one of the Murim’s hundred masters, facing dozens of opponents each capable of moving between first-rate and master level was no simple feat.
“A bit further and there’s a river. If we can make it to the water, we should be able to lose them.”
“Damn it! I won’t die here! Even if I die, I’m dying at So-mi’s side, curse it all!”
Jang Sam-tae clenched his fists tight.
He hadn’t been squeezing out every ounce of strength to flee all this way just to perish in a place like this.
Whoosh—!
Then, suddenly, he heard something brush past.
Both men instinctively lowered their bodies and pressed their lips shut.
It seemed the pursuers had already drawn close.
Jang Sam-tae held his breath and looked toward Ma Jang-gang.
He could see the strength draining from the man’s eyes as he breathed in ragged, labored gasps.
He had pushed himself far too hard; by now, even keeping his eyes open was likely a struggle.
Jang Sam-tae drew his short sword from his belt.
‘Think clearly! If you just use everything you’ve learned so far, you can survive!’
He had been taught by Dan Woo-hyun, Namgung Cheon, and Sa Do-hak—the ones known as Cheon-oe-cheon. Having learned martial arts from them, to die here so futilely would be nothing less than bringing shame upon their names.
“Do you see any trace of them?”
“The trail ends here, but…”
The voices came from nearby.
The figures visible through the undergrowth were unmistakably Makyung members. They seemed not to imagine that anyone might be hiding right around them, merely looking about in search of tracks.
He would have preferred not to engage them, but judging by their direction of movement, they were certain to approach his position.
More than that, if a fight broke out while Ma Jang-gang was in such poor condition, it would be tantamount to killing him.
‘Damn it! Why does this have to happen to me?’
Muttering under his breath, he spun the short blade in his hand.
He couldn’t miss this.
He had to take them down in a single strike.
The pressure of knowing he needed to dispatch two men in an instant doubled the tension crushing down on him.
Swoosh—!
As the undergrowth parted again with a sound and he realized the voices drawing closer, Jang Sam-tae hurled himself forward.
Rustle—!

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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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