Chronicles of the Martial God’s Return - Chapter 19

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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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“Nngh…….”
Hong Won Chang exhaled a small groan as his eyes opened slowly.
His mind was hazy.
His head throbbed, and even his vision swam with it. The moment he tried to take in his surroundings, someone abruptly clamped a hand over his mouth.
“Shh!”
“Mmmph?!”
Hong Won Chang’s eyes went wide as saucers, startled by the sudden intrusion, and he stared at whoever had silenced him.
He had no idea who this person was. No matter how hard he searched his memory, he’d never encountered anyone like this before.
Swish-swish—!
Then came the sound of branches parting as numerous figures appeared and vanished in quick succession. They moved with practiced efficiency, combing the area as though searching for something.
Drip-drip.
Cold sweat ran down his face.
Watching them only made his own predicament sink in.
“If you stay quiet, I’ll let go.”
At the man’s words, Hong Won Chang gave a small nod. His mind was already making sense of the situation, and he wasn’t fool enough to start making noise.
The man released him slowly.
As Hong Won Chang’s breathing eased, he muttered under his breath.
“What…… what on earth…….”
“You seem to have been drugged. Are you feeling a bit clearer now?”
“Drugged…… yes, that’s right. That powder they threw at me…….”
His mind was still foggy, but it was clearing bit by bit. The drug they’d forced on him must not have been fully potent—he hadn’t fallen under its complete influence.
Then, remembering his circumstances, he laughed bitterly.
He’d been certain he was going to die. The fact that survival had even been possible in that situation was almost absurd. His only wish had been that his family would come through unharmed.
Yet here he was, alive and breathing.
“But who are you?”
“Jang Sam Tae, under the command of Lord Dan Woo Hyun.”
“Him?”
Now the pieces fell into place.
There was no way he could have survived without that man’s intervention. Hong Won Chang found himself shaking his head, a sigh escaping his lips.
‘How many times must I receive his help……. No amount of repayment would ever settle this debt.’
His face bore the mark of genuine gratitude.
Watching him, Jang Sam Tae smiled knowingly. He’d mentioned it deliberately—to ensure that Hong Won Chang felt indebted. That way, Hwa So Mi would have an easier life.
Of course, only if they made it out of here alive.
“They’ll chase us until their dying breath. We need to steel ourselves for that. We have to survive this and escape—only then can we seek revenge or do anything else.”
Seeing Hong Won Chang nod in agreement, Jang Sam Tae’s own resolve hardened.
They’d managed to hide for now, but the situation was far from good. If they didn’t get moving immediately, things would become dire.
They had to get as close to the Jang Estate as possible.
If it was Dan Woo Hyun, then he would surely sense their approach the moment they drew near the estate, and come rushing out.
That kind of killing intent from this many pursuers—if he got wind of it, he’d burst through those doors for Hwa So Mi’s sake.
“This way!”
“Wait, hold on. Where are we going?”
“We need to head toward the Jang Estate as fast as we can. So Lord Dan can come to us.”
Hong Won Chang couldn’t hide his anxiety. But this life was already forfeit anyway.
Whether he died following Jang Sam Tae or died captured—the outcome was the same.
The two men bolted forward desperately.
Then.
“Found them!”
A man’s voice rang out.
The sound of wind struck their ears fiercely, drawing closer. As it grew louder, Jang Sam Tae spun around, startled. He could see the scattered pursuers converging on their position.
“Damn it! Nothing’s working!”
Jang Sam Tae planted his feet.
Three men were charging forward first, swords drawn. He didn’t expect to be able to stop them, but neither could he simply stand there and watch helplessly.
Jang Sam Tae steeled himself.
Wasn’t it said that even a worm will wriggle when stepped on?
And just as Jang Sam Tae’s arm was about to extend, eyes locked on the blades coming at him from three directions.
Whoooosh—!
A wind came from nowhere.
Everyone present grasped it in that moment. A wind that could not be dismissed as natural—no, a pressure sharp as a blade’s edge—came flying toward them in the shape of a crescent moon.
It was pressure, yet visible to the naked eye.
The assassins who had been driving their blades toward Jang Sam Tae froze, their gazes going vacant.
And in an instant.
Slice—!
Bodies split open.
They could never have imagined such a devastating assault would come down upon them. The halved corpses sprayed blood and spilled their organs across the ground.
Thud, thud—!
The remains of what had once been human now lay scattered like butchered meat.
“Th-this is…….”
Hong Won Chang trembled as he stared at the carnage, his mind unable to fathom what had just occurred.
The members of Heuk Do Hoe shared his bewilderment.
Bang Chu Gok’s shock was beyond words.
Only one man sank to the ground, his legs giving way, and uttered these words:
“Damn it, if you were going to come, why didn’t you come sooner…….”

***

Martial God.
Throughout all the history of the Central Plains, only one person had ever borne such a title—Dan Woo Hyun, one and only.
Not even Dharma, who had established Shaolin’s system, nor Sam Bong, who had ascended Wudang and become an immortal, nor Cheon Ma, who had corrected the Demon Cult’s foundation and reached the pinnacle of ten thousand demons, had ever attained such an epithet.
Why was this?
Though these men were undoubtedly Absolute Masters who had dominated their era, none had shaken the Central Plains as profoundly as the Moo Geuk Shin Ma, and all had tasted the bitterness of defeat.
But the Martial God alone was Undefeated.
And that was why he could be nothing but legend.
Step, step—!
The silence was broken by footfalls. The sound that approached from the distance was neither hurried nor slow.
Listening to it, one felt almost at ease.
Bang Chu Gok swallowed hard.
‘What…… what was that…….’
What had that been moments ago? No matter how much he racked his mind, nothing came. Such power was beyond what a single person could unleash.
And what was this oppressive air?
A tremendous weight pressing down on both shoulders.
Everyone stood rooted in place, unmoving, their eyes fixed on a single point. Every pupil trembled, and sweat began to bead and stream down their faces.
At last, a figure emerged from the shadows.
As he parted the brush and came into view, they felt their throats tighten.
Unremarkable.
His build seemed diminutive, his height that of an ordinary adult man. Yet as he appeared in the moonlight, Bang Chu Gok felt a crushing pressure that nearly stole his breath.
‘What is that……!’
The moment he beheld him, a chill raced down his spine and refused to fade.
His eyes, luminous in the moonlight, burned with a crimson radiance as though they held scarlet flames, and his gaze—proud to the point of arrogance—looked down upon them all with contempt.
“Why…… why have you come so late……. Damn it…….”
It was Jang Sam Tae whose voice shattered the silence and stillness. His legs had given out, and he remained seated, eyes fixed on Dan Woo Hyun as he appeared. Though his tone carried a note of complaint, there was unmistakably a sigh of relief beneath it.
Dan Woo Hyun turned his head to regard Jang Sam Tae.
“Noisy.”
“It was them making the commotion, not us.”
Jang Sam Tae pointed to Bang Chu Gok and the members of Heuk Do Hoe. It was an almost comical scene, like a child tattling to his parents.
But Dan Woo Hyun paid it no mind.
He turned his head slowly to regard Bang Chu Gok.
“Heuk Do Hoe?”
“Kgh……!”
His single utterance carried crushing weight.
It had been spoken lightly, yet Bang Chu Gok’s instincts screamed in alarm. The force in those words was utterly unlike any Martial Artist he had ever encountered.
“W-who are you……? We are H-Heuk Do Hoe. Do you bar our way knowing this?”
Fear made his words stammer, but to escape this situation he had to say something.
Contrary to his hopes, the man before them was undeniably formidable—someone who would not so much as flinch no matter what they attempted.
“We of Heuk Do Hoe…….”
“Garbage gathered together is still garbage, nothing more.”
Crunch—!
Bang Chu Gok ground his teeth.
Fury rose up that even terror could not suppress. Bang Chu Gok, who had devoted his entire life to the Heuk Do Hoe, wore his pride in the organization like a blade thrust toward heaven. To insult that place was more than a mere affront—it was sacrilege.
Bang Chu Gok’s gaze, fixed on Dan Woo Hyun, hardened.
“It is not garbage! The Heuk Do Hoe is……!”
“Then…….”
Dan Woo Hyun cut off whatever Bang Chu Gok was about to say and swept his eyes quickly around the chamber. His gaze passed over the members of the Heuk Do Hoe, then over Jang Sam Tae and Hong Won Chang, before a faint smirk crossed his face.
“Prove it.”

***

Jang Sam Tae and Bang Chu Gok could not believe their own eyes.
They had known for some time that Dan Woo Hyun was strong. They had expected that his arrival would resolve this matter easily enough.
But.
Crack—!
“Aaaahhhhh!”
“Screeeech!”
This was beyond all measure.
Hong Won Chang had seen Dan Woo Hyun contend with Jang Baek San and his subordinates; Jang Sam Tae had witnessed him face the remnants of the Heuk Do Hoe. Yet this—this was something else entirely.
He simply extends his hand.
Nothing more than that—a simple extension.
Yet it was enough. The members of the Heuk Do Hoe thrashed about like cornered rats, but it was futile. They were utterly helpless.
It was like watching a three-year-old child fight a master of the Martial World.
“That… that monster…….”
Jang Sam Tae trembled, muttering under his breath.
He had known victory was certain from the start, but watching Dan Woo Hyun move with such effortless grace kindled an inexplicable rage in his chest.
Jang Sam Tae himself had barely managed to land a single blow against these men before fleeing for his life, yet Dan Woo Hyun, moving with lazy indifference, simply overwhelmed them all.
Snap—!
“Aaaahhhhh!”
Dan Woo Hyun was destroying their dantians entirely.
No one could stop him, and no amount of resistance would change a thing.
“Truly… truly remarkable, Great Swordmaster…….”
“Remarkable, my ass…… Is that a monster or a man?”
“My… my ass?”
Hong Won Chang fixed Jang Sam Tae with a glare that could cut glass. His subordinate—and here the man was, cursing in his master’s presence. Where had this wretch learned such manners?
“Do you curse at your master as well?”
“Damn, when I’m out of earshot I curse at emperors—what’s it to you?”
“What? This mangy cur!”
“What? Mangy? You forget the debt of salvation I owe you?”
“That’s right, you two-faced wretch! How dare a servant like you curse at his master? Perhaps a beating would restore your wits!”
In an instant, Jang Sam Tae fell silent. He had forgotten entirely that his opponent was a magistrate.
More than that—he seemed to have forgotten that he himself was a fugitive, a wanted criminal, however long the noose had been slack.
Jang Sam Tae slowly raised his head and looked up at the sky.
‘Damn it…….’
In the meanwhile, the hall was gradually being cleared.

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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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