Chronicles of the Martial God’s Return - Chapter 32

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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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“Then… I won’t be able to see her anymore?”
Early that morning, as Hwa So-mi made her way toward the Academy, she asked Dan Woo-hyeon this question.
Tears glistened at the corners of her eyes—clear evidence that parting from Namgung So-hye weighed heavily on her heart.
Dan Woo-hyeon reached out slowly and stroked her hair.
“If fate permits, you’ll see each other again. If not, then you won’t.”
“What? What do you mean by that?”
She tilted her head, bewilderment plain on her face.
The child was too young to grasp what Dan Woo-hyeon meant.
What was fate, and what wasn’t?
In So-mi’s mind, you simply met people when you wanted to meet them.
“The bond between you and that woman didn’t strike me as one that breaks easily. Won’t you see each other again soon enough?”
“Really? You’re not lying?”
At the promise of another meeting, So-mi burst out in delight. She had spent all her time with Namgung So-hye while she stayed at the Manor Estate, and her affection had taken root in earnest.
‘Still… it would have been nice if she lived with us…’
So-mi murmured this to herself.
The Manor Estate was never lonely with Dan Woo-hyeon and Jang Sam-tae there, but Namgung So-hye was a woman, and they understood each other in ways that seemed to flow naturally. There was a warmth to her presence that So-mi had come to treasure.
When they were together, every moment felt brighter than usual, and she found herself wishing that Namgung So-hye could stay at the Manor Estate the way Jang Sam-tae did.
But she never let that longing show.
She sensed that Namgung So-hye must have had her own reasons for leaving.
“Aside from that, how are you getting along at the Academy?”
“Oh, yes! It’s wonderful!”
She answered with a bright smile. Learning was truly delightful.
Though she was only studying the Thousand Character Classic and hadn’t yet begun the Elementary Learning, the very idea of receiving instruction at an Academy was something she had never dared to dream of. For So-mi, it was a profound joy.
Yet for just a moment, something bitter flickered across the child’s eyes.
Sensing this, Dan Woo-hyeon reached out once more to stroke her hair.
“Finding those with whom you truly belong is never easy. But don’t think that all you’ll ever encounter in life are those few people.”
……
So-mi stared at Dan Woo-hyeon blankly. She said nothing, yet his gaze seemed to pierce through everything she felt.
Slowly, she lifted her small hand and grasped his.
Feeling his warmth, she squeezed harder.
“Hehe, don’t worry! So-mi is your daughter, after all. I won’t falter no matter where I go, and I won’t lose to anyone. I’m strong.”
“That’s right. You are a strong child.”
Dan Woo-hyeon nodded in agreement.
Though only seven years old, she was far more mature than children her age. The hardships and adversities she had endured early in life had tempered her beyond her years.
It troubled him at times, and her composure sometimes seemed fragile, yet she was Dan Woo-hyeon’s daughter.
Dan Woo-hyeon crouched down in front of So-mi and gave her cheek a gentle pinch.
Feeling the pinch, So-mi let out a small cry—”Ow!”
“My name is Dan Woo-hyeon, and you are my daughter, Dan So-mi. No matter what comes to pass, I will protect you. So move forward in all things without fear, without losing heart.”
At those words, So-mi—for that was her true name now—felt as though she had been granted the strength of ten thousand soldiers.
She felt as though she could overcome anything, and confidence bloomed within her that no one could diminish.
Dan Woo-hyeon smiled broadly and pinched her cheek once more.
“… That hurts.”
“Ha ha ha.”

***

After dropping So-mi at the Academy, Dan Woo-hyeon walked through the streets, savoring the quiet that had returned at last. The atmosphere of Akyang, which had been bustling with Black Sword Society business just days before, had now settled into a relative calm.
The crowds that once thronged the streets had thinned considerably, and far fewer people bearing the marks of martial artists were visible.
Market Street remained lively, but even there was noticeably less congested than before.
‘Come to think of it, Hong Won-chang must have already made his way to Beijing by now.’
Dan Woo-hyeon came to an abrupt halt as he walked.
He had actually intended to seek out Hong Won-chang and perhaps share a cup of tea with him, but it seemed he would need to turn back instead.
“Hmm?”
At that moment, Dan Woo-hyeon’s attention shifted to the side.
There, a group of figures stood before him—armed with swords, they were clearly martial artists, and the powerful presence radiating from their bodies spoke of formidable strength.
One figure stood out distinctly among them.
Crunch. Crunch.
A man walking down the street as though it were nothing.
He radiated an aura far more formidable than anyone Dan Woo-hyeon had encountered until now.
As Dan Woo-hyeon watched with intrigue, their eyes met as the man passed.
Sting—!
‘What… what is this?’
For just an instant, Ma Dok-jin felt as though he’d been struck by lightning.
It was only a chance meeting of eyes while walking, yet alarms shrieked through his mind, as though a voice were screaming at him to flee this place at once.
Was this how a rabbit felt standing before a predator?
Cold sweat drenched his entire body. He turned his head away once more.
“Where… he’s gone?”
The man whose eyes he’d met had vanished without a trace. Someone had definitely been there, yet it felt and looked like nothing more than a dream.
Ma Dok-jin swallowed hard and turned his gaze elsewhere.
‘It must have been my imagination.’
He steadied himself with that thought.
—Lord, we’ve found their location.
—Where?
—Twenty li north of Akyang. They’re currently heading toward Hubei.
Ma Dok-jin came to himself, nodded, and laughed. He’d already erased what happened moments before from his mind.
Now only thoughts of the Honam Ogeom—the ones who’d wiped out the Black Sword Society—filled his head.
‘Let’s see just how remarkable these bastards are.’
He grinned wickedly and launched himself forward.
In an instant, his body vanished like wind.
“…….”
Dan Woo-hyeon observed from a distance.
The man’s uncommon aura had caught his attention. He could tell at once that this was no common thug, but someone who’d genuinely walked the path of the Martial Way.
He stroked his chin with a soft hum and smiled faintly.
“Twenty li to the north?”
No matter how formidable one’s Martial Prowess, eavesdropping on Sound Transmission was never an easy feat.
Yet for Dan Woo-hyeon, it seemed easier than breathing.
He gazed northward with a smile playing at his lips.
Something interesting was about to unfold.

***

Namgung So-hye began to sense something amiss about an hour after they’d set out from Akyang toward Hubei.
The power the Honam Ogeom had displayed before was beyond anything Namgung So-hye could have imagined.
Which was precisely why she couldn’t make sense of the current situation.
“Huff… huff…”
“Hrrgh…!”
“Gasp…”
The five men called the Honam Ogeom were already dripping with cold sweat and breathing heavily, having been on the road for barely an hour.
Ma Il-ung managed to maintain a reasonably stable condition, but even so, sweat trickled down his brow and his breathing through his nose was rather labored.
‘What on earth?’
Namgung So-hye narrowed her delicate brows.
She studied the Honam Ogeom closely, her expression turning puzzled.
‘Surely not… No, that can’t be it…’
She dismissed the thought that had crossed her mind and offered an awkward smile. It made no sense for men possessing such formidable martial arts to lack stamina.
“Should we… rest for a bit?”
“Ahem! If you’re truly exhausted, we don’t mind, young lady. We could walk for three days straight without any trouble…”
“Then why all this sweat…?”
The Honam Ogeom were startled by Namgung So-hye’s question.
Their deception had been flawless—they’d completely fooled the woman. But they hadn’t anticipated that legs as delicate as hers would manage a full hour of walking without rest, nor had they expected it.
The pace was so fast that merely keeping up with her was a struggle.
“Ahem! My body’s been a bit off lately. Please don’t concern yourself.”
At Ma Il-ung’s remark, a soft laugh emerged from one side. Startled, Ma Il-ung’s eyes narrowed sharply as he glared at Namgung So-hye.
“What amuses you!”
“Only that those with such formidable martial arts grow tired after merely an hour of walking.”
“Tsk! Tired? Who said anything about being tired! Don’t you see how vigorous and full of energy we are? Enough to crush anyone who comes our way in a single breath!”
“Well, I suppose that’s to be expected…… Hmm.”
If that display of skill last time wasn’t a deception, that is.
Namgung So-hye wanted to say as much, but she pressed her lips together instead.
It wasn’t that she doubted what she’d witnessed with her own eyes.
But their last meeting had been so brief that she’d let it pass without much thought; now that they’d been together this long, it was only natural to notice one or two oddities.
“Could it be…… that you’re not used to walking on foot? Should we just travel by Light Step?”
“Huh?!”
“Tch!”
There was a fundamental difference between exerting Internal Energy and not exerting it. If these five had been using Internal Energy in their daily lives all along, then some degree of physical stamina deficiency would certainly be understandable.
In that case, there was nothing for it but to move forward using Light Step.
Yet the faces of all five turned a sickly pallor.
As Namgung So-hye noted this with growing bewilderment.
An odd presence suddenly made itself felt; she drew her blade and lowered her stance.
Ping-ping-ping—!
Three Hidden Projectiles were aimed at her.
In a heartbeat, her swift Foot Sword Technique sent the incoming projectiles tumbling harmlessly to the ground.
“Hidden Projectiles!?”
“What…… what is this!”
It was the Honam Ogeom who were startled by Namgung So-hye’s cry.
Hidden Projectiles? Hidden Projectiles? Why on earth were they suddenly flying at them?
Fear seeped into their very bones.
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh—!
In the same instant, masked figures revealed themselves.
Only ten of them, but each wielding an assortment of Pole Weapons, they looked unmistakably like masters of considerable prowess.
A thick Killing Intent pressed down on the air, making it nearly impossible to breathe.
“The…… Muwhangseong!”
At Namgung So-hye’s cry, the faces of the Honam Ogeom drained of all color. Muwhangseong—wasn’t that the place where only the most elite masters of the Heterodox Path gathered?
But the shock did not end there.
Thud-thud.
Heavy footsteps rang out, sharpening their senses.
The moment the owner of those footsteps came into view, cold sweat beaded on Namgung So-hye’s forehead.
“Ma…… Ma Dok-jin……!”
Fifty-first in rank among Muwhangseong.
The arrival of Ma Dok-jin, master of the Paekyeokdo.

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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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