Chronicles of the Martial God’s Return - Chapter 77

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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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“Who…… who on earth is this person?”
Je-gal Woon’s eyes darted nervously across his surroundings.
His subordinates lay scattered about in wretched condition, and Hwang Hae-yeom, counted among the Top Hundred Masters of the World, was sprawled motionless in the distance.
It had all unfolded in the blink of an eye.
This was the kind of Divine Presence one would expect only from those at the pinnacle of martial prowess—the Ten Sovereigns themselves.
‘Is this man a master on the level of the Seven Stars or the Five Sovereigns?’
Where had such a powerhouse suddenly emerged from?
“The man who was beside him…… I feel like I’ve seen him before. It must be So Ssang-do.”
Je-gal Yeon murmured softly.
At first, she’d only thought the face familiar, but now, turning it over in her mind, she was certain—it was someone she’d encountered once in the past, Kwon Mu-jin of the So clan.
Je-gal Woon’s brow furrowed at those words.
“So Ssang-do means a figure from the Heterodox Sect…… Then they’ve produced such a master from within their ranks?”
A sigh escaped unbidden.
The Murim Alliance was spiraling into a sorry state.
With the Sword Emperor gone and Mo-yong Hyuk-moon—never fit for the position of Alliance Leader—now occupying the seat, matters were already precarious.
The situation alone stirred considerable discontent both inside and out.
Given Mo-yong Hyuk-moon’s temperament, he would suppress dissent through sheer force, and soon no one would dare speak openly—yet beneath the surface, deep resentment would fester.
Already the Alliance would begin to fracture at its seams.
And now, of all times, the Heterodox Sect produced a master of this caliber, making it all the more impossible for the Alliance to find means of suppressing them.
‘Was stepping down a mistake?’
Je-gal Woon exhaled a long breath.
Mo-yong Hyuk-moon was never suited to lead the Alliance. Haunted by suspicions that he might have even assassinated the Sword Emperor, Je-gal Woon had left without looking back.
The circumstances of his rise to power, the Sword Emperor’s disappearance—it all fit together with uncanny precision.
And countless others surely harbored the same doubts he did.
Yet they dared not voice such suspicions, for there was no way to contend with the overwhelming force that was Mo-yong Hyuk-moon.
Moreover, the Alliance’s standing in the wider world had been considerably diminished of late.
Should such unsettling rumors circulate at this moment, the Orthodox Faction might lose all its authority to others entirely.
Any way one looked at it, the situation was dire.
Je-gal Woon, who had been lost in thought, raised his head at Je-gal Yeon’s voice.
“But he……”
“Do you know something?”
“I heard it not long ago. I cannot say whether it’s true or false, but Kwon Mu-jin is reportedly dead in Wu Huang City.”
“What—what did you say?”
The words had come from Je-gal Yeon’s own mouth.
She was far too shrewd, and would never speak with anything less than certainty, so it must be fact.
Then Kwon Mu-jin had abandoned his position and fled the Heterodox Sect?
Je-gal Woon’s expression darkened.
He could not fathom what was unfolding.
“For now…… we must join the Namgung Clan with all speed.”
“Yes.”
Though countless thoughts churned in his mind, this was not the moment to sort through them one by one.
There was no guarantee that others bearing old grudges against the Je-gal Clan, like Hwang Hae-yeom, would not strike again.
They would hide as best they could and rendezvous with the Namgung Clan.
And they had to track the Sword Emperor’s trail to confirm whether he lived or died.

“You’ve returned?”
Dan So-mi bowed politely.
Dan Woo-hyun smiled and reached out to ruffle her hair.
“Yes, have you been well?”
“Yes! So-mi has been good. Did Father have a safe trip without any pain?”
“Ha, of course. Just seeing your face washes away all my frustration.”
Pat-pat-pat.
Even during the long journey from Hu Bei to Honam, what had happened at the hands of Geum Wang-su refused to leave his mind.
Who was he?
A Martial God who made all of the Central Plains tremble.
Never in his entire life had he been treated in such a manner by anyone, yet this man Geum Wang-su had not merely toyed with him—he had laid him down and trampled him into the earth.
That final name listed there shattered all of Dan Woo-hyun’s efforts into dust.
“And did the errand go well?”
“Ha, ha ha… the errand, you say….”
Dan Woo-hyun let out a low hum and settled onto the veranda.
Dan So-mi, who had toddled after him, climbed into his lap and giggled.
Her smile was still as innocent as ever, but there was nothing he could bring himself to tell her.
“It was just… like that.”
Shudder.
His clenched fist trembled with barely contained fury.
The moment his mind turned to it, the old bitterness surged up again.
To be duped by a common thief—for Dan Woo-hyun, it was an insult he could scarcely bear.
“Heh heh, you came back quicker than I expected. Well then, how did it go? Did you find it?”
Namgung Cheon approached with a hearty laugh.
Dan Woo-hyun regarded him quietly.
Now that he thought about it, this old man had given him the map. Perhaps it wasn’t Geum Wang-su after all—perhaps the deception came from him instead.
Dan Woo-hyun’s eyes swam for an instant, but he reined himself in through sheer force of will.
The man before him was just a frail old master, after all.
“I’d rather not speak of that matter.”
His furrowed brow made his meaning plain enough to Namgung Cheon.
Something had gone wrong—very wrong—and his anger was showing through.
Namgung Cheon cleared his throat awkwardly and looked away.
“Still… you at least got to see Hu Bei, yes?”
“There was nothing to see. With only one thing on my mind, I had no eyes for anything else.”
“Ahem! But surely… wasn’t it good experience?”
“I wish you’d find out for yourself what it feels like to have ‘good experience’ like this.”
Bead of sweat.
Namgung Cheon felt cold perspiration break across his brow.
He already knew Dan Woo-hyun possessed a cutting temperament.
But seeing him snap with such particular sharpness today made him wonder what in heaven’s name had transpired in Hu Bei.
He glanced sidelong at Kwon Mu-jin.
Kwon Mu-jin had not opened his mouth since they’d returned to the Manor.
His face was ashen, drained of all color. The exhaustion etched into his features spoke of an ordeal beyond measure. He seemed barely able to form words.
“Please… ask me nothing.”
“Y-yes, of course.”
Kwon Mu-jin looked like a man from whom the very soul had fled.
Watching him, Namgung Cheon felt yet another bead of cold sweat slide down his neck.
“Oh my! The master has returned!”
Just then, Jang Sam-tae appeared—back from Ak-yang with goods in hand—and bowed respectfully to Dan Woo-hyun with a pleased expression.
The man was somewhat troublesome when present, but in his absence, Dan Woo-hyun found there was a certain loneliness to it.
Especially given that he’d been serving as this old fool’s attendant all the while.
Recalling the past months, Jang Sam-tae’s brow furrowed.
It had been hard labor. He’d had to prepare fine meals and attend to the old man’s every comfort without fault.
Why he should have to defer to this houseguest in his own Manor, he’d never understood.
He’d picked a fight a few times, only to be beaten for his trouble, so in the end he’d simply served without complaint.
“Yes, it’s been a while.”
Dan Woo-hyun’s gaze remained cold as he looked at Jang Sam-tae, offering only the slightest nod. Watching carefully, Jang Sam-tae could see that Dan Woo-hyun’s mood was badly soured.
One careless word would surely provoke a storm.
Jang Sam-tae approached with an ingratiating smile.
“Heh heh, did the errand go smoothly, sir?”
In truth, he had no idea what the purpose had been. He’d only heard that they were going to Hu Bei.
“It went well… very well indeed.”
Dan Woo-hyun replied flatly and withdrew the map from his sleeve.
It was the one he’d received from Namgung Cheon at first, along with the one he’d found in that shabby Manor.
He’d examined it dozens of times, wondering if there might be some other clue hidden here, but found nothing worth noting. Just as he was resigning himself to letting go and tearing it up—
“Eh? This?”
Suddenly Jang Sam-tae reacted to the map.
He stared at it intently, then burst into loud laughter. “Ha ha!”
“This is quite the relic! Wherever did you find this? Ha ha ha!”
“…You know of this?”
“Of course I do. How could I not? May I have a look for a moment?”
Dan Woo-hyun handed over the map without hesitation.
Jang Sam-tae peered at it here, then there, and burst into hearty laughter before speaking.
“Ha! How I’ve missed this. It took such effort to create it back then.”
“…… You created it?”
“Yes! The Thief Sect has one particular custom — we make maps like this to fool those who come seeking them. So I crafted this one. Do you know how difficult it was? Ha ha ha!”
Jang Sam-tae laughed loudly.
It had been the final trial from his master, who had taught him the Theft Technique and Light Kung Fu. Since many would lose their minds at the mere mention of Geum Wang-su’s Treasure, this map was meant as a way to escape when cornered — a means of diversion.
Of course, his opponent would interpret the map without knowing the truth and try to claim the treasure, only to become obsessed with grinding his teeth against Geum Wang-su, who had inflicted upon him an indelible humiliation.
“Originally, you see, there was supposed to be a box at the very end, and I was going to put excrement inside it, but it was just too filthy to even touch……?”
Jang Sam-tae trailed off, unable to hide his confusion.
Why did Dan Woo-hyun possess this map?
And why was Dan Woo-hyun staring at him with such a look?
He could even sense that Kwon Mu-jin’s gaze, standing beside him, was gradually sharpening.
What was this about?
After pondering for a moment, Jang Sam-tae grasped the situation.
Dan Woo-hyun had recently returned from Hu Bei. And for some reason, he was distinctly furious. The map had come from his possession, and it bore a connection to himself.
The moment that realization struck him, Jang Sam-tae spun around and bolted.
“I-I’m not at fault here-!”
He cried out loudly as he ran headlong away.
From the look in Dan Woo-hyun’s eyes, it seemed the man had opened all the way to that final box. Ordinarily, recalling that entire ordeal would have him clutching his sides with laughter, but right now his own life took precedence.
……
Dan Woo-hyun stared intently at the vanishing figure of Jang Sam-tae.
With Light Kung Fu as his one superior skill, the man was already disappearing into the distance.
Watching him go, Dan Woo-hyun let out a soft chuckle before turning to Kwon Mu-jin.
“Bring him back.”
“Yes, sir!”
Kwon Mu-jin took off, eyes ablaze.
Jang Sam-tae was certainly faster in Light Kung Fu alone. But in pursuit, tracking, and stamina — in every respect save pure speed — Kwon Mu-jin’s capabilities far surpassed his.
“W-what’s going on? Why is Uncle Jang running off again?”
“Ha, it’s nothing. Rather, wouldn’t you like to take Grandfather on a trip to Ak-yang?”
“Eh? Is that all right?”
“Of course. I’ll give you pocket money too.”
Namgung Cheon observed Dan Woo-hyun as he smiled gently and handed over the silver. From Jang Sam-tae’s words, he had grasped the situation and realized that Dan So-mi could not remain at this manor.
Namgung Cheon reached out and took hold of Dan So-mi, clicking his tongue in disapproval.
‘One must always treat people well in ordinary times.’
Namgung Cheon shook his head slowly, thinking of Jang Sam-tae, who would soon be caught.

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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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