Chronicles of the Martial God’s Return - Chapter 78

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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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Punggeommun was currently the most renowned sect in Ak-yang.
Though it was a minor to mid-tier school, it possessed martial techniques of considerable strength, and wielded enough influence to dominate the entire Ak-yang region in short order—no one dared stand against them.
Originally, Punggeommun had been located in Hobuk.
But Hobuk lay inescapably under the shadow of Mudang and the Jegal Clan’s renown and reach, making it nearly impossible for smaller schools to establish firm footing.
So Punggeommun’s sect master, Hu Ja-ryung, resolved to leave Hobuk, and his choice fell upon Ak-yang.
Of late, much had stirred in the waters around Ak-yang; moreover, traces of a Musin—a departed divine warrior—had surfaced near Gunja Island. No confirmed discovery had yet been announced, yet Honam remained a place where countless secrets still lay buried.
And was there not also this legend?

[Deep within Dongting Lake, a Musin was sealed.]

This was merely a tale, nothing more.
Where it had come from, how it had traveled down through time, or whose lips had first spoken it—none could say.
Yet now that traces of the Musin, long dismissed as mere legend, had begun to surface, people found themselves drawn by the thought that the talk of sealing might itself be truth.
When news of Gunja Island’s discovery began to circulate, Hu Ja-ryung, master of Punggeommun, swiftly reorganized his sect and made his way to Ak-yang.
The legend of the Musin had ceased to be mere legend; if he could only find its traces, Punggeommun might ascend in a single bound to the ranks of the Nine Schools and One House, or the Eight Great Families, or higher still.
Many harbored the same ambition.
Sects sprouted like mushrooms after rain, and it was Hu Ja-ryung alone who had managed to dominate the region near Ak-yang.
He was swollen with pride at this accomplishment.
“Well then—have you found anything?”
“I inquired of a nearby boatman, and he said this area is the deepest part of the lake. Though of course, it is merely conjecture.”
Hu Ja-ryung nodded at his subordinate’s words.
The spot he indicated was a single point on the map of Dongting Lake.
The subordinate marked several other locations, but all lay near the first.
“So this region is the consensus, then.”
“It appears that this particular current is indeed the deepest part of Dongting Lake. The boatmen and others alike all pointed to this area.”
Hu Ja-ryung hummed and nodded.
Since he had established himself here with the intention of exploring Dongting Lake from the start, his preparations were already complete.
A boat awaited him as well; all that remained was to act.
“Quite a distance, I see.”
“Yes, sir. The journey from our sect takes roughly two hours, so traveling back and forth from Ak-yang would prove impossible.”
Hu Ja-ryung understood this well.
He was not alone in his quest to uncover the legend of the Musin.
Even now, others were likely racing toward the same destination with identical thoughts, so he had to move with utmost speed.
Four hours lost to travel alone.
Hu Ja-ryung begrudged even that span of time.
“Is there anywhere nearby to lodge?”
“There is one place, though……”
“One place? In this vicinity? Something like a boatman’s dwelling?”
“Ah, no, sir. There is……a manor.”
“A manor?”
Hu Ja-ryung’s eyes flew wide open.
The lands surrounding Dongting Lake were imperial property; buying and selling were strictly forbidden.
That very restriction had forced him to establish his seat in Ak-yang rather than near the lake itself. To hear that a manor existed in such a place left Hu Ja-ryung astounded.
His subordinate spoke again.
“It appears to belong to someone with connections to a provincial official.”
“Have you investigated?”
“I attempted to, but no information surfaced about their identity. All I learned was that they appeared suddenly a few months ago.”
“I see.”
Hu Ja-ryung nodded thoughtfully.
If they had ties to a provincial official, such exceptions were only natural. After all, laws inevitably had beneficiaries unknown to the ordinary eye.
Hu Ja-ryung chuckled softly and turned away.
“Make ready. I shall visit this place myself.”
“Understood, sir.”

“Hnngh—! P-please, have mercy—!”
“What are you doing? Continue.”
Dan Woo-hyun sat on the veranda, reading a book.
He seemed to be spending his time at leisure, yet somehow Jang Sam-tae could not do the same.
He was working in the estate as usual, but the problem was that he couldn’t stand up.
No matter where he went or what he did, he had to move while crouching.
Yet in this situation he couldn’t neglect his meals, so he had no choice but to cook rice and do laundry in that posture.
Jang Sam-tae could crouch or crawl on the ground, but he could not stand and walk.
It was Dan Woo-hyun’s order.
He’d thought he might be able to stand once he was out of sight, but even that became impossible because Kwon Mu-jin followed him everywhere, even to the outhouse.
‘At least I’m alive — that’s something.’
Jang Sam-tae broke into a cold sweat.
At first, he really thought he would die.
There was nothing he could have done about the cave’s shape, but he was the one who had made the map and scattered mud inside the cave — and so he had brought Dan Woo-hyun’s wrath down upon himself.
Considering Dan Woo-hyun’s temperament, he ought to be grateful just to be alive.
‘Who could have known he’d show up?’
Yet Jang Sam-tae had his own grievances.
In all of Jungwon, people were thick as weeds.
There were so many he could sweep away with a gesture, and yet he never imagined that Dan Woo-hyun of all people would fall into the trap.
Moreover, judging by the fact that he’d gone seeking treasure, wasn’t this born of Dan Woo-hyun’s own greed?
He had much he wanted to say, but he kept his mouth shut for fear of losing his life.
Then someone knocked on the gate.
Jang Sam-tae glanced at Dan Woo-hyun.
There were hardly any visitors to this estate.
Occasionally Hong Won-chang would drop by with various things, laughing good-naturedly, and sometimes Dan So-mi would bring Namgung So-hye from Ak-yang.
But they never knocked on the gate, so this seemed like the first time a stranger had come.
“Master…… we have a visitor…….”
“Go answer it.”
“Y-yes, thank you!”
Jang Sam-tae tried to spring to his feet. He couldn’t possibly crouch before strangers, even if the people in the estate understood the situation.
But the moment he tried to rise, Dan Woo-hyun’s eyes flashed with lethal intensity. Jang Sam-tae, caught halfway between standing and sitting, lowered himself back down and crawled toward the gate instead.
Soon, Jang Sam-tae stood before the gate and glanced at Kwon Mu-jin beside him.
“Um…….”
“What?”
“My hands won’t reach the latch.”
“Hmph…….”
Kwon Mu-jin snorted in resignation and opened the door.
Since he sensed multiple presences outside, Kwon Mu-jin’s hand instinctively moved to rest on his sword hilt as the door swung open.
“Greetings. Do you work at this estate?”
Before the gate stood a dozen figures.
Among them, dressed in crimson robes, a sharp-featured man with an unpleasant gaze smiled wickedly.
Kwon Mu-jin regarded him for a moment, then nodded slowly.
“Indeed. And you are?”
“Ah, we are men of the Punggeommun. I am Hu Ja-ryung, the sect master.”
“Punggeommun?”
He had never heard the name before.
Kwon Mu-jin, who had lived his life thinking that unless a sect ranked among the Nine Schools and One House or the Eight Great Families, it wasn’t worth remembering, dismissed them as second-rate opportunists.
“Introductions aside…… I would like to meet the master of this estate.”
“Wait here.”
Noting the sinister expression on the man’s face, Kwon Mu-jin replied curtly and turned his back. Though he didn’t know why they’d come, something about that smile rubbed him the wrong way.
For his part, Hu Ja-ryung said nothing, but he too found the situation unnerving. He had expected a large estate to house many people, but there seemed to be only a handful — which was suspicious.
Even more strangely…….
…….
…….
Before his eyes crouched a man who looked like a servant by his appearance, yet sat hunched, looking up at him — which inexplicably irritated him.
“Is there something on my face?”
“No, I was just looking up because my neck was getting stiff from staring at the ground — don’t mind me.”
“D-don’t mind you?”
“Right, don’t mind me.”
Hu Ja-ryung trembled.
This shabby wretch dared speak to him in casual speech. What was worse, his expression was so infuriating that Hu Ja-ryung felt the urge to simply stamp on him.
…….
But now was not the time to draw unnecessary blood—not when he needed to stand in the estate master’s good graces. Hu Ja-ryung steadied himself, mindful of his station.
He was Orthodox Sect, after all, a master of Punggeommun under the Murim Alliance. He would conduct himself with propriety.
“So, you wished to see me?”
A voice cut through the silence.
Hu Ja-ryung’s eyes snapped open in surprise.
There had been no warning, no ripple of approach—and yet the man stood mere inches from his face. The others reacted with equal shock, their astonishment written plain across their features.
Hu Ja-ryung recovered his composure with a quiet cough.
“Ahem! I am the master of Punggeommun and——”
“I’ve heard enough. Come to your point, and be brief about it.”
For a moment, Hu Ja-ryung’s expression went blank.
He had never been treated in such a manner in all his life.
The man before him gazed down upon him as if the entire world belonged to him alone, his eyes brimming with arrogance.
Crk—
He ground his teeth.
“I’ll be blunt. Will you sell me this estate?”
With that, Hu Ja-ryung hurled a money pouch to the ground.
Silver coins spilled forth in glittering abundance, rolling across the floor—easily two hundred coins by the look of it.
Dan Woo-hyun glanced at the scattered wealth and let out a soft laugh.
Then, with a casual flick of his foot, he sent the pouch sliding back across the floor toward Hu Ja-ryung.
The gesture struck a nerve among his companions.
“Is this man truly mad? Does he not know who we are?”
The disciples of Punggeommun standing behind Hu Ja-ryung raised their voices.
Punggeommun held dominion over Ak-yang—wielded such formidable power that even someone of Hyun-ryung’s standing could not stand against them.
And yet this man dared to show them such contempt?
He had to be utterly, thoroughly deranged.
It was in that very moment that Dan Woo-hyun’s voice emerged once more.
“Not enough.”
“……How much would suffice?”
“Ten million gold coins would make it worth my while.”
“……You jest most grievously.”
“Do I sound amused to you?”
Hu Ja-ryung realized this was no jest. The man before him showed not the slightest inclination to part with his estate.
Hu Ja-ryung chuckled softly.
“You’re quite the troublemaker, aren’t you? Very well. I shall take my leave for now. Should your mind change, you know where to find me.”
With surprising equanimity, Hu Ja-ryung turned to go.
Though he had anticipated nothing of the sort, he departed the estate with an affable smile on his face.
Yet the gazes of his disciples remained far sharper than his own.
“What will you do? It seems unlikely he’ll simply let this rest……”
Dan Woo-hyun nodded slowly.
For reasons unknown, they wanted this estate.
They must have conducted thorough inquiries before coming here; they would know that Hong Won-chang, a Hyun-ryung himself, stood behind the scenes.
Otherwise, judging by Hu Ja-ryung’s demeanor just now, he would have already drawn his sword.
As that thought took shape, Dan Woo-hyun smiled.
“Bring the old man here.”
“At once!”
Kwon Mu-jin bolted toward Ak-yang without hesitation.

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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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