Chronicles of the Martial God’s Return - Chapter 87

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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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“Again?”
“But you must see this, sir.”
The Murim Alliance.
Within the quarters of the Alliance Leader, Mo Yong Hyuk-mun’s brow darkened. At that single frown, the man who had brought armfuls of documents flinched, his body trembling visibly.
Mo Yong Hyuk-mun did not work.
He cared only for the title of Murim Alliance Leader itself, showing no genuine interest in the actual administrative duties. Indeed, most of the work had begun to fall to Man Hu-ryang, the Deputy Commander.
Because of this, resistance bubbled up from all quarters.
Of course, none were foolish enough to voice it openly, yet it was becoming clear that if things continued unchecked, the Murim Alliance risked fragmenting into ruin.
“Take those to Man Hu-ryang.”
“Alliance Leader! These are matters that require your personal attention!”
“Can’t you hear me?”
The man went pale and stepped back hastily.
That single word cut through him like a blade. His entire frame shuddered; his chest twisted with a sickening dread, as though a sword had already found his throat and was pressing cold against his skin.
In the end, he could say nothing at all.
“Haha—would you dare defy the Alliance Leader’s command?”
Then Man Hu-ryang, the Deputy Commander, pushed open the door and stepped inside. The broad grin spreading across his face was so odious it twisted one’s expression involuntarily.
Yet the man could not afford to treat Man Hu-ryang—who now wielded true authority as the Alliance’s de facto leader—with anything but deference.
“Here, let me take those. The Alliance Leader has been occupied with his cultivation lately.”
“Cultivation, sir?”
“Indeed.”
The man snorted inwardly.
He had never heard of Mo Yong Hyuk-mun so much as practicing martial arts. Though he bore the nature of a warrior by birth, his corruption was now an open secret among those who paid attention.
Every night, laughter and moans drifted from the Alliance Leader’s chambers—the coquettish voices of women.
Even the representatives of the Nine Schools and One House and the Eight Great Families staying within the Alliance knew this truth, yet none dared speak of it aloud.
They, too, bore the guilt of having elevated Mo Yong Hyuk-mun to the position of Alliance Leader, and so they held their tongues.
While the man slipped away, Man Hu-ryang, who remained in the Alliance Leader’s quarters, approached Mo Yong Hyuk-mun at a leisurely pace. He set the documents on the desk and drew something from his robe.
In that instant, Mo Yong Hyuk-mun’s eyes gleamed.
“Ah—what is that?”
“Haha, I’ve procured another rare vintage for you, Alliance Leader. Yeon Hwang Liquor—a treasure impossible to find anywhere in the Central Plains, they say.”
“Yeon Hwang Liquor? Surely it tastes different from the last batch?”
“Of course, Alliance Leader. And this time I’ve also brought…”
Man Hu-ryang drew closer with careful steps. Watching Mo Yong Hyuk-mun’s gaze grow increasingly clouded, he smiled with ease. Then he leaned close to the man’s ear and whispered softly.
“I’ve brought lovely young women for your pleasure, sir. I trust you’ll enjoy yourself thoroughly.”
“Hahahaha! There’s none quite like you in thinking of the Alliance Leader.”
“It is only natural, is it not?”
Man Hu-ryang smiled as he watched Mo Yong Hyuk-mun gradually succumb. After all this time, he had finally managed to place this giant—this formidable figure—firmly within his grasp.
His first plan was now complete.

“Ah… grandfather…”
Namgung So-hye exhaled a long, weary sigh.
No matter how thoroughly she searched for his traces, no matter how many inquiries she made, she could find no lead—nothing at all. As though he had sunk into the earth or vanished into the sky.
After months of searching with no sign of him, the people of the Namgung Clan wore exhaustion plainly on their faces.
Even Jegal Un and Jegal Yeon had reached the same point. They still offered help, but their eyes had long since surrendered.
Yes, Namgung Cheon was no longer in this world.
And only Namgung So-hye refused to accept it.
“I suppose it’s time to let him go…”
“But…”
“It’s been months since we left the clan. Troubling rumors spread daily from the Murim Alliance, and the Namgung household faces mountains of unresolved matters.”
Namgung Yong was finally forcing himself to confront reality.
With no trace of the man after all this time, logic dictated only two possibilities.
Either he had drifted into the depths of Dongting Lake and drowned, or by some miracle he had been swept away and found aid, now recovering somewhere.
But the latter was nearly impossible to imagine.
After all, his Internal Power had been destroyed by the Mountain Poison; he could not have survived long in the water. In the end, to recover even his body, they would need to drag the entire bottom of Dongting Lake.
And the timing could not be worse.
The Murim Alliance was undergoing rapid upheaval.
Since Mo Yong Hyuk-mun’s ascension to Alliance Leader, troubling reports had begun to circulate.
Though most were whispered rather than spoken openly, even the mighty Namgung Clan could not remain ignorant of such rumors.
Any further search was impossible, not for Namgung Cheon’s sake alone, but for the future of the Murim and the clans themselves.
“Truly, it pains me, but on this occasion I believe we should defer to the Namgung Clan Head’s judgment.”
Jegal Un shook his head with a bitter expression. More than anything, he yearned to recover Namgung Cheon’s remains.
Yet he knew better than anyone that the situation would not allow it. In truth, they should have abandoned the search and returned months ago.
Namgung So-hye bowed her head, tears glistening in her eyes.
Jegal Yeon approached and embraced her gently.
“We intend to return home as matters stand, but what of you, Jegal Clan Head? What do you mean to do?”
“Ah yes. I thought I would remain a while longer to search for someone.”
“Search for someone, you say?”
“Did I not mention it before? In Hubei……”
“Ah, you mean that master swordsman who saved someone’s life and then vanished?”
“I must gather what information I can about him. We cannot form a strategy without knowing whether he is ally or enemy.”
“Ha, it seems the Clan Head has not yet relinquished the responsibilities of Deputy Commander.”
It was praise, but Jegal Un’s heart remained heavy.
More than any desire to repay a debt, the Righteous Martial Arts World needed a new pillar now that the Sword Emperor had vanished.
True, there was Mo Yong Hyuk-mun, the Sword Saint, but the recent rumors painted him as unfit for such a role. Soon—very soon—preparations would need to be made to remove him.
With the Righteous Martial Arts World thrown into chaos, it was necessary to ascertain the identity of this master who had appeared so suddenly.
“Do things ever unfold as we wish? Though I have set down the title of Deputy Commander, that figure still stands at my side, and I remain his Deputy Commander.”
“How admirable.”
“Now then, return to your clan and consider what lies ahead. It will soon be time to arrange his funeral rites.”
“……I understand.”
Jegal Un gave Namgung Yong a light pat on the shoulder.
The bitter reality that he could offer only this meager comfort grieved him deeply. How he wished they might have found some memento, some trace to preserve—but even that had eluded them.
Jegal Un clicked his tongue softly in regret.
Still, their sorrow must surely exceed his own. Namgung So-hye, in particular, had adored her grandfather so dearly.
Jegal Un looked up at the sky.
‘Why did heaven take him from us?’
After bidding farewell to the Namgung Clan, Jegal Un set out, drawing Jegal Yeon along with him.
Information had to be gathered. And he must do everything in his power, beginning now.

Meanwhile, the very man whom the Namgung Clan and Jegal Clan had searched for so desperately—Namgung Cheon—stood in the streets of Ak-yang. Clutching a sword in one hand and wearing an inverted mask, his appearance was nothing short of grotesque.
“Wow! The Gunja Sword!”
“Ah, is that Ak-yang’s Guardian Sword?”
Children cried out loudly, their eyes wide with excitement. Adults too gazed upon the Gunja Sword with sparkling eyes.
The Guardian Sword of Ak-yang, appearing without warning.
The missing arm matched the puppet play exactly.
Though his voice sounded rather elderly, there was no denying that he was the hero now protecting the streets of Ak-yang.
Yet there were those who saw him through a different lens. Several people lowered their voices and muttered among themselves.
“Look at him—he seems like an old geezer. Why would he even bother with this?”
“Damn it, watch your tongue! Yeah, it’s funny to me too, but ever since that mad old fool showed up, the Parak Ho thugs and Ha O Moon lackeys don’t dare run wild like before.”
“Still, at his age, doesn’t he have any shame?”
“Ha ha ha.”
Eyes see differently depending on who is looking.
In any case, the Gunja Sword stood with sword in hand.
Before him, several Parak Ho men glared with gnashing teeth.
Every time they stirred up trouble on Market Street, this masked Gunja Sword would appear without fail, and their recent profits had dried up considerably.
To them, the Gunja Sword Namgung Cheon was nothing but a thorn in their side.
“You crazy bastard! Today I’ll put you down for good!”
“Ah, so you still do not understand the way of the gentleman.”
“Enough with your nonsense—die!”
Several fearless Parak Ho thugs charged forward, gnashing their teeth.
Determined to kill the Gunja Sword today and reclaim their income and territory, they hesitated not at all in their assault.
The Gunja Sword adjusted his mask and chuckled, “Heh heh—” before moving with deliberate slowness.
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
The sound of impacts echoed sharply through the street.

Jang Sam-tae, Dan Woo-hyun, and Dan So-mi had come to Market Street to shop when they witnessed the scene.
Dan So-mi, clutching an empty basket, had her eyes shining brightly. But Jang Sam-tae only clicked his tongue in disapproval.
“Tsk tsk, there goes that old fool again, acting like an idiot again.”
Ever since the Pung Geom Moon incident, Namgung Cheon had taken a peculiar liking to donning a mask and calling himself the Gunja Sword, venturing into Ak-yang at every opportunity to play the part.
Though his efforts had indeed driven away the ruffians who once prowled the streets, Dan Woo-hyun found the whole affair both pitiful and, if he was being honest, deeply embarrassing as a fellow household member.
“Look, look! Father, the Gunja Sword has defeated another villain!”
Dan So-mi giggled and grinned widely.
Her eyes shone with admiration. Even though she already knew who stood behind that mask, each time she witnessed him vanquish an enemy, she bounced excitedly on her toes.
“You find that impressive?”
“Of course! The Gunja Sword is the one stopping all the bad people!”
“I see.”
Dan Woo-hyun watched the Gunja Sword quietly.
At that moment, Namgung Cheon sheathed his sword with a flourish and delivered his line with dramatic flair.
“This is the way of a gentleman’s teachings.”
At those words, the townspeople erupted in a thunderous roar—”Uuuuoooaaa!”—and as one they began chanting, “Gunja Sword! Gunja Sword!” lifting him up with their voices. Dan So-mi joined in with equal fervor.
By contrast, Jang Sam-tae felt his limbs wither in mortification and sank to the ground.
“Please, sir, I’m begging you—stop this!”
Dan Woo-hyun’s gaze shifted between the two, lingering once more on Dan So-mi’s bright, sparkling eyes.
In that instant, Jang Sam-tae stepped forward and gripped Dan Woo-hyun’s hand.
“Please, I implore you. Isn’t one senile old fool enough for this household?”
“I haven’t said anything.”
“I can read it in your eyes, sir. You mustn’t—if the master himself becomes like that, I swear I’ll hang myself from a beam.”
Seeing Jang Sam-tae plead with the look of someone on the verge of tears, Dan Woo-hyun felt a cold sweat break across his brow. The earnest, urgent tone of his words had caused him to shrink back without quite meaning to.
“All right, all right—I understand. Now step aside.”
“Thank you! Thank you so much, sir!”
Jang Sam-tae bowed repeatedly, his gratitude pouring forth.
Dan Woo-hyun smiled awkwardly as he watched.
Jang Won truly was a place where trouble never seemed to cease.

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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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