Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 103

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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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Chapter 103
While the sounds of young men laughing and chattering drifted in from the street, silence hung heavy within the inn.
“What do you mean by that?”
Ju Won-gwang stared intently at Dokgo Myeong and asked.
Dokgo Myeong leaned back comfortably against his chair.
“Since you serve as the deputy leader of the Kaebang, the premier intelligence organization of Zhongyuan, you must be well aware of how much I possess.”
“…?”
Ju Won-gwang’s brow furrowed at words whose intent was difficult to discern.
“I have the backing of the greatest household under heaven, vast wealth accumulated through controlling trade goods flowing from the south, renown throughout Anhui and Guizhou, and exceptional martial prowess in my own right.”
“Truly impressive. It’s not easy to paint one’s own face with such gold.”
“Because it’s the truth.”
“….”
“Money, fame, and martial skill. Still only half-formed, but rapidly coming to completion. Yet there is one thing I lack.”
“Information.”
Ju Won-gwang began to take the lead in the conversation, as if he had grasped the flow of discussion.
“You desire information? Surely your household has Cheonieach, a prominent intelligence organization?”
“That belongs not to me, but to the family head.”
Ju Won-gwang’s eyes grew distant and deep.
“Listen here, young master. Are you asking me to join hands with you now?”
Ju Won-gwang set down his cup.
“We are strangers who met for the first time today. What do you know of me that you would make such a proposal?”
“Joining hands is something to consider later. This is, if I must say, more like proposing a transaction.”
“A transaction?”
“Becoming the sort of relationship where we each fulfill small favors for one another.”
“…Heh, well.”
Ju Won-gwang let out a hollow laugh as if finding it absurd.
‘Could this meeting itself have been intentional?’
Though it was he who approached first, such thoughts now crossed his mind.
‘And… this fellow, why does it seem like he knows me?’
He surely shouldn’t know, yet it was impossible to deny.
As the conversation progressed, the nagging feeling that this man knew him well kept brushing against his consciousness.
“…Very well.”
At that answer, the corners of Dokgo Myeong’s mouth curled upward in a smirk.
“Then allow me two final questions.”
“Wasn’t this finished?”
“Don’t you remember how many questions you asked me?”
“….”
“Simple questions. When exactly did you learn of the Jeongheol Sect, and why are you fighting them?”
“I never said I was fighting them.”
“How tedious. That very rebuttal is your answer.”
Ju Won-gwang let out a hollow laugh.
He decided he shouldn’t engage in pointless mind games from now on.
“My master taught me this long ago. It’s been about five years now.”
The master of Hu-gudang’s lord, Ju Won-gwang.
It referred to none other than the Dragon Head of Gae-bang.
“And the reason for fighting… well, this is a bit embarrassing.”
Ju Won-gwang scratched his head vigorously.
Soon he spoke with an awkward smile.
“Those bastards spill blood on this land without distinguishing between martial artists and commoners.”
“…?”
“Roughly speaking, it’s called chivalry. Even at my age, I live with a youthful heart. Haha!”
Though he laughed it off, Dokgo Myeong felt that this was Ju Won-gwang’s true conviction.
Under Dokgo Myeong’s steady gaze, Ju Won-gwang’s smile faded with an awkward expression.
Dokgo Myeong grinned widely.
“Well then, since we’ve struck a deal, let me give you a gift first. I’ll share some information.”
“What is it?”
“Keep watch over the activities of the Mogyeong Household.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“Exactly what I said.”
The Jeongheol Sect would move the Mogyeong Household.
Ju Won-gwang’s eyes widened as he grasped the implication.
“You’re insane. You’re telling me this information so casually? What exactly are you asking of me?”
Dokgo Myeong spoke with leisurely composure as if unconcerned.
“I told you. This is a gift.”
“A poisoned chalice in the guise of a gift.”
“That depends on how you look at it.”
“Sigh…”
Ju Won-gwang exhaled a long breath.
Since his master, he had never felt so entangled in something like this.
‘I myself only have suspicions and don’t yet know the details. Now, how much you uncover depends on your hands.’
This was Dokgo Myeong’s own gamble.
It was an unplanned meeting, so the information he offered was somewhat hasty. He couldn’t predict what kind of result it would yield.
But he believed in the future Ju Won-gwang and trusted his own eyes.
Ju Won-gwang clicked his tongue.
“I feel like I’m being bewitched by a ghost. What exactly is your identity?”
“As you know, Dokgo Myeong of the Dokgo Household.”
“Good grief.”
“Let’s wrap this up soon. And there’s one more thing I need to ask.”
“Already? Goodness, you’re making me nervous.”
Ju Won-gwang swallowed dryly.
“Very well. Let me hear what you have to say.”
“You understand, but this cannot become an official request of the Baek Family.”
“I’m not so careless as that. I already know without you having to say it.”
“I need you to find someone for me.”
“Someone?”
Dokgo Myeong looked toward Geum Seok-du.
“Go fetch me some paper, brush, and ink.”
“Yes? Ah, yes.”
Soon Geum Seok-du returned with paper, brush, and ink.
Dokgo Myeong ground the ink and began writing names of people and brief descriptions on the paper.
Ju Won-gwang, craning his neck like a turtle to read the characters, tilted his head in confusion.
“Deung-pyeong, Jang Cheol… These are names I’ve never heard before.”
Beside each name were written descriptions of their appearance, and beside those, brief information.
“Take this.”
“You want me to find people across all of Zhongyuan with just this?”
“I wrote quite detailed descriptions, didn’t I?”
“…Unknown sect, but expelled at some point, lost parents early, uses the Way… it’s all like this. How is this detailed? And why are there so many names?”
“Let’s see the abilities of the Baek Family’s successor.”
“…Damn it, I’ve taken on quite the burden. Who exactly are these people?”
“You don’t need to know that. Oh, and some of them might be using aliases.”
“This is absolutely ridiculous…”
As the ink dried, Ju Won-gwang let out a hollow laugh and rolled up the paper, tucking it into his robe.
“Understood. I shall demonstrate this body’s abilities.”
“And there is one more.”
“Hmm?”
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes grew heavy and dark.
Ju Won-gwang flinched in surprise.
In those black pupils, an unidentifiable emotion flickered—something like killing intent, longing, anticipation, and rage all at once—appearing and vanishing repeatedly.
“Baek Mu-heun.”
“Hmm?”
“I wish to request the tracking of a man named Baek Mu-heun.”
A man who would one day become the Martial Arts Alliance Leader, and a descendant of the Quanzhen Sect—the supreme headquarters of Zhongyuan’s Daoism, including the renowned Hwasan School among the three great sects.
And the enemy who had marked my final moments in my previous life.
Now it was time to see that bastard’s face once more.
* * *
Perhaps it was because he had been startled and tense the entire time.
Though Ju Won-gwang had drunk quite a bit, he didn’t even feel the slightest hint of intoxication.
‘Did I really just dream all of that?’
He had said it felt like being bewitched by a ghost, and that was exactly how it felt.
‘I still have a long way to go.’
Even if I were to leave, there were still matters to attend to before my departure.
Before leaving, Ju Won-gwang retrieved what appeared to be an elongated baton carved from ivory from his robes and handed it to Dokgo Myeong.
“What is this?”
“It is the credential tablet of the Hu-gu faction leader.”
Ju Won-gwang exhaled sharply through his nose.
“Should you have matters you wish to discuss with me privately or information you need to convey, present this to any of our members. There will be no risk of information leakage.”
“This must be quite valuable?”
Dokgo Myeong’s expression hardened as he accepted the ivory tablet.
Though it was called an ivory tablet, its surface was covered in a thick layer of grime.
“You should clean this before carrying it around. What is this?”
“Well, it’s simply quite old…. Ahem!”
Ju Won-gwang let out a forced cough.
“In any case, I shall take my leave now.”
“Let us meet again soon.”
“Buy me a drink next time.”
“I’ll provide a meal as well, so don’t worry.”
Ju Won-gwang smiled broadly.
Though he had been tested, this young man Dokgo Myeong had made quite a favorable impression on him.
Then, suddenly, Dokgo Myeong spoke up.
“May I offer you one final piece of advice?”
“Hmm?”
“Stop doing that.”
“Doing what?”
“Probing people by deliberately touching their nerves to gauge their reactions. That method only reveals the true nature of mediocre fools.”
“Enough. This approach actually has a surprisingly high success rate. People reveal their true colors when they’re consumed by anger, after all.”
Ju Won-gwang said with a broad smile.
Dokgo Myeong did not smile.
“The moment you misjudge someone, you’re likely to meet the blade.”
“Look, I know this isn’t the time to say this, but I do have a decent eye for reading people. I’m careful about it as I go, that’s all.”
“Yet you didn’t even realize you’d be struck by me, and you provoked me anyway?”
“Well, that was….”
Stop while you’re ahead.”
Dokgo Myeong tilted the wine bottle and refilled his cup.
“If you’re content with the Hu-gu faction, that’s one thing. But if you aspire to climb higher, you cannot pursue profit while lowering your own dignity.”
“…!”
“It would be better to cultivate the ability to read a person’s nature without needing to probe them at all.”
Ju Won-gwang’s eyes widened.
‘It’s exactly what my master said.’
These were the same words his master had once spoken to him when he wandered recklessly without discrimination.
Ju Won-gwang’s playful demeanor faded as he spoke.
“I’ll give your advice serious consideration.”
“Well, do as you see fit.”
Ju Won-gwang flashed a broad smile, his teeth fully exposed.
“Next time we meet, let’s grow closer. Then you can call me brother.”
Ju Won-gwang nodded with satisfaction. Though the beginning had been awkward, he thought this parting was rather warm.
But then.
“You’re being ridiculous. What kind of brother are you, calling yourself that when you’re weaker than me?”
“….”
Ju Won-gwang trembled with rage.
This bastard really….
“Regardless, there is an age difference between us. At the very least, we should maintain the courtesy of calling each other brother and younger brother….”
“Then become stronger than me.”
“Why did you suddenly drop the honorifics?”
“Didn’t you want to grow closer?”
“…!”
“Don’t go far. Be careful on your way.”
Ju Won-gwang’s mouth fell open.
What the hell is this guy?
How did such a person emerge from the Dokgo Family?
“Tch… A young master of a prestigious clan, and yet….”
Ju Won-gwang grumbled and stomped the ground.
Whoosh!
He unleashed the Thousand Li Chasing Wind Divine Method at full force, moving like a single gust of wind, stretching out swiftly and smoothly.
Dokgo Myeong watched his figure disappear and burst into laughter he’d been holding back.
“Hehehehe! Caught another fool.”
Geum Seok-du beside him nodded.
“Indeed, our young master would even rob a beggar’s purse. Truly, our young master has torn through the Kaebang as well.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Just rambling nonsense because I felt a bit restless.”
Dokgo Myeong tilted his head.
Geum Seok-du suddenly spoke in a serious voice.
“Young master.”
“What?”
“I couldn’t quite follow your conversation with him, but can someone like me really establish a sect like the Kaebang?”
Dokgo Myeong chuckled softly.
“There’s no point in worrying about the future. What matters is that you want to do it, no matter how difficult.”
“….”
“And you’re already moving forward step by step. Isn’t that enough?”
Geum Seok-du grinned widely.
“You’re right about that.”
Dokgo Myeong and Geum Seok-du watched as Ju Won-gwang disappeared into a distant speck.
‘The time is drawing near.’
I could feel the wheel turning.
There wasn’t much time left to prepare.
‘I need to start moving soon.’
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes flashed with intensity as he spun around.
* * *
As soon as dawn broke, Dokgo Myeong set out.
He wanted to see with his own eyes the Dragon Gate Platform, a famous landmark of Wuhan in Hubei Province.
“It’s incredibly crowded.”
“Indeed it is.”
For some reason, this area felt more crowded during the day than at night.
Looking around, all the handsome young men were gazing ahead with the eyes of sightseers.
‘So this is the Dragon Gate Platform….’
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes brightened as he looked forward.
In a vast open space stood a rectangular martial platform, as wide and flat as the space itself.
It was an ordinary martial platform by any measure. To preserve it over the long years, its surface had been covered with precious slate rather than wood, but that was all.
Yet most things in this world are ultimately meaningless when examined closely enough.
Everything gains meaning only when a name is given to it.
And this martial platform had been named by one of the supreme masters whose names would endure throughout the history of Zhongyuan.
‘One of the Three Celestial Sages, the Beobjon whose whereabouts are now unknown, created this place.’
The martial platform created by Jeonnyeon Beobjon, Gweonsin, and Muryangdaesa—behind it stood a boulder the size of a house.
Dragon Gate Platform
Those three characters were carved into the stone with precise and restrained brushwork.
It was immediately clear that this had not been carved by a craftsman with chisel and hammer.
‘This is a harmony created through inner energy. Is such a thing truly possible through martial arts?’
Destroying a stone of that size would be no great feat.
Carving it away slowly over a long period using inner energy would also seem possible.
But how could characters be inscribed with such fluid brushwork in a single stroke? It was truly the realm of those who had reached the heavens themselves, the Upper Celestial Plane.
“Ah… so this was indeed created directly by the Beobjon.”
“Is such a thing possible through human martial arts?”
“The martial prowess of the Three Sages reaches toward the heavens. Truly remarkable.”
The martial artists murmured in awestruck voices. The stone monument emanated a mysterious aura that overwhelmed all who beheld it.
Yet Dokgo Myeong regarded the monument with a different perspective.
‘Even having reached such heights, they could not claim supremacy under heaven.’
Though they wielded great influence in Gangho, they were ultimately only one among three. Now they had gone into seclusion, and their whereabouts could not even be determined.
‘And can I… reach that place?’
Dokgo Myeong stared intently at the three characters.
Then, a smile crossed his face.
“Yes, there’s no reason I couldn’t accomplish something like that.”
“Pardon? What did you say, sir?”
“Seeing it is enough. Now that I’ve witnessed it, I must make the effort to surpass it.”
My competitive spirit surged just as intensely as the shock I had felt moments before.
That was when it happened.
A voice called out from beside me.
“I couldn’t agree more. A true martial artist must feel the fire of competition upon witnessing such a sight—to be merely overwhelmed would be beneath us.”
I turned to see a hooded man with a lean frame grinning widely. Beneath his bamboo hat, his eyes gleamed with intensity.
‘Huh?’
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes widened.

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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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