Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 128

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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 128
“Extinguish the flames!”
“Water, bring water! Line up and pass the buckets along! Stop this foolish one-by-one shuffling!”
The fire in the black market began spreading gradually to the surrounding areas.
The guests who had come to Mandengga fled in panic, the parasitic black-robed cultivators profited from the chaos, and the Blood Sect disciples busied themselves frantically hauling water.
Yet there were those who moved entirely differently from these three groups—none other than Dokgo Myeong’s entourage.
Dokgo Myeong spoke with a smirk.
“Panicked crowds, clamorous atmosphere, soaring flames. Truly, there’s no festival quite like this heated spectacle.”
“This madman….”
Dokgo Ak muttered in a pained voice.
It was hot, certainly. The problem was it was genuinely hot.
Cheolmu-baek, who followed behind, rubbed his swollen forehead and muttered.
“…Perhaps I’ve ended up following the wrong leader.”
“You’re only realizing that now?”
“Huh?”
Cheolmu-baek turned his head.
It was none other than Geum Seok-du who had responded to Cheolmu-baek’s mutter.
“A man far removed from normalcy, persistent and petty and vicious—that would be our Lord Dokgo Myeong.”
“What are you saying?”
“Exactly what I mean.”
Cheolmu-baek examined Geum Seok-du carefully even as he diligently deployed his lightness technique.
After a long pause, Cheolmu-baek spoke.
“You seem weak.”
“Pardon?”
“Despite being weak, you became his subordinate?”
Geum Seok-du replied with a smirk.
“Isn’t it remarkable to become first despite being weak?”
“….”
In the past, Geum Seok-du would have been discouraged by such words, but now he had become someone who could laugh them off.
Cheolmu-baek’s eyes widened at the unexpected response.
After a brief silence, Cheolmu-baek nodded.
“I am Cheolmu-baek.”
“Pardon?”
“My name.”
“Cheolmu-baek. A strong and impressive name. I am Geum Seok-du.”
“Pleased to work with you.”
“Likewise, I’m honored.”
At that moment, Dokgo Myeong, who had been running at the very front, glanced back.
“Seok-du! Forward!”
“Yes!”
As Geum Seok-du pushed off the ground, his body surged forward in a burst of speed.
‘What?’
‘Did he just overtake us?’
‘His lightness technique is impressive.’
Namgung Sohwa, Dokgo Ak, and Cheolmu-baek, who had been following behind, all widened their eyes simultaneously.
He wasn’t employing any graceful or refined lightness technique like the others—just flailing his arms wildly as he ran—yet he effortlessly passed all three of them.
“Seok-du, you know as well as I do that I have excellent hearing.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“Moreover, I’m an abnormal man—obsessive, petty, and vicious.”
“What do you mean, sir?”
“Shall I make myself clearer?”
Geum Seok-du’s expression shifted abruptly.
“I didn’t hear you properly while using lightness technique. My apologies. I was just trying to get closer to the newcomer…”
“I’m thinking I should get to know you better as well, Seok-du.”
“That won’t be necessary.”
“What?”
“No, I mean I’d like to become closer.”
“Fine.”
Dokgo Myeong chuckled softly and gazed ahead.
“It’s coming into view soon. Are you ready?”
“…”
Geum Seok-du swallowed dryly.
A tall building appeared in the distance ahead.
It was the secret auction house of Mandeng-ga.
* * *
The area around the auction house was deserted, likely because everyone had been mobilized for fire suppression.
Dokgo Myeong shouted.
“Alright, let’s go plunder some treasures! Hehehehe!”
Geum Seok-du expressed his concerns once more.
“Young Master, are you certain this is right?”
“Why are you making a fuss about it now?”
“As the saying goes, excess is not good. Before the fire is brought under control, wouldn’t it be better to flee hastily under the cover of chaos?”
“There’s also a saying that more hands make light work. Let’s strip the place clean and get out quickly.”
“The incident at the gambling arena was already outrageous, and now you want to raid Paedobyeon’s secret auction house too? Does this even make sense anymore!”
At those words, Namgung Sohwa cautiously opened her mouth.
“That’s right, Seok-du. When I think about everything we’ve done so far—assassination, arson, extortion, impersonation…”
Midway through speaking, Namgung Sohwa’s face turned pale and she fell silent.
Following after her, Dokgo Ak continued the thought.
“Even setting that aside, theft? You’ve always been reckless and willing to do anything, but you’ve never been the type to resort to stealing like this.”
The two of them stared at Dokgo Myeong with bewildered expressions—not defiant, but rather questioning, as if asking ‘Why are you acting like this?’
Dokgo Myeong glared at them with blazing eyes and spoke.
“What nonsense are you spouting?”
“Pardon?”
“Huh?”
“Think about it carefully. Why is this theft?”
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes flashed with brilliance.
“Dokgo Ak, answer me. Where are we?”
“A secret auction house run by Mandeung-ga….”
“To be precise!”
Dokgo Myeong pointed toward the auction house.
“It’s a secret auction house run by Paedobyeon! Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“No, not at all.”
“What’s wrong with raiding an illegal auction house operated by an evil sect that disturbs the common people’s livelihood? Who could possibly point fingers at us?”
“Well, that’s….”
“In short, this isn’t theft—if anything, it’s righteous theft!”
“Is that so?”
Dokgo Ak’s eyes gleamed before he suddenly slapped his own cheek and came to his senses.
‘Ugh! I was almost convinced!’
Righteous thieves are still thieves, aren’t they? What righteous thieves do is ultimately stealing.
And while righteous thieves act for justice, this man is simply coveting personal gain, isn’t he?
“But what exactly are you trying to steal?”
“There are about two things I’m after.”
“Two things?”
“The Wind Heaven Flying Blade and the Divine Medicine Compendium.”
A moment of silence fell.
A beat too late, all three cried out in unison.
“The Wind Heaven Flying Blade!”
“What? The Wind Heaven Flying Blade?”
“The Divine Medicine Compendium!?”
In order, they were Dokgo Ak, Namgung Sohwa, and Geum Seok-du.
Dokgo Ak stammered.
“B-but the Wind Heaven Flying Blade is one of the Ten Divine Weapons of Gangho, isn’t it!?”
Divine weapons were known to possess not merely hardness and sharpness, but also mystical and wondrous power.
The Wind Heaven Flying Blade was likewise such a divine weapon of Gangho, known to contain the powers of summoning wind and thunder.
“Is that what matters? Do you even know what the Divine Medicine Compendium is?”
“What is it?”
“It’s a legendary alchemical method that Emperor Shi supposedly created by searching through all nine provinces and the four seas in pursuit of immortality. It’s a rare tome passed down only through oral tradition….”
Dokgo Myeong waved his hand dismissively.
“That’s going too far back. It’s simply an alchemical method someone later named after that legend. Of course, it’s as precious as its name suggests.”
“Why would something like that be in a place like this?”
“The damage is extensive, so the title will likely be corrupted.”
“Pardon?”
“The title itself will have faded significantly, changing Divine Elixir into Stretching Joy.”
A miraculous medicine had become music for stretching one’s limbs.
It was a common occurrence when someone of mediocre skill attempted to restore ancient texts. Moreover, since the contents were written in cipher, I heard it had simply been left gathering dust in the storehouse.
‘It’s that peculiar ancient document that appeared at auction repeatedly but never sold. Only after Paedobyeon discovered it late and restored it did we obtain two elixir refinement methods.’
It appeared there were originally more types of refinement methods, but due to faded characters and inability to decipher the ciphers, only two methods could be restored, or so I heard.
Namgung Sohwa interjected urgently.
“Then, what about the Windsky Secret Technique?”
“That’s similar. It’s something strange, but it’s a case that hasn’t been properly clarified due to poor maintenance.”
“Phew!”
“Young Master, your loyal subordinate Geum Seok-du! I was in favor from the start.”
“Be quiet.”
“Yes.”
Geum Seok-du quickly moved over to Dokgo Myeong’s side.
The remaining two’s eyes wavered with hesitation.
Dokgo Myeong burst out loudly.
“Hey, we’re talking about emptying the pockets of those black sect bastards—why are you hesitating?”
“But…”
“If we don’t take it, it’ll go straight into Paedobyeon’s coffers, won’t it?”
At those words, Namgung Sohwa let out a deep sigh and moved closer to Dokgo Myeong.
“…It’s absolutely not because of the Windsky Secret Technique.”
“Heh, of course it isn’t.”
“Me, Miss Namgung! Even Miss herself!”
Only Dokgo Ak remained.
Then, Cheolmu-baek, who had been staring blankly at them, muttered something in a bored tone.
“How indecisive.”
“…!”
“I’ve heard that warriors of Zhongyuan dedicate their very lives to their leader’s command, but it seems that’s not the case here.”
At Cheolmu-baek’s sudden remark, everyone stared at him with wide eyes.
Dokgo Ak bristled.
“Who do you think you are to meddle?”
“I don’t give my name to just anyone.”
“I wasn’t asking for your name… wait, but you told him, didn’t you?”
“Because Geum Seok-du is strong.”
“Then what about me?”
“A hesitant child who stammers and wavers.”
“…!”
Dokgo Ak’s eyes widened in fury.
Cheolmu-baek tilted his head curiously.
“Why do you have that expression on your face?”
“Are you asking because you don’t know?”
“I merely answered honestly to your question.”
Dokgo Ak trembled violently.
Dokgo Myeong blinked his eyes.
‘Wow, to suppress that ruffian so decisively in one move.’
This bastard Cheolmu-baek wasn’t like this in my past life?
Could it be that he became socialized living in Zhongyuan in his own way?
“Damn it! Fine! I’m going! I said I’m going! For crying out loud! I’ll just strip this auction house of every last piece of gold and silver treasure!”
The atmosphere instantly grew cold at those words.
“The Dragon Blood of the greatest clan under heaven becoming obsessed with gold and silver treasures is rather….”
“Indeed. That’s quite something.”
“As expected of our younger brother. Your older brother already knew of that ugly desire.”
Cheolmu-baek delivered the final punctuation mark.
“Truly just a child.”
Dokgo Ak’s eyes went wild.
“What? What did you say? Are you picking a fight with me now? Fine, good. Let’s see… You’re not answering? Answer me! Where are you going! We should go together! Together… Ugh!”
Dokgo Ak shouted and ranted alone before finally following the group into the auction house.
* * *
Dokgo Myeong’s party had now assembled an extraordinary lineup.
Two at the peak realm and two first-rate masters.
And Geum Seok-du, whose martial prowess fell short but whose skills were abundant.
A first-rate master was someone who ranked within the top ten in certain regions, and those at the peak realm were considered to hold positions as executives of major sects.
In other words, the remaining guard forces at the auction house were not equipped to handle them.
“Gasp! Intruders…!”
“Argh!”
Crash!
There was no one to stop the five people who pierced straight through in a line using their lightness technique. Even the forces guarding the most important storehouse of the auction house could not obstruct them for even an instant.
“Seok-du!”
“Yes, I came prepared.”
Upon reaching the firmly locked storehouse, Geum Seok-du unfolded a leather case from his bosom.
Inside were all manner of tools—awls, needles, hooks, and more.
Click! Clatter! Clank!
Without even probing many times, the chains and locks opened easily.
Dokgo Myeong rushed straight inside.
“Gasp! Young Master! There’s a mechanism trap….”
Crash! Whoosh!
“Hmm? What did you say?”
“Ah, it’s nothing.”
Geum Seok-du could only blink at the sight of Dokgo Myeong simply shattering the activated trap with brute force.
“You all know what we’re looking for, right? Spread out and search! Watch out for traps!”
The five of us dispersed.
In truth, genuine treasures rarely surfaced at ordinary auction houses. The truly precious items were already in someone’s possession or hidden away.
But this was the Paedobyeon auction house.
Items with stories, stolen goods, things that shouldn’t exist—all manner of contraband gathered here.
It didn’t take long to find the pair of Fengtianbidao—twelve blades forming a set—and the Shenyuezonglan with its ancient alchemical formulas inscribed within.
“Found it!”
“Here! We found it, Young Master!”
The peculiarly-shaped blades lay thick with dust and spotted with rust in places.
A shabby tome with its surface marred by stains and mold blooming across its pages.
And then it happened.
Cheolmu-baek approached, carrying something.
“My lord. May I take this as well?”
“Hmm? What is that?”
“I’m not certain, sir.”
Cheolmu-baek gazed at the elongated polearm as if entranced.
It was a bizarre weapon. It resembled a spear, yet the shaft was twice as thick as any standard one.
One blade edge appeared to blend the form of an axe with a crescent halberd, while the opposite side resembled a barbed spear with no gaps in its design.
‘Hmm, is the entire shaft solid iron? It seems made purely for display rather than actual use.’
In an age where quality steel was scarce and precious, nobility often had such bizarre weapons forged by hammering fine iron into elaborate designs.
Such weight would make it impractical for actual combat, but…
Whoosh! Whirr!
Cheolmu-baek spun it with remarkable ease, the weapon cutting through the air effortlessly.
“May I take it with us?”
“Yes, yes, if it suits you, take it.”
“Very well.”
A glimmer of satisfaction crossed Cheolmu-baek’s otherwise impassive expression.
Then Dokgo Myeong’s gaze suddenly shifted.
“You two—what’s that?”
Dokgo Ak and Geum Seok-du flinched.
“What!”
“What do you mean, sir?”
“Your luggage seems to have grown considerably?”
“…”
“…”
Dokgo Ak bristled.
“You took plenty yourself!”
Dokgo Myeong merely smiled silently, a smirk playing at his lips.
“In any case.”
Namgung Sohwa, standing behind us, let out a soft chuckle.
“Well then, we’ve squeezed out everything we could. Shall we head out?”
“Yes, let’s go now. Please.”
“This child, always so dramatic.”
The five of them emptied the storehouse and moved toward the exit.
That was when it happened.
“Wait.”
Dokgo Myeong’s face hardened like stone.
Immediately after, Cheolmu-baek reacted, and Dokgo Ak and Namgung Sohwa turned their heads in succession.
It was toward the entrance of the storehouse.
A faint tremor flickered in Dokgo Myeong’s eyes as he gazed in that direction.
Thud, thud….
Heavy footsteps echoed forward.
The shadow of a man, backlit by the brilliant light that consumed the entire chamber, stretched long until it reached them.
“So you were familiar with that martial technique. It was you after all.”
His eyebrows were cleanly drawn and sharp, his features ruggedly masculine.
With each step the man took, an overwhelming killing intent radiated forth, unmasked and undisguised.
Dokgo Myeong slowly opened his mouth and spoke the man’s name.
“…Wi Mu-jin.”
“It’s been a while.”
Standing there was Tuwang.

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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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