Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 13

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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 13
Thud! Boom!
The Training Grounds of Saheon Hall.
Heavy metal weights shifted and reflected sunlight in all directions.
“Huff…!”
The one moving those metal weights was none other than Dokgo Myeong.
Small iron spheres hung from his body in clusters, while his arms wielded an iron rod with massive stone blocks tied to each end.
Whoosh!
Dokgo Myeong rose from a horse stance, lifting the iron rod toward the sky.
Sweat drenched him from fingertips to toes, causing the rod to slip dangerously.
Dokgo Myeong gritted his teeth and tightened his grip with all his strength.
Snap!
The sound of a cord snapping came from somewhere on his body.
‘Not yet. Just one more time!’
Even as sweat poured from him like rain, Dokgo Myeong extended the iron rod as if wielding a spear.
In that moment.
Huff!
A refreshing sensation spread through his trembling muscles.
It was Hyocheongong.
The clear, crisp energy of dawn enveloped muscles and joints pushed to their absolute limit.
“Gasp, gasp…!”
Thud! Boom!
Dokgo Myeong exhaled roughly and dropped the iron rod.
Though he seemed ready to collapse at any moment, he forced himself into a cross-legged sitting position.
Shhhhh!
Suddenly, turbid wisps began rising from every pore of Dokgo Myeong’s sweat-drenched body.
Turbid Qi. The Hyocheongong was burning away the impure Qi accumulated in his body, expelling it with the flowing sweat.
Time passed in silence.
“Wheeze, wheeze… I’m going to die.”
Thump!
Dokgo Myeong collapsed in a sprawl, limbs stretched out.
Every muscle in his body twitched and cramped.
He had risen at dawn and had been moving these metal weights for hours already. His entire body ached as if he might lose consciousness at any moment.
Yet Dokgo Myeong wore a satisfied smile.
“…Still.”
Dokgo Myeong barely lifted his head and looked down at his trembling body.
“I’ve come this far already.”
On the first day in this body, I couldn’t even handle the weight of the iron rod. But now, that was no longer enough—I had added iron spheres and stone blocks to the burden.
It was all thanks to Hyocheongong’s growth.
My stamina and strength had changed noticeably, and my muscles and bones grew more solid with each passing day.
I suppose I can say I’ve taken the first step properly.
There was still much to refine.
My body needed further conditioning, and my senses required sharpening.
But that was a matter for the long term. Since Hyocheongong was not a martial art with a definite peak but rather deepened endlessly, I could consider the foundation laid at this stage.
“Then I suppose it’s time to move on to the next stage.”
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes gleamed with anticipation.
Once the vessel was created, the next step was to fill it with contents.
The second secret scripture of Cheonwae Gyeong was the study of inner energy cultivation.
“It seems I could start right away, but…”
The vessel was made, and I even had the Dragon Elixir pills granted to me before.
However…
“It’s a bit of a shame.”
Dokgo Myeong let out a groan and fell into contemplation.
There was still turbid energy lingering in my body.
Turbid energy naturally accumulated as people lived their lives.
Therefore, it couldn’t be cleared all at once but had to be resolved over time, much like how an infant gradually learns to walk as they grow.
But if I cleared it all before beginning and built anew, I could grow several times faster.
For a complete beginner who had never even taken a step, this might be impossible, but didn’t I have memories of having already reached a realm in my past life?
If I wanted to do it, I could.
It would just be difficult and dangerous.
“Well, let’s take the harder path.”
I had already resolved to progress far beyond my previous life, so why hesitate?
Dokgo Myeong chuckled and rose from his seat.
Good, let’s do this.
That was when it happened.
Crash!
The sound of something breaking came from the direction of Saheon Hall’s main gate.
“Master of Saheon Hall! Where are you! I must meet you today!”
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes widened in shock.
Some madman’s booming voice had shattered the morning peace of Saheon Hall.
* * *
It was the time when the sun had just risen and people were bustling about.
At the main gate of Saheon Hall, a middle-aged man with a plump build was raising his voice.
“Get out of my way! I have no intention of letting this slide today, so bring your master here at once!”
“Ah, we’ve already sent word inside. Please wait just a moment.”
“I am Son Tae-im, Vice Master of Geumsan Sect! How dare you tell me to wait! Bring your master here immediately!”
Jang Sam, a servant of Saheon Hall, was frantically trying to stop the middle-aged man while wiping sweat from his brow.
Son Tae-im, Vice Master of Geumsan Sect.
Geumsan Sect was an organization that had gained its position through business acumen rather than martial prowess, and Son Tae-im, as vice master, was the true power behind the scenes.
Son Tae-im walked forward and stood before the main gate of Saheon Hall.
Every time he displayed his status, the high-quality silk robes and ornaments he wore glimmered brilliantly in the sunlight.
“Uh, uh-uh!”
Crash!
Before Jang Sam could stop him, Son Tae-im kicked open the main gate.
The thick wooden door swung open violently as if it might shatter, producing a thunderous boom.
“Master of Saheon Hall! I absolutely must collect payment today, so come out at once!”
Son Tae-im strode inside, bellowing at the top of his voice.
Had this been anywhere else in the Dokgo Clan, guards would have come rushing over in droves. But Saheon Hall, understaffed as it was, only produced murmurs from various corners.
Of course, he had done this intentionally.
“This place is just as shabby now as it ever was… Tsk!”
Normally, he would have sent subordinates to handle such a task. But the hall master had personally ordered him to collect the payment directly.
“I, why are you acting like this! No matter what, there is such a thing as courtesy—how can you be so utterly unreasonable!”
“What? Unreasonable?”
Son Tae-im’s face flushed red.
“Are you actually trying to lecture me!”
“No, that’s not it….”
Jang Sam reached out his arm to try to calm Son Tae-im.
Smack!
And Son Tae-im mercilessly struck away Jang Sam’s approaching hand.
“Tsk! Do you know how much this costs, and you dare touch it with your filthy hands….”
Son Tae-im’s face twisted in displeasure as he brushed off his front panels.
It was a masterpiece among masterpieces—fine silk imported from a foreign land with embroidery personally stitched by an artisan trained in the imperial embroidery bureau.
Son Tae-im’s head whipped around toward Jang Sam.
“Not only are you trying to lecture me, but you dare lay your hands on my person?”
“Ah, no, I wasn’t trying to touch you….”
“What do you mean, no?”
Son Tae-im shouted abruptly and gestured to the guards.
At the same time, the guards walked toward Jang Sam with heavy footsteps.
“Uh, uh… S, sirs! That’s really not it….”
Thud!
“Uh, ow!”
Jang Sam crumpled helplessly to the ground. The guards had shoved him with rough hands.
‘This place—the building, the servants, nothing about it pleases me!’
Son Tae-im shook his head and tried to move inside again.
If only for the voice that came from behind.
“You pig bastard, you want to die?”
Son Tae-im’s head turned back.
There stood Dokgo Myeong, drenched in sweat, helping the fallen Jang Sam to his feet.
* * *
A gilded pig.
In his past life, Dokgo Myeong had been what people called Son Tae-im—more precisely, a money-grubbing debt collector from the Geumsan Sect.
‘Right, that bastard was here too.’
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes narrowed.
From the outside, the Dokgo Clan appeared to be a unified family, but in reality it was a place where countless organizations competed against each other and had to fend for themselves.
And Saheon-gak had begun to fall behind in that competition from the moment Dokgo Wi-hak withdrew from the power struggles within the family, naturally causing the situation to spiral downward.
Starting with servants and guards, several business ventures were lost, and debts accumulated here and there.
‘Among them, there was also a debt owed to the Geumsan Sect.’
The one who came rushing to collect that debt was none other than Son Tae-im.
Dokgo Myeong helped Jang Sam to his feet first.
“Jang Sam, are you alright?”
“Y-young master. I’m f-fine… Ugh!”
Jang Sam let out a groan as he carefully stood up.
Looking closer, it seemed his back had been wrenched when he fell on his rear.
‘These bastards.’
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes turned cold as he examined Jang Sam.
Fine, they can come to collect the debt. That’s what the contract says, so what can I do about it.
But these bastards hurt someone?
At that moment, Son Tae-im glared at Dokgo Myeong and opened his mouth.
“Young Master Myeong? What did you just say?”
“Is there wax in your ears? I spoke right in front of you—how could you not understand?”
“…!”
It was crude language he had never heard before.
Son Tae-im’s cheeks trembled with rage.
“No matter how direct a line you are, you must show respect to a branch master!”
Dokgo Myeong spoke as if he hadn’t heard, looking at Jang Sam.
“Jang Sam, look at that. A pig spouting nonsense. I’ve lived long enough to see such curious sights.”
“Y-young master….”
Jang Sam’s face went deathly pale.
“Young Master Myeong!! What kind of disrespectful tone is that!”
Son Tae-im shouted, unable to contain himself any longer.
“Disrespectful?”
Only then did Dokgo Myeong’s cold gaze turn toward Son Tae-im.
“You’re the one who kicked down someone else’s front gate this morning and barged in, and now you lecture me about courtesy?”
Whoosh!
In an instant, a murderous aura spread out in all directions.
Son Tae-im unconsciously took a step backward.
“W-wait, Young Master Myeong… what are you trying to do?”
“What about you? What are you trying to do?”
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes gleamed.
“The debt can be repaid, and the contract can be honored. But this? This is different.”
Dokgo Myeong turned his gaze toward the wide-open main gate of Saheon Hall and Jang Sam, who stood with his hand resting on his waist in an awkward posture.
“Not only did you kick down someone else’s gate and barge in, but you’ve injured people as well?”
Dokgo Myeong took a step forward.
Son Tae-im suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. Even the warm air that had been heated by the sun now felt bitterly cold.
The guards from Geumsan Sect belatedly came to their senses and moved to block his path.
“Young Master Dokgo Myeong. If you come any closer, we’ll have no choice but to—”
Whoosh! Crack!
It happened in an instant.
The guard standing at the front heard the sound of air being split and something breaking simultaneously.
“Wh-what?”
And then he saw his own arm hanging limp, beyond his control.
Dokgo Myeong spoke.
“That was the hand, wasn’t it? The one that pushed our Jang Sam.”
“Ahhhhhhh!”
The guard screamed.
Dokgo Myeong brushed off his arm and turned his head toward Son Tae-im.
“…!”
The three guards surrounding Son Tae-im trembled and flinched.
Still, these fools had some sense. They hadn’t drawn their swords.
‘It would’ve been more fun if they had.’
Dokgo Myeong smiled wickedly and slowly raised his hand.
That was when it happened.
“Enough.”
A single word from the side doused the heated atmosphere like cold water on fire.
It was Dokgo Wi-hak, his face rigid and stern.
Dokgo Wi-hak looked at Dokgo Myeong first.
“Dokgo Myeong.”
“Yes.”
“Restrain yourself.”
“….”
“Answer me.”
“Y-yes, sir.”
“Can’t you answer properly?”
“…Yes, I apologize.”
Dokgo Myeong answered with a displeased expression.
Son Tae-im’s eyes wavered.
‘Just moments ago, he was acting like a beast with a broken leash….’
Dokgo Myeong had been radiating an inexplicable aura without any attempt to hide it.
Yet the moment Dokgo Wi-hak spoke a few words, his aura was reined in so completely that Son Tae-im wondered if he’d been mistaken.
Dokgo Wi-hak now turned his gaze toward Son Tae-im.
“Son Tae-im.”
“…Yes, Lord Saheon-gak.”
“What is all this commotion at such an early hour?”
Son Tae-im’s eyes widened at those words.
“I caused the commotion? Look at what your son has done, Lord!”
“Ugh…”
Son Tae-im pointed to the Guard, who was groaning while clutching his forearm.
“I came merely to exercise my rightful claim. Yet Young Master Myeong laid hands upon my guard!”
“All I see is a son who punished someone for injuring one of my people.”
“Just for pushing a mere servant…”
“Listen well, Son Tae-im.”
Though his voice was measured, Son Tae-im flinched and fell silent.
“If your guard was struck and threatened, then punishment would be warranted. However.”
Dokgo Wi-hak shook his head.
“To barge in here and injure one of my people? I can only see this as an insult to myself and Saheon-gak.”
Son Tae-im bit his lip hard.
“…Lord Dokgo Wi-hak. Are you truly comfortable with this?”
Saheon-gak was currently held as collateral by Geumsan Sect. That made them the superior party and us the inferior one.
When he should be groveling before me, yet he dares to threaten…
“…”
Dokgo Wi-hak closed his mouth. He appeared to be thinking about something.
Son Tae-im seized the moment and opened his mouth again.
“If this is how it stands, I shall take this matter officially…”
“Son Tae-im.”
His words cut like a blade.
Dokgo Wi-hak stared at Son Tae-im with piercing intensity.
“Do you wish to have that tongue of yours severed?”
“…!”
It felt as though ice had crept through his ear canal and frozen his tongue solid.
Son Tae-im’s tongue went numb, and he could not utter a single word.
“What a pity.”
Dokgo Wi-hak murmured in his usual calm and subdued manner.
What exactly was he lamenting?
Son Tae-im instinctively sensed that his conduct had been a grave mistake.
“Ahem, ahem! I… I became somewhat overexcited.”
“…”
Dokgo Wi-hak remained expressionless without responding.
Son Tae-im spoke while clenching his fists tightly.
“Being but an untalented man with no aptitude for martial arts, I grew fearful and acted excessively. I beg your pardon.”
Beneath his respectfully bowed head, Son Tae-im’s face twisted in anguish.
He couldn’t accept that he, the master of Saheon Hall, would lower his head merely for a servant.
Dokgo Wi-hak gazed down at Son Tae-im’s bowed head with a cold expression.
“There will be no next time.”
“….”
Son Tae-im trembled, squeezing his eyes shut.
‘This wretched….’
Normally, the master of Saheon Hall would have overlooked a certain degree of rudeness.
But what was happening? He clearly held the sword’s hilt, yet in an instant, he had become like a criminal.
“Come in. You must have come on business.”
Dokgo Wi-hak, who had turned toward the Reception Room, stopped in his tracks.
And he looked at his son, who was naturally following him inside.
“You are not to enter.”
“Pardon? Why not?”
“This is a matter of the Hall. It is not your concern.”
“Am I not a member of Saheon Hall?”
“….”
Dokgo Wi-hak stared intently at Dokgo Myeong.
Then he sighed and nodded.
“…Very well. Come in.”
Dokgo Myeong smirked and glanced at Son Tae-im.
‘Right, I thought things had been quiet lately.’
This place had always been like this.
In Dokgo Myeong’s view, the Dokgo Clan, called the greatest family under heaven, was no different from an alley or a battlefield.
A place teeming with those consumed by thoughts of putting nooses around people’s necks and controlling them.
He no longer intended to merely endure it.

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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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