Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 130

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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 130
Among the crowds fleeing the Mandeung Estate, there was another group besides Dokgo Myeong and his companions.
“Everyone’s gathered.”
“Yes, brother!”
“I’m sorry that my mistake has put all of you in this situation.”
“Not at all! How could you say such a thing!”
It was none other than Seo Wang Hodal-saeng and his subordinates.
Hodal-saeng had gathered his men at one of the twenty-eight escape routes he’d prepared for a midnight flight.
“From now on, everyone flees with haste. Once I’m settled, I’ll send word, so maintain contact.”
“But still, are we really just abandoning everything and running like this? Isn’t there another way?”
“It was time to leave anyway. Now that the Pae Sect has declared war, this place is no longer worth staying in.”
Hodal-saeng was quick to give up. That’s precisely why he’d survived this long.
“Brother, won’t there be pursuit? Wouldn’t it be better if we stayed together?”
“If the Blood Sect or the Pae Sect’s main force comes after us directly…”
The subordinates’ expressions darkened.
Hodal-saeng sighed.
“Don’t you see that fire? For the next few days, they’ll be too busy with cleanup. Any pursuit will be slow.”
“And after that?”
“By then, the Blood Sect Leader’s head will likely roll for responsibility in this matter. As long as no unexpected variables arise, there shouldn’t be great danger. I’ll hurry to establish myself before then.”
“Where are you thinking of going?”
“I’m considering heading to Guizhou first. I hear it’s become quite livable these days.”
Hodal-saeng chuckled softly, reassuring his worried subordinates.
“So you all stay hidden without causing trouble until I contact you. You’ve all taken the money I distributed and the prepared travel packs, right?”
A small commotion arose among them.
“We did take them, but…”
“If you’re giving us all this, what will you do, brother?”
“Brother! You’re not abandoning us, are you?”
“…”
Hodal-saeng felt an odd sentiment at his subordinates’ reaction.
Despite the situation, not a single one of them rebelled or tried to betray him. It would have been more advantageous for them to turn him over to the Blood Sect.
‘So I must have told them everything because I believed they wouldn’t do that.’
Truly the way of the dark path.
Why did that phrase suddenly cross his mind?
Hodal-saeng chuckled again.
“Don’t worry. I’m responsible for you all—how could I not provide for you? And abandon? What abandonment? Now that I think about it, what was that bastard thinking of me to say such a thing? Who is it!”
“Here, it’s this one!”
“Should we beat him, brother?”
“Should we interrogate him?”
“We need to flee now, so we’ll bury him for a day once we’re safe.”
Hodal-saeng laughed wickedly.
“Alright, it’s time. Let’s all shout together with one heart and one mind, then scatter. We can do this!”
“….”
“….”
“These bastards are openly ignoring me, acting like they won’t see me for a while. I should have known from the moment the elder left me with that demonic bastard and ran away… I understand what you all want now. From now on, each of us fends for ourselves.”
“Ah, no! Elder!”
“That’s not it… at my age… it’s a bit much.”
“Hm? Ah, is it a bit much?”
“Yes, it is a bit much.”
“Then let’s just… see each other alive, you bastards.”
Hodal-saeng waved his hand dismissively and began pulling the carriage forward.
Then he glanced back briefly.
‘Will it be alright?’
The root cause of all this chaos came to mind.
‘Come to think of it, I still don’t even know that bastard’s real name or face.’
Suddenly, it felt as though flames were rising before his eyes, but Hodal-saeng forcibly suppressed the feeling.
He muttered while gazing at the receding Moyong Family.
“Take care of yourself, you son of a bitch.”
Perhaps there would come a day when they’d meet again.
Hodal-saeng drove the carriage southward at a steady pace.
Toward Guizhou, where they say life is good these days—the land ruled by Jeong Cheon-maeng.
* * *
The Blood Sect, befitting a faction under the Pae-do Alliance, a massive martial alliance, began a thorough pursuit.
They sealed off the main roads and mountain passes through allied sects, spread wanted posters and bounties, hired ronin, and even deployed specially trained hunting dogs.
“They said they’re barely in their twenties! Inexperienced young masters! We’ll definitely catch them!”
“Jeon Myeong!”
Since his own neck was on the line, the Blood Sect Leader personally joined the pursuit and began chasing them.
However, unfortunately for him, the people he was chasing were no mere young masters.
First, there was Geum Seok-du.
“I’ve erased all traces.”
“What about the hunting dogs?”
“I’ve spread strong vinegar, spoiled alcohol, and spicy spices. Even ordinary dogs would hate the smell. Much less hunting dogs—they won’t come near it.”
Geum Seok-du quickly assembled something from items he’d gathered in a village, making the Blood Sect’s pursuit difficult.
“Go that way over there.”
“But the road is this way….”
“It’s a hunter’s path. Rough, but faster.”
Cheolmu-baek easily found his way even in the dead of night.
It was the eye for paths he’d gained from hunting before coming to Zhongyuan. His ability to find roads was unquestionably the best in the group.
“Usually in mountains like this, around a place like this… ah, there it is. A shrine to the God of the Land. It’s always in places like this.”
Namgung Sohwa’s experience from her life on the run hadn’t gone to waste either. Finding good places to rest and places to hide was her responsibility.
And Dokgo Myeong was….
“Do you know the best way to escape a pursuit?”
“Pardon?”
“Simple—eliminate the pursuers!”
“Grab him! His eyes have gone wild again!”
Dokgo Myeong frequently erupted into fits, charging at those chasing him and turning the tables in a spectacle of absurdity.
Yet he didn’t charge recklessly every time.
Dokgo Myeong led the group with the practiced ease of someone who had done this countless times before.
When five suns had risen and set in this manner.
“…We lost them?”
“Y-yes, sir. We found discarded clothing and personal effects at the location where we picked up their trail. The pursuit has failed.”
“Krraaaagh!”
The group had successfully shaken off the Blood Sect completely.
* * *
A small manor situated at the crossroads between Zhongyuan and Shaanxi.
Dokgo Ak stepped through the manor’s entrance and exhaled deeply.
“Phew, I’m back.”
“Welcome.”
“Did you scout it out?”
The group gathered in a circle around the campfire greeted Dokgo Ak.
“Yes, we’ve completely lost them. I checked the rumors—they’re searching in an entirely different direction.”
Dokgo Ak, who had visited the nearest village on Dokgo Myeong’s orders, approached the fire.
“Ugh, take this off me, will you? I thought I’d die carrying this thing all the way here.”
Dokgo Ak carefully set down the bundle he’d been carrying.
“Here, let me take that.”
“Yeah, go ahead. I’m exhausted.”
Dokgo Ak naturally handed the load to Geum Seok-du.
When the large bundle was opened, it was filled with provisions purchased from the village.
“Oh, you even brought alcohol?”
“That bastard Dokgo Myeong made me pack it. You have no idea how heavy it was because of that. Go easy on it.”
Dokgo Ak rolled his shoulders and collapsed onto his seat.
“Ah, in any case, this grueling escape is finally over….”
“Grueling?”
“….”
At Dokgo Myeong’s sudden interjection, Dokgo Ak’s eye twitched.
How many years had he suffered under Dokgo Myeong?
By now, Dokgo Ak could discern what Dokgo Myeong was thinking just from the tone of his voice.
That tone just now… it was the voice right before he’d be tormented!
“Grueling? Gruuueling? My, my, it must have been quite grueling for you, Young Master Dokgo Ak?”
“W-why are you doing this again! Can’t I even complain?”
“Of course! You absolutely can!”
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes gleamed.
“While everyone else was running around doing their part, you did nothing! But I suppose asking a few questions and bringing back food must have been exhausting!”
Dokgo Ak’s face flushed red.
“Ah, I know. I know already…”
“You brat. If you really knew, you’d stop whining and grow up. You said you wanted to be treated like a martial artist, not a servant, didn’t you?”
“Y-yes. I’m sorry.”
“If you have any conscience, stop making Seok-du do it and lay out the food yourself, you fool.”
“Y-yes, okay.”
Dokgo Ak’s shoulders sagged, his spirit utterly crushed.
Namgung Sohwa leaned close to Dokgo Myeong’s ear and whispered.
“He’s your cousin. Why do you treat him so harshly? Ak suffered too.”
“Suffered? That reckless fool has it ingrained in his bones. Didn’t you see how naturally he tried to dump the burden on Seok-du just now?”
“…”
Dokgo Ak did occasionally reveal his high-born origins in small ways.
Soon, Dokgo Ak distributed the food he’d brought in generous portions.
The food disappeared quickly. Even though all five of them had been starving for quite some time, it was still enough to feed a dozen sturdy young men—yet it vanished regardless.
Because…
“…Why is everyone staring like that?”
“N-nothing at all.”
“I know. I eat a lot. What can I do when I’m hungry? You’ve seen me eat like this before, so why do you find it so strange?”
Namgung Sohwa ate with practiced efficiency, her expression sullen.
Her manners were impeccable, befitting a descendant of a Noble Family, yet her eating speed and quantity were terrifying. She was consuming two to three times what anyone else ate.
As Namgung Sohwa ate diligently, she quietly set down her chopsticks and glanced around.
“M-maybe I should eat a bit more moderately?”
“No. It’s a pleasure to watch. Our little glutton should eat her fill.”
“Glutton?”
Namgung Sohwa glared at Dokgo Myeong with fierce eyes.
Dokgo Myeong simply chuckled and twirled his chopsticks.
“Hmm.”
Meanwhile, Cheolmu-baek’s eyes, who had been eating quietly, sparkled with competitive spirit.
Revealing his pride, Cheolmu-baek suddenly increased his eating pace, but gradually his chewing slowed, and soon he set down his chopsticks.
“…It seems remarkable people gather under a remarkable leader.”
Cheolmu-baek spoke with a somewhat deflated expression, and Namgung Sohwa’s face grew sullen once more.
The chaotic meal soon came to an end.
Splash, splash, splash!
Dokgo Myeong poured drinks for his gathered companions, then gave Cheolmu-baek’s shoulder a hearty pat with a loud smack.
“Well, everyone’s worked hard. We’ve been so busy moving around that introductions got delayed, haven’t they? Say hello. This is the one I wanted to bring. His name is Cheolmu-baek.”
“A pleasure to meet you.”
Cheolmu-baek spoke those words in a flat voice.
“He may look a bit intimidating, but he’s quite decent. Everyone, treat him well.”
From that introduction onward, the conversation they’d postponed finally began.
Whether drunk on wine or intoxicated by the flames, the five of them conversed with a smooth, unguarded ease.
“Wow, that’s impressive.”
“…You traveled all that distance to reach Zhongyuan?”
“Anyone could do it.”
“And where else have you visited? That’s truly remarkable!”
With foreign merchants and outsiders, one might suppress their feelings or harbor prejudice—it depended on the person. But this group harbored none of that.
Dokgo Ak had only recently begun taking interest in people other than himself, Geum Seok-du possessed a more open-minded perspective than anyone, and Namgung Sohwa had already acknowledged Cheolmu-baek’s martial prowess.
‘This looks good.’
Amid the lively chatter, Dokgo Myeong quietly observed the scene while sipping his drink.
It was a sight that now existed only in Dokgo Myeong’s memories….
A strange loneliness that had nestled in a corner of his heart since his rebirth was gradually washing away.
The gathering continued for some time until the moon began to set, drawing near to its end.
Only then did Dokgo Myeong finally speak.
“Let’s discuss what comes next.”
Geum Seok-du was the first to respond.
“Young Master. You don’t intend to return to the clan yet, do you?”
“Right, how did you know?”
“You set our direction northward, so I asked. Are we heading to Shaanxi?”
“Yes.”
“The next person must be there.”
Four pairs of eyes turned toward Dokgo Myeong.
Dokgo Myeong nodded.
“Right, he’ll be the last one. The others are difficult to find, and besides…I don’t think I’ll be able to keep wandering outside much longer.”
Geum Seok-du nodded with a resolute expression.
“Phew, I’ll prepare myself mentally.”
“Hm? Prepare yourself mentally?”
“Another major incident will occur, so I’m preparing myself mentally in advance.”
“What are you talking about?”
“When you brought me along, you annihilated an entire sect.”
“Huh?”
“With Miss Namgung, you beheaded the Moyong Family Lord’s brother and the Seo Family Lord in front of everyone.”
“Hey, that was——”
“And this time, you burned down an entire street. On top of that, you ransacked the auction house’s vault and even clashed with one of the top ten masters under heaven.”
Dokgo Myeong’s face contorted.
“This time will truly end without incident, I’m telling you.”
“Of course it will, sir.”
“I’m serious. Really, I’m serious!”
Dokgo Myeong shouted indignantly, but no one believed him.
Namgung Sohwa and Dokgo Ak exchanged knowing whispers.
“Now I understand. That was a complete lie, wasn’t it?”
“It seems you’ve finally grasped what he’s really like.”
Dokgo Myeong clicked his tongue upon hearing their exchange.
“From the start, it’s impossible to get into trouble with that man.”
“…Really?”
“Yes. He’s someone who lives in a remote mountain village hunting—there’s no conflict to be had. A day or two would be more than enough time.”
“…”
I could see everyone regarding me with skeptical eyes, but this time I wasn’t speaking carelessly.
Gwak Dae-ryong—one of the four vice-commanders of the Chamma Brigade and the former brigade leader before I took the position.
Unlike the others whose situations were complicated, he had been living in seclusion in a mountain village.
“Who exactly is this person?”
Who exactly is he, they asked.
I smiled faintly.
‘My first friend.’
Sometimes he was a reliable older brother, at other times a mentor I could learn from, and once he was a commander I trusted and followed.
He was the person who had the greatest influence on how I chose to live my life.
I broke into a grin.
“Just… a good-natured neighborhood hyung, I suppose.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. But before we go find him, there’s something we need to do.”
“What is it?”
I looked at each of the four people in turn.
“I think we need to address some of your shortcomings before moving forward.”

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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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