Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 139

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 139
“Damn it. Is he okay? Should I help him now? Why is this taking so long? Ugh!”
Ju Won-gwang muttered while gnawing at his fingernails. He stood beneath the bridge that crossed the stream running through the village.
A Hugu Party Member beside him cautiously spoke up.
“Should we send some of the men to check?”
“Maybe? But those assassins won’t just leave us alone. Bong got a sword wound to his shoulder, didn’t he?”
“That’s true.”
“Ugh, this is driving me insane.”
“Do you trust Dokgo Myeong, my lord? Those assassins from Moyong were no ordinary foes.”
“That’s exactly why I’m so restless right now.”
“What if….”
“Tsk!”
Ju Won-gwang glared at his subordinate with wide eyes.
“Watch your tongue. Were you about to say something inauspicious? You’ll bring bad luck.”
“I-I apologize.”
“…Sigh.”
Ju Won-gwang exhaled deeply.
His restless demeanor vanished, replaced by a somewhat colder expression as he spoke.
“If Dokgo Myeong dies, I’ll need to revise the plan. Either way, I must prevent Moyong’s schemes from succeeding.”
“What do you mean, my lord?”
“Whether I use Dokgo Myeong’s death to draw in the Dokgo Family, or mobilize other sects instead… I must prevent the Alliance from being formed under Moyong’s leadership by any means necessary.”
Ju Won-gwang had no intention of avoiding political maneuvering. The enemies that had gnawed away at Zhongyuan were far too dangerous to ignore.
“But I’d rather believe things won’t go that way.”
“You think Dokgo Myeong will suppress the assassins?”
“Not so much believe as… hope for it.”
“Why is that?”
“That man is quite impressive.”
“Sir?”
“If I stay close to him, I think I could achieve great things. And save Zhongyuan in the process.”
It was at that moment.
Boom! Crash!
In the village, silent under the cover of night, a wave of energy shattered the air.
Ju Won-gwang’s expression hardened instantly.
“That energy wave… it’s coming from near the manor, isn’t it?”
“Yes, and it’s close, not far.”
“Damn it. Has the fight spread here? Or are there assassins hiding nearby?”
Ju Won-gwang and the party member kicked off the ground in unison, landing on the bridge above.
Regardless of what happened, they had to protect the common people. If he failed even at this, he would have no face to show Dokgo Myeong in either this life or the next.
But then.
Ju Won-gwang came to a halt.
“….”
“Lord?”
“Fall back behind me.”
“What?”
“Damn it, I’ve made a grave mistake. This qi is absolutely monstrous. This can’t be Dokgo Myeong.”
Whoosh!
A sickly sweet scent of blood clung to the wind.
Thud, thud.
Someone was walking toward them from the end of the road.
Though the surroundings were shrouded in darkness making it difficult to discern anything, the figure of the man in the shadows was strikingly clear.
‘Height, bone structure, qi pathway—everything is different. This is at least a master at the Ascension Realm. So it’s finally come to this….’
Ju Won-gwang let out a low sigh and opened his mouth.
“On three, we bolt. You go left, I go right. Understood? Now, one, two….”
Whoosh!
Before he could say three, the man who had been walking vanished like a phantom.
It was the moment Ju Won-gwang’s eyes widened in shock.
Suddenly, a face drenched in blood thrust itself between them, and that face opened its mouth.
“Peek-a-boo….”
“Kyaaaaaaah!”
Ju Won-gwang leaped up like a frog and extended his Descending Dragon Palm.
Boom!
Dust erupted in a massive cloud.
Ju Won-gwang and his subordinate attempted to use lightness martial arts to escape, but before they could take even a single step, they were seized by the scruff of their necks and hurled to the ground.
“L-Let go of us!”
“Ugh! Lord! I’ll block him somehow….”
“Good grief.”
At that moment, a playful voice rang out.
“Can’t even take a joke, can you? Immediately throwing out palm techniques—is that the right way? Huh? I’m asking if that’s right, you shabby bastard.”
“Huh? That voice is…?”
Boom! Whoosh!
The mysterious man swept away the dust that had risen with a single stomp.
A man grinning broadly with the moon at his back.
Ju Won-gwang’s eyes went wide.
“A so-called master of the martial world with this much fear? How are you supposed to be useful anywhere?”
“Dokgo Myeong!”
Ju Won-gwang cried out.
Dokgo Myeong chuckled.
“Yeah, that’s me.”
* * *
Ju Won-gwang swallowed hard.
‘How dreadful.’
The forest near the estate was utterly devastated.
As if a landslide had struck, trenches and pits were gouged everywhere, and dozens of trees lay shattered and scattered about.
Among that chaos lay arrows, weapons, poison, and corpses.
“You certainly made quite a mess of things.”
“You gave me the wrong count of people, so I had some trouble.”
“I told you that beforehand!”
“Regardless, send me some people. I need to clean this place up.”
“Once we finish rooting out the assassins hiding in the village, I’ll send them right away.”
“I’ve already culled most of them. We just need to dispose of the bodies.”
“…Understood.”
Dokgo Myeong walked toward the estate and asked.
“Thoroughly check the well and the stream.”
“Ah, I’ve checked multiple times already. There were no traces of poison. Don’t worry.”
“You’ve worked hard.”
“You’ve worked harder than I have.”
“Empty flattery from a beggar.”
“I mean it sincerely. You’ve endured much.”
Dokgo Myeong simply smiled wryly in response.
Ju Won-gwang asked with a note of concern.
“Are you… alright?”
“What do you mean?”
“Your expression doesn’t look good.”
“Just a bit tired, that’s all.”
At that ill-fitting smile, Ju Won-gwang’s expression grew worried.
“Shouldn’t you see a physician? Your injuries look severe….”
“My injuries have all healed. Don’t worry.”
Ju Won-gwang’s eyes widened.
“Then truly…?”
“It happened somehow.”
“Remarkable!”
Ju Won-gwang gazed at Dokgo Myeong and exclaimed.
‘Indeed, a complete transformation. There’s an incongruity between his appearance and his aura.’
Had he broken through a barrier in the fierce battle?
His aura was worlds apart from when they had met days ago.
The flawless qi of a master who had reached the pinnacle realm was distinctly palpable.
‘Before even reaching thirty, already at the apex. At such a young age, is he already gazing toward dominion of the realm?’
Unprecedented.
Having fought assassins, he had proven, as he confidently stated, his prowess in brutal combat and real battle.
In this current age… was there another figure of such caliber?
‘Perhaps I’m facing one of the great masters who will make their name in Zhongyuan at this very moment.’
Ju Won-gwang shook his head vigorously.
It was a meaningless assumption. There were more pressing matters at hand.
“So, did you catch them?”
“Why are you asking me like that all of a sudden?”
“You know what I mean.”
Dokgo Myeong chuckled softly and nodded.
“I caught them.”
“Are they alive?”
“For now.”
“For now?”
“You’ll see when you look.”
Ju Won-gwang followed Dokgo Myeong into the annex behind the main estate.
At the entrance of the annex, a giant with an axe planted on the ground stood guard while Dokgo Ak, Namgung Sohwa, and Geum Seok-du were regulating their breathing.
Clang!
The moment Cheolmu-baek sensed a presence, he grasped the axe and spotted Dokgo Myeong, nodding once.
Dokgo Myeong nodded in return, and Cheolmu-baek set the axe down again.
Dokgo Myeong gestured with his chin.
“Go in.”
“…Gulp.”
As Ju Won-gwang entered the annex, he immediately pinched his nose.
‘What is this?’
The stench was incomparably worse than the blood scent Dokgo Myeong had been emanating.
Ju Won-gwang soon discovered a ‘something’ carelessly dumped in the corner of the annex like a bundle of rags.
“Ugh, ughhhh… ahhh….”
That something let out human groans.
Ju Won-gwang started in shock and approached it.
“…You’ve turned a person into absolute tatters.”
Ju Won-gwang fought back the urge to retch.
Even a tortured corpse wouldn’t look like this.
Broken, slashed, fractured, crushed… it was already difficult to even call it a person.
“Are they actually alive?”
“I almost killed them.”
Whoosh!
In that instant, Ju Won-gwang faltered at the murderous intent radiating from Dokgo Myeong.
“If my comrades hadn’t thrown themselves in the way to stop me, I would have killed them. My eyes had gone mad. Honestly, I’m not even sure if I’m in my right mind now.”
“Ahem! We need to call a physician right away. We need to keep them breathing at least.”
Dokgo Myeong shook his head slowly.
“Let’s finish talking about the mission first.”
“…Understood.”
Ju Won-gwang and I stepped out of the annex and entered the main hall.
My eyes gleamed with intensity.
“Now it truly begins. You understand, don’t you?”
“Of course.”
“It’s time for you to demonstrate your abilities.”
Ju Won-gwang’s eyes flashed with brilliance.
“I’ve already severed all information channels in the vicinity. Not just carrier pigeons, but human eyes and ears as well. From their perspective, it will seem as though the Assassin simply vanished without a trace, and they won’t even know whether the mission succeeded or failed.”
If that were the case, the Moyong Family would desperately want to know everything—whether I lived or died, the Assassin’s whereabouts, and any other information available.
Ju Won-gwang exhaled sharply.
“Since the Assassin failed, the Moyong Family’s intelligence network, the Dark Sect’s masters, or external collaborators and elders will surely move in secret.”
“We need to catch a big fish that knows plenty.”
“Kehehehe!”
Ju Won-gwang burst into a peculiar laugh.
But soon his expression turned serious.
“You said you’d become the bait yourself. I intend to use you to the fullest. Are you confident?”
“Are you confident? You need to track down every eye and ear the Moyong Family sends to investigate, and bring them all to me. Whether you succeed or fail, your actions will eventually be exposed.”
Ju Won-gwang grinned widely.
“Of course it will be exposed. If this succeeds, all the credit becomes mine.”
“If it fails, only death remains.”
“The greater the danger, the greater the opportunity.”
Ju Won-gwang laughed heartily.
I laughed just as freely, my eyes blazing with fervor.
“Bring me the prey. I intend to tear them all to shreds.”
My voice still carried the heat of battle.
That surging fervor made Ju Won-gwang’s heart pound even harder.
“To annihilate a great family, martial prowess alone is insufficient. You understand that, don’t you?”
“Of course.”
“How far do you intend to go?”
“All the way. There is no end point.”
“You must steel your resolve.”
“The same applies to you.”
Ju Won-gwang chuckled softly.
“When I first heard this mad plan, I already made my resolve. I’ll proceed as far as my power allows. In return, you cannot stop either.”
“This was my plan from the beginning.”
“Since your resolve seems firm, let’s begin.”
“Make it quick. I need spoils to bring home.”
“Ha, truly.”
Ju Won-gwang and I exchanged a look.
Though there was no wine, both of us felt something like intoxication rising within us.
Ju Won-gwang took a deep breath and opened his mouth.
“The timing will be right after the person Moyong sends reaches you. That’s when I’ll launch the public opinion campaign.”
“Add one more thing to that.”
“What?”
“Leak false information so it reaches the ears of the Moyong Family Lord. My location, traces, martial techniques, level, every move and action—make it all flow to the Moyong Family. Make them swallow the poison even knowing it’s poison.”
“What? Have you lost your mind?”
“Let’s see this through to the end.”
Dokgo Myeong smiled coldly.
“This time, we’ll topple the giants of Gangho and redraw the power map of the realm with our own hands.”
* * *
Within thick darkness.
Muyong Tae, the Lord of the Mogyeong Sega, slowly opened his eyes from his seated meditation.
“What did you just say?”
The air rippled at his voice.
The Informant of the Dark Sect facing him trembled before bowing his head deeper and opening his mouth.
“S-sir, the traces of the Dark Assassin have vanished since crossing Shaanxi.”
“Did the mission fail?”
“…It is uncertain.”
“The reason?”
“A large-scale information blockade by the Hugu Party.”
“I heard the Hugu Party is helping Dokgo Myeong. Is this their doing?”
“Even that…we cannot determine.”
“You only repeat such vague words.”
“I-I am sorry! Please kill me…!”
Boom!
As Muyong Tae casually waved his hand, the man collapsed without finishing his words.
Muyong Tae opened his mouth again to the person standing behind the fallen man.
“This man dared to slay my own flesh and blood. Yet you come before me with nothing certain, merely flapping your lips about the one who has brought shame upon my face?”
“I-I apologize!”
“Continue your report.”
“V-verification is necessary. We are uncertain even of the reason for the information blockade.”
“If they possess the strength to kill the Dark Assassin, the Main Sect would have sent core masters and elite warrior units. They would not be unaware.”
“I will verify immediately. It is not difficult to dispatch personnel from various angles with appropriate selections to ascertain the situation.”
“….”
Muyong Tae fell silent for a moment.
Soon he nodded.
“Compose them with only those below the rank of warrior unit commanders and above the level of core masters. Only those who have completed Dark Sect training and have not cultivated blood techniques.”
“Who shall we appoint as the commander?”
“The one who led the Dark Assassin was the Dark Sect Master. Tell him to take responsibility and ascertain the situation clearly.”
“Yes.”
“…Also, regarding the woman of the Namgung Family who was among their group. Find out what became of her. Even if some issues arise regarding her circumstances, it matters not. Tell them to hurry.”
“Jeon Myeong!”
Muyong Tae closed his eyes tightly.
This was a critical juncture.
Perhaps the fate of all under heaven would pivot upon his hands.
‘That woman of the Namgung Family. Fearless, moving openly as they say. Crisis and opportunity arrive together—once I seize her, my divine technique will be perfected.’
This was a critical juncture.
Now the agreements with the Hwangbo, Jegal, and Peng families were reaching their final stages.
No discord could emerge at such a moment. Least of all discord born from some mere child of the Dokgo clan.
Even if it grew somewhat troublesome, I had to suppress it with absolute certainty and thoroughness.
‘Not much time remains. The Gangho will soon lie beneath Moyong’s feet.’

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————