Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 155

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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 155
My mind was hazy and unfocused.
Where was I?
I couldn’t get my bearings. It felt like I was drifting aimlessly on water.
In that semi-conscious state, a sharp voice pierced my ears.
“Dokgo Hyeon! You reckless bastard!”
That voice snapped my eyes open.
“What? Your hands are dropping? Are you trying to be clever?”
“…?”
“What’s wrong? Can’t you get your head straight?”
I stared blankly at my current situation.
I was holding a large boulder in my arms while maintaining a horse stance.
‘Why am I doing this? This is what they made us do as punishment back in the Demon Slaying Unit.’
Surely not.
When I turned my head, I saw a man swallowing curses and bellowing furiously.
“…Commander Gwak?”
My eyes widened.
Gwak Dae-ryong, the first commander of the Demon Slaying Unit, scowled deeply.
“Now you’re calling your commander’s name like he’s some random stray dog next door. Are you really trying to test me?”
“…No, sir.”
The words tumbled out before I could even think.
Gwak Dae-ryong let out a long sigh.
“Honestly, among all the recruits I’ve taken in, you’re definitely the worst.”
“Thank you.”
“That’s not a compliment.”
“Yes, sir.”
My expression remained cold, almost as if I were angry.
Gwak Dae-ryong sighed again and walked over, dropping down beside me.
“What exactly is your problem?”
“What do you mean, sir?”
“Why are you constantly fighting with your fellow soldiers every single day? It’s true that recruits in the Demon Slaying Unit are supposed to be rough around the edges, but you take it to the absolute extreme.”
My eyes narrowed slightly.
So that was the reason.
I scanned the training grounds quickly.
In the corner, I spotted a figure who flinched in surprise and hastily looked away.
‘We’ll talk later.’
What was his name again?
Was it Cheol-du or Seok-du?
Anyway, this kid who was younger than me had joined a few months earlier and kept bragging about it, so I taught him a lesson.
But the bastard got embarrassed after taking a beating and started tattling.
That fellow is just….
“Tsk, why don’t you open your eyes prettily?”
“This is my natural eye shape.”
“You really don’t give an inch, do you?”
“Thank you.”
“I understand your circumstances… but since things have come to this, wouldn’t it be wonderful if you talked and joked with your comrades?”
“Is there a need to do so?”
“…From what I can see, you have an illness dwelling in that mouth of yours. I may not know much else, but I’m quite skilled at curing that particular ailment. Want to try a treatment?”
Gwak Dae-ryong swung his fists back and forth.
Dokgo Hyeon clamped his mouth shut.
Every time he went on about that mouth business, I couldn’t quite understand why he kept mentioning this illness.
Did he find that amusing?
Then Gwak Dae-ryong spoke.
“That’s enough. Put the stone down and sit here.”
“I’m fine.”
“Should I make it an order?”
Thud!
Dokgo Hyeon set down the stone and sat a short distance away.
Gwak Dae-ryong let out another deep sigh.
“Either way, since you’ve entered this place, you should think about getting along well. Why are you being so prickly?”
“I’ve been sitting quietly.”
“A newcomer sitting quietly while fortifications are being built is just being out of your mind.”
“….”
“Is it that you dislike everyone in this place?”
Dokgo Hyeon didn’t answer.
Of course he disliked them. How could he not?
Before joining the Demon Slaying Unit, Dokgo Hyeon had believed its members were Sword Fiends who had turned to evil for survival.
But what a surprise. Upon arriving, they were nothing but mediocre fellows, possessing only useless tricks and nothing more.
With only such people around, he would die too.
He had to survive. He had been stripped of everything and lived on, but he couldn’t lose his life.
That’s why Dokgo Hyeon disliked the Demon Slaying Unit.
Gwak Dae-ryong, staring intently at the silent Dokgo Hyeon, spoke.
“You dislike them because they’re weak, is that it?”
“…Yes.”
“Why?”
“…?”
“Why do you think they’re weak?”
“Most of them aren’t even at the peak realm or first-class level. They’re trash.”
“So your standard of strength lies in martial prowess.”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
“Martial prowess. Of course it matters. But what can you truly accomplish with martial skill alone?”
“One can strike down an enemy’s neck.”
“That’s all? Don’t you think that alone is insufficient?”
“What do you mean, sir?”
Suddenly, Gwak Dae-ryong turned his head and raised his voice.
“Hey! Seok-du! Get over here, quick!”
“Yes, yes! Captain!”
Geum Seok-du, who had been idling in the corner, jumped up in surprise and hurried over.
He glanced nervously, cold sweat trickling down his face.
“What is it, sir?”
“That’s right, our Seok-du. Got any liquor stashed away? Hand it over.”
“Liquor? What are you talking about, sir?”
Geum Seok-du blinked and tilted his head in confusion.
Gwak Dae-ryong smiled knowingly.
“Will you hand it over, or shall I take it?”
In that instant, Geum Seok-du moved with surprising speed and produced something from his sleeve.
A small gourd bottle rested in his hand.
“Here it is, Captain.”
“….”
“Ha, I wasn’t hiding it at all… The truth is, it hasn’t aged enough yet, so I was planning to present it later….”
My eyes widened in surprise.
‘Liquor? How is that possible?’
Supplies were scarce enough in the unit—I couldn’t fathom how he’d managed to procure alcohol.
“What about what I asked you to do last time?”
“Ah, yes! I drew some pictures and slipped them in. We should be getting meat side dishes for a while now.”
“Well done. Stay here for a moment.”
“Yes?”
Geum Seok-du looked bewildered, trying to gauge the situation.
Gwak Dae-ryong turned to face me.
“Could you procure something like this?”
“….”
“This fellow has such talents. His martial skill is weak, yet there’s nothing he can’t do. Still, does he seem weak to you?”
“….”
Undeterred by my silence, Gwak Dae-ryong chuckled and continued.
“Strong martial prowess only means you can kill more enemies than anyone else. Survival requires far more than that.”
“….”
“For survival, such talents matter more. Thanks to Gungbo, who builds shelters well, we don’t catch night dew. Thanks to Gwanuun, who sings beautifully, loneliness fades. Thanks to Baek Yun, who cooks well, we never go hungry.”
“….”
“The point is working together. The most important thing for survival is this. Martial prowess is merely one factor among many.”
“Why are you telling me such things, sir?”
Gwak Dae-ryong chuckled and spoke.
“You need to learn how to live.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I haven’t known you long, but it seems like you’ll take this position before much longer. My hunches tend to be quite accurate.”
At those sudden words, ripples formed in Dokgo Hyeon’s otherwise calm eyes.
Soon, Dokgo Hyeon’s gaze sharpened.
“Then what becomes of you as commander?”
“When a new commander emerges, the old one steps down beneath them. I’m doing this reluctantly as it is—I’d rather return home right now and spend my days tending fields.”
“….”
Gwak Dae-ryong let out a quiet laugh, then continued in a serious tone.
“First, try smiling a bit. Tell some jokes. No matter what you do, throw in some lighthearted banter. Will people gather around someone who’s always gloomy?”
Pat, pat!
Gwak Dae-ryong brushed off his rear and stood, gesturing at Dokgo Hyeon with his chin.
“Come on, apologize first.”
Dokgo Hyeon’s expression hardened as he glared at Geum Seok-du.
“I’m sorry.”
“Y-yes, that’s fine.”
Geum Seok-du accepted the apology awkwardly.
Dokgo Hyeon’s eyes flashed.
“But if you touch me again next time, I’ll break all eight of your limbs personally.”
“Good grief, you really… tsk!”
Gwak Dae-ryong clicked his tongue sharply.
Geum Seok-du had already scurried away.
Gwak Dae-ryong asked.
“Why do you look like that?”
“You told me to joke around.”
“Is that what you call a joke?”
“….”
Ah, I have quite a long road ahead of me.
Still, he’s a decent fellow. Regardless of his direction… he’s willing to accept what I said just now.
“First, win over that Seok-du’s heart.”
“….”
“You’ll understand someday. That doing things alone is meaningless.”
“….”
“You’re similar to me. You’re someone burdened with frustration. But that frustration won’t be resolved by raging alone.”
“How did you come to know such things, Commander?”
Gwak Dae-ryong smiled bitterly.
“You learn when you’ve lost much. In any case… when you understand the meaning of what I’ve told you, you’ll have become someone remarkable.”
“….”
As they say, the ink stains the silk black.
Through several battles, I learned much from Gwak Dae-ryong.
Then in one engagement, I fell behind and nearly lost my life.
Fortunately, I met my Master and obtained supreme martial arts that could shake the heavens.
Returning to the Demon Slaying Unit, I became its commander, just as Gwak Dae-ryong had said.
“See? It turned out just as I predicted, didn’t it?”
Gwak Dae-ryong readily became my deputy commander.
“Still taking credit for it? Doesn’t it get old, brother Gwak?”
“I’ll keep taking credit until the end. That’s the only way you’ll stay sharp. Ha! Look at you now—that late-blooming brat has grown so much.”
“Ugh, seriously….”
I grumbled.
Gwak Dae-ryong simply grinned widely.
“The day we take the head of the Jeongheol Sect’s supreme commander is nearly upon us.”
“If we win, you go first.”
“Where?”
“To where you were in seclusion. You said your dream was to live there peacefully.”
At my words, Gwak Dae-ryong simply smiled bitterly.
Then the two of us shared a drink—as always, it was wine that Geum Seok-du had hidden away.
When we were pleasantly intoxicated, Gwak Dae-ryong spoke.
“Hyeon.”
“What?”
“If we all return alive, perhaps it wouldn’t be bad to share one final drink together and then never see each other again.”
“Wow, look at this heartless fellow. If we return alive, we should see each other often. What are you talking about?”
Gwak Dae-ryong simply laughed.
“Perhaps it’s not so bad to remain as longing in each other’s hearts. The Demon Slaying Unit has been such great hardship for us. Sometimes in life, there’s beauty in parting on good terms. You don’t need this older brother anymore, do you?”
“What are you saying?”
At that moment, I couldn’t understand his words.
So I stared at Gwak Dae-ryong intently and replied.
“Has something gotten into your mouth? Why are you saying such strange things?”
“Damn it, I really did raise a tiger cub.”
“If it bothers you, become stronger than me.”
The two of us laughed similarly.
The laughter stretched on and on.
Gradually the darkness lifted, and light began to push the dream away.
Dokgo Myeong slowly opened his eyes.
* * *
“Ugh… Blegh!”
My head felt like it was splitting.
Heaven and earth seemed mixed together. The slightest relaxation of tension in my throat threatened to spill everything out.
Dokgo Myeong slowly raised his upper body and looked around.
‘Where… where is this…?’
I blinked several times, and my blurred vision came into focus. It was the Main Hall where I’d been drinking last night. Seeing liquor bottles scattered nearby, it seemed I’d simply collapsed and fallen asleep where I lay.
That’s when I heard Gwak Dae-ryong’s voice from beside my head.
“You awake?”
“…Gwak?”
“This bastard drops formalities right off the bat. You trying to get yourself killed?”
“Ah, more than that, could I get some water…?”
“You stay at someone else’s house for the first time, throw a drunken fit, and now you’re ordering people around for water? Not a chance.”
Ugh, that heartless bastard really is something.
Around that time, the others approached and took a look at Dokgo Myeong before leaving.
“Why don’t you just use your inner energy to dispel it?”
“That’s what I’m saying.”
“Young Master, what brings you to have a hangover from drinking? I’ve never seen you drink to the point of intoxication before.”
“Seok-du. Are you really…curious about that right now…urgh!”
“We’ll be going to earn our keep. Someone said we could work as much as we wanted for them.”
“Hey! You lot! What are you doing! Come out here and help with the field work!”
“Ah, yes! We’re coming!”
At Gwak Dae-ryong’s call from beyond the gate, the group rushed out hurriedly.
“Ugh…water, waaater…”
That’s when it happened.
A cup of water appeared before my eyes.
“Here.”
I gulped down the water desperately.
It was slightly sweet—not plain water but honey water, it seemed.
“Haa…wow, I feel alive again. I’m never mixing drinks again. Ugh.”
I clutched my head and shook it back and forth.
Then I paused and looked to the side.
“…Who are you?”
“I’m Ye-hwa.”
“You are?”
My eyes widened in surprise.
A thin-limbed young girl with an expressionless face sat quietly, holding a tray.
Whether you’d call her somewhat dull or slightly cold, I wasn’t sure.
Looking at her again like this, I realized her lack of emotion wasn’t an absence—it was just faint.
Then she bowed her head slightly.
“I apologize for my rudeness yesterday.”
“Rudeness? That… is your forehead alright?”
“No. It’s not alright.”
I paused at those words.
Ye-hwa lifted her bangs slightly.
“It’s swollen. Quite badly.”
A lump protruded awkwardly from his skin.
Dokgo Myeong’s expression grew uncomfortable.
“Ah, um, I’m sorry.”
“Yes.”
What is this?
Isn’t this girl a bit… unusual?
Ye-hwa ended her brief response and simply sat there blankly, gazing at Dokgo Myeong.
After receiving that incomprehensible stare for a moment, Dokgo Myeong rummaged through his robes and produced something.
It was the candied fruit and dried meat he hadn’t given her yesterday.
“Would you like some?”
“Thank you.”
Ye-hwa accepted the candied fruit and dried meat, then began nibbling at them.
Finding them quite palatable, unlike her cautious first bite, she took larger and larger bites from the second one onward.
Dokgo Myeong stared at her with a somewhat bewildered expression.
“Would you like more?”
“Is that allowed?”
“There’s no reason it wouldn’t be.”
The two of them sat side by side, sharing the dried meat and candied fruit.
Suddenly, I found myself thinking how strange the world truly was. In my past life, I had only heard stories of this little one, and yet here I sat beside her, sharing snacks.
I realized that relationships were bound to change.
“Did you come looking for my Master to take him away?”
“Yes.”
“May I ask what my Master’s answer was?”
“I haven’t broached the subject yet.”
Dokgo Myeong gazed toward Gwak Dae-ryong in the distance, tending to his fields.
Then he let out a single remark.
“Before I bring it up, I think we should have a proper fight.”
“…?”

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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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