Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 162

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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 162
The moment Hwa-cheon’s strike brought down the assassin disguised as a child without even a scream.
Thwack! Crack-crack-crack!
The two young men and one old man who had been posing as customers bolted upward in different directions without a backward glance.
They resembled a herd of herbivores fleeing from a predator. And that predator was Dokgo Myeong.
Boom!
A single punch thrown with casual ease, devoid of any martial form.
The young assassin flew as if struck by a carriage, smashing into the wall and collapsing limply. Instant death.
Whoosh!
Dokgo Myeong immediately extended his hand in the opposite direction.
He caught the ankle of the young man who had just planted his feet on the ground. Dokgo Myeong swung his hand straight down toward the floor.
Crash!
With the thunderous impact, the young man’s body went limp.
Dokgo Myeong hurled the young man into the air, then kicked upward as if sweeping him away.
Boom!
The young man’s body flew in a straight line toward the window.
There stood the last one—an elderly assassin.
Both assassins burst through the window and were flung outside.
Thud-thud!
That was the end of it.
Four assassins had breathed their last in the span of two breaths.
‘This is insane.’
Ye-hwa’s eyes widened in disbelief.
She had known he possessed formidable martial prowess, but the complete absence of hesitation was shocking in itself.
Dokgo Myeong dusted off his hands and exhaled sharply through his nose.
“Tch! These assassin bastards getting cocky.”
Cheolmu-baek stared intently at Dokgo Myeong.
Dokgo Myeong asked.
“What, what is it?”
“If you were going to do that anyway, why did you ask who should handle it?”
“Huh?”
“…Never mind.”
Namgung Sohwa, who had remained in her fighting stance, lowered her head and whispered softly.
“He tells us not to swing our axes because there’s nothing left for the Master Martial Artist, yet he goes and creates this disaster all by himself.”
“The chairs, the tables, the windows, even the walls… The inn owner will be weeping tears of blood.”
“It seems the Young Master’s blood boils every time he enters an inn. The inn never survives his visits. I wonder if we should give him a new title—Inn Destroyer, Inn Murderer, something like that.”
Dokgo Ak and Geum Seok-du chimed in with whispered remarks. Cheolmu-baek said nothing but nodded slowly in agreement.
Dokgo Myeong, who had been standing at a distance, sauntered over and opened his mouth.
“What are you doing right now?”
“What do you mean? We weren’t doing anything.”
“I feel like I just heard something.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“No? I heard it clearly. I heard it so well that murderous intent is welling up inside me?”
Ye-hwa stared at them bickering with vacant eyes.
‘This has become irreversible, so how can they act like this?’
Everyone in the group looked no different from their usual selves.
No tension?
Rather, they seemed at ease?
No, that wasn’t quite the feeling either. What was this…?
‘They’re confident.’
It was trust and self-assurance.
Despite their grumbling, everyone trusted Dokgo Myeong, and Dokgo Myeong trusted them all.
“Kid. Why do you look like that? Did you eat something bad?”
Dokgo Myeong glanced at Ye-hwa and asked.
Ye-hwa met his gaze directly and asked.
“Do you have no concerns at all? No thoughts of loss?”
“What are you talking about?”
“We’re going to fight a group of assassins, and you’ve taken me in for no reason, entangling yourself in karmic debt.”
“Did you just see what happened and still not understand? Worry has to be proportionate.”
“Pardon?”
“And if I was going to calculate profit and loss, I wouldn’t have gone through all that trouble to bring these people along. The same goes for you.”
Dokgo Myeong placed his hand on Ye-hwa’s head and laughed.
“From now on, I’ll show you how worthless the chains and stakes you fear truly are.”
* * *
Ye-hwa hurried along behind the group.
It wasn’t that their stride was different or their observation skills were lacking, but the moment she looked away, the distance between her and the group widened considerably. She had no choice but to chase after them diligently once more.
Soon, Ye-hwa realized it was because the group’s footsteps were unwavering.
Unlike her, they moved forward without a shred of fear or worry.
“The fog is growing thicker.”
Cheolmu-baek spoke.
True to his words, as they climbed the mountain, the fog grew increasingly dense.
It was midday with the sun high in the sky, yet it was so. Rather, the sunlight couldn’t penetrate the fog, and the atmosphere seemed to grow increasingly ominous.
Geum Seok-du looked around and spoke.
“It doesn’t seem like a natural phenomenon. Fog caused by geothermal heat or water streams in gorges doesn’t look like this.”
“Is that so? To my eyes, the fog seems reasonably manageable?”
“Pardon? Are you serious?”
As the group trudged forward, they soon encountered a massive gorge that looked as though someone had split it cleanly in two with a single stroke.
Whiiiiing!
The surrounding air was violently sucked into the gorge, and a mournful wail echoed through the air.
Geum Seok-du swallowed hard.
“Ahem, what kind of wind is making such a racket…”
“It’s as if mist is being exhaled from within. The interior of the gorge is completely obscured.”
The depths of the gorge were utterly shrouded in mist, as though someone had painted it white.
“Regardless, we’ve found our way well enough. Let’s go in.”
“Yes? Just like this?”
“Yes, just like this.”
Geum Seok-du nodded with a hollow laugh.
“I’ve never even entered a tiger’s den, and now I’m walking into an assassin’s lair. Life is truly something.”
The group advanced into the gorge without hesitation.
Only the sound of shallow water trickling between the canyon walls and the whisper of wind filled the air around them.
How far had they ventured in?
Suddenly, both walls of the gorge resonated with a hollow hum, and a desolate voice echoed forth.
“The deserter returns of her own accord…”
At the same moment, laughter began to reverberate wildly from all directions.
It was impossible to tell if it came from one person or many. The voice amplified unnaturally, far too loud to be a mere echo.
Dokgo Myeong stepped forward with gleaming eyes.
“How dare you filthy assassins call our child a deserter?”
The mist rippled.
“Do not speak rashly. We have not granted you permission to do so.”
“But that bastard—”
“Young Master, please restrain yourself.”
“I beg you.”
Geum Seok-du and Dokgo Ak clung to Dokgo Myeong, barely holding him back.
The mist suddenly grew denser. With it came the voice once more.
“From the moment you set foot in this place, your lives are no longer your own. Why hasten death?”
With a ghostly wail, the mist writhed and moved.
The mass of mist halted directly before Ye-hwa.
Soon the mist coalesced like clay, taking on human form.
The mist-shaped figure opened its mouth.
“Nun who has inherited the scripture governing life and death. You carry the sacred vessel of the valley. Have you come seeking the land of death, or have you returned home?”
At those words, Ye-hwa’s hollow eyes trembled.
“Hwa, what’s wrong? What is it?”
Namgung Sohwa placed a worried hand on Ye-hwa’s shoulder.
The trembling in Ye-hwa’s eyes spread throughout her entire body.
Ye-hwa thought to herself.
‘The Whisper of Ghosts in Darkness.’
It was a sound technique that only those of the valley could master.
For an ordinary martial artist, raising their qi would suffice for defense, but with her upper dantian forcibly opened, forgotten memories began surfacing one by one before her eyes.
A voice continued, whether scripture or incantation, she could not tell.
“Speak. Tell us. Have you come to the side of death? Have you come to deliver death…”
Before he could even finish speaking, Dokgo Myeong’s eyes flashed with sudden awareness.
He explosively drew his knee up to chest height, then thrust his arm forward in a sweeping arc, stamping his foot with precision.
Whoosh!
A stone shot from his hand at tremendous speed, piercing straight through the mist creature’s gaping maw.
“Useless. That is my…?”
Urgency suddenly crept into the mist creature’s arrogant murmur.
Immediately after.
BOOM!
An explosion echoed from somewhere within the gorge.
Dokgo Myeong smiled coldly, gazing beyond the mist.
“Did you think you’d be safe hiding beyond your formation?”
No more voice came.
Ye-hwa stared at Dokgo Myeong in astonishment.
“How?”
“I have good instincts. More importantly….”
Dokgo Myeong grinned as he looked at Ye-hwa.
“Kid, what are you doing? When someone asks you a question, you should answer—it’s only polite.”
“Pardon?”
“It was asking whether you came to die or to return to your people.”
Ye-hwa’s eyes widened.
Her shock was brief; she opened her mouth with resolute determination.
“I came neither to die nor to return. I came to settle my debts.”
“Good. That’s your choice. And we’ll help you see it through.”
Dokgo Myeong smiled with satisfaction, glancing back at his companions.
Namgung Sohwa and Dokgo Ak drew their blades and asked casually.
“What’s the plan?”
“What’s the strategy?”
Dokgo Myeong turned his head forward and spoke.
“First, Mu-baek.”
“I’m listening.”
“Do what you do best. Charge in first and smash everything in sight. You don’t need a plan.”
Huff!
Cheolmu-baek let out a rough breath, then flicked his axe up to rest it on his shoulder.
“Dokgo Ak.”
“Yes, brother.”
“You’re the most reliable at taking down enemies’ throats, so go in with Mu-baek and tear through them.”
“Again? I have to stick with this bastard?”
“This punk always has something to say. Just do it, you ass.”
“What, I can’t even speak?”
Dokgo Ak grumbled but nodded in agreement.
“Sohwa.”
“I’m listening.”
“You watch over those two. They lose their heads when they get excited, so guide the flow for them.”
“Understood.”
Dokgo Myeong then turned his gaze toward Ye-hwa.
“Ye-hwa. You should….”
Dokgo Myeong chuckled lightly as he spoke to the focused Ye-hwa.
“Do as you wish. You can watch us fight, or if you’re worried, you can loose a few arrows.”
“Pardon?”
“Seok-du. You stay close to Ye-hwa. You know if things go wrong, we run without hesitation, right? If it seems safe, interfere or help.”
“Yes, Master.”
Whoooosh! Whooooosh!
Crash!
Suddenly the mist trembled violently like the wings of a bee, then exploded outward, painting everything white and consuming the gorge.
“How dare you!”
A voice filled with rage erupted from within the mist.
Ye-hwa’s eyes widened as she cried out.
“It’s the Demon-Raksha Infinite Formation!”
“What is that?”
“It’s a mystical formation that causes those trapped within to lose their sense of space and see illusions. The enemies will attack us while shrouded in mist. I never thought they could deploy the Infinite Formation itself….”
Assassins wrapped in mist launched their attacks.
I wondered if anything in this world could be more troublesome.
Moreover, the Assassin’s Guild was not merely a group of assassins but a collective wielding terrifying archery. If arrows rained down while one’s senses were disrupted and pierced through the mist, it would be over.
Piiiiiii…!
This time, an unidentifiable high-pitched sound echoed from beyond the gorge.
“The Soul-Departed Flute as well… a sound technique that clouds one’s sense of balance.”
Ye-hwa’s expression grew even more rigid.
If the Myriad Whispers Returning Sound was created to torment the Assassin’s Guild’s killers, this was a technique for facing ordinary martial artists.
It was truly the culmination of heterodox arts.
Then it happened.
Screeeech!
The sound of air being torn apart rang out.
Dokgo Myeong extended his hand lightly.
Snap!
An arrow was suddenly caught in his palm.
That was the beginning.
Whoosh! Bang! Clang!
Blades suddenly surged from the mist, arrows shot forth, and unidentifiable jars flew toward them.
None of it could be sensed until it reached right before their eyes. Even my perception of qi reacted slightly slower than usual.
‘This is dangerous!’
Ye-hwa’s eyes snapped open.
“I’ll prepare the Baeksi. Just give me a moment….”
The Baeksi, possessing the power of Slaying Demons and Breaking Evil, excelled against the sorcery of left-path methods and heterodox arts.
Yet contrary to Ye-hwa’s resolute tone, the party remained unfazed.
“It’s a bit more dangerous than usual. Everyone, be careful.”
“The arrows are coated with poison.”
“I’ll use the techniques Dokgo Myeong taught me through his relentless sensory training!”
Pabababa-bang!
The party simply trudged forward, deflecting it all.
“Huh, what?”
How could this be?
A battle unfolding within the mist.
The enemy could see them, they couldn’t see the enemy, and worse, the assassins wielded ranged weapons.
And yet….
Puhwak!
“Gack!”
Blood and flesh occasionally sprayed as blades and axes found their marks.
It was the assassins’ blood. Even shrouded in mist, the assassins were not invincible.
Then Dokgo Myeong gazed toward some distant point and asked.
“Kid. Originally, only the assassins could see us, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Originally we weren’t supposed to see them, right?”
“That’s right, but why….”
Wiiiiing!
Dokgo Myeong suddenly grinned widely, his eyes gleaming.
‘But why can I see them so clearly?’
The moment combat began, I activated the three divine techniques of Hui-cheon, Hong-cheon, and Seong-cheon, and the mist obscuring my vision dispersed completely.
Then the cockroach-like assassins darting through the gorge and launching their assault became clearly visible.
‘It’s not a power of Cheonoe Gyeong.’
In my past life, Cheonoe Gyeong had never demonstrated the ability to break formations or dispel evil.
But it seemed to be due to my inner power. More precisely, it was due to some artifact that communicated with my inner power.
‘The Dragon Scale Robe.’
I quietly lifted my sleeve.
This artifact, communicating with my inner power, was blocking the threatening external energy surrounding me.
“I didn’t even expect something like this.”
Inner power communication, true energy amplification, restoration ability, and now the blocking of external energy.
When I first obtained the Dragon Scale Robe, it was inscribed as the supreme robe of undefeated mastery, and that description was no exaggeration. It was a divine artifact possessing defensive capabilities so perfect as to be nearly invincible.
“What are you saying?”
“Help us out! This is driving us crazy!”
Namgung Sohwa and Dokgo Ak cried out.
Dokgo Myeong grinned widely as he posed his final question.
“Ye-hwa. Is the one carrying that massive bronze incense burner the orchestrator of this formation?”
“How did you—!?”
“Understood.”
Dokgo Myeong gazed toward the distance.
He rubbed his hands together gently and lowered his body, then his two legs thrust against the ground with explosive force.
Boom!
It was a powerful leap that left a crater where he had stood.
In that same instant, Dokgo Myeong hurled himself into the mist.
The Wuling Valley, claiming to be the successor of the Assassin’s Guild.
The valley master stood at the peak of the gorge, eyes closed as he swayed the incense burner.
But in an instant, his eyes snapped open.
Crash!
“So it’s you?”
Dokgo Myeong erupted from the ground, appearing before him.
“You…!”
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes flashed with intensity.
“Answer me. Do you still believe you hold the power over life and death?”

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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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