Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 170

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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 170
“So you’re not even bothering to hide anymore. You’re the Cheonryeong General?”
“That’s correct.”
“Ah, welcome then.”
Ju Won-gwang had kicked back his chair and stood, but I remained sprawled in my seat, waving my hand cheerfully at the Cheonryeong General as if greeting an old friend.
The Cheonryeong General’s expression became peculiar. It was the face of someone thinking, ‘So the rumors were true after all.’
“Gulp.”
Ju Won-gwang swallowed dryly, glancing sideways at me.
Meanwhile, I rested my chin in my hand. It was genuinely astounding.
‘Now that I see it, my younger brother’s courage isn’t made of stone—his heart is forged from steel. How can he remain so composed?’
But I wasn’t entirely unmindful as I sat there.
My eyes swept over the Cheonryeong General from top to bottom.
‘This isn’t just some mediocre commander. No, he’s extremely… dangerous.’
A solid frame, an expressionless face, and for some reason, an aura of flawless martial prowess laid completely bare.
It was as if a towering iron monument in human form had risen in the middle of the courtyard.
This was no aura that a mid-tier or lower-ranking general would emit. While not quite reaching the level of a Demon Lord, he appeared to be at least in the tier directly below that.
‘Cheonryeong… I have no memory of that name. Did he die before the war, or is he someone whose name never became known?’
That was somewhat puzzling.
And for good reason…
“It seems you didn’t come alone. When will those two over there emerge?”
…It was hard to imagine that someone with enough rank to command two generals would have met a violent death before the war.
The Cheonryeong General nodded calmly.
“Would it be acceptable if I introduced them?”
“If they don’t come out, an arrow will be lodged between my brows.”
I raised my index finger, pointing upward at the roof.
Creak, creak!
On the roof stood Ye-hwa with her bowstring drawn. No one had noticed her climbing up there.
Confirming that her arrow was aimed elsewhere and not at me, the Cheonryeong General nodded.
“Indeed, that would be the case.”
The Cheonryeong General gestured silently toward somewhere.
Then two figures emerged from among those who had scaled the wall.
A thin man and a gloomy woman, in that order.
“Pleased to meet you. I am the Talmyeong Military Commander.”
“I am the Yeonggwi Military Commander.”
Whoosh!
As the auras of the Cheonryeong General, the blood sect disciples who had scaled the wall, and the two commanders combined, the surrounding air seemed to grow thick with heat.
I looked at the two commanders standing directly behind the Cheonryeong General and the troops surrounding the wall, then let out an unexpected chuckle.
“Why are you laughing?”
“Because it seems you’re finally beginning to regard me with caution. It’s quite gratifying, really.”
“…”
“Two military commanders serving as escorts for a superior commander. Let me ask just one thing. Cheonryeong, where do you rank among the one hundred and eight?”
“I’ve become the twelfth this time.”
“You held a very high position. So what brings you here?”
“Before that.”
The Cheonryeong General stared at me with piercing intensity.
“I wish to hear how Yeong-myeol met his end.”
“Yeong-myeol? Who is that?”
“The military commander who made contact with you in Shaanxi.”
“Ah, that one.”
“….”
The Cheonryeong General seemed to find his answer in my indifferent response alone and fell silent.
I asked.
“Did the two of you perhaps have some personal connection?”
“He was a child I taught at the sect.”
“A disciple, then. How unfortunate….”
I shook my head with genuine regret.
“I’m sorry. You must have been troubled.”
The Cheonryeong General spoke with a somewhat bewildered expression.
“You killed him and now express regret?”
“It was you who sent him to me.”
“What do you mean?”
“If one releases a hunting dog into a mountain where a tiger dwells, and the tiger kills the dog, is the master who released the dog at fault, or the tiger who killed it?”
“….”
The Cheonryeong General closed his mouth and fell silent.
I lowered the hand that had been resting against my chin, ready to respond to any sudden movement at any moment.
“I see. Your words are not without merit.”
Yet the Cheonryeong General merely nodded grimly.
“Do not misunderstand. I did not come to this place seeking vengeance. From the beginning, Yeong-myeol was merely one among countless disciples who passed through my hands.”
“Then why ask?”
“Because I believed it was the proper thing to do.”
I let out a scoff despite myself.
“Blood-crazed fools speaking of propriety?”
The Cheonryeong General exhaled a short sigh and spoke.
“Dokgo Myeong Sohyeop.”
“What?”
“I came as a messenger after seeing the proclamation you posted to the world. It clearly stated that all are welcome regardless of origin, provided they conduct themselves with courtesy….”
“…?”
“I believe I have conducted myself with courtesy thus far. Yet why do you continue to bare your fangs toward me?”
Caught off guard by this unexpected statement, my brow twitched.
“Moreover, it is the law that even an enemy who comes as a messenger should be treated with proper respect. What are your thoughts on this matter, Sohyeop?”
Not only Dokgo Myeong, but even Chamma’s forces and Ju Won-gwang bore expressions as though they’d been struck a heavy blow.
Come to think of it, the Cheonryeong General had maintained his composure throughout. Rather, it was Dokgo Myeong who had persisted in his rudeness—speaking informally, sneering, and insulting the dead.
“Since you seem uncomfortable, I’ll state my business first. However, before that….”
The Cheonryeong General gazed at Dokgo Myeong.
“I wish to make clear that I have no intention of fighting today. I earnestly hope this becomes a peaceful meeting without bloodshed between us.”
“Conversation.”
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes gleamed with a piercing light.
“Fine, conversation it is. Though you fanatics deceive all walks of society with your doctrine of washing the world clean in blood, if you desire dialogue, then I suppose I should oblige. That would be the proper thing, wouldn’t it?”
He was simply returning the words he’d just heard.
The Cheonryeong General nodded.
“I understand your hostility. It is the fault of myself and the sect I belong to.”
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes widened.
“What?”
“All the disciples you have encountered thus far were likely the same. But I assure you, I will differ from any disciples you have experienced. Please, hear me out for just a moment. It will not be a conversation that brings you loss.”
“….”
“Even so, should you wish to fight us… we will flee with all our strength. Know that we have no desire to create conflict.”
“I cannot trust you. I would sooner trust the black-path bandits than believe you.”
“The danger posed by a man named Dokgo Myeong is already being treated seriously by our sect. Had we harbored ill intent, we would have ambushed you from the start, not arrived with everything exposed.”
That was a fair point, and I had nothing to counter with. It was indeed true that the Cheonryeong General had appeared with his forces openly displayed.
Moreover, the Cheonryeong General had maintained a deferential posture throughout, contrary to his station.
Dokgo Myeong shook his head.
“You suddenly arrived with troops, descending from the sky no less?”
“If it caused displeasure, I shall withdraw them at once.”
The Cheonryeong General immediately turned his gaze to those around him.
“Cheonryeong Army, Talmyeong Army, Yeonggwi Army—all withdraw at least a hundred paces. Myeong Sohyeop, these two commanders are my comrades, so they shall remain. Will this suffice?”
Dokgo Myeong, who had been staring intently at him, suddenly opened his mouth like a dagger thrust.
“You’re operating on a different path from the Heukhyeol Singgun. Why do you stand in opposition to him?”
“….”
The Cheonryeong General’s forehead and cheeks twitched slightly, then a beat later returned to their previous impassive expression.
No matter how thorough a person was, they could not hide their expression when hearing unexpected words spoken without warning.
“This is…. What in the world is this.”
The Cheonryeong General, realizing his own mistake, murmured in a voice tinged with chagrin.
“I had a suspicion it might be something like this. The Jeongheol Sect is divided internally. You appear to be an envoy of the opposing faction.”
“How did you discern this?”
“There’s no reason to tell you.”
I had sensed it since the Yeong-myeol Army Commander, but I never expected it to be true.
“Is this ‘circumstance’ you mentioned perhaps meant to obscure the attention of the Heukhyeol’s gaze directed this way?”
The Cheonryeong General’s pupils trembled faintly.
“…I was told to be cautious of one’s insight and schemes rather than martial prowess, and it seems that was true.”
The Cheonryeong General moved his throat once, then continued in a slightly lowered voice.
“That’s right. We came here today under the pretext of avenging the one who killed Yeong-myeol…”
“If we didn’t fight, we’d get caught anyway, wouldn’t we?”
“It doesn’t matter. We just need a justification. By now, we’ve diverted the attention of the Heukhyeol nearby, and it will serve as a sufficient excuse.”
Dokgo Myeong adjusted his posture and sat up straight.
“I get the gist of it. Now go ahead and speak. I’ll decide whether blood needs to be spilled after I hear what you have to say.”
“Since we’re already exposed, I’ll speak plainly.”
The Cheonryeong General’s eyes gleamed with intensity.
“We are a faction opposed to the Heukhyeol Singgun’s plan to overturn the martial world.”
“A faction? You creatures have factions too?”
“We do. Unlike the other commanders, we do not blindly worship, nor do we serve the Sect Leader.”
“What?”
“We are those who serve the Sado and the Singnyeo. We are practitioners from before the Jeongheol Sect became corrupted as it is now.”
The Sado and the Singnyeo.
Dokgo Myeong knew of them as well.
The great commanders who led the forces, the Sect Leader who actually operated the sect.
They were said to hold symbolic positions in the sect, standing in opposition to them.
Yet Dokgo Myeong had never seen them, nor had he experienced them firsthand.
And for good reason….
‘They were already dead before the war began.’
Dokgo Myeong regarded the Cheonryeong General with cold, lifeless eyes.
“What is it you’re trying to say?”
“We can help you. How would it be if we cooperated to restrain the sect that has broken free from its reins?”
* * *
“I greet the Family Head.”
“I… greet the Family Head.”
“You’ve come quickly. Sit down.”
“…Yes.”
The main hall of the Mogyeong Sega family.
Overseer Wi Jang-chun and Elder Council Leader Muyong Cheol entered with their heads bowed like guilty men and took their seats.
Muyong Tae’s mouth opened immediately.
“Overseer Wi.”
Wi Jang-chun trembled, beads of cold sweat covering his brow.
“Yes, Family Head.”
“I hear beggars have been posting notices throughout the martial world. They’ve even reached Zhejiang, right at our family’s doorstep. And because of that, the atmosphere has completely changed, or so I’m told.”
“…Y-yes, that is correct.”
Muyong Tae regarded Wi Jang-chun with emotionless eyes.
“My instructions to you were simple. Just sway public opinion a bit and turn the people’s hearts around. Since I had to coordinate with the other families, I entrusted this to you. Is that not so?”
“…Yes, that is correct.”
“Could the Dokgo family have been involved?”
“No, sir.”
“Did the Kaebang openly come forward to support him?”
“No, sir.”
“Then what is it? Are you saying the atmosphere has grown strange merely because notices have been posted in various places without any evidence?”
“….”
“No, that’s not it. You’re right—the strange atmosphere caused by the notices themselves isn’t necessarily a problem. After all, his resourcefulness and boldness are considerable.”
“….”
“But I must ask: why did you take no countermeasures against him? While a second notice was being posted, no less?”
“I, I apologize, sir. But please do not worry. No matter how peculiar the atmosphere has become, the overall sentiment of the martial world remains unchanged. If we continue as we are….”
Screeeech!
At the chilling sound, Wi Jang-chun’s eyes snapped wide open.
The floorboard directly in front of him had been severed in half as if by something invisible.
Wi Jang-chun pressed himself flat against the ground.
“I, I apologize, Patriarch!”
“Overseer Wi. Your sin is carelessness. The problem is that you stood idle while that boy took action.”
“….”
“What is this? He has summoned the main family. That mere Young Master has dragged us down to his level.”
“…I, I apologize. It was my failure.”
“You could have obstructed the Kaebang’s expansion, or spread false rumors to undermine his credibility, or perhaps…Do I really need to spell these things out?”
“Please, take my life!”
Wi Jang-chun cried out, striking his head against the floor.
Muyong Tae shook his head.
“Don’t be ridiculous. Killing you would be far too easy.”
“…!”
Muyong Tae turned his gaze away without mercy.
“Alliance Leader.”
“Y, yes, Patriarch.”
This time, the Elder Council Leader stepped forward.
“I provided you with everything you desired. Why do I receive only failures in return?”
“A, as I mentioned, the crucial formations….”
“If they were insufficient.”
Muyong Tae smiled coldly.
“Did you never consider seeking alternative methods?”
“Th, that is….”
“Did you simply wait endlessly for the Woman of the Namgung Family to be captured? Is that truly what happened?”
“I, I apologize.”
Muyong Cheol also prostrated himself flat on the ground.
Silence fell.
Muyong Tae gazed down at the two trembling figures before him and opened his mouth.
“Come to think of it, I haven’t even offered either of you a cup of tea.”
“…?”
“…Listen well. Bring out the tea I’ve prepared.”
At that moment, as if waiting for the cue, the doors to the hall opened and the guards entered.
Soon a tea table was placed before the two prostrate figures. Refined refreshments and a teacup with white steam rising from it were set down as well.
As the guards hurried away, Muyong Tae spoke.
“It’s tea I’ve brewed myself. They call it Hundred-Li Fragrance. Have you heard of it?”
“I, I’m afraid my knowledge is limited. This is my first time hearing of it.”
“And you, Alliance Leader?”
“I, I too….”
Muyong Tae nodded and spoke.
“It’s tea leaves from Yunnan that come through Guizhou. The craftsmen add various ingredients to create its unique fragrance.”
Tea leaves from Yunnan coming through Guizhou.
Currently, more than half of the goods flowing into the martial world through that route were controlled by some arrogant Young Master from the Dokgo clan.
And that Young Master was their enemy.
Why had this tea appeared at this table now?
“Then drink it before it cools.”
“….”
Wi Jang-chun and Muyong Cheol peered into their teacups.
The tea sloshed within the cup. It was black.
They knew that among the tea leaves coming through the Silk Road of the Western Regions or from the south, there existed teas of this color. However, the unfamiliar hue and distinct aroma differed greatly from the green, white, blue, and yellow teas commonly drunk in the Central Plains.
And so they could not tell.
Whether this cup truly contained tea.
Whether this unique fragrance was merely the aroma of tea.
“What are you doing?”
“….”
“The tea is growing cold.”
The Overseer and the Alliance Leader slowly raised their teacups.
Soon a single sip descended slowly down their throats. The Overseer and Alliance Leader forced strength into their convulsing esophaguses, swallowing the tea as if they might retch at any moment.
And nothing happened.
Muyong Tae’s voice reached their ears.
“This is your last chance.”
It was a voice like a death sentence.
The two men could not even breathe, pressing their bodies deeper in submission.

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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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