Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 177

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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 177
As the saying goes, even a dog shouldn’t be disturbed while eating—and true to form, the Dengyongji martial arena fell silent except for the sound of lotus leaf rice being consumed and idle chatter.
Thanks to this, I could listen attentively to Son Tae-im’s account alongside Chammatae.
“First and foremost, it appears the Baek Gak Conference will be held.”
“The Baek Gak Conference?”
“What is that?”
“Ah, well….”
To Cheolmu-baek and Ye-hwa, who were unfamiliar with the Dokgo Household’s traditions, Dokgo Ak provided a brief explanation in hushed tones.
Meanwhile, Son Tae-im continued speaking.
“For now, the matters concerning internal reorganization and restructuring of the household appear to be merely formalities, so I’ll set those aside. The next agenda item concerns our response to the Moyong Family.”
“Wait, our response to the Moyong Family? What kind of response?”
“Regarding the damages incurred in our relations with Moyong due to the young master. Additionally, it’s now become public knowledge that the Moyong Family is pushing forward with the establishment of an alliance, so the main household will likely establish its official position on this matter.”
My eyes narrowed.
“Isn’t it premature to discuss such matters when there hasn’t even been a formal announcement?”
“Ah, so both factions don’t seem inclined to treat it as a major agenda item, but….”
Son Tae-im trailed off, as if something weighed on his mind.
My eyes brightened.
“It seems your thoughts differ somewhat?”
“Oh, no sir. How could I dare present a counterargument to the thoughts of such esteemed individuals?”
“I’m not interested in what those esteemed individuals think. I’d like to hear what our Tae-im has to say.”
At my indifferent response, Son Tae-im seemed slightly flustered. Yet precisely because the words were delivered so casually, they felt more sincere.
Son Tae-im swallowed dryly and began speaking in a hushed voice.
“This is based on rumors circulating in the merchant circles, with my own thoughts added….”
“Skip the preamble and get to the point.”
“In my assessment, the establishment of the alliance led by the Moyong Family appears to be imminent.”
“What’s your evidence?”
“Recently, silver has been flowing out of Moyong’s warehouses at an absurdly rapid pace. They’re primarily acquiring timber and stone, and have been purchasing land in Zhejiang’s cities at premium prices.”
“What does acquiring those materials have to do with them hastening the alliance’s establishment?”
“To establish an alliance, you need land to construct the building. But do you know how expensive land is in Hangzhou? If negotiations hadn’t been finalized, there would be no reason to purchase land.”
“…!”
“Furthermore, stone and timber are fundamental construction materials. Since Hangzhou has many rivers and becomes humid in summer, the wood absorbs considerable moisture. To obtain timber suitable for construction requires additional expense, so they’re stockpiling in advance….”
As Son Tae-im continued, his tone shifted from defensive to confident.
In truth, it was an extremely merchant’s perspective rather than a martial realm perspective. Yet that made it all the more credible.
However, there were still gaps in the logic.
“I understand, but there are too many holes to conclude that simply acquiring land and materials means the alliance is already at hand.”
Even when village youths tried to form a simple gathering, all manner of complications arose. Surely it couldn’t be easy for martial realm families of the Four Great Houses’ caliber to unite their intentions.
“That’s precisely why I was uncertain….”
Son Tae-im continued calmly.
“Recently, the fortunes of the Four Great Houses excluding Moyong have declined considerably. If you assume Moyong orchestrated this, everything falls into place.”
My eyes gleamed with brilliance.
“Be specific.”
“Let me start with the Hwangbo Household.”
The Tiger of Shandong—the Hwangbo Household.
In unarmed combat techniques like Kwanjang, Geumna, Jibeop, and Gakbeop, they stood shoulder to shoulder with the Shaolin School.
Operating with an open-minded doctrine similar to the Dokgo Household, they welcomed outsiders without hesitation, shared their teachings generously, and took great interest in the common people’s welfare—they were known as the House of Heroes.
“Over the past several years, they’ve suffered every conceivable misfortune. The household head contracted a mysterious grave illness, their ventures encountered obstacles at every turn, and even a senior elder of the clan died suddenly. And Moyong aided them through it all.”
Dokgo Myeong nodded.
This was a fairly well-known story.
“Is it the same with the Peng and Zhuge families?”
“Yes, quite similar. Several incidents that could only be attributed to misfortune or bad luck piled up in succession, and Moyong either assisted them or resolved the aftermath—there’s a gap of several years, but the timing is nearly identical. The Moyong family’s influence within the Four Great Households grew, and many personnel touched by Moyong’s hand appeared in each household.”
Then Geum Seok-du interjected into the conversation.
“But I recall the Moyong Household itself was in turmoil around that time.”
“What do you mean by that, Seok-du?”
“Ah, that is…”
“While the three families were being shaken, Moyong was also suffering their own upheaval.”
Another voice joined the discussion. It was Namgung Sohwa, her eyes bloodshot with intensity.
“That period was when Muyong Tae eliminated his rivals within the household and began consolidating the Moyong family’s power in earnest.”
Her voice had turned cold as ice, and everyone fell silent for a moment. She must have lost her family around that time.
Son Tae-im nodded and continued the narrative.
“Yes, that’s correct. The Moyong family did provide assistance, but they likely lacked the capacity to shake three great households. However…”
Son Tae-im trailed off, glancing cautiously at those around him.
“We know that the Jeongheol Sect was attached to Moyong.”
“Then everything falls into place.”
“Yes, and the recent meetings among the heads of each household have become quite frequent.”
In essence, it was like this:
The Jeongheol Sect joined hands with Moyong and shook the martial realm’s great households, all except Moyong.
Then Moyong extended their hand, creating debts for each household.
Now, if Moyong demanded repayment for those debts?
And if that repayment was the establishment of the Alliance, with the terms nearly finalized?
Son Tae-im glanced at Dokgo Myeong.
“What do you think?”
“It’s plausible.”
“Isn’t it?”
“It seems we must push forward regardless. The problem is we lack a pretext…”
“What pretext do you mean?”
Dokgo Myeong spoke in a subdued voice.
“No matter how much gunpowder you pile up, if there’s no spark to ignite it, it’s just sand. We need a spark.”
Everyone looked puzzled at his cryptic words, but Geum Seok-du, who had been listening quietly beside them, alone understood and nodded.
“You mean we need a pretext—an occasion—that would make it appear as though the households are joining forces for a greater cause?”
“Exactly. As it stands now, it looks like the Four Great Households are crawling beneath Moyong’s feet. Considering the household heads’ pride, they’d sooner starve than do such a thing.”
Such is the nature of martial sects. They would rather wither and die than lose face.
Yet at this moment, it appeared less like an equal alliance and more like the Moyong Family dragging the rest along by their nose.
Debts, vested interests, internal dissent—if it were merely these reasons, the sect leaders would never have accepted.
‘If they’re pushing forward regardless, they must have found sufficient justification. Is there something more?’
Thump, thump!
Perhaps my instincts sensed an impending crisis. A chill ran down my spine.
Dokgo Myeong gazed toward the Moyong Family’s direction with a suspicious expression.
‘Could they be using this gathering as their opportunity?’
At that moment, Son Tae-im called out to Dokgo Myeong.
“Young Master.”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“Actually… the Moyong matter ranks quite low among the agenda items for this Baekgak Conference. This isn’t the end of it.”
“What do you mean?”
“Baek Ok-gak believes this Baekgak Conference was opened by the Outer Hall and Elder factions to target our faction.”
Son Tae-im exhaled briefly and continued.
“It appears the Outer Hall and Elder Council have joined forces.”
Dokgo Myeong’s expression hardened.
This was… rather alarming news.
“So they want to tear us apart between themselves? Do they still not know me this well? After this matter concludes, I’ll have to teach them a proper lesson.”
“Ah, so you did have a plan, Young Master? Then we needn’t worry about being summoned back to the household?”
“Huh?”
“Yes?”
“Summoned? Who committed a crime?”
“You did, Young Master.”
“Me? What did I do?”
Son Tae-im’s jaw dropped.
“Young Master! Haven’t you produced a single achievement this entire year! Surely you weren’t completely thoughtless about this!?”
Dokgo Myeong tilted his head.
‘Achievement?’
Oh, that’s right.
The Warrior Squad had no achievements to speak of.
Rescuing those children, creating that inferno in Junggyeong, the Salgok incident…
All of it was personal business. There wasn’t a single achievement that would benefit the household.
Dokgo Myeong marveled.
“Oh, how unexpected.”
“Good heavens. Hehehehe.”
Son Tae-im laughed hollowly, as if his soul had left his body.
“My, the leaders of both factions have laid quite a petty, vicious, and thorough trap. I never imagined they’d actually use it.”
“Are you… admiring them right now?”
Son Tae-im let out a deep sigh.
“The moment the Young Master steps into the Enforcement Division’s halls over this matter, they’ll bundle together every incident and accident—large and small—from before and slap him with severe punishment! And what few factions we have will be torn to shreds in the process!”
Dokgo Myeong pondered for a moment, then laughed hollowly.
“My, so traps have been laid on all sides.”
“That’s not all. Front, back, left, right—everywhere. What exactly are you planning to do?”
“My dear Tae-im. Even if you know me, you still know so little.”
“Pardon? What do you mean?”
“Traps on all sides? Then one simply sinks into the earth or soars into the sky. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Understand? Do I understand? Yes, I understand that you’re insane!
Son Tae-im felt like tearing his hair out. But if he pulled any more, he feared he’d actually see the scalp beneath.
Yet Geumsan Sect Leader Son Tae-im was an adult capable of perfectly separating his inner thoughts from his outward demeanor.
“Ah, of course! Naturally I understand! The Young Master is no ordinary schemer, after all! Surely you have some plan in mind?”
“Yes, don’t worry.”
“I understand. So what is this plan?”
“I said don’t worry.”
“Just tell me the plan! Young Master, surely you don’t mean…!”
Dokgo Myeong shook his head vigorously, then gazed at Son Tae-im with an enigmatic smile.
“Tae-im.”
“Yes?”
“In this world, nothing ever goes according to plan.”
“What kind of nonsense is that!”
“You of all people should know this best…?”
“Pardon?”
Whoosh.
At that moment, Dokgo Myeong’s gaze naturally drifted toward the crown of Son Tae-im’s head.
Like gazing upon a rice paddy at harvest time. The reaping had been quite thorough, leaving the landscape rather sparse and scattered.
“It’s like farming. One makes plans, but entrusts the results to heaven. Since one cannot grasp what slips away, all plans become meaningless.”
“…What exactly are you looking at while you speak?”
Dokgo Myeong regarded Son Tae-im with the heart of a harvesting farmer.
More precisely, the crown of his head.
‘A poor harvest. A poor harvest indeed.’
Or rather, shouldn’t this be called a bountiful harvest from another perspective?
Since enlightenment typically arrives not during intense focus but while doing something else, Dokgo Myeong concentrated even harder on observing the crown of Son Tae-im’s head.
“What are you looking at! Huh? Young Master? Young Master! Why are you staring at my head…! Hey! Hey, you bas…!”
Geum Seok-du restrained the ranting Son Tae-im from behind.
At that moment, Dokgo Myeong’s eyes gleamed brilliantly.
A flash of enlightenment struck his mind.
‘The Elder Council Leader, who took the first blow, would never have extended his hand. So this must be the Outer Hall Master’s scheme.’
In this world, there exist those who reap a bountiful harvest yet retain nothing.
As his nephew, wouldn’t it be proper to share this enlightenment that Tae-im has granted me with Uncle as well?
* * *
The Moyong Family never arrived, not even as the sky deepened into a richer indigo.
Dokgo Myeong gave Son Tae-im several instructions before dismissing him, then gathered with the rest of the group to put their heads together.
“Everyone gather around. Let me lay out the situation for you.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“You all probably have a rough picture in your heads already… Hey, Seok-du. Mu-baek is dozing off. Wake him up a bit.”
“…I’m not asleep.”
“Then were you? At least pretend to listen, even if you’re bored!”
“Understood.”
Cheolmu-baek nodded slowly with a sullen expression.
Dokgo Myeong clicked his tongue and began to speak.
“This time, we’re going with an eye-for-an-eye operation.”
“Pardon?”

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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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