Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 19

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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 19
‘Why is the Law Enforcement Bureau here?’
Dokgo Maek’s eyes were bloodshot.
He scanned his surroundings with piercing intensity.
The first thing that caught his attention was the three figures standing at the front.
Jipbeop-bu Leader Dokgo Yeon-sin, Saheongang Sect Leader Dokgo Wi-hak, and….
‘Son Tae-im?! What is that bastard doing there!’
Dokgo Maek glared at Son Tae-im with bloodshot eyes.
“Ahem!”
Son Tae-im averted his gaze from Dokgo Maek.
Dokgo Maek’s eyes trembled violently as if an earthquake had struck.
“All the facts and evidence have already been submitted. Geumsan Sect Leader Dokgo Maek, you’ve been quite the schemer, haven’t you?”
Then, Dokgo Yeon-sin’s voice rang out once more.
“W-what evidence are you talking about! This is a legitimate Geumsan Sect event. Why is the Law Enforcement Bureau interfering!”
“Documents pertaining to embezzlement and breach of fiduciary duty involving the Baekcheon Trading Company and thirteen other enterprises. If you don’t believe me, would you like to come verify them yourself?”
Dokgo Maek’s legs gave way beneath him.
The Jipbeop-bu Leader’s voice pierced his ears like an awl. He could barely gather his wits.
“I-I know nothing of this! It wasn’t me, but that Vice Leader over there, Son Tae-im——”
“Attempting to shirk responsibility, are you? The one who submitted these materials is Vice Leader Son Tae-im himself.”
Dokgo Maek’s eyes wavered.
‘That bastard really… betrayed me?’
Why? How did it come to this?
Where did everything go wrong?
Then, Dokgo Maek felt a sharp gaze upon him.
“…!”
The owner of that gaze was none other than Dokgo Myeong.
And the moment their eyes met.
Smirk!
A contemptuous smile played at the corners of Dokgo Myeong’s mouth.
“Could it be…?”
Was it him?
Was this his doing?
Had he been dancing in the palm of that bastard’s hand from the very beginning!?
“You treacherous bastard!!”
Dokgo Maek roared and lunged toward Dokgo Myeong.
Thud!
At the same moment, the Law Enforcement Bureau warriors flanking both sides pressed down on his shoulders.
“Geumsan Sect Leader Dokgo Maek, accept your arrest quietly. Further investigation and punishment will proceed at the Law Enforcement Bureau.”
Dokgo Maek’s face crumpled like a rag.
“This cannot be! This is a frame-up!”
It was a loud cry, yet it was also a powerless noise.
It was already over.
Dokgo Maek slumped to the ground as if his strength had drained away.
* * *
The Study of Saheon-gak.
Dokgo Yeon-sin nodded and skimmed through several documents.
“This is sufficient evidence to determine guilt. I shall accept it.”
“…Yes, Uncle.”
What Dokgo Wi-hak had submitted was evidence related to this incident.
Not what Dokgo Myeong had discovered, but evidence that Dokgo Wi-hak had personally organized and submitted.
However, it held little significance. As Dokgo Yeon-sin said, it was merely enough to determine guilt.
“Wi-hak.”
“Yes.”
“You’ve raised quite an interesting child.”
“…I apologize.”
“Never mind. Blood cannot lie, they say.”
Dokgo Yeon-sin rose from his seat, muttering words of unclear meaning.
“No need to see me out.”
Dokgo Wi-hak bowed respectfully.
Dokgo Yeon-sin gave a light nod and walked outside.
Saheon-gak was silent. A peaceful atmosphere pervaded the space as if no commotion had ever occurred.
Tap!
Dokgo Yeon-sin, who had been walking across Saheon-gak, suddenly stopped in his tracks.
“It will come at a steep price.”
Dokgo Yeon-sin turned his head smoothly.
“What do you mean, sir?”
Dokgo Myeong peeked out from behind a pillar.
“Interfering with the Law Enforcement Bureau’s investigation into Geumsan Sect.”
“So you were already on it. But why are you dragging your feet?”
“All matters require proper procedure and protocol.”
“Yes, of course that would be the case.”
At his sarcastic tone, Dokgo Yeon-sin’s eyes narrowed.
“More importantly, why did the Jipbeop-bu Leader come in person? I thought at most a unit commander would come.”
“I was already handling matters with your father.”
Dokgo Yeon-sin held up the materials he had just received from Dokgo Wi-hak.
Dokgo Myeong let out a hollow laugh.
‘The Sect Leader was preparing in his own way too.’
Indeed, Dokgo Wi-hak was not someone who didn’t know how to fight. There was a clear difference between fearing a fight and avoiding one.
“However, if it had been only this, Saheon-gak would have merely managed to evade.”
“I see.”
“Let me ask you just one thing.”
“Yes, please go ahead.”
“Why did you personally step in and stir up this matter?”
“I didn’t do anything, sir.”
“….”
On the surface, that was true. Officially, this incident had been framed as Son Tae-im’s betrayal that caused Dokgo Maek to suffer a loss.
Dokgo Yeon-sin’s lips curled upward in a smile.
“You’re quite the entertainer.”
His face was rigid as a mask, yet only his lips curved upward—it looked utterly grotesque.
Dokgo Myeong blinked.
‘Why is he smiling so menacingly?’
It looked like a ghost laughing.
Even the members of the Demon Slaying Unit, renowned for their vicious appearances, would pale in comparison.
“If I hadn’t stepped in, this would’ve been swept under the rug. So I simply got involved.”
Dokgo Yeon-sin’s eyes narrowed.
“I am not a man who wields his blade carelessly.”
Dokgo Myeong shook his head.
“Dokgo Yeon-sin the martial master may not be, but the Jipbeop-bu Leader is not someone who wields—he is someone who is wielded by the law.”
Dokgo Yeon-sin paused for a moment.
‘This brat….’
It wasn’t wrong. The Jipbeop-bu Leader was not one who wielded the law as a weapon, but one who moved according to the law.
Because of that, he had to investigate quietly.
Because of that, he was delayed, and because of that, Dokgo Myeong was swift.
“But there seems to be a calculation error, doesn’t there?”
“What?”
“I made it possible for you to discipline the family, so you should pay me for it. Why should I be the one paying?”
“Ha.”
Dokgo Yeon-sin exhaled.
Whether it was a hollow laugh or a sigh was unclear, but his expression didn’t seem entirely displeased.
“Of the three Law Enforcement Bureau warriors who already received bribes, one was executed by beheading and two had their meridians severed.”
“Come on, you’re not trying to wipe your mouth clean with that, are you?”
“If we calculate this properly, do you think the man you’ve hidden will escape?”
He was referring to Son Tae-im. Dokgo Yeon-sin already knew that Dokgo Myeong had hidden him.
“Do you have evidence?”
“….”
Dokgo Yeon-sin glared at Dokgo Myeong.
Dokgo Myeong curled his lips upward with a smirk.
“Prepare some fine liquor.”
Dokgo Yeon-sin dropped those words and resumed walking.
“It should be very, very expensive liquor, sir.”
“….”
“I have rather refined tastes, you see.”
Dokgo Yeon-sin shook his head vigorously.
Dokgo Myeong chuckled and saw him off.
* * *
The western garden of the Dokgo Clan.
Upon a serene pavilion erected over a pond, an elderly man burst into laughter.
“Hahaha! I never imagined things would conclude so neatly.”
Dokgo Un-hak, the eldest son of Dokgo Cheon and the Outer Hall Master, let out a hearty laugh.
“Truly, he surpasses expectations every time. The Geumsan Sect Leader is hardly a man to be trifled with.”
It was Dokgo Gun, Dokgo Un-hak’s son and the eldest grandson of the Dokgo Clan, who responded.
“How do you assess it?”
“The sowing of discord proved effective. Merchants, as a breed, are easily susceptible to such schemes.”
“Regardless, the fact that he resolved the matter is remarkable. For a nephew once called a dullard, he’s quite capable.”
They were discussing the recent affair between Saheon-gak and Geumsan Sect.
At that moment, a woman who had been listening quietly from the side spoke up.
“Capable? Wasn’t it simply good fortune?”
None other than Dokgo Yeon, Dokgo Gun’s younger sister.
She tilted her head thoughtfully.
“Son Tae-im could have betrayed him, or Dokgo Maek could have seen through it… he could have faced a backlash.”
“That’s true enough.”
“See?”
“But what’s remarkable is orchestrating the game so that wouldn’t happen.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Dokgo Un-hak smiled faintly.
“Allow me to explain.”
Dokgo Gun set down his cup and continued.
“Do you know what’s most important when executing a scheme of discord?”
“Obviously, winning people over, isn’t it?”
“That’s important too. But more crucial is maintaining the balance of the scales without tipping.”
Dokgo Yeon furrowed her brow, still unconvinced.
“Isn’t it the opposite? You shouldn’t maintain balance—you should tilt everything completely to your side.”
“A scale inevitably reveals itself to the other side the moment it tips too far to one end.”
“…!”
“When that happens, the weight on the opposite pan shifts over. As you said, it becomes a backlash.”
Dokgo Yeon’s eyes brightened at last.
The key was maintaining balance while subtly tilting the weight toward oneself.
“Yes, that’s the right way to think of it.”
Dokgo Un-hak nodded and spoke.
“Most clumsy fools grow impatient and add too much weight, ruining the scheme. That’s what happened to Dokgo Maek.”
It was true that Dokgo Maek had let his guard down.
But I had made it inevitable.
“In truth, ledgers and rumors matter little. It is this sense of balance that determines success or failure in any endeavor.”
Dokgo Un-hak’s eyes, which had been laughing brightly, suddenly grew deep and distant.
“That nephew is more cunning than I thought. How delightful.”
Dokgo Un-hak emptied the wine cup before him.
Dokgo Yeon’s brow furrowed sharply.
“Father, you certainly are magnanimous. Aren’t you even angry with him?”
“Hmm? Hahaha! Why would I be angry?”
“You were planning to bring the Geumsan Sect Leader into your faction, weren’t you?”
Dokgo Un-hak drained his cup with satisfaction and let out a chuckle.
“Well, it doesn’t matter. It’s a shame, but he wasn’t someone I could have used properly anyway.”
I had always planned to dispose of him once he became a problem.
To Dokgo Un-hak, the head of the outer faction, Dokgo Maek the Geumsan Sect Leader was hardly a figure of great consequence.
“Besides, if I reacted carelessly, it would only put us in an awkward position.”
“Pardon?”
Dokgo Gun, who had been listening quietly, answered instead.
“Since the Grand Elder has stepped forward, there will be trouble for a while, is what Father means.”
“Ah.”
Dokgo Yeon nodded as if understanding at last.
The Dokgo Family possessed several masterless blades.
Among them, Dokgo Yeon-sin was undoubtedly the sharpest.
Dokgo Gun turned his head toward Dokgo Un-hak.
“However, Father. As Yeon said, this may not be a matter we can simply laugh off.”
Dokgo Gun spoke calmly.
No matter how trivial the loss, it was still a loss. The family’s factions, whose power structure had solidified over time, would be eager to exploit this wound.
“If we had eliminated him ourselves, it would be different, but with a Sect Leader position now vacant, there will be considerable commotion over it.”
“Yes, I know. That loach has stirred up quite the mess.”
“Do you think Myeong-i predicted this as well?”
“Who knows. That’s not the important part.”
Dokgo Un-hak smiled with only the corners of his mouth.
“In any case, this is fortunate. It’s been far too quiet.”
The magnanimous impression vanished, and Dokgo Un-hak’s eyes, tinged with the warmth of wine, gleamed in the moonlight.
Dokgo Yeon drank her wine as if disgusted by the sight, while Dokgo Gun smiled with an enigmatic glint in his eyes.
“Gun, you watch carefully. And you too, Yeon.”
“But that’s just the Saheongang, isn’t it? They have no interest in factional disputes anyway.”
“Power is by nature a whirlpool.”
Dokgo Un-hak’s eyes flashed.
“One is either swept away or remains untouched. There is no third choice. Individual will matters not.”
The words, spoken lightly, carried the weight of a thousand pounds.
Dokgo Un-hak grinned widely, his teeth gleaming white as he filled his cup.
“Things are about to get busy.”
As the liquor settled in the cup, moonlight descended upon it, shimmering.
Dokgo Un-hak drained the cup in one swift gulp.

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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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