Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 191

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 191
White steam rose gently from the tea.
“Mm, the aroma is quite pleasant.”
“I’m glad you approve.”
The Elder Council Leader set down his teacup with a smile.
“So, have we heard from the Outer Hall? How are the preparations progressing?”
The man seated before him was Shin Heum, known as the Elder Council Leader’s right hand.
He smiled faintly.
“I’ve conveyed word of the Grand Assembly to each faction leader.”
“Has the schedule been coordinated?”
“In a fortnight. By then, Dokgo Myeong should have returned as well.”
Dokgo Hwi-hwa’s eyes deepened.
“Are we prepared to trace the source of the Outer Hall’s funds?”
“We’re already tracking them beneath the surface.”
“Handle it flawlessly. When the Outer Hall moves against Dokgo Myeong’s faction, people and money will inevitably shift. We must seize that opening and redirect the Outer Hall’s financial lifeline to our side.”
“Rest assured. I’ll manage it without any gaps.”
“Mm, very well.”
As Dokgo Hwi-hwa released a peculiar sigh, Shin Heum asked.
“Is there something troubling you?”
Dokgo Hwi-hwa spoke with a sinister expression.
“Of course there is. What else would there be?”
“Do you suspect the Outer Hall might be laying a trap?”
“I wish that were the case. It would put my mind at ease.”
“My lady?”
“The Outer Hall genuinely believes we will cooperate with them.”
Dokgo Hwi-hwa let out a hollow laugh as she continued.
“They actually think I, Dokgo Hwi-hwa, would cooperate so readily? There are limits to naivety.”
I never forgot what was done to me.
No matter how much compensation I received afterward, it made no difference. My head still aches from the betrayal I suffered from the Outer Hall—how could I forget such a thing?
I had merely pretended to join hands with the Outer Hall Master to target the Outer Hall itself. My true target was never Dokgo Myeong, but the Outer Hall from the beginning.
The method was simple.
Fishing in troubled waters.
While the Outer Hall expended all its effort to dismantle Dokgo Myeong’s faction, I intended to seize everything they were conducting externally.
Once the Outer Hall staggered from the blow, I would simultaneously absorb Dokgo Myeong’s faction as well.
The groundwork was already complete—yet things were progressing far too smoothly.
“The Outer Hall surely has some countermeasures prepared.”
“That’s precisely what troubles me. We’ve already finished our preparations, yet they haven’t even noticed.”
Dokgo Hwi-hwa shook her head.
“When the Outer Hall Master first came to me with this proposal, I sensed something was amiss. It wasn’t his usual approach. However…”
“I heard the Crown Prince offered counsel to the Outer Hall Master. Do you suspect the Crown Prince anticipated our response and has laid an even greater trap?”
Dokgo Hwi-hwa, who had been silent, spoke with a peculiar expression.
“I don’t know. Something just feels off about it.”
“I understand that Dokgo Gun, the Crown Prince, has not yet stepped into the forefront. And I heard that the Sect Leader’s duties have only recently gotten back on track.”
Shin Heum’s expression grew troubled.
Dokgo Hwi-hwa waved her hand dismissively.
“If my lord speaks thus, then perhaps I’ve grown too old and lost my wits. Tsk tsk!”
A brief silence fell. Since her lord had spoken of an intuition beyond explanation, Shin Heum, as her Advisor, had nothing to say in response.
“I shall review the matter once more.”
“Haven’t we been doing that all along?”
Dokgo Hwi-hwa leaned her body against one armrest and rested her chin on her hand.
Shin Heum carefully opened his mouth.
“Alliance Leader. Even if this is some prepared scheme, we have nothing to lose. Should we fail, we can still devour a portion of Dokgo Myeong’s faction, and if we succeed, the Outer Hall will be greatly shaken. There is no great problem.”
“I know. But I’m a person of wicked temperament—I cannot abide flowing along the course someone else has laid out. Whether things go well or poorly, they must go my way. That is what I demand.”
Dokgo Hwi-hwa took a sip of tea.
“For now, we shall proceed as planned. But remain vigilant. Watch that Dokgo Gun especially.”
“Yes, I shall do so.”
Dokgo Hwi-hwa was a woman who believed excessive caution was better than carelessness.
‘Now I must concern myself with those young ones as well?’
The Outer Hall aimed for Dokgo Myeong’s downfall, while the Elder Council pretended to go along with them while targeting the Outer Hall.
What if all of this were playing out in someone’s palm? This thought continued to drift through her mind.
Yet suddenly, Dokgo Hwi-hwa felt that all of this was futile.
“Come to think of it….”
“….”
“The plan may be useless after all.”
Because the core of all this was none other than Dokgo Myeong himself.
With that man’s figure entwined like a sudden tempest on still waters, what use would any plan be?
* * *
Whoosh! Whoooosh!
Dokgo Myeong’s momentum flickered and stuttered intermittently.
Though days had passed, the aftereffects of the fierce battle still lingered.
“Ughhhh….”
I preserved my body with Hyocheon Qi, cultivated vitality with Huicheon Qi, and focused on absorbing energy with Hongcheon Qi.
The last was Seoncheon Qi.
True energy of regeneration and detoxification.
Fortunately, it was far more efficient than Huicheon Qi.
‘Even after consuming the Hwanryeong Pills, it’s still like this? And the Dragon Scale Robe keeps aiding my recovery, yet here I am.’
Had I consumed all the Hwanryeong Pills, I might have recovered swiftly, but I had no choice but to share some with the Chamma Division commanders.
‘In truth, even if I had consumed them all, who knows what would have happened. I pushed myself too hard.’
It was unavoidable—I had ridden while severely wounded and even broken through the encirclement.
Especially since I had to end the fight quickly, relying mainly on Huicheon Gong became my poison. The martial arts of Huicheon Gong naturally place strain on the body.
‘No… truthfully, taking a solid blow from Moyong Aejeon was the real turning point.’
As this realization struck me, I exhaled a long sigh.
Through this battle, I had discovered my own weakness.
It was the instability that arose from transitioning between martial techniques.
‘On the battlefield, I never had to concern myself with such things. One-on-one combat was a luxury I rarely afforded myself.’
More often than not, I faced multiple opponents at once, or engaged in rapid, decisive strikes rather than prolonged duels.
Before I could even hit a wall, I had opened higher realms of the Heavenly Beyond Scripture to overcome my limitations.
‘Obtaining the next realm would solve this problem eventually, but for now, this is the fatal weakness of the Heavenly Beyond Scripture.’
At my current stage, simultaneously employing and mixing the martial arts of the Heavenly Beyond Scripture was extraordinarily difficult.
For instance, deploying both Extreme Divine Severing and Jahagyeol simultaneously, or manifesting both Starlight Ascension and Radiant Heavenly Ascension at once—such feats were nearly impossible.
‘With extreme concentration, it’s not entirely impossible. So that’s what I’ve been overlooking.’
Particularly, Immovable Severing was a perpetually active technique, making it relatively easy to combine with others. Because of this, I had grown somewhat complacent.
Moreover, until now, such weaknesses hadn’t truly mattered.
My primary adversaries had been those trained in heterodox martial arts, blood techniques, or assassin methods. Martial arts that deviated from the righteous path inherently carried flaws, and my Sensory Severing proved highly effective against such techniques.
‘But there’s no guarantee I’ll only face such opponents going forward.’
Especially against masters versed in orthodox martial arts, the challenge would be far greater.
‘I need to find a breakthrough. Perhaps… this could become an opportunity to grow stronger by discovering aspects I never considered in my past life.’
I felt myself growing accustomed to thinking as a martial artist rather than as a soldier.
Martial arts were not merely about becoming stronger; perhaps truly delving into the Heavenly Beyond Scripture was something I was experiencing for the first time in this lifetime.
“Hah.”
I exhaled deeply and rose to my feet.
As I did, those sitting cross-legged around me, encircling me, gradually opened their eyes and stood as well.
It was the Demon Slaying Squad.
Dokgo Ak, Geum Seok-du, Namgung Sohwa, Cheolmu-baek, and Ye-hwa.
“Are you finished, sir?”
Cheolmu-baek asked.
“Yeah, I’m done. But…”
I glared at them with sharp eyes.
“You couldn’t even stand guard properly, yet you’re all sitting here cultivating together? Is this right? Where’s your sense of hierarchy?”
“Says the person with the least sense of hierarchy.”
Dokgo Ak scoffed and spoke.
“You think only the captain was injured? We were all patients too.”
When Namgung Sohwa bristled as well, I had nothing to say.
Then, I let out a small laugh and looked over my companions.
“Looking at your eyes, I can tell why you came. You’re getting restless now that you’re recovering, aren’t you?”
“…That’s not quite it.”
“Restless, my foot.”
The expressions of the squad members were slightly more subdued than usual.
As if their spirits had been dampened somewhat?
I grinned wickedly.
“Now that your body feels a bit better, you’re getting restless, aren’t you? You must have felt quite a lot.”
“….”
Silence fell between us.
Of course I had felt plenty.
The chaos at Deungyongji.
The madness of the Jeongheol Sect.
The steady prayers of the White Tiger Brigade and Seo Ryun.
Even the shocking martial prowess of the Beoncheol Extinction Brigade and Dokgo Yeon.
In short, there was no end to it.
Everyone had done their part, and fought quite well at that, but….
‘We still have a long way to go.’
‘There were many opponents. That man Seo Ryun was absolutely not beneath me.’
‘I… was far from sufficient. Will I be of help in the battles to come.’
I had thought I had grown stronger, that I could now see much of the martial world.
Yet again, a vast and boundless wilderness spread before my eyes.
‘In any case.’
Dokgo Myeong gazed at the faces of the Chamma Brigade members and let out a playful laugh.
Whether they were innocent or pure.
Their every thought was written plainly across their faces.
‘Even that tactless fool Ak would normally blurt something out, but he’s quiet. That says something.’
They must have felt quite a lot.
In truth, this ordeal had been somewhat burdensome for me as well.
I must have crossed the threshold of death four or five times. Even though it shouldn’t have come to this.
Perhaps that was why.
I felt grateful.
For not being injured, for following me well, for not falling into despair despite all that hardship.
Dokgo Myeong opened his mouth with a faint smile.
“Why do you all look so downcast and droopy?”
“Droopy? We’re just not fully recovered from our injuries yet.”
“I see. You should start moving your bodies soon.”
Watching the Chamma Brigade make their excuses, Dokgo Myeong chuckled.
“Don’t spend your life looking only upward.”
“…?”
“Everyone looks upward and thinks about their lives, but the truth is, real life exists at the ground beneath your feet.”
“What do you mean?”
“If you only look upward and compare yourself to others, you forget where the ground you stand on is. Then you grow weary. And before long, you come to a halt.”
The captains of the Chamma Brigade looked at Dokgo Myeong with somewhat surprised eyes.
“When traveling a long distance, you don’t walk by looking ahead—you walk by looking at the ground. That way you won’t tire. If you trudge along like that, before you know it, you’ve already arrived at your destination.”
“….”
“So live fiercely, but don’t live with too much impatience. You are already progressing well.”
Dokgo Myeong offered this counsel with genuine sincerity.
That way, I could travel further and longer.
But then….
“What’s this? Demonic possession?”
“Gasp! Did his eyes roll back again? Check his eyelids!”
“Are you alright? Is the internal injury severe? Did someone say he’s dying?”
“Physician! Physiciaaaan!”
“I decided not to use killing techniques, but now…!”
Crack!
Veins bulged across Dokgo Myeong’s forehead.
At the sight, Geum Seok-du made a commotion.
“Kyaaaah! His eyes rolled back! Scatter! Scatter! Everyone run!”
“You damned bastards! Fine, alright. Good. My training’s been a bit rusty lately, hasn’t it? Let me work out on you dogs!”
Boom!
Dokgo Myeong stamped his true seal and began targeting his companions from behind.
* * *
When he had recovered somewhat, the Law Enforcement Officers who came with Dokgo Gun spoke.
“We cannot delay any further. You appear nearly recovered, so let us depart now.”
“But I’m still in pain?”
“We all witnessed you displaying your martial arts while chasing your companions yesterday.”
….
Thus Dokgo Myeong headed southward, escorted by the White Tiger Brigade, the Burning Heaven Annihilation Squad, and the Law Enforcement Officers.
The Dokgo Household.
It was time to return home.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————