Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 193

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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 193
Saheon Sect Leader Dokgo Wi-hak lived his days with the precision of a ruler’s measurement.
He would rise in the morning, take breakfast while hearing news of the clan and the world from Jang Sam, handle simple administrative matters, and whenever time permitted, he would read texts on Daoism, Neo-Confucianism, or poetry collections.
After that, he would finish lunch simply with grain avoidance or raw food, then train in martial arts until bedtime.
It was a refined life with no particular outings or entertainments. Naturally, he rarely left the Saheon Hall.
But today, as he stepped outside, he encountered Jang Sam.
“Oh, Sect Leader. Where are you headed?”
“I thought I might take a stroll.”
“A stroll… you say?”
Jang Sam, who had been sweeping the courtyard, suddenly broke into a smile.
“Understood. Then I shall accompany you.”
“There’s no need.”
Though he spoke of a stroll, Dokgo Wi-hak’s footsteps headed directly toward the clan’s main gate as if his destination was already determined.
Soon, a sight that revealed the prestige of the greatest clan under heaven unfolded before his eyes.
Though it was merely one family’s gate, people poured in and out as if it were the entrance to a great city itself.
It was then.
“Brother?”
There, Dokgo Wi-hak encountered a blood relative who felt as awkward to him as a complete stranger.
It was Dokgo Jo-hak, the Baek Ok Hall Leader and father of Dokgo Ak.
His only younger brother, upon spotting him, stiffened slightly before bowing his head with an uncomfortable expression.
“…I greet you.”
“Yes, Jo-hak. It has been a long time.”
“Indeed.”
“Mm.”
Dokgo Wi-hak attempted to add something more but simply closed his mouth.
Though there had been some contact since Dokgo Jo-hak began assisting Myeong-i, their relationship remained strained. Or rather, uncomfortable would be the more apt description.
As silence stretched on for a while.
Dokgo Jo-hak let out a short sigh and spoke first.
“What brings you out today? You rarely leave the Saheon Hall.”
“Just taking a walk.”
Dokgo Jo-hak snorted.
“How likely. You’ve come to welcome Myeong-i back, haven’t you?”
Dokgo Wi-hak smiled faintly and nodded.
“Yes. Did you come out for the same reason?”
“…How could that be? I came out on business.”
“Business?”
“Before that nephew of mine gets locked away, there are more than one or two matters I must handle urgently. I need to determine a direction as quickly as possible.”
Even as he spoke thus, whenever someone approached the clan’s main gate, Dokgo Jo-hak’s head would whip around to look.
“….”
Dokgo Wi-hak smiled subtly without showing it. There was no helping fathers with children.
“Now that I think about it, I don’t believe I’ve ever thanked you properly.”
At the sudden remark, Dokgo Jo-hak’s brow furrowed.
“What do you mean all of a sudden?”
“I know you’ve had to endure much trouble because of Myeong-i. And since Ak-i follows him as well, you and your wife must be quite burdened. That boy has never been one to consider consequences, after all.”
“….”
“I’ve imposed greatly upon your household because of my son’s affairs. Please convey my gratitude to your wife as well.”
Dokgo Jo-hak stared in astonishment at the profile of the brother who had always been the most difficult among them.
Then, without thinking, he let out a hollow laugh and spoke in a grumbling tone.
“Tsk, my son, you say. Unbelievable.”
“What was that?”
“You’ve changed, brother.”
“Have I?”
“Would you have ever spoken such words before? You were never one for lengthy speeches, nor did you know how to make such expressions.”
“….”
“It’s become even more pronounced since you returned from leaving the clan. With your wife, it’s even more—ah.”
Realizing he’d misspoken, Dokgo Jo-hak hesitated briefly before continuing.
“In any case, it seems that your newfound willingness to say such embarrassing things is ultimately because of that Myeong-i.”
Dokgo Wi-hak nodded.
“Yes, it appears so. I myself am often surprised these days to discover I’m capable of saying such things.”
Just then, a procession came into view in the distance, passing through the main gate.
Both Dokgo Wi-hak and Dokgo Jo-hak unconsciously stiffened as they watched the procession approach.
Soon, two figures emerged from within the procession, and their sons came running toward them with delighted expressions.
‘Ah, they seem fine.’
‘It doesn’t look like there are any serious injuries.’
Though bandages were wrapped around them, their vigorous sprint suggested they were in good health.
As I released a sigh of relief, Dokgo Myeong and Dokgo Ak rushed forward and hastily bowed their heads.
“Why did you come out to wait? I’ve returned.”
“I’m back.”
The two awkward brothers simply nodded to their sons and opened their mouths.
“Yes, you’ve worked hard.”
“You’ve worked hard.”
At the identical words spoken simultaneously, Dokgo Wi-hak and Dokgo Jo-hak exchanged glances.
The moment the atmosphere grew peculiar.
Dokgo Myeong suddenly exclaimed.
“Wow! Is this a scene of brotherly reconciliation? Hey, Ak. Squeeze out some tears from those eyes. How moving is this sight?”
“Ugh! Shut your mouth! Have some tact! Please!”
In an instant, the solemn atmosphere shattered, and Dokgo Wi-hak erased his smile as he spoke.
“Myeong-a.”
“Yes!”
“You’re in quite high spirits.”
At that cold voice, Dokgo Myeong trembled visibly.
“Didn’t you say you were going out to rescue people?”
“Ah, right. Should I introduce you to the kids? They’re all quite unusual….”
“I’ve heard about it. Rescuing people certainly came with quite a lot of complications, didn’t it?”
Dokgo Myeong, who had been trying to change the subject, suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
Seeing Dokgo Wi-hak’s expressionless face, he realized they were in serious trouble.
But it didn’t end with Dokgo Wi-hak.
Dokgo Jo-hak, standing beside him, glared at Dokgo Myeong with fierce, piercing eyes.
“Yes, your brother certainly knows how to speak. You went out gallivanting with such enthusiasm, didn’t you? You said you’d be back shortly, yet it’s been over half a year. You must have felt quite at ease dumping all your responsibilities on your uncle?”
“W-wait. That’s not it. I did send word, but something happened in between….”
“Does sending word settle everything?”
Just then, oblivious Dokgo Ak glanced around and carefully opened his mouth.
“F-father. Actually, there were circumstances….”
“You keep quiet too.”
“Y-yes?”
“You said you’d only attend the Yongbong Conference and return, yet you went off causing chaos with this one? Do you know how many sleepless nights your mother spent worrying?”
“Th-that is….”
“Prepare yourself. It seems we’re quite angry.”
“W-wait, n-no….”
Though both men had gone through countless battles in the martial world, they couldn’t utter a single word before their fathers.
Dokgo Myeong couldn’t help but admire them inwardly.
‘Wow, what a remarkable coordinated attack. Even if Zhuge Liang rose from his tomb, he couldn’t escape this.’
Dokgo Myeong decided to flee the scene.
“Ah, that’s right! H-household head! I should go greet the household head!”
Dokgo Myeong grabbed Dokgo Ak by the collar and kicked off the ground.
“We’ll be back shortly!”
The two men fled in a flurry.
Between the two brothers, their brows furrowed, a strange current flowed once more.
Soon, Dokgo Wi-hak let out a sigh and spoke.
“What are these brats doing.”
Dokgo Jo-hak doubted his ears for a moment.
“…?”
Realizing those words had truly come from his taciturn brother’s mouth, he burst into laughter despite himself, as if the world itself was spinning away.
“Still, they’ve grown up reasonably well.”
Dokgo Jo-hak watched the group walking away with a satisfied expression.
There, Dokgo Ak and Dokgo Myeong were….
“Damn it! We’re done for! How did this happen!”
“It’s your fault! Ugh! What do we do? What excuse can we make?”
“Is that gentleman the captain’s father? Should I go and greet….”
“Not now, Mu-baek.”
“Why not? It’s still a matter of courtesy. We should at least greet him first….”
“Read the room, Sohwa!”
“What did you just say?”
…She really has grown up well, hasn’t she?
* * *
“Young Master. Shall we head directly to the Jipbeop-bu?”
“I’ve been away from the clan for a long time and have only just returned. Paying respects to the clan leader takes precedence over everything else.”
“But….”
“I’ll make my own way there, so don’t worry about it. The Deputy Leader won’t say anything either.”
“…Yes, I’ll report it that way then.”
Hong Yeong-chan, Sect Leader could say nothing more to Dokgo Myeong. Yet his eyes still gleamed with unmistakable displeasure.
Dokgo Myeong responded to Hong Yeong-chan with a sneer.
“Sect Leader Hong, haven’t you grasped the situation yet?”
“Pardon?”
“Would someone as meticulous as the Deputy Leader, knowing my temperament, really assign someone like you to me?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“He sent you to weed out those with their hands in the cookie jar.”
“…!”
“Once I return to the Jipbeop-bu, I’ll be tidying things up. You’ll likely be stepping down from your position as Sect Leader today.”
“That, that can’t be!”
“Whether you become a commoner or get demoted… next time we meet, you’d better not look at me with those eyes. Understood?”
Dokgo Myeong shot those words at him and turned to look at Dokgo Gun.
Dokgo Gun still wore an enigmatic smile on his face.
“Then I’ll go see the clan leader.”
“Why are you telling me that?”
“Go and prepare yourself.”
At Dokgo Myeong’s words, Dokgo Gun tilted his head.
“Prepare?”
“Aren’t you curious why I’m visiting the clan leader right after arriving? Please prepare well. I won’t be easy to deal with.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yes, I thought you’d say that.”
Dokgo Myeong let out a soft laugh and spun around sharply.
“Let’s go, everyone.”
Dokgo Myeong, accompanied by his Chamma unit members, strode purposefully toward the clan leader’s residence.
Along the path to the clan leader’s residence.
The group felt an enormous amount of attention fixed upon them.
Namgung Sohwa, Cheolmu-baek, and Ye-hwa, who were entering the Dokgo clan for the first time, wore somewhat tense expressions.
‘A dragon’s pond and tiger’s lair indeed.’
Even those who appeared to be mere guards possessed martial skills, and those on patrol or ordinary martial artists were of exceptional caliber.
And that was just the beginning.
The formally uniformed warriors of the Dokgo Household moved with sharp precision, and there were far more peak-stage masters than one would typically encounter.
The greatest clan under heaven, the Dokgo Household.
Though merely a single family, they stood shoulder to shoulder with the great alliances formed by the union of multiple factions. The weight of that name seemed to envelop them.
“Huff.”
Among them, Namgung Sohwa appeared to be the most tense.
Dokgo Myeong chuckled softly and moved to stand beside her.
“Your pale skin is already turning blue from the tension. Why are you so nervous?”
“W-well, we’re going to see the masters of the Heavenly Realm, so how could I not be nervous?”
“I’m not nervous.”
“But he’s your grandfather, after all….”
Her form of address had suddenly shifted from “Captain” back to her usual casual tone. Just how tense was she? Her pupils trembled so violently they seemed ready to spin in circles.
Dokgo Myeong chuckled once more.
“Why are you like this? This is your chance to see your goal.”
“What? What do you mean?”
“Don’t be nervous—hold your head high, open your eyes wide, and stare with all your might. With the determination of ‘One day, I will surpass you!'”
“H-how could I possibly harbor such thoughts toward the Sword Master?”
“Isn’t that your goal as our Namgung Vice-Captain?”
“What?”
“In substance and in name, universally acknowledged and beyond doubt—the greatest swordsman under heaven is our clan leader.”
The greatest swordsman under heaven.
It was Namgung Sohwa’s goal and her dream. Dokgo Myeong was speaking of it now.
“You’re not just thinking about it vaguely anymore—you’re going to see your living, breathing dream. You should stare at it with the intensity of someone ready to kill.”
Namgung Sohwa’s eyes widened.
In that moment, her rapidly beating heart seemed to calm slightly.
Even she had felt her dream to be vague and unrealistic. Yet Dokgo Myeong had always treated it as an inevitable goal to be achieved.
It wasn’t just her. Come to think of it, Dokgo Myeong had always been this way.
As if he already possessed certainty of success? He looks only straight ahead.
‘Or perhaps… because he frequently looks back to check on others, that’s why people follow him.’
Namgung Sohwa muttered with a wry expression.
“…Anyway, you really do have a way with words. You sweet-talk people so well that everyone gets hooked and follows along, don’t they?”
“What did you say?”
“Never mind.”
Namgung Sohwa let out a soft smile.
“Thanks to you, my nervousness seems to have eased a bit.”
Now that she thought about it, this was exciting.
What were the Three Sovereigns of the Heavenly Realm?
The pinnacle of human martial prowess.
Even those mysterious Three Sovereigns and Five Lords dared not covet them—they were absolute beings who had accumulated martial power that could not be opposed.
‘And… one who has reached the apex among all swordsmen under heaven.’
Then, Dokgo Myeong opened his mouth.
“We’ve arrived.”
“It’s been a long time, Young Master.”
A martial artist emerged from the entrance to greet us, offering a respectful bow.
It was Lee Seong-cheon, the Black Dragon Sect Leader, dressed in a black martial robe with a texture slightly different from Dokgo Myeong’s dragon-scale garment.
Dokgo Myeong grinned.
“Indeed. It has been too long. Have you prepared your answer?”
“An answer, sir?”
“Why, you said last time you’d think about the answer to what I asked you.”
Lee Seong-cheon’s expression became peculiar.
“My apologies. I’ve been terribly busy.”
“The busier you are, the more you should think about it. You should ask the Sect Leader for some time off occasionally. People need to take breaks and enjoy themselves.”
“….”
The corners of Lee Seong-cheon’s mouth twitched.
He didn’t laugh, but he seemed pleased.
“Yes, I’ll make the request. However….”
Lee Seong-cheon’s gaze fell upon the Chamma Division members.
Before he could say anything, Dokgo Myeong beat him to it.
“I’ve come to show off my friends to the Sect Leader. We’ll go in together.”
Lee Seong-cheon, who had been deliberating for a moment, nodded.
“Very well. He’s waiting inside. I’ll show you the way.”
The path into the Sect Leader’s residence is always extraordinary.
It’s as if the very air transforms the moment you cross the threshold.
The sprawling Black Dragon Banner, the presence of Black Dragon Sect members and secret guards felt throughout, and the long path stretching forward evoked the image of an imperial road.
And at its end, as we reached the spacious main hall, Dokgo Myeong called out loudly.
“I’m here! Sect Leader!”

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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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