Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 196

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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 196
“Alliance Leader, you’ve come. I apologize for not visiting you myself.”
Dokgo Un-hak bowed his head respectfully.
“Nonsense. You came last time, so it’s only right that I come this time.”
Dokgo Hwi-hwa entered the Outer Hall’s reception room with a meaningful smile.
Tea cups were placed between the two seated figures.
Neither of them were the type to waste words when matters were already in motion. They got straight to business.
“How are the preparations progressing?”
“Our side is proceeding without complications. How about the Elder Council?”
“Those old men are stubborn as they come. Give them a little time. I’ll have them aligned when the moment comes.”
Dokgo Hwi-hwa moistened her throat with tea and continued.
“I hear the Sect Leaders who went outside are returning. Roughly how many do you expect to be present?”
“Most of the Sect Leaders under the Family Head are returning as well. The Grand Assembly will convene on schedule. Oh, and speaking of which—”
“What is it?”
“It seems Hye will be returning briefly as well.”
Dokgo Hwi-hwa’s eyes widened in surprise.
“That child? How unexpected.”
Though often forgotten by both the martial world and the Dokgo clan’s own members, Dokgo Cheon had a daughter.
Dokgo Hye, the Heavenly Thunder Divine Maiden.
After volunteering for dispatch to the Imperial Palace, she was someone who had shown her face only occasionally over the past dozen years before leaving again.
Moreover, though not widely known, she was also the master of Dokgo Gun, Dokgo Un-hak’s son.
“Has something happened at the Imperial Palace?”
“With so many changes in the family lately, she’s probably just coming to check on things.”
Dokgo Hwi-hwa lifted her tea cup, and Dokgo Un-hak took a sip at the same moment.
Yet Dokgo Hwi-hwa merely pretended to drink, observing Dokgo Un-hak’s complexion over the rim of her cup.
‘Is it carelessness? Or is he simply composed?’
Her eyes gleamed.
‘Could my suspicions truly be unfounded?’
Then.
Clink.
Dokgo Un-hak set down his cup and spoke.
“We’ve truly reached the final stage now.”
Dokgo Hwi-hwa shook her head.
“Don’t let your guard down. Dokgo Myeong’s return to the family won’t change anything.”
“Once we hold him accountable and shake his faction, the Sect Leaders will fall away like autumn leaves. We’re already past the halfway point.”
“But Baek Ok-gak still stands firm, doesn’t he?”
“He’s merely an irritant. With Jo-hak’s faction, it’s just talk of a faction—in reality, it’s merely a gathering with weak structure and loose connections.”
And indeed it was so.
Though they had entangled financial flows centered around Geum San Hall, compared to the two existing factions, they were still far behind.
“Yet as they say, even a thousand calculations can have one flaw.”
Dokgo Un-hak suddenly narrowed his eyes and spoke.
“It seems you’ve become more cautious than before.”
His words probed deep into her core.
Dokgo Hwi-hwa’s lips twisted.
‘A frightening man.’
Dokgo Hwi-hwa feigned composure and spoke calmly.
“The back of my head still stings from that blow I took from our Outer Hall Master.”
“Are you one to dwell on past grievances?”
“Usually, those at a disadvantage speak such words. Tsk, tsk!”
“Perhaps.”
Dokgo Un-hak smiled.
“You’re not harboring unnecessary thoughts, are you?”
“Unnecessary thoughts—what pretty words you choose. Constantly needling me won’t do you any favors, will it?”
“My apologies. As matters reach their final stage, my nerves have grown a touch sharp.”
….
“I trust the Alliance Leader will understand with generous magnanimity. I’ve suffered quite a bit at the hands of that Myeong-i fellow.”
The moment she pressed, Dokgo Un-hak promptly retreated, and Dokgo Hwi-hwa’s brow furrowed.
This was truly not easy.
She could barely discern what he was thinking.
Had she been foolishly careless, not realizing she was raising a tiger cub?
Was all of this deception?
Or perhaps, from the start, it was merely my own anxiety.
‘In truth, my suspicions about Dokgo Gun were nothing but my own premonition.’
Was she simply overthinking things?
Dokgo Hwi-hwa smiled with a hiss and opened her mouth.
“Very well, I understand.”
“Then I’ll assume we proceed as promised….”
“But there’s one more thing we need to settle, wouldn’t you say?”
“What might that be?”
“We need to finalize our negotiation. Let me be blunt—I cannot relinquish Geum San Hall.”
Dokgo Un-hak’s eyes narrowed.
“To demand this now is troublesome. If you take Geum San Hall, the most valuable faction among his forces, am I to gather only worthless scraps?”
“In exchange, I’ll give you additional faction halls.”
“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”
Dokgo Hwi-hwa chuckled softly.
“To save face before those serpentine elders, I must secure Geum San Hall, mustn’t I?”
“That’s not my concern.”
“Is that a refusal?”
“Of course it is.”
Dokgo Un-hak let out a derisive snort.
“There is no room for negotiation. If we do not proceed as agreed, there will be nothing but mutual ruin. I trust you are wise enough to act accordingly.”
“And yet, you never intended to honor the agreement from the start, did you?”
“Hahaha!”
Dokgo Un-hak shook his head.
“What do you mean? I had no such ulterior motive.”
“….”
“I warn you—whatever schemes you are plotting, they must wait until this matter is concluded.”
“How confident of you.”
“I apologize for not seeing you out properly due to pressing duties. I shall prepare finer tea for your next visit.”
Dokgo Un-hak rose from his seat.
Dokgo Hwi-hwa also stood, leaning on her cane.
“How you have grown. That small wretch now dismisses me with a guest-farewell command.”
“As much as I have grown, you have aged, Alliance Leader. I shall not venture far.”
Dokgo Hwi-hwa did not respond, simply turning to leave the reception chamber.
“Alliance Leader.”
Shin Heum, who had been waiting, followed after her.
“We shall speak outside.”
Even after leaving the Outer Hall, Dokgo Hwi-hwa remained silent for some time.
Only as they drew near her quarters did she finally speak.
“Proceed with the plan as scheduled.”
“Did he not suspect anything?”
“It seems he did not. Yet something felt amiss. That boy appears to harbor his own designs… Tsk, I fear my own intentions may have been exposed in my attempt to probe further.”
Dokgo Hwi-hwa clicked her tongue and turned her head.
It was in the direction of the Outer Hall.
* * *
The Outer Hall Master, Dokgo Un-hak, sat in his office, lost in thought.
‘She deliberately threw out Geum-san Hall. How cunning.’
When an enemy seeks to measure you, you may also measure them in return.
Dokgo Un-hak had read Dokgo Hwi-hwa’s intentions.
‘She was aiming for my back. That troublesome old woman.’
Dokgo Un-hak furrowed his brow.
‘But such a slip? What was it? What was she wary of?’
It was obvious she had no intention of proceeding according to plan and agreement.
Yet separately, her gaze seemed to be fixed elsewhere, as if she were watching something different entirely.
Tap, tap….
The sound of Dokgo Un-hak tapping the armrest continued at length.
His furrowed brow and contemplative expression bore a striking resemblance to his father, Dokgo Cheon.
It was then.
“Father, I have returned.”
“Ah, yes. Gun has come.”
Dokgo Gun bowed with a smile.
“What about Yeon-a?”
“She seemed disappointed that she couldn’t participate in the martial contest due to Myeong-i’s injury. Complaining that her body felt sluggish, she headed straight to the training grounds.”
Dokgo Un-hak nodded.
“I see. Did he receive the Hwan-ryeong Elixir well?”
“He even sent his thanks. It appears he distributed it among his subordinates as well.”
“Heh, that’s fortunate then.”
Dokgo Un-hak chuckled softly.
‘That fellow is always like that. As if he didn’t know what it was.’
Dokgo Myeong would surely know that someone of the Outer Hall Master’s rank wouldn’t use poison.
But knowing something and harboring suspicion despite that knowledge are two different matters, aren’t they?
In any case, neither Dokgo Un-hak, who offered the elixir, nor Dokgo Myeong, who consumed it without hesitation, were ordinary men.
“It seems the Alliance Leader visited. Did he come to coordinate positions one last time?”
At Dokgo Gun’s words, Dokgo Un-hak nodded.
“Yes, that was my original intention.”
“Did something happen?”
“Well, actually….”
Dokgo Un-hak paused mid-sentence.
Then he opened his mouth again.
“He demanded I hand over the Geum-san Pavilion. It seems he’s even digging traps with that as his goal. He probed quite earnestly, worried I might have caught on.”
“The Geum-san Pavilion, you say?”
“Yes. Well, now that I know his intention, I’ll have to stop him. Don’t worry about it. You must be exhausted from your journey—go inside and rest.”
Dokgo Gun bowed obediently.
“Yes, then I shall take my leave.”
“Go ahead.”
Dokgo Gun turned as he left the office.
“Father.”
“What is it?”
“That fellow Myeong already knows.”
Dokgo Un-hak’s eyes darkened.
“It seems he possesses something to launch a counterattack in an unconventional manner. What will you do?”
“I’ve been thinking about that. It won’t affect the larger picture, so don’t worry and focus on matters of the Yeon-sin Pavilion.”
“Understood. Then I’ll go.”
*Click! Tap!*
With Dokgo Gun gone, Dokgo Un-hak’s expression became enigmatic.
Lost in thought as if calculating something, he drummed his fingers on the armrest before his eyes suddenly gleamed.
“I should see that fellow once.”
Dokgo Myeong.
First, I’ll keep him confined in the prison tower, then visit him when the time is right.
* * *
“Jang Sam!”
“Young Master!”
Jang Sam rushed over and examined Dokgo Myeong from head to toe.
Upon seeing him swathed in bandages and emanating the scent of medicinal herbs, his face immediately crumpled with concern.
“Good heavens, who did you pummel so thoroughly this time? Are you truly alright?”
“I’m fine, aren’t I?”
Dokgo Myeong chuckled softly, gazing at the scene unfolding before him.
Home.
It seemed that I had come to regard this desolate, quiet, and empty Saheon Hall as home.
“But where are the others? Are they in the reception hall?”
“Ah, yes! The Sect Leader is receiving them now.”
“Understood!”
Dokgo Myeong headed straight for the reception hall.
He was about to push the door open when he hesitated.
A strange tension suddenly washed over him.
‘What is this?’
It was like that peculiar nervousness one feels when friends suddenly arrive while you’re away, and they’re now sitting face-to-face with your parents.
The fortunate thing was….
“I see. You’ve all worked hard.”
“Oh, not at all!”
“Nonsense.”
…the atmosphere beyond the door felt quite pleasant, actually.
Creak!
Dokgo Myeong pushed the door open.
“I’m back!”
At that moment, Dokgo Wi-hak sat facing the Chamma Brigade captains with a warm smile.
“…Make yourselves at home from now on. If anything is lacking, please speak freely without reservation.”
“There’s no need to trouble yourself. We are merely subordinates of Young Master Dokgo Myeong….”
“And at the same time, you are my son’s companions. If you are his friends, then you are like my own children to me. Please make yourselves comfortable during your stay here.”
Dokgo Ak seemed to have returned to the Baek Ok Hall, leaving only the others sitting across from Dokgo Wi-hak.
Yet the atmosphere was quite peculiar.
Whether they were moved or simply at a loss….
These men who slaughtered without hesitation were frozen like innocent village children.
Dokgo Wi-hak finally turned his head.
“You’ve returned?”
Dokgo Myeong nodded.
“Yes, I’m back.”
“Welcome home.”
Dokgo Myeong grinned widely.
“Were you all speaking ill of me while I was gone? The atmosphere seems remarkably warm.”
“No, what are you talking about?”
At Namgung Sohwa’s words, Dokgo Myeong let out a soft chuckle.
“Of course, I was just joking….”
“Of course you did plenty of it. You just kept cursing out the captain, didn’t you?”
“Huh? What?”
Ye-hwa and Cheolmu-baek nodded in agreement.
“Then surely you were praising him?”
“That’s right.”
“No, that….”
What? That’s a bit much, isn’t it?
While Dokgo Myeong looked dejected, Dokgo Wi-hak suddenly raised his voice.
“Jang, do you have rooms available?”
“Yes, Sect Leader.”
“Prepare rooms for these Chamma Brigade officers here. Have them request anything they need from the inner hall.”
“I’ll help you with that, Brother Jang.”
Geum Seok-du rose cheerfully and was about to lead the group away when—
“That’s right. I almost forgot something.”
Ye-hwa suddenly turned around.
“Father instructed me to always greet people properly. Thank you for welcoming us. We look forward to working with you going forward.”
She bowed deeply.
Cheolmu-baek and Namgung Sohwa, as if they had forgotten as well, hurriedly followed suit and bowed.
“I see. My apologies for the oversight. We look forward to working with you.”
“Thank you for the warm welcome. We look forward to working with you, sir.”
The grown men took their leave with greetings as if they were children visiting a friend’s house for the first time.
“I should be the one asking for your cooperation. Rest comfortably.”
The awkward atmosphere quickly settled.
Dokgo Myeong let out a soft chuckle.
“What did you think of them?”
“They all seem to be people of upright character.”
At the Sect Leader’s level, he would have perceived their abilities the moment they met, yet he spoke of their character first instead.
That was what I appreciated about Dokgo Wi-hak.
“That said…”
“…?”
“They’ve caused more trouble than what’s known about them, haven’t they?”
Cold sweat beaded on Dokgo Myeong’s forehead.

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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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