Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 22

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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 22
Jang Sam rushed into the Training Hall, his voice ringing out.
“Young Master!”
BOOM!
Jang Sam’s cry was swallowed by the thunderous sound echoing through the Training Hall.
In the center of the Training Hall, Dokgo Myeong was wielding an iron rod with stone weights bound to it, his body moving through rigorous training forms.
Jang Sam stood transfixed for a moment, watching the display.
“Hah….”
Each time the iron rod cut through the air, a sound like fireworks exploding reverberated through the space.
‘He’s always been impressive, but lately he’s been pushing even harder.’
Jang Sam swallowed hard.
It seemed he’d increased the weight again. The number of sandbags and stone weights attached to the rod had doubled.
Jang Sam snapped back to attention after staring blankly at Dokgo Myeong and shouted again.
“Oh goodness, this isn’t the time for that. Young Master! I’ve arrived, Young Master!”
“Huff, huff… Oh, you’re here?”
THUD!
Dokgo Myeong hurled the iron rod to the ground and turned around.
Sharp, piercing eyes emerged from between strands of sweat-soaked hair.
Jang Sam hesitated for a moment but forced a cheerful smile as he approached Dokgo Myeong.
“My, Young Master. You were training again?”
“I just started.”
“Just now?”
Jang Sam lowered his gaze.
The ground where Dokgo Myeong stood was noticeably darker than the surrounding area. In the mere quarter hour that Jang Sam had been away on errands, sweat had already drenched the floor.
“Did you bring what I asked you to retrieve from the Geumsan Sect?”
“Ah, yes. I brought it.”
Jang Sam carefully produced a pill wrapped delicately in golden silk paper.
“But what is this? You asked the Geumsan Sect Leader for it in secret.”
“It’s a tonic. Something I need for my training.”
“…Really?”
“Why, are you worried again?”
“Actually, when the Geumsan Sect Leader handed it over, his expression was a bit….”
…I don’t know why, but he was trembling.
At those words, Dokgo Myeong chuckled.
“It seems our Tae-im’s instructions worked well. Now he’s finally learning to obey.”
Why was that?
The Young Master’s tone was like that of an owner delighted that his pet dog had finally learned to listen.
Or perhaps in this case, a pig?
“You did well bringing it. You can go now.”
“Ah, yes….”
Jang Sam lowered his head and turned to leave.
Then he suddenly stopped and called out to Dokgo Myeong cautiously.
“Um, Young Master.”
“What?”
“…Are you alright?”
“Is it because of this medicine?”
“No, that’s not it….”
Jang Sam opened and closed his mouth several times, hesitating.
After a long pause, Jang Sam finally let out a deep sigh and spoke.
“It seems like you’ve changed again, Young Master.”
Dokgo Myeong’s gaze turned toward Jang Sam.
“It might just be my mistake, but ever since the Sect Leader called for you….”
Dokgo Myeong had already changed. Everyone in the family knows that now.
But Jang Sam had the feeling that Dokgo Myeong had changed once more after meeting with the Sect Leader. Whether that was for better or worse, he couldn’t say.
“…Yes, that’s how it appeared.”
After a moment of silence, Dokgo Myeong spoke softly.
The flustered Jang Sam quickly waved his hands.
“Oh no, that was overstepping, wasn’t it? Please don’t worry about it. I was just concerned….”
“No. You saw it correctly. If you noticed it that much, then I must have my wits about me.”
Dokgo Myeong smiled brightly, revealing his pearly white teeth.
“The Sect Leader just gave me a scolding. Thanks to that, my mind became crystal clear.”
“What? A scolding?”
Dokgo Myeong nodded.
“Brother Jang. Do you remember what I said before about taking revenge on the Geumsan Sect?”
“Ah, that endurance must be for the sake of what you desire… that statement?”
“Yes, that one.”
“Why do you ask?”
Dokgo Myeong fidgeted with the medicinal pill in his hand as he spoke.
“But the one who said those words was only focused on what I didn’t want to do. Because I had never thought about what I actually wanted to do.”
“….”
“Now it’s different. The path I must take has become clear.”
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes gleamed with intensity.
‘I won’t drift along anymore.’
I disliked the current state of Gangho. I despised the core members of the Martial Arts Alliance who had used and discarded me, and Baek Mu-heun as well.
The Twin Demon League… I hate them. They are my enemies.
‘Just changing the world? That’s not enough.’
I will build a sanctuary that suits my people and conforms to my standards.
A smile played at the corners of Dokgo Myeong’s lips.
Suddenly, Jang Sam’s eyes widened in surprise.
‘Has the Young Master ever smiled like that before?’
Dokgo Myeong wore a faint smile, and that smile felt brighter than any laugh I had ever seen before.
“I’m not sure what you’re planning, but I’ll always support you, Young Master!”
Jang Sam clenched his fist and laughed.
The sight of the young master, once so listless, now brimming with determination was truly a joy to behold.
“Thank you, Jang.”
“Hehe.”
“But…”
At that moment, both corners of Dokgo Myeong’s mouth curled upward simultaneously.
“You want to know what I’m planning?”
A chill ran down his spine.
Suddenly, the back of his neck grew cold.
“W-what on earth are you thinking now…”
“…It’s a secret. Hehehehe.”
Now that I thought about it, this might not have been a good change after all. Jang Sam shuddered involuntarily and took a step back.
‘Was supporting him a mistake?’
Dokgo Myeong simply continued laughing.
* * *
After Jang Sam left.
Dokgo Myeong sat in lotus position in the center of the Training Hall and steadied his breathing.
-Cultivate strength.
With my eyes closed, I turned over the Sect Leader’s words in my mind.
That word “strength” surely did not mean mere physical power.
In the Gangho, strength takes many forms. Martial prowess, wealth, reputation, authority, influence…
All of these were things I still lacked.
‘If I lack them, then I must acquire them.’
And what needed to be acquired immediately was clear.
‘The first step is martial prowess.’
I could delay no longer. Now I had to completely burn away the turbidity, complete the vessel, and fill it with its contents.
In other words, it was time to cultivate inner energy.
‘Even if it’s dangerous, I must advance to the next stage now.’
Dokgo Myeong opened my eyes slightly and gazed down at what lay on the ground.
A small wooden box and a small medicinal pill placed beside it.
Click!
As I opened the box’s lid, a pure fragrance spread throughout the Training Hall.
Inside was the spiritual elixir that Dokgo Cheon had bestowed—the Two Dragon Pill.
And the other one was a medicinal pill that Jang Sam had brought this time, which I had personally submitted the formula for to the Geumsan Sect and commissioned them to produce.
‘Soul Refining Pill.’
Made by mixing seven poisons and ten medicinal ingredients. It was one of the one hundred and eight poisons created by Dokgo Gyeon, one of the members of the Demon Slaying Unit and a quack physician.
-If consumed directly, it is poison, but if you take the antidote three times at ten-day intervals before ingesting it, that toxicity will produce a different effect.
-You’re not selling medicine again, are you?
—…Captain, please trust me.
Dokgo Gyeon’s somber voice echoed through my mind.
‘I never expected to consume this myself.’
The Yeanhon Pill was a medicine that the Demon Slaying Unit always administered to new recruits who had mastered third-rate cultivation techniques.
Poison becomes medicine depending on how it is used. Once immunity was built through an antidote, consuming the Yeanhon Pill would purify the turbid qi within the body.
‘The orthodox method is to use the Yeanhon Pill to remove only the turbid qi from the body, then consume the Iyong Pill afterward….’
But I chose a different path.
‘I would consume them together.’
Using the poison of the Yeanhon Pill, I intended to filter out not only the turbid qi in my body but also the minute impurities within the Iyong Pill. While the essence of the spiritual medicine would be lost, I could certainly create purer true qi in exchange.
‘Well done, Dokgo Gyeon.’
I swallowed the Yeanhon Pill first.
Ssshhhhh….
Moments later, my stomach began to twist. Prickling sensations spread through my entire body as if thorns were coursing through my blood vessels.
‘Now the Iyong Pill.’
I immediately threw the Iyong Pill into my mouth.
Whoooosh!
Soon, a signal rose from my dantian.
The Yeanhon Pill took the first step. I could feel the prickling poison spreading through my blood vessels across my entire body.
Then the energy of the Iyong Pill began to move.
Now the true test began.
I exhaled sharply and sprang to my feet.
Then I extended my hand.
Boom!
The air trembled as my fist extended.
Moving my body while consuming not only spiritual medicine but poison as well was a dangerous act that invited demonic possession.
But I had the Hyocheongong.
“Huuuh!”
A movement technique based on the Hyocheongong, not the Left Palace technique.
The two types of medicinal qi flowing through my blood vessels began to move according to the guidance of the Hyocheong qi.
‘This is going to be quite… difficult.’
Cold sweat trickled down my jaw.
It would be arduous work. On top of the Hyocheong qi, I had to concentrate on two different energies while maintaining the movement technique without pause.
‘Then again, when has anything ever been easy.’
I steadied my resolve.
Difficult, yes, but certainly achievable.
Time flowed on.
A quarter hour, two quarters…finally, half a double-hour had passed.
Huuuuuh….
A change arrived.
With each extended arm and every step forward, a hazy shimmer began to rise.
The phenomenon arose from the vital energy of the Dragon Ascension Pill, the toxic qi of the Soul Binding Pill, and the turbid qi being expelled from within my body.
Uuuuooom!
Soon, the color of the Hyocheongong began to shift, taking on a hue reminiscent of the dawn sky.
Deeper and brighter still.
The shimmering haze of true qi enveloping my entire body transformed into a vivid crimson light.
‘Now!’
Whoosh!
I drew it inward.
The true qi that had been erupting outward was sucked back into my body like a whirlwind, spiraling inward.
And when all those changes came to an end.
Silence descended upon the Training Hall.
“Haah, gasp, gasp….”
Thump!
Sweat poured down like rain. My wavering body finally collapsed onto the ground.
“Damn. I thought I was going to die.”
My breath came in gasps, yet laughter burst forth.
“I did it. Success!”
I clenched my fists tightly.
Cheonwae Gyeong, the second heaven.
The Hyocheongong had perfectly settled into my body.
I immediately sat in lotus position, closed my eyes, and began circulating my qi.
Uuuuooom!
The Hyocheongong raced through the open meridians like a wild horse.
‘This is more than I expected… wait, hold on.’
In that instant, I felt another surge of energy spreading throughout my entire body.
Uuuuooom!
It was the Hyocheongong. Suddenly, the Hyocheongong began expanding on its own.
‘Inner and outer resonance? That’s a phenomenon that shouldn’t occur until reaching the third heaven?’
My eyes twitched slightly.
Originally, this was a realm I shouldn’t have been able to reach yet. It was a phenomenon that only occurred when external and internal cultivation balanced each other, and the application of true qi surpassed a certain threshold.
‘Could it be that I’ve accumulated enough Hyocheongong over time, and the purity of the Hyocheongong is so dense that I’ve skipped a stage?’
That was the only explanation I could fathom. It was an achievement I hadn’t experienced even in my previous life.
I slowly opened my eyes.
“….”
Then I immediately rose and drew up the Hyocheongong.
Whoooosh!
The Hyocheongong blazed forth like flames.
Hyocheong means the sky after dawn has cleared and the brilliant sun shines down. While Hyocheongong refines the body, Hyocheongong amplifies it.
Soon, my entire body was filled with a fierce and mighty power, like the midday sun.
“Let’s see what I can do.”
In an instant, Dokgo Myeong’s eyes gleamed as he stepped forward.
Whoosh!
My body accelerated rapidly.
With the ignition of my qi, my physical form and inner power amplified exponentially.
My extended fist soon struck the wooden dummy placed in the corner of the Training Hall.
Boom! Crash!
The blackwood reinforced with an iron core—so dense that even an axe would struggle to split it—shattered as if exploding. And as if that weren’t enough, the qi wave that surged forth resonated through the empty air with a piercing ring.
“What is this….”
A hollow laugh escaped me.
Even compared to when I obtained the Hyocheongong in my previous life… no, comparison itself was meaningless.
“This is sufficient.”
Dokgo Myeong took a deep breath and exhaled sharply in one motion.
“Now I should prepare to depart.”
Dokgo Myeong left the Training Hall with light steps.
* * *
Dokgo Cheon, who was handling affairs at the Gajubu, had to stop his work upon Lee Seong-cheon’s report.
“…Washing hands in a golden basin? From the Pure Heaven League?”
“Yes, the letter just arrived.”
“Pure Heaven League, Pure Heaven League… that was the name of the alliance of minor sects in Guizhou, wasn’t it.”
This was an era when no singular dominant force ruled the martial world of Zhongyuan. Across the vast Gangho of the Nine Provinces, regional alliances existed in each area, and the Pure Heaven League was one of them.
Interest flickered in Dokgo Cheon’s eyes.
“Im Cheong-gun was surely the league master there.”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“Bring it here.”
Lee Seong-cheon respectfully presented the letter.
“Washing away all grievances and debts on the last day of the year, showing benevolence to those he owes… he seems sincere.”
Dokgo Cheon scanned the contents of the letter with evident interest.
“The Guizhou martial world has lacked talent. Im Cheong-gun was practically leading it alone.”
So even with his ailments, he could not step down. But it seems he has finally made his decision.
“What is the reaction?”
“Other regions remain quiet. Only the Guizhou martial circles seem turbulent.”
“They are merely pretending to be.”
Dokgo Cheon casually folded the letter and tossed it onto his desk.
Though called an alliance, the Pure Heaven League was not a major force. From its inception, it was an organization formed by minor sects from Guizhou and Guangxi provinces—regions without any particularly large powers—banding together for survival.
“Washing hands in a golden basin….”
Dokgo Cheon’s subtle gaze drifted through the empty air.
It meant washing one’s hands in clean water held in a golden basin—an ancient tradition of settling all affairs of the Gangho and retiring. That was the true meaning of washing hands in a golden basin.
Yet it was also a tradition more honored in name than in practice.
For the Gangho was a place that welcomed all who entered without distinction and held back those who wished to leave with debts unpaid.
“Didn’t the Pure Heaven League have a firm grip on the trade routes with Yunnan and the southern barbarians?”
“Yes, that is correct. However, it is said that he distributed all manner of rights to the merchants of Guizhou.”
“But those Guizhou merchants ultimately follow the Zhengtianhui, do they not?”
“….”
Dokgo Cheon swept his beard aside with a subtle motion.
“Suspicious. It would be more than enough for him to retire quietly, yet he collects the Golden Divide Tax… There’s something scheming beneath the surface.”
“The Tianyi Pavilion shares the same assessment.”
Dokgo Cheon narrowed his eyes, lost in thought.
Soon enough, he spoke.
“Guizhou is practically at our doorstep.”
Lee Seong-cheon’s eyes brightened.
“Are you considering expansion?”
“No, not yet. Don’t I have packs of wolves circling my own territory as we speak?”
“Then….”
“First, I need to uncover what he’s truly after.”
Dokgo Cheon gazed at the large map of Zhongyuan hanging on one side of his study.
After staring at the map for some time, Dokgo Cheon murmured to himself.
“Regardless, I’ll need to send someone… but the question is who.”
“Among those currently without pressing duties, suitable candidates are rather scarce.”
Dokgo Cheon’s expression grew subtle.
Sending a major figure from the main family would be beneath our dignity. After all, the Zhengtianhui is merely a small regional alliance on the frontier.
Yet if I send someone of lesser standing, I lack the talent capable of seeing through the Zhengtianhui’s true intentions.
It was at that moment.
“…Lord Gajubu, Young Master Dokgo Myeong has come to visit. What shall we do?”
A servant’s voice came from beyond the door.
Dokgo Cheon, who had paused briefly, slowly curved his lips upward into a smile.

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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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