Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 236
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 236
Hwang Yeol-sam surveyed his surroundings with a disgruntled expression.
The ground was strewn with everything imaginable—daggers, nets, chains, poisons, arrows, and incendiary devices.
It resembled a battlefield rather than a martial arts duel—an absolute mess.
‘And the authorities don’t intervene in this chaos?’
There were limits to non-interference. Surely this crossed the line?
They spoke of troubled times, troubled times indeed, but to this extent?
Regardless.
“I’m a Dan-du of Gae-bang rank—is this really what I should be doing?”
Hwang Yeol-sam dragged his aching body as he cleaned up the mess.
“Won’t you answer, you lot?”
“….”
“Hey? Look here?”
The beggars clustered around Hwang Yeol-sam spoke in hushed, creeping voices.
“What choice do we have, sir?”
“What do you mean no choice! I’m an absolute master, Hwang Yeol-sam, Dan-du of Gae-bang!”
A Dan-du was the highest rank representing all Gaebangdo of every city—equivalent to an Elder in the Nine Sects or a patriarch in the great families.
“Yes, we know, Dan-du.”
“But….”
Wang Pal, a Gaebangdo member, trailed off and gazed toward the sky.
All eyes followed his gaze upward.
Whoooosh!
Something was flying through the heavens.
Black garments, limbs fluttering in the wind.
They were the attackers.
‘Can a person actually fly like that?’
‘Three of them at once this time?’
‘Wow, they’re piling up again.’
Thud! Crash!
The Black-Robed Men who flew through the air were being stacked neatly in one corner.
Wriggle, wriggle!
Moreover, they were moving.
Well, they were alive, so of course they moved.
‘Is this right?’
‘They’re enemies, but still…’
‘Wait. Now that I think about it, he’s just hurling living people around like that?’
The beggars whispered among themselves before looking ahead.
There stood Dokgo Myeong, casually flinging Black-Robed Men about with a carefree expression.
“Ugh, damn it. This is ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous. Why do these fools wear night clothes in broad daylight? All style, no substance. And they go flying with a single punch!”
Crack! Boom!
Dokgo Myeong, who had been mocking them, now didn’t even use his hands—he simply kicked people flying with his feet.
I doubt he’d treat luggage so carelessly.
“He’s scattered poison everywhere again. These people are such a pain to clean up after.”
When Dokgo Myeong casually waved his hand, a handful of dirt rose into the air as if he’d scooped it out with a shovel.
It was the Void Absorption technique. He compressed it like a dumpling, then hurled it away.
“Honestly! There’s always someone making a mess and someone cleaning it up! Is this what happens the moment you enter the martial world? Is this really it?”
Crash! Screeeech!
The weapons the beasts had thrown were kneaded like clay, compressed into iron spheres.
“….”
“….”
The beggars’ gazes turned toward Dan-du once more.
Hwang Yeol-sam, belatedly noticing his subordinates’ stares, bellowed.
“Don’t you bastards have eyes?”
The beggars immediately averted their gaze.
Hwang Yeol-sam muttered with an aggrieved expression.
“Damn it… I’m an Elder of Gae-bang. And they call him Dan-du….”
“….”
“Plus, he’s an Envoy….”
Hwang Yeol-sam whimpered while still having to put effort into the cleanup.
* * *
After finishing the cleanup.
Dokgo Myeong performed breathing exercises in one of the few intact residences within the city.
Whoooosh!
Dark smoke poured from Dokgo Myeong’s pores.
The Gae-bang members standing guard flinched and retreated further back.
Suddenly, beads of sweat formed on Dokgo Myeong’s forehead.
Though I had already expelled all the poison, I took a moment to examine my internal state.
‘I’m not completely immune to poison yet. Was the Thousand Poison Invulnerability technique really impossible after all?’
The aftermath of the battle was not entirely absent. Some of the toxic qi I had inhaled had attacked my meridians.
‘Well, there are so many types of poison—it’s unreasonable to block them all.’
It didn’t matter.
Even such deadly poison couldn’t penetrate the barrier of the Saintly Heaven Art.
Though I activated the Heavenly Outer Spirit Elixir Field technique quite late to expel it, I could instantly restore my body to optimal condition.
Moreover.
Press, press, press!
When Hoa pressed the injured area with her front paw, my body’s recovery power surged as if by magic.
I stroked Hoa’s head.
“How do you even manage something like this?”
“Kyaang?”
“Anyway, thank you. My child.”
Dokgo Myeong exhaled a long breath.
‘I knew he had grown stronger, but he’s truly developed far more than I expected.’
A year ago flashed through my mind—when I faced Muyong Ji, the Sword Saint of Heaven and Earth. That old man had nearly cost me my life.
But now, despite the favorable conditions—my natural advantage against poison, his age, his carelessness—I had dispatched a master of Blacktooth Poison Fist’s caliber with remarkable ease.
Around that time, Gaebangdo, who had been standing guard, approached respectfully.
“Young Master Dokgo Myeong. Are you feeling alright?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“Dan-du said he wishes to meet with you once you’re finished. Shall we go now?”
“Let’s go. Besides, there were things I wanted to discuss anyway.”
Dokgo Myeong sprang to his feet.
It was time to learn how the martial world was turning.
* * *
“So you’re that Dokgo Myeong? Are you doing alright?”
Dan-du greeted Dokgo Myeong while putting on a show of strength.
Thud!
Dokgo Myeong sat down with one arm casually draped over the back of the chair, regarding him silently.
“Why, why are you looking at me like that?”
“Looking?”
“…?”
“Isn’t it a bit short on words for a senior to speak to a junior?”
What nonsense was this?
Wasn’t it natural for a senior to speak briefly to a junior?
“Heh, heh… but still, I am your senior….”
“When did a beggar start worrying about seniority? Besides, I even cleaned up your mess.”
“Cleaning up? Those people came after you in the first place, and we also handled the aftermath….”
“Ah, if we’re going by that logic, I’ve shared senior-junior relations with the Yongdu Sect Leader. Should we trace the genealogy? And I’m sworn brothers with Hu-gae too!”
“That, Hu Gu-dangju isn’t exactly above Dan-du’s people….”
“Tsk, trying to start a power struggle? That makes me suspicious—are you a spy for the Jeongheol Sect? Go ahead, curse out that bastard Jeongheol Sect Leader.”
Crack! Crack!
Suddenly, Dokgo Myeong began cracking his knuckles.
Hwang Yeol-sam’s body trembled involuntarily.
In the end, he could only begin a proper conversation after spitting out the curses Dokgo Myeong demanded.
“…My apologies. Please, speak freely, Young Master Dokgo Myeong.”
“I’ve been comfortable from the start.”
Hwang Yeol-sam let out a groan.
‘But shouldn’t I be the one suspecting whether he’s a spy or not?’
Hwang Yeol-sam could only think this to himself.
But then, Dokgo Myeong changed his tone and spoke.
“Fortunately, it seems Dan-du Hwang is one of the righteous.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I’m saying you don’t appear to be a spy for the Jeongheol Sect.”
“…!?”
“Then who was the spy? You must have some idea by now? Surely you’ve at least figured that much out?”
Hwang Yeol-sam’s face went blank for a moment as I cut straight to the point.
But he quickly regained his composure and spoke.
“How did you know there was a spy? And more importantly, how can you be so certain I’m not the one?”
“You didn’t react when I casually mentioned the Jeongheol Sect’s name earlier.”
Earlier? When exactly?
It suddenly came back to me.
-Could you be a spy for the Jeongheol Sect? Try cursing out the Jeongheol Sect Leader.
Chills ran down my spine.
Was that really a test?
“How does knowing that name prove I’m not a spy?”
“If you were a Jeongheol Sect member, you would have pretended not to know. But if you heard it and simply moved on naturally, it means you already knew from Senior Bang Jong-san. That means you’re someone Dan-du can trust.”
Hwang Yeol-sam fell silent for a moment.
His flustered expression soon turned serious.
“What if all of that was an act?”
I chuckled.
“Your reaction was off from the start, and my instincts told me you weren’t the one.”
“Instincts? Reaction?”
“If you were a Jeongheol Sect spy infiltrating the Dan-du level, you’d need to be at least a military commander. In that case, you wouldn’t try to bicker with me over formalities.”
“Why not?”
“You’d cooperate instead of engaging in a power struggle over face and honorifics.”
“….”
This guy… isn’t he only in his mid-twenties?
He seemed like just a reckless tyrant, but he had this side to him?
“So.”
“….”
“What happened to the spy?”
Silence fell.
Hwang Yeol-sam lowered his voice.
“There is one.”
“Have you caught them?”
“We’re in pursuit. We should be able to capture them by tomorrow morning.”
“Good then.”
I dismissed it lightly as if that settled the matter.
“Aren’t you surprised there’s a spy in a mere Dan-level organization?”
“It’s just a Dan-level organization. I’d believe it even if a sect leader from some major faction turned out to be a Jeongheol Sect member. The Jeongheol Sect is capable of that.”
“….”
“Now, shall we move on to the main topic?”
Hwang Yeol-sam exhaled deeply with his eyes closed, then continued speaking.
“Confirmed. That old man is indeed Blacktooth Poison Fist. Did you truly capture him alone?”
“I nearly died doing it. Goodness, how relentlessly that old bastard scattered his poison.”
Dokgo Myeong grumbled.
Meanwhile, Hwang Yeol-sam forcibly suppressed a sigh that threatened to escape his lips.
The supreme master of the Moyong branch—Blacktooth Poison Fist.
Though his prime had passed with age, he remained a formidable expert among Moyong’s vanguard forces that coveted dominion over the martial realm.
Not only had he mastered poison techniques through past connections with the Dang Family, but he was an ascending master who had refined Moyong’s fist techniques to their absolute limit. His skill was such that he could easily claim the position of Sect Leader at most major martial sects.
‘His martial prowess was at that level?’
Moreover, it hadn’t been a fair one-on-one duel, but rather a disadvantageous multi-against-one battle.
Dokgo Myeong asked again.
“More importantly, what information have we obtained?”
The captured individuals had been handed over to Gae-bang. Extracting information from them was Gae-bang’s responsibility.
“We haven’t extracted any information from Blacktooth Poison Fist yet. He only kept repeating that you need to be brought to someone.”
“Did you interrogate him poorly, worrying about ethics and such nonsense?”
“You misunderstood my words. It means the same response came out regardless of what we did.”
“Hmm?”
“This one seems to have lost his mind.”
Hwang Yeol-sam tapped his temple lightly.
Dokgo Myeong’s expression hardened instantly.
“The Upper Dantian?”
“A seal had been placed on it.”
A seal placed on the Upper Dantian of a high-ranking member of the Moyong Family?
Dokgo Myeong furrowed his brow.
“Has the Moyong Family Head lost his mind? How could he place a seal on his own family’s strongest expert? With the war drawing so near?”
“How long have you been away from the martial realm?”
“Roughly less than half a year.”
Hwang Yeol-sam nodded as if that explained everything.
“My spiritual perception isn’t intact right now, so I can’t sense the surroundings. Could you check if there are any listening ears?”
“There aren’t.”
Hwang Yeol-sam lowered his voice considerably.
“From here on, this is top-tier intelligence. Information we obtained thanks to Gae-bang’s extensive intelligence operations against Moyong.”
Dokgo Myeong listened intently.
Hwang Yeol-sam paused to collect himself before beginning.
“The Moyong Family has declared a temporary closure of their gates.”
“What? A gate closure? Did they get caught with their tail?”
“No, it’s for internal reorganization.”
Hwang Yeol-sam began explaining events that had occurred during Dokgo Myeong’s absence from the martial realm.
“Originally, the Moyong Family had severe power struggles between the Family Head and the Elder Council. This is because the current Family Head comes from a concubine line.”
“That’s common knowledge.”
“That’s right. But from here on, this is classified information. When I became the family head, I reorganized things, but it seems that after this war was declared, major internal conflicts erupted once again.”
Why was that?
I could foresee what would happen next.
“After the purges are completed perfectly, the already strong governance methods are being strengthened further. Mysterious masters appearing and seizing high positions, meritorious officials being demoted in rank….”
I finished his thought.
“They haven’t merely cooperated with external forces—they’ve become completely integrated with them.”
I clicked my tongue.
The Moyong Family.
They hadn’t just joined hands with the Jeongheol Sect—they’d become complete puppets under them.
“Still, isn’t it absurd? They placed restrictions on a master of Blacktooth Poison Fist’s caliber and simply used him as a disposable piece?”
“Huh? A disposable piece?”
“You sent him to me, didn’t you?”
“…?”
Hwang Yeol-sam’s eyes widened, then he let out a hollow laugh as if it were ridiculous.
“Think about it carefully. Blacktooth was a renowned master from the previous generation. Moreover, he practices a troublesome poison technique. He even brought considerable forces with him. But you? You’re just one person.”
“What are you saying?”
“They must have thought you’d lose.”
A brief silence fell.
I pondered his words and nodded in understanding.
“In other words, they looked down on me?”
“…Is that how you’re interpreting it?”
“I’ve been rampaging around, and they still disrespect me? Do they need to get beaten down even more to come to their senses?”
My eyes gleamed.
Goodness, why are his eyes like that? It’s genuinely frightening.
Hwang Yeol-sam flinched involuntarily and cautiously asked.
“May I ask just one thing?”
“What else do you want to know?”
“Just how strong have you become?”
I tilted my head.
How strong had I become?
After a moment of thought, I chuckled and spoke.
“Strong enough that someone like Blacktooth Poison Fist can’t even gauge my level.”
“…!”
Hwang Yeol-sam’s eyes widened in shock.
If anyone else had said this, he would have dismissed it as arrogance, but instead it sounded like an objective self-assessment.
Meanwhile, I stood with my arms crossed, lost in deep thought.
‘Restrictions, restrictions….’
I turned the information over in my mind, organizing it.
‘You can’t place restrictions on a true master. It makes them half of what they should be.’
In other words.
‘So Blacktooth Poison Fist is skilled enough to be used as a strategic piece in this war?’
A war with the Moyong Family… This doesn’t seem like it will be easy.
‘Then why did he ask to see me in the first place?’
And who was this person who said I needed to be brought along?
My eyes gleamed with a cold, piercing light.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————