Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 251

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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 251
Whoooosh!
The lamp flickered as wind swept through the room.
The Old Man (male) who had been wielding his brush by the lamplight furrowed his brow.
“That explosion sound… it wasn’t from our side, was it?”
“No, sir. It was the noise from a collision between masters occurring inside and outside the Dokgo Household’s walls.”
“Could it be that those who infiltrated were discovered? No other orders were given, were there?”
“It wasn’t us.”
“Then?”
“We cannot determine. It happened too suddenly…”
“What is the outer faction’s response?”
“They remain silent.”
In the darkness.
Eyes gleamed with an eerie ghostfire burning within them.
“Hmm, could it be that they’re moving in this manner before the day even ends? Indeed, there must be a reason why that Blackblood fellow was helpless against them.”
The Mysterious Old Man (male) burst into laughter.
“We must hurry. Gather everyone.”
“Sir?”
“The situation has taken a turn for the worse. Or perhaps for the better. Either way…”
The Old Man (male) rose from his seat.
Creak!
He slowly opened the window, and thanks to the bright moonlight, he could see far into the distance.
Where the Old Man (male)’s gaze fell.
The distant silhouette of the Dokgo Household came into view.
* * *
In a tall pavilion bathed in moonlight, I closed my eyes gently as I gazed down upon the world.
Whether it was because the moon shone so brightly, or because I had seen so many old faces from my memories throughout the day.
My past life came to mind after a long time.
‘I was truly swayed so much because of those Rats.’
From some point onward, the Paramountain Guard had accumulated countless achievements.
Yet because we lacked allies, we suffered greatly at the hands of the Jeongheol Sect.
‘The structure that made infiltration easier compared to other places was also a problem.’
Now I could personally select and find people, but back then I didn’t even have the authority to refuse the flood of new recruits. As a result, whenever the Jeongheol Sect members made up their minds, they could infiltrate the Paramountain Guard at any time.
‘I’m grateful for that one thing, at least.’
I held a bitter smile on my lips.
‘Because of it, I was able to experience such fights in the most thorough way possible.’
Suffering, seeking revenge, being betrayed, and preventing it again…
The Paramountain Guard could only ever repair the barn after the ox was lost.
But we never once gave up on repairing it.
We repaired it, and repaired it again.
Until ultimately, we lose nothing at all.
‘In the end, rooting them out is no different from hunting. We must lure our prey into traps using appetizing bait.’
What could be appetizing bait to fanatics specialized in concealment?
Faith itself.
Their fanaticism was a formidable weapon to contend with, yet it sometimes became an exploitable weakness.
‘Combined with the First General’s talisman. Isn’t this enough to touch that so-called sublime faith of yours?’
Whether it was something fortunately acquired, gaps in words detected through intuition and perception, or anything else—it mattered not. Whatever could serve as bait was fair game.
That was the enlightenment gained through battles of trust and distrust.
“Commander.”
Then, someone approached without a sound and spoke. It was Ye-hwa.
“Yes.”
Dokgo Myeong slowly opened his eyes.
“They’re beginning to move, it seems.”
“Quite… numerous, sir.”
“The White Tiger Guard?”
“Deployed, sir.”
“Then we should move soon. I’ll head toward the one suspected to be the First General as originally planned.”
Dokgo Myeong rose to his feet.
Then Ye-hwa gently grasped his collar.
“…There.”
“Hmm?”
“It’s not that I doubt your abilities, Commander. But…”
Anxiety flickered in Ye-hwa’s eyes.
“Are you certain they’re all of them?”
Dokgo Myeong’s gaze grew cold.
Yes, this was the most troublesome aspect of the Jeongheol Sect.
Making people lose trust in one another, sowing suspicion.
Dokgo Myeong let out a soft laugh.
“Don’t worry, little one. Even if there are more, it doesn’t matter.”
“…?”
“I’m very confident in this kind of fight. I have dozens of methods to winnow them out. If necessary, I’ll simply endure a bit more hardship.”
Dokgo Myeong wore a cold smile.
It was baseless confidence he occasionally displayed, yet it inspired such trust.
Ye-hwa nodded.
“Understood.”
“I’m leaving Hoa in your care. You stay here. You understand what I mean?”
“If anyone else reacts…”
“Root them out with Hoa and cut off their retreat. Keep it quiet, if you would. And.”
Dokgo Myeong looked at Ye-hwa.
“Don’t forget the last thing I asked of you.”
“Of course.”
“Right then, I’ll be going. I’m leaving this place in your hands.”
* * *
The man crossed the Dokgo estate grounds with an unhurried, measured pace.
He paused for a moment, perplexed.
‘What is this?’
They had clearly said an encirclement had been formed. They said a pursuit was being deployed.
Even for the Dokgo Household, could the interior truly be this quiet with such a situation unfolding?
Whoooosh.
The sound of wind carried a desolate quality.
The man resumed his steps after the brief pause.
‘I need to make contact with the First General outside. Assessing the situation must be my priority.’
Soon his walking pace quickened, and his path led over the Dokgo estate’s wall into the sparsely populated mountains nearby.
But it was then.
“It seems you may have taken a wrong turn.”
“…!”
“And to have wandered so far, even if you were searching for the privy, is quite excessive.”
The man’s steps halted once more.
His head turned slowly to the side.
There stood Dokgo Myeong.
“Oh! Is that not the Chamado Lord?”
Dokgo Myeong smiled faintly.
“Where are you headed?”
“I thought I might practice some lightness of foot technique. Seeing the other talented individuals, I felt I needed to train even more….”
The man continued naturally with a casual smile.
Moonlight had not yet reached the man in the darkness. Observing him shrouded in shadow, Dokgo Myeong spoke.
“At first, I suspected my own perception slightly.”
“…Pardon?”
“Because you were making such a commotion. A traitor would remain quiet to avoid detection, yet you were far too conspicuous, were you not?”
Dokgo Myeong’s tone suddenly shifted to informality.
“And to openly fail on the first trial…I wondered if it might be a mistake.”
Soon moonlight fell upon the man as well.
The revealed face was Son Baek-chan.
“What do you mean by that?”
Son Baek-chan asked with wide eyes.
“Ho, are you perhaps suspecting me? I’ll admit the circumstances warrant suspicion!”
“….”
“But consider this! As you said, if I were truly a traitor, why would I have failed the first trial and caused trouble? I merely wished to keep pace with the other talented young men who were selected alongside me, so I practice lightness of foot….”
“It is not difficult to obtain information about an additional trial. There were quite a few who had experienced it beforehand.”
“Is that alone enough to condemn me? It is unjust! I have a daughter and a wife…!”
“A family’s existence inspires trust, doesn’t it? Yes, that party you boasted about to everyone you met, and that daughter you claimed to adore? I had Gae-bang verify it directly.”
“….”
“Apparently, he doesn’t even glance at parties. Something about choking on one when he was young. I suppose they couldn’t even determine his actual favorite foods?”
Only then did Son Baek-chan’s mouth snap shut.
After standing silently for a long while, staring at Dokgo Myeong, he finally spoke.
“…I never heard anything about contacting Gae-bang.”
Dokgo Myeong chuckled softly.
“Right, that’s true. Actually, I didn’t.”
“What?”
“You fool. No matter how swift the messenger, do you really think information could travel from Shenxi to here in a single day?”
“Ha ha!”
Son Baek-chan suddenly burst into laughter.
It seemed like cheerful laughter on the surface, but an undercurrent of displeasure seeped through.
“Was the talisman also bait?”
His voice had changed.
In that menacing tone, there was no longer any trace of the talkative, meddlesome middle-aged man.
“Must I spell it out for you?”
“I realized far too late. Something felt off, but I couldn’t quite grasp it.”
Now his manner carried an ease and confidence.
Uuuuuung!
His posture, expression, eyes, and even his aura had transformed. It was a dramatic change, as if he had simply removed a mask.
“Don’t feel too wronged. By now, the others caught in this net are probably thrashing about trying to survive as well.”
“Ah, so they too fell for the demon’s deception. The Maitreya’s soldiers destined for the holy war depart so pathetically.”
Dokgo Myeong wore a contemptuous smile.
“Soldiers? They’re nothing but vermin, worse than insects.”
“Mind your words…”
Son Baek-chan’s eyes flashed crimson with killing intent. Since he was already exposed, he made no attempt to conceal it.
Dokgo Myeong smirked.
“How fortunate.”
“…?”
“That pathetic faith of yours. I barely provoked you, yet your reaction is this violent?”
Son Baek-chan’s face twisted.
“Before we begin, let me ask one thing. What rank of general are you?”
He answered with unmistakable pride in his voice.
“Secheon—Heaven’s Cleanser. I am the twenty-second general who washes the heavens.”
Fwooooosh!
As he unleashed his blood technique, the dried grass covering the ground and the nearby trees began to bleach white.
Twenty-second.
That was a considerably high-ranking general. The Jeongheol Sect had finally begun targeting Dokgo Myeong with only upper-ranked generals.
Yet at those words, Dokgo Myeong openly clicked his tongue.
“Tsk, pathetically weak.”
“What did you say?”
“I mean you’re far too feeble.”
Whoosh! A tremendous roar erupted!
The mountain wailed beneath Dokgo Myeong’s qi strike.
So this was what they called an upper-tier commander.
At this point, even that level seemed laughably insignificant.
“Let’s finish this quickly. Half a breath should suffice.”
Son Baek-chan—no, Commander Secheon spoke with resolute determination.
“Before I depart this life, I’ll claim at least one of your hands.”
“Unfortunately for you, you won’t even touch a single hair on my body.”
A deafening boom shattered the air!
The explosion echoed across the landscape.
* * *
The disciples of the Jeongheol Sect never operated alone. If one was captured, the other had to complete the mission regardless.
Everyone who had faced the Jeongheol Sect before already understood this.
Shhhhk!
The swordsman who had just sheathed his blade was named Seo Ryun.
Seo Ryun flicked the blood from his sword as he spoke.
“Report.”
“We have successfully captured all members from squads one through three. The total number of prisoners is fifteen. The count may increase further.”
At the White Tiger Guard’s report, Seo Ryun ground his teeth.
“These vermin crawled to the Young Master’s side without a shred of fear.”
How many times had he fought the Jeongheol Sect now? Yet with each battle, instead of growing accustomed, the horror only deepened.
‘The moment they realized they were discovered, they cast aside their own lives without hesitation. How could such a thing be the thinking of human beings?’
It would have been a mercy if they had merely bitten their tongues.
Instead, without a moment’s deliberation, they detonated the latent power within their bodies. Their will was to fight using the strength gained in that brief window, take at least one more with them, and die without revealing any information.
‘And there are not one, but two such organizations.’
That was when it happened.
A tremendous explosion thundered from afar!
Far in the distance, where Dokgo Myeong had lured the commander, a blast shook the very mountain.
Immediately after, the forest swayed and collapsed with a deafening rumble.
‘Yet there is no need for concern.’
That incarnation of overwhelming power had declared their fate in this battle.
The explosion from the mountain ended in an instant. All vibrations quickly subsided.
Seo Ryun addressed the nearby White Tiger Guards.
“Once the Young Master arrives, we lift the siege and return to the household. The disciples we’ve successfully captured will be taken directly to the interrogation chamber….”
It was a natural command.
The moment Seo Ryun finished his orders and turned to leave.
‘What is that?’
Countless black dots surged toward the mountain in the direction Dokgo Myeong had gone.

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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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