Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 26

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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 26
Seo Ryun, the escort commander of the delegation heading toward the Jingcheng Alliance, clicked his tongue with an uncomfortable expression.
“Sigh….”
“Sect Leader. Is this really right?”
“…What are you talking about.”
“Sect Leader, you know what I mean, don’t you? Ugh.”
The Squad Leader of the White Tiger Sect, who had been muttering complaints as he approached, subtly gestured toward the rear.
Two carriages rattled along behind them.
They were the carriages carrying the Dokgo Clan’s prodigies, Dokgo Myeong and Dokgo Ak.
“No matter how talented they are, isn’t this a bit much?”
“Is this because of Young Master Ak?”
“Well, Young Master Ak causing trouble isn’t exactly new, so I’ll let that slide.”
The Squad Leader furrowed his brow.
“Young Master Dokgo Myeong, what exactly is he doing?”
“…Hmm.”
Seo Ryun let out a low sigh at his subordinate’s complaint.
It had been four days since they departed from the Dokgo Clan.
Normally, they should have been on the waterway heading toward Guizhou City by now, but they hadn’t even reached halfway through the planned schedule.
It was all because of Dokgo Myeong’s orders.
“Why does he keep stopping every time we pass through a city or village?”
“How would I know.”
“I thought he wanted to rest, but then he suddenly orders us to depart again. Stopping and starting constantly…. Yesterday he even told us to take a different route than planned. This isn’t even like training a dog….”
“Careful with your words, you fool.”
“But I’m not saying anything wrong, am I?”
“….”
Faced with justified complaints, Seo Ryun couldn’t bring himself to scold the Squad Leader.
He simply heaved a deep sigh and patted his shoulder.
“No matter how talented they are, what would they know on their first venture into the Gangho.”
“Still….”
“Stop complaining and get back to your post. Keep the men in line.”
“Yes, yes.”
Seo Ryun glanced back at the White Tiger Sect members.
After days of tedious travel, discontent was evident in the eyes of the soldiers.
‘I need to keep them quiet. Though, well… he’s not entirely wrong.’
Seo Ryun clicked his tongue slightly.
He had made allowances for the young masters’ privileged upbringing, but he hadn’t expected it to be this bad.
Seo Ryun recalled the cautionary words that Wi Baek, the steward, had spoken before they left the clan.
-Young Master Ak is something Commander Seo can handle on his own.
-But be careful with Young Master Myeong. There are things you need to watch out for.
‘Be careful, he said….’
A hollow laugh escaped me. I wondered if Wi Baek had taken too favorable a view of Dokgo Myeong.
That was when it happened.
Dokgo Myeong’s servant trudged over from the carriage and stood before Seo Ryun.
“I… Sect Leader.”
“Mm, Jang’s servant. What is it?”
“We’re approaching a village soon, aren’t we? The Young Master asks if we might stop there for a brief rest.”
“…Again?”
I couldn’t even begin to guess what he was thinking. Or perhaps he wasn’t thinking at all.
Seo Ryun furrowed his brow and let out a deep sigh.
“Very well, tell him I understand.”
* * *
Inside Dokgo Myeong’s carriage.
Son Tae-im glanced out the carriage window and opened his mouth.
“Um, Young Master. Is it alright to keep stopping the procession like this?”
“We stop because it’s necessary.”
“Ah, yes…”
Son Tae-im wiped away beads of cold sweat.
“Never mind that. Continue with what you were saying.”
Son Tae-im snapped to attention and opened his mouth.
“As you instructed, I visited the information broker again today. It appears several major organizations have expressed their intention to participate.”
“Which ones?”
“Yesterday, an envoy departed from Seongsan.”
“Seongsan? So the Shaolin has departed as well.”
“Yes, this means all three of the Great Sects will now be participating.”
Hwasan of the Thousand-Year Sword Sect, the Northern Shaolin, and the Southern Mudang.
These three were known throughout the Gangho as the Great Sects.
“Is an elder-level master coming from Shaolin?”
“Ah, yes. A First Disciple and an elder are participating directly. And…”
Son Tae-im unrolled another bamboo slip.
“Just as you said, Young Master. The Jecheon Society and the Badao Alliance from Sichuan will also be attending.”
“News has finally arrived.”
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes gleamed as he spoke.
Son Tae-im’s eyes widened.
“The Jecheon Society is one thing, but how did you know the Badao Alliance would come?”
“They’re practically on our doorstep. There’s no way they wouldn’t come.”
“That’s true, but…”
“Have you found out who’s coming from the Badao Alliance?”
Son Tae-im nodded his head.
“Yes, that will take a bit more time to uncover.”
“Alright, hurry and find out.”
Dokgo Myeong fell into thought for a moment.
‘Nothing has changed much from my past life.’
A hundred years since the great war.
The current Gangho was a tranquil era where each region had forces that could be called hegemonies, yet no single power held clear dominion over all.
And in Gangho, nothing was as dangerous as tranquility itself.
Within such a peculiar atmosphere, a gathering with proper decorum had been arranged, so it was only natural that both righteous and evil sects would flock to it.
‘The Pae Sword Alliance. Those bastards wouldn’t miss an opportunity like this.’
The Pae Sword Alliance.
A rising dark sect that had seized control of Junggyeong in merely two years and was expanding its power at a terrifying pace.
“But Young Master, why are you so concerned about the Pae Sword Alliance?”
“Because we might have to clash with them at some point.”
“Ha, clashing with those vicious ones? What a joke.”
Son Tae-im let out a hollow laugh.
“But Young Master, you’re quite composed.”
“Hmm?”
“I’m already trembling with fear. Hehe….”
Son Tae-im chuckled nervously while organizing the bamboo slips.
The Three Great Sects, the Jecheon Society, the Pae Sword Alliance.
The figures gathered in Guizhou, barely more than a frontier region, were all formidable. No matter that he was a member of the Dokgo Clan, he couldn’t help but feel tense.
“Tsk, is this the time to worry so comfortably?”
“Pardon?”
“You should be thinking about how to move. I brought you all this way, and you’re just sitting here like an idiot.”
At my rebuke, Son Tae-im pouted his lips.
“But I only came because you forcibly dragged me here….”
I clicked my tongue in disapproval.
“Our Tae-im should just quit being a merchant. If you have nothing to do, go learn servitude under Brother Jang.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“If you still haven’t grasped it by now, you should quit being a merchant.”
Son Tae-im tilted his head with a confused expression.
Then suddenly, his eyes trembled slightly.
“Surely not?”
“Did you finally catch on?”
“…!”
Son Tae-im jumped to his feet without thinking, then sat back down with an embarrassed smile.
‘This event brings together so many people, doesn’t it.’
It’s not just about numbers. It’s a gathering of organizations with considerable renown.
And where people gather, money follows.
‘Moreover, Guizhou and the Jingcheng Alliance are vital hubs for trade between Yunnan and the southern regions….’
Son Tae-im’s eyes widened as he looked at me.
“You brought me here for this opportunity, didn’t you?”
“Bring me information on profitable ventures. If you fail to deliver results, it’ll be your head.”
Son Tae-im couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.
‘Heh, this reckless bastard… he’s certainly more formidable than I thought.’
The moment I regarded Dokgo Myeong with fresh eyes.
I felt my spine go cold.
I instinctively hunched down, pulling my head back.
Crack!
“Ugh!”
Stars sparkled before my eyes in an instant.
Son Tae-im, cradling his swollen, reddened mouth, trembled as he stared at Dokgo Myeong.
“W-why again…?”
“You cursed me in your head.”
“…!”
“What? So it was true?”
“N-no…”
“Let’s work well together.”
“Y-yes…”
Son Tae-im squeezed his eyes shut.
This bastard is definitely just a demon incarnate.
How does he read what’s inside people’s hearts?!
‘He’s truly formidable… Ugh! How did I, Son Tae-im, end up like this…’
Son Tae-im clenched his fists.
Of course, he kept them hidden behind his back lest they be noticed.
* * *
Time flowed slowly.
Apart from orders to change routes or stop at villages, Dokgo Myeong issued no other commands.
And during idle moments, I repeated my martial arts training.
‘The balance has aligned again. I thought it would only happen once, but it seems I’ve truly reached the state of perfect correspondence.’
I hadn’t missed a single day of training, yet each day felt unfamiliar.
And that was likely because my martial arts had already embarked on a path far different from my previous life.
‘My body, my inner force, my martial arts… if I measure them by the standards of my previous life’s experience, I could make a grave mistake.’
It wasn’t that problems would arise, but rather that I could underestimate myself.
Unlike my previous life, where I learned martial arts haphazardly, this time I built a solid foundation from the ground up. The inner force I once rushed to accumulate in quantity, I now cultivated with purity as the paramount priority.
Though the direction is the same as before, if my previous life was a treacherous mountain path, now it was like a well-maintained highway.
‘That’s why the feeling of walking is entirely different.’
Dokgo Myeong slightly wrinkled the bridge of his nose.
‘At this rate, obtaining the Body Conquest Art won’t be far off.’
Just as the Hyocheongong contains the Sensory Art, other secret realms each possess their own unique true qi and martial techniques.
The martial technique of the Hwicheon Gong was precisely the Body Conquest Art.
A martial technique that shines all the more because the Sensory Art exists—I genuinely anticipated what it would be like to unfold it with the Hwicheon Gi in its current state of absolute purity.
“Phew.”
I exhaled softly and slowly opened my eyes.
“Young Master. Have you finished your cultivation?”
Jang Sam, who had been sitting in the front seat, handed me a bamboo tube filled with water as if he’d prepared it in advance.
“Yes. How long has it been?”
“A little over an hour, sir.”
“Quite a while then.”
I stretched my stiff body and drained the water from the bamboo tube in one gulp.
Jang Sam blinked his wide eyes and spoke.
“I’m not entirely sure, but I’ve heard that cultivation is normally done in undisturbed places. Is it really fine to do it inside a swaying carriage?”
“When time is tight, I’ve even cultivated on horseback before, so it’s fine.”
“…Pardon?”
Jang Sam tilted his head in confusion.
Had the Young Master ever ridden a horse in the first place?
At least, Jang Sam had no such memory.
“Anyway, where are we now?”
“We’ve passed Donggu. They say we’ll arrive at the Hong River tomorrow and then take the waterway to Guizhou.”
I unfolded a map briefly and nodded.
“Then I’ll need to adjust our route tomorrow.”
“Pardon? Again?”
“There’s a place I need to stop by.”
This journey to Gangho was hard-won. While the Jingcheng Alliance matter was the primary objective, I had also made personal arrangements before departing.
“I should send word to the White Tiger Sect Leader.”
“Ah, I’ll go right away.”
“No need. I have time anyway, I’ll go myself.”
“Ah, well, it’s just that…”
“What? Why the hesitation?”
“No, it’s just… Seo Ryun, the other sect leader. He seems to find it somewhat… uncomfortable.”
Jang Sam hesitated as if the words were difficult to speak.
“Uncomfortable? What could the commander of the escort unit possibly find uncomfortable about speaking with the delegation’s representative?”
“…Well, that’s true, but…”
That was when it happened.
Thud!
The carriage suddenly came to a stop and swayed slightly.
“We’ll make camp here! All White Tiger Unit members, prepare for camp!”
The White Tiger Sect Leader’s voice rang out from outside the carriage.
Jang Sam’s brows furrowed slightly.
‘The Young Master gave no such order?’
I was the representative of this delegation. Whether we stopped or continued, everything should have been done under my command.
‘Did Young Master Dokgo Ak give the order?’
Even so, shouldn’t you ask Dokgo Myeong for his opinion on the matter?
“Well, Young Master, it seems there was some misunderstanding, so I’ll just go and——”
Jang Sam glanced at Dokgo Myeong before his body trembled slightly.
“You bastards?”
“Y-Young Master, please calm down——!”
“I was thinking I’d give you all a thrashing before we arrived, and look—you’ve walked right into it.”
Jang Sam jumped in alarm and reached out his hand.
Thud!
But Dokgo Myeong had already kicked the carriage forward and departed.
* * *
“Squad One and Squad Two will take watch. Squad Three will scout the perimeter——”
Seo Ryun issued orders for the camp setup with an expressionless face, directing the White Tiger Sect members.
Dokgo Myeong approached and called out to Seo Ryun.
“Seo Sect Leader. Come here for a moment, will you?”
“…First, let me finish these orders and regroup.”
Seo Ryun only turned around after completing his instructions.
“Yes, Young Master. You called for me?”
“What’s the meaning of this?”
Seo Ryun gestured vaguely toward the bustling camp preparations around them.
“As you can see, I’ve ordered the camp to be set up.”
“I don’t recall giving any such order.”
Seo Ryun met Dokgo Myeong’s gaze directly with an impassive expression.
“The sun is already setting, is it not? That’s why I gave the order.”
…
Dokgo Myeong stared at Seo Ryun without speaking.
Seo Ryun let out an exasperated sigh and continued.
“The problem was that we stopped every time we passed through villages and cities along the way. Didn’t that consume time we hadn’t accounted for?”
…
“In the wilderness, it’s standard practice to prepare camp quickly once the sun sets.”
His words were respectful, yet his tone seemed to challenge: ‘What do you know?’
Dokgo Myeong chuckled softly.
“And?”
“Pardon?”
“So you were in such a hurry you couldn’t even fall back and ask for my opinion?”
At Dokgo Myeong’s words, Seo Ryun blinked as if finding it absurd.
“…You’re upset over something so trivial?”
Dokgo Myeong smiled broadly.
Seo Ryun didn’t like that smile.
In that moment, Dokgo Myeong spoke.
“Seo Sect Leader. This is your last chance. Don’t you have something you need to say?”
“….”
At this point, even the family members and White Tiger Sect warriors began casting furtive glances in our direction.
Seo Ryun opened his mouth with a grimace.
“…Let’s stop here. There are too many eyes watching. I never intended to offend you over something so trivial.”
Well, it’s been a while since I’ve encountered someone so brazenly defiant.
Dokgo Myeong let out a snort of laughter, his eyes flashing.
“This won’t do. Seo Sect Leader, or rather, Seo Ryun. You and the White Tiger Sect should just return to your family.”
“…!”
“So the vaunted sword brigade of the family’s main force is no different from common street thugs.”

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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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