Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 260

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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 260
Hell was not far away.
The Cheonma Sect was hell itself.
“Ha! You martial artists can’t even do this? Back in my day, I ran with iron balls strapped to my limbs! Come on, answer me!”
“Yes, sir!”
“First three to finish! If you’re late, there’s no broth for you!”
“Yes, sir!”
“You abandoning your comrade? You’re abandoning your comrade?! Do you have a character problem?”
“Ahhhhh! No, sir!”
Shouts and screams erupted from every corner as if possessed by demons.
It was the Managers driving the Cheonma Sect Disciples relentlessly.
‘Huff, huff.’
‘This is hell. It’s definitely hell.’
‘What is this? What kind of training is this extreme?!’
The Cheonma Sect Disciples, who had gathered with their own dreams and hopes, were experiencing hell.
Training, training, and more training.
All that awaited the Disciples was endless training.
“What? You can’t even do this?”
“That’s impossible! This is the most basic of basics!”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I thought you’d find this easy since you’re older than me.”
The Managers spurred on the training with such remarks.
For the Disciples, it was enough to make their blood boil.
‘How am I supposed to do a handstand with iron weights all over my body?!’
‘Blindfolded and dodging hidden weapons? That doesn’t make sense?!’
‘They said rest is important! They said rest is training! Why is breathing cultivation considered rest?!’
Extreme conditions unlike anything they’d ever experienced unfolded before them.
Even basic external cultivation was beyond common sense. They moved in bizarre postures while weighted down with iron or earth, and their muscles felt as though they were being torn to shreds.
And the physical conditioning? That phrase “first come, first served” drove them to run like madmen. If they fell behind, they heard just one thing.
-If you keep at it until you succeed, you will eventually succeed.
Meanwhile, though most Disciples applied themselves diligently to training, not all did.
“Grrrgh! They call this training?! This is ridiculous!”
“Forget it! Let’s fight!”
A few Disciples, brimming with youthful vigor and confident in their abilities, attempted rebellion out of desperation, but the outcome was obvious.
Thwack! Smack! Crash!
“Huh? What? Why are you so weak?”
Even Geum Seok-du, the weakest among them, could single-handedly knock down all the Disciples. The gap was that vast.
Dokgo Ak took on ten Disciples bare-handed to establish discipline, and without breaking a sweat, he laid them all out in one breath.
‘Why are these people so weak? Did I pick the wrong people?’
That wasn’t it. They were simply stronger than common sense allowed.
In any case, such rebellions lasted only the first few days, and the Disciples swallowed their tears and threw themselves desperately into training.
And truthfully, it wasn’t just the disciples who were desperate.
“Hah! Our managers—are you really going to train so half-heartedly?”
“….”
“I had faith in you, and this is all you can manage? Sigh, I suppose it can’t be helped. If things are still a mess a week from now, I’ll report that there’s a problem with the managers, and we’ll have a one-on-one meeting together.”
Whenever the softhearted managers seemed to relax their grip even slightly, Dokgo Myeong would appear like a ghost and squeeze their hearts tight.
What choice did the managers have?
“Run! If you’re going to die, then just die. Keep running even after you’re dead!”
They had no choice but to drive the disciples even harder.
But it wasn’t just Dokgo Myeong’s pressure that made them push so ruthlessly.
They were genuinely shocked.
“How can first-rate masters not even dodge a few arrows coming from behind?”
“Exactly. We can block sword strikes without inner energy even with our eyes closed.”
“Tsk tsk!”
The managers were assigning what they considered the most basic training to the disciples.
Ye-hwa shook her head vigorously, her disappointment evident.
“It’s a bit awkward to say this, but…”
“Hmm?”
“I’m starting to understand why that commander drove us so hard.”
The managers nodded at her words.
How could they not drive them when they were so frustrated they were going mad?
And to be honest….
‘Isn’t this a bit… fun?’
‘Seeing their level improve so quickly is actually enjoyable?’
‘When you think about it, we’re doing all this for their sake, right? It’s absolutely not because we enjoy tormenting them.’
The managers burned with even greater enthusiasm.
“Whether it’s the commander’s threats… or orders, either way, these are people we’ll be responsible for from now on. We can’t leave them in such a weakened state.”
“You’re right, Ye-hwa. We need to start hellish training.”
“I agree.”
“Nothing beats actual combat for hellish training. Should we find a suitable cliff and throw them off to start?”
The managers’ conspiracy continued—words that would have turned the disciples pale if they’d heard them.
* * *
“That’s what a properly functioning unit looks like. Heh heh, it’s a pleasant sight.”
The highest floor of the Cheonma Sect’s main hall.
Dokgo Myeong, standing by the window of his office with his hands clasped behind his back, nodded with satisfaction.
‘They don’t even realize what they’ve been through, yet they drive them like this.’
The Cheonma Sect’s managers.
They weren’t simply strong.
Physical strength, mental fortitude, psychological warfare, improvisation, instinct, boldness, decisiveness, and more.
Hadn’t they accumulated abilities in actual combat and training that even masters of the same level couldn’t easily possess?
‘Of course the newly enlisted disciples would fall short in their eyes.’
The martial world that the managers had experienced and the martial world that the disciples knew were entirely different realms.
Just as a tadpole cannot fathom the thoughts of a frog, the disciples could only appear hopelessly inferior in the eyes of the managers.
“Am I witnessing hell itself…?”
At that moment, a murmuring voice drifted from behind.
Dokgo Myeong’s head snapped around sharply.
“What was that, Overseer Jo? Do you need more work to do?”
“Gasp, ah, no sir.”
Jo Ryang-ui straightened his posture rigidly.
For some reason, even he had grown tense lately.
“Tsk, to witness such a pathetic spectacle in the main house’s inner courtyard. How can the main house’s official martial force conduct training so devoid of propriety?”
“Come now, you seemed quite satisfied when you arrived earlier, saying they were being trained properly. What’s changed, Baek Ok-gak?”
“Son Gang. You’ve been contradicting me repeatedly of late.”
Dokgo Jo-hak and Son Tae-im stood beside Jo Ryang-ui.
“More importantly, shall we begin our discussion?”
Dokgo Myeong, now seated naturally at the head position, opened his mouth.
Dokgo Myeong had not entrusted the training to the managers merely to shirk his duties.
A clan leader had his own role to fulfill.
Here and now, he intended to prepare that role with the strategists he had carefully assembled.
Dokgo Jo-hak thrust documents forward before Dokgo Myeong as he spoke.
“I’ll begin. As you requested, I’ve found a master craftsman to commission for the creation of specialized weapons for the Cheonma Sect. There are a best option and a second option….”
“Baek Ryeon Iron Workshop? I feel like I’ve heard that name before… Are they skilled artisans?”
“They’re the finest craftsman collective south of the Yangtze River. However, they’re notorious for being selective about which commissions they accept.”
“Selective about commissions?”
Dokgo Jo-hak let out a scoffing laugh.
“They only accept work that piques their interest. Yeon’s spear came from them. You’ll likely need to meet with them personally on this matter.”
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes widened.
Yeon would be Dokgo Yeon, and since the spear she wielded was a divine weapon of comparable caliber, Dokgo Myeong was well aware of its quality.
“Baek Ryeon Iron Workshop, Baek Ryeon Iron Workshop… Ah, could it be that notorious Demon Craftsman’s?”
“You seem to know of it. The Baek Ryeon Iron Workshop was established by Heo Yong-do, the Demon Craftsman, in his final years.”
Heo Yong-do.
Once a supreme master, he had been one of the Central Plains’ greatest craftsmen.
‘I should visit them. I’ve been needing a decent weapon anyway.’
I’ve accumulated quite a collection of precious metals over time. Though I’m uncertain whether they can easily forge a weapon capable of withstanding the output of Heaven-Piercing Shadow Blade.
“Next is the matter of spirit elixirs.”
Jo Ryang-ui opened his mouth.
“Mm.”
“We’re currently recruiting alchemists for production. It seems we can manage the quantities you specified.”
“So the supply is secured?”
“Yes, we’ve focused on the Heavenly Earth Pellets for inner energy cultivation and the Lotus Cleansing Powder for removing turbid qi. Son Gang has been of great assistance.”
Son Tae-im broke into a pleased smile.
“I’ve gone through quite a bit of trouble. The market conditions have been unstable lately, so I had to add extra costs on top.”
“You’ve worked hard. Our Tae-im!”
Jo Ryang-ui continued his report.
“By the end of this week, we should have enough to distribute to all Cheonma Sect members. However, after that, the supply of materials may cause delays in production. I apologize.”
“Don’t apologize. I was the one who rushed you to produce it in the first place. More importantly, what about the antidote pills and detoxification medicine?”
“Still in progress. I’m securing as much as possible.”
“That’s fine. As long as we have the Heavenly Earth Pills and Lotus Blossom Medicine secured, that’s fortunate.”
Dokgo Jo-hak asked carefully.
“Are you planning to give all Cheonma Sect members the Heavenly Earth Pills and Lotus Blossom Medicine?”
Dokgo Myeong nodded.
“Yes, I intend to refine them from the very beginning with this opportunity.”
Even as they conversed, the sounds of the Cheonma Sect disciples training drifted through the window.
Things I couldn’t do in my past life.
But things I can do in this life.
‘I’ll leave the external and foundational cultivation to the managers.’
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes gleamed.
‘Then, I can elevate their inner cultivation as well.’
I plan to build the foundation quickly and erect the strongest pillars upon it.
“That’s excessive investment. Even the great sects and martial families don’t do this easily. Do you know why?”
“It’s difficult to distinguish talent, the costs are enormous, and there’s the troublesome effort of providing customized training for each individual.”
“And you’re going to do all of that?”
“I currently have both the vision and the resources to accomplish all three.”
Dokgo Jo-hak’s eyes widened.
Even if the investment fails, it doesn’t matter. I’ve endured all this hardship to create such a margin of resources.
And I was confident.
‘In my past life, it was I who dramatically elevated the standards of those wretched Cheonma Sect disciples.’
So what about now?
The Cheonma Sect growing with everything in place… how powerful could they become?
“What about the biggest problem?”
“The biggest problem?”
“Martial techniques.”
Dokgo Jo-hak’s eyes darkened.
The most crucial standard a martial force in the jianghu must possess.
That is, the existence of martial techniques that represent the martial band.
“Even if you somehow unify weapons and elevate inner cultivation, the most important technique is missing, isn’t it?”
“….”
“Right now, your disciples show too much individual variation. Among the exceptional ones, there may be those who’ve mastered complete techniques without need for improvement, but many have only learned basic martial arts.”
“Some are even entirely self-taught.”
“Exactly. Moreover, your disciples each have their own distinct characteristics and individuality. A proper martial band should have techniques that can unite them as one, yet yours lacks that.”
A martial band is important not only for individual excellence in martial techniques, but for the unified strength of the collective.
Dokgo Jo-hak was saying that.
“Surely you’re not thinking of unlocking the main family’s martial techniques? That wouldn’t be a bad idea, but….”
“No. I already have martial arts.”
“Hm?”
Dokgo Myeong chuckled.
“I have martial arts that I’ve refined and perfected over quite a long time….”
And they were numerous techniques already verified and proven.
The moment Dokgo Jo-hak’s eyes widened.
“The Cheonma Sect will grow stronger in a short time. Far beyond everyone’s expectations.”
“You… you speak as if you had prepared this from the very beginning.”
“Come now, surely I wouldn’t have done such a thing?”
….
Dokgo Myeong, who had answered with feigned innocence, looked at Dokgo Jo-hak and Son Tae-im.
“Is there anything else you’d like to discuss?”
Dokgo Jo-hak felt an unfamiliar emotion watching Dokgo Myeong’s composed expression.
‘What on earth is this?’
He had always been remarkable in his vision and scheming, and his talent for managing people was exceptional.
But still, something was different.
The change since returning from Seonsan.
I could sense his conviction and unwavering belief in the path he walks.
‘…Is this the quality of a great leader? The makings of an emperor?’
Dokgo Jo-hak saw the qualities of a true leader in his nephew.
Not following in another’s footsteps, but possessing that rare talent to become the starting point and lead ten thousand people.
Such qualities were evident in Dokgo Myeong.
“Uncle?”
“Ahem.”
Dokgo Jo-hak cleared his throat and opened his mouth.
“…Actually, there is one thing. That matter you mentioned before. I’ve already conveyed it to the Outer Hall and the Elder Council.”
“You mean the meeting with the Three Great Families.”
“Yes.”
Power filled Dokgo Jo-hak’s voice.
“The Outer Hall Master and the Elder Council Leader have summoned you. The heads of each faction wish to meet.”

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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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