Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 272

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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 272
“A promise?”
Hwangbo Cheong’s voice turned cold as ice.
“Surely you’re not suggesting we make a deal right now?”
“A deal, you say. That’s quite an apt expression.”
A flash of lightning-like brilliance flickered across Hwangbo Cheong’s eyes.
“And if these are conditions I cannot accept?”
“Then it would be most unfortunate.”
“…!”
“There are fewer than ten people in all the land who know the cure. I can only hope that you, the Family Head, will find yourself among those ten.”
Dokgo Myeong spoke with a faint smile.
Hwangbo Cheong could no longer contain himself and let out an angry roar.
“How utterly shameless! To threaten a parent by holding their child’s life hostage—is this the way of the Dokgo Household?”
To dangle a child’s life before their parents’ eyes—was this something a human being should do?
The villains of the Black Blade sect were nothing compared to this. I never imagined I would hear such words.
Yet Dokgo Myeong merely let out a scornful laugh.
“Shameless, you say. Does the Family Head wish to teach me the path of righteousness?”
“What?”
“Yet I find it strange. How is it that one who speaks so much of righteousness has hindered the establishment of the Martial Arts Alliance? Even if interests are at stake, is it not an alliance that would prevent far more bloodshed?”
“…!”
The playfulness vanished from Dokgo Myeong’s voice. He spoke with a cold expression.
“Come to your senses. I have come here to win over an enemy, not to engage in chivalrous theatrics.”
Hwangbo Cheong felt his words catch in his throat.
Silence fell between them.
He closed his eyes tightly, then slowly opened his eyelids and spoke.
“I… became somewhat overheated. My apologies.”
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes narrowed slightly.
His emotional recovery was swift. Though his breathing had wavered and the unity of his spirit and qi was clearly disrupted, he had quickly regained his composure.
‘His past cultivation must have been quite profound.’
Even in decay, a household leader remained a household leader.
Dokgo Myeong bowed his head.
“My words also went too far. I apologize as well.”
Fatigue appeared on Hwangbo Cheong’s face as he looked at Dokgo Myeong. He asked with a deep sigh.
“Why resort to such methods?”
“What do you mean?”
“Was there truly a need to create such conflict?”
“….”
“The main household is not without conscience. Even without demanding a deal, we would have treated you as a benefactor of our family and provided appropriate compensation.”
Dokgo Myeong nodded.
“I understand. They say all the swordsmen of Shandong gather at Taesan. Is that not the Hwangbo Household?”
Hwangbo Cheong let out a bitter laugh.
“You give the disease and then the cure. So why take this form at all?”
“There is no coercion in repaying a debt of gratitude. But I desire coercion.”
Hwangbo Cheong’s brow furrowed.
“I say again, I am not so shameless as to refuse to repay a kindness.”
“Shame follows circumstances, does it not?”
“What?”
“What if, even after I treat your son, the Mogyeong Household suddenly seizes a weakness of your family and uses it against you?”
“…!”
“Or if the Jegal Family retaliates for betrayal? Or if another situation unfolds within your own household?”
“…Even so, I would have upheld propriety.”
“Anyone can speak such words.”
“Why do you keep sharpening your blade against me? The main house would never….”
As Hwangbo Cheong’s face darkened with displeasure, Dokgo Myeong chuckled and spoke.
“Did the Namgung Family not face annihilation for such reasoning?”
“…!”
“I may trust the personal honor of the Household Head, but I cannot trust the honor of the Hwangbo Family.”
Hwangbo Cheong’s mouth snapped shut.
He realized that the rumors circulating about Dokgo Myeong had actually underestimated him.
‘How can someone so young possess such….’
He was utterly unable to grasp it.
It was neither the logic of the Black Blade and White Blade, nor the logic of the righteous and demonic paths.
Only one thing was certain—something was different.
“….”
Hwangbo Cheong sipped his tea and organized his thoughts.
In any case, it was time to decide.
“I understand.”
Hwangbo Cheong’s eyes gleamed.
“But let me warn you—if you have toyed with me, I will stake my life and extract payment for that sin from you.”
His tone was calm, yet a weighty presence permeated his words.
Dokgo Myeong smirked.
“Do not worry. Even if matters have progressed beyond reversal, I am confident I can at least preserve your life.”
“How will you prove that?”
“I will provide you with a portion of the breaking technique’s secrets. You will understand if you attempt it.”
“…State your conditions.”
A smile played at the corners of Dokgo Myeong’s lips.
* * *
Moments later, Dokgo Myeong rose without a sound.
It was an unremarkable display of energy control. Yet in that moment, Hwangbo Cheong saw someone else.
“Now that I think of it, they said Dokgo was the child of the Sword Demon.”
It made a certain amount of sense.
Among those of their generation entangled with Dokgo Wi-hak, there would be none who had forgotten him.
The Killing Blade of the Dokgo Household.
If Dokgo Un-hak had walked the royal path bathed in brilliant light, then Dokgo Wi-hak was a swordsman who had treaded the dark and murky blood-soaked roads.
‘As they say, a monster begets a monster. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.’
Hwangbo Cheong stood vacant-eyed like a man entranced by an illusion, staring at the empty space where Dokgo Myeong had departed.
That was when it happened.
“Hwangbo Gaju, it is I, Jegal Mun. Are you within?”
Hwangbo Cheong had to calm his startled mind.
Soon he opened his mouth.
“Enter.”
Creak!
Jegal Mun pushed open the door and stepped inside, his eyes narrowing as he regarded Hwangbo Cheong.
“It seems I arrived a step too late.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve met someone from the Dokgo Family? When exactly?”
Hwangbo Cheong’s eyes widened.
Then he suddenly burst into hearty laughter.
“Why do you laugh?”
“Because I find myself pathetic. Everyone else seems to keep their wits about them, yet I alone have been wandering about lost in thought. It seems I was once like that too…”
“Hwangbo Gaju?”
“Pay it no mind. I was merely speaking to myself.”
Jegal Mun’s eyes narrowed slightly.
He could see Hwangbo Cheong’s demeanor shifting moment by moment. Though his complexion remained dark, vitality was gradually returning to eyes that had been utterly vacant.
“Please, be seated.”
Hwangbo Cheong offered a seat and personally served tea to Jegal Mun.
Jegal Mun opened his mouth.
“Once this matter concludes, I intend to send word to the Dokgo side to arrange a proper meeting.”
“Will you still engage in a contest of wills then?”
“There will be no need for that now.”
“I see. But is that what you came to discuss?”
Jegal Mun’s eyes gleamed.
“Who was it?”
“What do you mean?”
“The one who sought you out as gaju, and the one who persuaded you. The Sword King would not be such a person.”
Hwangbo Cheong hesitated for a moment whether to speak or not, but soon decided to answer.
“It was the True Demon Sect Leader. A young man named Dokgo Myeong.”
“That young man?”
“Young man… yes, he was young. Though it felt like seeing No Gang-ho of the upper ranks.”
Jegal Mun raised his teacup and spoke.
“So, which side do you intend to stand with, Hwangbo Gaju?”
“Well, I don’t think that will matter much.”
“Why is that?”
“Jegal Mun. This was a flawed game from the very beginning.”
“You haven’t even started yet.”
“No. It was already over. While you misread your opponent, you’ve lost all your allies as well.”
“….”
“They were fast. You let your guard down.”
“I’m telling you again—I haven’t even begun.”
“You’re admitting defeat before the game has started.”
“….”
A chill settled across Jegal Mun’s face as he paused for a moment.
“I shall rise now.”
Jegal Mun slowly got to his feet.
Hwangbo Cheong could see exactly where he was headed.
* * *
“We meet tomorrow morning, then.”
Dokgo Un-hak burned the letter that had been delivered through the Gae-bang organization, speaking as the flames consumed it.
Dokgo Myeong chuckled.
“Thanks to the Outer Hall Master’s intimidation, things will proceed smoothly.”
“You’ve truly won over Hwangbo Gaju?”
“Yes.”
“That fellow is truly remarkable.”
Dokgo Un-hak didn’t ask about the methods.
The man had drive and resourcefulness worth acknowledging. The main household members had built up some resistance, but those who hadn’t yet faced him would have been swayed easily enough.
“I’ll stop by Cheon I-gak briefly to coordinate with the main household’s inner faction. Don’t cause any unnecessary trouble—stay quietly at the inn.”
“I couldn’t leave anyway. Sohwa and I have work to finish.”
“Now that I think about it, I’ve been hearing the sounds of martial techniques being recited. Are you creating a new martial art?”
Dokgo Un-hak stood up and asked casually, as if the question had merely occurred to him rather than being asked out of genuine curiosity.
“It’s already complete. I’m just putting in more effort to refine it.”
“Do well with it. I’ll be going then.”
Dokgo Un-hak put on his bamboo hat and left the inn.
For a moment, his aura vanished completely, making him look like just another ordinary martial artist.
‘I can leave everything that follows to the Outer Hall Master. Since there’s nothing else to do now, I should focus on training.’
Things had progressed more smoothly than expected.
Dokgo Myeong stretched and descended to the lower floor.
Then he stopped.
“….”
A middle-aged man sat in the center of the inn in an upright posture.
There was dignity in the way he emptied his cup. It was an unmistakable aura he made no effort to conceal.
I won’t be able to cultivate here.
Dokgo Myeong walked over with heavy footsteps and plopped down in front of the middle-aged man.
“What brings the Jegal Family Head to this place?”
The middle-aged man, Jegal Mun, lifted his head.
“Good to see you. Are you that Dokgo Myeong?”
“I am. It’s an honor to meet you.”
Jegal Mun nodded.
“Will you have a drink?”
“I’d be grateful to accept.”
Pour.
A cup was placed, and Jegal Mun spoke.
“Drink.”
Clink.
Jegal Mun drained the cup in one gulp and slowly set it down before opening his mouth.
“You’ve stirred up quite an interesting situation.”
“What do you mean?”
“Shaking up this side of things.”
Dokgo Myeong chuckled softly.
“Isn’t the Family Head doing the same thing?”
“Me?”
“Haven’t you been using flowery words and justifications to make the household leaders into your chess pieces?”
Jegal Mun’s eyes gleamed.
This one is sharp, indeed.
He didn’t judge people by age. After all, he himself had grasped his family’s reins while still young.
His name has appeared several times in the major and minor affairs of the martial realm over the years. Dokgo Myeong—the rumors have actually understated him. This one is truly sharp.
It was an instinctive intuition rather than a judgment born of reason.
He’d recognized it from when Bang Jong-san began supporting this young man in his prime years.
The establishment of the Martial Arts Alliance.
The movements of the Dokgo Household and even the war.
It’s him. This one is the hidden hand behind it all.
Jegal Mun swallowed his admiration and spoke.
“The Hwangbo Family Head told me I’ve already lost.”
“He understands well.”
“A general who loses without fighting is no general at all.”
“A capable general is one who recognizes defeat before the battle begins.”
Jegal Mun let out a hollow laugh.
“Why do you say I’ve lost?”
“Are you asking because you don’t know, or are you testing me?”
“Both. Will you answer?”
Dokgo Myeong toyed with his cup before speaking.
“You focused only on the situation and circumstances, not the people involved.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“All weaknesses ultimately stem from people.”
Dokgo Myeong wore a subtle smile.
“The Family Head extracted the fangs from the tiger known as Paeng Sect Leader, so the main household could face him without fear of being bitten.”
“…!”
“As for Hwangbo Gaju, it was purely luck. I already had the blade to strike at his exposed weakness.”
Dokgo Myeong continued with a scoff.
“So why do you pick fights with others when you can’t even control your own people? Even street thugs know to take care of their own family first.”
“….”
Jegal Mun glared at Dokgo Myeong.
But he had nothing to say. The reality that he’d been outmaneuvered by this pale young master was beyond dispute.
Then Dokgo Myeong asked.
“May I ask you something as well?”
“Go ahead.”
“What are you looking at?”
This again.
With everything already ruined, there was no point in deflecting now.
Jegal Mun let out a hollow laugh and stroked his beard.
“You’re asking the obvious.”
“The obvious?”
“Power.”
Jegal Mun was remarkably composed.
“A grand alliance unprecedented in the martial world is about to be established. More than half of the Nine Great Sects, the three major households including us, the Dokgo Household, and countless renowned and minor sects from across the regions will unite.”
“….”
“Once completed and maintained, it would be nothing less than an absolute force. I simply desired the power within it.”
“Are you aiming for the pinnacle of the alliance?”
The Martial Arts Alliance Leader.
He was asking if I dreamed of ruling an alliance not yet even established.
“Hardly. I’m not so foolish as to lose sight of my place. If the pinnacle of this alliance were to be held by anyone, it should be an overwhelmingly absolute master of both martial and literary arts.”
There were perhaps three or four such individuals at most.
But Jegal Mun had only one candidate in mind.
A man who operates in the shadows of the martial world.
Though not publicly known, he is counted among the three emperors of the martial realm based on his deeds alone—a mysterious figure.
‘The Sword Immortal, Baek Mu-heun.’
Jegal Mun ceased his thoughts and looked at Dokgo Myeong.
“But I wish to hold the rudder in my own hands.”
“….”
“So that magnificent force remains unshaken, so it becomes an absolute institution to dominate the martial world, so no one with soiled hands can touch it—I wish to lay its foundation from the ground up with my own hands.”
Jegal Mun’s tone was subdued. Perhaps he even intended to conceal his true feelings, but at least for now, it did not seem like a lie.
“To do that, you felt it necessary to break the Dokgo Household’s power, did you?”
“Exactly. Through that, I can solidify my position within the Alliance.”
“The Alliance hasn’t even been established yet, and you’re already thinking about power struggles?”
Jegal Mun laughed.
“The establishment of the Martial Arts Alliance has already become the tide of the era. I suspect you’re behind it all, aren’t you?”
“…!”
“Then those who act first will have more opportunities open to them.”
For a moment, Dokgo Myeong saw the face of the Grand Strategist of the Martial Arts Alliance from his past life overlapping with Jegal Mun’s visage.
Then Jegal Mun rose from his seat and spoke.
“I’ve lost this round.”
“….”
“Don’t be late coming out tomorrow morning.”
With those words, Jegal Mun turned and left.
Dokgo Myeong watched his retreating figure with a faint 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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