Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 282

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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 282
Almost simultaneously with Ilgwi’s arm being severed, a black line was drawn across the empty air.
Whoosh!
“Gasp!”
Ilgwi’s body shuddered violently.
As Ilgwi trembled once and lowered his gaze, he saw the Hyeonchel heavy sword piercing through his chest and embedded in the ground below.
“If it comes to this… then what was I… what was I even….”
Ilgwi collapsed to the side without even finishing his final words.
Whoosh! Thud!
Thus the obstacle vanished.
Only then did the two men face each other.
“….”
Dokgo Myeong clamped his mouth shut and stared at his opponent.
His black and white long robe fluttered in the wind. A divine sword hovered behind him like a loyal companion.
Flawless technique.
An unforgettable figure.
‘It’s him.’
Baek Mu-heun.
I had finally met him.
* * *
Some encounters remain vivid in memory no matter how many years pass.
My meeting with him was one of them.
It was on some battlefield before I became the Demon Subduing Lord.
Slash!
A sword floating in the void severed the neck of a sect disciple who was about to attack me.
At first, I thought he was an immortal who had descended to the mortal realm.
That mysterious technique, that boundless martial prowess, those deep and serene eyes gazing down calmly….
Baek Mu-heun spoke to Dokgo Hyeon with a subtle smile.
-You have keen eyes.
After that, he lightly grasped the sword that had been floating in the void, sheathed it, and spoke thus.
-Was my help unnecessary?
“Was my help unnecessary?”
Past life and present life, memory and reality intersect.
Ironically, the first words he uttered in this life were identical to those from my past life, not a single character different.
“Indeed. Your help was unnecessary.”
“Hmm. Certainly….”
Baek Mu-heun turned his gaze toward Ilgwi lying face-down on the ground.
“I interjected thinking the situation was urgent, but it seems it was unnecessary after all.”
“Still, I am grateful for your aid.”
“Grateful?”
“Not a single sacrifice was made, not even by the slimmest margin.”
“You would have saved everyone without any sacrifice anyway. And conveniently….”
Baek Mu-heun turned his gaze to the side.
“It seems a trustworthy ally has arrived right on time as well.”
Crash!
In that instant, someone emerged from the grass behind the hostages.
“Haa, haa! Myeong… no, Captain!”
Namgung Sohwa, breathing heavily and ragged.
She too had moved with all her strength, her hair drenched with blood and sweat.
“Sohwa. Are you hurt?”
“No, I’m fine.”
“The hostages?”
“Rescued. And the Gae-bang members arrived. They’re breaking the siege and helping, so I came straight here….”
Namgung Sohwa trailed off, glancing sideways at Baek Mu-heun.
‘A master. And one of immeasurable skill at that.’
Though I had met countless strong warriors traveling with Dokgo Myeong, I had never encountered someone with such bearing.
‘To think such a person existed in the martial realm.’
Clang.
Namgung Sohwa adjusted her grip on her sword and her eyes gleamed.
He didn’t appear to be from the Moyong Family or the Jeongheol Sect, but the sudden appearance of such a supreme master on the battlefield could not be easily overlooked.
“Hmm.”
At her stance, Baek Mu-heun smiled faintly and spoke.
“Truly flawless bearing. I’ve often heard tales of you from the Yongdu Sect Leader. Are you Namgung Sohwa?”
Namgung Sohwa’s eyes widened.
A stranger speaks of the sect leader. Perhaps he is not an enemy after all.
She maintained her vigilance while offering a respectful bow.
“Yes, I am Sohwa.”
“The reputation of the Heavenly Sword Saint is no mere rumor. You’re not far from breaking through the wall.”
“…!”
“You need not worry, young lady. I am not your enemy.”
His gentle smile eased tension merely by facing it.
The moment Namgung Sohwa relaxed her grip on her sword slightly.
“Is that so?”
Dokgo Myeong approached with measured steps and said so.
Baek Mu-heun nodded.
“Indeed. Otherwise, why would I have helped you?”
“….”
Dokgo Myeong extended his hand without a word.
A gust of wind rose at his fingertips.
Whoooosh! Crash!
The Hyeonchul Heavy Sword that had pierced through Ilgwi’s chest withdrew of its own accord, settling into Dokgo Myeong’s grasp. It was an admirable display of vital energy control.
Baek Mu-heun’s eyes gleamed.
‘Yes, this young man.’
Dokgo Myeong.
Indeed, it was extraordinary.
The jet-black divine blade hung low, dripping with blood, his hair tousled by the wind.
Despite his refined features, the dust and blood clinging to him gave him the bearing of a battlefield commander rather than the heir to a noble house.
“So you are that Dokgo Myeong.”
“I am. And you are?”
“You should already know me.”
…
“Am I not right?”
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes flashed.
‘Yes, I know well. Baek Mu-heun. How could I not know you.’
With each step forward, Baek Mu-heun’s appearance became clearer. His present form differed little from his appearance in my past life.
Dokgo Myeong closed his eyes slowly.
The final moment of my past life overlapped with reality.
-Honestly, I never thought you’d make it this far.
-I harbor no personal feelings. Go in peace.
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes opened again.
‘I thought I would lose control of my emotions upon our reunion.’
Yet it was strange. It felt as though what was meant to come had simply arrived.
Standing before this man—my superior and teacher, my benefactor and nemesis—I found myself remarkably composed.
Thud!
Thus Dokgo Myeong stood directly before Baek Mu-heun, close enough to touch if he extended his arm.
During those brief steps, I had decided what came first and what came after.
“Curious. That gaze of yours… as if you were meeting an old friend, is it not?”
Baek Mu-heun regarded Dokgo Myeong with a peculiar expression.
Dokgo Myeong spoke slowly.
“I do not understand what you are saying.”
…?
“If you do not reveal your identity, I shall treat you as an enemy.”
“An enemy?”
Baek Mu-heun’s extended sword blade rose upward.
And then.
Boom! A blazing inferno erupted!
The Hyeonchul Heavy Sword tore through the air, rushing toward Baek Mu-heun.
* * *
“Have you secured the perimeter, you beggars!”
“Yes, Sect Leader!”
“Hurry! Move faster! We cannot allow innocent people to die! Do you understand!”
At Bang Jong-san’s shout, the beggars scattered in perfect unison.
Bang Jong-san clicked his tongue and surveyed the gathered hostages.
Among them, the faint-hearted had already lost consciousness, while those still lucid trembled uncontrollably, their minds half-gone.
“Do not worry. We came from Gae-bang.”
“From, from Gae-bang…?”
A young man who appeared to have some backbone responded to Bang Jong-san’s words.
“That’s right, you fool. You don’t know Gae-bang?”
“Ah, yes, I do.”
“I’m the boss there. So you’re safe now. Stop your worrying.”
“S-sob….”
“A man crying! Shameful!”
As Bang Jong-san comforted the young man, he casually asked a question.
“But did those bastards attach anything to your bodies, or force you to consume something?”
“Well, they did make us consume something….”
Bang Jong-san’s expression hardened.
“What did they make you consume?”
“Some strange powder. After that, something odd appeared here on my chest….”
“Let me see that.”
He strode forward and ripped open the young man’s upper garment.
‘Damn it all.’
Bang Jong-san’s face contorted as he saw the youth’s skin.
‘Poison? They even laced them with poison? They pretend to release the hostages while pulling this scheme?’
His insides churned with fury.
How could anyone do such a thing?
He could not fathom how they could do this to people with no connection whatsoever—people who were not even martial artists.
“Dan-du! Hobuk Dan-du! Where are you!”
“Yes! Sect Leader! Hobuk Dan-du, Baek Gwang, reporting for duty!”
“Immediately summon all the Hobuk beggars who know about poisons. These people have been poisoned.”
“Yes?”
Dan-du’s face darkened.
“Understood. Leave this to us. However, there are so many people that the cost….”
Crack!
“Ugh!”
“Human lives come first! How dare you speak of money now! Is your mouth diseased?”
“D-diseased mouth, you say?”
“Shut up and move!”
“Y-yes, sir!”
Bang Jong-san finished his orders and strode away.
‘Still, I’m grateful. At least no one has died.’
I’ve saved her. That’s all that matters.
The poison can be treated, can’t it?
“With Sect Leader Baek gone, there shouldn’t be any major problems. Is this finally the meeting of two heroes?”
How could one not look forward to it?
Baek Mu-heun and Dokgo Myeong. A meeting of the old and new.
What mark would their encounter leave upon this martial realm….
KABOOOOOM!
“…?!”
In that instant, Bang Jong-san flinched at the earth-shaking explosion.
‘Could there have been remnants? Sect Leader Baek should have headed there?’
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Successive explosions thundered across the landscape.
Yet something felt wrong.
There shouldn’t be any enemies left capable of unleashing such power.
Moreover, this was….
‘Dokgo Myeong? And Sect Leader Baek?’
They’re clashing?
But why?
* * *
The moment I faced Baek Mu-heun, my emotions crystallized with clarity.
‘It’s already in the past.’
No—by now it hadn’t happened and had become something erased.
If I dwelled on grudges, it would grow complicated, but if I considered vengeance, I’d already achieved mutual destruction.
And above all.
‘That man is necessary to the martial realm now. An essential condition for the great enterprise.’
The establishment of an unprecedented Grand Alliance loomed ahead.
The inaugural Alliance Lord had to be flawless in every respect, with many stringent requirements.
First and foremost, he needed the martial prowess, vision, influence, and political acumen that the entire martial realm would recognize.
He had to be impartial in all matters, thus an independent without organizational affiliation, while also possessing the distribution and tradition that the realm’s veterans would acknowledge.
Unless one brought forth the Three Celestial Sages—living legends of the martial realm—there was only one such person.
Baek Mu-heun.
There was no one else.
‘I know. I know it very well.’
But then, should I just let it pass?
‘Endure this?’
A fierce gleam flashed across Dokgo Myeong’s eyes.
Since when had I lived by tolerating everything while settling every grievance?
If that were the case, I’d shave my head and become a monk—what use would martial prowess be then?
WHOOOOSH!
The moment Dokgo Myeong’s foot planted into the earth, the entire ground trembled.
‘What in the world?’
Bewilderment flashed across Baek Mu-heun’s eyes.
Before he could even respond, the Hyeonchul Heavy Sword unleashed a violent gale.
Kwaaaang!
A tremendous explosion erupted, and the shockwave swept across all directions. The wind pressure alone was enough to uproot the surrounding trees.
“…Ugh!”
Baek Mu-heun leaped backward and lowered his head.
A massive crater had been carved into the spot where he’d been standing. Had he hesitated even a moment, he would have suffered a terrible blow.
Then Dokgo Myeong shouted.
“Sohwa! The hostages!”
Namgung Sohwa snapped to attention at last.
‘So he really was an enemy!’
Of course he was!
I thought he was one of us because he looked so dignified!
“Everyone! This way!”
“Kyaaaah!”
“Ugh, argh!”
“Don’t worry! I, Namgung Sohwa, will protect you from that villain!”
Though she’d been told to get out of the way, Namgung Sohwa had no way of knowing that.
Baek Mu-heun spoke with an exasperated expression.
“Calm down a moment. There’s been a misunderstanding. I’m not with the Moyong Family. My name is….”
“I have no interest in hearing your name!”
“…?!”
Suddenly, Dokgo Myeong struck the ground with his Hyeonchul Heavy Sword, then swung it in a wide arc as if scooping up earth.
Shwack!
A torrent of soil surged upward like a tidal wave.
It appeared he was trying to obscure vision by flinging dirt, but each grain was infused with lethal vital energy. The flying earth was no different from a rain of projectiles.
“This….”
Baek Mu-heun exhaled softly and extended his hand.
Whoosh!
His outstretched palm traced a circle.
The cascading soil was gently pushed aside along the circular path. It was the pinnacle of martial mastery.
But the moment the soil dispersed and his vision cleared, Dokgo Myeong appeared right before his face.
Baek Mu-heun hastily deployed the Taeheo Palm, an advanced secret technique.
Thud! Thud-thud-thud!
Baek Mu-heun’s body was pushed back in succession.
There were limits to deflecting strength with softness. The power contained in the Hyeonchul Heavy Sword was simply too formidable.
‘Bare-handed, this is impossible to handle.’
Baek Mu-heun shook his head and brought one hand to his waist.
“I have no choice then. Don’t resent me too much.”
Crack-crack-crack-crack!
Thunder roared as a blade materialized in Baek Mu-heun’s hand.
“Your martial prowess is too formidable. If I lower my guard, I fear what might befall me. I’ll dispel this misunderstanding after subduing you.”
Flash!
A beam of pure light descended like lightning from above.
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes snapped wide open.
Boom!
The explosion sent Dokgo Myeong skidding backward.
The Hyeonchul Heavy Sword, which had pulverized steel like tofu, trembled violently.
‘The Cheongang Blade!!’
Constellation patterns were inlaid across the pure white blade.
It was the sacred sword of the Jeongheol Sect—the Cheongang Bukdu, the Cheongang Blade.
Whoosh! Crash!
With each movement of the blade, vivid white trajectories blazed across the void.
This was no mortal martial art. The radiant sword energy seemed capable of blinding anyone who faced it.
Thunderous boom!
Dokgo Myeong was hurled backward at tremendous velocity.
Only after smashing through several massive trees did his body finally halt.
“….”
Yet Baek Mu-heun’s expression had turned rigid and strained.
Dust scattered.
“Tch! Damn, that stings.”
Dokgo Myeong rose to his feet, brushing off dust as though unaffected.
‘He dispersed it all?’
Baek Mu-heun stared at Dokgo Myeong with astonished eyes.
“Let’s begin again.”
“Wait….”
Dokgo Myeong’s foot struck the ground.
Whooom!
Something rippled outward.
Baek Mu-heun’s brow twitched.
‘What is this?’
Something felt amiss.
But before he could respond, Dokgo Myeong stepped forward once more.
Whooom!
A simple, heavy stride forward.
Yet in that instant, Baek Mu-heun felt his vision blur.
“…!!”
Stagger!
His sight twisted as though he were utterly intoxicated.
Even the protective energy enveloping my entire body trembled. It felt as though my vital essence was boiling over.
‘Internal injury? No. What in the world is this…!’
There was no time to be alarmed.
The confusion in my energy perception created an opening, and Baek Mu-heun found himself forced to meet a strike that seemed poised to pierce straight through his chest.
Crash!
An overwhelming force that brooked no argument. A power that seemed intent on ending his life.
Baek Mu-heun’s face hardened.
“This is my final warning. If you do not cease, I will have no choice but to subdue you.”
Dokgo Myeong hesitated for a moment, then spoke in a murderous tone.
“Try if you can.”
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes flashed with killing intent.
Whoosh! Boom!
Another collision.
At the moment of impact, everything shattered, and as they collided again, the fragments were swept away by the gale.
Whack!
As the wind whistled past his ear, Baek Mu-heun urgently twisted his head away.
Boom!
Something exploded right beside his head.
A ringing filled his ear. The sword pressure from the Hyeonchul Heavy Sword had ruptured his eardrum.
Finally, anger flashed in Baek Mu-heun’s eyes.
“You brought this upon yourself. Do not blame me.”
Flash!
Lightning crackled at the tip of the blade.
Sword energy engulfed the world.
Light erased the Hyeonchul Heavy Sword’s power entirely.
‘Yes, I had been wondering when I would use this.’
Dokgo Myeong pulled the Hyeonchul Heavy Sword back sharply.

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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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