Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 308

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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 308
“The Moyong Family seems to enjoy failure? Unable to handle even the simplest tasks?”
“Please calm yourself, Commander.”
“Silence!”
The Black Bloodfiend bellowed, and finally coughed up blood he’d been holding back.
“Cough!”
Grind!
The Black Bloodfiend gnashed his teeth. His eyes swept across the assembly, burning with crimson killing intent.
There had been many options. He could have targeted Dokgo Myeong, protected Namchang, annihilated the right flank, or struck at the left.
But retreat! Retreat, of all things! Why choose the worst option among so many possibilities!
‘Ah, the true martial way transcends all. How am I to deal with these foolish Central Plains people? They tremble at the loss of a mere trickle of blood!’
The Black Bloodfiend pressed down on the wound seeping blood across his chest and opened his mouth.
“Yong Gun-baek. What do you intend to do about Geonkon Danju’s punishment?”
“….”
“I hear Geonkon Danju not only lost in combat against Dokgo Myeong, but shamelessly fled alive with his subordinates?”
Yong Gun-baek, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.
“That is a matter entangled with personal grievances between Moyo-eun Danju and another. It is not the place for an outsider to meddle.”
“Personal? How can that possibly be personal!”
The Black Bloodfiend’s face flushed crimson as rage boiled within him.
“This is a battle with the family’s fate at stake, yet you call it personal grievance? Is this the loyalty of the Yuk Cheon Sect?”
Yong Gun-baek’s eyes flashed.
“Do not overstep. I clearly told you to watch your words.”
“Yong Gun-baek! Enough!”
“The Commander is a guest of the main family! How could you!”
In an instant, the atmosphere grew heated.
Whose side were these wretches taking, anyway?
But Yong Gun-baek, a true martial artist at heart, had no desire to exchange further words with them.
“We cannot throw elite martial artists into prison during wartime. Geonkon Danju’s punishment shall be postponed, and he shall be given the opportunity to wash away his sins through future merit. Let us speak no more of this matter.”
It was a statement and philosophy worthy of a righteous wanderer of the martial world.
And the Black Bloodfiend could not suppress his rage with merely that.
“That cannot be the end of this.”
“Then what?”
“Try saying such things before the souls of your family members who died meaningless deaths and wander the nine heavens. If you wish, I can summon those vengeful spirits here this very moment.”
Nonsensical talk of summoning the dead.
Yet this old eccentric, Sima Waidao, seemed fully capable of making that impossibility possible.
“I speak plainly. If you do not take responsibility for this matter, our sect will never overlook it.”
“Speak clearly. What exactly are you trying to say?”
Yong Gun-baek’s voice turned murderous. He had abandoned even the minimum courtesy.
The Black Bloodfiend spoke calmly.
“From now on, the Yuk Cheon Sect must also follow the Family Lord’s orders absolutely.”
The one currently holding the family seal was Muyong Cheol, who had been set up as a mere figurehead. In other words, it amounted to saying they should follow the Black Bloodfiend’s orders.
“I said the Yuktian Unit follows only the family head’s commands.”
“How ridiculous. Didn’t you fail to even protect Namchang, which the family head ordered you to defend?”
“Did you expect me to guard it while leading away so many martial artists? Or should Namchang have been completely annihilated instead?”
“That would have been better.”
Whoosh!
A crushing aura flowed from Yong Gun-baek’s entire body. For the battered Black Bloodfiend, it was not easy to withstand.
Yet he was confident he could make this rigid master submit with nothing but his silver tongue.
“How strange. Your actions contradict your reputation for loyalty and valor.”
“What are you babbling about now?”
“I hear that Geonkon Danju treated that woman quite affectionately—the one entangled with Dokgo Myeong from the Moyong Family. Surely you’re not harboring other thoughts, are you?”
“…!”
“You keep making excuses and avoiding the battlefield. Could it be you have a different reason for not following the family seal’s orders?”
Yong Gun-baek’s face twisted grotesquely.
He spat out words with eyes gleaming with murderous intent.
“What do you gain by provoking me?”
“Then you must give me a clear answer.”
“….”
Yong Gun-baek stared at the Black Bloodfiend with piercing eyes.
Muyong Cheol, who had been watching the situation, hastily opened his mouth.
“Master Yong.”
“….”
“Should I contact my family head directly and ask him to come here? Is that truly what you wish?”
Yong Gun-baek’s mouth slowly opened.
“The Yuktian Unit shall follow only the family head’s orders. Remember clearly—we will not be swayed by commands from a mere guest general.”
“That is sufficient.”
The Black Bloodfiend smiled with a bloodstained grin.
“Then shall we adjourn for today? We must prepare for the defense of Zhejiang.”
“Ah? Yes, yes, let us do so. Come, let us rise.”
He moved Muyong Cheol about as if flaunting his own victory.
Muyong Cheol led the family’s leadership away from their seats.
In the empty space left behind.
The smile faded from the Black Bloodfiend’s lips as he gazed down at the map.
‘This is the worst.’
Everything had gone awry in a single battle.
Now Zhejiang Province was isolated.
From above, the encirclement of the Three Great Families and Gae-bang.
In Fujian, the Dokgo Family had become an ally through a miraculous reversal.
In Anhui, Dokgo Gun’s left army.
In Jiangxi, the enemy’s main force.
‘The Dokgo Family, controlling only one place….’
If I had secured absolute control over the Moyong Family, this would never have happened.
This is all because of Dokgo Myeong. That man was present at every critical juncture.
Because of him, the war accelerated far too quickly, and because he killed captains across the martial realm, several of my plans fell into disarray.
‘Does heaven itself favor that man’s hand? Why do I keep facing obstruction when I’m just one step away from completion?’
Last time it was Baek Mu-heun, and this time it was Dokgo Un-hak.
Was it an exaggeration to think that man orchestrates everything and moves according to plan?
‘No. It’s not over yet.’
The deployment of Pacheonggun will be complete soon.
The Dokgo Family has suffered heavy losses, and since I’ve already seized control of the Yuk Cheon Dan, there’s still possibility.
‘Besides, I should be receiving word soon….’
The Black Bloodfiend’s eyes gleamed with dark light.
‘Those detestable lackeys of Geom-jon. I’ll give you a bit more time. When you fall, the fate of the entire martial realm shall end with you.’
The Black Bloodfiend hardened his resolve and rose abruptly to his feet.
Still not fully recovered from his injuries, he had been assigned to this suffocating place.
When word came from the Grand General and the Annihilation Army, he would destroy everything false in the Central Plains beyond the Dokgo Family itself.
Whoosh!
It was just as the Black Bloodfiend returned to his quarters and sat in lotus position to mend his internal injuries.
“Your Majesty.”
“What is it?”
The First General’s face was flushed with excitement.
“The Grand General has sent word.”
“…!”
“He says the time has come to light the beacon fires.”
The Black Bloodfiend’s eyes flashed with brilliance.
* * *
Am I dreaming right now?
My mind was hazy and everything felt vague.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
I felt like a grain of sand on a beach. My consciousness was swept away somewhere, then pulled back.
In that space, I saw something.
Flash!
There were talismans drawn with lines as crimson as blood.
Strange lines and characters fluttering in the sky. Why did they feel familiar? Where had I seen them before?
In that moment, the red lines of the talismans clustered together and formed the shape of a person.
Whoosh.
A tall man with a well-trained body slowly turned around.
His face appeared strangely blurred, and the moment I drew closer, his hand shot out and seized my throat.
-You truly know nothing.
‘Hyeok Wi-sang!’
Dokgo Myeong tried to wrench his arm free.
Then he froze in shock.
It wasn’t Hyeok Wi-sang.
The face before him was far too familiar—it was Dokgo Hyeon’s face.
My past self was now choking the life from my throat.
‘But why….’
Why did I see Hyeok Wi-sang’s visage overlaid upon my past self?
Whooooosh!
Suddenly, a vibration like a swarm of bees swept past my ears.
It was someone’s voice. Lost in the chaos, Dokgo Myeong focused on that sound.
-…Only sensory perception is real.
At the voice that resonated with strange clarity, Dokgo Myeong struggled to regain his senses.
-Believe in nothing else. The world is perceived only through your own senses.
Tossed about helplessly, Dokgo Myeong surrendered his consciousness to sensory perception out of habit.
Soon, a warm energy beginning from the lower dantian spread throughout his entire body. As the flow took hold, all distracting thoughts seemed to vanish.
-Martial arts are ultimately merely a means for struggle.
Before long, his Sect Leader’s voice began to blend with his family head’s voice.
-Condense the principles that pierce through ten thousand things into the tip of a single blade.
Countless martial techniques he had witnessed, endured, and mastered wove together intricately.
Soon they all merged into one, forming something long and singular.
It was a sword.
Hazy and indistinct in form, yet the thought that he must grasp it filled his mind completely.
Dokgo Myeong slowly extended his hand.
Flash!
He clenched his fist tightly and snapped his eyes open.
“…Captain? Captain! Are you awake?”
At the voice that suddenly reached him, Dokgo Myeong started and turned his head to the side.
“Sohwa?”
In the dimly lit barracks, Namgung Sohwa’s face came into view.
Namgung Sohwa asked again.
“Are you alright? You’re okay, right? Should I call a physician?”
Dokgo Myeong, who had been blankly blinking, let out a hollow laugh.
“What a vivid nightmare that was. Ugh!”
As he tried to rise upon waking, he decided to simply remain lying down.
When he tried to exert strength, a sharp crack sounded from within his body—he couldn’t tell if something was breaking or tearing.
“…Judging by the way you’re groaning, you seem fine.”
Namgung Sohwa collapsed beside him with an exhausted expression.
Then she let out a single remark.
“It hurts.”
“Huh?”
“It hurts.”
“Isn’t it obvious that I’m the one who’s more injured right now?”
“Not that—just let go of my hand.”
“Oh my, you startled me.”
Dokgo Myeong jerked his hand away in surprise.
Namgung Sohwa’s eyes widened.
“What’s that about? Did you touch something filthy?”
“Huh? No, I was just startled….”
“Suddenly in a foul mood? Shouldn’t our captain be trying to look good in front of me?”
Namgung Sohwa waved her fist playfully with a mischievous grin.
Dokgo Myeong, his face draining of color, flinched.
“I’m injured! I’m really injured! If you hit me even slightly, I’ll collapse! No, wait—don’t put any killing intent into it!?”
Namgung Sohwa stared at him intently before lowering her fist.
“Since I’m really hurt, I’ll let it slide this time.”
“….”
Watching Dokgo Myeong exhale a silent sigh of relief, Namgung Sohwa chuckled softly and asked casually.
“But who did you meet in your dream that made you grip my hand so tightly?”
“Who told you to leave your hand there in the first place?”
“So what’s your point?”
“What do you mean, what’s my point?”
“…You’re really irritating.”
“Huh?”
“Never mind.”
Could she be injured somewhere as well?
No, she must be injured somewhere.
Dokgo Myeong asked in a slightly lowered voice.
“Are you alright?”
“What do you mean?”
“I was wondering if you were badly hurt.”
“Me? It was rough, but Cheon Eun-hwan’s help was invaluable.”
“Let me see. Hmm… there are no scars on your face.”
“Why? Worried you’ve ruined someone else’s bride?”
Namgung Sohwa laughed brightly.
Dokgo Myeong laughed along and asked.
“What about the others?”
“They’re all resting. Let me know if you need anything.”
“That’s enough. Let’s just rest. Ugh….”
As I tried to catch my breath for a moment, I nearly ended up departing for the afterlife right then and there.
I let out an involuntary groan through gritted teeth, forcing a smile.
‘My body is in terrible condition.’
The fact that I still had a fever meant I had truly walked the edge of death. I must have sweated considerably, but strangely, there was no unpleasant sticky sensation—that much was a relief.
“How long has it been?”
“About ten days.”
Namgung Sohwa exhaled a long sigh.
“You’ve improved greatly. Five days ago, you suddenly began circulating your inner energy. You should thank Hoa.”
“Hoa? Why?”
“She stayed by your side for all ten days, breathing her own vital force into you. That’s what mystical beasts do.”
At that moment, I felt a warm presence at my feet.
Grrrrr….
Hoa lay curled up, her breathing heavy as if exhausted.
‘Five days ago… In the dream, it felt like only a moment.’
Even now I felt like I might die, so how severe must it have been back then?
Dokgo Myeong suddenly pouted his lips and muttered.
“But wait—the Commander just recovered from the brink of death, and only one person is here to greet him? Shouldn’t everyone come rushing in with tears and cheers?”
“Everyone’s sleeping, so keep quiet and stay still. Don’t wake the other patients. Hey, stop fidgeting! Lie still! Why are you so restless!”
Dokgo Myeong, who kept thrashing about as if ready to jump up at any moment, finally settled down only after Namgung Sohwa struck him once.
After a brief silence, he spoke again.
“I wanted to see the children.”
The atmosphere turned quiet. It was an unusually heavy silence.
“What happened?”
It took a long time before I received an answer.
Namgung Sohwa spoke in a subdued voice.
“Five.”
“The bodies?”
“We found them all and gave them proper rites. They were sent off well.”
“The wounded?”
“Most are recovering quickly.”
Dokgo Myeong stared quietly at the ceiling.
No matter how much time passes, I never grow accustomed to this.
And I couldn’t even see them off while lying here helpless. How many more times will I have to repeat this?
‘Enough. That’s enough.’
At times like this, nothing worked better than talking about matters of duty.
“What’s the situation on the battlefield? Don’t tell me it’s still ongoing?”
“Both sides are only exchanging scouts and catching their breath.”
“Any significant changes?”
“Well… According to the Moyong strategist, something seems strange.”
“Damn it, what’s strange now?”
“The enemy forces are all deployed, but their elite masters are nowhere to be seen.”
“What?”
Namgung Sohwa furrowed her brow.
“Gae-bang and Cheon I-gak are coordinating their efforts to investigate various locations, but the whereabouts of the Moyong Family Head, the Grand General, and Ji-myeol Magoon and other masters remain unclear.”
“…!”
That was right.
Now that I thought about it, it made no sense that only a single Black Bloodfiend had appeared during that chaos.
“Help me up.”
“What? You need more rest!”
“I need to see my Uncle’s face.”
It was the moment Dokgo Myeong tried to rise to his feet.
Whoosh! Flutter!
The tent swayed in the rushing wind.
A late night, an eerie breeze.
Shortly after, torches began lighting up one by one near the barracks where Dokgo Myeong lay, and suddenly the sound of murmuring voices filled the air.
The moment Namgung Sohwa, tensed with anxiety, sprang to her feet.
“Captain!”
“The Captain’s awake!”
“You quack bastards! Who died? Hahahaha!”
Countless soldiers came pouring into Dokgo Myeong’s barracks.
“Hey! The Captain’s awake!”
Patients wrapped entirely in bandages chattered excitedly and welcomed Dokgo Myeong.
For a moment I could only blink blankly, but soon laughter burst from my lips.

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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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