Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 327

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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 327
Under normal circumstances, Dokgo Myeong would have refused outright, but this time he acquiesced without hesitation.
The situation was far from ordinary.
Both enemy and ally had exhausted their reserves. What else could that mean?
Still, there was one aspect that irritated me.
‘Damn it, I’ve already taken down several enemy commanders, and now I have to flee like this.’
Those wretched dogs of the Jeongheol Sect clearly spent their days after meals scheming about what outrageous acts would most disgust people.
‘Lunatics and fanatics, the lot of them.’
Regardless, Dokgo Myeong made his decision.
“There’s no choice. We proceed with the main force.”
“Yes, I shall prepare immediately.”
“Ah, Seok-du. Do we have any sense of the distance?”
“If we rest the horses along the way… approximately two days. There are enemies scattered about, so breaking through will take time.”
“Quite far then.”
“Yes, we are still in the rear positions. The Left Army that crossed from Anhui and the main force have already reached the gates of Hangzhou.”
“Then since we’re embarking on a long journey anyway, let’s take our time.”
“Pardon? Wasn’t this urgent?”
“The more urgent it is, the slower we must go, wouldn’t you say?”
The expressions of the managers and Moryong Sohgyo became peculiar.
‘He’s about to say something bizarre again.’
‘What is he thinking?’
Whenever their commander spoke in such an unexpected manner, he would devise an extraordinary plan.
And it always concluded with the best possible outcome.
“The enemy will now concentrate all their forces toward the center and Anhui. What do you suppose that means?”
“That there are no reinforcements available, sir?”
“Exactly right.”
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes gleamed.
“We’ll continue as we have been—create as much chaos as possible while we advance.”
…”
“The Moyong Family thinks they can ignore us… but they won’t be able to, no matter how hard they try.”
* * *
The Dokgo Family’s main force.
Urgent dispatches poured into the headquarters daily, and the main force, which had paused its advance, caught its breath while assessing the situation.
“It appears the Left Army has engaged Pacheonggun for the third time.”
“What are our casualties?”
“We achieved victory. However, Pacheonggun’s momentum exceeds all expectations.”
“Both Dokgo Gun and Dokgo Hye have sustained internal injuries from the enemy’s combined assault and have temporarily withdrawn.”
Commander-in-Chief Shin Heum raised his voice urgently, and the senior officers under his command hastened to continue their reports.
“Urgent dispatch! Ji-myeol Magoon has been confirmed to be with Pacheonggun!”
“Muyong Tae’s movements have been identified!”
Thanks to grinding through Cheon I-gak’s informants and scouts, the Dokgo Family was able to discern the movements of the enemy’s core masters.
The probing phase had ended.
The masters in hiding began emerging one by one, and both enemy and ally forces unleashed their full strength.
I could sense the end approaching. This would be the final battle to conclude the war.
“Get word to Gun somehow. Have the Left Army pull back for now.”
“But then Pacheonggun might target the main force’s flank. If the enemy attacks from the front as well, we’ll be caught in a pincer attack.”
“If Pacheonggun aims for us, I’ll simply order the Left Army to advance. The enemy won’t be foolish enough to attempt such a blunder.”
“Still….”
“The situation on the Right Army’s front isn’t unfavorable, so it should be fine.”
Shin Heum nodded.
“Jeon Myeong.”
“Have everyone withdraw for now. Report any new information to me immediately, regardless of the hour.”
As people filed out, I turned my gaze from the map and looked beyond the tent.
The sky was filled with ash-gray clouds as if ready to pour rain at any moment.
Summer’s heat had already broken and autumn was setting in, yet the sky remained this way. Perhaps heaven itself was reluctant to witness the blood soaking the earth and chose to wash it away with rain.
‘It will end around the time the leaves fall.’
The Moyong Family had no reserves left. It would all be over in two months, perhaps even less than a month.
‘I haven’t grasped the movements of this Black Bloodfiend, but I’ve identified Muyong Gaju, Ji-myeol Magoon, and the Grand General. The Nameless of the Crimson Sword Sect should be at Muyong Gaju’s side.’
All the masters had taken to the battlefield. They’d driven out even the elderly family members who had long since retired, so there couldn’t possibly be any remaining forces.
‘Hangzhou is now just one step away.’
Tianmu Mountain, where the Left Army was positioned, was right before Hangzhou.
Here, where the main force was stationed, the Po River—following its course upstream—led directly to Hangzhou, the Moyong Family’s ancestral home.
As for how far the Right Army had progressed, I couldn’t say….
‘They have no time to spare, and the main family has no reason to delay.’
Now it seemed we had to prepare for one final, decisive battle where lives hung in the balance.
Suddenly, my gaze turned toward a distant point.
“….”
I felt the atmosphere outside the tent growing restless.
Soon, a thick stench of blood mixed with the smell of rain brushed against my nostrils.
‘The scent of blood.’
I let out a hollow laugh and shook my head.
‘I said he was late, but it seems he’s finally arrived.’
Thump, thump!
The sound of heavy footsteps echoed.
It was deliberate. If he wanted to conceal his presence, he could hide it endlessly.
Whoosh!
As the tent flap was pulled back, the reek of blood and sweat rushed in.
“You’ve come.”
“I hope you’ve been well?”
Dokgo Myeong, covered head to toe in sweat, dirt, and blood, collapsed into a chair.
“Isn’t it time you learned to mind the eyes of others? As befits a Bloodfiend, always maintain your dignity.”
“What dignity matters on a battlefield?”
“The journey here must have been difficult?”
“I’ve been bothered by what you did for me last time. I brought a gift, which is why I look like this.”
“A gift?”
Dokgo Myeong pulled out a crumpled sheet of paper from his robes.
“What is this?”
“The names of enemy masters I killed on the way here.”
“…!”
“I wrote them down for you to reference when making plans. Ah, for those whose identities I couldn’t determine, I just noted their distinguishing features.”
“….”
As Dokgo Un-hak scanned the list, the corners of his mouth twitched.
Soon he could no longer contain himself and his mouth fell open.
“Ahahaha!”
He burst into laughter, his expression full of mirth as he stared at Dokgo Myeong.
“You absolute madman.”
“What kind of compliment is that?”
“I thought the enemy’s movements had grown sluggish lately—was all of this your doing?”
“The Cheonma Sect has been working hard.”
“You there!”
Dokgo Un-hak suddenly raised his voice.
He immediately handed the roster to a soldier who had entered and ordered him to distribute wine and meat to the Cheonma Sect.
This man truly knew how to act decisively—that was refreshing to see.
“You’ve executed this assassination work flawlessly. The Moyong Family must be feeling quite the sting.”
“Even a spot that doesn’t usually hurt much can be quite painful if struck unexpectedly.”
“It’s not even a spot that doesn’t usually hurt. Now the enemy has no choice but to divert forces toward General Seo Joongbaek as well.”
To pick off only the enemy masters so cleanly—truly a legendary assassin’s work.
Or rather, could it even be called assassination when he marched straight in, defeated the enemy commander in open combat, and then withdrew?
“But did you not know? Every time we attacked, reinforcements arrived at just the right moment, so I thought you were already aware.”
“I’ve only instructed the commanding general to pay attention to the sluggish movements of our right flank and the enemy in that direction lately. I suspected the Moyong Family was concentrating on us and the left army, pulling forces elsewhere—but it turns out it was all because of the Cheonma Sect.”
Dokgo Un-hak nodded.
“Our gains will exceed expectations. The right army will need to keep up their momentum.”
“That General Seo Joongbaek—he’s quite eager. You can trust him with this.”
Dokgo Un-hak’s eyes sharpened.
“…Did you do that intentionally?”
“What? What do you mean?”
“Giving the right army an opportunity.”
“What are you talking about? Do I look like someone who would concern myself with politics after coming all this way? This is truly disappointing.”
Yes, of course intentionally.
Our Left General seems displeased that the Elder Council’s man, who could have ended as a defeated general, has been given a chance at redemption.
However, the Sword King was no petty man incapable of discerning the situation, so he refrained from displaying such foolishness by uttering a word of complaint.
“Very well, let’s consider it as such.”
“It’s not just considering it that way…”
“Regardless, you did well. The right army and main force will have more freedom of movement. The enemy’s forces will inevitably become dispersed. To accomplish that with such small numbers was impressive.”
“The phrase ‘elite small unit’ exists for a reason.”
“Speaking of which…… you brought Yeon along, I hear?”
Dokgo Myeong flinched slightly.
“Well, if I didn’t take her, she threatened to shatter her own dantian. What choice did I have but to comply?”
“Very well. We’ll discuss that matter later.”
Dokgo Un-hak opened his mouth.
“This conversation will take some time. Which would you prefer—wine or tea?”
“Wine, naturally.”
Dokgo Myeong replied with a slight smile.
* * *
Shortly after, Shin Heum arrived at the tent, and the Outer Hall Master, ever perceptive, had already prepared cups in advance.
Drinking wine in such moments served primarily to loosen the tongue and encourage freer speech.
Thus Dokgo Myeong was able to hear the delicate circumstances that Geum Seok-du had failed to uncover.
“The enemy’s information blockade is intensifying. Two of the family’s mystical beasts have already been killed.”
“You mean that Jeon Seo-eung?”
“Yes, which is why information transmission has become slower.”
“That fellow was quite cunning, yet to capture him…”
It would be difficult unless someone like Ye-hwa with her archery skills or perhaps someone of Hoa’s caliber were involved.
“We’ve determined he’s employing some sort of unusual magical artifact.”
“A magical artifact?”
“Yes.”
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes gleamed.
“From which direction?”
“Strangely, we cannot determine it. Despite deploying additional scouts, we’ve only found Jeon Seo-eung’s corpse.”
Dokgo Myeong’s expression grew sharper.
“It must be the Grand General.”
“The Grand General…… you say?”
“It seems that one is targeting this place.”
In my previous life, something similar occurred. That one, whose boundary between martial arts and sorcery remained unclear, had employed all manner of extraordinary tactics.
‘The Grand General on the front lines…… could it be that they’re…?’
While Dokgo Myeong fell into thought, Shin Heum continued his explanation.
“Considering the enemy’s intent in focusing on information blockade, it appears they’re planning an all-out assault to concentrate their full strength.”
“Is that so?”
“Observe.”
Shin Heum unfolded a map and began to speak. It was not a map of all Zhejiang, but rather a detailed map of Hangzhou and the surrounding roads.
Hangzhou was naturally the enemy’s heart. By the time we reach there, everything will already be decided.
Therefore, the truly important locations are these three.
West Lake, Shaoxing, and Zheji.
Pacheonggun’s main camp lay at West Lake to the west of Hangzhou, the enemy’s massive supply depot in the southeastern city of Shaoxing, and the Yukcheon Sect was positioned at Zheji.
If I could only destroy these three strategic strongholds where the enemy had entrenched themselves, I could plant the Dokgo Family’s black dragon flag in the Moyong Family’s heart.
‘We’ve come this far.’
Total war.
Both sides had already revealed their full strength, and now probing tactics and minor stratagems had become meaningless.
The Moyong Family and Jeongheol Sect were blocking all the major passages, and my main family had to push forward relentlessly—there was nothing left but to collide with full force.
“So, what was your reason for summoning me?”
“What do you think?”
….
Dokgo Myeong narrowed his eyes, studying the map before answering.
“We’ve already won.”
Dokgo Myeong stated it as fact.
Victory was assured.
From the beginning, the main family had only wavered because of unpredictable schemes. In a pure test of strength, there was no way to lose.
“If things go awry, I could simply summon the masters waiting at the main family, or command the three great families currently regrouping to march south. That would be enough.”
“But that doesn’t fit the calculation. All this massive expenditure has been for monopoly.”
….
Massive expenditure.
In truth, what had been expended were human lives, which would be worth more than anything else… but no. What use was there in bringing this up? The Outer Hall Master already knew this plainly enough.
“Regardless, we will win.”
“Now the question is how decisively, how perfectly we achieve that victory.”
“Forgive the repetition, but the enemy’s master experts and Pacheonggun are the problem. I never expected them to be this insane.”
“Because they’re blocking the front lines, the enemy’s core masters have gained freedom of movement.”
“Ah, now I understand what you’re about to say.”
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes brightened.
The enemy did have advantages.
Namely, the number of supreme masters.
The Moyong Gaju, Sect Leader Seongcheon, Mumeong, Samdae Magoon, and the Four Heavenly Kings of Pacheonggun.
“Is that why you summoned me?”
Dokgo Myeong pointed to one location on the map.
Dokgo Un-hak nodded.
“Will you go?”
“Didn’t you say you’d make your judgment excluding me from the plan?”
“If you prefer another location, speak.”
“No. This is fine.”
Dokgo Myeong placed a round wooden token inscribed with “Cheonma” onto one location on the map with a soft tap.
It was where the Left Army and Pacheonggun were positioned.
“If Ji-myeol is there, then the Bloodfiend will be too. I’ll take the heads of those Four Heavenly Kings or whatever they are, along with the Left and Right Magoons.”
In an instant, the next battlefield was decided.
The western sector. Where Pacheonggun’s forces were positioned.

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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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