Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 328

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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 328
Cheolmu-baek remained behind.
Behind Dokgo Myeong, behind Namgung Sohwa, and also behind Dokgo Ak, Ye-hwa, and Geum Seok-du.
“….”
As I watched my companions’ backs, a strange sentiment suddenly washed over me, and I lowered my gaze.
Whuff!
The horse I rode trembled and sprayed white, foamy sweat.
Horses naturally sweated like this. Only a few of the tribe’s horses produced red sweat.
The reason I was falling further and further behind was precisely because of this horse.
This steed brought from the Dokgo Family was a rare fine horse, but compared to the famous horses raised by the tribe, it lacked stamina and endurance. It seemed it had never carried someone as heavy as myself before.
Then, someone approached my side, tugging gently at the reins.
“Brother.”
“What is it, Hang San-gwi?”
“May I ask who we’re going to strike down?”
“Strike down?”
“Ah, I mean… who we’re going to kill.”
“We’re going as reinforcements for the Left Army. We fight against Pacheonggun.”
“Arrogant bastards, judging by their name alone.”
“This battle will be different from what we’ve faced so far. Stay alert.”
Hang San-gwi observed for a moment before asking carefully.
“But are you alright, brother?”
“What do you mean?”
“Your expression seems a bit strange.”
I glanced at Hang San-gwi.
Even the managers I’d spent long years with sometimes misread my expression, yet Hang San-gwi grasped my feelings immediately.
“Is something troubling you? Tell me. That’s what having a younger brother means.”
“You’re not a younger brother—you’re a subordinate.”
“To me, it’s all the same. Whether you’re a brother or a superior.”
This man, whose real name was Go Dong-gu but who called himself Hang San-gwi, always called me brother and called Dokgo Myeong “Big Brother.”
I was larger in build, yet I only recently understood why he called Dokgo Myeong “Big Brother.”
Actually, until then, I thought “brother” was simply a title for someone of higher status. It was because Dokgo Ak so stubbornly avoided using the word “brother.”
‘I’ve learned so much.’
So many things had entered the mind of someone who once knew only fighting.
“The horse.”
“…?”
“If my expression seemed strange, it was probably because of the horse.”
“If that’s the reason, well, there’s nothing to be done about it.”
“Nothing to be done?”
“Even a famous horse raised by the greatest family under heaven would struggle to bear you, brother. It’s only natural.”
Hang San-gwi’s expression as he said this seemed somehow proud.
Cheolmu-baek shook his head and spoke.
“No.”
“Pardon?”
“This one bears no fault. It’s simply that I am not a suitable master for one meant to run freely.”
“…?”
At that moment, Bang Dan-a’s booming voice erupted from behind.
“Hey! You stubborn mule! Stop dragging the formation and get moving! You’re throwing everything into disarray!”
Hang San-gwi’s face crumpled sharply.
“That loud woman, one day I’ll….”
Cheolmu-baek spoke.
“Go on.”
“It’s fine.”
“Go.”
“Yes…. But brother.”
“Speak.”
“To us, you are the greatest.”
“…?”
When I turned to glance aside, wondering what he meant, Hang San-gwi had already vanished into the distance.
As I looked forward again, memories of a distant past suddenly surfaced.
It was an era when I was scorned as a freak of unnatural strength and a bastard. I lived with only cloud-shrouded mountains, endless arid grasslands, and ice-laden lakes as my companions.
In those days, I was strongest.
Neither stone mountains, nor grasslands, nor lakes could overcome me. Wolf packs, warriors of other tribes, and even those from the Central Plains were easy prey. Even when I suffered defeat at times, victory always belonged to me in the end.
‘But now?’
I look forward once more.
I see the backs of Dokgo Myeong and my comrades.
I who once always led from the front now found myself watching their backs from behind.
‘Truly formidable ones. That I came to stand with them is great fortune for me.’
Cheolmu-baek’s blue eyes rippled.
‘But if we were to fight, what would happen.’
I gauged my opponents using the breathing technique my mother had taught me long ago.
‘Hang San-gwi would require two breaths.’
At most, there would be only a difference of one or two breaths. For disciples of his rank, the others would be similar.
‘Dokgo Ak would require fifteen breaths.’
At our first meeting, it was five breaths, but now it had grown considerably.
The remarkable thing was that if I tried to decide the match within fifteen breaths, I might lose. And Dokgo Ak seemed to know this as well.
‘Those two… I don’t think I could fight them.’
Ye-hwa and Geum Seok-du were peculiar.
A fight would not seem to materialize. We might fight if circumstances demanded it, but fundamentally, it would never come to that between us.
‘And Manager Namgung. Certainly just a short while ago there was a difference of about three breaths, but now she has become the strongest among us.’
Roughly thirty breaths at baseline, perhaps.
The numbers would fluctuate depending on circumstances—increasing more often than decreasing, which was precisely the problem.
‘And finally, what about the Captain?’
Cheolmu-baek stared intently at Dokgo Myeong’s back.
He was demonstrating through his actions the very words he had once spoken to me.
-I will become your endless grassland, your snowy plain, your rocky mountain so that you never leave.
It was impossible to gauge. Dokgo Myeong was a man who could expand or contract the gap in his breathing as he wished.
‘Then if I were to stake my life and clash with these people…’
It was the moment Cheolmu-baek harbored such a thought.
Whoosh!
Dokgo Myeong and the managers suddenly turned to look at him. Even Geum Seok-du was observing Cheolmu-baek with bewildered eyes.
Cheolmu-baek, who had been staring blankly at them, suddenly burst into laughter.
“Hahaha.”
His expression remained unchanged, yet laughter flowed from his slightly parted lips.
“Why are you doing that?”
“What was that just now?”
Everyone added their own comment while watching Cheolmu-baek.
“It is nothing of consequence.”
“I could have sworn the back of my head tingled…”
Then, Dokgo Myeong suddenly raised his voice.
“Something feels wrong. Reduce speed!”
“Slow the pace!”
“Carefully! Slowly so nothing tangles!”
At Dokgo Myeong’s command, the Cheonma Sect responded in unison, adjusting the reins.
Ninety mounted warriors moved as one. The Cheonma Sect disciples were individually formidable, but the difference between when Dokgo Myeong issued orders and when he did not was substantial.
“From now on, we must be cautious. Moyang Soldier, Seok-du.”
“I await your orders.”
“Yes, Captain.”
Go ahead and scout the path. From now on, let the horses rest somewhat, and we’ll dismount at the designated location before proceeding. Instruct those returning to exercise particular vigilance.”
“Understood.”
“Seok-du, select a few people with Ye-hwa and conduct reconnaissance of the surroundings.”
“Understood.”
Having finished his instructions, Dokgo Myeong urged his horse forward and withdrew from the vanguard.
Upon reaching the rear, he saw Cheolmu-baek.
“Mu-baek.”
“Captain.”
Why are you staring so intently? Are you frustrated? Does your body itch to move? We’ve fought so much recently it’s become tedious, yet something still feels lacking?”
“It is none of those things.”
“Then what is it?”
Cheolmu-baek gazed at Dokgo Myeong, then nodded slowly.
“Upon reflection, it seems I do wish to fight.”
“We have too much to do right now to settle personal scores. Does it have to be done immediately?”
Cheolmu-baek rode in silence alongside Dokgo Myeong for a while before speaking.
He gazed at the column ahead with an almost cheerful expression before continuing.
“Captain.”
“What?”
“I’ve always been confident I could defeat anyone among us.”
“Not anymore?”
“Even now, I’m confident. If I stake my life on it, I could defeat anyone—even you, Captain.”
The managers’ eyes sharpened at those words. They’d been listening intently despite pretending not to hear, their expressions daring him to try.
Dokgo Myeong grinned widely.
“Still impressive. So?”
“But on the other hand, I’ve come to realize I could lose.”
“…?”
Cheolmu-baek’s eyes gleamed with intensity.
“It’s because I’ve learned too much. Now I understand footwork and internal energy cultivation, techniques and combat forms, sparring and real battle. I’ve even come to understand what a battlefield truly is. I’m undoubtedly far stronger now than I was before.”
“….”
“But unlike back then when I thought I could defeat anyone, now I find myself thinking I could lose.”
He was someone who always found his own answers, and soon he grasped the reason he was falling behind.
In truth, it wasn’t falling behind at all—he was losing himself and stagnating.
He who once found meaning in reckless challenges had learned so much that he no longer dared to challenge at all.
So what must be done?
There was only one answer.
“In the next battle, I wish to choose my opponent myself.”
“….”
“Please allow me to do this.”
Dokgo Myeong’s expression grew stern.
“Come to your senses. The battlefield is a place where even flying and crawling masters can die in an instant. More than that, this isn’t just your problem alone.”
“You can leave it to me. I think I need to fight like myself again. That might be the wall standing before me now.”
“How could I allow that? You’re one of only five managers in our unit now. Your actions alone would sway us all.”
When Dokgo Myeong spoke firmly, Cheolmu-baek turned to him with a wide grin.
“Not being swayed by anyone. Acting freely while bearing responsibility. Wasn’t that what the Cheonma Sect was about?”
At those words, Dokgo Myeong laughed as if he’d never been stern at all.
‘A transitional period. Not just for him, but for all of us.’
Dokgo Myeong quietly observed the rippling of Cheolmu-baek’s energy.
Namgung Sohwa’s progress was inspiring everyone. It seemed to affect not just the managers but the disciples as well.
“What will you do if you die doing this?”
“That won’t happen. After all, I’m confident I can defeat anyone.”
Dokgo Myeong let out a hollow laugh.
Everything was fine, but he couldn’t understand why they had to cause trouble at such a critical time when there were so many other good days.
“This ignorant fool.”
“In the martial world, there’s a saying…”
“Hmm?”
“They say ‘when ink touches paper, it becomes black.'”
“…?”
Dokgo Myeong, who had been bewildered, nodded his head.
“Good. Do as you see fit.”
Cheolmu-baek laughed once more.
Just then, a scout returned.
“Captain! A battle is taking place not far from here!”
* * *
“Huff, gasp. Gasp.”
Ragged breathing erupted from the man.
He surveyed his surroundings with eyes of disbelief.
‘The casualties are severe. Damn it, I should have just stayed quiet and recovered from my wounds. All because I volunteered to handle the supplies…’
Shim Ji-san, the captain of the Cheonkong Unit belonging to the Dokgo Family’s outer branch, ground his teeth.
His trembling gaze fixed forward.
“You’re quite capable. Who are you from the Dokgo Family?”
Thud!
A burly man whose head was easily a full head taller than an ordinary person spoke.
“I am Shim Ji-san, captain of the Cheonkong Unit.”
“I am Pacheonggun, Il Na-chal of the Northern Black Heaven Unit.”
“Not even one of those Four Heavenly Kings, but merely a subordinate under their command…?”
Shim Ji-san’s eyes trembled with shock.
“Now that I know your name, that’s enough. Stop getting in the way and move aside.”
Whoosh! Crash!
A grotesquely shaped iron mace, weighing well over a hundred pounds, was swung through the air.
Shim Ji-san, startled, drew his sword to block.
Clang! Boom!
His sword shattered completely, and he flew back three paces.
“Cough! Ugh!”
Shim Ji-san spat blood and stared at his broken sword.
‘That iron mace… it’s no ordinary weapon.’
What kind of metal was it forged from? His own weapon was worthy of being called a fine blade, yet it shattered after just a few collisions.
“How dull.”
Il Na-chal snorted derisively, then without even glancing at Shim Ji-san, issued orders to his subordinates.
“Carry out the Heavenly King’s command. Destroy all the supply carts and scatter the poison.”
The iron mace swung toward the supply carts.
Boom!
Before the mace even made contact, an explosion erupted from within the cart.
As the mace swept through the interior of the cart and burst outward, the contents became a complete pulp, scattering in all directions.
“This can’t be…!”
The horse died without even a scream, and the carriage crumpled like tofu, spilling its contents in all directions. It took only an instant to destroy all five supply wagons.
“Everyone, get up! Protect the wagons!”
“Grraaah!”
“No! I, Shim Ji-san, have not yet fallen! Take this!”
Shim Ji-san snatched up the sword of a dead subordinate rolling on the ground and sprang to his feet.
“What admirable courage. Kha ha ha!”
Il Na-chal’s hearty laughter sounded strangely hollow, like watching smoke. Despite the booming voice, his eyes held no warmth whatsoever.
“Silence, you demon servant of Sima Waidao!”
Crash!
The moment they collided again, a shock as if all the organs in his body were being driven backward overwhelmed Shim Ji-san.
“Ugh!”
Shim Ji-san’s eyes flashed as he redirected the force through his blade, attempting to thrust his sword into the opening.
Hardness should never overcome softness. It should be that way….
Boom! Crack!
“…!?”
It was a power so overwhelming that even softness could not redirect it.
His sword warped, and Shim Ji-san felt his entire body’s joints twist under the impact.
Boom!
With a deafening sound, Shim Ji-san tumbled across the ground and crashed down.
Il Na-chal burst into laughter.
“How does it feel to be no match for that demon servant?”
“If I hadn’t been wounded….”
“A man making excuses!”
Boom!
Il Na-chal shouted and stepped forward.
‘What kind of monster has the Moyong Family created?’
Shim Ji-san’s eyes filled with blood as he staggered to his feet.
It was a power that defied reason. His terrifying energy waves shattered everything before his iron mace even made contact.
Essentially a living explosive. Such overwhelming strength, and that strange energy technique that crushed my vital force itself.
I couldn’t understand where such a being had suddenly emerged from.
“All of you, kill that monster and slaughter any survivors, then return. As for me….”
Just as Il Na-chal was giving his command.
Screeeech!
Suddenly a tremendous energy wave erupted, tearing through the air.
Boom!
Followed by a massive explosion from where he had positioned his martial artists on the perimeter.
‘Enemy reinforcements?’
Il Na-chal’s gaze swept rapidly across the surroundings.
‘They said there couldn’t possibly be enemy forces nearby!’
Il Na-chal’s eyes twisted.
Conflict flickered across his sharp gaze before fading away.
“The orders were clear—flee without hesitation if variables emerged. We’ve achieved our objective, so we’re leaving.”
Then, a voice descended from the sky.
“Who gave you permission?”
“…!?”
Whoosh! Crash!
Something plummeted to the ground, sending up a billowing cloud of dust.
“Who are you!?”
“Ask in the afterlife.”
As if the answer wasn’t worth giving, a pitch-black blade swept through the sand and smoke.

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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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