Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 35

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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 35
The sun began to rise along the distant horizon.
The man sat by the window, tilting a bottle of wine to his lips.
“Leader, it is Jeong. I have a report.”
The Black-Robed Man approached the man.
Woo Mu-jin, the Paedobyeon Leader, did not turn his head as he spoke.
“You failed.”
“…!”
Jeong’s eyes twitched.
Though he had yet to deliver any report, Woo Mu-jin had already discerned everything.
Thud!
Jeong dropped to one knee without hesitation.
“My apologies.”
“…”
“Last night, forces moved within the Jeongcheon Alliance. All those connected to our faction have been imprisoned in Naeok. And…”
Jeong delivered a brief summary of the situation.
There was no deception in his words. He would never dare speak falsehoods before the Leader.
“…I failed to anticipate the enemy’s methods. This is a clear mistake on my part, and I shall accept any punishment.”
Thud!
Jeong pressed his forehead to the ground.
Had the Leader himself come, the mission should have succeeded regardless. Yet years of careful planning had unraveled, and now there was nothing left to be done.
“So?”
At that moment, Woo Mu-jin’s languid voice pierced Jeong’s ear like an awl.
“Pardon?”
“What has changed?”
It felt as though lightning had struck his mind.
Jeong’s eyes flew wide open as he snapped his head up.
Woo Mu-jin merely brought the wine bottle to his lips with an indifferent expression.
“One Alliance means nothing. If necessary, I can simply crush them by force. What difference does it make?”
“None. There is no difference.”
“Then rise. I have no memory of taking in a man who kneels so easily over a single failure.”
Jeong sprang to his feet. His wide eyes blazed with renewed fire.
Woo Mu-jin smiled with satisfaction.
“Much better to look at.”
“Thank you.”
Woo Mu-jin let out a soft chuckle.
“The situation unfolded in an amusing way. Among my disciples, you are the one who thinks most carefully, yet you were caught so helplessly.”
“I underestimated the capabilities of the next Jeongcheon Alliance Leader. I failed to anticipate that he would disregard procedure and act so decisively.”
Woo Mu-jin shook his head.
“You’ve misread it.”
“Pardon?”
“Just because a mutt resembles a wolf doesn’t mean a wolf will emerge from a dog. This isn’t that old man’s method.”
Jeong’s eyes widened in shock.
‘…An accomplice! Someone joined hands with him!’
Only then did the scattered pieces finally fit together.
“Do you suspect the Three Great Sects or the Jeongcheon Alliance were involved?”
“The circumstances suggest so… but that young master at the banquet troubles me.”
“By young master, you mean…?”
“The Dokgo Clan.”
Wi Mu-jin swirled the wine bottle with a flick of his wrist.
There was something peculiar and exhilarating in that gesture.
“All night, those eyes kept brushing through my mind.”
“His eyes… what do you mean?”
“Of everyone in the banquet hall, only that one measured the distance between us.”
Measured the distance. In other words, he had gauged him.
“There was a brat who interrupted my words with some foolish jest. Do you know his name?”
“Myeong—Dokgo Myeong.”
“Whose son is he?”
Jeong’s mind raced swiftly through the Dokgo Clan’s genealogy.
“The third son of Dokgo Cheon, the only child of Dokgo Wi-hak.”
“Dokgo Wi-hak?”
Wi Mu-jin paused for a moment.
Then he burst into laughter.
“Ha ha ha! Whose son, I wondered, and of course—that man’s bloodline!”
Jeong blinked in bewilderment.
“But wasn’t Dokgo Wi-hak an obscure nobody who never made a name for himself in Gangho?”
“Time passes. To think the day would come when ‘obscure nobody’ would precede his name.”
“…!”
Such praise was rare indeed. Wi Mu-jin was not one to evaluate people so easily.
“If he’s that man’s son, then he should be. Dokgo Myeong, Dokgo Myeong…”
Wi Mu-jin murmured with relish.
Jeong clenched his teeth in silence.
‘Could it really be that this wet-behind-the-ears young master ruined everything?’
Fury welled up inside him.
Jeong’s jaw tightened as tension flooded his entire body.
Then Wi Mu-jin drained the remaining wine in one gulp and spoke.
“Well, this has become quite entertaining.”
“…What should I do? I will obey your command.”
“Wait and see.”
Wi Mu-jin smiled with an enigmatic expression.
“Didn’t I tell you? Nothing has changed.”
* * *
The Geumbun Seso celebration banquet had begun.
A separate seating area in the Main Hall was prepared for representatives of each organization visiting the Alliance.
After adjusting my clothes, I headed there with Dokgo Ak.
Dokgo Ak suddenly opened his mouth.
“Wait a moment. I have something to say.”
“Hmm?”
Dokgo Myeong turned his head quickly.
Dokgo Ak crossed his arms arrogantly and spoke.
“You do understand what kind of place we’re heading to now, don’t you?”
“It’s a celebration banquet, isn’t it?”
“It’s not just a simple celebration banquet!”
Dokgo Ak’s eyes gleamed.
Though it was called the Geumbun Seso celebration banquet, in reality it would become a place to reaffirm the positions between the Jeongcheon Alliance and various organizations going forward.
In other words, it was a political arena.
“I already know. That you’re planning to earn merit this time and gain recognition from the Family Head.”
Dokgo Myeong blinked his eyes.
“What nonsense is this?”
“Don’t try to dodge it. I’ve already seen through everything anyway.”
Dokgo Myeong blinked his eyes again in confusion. He genuinely didn’t understand what was being said.
“Hmph, you’re speechless. I must have hit a nerve.”
Dokgo Ak, having misinterpreted Dokgo Myeong’s expression, smirked with a self-satisfied expression and laughed.
“Uh, well…”
“Unfortunately, there’s nothing you’ll be able to do this time. I’ve already coordinated with the renowned masters of Gangho and completed my preparations. Hehe!”
Dokgo Ak let out a scoff.
Today was essentially the most important day of this Geumbun Seso ceremony.
Dokgo Ak had been diligently preparing for this day. I knew this fellow was more remarkable than I thought, but this time I intended to be the one who won.
“So don’t even think about representing the Main Sect and doing something presumptuous at the banquet hall. Whatever decisions are made or whatever responsibilities arise, I’ll be the one handling them!”
“…”
“Hahahaha!”
Dokgo Ak burst into laughter and strode ahead.
Left behind, Dokgo Myeong stared blankly at Dokgo Ak’s retreating figure.
And then.
“Ah, is that so?”
He smiled, stretching his lips wide.
“Well, that’s why I brought you along—you’ll have to take full responsibility!”
Dokgo Myeong chuckled meaningfully.
Dokgo Ak, who had already gone ahead, failed to hear that laughter.
* * *
Kang Yeop-cheong cupped his fist and bowed before the guests who had come to visit.
“Thank you once again for attending my master’s ceremony.”
Kang Yeop-cheong’s gaze swept across the guests seated in the Main Hall.
“This gathering was arranged to greet our honored guests. Please, set aside formality and enjoy yourselves freely. And….”
Though his courtesy was impeccable, his tone carried confidence and his eyes shone with clarity—there was no servility in his bearing.
Kang Yeop-cheong’s eyes turned toward the Paedobyeon Leader, who occupied one corner of the hall.
“I hope this gathering will serve the future of the Jeongcheon Alliance and the peace of the Gangho.”
The corners of the Paedobyeon Leader’s mouth curved upward.
Kang Yeop-cheong felt a tingling sensation at his fingertips upon seeing that smile.
That was when it happened.
“Amitabha Buddha. I am the Shaolin Emissary. I truly congratulate you on the Geumbun Seso Ritual, Alliance Leader Im.”
It was the Shaolin Emissary who had spoken.
His eyes gleamed with subtle intensity.
“However… might this humble monk ask one question?”
“Of course, please speak freely.”
“How should we address you?”
The eyes of the monks brightened.
Kang Yeop-cheong answered confidently.
“I have come here today as the next Alliance Leader of the Jeongcheon Alliance.”
“…!”
“Does that answer suffice?”
The expressions of the guests shifted.
Kang Yeop-cheong’s answer revealed what the turmoil of the previous night had resulted in.
“Haha, I see. Alliance Leader Kang, Alliance Leader Kang… it has quite a pleasant ring to it.”
“I am not yet the formal Alliance Leader, but I look forward to your support going forward.”
“Amitabha Buddha. I shall pray for your good fortune. This humble monk also looks forward to working with you.”
After that, various conversations continued. Though their true intentions were concealed, each carried hidden meanings beneath the surface.
The future direction of the Jeongcheon Alliance, transactions and interests… it was essentially a gathering to probe into all manner of things.
“I see. I understand well. I shall report this to our headquarters.”
“Do you have any other questions?”
“Well, actually… hmm.”
The elder of Qingcheng began to answer but stopped, glancing furtively at something before closing his mouth.
“Please, speak freely. I am listening.”
“Haha, no matter. Let us arrange a separate gathering. In any case, congratulations. I hope you become a fine Alliance Leader.”
“…Ah, yes.”
Kang Yeop-cheong looked around the Main Hall with an uneasy expression.
On the surface, it was clearly a warm and unremarkable banquet, yet a subtle tension hung in the air. It was because the Paedobyeon Leader, Wi Mu-jin, had remained silent throughout.
And how much time had passed?
Finally, his mouth opened.
“This is unbearably tedious.”
The atmosphere froze at Wi Mu-jin’s words.
* * *
“…What did you just say, Sect Leader Wi?”
Baek Yu-jin-in from Hwasan, who had been conversing nearby, narrowed his brows and spoke up.
“I said it was tedious.”
Wi Mu-jin leaned back in his chair with an expression of ennui and opened his mouth.
“How disappointing. So the representatives of these so-called prestigious sects and massive alliances come here only to spout such drivel?”
Baek Yu-jin-in’s face flushed red.
“Ha! Then what grand discourse were you planning to share, Sect Leader Wi, keeping your mouth shut all this time? Let’s hear it then.”
Wi Mu-jin’s head snapped around.
A sinister smile stretched across his lips.
“What I have to say is hardly surprising, is it?”
Wi Mu-jin turned his head back with deliberate slowness, surveying the assembly.
His gaze paused twice.
Once on Dokgo Myeong.
And when his eyes reached Kang Yeop-cheong at the seat of honor, his mouth opened.
“Jeongcheon Alliance Leader. Submit yourself beneath the Paedobyeon.”
“…!”
It was far worse than a bucket of cold water. His words, sharp as a blade, shattered the banquet hall’s atmosphere in an instant.
“What do you mean by that?”
Kang Yeop-cheong maintained a composed expression with effort, but his voice trembled at the end.
“I’m telling you to come under the Paedobyeon’s banner.”
“…Do you truly believe I would accept such madness?”
In that moment, even his honorifics fell away. Anger, not fear, now colored his trembling voice.
Wi Mu-jin chuckled at those words.
“If you refuse, you’ll receive a visit from the Paedobyeon instead.”
“What are you saying…?”
“Didn’t you understand? I’m suggesting we settle this with a fight.”
It was a declaration of war.
The assembly stirred at such vulgar language, fit only for back alleys.
“I… I…”
“Unless he’s lost his mind…”
Unconventional speech could be forgiven. He was a representative of the heterodox black path, and he possessed the power and renown that allowed him such liberties.
But not this.
To speak of war in a place where the Three Great Sects, the Jeecheon Society, and the Four Great Clans and the greatest clan under heaven were gathered!
“Sect Leader of Paedobyeon! Mind your words!”
Kang Yeop-cheong raised his voice, his aura turning sharp and cold.
“The eyes and ears of the Gangho are gathered here as one! To speak words you cannot bear responsibility for is…”
At that moment.
“Hahahahahaha!”
Hwaaaaak!
Beneath the piercing laughter lay an overwhelming surge of inner force.
In that instant, everyone fell silent.
Tremendous spiritual pressure.
Though the greatest masters of Gangho had gathered here, the Paedobyeon Leader’s momentum seemed incomparable.
“The one who will soon become the leader of the Jeongcheon Alliance—does he truly intend to beg for help from the very start?”
“…!”
“Well then, fine. There’s nothing wrong with seeking aid when strength falls short. But a single Jeongcheon Alliance hardly excites me.”
Having spoken thus, Wi Mu-jin surveyed the silent surroundings once more.
“But isn’t it strange?”
“What….”
“Why is this Gangho you speak of so remarkably quiet?”
Kang Yeop-cheong’s eyes wavered.
It was true.
All the renowned masters of Gangho gathered in this Main Hall had not uttered a single word since Wi Mu-jin broached the subject of war.
“Ahem….”
“…Mm.”
Low murmurs drifted from various corners.
It was unavoidable.
There was neither justification nor reason to intervene.
If a true conflict were to erupt?
Even so, not a single organization had cultivated deep ties with the Jeongcheon Alliance sufficient to commit strength to a distant frontier war.
‘No, that’s not really it.’
Kang Yeop-cheong stared at Wi Mu-jin with a flustered expression.
Wi Mu-jin had orchestrated the atmosphere to guide the masters toward such thinking.
Gulp.
Meanwhile, Dokgo Ak, who dared not even consider interjecting, could only swallow dryly.
Tap tap!
At that moment, he felt someone tapping his shoulder.
“…What is it.”
It was Dokgo Myeong.
He gazed at me with a sinister smile plastered across his face.
“What’s with that grin? How irritating.”
“Remember when you said you’d take responsibility?”
“What?”
“Do well.”
Dokgo Myeong turned his gaze forward and opened his mouth.
“Actually, our Dokgo Family holds a different view on this matter.”
Dokgo Ak’s jaw dropped.
‘This madman can’t even distinguish where he should and shouldn’t speak!’
I was reaching out to quickly cover that blunt mouth when it happened.
I saw it.
The smile blooming at the corners of Dokgo Myeong’s lips.
And the hand of that bastard trying to yank my chair out from under me.
‘Gasp!’
There was no time to stop him.
I bolted upright without thinking, desperate not to tumble to the ground.
Clang! Crash-bang!
The sound of the chair clattering across the floor echoed through the hall with deafening clarity.
“What in the—!”
I was about to roar out in fury when my body suddenly froze.
The surroundings had gone silent.
Impossibly, unnaturally silent.
“….”
Like a creaking wheel, I turned my head forward slowly, ever so slowly.
The Main Hall came into view.
“….”
“….”
Every eye in the Main Hall was fixed upon me.
And that included….
“Hmm?”
Wi Mu-jin as well.
“What do you mean by that? Were those words directed at me?”
Wi Mu-jin’s lips curled upward as he regarded me.
I felt as though I might lose consciousness.

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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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