Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 357

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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 357
Whoooosh! Thud-thud-thud-bang!
A torrential rain of arrows descended.
“Gasp!”
“Ugh! Fall back!”
These were no ordinary arrows.
Piercing through a master’s protective technique like paper, even the Jeongheol Sect captains who had been spreading their ominous momentum found themselves forced to focus solely on blocking the arrows.
“….”
Thud-thud-thud!
The Grand General looked down at the arrows embedding themselves at his feet.
The moment he raised his head again, a lightning-swift arrow shot toward the space between his brows.
Thwack! Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!
An iron arrow was caught in the Grand General’s hand. The pale smoke rose from his palm, testament to the inner force and sword energy it carried.
Yet that single arrow was not all. Gwak Dae-ryong could fire arrows even without a bow.
Whoosh! Crash!
With the explosion, the Grand General’s head tilted ever so slightly to the side.
An invisible arrow formed purely from inner force—the Shadowless Arrow.
“…Dokgo Myeong, you.”
A few strands of the Grand General’s neatly arranged hair fell into disarray.
“White Tiger Corps! Protect the Commander!”
“Waaaaaaah!”
Boom-boom-boom-boom!
Then, a group of martial artists burst forth from behind Dokgo Myeong.
Dokgo Myeong’s expression brightened instantly.
How could I forget this aura, this voice?
“Seo Daejoo!”
“I am Baek Ho Sect Leader Seo Ryun, reporting to the Commander! My apologies for the late arrival, sir!”
“How did you get here?”
“As soon as my wounds healed, I rushed over.”
“Then the reinforcements that departed from Namchang are…?”
“Yes, that was us. I worried we might arrive after everything was finished, but fortunately we made it in time.”
Seo Ryun flashed a refreshing smile.
Dokgo Myeong’s gaze, mirroring his smile, shifted to the long vertical scar crossing Seo Ryun’s left eye.
Seo Ryun touched the scar with an embarrassed expression.
“Ah, this is from the Muyong Gaju….”
“Thank you. I owe this to you, Seo Daejoo.”
“…You’re too kind.”
“You were already impressive, but now with this added masculinity, you’re even more striking. Will you be taking a new bride soon?”
“Haha!”
Whoosh! Crack!
Another martial artist descended into the arena.
Dokgo Myeong shouted without even looking.
“Brother Gwak!”
“That’s right, little brother. It’s been a while.”
Gwak Dae-ryong broke into a grin.
“I left Park Jang Han’s daughter in your care, and you drag her off to a battlefield like some ungrateful sworn brother. Aren’t you happy to see me?”
“But those men you brought with you… surely not?”
Gwak Dae-ryong chuckled, his grip tightening on his crossbow.
“That’s right. Those assassins from Milmilgok that you dumped on me have now become disciples of the Heavenly Bow Sect. And this isn’t even the end of it. I ran into them on the way here.”
“Ran into? Who?”
Whoooosh!
In that instant, figures poured in from all directions.
“You bastard!”
Following Dokgo Ak and the Second and Third squads of the Cheonma Sect.
“Captain!”
“Myeong! Are you alright!?”
Geum Seok-du and Namgung Sohwa rushed forward urgently.
They were all connected to Dokgo Myeong alone.
Clang! Clang!
Soon the forces of the Heavenly Bow Sect disciples, the White Tiger Corps, and the Cheonma Sect collided with the Jeongheol Sect’s forces.
The numbers had reversed in an instant.
Moreover, with each individual being elite fighters, the Jeongheol disciples began to give ground helplessly.
“…”
Even in such circumstances, the Grand General remained composed.
He gazed at Dokgo Myeong with an enigmatic expression and asked.
“How did you plan this trap? Did you anticipate that I would come?”
“If that were true, you would have detected it with that divine eye of yours or whatever it is. Isn’t that so?”
“…!”
The Grand General’s expression hardened instantly. It was the face of someone whose unexpected secret had been exposed.
“…Are you saying it was purely luck?”
“You appeared suddenly too, so there’s no reason my people couldn’t have done the same. But looking at the situation, it seems heaven’s fortune favors my side. No matter how I look at it…”
Dokgo Myeong’s lips curled upward as his eyes gleamed.
“That old master, whether Musaeng Nomo or whatever you call him, seems to like me more than you.”
“How dare you…”
The Grand General stepped forward with one foot.
Whoooosh!
Before he could close the distance, dozens of iron arrows flew at him.
Boom!
Yet he deflected them all with only his overwhelming protective energy, without making a single gesture.
“Do you think a few more numbers will let you survive? No one can escape the death that heaven ordains.”
Whiiiiing!
In an instant, tremendous power converged, and the air around the Grand General began to shimmer with heat.
This was precisely why it took a small force to capture the Grand General.
He didn’t employ martial techniques specialized for one-on-one combat, but rather techniques that swept through multitudes. The number of masters or the compatibility of techniques had little effect on him.
“You have already been chosen as the sacrifice to usher in a new era. There will be no exceptions.”
“I….”
Dokgo Myeong’s smile deepened.
“No, we were never the type to bend to someone else’s will. The exception that stands united—that would be the Cheonma Sect.”
“What do you mean by….”
At that moment, Dokgo Myeong shouted urgently.
“Now! Child!”
Peeeeng!
A white thread of light cut through the air and flew toward the Grand General.
“An archer again.”
The Grand General casually reached toward the white line. A barrier of true energy rose up, blocking even the Hyeoncheolyeom Sword that Dokgo Myeong had hurled with all his strength.
But immediately, the Grand General’s expression twisted.
“…!!”
Craaaaaash!
The air shattered.
There was no other way to describe it. The shimmering heat haze fractured like porcelain in an instant, and a pristine white arrowhead reached the Grand General.
Kwaaaaaang!
A deafening explosion erupted.
The impact was so tremendous that spider-web cracks spread across the ground, and a cloud of sand rose into the air.
Whoooosh!
The Grand General’s body was dragged backward across the earth, and one knee buckled beneath him.
Thud!
Even the greatest villain’s blood ran red. A massive wound stretched from the Grand General’s right palm to his elbow.
“Phamamuljsa, Jeokgung Baeksi…. So, that young girl from the assassin lineage….”
A glimmer of recognition crossed the Grand General’s eyes.
That sacred artifact of the secret teachings that annihilated all sorcery was the sharpest blade aimed at the Grand General, who could be called the master of all sorceries within the Jeongheol Sect.
“Grand General. Speak plainly.”
“….”
“Will you try?”
Grrrrgh!
Dokgo Myeong’s Hyeoncheolyeom Sword released a heavy resonance.
‘I wish he would withdraw at this point….’
Though he maintained a strong facade, cold sweat beaded at his temples. With his entire body covered in blood, it was fortunate that the sweat looked like blood rather than sweat.
‘In my current state, I cannot guarantee victory.’
The fact that he had endured this long was merely luck. At the final moment with Jimeol Magoon, when that opponent’s true energy burrowed in, the inner force that surged in return allowed him to stand.
But even that was now running dry.
‘Moreover, I don’t know how much strength Ye-hwa and Baek Si have left.’
Except for the White Tiger Corps and the Heavenly Palace Sect, all forces had endured fierce battles.
They were unprepared to face the Grand General. At least not now.
“….”
Conflict flickered in the Grand General’s deep eyes.
He gazed at Dokgo Myeong, surveyed his surroundings, then suddenly turned his gaze toward a distant point.
‘They come.’
He felt the military flags of the Dokgo Family’s Left Army pressing closer with each passing moment.
Being surrounded held no concern for him. The violence of numbers inspired no fear in him whatsoever.
But the problem was that among them lurked a formidable assassin difficult to contend with.
‘Should I end this here?’
After bearing such tremendous losses, was he truly to withdraw with only this much gained?
At the very least, he needed to obtain Dokgo Myeong.
“Dokgo Myeong. Remember this well.”
The Grand General broke his silence and spoke.
“Even if a fleeting fortune turned toward you within eons of time, know that not all heavenly fortune flows in your direction.”
His voice carried grave authority.
Yet Dokgo Myeong merely sneered in response.
“What nonsense. Doesn’t it make you look even more ridiculous to say such things now?”
The Grand General turned his body.
“In time, you too shall understand. That countless choices you believed you made of your own will were merely games played upon paths laid down by the ancient era.”
It was incomprehensible speech.
Unlike the Left and Right Generals or other captains, he seemed to discourse on something beyond fanaticism.
Whoosh!
In an instant, the Grand General’s form was engulfed in murky mist.
Realizing what it was, Dokgo Myeong cried out urgently.
“…Damn it! Ye-hwa!”
Twang!
From behind, a white line shot toward the mist.
Boom!
But an instant before, the mist exploded, sweeping through the left flank like a tidal wave.
* * *
As chaos erupted in the left flank.
Ji-myeol Magoon was being rapidly withdrawn from the front lines on a stretcher carried by two generals.
“Ugh! Kgh… Where… where is this….”
“Divine Lord. Please remain still and calm yourself. You must tend to your internal injuries.”
“Shin… where is the Divine Sovereign…. Why am I in such a place….”
“Just before the battle with our sect’s great enemy began, we brought you away. By now, the Grand General should be dealing with Dokgo Myeong.”
Ji-myeol Magoon realized from those words that he had survived.
Yet he felt no joy. He was only overwhelmed by shame at his own foolishness, swept away by delusion.
‘When I return to the martial world once more….’
The day I come with the madmen of the Crimson Blood Sect.
When that time arrives, I shall dedicate this life to turn the Central Plains into a sea of blood.
It was at that very moment when Jimeol Magoon, with the aid of the two generals, was fleeing while swearing his oath of revenge.
“I cannot allow you to leave so easily.”
A refined voice echoed through the desolate mountain path.
The generals skidded to a halt, their feet tearing at the earth.
“Who goes there! Reveal yourself!”
Crunch. Crunch.
The sound of footsteps treading on fallen leaves reached their ears.
In that instant, the sun dipped beyond the ridge, and darkness swiftly blanketed the surroundings.
Crunch.
Then, leading the darkness itself, a woman emerged.
A subtle smile, an impeccable stance.
And….
‘The scent of lotus flowers.’
Jimeol Magoon’s eyes widened as if they might tear apart.
“Dokgo Hye…?”
Jimeol Magoon spoke her name aloud.
“What in blazes are you doing here!?”
In an instant, a brilliant golden light pierced through the mountain darkness.
Splat! Crash!
The heads of the two generals escorting Jimeol Magoon burst open.
There were no screams. They died instantly, never knowing what had struck them.
Thud!
“Gasp!”
Jimeol Magoon, hurled to the ground, cried out in agony.
“Where were you rushing off to in such haste?”
“This… this cannot be! How could…!”
Dokgo Hye took another step forward.
Jimeol Magoon barely managed to raise his upper body, trembling violently.
“Do not despair so. Good begets good, evil begets evil. Does not the White Lotus Sect teach that karma must always exact its price?”
“Cough! You… surely you are not…!”
“At the end of all this conflict… would it not be an unsatisfying conclusion for you to return alive?”
Before long, Dokgo Hye stood before Jimeol Magoon.
Terror filled the eyes of Jimeol Magoon, who could not move a single finger.
“Of all people, it is you… you who call yourselves righteous, and us evil? This… this abomination…!”
Regardless of his desperate cries, delicate hands slowly extended forward.
Tssssss!
Ashen vital energy began to spread throughout the darkened mountain.
All that remained in the aftermath was three corpses utterly devoid of life.
* * *
The final battle had ended in victory for the Dokgo Family.
“Victory report from the Left Army! The Four Heavenly Kings are dead! The Pacheonggun forces are annihilated! Our casualties are minimal!”
“We thought the Grand General had appeared and Ji-myeol Magoon had fled, but we confirmed his corpse in the nearby hills! The Jeongheol Disciples under the Grand General’s command have also withdrawn!”
“A great victory! An unprecedented triumph!”
“General Seo Joongbaek has broken through the front lines and established an encirclement at the gates of Hangzhou!”
Information poured ceaselessly into the main camp’s rear. Among all those reports, there was not a single piece of bad news.
Crunch!
Chief Commander Shin Heum clenched his fist tightly.
We had won.
At the very end, the troublesome Moyong Family and Jeongheol Sect had finally crumbled.
Now it was over.
There was no need to even conduct a siege of Hangzhou. The forces there were nothing but a rabble, and their position would soon be breached.
‘Wi Jang-chun, the Overseer who defected to our side, has already sent word that his preparations are complete.’
All that remained for the Dokgo Family was to claim the glory. To announce the prestige of the greatest clan under heaven throughout the Central Plains.
Of course, there were still some problems.
“What is the situation with the Left Army?”
“The casualties are lighter than expected, but after such fierce combat, they lack the strength to advance further.”
“And the main camp?”
“The Chairman ordered support for the Left Army, so….”
“So you’re saying we have no forces available to move on Hangzhou right now?”
The problem was precisely that there was no strength left to bring down the final curtain.
The glory of shattering their placard and turning that magnificent great manor into a sea of flames.
The tremendous glory of severing Muyong Tae’s head as he cowered within his family compound.
I wanted to seize that final flourish of victory, yet no one was in a position to do so.
‘If I could accomplish it with my own hands… with my own hands?’
Greed flickered across Shin Heum’s eyes.
“Where is the Chairman now?”
“He has sustained severe internal and external injuries and is receiving treatment from a physician.”
Even Dokgo Un-hak was unavailable.
Wasn’t this a tremendous opportunity?
“Are there any forces that can move immediately?”
“Pardon? Why do you ask?”
“Everything is already finished. All that remains is the march to Hangzhou—why pause to catch our breath?”
It was at that moment.
Whoosh!
A single messenger came flying in.
The military officer reading the letter immediately went rigid.
“What news is this?”
“News from the Left Army. W-well….”
“Speak at once!”
“The, the Moyong Family is advancing toward their main headquarters!”
“What? Surely the Left Army Commander authorized this?”
“N-no, sir.”
“Then who in blazes!”
I held the main force’s command authority now, and the Left Army Commander had ordered a regrouping rather than an advance.
An unauthorized assault—such a thing could never be permitted….
‘Could it be?’
Among all the organizations of the main family, there was almost only one unit granted independent operational authority.
“I-it’s the Cheonma Sect! The moment they reformed their ranks, they marched directly toward the Moyong Family!”
“…!”

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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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