Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 374

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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 374
Gong Ho-bang, the patriarch of the Gong Family, contorted his face in displeasure.
“So you’re telling me that even after giving you a full fortnight, you still haven’t found him?”
Gong Cheon-tae glanced nervously at his father before speaking with an aggrieved tone.
“There was nothing I could do! I’ve searched everywhere like a madman, but he hasn’t shown even a whisker!”
“And you weren’t just drinking and slacking off the whole time?”
“What kind of person do you take me for? I’m serious! Besides, it’s not as though I found nothing at all…”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I couldn’t capture the Ha-o Sect Leader, but I did capture one of his disciples. Hehe!”
Gong Ho-bang stared intently at his son, who was grinning smugly.
Gong Cheon-tae cleared his throat once and continued with confidence.
“He doesn’t seem to be a mere foot soldier. He travels with several subordinates, and judging by his stiff bearing, he must hold some position of authority, wouldn’t you say?”
….
“It’s only a matter of time before we extract the Sect Leader’s whereabouts.”
“A matter of time.”
“So there’s no need to rush me further. Haven’t I done well enough?”
“Hehe, yes. Of course you’ve done well. Very well indeed….”
That was when it happened.
Gong Ho-bang suddenly slapped his son across the face.
Crack!
The blow was so forceful that Gong Cheon-tae’s head snapped around, and he tumbled from his chair, crashing to the floor in a heap.
“Ah, Father?”
“So you’ve grown old enough to disrespect your father now, have you?”
“That could never be the case!”
“Then have you forgotten that I ordered you to handle this matter with urgency and special care?”
Gong Ho-bang growled menacingly, his face radiating killing intent.
“You bring me a mere Black Blade fool, and one who doesn’t even match the required rank, and you dare boast about it?”
“Father. Why, why are you doing this….”
“Why am I doing this?”
Gong Ho-bang’s eyes flashed, and Gong Cheon-tae hurriedly lowered his head.
“I, I made a mistake. I apologize, Father….”
“Sit up straight again!”
“Yes, yes….”
Gong Cheon-tae crawled back onto the chair and straightened his posture, though his body continued to tremble as he sat.
No matter how far he had fallen, Gong Ho-bang was a man who had cultivated his martial prowess to become a high-ranking military official. For such a man to strike with all his strength, it would be stranger if his son remained unscathed.
“Tsk! Because of these Ha-o bastards or whatever they are, what is this….”
Gong Ho-bang muttered while clicking his tongue.
‘At this critical moment when I must seize the Moyong Family’s interests now that they’ve become ownerless… all the men I’ve gathered are being destroyed one after another.’
Once a prestigious martial clan that had even produced a Grand General, they had been gradually overshadowed by the Moyong Family over several generations, eventually becoming second-rate.
Yet the eternal power they thought they possessed had just been brought to an end by the Dokgo Family’s hand.
It was truly an opportunity.
A chance to seize control of the Zhejiang Black Blade, which spouted money like a cornucopia, and an opportunity to become Zhejiang’s foremost prestigious family once again.
If things went well, even securing a position in the military administration was no longer a dream.
‘But the Ha-o Sect? Where in the world did these bastards crawl out from?’
The Black Blade operatives who had been handling dirty work, running businesses as proxies, and making tributes all disappeared in one sweep.
The problem was that it didn’t end there.
The Ha-o Sect was moving far too loudly. If they ever caught the Dokgo Family’s attention, the sparks would reach the Gong Family as well.
‘In the worst case, the operations connected to the main house could be exposed. That would be troublesome.’
To survive, and to climb even higher, he had to either join hands with the Ha-o Sect or put a leash on them—one or the other.
“Explain the details carefully. If you act cocky again, I’ll throw you in the punishment chamber.”
Gong Cheon-tae continued, his expression darkening.
“Two weeks ago, I led the Secret Swordsmen to find those who had been making tributes to the main house….”
*Tsk!*
“Those showing their sincerity, sir. But since they wouldn’t talk easily, I questioned them rather roughly… yet they all became frightened and ultimately refused to open their mouths.”
“Frightened?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Gong Ho-bang narrowed his eyes.
“These Ha-o Sect fellows must be something different indeed. I noticed it from the moment they started their operations despite the Dokgo Family being firmly established….”
Gong Cheon-tae continued.
“So regarding the Ha-o Sect Leader, there are only rumors. That he was a master of the previous sect, or a captain of the Blood Cult, or a bigwig in an underground organization… and his information network is supposedly enormous.”
“Then how did you capture a member?”
“Recently, I heard that outsiders had begun taking over and managing several establishments, so I investigated those locations and found him.”
“Then you should have used him to get an introduction to the Sect Leader. Why did you complicate matters?”
“That was….”
Gong Cheon-tae, hesitating, concealed his own conduct entirely and reported only the abusive language Geum Seok-du had spouted, explaining the situation as if tattling.
In that instant, Gong Ho-bang slammed the table and shouted.
“What did that insignificant wretch dare say? Why did you just leave him alone!”
“Because Father gave his orders….”
“If you let that slide after hearing such words, what becomes of my dignity as Gong Ho-bang, who even served as Vice Commander of the Guard! Subordinates are endless once they start climbing!”
“I, I apologize.”
Gong Ho-bang snorted and his eyes gleamed.
‘I shouldn’t join hands with them—I should just eliminate them.’
He had thought of taking them in since they seemed capable, but they were the type who couldn’t even read the room.
Servants are always the same—give them a little favor and they try to become the master. These green sprouts were best simply removed.
Gong Ho-bang opened his mouth toward empty air.
“Bi-geom-ju.”
“Yes.”
A Black-Robed Man emerged from the shadows behind him.
“Where is he right now?”
“He is in the underground dungeon.”
“Order the interrogation to begin at once.”
Bi-geom-ju nodded and turned toward the door, his lips moving silently.
A shadow appeared outside the office door before vanishing in an instant.
“The moment you locate Ha-o Sect Leader’s whereabouts, go handle it personally. And… contact the Inspector’s Office.”
“Inspector Cho will demand considerable compensation.”
“If we want this handled cleanly, there’s no avoiding it. We’ll cover his price by selling a few well-conditioned slaves.”
The Inspector’s Office was the surveillance and law enforcement agency responsible for executing the laws of each province.
In other words, he intended to handle this as an official matter rather than a martial world affair.
“Jeon Myeong.”
Bi-geom-ju was about to bow and withdraw when it happened.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
“Sect Leader! Sect Leader! We have an emergency!”
At the urgent voice from outside the office, Gong Ho-bang’s eyes narrowed.
“What is all this commotion?”
“That is… we have a guest from the Dokgo Household!”
Both father and son shot to their feet simultaneously.
“A guest from the Dokgo Family? Who are you referring to?”
“He introduced himself as the Outer Hall Master.”
Dokgo Myeong! The true power behind the current Dokgo Family!
Gong Ho-bang’s eyes gleamed.
“What business brings him here? There’s no reason for him to visit.”
“I don’t know. He only said he had matters to discuss…”
“Very well. Escort him to the guest hall at once. I’ll be right there. Bi-geom-ju, you stay nearby and don’t go anywhere.”
“Understood.”
Shortly after, Gong Ho-bang arrived at the guest hall first and heard footsteps.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Yet something felt off.
The moment those thunderous footsteps—as if shattering the very floor—reached the door.
CRASH!
An explosive sound erupted.
Debris scattered downward, a foot thrust through violently, and the hinges creaked as the door was torn open.
“What…?”
Gong Ho-bang and Gong Cheon-tae stood frozen, blinking in confusion.
Screech! Crack!
Finally, the iron hinges snapped clean, and the door panel crashed to the ground.
The figure that entered next, moving with a swagger.
“Heh, you should get yourself a better door. What’s this?”
Dokgo Myeong spoke with a cold smile, his tone playful.
* * *
* * *
Drip! Drip drip!
Water droplets fell steadily in the damp underground dungeon.
Geum Seok-du regained consciousness as a droplet struck his crown.
‘Ah, the dungeon looks like a scene painted from a picture scroll.’
Clank!
When I tried to move my body, the sound of chains rang out.
Looking around, I found my limbs bound to a chair, wearing nothing but undergarments.
‘They won’t even give me clothes? And here I thought the Jegal clan was a prestigious martial family, yet they resort to assassins and underground dungeons?’
That was when it happened.
Footsteps echoed.
From beyond the iron bars came the sound of footsteps, and a Black-Robed Man radiating murderous intent entered the cell carrying an array of sinister instruments whose purposes I couldn’t begin to fathom.
I called out to him urgently.
“Listen here.”
“….”
“There’s no need to bring out those gruesome things. Let’s talk instead. I’m willing to tell you everything right now.”
“….”
Clack! Clack!
The Black-Robed Man, with his back to me, began methodically arranging the instruments on a table.
I swallowed hard.
‘This looks like a genuine assassin.’
He bore the unmistakable appearance of a slave-like assassin I’d often witnessed before.
‘It seems I’ve truly stepped into the wrong territory.’
A sigh escaped me involuntarily.
Was establishing a martial sect truly this difficult? How had I ended up in such a predicament?
“Well, there’s no helping it.”
I sighed and rose to my feet.
Whoosh!
The thick iron chains fell away as though they had never been bound in the first place.
“…!?”
The Black-Robed Man spun around in alarm.
But I was already positioned behind him.
Thud! Crash!
The Black-Robed Man collapsed without even a chance to resist.
“You!”
“So he wasn’t alone after all.”
Another Black-Robed Man burst forth from the darkness.
I seized the large needle resting on the table and hurled it.
Thud! Screech!
“…!”
The second Black-Robed Man fell without a sound.
Geum Seok-du tossed the fallen men carelessly into the depths of the prison cell and stripped one of them for his clothes.
“Well then, shall we go shake things up a bit?”
If the Pacheonggun couldn’t capture him, how could he have been caught by mere rabble like this?
Geum Seok-du’s eyes gleamed with confidence.
* * *
Dokgo Myeong entered the guest hall accompanied by only a handful of subordinates.
“My, what a fragile structure. One light tap and it crumbles. I’ve heard the Gong Family’s fortunes have declined, but is this what it’s come to?”
Crunch! Crack!
Dokgo Myeong trampled through the shattered door frame as he entered.
Then he walked straight to the seat of honor and collapsed into it with a thud.
“….”
Gong Ho-bang’s expression had turned cold and rigid.
Dokgo Myeong gestured at him with his chin.
“What are you doing? Not sitting?”
“Master Dokgo Myeong. What is the meaning of this?”
“I’ve come here as the Outer Hall Master of the Dokgo Family. Show proper respect, Sect Leader Gong.”
Gong Ho-bang’s expression twisted.
“Sect Leader? You, you scoundrel of the martial world, how dare you to—!”
“Scoundrel of the martial world?”
“This matter will not pass without consequence! Do you think being the Outer Hall Master of the Dokgo Family gives you the right to do this?!”
“I thought it did, actually.”
“What?”
“Your son over there has been wandering around with a rather humble status all this time, after all.”
Gong Cheon-tae, suddenly singled out, contorted his face like a demon.
Dokgo Myeong smirked and opened his mouth.
“Let’s skip the pleasantries and get to the point. The reason I’ve come today is….”
“Whatever your reason, you will come to deeply regret it.”
Gong Ho-bang exuded killing intent.
True to his former status as a military official, the aura he radiated was quite formidable.
“If by any chance your business is not justified… I will lodge a formal protest with the Dokgo Family and submit a petition to the Imperial Court, so take note of that!”
Dokgo Myeong let out a hollow laugh.
“Threatening with petitions—you certainly sound like a government man. But will that work? If things go that way, all the things you’ve been doing using the Black Blades will come to light, won’t they?”
In that instant, Gong Ho-bang felt his throat tighten, and he closed his mouth.
‘What is he talking about?’
Could it be he came here knowing something?
That couldn’t be. He decided to play innocent.
“I have no idea what nonsense you’re spouting.”
“The bribes you’ve been collecting from the Black Blades while the Moyong Family was preoccupied with war.”
“Ha! You came here for something so trivial?”
Gong Ho-bang brazenly pressed forward.
Dokgo Myeong chuckled again.
“You didn’t just take the money, did you?”
Gong Ho-bang stiffened.
Dokgo Myeong continued with ease.
“Once you reach the rank of Outer Hall Master in the Dokgo Family, investigating a single clan is nothing. What do you think I’ve uncovered?”
“…!”
“You’ve done all sorts of things. Not just in this area, but throughout Hangzhou, there’s talk that the Gong Family’s connections are essential for the Black Blade to survive?”
“…So?”
“So?”
“What does that have to do with the Dokgo Family?”
Gong Ho-bang let out a cold laugh and continued.
“Even if I’ve done something wrong, does that give the Dokgo Family grounds to question me? That’s the government’s responsibility.”
He’d finally brought it out.
The separation of official and martial affairs.
Though it had become nominal now, it was an ancient and unshakeable law of the Central Plains.
Unless one caused problems that severely infringed upon the other’s domain, neither the government nor the martial world could easily touch each other.
Gong Ho-bang scoffed.
“It seems those in the martial world are accustomed to moving by force without justification or procedure. But that won’t do. Because from the moment you crossed the threshold of my main residence, this is no longer the martial world.”
“Sect Leader Gong, it seems you’re not even trying to hide anymore?”
“You’ve made a grave mistake today. But…there’s no need to make this a bigger issue.”
Gong Ho-bang suddenly smiled.
“Tell me. Surely you didn’t come here because of that wandering hero’s antics. There must be some reason you’re here?”
“….”
“Just speak. If you want money, treasures, or people, I’ll give you anything. Or perhaps….”
Dokgo Myeong inwardly marveled.
‘This man is remarkable.’
He was actually trying to bribe me in this situation.
Moreover, his voice carried an ease about it. His lips curled upward like the gaping maw of a serpent.
That was when it happened.
“Unfortunately, Sect Leader Gong, it seems you’ve overstepped.”
Someone strode boldly into the guest hall.
It was Geum Seok-du, carrying a bundle on his back.
Geum Seok-du and Dokgo Myeong exchanged a glance.
‘I was just trying to slip away when I heard voices, so I came to check. Captain, why are you here?’
‘I had a feeling what you’d do, so I came to help.’
Gong Ho-bang looked puzzled, while Gong Cheon-tae, who knew him, was startled.
“Who are you?”
“Ah, yes, you…!”
Geum Seok-du glanced at Gong Cheon-tae and set the bundle down on the table.
“I discovered these things, you see.”
Whoosh!
As I untied the bundle, countless books and letters spilled out onto the ground.
“H-how did those end up in your hands…!”
“This ledger contains quite the collection of remarkable things, doesn’t it? Matters that should involve the martial world, not the government.”

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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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