Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 403

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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 403
“I was the same, but the Warlords attending the martial contest seemed equally dazed. No one dared step forward as they watched my Master grow cold.”
“….”
“But… Uncle refused to accept it. After that, my memories become hazy.”
Dokgo Wi-hak shook his head vigorously.
“Whether from the smell of blood or Uncle’s roaring voice, I was no longer myself for a moment.”
Dokgo Myeong knew exactly what that felt like.
The sensation of someone in one’s mind moving the body at will, as if something crucial had been severed.
Demonic possession—that was precisely what it was.
“Then, in a moment when I regained my senses, Uncle was covered in blood, pleading for his life while speaking of your mother.”
“….”
“Immediately after, Uncle’s guards rushed forward unleashing strange energy techniques. Several Warlords who had been secretly turned also joined the assault.”
“How did you manage?”
“There was a fight. I killed and barely escaped. It was a battle where maintaining my sanity was nearly impossible.”
The Elders of the Mudang sect who had joined hands with Uncle were there too. It was chaos beyond description.
“I wandered the martial world like a madman before reaching the clan. I found your mother… and the servants and midwife suddenly begged me to end their lives.”
Dokgo Wi-hak paused and took a long, deep breath.
“Near the end of the final month, Uncle Gyeong took her somewhere, and after his return, her condition deteriorated rapidly. Since the birth was breech… he offered an explanation I could not accept.”
“….”
“The funeral had already been held. It seems she had requested to be buried beneath a pine tree symbolizing the sect, without a proper tomb….”
Dokgo Wi-hak turned to look at the pine tree behind him.
“And so she came to rest here.”
“So that is what happened.”
Dokgo Wi-hak exhaled deeply once more.
Had so much time truly passed? Were only scars left now?
The story that once brought pain merely at the thought of it now flowed out with indifference.
“Perhaps as a result, you became unusually perceptive of many things. You would suddenly lose yourself staring into empty space, claim to see things and act distracted, or find it difficult to focus on anything.”
Despite having decent aptitude, you were called dull-witted for that very reason.
Physicians found nothing amiss, and even when I examined your meridians directly, the only difference was that your Baihui point was slightly more open than others—nothing problematic.
“If you had grown so well, and your father had shown proper interest and fulfilled his parental duties in time, it would have been better….”
“Why speak such words? It would be troublesome if you grew too well. It’s best to grow moderately. Hehe.”
Dokgo Wi-hak let out a hollow laugh.
Yes, that was right.
Now you had grown far too well—I almost wished you had remained unremarkable enough to escape the world’s attention.
“I have not visited this place often. Yet seeing it maintained so meticulously… it seems Servant Jang has taken great care of it.”
I was afraid to come. So I deliberately kept my distance….
Dokgo Wi-hak gently brushed his hand along the pine tree’s trunk.
As the atmosphere grew warmer, Dokgo Myeong carefully returned to the subject.
“So what happened after that?”
“After that….”
“….”
“I thought everything had ended, but it only grew more chaotic. The Elder Council Leader was furious. He must have believed that silence would bring shame upon our main house. Conversely, others blamed us for it. I grew weary of it all.”
Now came the conclusion of this long tale.
Dokgo Wi-hak glanced subtly at the sword at his waist.
“Without seeking the family’s consent, I sent word throughout the martial world. It was on a winter day at Mudang Mountain. Before countless luminaries and Heo Un Sabak, I broke my own sword with my own hands and swore never to show my face in the martial world again.”
“Could that be….”
“It was later called the Broken Sword Oath. In exchange, all history was buried.”
A single phrase suddenly came to mind.
The Heartless Martial World.
Could any event be more fitting for those words?
That hidden history, woven from gratitude, enmity, and greed, had ended with one man’s soul shattering to pieces.
Dokgo Myeong paused for a moment before speaking.
“The name Sa Heon-gak.”
“….”
“Could it perhaps be taken from Heo Heon-jin?”
Dokgo Wi-hak let out a faint smile.
There was nothing that could be hidden from this child with such terrifyingly sharp instincts.
“Your thinking is correct.”
To remember Heo Heon’s devotion, his sacrifice of self.
Such was the origin story behind Baek Gak’s name—Sa Heon, meaning “to remember devotion.”
“….”
Dokgo Myeong fell silent for a time, uncertain whether he should voice what had occurred to him while listening.
Dokgo Wi-hak spoke first, sensing his son’s hesitation.
“If you have questions, feel free to ask them.”
“Then….”
Dokgo Myeong paused briefly before speaking.
“When you spoke of Dokgo Gyeong’s escort, you certainly called it an unusual martial technique.”
“I did.”
Dokgo Myeong swallowed dryly.
“Could it be that Dokgo Gyeong was perhaps connected to one of the secret sects’ branches?”
Dokgo Wi-hak fell silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head.
“I cannot say for certain.”
“You cannot say for certain?”
“By that time, the remnants of the secret sects had already been largely erased from the martial world. All I knew for certain was that he had joined hands with those of disreputable character.”
“Then what could possibly have driven him to such actions?”
“As the main house prospered, he was no longer satisfied with merely being the Outer Hall Master.”
Dokgo Myeong let out a hollow laugh.
“What good is being sect leader anyway? So that’s why his name was erased from the family records.”
“Yes, your words are correct.”
For a blood relative, and moreover the sect leader’s own brother, to betray the clan was a tale far too shameful to pass down to future generations.
Dokgo Wi-hak let out a hollow laugh.
“It was the martial world of the greedy and foolish. I was such a despicable man. Are you disappointed?”
Dokgo Myeong shook his head vigorously.
“Everyone lives only once. It’s naturally difficult to live well.”
Of course, he was different.
In his second life, he chose only the best path forward.
“And in the end, you overcame it. You changed. In my eyes, that’s more than admirable enough.”
Dokgo Wi-hak’s eyes wavered.
Dokgo Myeong offered a slight smile.
“I’m glad I could hear this.”
“I’m glad I could speak it.”
Thus ended their winter outing.
As he tidied the spot, Dokgo Wi-hak suddenly straightened and gazed at the pine tree.
‘My dear. Myeong-a is well now.’
A smile slowly formed at the corners of his mouth.
‘I am well now too.’
And I will be well in the days to come.
For a better martial world, my son rushes about tirelessly.
* * *
“I have only gratitude for Sabak.”
“By the way, what did you two discuss?”
“He said to visit once, as a memorial tablet has been erected at the ancestral shrine. I asked how I could cross the Mudang’s threshold, and he said the Mudang has now forgotten the Pact of Broken Swords.”
“A grateful person indeed.”
“Indeed.”
After tidying the last spot where they had sat, Dokgo Wi-hak spoke.
“Let us descend now.”
“Yes.”
The two offered a silent bow toward the pine tree and turned to leave.
“Now that I think of it, we didn’t have a long conversation back then.”
“When do you mean, sir?”
“When you were small and saw your aunt, Cho-hak’s wife, and whined that you missed your mother. Do you remember?”
Dokgo Wi-hak’s voice was bright. Still somewhat taciturn, but the weight in his heart seemed lifted, lending his tone a lightness.
Dokgo Myeong deflected gently.
“…It was so long ago, sir.”
“You have no memory of it at all?”
How could he possibly remember?
Dokgo Myeong turned his head slightly to glance back.
In that instant.
Thump!
Suddenly, his chest felt as though it were sinking.
As I brushed away the snow and beheld the pine tree’s verdant form, a sudden memory flooded my mind.
-Is this pine tree you, Master? How could a pine tree become my mother?
Dokgo Myeong muttered vacantly.
“Did I ever ask if this pine tree was my mother?”
“You said you couldn’t remember, but it seems that was a lie.”
“What exactly did you say back then?”
“Back then, you certainly….”
As Dokgo Wi-hak fumbled through his memories and muttered, Dokgo Myeong opened his mouth as well.
“How could a tree be a person’s mother?”
“You said roughly that a tree could never be a person’s mother… so you do remember?”
….
“What’s wrong? Is something the matter?”
Dokgo Wi-hak narrowed his eyes and observed Dokgo Myeong’s state.
‘Heh, why do I know this?’
Dokgo Myeong laughed hollowly.
‘This isn’t my memory.’
And I questioned myself.
‘But… is it really not?’
I had often sensed something amiss.
Even as I felt it, why had I simply ignored it and moved on?
-You know nothing. Did you think this would be the end?
Suddenly, Hyeok Wi-sang’s words came to mind.
-How is it that you are able to exist here?
The words of the old woman called the elder of Shipman Mountain Village also returned to me.
After that, the elder added a few more words.
-Why do you live as the destiny of someone else?
Dokgo Myeong’s expression, which had been laughing carelessly, hardened in an instant.
‘This cursed thing.’
The future Dokgo Hyeon had died, and his soul had entered the body of the present Dokgo Myeong.
I had believed this all along.
‘But I accepted it far too easily. I even glossed over the fact that those around me believed I was Dokgo Myeong.’
I was the type to overlook nothing, yet why had I done so?
Whiiiing!
A ringing filled my ears as if a swarm of bees were flying about.
Every hair on my body stood on end, and a chill ran down my spine.
My sensory nerves involuntarily activated, and I clutched my head.
“Why have you suddenly lost yourself? Are you truly alright?”
“We should return to the clan soon.”
Dokgo Myeong suppressed the dizziness and spoke calmly.
“I need to look into some matters I’ve been putting off.”
Dokgo Myeong’s expression hardened as he exhaled slowly.
* * *
The moment Dokgo Myeong entered Sa Heon-gak, he called for Jang Sam.
“You called for me, Young Master? Ah, did you return safely from the tomb?”
Dokgo Myeong stared at Jang Sam for a moment before speaking.
“I returned fine. For now, I need your help with something.”
“Yes?”
“The past… specifically, I want you to ask me about things that happened before I fought that Ak-i fellow.”
“What do you mean by that, Young Master?”
“For instance, what happened on certain days—things I’m bound to remember but that aren’t widely known outside.”
“Why would you ask such things…?”
“Ah, just ask me, will you?”
Jang Sam’s face grew troubled.
“If you’re having trouble remembering old matters, wouldn’t it be better to look for your diary?”
“What? A diary?”
“Yes. You stopped writing it at some point, but you used to write in it every day, didn’t you?”
Dokgo Myeong’s body suddenly went rigid.
“…Right, because I kept forgetting even yesterday’s events, some instructor from the Martial Arts Division suggested I try keeping a diary.”
“Yes, and you never showed it to anyone.”
“Right, right. I understand. Thank you, Jang.”
“What’s going on? Why are you suddenly breaking into a cold sweat like this…?”
Dokgo Myeong clamped his mouth shut and turned to face Jang Sam.
“You remember when I suddenly changed, don’t you?”
“Of course I do. I was so shocked. But I prefer you as you are now, Young Master.”
“I appreciate that, but never mind—did you notice anything strange about it, Jang?”
Dokgo Myeong waited for his answer, tense with anticipation.
Jang Sam blinked before responding.
“Well, that is…”
“That is?”
“Everything was strange, Young Master.”
“Huh?”
Jang Sam let out a deep sigh.
“You started beating people to a pulp overnight, you made a wager with the Sect Leader, you suddenly stormed into the Martial Arts Division that you’d always disliked before… everything from beginning to end was strange. Which part are you asking about?”
“…”
Ah, that’s true enough.
Regardless, I had changed as a person.
Dokgo Myeong suddenly lost his nerve and collapsed into a seat at the desk.
“Sigh. Right, there was no need to be so grave about it.”
“What on earth is happening, Young Master?”
Dokgo Myeong deflected awkwardly.
“I think I just need to recall who I used to be.”
“Young Master.”
A look of concern crossed Jang Sam’s face.
“Haven’t you come far too distant to reclaim your original heart? And you’ll be thirty tomorrow—isn’t it a bit late to be going through adolescence…?”
“….”
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“…It’s nothing.”
As Dokgo Myeong clicked his tongue and shook his head, Jang Sam spoke with an unbothered expression.
“I may not know what’s strange, but I can tell you what remains the same.”
“What hasn’t changed?”
“Your tastes in food, your habits—things like that.”
“…?”
“Especially your palate. I could tell when I prepared your meals. Your favorite side dishes and foods remain unchanged.”
“I eat everything well originally.”
“Still, there are things you eat particularly well. No matter how much else changes, one’s taste in food never does. I nearly asked if a ghost had possessed you since your tastes had changed.”
“….”
“Why, why are you looking at me like that?”
Dokgo Myeong let out a hollow laugh and shook his head.
“That’s enough. Thank you, Jang.”
“Yes, then if you need anything else, please let me know.”
Jang Sam bowed briefly and left. Alone in the room, Dokgo Myeong looked around.
“…I haven’t spent much time in this room after all.”
I’d mostly just slept here.
I was always either at the training grounds or wandering about.
‘A diary. A diary…’
Dokgo Myeong pressed his lips together firmly.
‘Do I really need to search for it?’
The thought suddenly occurred to me.
And the moment I had that thought, I clicked my tongue.
‘Until now… I’ve only glossed over things related to this. When did I start letting discomfort pass by unexamined?’
Dokgo Myeong took a deep breath and his eyes gleamed with resolve.
He strode directly to the bed and flipped it over.
Thud!
Dust billowed up as the bedding tumbled down.
And beneath the exposed bed frame, several dust-covered books lay stuck to the bottom.
“Found it.”

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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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