Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 407

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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 407
“Captain! That bastard! Hyeok Wi-sang—it seems he’s truly fallen into the trap!”
Flash!
Dokgo Hyeon, who had been sitting in lotus position, opened his eyes.
Geum Seok-du, his face caked with mud, rushed forward with his report.
“That ghost-eyed demon! The Bloodfiend! It appears the Taoist masters of the Mo Mountain Sect sacrificed themselves to capture him! Everything unfolded exactly as Neungmyeong predicted!”
At those words, Dokgo Hyeon sprang to his feet.
“You’re certain? You confirmed it with your own eyes?”
“Yes, absolutely. Manager Gwak confirmed the explosion at the designated location.”
“What’s his current exact position?”
“Approximately a hundred li from here, as expected.”
Sensing the commotion, the Cheonma Sect encampment began to stir with restless energy.
Geum Seok-du continued his report.
“With the Dharma Protectors and main forces tied up at Paedobyeon and the main camp, it’s clear he’s moving with only minimal escort troops!”
“Ha, I thought they were using him as a sacrificial pawn or bait, but it was real?”
Dokgo Hyeon’s eyes blazed with intensity.
So Baek Mu-heun truly chose them as the hidden blade to end this entire war. Who would have thought he’d orchestrate the entire board for them?
“Everyone prepare! We move immediately!”
“Yes!”
“Come on, come on! Everyone up!”
The Cheonma Sect, their preparations complete in an instant, surged into motion.
Not long after.
Upon reaching the planned location, Dokgo Hyeon could finally lay eyes on him.
Boom-boom-boom-boom!
In the distance, a crimson blood-light erupted from the ridge of the mountain.
The mountain rippled like water in its wake.
It wasn’t merely the sound of trees shaking. The mountain crumbled, the earth inverted, and the air itself tore—all visible to the eye.
And in the next instant.
Kwaaaaaang!
A deafening roar shattered the heavens and earth, followed by a violent wind that rushed toward them.
The disciples staggered backward several steps as the wind threatened to sweep away the entire encampment, while trees and tents bent violently in the opposite direction, fluttering wildly.
Whoosh!
When everything had passed.
They beheld an unbelievable sight—the very topography of the mountain had been transformed.
“This… this is insane…”
“Did that ghost-eyed bastard just collapse an entire mountain?”
“And they say he’s weakened?”
The Cheonma Sect disciples swallowed hard.
Flash!
The brilliant crimson aura shimmering like heat haze shook the resolve of the Cheonma Sect.
That was a mistake of heaven that should never exist in this world. A calamity wearing human form.
“Internal injuries, incomplete cultivation base, and sealed techniques, you say…?”
The Twin Horse Alliance Leader, the Bloodfiend Sect Leader, Hyeok Wi-sang the Blood Demon.
Now the Cheonma Sect had to depart to eliminate such a creature.
But their spirits, briefly dampened, surged anew as the Cheonma Sect’s first captain stepped forward and shouted.
“Collapse the mountain? Only the peak crumbled! Everyone, get your heads in the game!”
“Huh, really?”
Cheolmu-baek, Gwak Dae-ryong, and Geum Seok-du joined in, rallying the Cheonma Sect disciples.
“If we capture that bastard, we become heroes of the martial realm!”
“This is our chance to catch a master of the upper heavens!”
A unit assembled from those with nothing to lose, the dregs of society.
The Cheonma Sect hesitated not.
“Right, whether it’s just a man or not, a blade through the body works the same.”
Dokgo Hyeon stepped forward and spoke thus.
The Cheonma Sect disciples laughed at his tone, devoid of any majesty.
And then, they witnessed hell.
They fought for an extraordinarily long time. Several hours, perhaps even days.
Like a nightmare from the previous night, the details remained unclear, only the terror and horror vivid in their minds.
But there was one thing remembered with absolute clarity.
Whether it was providence’s mistake or a calamity, a severed neck meant death all the same, and the Cheonma Sect had accomplished it.
* * *
As light filtered through the window and fell upon his eyelids, Dokgo Myeong slowly opened his eyes.
“Uhhh…”
His entire body throbbed from taking the blood spirit explosion at close range. As he slowly raised himself, sudden sounds came from the window.
“He’s awake? I heard breathing.”
“Doesn’t seem like it yet?”
“Wow, what’s going on? That bastard’s sleeping in?”
“I heard he came in looking like a beggar yesterday.”
“He didn’t go out beating people again, did he?”
Weren’t they gossiping loud enough for him to hear everything?
Dokgo Myeong’s brow furrowed sharply.
“You lot! Quiet! Get out of here!”
In an instant, their presence vanished.
Dokgo Myeong let out a hollow laugh and sat on the bed, staring blankly into empty space.
“…”
Chirp! Chirp chirp!
The sound of birds came from outside the window.
The gloomy weather of recent days had finally cleared.
Dokgo Myeong, his face still heavy with sleep, opened the window and gazed up at the sky.
“That bastard definitely came back with me.”
The events of yesterday came vividly to mind.
How could I forget that crimson radiance flickering in those eyes? It was the exclusive domain of the Bloodfiend.
Dokgo Myeong let out a low chuckle.
‘Those fools found and eliminated Dokgo Hyeon before me. There’s no other way to interpret this.’
The Cheonma Sect disciples were unlike the Jeongheol disciples—deception and concealment came unnaturally to them.
Now that I thought about it, there were many strange aspects to this situation.
‘Circumstances couldn’t possibly unfold so conveniently for me alone. I wasn’t the only one who returned… was I?’
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes gleamed with sudden clarity.
‘Excellent. This is perfect.’
If I’d killed someone once, could I not kill them a second time?
Dokgo Myeong rose from his seat with a cold smile.
Then he paused.
There was one thing he couldn’t be certain of.
‘Did those fools truly kill the current Dokgo Hyeon?’
* * *
Spring had arrived at the Dharma Protector Division.
“Hahaha! A fine morning to you!”
“Did you rest well last night, Commander?”
“Of course! I didn’t sleep at all last night, you see! Hehehehe!”
Dokgo Jo-hak and the other Dharma Protector Division staff—Jo-ryang, Son Tae-im, and the rest—exchanged warm greetings while basking in the morning sunlight.
They had actually come to work in the morning. Rather than staying up all night and catching brief naps at the division, they had clocked out, slept at home, spent time with their families, and then come in for their shift.
And spring hadn’t only arrived at the Dharma Protector Division.
“Huaaaagh!”
Clang! Clang-clang-clang!
“Hup! Huaaaagh!”
Thud! Boom!
“Heave! Hehehehe! Two hundred pounds feels like nothing now—I could lift it while eating!”
Thwack! Crack!
“Hehehehe! Training is joyful! Training is delightful!”
Because Dokgo Myeong hadn’t participated in training for some time, the intensity had dropped considerably.
Of course, even that was twice the intensity of ordinary units, but the disciples were absolutely thrilled with it.
It was spring.
“Still though…”
“It’s good, it really is good…”
“But something feels… off?”
The Cheonma Sect Members paused to drink water, glancing at each other and swallowing hard.
The Cheonma Sect disciples were quiet?
And Dokgo Myeong was quiet?
Wasn’t this inexplicable unless it was the calm before the storm?
Just then, someone beside them spoke up hesitantly.
“S-Seniors! If the Captain suddenly walks in like this, we’ll be subjected to hellish training… Ugh! Ugh ugh! Krgh!”
“You fake Captain Myeong-i, you bastard! Don’t you know words can become reality!”
“Shut that mouth of yours! Who do you think you are, a mere recruit!”
“Ugh! Uhhh!”
Regardless, spring had arrived.
“Well… he’s not entirely wrong, I suppose.”
“Let’s just focus on training. We can’t let the Captain see us slacking when he returns, can we?”
The Cheonma Sect was no longer a unit that moved solely at the command of a single leader.
There were no lazy disciples in the Cheonma Sect. Though it was also true that to survive in the Cheonma Sect, one had no choice but to be diligent.
That was when it happened.
CRASH!
The main gate of the Cheonma headquarters suddenly burst open with a deafening explosion.
The eyes of all the Cheonma Sect disciples scattered throughout the grounds training snapped toward the gate in unison.
Thud!
The foot that had kicked open the gate came down hard on the ground.
“Hah!”
A very familiar exclamation burst forth.
“So you lot have gotten completely out of hand the moment I loosened the reins? Out of hand? Absolutely shameless!!”
The booming, old-fashioned scolding echoed through the headquarters, and silence fell over the Cheonma grounds.
The eyes of the Cheonma Sect Members turned toward Neungmyeong as if by agreement.
‘This bastard opened his mouth!’
‘This fake Captain Myeong-i, you son of a bitch!’
Under their murderous glares, Neungmyeong’s face twisted into an aggrieved expression.
Then the reliable managers of the Cheonma Sect, Namgung Sohwa and Dokgo Ak, stepped forward and spoke.
“Oh, you’ve arrived, Captain?”
“We were in the middle of training!”
“Training, yet not a single one of you is unconscious?”
The words ‘You’re not supposed to be unconscious, you madman!’ rose to their throats, but no one dared speak them.
“Sigh, today I, Dokgo Myeong, the Cheonma Sect Leader, am disappointed. I thought you all would refrain from slacking even in my absence!”
We didn’t slack!
It was obvious everyone was utterly exhausted!
“What’s this? No one sprawled on the ground, no one coughing blood, no one bearing sword wounds… well? Are those people just sitting around over there?”
“Th-that was just physical conditioning until a moment ago….”
“And?”
“Hey! Get up!”
“Hurry!”
Dokgo Myeong walked inside with his hands clasped behind his back, clearly displeased.
“Sigh, honestly. Not a single person working in the Dharma Protectors division either. This is why I can’t rest! Can’t rest!”
Spring had not yet fully bloomed, yet the Dharma Protectors division’s spring had already ended.
And the same was true for the Cheonma Sect.
“Why are you all just standing there gawking?”
Dokgo Myeong-i gestured with his chin.
“What time is this? Isn’t this sparring time?”
“Y-yes, that’s true, but… should we pair up and begin sparring then?”
“Right, pair up in groups of ten and come at me.”
“Pardon? Come at you? Where—”
Dokgo Myeong-i’s eyes gleamed with intensity.
In an instant, streams of inner force radiated from his entire body.
“Who else? You’re fighting me.”
“…!!”
“I’ll instill some grit into you today for the first time in ages!”
Whoosh!
Dokgo Myeong-i’s foot struck the ground.
“Gasp, ugh!”
“R-run!”
Boom!
Explosions erupted throughout the Cheonma training grounds.
As the Cheonma Sect Disciples screamed and rushed forward without hesitation, Dokgo Myeong-i grinned wickedly.
‘Nothing changes regardless.’
Whether his true identity was Dokgo Hyeon or not.
Whether Hyeok Wi-sang had also regressed alongside him.
What had to be done remained clear.
‘Grow stronger.’
Not alone, but together with the entire Cheonma Sect, as in the previous life.
“Kahahaha! I’ll crush you all!”
Dokgo Myeong-i burst into wild laughter and charged at the Cheonma Sect Disciples.
* * *
“Wow, it’s been a while.”
“Indeed. I didn’t expect it would take this long.”
Geum Seok-du, Deung-pyeong, Jang Cheol, and the other O Subordinates entered the Dokgo Family compound with smiles on their faces.
They had originally planned to visit once or twice a month, but they had been too busy managing the Hao Sect and traveling across the realm to keep their eyes open.
“Now that I think about it, there were supposed to be new recruits.”
“Hehe, they’ll all welcome us, won’t they?”
“I hope the other managers are doing well too.”
With such warm conversation, they reached the gates of the Cheonma training grounds.
“Well, let’s head in.”
Geum Seok-du spoke with a smile.
He was looking forward to telling Dokgo Myeong-i about the progress of the Hao Sect and hearing his surprised response.
Creak!
Geum Seok-du placed his hand on the latch of the Cheonma training grounds gate. Remarkably, the gate had a latch on both the inside and outside.
The moment I lifted the latch.
CRAAAAAASH!
A deafening roar suddenly erupted.
“P-please! Save me!”
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The door shook violently as if possessed.
“Door! Open the door! Door! Aaaahhhhh!”
THUD!
“The wall! Let’s climb over the wall!”
“You madman! If you do that, how will we deal with the consequences afterward… Kyiiiieek!”
CRUNCH! CRACK-CRACK-CRACK!
Beyond the firmly shut door, tremendous explosions erupted in succession.
And in an instant, it all fell silent.
“….”
“….”
Geum Seok-du and the O Subordinates exchanged glances with one another.
“Should we just head back?”
“Yes, let’s do that! We were planning to open another branch in Honam anyway, weren’t we?”
“Let’s do that. We can report to the Captain later….”
“Huh? You came too?”
Who was that at the end?
Geum Seok-du and the O Subordinates slowly turned their heads.
Drip! Drip-drip!
Beyond the now-open door stood Dokgo Myeong, blood dripping steadily from his hands, smiling brightly.
What was that blood? Where had it come from?
“C-Captain!”
“We greet the Captain!”
“Well, well! Seok-du and the O Subordinates! You said you’d come today, but you arrived quite quickly, didn’t you?”
“Y-yes… Captain.”
Geum Seok-du bowed awkwardly at the waist.
I was glad to see them. Truly glad… yet.
‘Why, why is my flesh trembling?’
Then Dokgo Myeong spoke.
“Welcome. I was thinking you should be here for this gathering anyway.”
“Yes? What gathering are you referring to? A funeral gathering, sir?”
“Huh?”
“Yes?”
In that moment, everyone fell silent.
Dokgo Myeong chuckled softly.
“I was thinking we’d have a celebration meal after training today. Come on in.”
“Ah! A gathering!”
“Since we haven’t seen each other in so long, let’s have a sparring match first.”
“….”
* * *
A sudden gathering was held at the Cheonma Sect.
“Pour it! Drink!”
“I, my mouth is all torn up. I can’t drink.”
“Drink it anyway. Who knows when you’ll get another chance.”
“Ah….”
The atmosphere was joyful, yet tinged with darkness.
Though none could discern the true reason for this drinking gathering, the disciples simply assumed the Captain had arranged it out of remorse for having beaten them so thoroughly after so long.
However, several of Dokgo Myeong’s close associates knew the intention was different.
“I have things to discuss, so drink moderately and gather at Sa Heon-gak.”
“Things to discuss, sir?”
“Everything you’ve been curious about regarding me all this time—I’ll tell you today.”
Dokgo Myeong had called only the managers aside to say this.
All the managers said nothing, yet they felt it.
That today they would finally hear the secrets of Dokgo Myeong that they had long wondered about but never dared ask.
However, there was someone else who needed to speak first.
“Sect Leader.”
“Yes, you’ve come. You said you had something to discuss separately?”
“Yes, it may be… quite a long story.”
Dokgo Myeong took a light breath and opened his mouth.

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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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