Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 415

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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 415
The Dokgo Family’s procession drew countless gazes.
They were filled with goodwill and admiration rather than wariness or hostility. Some even cheered, prostrated themselves, or brought newborns asking for names to be bestowed upon them.
It was a testament to how deeply the Dokgo Family had won the hearts of the common people in the Honam region.
“They provide relief during times of hardship, maintain order in place of the government, and undertake various projects—the people’s affection is inevitable.”
Inside the carriage, Geum Seok-du spoke as if reading Dokgo Myeong’s expression.
“It’s all about securing personal interests.”
“Regardless of the reason, it’s a welcome thing for the commoners. The Honam region is nearly a haven of peace compared to other areas, and that’s all thanks to the Dokgo Family.”
At Geum Seok-du’s words, Dokgo Myeong gazed out of the carriage with eyes that had grown strangely dim.
‘Thanks to the main family.’
Watching the shabby-looking commoners, I wondered if it was natural for such people to rely upon and cheer for martial sects.
Then, Dokgo Wi-hak, who had been silent, parted his lips.
“The supreme ruler is one of whom the people merely know of his existence, and the next is one whom they love and praise.”
“Pardon?”
“It appears to be a passage from the seventeenth chapter of the Daodejing.”
Geum Seok-du interjected with his observation.
“Correct. Manager Geum is indeed well-versed. Can you explain it as well?”
At Dokgo Wi-hak’s request, Geum Seok-du cleared his throat several times before speaking.
“The best ruler is one of whom the people are merely aware of his existence, and the next best is one whom they regard affectionately and praise.”
“Then do you know the verses that follow?”
“After that comes the ruler who is feared, and then comes one who is despised.”
“Precisely accurate. Impressive indeed.”
Geum Seok-du’s shoulders rose slightly with pride.
Dokgo Wi-hak was extremely stern and rigid, yet he was also someone who knew how to lift others up from time to time.
Dokgo Wi-hak looked at Dokgo Myeong.
“Myeong-a.”
“Yes, Father.”
“What do you make of this teaching?”
Dokgo Myeong pondered for a moment before answering.
“Isn’t it saying that a bad leader should be beaten so thoroughly that people forget he exists?”
…
“Now I see that Laozi knew a thing or two. It seems I share some affinity with the Way. Suddenly I feel quite fond of him.”
For a moment, silence filled the carriage.
Dokgo Wi-hak moved his lips as if he had much to say, then released a long sigh, while Geum Seok-du turned his gaze toward the distant horizon beyond the carriage.
After a long pause, Dokgo Wi-hak continued.
“Now that I’ve come out and seen the people, I can see that something is fundamentally wrong with this world. The martial world is doing what the government should do—how can the world possibly flow in the right direction?”
Dokgo Wi-hak’s eyes grew heavy with concern.
“Manager Geum. You said earlier that Honam is relatively well-off, but how dire is the situation in other regions?”
Geum Seok-du sighed.
“Regions like Shaanxi, Hubei, and Henan where the great sects’ influence is strong are somewhat better… but even those regions suffer from severe gaps in security.”
“A void in public order?”
“In truth, I’ve heard that bandit gangs run rampant in remote areas of Honam as well.”
“….”
“Especially in regions distant from the Central Plains or bordering the Great Wall, the situation is absolutely dire.”
“Dire enough to warrant such a description?”
“Yes. In the north, those who cross the Great Wall frequently conduct raids and plunder, and in lands like Gansu and Qinghai that touch Xinjiang, large-scale bloodfiend catastrophes are occurring at this very moment.”
Dokgo Myeong clicked his tongue.
“Those incidents you mentioned earlier—the ones that seemed like the handiwork of Jeongheol disciples.”
“Yes, precisely.”
If it’s those regions, there’s a real possibility they’re bloodfiends. In my past life, the bloodfiends and Hyeok Wi-sang had been pushing in from the distant western and northern lands.
Dokgo Wi-hak asked carefully.
“Myeong-i. In the life you remember… did such things occur?”
“In fact, it was far worse.”
“Far worse?”
“Elders of prestigious sects and renowned masters suddenly assassinated by their own retainers, poison spreading through wells, plagues ravaging the land, famine following starvation—I witnessed every conceivable calamity imaginable.”
“…!”
“The Cheonma Sect disciples were captured in those times too. Those who stole rice out of hunger, those who finally snapped and killed Martial Alliance members with sickles, those who had retired from the martial world yet were dragged into conflict anyway….”
Dokgo Wi-hak and Geum Seok-du fell silent.
Dokgo Myeong chuckled softly.
“It all happened because we failed to eliminate the Jeongheol Sect in time. The Moyong Family led the Alliance into chaos in the Central Plains, while Paedobyeon wreaked havoc in the west.”
Geum Seok-du hesitated before speaking.
“I’m not sure about other matters, but Paedobyeon seems unchanged.”
“What?”
“The Cheonma Alliance of Sichuan. The situation appears to be growing quite serious.”
“Aren’t you talking about the conflict that started around the time we warred with the Moyong Family? You said it hadn’t escalated to full-scale war?”
“Recently, it’s been moving in that direction. Especially since rumors suggest famine and plague are spreading through Sichuan.”
“What? What of the government?”
“As you well know.”
“Tch.”
Dokgo Myeong clicked his tongue sharply, and Dokgo Wi-hak’s eyes grew heavy with shadow.
Internally, Dokgo Wi-hak felt frustration and emptiness. This world seemed no different from the dark realm in which he had once dwelled.
Then Dokgo Myeong spoke.
“Father.”
“What is it?”
“Neither I nor the Martial Alliance may become the finest ruler as you mentioned earlier….”
Dokgo Myeong spoke with quiet confidence.
“But at least I won’t become a wicked or incompetent one.”
Dokgo Wi-hak looked at Dokgo Myeong with startled eyes.
Now he realized there was one thing that had changed from before.
It was his son—Dokgo Myeong’s very existence.
* * *
“I’ll part ways with you here.”
“Gwak hyeong, are you really leaving? Why not just stay at the main family?”
“I prefer the countryside. I can’t stand crowded, bustling places, so this much is enough for me.”
When we arrived in Hubei, Gwak Dae-ryong and some Cheonma Sect disciples departed from our procession.
We had traveled together for quite some time since the war ended. At first it was to help, and later it was to perfect the Cheonma Sect’s martial arts.
Since that was roughly complete, he said he would return now.
“Hyeong-nim. Thank you for everything.”
“Don’t be so disgustingly grateful.”
“I lived because of you. Thank you for running all that distance to come.”
“I should be thanking you for taking good care of my daughter.”
“What are you saying? She’s practically my niece too.”
He acts like an old man, though there’s barely any age difference between him and Ye-hwa.
“Call me when you need something.”
“Huh?”
“And I’ll call you when I need something too.”
….
The two of them stood silently facing each other for a moment, then grinned and extended their hands.
Crack!
They grasped each other’s forearms firmly once and parted ways like that. I was disappointed I couldn’t make him a manager, but somehow this kind of relationship didn’t seem so bad either.
Not long after, we arrived in Wuhan.
A massive fortress standing tall in a slightly outer area away from the bustling district where Dengyongji was located.
My eyes gleamed with light.
‘Wuhan, the Murim Alliance Fortress.’
A symbolic place that was used during the past Milgyo Incident, then fell into disrepair and became ruins before being rebuilt.
‘It’s not even a reconstruction—it’s practically a new fortress. To this extent.’
A massive iron gate like the entrance to the imperial palace came into view, with smooth fortress walls stretching beside it.
Even though it wasn’t yet complete, it exuded such overwhelming presence that it felt majestic. In that short time, they had built a proper fortress here from what was merely ruins.
“Whew.”
“No, it was this impressive?”
“But, can they really do this? It doesn’t make sense that the government would just sit idle….”
The managers clicked their tongues in admiration.
Judging by the gate’s imposing presence alone, it surpassed even the Dokgo Family’s Black Dragon Gate.
‘Right, it’s certainly extraordinary. The man known as the wealthiest in the Central Plains poured his personal fortune into it.’
But somehow it seems even greater than in my past life.
“It truly brings back fresh feelings.”
“Now that you mention it, the captain must have been here before.”
At Cheolmu-baek’s words, I nodded.
“In my past life, I was dragged here as a criminal with a dog collar around my neck. Because of that bastard Dokgo Ak. Or was it also because of our Chief Elder?”
….
“Kuh, I’ve made quite the rise in this lifetime, quite the rise indeed. It’s a peculiar feeling.”
In that instant, Dokgo Wi-hak and the managers alike wore expressions of bewilderment, uncertain how to respond.
Dokgo Ak in particular twisted his entire body as if driven mad by the injustice of it all.
Then, a voice called out from ahead.
“The acting family head has instructed us to proceed directly inside.”
“Understood. Let’s go.”
The Dokgo Family’s procession parted through the throng of people gathered before the city gates and advanced forward with unhurried grace.
Not a single voice of complaint arose. All eyes fixed upon them burned with admiration, anticipation, and curiosity.
“It’s the Dokgo Family!”
“Look! Those black barbed armor pieces… the Cheonma Sect! The Cheonma Sect has come too!”
“Then those people are…”
“The Black Sword Sovereign! It’s Dokgo Myeong Sohyeop! And the Five Dragon Commanders are with them!”
The whispered voices of martial artists followed in their wake.
“What is this…”
“Why do they know who we are?”
“Are they trying to provoke a fight? Why do they keep staring?”
Though Dokgo Ak remained composed, the remaining managers grew stiff and uncomfortable under the weight of those gazes.
Dokgo Myeong chuckled softly and spoke.
“Why are you all so awkward? This is the level of standing we’ve achieved now.”
“…”
“Straighten your backs and walk in with confidence. We are now undoubtedly one of the greatest martial forces in the entire realm that commands everyone’s attention.”
At those words, the eyes of the Cheonma Sect disciples gleamed with solid pride.
Now that everything had changed, they entered the Martial Alliance fortress with confident bearing.
* * *
“Whew! What an aura this is.”
“Wow, what is this?”
Hong Lu and Hong Ta surveyed the interior of the Martial Alliance fortress with sparkling eyes.
“Sister, am I seeing this right?”
“I think so. Look at that. They said the martial techniques of the realm are completely different from ours, and it seems to be true.”
The siblings chattered away to each other while observing the fortress’s seemingly unremarkable structure.
“How would we break through it?”
“Why are you thinking about that?”
“Didn’t you learn during the Cheonma Sect training observation? They said to think about how to destroy something the moment you see it!”
The Cheonma Sect disciples also whispered among themselves.
“Tsk, the walls here don’t look easy to climb, do they?”
“Climbing might be possible, but what comes after would be the real problem.”
“What if we set fires over there or detonate fire bombs?”
Each of them was discussing how they would infiltrate this place.
Dokgo Myeong regarded them with a troubled gaze.
“I raised them myself, but honestly, even I don’t understand why they’ve become like this anymore.”
Still, as a martial artist, it’s hardly a bad attitude to always think of combat first.
At that moment, Dokgo Wi-hak murmured thoughtfully.
“I can see mechanical traps scattered about, but the arrangement of the buildings and structures seems to follow the principles of formation arrays.”
“Oh? You have expertise in that area as well?”
“Mechanical array formations are essential knowledge when one needs to infiltrate somewhere.”
Dokgo Wi-hak surveyed his surroundings with an expression of genuine admiration.
“The structure is designed to easily repel fires and enemy intrusions. It’s specialized in encirclement and counterattacks rather than defense. Was it constructed under the assumption of a powerful enemy assault?”
“That’s likely the case.”
“It appears to be a significantly modified Eight Trigrams formation… The Jegeol Family might have been involved in its design.”
Dokgo Myeong let out a hollow laugh.
To discern all that merely from observing the outer walls—he truly possessed a terrifying aspect.
Just then, a beggar came rushing frantically from the distance.
“Haha! Welcome! I shall guide you!”
“Huh? Ju Hyeong?”
“Ah! Little brother! You must have had a difficult journey!”
Remarkably, the guide for the Murim Alliance was none other than Ju Won-gwang.
‘Being guided by a beggar… I’m not sure if this is a sign of respect or something else entirely.’
Dokgo Un-hak wore an equally peculiar expression, but regardless, they were led into the inner fortress.
“What is Baek Jang-mun doing?”
“He asked me to tell you he’s waiting.”
“Then tell him I’ll visit this evening.”
“Yes, let’s unpack your belongings first. I’ve taken special care with the Dokgo Family’s quarters. This way, please.”
Ju Won-gwang skillfully led the group deeper into the inner fortress.
The inner fortress still had incomplete buildings, leaving some areas sparse, though that had its own charm.
The group unpacked their belongings and settled in for rest.
Naturally, Dokgo Myeong rose to his feet immediately.
“Well then, shall I take a look around?”
My eyes gleamed with anticipation.

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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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