Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 417

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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 417
Dokgo Myeong watched the Hooded Man through the bustling crowd.
The man spoke.
“You’re not responding. Have you forgotten me?”
Though there was considerable distance between Dokgo Myeong and the man, and the surroundings were filled with noise, his voice came through with peculiar clarity.
Dokgo Myeong let out a hollow laugh.
‘I expected to catch something, but what I’ve caught is rather strange.’
Dokgo Myeong approached him with steady steps and spoke.
“Did you come here knowing full well where I am, without any fear?”
“I am aware that the Martial Alliance is an organization created to wage war against this sect.”
“Then do you also realize you’re standing in the heart of enemy territory?”
The man answered with a quiet laugh instead.
Still, people bustled around them and the atmosphere remained unsettled.
He glanced around briefly before speaking.
“Fortune favored me. Had circumstances been unfavorable, I would have moved during tomorrow’s opening ceremony or scaled the wall… but…”
…
“To think we’d meet in a place like this. Surely you didn’t predict this?”
When Dokgo Myeong offered no response, the man nodded.
“Your expression suggests otherwise. That’s a relief. I thought you might possess the same abilities as the Sect Leader.”
Dokgo Myeong laughed as if bewildered and spoke.
“I’m so taken aback that I’ve lost my words entirely. That’s not usually like me.”
“I am equally surprised.”
Dokgo Myeong suddenly spoke.
“Two hours from now, at the beginning of the Hour of the Boar. The location is the rear gate of the manor where we met before. Come without delay. If you don’t come yourself, I’ll consider this finished.”
“Understood.”
As Dokgo Myeong turned to leave, he glanced back at the man.
“I thought you’d died somewhere, but I’m pleased to see you alive again, Disciple of the White Lotus Sect.”
The man smiled with a hint of surprise.
“I have too many duties remaining to perish just yet.”
The hooded man was no mere Bloodfiend, but a Disciple of the White Lotus Sect masquerading as the Cheonryeong General.
As a patriarch of the White Lotus Sect, he was one who had once appeared before Dokgo Myeong and grasped his hand.
After years of silence, he had come to find Dokgo Myeong once more.
* * *
By the time the sun had long set and dusk had fallen.
The Disciple made his way to the appointed place at the designated hour.
Crunch, crunch.
The moment he passed through the rear gate of a certain manor.
“You’ve arrived.”
At the voice that came from behind, the Disciple halted his steps.
Whoosh.
A figure emerged from the shadows beneath the back eaves. It was Dokgo Myeong.
“Remarkable. I didn’t sense a single presence.”
“So it appears. You didn’t even notice the tail I attached to you.”
“A tail? Surely you don’t mean I was being followed…!”
Dokgo Myeong spoke in a leisurely manner, as if telling him to relax.
“You’ve misunderstood. I wasn’t talking about the sect’s tail, but the one I attached. Come out now, little one.”
Tap!
In that instant, a slender woman flew through the air and landed lightly on the ground.
“…!”
Ye-hwa bowed respectfully to Sado.
Sado felt a chill run down his spine.
‘Her concealment technique is formidable.’
Even though he hadn’t let his guard down, he hadn’t sensed any presence until the moment before she touched the ground.
Naturally, he had no idea from where or how she had been following him.
“Did you find anything?”
Dokgo Myeong asked Ye-hwa.
“I’ll confirm it.”
Ye-hwa asked Sado with an expressionless face.
“You brought two captains as guards and subordinates, along with fifteen disguised as ronin and ordinary martial artists—eight men and seven women, correct?”
“….”
“Answer me.”
Sado shook his head.
“No… there are two more. But I’ve hidden them separately…”
Ye-hwa didn’t listen further and looked back at Dokgo Myeong.
“Accurate. It doesn’t seem he intended to deceive us.”
Sado’s pupils trembled. She had already figured everything out and deliberately tested him.
“What about the additional followers?”
“Five are certain, and three or four are suspected. For now, we’ve diverted their attention, but maintaining it for more than half a day will be difficult. The moment we pass that checkpoint, their eyes will be back on us.”
“You’re certain about this?”
“Our entire force of four hundred combed through the area thoroughly. If we missed anyone despite that, then they were always going to follow us anyway.”
Dokgo Myeong nodded.
“Good. Buy us a little more time.”
“It won’t be easy for long.”
“Just a moment will do.”
“Understood. If anything goes wrong, I’ll have Hoa cry out.”
“Very well.”
Whoosh!
Ye-hwa vanished without a trace.
Sado let out a hollow laugh.
“I believe I now understand why you were able to drive the Jeongheol Sect into a corner.”
“Flattery won’t change anything.”
“This is no mere courtesy—it comes from the heart.”
I had assigned surveillance not only because I still distrusted him, but also to identify any additional Jeongheol Disciples who might be lurking about.
I had always considered the Jeongheol Sect a ruthlessly thorough organization, yet Dokgo Myeong operated several steps beyond even that.
Dokgo Myeong spoke.
“So there’s surveillance I’m unaware of? Does that mean I’m under suspicion right now?”
“Not just you—all disciples are being monitored.”
“Why?”
“Because of you.”
As Dokgo Myeong tilted his head in confusion, the Sado’s eyes gleamed.
“You possessed far too much internal information. The Grand General suspected a spy within our ranks and intensified internal surveillance even before the war began.”
“So that’s why I couldn’t make contact all this time….”
“Precisely. But thanks to that, the sect’s core forces were severely depleted, creating an opportunity.”
The Sado laughed.
Despite the late hour, he still wore the hooded robe pulled low, obscuring his face, yet a melancholy undertone colored his laughter.
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes narrowed.
“Sado.”
“What is it?”
“Remove your hood.”
“…Why?”
“We may not be close enough to greet each other warmly, but surely we should see each other’s faces when we speak.”
The Sado hesitated, then released a long sigh.
“I cannot deceive you, it seems.”
*Swish.*
As the hood came away, the weathered face of an old man emerged.
Though only around sixty years should have passed since our last meeting, he appeared far older than that.
“You’ve aged considerably since then.”
“A side effect of the blood cultivation technique. Surely you know this.”
“Still, the deterioration seems far too rapid.”
“I’ve heard that consuming the vitality of young men and women can slow the progression, but… how could I do such a thing merely to prolong my own life?”
The Sado let out a hollow laugh.
“You look well over eighty. How much time remains?”
“Still manageable. For now.”
Hardly manageable at all.
Dokgo Myeong clicked his tongue and nodded.
“To be honest, I thought you were dead. I’d erased you from my mind.”
“I know.”
“But you’re alive, and you’ve sought me out again….”
“I came hoping you would honor the promise we made then.”
“A promise to be fulfilled.”
“Preparations are complete. Please ensure the safety of Singnyeo and the disciples of the White Lotus Sect.”
Dokgo Myeong exhaled deeply.
“Sado, the situation has changed considerably since then.”
“What do you mean?”
“Back then, I intended to use you and that White Lotus Sect of yours as bait to draw out the Jeongheol Sect. Do you remember?”
Sado nodded in acknowledgment.
Dokgo Myeong continued in a resolute tone.
“But thanks to the Jeongheol Sect pouring their forces into this war so recklessly, there’s no longer any need for that. Now the Martial Alliance alone is sufficient to handle them.”
Sado and the White Lotus Sect had been a secondary option—a contingency in case we began losing ground and the Jeongheol Sect withdrew their support from the Moyong Family. That was the purpose of the bait.
But with the Jeongheol Sect foolishly throwing everything at us, that precaution had become unnecessary.
“Heh, hehehehe.”
At that moment, Sado suddenly laughed and pressed his palms together.
“Ah, Musaeng Nomo. I suspected as much. What I experienced from you back then proved to be valuable instruction.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I understand your methods now. I won’t make unreasonable requests—I’ll pay the price you demand.”
A glimmer of intrigue flickered in Sado’s eyes.
“You say the situation has changed, but in truth it hasn’t. Our apostasy will make an appetizing enough bait.”
“We have no time. Get to the point.”
“The Jeongheol Sect Leader and the Grand General.”
“…?”
“They will bite at the bait. Perhaps even the Chongdan. Is this sufficient?”
At Sado’s calm words, Dokgo Myeong’s eyes shifted.
‘The opening ceremony is just beginning, and here we are…’
A premonition seized him that blood would need to be spilled the moment the Martial Alliance opened its doors.
* * *
Dawn broke.
From early morning, people began appearing throughout the streets. They all walked in a single direction.
Their numbers grew one by one, and by the time the sun reached its zenith, every street in Munan had begun to teem with sturdy martial artists bearing swords.
‘Could this day truly be arriving?’
‘Has there ever been such a day in martial history?’
‘Even when the Nine Great Sects held separate alliances, such instances could be counted on one hand in the annals of the martial world, but now even the great families and minor factions…’
‘At last, the martial realm begins to transform!’
From those merely seeking to make an appearance to those wishing to join, from those observing developments to those harboring other intentions—it seemed every martial artist had converged upon the scene.
Among them, those who were not martial artists also stood out.
Those who had come to witness a pivotal moment in history, dignitaries from all walks of life—they gathered like clouds at the Munan Martial Alliance Hall.
“To think it’s come to this… we’ve truly made it this far.”
Geum Seok-du clenched his fist tightly.
His hand trembled with barely contained excitement.
“Are you nervous? Why are your hands shaking?”
“Nervous? No, it’s because I’m happy.”
Geum Seok-du shook his head vigorously at Namgung Sohwa’s startled reaction.
“When I first met the Captain, I heard this story. That he would create the Martial Alliance and wage war. I said it was absurd. But now… it has truly come to pass.”
“….”
“Has history ever seen such a thing? No matter how tightly bound by the righteous path, those who could never be united due to their own circumstances and interests have been brought together. And all under the will of our Captain.”
Do all those countless people understand?
Outwardly, it is known that the great sects of the righteous path united their will for a greater cause, but in truth, all of this began from the will of a single person.
It was only Dokgo Myeong.
Dokgo Myeong had planned this from the distant past, executed it, and succeeded.
Dokgo Myeong is truly the architect of the Martial Alliance.
“That’s not all. We are the same. Are we not already achieving one by one the dreams we once held so vaguely when we first met?”
“…That’s true.”
“Indeed.”
The managers recalled memories that were not so distant as they listened to Geum Seok-du’s words.
When one thought about it, it was a complete transformation. Third-rate martial artists who had been overlooked and marginalized in the martial world had risen to this position.
“Why do you speak as though it’s already finished? We still have far to go. This is merely the beginning.”
“I don’t like to admit it, but this big fellow is right. This is only the beginning of war—we still have far to go.”
At the words of Cheolmu-baek and Dokgo Ak, Geum Seok-du nodded.
“Still, we have come this far.”
Yes, we have come this far.
Through that long and distant path to this place.
The five managers’ eyes gleamed with intensity.
At the same time, they all recalled in their minds the words “we still have far to go.”
* * *
“Let the opening ceremony commence!”
At the resonant voice that spread throughout, the assembly fell into profound silence.
Boom!
The air trembled.
All eyes focused on the heavy drum sound.
Boom! Boom-boom! Boom!
Each time the drummer swung the massive mallet, the followers felt an overwhelming pressure that seemed to resonate through their very organs.
Soon the drum sound ceased.
Pweeeee!
At the signal of a powerful trumpet blast, the martial artists of the Martial Alliance’s grand training grounds assumed their positions in unison.
Snap! Snap! Snap!
Flawless momentum and disciplined posture.
The core members of the Martial Alliance, the invited dignitaries with reserved seats, the standing spectators—all these countless people swallowed hard.
Soon the rulers of each sect lined up in a row, holding incense.
At this sight, the followers could barely breathe.
‘The sect leaders and household heads of each faction!’
‘There is the Sword King! The Sword Saint of the Dokgo Family!’
‘The Mudang’s Wuji himself is in attendance!’
‘That green-robed figure… he must be the Fist Emperor of Shaolin!’
Incense was offered, and according to each tradition’s proper rites, the birth of the alliance was proclaimed before the heavens, earth, spirits, immortals, and Buddhas. Since each faction followed different disciplines and ceremonies, the ritual had to proceed simply.
Yet no one present could utter a single word of disapproval at this sight.
“Ahhh.”
“Wow….”
Sighs of wonder escaped from all corners.
‘The martial world exists here.’
The Nine Sects—living immortals and Buddhas.
The Three Great Households—tyrant kings who dominated the mortal realm.
Prestigious sects of considerable renown, lacking nothing as one pillar of the alliance.
And….
‘The Dokgo Household is here.’
The black dragon banner, bearing the name most befitting the true number one under heaven, fluttered fiercely in the wind.
The opening ceremony proceeded without incident thereafter.
As the assembled alliance members stamped their feet and chanted in unison, an aura spread forth as if the earth would collapse and the heavens would split asunder.
Thud, thud.
A man walked forth from their midst.
A man to whom the phrase “wind-swept and bone-chiseled” applied perfectly.
It was none other than Sword Saint Baek Mu-heun.
“Today.”
A calm yet powerful voice carried across the assembly.
“On this first day of the new year, I proclaim before all the people of the realm that the Martial Alliance, founded to pacify the chaos and achieve the great cause of creating a new heaven and earth, has been established.”
A thunderous cheer that shook heaven and earth erupted.

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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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