Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 423

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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 423
“What are you suddenly talking about?”
“The situation with the Meorak Sect doesn’t look good.”
“….”
“Have you only seen this much? Is that why you’re discussing autonomy?”
Baek Mu-heun continued speaking with rather refreshed expression.
“Tell me what you want.”
“I’m not sure what you’re saying….”
“Tell me what’s needed to seat you in the position of Meorak Sect Leader.”
“Ahem!”
Dokgo Myeong spoke while rolling his eyes.
“If things go my way, the elders will be uncomfortable, and I’ll have to endure their interference going forward….”
“Anyone who doubts your capabilities or applies external pressure like the Meorak Sect will be removed from my Martial Alliance, so don’t worry.”
In that moment, Dokgo Myeong felt a tingling sensation down his spine and fell silent for a moment.
‘I’ve won!’
But behind that thrilling joy came an immediate chill.
‘The moment I believed this was necessary and right, I cast aside my pride and dignity. How could I do this?’
Dokgo Myeong didn’t drag it out further.
There was no need to provoke unnecessarily.
“My demands haven’t changed.”
“Do you want autonomy specified in writing?”
“That won’t work—words can change anytime. Rather than a combat unit at the brigade or battalion level, I want you to establish an independent army and give me command of it.”
Baek Mu-heun’s expression hardened.
“You have no intention of being satisfied with just the Meorak and Cheonma Sects under your command.”
“Correct.”
“You’re planning to become completely independent from the Council of Elders?”
“I have no ambition to go that far. I’ll hand over the sails and the rudder. But I’ll be the captain of the ship.”
Baek Mu-heun fell silent as if contemplating, and Dokgo Myeong waited quietly for his response.
‘The Martial Alliance is different from the Moyong Family days.’
As a completely independent force, I cannot act recklessly. The scale and nature of warfare, as well as the political structure behind it, are on a different level than before.
But from this point forward, every incompetent rower who doesn’t understand the situation and acts recklessly needs to get off the ship.
Baek Mu-heun shook his head.
“That’s difficult. It would essentially mean you’re holding the military authority of the current Martial Alliance.”
“In exchange, I’ll fully respect the authority of the next Meorak Sect Leader. I won’t wield the Meorak Sect. A nominal position as leader is enough for me.”
“You’re willing to concede actual command authority?”
“Won’t that work?”
“I’ll make the proposal. But I’m not sure if the elders will approve.”
“Sect Leader.”
In that instant, Dokgo Myeong’s eyes gleamed sharply.
His face, stripped of playfulness, evoked a subtle chill.
“Truly, you cannot do this sincerely?”
“…?”
“You are capable of it, are you not?”
The corners of Dokgo Myeong’s mouth lifted.
“If you wished to do so, you could not only grant me military authority, but even seat me among the elders.”
“…!”
“Moreover, you know this well. That I am the only suitable candidate, that without me, things cannot proceed.”
Baek Mu-heun stared intently at Dokgo Myeong before opening his mouth.
“What makes you so certain that I think this way?”
“Well.”
Dokgo Myeong gazed into Baek Mu-heun’s clear eyes.
“Because I think the same way about the Sect Leader.”
“….”
Silence descended.
Their gazes met without wavering, locked upon one another.
One was rough, the other clear.
Their natures differed so greatly they could be called polar opposites, yet because of this, they appeared strikingly similar—like twins.
“…Hehe.”
Laughter spilled from between Baek Mu-heun’s teeth.
“Hehe, hahahaha!”
“….”
“To receive recognition from such a young man—it is not an unpleasant feeling. Hahaha!”
After bursting into hearty laughter, Baek Mu-heun’s eyes gleamed like those of a fierce beast.
‘Yes, this is the kind of man he is.’
One who harbors burning ideals in his heart while thinking through cold reality with his mind.
Though our aims and directions differ, the fact that such a person exists in this frustrating world allows me to glimpse the future.
“Good. I shall push forward with what you said in this Council of Elders.”
As if his business was concluded, Baek Mu-heun rose from his seat.
He began to move away but suddenly stopped in his tracks.
“Ah, and.”
“…?”
“I intend to bring up one additional agenda item this time.”
“What agenda item do you speak of?”
“The election of the Alliance Leader.”
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes gleamed.
“The justification would be something along the lines of… the Martial Alliance requires a strong leader to represent it.”
Baek Mu-heun spoke in a low voice.
“I learned a move from you this time.”
“….”
“Thanks to you, I have awakened. I too shall now exercise greater vigilance.”
Baek Mu-heun departed with those words, his figure fading away.
‘Already positioning himself for the Sect Leader’s seat?’
It was happening far faster than expected.
Yet since he’d obtained what he wanted from this affair, interfering now might only invite backlash upon himself.
‘He’s resolved to seize control of the situation despite any minor discord. Baek Mu-heun was always a man of meticulous preparation and calculated movement, but now…’
Baek Mu-heun possessed tremendous drive and precision. Now it seemed he’d also acquired decisive boldness.
Dokgo Myeong gazed quietly at his receding figure.
* * *
The Military Affairs Department initiated a preliminary investigation, and subsequently, the Council of Elders was convened once more.
In truth, it could be called a minor matter—one that might have been buried had they chosen to suppress it.
“But doing so would lead us toward catastrophe. This Council was summoned to excise the problem before it festers and ruptures.”
Jegal Mun revealed the investigation’s findings with a voice as resolute as one drawing a blade.
Explicit issues were raised: interference and meddling in the Meorak Sect, inconsistent command structures, and internal faction conflicts.
The elders responded in varied ways.
“What problem is there in that?”
“To summon the Council of Elders over such a matter…”
Some had grown shameless.
“I failed to consider how my words might influence my disciples. I lacked maturity. I apologize.”
“Amitabha Buddha. I should have guided my sect’s disciples toward wiser judgment… I feel the weight of responsibility.”
Others set aside their pride, acknowledging their faults or accepting responsibility even for matters beyond their culpability, bowing their heads.
“This Council was not summoned to assign blame. We must discuss what comes next.”
“The Meorak Sect should perhaps be restructured from its foundation.”
Baek Mu-heun ultimately broached the suspension of the Meorak Sect’s operations.
Most elders spoke of the greater good.
Yet simultaneously, they desired to preserve both the sect’s reputation and their own gains.
‘All of them.’
Baek Mu-heun confirmed once more that he had been mistaken.
‘The members of the Secret Circle, the other sects, the various renowned figures… they all possessed baseless confidence regarding war.’
Ultimately, the meeting concluded with a decision to temporarily suspend the Meorak Sect’s operations.
And Baek Mu-heun made his determination.
‘I was right after all.’
Though heroes and exceptional talents overflowed the realm, they were ultimately a gathering of scattered interests. Even when many shared common purpose, it did not flow in the righteous direction.
Thus, a strong center was necessary.
‘I shall be that center.’
The steward of all under heaven.
Baek Mu-heun felt the spark Dokgo Myeong had ignited burning brilliantly.
* * *
A wind of change swept through the Martial Alliance.
Within mere days, the organizational structure was completed, and the system reached near completion.
This was thanks to Jegal Mun’s swift administration as head of the Military Affairs Department, and Baek Mu-heun’s relentless drive in pushing the Council of Elders forward, however forcefully.
Amid all this, changes came to the Meorak Sect as well.
“I have caused you much hardship under my insufficient leadership. I shall now return to my place as one of the Eighteen Arhats and serve the peace of the realm elsewhere. Hehe.”
Won Hyeong, the former Sect Leader, stepped down, and after heated deliberation, Baek Song, a prodigious swordsman produced by the Huashan Faction, took on the role of new Sect Leader.
Though the Sect Leader had changed, the Meorak Sect remained in a state of waiting.
It was only natural that morale continued to plummet.
“What in the world is supposed to happen….”
“Damn it. I am ashamed. That was never my intention….”
Most of the Meorak Sect disciples belonged to prestigious martial families. While some harbored ambitions of advancement and politics, far more still carried the passionate sense of justice that burned in their blood.
Yet their dreams shattered into fragments.
‘Our fault? Mine?’
‘I merely followed my sect leader’s orders, yet have I not committed something fundamentally wrong?’
‘The truth is… I was part of the very corruption I sought to oppose.’
They fell into confusion.
They who had been praised as the finest talents of their sect, as the future of the martial realm, as righteous heroes to the commoners.
Yet what was this?
Not only suspended from operations, but the Sect Leader’s resignation?
Moreover, the Council of Elders had issued a gag order, with no instructions beyond warnings to conduct themselves with care.
Someone spoke.
“Are we not being treated as troublesome baggage to be disposed of?”
“What were we supposed to have done differently….”
“I thought a bright future lay ahead.”
And in that process, a new organization was formed, and soon word spread through the Alliance.
“The Righteous Martial Army? And its commander is… the Dark Sword King, Dokgo Myeong?”
The Meorak Sect disciples could not rejoice at this news.
Any change meant, in essence, admitting that the Meorak Sect itself had a problem.
Thus dawned the day of the Righteous Martial Army’s inauguration and Dokgo Myeong’s investiture.
* * *
Unlike the grand inauguration of the once-glorious Meorak Sect, this ceremony was conducted in secret, in abbreviated form, at a remote training ground.
It was then that the Meorak Sect disciples, who had gathered early at the sparse training ground, waited with gloomy expressions.
Boom!
The sound of a door opening echoed.
Clang! Clang!
Followed by the metallic ring of armor and weapons colliding.
Black scale armor, bearing and demeanor closer to generals than soldiers—it was the Cheonma Sect.
Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap!
The Cheonma Sect displayed their keen martial bearing as they lined up in formation on the right side of the empty training ground.
And following them came those entering the training ground.
‘That person….’
‘The Cheonma Sect Leader. No, the Chairman of the Righteous Martial Army.’
‘He enters alongside Sect Leader Baek Song.’
The Meorak Sect Disciples felt their bodies stiffen without realizing it.
They all watched with tense expressions as Dokgo Myeong strode up onto the platform, with Baek Song standing beside him.
“….”
Dokgo Myeong swept his gaze across the assembly with deeply sunken eyes.
A heavy silence descended so oppressive that even breathing sounded like thunder.
Dokgo Myeong, who had been silently observing the crowd, opened his mouth.
“At last I see your faces.”
“…?”
“Foolish children who cannot distinguish between public and private matters, wavering between sect loyalty and alliance obligations, and thus bungling critical affairs.”
“…!!”
The faces of the Meorak Sect Disciples contorted wretchedly.
“I understand. How indulgently your sect must have raised you. How high your pride, and how poor your judgment.”
Finally, some hot-headed Meorak Sect Disciples raised their voices.
“Your words exceed propriety!”
“Dokgo Myeong! How dare you speak such insults!”
In that instant, Dokgo Myeong’s foot crashed down upon the platform.
Kwaaaang!
An energy wave so intense it could hardly be called a mere palm strike erupted forth, swallowing all sound.
Dokgo Myeong let out a scoff.
“Idiotic fools.”
“…!!”
“Look at yourselves. You raise your voices to the one who will become your chairman over a few harsh words? It’s pathetic.”
“….”
“Why are you even here? Did you come to perform some heroics and receive applause from commoners? To gain fame so you might claim a position in your sect or the martial alliance later?”
The bodies of the Meorak Sect Disciples trembled.
“No answer. Then I’ll teach you. Cheonma Sect, speak. Tell me why we came here.”
Squad Leader Namgung Sohwa stepped forward.
“To achieve victory in war.”
Kuwoong!
The Cheonma Sect Disciples stomped their feet in unison.
“To achieve victory in war!”
It was overwhelming military spirit.
The Meorak Sect Disciples froze with their momentum crushed.
“Baek Song.”
Baek Song stepped forward.
“Meorak Sect Leader Baek Song, reporting for duty.”
“Since the Meorak Sect has no answer, I ask you, their leader. Why have you come here?”
“To uphold righteousness and honor.”
“So your righteousness places sect orders above the peace of the realm?”
“….”
“Speak. Why did you do it? No answer, I see. Shall I tell you instead?”
The Meorak Sect Disciples were completely demoralized, biting their lips or hanging their heads low.
“Because we didn’t know.”
“…?”
“Because we didn’t know, that’s why we acted as we did.”
Several of them lifted their heads at those words.
“We were taught to prioritize our original sect. We never learned how important the Meorak Sect truly was. We didn’t know things would come to this, so that’s why we acted as we did.”
More and more began to look up at Dokgo Myeong.
“I ask you: is ignorance a sin?”
Dokgo Myeong posed the question to himself.
“Yes, it is a sin. Because we are those who bear the burden of the martial world.”
He answered his own question.
On his robes and those of all the martial artists gathered in the training grounds was embroidered not their individual sect’s emblem, but the symbol of the Martial Alliance.
“That is why I have taken this position—to teach you what you do not know.”
Dokgo Myeong smiled coldly.
“Moreover, you need not worry. I am quite skilled in such matters. All the elders who govern the realm have acknowledged this fact, which is why they entrusted this position to me despite my strong refusal.”
Dokgo Myeong’s gaze fell upon Baek Song and the Meorak Sect Disciples standing behind her.
“So I ask again. Cheonma Sect Leader.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“Why have you come here?”
“To follow righteousness and virtue.”
“Wrong. We have come for war, and war is not about pursuing what is right—it is about pursuing the enemy and achieving victory.”
Baek Song asked with burning eyes.
“Please teach us. Who is our enemy?”
Dokgo Myeong spoke.
“Injustice.”
“…!”
“And evil.”
The eyes of the Meorak Sect Disciples began to blaze with fervor.
“If you truly desire righteousness and virtue, then those are the enemies you must pursue.”
Thus was the Righteous Army, the elite force of the Martial Alliance, formed.
* * *
“How was it?”
“Everyone’s acting has improved. Wow, even Namgung Bujang was incredible.”
“Hehe.”
“The Captain will have no trouble becoming a Sect Leader of some heretical sect later. They all fell for it completely.”
“Hehehehe!”
“Looking at their faces, they’ve definitely swallowed it.”
Dokgo Myeong, the Managers, and the Cheonma Sect Disciples advanced with sinister smiles.
The Meorak Sect Disciples did not see those faces.
“Then that settles it. I can handle the rest on my own.”
“What should we do in the meantime?”
“First, send Yeon-tong to Zhejiang. We need a military strategist now.”
“Understood.”
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes gleamed with intensity.
“Let’s begin preparations to hunt the Grand General.”

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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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