Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 425

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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 425
The entire world was nothing but darkness.
I could see nothing, hear nothing, feel nothing. It was as if the primordial chaos of nothingness itself existed in that place.
A sudden flare!
In that instant, light ignited within the darkness.
A small candle flame wavered with difficulty. It seemed both to resist the thick darkness and to suffer beneath it.
Yet even such a fragile light was light. The darkness, being without substance, could not extinguish the candle, and within that glow, the figure of a man became visible.
“Holy Maiden.”
The man—the Cheonryeong Military Commander and Disciple—spoke while lowering his body in the deepest bow.
“All preparations are complete.”
Both knees, both elbows, and finally his forehead touched the ground.
In Buddhist tradition, there exists a form of prostration where one touches five parts of the body to the earth to cast off arrogance and repent of foolishness—known as the Five-Point Prostration. The Disciple performed this most reverent of gestures.
“Time presses. We must make haste.”
From within the seemingly empty darkness came the sound of robes rustling.
“My disciple.”
“Yes.”
“It is not I who must first observe proper courtesy.”
“Yes, Holy Maiden.”
At the sound of that pure and unblemished voice, the Disciple felt his heart settle like still water reflecting the moon.
“Musaeng Nomo, who has transcended all attachments.”
“It brings me joy to hear your voice.”
“I am sorry for visiting after so long.”
“I see confusion in your heart.”
The Disciple answered with urgency in his voice.
“Time is pressing, and I have shown myself in an unbecoming state.”
“Do not rush. All things in this world are empty, and again empty. Everything in the Realm of Suffering is false—why then do you allow falsehood to sway you?”
The gentle voice spread outward, and the Disciple exhaled a long breath, feeling as though wrapped in something warm.
“Now, raise your head. I wish to see your face.”
The Disciple lifted his head.
His eyes fell upon silks cascading lavishly from the low ceiling, a lotus throne adorned with every manner of jewel and gold, and upon it, the figure of a crimson Buddha statue.
They, the White Lotus Sect, emphasized asceticism and practice. To the Disciple, all this magnificent display felt deeply insulting.
‘To have spent all that time in such a place.’
In that moment, anger surged up violently.
From beyond the hanging silks came the Holy Maiden’s jade-like voice once more.
“My disciple.”
“I apologize.”
“Now speak. Has the time come?”
“Yes.”
The Disciple’s eyes blazed with light.
“The time has come to leave this place.”
“How did you blind the eyes and ears of the false master who seized our sect? Moreover, his blade is not easily countered by many under heaven.”
“If you speak of the Jeongheol Sect Leader and the Grand Demon General, that should be acceptable. They cannot afford to concern themselves with this place right now.”
“No. He has certainly obtained corrupted power, yet with his eyes he reads the heavens and his ears extend to the ends of the earth.”
The Disciple clenched his fists.
Even if the Jeongheol Sect Leader truly could read the flow of heaven and the momentum of earth to glimpse the future….
‘I must advance. As he did.’
A resolute light kindled in the Disciple’s eyes.
“We have prepared for a long time. We must depart with haste.”
“Where to?”
“Even in a world of illusions filled with falsehood, if we can pursue truth, then we must do so. A path of salvation has opened before us.”
The Disciple’s voice grew firmer.
“The Central Plains. The Central Plains.”
“….”
“He will save us.”
It was then.
Boom!
A deafening explosion erupted from the ceiling.
Whoosh.
Dust rained down like a torrent.
Boom! Boom! Crash!
The explosions grew increasingly fierce.
Amid the cacophony as if the heavens and earth would overturn, the Disciple spoke.
“The time has truly come. You must hurry.”
The Disciple’s eyes blazed with light.
Beyond the silk curtain, Singnyeo rose to her feet.
* * *
North of Qinghai, on the border of Gansu.
The eighth day of the fourth month—the birthday of Buddha Shakyamuni, the founding patriarch of Buddhism.
The surface of a desolate mountain, so high that clouds clung to it, trembled violently.
Crash!
The explosion thundered across heaven and earth.
The sparse grass and trees all lay flattened, ancient stones that had held their ground for ages tumbled away, and clouds clinging to the mountain peaks were torn asunder in all directions.
Boom!
From the center of that explosion, a group emerged into view.
Their movement along the desolate mountain range appeared desperately urgent.
“Eastward!”
Someone cried out in panic.
The group immediately began fleeing toward the distant wilderness.
Yet there was a gaze watching them from afar.
“How foolish.”
A voice resonates through the air.
So crystalline and refreshing that it seemed impossible such a mysterious sound could come from a human throat.
A soft footfall.
And legs as smooth as porcelain touched the ground.
Hwa-a!
A miracle unprecedented in this world unfolds.
Lotus flowers bloomed in the barren, yellow wasteland where not a drop of water could be found.
Not merely flowers, but lotus blossoms—so deeply crimson they appeared like blood—blossomed in profusion.
“How foolish these mortals are, attempting to cover the heavens with their palms. Did they truly believe I would not know? Did they truly think so little of me?”
A man adorned in formal robes trimmed with golden crowns and jade ornaments—a figure whose beauty could almost be mistaken for a woman—wore a deep smile.
With that profound smile, what had appeared to be flowers scattered like illusions, dissolving into wisps of qi-light.
It was then.
“Sect Leader. You perceived this as well?”
The man was not alone. Behind him stood another figure with the bearing of an immortal sage.
It was the Heavenly Immortal Demon Venerable.
The Grand General of the Jeongheol Sect addressed the man as Sect Leader.
Indeed, this man was none other than the supreme master of the Jeongheol Sect, one pillar of the Twin Horse Alliance.
“Heavenly Immortal, my eyes have always seen only one thing, then and now.”
“And what is that?”
“Victory.”
The Sect Leader’s eyes crinkled with a deep smile.
“No matter how turbulent the waves, they converge into a single ocean at the end. The current was determined long ago—we merely follow its course.”
“Then, what shall we do?”
They emanated a different atmosphere from the other bloodfiends. Though touched by a certain madness, their eyes burned with unwavering resolve and crystalline purpose.
“Proceed. For the defeat of the foolish Central Plains and the triumph of the oppressed—our triumph.”
Unlike the other disciples, they did not recite mantras or doctrine.
* * *
The Council of Elders convened once more.
Called without prior notice, many seats sat empty, yet the words that fell from Baek Mu-heun’s lips caused those assembled to immediately raise their voices.
“What did you just say!?”
“Is this true?”
Baek Mu-heun nodded.
“It appears internal discord has erupted within the Jeongheol Sect. Movements among the disciples have been detected.”
“Where exactly did this intelligence originate?”
“They’ve revealed themselves again! And you say it was in Cheonghaesong?”
“We must mobilize our forces immediately!”
As the atmosphere grew turbulent, Baek Mu-heun continued.
“I have not yet disclosed the most critical information.”
“…?”
“There has been a report.”
Baek Mu-heun spoke in a calm yet commanding voice.
“The enemy’s supreme leader may make a move because of this rebellion.”
Silence fell over the room in an instant.
Someone cautiously opened their mouth.
“The enemy’s supreme leader… you mean the Jeongheol Sect Leader who has never appeared before?”
“If we’re fortunate, there’s even a possibility that the Grand General, the actual mastermind, could be drawn into this.”
The air in the conference hall grew thick with tension.
“Is this true? How did you obtain this information?”
Ju Won-gwang, who oversaw intelligence, interjected.
“We confirmed it in advance through a reliable informant, and a message from Gae-bang’s Yeon-tong arrived just moments ago reporting suspicious movements detected near Cheonghaesong.”
A silk cloth prepared beforehand through sorcery burned away, and shortly after, Jeon Seo-gu arrived from Gae-bang.
Though the transmitted information merely stated ‘suspicious movements,’ Dokgo Myeong was now certain that the Disciple’s escape and the Jeongheol Sect’s pursuit had begun.
“Then what should we do now?”
“We must mobilize all our forces! If we capture the Sect Leader, we may be able to expel all the Jeongheol disciples running rampant across the realm!”
“We can solidify the Alliance’s position and perhaps turn this to our advantage.”
Though they called it uncertain information, the elders already spoke with conviction.
Then someone spoke up.
“Amitabha Buddha. This seems urgent and grave, but rather than discussing future matters, it would be best to proceed directly to the main point.”
A man who always quietly held his seat yet rarely raised his voice.
It was the words of Gwon Hwang Muramdeok, the Shaolin Abbot and a giant of the martial realm.
The assembly fell silent in an instant.
“So, what course of action should our Alliance take?”
“I shall explain that.”
It was Jegal Mun, who had finally secured the position of General.
“First and foremost, we must not conduct large-scale troop movements at the Alliance level.”
The elders looked puzzled.
“General, isn’t this an opportunity? We should move large forces to capture the Jeongheol Sect Leader!”
“Precisely because it is an opportunity that we must not act recklessly.”
“Why is that?”
“The enemy has consumed enormous human resources in their war against the Moyong Family, yet they still rampage across various regions. The moment the Alliance makes large-scale movements, we must worry about three major variables.”
“Three variables?”
“First, the possibility of an attack on the Alliance Fortress. Some may say the fortress is merely a shell, but now this place has come to symbolize the righteous martial realm itself.”
Indeed, the Alliance Fortress had become no different from the imperial palace of the righteous martial realm. Moreover, if attacked while its position is still not perfectly established, its prestige would plummet.
“Second, there is a possibility the enemy will detect this movement. There may even be enemies among the Alliance disciples right now. Or perhaps… even in this very room.”
Jegal Mun’s piercing gaze swept across the assembly.
Baek Mu-heun cut him off.
“While we understand that such vigilance is part of the General’s duties, we should refrain from stirring discord through hasty remarks.”
“My apologies.”
Jegal Mun bowed his head slightly.
Though the exchange seemed somewhat calculated, it had the effect of settling the atmosphere considerably.
“Third is the possibility of failure.”
“Failure, you say?”
“If they grow wary of the Twin Horse Alliance and withdraw, we’ll miss this opportunity entirely. And we’ll become the laughingstock of the entire martial world for our futile efforts.”
“Hmm….”
Silence fell.
Then Dokgo Un-hak spoke in a low voice.
“If that’s the case, there’s only one answer.”
“…?”
“The Jeonmu Army alone.”
At that timely intervention, the elders’ gazes converged on one person.
The young man who had remained silent.
Not an elder, but qualified to be here nonetheless—Dokgo Myeong, who had felled more bloodfiends than anyone else.
“The Jeonmu Army can execute the mission at any time.”
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes gleamed.
“Whether this is false information, a trap, or anything else, we can respond to it.”
A relatively small force, the martial world’s finest elite, symbolism and timing all aligned perfectly.
After brief deliberation, a conclusion was reached.
“Commander of the Jeonmu Army, Dokgo Myeong, listen well.”
“Yes.”
“Complete your preparations immediately and head to Qinghai Castle to annihilate or capture the enemy commander.”
Dokgo Myeong clasped his fist in salute and spoke.
“Understood.”
The Jeonmu Army’s first deployment was decided thus.
* * *
“Everything is prepared, yes?”
“Of course.”
“We’ve been ready in advance. There’s nothing lacking.”
With everyone gathered.
Moyong Sohgyo raised her voice.
“Everyone, focus!”
“….”
“Supplies and equipment have been sent ahead to waypoints. Everyone will disguise yourselves as laborers and slip out of the alliance, then make your way here as quickly as possible! We’ll regroup at the border between Shaanxi and Gansu!”
An opportunity to catch two big fish at once.
Moyong Sohgyo gave thorough instructions on the disguise.
“Time is of the essence. We cannot waste a single day or hour, so we’ll wait only two hours at the rendezvous point before moving immediately!”
Both the Demon Slayer Division and the Heavenly Demon Sect absorbed Moyong Sohgyo’s instructions with tense focus.
“We’ll move swiftly by water, make contact with our informant at the expected rendezvous point of Guoke County to assess the situation. After that, the operation will be….”
Dokgo Myeong spoke.
“Controlled by me based on the circumstances on the ground.”
Dokgo Myeong looked around at the Jeonmu Army as he spoke.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes!”
“Then let’s go.”

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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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