Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 450

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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 450
At the entrance to Seonghwa Village in the northeastern reaches of Hebei.
A middle-aged man with a kindly countenance approached an elderly beggar lying upon a straw mat.
“Excuse me, friend. Rise and partake of this, if you will.”
“Oh my! Are you not the proprietor of the Chunhwa Restaurant?”
The beggar’s eyes widened in astonishment.
The innkeeper thrust a bowl forward without preamble.
Within swam delicate noodles in a rich, milky broth, with tender morsels of meat scattered throughout—a generous bowl of meat noodle soup.
“What is this?”
“Ever since you first appeared in the village days ago, you’ve weighed upon my mind. An elderly gentleman, no less, enduring the bitter cold upon these streets—surely that cannot be easy.”
The old beggar bowed repeatedly in gratitude.
“You are a man of virtue, sir. Blessings shall surely find you.”
“Virtue? Nonsense. Simply finish your meal and return the bowl when you’re done.”
The innkeeper waved his hand dismissively and departed.
The old beggar first savored the broth, then consumed the noodles, and finally layered meat atop the remaining strands, wielding his chopsticks with practiced dexterity.
“In times when beggars are fortunate merely to escape a beating, meat noodle soup? Does this district alone possess such abundance of compassion?”
Bang Jong-san, the old beggar, stretched luxuriously with a satisfied sigh, his eyes gleaming with amusement.
“Or perhaps they recognized my station and offered their kindness accordingly. What do you suppose, my friend?”
At that moment, a man emerged from the corner of the alley with an awkward smile.
“Perhaps it is simply that the Imperial Palace lies so near, elevating the spirits of the common folk?”
“The Imperial Palace, the Imperial Palace indeed….”
“It is an honor to meet you again, Sect Leader.”
The man clasped his fist in salute.
He was none other than Geum Seok-du.
Bang Jong-san broke into a knowing smile.
“So you’ve finally tracked me down?”
“Did you not receive word from my disciples?”
“I did. But I paid it no mind. I’ve had no leisure for such concerns.”
“What is it you seek to observe, wandering thus through every corner of the Central Plains?”
“Everything, truly. Most gaze only upward in their lives, yet the authentic essence of existence dwells here in these depths.”
Bang Jong-san studied Geum Seok-du with keen interest, his gaze traveling from head to toe.
“You tracked me without assistance from the Gae-bang, fearing I might vanish entirely? Did it begin in Shanxi?”
“You were aware?”
“I’ve been observing. Though I confess, I did not anticipate you would catch up so swiftly. What sorcery have you employed?”
Geum Seok-du scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed expression.
“No sorcery, merely… some discreet inquiries.”
“Discreet inquiries to locate Bang Jong-san himself across all the realm? You jest, my friend. What does that make of me?”
“If I have caused you displeasure, I humbly beg your pardon.”
“Displeasure? Nay—admiration.”
Bang Jong-san regarded Geum Seok-du with a subtle smile.
Remarkable. More than remarkable—it’s shocking.
Even the Jeongheol Sect missed him, yet how did this young man manage to track me down in such a short span of time?
‘Come to think of it, there have been whispers among the Black Blade circles lately about some mysterious and enigmatic sect….’
Bang Jong-san’s eyes gleamed with interest.
‘What was it called again—the Hao Sect?’
It was a faction whose organizational structure, membership, and even actual existence remained shrouded in obscurity.
Due to the recent proliferation of rumors, he had even attempted to investigate whether it was a front for the Twin Horse Alliance, but he had gleaned nothing beyond reports that it had begun expanding its influence near Zhejiang and Jiangxi.
“What occupies your thoughts so deeply, sir?”
At Geum Seok-du’s question, Bang Jong-san shook his head dismissively.
“Hmm, it’s nothing. Nothing at all.”
“Surely you must be contemplating matters of great importance for the realm! Is there anything this humble one might assist with? Ah! And I’ve brought some fine wine as well….”
Bang Jong-san let out a hollow laugh.
“Now that you’re earning the title of Wind Dragon General throughout the martial world, why do you still grovel so?”
“Pardon?”
“You truly haven’t changed. Tsk, tsk!”
Geum Seok-du scratched the back of his head and laughed awkwardly along with him.
“So you said you sought me out to gain instruction?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“Yet your martial prowess already overflows with talent—what more could you possibly wish to learn?”
Geum Seok-du’s expression grew resolute.
“The battlefields grow increasingly perilous, but I am hopelessly inept at martial arts, and I fear I am merely a burden… I apologize. My words lack coherence.”
“No, I understand what you’re saying.”
Bang Jong-san folded his arms and appraised Geum Seok-du from head to toe.
“I cannot promise to teach you anything extraordinary, but if you don’t get in the way, then so be it.”
“Is that truly so?!”
“It is.”
Bang Jong-san nodded with a slight smile.
He likely had no intention of learning Gae-bang’s martial techniques. Rather, he probably wished to learn light footwork, minor techniques, or perhaps matters of mindset and bearing.
At that moment, Bang Jong-san suddenly grew curious.
“By the way, what is my junior doing now?”
“Ah, the Captain is likely either searching for the branch families of the Namgung clan, or else making inquiries regarding matters connected to the White Lotus Sect.”
“The White Lotus Sect?”
“Yes, that is so.”
He did not mention that Dokgo Myeong was currently harboring them.
Since Ju Won-gwang had been present at the first meeting with the Disciple, Bang Jong-san would likely know that Dokgo Myeong had negotiated with the Disciple of the White Lotus Sect.
However, it was quite possible he did not know that they had rescued them during this battle at Qinghai Castle. Perhaps it would be revealed someday, but not now.
“The White Lotus Sect, you say… Now that’s unfortunate.”
“Unfortunate, sir?”
“I thought we might have been able to uncover several mysteries regarding the origins of the Twin Horse Alliance through them.”
Bang Jong-san’s eyes grew sharp and piercing.
“What that Disciple of the White Lotus Sect told us was largely truthful, but there were many ambiguous points in the process of their transformation into the Twin Horse Alliance.”
Particularly, things like the “oppression from the Central Plains” that the White Lotus Sect claimed simply could not be found. As a new sect, they would have faced rejection, but it was far from what could be called persecution or suppression.
“If we had secured the safety of those insiders, we could have obtained numerous clues about the Jeongheol Sect.”
“What sort of clues, if I may ask?”
“From small matters like their internal affairs, objectives, and doctrines, to larger ones like their martial techniques and the reasons they abandoned the Singnyeo and Baekryeon Sect Disciples, and so forth.”
“Didn’t you say they were left behind because of legitimacy?”
“Ah, that must have been a lie from that so-called Disciple. Or perhaps he genuinely believed it himself.”
“Pardon? What do you mean by that….”
“You didn’t realize it?”
Geum Seok-du found himself unable to follow the conversation and grew flustered.
Bang Jong-san adjusted his posture and gestured with his chin.
“This is fortunate timing. Let me impart the first lesson.”
Geum Seok-du knelt respectfully before Bang Jong-san.
“I shall listen with utmost attention.”
“What enters your eyes and ears is not everything. Seek to perceive the whole that comprises the parts, and even the hidden truths beneath.”
“…?”
“The White Lotus Sect was certainly persecuted within the Blood Sect. But does that make them paragons of virtue with nothing to hide?”
“That is….”
“Yes, it is unknown.”
“….”
Without realizing it, he had assumed that if they were the weak and had received kindness, they would naturally have nothing to conceal.
But the world was never so simple.
“Now, the Jeongheol Sect’s Sect Leader had already secured control of the organization. To such a degree that men would perform self-detonation techniques at a single command. Is that not so?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“But what use is that legitimacy of his?”
“Surely for command and authority, or for organizational control….”
Ah.
No. It was useless.
He had already seized control of the organization—what difference did legitimacy make?
“You’ve grasped it, I see.”
“Killing her would have been easier.”
“Precisely. Then we arrive at the conclusion that there must be another reason to keep the Singnyeo alive. And we can even infer that she possesses some value that cannot be obtained through force. Do you understand?”
“I understand.”
Bang Jong-san closed his mouth and murmured.
“The reason the Twin Horse Alliance hated the Central Plains, the process of transformation from the White Lotus Sect, and perhaps—if we succeed—we might even trace the origins of this unprecedented martial technique system called Blood Technique.”
Though flawed and distorted in form, the Twin Horse Alliance had given birth to a sect unlike any that had existed before.
Normally, if a history were short, it would be narrow-minded or uniform, but theirs was vast and diverse. It was difficult to believe it had been created ‘independently’ at all.
“….”
Geum Seok-du fell silent.
His gaze turned toward the distance.
‘But they are… actually alive.’
Perhaps the White Lotus Sect harbored countless secrets yet unknown to the world.
* * *
“You say I must die… After you saved our sect from that hellish abyss of karma, do you now seek to kill us again?”
Singnyeo spoke in a remarkably calm and gentle voice—the kind that brought peace merely by hearing it.
Yet Dokgo Myeong’s expression remained frigid.
“Listen, Singnyeo.”
“Yes, please speak.”
“You’re in no position to test me.”
“….”
Dokgo Myeong continued with measured calm.
“I don’t know what secrets you’re hiding so carefully, but deciding whether to reveal them or not isn’t your choice. It’s mine.”
“And why is that?”
“Because I hold your lifeline in my hands right now.”
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes flashed with a chilling gleam.
That was when it happened.
Thud!
A Black-Robed Man plummeted from the ceiling, descending between Dokgo Myeong and Singnyeo.
“How dare you.”
Dokgo Myeong extended his hand into empty space.
Whoosh!
“…?!”
The Black-Robed Man never touched the ground. He hung suspended roughly half a zhang above it, thrashing helplessly.
Dokgo Myeong twisted his outstretched hand sideways.
Whoosh! Crash!
The Black-Robed Man rocketed away at tremendous speed. He smashed through the door and slammed into the floor, groans escaping his lips.
Chaos erupted outside immediately.
“What in the—?”
“Singnyeo!”
Dokgo Myeong regarded Singnyeo silently.
Singnyeo opened her mouth.
“Don’t act rashly. Stand down.”
“But…!”
“I am unharmed. This is a grave matter of the sect—something you must neither hear nor witness. Please, show no disrespect to our benefactor.”
Hum…
A melodious tone that soothed the human heart resonated gently through the air.
And in that instant, my sensory meridian activated.
‘This is no mere voice.’
Goosebumps rose along my forearms.
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes sharpened.
‘A type of sound technique. But not internal energy?’
The disciples hesitated before carefully retrieving the Black-Robed Man and withdrawing.
Singnyeo gazed at Dokgo Myeong with a complexion grown slightly pale.
“True Transmission Resonance, Musaeng Nomo… My disciples’ desire to protect me caused them to act rudely. I beg your understanding.”
“It’s fine. I also overstepped somewhat.”
Dokgo Myeong’s tone softened a little.
“Will the disciple who was sent flying be unharmed?”
“If I intended harm, I wouldn’t have let him fly away.”
“I am grateful for your restraint.”
A moment of silence settled between them.
It was Dokgo Myeong who spoke first.
“After I sent you away back then, in the battle with the Grand General….”
“….”
“Many of my people died.”
Singnyeo’s eyes wavered.
“They were truly magnificent martial artists. It was a waste for them to fall like that. They became guests who would never return, all because of one greedy captain they happened to meet.”
“I am grateful, and also deeply sorry.”
“I’m not asking you to feel guilty. To speak plainly, it was a transaction, and we were prepared for it as well. If I think rationally, that’s the truth.”
Dokgo Myeong’s voice grew somewhat hoarse.
“But emotionally, it is not.”
A piercing blue light flashed from his eyes.
The low rumble of his voice sounded almost like the cry of a beast.
“The White Lotus Sect was the root of the Twin Horse Alliance, and there are things you hide from me. And the Jeongheol Sect coveted that and took you in. How do you think that fact strikes me?”
Silence descended once more.
Singnyeo closed her eyes as if wrestling with conflict.
Dokgo Myeong, who had been watching her quietly, suddenly struck the ground.
Boom!
Singnyeo flinched and opened her eyes in alarm.
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes blazed with intensity.
“I warn you. If you think to test me again, then I will find the answers directly, even if blood must be spilled.”
“…!”
“I ask one final time. Will you speak of everything? Or will you continue to hide?”
“…What becomes of me if I hide?”
Dokgo Myeong let out a cold laugh.
“It has always been easy to kill and difficult to keep alive.”
Singnyeo held his gaze with unwavering composure before opening her mouth.
“Will you grant me one condition?”
“Speak first.”
“All that the White Lotus Sect desires is… simply to continue in faith and live together with our disciples. Nothing more.”
“….”
“However, the legacy of the previous generation and the various debts of gratitude owed to us will not allow us to be abandoned. Thus, we have taken an approach that resembles a test. I fear we may suffer hardship once more….”
“Are you asking me to protect you?”
“Yes.”
“I shall decide that after hearing your story.”
Singnyeo exhaled deeply and nodded her head.
“What would you like to hear first?”
“I have plenty of time.”
He was telling her to begin from the beginning.
Singnyeo hesitated as if choosing her words carefully, then opened her mouth in a measured tone.
“Our sect possesses an ancient scripture called the White Lotus True Scripture.”
“I have heard that the White Lotus Sect is not old enough to be called ancient?”
“Yes, I have heard that before it was simply called the Unnamed Scripture, meaning a scripture without a name. And that scripture is said to contain secret methods of immortality and eternal life.”
Dokgo Myeong’s brow furrowed.
What nonsense was this?
Singnyeo continued speaking.
“Whether that is true or not, I do not know. But at the very least, it contained some method capable of wielding such power.”
In that instant, Dokgo Myeong’s eyes widened.
“What is this power you speak of?”
“….”
“Could it be the power called Reverse Heaven Force?”

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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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