Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 452

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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 452
Early dawn.
Sensing something amiss, Namgung Sohwa opened her eyes and turned her head.
‘He’s gone?’
Dokgo Myeong, who should have been sleeping on the opposite bed, was nowhere to be seen. The estate was so small that they shared a single room, yet he had slipped out without a sound.
‘When did he leave? Did he deliberately mask his presence?’
Sleep fled from her entirely as she immediately threw off her blanket and rose.
If he had left on business, there would be no reason to hide his movements. That was the rule of the Cheonma Sect when operating abroad.
‘Surely not….’
Namgung Sohwa recalled the expression on Dokgo Myeong’s face from yesterday.
‘I thought he had recovered, but could it be…?’
Perhaps the stories she had heard yesterday from the Singnyeo had driven him to the edge once more.
Though Dokgo Myeong always appeared steadfast, the trials that befell him were never ordinary.
The Managers pretended not to notice, but they all knew.
Mountains of problems often robbed him of sleep, and there were countless nights he spent with eyes wide open.
Creak!
Namgung Sohwa burst through the door and froze.
Right before the entrance, beneath the fading moon, Dokgo Myeong sat in lotus position, his back visible to her.
“…It’s still quite a while until dawn. What are you doing out here?”
Namgung Sohwa asked in as casual a tone as she could muster.
“Just meditating a bit.”
“You weren’t dozing off?”
Namgung Sohwa approached slowly, stealing a glance at his profile.
His eyes were frozen in an icy stare. Her heart sank.
“…Is there something I can help with?”
“Just clearing my head. Nothing to help with.”
“….”
“And why did you come out instead of sleeping more?”
“The unfamiliar bedding unsettled me, so I tossed and turned a bit.”
“Tossed and turned? You were snoring away.”
“W-what? I never did!”
“Just now.”
“Liar!”
“People who snore never realize they’re doing it.”
Namgung Sohwa’s face flushed crimson, but in that instant, Dokgo Myeong’s lips curled upward.
Realizing she had been deceived, murderous intent flickered in Namgung Sohwa’s eyes.
“…Do you have a death wish?”
“Whoa, killing intent leaking everywhere? Hey, I’m still your Commander!”
Namgung Sohwa, who had been glaring at Dokgo Myeong as if ready to kill, let out a bitter laugh.
“What’s with that laugh?”
“Be careful when you sleep from now on.”
“N-no, let’s take jokes as jokes.”
“I was joking too.”
“Right?”
“For now, anyway.”
Dokgo Myeong’s body trembled slightly.
Namgung Sohwa plopped down beside him.
“You’ve been like this all night?”
“More or less.”
“Is it… because of the book you brought? The one describing how the White Lotus Sect became the Bloodfiend Sect…?”
Dokgo Myeong didn’t bother answering.
Namgung Sohwa swallowed dryly and asked.
“Could that really be true?”
“Did you read it?”
“I read a few pages and closed it.”
Dokgo Myeong nodded.
“I haven’t read it myself, but just from what Singnyeo told me, it’s the kind of story no sane person could listen to. Even I felt like I was on the verge of qi deviation when I heard it.”
Unlike Dokgo Myeong, who spoke with a faint smile, Namgung Sohwa’s expression had become rigid and tense.
“I simply cannot believe such a thing happened in the martial world.”
In ages past, when various factions of the Secret Teachings hid themselves throughout the Central Plains, the White Lotus Sect had already gone into hiding as well. Though not a faction of the Secret Teachings itself, the White Lotus Sect appeared to the martial world as nothing more than the same persecuted group.
There was oppression.
No—if that were true, it was far more than mere oppression.
All the cruelty humanity possessed descended upon the White Lotus Sect.
“The factions of the Central Plains kidnapped members of the White Lotus Sect and used them in martial arts experiments, and what was perfected from this was the Blood Art… I’ve never heard such a story.”
“Neither have I.”
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes grew sharp.
“But if one wished to do such things, there was no better opportunity. The era was chaotic, they were a persecuted minority beyond the world’s attention. They were perfectly suited to be conscripted for such atrocities.”
“How could no records remain?”
“Under the pretext of eliminating the Secret Teachings, everything was permitted. And after time passed, they were forced to forget.”
“…”
Namgung Sohwa frowned, clearly disturbed.
Dokgo Myeong continued calmly.
“Don’t think too deeply about it. Regardless of whether it’s true, I was only saying the narrative is logically consistent.”
“I understand what you mean.”
When discussing martial arts, terms like qi channels, blood vessels, and meridians use the character for hole rather than blood, because they refer to the pathways through which qi flows, not blood.
But the Blood Art utilized blood, flesh, and the bizarre yet formidable power based on the lower dantian.
And in any field, nothing is perfected instantly without trial and error.
Retch!
In that moment, Namgung Sohwa felt nausea rising.
As the contents of the book surfaced in her mind, her stomach churned.
‘If I think about it that way, it’s similar to the Jeongheol Sect. They tried to induce chaos and exploit it to perfect their own ways.’
Where seeds of evil were planted, evil bloomed once more.
Namgung Sohwa felt as though it were part of an ancient, endless cycle of grudges that had persisted throughout the martial world for ages.
The Bloodfiend Sect was not the source of evil—merely a seed and its fruit.
“Who exactly are they?”
“Who?”
“Those who granted the Bloodfiends their blood techniques.”
In that instant, Dokgo Myeong stared directly at Namgung Sohwa.
The moment Namgung Sohwa turned her head and met his gaze.
“Sohwa, don’t entertain such thoughts.”
“Pardon? What do you mean…?”
“Regardless of the past, those villains are our enemies. Have you already forgotten what we’ve witnessed and endured?”
“…!”
“Evil is simply evil. Do not sympathize with it. Evil grows by feeding on such compassion.”
Namgung Sohwa’s pupils trembled.
That was true. Without realizing it, she had been sympathizing with the Bloodfiends.
‘How foolish of me… What was I thinking? And I wanted to carry their burden for them?’
She felt like striking herself across the mouth right then and there.
“I apologize. I showed you an unworthy side of myself.”
Dokgo Myeong smiled faintly.
“Why apologize? Only someone like you could harbor such concerns.”
“Still…”
“It’s because people like you exist that the Cheonma Sect doesn’t cross the line.”
Though it felt somewhat stifling at times, Namgung Sohwa’s sense of righteousness had repeatedly corrected the missteps of Dokgo Myeong and the Cheonma Sect.
“Returning to the matter at hand… they could be a third force, esoteric practitioners, or as they claim, martial artists from the Central Plains.”
“Martial artists from the Central Plains… Why would they do such things?”
“Why wouldn’t they?”
“Well…”
“I’ve heard that the martial techniques of the sects that survived the esoteric heresy have compensated for many weaknesses compared to the previous era. Was it merely because they gained extensive practical experience?”
Namgung Sohwa’s eyes widened as if they might tear.
“The martial world has rarely known prolonged peace, whether from external threats or internal strife. Each time, countless techniques and martial arts have emerged and been buried. Why? To grow stronger.”
“…”
“The martial systems and standards we know today are likely far more narrow-minded than those of old. Ancient martial arts must have been far more extraordinary.”
Before the standards of the Nine Schools and Orthodox Sects were established, there must have been countless things that didn’t even fall within the category of martial arts. And every attempt carries sacrifice, and sacrifice breeds resentment.
“Those that succeeded endured through time and were practiced by many, eventually becoming what we call the Orthodox Sects.”
“Then will such occurrences never cease in the future?”
“Who can say?”
Dokgo Myeong exhaled a long sigh before speaking again.
“Perhaps the standards are still insufficient. Perhaps this martial world needs new standards to be drawn.”
Then he chuckled softly.
“That’s precisely why I and others like me are running around with sweat dripping down our feet, isn’t it?”
Namgung Sohwa reluctantly smiled as well.
That was true.
The Cheonma Sect existed to crush those who overstepped their bounds, to crack the skulls of those who turned tail and fled, and to break the jaws of those afflicted with loose tongues.
* * *
Sado slowly opened his eyes.
Beneath the warm sunlight, he could see a man looking down at him.
“…You’ve come.”
Sado smiled faintly.
“Cough! I’ve… waited quite a long time.”
“You arrived a while ago, and you slept so soundly.”
At Dokgo Myeong’s playful remark, Sado laughed through a cough.
“Are you well?”
“I am. In all my life, I’ve never felt such peace of mind….”
“Your disciples rise at dawn to cultivate themselves, yet the Sado lies sprawled out sleeping like that—is that acceptable?”
“Heh, I’m clearly a flawed man.”
Sado answered the playful reproach with a gentle laugh.
“….”
Dokgo Myeong looked down at Sado.
Had he drawn upon power he shouldn’t have used during their escape? There was no light left in his eyes.
‘I continue to channel vital energy into him, but it scatters without ever coalescing.’
His meridians were already destroyed, and his physical form had become a vessel full of holes.
All that remained was for his spirit to dissipate.
“You need not trouble yourself….”
Sado smiled broadly.
“My heart has never been more at ease. Singnyeo and my disciples can now live in peace. I truly wish to thank you….”
“How much time is left?”
“Heh… I cannot say. I would be content even if it were now… I’ve finally been able to set down a long and uncertain burden….”
Sado’s breathing was shallow yet prolonged. With each long breath he exhaled like a sigh, it seemed his remaining lifespan was slipping away.
Or perhaps he had been clinging to his remaining days for this very moment, and now he was letting go.
“Have you… met with Singnyeo?”
Dokgo Myeong nodded.
“I heard the old stories.”
“Have you made a decision?”
“I don’t know much about religion or faith….”
Dokgo Myeong chuckled softly.
“She said she’d live well without causing harm—who could object to that?”
“…Thank you.”
“No need to thank me. I received what I was owed.”
“What you were owed?”
“I received the teachings and commentaries of the White Lotus True Scripture.”
“…!”
I hadn’t learned it—I had received it.
The heterodox path was a world I couldn’t comprehend. The moment I felt my qi briefly resonate with Singnyeo, thousands of characters of scripture were etched into my mind.
“It was difficult to parse. It was closer to a scripture or record that unveiled enlightenment.”
Reversal of Heaven wasn’t even the main subject matter.
Rather, it contained numerous insights and teachings listed throughout. The deeper I delved, the more mysterious the content became.
“Your expression… doesn’t look good. Is there some problem… that occurred?”
“A problem… Yes, there was one.”
“Yes?”
“I recognized a passage.”
Dokgo Myeong muttered in a peculiar tone.
“If you desire, take it. If you need, discard it. Do not revere heaven, nor be swayed by all things.”
“I remember it. From Singnyeo’s sermon… I heard it in the final chapter… It’s surprising that you knew of it.”
Dokgo Myeong continued calmly.
“The White Lotus True Scripture contains only that much, but I know more. The passage is: ‘Overturn heaven and become an existence beyond heaven. The principles of heaven become useless.'”
“Where… did you hear it?”
“From my Sect Leader.”
It was a verse that came to mind the first time I was swept up by Reversal of Heaven.
Dokgo Myeong let out a hollow laugh and spoke.
“Sado. Have you heard the name of my martial art?”
“The martial technique of the Dokgo Family… ?”
“No. My martial art is called Beyond Heaven. Of all things, it’s not Beyond Heaven Technique, nor Beyond Heaven Method, nor Beyond Heaven Way… but Beyond Heaven Scripture.”
Could this be coincidence? I don’t think so.
There is no coincidence in this world. There are simply countless causes that remain hidden on the surface.
“Do you think the White Lotus True Scripture is connected to that Beyond Heaven Scripture?”
“If it is, then it would be connected to the original—the Mumeong Scripture. And to the Secret Teachings as well.”
It would be stranger if they weren’t connected.
“The one who taught you… might be a successor of the Secret Teachings.”
“Perhaps. But I think the opposite is true.”
“…?”
“He may have simply used what the Secret Teachings left behind.”
“I’ve heard that martial artists… reject the Secret Teachings.”
“That’s not something he would concern himself with.”
He was originally close to being a divine being.
I had always regarded my Sect Leader as a benefactor, but now I could no longer be certain of that thought.
‘What was his intention in teaching me?’
My eyes narrowed.
‘We’ll inevitably meet. I won’t stop.’
Though I couldn’t understand the reason, I had a feeling my Sect Leader would come looking for me directly.
The day the Murim Alliance controlled the Yeokcheon Gi, I felt as though I was meeting the Sect Leader again. It was that inexplicable certainty I had gained then.
“Regardless, it has come to pass. Do not worry. I have also recovered the White Lotus True Scripture, so there will be no danger of it falling into the hands of the wicked.”
“Hah… thank you, thank you so much…”
Sado’s breathing grew increasingly labored.
Dokgo Myeong continued speaking calmly.
“I know of a place where you can all live in peace. When the time comes, I intend to guide everyone there. It may be somewhat warmer than the high western lands where you dwelled, but it is quite a suitable place.”
“I… I am grateful… so grateful…”
Sado’s eyelids trembled faintly as they began to close.
Dokgo Myeong suddenly called out to him.
“Sado.”
“…?”
“Do you understand the meaning now?”
Sado’s eyes, which had been gasping for breath, widened for a moment.
Sado smiled brilliantly.
“Is not living itself the meaning?”
With those words, he closed his eyes.
* * *
There was no funeral to speak of.
The followers of the White Lotus Sect stacked wood and burned Sado’s corpse in a fierce flame. It seemed they also possessed the doctrine of fire worship.
After burning for half a day, when they opened the pyre, there remained only partially charred bones and colorful relics the size of fingernails.
The followers collected these and enshrined them in their sacred hall.
Dokgo Myeong and Namgung Sohwa witnessed the entire process before departing.
“Keep yourself hidden. When the time comes, I will send someone.”
“Yes, Savior.”
“That damned word, savior.”
Dokgo Myeong chuckled softly and set out on the road with Namgung Sohwa.
Hye, who had become the new Singnyeo, bowed respectfully to see them off.
“Like a lamp illuminating the path through a very long cavern. Until we meet again, I pray you continue to light the way.”

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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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