Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 455

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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 455
“But it’s not just that he enjoys accumulating money—he also enjoys spending it.”
“….”
“The problem is that he enjoys spending it far more than accumulating it. It seems he indulges in consumption to an excessive degree.”
Namgung Sohwa, who had been listening with a dazed expression, stammered as she opened her mouth.
“S-surely he didn’t just waste money recklessly. For instance, perhaps he used it for relief efforts….”
“On the contrary, I’ve heard he actually received relief grain himself.”
“…Or perhaps he purchased medicine or tonics.”
“Ah, I did hear that the Black Blade has a hobby of collecting old books and porcelain from his personal quarters.”
“W-well, perhaps he made investments….”
“It seems he invested in several properties and business ventures, but he’s notorious for either mismanaging the funds or being swindled, losing money in all of them.”
Namgung Sohwa finally cradled her head and tilted it back slightly.
‘Ugh…’
A headache was forming where none had existed before.
No. I needed to compose myself.
I shouldn’t judge a person based solely on this.
“And furthermore…um.”
“P-please speak freely.”
Namgung Sohwa forced an awkward smile, her eyes hollow.
“I’m fine. Really.”
“He appears to have some debts…”
“….”
“After his business ventures failed, thinking he would recoup the losses, he even borrowed from loan sharks and squandered it all on gambling. The amount comes to several thousand silver taels.”
Debts? He has debts?
How much? Several thousand?
‘He receives relief grain because he has no money, yet he’s in debt?’
Namgung Sohwa squeezed her eyes shut.
‘This is complete ruin and disgrace.’
Leaving Namgung Sohwa to her anguish, Jo Ryang-ui leaned close to Dokgo Myeong and whispered.
“Should we not mention that he frequents gambling dens?”
“…He’ll figure that out anyway.”
“But there’s also the matter of the speculation house….”
What house? A speculation house?
“You mean the kind where people wager money on street fights?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Wow, he really does everything.
Dokgo Myeong swallowed dryly.
“Let’s not mention that for now.”
“Yes, that would be best.”
Dokgo Myeong asked in a hushed tone.
“So, what does Elder Usa think about this?”
“To be honest, I’ve only heard reports from the Haowen Informant, so I can’t say for certain. However….”
Jo-ryang glanced sideways at Namgung Sohwa as his words trailed off.
Soon after, he shook his head slightly.
“No, forgive me. I’m hesitant to speak lest my words create prejudice in your minds. In any case, around this region of Haibi, he has quite the notorious reputation as an incompetent man.”
“I see what you mean.”
That was when it happened.
“Fine! This is all good!”
Namgung Sohwa burst out loudly, her eyes flashing with determination as she snorted.
“Let’s go! Why drag this out any longer? Let’s just meet him first and think it over!”
“Please wait a moment. I’ll arrange a guide for you.”
* * *
A young man with a rat-like appearance was assigned as a guide for Dokgo Myeong and Namgung Sohwa. As a native of Haibi, he apparently dreamed of advancement and had applied to the Dokgo Family’s Law Enforcement Division.
“Wow, I’m truly honored to meet you both! To think I’d be guiding you two. I applied because I wanted to see the Jin Cheon-sin-geom and the female swordmaster of the Heavenly Sword Sect!”
“Yes, guide us well.”
“Of course! Trust me! There’s nothing in this neighborhood I don’t know!”
The three of them quickly headed toward the outskirts of Haibi.
It was a desolate, sparsely populated street, far from the bustling district. Dokgo Myeong’s brow furrowed.
“Listen.”
“Yes, speak freely!”
“Where are we headed?”
“Ah, that is….”
The guide from the Law Enforcement Division’s Haibi branch stammered.
“This Gwan fellow has been frequenting the fighting pits at this hour recently.”
“He fights in the pits even though the sun hasn’t set yet?”
“Rather than fighting, I should say he competes as a fighter….”
“You mean the arena?”
“You know of it? Yes, he competes as a fighter to pay off his debts.”
What? He fights as a competitor? I hadn’t heard of that before?
‘I was planning to hide this for now, but it’s already come to light.’
Dokgo Myeong glanced sideways.
Namgung Sohwa’s face showed shock as she muttered something like, ‘A descendant of the Namgung clan in the Black Blade arena? And because of debt?’
“…Still, he seems to fight fairly well? Has he learned martial arts?”
When had the Cheonma Sect ever cared about family background or past?
Come to think of it, Cheolmu-baek himself had been a Seowei native and outsider who spent time in the arena.
“No? His win rate is less than fifty percent, so he’s just used as a fighter to draw the crowd.”
“….”
“Even when he’s lucky enough to win and takes the payout, he immediately buys trinkets and junk on credit, falling into debt again….”
“That’s enough.”
“Yes?”
“That’s enough.”
The three of us soon arrived at the gambling den. It was an ornately decorated pavilion.
“Wait. Who are you and where do you come from?”
As we approached, two burly guards blocking the entrance stepped into our path.
“Oh, sirs! Don’t you know me? I’m Ga from the brewery on the western street!”
The young guide who was leading us rubbed his hands together and greeted them familiarly.
The brewery was a cover for the Law Enforcement Division’s operations.
“A brewery? Ga? I don’t know any such person. Do you?”
“How would I know if you don’t, sir? Hehe.”
“That’s right. Either scram or….”
The one called sir curled his finger in a circle.
Hand over your money. That was the message.
Just as Dokgo Myeong was about to step forward with a smirk.
“I won’t say it twice. Move.”
Namgung Sohwa stepped forward first, glaring at the two men.
“…What?”
The two guards burst out laughing in bewilderment.
“Sir, did you hear that?”
“Krahaha! This wench thinks she’s so tough just because she has a pretty face!”
“She seems to be a foreigner, and to our sir….”
“Keep running your mouth.”
Namgung Sohwa’s voice turned icy cold.
“If you want to spend the rest of your life eating gruel after getting beaten by this pretty-faced woman, keep flapping your lips.”
“….”
Silence fell.
Everyone turned to look at Namgung Sohwa with startled eyes.
Fortunately, the two guards turned out to be surprisingly intelligent young men.
“P-Please, come in. W-We didn’t mean any harm.”
“…Our apologies.”
“Tsk.”
Namgung Sohwa clicked her tongue and passed the two guards, heading toward the entrance.
Then she turned back to look at Dokgo Myeong and the guide.
“What are you doing? Aren’t you coming?”
“Huh? Oh, yes. Let’s go.”
“Yes, we’re coming!”
The three of us then passed through the entrance and walked along a dark corridor.
Soon, the vast interior of the gambling den came into view.
Many people were gathered around tables arranged in orderly rows like a checkerboard, handling playing cards and such.
At the center of that spacious area was a fighting pit.
Or rather, there was no pit to speak of.
A narrow rectangular fighting arena, roughly three paces wide and long, was enclosed by iron bars, and within it, shirtless men were trading blows.
“Waaaaah!”
“Hit! Strike his ribs!”
“Damn it, you fool! How did you miss that!”
Those clutching proof tokens in their hands hurled curses and cheers alike.
“Where is this Gwan Wi-hun fellow?”
“We’re searching for him now… eh?”
Bun Ta-won pointed toward the fighting arena.
“That man there.”
The moment Dokgo Myeong and Namgung Sohwa turned their heads.
Thwack!
A powerfully built man sent a lanky man flying with a single strike.
“Huff! Huff! I won! Kahahaha!”
The man burst into raucous laughter, then raised both hands high to incite cheers from the gamblers.
“Waaaaah!”
“You’re the best! Kahahaha!”
“We got it! Today I’ll grill meat with my daughter!”
The corner of Namgung Sohwa’s eye twitched.
“Surely not that man?”
A man utterly devoid of dignity was reveling in his victory, gloating shamelessly.
Bun Ta-won shook his head with an ambiguous expression.
“Not that one. The other one.”
“…?”
“The one who lost. The one with the bloody nose.”
“…”
* * *
Smack! Crack!
“Ah, you worthless bastard! What do you expect if you keep losing like that?”
A man crumpled to the ground amid the cacophony of blows.
He staggered to his feet and spoke with a bow.
“I-I apologize! I go out as a fighter when ordered, I run errands for drinks, so why again…!”
“What, how dare you raise your voice!”
Crack!
In the back alley, that man—Gwan Wi-hun, whose real name was Namgung Hun—took a blow to the solar plexus and collapsed.
“Ugh… I originally borrowed two hundred taels, so why has it already become a thousand…!”
“Ha! Who told you to borrow money in the first place? Since you can’t pay the interest, I told you to work it off with your body!”
Thud!
“Ack! Ah, I understand! I understand…!”
Smack! Thud!
“P-please… gurgle!”
Beaten to the point of breathlessness, Namgung Hun’s eyes rolled back and he lost consciousness.
The disciples of the Iron Dragon Sect who had been pummeling him clicked their tongues, prodded his body with their feet a few times, and when he didn’t stir, they simply left.
A moment later.
“…Did they leave?”
Namgung Hun cracked open one eye and surveyed his surroundings.
“Ugh, they’re gone. Those bastards really picked the wrong day to mess with me.”
Namgung Hun rose to his feet, swinging his arms in circles, then spat out blood-tinged phlegm with a click of his tongue.
“Phew, those vicious dogs. They deliberately sabotaged my business to prevent me from repaying the debt, and now they want to collect interest that’s more than doubled. Does that even make sense?”
Years ago, a business venture he’d started dealing in Yunnan tea leaves had completely collapsed, leaving him drowning in debt.
When he later discovered it was the Iron Dragon Sect’s doing—that they had orchestrated his ruin—his fury knew no bounds.
“A promising investment opportunity just came up, but how am I supposed to pay the interest? I need to scrape together some seed capital and then….”
“And then what?”
“Gasp!”
At the sudden voice, Namgung Hun jumped like a startled cat.
“Oh no! I’m sorry! I wasn’t pretending to be unconscious—I really was just now… Huh?”
Namgung Hun, who had assumed the Iron Dragon Sect disciples had returned and immediately bowed, opened his eyes wide.
It wasn’t the disciples. A woman with an expression as hard as stone stood before him.
“…Who are you?”
“Gwan Wi-hun. Isn’t that right?”
Namgung Sohwa asked with cold eyes.
“Y-yes, I’m the one who uses the surname Gwan and the name Wi-hun, but…”
“…And you used the name Xi Wei-hun in northern Anhui, and Zi Jiang-hun in West Lake.”
Namgung Hun took a step back.
“Where are you from? The Blood Valley Sect? The Ten Thousand Sword Pavilion?”
“Sigh.”
Namgung Sohwa exhaled deeply.
What was the Blood Valley Sect, and what was the Ten Thousand Sword Pavilion? Just hearing those names made them sound like Black Blade faction branches. Could it be that changing his name and traveling around was all for borrowing money?
“Do I look like I’m from the Black Blade or some evil sect?”
“W-well, not exactly…”
“Tell me your real name.”
At those words, Namgung Hun hesitated.
“My real name? What do you mean?”
“My name is Namgung Sohwa.”
“…!!”
“You seem to know who I am.”
“Namgung Sohwa? Could it be… that one?”
Namgung Hun’s eyes darted back and forth for a moment, then, as if his calculations were complete, he broke into a wide grin.
“Hehehehe! Hehehehehehe!”
“…?”
“Well, this is a pleasant surprise! No, a very pleasant surprise indeed!”
Glad to see you?
Your words seem… rather brief?
“To think I’d meet a relative from our prosperous family! Come now, pay your respects! I am your great-uncle, or rather, your grand-uncle!”
“….”
“Just call me Uncle comfortably! Come now, why do you hesitate to greet me properly!”
Namgung Sohwa sighed and spoke.
“Since nothing is certain yet, perhaps we should postpone the formalities.”
“Hehe, blood runs thicker than water—surely you can see that at a glance? Hahaha!”
Namgung Hun, laughing heartily, suddenly asked.
“Ah, but our dear niece.”
“…?”
“Do you happen to have some money on you?”
* * *
Namgung Sohwa and Namgung Hun compared their knowledge of common ancestors and degrees of kinship while Dokgo Myeong watched.
Before long, it became clear that the two were indeed niece and grand-uncle.
Namgung Hun smiled.
“Why make it so complicated? I have the family genealogy in my possession.”
Namgung Sohwa started in surprise and asked back.
“Are you saying the family genealogy still exists?”
“Unfortunately, some of it was lost, but I rescued it from the flames myself!”
“…!”
“That’s not all—why do you think I’ve been spending so much money? I’ve been collecting the family’s heirlooms one by one!”
Namgung Hun, drinking from Namgung Sohwa’s purse at the inn, chuckled and spoke.
Namgung Sohwa’s expression brightened.
“So you’ve been recovering the family’s treasures all this time?”
“Exactly! Ah, this place makes excellent chicken—might I order more?”
“O-of course!”
Namgung Sohwa turned to Dokgo Myeong with a joyful face.
‘So there was a reason after all!’
‘….’
Dokgo Myeong silently toyed with his wine cup.
“I’ve heard the rumors, of course! Whew! But I never imagined you’d grow so well? Hehehehe!”
Dokgo Myeong, who had been silent, fixed his gaze intently upon Namgung Hun.
“A word, if I may.”
“Hehe, ‘a word’? Even if you are the Jin Cheon-sin-geom….”
“I have one question.”
As Dokgo Myeong naturally cut him off, Namgung Hun flinched.
“Ahem! Go ahead and speak.”
“If it were truly to gather the family’s legacy, why did you accumulate such debts?”
In that instant, a sharp gleam flashed across Namgung Hun’s eyes.
“Well, you know how it is when you’re in business—all sorts of complications arise. I don’t think it’s something you need to concern yourself with.”
“….”
At that moment, Namgung Sohwa spoke up.
“Excuse me, Uncle Jaejong.”
“What is it?”
“The truth is, I didn’t come seeking you merely to find the bloodline of the Namgung family.”
“Hmm?”
She continued in an even more amiable tone.
“If you’ve been gathering the main family’s legacies, then you must have dreamed of rebuilding the main house, correct?”
“….”
“In fact, I’ve already reclaimed the ancestral grounds of the main family and obtained the family martial arts.”
“Is that so?”
Namgung Hun’s eyes rolled about restlessly.
“As for what else is lacking, I intend to acquire it gradually. But there is one thing—people—where my strength alone falls short.”
“Hmm.”
“Even if I gather the distant collateral branches of the main family scattered across various regions, there are limits. And I myself lack the means to settle in one place and manage the family at this moment.”
Namgung Sohwa’s eyes gleamed as she continued.
“So I ask—would you lend a hand in rebuilding the main family?”
At her words, Namgung Hun let out a sigh.
“…I’m afraid that won’t be possible.”
“…Pardon?”
“I’ll hand over the family’s legacies at a fair price. So why don’t you just take the money and leave?”
“…!”
“I have no wish to become entangled in the affairs of the martial world.”

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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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