Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 51

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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 51
“Master, Giwang Yeocheonwi was known to be the greatest craftsman and scholar of his time.”
“I know.”
“In his later years, he suffered so much harassment from martial artists that he used left-path techniques, including mechanisms, to hide weapons in secret places. This Jangbodo is one such creation.”
“So what?”
Geum Seok-du spoke with confidence.
“How am I supposed to decipher a Jangbodo created by someone skilled in both mechanism craftsmanship and sorcery?”
Dokgo Myeong’s brow furrowed sharply.
“You can’t?”
“Even my master couldn’t do this!”
At Geum Seok-du’s emphatic outburst, Dokgo Myeong sighed.
Then he patted his shoulder gently.
“Seok-du. The student surpassing the master is not far away. The moment has finally come for you to exceed your teacher.”
“What are you—”
“You really can’t do it? Then tell me.”
“What happens if I tell you?”
“Trust me. I’ll make it possible for you.”
“…?”
Geum Seok-du felt goosebumps rising on his skin.
The hand patting his shoulder in encouragement seemed to emanate a murderous aura.
‘Ah… life.’
Should I not have picked up that wine cup?
Should I have just kept gambling instead?
“Come now, Seok-du. Let’s think about this for a moment.”
Dokgo Myeong lowered his voice with subtle persuasion.
“A Jangbodo made by Giwang himself? You know how Giwang would simply break any work that didn’t satisfy him, right? So what do you think might be hidden in a place where such a man created a Jangbodo?”
“…!”
“If we’re lucky enough to find even a single blade in there. It would be absolutely…”
Geum Seok-du’s eyes widened.
‘A blade forged by Giwang?’
The weapons Giwang crafted in his later years are all called divine weapons.
They’re not called divine weapons simply because they cut well and don’t break easily. They must possess mysterious functions and abilities.
And such weapons… they’re worth money.
“Imagine selling it and catching the sword disease. What would you do with that money? Gamble with it?”
Gulp!
Geum Seok-du swallowed hard.
“That would be fun. Very, very fun.”
“Right. It certainly seems like it would be fun, but you say you can’t do it. What a shame.”
Dokgo Myeong sighed as if disappointed.
Geum Seok-du’s eyes blazed with fervor.
“I’ll give it a try!”
“No, if it’s too difficult, forget about it. I’m not that demanding!”
“No, sir. I’ll give it a try!”
“I’m telling you, if you don’t want to do it, then don’t.”
“No!!”
“Ugh, really, it’s fine….”
“Please! Let me try. Just give me five days!”
“Two days.”
“Pardon? B-but two days is still….”
“Two days.”
“…!”
…I’d been played.
Geum Seok-du realized this fact far too late.
* * *
And so Geum Seok-du shut himself away in a small room.
Now, as if by habit, Seo Ryun stood facing Dokgo Myeong with sword in hand, gazing at Geum Seok-du’s window with a look of concern.
“Young Master, will you be all right?”
“What now?”
“Deciphering codes and interpreting symbols are difficult tasks even for those with specialized knowledge.”
Dokgo Myeong shook his head dismissively.
“That fellow can do it.”
“B-but he said he couldn’t do it himself….”
Dokgo Myeong chuckled softly.
Then he uttered something completely unexpected.
“What kind of person do you think Geum Seok-du is, Seo Dae-ju?”
Seo Ryun pondered for a moment before speaking.
“He is a remarkable man.”
“Why so?”
“His insight and talents are exceptional. I’ve never met anyone so versatile before.”
His martial prowess may seem somewhat lacking, but his other abilities are extraordinary.
To be honest, I was uncertain at first, but now even I cannot help but acknowledge it.
“Yet that fellow doesn’t know it.”
“Sir?”
“He doesn’t realize how remarkable he is.”
“….”
Seo Ryun nodded in agreement.
Now that he thought about it, Geum Seok-du habitually uttered words like “I can’t do it,” “I’m not remarkable,” “I’m unable,” and such.
“Confidence is something that requires others to acknowledge it. But who has ever acknowledged that fellow? Warriors who despise everything except martial prowess? An eccentric master? Or gamblers?”
“….”
“Have you never had such an experience, Seo Dae-ju? The experience of grinding your teeth and working hard, only to have no one recognize your efforts?”
There is. Is there anyone who has lived without experiencing something like that?
“That bastard has probably endured it his entire life.”
“….”
“That’s why I think he can do it. That guy—he’s far more remarkable than he appears, I’m telling you.”
Seo Ryun gazed at Dokgo Myeong’s profile with newfound astonishment.
‘Just what kind of man is the young master….’
His words came out casual and offhand, yet they carried a profound weight of trust. How could he read someone so thoroughly after knowing them for mere days?
It occurred to Seo Ryun that perhaps Dokgo Myeong’s greatest weapon was not his superior martial prowess, but rather this discerning eye of his.
‘I wonder what he makes of me.’
Before he realized it, Seo Ryun flinched at his own thought.
Was this envy? It was a complex emotion he couldn’t quite name.
“But… what if he fails? He’ll only lose more confidence.”
“He won’t fail.”
“Pardon?”
“If you keep trying, you’ll succeed eventually.”
“….”
“Besides, if he’s become my man, he can’t fail to decipher even a single map of Jangbodo!”
Whoosh!
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes blazed as if they might ignite with flame.
Seo Ryun simply squeezed his eyes shut.
“Enough of this talk. Let’s loosen up our bodies a bit.”
“Yes, as you wish.”
Seo Ryun drew his sword and assumed a ready stance.
Though their sparring had been cautious at first, it was now familiar routine.
“Hmm?”
Whoosh!
Yet the moment Seo Ryun looked at Dokgo Myeong, he sensed something had changed.
“Have you altered your stance?”
“You have keen perception.”
Dokgo Myeong lowered his upper body slightly.
“Not altered—I’m learning something new.”
Whoooosh!
Dokgo Myeong drew up his true qi.
Crimson vital energy rippled and coiled around his body.
Yet soon, a subtle streak of a different hue wove itself into that crimson aura.
“It’s not perfect yet, so let’s take it easy.”
The conversation ended there.
In the next instant, the two collided without warning.
Boom!
* * *
It took exactly two days.
Bang!
Geum Seok-du kicked open the door and shouted.
“Phew, I’ve cracked it!”
Seo Ryun’s eyes widened in surprise.
Dokgo Myeong turned to Seo Ryun and smirked.
“See?”
“Huh.”
Seo Ryun nodded in acknowledgment.
Dokgo Myeong, Seo Ryun, and the haggard-faced Geum Seok-du gathered in my room.
“It’s Guhuashan.”
Geum Seok-du spoke calmly.
Guhuashan.
One of the four sacred Buddhist mountains alongside Wutai, Emei, and Putuo.
“It’s a famous mountain in Anhui. Right at our doorstep. We only need to go a bit northwest from the Huangshan Sect.”
“It shouldn’t take long from here either.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Dokgo Myeong nodded.
‘The Anhui Blood Sect. Well found.’
I had planned to hint at information I knew from my past life if we couldn’t figure it out by today, but this works out well.
“So, where exactly on Guhuashan?”
I only knew that an incident had occurred somewhere in Anhui Province, nothing more.
“Near the mountain path around Chendaifeng on Guhuashan.”
Seo Ryun turned to look at me.
“What will you do?”
“Hmm….”
I gazed down at the decoded document and Jangbodo.
And I furrowed my brow.
“I have a bad feeling about this.”
“A bad feeling… sir?”
“Yes.”
Seo Ryun’s eyes changed.
A master’s intuition cannot be ignored. Even if it cannot be explained, it stems from countless experiences.
And though Seo Ryun didn’t know it, I had mastered a secret technique that amplified such intuition.
‘My sense resonance reacted.’
Whoosh!
Sense resonance is a supreme technique that touches the higher realm based on perception.
That sense resonance was conveying an unsettling premonition.
‘Why? What did I miss?’
I traced through my thoughts methodically.
I raided the Black Bear Sect and found Jangbodo, and its location happens to be right under my nose?
Does such perfectly aligned fortune exist in this world?
“This is genuine, isn’t it?”
“Yes! The handwriting matches exactly with the renowned Divine Craftsman’s known script. Moreover, the codes and symbols are quite intricate.”
Dokgo Myeong sprang to his feet.
“Let’s go check it out.”
“Pardon?”
“We’ll know once we see it. Pack your things!”
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes gleamed with intensity.
After all, I’ve found the secret manual far earlier than in my previous life, haven’t I?
Whether by chance or not, I absolutely had to obtain this.
* * *
Two days later in the evening, the group arrived at Guhuashan.
And Dokgo Myeong muttered with a bewildered expression.
“What is this? What am I looking at right now?”
The streets were bustling.
Since Guhuashan was a sacred site of Buddhism with over a hundred temples, there were indeed many pilgrims.
The problem was that these people were clearly not ordinary pilgrims no matter where you looked.
“Are all of those martial artists?”
Indeed they were.
There were so many martial artists that you’d spot one every five steps down the street.
Then, Seo Ryun astutely approached a middle-aged man selling herbs at a stall.
“Excuse me.”
“…What business do you have with me, sir?”
“Please don’t be so cautious. I merely have a few questions.”
The middle-aged man looked up at Seo Ryun with eyes that remained guarded.
Only when Seo Ryun produced a silver coin and offered it did the herbalist’s expression brighten.
“Ask me anything!”
“There seem to be many martial artists on the streets. Has something happened in this area?”
“Eh? Didn’t you come here after hearing the rumors, sir?”
“Rumors?”
“Ah, it seems you didn’t know. Apparently, the secret manual of someone called the Plague King or Martial King has been discovered.”
“Could you be referring to Giwang Yeocheonwi?”
“Oh! Yes, that sounds like the name!”
“So rumors have spread….”
Seo Ryun’s expression grew bitter.
When Seo Ryun glanced back, Geum Seok-du’s helpless expression entered his view.
“Rumors have spread?”
Geum Seok-du, who had been gazing at the bustling marketplace, muttered blankly.
“If rumors have spread, then there was no reason for me to suffer through sleepless nights!”
“Where in the world is that noise coming from?!”
“Cough!”
“Damn it. What on earth is this?”
Seo Ryun laughed awkwardly and tried to soothe Dokgo Myeong.
“Young Master, please don’t be so distressed. Rumors do spread, after all, don’t they?”
Geum Seok-du, who had been sighing heavily, also spoke while smacking his lips.
“Indeed, when you think about it carefully, there’s no guarantee that Jangbodo is only one, and there’s no guarantee that no one knows about it, is there?”
“Be quiet.”
“Why do you always snap at me….”
Geum Seok-du muttered and closed his mouth.
‘That’s right, he’s correct. It is correct, but….’
From Dokgo Myeong’s perspective, it was utterly incomprehensible.
The future had changed.
Though I didn’t know the exact timeline, the rumors and commotion surrounding Giwang’s secret passage were supposed to occur at least several years from now.
‘Everything has been fine until now, so why has the future suddenly changed?’
…Though in truth, it was strange that it hadn’t changed until now.
Then Seo Ryun carefully broached the subject.
“Perhaps we should first secure lodgings? I hear that martial artists have only recently gathered here, so there may be no rooms available.”
“…Yes, let’s do that for now.”
“I will gather information from the Tianerge branch.”
“I’m counting on you.”
After Seo Ryun departed, Dokgo Myeong secured lodgings at the finest inn in the vicinity.
Since Guhuashan was a sacred site of Buddhism, it wasn’t an exceptionally lavish establishment, but being a three-story building, it offered a fine view overlooking Guhuashan’s mountain ranges.
“Young Master, I’ve returned. I shall report immediately.”
Seo Ryun returned promptly.
“It appears that Jangbodo circulated through Gangho several months ago.”
“Several months ago? Then why wasn’t the secret passage plundered?”
“For two reasons.”
Seo Ryun first glanced at Geum Seok-du.
“First, it was only recently deciphered. Even then, it was resolved only after the Moyong Clan, who obtained Jangbodo, requested assistance from the Jegal Clan.”
“What? This fellow cracked it in just two days?”
Dokgo Myeong pointed at Geum Seok-du as he spoke.
“It demonstrates just how remarkable the abilities of the Golden Minor Sage are.”
“Ah….”
At such blatant praise, Geum Seok-du’s face flushed with embarrassment.
Dokgo Myeong chuckled softly and redirected the conversation.
“In any case, what about the second reason?”
“The entrance to the secret passage marked in Jangbodo appears to differ from the actual terrain.”
“What?”
“A massive landslide occurred on Guhuashan several years ago, and it seems to have created a significant discrepancy between the terrain recorded in Jangbodo and the actual geography.”
Mountains undergo countless transformations.
Even without landslides, over a hundred years wouldn’t pass without rain, wind, snow, fires, and every conceivable calamity befalling them.
Only then did the situation become clear to me.
“The Gangho martial artists gathered here because word of the entrance spread while they were searching for it?”
“Yes, that’s correct. I mentioned it was recent, but it appears several weeks have already passed.”
Dokgo Myeong furrowed his brow.
Seo Ryun faltered at that stern expression.
“Young Master? Is something troubling you….”
“No, it’s nothing.”
Dokgo Myeong gazed quietly at the mountainside visible through the window.
‘Was that the warning my sensory perception sent me about?’
No, something felt different.
An unease still lingered.
That was when it happened.
“Calm yourself, Senior Brother. There are many eyes watching….”
“How can you expect me to endure while those pack of wolves run rampant!”
“No, no. Please compose yourself and go upstairs to enjoy some fine food and ease your mind.”
Several strikingly handsome young men were noisily ascending toward the upper floors.
“Huh?”
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes widened upon seeing the young man enter the inn.
‘Why is he here?’

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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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