Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 74

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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 74
“Open the gate!”
Screeeech!
The massive iron door swung open with a deafening roar.
Beyond the threshold yawned an opening like the maw of some beast. Though the sun hadn’t yet set, the darkness was so complete that I couldn’t see past the doorway at all.
‘What kind of hellgate is this? Why does the door sound like that?’
Dokgo Myeong gazed beyond the entrance with a dubious expression.
“You have two days. The interior is filled with Giganjinsik mechanisms, so please be careful not to drop your identification token from your person.”
“Understood.”
“Then you may enter immediately.”
Dokgo Myeong crossed the threshold, escorted by the warrior guarding the entrance.
“Safe travels, brother!”
“Haven’t you left yet?”
“Go gain some profound enlightenment, and then come back so your sister can have a proper match with you…!”
The moment I crossed the threshold, her voice cut off.
And moments later.
Whoosh!
The corridor brightened.
Those expensive night-luminous pearls were embedded throughout, illuminating the dark passage.
“Oh…?”
The library wasn’t large.
There appeared to be about five bookshelves holding scrolls and bamboo slips.
To an untrained eye, it might have seemed modest, but….
‘If just one shelf holds a hundred volumes, that’s over five hundred secret martial arts techniques, isn’t it?’
And this place contained only foundational techniques.
Dokgo Myeong gazed at the nearest bookshelf with renewed wonder.
[Whirlwind Sword Method]
[Thousand Web Fist]
[Golden Horse Staff Method]
….
‘Thousand Web Fist—isn’t that a heterodox technique? Golden Horse Staff Method? This looks like Buddhist martial arts….’
It wasn’t just the sword techniques that formed the backbone of the Dokgo Family—the collection included both orthodox and heterodox martial arts without discrimination.
My eyes widened as I scanned the shelves.
‘White Lotus Forceful Sword? Isn’t that the martial art of the White Lotus Sect, a renowned school in the Gangsu region?’
It was a prestigious faction with considerable history, but it was known to have been completely destroyed in a single night by mysterious enemies.
So why would their secret techniques be here?
“….”
I withdrew a manual and flipped through a few pages, then swept my gaze across the library with an astonished expression.
Indeed! How magnificent, the Dokgo Family!
Tap!
I slid the secret manual back into the shelf and turned away.
‘Let me finish what I came here for quickly.’
Whirrrr!
I inserted the divine token into the next iron door and turned it, activating the mechanism.
Without pausing, I headed straight to the fifth archive.
The archive where various secret histories of the martial world were stored.
‘Military sects, the Frontier, heterodox cults, Cheonra Majon, unusual martial arts, or forbidden techniques… I’ll start with these categories and search from there.’
I exhaled lightly.
‘If it’s not even in the Dokgo Family archives, finding any trace of it anywhere else in the world won’t be easy.’
With that, I pulled out one book.
Two books, three books…
Ten books, twenty books…
By the time the scent of paper had seeped into my hands from turning through the shelves.
The Gangho Directory of Renowned Figures.
I finally found the information I needed.
Cheonra Majon.
Sect unknown, real name unknown, origin unknown, age unknown.
The language used and appearance are certainly those of someone from Zhongyuan, yet there is no trace of Zhongyuan origins.
Uses martial arts of unknown lineage, possesses broad and meticulous energy perception, skilled in martial technique analysis and deconstruction.
‘Cheonra Majon. This is what the Sect Leader mentioned.’
I read through the record quickly.
Undefeated martial journey begins.
Defeated the Dragon Master of Kaifeng after a six-hundred-twenty-second exchange, defeated the Shaolin Hundred Arhat Zen Master, defeated the Qingcheng School…
Victory after victory.
Possessing a protective energy like the Milky Way wrapped around the body and a lethal technique with devastating offensive power…
My eyes brightened.
‘A protective energy like the Milky Way wrapped around the body? Could it be the Star Heaven Art?’
The striking brilliance of Huicheng, the crimson brilliance of Jinna. And the defensive Star Heaven.
The ultimate essence of the Star Heaven Art lay in the protective energy that enveloped the entire body.
…Qi deviation occurred. Reason unknown.
Slaughtered one hundred thirty-two government soldiers, annihilated the Kaifeng Houqu Sect, killed Shaolin Arhats…
Began using a strange technique that reverses the opponent’s vital energy with a single strike.
Martial Alliance designated as demonic technique.
Named Cheonra Majon.
In that instant, disappointment flickered across my eyes.
“A technique that reverses vital energy with a single strike… There’s no such method in the Cheonoe Gyeong.”
Had I been mistaken?
“Tsk, a dead end.”
I clicked my tongue in disappointment and closed the directory, about to return it to the shelf.
No—it was the moment I was about to put it away.
Thump!
Dokgo Myeong froze in place.
‘…Surely there’s no such technique among what I’ve mastered.’
But.
Wasn’t there exactly one secret realm I hadn’t even entered?
‘The final secret realm.’
Dokgo Myeong hastily flipped open the book again.
‘Could this possibly be a description of the Honcheon Technique?’
The incantations existed, but it was a theoretical martial art that could never be learned in the first place.
If.
If Cheonra Majon was truly someone who had mastered Cheonoe Gyeong.
‘Then it would be possible to master the Honcheon Technique as well.’
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes sharpened with intensity.
If that were truly the case, I could become even stronger.
Perhaps even reaching the realm of the Transcendent Heaven that I couldn’t touch in my past life….
‘Is there no more convincing evidence?’
Whoosh!
Dokgo Myeong urgently turned the next page.
A passage that appeared to be written relatively recently caught his eye.
After breaking through the Cheonra Web surrounding Nanjing in Jiangsu Province, whereabouts unknown. Presumed dead.
Commonalities exist with the Transcendent Heaven Triad’s Omnipotent Child, the Martial Sovereign’s exclusive martial art, the Martial Ultimate Technique.
“The Transcendent Heaven Triad…?”
In that instant, Dokgo Myeong’s eyes widened in shock.
* * *
“How goes the matter?”
Dokgo Cheon asked as two figures entered his study.
Administrator Wi Baek and Black Dragon Sect Leader Lee Seong-cheon.
Dokgo Cheon’s sword and scepter.
“We continue to pursue the investigation.”
“It seems there were quite a few rats we didn’t know about who infiltrated the Main Sect.”
Wi Baek and Lee Seong-cheon bowed their heads.
After his private meeting with Dokgo Myeong, Dokgo Cheon had issued a secret order separately to the Black Dragon Sect and Wi Baek.
“The Doctrine….”
Dokgo Cheon’s voice carried deep intrigue.
“Has it already been two years?”
“Yes, it has been two years since the Cheonoe Branch began their pursuit.”
“They’re no ordinary adversaries. We’ve only managed to dismantle the surface organization so far.”
It was two years ago.
Wi Baek discovered a certain consistency among various incidents occurring in the shadows of the Gangho.
The roots revealed after the investigation were shocking.
The Heretical Sect.
After the remnants of the Secret Doctrine—the primary instigators of the war—were annihilated, it became a name that even the darkest of evil sects rarely dared invoke.
Under that banner, they operated vast funds and sprawling underground networks, orchestrating incidents across the realm.
“No matter how many we root out, there’s always more. How many surfaced this time?”
“Five, sir.”
“There are surely more we haven’t discovered yet.”
“That would appear to be the case.”
Wi Baek’s expression grew grave.
“These are people with the capital to operate countless underground networks, the human resources to match, and the precision and patience to remain hidden all this time. They won’t be easy to uproot.”
They lurked entirely in shadow, scheming in ways that left barely a trace to follow.
“With that kind of reach, they could have planted people in the Main Sect. Yet…”
Dokgo Cheon smiled faintly.
“How did Myeong-i manage to uncover it?”
Were these people involved in this incident at the Nine Flower Blood Sect as well?
I hadn’t heard the details, but the mere fact that he’d extracted information from such tenacious adversaries was remarkable.
‘No, more than that—he seemed to know something from the start.’
An indescribable expression crossed my face.
“It wouldn’t be amiss to entrust him with more tasks.”
“You mean Young Master Myeong, sir?”
“Indeed.”
A subtle smile played at the corners of Dokgo Cheon’s mouth.
* * *
People say one must look forward to live well.
But Son Tae-im thought otherwise.
One must look backward.
Rather than chase dreams of the future, the secret to a better life lay in not repeating past mistakes.
Reflecting on when and how one erred, then refusing to repeat such actions—that was the path to righteousness.
Why did I think this way? Because I had failed to do so.
‘Hah, why did I do that?’
Son Tae-im, the strategist of the Dokgo Family, master of the Jeongcheon Alliance trade routes, the rising star of the merchant world and leader of the Geumsan Sect, pondered.
‘What was I so afraid of? What possessed me?’
Son Tae-im reflected on his past mistakes.
Now, well past forty, I lay sprawled ignominiously on the floor of the Saheongang Training Hall.
“Blast it all! They say you shouldn’t raise black-furred beasts, and here I saved and nurtured you, yet you haven’t shown your face in three days?”
Dokgo Myeong.
This demonic creature stood before me with a twisted expression, glaring down.
“I… I’ve simply been too busy with duties…”
“No matter how busy, you couldn’t spare a moment to show your face?”
“Young Master entered the Sipjeon Martial Isolation, or so I heard…”
“Ah, so it’s my fault then? Right? Ha, I was wrong! I was completely wrong!”
“No! It’s me! I’m the one who deserves to die!”
Truly!
I really was just swamped with work!
It wasn’t as though I hadn’t visited at all.
On the first day, I thought I needed to recover from travel fatigue, so I skipped it. The next day, I carved out time to visit, only to hear he was in the Sipjeonmugo—wasn’t that what they said?
Meanwhile, Dokgo Myeong spent two entire days in the library, which threw my schedule into chaos.
‘Of course, I can’t deny that I was somewhat afraid and deliberately avoided him….’
And who could blame me? I wanted to delay our meeting as long as possible!
Once we met, he’d surely make my life miserable again!
‘I shouldn’t have done that! Oh no!’
Son Tae-im’s cold sweat dripped relentlessly.
Even Son Tae-im couldn’t be certain whether it was truly sweat or tears.
That was when Dokgo Myeong let out a soft chuckle and crouched before Son Tae-im.
“So, Tae-im. Are you struggling?”
“N-no, I’m not!”
“You’ve been doing well?”
“Y-yes, yes….”
“I see. I’ve been taking sword strikes left and right out in the frontier, yet you seem to be doing just fine.”
“…!”
“You said you were busy, but it doesn’t seem to be the case, does it?”
The color drained from Son Tae-im’s face. Despite being prostrate, all the blood seemed to rush to his head.
“Anyway, did you bring what I asked for?”
Son Tae-im spoke in a trembling voice.
“Y-yes. The ledgers from this time and… the goods you sent back then… I’ve organized everything without a single discrepancy…!”
“Good, our Tae-im. Rise.”
“Y-yes!”
Whoosh!
Son Tae-im scrambled to his feet, breathing heavily.
Dokgo Myeong nodded.
“Tsk tsk. Do better. Much better.”
Pat! Pat!
Dokgo Myeong clicked his tongue and patted Son Tae-im’s shoulders.
Son Tae-im’s lips pressed tightly together.
What good were ghosts?
This bastard wouldn’t even catch them.
“Is this all the ledgers?”
“Yes, that’s all.”
Son Tae-im nodded, looking at the books placed beside Dokgo Myeong.
Dokgo Myeong flipped through the ledger with a rustling sound, skimming the contents.
“I, I’ll explain everything step by step for you.”
“There’s someone else I want you to meet. Wait here. Seokdu!”
“Yes?”
Seokdu? Who was that?
The door opened, and a figure stepped inside.
“Yes, Young Master!”
Gleam!
“…!”
Tae-im’s jaw dropped in an instant.
A perfectly rounded, gleaming scalp came into view, smooth as silk.
Standing there was my comrade.

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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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