Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 75

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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 75
Cheonhwa Pavilion, situated near the Dokgo Family.
Three men gathered at this ordinary tavern—neither shabby nor particularly refined.
“Ahem, I hear you’ll be overseeing the Main Sect’s ledgers from now on… would you mind pouring me a drink as a gesture of goodwill?”
“Ah, it would be my honor.”
“Glad to meet you.”
“A drink for me as well, if you please.”
“Of course!”
The three men were none other than Son Tae-im, Jang Sam, and Geum Seok-du.
Son Tae-im and Jang Sam had been drinking together frequently of late, and now Geum Seok-du had joined their circle.
Son Tae-im filled the cups of Geum Seok-du and Jang Sam to the brim.
“Your name is Geum Seok-du, yes? How did you end up falling into the Young Master’s grasp?”
Son Tae-im spoke as though Dokgo Myeong were some notorious villain.
Yet no one at this gathering denied it.
“Well, you see…”
Geum Seok-du began his tale, rubbing his head.
Son Tae-im laughed bitterly upon hearing it.
“You’ve… certainly had it rough.”
“…”
“Ahem! Another drink for me.”
“Right away, sir.”
With Geum Seok-du added to their number, the drinks flowed twice as fast as usual.
Jang Sam, his face flushed, patted Geum Seok-du’s shoulder with glistening eyes.
“For your sister’s sake… you’re truly a remarkable man.”
“Ah, I’m just a nobody. Remarkable? Hardly.”
“Nobody, my foot!”
Son Tae-im slammed the table.
“In a world where people abandon their own parents for money!”
“…”
“I’ve truly met a fine man here. From now on, you may call me Elder Brother!”
“Then should I address you as Great Elder Brother?”
“Great… Elder Brother?”
“Since you’re Elder Brother Jang’s elder, you’d be the Great Elder Brother!”
“Great Elder Brother…! Yes! Haha! I am the Great Elder Brother! Hahahaha!”
“Come now, let’s all have a drink.”
The atmosphere was quite pleasant.
Son Tae-im, with his subtle carelessness; Geum Seok-du, quick-witted and sociable; and Jang Sam, warm-hearted yet subtly cunning.
The three of them, whose only common thread was Dokgo Myeong, proved to be unexpectedly well-matched.
“By the way, would it be alright if I asked you something?”
“Of course! Please, ask freely.”
“How did you end up shaving your head at such a young age?”
Son Tae-im’s gaze shifted toward Geum Seok-du’s head.
Noticing that peculiar stare, Geum Seok-du burst into hearty laughter.
“Ah! You’re talking about my hair?”
“Truth be told, I’ve been losing my hair lately just like you are, so I thought I’d get ahead of it and shave it off.”
“Well, I’ve never experienced hair loss myself, so I’m not sure I’d be much help.”
“Huh?”
“Eh?”
Son Tae-im blinked and asked.
“What do you mean by that?”
“I shaved it intentionally.”
“…!”
At this unexpected revelation, Jang Sam froze mid-sip of his drink, while Son Tae-im let out an awkward laugh.
“Ha, haha! This man’s a liar! What’s so shameful about that!”
“It’s true. If you want to survive in gambling dens, having an intimidating appearance is never a disadvantage. That’s why I shaved it.”
“…!”
Son Tae-im’s mouth fell open as if he’d been betrayed.
“There are actually many advantages to it. It’s convenient when washing, and it helps a lot with disguise techniques and performing the Iron Head technique. Haha!”
“I, I see. Hehe….”
A look of disappointment flickered across Son Tae-im’s eyes.
Jang Sam tapped Son Tae-im’s thigh beneath the table and turned to Geum Seok-du.
“Mind if I ask you something too?”
“Of course, Brother Jang.”
“I heard the Young Master said you were the first?”
“Ah, yes. He did say that.”
Suddenly, Son Tae-im flinched.
“He, he said something like that?”
“Why do you ask?”
“No, it’s just… I was wondering if I didn’t make it into that ranking….”
Watching Son Tae-im grow unusually sullen today, Jang Sam smiled gently.
“What does ranking matter to you, Brother Son?”
“Huh?”
“No matter what anyone says, you were the first to stand by the Young Master’s side and help him.”
“Is, is that so?”
“And this is something we’re only discussing here….”
Jang Sam deliberately lowered his voice.
“The Young Master had a reason for not handing you over to the Law Enforcement Bureau.”
“Wasn’t there an agreement between us about that?”
“That too, but initially he said he was only letting you manage the Geumsan Sect until a successor could be brought in.”
“What, what did you say!”
Whoosh!
Son Tae-im shot to his feet with a shocked expression.
But the story didn’t end there.
“A successor? Who in the world is it?”
“In my eyes, it’s Young Master Geum.”
“What, what?”
“Pardon? Are you referring to that?”
Jang Sam nodded his head.
“But from what I’ve heard from the Young Master recently, it seems your thoughts have changed, haven’t they?”
“Huh?”
“Think about it for a moment.”
….
Son Tae-im fell into thought for a while.
Jang Sam smiled gently.
“Though the Young Master does torment you constantly, he ultimately values you highly, doesn’t he?”
“Mm.”
That was true.
Son Tae-im’s expression gradually became enigmatic.
‘That’s right, just the fact that someone like me serves such a remarkable person….’
At that moment, Son Tae-im suddenly came to his senses.
‘What was I just thinking?’
Could he really be pleased that demon cares for him?
After constantly tormenting him, even making his hair fall out?
Then, Geum Seok-du, who had been watching Son Tae-im’s expression shift with concern, asked.
“Then what is it that you wish to do, Brother Son?”
“I’d want to run away at a moment’s notice. Why ask such a thing?”
An immediate answer without the slightest hesitation.
“Of course, occasionally, very occasionally… like right now, I do think about assisting by his side.”
Dokgo Myeong is a special person who does special things.
But being by his side, one doesn’t merely look up to him—one comes to feel special oneself.
“If I could, I’d someday like to stand by the Young Master’s side like you do, Seok-du.”
“Yes?”
“Not the Son Tae-im of old, but a capable Son Tae-im worth keeping around. Well, by then he’d probably torment me less. Hehe….”
He ended with a joke, looking somewhat embarrassed, but Jang Sam stared at Son Tae-im with wide eyes.
Son Tae-im had never been the sort to say such things before.
Geum Seok-du chuckled.
“Don’t worry. The Young Master doesn’t rank people in the first place.”
“Huh?”
“That I’m first isn’t about importance or closeness—it’s merely the order of things. That’s the kind of person he is, isn’t it?”
“Well, that’s true enough.”
Geum Seok-du suddenly lifted his cup and swept his gaze across the gathering.
“I’ve gained two wonderful brothers with compatible hearts, and it seems like a truly auspicious day.”
“Haha, I couldn’t agree more.”
“I’m merely a servant, yet you treat me as a brother. I’m truly grateful.”
“What are you saying? Without you, how would we have all come together?”
“That’s right, Brother Jang!”
Jang Sam broke into a warm smile.
“It would be wonderful if we could gather like this often.”
“I agree.”
“I agree as well.”
The wine continued to circulate.
The three men didn’t stop talking as the night grew late.
Then, as the gathering drew to a close.
“By the way, Seok-du, have you heard anything about what the young master intends to do?”
At Jang Sam’s question, his words slurred from drink, Son Tae-im also turned his gaze over with curiosity.
“He simply said he would create a world where people can live as people should.”
“A world where people live as people should?”
“But he said there are currently too many creatures who don’t act like humans, so first he’ll overturn everything and reconsider from there.”
Son Tae-im clicked his tongue.
“Beyond that, is there anything else? Detailed plans, perhaps, or urgent need for funds, something like that?”
“Ah, now that you mention it…”
Geum Seok-du furrowed his brow in contemplation as he spoke.
“He said he would catch some rats?”
* * *
“You called for me, Elder Leader?”
It was midday, with the sun high in the sky.
Shin Heum, the man known as the purse of the Elder Council, entered the Elder Leader’s quarters and bowed his head.
“Ah, come in. I hope I haven’t interrupted your busy schedule?”
“No matter how busy, I must come running when summoned.”
“Tsk tsk! Come, sit here.”
Dokgo Hwi-hwa gestured to the seat before her.
Shin Heum offered a brief bow and took his seat.
“Yes, it’s been quite some time.”
“You don’t summon me often, Elder Leader.”
“What good is it for a young person to see an old face? Ah, this is tea sent as a gift from the Geumsan Sect—Yunnan tea, quite excellent. Try some.”
“I’m honored to taste it.”
Dokgo Hwi-hwa personally pushed the teacup, which a servant had just brought, toward Shin Heum.
“How does the atmosphere seem these days?”
“The council’s internal affairs remain solid, and I’m maintaining strict discipline among the subordinate halls.”
“Hmm.”
I gently brushed the tip of the cane that Dokgo Hwi-hwa had placed beside her.
“What about the Outer Sect members?”
“We’ve been clashing with them continuously since the Law Enforcement Bureau incident.”
Dokgo Hwi-hwa slowly set down her teacup.
“How many faction groups are currently under my command?”
“A total of twenty-five, ma’am.”
“And the Outer Sect has around twenty?”
“Yes, the Family Head commands nearly forty, with the remainder being a small neutral faction that belongs to neither side.”
The number of faction groups loyal solely to Dokgo Cheon far exceeded both the Outer Sect and the Elder Council.
Beyond mere faction numbers, the main departments of the Main Sect—the Law Enforcement Bureau, Muhakbu, and Inner Sect—all answered only to the Family Head’s command. The authority of the Family Head within the Dokgo Household was truly inviolable.
“Twenty groups… that brat’s already snapping at my heels. Time flies. Tsk, tsk!”
“You speak of the Outer Sect Leader?”
“Yes.”
Shin Heum carefully opened his mouth.
“If you’re considering a shift in power, would it not be wise to absorb the neutral faction now?”
“You want me to bring in those greedy pigs bloated with ambition?”
“However, if the faction groups simply exceeded thirty…”
“That’s like losing the field to steal a cow.”
“Pardon?”
Dokgo Hwi-hwa let out a scoff.
“If I bring in such people just to increase my faction numbers, what would those faction leaders who have followed me with unwavering loyalty think of me?”
“…”
“Increasing faction numbers doesn’t change much in the end. What truly matters is influence.”
Influence is power itself.
While the number of faction groups matters, what ultimately matters is influence. This is why the Geumsan Sect, which generates vast wealth, is inevitably more important than a powerless branch sect with no political sway.
“Un-hak may have fewer faction groups than I do, but he keeps only the finest. That’s why the balance holds.”
Dokgo Hwi-hwa enjoys the support of the elders, the established powers of the Main Sect, and the branch and vassal families.
Conversely, Dokgo Un-hak has created new support through his distinctive bold and radical approach to matters.
Coincidentally, a dynamic of old versus new had formed.
‘No… it was created.’
By the Family Head and his right hand, Wi Baek.
Shin Heum bowed his head slightly.
“My thoughts were shallow.”
“Nonsense. I keep you by my side precisely so you’ll voice such opinions without reservation.”
“…”
“However, that’s not why I called you here today.”
“I’m listening.”
“Assign more people to Saheongang.”
Shin Heum tilted his head in confusion.
“Is this because of Young Master Dokgo Myeong?”
“You saw it clearly.”
“Shall I prepare to recruit him?”
“Recruit? Pfft! As if that bastard would ever be recruited.”
Dokgo Hwi-hwa, who had been laughing softly for a moment, suddenly wiped the smile from her face.
“That one will never take root anywhere.”
“If he chooses neither side within the Dokgo Family, all that remains is being torn apart.”
“Exactly my point. He’s clever enough to understand that, so why is he taking such a half-hearted stance?”
Now I had to make a choice.
The Outer Sect, or the Council of Elders.
There were no other options. Well, there were, but the moment I chose something else, neither the Outer Sect nor the Council of Elders would look upon me kindly anymore.
“Are you instructing me to investigate what Young Master Dokgo Myeong is aiming for and what actions he takes?”
“Quick to understand, I see.”
“Could Young Master Dokgo Myeong become the key to resolving this factional strife?”
Dokgo Hwi-hwa lifted her teacup with an enigmatic expression.
“A key? What has he shown us that’s so significant?”
Dokgo Hwi-hwa gazed into the empty air with a hardened face.
“Perhaps there’s potential. Or perhaps he’ll become the mudfish that stirs up the murky waters.”
Getting caught up in such murky waters was sufficient, like the Geumsan Sect incident.
Dokgo Un-hak likely thought the same.
* * *
Crash! Bang!
“Ugh!”
A thunderous sound erupted from the Training Grounds of Saheon Hall.
“Are you trying to kill me? There’s a limit to how realistic a sparring match should be—you’re not supposed to stab the back of someone’s head with a spear!”
I rubbed the back of my head and yelped.
“And you slammed your sister into the ground! How is that any different?”
“Is that really the same thing?”
Dokgo Yeon, who had been driven into the ground, staggered to her feet and laughed loudly.
“Hahaha! Sparring is only fun when it’s realistic!”
“Seriously, if you’re going to be crazy, at least be gracefully crazy.”
“Now you’re being openly disrespectful. Do you really want to die?”
Dokgo Yeon hastily tied her disheveled hair back, then planted her spear into the ground with a resounding thud.
“But seriously, you’ve grown too much. The more we spar, the stronger you get—what’s going on?”
“I’m finally reaching a decent level, that’s all.”
“Hmm.”
Dokgo Yeon regarded me with a peculiar gaze.
“Little brother.”
“What?”
“Since we’ve gotten closer, I’ll ask—do people often tell you that you’re unlucky?”
My face suddenly crumpled.
‘What? Bad luck?’
Who was looking at whom right now?
“Hmm, it’s fine. I understand. People like us don’t need to worry about a little bad luck.”
“I wouldn’t want to hear that kind of talk from anyone else, but not from you.”
“Mm-hmm, that’s right.”
Dokgo Yeon nodded with her arms crossed, as if she understood everything.
“A guy who used to win once or twice out of every ten fights now wins three or four times in a week. Is someone who says that’s still far off the mark the one with good luck?”
“….”
“Besides, your martial arts weren’t suited for sparring matches to begin with.”
Those striking techniques, joint locks, and inner energy manipulation.
There was no killing intent, but the footwork and vital energy application were extremely practical for real combat.
“Anyway, let’s go another round….”
“I don’t want to.”
“Why again!”
“It seems we have a visitor.”
“Huh?”
Dokgo Myeong’s head snapped around.
A man was walking into the Training Hall entrance.
Dokgo Yeon let out a hollow laugh.
“Ha, you really do have a talent for sensing presence….”
“I greet Lady Dokgo Yeon and Young Master Dokgo Myeong.”
The man’s black collar swayed gently as he bowed his head.
It was the black-scaled robe that marked him as belonging to the Black Dragon Sect.
A Black Dragon Sect Member under Dokgo Cheon’s command had come to fetch Dokgo Myeong.
“What is it?”
“The Family Head has summoned you.”
“Finally.”
Tap tap!
Dokgo Myeong brushed off his rear and stood up.
“This is about the rat bastard, right?”
“…!”
“It took quite a while. I thought you’d find him quickly.”
The Black Dragon Sect Member’s eyes flickered beneath his mask.
Dokgo Yeon’s eyes widened beside him.
“What? Why is the Family Head looking for you?”
“That’s a secret. Let’s spar next time.”
With those words, Dokgo Myeong spun around.
‘Things are about to get busy again.’
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes gleamed sharply.

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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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