Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 94

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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 94
At some point, my body grew comfortable.
My mind grew comfortable as well.
Yes, what use were all the worldly afflictions and attachments in this realm?
Whoooosh….
Suddenly, I saw a dark river flowing majestically before me.
Beyond that river surely lay the Immortal Realm.
Dokgo Jo-hak took a slow step forward.
But then….
“You madman! Have some restraint…!”
“My rage hasn’t… yet…!”
“You… bastard! Now you’re admitting this is payback…!”
What? Were these immortals making a fuss?
But their language was far too crude for immortals, wasn’t it?
“You dog! There’s a limit to everything!”
“You call this a treatment procedure!”
“Stop spouting nonsense! Gasp! Eyes! His eyes aren’t opening! Breath! Breath too…! This… this father’s nemesis!!”
“Ah, what a fuss. I’ll wake him up. Just wait.”
“You lunatic! Why are your palms…!”
In an instant.
Boom!
Dokgo Jo-hak’s eyes snapped open.
* * *
“Gahhhhh!”
Dokgo Jo-hak awoke with a scream.
Whether it was the middle of the night or his vision hadn’t returned, everything before him was pitch black.
Dokgo Jo-hak shook his head vigorously.
‘Was it… a dream?’
Being beaten by that brat was impossible—utterly absurd.
Moreover, he had swatted away the martial artists who came to stop him like flies, relentlessly pummeling himself.
There was no way such a thing could be real. It had to be a terrible nightmare.
“Phew, yes. There’s no way it was real….”
After blinking several times, my vision finally began to focus.
And soon after, a familiar voice reached my ears.
“Look! You’re awake now.”
Dokgo Myeong.
That demonic bastard was crouching before me with a wicked grin.
“You… you…!”
“As expected! The man who kept saying ‘that one, this one’ is now saying ‘you, you.’ The treatment was quite successful, it seems.”
“Gasp!”
Dokgo Jo-hak snapped to his senses and jolted upright as if propelled by a spring.
“…!”
Only then did he realize it had not been a dream.
Countless members of the Baek Ok-gak Sect surrounded him.
Dokgo Ak and Jeong So-hee gazed at him with worried eyes, while the martial artists of the Baek Ok-gak Sect could not meet his gaze and hung their heads in shame.
“Tsk, did I hit your head a bit too hard? You still seem a bit dazed?”
“No, I’m fine now.”
“Well, that works then.”
Dokgo Myeong grinned wickedly.
Dokgo Jo-hak felt all the strength drain from his body.
‘This, this insufferable bastard!’
Dokgo Jo-hak trembled violently.
How could this be!
I am your uncle!
Dokgo Jo-hak glared at Dokgo Myeong.
“Hmm? Our uncle’s eyes are looking strange again?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
“Come on, it really doesn’t look like nothing?”
“…I said it’s nothing.”
Despite the utterly absurd situation, Dokgo Jo-hak found himself unable to say anything more.
It was a first for him.
Never before had he genuinely thought he might be beaten to death.
Suddenly, Dokgo Jo-hak found his own predicament amusing.
‘…It makes no sense, but.’
Dokgo Jo-hak let out a bitter laugh along with a sigh.
‘My heart feels lighter.’
Normally, he should be furious.
He had been beaten down shamefully by a much younger nephew, and in front of his wife, his son, and his subordinates no less.
Yet now that he had fallen to the very bottom, everything he had clung to so desperately felt utterly meaningless.
“Yes, I was truly pathetic.”
Dokgo Jo-hak gazed up at the sky.
“Truly pathetic….”
It was an acknowledgment that welled up from the depths of his being.
For the first time, peace settled upon the face of Dokgo Jo-hak, who had always been bound tight by stubbornness and malice.
‘I hate to admit it, but this is all thanks to that bastard….’
And then.
“Tsk tsk. You’re trying so hard, trying so hard. You must be so embarrassed after getting beaten to a pulp.”
“….”
“Oops, thinking to yourself, are you?”
“….”
Shiver.
Dokgo Jo-hak’s body trembled.
Dokgo Myeong let out a soft chuckle and opened his mouth.
“From your expression, I believe you’re beginning to understand now?”
“…What?”
“That you’ve done nothing but run away every single time.”
The corners of Dokgo Jo-hak’s eyes twitched slightly.
Dokgo Myeong’s gaze transformed.
His expression and tone of voice had changed entirely.
“Running away is always the easier path.”
“…”
“But it has no end. Running is like an addiction—eventually, you’ll do nothing but run endlessly.”
In the end, Dokgo Jo-hak had only ever run because he was a coward.
Because he was a contemptible wretch who could only resolve things in such a pathetic manner.
At that moment, Dokgo Jo-hak spoke with a slightly choked expression.
“You speak as though you’ve never run away yourself.”
At those words, Dokgo Myeong grinned wickedly.
“How could I not have? There’s probably no one in this world who’s run away as much as I have.”
“…What?”
“What matters isn’t the fact that you ran away, but how quickly you return.”
Dokgo Jo-hak’s eyes wavered.
How quickly you return.
If one had spent a lifetime running, how much time would be needed to return?
Already, the urge to flee was overwhelming.
He dreaded the rumors that would spread through the family starting tomorrow, and feared the gaze of his father, the family head, and the contemptuous thoughts his brothers might harbor.
Yet Dokgo Jo-hak soon let out a hollow laugh.
“Yes, returning. That’s what matters… truly, those are wise words.”
Dokgo Jo-hak’s eyes narrowed.
“But you, you keep subtly dropping your formal speech.”
“…?”
“Despite all that talk about your mouth being a disease, why do you keep switching between casual and formal speech?”
Dokgo Myeong’s gaze drifted toward a distant place.
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Such shamelessness…”
That was when it happened.
Rustle, rustle.
The soft sound of fabric brushing against the ground reached their ears.
Jeong So-hee, who had drawn near without notice, opened her mouth.
“Father.”
“…My lady.”
Dokgo Jo-hak hesitated before speaking.
“I apologize for showing you such a pathetic sight.”
“No, that’s not it. But don’t you have something you need to say to Myeong-i right now?”
“What am I supposed to say to this fool?”
“Why are you like this? Father isn’t so foolish that he can’t understand such words.”
At the deliberately measured words, Dokgo Jo-hak flinched.
Then, his eyes widened as he looked at Dokgo Myeong.
After a brief silence, Dokgo Jo-hak spoke with a resolute expression.
“…Thank you. And I’m sorry. You were right.”
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes widened in surprise.
Because the words were brief, the sincerity shone through all the more.
‘He really has changed.’
His gaze and bearing were different now.
Had his inner demons collapsed?
His very nature seemed completely transformed, as if he were a different person entirely.
“But now that I think about it, I’m not sure I did anything so wrong….”
“Father.”
“No, madam. If you think about it….”
“Why are you like this, really?”
Jeong So-hee’s voice turned cold.
“Ah, I understand.”
Just then, Dokgo Jo-hak suddenly staggered.
Thump!
“Father!”
It was the first time so much emotion had shown in Jeong So-hee’s voice.
Moving with the speed of a martial artist, she quickly extended her hand to support Dokgo Jo-hak’s wavering form.
“Mother, let me help him. Please let go.”
Dokgo Ak awkwardly supported Dokgo Jo-hak.
Three family members were supporting each other like this. It was truly a heartwarming sight.
Dokgo Myeong nodded with a very satisfied expression.
‘Indeed, all problems are solved this way.’
However, to the eyes of the Baek Ok-gak Sect members, that smile appeared entirely different.
‘Is he smiling? Is he, is he really smiling?’
‘After beating the family elder so brutally, he wears such a chilling smile….’
‘And in front of his subordinates and family no less! I never took Dokgo Myeong to be like this!’
At that moment, Dokgo Ak also glanced at Dokgo Myeong and spoke as if bewildered.
“You… are laughing?”
“Huh? What?”
“You really….”
“Myeong.”
Even Jeong So-hee’s gaze toward Dokgo Myeong was far from warm.
“…Did it really have to come to this?”
Dokgo Ak spoke coldly.
“Mother, please hold your tongue. That beast doesn’t seem likely to acknowledge you as his mother. He’s a terrifying one.”
“What? This fool speaks of me as though I were some legendary unfilial wretch?”
“Am I wrong?”
“….”
Dokgo Ak gestured his chin toward Dokgo Jo-hak, who hung limply like dried salted fish.
Jeong So-hee spoke calmly.
“Myeong. Could you leave us for now?”
“Pardon?”
“Your father needs treatment, and the disciples require reassurance, and above all….”
Jeong So-hee spoke with firm resolve.
“It seems we have matters to discuss among ourselves first.”
* * *
Geum Seok-du and Jang Sam crouched before the gates of Saheon-gak, their necks craning as they waited for Dokgo Myeong.
“…Why hasn’t he come?”
“He should arrive soon, right?”
“….”
“This won’t do. I should go find him.”
Geum Seok-du stopped Jang Sam as he tried to rise.
“The young master specifically instructed us to wait here. Where exactly are you trying to go?”
“Baek Ok-gak! He’s bound to be there somewhere!”
“Brother Jang, don’t you understand the young master by now?”
“What?”
“If we go without reason, we’ll only make matters worse.”
Geum Seok-du continued matter-of-factly.
“From what I’ve observed of the young master thus far, when people try to stop him, he only doubles down—he never backs off. Isn’t that so?”
“Well….”
“He causes trouble day in and day out, yet he manages to clean up his own messes, doesn’t he?”
“That’s true, but what if he suddenly attacks the Sect Leader and….”
“Come now, the young master isn’t the type to go around getting beaten.”
“No, that’s not what I mean.”
“Pardon?”
“What if he hits the Sect Leader?”
“….”
Geum Seok-du’s expression froze as if he hadn’t considered that possibility.
“…Surely the young master wouldn’t commit such an unfilial act?”
“True… the young master has never raised his hand against an elder of the family until now.”
“….”
“….”
Jang Sam and Geum Seok-du fell silent simultaneously.
Could it be….
That perhaps he simply hadn’t had the opportunity to do so until now?
“Come on, no matter what, the young master wouldn’t… right?”
“Y-yes, that’s right? Hehehehe! I was worrying over nothing.”
That was when it happened.
“The sun has already set. What are you two doing here?”
Dokgo Wi-hak appeared behind them with a puzzled expression.
“Gasp, Sect Leader!”
“Ah, it’s nothing at all, sir.”
Dokgo Wi-hak’s eyes narrowed.
“I could have sworn I heard Myeong-i’s name just now?”
His tone was chilling.
The moment Jang Sam and Geum Seok-du clamped their mouths shut.
Thump, thump!
Dokgo Myeong could be seen approaching from afar.
And on the hem of Dokgo Myeong’s robe as he walked with a grin….
‘Blood, bloodstains?’
There was blood smeared on it.
Dokgo Wi-hak’s eyes gleamed sharply.
* * *
The incident of familial transgression caused by Dokgo Myeong kept the family in an uproar for some time, like the calm before a storm.
At this point, the Law Enforcement Bureau tried not to let the matter slide, but it was settled when Baek Ok-gak directly intervened, calling it a misunderstanding.
Only after about four days had passed could Dokgo Myeong finally sit face to face with Dokgo Jo-hak.
“….”
“….”
Dokgo Jo-hak regarded Dokgo Myeong with a somewhat bewildered expression.
‘Why does this fellow look like that?’
Glancing at Dokgo Myeong, I saw dark circles under his eyes and his complexion was dull.
I was the one who got beaten, so why does he look like he’s suffering more?
“…What happened?”
“…Four days and nights.”
“Hm?”
“For four days and nights… without sleep, under Father’s watchful eye, I copied the Thirteen Classics. Have you ever tried that?”
Father? You mean Dokgo Wi-hak, my brother?
And copying the Thirteen Classics?
‘That’s rather daunting.’
It’s beyond daunting—it’s something I’d rather avoid altogether.
Copying the Thirteen Classics under Dokgo Wi-hak’s watchful gaze….
Dokgo Myeong closed his eyes tightly, then opened them.
“Sometimes….”
Dokgo Myeong’s gaze fixed on empty space, hollow and distant.
“Not asking can be a form of consideration.”
“Ah… yes, that’s right. I understand.”
Dokgo Jo-hak found himself nodding unconsciously, swept up by that melancholic momentum.
“By the way, have you spoken sufficiently with your family?”
“….”
Dokgo Jo-hak let out a hollow laugh.
“What’s there to be sufficient about? I simply need to beg with every fiber of my being.”
He spoke words he would never have uttered before, yet his expression remained serene.
“I say it again—it’s thanks to you for breaking through my stubbornness. You had no reason to go this far for me… I’m grateful.”
“Just with words?”
“What?”
“I heard that genuine gratitude is expressed with a heavy hand….”
“….”
Can this bastard never let a moment be warm?
‘If I’m being coldly realistic, haven’t I suffered and lost more at his hands?’
When had he ever done something wrong enough to deserve such a beating?
Surge!
Dokgo Jo-hak felt anger suddenly welling up again from deep within his chest.
“And besides, according to my aunt, family should naturally do these things.”
Dokgo Jo-hak’s expression wavered.
A moment later, Dokgo Myeong chuckled softly and spoke.
“Let’s leave this conversation here and move on to the main matter.”
“Yes, let’s do that.”
Dokgo Jo-hak’s expression shifted.
“I hear you came to the Main Sect on business.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“I can roughly guess what you’ll demand.”
Dokgo Jo-hak shook his head.
“But I won’t be joining your faction.”
“Pardon?”
“Thanks to you, I’ve come to my senses. So now I intend to stop running and fight instead. Whether I succeed or fail, as a martial artist and Sect Leader….”
“I think you’re misunderstanding something.”
“What?”
“When a typhoon is coming, no one fights just because they’ve come to their senses.”
“A typhoon?”
“Do you truly believe you can survive between the Outer Sect and the Elder Council with your current power? Think realistically.”
Dokgo Jo-hak furrowed his brow.
“You were the one who told me not to run away.”
“Yes, and that’s why I’m offering you a chance to fight.”
“What?”
Dokgo Myeong spoke to the bewildered Dokgo Jo-hak.
“From now on, I’ll make you a simple proposal. If you accept it, you’ll at least be able to become a carriage driver.”
“…!”

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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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