Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 98

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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 98
“Explain in detail.”
“The Main Sect… or rather, to be precise, the Outer Sect opposed the Main Sect’s intervention.”
“On what grounds?”
Handling matters outside the Main Sect’s walls was the very reason the Outer Sect existed. There was no reason to abandon that responsibility.
Son Tae-im spoke cautiously.
“They drew a formal line, saying it was a matter of how the vassal families and branch families should be handled—something the Main Sect need not involve itself in.”
“That’s absurd reasoning.”
“Why do you think it’s absurd?”
Dokgo Jo-hak interjected naturally.
“Which faction do you think most of the vassal families and branch families who serve the Main Sect support?”
“The Elder Council.”
“You know that much. Still don’t understand?”
The vassal families and branch families were primarily the entrenched interests of the long-established Main Sect.
And Dokgo Hwi-hwa had positioned herself as their spokesperson.
By this point, I could begin to see the broader picture of the situation.
“Surely you don’t believe the Outer Sect made a deal with the Paedobyeon to strike at the Elder Council?”
“That’s how I see it.”
“But the family head must have instructed them not to devour the Main Sect’s flesh… Could it be?”
My eyes widened.
A flicker of interest crossed Dokgo Jo-hak’s gaze as he observed me.
‘He’s already caught on?’
I continued slowly.
“The Paedobyeon will offer their apologies first, claiming it was an impulsive action by their subordinates.”
Once that happens, the sequence of events becomes predictable.
The Paedobyeon will surrender the heads of those responsible and various territorial interests in the surrounding regions.
Dokgo Jo-hak spoke matter-of-factly.
“In exchange, the Paedo Sect Leader will receive assurance that the Main Sect won’t strike from behind. That way, he can focus on his fight with the Jesang Society.”
The Paedo Sect Leader and the Outer Sect Master of the Dokgo Family had made a deal.
The Outer Sect Master gained a two-fold victory, while the Paedo Sect Leader surrendered some territorial interests in exchange for securing his rear.
I shook my head.
“That Wi Mu-jin won’t have aimed for only that.”
“Then what?”
“The ones executed as vicious criminals probably aren’t the real vicious criminals.”
Dokgo Jo-hak’s eyes flickered.
“You’re saying he’ll frame people to eliminate his political rivals?”
“That’s his method.”
At that moment, Son Tae-im furrowed her brow in confusion and asked.
“Surely the Elder Council Leader wouldn’t be unaware of this? Couldn’t the Elder faction simply lodge a protest?”
“It won’t help.”
“Pardon?”
“Once the board is set, there’s nothing we can do about it. We’re just watching with our eyes open while getting our noses cut off.”
“Hah… it’s quite complicated, isn’t it?”
Dokgo Jo-hak quietly observed me as I discussed the matter with Son Tae-im.
‘His eye for reading the situation is remarkable.’
It was the same conclusion I had reached after much deliberation when I first heard the news. Yet he had grasped it all at once.
“Still, the Elder faction won’t stay idle. Having taken a blow, they’ll want to return the favor in kind.”
“It’s about time things got a bit noisier anyway.”
“So, what do you think we should do?”
“Hmm.”
I pondered for a moment, then shook my head.
“Let’s do nothing.”
“What?”
“Actually, this works out well. Now isn’t the time for us to get entangled in such a game. We’ve bought ourselves time to consolidate our internal affairs.”
My eyes gleamed with purpose.
Dokgo Jo-hak nodded and rose from his seat.
“Then I’ll proceed with that understanding. What are your plans in the meantime?”
“I’m thinking of heading out soon.”
“Heading out? To the Gangho?”
I nodded.
“Yes, my work for the family is nearly complete. While those two whales fight it out over there, I intend to fish up some talent.”
“So your Musa Corps, which has had only a single member until now, is finally going to be filled out.”
“That’s correct.”
“The official title of a faction leader is nothing more than the commander of a single Musa Corps. Tsk! At least send word before you go.”
Dokgo Jo-hak delivered his sharp remark and left without even a proper farewell.
I smacked my lips.
“I wonder when that man will ever develop some manners.”
Even as I said it, I couldn’t help but smile.
If he truly had no interest in me, he wouldn’t have told me to send word before leaving.
Son Tae-im laughed awkwardly.
“Still, he is your uncle, after all…”
“Exactly my point!”
My eyes flashed.
“Just because he’s my uncle doesn’t mean I can beat him senseless. He’s the most difficult patient I’ve ever had to treat.”
“…”
“And still no excuse to use? Hmm…”
By “patient,” he probably meant that mouth disease he’d been using as an excuse every time he beat someone up.
‘I knew his taste was off, but surely not with family elders…’
Son Tae-im shuddered for a moment.
“Anyway, what are you doing? Shouldn’t you be getting to work?”
“I….”
Son Tae-im scratched the back of his head.
“Do you have some time?”
“Hm?”
“What I mentioned before. It seems the work is finished now, so would you spare me a moment?”
At Son Tae-im’s words, Dokgo Myeong’s eyes gleamed with interest.
* * *
Dokgo Myeong walked through the streets as the sun dipped toward the horizon, Son Tae-im at his side.
“Where are you taking me?”
“….”
After hesitating for a long while, Son Tae-im spoke with determination.
“Young Master. I know you were planning to cast me out.”
“You’re only realizing that now?”
“Yes, what?”
“Then would I have promoted someone who barged through the door and acted arrogantly from the start?”
“Ah….”
Well, that was a fair point….
Still, shouldn’t I at least make a show of denying it?
‘He really knows how to hurt a person’s feelings!’
Then Dokgo Myeong chuckled softly.
“…Do you still think that way?”
“Based on what I’ve seen?”
Son Tae-im nodded.
“That’s why I want to show you what I do from now on.”
“What?”
Dokgo Myeong asked in confusion, but Son Tae-im spoke with solemn determination.
“Where we’re going is an inn.”
“An inn?”
“It’s where I first learned to work as a child.”
“…?”
“I wanted to show you, Young Master.”
Whether it was the unusually deep crimson of the sunset or the bustle of the marketplace at dusk.
Son Tae-im’s tone felt somehow different from usual.
“Why would you show me that?”
“That’s….”
“Never mind. Yes, let’s go.”
Dokgo Myeong decided to simply follow silently behind him.
The inn they arrived at was… rather, it couldn’t even be called an inn. Only a single dilapidated, weathered building stood empty, devoid of any people.
“Young Master, I think this is the first time I’m telling you this, but I was born a beggar.”
“…?”
“I was the youngest in a gang of beggars famous in this alley.”
Memories of those days consisted of nothing but beatings. Beaten by senior beggars, beaten by peers, beaten by the dumpling shop owner, beaten by martial arts trainees from the neighborhood….
“I came to that inn hoping to finally stop getting beaten.”
“…Beggars don’t touch anyone working at a place that serves food.”
Son Tae-im’s eyes widened.
“How did you know that?”
“Just… you know.”
I had once been a street orphan myself—had I never begged before?
“…In any case, fortunately I had a knack for work and did quite well as a server. But this time, the inn owner was the one beating me.”
The inn owner, being well-fed and well-rested, beat me with brutal efficiency. Because of my beggar origins, I received almost no wages, only shelter and food while working myself to the bone.
“….”
Son Tae-im’s gaze deepened. She seemed to be recalling those days when she worked all day long and was beaten besides.
“Whenever I come to this place, I remember myself from those days as a beggar and server. So after joining the Geumsan Sect, whenever I needed to summon my resolve, I would come here to draw strength.”
Was that truly drawing strength?
To me, it looked more like a prison.
“Did you take revenge?”
“I didn’t. Ironically, the inn owner died from a beating.”
“What?”
Son Tae-im laughed with a slight grin.
“One day, someone fell ill after eating the inn owner’s food. It was the eldest son of Ho-ung Trading Company, the richest establishment on this street. The company owner had people beat the innkeeper to death.”
Son Tae-im’s eyes gleamed.
“And that’s when I realized: to avoid being beaten, you need money!”
Son Tae-im let out a quiet laugh.
From that day on, she gathered the coins she received from customers, learned reading and arithmetic, and entered the trading company to learn business.
“Master. Why did you learn martial arts?”
“What?”
“To live as a human being, I suppose. It’s the same for me. For me, money is martial arts.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“As I mentioned earlier, I wanted to show you who I am.”
Son Tae-im turned her head.
“Surely I’m different from Jeong or Geumsan, am I not?”
“….”
“I know it too. The beginning was never good, so how could I be like them? But now I’m allowing myself some ambition.”
I gazed intently at Son Tae-im.
She continued without waiting for my response.
“There’s another place I want to show you.”
Son Tae-im turned again and led me somewhere.
We arrived at a high-class establishment.
As we climbed toward the top floor without explanation, I asked.
“Where is this?”
“This is where I make my money.”
“What?”
It was just an ordinary inn, yet somehow the man who wasn’t even the owner claimed to earn money here?
“How do you think I make money, sir?”
“By buying and selling goods, I suppose.”
“That would be third-rate mastery in terms of martial skill.”
“…?”
“I’ve only recently come to understand this. Third-rate masters earn money through goods, second-rate through connections, and first-rate through environment.”
“If there’s third-rate, second-rate, and first-rate, then I suppose there’s peak mastery too?”
“Peak mastery… earns money through information.”
Creak!
The largest room on the top floor was already filled with many people.
They paid no attention as Son Tae-im and I entered.
They constantly clinked their cups together, yet not a single one appeared drunk—their eyes gleamed as they exchanged what seemed to be complex matters.
“I heard Sichuan had a poor harvest this year. They seem to need rice.”
“I’ve heard many frontier people have been crossing from the north lately. They say quite rare goods are coming through….”
“Now that you mention it, wasn’t there someone here who frequently traveled the merchant routes to Shaanxi?”
As they spoke among themselves, each poured forth different pieces of information.
‘Is this a gathering of merchants?’
While I stared at them in astonishment, Son Tae-im spoke matter-of-factly.
“Do you know how I make my money?”
“From the information you gather here?”
“Something like that. This year, if I take rice from Honam to Sichuan, I can triple my profit. It’s because of the war with the Paedobyeon. Conversely, Honam has recently been stable thanks to the Main Sect, so luxury goods sell well there.”
Son Tae-im continued without hesitation.
“However, I won’t make my money solely from what I hear in this room.”
“Why not?”
“They are merchants too. If information comes from their mouths, it’s already too late. You can’t make real money from it. In martial terms, that would be shallow technique.”
My eyes widened.
Son Tae-im suddenly appeared different to me. Here, in this inn at this moment, he seemed like a master several steps above myself.
“So the way I make money is this place itself.”
Son Tae-im naturally moved toward a secluded spot where the chaotic drinking gathering was clearly visible.
“Those men sitting there, the one next to him, and over there. They’re all spies planted by the Main Sect.”
“…!”
“I’ll have them spread shallow techniques. Then the merchants will overhear it and create a trend. False information becomes truth, and I’ll profit from it. It’s my own version of supreme technique, you could say.”
With those words, Son Tae-im headed toward the adjacent room.
As if he’d reserved it beforehand, there wasn’t another guest in sight, and the table was already laid with wine and appetizers.
Using the commotion from the next room as accompaniment, Son Tae-im picked up the wine bottle.
“Have a drink.”
Son Tae-im silently filled the cups without further comment.
There was no need for conversation.
We clinked our cups in prolonged silence, yet I felt as though Dokgo Myeong and I had exchanged countless words.
When we had emptied the second bottle of wine.
“I shall now tell you the reason I showed you these things today.”
Son Tae-im finally broke his silence.

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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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