The God of Death and the God of War - Chapter 68

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Evil Hegemon Martial God

 

Chapter 68

 

A vast lake where the horizon could be seen.

 

At first glance, one might easily think it was the sea due to its wide and expansive nature, but this was definitely a lake.

 

The largest freshwater lake in the Central Plains, Poyangho.

 

Befitting its vast size, Poyangho was mostly filled with small boats or slightly larger fishing vessels.

 

However, luxurious nuseon (large ships with pavilions) that one might see on the Janggang were also occasionally visible.

 

As luxurious as the nuseon were, it was natural that those who could board them were strictly limited.

 

Wealthy households like large landowners or great merchants, or aristocratic classes who had accumulated wealth while wielding power for generations, would use such nuseon.

 

“Haha, sir, please have a drink.”

 

“Then you must accept my cup as well. I’ll pour for you too!”

 

They enjoyed the refined atmosphere while toasting each other, boasting about their wealth and leisure as they chattered about fishing for time.

 

Their plump faces were greasy and shiny, and their beards were heavily stained with food remnants.

 

Due to their intoxication, they laughed, chattered, and enjoyed themselves without knowing how unsightly their appearance was.

 

“Have you heard? There was quite a commotion in Tongseong County this time!”

 

Even aristocrats, landowners, and wealthy merchants couldn’t be completely unrelated to martial arts affairs.

 

Since those sword-wielding monkeys could cause trouble at any time and in any way, it was only human to keep an eye on such martial artists.

 

“Is that so? Isn’t that where the Martial Arts Alliance is? That huge coalition?”

 

“I heard that Martial Arts Alliance was completely annihilated. Rumors are spreading that they were utterly defeated.”

 

“The Martial Arts Alliance? Isn’t that the largest force in the martial world?”

 

“Who was it… Jeok something. Ahem, I forgot the name, but anyway, some crazy bastard single-handedly swept through the Martial Arts Alliance’s Tongseong County branch.”

 

“Oh my, isn’t that a big problem? I heard the Martial Arts Alliance was part of Baekdo and maintained certain principles…”

 

When someone expressed concern despite their face being flushed from alcohol.

 

“Haha, what is there to worry about? No matter how much those bastards rampage, if Dodeok Eoreun who leads the Golden Armored Guard or Dongchang Jedok steps forward, they’ll run away like mongrels!”

 

One person boasted as if he himself were part of the imperial family.

 

“Ah, is that so?”

 

“Of course. No matter how much those ruffians babble about the Martial Arts Alliance or whatever, they’re powerless before the imperial family’s solemn might.”

 

“Ooh, the imperial family indeed!”

 

The aristocrats who knew nothing about Gangho martial arts raised their cups again and chattered, regardless of the facts.

 

“Those martial artists seem to create chaos every day. It would be good to capture them all and lock them up to teach them a lesson.”

 

“His Majesty is merciful, so he leaves them be…”

 

“I don’t understand this non-interference between officials and martial artists at all. What kind of fictional world are they living in? All land belongs to His Majesty.”

 

“Puhaha, that’s why they call themselves Gangho people. Foolish bastards!”

 

The aristocrats loudly mocked and ridiculed the martial artists.

 

Even the guards protecting them clicked their tongues inwardly upon hearing such nonsensical words.

 

If there had been any Sapa martial artists nearby, it wouldn’t have been strange for heads to fly immediately due to such reckless words.

 

They were simply categorizing the distinction between righteous and evil as good and evil.

 

‘Thank heavens we’re on a boat with no one else around.’

 

…But no one there knew.

 

That the very subject of their conversation was right beside them.

 

Crunch crunch!

 

“Wow, these bastards really brought expensive and delicious stuff.”

 

Delicious, so delicious!

 

Jeok-un continuously exclaimed in admiration as he stuffed the food and alcohol stolen from the banquet into his mouth.

 

Jeok-un had set up his spot in a secluded corner of the nuseon where few people came.

 

Since many high-ranking officials boarded, thorough inspections were conducted before and after boarding, but no one knew.

 

Neither that Jeok-un had secretly boarded the nuseon, nor that he had stolen the banquet food the cooks had prepared.

 

Jeok-un had one reason for boarding this nuseon.

 

Of course, it certainly wasn’t for his current feast.

 

It was because crossing Payang Lake with the small boat he had used to go to Extreme Bliss Island would have been difficult.

 

That’s why he had secretly hidden aboard a large ship like this nuseon.

 

‘It’s definitely not because I got separated from that slave who rows the oar, no, that Jang fellow.’

 

After the battle with the Martial Arts Alliance, straight to Heukpaesong’s Extreme Bliss Island branch.

 

Due to continuous battles without rest, Jeok-un hadn’t even had time to catch his breath comfortably.

 

Needless to say, he hadn’t had time to eat.

 

That’s why after successfully sneaking aboard the nuseon, he was satisfying his hunger as the ship departed.

 

After greedily stuffing food into his mouth for a while, Jeok-un finished his meal with a refreshing burp.

 

“Phew, now I feel like I can live.”

 

He would have liked to lie down, stretch out his legs, and sleep comfortably.

 

“Mmm, but I still have work to do.”

 

Jeok-un muttered as he raised his stiff body.

 

The black water surface came into view beside the ship’s window.

 

To think this is a lake, it’s unbelievable.

 

No matter how I look at it, it seems like the sea.

 

‘Nature truly is…’

 

It feels overwhelming.

 

Jeok-un silently gazed at Poyangho.

 

Water flowing in from Gonggang, Singang, Muha and others formed the current Poyangho.

 

It truly deserved to be called the largest freshwater lake in the Central Plains.

 

‘Bai Juyi wrote poetry while watching the sunset, didn’t he.’

 

(The reflected sunset light makes the lakeside warm and bright again).

 

The reflected sunset light makes the lakeside warm and bright again.

 

But now it was deep night.

 

The sunset had long since disappeared.

 

Instead, what occupied its place was a brilliantly bright full moon.

 

‘Then it would be a reflected moon rather than reflected light, yes.’

 

The lake water below was black and dark like a deep abyss.

 

But looking at the distant riverside, the brilliant moonlight could be seen shimmering and glimmering as it broke apart.

 

Payang Lake.

 

This vast and large lake, where a great naval battle that determined the founding of the Ming dynasty was fought in the past, holds countless secrets and legends.

 

‘No one would know that a divine artifact sleeps here.’

 

Jeok-un planned to retrieve the divine artifact as quickly as possible and return.

 

Even at this very moment.

 

It was obvious that either the Martial Arts Alliance or Heukpaesong, or both, were organizing recapture forces and rushing to Tongseong County.

 

Recalling this fact, Jeok-un unconsciously licked his lips.

 

‘I hope stronger guys will come.’

 

Tang Meng and Seo Do-yeom were too easy opponents from Jeok-un’s perspective.

 

So easy that calling them enemies seemed disrespectful.

 

So Jeok-un earnestly hoped that whoever came as reinforcements would be much stronger opponents.

 

Woong-!

 

It was then.

 

“-!”

 

Swoosh!

 

Through the black surroundings, between the gaps of river water that occasionally surged and rose.

 

Something stimulated Jeok-un’s senses.

 

Woong!

 

Wooong!

 

At the same time, as if planned, Il-cheon and Wol-ha in his embrace began to resonate.

 

“Yes, you seem happy to see it too.”

 

Jeok-un’s lips curled upward.

 

In the middle of that deep and dark Poyangho, so eerie just to look at.

 

His divine object lay sleeping.

 

“Well then, shall we go?”

 

Jeok-un lightly loosened his neck.

 

Swoosh!

 

Without hesitation, he launched his body toward the middle of the night lake.

 

…Splash!

 

Whoooosh-!

 

Though a person had fallen into the water, with the fierce wind beating against their ears and the noise of the pleasure boats cutting through the water, no one noticed that Jeok-un had thrown himself into the lake.

 

* * *

 

As soon as he entered the lake, Jeok-un held his breath and dove in.

 

In the pitch-black night, underwater in the lake, he couldn’t see even an inch ahead.

 

However, within those dark currents.

 

‘There it is.’

 

Jeok-un concentrated energy in both eyes as he pushed through the fierce currents of the lake.

 

Something faint could be felt in the distance.

 

Jeok-un sharpened his energy sense to its usual sensitivity as he moved steadily toward that ‘something.’

 

‘It’s becoming clearer the closer I get.’

 

With each stroke, the energy sensation he felt became increasingly distinct.

 

It wouldn’t be long now.

 

Jeok-un was certain.

 

An ordinary person wouldn’t be able to see it even if they looked.

 

Only a martial artist of at least Hwagyeong level pouring out their full energy could detect that strange power.

 

Jeok-un felt himself getting closer and closer to something ‘twisted.’

 

‘Right, this is the first time since my regression. Entering a rift…’

 

The first time, when he obtained Il-cheon and Wol-ha, it was simple.

 

They had just been lying quietly at the bottom of the river.

 

But not all divine weapons waited so obediently for their master to appear.

 

The other Paegunjichinggi, excluding Il-cheon and Wol-ha, existed within that twisted space, as he could see now.

 

However, this wasn’t a characteristic unique to the Paegunjichinggi.

 

Divine Objects, Ominous Objects, Divine Techniques, Demonic Techniques, Spiritual Entities, Evil Spirits.

 

Those things so powerful it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they shook the balance of heaven and earth literally twisted the natural order of the world.

 

And they created demonic realms that remained in Gangho as legends or fearsome ghost stories.

 

But they were definitely real, and they hid themselves within these realms.

 

Places filled with all manner of strange phenomena different from the mortal world.

 

‘Rifts’ were the name for both this phenomenon and these spaces.

 

‘The habitat of disasters, yet also a space of brilliant opportunities.’

 

Though it was an incomparably dangerous space in All Under Heaven.

 

As the saying goes about high risk, high reward, one could also obtain opportunities that would shake All Under Heaven.

 

Therefore, regardless of their skill level, martial artists burned with desire to find rifts.

 

But would opportunities be called opportunities for nothing?

 

Eight or nine times out of ten it was a waste, and even when something was confirmed to exist, it was mostly exaggerated beyond proportion.

 

‘Of course, not in my case.’

 

Hadn’t he come here following his memories from before his regression?

 

“Huu.”

 

Having reached his destination, Jeok-un stopped swimming and quietly looked up at the void above.

 

Before Jeok-un’s eyes.

 

Swirl!

 

As if the character ‘gui’ (turtle) in rift wasn’t used for nothing.

 

A space in the void about the size of a small gate, twisted like dozens of layers of heat shimmer overlapping, resembled a turtle shell pattern.

 

But then.

 

‘Wait-.’

 

Jeok-un’s expression, which had been satisfactorily examining the rift, changed completely.

 

A look of bewilderment appeared on Jeok-un’s face.

 

Swish!

 

There were traces that someone had already entered the rift.

 

‘This is impossible.’

 

These were traces that shouldn’t exist.

 

Because…

 

‘I was the first to enter here five years from now, before my regression.’

 

Jeok-un had come here five years earlier than before his regression.

 

So no one should know about it, and there shouldn’t be any traces of someone entering.

 

In an instant, Jeok-un’s eyes turned coldly serious.

 

Then there was only one thing this could mean.

 

‘Some variable must have occurred due to the actions I’ve taken since my regression.’

 

Something Jeok-un didn’t know about.

 

No, it probably meant some variable had occurred that he couldn’t possibly know about.

 

There was only one way to resolve this.

 

‘I have no choice but to directly confirm who this uninvited guest is.’

 

Swoosh!

 

Jeok-un triggered energy at the Yongcheon acupoints on both soles underwater and launched his body into the void.

 

And.

 

Swirl!

 

The rift moved chaotically and swallowed Jeok-un whole.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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