Chapter 139
Chapter 139
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 139
Chapter Title: Connection with the First Hero Geuk Chalra
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Martial God (139)
Connection with the First Hero Geuk Chalra
Ak Muyoo's head turned slowly.
His gaze locked precisely on Hami's face.
"Again."
Ak Muyoo said.
"What?"
Hami asked.
"Say again what you just said."
"What did I just say?"
"Life-Death Society Leader's blood brother..."
"That the Life-Death Society Leader's blood brother is Jam Sa?"
"You're sure?"
"My memory is excellent. It's been over ten years, but I remember it clearly. He definitely said the Life-Death Society Leader Hoe Ong's blood brother is Jam Sa."
"I see..."
Ak Muyoo silently turned his gaze to the window. The hand resting on the table clenched with unconscious force.
—Baby...
—Mom...
—My baby. Is anyone there? Please, anyone?
—Mommy.
—Anyone? Please save my baby. Please...
"Uh..."
Hami, who had been watching Ak Muyoo, widened her eyes.
The inside of his clenched fist was slowly turning red. His nails dug into his flesh, blood trickling out. Ak Muyoo seemed oblivious.
At the same time, an immense energy poured from Ak Muyoo's body. It was a vicious killing intent so overwhelming it made breathing difficult—the kind called heavenly slaughter.
—General.
Hami called to Ara.
—Leave him be.
Ara also saw the blood flowing from Ak Muyoo's hand. But she remained still. She didn't know the exact reason for his rage. Or rather, she could guess.
The scar on his heart.
The words about being taken hostage.
Whenever it was, that day he must have gotten the scar on his heart, and his mother had died.
Since he said he couldn't remember her face, it must have happened when he was just a newborn.
Ak Muyoo slowly opened his palm.
Then he wiped the blood on the table.
"Military Advisor Im."
A heavy, sunken voice emerged.
"Yes, my lord."
Im Chung stood across from Ak Muyoo.
"To attack the White Five Union, how should we proceed?"
"Subdue the Black Snake Alliance Leader."
"Not the White Five Union Leader, but the Black Snake Alliance Leader?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"The Black Snake Alliance Leader Tak Tan-ya is the husband Im Nan-hyang, Leader of the White Five Union, loves most."
"So they're married?"
"Yes."
"Children?"
"They have one daughter, fifteen years old."
"With the surname Tak, he's not from the Central Plains, I assume?"
"This is something only I know, but he's a descendant of the Solar Kingdom, which was destroyed a century ago."
"Solar Kingdom?"
"Yes."
"How did it fall?"
"The Solar Kingdom was originally the progenitor of Fierce Sun Solar Heaven, one of the Eight Desolate Turbulent Heavens. The rightful heir became king of the Solar Kingdom, while one of the younger brothers became Lord of Fierce Sun Solar Heaven."
"And then?"
"Fifty years ago, the Solar Kingdom's king had only one child and entrusted Fierce Sun Solar Heaven to a distant relative. That relative is Geuk Chalra, Solar Martial Venerable, ranked first among the Desert Ten Heroes."
"So Geuk Chalra destroyed the Solar Kingdom?"
"I don't know the full details, but that's the story known publicly."
"And that Solar Kingdom descendant is Tak Tan-ya?"
"Yes."
"Arrange a meeting with him."
"When would you like to meet?"
"Tomorrow at lunch."
"Understood."
Im Chung bowed his head.
"Young Dae-u-jak!"
Ak Muyoo called Young Dae-u-jak.
"Yes."
"Come to Ho Rim tonight with the other organization heads."
Ak Muyoo rose from his seat.
"Understood."
Young Dae-u-jak bowed his head.
"Military Advisor Im."
"Yes."
"I'll head there first, so check the finances here with Little Wind and then come."
Checking the finances meant bringing all the money except operating funds to Ho Rim.
"Understood."
The group left the Red Sand Unit and headed to Ho Rim. The Hundred Radiant Demons had returned after finishing their task.
Ak Muyoo looked at Yuk Gu-man.
"The Blood Steps Unit and Iron Bow Unit no longer exist."
"Wiped out?"
"Yes. But we found a prisoner in the Blood Steps Unit's jail."
"A prisoner?"
"Yes."
"Most of them are criminals themselves—does that even make sense?"
Ak Muyoo asked with a baffled expression.
"But one of them is no ordinary person."
"No ordinary?"
"He's Geuk Chalra, Solar Martial Venerable, ranked first among the Desert Ten Heroes."
"..."
Ak Muyoo stared at Yuk Gu-man. His expression said, 'Does it make sense for the top martial artist of the Border Wastelands to be captured by bandits?'
"Well, he's a cripple now."
"Lost his martial arts?"
"Yes."
"Tsk! Where is he now?"
"With the Hundred Radiant Demons."
"Got it."
Ak Muyoo left the Great River Inn and descended. Jab Jong followed in a line behind him. Though they'd been here a few days, this was their first time at Ho Rim. The forest of towering tiger yang trees was serene.
As he walked, his gaze turned to one spot. Though invisible, he sensed a jiangshi woman watching them. He stared there for a moment before entering the house.
"Come on in."
Full Demon Baekjan greeted Ak Muyoo.
"Good work. Discuss it and tell me what martial art you want; I'll write down the manual."
"You're really going to teach us?"
"I told you, they're useless to me. Someone who can learn them should."
"I'll discuss it."
"Where's that person?"
"Who do you mean?"
"The old Geuk."
"He's resting inside."
Full Demon pointed inward. Ak Muyoo entered. There sat an elderly man of considerable build, eating. His hair was white, skin wrinkled, but his eyes were sharp.
The old man tilted his head at Ak Muyoo.
"Do you recognize me?"
Ak Muyoo asked.
"Your face looks familiar... Who might you be?"
"Black Wind."
"Ah! That dying kid from back then..."
"Yes. Thanks to you, elder, I'm alive and well."
"It wasn't my help; you were just lucky. But didn't you say you were a soldier back then?"
"The war's over."
"Then..."
"It's complicated. But what happened to your body?"
Ak Muyoo sat before Geuk Chalra and asked.
"Well..."
Geuk Chalra trailed off.
"If it's hard, no need to say. Even if I knew, I couldn't help anyway. By the way, do you know the Solar Divine Temple opened?"
"I heard."
"Not disappointed?"
"That I gave the Solar Command Tablet to you?"
The one who gave Ak Muyoo the Solar Command Tablet was Geuk Chalra. He hadn't just saved Ak Muyoo from the brink of death; he'd handed over the tablet too.
"Yes."
"To be honest, I didn't bestow fortune on you—I dumped a burden."
"The Solar Command Tablet was a burden?"
"Do you know what the predecessor of our Fierce Sun Solar Heaven was?"
"How would I?"
"Solar Heaven, one of the Absolute Six Heavens."
"I wondered why Solar Heaven left nothing behind, but it left Fierce Sun Solar Heaven."
Ak Muyoo nodded.
"We should have been content with what we had. But we weren't. There's only one Solar Command Tablet, yet we poured everything into finding the Solar Divine Temple, said to hide Solar Heaven's supreme martial arts. We stagnated or regressed, never progressing. Holding a seat among the Eight Desolate Turbulent Heavens was a miracle."
"All because of the Solar Command Tablet?"
"If we hadn't had it, we wouldn't have sought the Solar Divine Temple and would have developed what we had. The Solar Kingdom might not have fallen. We might have become rulers of the Border Wastelands, not just one of the Eight Desolate Turbulent Heavens."
"So that's why you called it a burden."
"Exactly. It gnawed at us. So I gave it to you like discarding it. If I truly wanted to throw it away, I could've tossed it in the desert, but I passed it to you instead."
"Thanks to that, I saved my life once more, so I'm grateful you gave me the Solar Command Tablet."
"You saved your life with it?"
Geuk Chalra asked in surprise.
"I used the Border Wastelands' unwritten rule. That opened the Solar Divine Temple."
"Tell me in detail."
"Well..."
Ak Muyoo explained the situation in some detail.
"So you entered the Solar Divine Temple too?"
"Yes. My martial arts were weak then, so I got caught in a fight and fell into the underground quicksand river. I met him in the cave of the quicksand river."
"Him..."
Geuk Chalra swallowed hard.
"The owner of these arms."
Ak Muyoo extended his hand.
"My god. Th-the Divine Demon Solar Ring!
Geuk Chalra finally recognized the bracelet on Ak Muyoo's wrist.
"Now that you mention it, the clothes you're wearing are the Solar Robe?"
"Without this, I'd have died long ago. It's helped me a lot."
"In the end... Heh! Pfft! Hahaha! Ugh! Hahahahaha!"
Geuk Chalra burst into laughter.
It seemed like relief, but also tinged with regret.
"In the end, I properly passed on the Solar Command Tablet."
"The Solar Divine Temple opened, but I'm not its rightful inheritor."
"You have no dantian?"
"You knew?"
"Truth is, I gave it to you because you had no dantian."
"..."
"Someone without a dantian can't become a martial artist, so why not toss the Solar Command Tablet anywhere?"
"Heh!"
Ak Muyoo chuckled.
"But you became a martial artist, right?"
"My life is there."
"Obsession?"
"Fate."
"From a martial family?"
"I don't know. All I know about myself is my name, Ak Muyoo, and that I was raised by elders called the Central Plains Avoidance Seven Freaks."
"Yet you say it's your martial fate?"
"What I must do requires being a martial artist."
"I see."
"How's your condition?"
"My ruined dantian is recovering."
"I'll recite a manual for you."
Ak Muyoo immediately recited a Solar Heaven martial art manual. It was the Solar Heaven Sword Method, containing both internal arts and forms.
"How's that?"
He asked after reciting.
"It's similar to Fierce Sun Solar Heaven's arts."
"I'll recite it again."
Ak Muyoo repeated until Geuk Chalra memorized it all.
"Do you think my lost internal energy will return?"
Geuk Chalra asked when finished.
"You know the desert proverb, elder: 'An empty camel always finds a rider.'"
"That empty spots get filled?"
"Can you circulate your energy?"
"Yes."
"Try it."
"..."
Geuk Chalra stared at Ak Muyoo, then sat cross-legged and began circulating. At its peak, Ak Muyoo grasped his hand.
Geuk Chalra flinched at the touch.
'Huh?'
He was startled. Something flowed in from Ak Muyoo's hand.
'My god. This is...'
Incredibly, it was extreme yang energy.
It quickly turned into Geuk Chalra's internal energy.
Soon after, Ak Muyoo released his hand and stepped back.
"Fortunately, I could repay the favor of saving my life."
Ak Muyoo made a fist salute toward the circulating Geuk Chalra and left the room.
"What did you do?"
Ara approached and asked.
"Sometimes things work out nicely."
"What do you mean?"
"It means I've repaid one favor."
Ak Muyoo smiled faintly and walked on.