Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 67

Moyong Gun stared at Yeon Ho-Jeong, his eyes like chips of ice.

Yeon Ho-Jeong met his gaze unflinchingly.

After a long, silent standoff, their food and drinks finally arrived.

“Set it on the table,” Moyong Gun commanded.

“Yes, sir,” the waiter replied, his voice trembling as he placed the dishes. It was understandable; a young man covered in blood was sitting right there.

Once the waiter had scurried away, Moyong Gun picked up the wine bottle.

“Have a drink.”

Moyong Gun filled Yeon Ho-Jeong’s glass, then his own.

“Cheers.”

The two men emptied their glasses in one go.

The wine was more bitter than expected. Moyong Gun’s face twisted for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure and said, “That was too fast.”

“What do you mean?”

“Haha, I think our conversation jumped ahead too quickly. Don’t you think so?” Moyong Gun smiled, relaxing his posture.

“Let’s set aside our previous discussion for a moment. So, you’re Yeon Ho-Jeong, right?”

“……”

“I am still the head of a family. I am a swordsman who has made a name for himself in the martial world, and I am also a member of the Seven Great Clans.”

“I know.”

“You asked such a person to come to Hanam.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong shook his head.

“You’re mistaken. I said to come to Hanam if you were willing to join forces with me.”

“Whatever the reason, you summoned me.”

“Is there a problem with that?”

“There’s no problem. It could just be the head of a family and his daughter taking a stroll, and coincidentally meeting the eldest son of the same Seven Great Clans.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes flickered.

Moyong Gun smiled and asked, “Whether we eliminate the Azure Demon or call in Shaolin [a famous Buddhist monastery known for its martial arts], it wouldn’t be too late to clarify our relationship first, would it?”

He was experienced.

Yeon Ho-Jeong had seized control of the atmosphere with his unconventional appearance and words.

However, Moyong Gun was not to be underestimated. He cut off the conversation at the perfect moment and insisted on clarifying things one by one. It was a skillful move to prevent the other party from taking the lead in the conversation.

It was the way a veteran would speak. He was taking the gains without suffering any losses, an attitude more akin to a merchant than a martial artist.

Yeon Ho-Jeong chuckled.

“Pour me another drink.”

“Hmm? Haha, that’s not a problem.”

Moyong Gun refilled his glass.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, after receiving the glass, coughed lightly.

Moyong Gun clicked his tongue.

“Are you alright?”

“My insides are stinging.”

“To drink strong liquor with an injured body, you shouldn’t overdo it just because you’re young.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong shook his head.

“So, are you saying that you still have no intention of joining forces with me, family head?”

“Is that so? We need to see who will take the stakes in this gamble, who will raise the stakes in the next round, and whose hand will win in the final round. Is there any deal that goes through without calculating the odds?”

“I thought there was no need to calculate the odds between us?”

“Even in the most unfair deal, you have to take at least three percent of the stakes. That’s what a deal is.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled.

‘He’s still the same.’

The head of a seasoned powerful family. A veteran supreme master.

Moyong Gun was the same as before. The more urgent the opponent was, the more relaxed he became. He never showed any weakness and used the opponent’s psychology to manipulate the situation to his advantage.

The Sword God Moyong Gun he had seen during the Dark Era and the family head Moyong Gun he was seeing now were the same.

The only difference was that he knew Moyong Gun, but Moyong Gun did not know him.

‘What is it?’

Moyong Gun was inwardly puzzled.

The young man was smiling at him. There was no sign of embarrassment on his face.

‘Is he confident?’

Apart from that, he had never seen anyone so relaxed when facing the head of the mighty Moyong Clan.

Putting everything else aside, his guts were second to none. This kind of guy was bound to cause trouble no matter what he did.

Moyong Gun was finally convinced.

‘There’s no hidden backer helping this guy. He must have written that letter himself.’

Moyong Gun couldn’t help but admire him.

‘Family Head Yeon, you’ve raised your son well.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong opened his mouth.

“To get straight to the point, I have no intention of working with you forever.”

“Hmm?”

“I can applaud your goal-oriented life as you strive for your dreams, but I don’t think others will.”

Moyong Gun’s smile deepened.

On the other hand, his eyes grew cold.

“Why do you think so?”

“What are you referring to?”

“The strongest family under the heavens, and the leader of the martial alliance. These are not words that are easily spoken. I believe there is a reason why you wrote those dangerous and alluring words in your letter.”

“Is it not so?”

“That’s not an answer to my question.”

“There’s no answer to give. I know you’re an ambitious man who dreams of making your family the strongest under the heavens and wants to seize the position of the martial alliance leader. What else is there to answer?”

“……”

“I didn’t put any special meaning into each word of the letter. Please rest assured.”

Moyong Gun’s eyes flashed.

He instinctively realized that Yeon Ho-Jeong was confident.

Even if he scoffed or denied it, he wouldn’t believe it. Why? Because he knew it was true.

So, Moyong Gun readily admitted it.

“How did you know?”

“Are you talking about your ambition, family head?”

“Yes. How did you know that I want to make my family the strongest under the heavens and that I ultimately aspire to become the leader of the martial alliance?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong shook his head.

“Anyone who is the head of one of the Seven Great Clans could dream of that.”

“Since we’ve both revealed our cards, let’s just split the stakes. I’ll ask again. How did you know?”

“Then it seems like this round is my victory?”

“……”

“If you’re curious, you should find out for yourself.”

Moyong Gun, who had been staring at Yeon Ho-Jeong, grinned.

“You’re flawless. I’m impressed.”

“It’s nothing much.”

Moyong Gun filled Yeon Ho-Jeong’s glass.

This time, Yeon Ho-Jeong also filled his glass.

“When you think about it, isn’t it strange?” Moyong Gun said after emptying his glass.

“After receiving your letter, I was quite shocked. No, it’s impossible. It was as if you had looked into my mind, touching not only my thoughts and dreams but also my ambition.”

“I’m honored.”

“Let me ask you one thing.” Moyong Gun leaned forward.

“If I refuse to make a deal, what will you do?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong tilted his head.

“Is there any other way? I’ll have to go on a rampage alone.”

“Go on a rampage alone… against the Myeong Clan?”

“And I’ll have to face the Moyong Clan at the same time.”

Moyong Gun smiled and asked, “How?”

“I heard that the family that dreams of becoming the strongest under the heavens has planted spies in various other clans. In the case of the Yeon family, they not only swallowed up their businesses but also planned to destroy them along with the Myeong Clan, right?”

“……”

“I may end my life in a rather lonely battle, but what about you, family head? With that rumor alone, you’d have to give up on your dream, wouldn’t you?”

Moyong Gun’s smile deepened.

“Are you putting your life and my family’s honor on the scales?”

“You need to put more on it.”

“What?”

“Behind me are the Yeon family and the Beggars’ Union [a large, influential information network]. No matter how great the Moyong Clan’s honor is, do you think it’s worth more than my life, backed by one of the Nine Great Sects and one of the Seven Great Clans?”

“……If it were just you, it would be different, but with two groups supporting you, the Gwangpungsa [a powerful group of martial artists] would certainly be a handful.”

“It seems like this round is also my victory.”

“Hahaha!” Moyong Gun burst into loud laughter.

Moyong Yeon-hwa was startled. She had never seen her father laugh so heartily.

Moyong Gun was genuinely impressed.

“You’re really amazing.”

“You flatter me.”

“It’s not flattery at all. I heard you haven’t even reached adulthood yet, but how did you develop such experience and insight at such a young age?”

“If you live while being pushed around, you’ll naturally become like this.”

“Hahaha.”

Moyong Gun was truly enjoying himself.

He was a man who would use any means necessary to achieve his dreams. If necessary, he was the kind of person who would turn a completely unrelated sect into ashes overnight.

A ruthless personality. However, a person’s character is never simple.

Unexpectedly, Moyong Gun liked Yeon Ho-Jeong. He liked the young man who had confidently defeated him with his extraordinary courage, intelligence, and sharp insight.

He was an attractive rising star. Usually, if someone acted so stiff, he would feel they were arrogant, but he didn’t feel that way at all.

It was like seeing another comrade in arms.

It was as if he had found a friend who had come through the chaotic world and shared similar insights and ideologies.

Moyong Gun smiled and filled Yeon Ho-Jeong’s glass and his own.

He raised his glass and said in a refreshing tone, “Let’s blow away the Myeong Clan.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong also smiled and raised his glass.

“I’m in.”

Clink!

The two men clinked their glasses for the first time.

Moyong Gun, who had emptied his glass in one go, said, “Now that we’ve joined hands, let’s not drag this out.”

“That’s what I wanted.”

“Are you really planning to bring in Shaolin?”

“They are a sect located in the same Hanam. Moreover, with Shaolin’s status, the Myeong Clan won’t dare to raise their heads.”

“That’s true. But if it were me, I’d add one more thing.”

“What are you planning to do?”

Moyong Gun said calmly, “I will secretly convene a temporary martial alliance.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes flashed.

“A temporary martial alliance?”

“That’s right. Shaolin’s power and status are said to be the best under the heavens, but they are not enough. Shaolin is like a god in the clouds. So, they are strong, but at the same time, they can be infinitely weak.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled.

“I have a rough idea of the decisive move that the Moyong Clan has.”

Moyong Gun smiled back. His smile was genuine.

“That’s why it’s easy to talk to smart people.”

“Did you also plant spies in the Myeong Clan?”

“Didn’t you already know that? I thought you had already guessed it from what you said earlier.”

“I guessed, but I wasn’t sure.”

“Ha! I’ve been hit again.”

“I feel full even without eating any snacks.”

“Hahaha!”

Moyong Yeon-hwa’s expression became strange as she watched the two men.

She felt that her father was genuinely enjoying himself. He had acknowledged that the other person was worthy of his level.

‘Is it that much?’

In fact, Moyong Yeon-hwa had not been able to keep up with the two men’s rapid conversation. She could understand it if she thought deeply, but the progress was too fast in that short time.

It was like a conversation between veteran politicians who could see two or three steps ahead.

And she had not yet reached the same level as them.

A small wound was inflicted on Moyong Yeon-hwa’s pride.

“So, when are you planning to start moving?”

“There’s no need to drag it out. You’ve already defeated the Myeong Clan’s assassins, the Cheongbaekmubyeong [a group of assassins], and the Homyungjeon [another group of assassins], and even the Azure Demon. You’ve gathered enough justification.”

“It will take quite some time to convene a temporary martial alliance.”

“It will be faster than you think. The head of the Seven Great Clans has many powers.”

“That’s a relief then.”

“However, it will still take at least a month. In the meantime, how do you plan to survive the Myeong Clan’s clutches?”

It was then.

Yeon Ho-Jeong turned his head towards the window.

“Leave it there.”

Swoosh.

A beggar who had appeared outside the window bowed his head and placed a letter before disappearing.

Yeon Ho-Jeong unfolded the letter.

His eyes flashed.

“……I’m also quite tired. A one-on-one duel would be one thing, but if they come in droves, it will be difficult.”

“Then?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong showed the letter to Moyong Gun.

Moyong Gun’s eyes widened.

“The Myeong Clan is in Gangso Province?”

“I didn’t know either. I thought my father was investigating this part.”

“Haha, it is said that to achieve great things, one must be born with good timing. It may not be that grand, but it’s certainly enough to strike the Myeong Clan.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong stood up from his seat.

“I’ll go rest now.”

Moyong Gun also stood up from his seat.

“You’ve worked hard. Go and get some rest.”

“Yes.”

“And don’t die. If you die, today’s meeting will be meaningless.”

“Don’t worry about that. Even if my whole body is covered with the Tang Clan’s feather needles, I can still survive.”

“Haha! You’re being silly, why feather needles of all things? Hahaha!”

Yeon Ho-Jeong picked up the axe he had placed by the entrance.

“I’ll be going.”

“Farewell.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong turned and opened the door.