Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 69

The pale green liquid filling the glass was exceptionally beautiful.

“I’ve named it ‘Green Shade Wine.’ You know, the wine Father used to enjoy making.”

“……”

“It’s strange to think why he never gave such a fine wine a name.”

“……”

“Would you like a glass?”

“Yes.”

Myeong Cheon filled Myeong Woo-San’s glass.

“Hey, San.”

Myeong Woo-San flinched.

It had been a long time since Myeong Cheon had called him by his given name.

Myeong Cheon always tried to keep a clear distinction between public and private matters. Although he didn’t always succeed, he usually avoided using names in official settings.

But now, he had broken that custom.

“Yes, Brother.”

“In my view, you made no mistakes. It was all my fault.”

“……”

“You even tried to prevent my mistakes. If I had listened to you, we wouldn’t have wasted our forces.”

“……No, it’s not.”

Myeong Cheon emptied his glass.

Myeong Woo-San couldn’t bring himself to drink.

“It’s all my fault. Whether the family members are injured, struck by lightning on the road, or accidentally drown in the river, it’s all the responsibility of the family head.”

“……”

“But the role of the chief manager is to share the heavy burden of the family head.”

“Yes, yes.”

“The reason I appointed you, a member of a collateral branch, as chief manager was not for any other reason. Ability? Frankly, there were many more capable people in the direct line.”

“……”

“I liked your sense of responsibility. And I liked your ideology. Even if all the leaders of the family were to die, the dignity of the family head should not be compromised. I felt sincerity in your words. That’s why I entrusted you with the position of chief manager.”

Myeong Cheon picked up the wine bottle.

“It was me who gave the man who was just Myeong Woo-San from a collateral branch the title of chief manager.”

“……I am sorry.”

“For what?”

“……”

“What fault do you have? I am the one who appointed you as chief manager. If there is any fault, it lies with me.”

Myeong Woo-San’s face turned pale.

Myeong Cheon’s face grew colder.

“However, this is a bit of a problem.”

“……”

“Suddenly, many people have become suspicious about the relationship between the Azure Wolf Squad and the main family. Except for the Moyong family, no other forces knew that the Azure Wolf Squad belonged to the main family.”

“……”

“That eldest son of the Yeon family? Yes, he might be an unparalleled genius. He’s amazing for having single-handedly defeated the Azure Wolf Squad. Yes, he could be…”

Bang! Crash!

The table shattered, and the wine bottle and glasses fell to the floor. The bottle and glasses that fell on the floor were smashed to pieces.

“Why couldn’t you stop this rumor?”

“……”

“Isn’t your brother asking you? Why couldn’t you stop it?”

“……I apologize.”

Myeong Cheon’s face flushed red.

He swung a porcelain vase that was placed by the window.

Crash!

Myeong Woo-San’s head was instantly covered in blood.

He didn’t use his inner energy to block the damage. Myeong Woo-San felt a momentary dizziness. But he gritted his teeth and didn’t fall.

“There is such a thing as timing in rumors. Did you really relax without any preparation? As the chief manager, didn’t you consider the slightest possibility that the Azure Wolf Squad could be defeated by Yeon Ho-Jeong?!”

It was like a tiger roaring. Myeong Woo-San felt his mind go blank.

‘Ugh.’

It was terrifying inner energy.

Myeong Cheon had also started learning his ancestors’ martial arts a few days ago. There were no side effects from those who had learned the martial arts.

In those few days, the quantity and quality of his inner energy had greatly increased. He was emitting a perfect aura, as if he had found a missing piece.

Trickle.

Blood flowed from Myeong Woo-San’s nose. The shockwave from the voice had damaged his nasal mucous membrane.

“What have you been doing until now? Instead of just saying you’re sorry, tell me what you’ve done!”

“I…”

Myeong Woo-San bit his lip.

“I was looking for the Dark Assassins.”

Myeong Cheon’s eyes blazed like fire.

“Why? Is it because of your daughter?!!”

“……I will not lie. Of course, it’s also because of my daughter, but it’s also a big problem if they are holding the Dark Assassins captive.”

“Ha! Why? Did you think the Dark Assassins would spill the main family’s secrets?”

“No, that’s not it! The Dark Assassins would rather die than reveal secrets!”

“Then!”

“If Yeon Ho-Jeong appears with the Dark Assassins, it will be obvious that we tried to kill him. That’s why I was looking for them.”

Myeong Cheon’s eyes deepened.

It seemed he hadn’t been just playing around without thinking.

“So, where are the Dark Assassins?”

“I haven’t… found them yet.”

“That’s just great.”

“But, but! I was able to find out who intervened! I also secured evidence!”

Myeong Cheon’s eyes lit up.

“Evidence?”

“Y-yes! The Beggars’ Sect intervened! It’s certain!”

“I know the Beggars’ Sect intervened. But what can you do even if you have evidence?”

“We can pressure them.”

“Where? Surely not the Beggars’ Sect?”

Myeong Woo-San licked his lips. His dry lips were cracked.

“That’s right. The Beggars’ Sect is a large sect that upholds righteousness. To them, righteousness is their top priority. But what they’ve done now is no different from kidnapping and detention.”

Myeong Cheon frowned.

“Do you think you can shake them with such a petty rumor?”

“It’s not about shaking them, but about shaking public opinion.”

“Public opinion?”

“That’s right. Detaining the Dark Assassins is ultimately proof that they committed all these acts with the Yeon family.”

“Hmm.”

“Does it matter how it’s done as long as the result is good? No. The righteous martial world does not operate that way. The Beggars’ Sect, having suffered a fatal blow to their reputation, will surely lose the trust of many.”

Myeong Woo-San’s eyes shone.

“Contact the Dragon Head Chief. Tell him to stop at a reasonable point if he doesn’t want to die with us. The Dragon Head Chief must know which is easier to handle, the main family or the Yeon family.”

It was true.

It was true, but it was not enough. Even if this plan worked, there were still problems.

“In the end, it’s like admitting that we had the Azure Wolf Squad. Over time, the Beggars’ Sect will dig into us.”

“Don’t we have a reliable ally?”

“Moyong?”

“That’s right. The Moyong family’s influence rivals the top of the Seven Great Families, excluding the main family. Unless they intend to turn the righteous martial world into chaos, the Dragon Head Chief wouldn’t dare to interfere in this matter.”

Myeong Cheon scoffed.

“Yes, it would be great if things went as you planned. But it’s all just talk. To make the situation go as you intend, we need an even more certain weapon.”

Something that could shake public opinion, not force.

Something so shocking that it would erase the very incident involving Yeon Ho-Jeong from people’s minds.

At that moment, Myeong Woo-San’s eyes lit up.

“Let’s frame him.”

“Frame him? For what?”

“Instead of making people forget about the incident related to Yeon Ho-Jeong, why not just turn him into a villain?”

This was interesting.

Myeong Cheon smiled inwardly. As expected, people show their true worth when pushed to the limit. Myeong Woo-San was the same.

“If we do it right, we can suppress not only Yeon Ho-Jeong and the Yeon family, but also the Beggars’ Sect.”

“How?”

“Contact the Go Geom Sect in Jiangxi Province and find out about all the major crimes, including murders, that have occurred in the last five years. Then, pin the unsolved cases on Yeon Ho-Jeong.”

It was an enticing idea.

Myeong Cheon subtly asked.

“What if there’s no evidence?”

“It doesn’t matter. As everyone knows, the warriors of the main family are all passionate. We can say that we were planning to detain Yeon Ho-Jeong and then interrogate him using the authority of the Great Assembly. That way, all the past incidents will be buried.”

Myeong Cheon’s face finally showed a pleasant smile.

“That’s good. Very good.”

Even if it was revealed later that it wasn’t true, it didn’t matter. The Myeong family had enough power to cover it up.

If they did it well, they could even gain the support of the common people in Jiangxi Province. It was a clever plan that could gain more by sacrificing a little.

In the end, it was all about justification. If they held onto a strong justification, they could crush the rest of the minor things with the real power of their forces.

That was how the Myeong family had grown, and how countless other sects had grown as well.

At least, that was how the righteous martial world and the traitorous sects had done it.

“There’s no law that says people have to die. Yes, it would have been great if you had done that sooner.”

“I apologize.”

“It’s alright. That plan you just came up with, that alone makes up for all your past mistakes.”

“Thank you.”

“We have no choice but to take the Azure Wolf Squad issue with us, right?”

“That’s unavoidable. Let’s say we were holding them captive under the pretext of reforming the wicked.”

“Okay, let’s do that. Time is short. Hurry.”

“Understood.”

“Ah, and Chief Manager.”

“Yes, what is it?”

Myeong Cheon’s eyes flashed with killing intent.

“Now that we’ve created a plausible justification, shouldn’t we bring in the real Yeon Ho-Jeong this time?”

“……That’s right. Who are you planning to send?”

“He’s a man who defeated seventy of the Azure Wolf Squad. We shouldn’t think of him as a junior anymore.”

Myeong Cheon raised his chin.

“Send my half-brothers from Myeongchi Mountain.”

Myeong Woo-San’s eyes widened.

“Aren’t they supposed to be the vanguard for eliminating the Yeon family?”

“Isn’t Yeon Ho-Jeong not part of the Yeon family?”

“……”

“Send them.”

“Understood.”

Myeong Woo-San’s face brightened as he left the family head’s room.

It was a mixture of the pleasure of surviving and the relief that they could finally capture Yeon Ho-Jeong.

At least, the three of them he knew were the strongest among the collateral branches.

With those three, they could easily capture the heads of the Seven Great Families. Furthermore, they were the first to learn the martial arts of their ancestors.

The odds of winning were one hundred percent.

* * *

Whoosh.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes lit up.

‘It’s done.’

The internal and external injuries he had sustained in the fierce battle with the Azure Wolf Squad ten days ago had completely healed.

It was the result of activating all of the Yeon family’s five great divine arts, including the most stable Byukra Jin Gyeol [Azure Wave True Art], White Tiger Energy, and Black Tortoise Energy. If he hadn’t learned the Four Divine Martial Arts, it would have taken him more than twenty days to recover.

He picked up his axe and left the room.

‘Hmm?’

Yeon Ho-Jeong looked down at his hand holding the spear.

‘This is good?’

Everything, from his muscles to his nerves and joints, was better than before.

The Four Divine Martial Arts were martial arts for the battlefield. The more he fought, the more his growth accelerated. How else could he use the enemy’s killing intent to fuel the Four Divine Energies?

In a short time, he had engaged in countless life-or-death battles where blood and flesh flew. Those battles had fueled the power of the White Tiger and Black Tortoise Energies, and further developed his body.

‘To get stronger, you have no choice but to fight to the death. I can see why my master despised the Four Divine Martial Arts.’

He left his room and went to the training grounds of the manor.

“Young Master Yeon!”

Ga Deuk-Sang came running from afar.

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled.

“You come as if waiting for me to recover. What…”

Yeon Ho-Jeong couldn’t finish his sentence. He could see the urgency on Ga Deuk-Sang’s face.

“It’s a disaster!”

“What happened?”

“The Myeong family has named Young Master Yeon as the criminal in the unsolved cases in Jiangxi Province!”

“What?”

Ga Deuk-Sang told him in detail about the rumors spread by the Myeong family.

“The area around Zhengzhou and Kaifeng is in chaos! The speed at which the rumors are spreading is no joke! It’s enough to bury the rumors we spread!”

“Creating a justification.”

“Wh-what did you say?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes turned cold.

“They’re creating a justification. Since they can’t eliminate this incident, they’re making me the villain to justify sending troops.”

“Damn it! Who doesn’t know that? The problem is the speed at which the rumors are spreading! At this rate, it will spread throughout Henan in three or four days…”

“They’re digging their own graves.”

“……Huh?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong grinned.

“The justification they’re forcibly creating can also become our justification.”

“Wh-what do you mean?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong turned around.

Shin Mo was approaching from afar.

“Chief Shin. Are the Chang-Eung members in good condition?”

“Yes? Ah! Of course.”

“Good, get ready to mobilize within two days.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong casually slung his axe over his shoulder.

“Let’s go see the Myeong family head.”