Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 106

Yeon Ho-Jeong and Muk Bi moved with incredible speed. The reason for their excessive pace, even when it wasn’t necessary, was entirely due to Yeon Ho-Jeong.

‘Hoo. I’m getting tired too.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong glanced at Muk Bi.

Muk Bi seemed quite relaxed. However, she was leaning slightly against a tree, unlike usual, so she must have been tired.

‘Your legs are shaking too, aren’t they?’

Muk Bi frowned.

‘It’s my first time running for this long. We haven’t rested even once, have we?’

‘That’s how you train.’

‘They say too much is as bad as too little.’

‘You need to know where the limit is to know what’s too much. I’m still far from it.’

Was he being serious?

Muk Bi sensed the sincerity in Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face. Come to think of it, that man had never been unserious when it came to martial arts.

Muk Bi felt a chill run down her spine.

‘He’s really a monster, a monster.’

In Muk Bi’s eyes, a master of footwork, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s footwork was still far from perfect.

However, his learning speed was astonishingly fast. It seemed like he had grasped the most important key points of footwork from the start, but even considering that, it was too fast.

‘At first, he was as slow as a turtle.’

His speed increased with each passing day. At first, every time he pushed off the ground, there was a thud, but now he was as agile and light as a cat.

‘And that internal energy manipulation…’

The better the footwork, the more it seeks maximum efficiency with minimal internal energy.

The footwork Yeon Ho-Jeong had learned was like that. The Yeon family’s best footwork, the Heavenly Soaring Flight, was as high-level as the sword techniques the Yeon family possessed.

‘His mastery isn’t that high. But he’s already showing minimal internal energy usage.’

His mastery of the footwork itself wasn’t outstanding, but with extremely efficient internal energy usage, he had gained both speed and tremendous stamina.

If Yeon Ho-Jeong mastered the Heavenly Soaring Flight, he might even be faster than her.

‘His understanding of Qi [internal energy] is incredibly high.’

Indeed, that was why he had become such a monster at such a young age. He was a person who perfectly fit the description of an ‘inner energy master’.

‘I can’t do this. We don’t have much left, but should we rest for a bit?’

‘Were you not planning to rest?’

‘Your voice is sharp.’

‘I’m hungry.’

They had been running around drinking only water for days, so it was understandable.

Yeon Ho-Jeong untied the bundle tied to the shaft of his Mad Dragon Axe. Inside the bundle were cold rice balls, jerky, and wall-avoidance pills [pills to suppress hunger].

‘Alright, let’s eat.’

The two of them ate their meal with relish. Even though the food was cold, it tasted delicious enough to bring tears to their eyes, as hunger is the best sauce.

Once they had eaten their fill, Muk Bi asked,

‘Are you going to see Ji-Pyeong too?’

‘Huh? Ji-Pyeong?’

‘Yes.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong blinked.

‘See Ji-Pyeong? What do you mean?’

‘He’s in Zhejiang, isn’t he?’

‘Oh? Was he?’

‘Didn’t you know?’

‘I didn’t. I heard my father sent him with the Flying Eagle Unit to someone he knew…’

Muk Bi felt dumbfounded by Yeon Ho-Jeong’s indifference.

‘Somewhere in Zhejiang… I heard it was some mountain.’

‘Mogan Mountain?’

‘Ah, that’s right. Mogan Mountain, he said he was going there.’

Interest sparked on Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face.

‘Mogan Mountain… it’s not far.’

Moyong Woo was in Shaoxing, further south. Zhejiang Shaoxing was the headquarters of the Moyong family’s Zhejiang branch.

‘It’s closer from here.’

If they moved west along the mountain path from their current location, they would reach Mogan Mountain.

Yeon Ho-Jeong shook his head.

‘He must have been sent there for a reason. We should just focus on our work.’

‘I see.’

‘Why? Do you want to see Ji-Pyeong?’

Muk Bi smiled, which was rare for her.

‘He’s cute.’

Over the past two months, Muk Bi and Yeon Ji-Pyeong had become quite close. This was entirely due to Yeon Ji-Pyeong’s sociability.

Now, the two were almost like siblings. Muk Bi had even helped Yeon Ji-Pyeong with his footwork.

Muk Bi found Yeon Wi intimidating. Naturally, it took a lot of courage for her to help Yeon Ji-Pyeong with his footwork, which Yeon Wi was directly teaching.

It was a testament to how much she cared for Yeon Ji-Pyeong.

‘Well, let’s stop by when we go back after finishing our work. If we can see him then, let’s go together.’

‘Shall we?’

‘Yeah.’

‘…Hehe.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong made a strange face, as if he had seen something he shouldn’t have.

‘What’s with that seductive smile?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Did you learn that from Ji-Pyeong?’

‘…’

‘Ji-Pyeong looks cute when he smiles.’

He meant that no matter how she smiled, she wouldn’t look cute. Muk Bi felt the urge to punch Yeon Ho-Jeong.

‘If you wake up with a hole in your head, know that it was me.’

‘If I have a hole in my head, would I even be able to think?’

‘Just know that it was me.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong chuckled.

Muk Bi was not the Muk Bi he knew from the past. Seeing her different from the past made him want to joke around.

But that was only for a moment.

‘We’ve rested, shall we get going?’

‘Already?’

‘We don’t have much left. If we go for about half a day more, we’ll be in Hangzhou. I’ve contacted the Beggars’ Sect, so they should have secured a good place for us to stay.’

Muk Bi grumbled, rubbing her thighs.

‘We’ll rest for a long time when we arrive, right?’

‘Yeah.’

‘Okay. Let’s go then.’

Thud!

The two of them used their footwork again.

Half a day later, they were able to enter Hangzhou.

‘…!’

Muk Bi’s mouth dropped open.

Yeon Ho-Jeong nudged her shoulder.

‘Why are you so spaced out?’

‘Oh, it’s amazing!’

Hangzhou was beautiful.

It was like that even from afar, but once they entered, the atmosphere of the city of Hangzhou overwhelmed them. There were so many people that it was difficult to walk even at sunset.

When there are many people on the street, it should be stuffy and noisy, but even the hustle and bustle became a charm. Muk Bi was completely immersed in the mystery of Hangzhou.

‘You said you didn’t like crowds.’

‘Wow…’

‘Wipe the drool off your chin.’

‘Sip.’

‘Stop being so dramatic and let’s go to the inn.’

‘I, inn?’

‘What? Aren’t you going?’

‘No, I’m going.’

She wanted to rest, but she also wanted to soak in this atmosphere more. Hangzhou had a magic that made one forget even fatigue.

Shortly after, the two arrived at a place where a huge building stood.

Muk Bi looked like her soul was about to escape.

On the other hand, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s expression was strange.

‘Lake Fresh Delights Restaurant. So this is it?’

It was a famous landmark of Hangzhou, built over a hundred years ago.

However, it was a restaurant that Yeon Ho-Jeong had never seen before.

‘So this is what it looked like.’

When he visited Hangzhou during the Black Demon Emperor era, Lake Fresh Delights Restaurant did not exist. It had collapsed due to a massive bloodbath.

He was seeing the best restaurant in Hangzhou, which he had not seen in the past, by returning to an even earlier past.

‘…’

The reason this restaurant was memorable was because of ‘that guy’.

One of the Five Great Generals had three wishes. One of them was to stay at the Lake Fresh Delights Restaurant for a year.

He had always sung about how much he wanted to go, but he had come here first.

Yeon Ho-Jeong closed his eyes.

‘Will I be able to meet those guys too?’

He didn’t know. Muk Bi was lucky to have met him like this, but there was no guarantee that the other Five Great Generals would be the same.

The reason was that three of the Five Great Generals were hoodlums from the back alleys of the underworld.

The lives of underworld people were like duckweed. They lived here, then drifted there, and lived there, then returned here again.

‘I should look into it once this is over.’

Their talents were outstanding. It would be better to meet them quickly like Muk Bi, train them, and prepare for the future.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, having finished his thoughts, pulled Muk Bi.

‘Let’s go in.’

‘Yes!’

She was full of energy.

As soon as the two entered, a waiter approached them.

‘Welcome!’

Just like on the streets of Hangzhou, the waiter here didn’t seem to mind Yeon Ho-Jeong and Muk Bi.

Yeon Ho-Jeong was carrying a huge axe, and Muk Bi was carrying a red bow. Although there were many martial artists in the world, such a combination was rare.

Yet, there was no surprise in their eyes as they looked at the two of them.

‘How may I help you?’

‘The Beggars’ Sect, the Hangzhou branch chief, should have reserved two rooms under the name Yeon Ho-Jeong.’

It was then.

‘The Green Mountain Tiger?!’

The bustling first floor of the restaurant suddenly became quiet.

People who were laughing heartily and raising their glasses, people who were intoxicated by delicious food, and people who were quietly drinking tea.

They all looked at Yeon Ho-Jeong.

‘Gasp! That axe is huge!’

‘No, but didn’t someone say that was the Green Mountain Tiger?’

‘The Green Mountain Tiger? Yeon Ho-Jeong?’

‘He’s the eldest son of the Yeon family!’

The sudden silence disappeared as quickly as it had come, and exclamations of surprise poured out from everywhere.

Yeon Ho-Jeong frowned.

‘Good grief.’

There was a limit to not caring about people’s eyes. With nearly two hundred people staring at him with surprised eyes, even he couldn’t help but feel burdened.

The waiter seemed to have noticed Yeon Ho-Jeong’s feelings and bowed his head.

‘I received a message just before the second quarter of the hour. I will guide you.’

He had received a message just before the second quarter of the hour. It meant that they knew as soon as he entered Hangzhou.

Indeed, the eyes of the Beggars’ Sect were incredibly sharp.

The two men and women escaped the eyes of the people and entered the back of the Lake Fresh Restaurant. It was a luxurious space that only VIPs could use.

As soon as they entered their rooms, the two, who had washed up neatly, came out wearing the martial arts uniforms that had been prepared in advance.

A middle-aged man who had been waiting outside bowed his head.

‘I will guide you to the top floor. Please follow me.’

Muk Bi looked at Yeon Ho-Jeong, as if she felt uncomfortable.

Yeon Ho-Jeong coughed.

‘Just accept it.’

As expected of a famous restaurant, it was different in many ways. Muk Bi seemed to be awkward with this kind of treatment.

And so, the two reached the top floor.

‘Oh my!’

Muk Bi’s mouth dropped open.

Yeon Ho-Jeong muttered quietly.

‘It’s decorated with gold.’

It wasn’t actually decorated with gold. But it was so luxurious that those words came out without him realizing it.

Moreover, the scenery visible from the window was truly like a paradise. The West Lake, which was not large but was said to be the best in the Central Plains in terms of beauty, was clearly visible.

‘Jin Yang, I can see why that guy wanted to come here so much.’

Too much splendor was usually burdensome, but this place was not like that.

‘Please sit here.’

The middle-aged man guided the two to a window seat. It was the best seat on the top floor, with the best view of the West Lake.

As Yeon Ho-Jeong sat down, he suddenly noticed that one of the gazes directed at him was quite strange.

There were so many people looking at him that he had thought nothing of it, but this gaze was different. It was a gaze with a strong energy.

He calmly placed his axe to one side and turned his head.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes lit up.

‘Moyong Yeonhwa?!’

Moyong Yeonhwa was seated with about a dozen men and women. They were young people in their twenties and thirties.

‘Why is she here?’

The Lake Fresh Delights Restaurant, especially the top floor, was not a place that could be accessed just because one had a lot of money. It required a reputation that was as good as money.

Of course, Moyong Yeonhwa would naturally be able to go to the top floor. The problem was why she was here now.

Shortly after, Moyong Yeonhwa got up from her seat and approached Yeon Ho-Jeong.

‘I never thought I would see you again here.’

Moyong Yeonhwa wore a bright smile.

‘How long has it been, us?’

…This is a bit dangerous.