Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 116

Moyong Yeon-Hwa couldn’t understand the situation.

‘What is going on?’

The branch manager was now defying her. The branch manager, not her uncle, was calling her niece.

Moyong Yeon-Hwa’s eyes slowly became bloodshot.

“Do you know what you’ve just done?”

“……”

“It seems you truly wish to have your head removed according to the family law!”

“Does such a thing as family law even exist?”

“What did you say?!”

Whoooosh.

A chilling aura emanated from Moyong Woo’s body.

Moyong Yeon-Hwa involuntarily took a step back. The energy radiating from Moyong Woo was too intense.

Moyong Woo spoke in a low voice.

“The main family’s laws have long been discarded. And that, regrettably, is because of your father.”

“Wh-what!”

“Originally, family law should be applied fairly to everyone within the family. That is true not only for family law but for all laws under heaven.”

Moyong Woo bit his lip.

His second older brother, the head of the Moyong family, the ruthless tyrant.

Just thinking of Moyong Gun naturally stirred a storm in his heart.

“But the main family’s laws are not like that. Anyone who falls out of favor with the family head is immediately executed. Even those who offer reasonable advice or walk the path of justice are not spared death if they obstruct the path of the family head.”

“You… !”

“That is not family law. It is nothing more than a brutal dictatorship. If only the family head walked the path of justice, it might be different, but that is not what he desires.”

Moyong Woo sighed.

“What my brother desires is not a just world, but merely his own personal glory.”

Moyong Yeon-Hwa gritted her teeth.

“You! Are you insulting the head of the main family!”

“How is it an insult?”

“What?”

“Anyone with proper ideals and a just sense of values would know that I am not criticizing my brother.”

“……!”

“That is what a leader should be. Regardless of ability, they should be able to consider the advice of their subordinates, acknowledge their own shortcomings, and strive to correct them.”

Moyong Woo shook his head.

“Nothing enters my brother’s ears. And now, my words do not enter your ears either. That is not the right path.”

Moyong Yeon-Hwa trembled.

She felt like her eyes were about to flip with rage. At the same time, her mind became cold.

‘Has this guy gone mad?!’

She was the daughter of the family head, a great pillar of the Moyong family.

This man was spouting such nonsense to her, who was favored by the absolute power of the Moyong family. He wouldn’t do that unless he wanted to die.

“You really seem to want to die. You dare to utter such outrageous words.”

Moyong Woo sighed.

“Go back.”

“All the things you said today! They will all be reported to the family head! You are a dead man!”

“I said, go back.”

Moyong Yeon-Hwa shouted.

“Shut up! How dare a mere branch manager order the eldest daughter of the family head! Have you forgotten your place just because you’ve been living in a remote area!”

Moyong Woo’s expression twisted.

“Can’t you come to your senses?!”

Zzzzzzzing!

Moyong Yeon-Hwa’s face went blank.

It was a roar akin to a lion’s roar. The intense inner energy and the fierce emotion that overwhelmed it shook her head.

Shaking her head to regain her senses from the great shock, Moyong Yeon-Hwa looked at Moyong Woo.

‘Gasp!’

Moyong Woo’s gaze was terrifying.

Overwhelming emotions were crashing in like waves. Moyong Yeon-Hwa felt like she couldn’t breathe under the impact of his strong gaze that swept through and pierced everything.

It wasn’t a gaze that could be shown just by having strong inner energy or a high level of martial arts.

It was his capacity.

Moyong Woo’s capacity, his conviction, was burning Moyong Yeon-Hwa. The will of a man who had endured unimaginable suffering, yet had not strayed from the righteous path, was that great.

Furthermore, Moyong Woo was also gradually changing.

Seeing his niece, who had become so twisted, he could see the current state of the family. He gained the courage to face the hellish reality that he had tried so hard to ignore.

He was finally seeing the world. Moyong Yeon-Hwa’s distorted heart and shattered pride, conversely, became an opportunity for Moyong Woo to gather his resolve.

“How did you come to wield a sword! How were you able to learn to read! What is the reason your body and soul were able to come into this world!”

Moyong Woo’s voice gradually became more aggressive. It became clearer.

And it was gradually solidifying into conviction.

“The reason you were able to come into this world is because the Moyong family name stood firm against the storms of the world!”

“……!”

“If you truly care for the family, you should not hesitate to speak out when the family is going down the wrong path! That is why you must cultivate the eyes and heart to judge what is right and wrong!”

Moyong Woo pointed at Moyong Yeon-Hwa.

It was an aggressive action. Moyong Yeon-Hwa flinched involuntarily.

“You have such great talent, yet you cannot discern what is right. You are following your father’s orders, placing a thousand pounds of burden on the shoulders of innocent people. Do you truly think that is right?”

“Ugh!”

“Tell me! Do you truly think that is right? Are you living the life you should be living!”

At that moment, Moyong Yeon-Hwa was struck with a shock as if she had been hit on the back of the head.

She couldn’t hear anything else. But Moyong Woo’s last words pierced her ears and shook her head.

‘The life I should be living?’

Moyong Yeon-Hwa involuntarily questioned herself.

‘Am I living my life?’

Of course. She had never been swayed by anyone else’s words.

She had always been confident. She knew her own abilities, and she bravely stepped out into the world to use them.

‘I am not wrong. I will always live my life as I choose, just like now.’

Moyong Yeon-Hwa, who had been biting her lip, opened her mouth.

“Where did you learn such ridiculous nonsense…”

At that moment, Moyong Yeon-Hwa felt her words catch in her throat.

She realized that Moyong Woo’s strong gaze, which had been fixed on her, was now filled with sorrow.

“I pity you.”

“……What?”

“You didn’t have to live such a life. Yet, you have grown up like this. You have become a puppet controlled by your father.”

“Sh-shut up! I am absolutely not… !”

“Have you ever looked back at yourself, even once? Have you ever even suspected that your life might be wrong?”

Moyong Yeon-Hwa was speechless.

Moyong Woo, who had been looking at her with pity, turned his body towards the window.

“Go back with the Rapid Wind Squad.”

“……”

“I don’t want to argue with you anymore.”

Moyong Yeon-Hwa’s fist trembled.

She spat out as if chewing her words.

“You loser!”

With those words, Moyong Yeon-Hwa left the office.

Moyong Woo didn’t turn back. He just stood with his hands behind his back, looking out the window.

Lee Geon quietly carried Cheon Il-Sang and left the office. He thought that now was not the time to bother Moyong Woo.

Thus, Moyong Woo was left alone.

Sigh.

Moyong Woo, who was looking up at the sky with a troubled face, suddenly realized that the tea was boiling.

Sighing, he lifted the water pot, and then, suddenly overwhelmed by an unknown emotion, he threw the pot in his hand.

Crash!

Hot water and broken porcelain shards scattered everywhere.

Moyong Woo, who had been standing with his head bowed for a long time, opened his mouth.

“Come in.”

The office door opened, and Lee Geon entered. He had been waiting outside the door all along.

“I have a place to go for a while. It might take two or three days, or even four.”

“……”

“Please take care of the branch until then.”

Lee Geon bowed his head.

“Understood.”

Moyong Woo put on a large robe and stopped as he was about to leave the door.

“Lee Geon.”

“Yes, Branch Manager.”

“Do you think I went too far?”

Lee Geon smiled.

“You went far enough.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. So from now on, you shouldn’t cower and should soar high. That way, I can at least get some scraps and survive, right?”

Moyong Woo couldn’t help but chuckle.

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t tell you beforehand. I don’t think I can watch the main family’s aggressive actions any longer.”

Lee Geon burst into hearty laughter.

“I was wondering when you would raise your head. At least the lord this one has chosen should have that much courage.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, it is.”

Moyong Woo, with a much lighter face, nodded.

“I’ll be back.”

“Please return safely.”

* * *

Thud!

“Cough!”

Muk Bi staggered and fell.

Yeon Ho-Jeong shook his fist.

“That makes it seventy-two wins and seventy-two losses, undefeated.”

“Cough, cough!”

“How can you not win even once? Once I block one of your movement techniques, you’re no different from a wooden training dummy.”

Muk Bi said, panting.

“Y-you’re being unfair.”

“What’s unfair, you punk?”

“Where did you learn such ridiculous methods?”

Muk Bi said that Yeon Ho-Jeong was being unfair.

That’s right. Yeon Ho-Jeong’s hand-to-hand combat was unfair.

He would kick stones to attack, throw leaves to distract, and even attack the groin.

It was called unfair, but it was a truly vicious method. It wasn’t just simple hand-to-hand combat, but more like a reckless fighting style.

Yeon Ho-Jeong snorted.

“There is no fair fight in this world. Morality? Manners? Don’t be fooled by such empty words. The one who stands without falling is the truth. It’s a luxury to discuss cleanliness and dirtiness in a fight.”

“Cough!”

“But you definitely have a good sense. You’ve never won, but you’re lasting longer and longer.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong was impressed by Muk Bi’s senses.

Of course, it was he who was pushing him to the point of reacting unconsciously, but most martial artists would not be able to keep up with that intense fight and would be exhausted.

Muk Bi was not like that. He gritted his teeth and endured, and the fight that had ended in just a few exchanges at first had now increased to thirty exchanges.

Of course, Yeon Ho-Jeong had not shown even thirty percent of his true strength.

‘This guy is definitely a prodigy.’

Is this how a king feels when he gets a useful general? Yeon Ho-Jeong inwardly rejoiced.

“Haa, haa. I-I can’t do any more today.”

“Already giving up?”

“Do you know how many days it’s been? Why aren’t you doing a preliminary survey?”

“Because it’s fun to beat you up.”

“Ugh.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled and lifted Muk Bi’s upper body.

“It’s hard for you to even get up, so it’s good. It’s an opportunity to train the Hongcheon Energy [a type of internal energy cultivation] instead of the Bowstring Strengthening Method.”

“You’re cruel, so cruel.”

“You have to be cruel to get stronger. You want to get stronger, don’t you?”

Muk Bi, who had been catching his breath for a while, soon sat cross-legged.

The way he sat cross-legged was quite awkward. It was natural since he had been training his inner energy through his meridians [energy channels in the body] his whole life.

After a while.

Whoooosh.

A faint gray aura emanated from Muk Bi’s body.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes deepened.

‘This is even faster.’

His fighting sense was good, but his inner energy manipulation was far superior. He had already mastered the Hongcheon Energy to this extent, even though it had not been long since he had been taught.

‘Get stronger. You have to fly high. That way, you will live, and the people you want to protect will live.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had been protecting Muk Bi for a while, suddenly felt a sharp energy approaching.

‘This energy is?’

He turned his body.

After a while, a man with a gentle impression walked over from the distance.

“You weren’t at your residence. I barely found you.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled.

“You’ve come.”

Moyong Woo said calmly.

“Do you have time?”