Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 197

“Hmm.”

A man with neatly combed, half-gray hair groaned softly.

Four women were diligently massaging his body. They were so focused that their bodies were drenched in sweat.

“That feels much better. I must be getting old; my body isn’t what it used to be.”

The low voice was surprisingly heavy, unlike his slender appearance.

Shudder.

The women trembled slightly.

The man’s voice was peculiar. It was a pleasant low tone, yet it felt like it was sharply digging into the listener’s nerves.

It was as if his voice itself was a martial art, filled with a chilling pressure. It was an aggressive-sounding voice.

“So, the Hall of Return disappeared like that?”

“Yes, sir.”

A middle-aged man in hemp clothes bowed his head before the man.

“They were completely annihilated, with not a single survivor.”

“Tsk.”

The man clicked his tongue.

“They were said to have swept through the outer regions for ten years, but in the end, they were just bandits at heart.”

The Hall of Return was no ordinary bandit group. If they were determined, they could easily wipe out minor sects, and even the strongest of the Nine Great Sects [powerful martial arts organizations] would have to suffer some damage if they planned strategically.

In terms of combat power, there was no reason to belittle them like this. However, the man was qualified to say such things.

The middle-aged man glanced at the man.

The man’s eyes, looking down at him with a languid expression, were extremely indifferent, unlike his aggressive voice.

‘He’s still incredible.’

Woowoowoong.

The inner energy filling his dantian [energy center in the body] instinctively shrank back.

‘His words were right. He’s a powerhouse that can only be matched by the Great Priest of the Order. Are all the Ten Holy Seats of the Heavenly Star like this monster?’

He wasn’t exerting power, nor was he angry.

Just making eye contact felt like invisible chains were binding his limbs.

The innate pressure of a human being, combined with the power of an absolute being who had glimpsed the ultimate realm, was unconsciously radiating out. A commoner who had not cultivated inner energy would not be able to maintain their sanity just by being in the same place.

‘His very existence is a disaster.’

It was a realm that he could not even dream of reaching in his current state.

The middle-aged man spoke carefully.

“It’s true that the Hall of Return was below expectations, but the unit dispatched by the Martial Alliance also seems to have been extraordinary.”

“Was it called the Extermination Army?”

“To be precise, it was two units: the Demon Subjugation Army and the Extermination Army.”

“Demon Subjugation and Extermination. They certainly chose blatant names.”

A small flicker of interest appeared on the face of the man, Tu Wang Yang Cheon.

“Those guys in the Extermination Army, didn’t they crush several black forces not long ago?”

“Yes, sir. The Crimson Flame Society was among them.”

“The Crimson Flame Society.”

Yang Cheon frowned.

“They’re not even worth a meal, but I heard they were a bit much for the kids to handle?”

“That’s right. They’re not strong in martial arts, but they’ll do anything to kill their target. They use forbidden firearms and even take requests from officials.”

“I like that.”

Yang Cheon’s eyes sparkled.

“They kill without discrimination… They don’t care about others and go their own way. It’s a shame that such guys were defeated so easily.”

The middle-aged man swallowed.

‘He’s still the same.’

Yang Cheon was a dangerous man.

The main criteria he used to judge people were not martial arts or intelligence. It was the ‘line.’

He cherished those who could cross the line without hesitation, even if they lacked ability. But he despised those who were rigid, no matter how talented they were.

That was why Yang Cheon had become so strong, and why he had been able to gather the black forces to this extent in such a short time.

“Anyway, now that the Hall of Return is in such a state, those disciples must be sweating bullets.”

The middle-aged man’s eyes gleamed.

“They’ll probably go into hiding again.”

Yang Cheon chuckled.

“I don’t know if they’re being cautious or just cowardly. They need to be bold when the time calls for it if they want to achieve great things. That’s their problem.”

“…”

“Why? Are you upset because they’re from your hometown?”

“How could I be? The moment I pledged to serve you, my soul settled here.”

“Hahaha! You speak well.”

Yang Cheon burst into laughter.

Kugugugung.

The middle-aged man’s face turned pale.

Not only that, but the women who were massaging Yang Cheon’s body suddenly had trouble breathing and fainted.

‘Incredible inner energy!’

His laughter was filled with tremendous power.

The dangerous energy that pierced his ears disrupted his body’s balance and even shook his brain. It even slightly shook the building.

Woowoowoong.

The middle-aged man quickly drew up his inner energy to protect his head and ears.

Yang Cheon, who had stopped laughing, looked down at the middle-aged man. He didn’t even glance at the women who had fallen to the sides.

“Black Sheep.”

“Yes, sir.”

“This morning, I received this letter.”

Sreureuk.

A red letter appeared in Yang Cheon’s hand.

The middle-aged man, Black Sheep’s, eyes trembled.

‘Telekinesis!’

It was the realm of manipulating objects without touching them, using extreme inner energy.

Yang Cheon seemed to have reached the end of that realm. There was no feeling of true energy pushing against the air. It was as if he was manipulating objects with pure will.

It was a realm that could be called supernatural. At that level, he could no longer be called human.

Hoo woong.

The red letter floated and landed in front of Black Sheep.

Black Sheep bowed his head and unfolded the letter.

His eyes widened.

“Isn’t it interesting?”

“… !”

“They say that a hero who represents an era must be born with luck and good fortune, in addition to their own abilities. If that’s the case, then I must also be someone who meets the conditions of a hero.”

A strong heat rose in Black Sheep’s eyes.

“Are you thinking of accepting them?”

“Well? As you know, I don’t want to accept just anyone. If they’re as good as the rumors say, then I should keep them under my command.”

Yang Cheon smiled.

“How about it? Would you like to test them?”

Black Sheep bowed his head.

“I will depart immediately.”

“Good.”

With that, Black Sheep left.

As Black Sheep disappeared, the smile on Yang Cheon’s face also vanished.

“No matter what I do, he won’t become my man.”

Black Sheep was definitely a talent he wanted to keep under his command in terms of ability.

However, he had no loyalty. He had said that he had cut ties with the Order and come to him, but Yang Cheon knew that wasn’t true.

That’s why he had deliberately shown an exaggerated appearance. Black Sheep was a man of the Order. He would report his personality and abilities to the Order.

He wanted to kill him with one punch, but it wasn’t the right time yet.

A languid light appeared on Yang Cheon’s face.

‘There’s no one I can trust.’

He was newly offended by the fact that he couldn’t show a comfortable appearance to someone he could kill with a single finger.

However, Yang Cheon believed that it was something he could endure. Small men are obsessed with what’s in front of them, but great men know how to look to the future.

However, he was starting to get tired.

“Tsk, that’s the problem with the black forces. It’s rare to find someone worth nurturing. If they truly devoted their souls to me, I would give them everything.”

Yang Cheon rose from his seat.

Woowoowoong.

The four women who had fainted floated into the air.

Yang Cheon, with his hands behind his back, entered the hallway, followed by the four women.

* * *

The group, having taken sufficient rest, immediately entered western Hunan.

The journey was much more comfortable than expected. They didn’t bother to move secretly, nor did they pay attention to their surroundings.

Furthermore, Yeon Ho-jeong made an effort to keep the group’s atmosphere light. He joked with everyone and trained with them when necessary.

Ga Deuk-sang was the only one who understood the intention behind Yeon Ho-jeong’s words and actions.

‘He’s trying to make it look natural.’

That’s right.

No matter what anyone said, Yeon Ho-jeong was the leader of the group. Since Yeon Ho-jeong maintained a bright atmosphere, the group’s atmosphere naturally became brighter.

And that effort paid off. By the time they entered Hunan, Dang Sang-ah was also smiling more often.

Ga Deuk-sang smiled.

‘He’s truly an amazing person.’

Whether it was calculation or instinct.

Yeon Ho-jeong knew exactly what role he had to play in each mission.

Even if it was laughing and joking, he did it without any difficulty. He often joked around with close friends, but he was basically a quiet person. Yet, the way he was acting now didn’t feel out of place.

“Is there something on my face?”

“Huh?”

Ga Deuk-sang grinned at Yeon Ho-jeong’s words.

“You’re covered in handsomeness.”

“I know that too, Senior Brother.”

“Our third is too honest.”

“Haha!”

By now, the group had become accustomed to addressing each other by their titles.

It was a change brought about by the atmosphere. It was awkward at first, but the group had come to truly regard each other as fellow disciples.

“By the way, where is Master Uncle?”

Ga Deuk-sang’s eyes sparkled.

Master Uncle referred to Pae Yul.

“Let’s see. We have about two hundred li [approximately 62 miles] left, so if we go at a leisurely pace, we should be able to see him by tomorrow evening.”

“I want to see him soon. Shall we run to train?”

“Our third really loves training.”

Ga Deuk-sang said to Dang Sang-ah and Jeagal Ayeon.

“Shall we run a bit to loosen up?”

“Yes, Senior Brother.”

“Let’s go.”

Tuwoowoong!

The four men and women gracefully used their movement techniques.

The person with the weakest martial arts among the group was Jeagal Ayeon. However, Jeagal Ayeon’s martial arts were quite good for her age, and she was especially skilled in movement techniques, not unlike Dang Sang-ah.

The group, taking turns leading and following, had already covered one hundred and fifty li when Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes suddenly flashed.

‘It’s started.’

He felt a gaze scanning the group.

It was a very subtle gaze. The stealth technique was nothing special, but it was strange, as if they were looking and not looking at the same time.

‘It’s been a while.’

A small smile appeared on Yeon Ho-jeong’s face.

It was a smile that simultaneously conveyed ferocity, longing, a bit of tension, and comfort.

‘It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this kind of gaze.’

It was a completely different way of tailing someone than in the White Martial World [a world of righteous martial artists].

Yeon Ho-jeong was finally able to feel it. He had entered the world he knew, the world full of filth where he had spent half his life.

He hadn’t felt a single bit of longing for that world, but now that he had set foot in it, he felt a sense of nostalgia, as if he had returned home.

But nostalgia was nostalgia, and work was work.

“Senior Sister.”

“Yes?”

Yeon Ho-jeong said calmly.

“There are bugs buzzing around us.”

Dang Sang-ah’s eyes flashed.

“Really? I don’t notice anything?”

“I’m just very sensitive. I’ll tell you the directions, so please take care of them.”

Dang Sang-ah smiled.

“For our third, that’s not difficult at all.”

She had perfectly assimilated into her role. Perhaps she was enjoying the current situation the most.

A subtle murderous intent rose in Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes.

“Shall we start from the rear?”

“Sure.”

“Behind the fourth pine tree on the left rear, the shadow next to the largest rock on the right rear.”

In an instant, Dang Sang-ah’s hands moved like lightning.

Pi pi pi ping! Pubububuk!

The hidden weapons, shot at an invisible speed, created a spray of blood.

Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.

A similar smile appeared on Dang Sang-ah’s face when she saw that chilling smile.

“That was a great skill, Senior Sister.”

“Thank you.”

“Let’s start in earnest. We can’t miss a single one.”

“Don’t worry.”

Pa pa pa pang!

The throwing knives covered all directions like a net.