Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 239

‘Hmm?’

Hwawon Captain, Won Dong (Monkey Child), tilted his head.

‘What is it? Did something happen?’

He felt strangely uneasy.

Won Dong sighed lightly.

A Hwawon member asked.

“What’s wrong, Captain?”

“It’s nothing. I guess I’ve just been thinking too much lately.”

“Yes?”

Won Dong clicked his tongue.

“It seems our lord has been acting too aggressively lately.”

“C, Captain.”

“I’m just saying. Hey! And let’s be honest, didn’t we both join our lord to make a name for ourselves?”

“…That’s right.”

“But the evaluation of our lord is not good. He’s even being pushed down in the ranks by some young punk. What is this?”

The Hwawon member clicked his tongue.

“It’s not like we can switch sides now.”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

Won Dong sighed deeply.

“Forget it, what’s the point of saying all this? We should just live as we always have.”

“Tsk.”

“Let’s get our heads back in the game. It’s unlikely, but something might happen again.”

“Surely not.”

“Hey, what if something really happens?”

“Speaking of which, honestly, it’s a bit annoying, but the new head of the intelligence department is a master who has broken through the Unbreakable Wall [a term referring to a high level of martial arts mastery]. And our lord’s martial arts are also amazing.”

“That’s true, but.”

“Most importantly, the head of the intelligence department is here as a proxy for the Vice Lord. If you kill the head of the intelligence department, then the Moyong Clan Lord will be making an enemy of the strongest person who is vying for the title of the best in the world. Unless we strike first, it’s unlikely that the Moyong Clan Lord would make a move.”

“…Well, you’re right.”

Won Dong looked at the member with admiration.

“You’re smarter than I thought?”

“Hehe, I just have a knack for thinking on my feet. I heard the Moyong Clan Lord is very smart?”

“So they say.”

“I can think of this much, so I doubt someone like the Moyong Clan Lord would make a mistake.”

“Hmm, but you know.”

“Yes, Captain.”

“What if the Moyong Clan Lord is in a particularly bad mood today… or whatever, what happens if he really causes an accident?”

“What do you mean? Then it’s really….”

That’s when it happened.

Kwaang!

With a loud explosion, a huge door flew into the air.

The member’s eyes widened.

“…It’s war.”

Won Dong whistled.

Peeeeeeek!

No sooner had the sharp sound pierced their ears than the entire Hwawon rushed towards the source of the explosion.

Won Dong shouted.

“Surround the palace… Huh!”

Flash!

A lightning-like flash of light turned his vision white.

And that was the end.

Thud!

Won Dong, his head severed, fell on the spot.

It was a truly merciless quick sword. Although not comparable to Hwawon, Won Dong, who had reached a similar level to the deceased Won Gak, had lost his life in one strike.

And that wasn’t all.

Flash! Flash!

Each time the blue sword light flashed, the bodies of four or five Hwawon members were cut in half horizontally.

“Wh, what is it?!”

“What’s going on!”

“It’s a disaster! Contact the other Zodiac Generals… Keok!”

The lightning-fast and intense sword light turned an area of about ten yards into nothingness.

It was truly an incredible sword energy technique. Under the soundless, flashing, invincible swordsmanship, the Hwawon were annihilated in an instant.

And that wasn’t all.

“Hey! Run away!”

“……”

“Hey, you! Huh!”

Sreuk.

The descent of a grim reaper who brought death without a sound.

There was a terrifying assassin who moved around like an invisible mist, stabbing daggers into the vital points of the Hwawon.

The only remaining Hwawon member, Sa Won (Four Monkeys), muttered in terror.

“Wh, what is going on?!”

Kwaaang!

A fierce explosion echoed.

Sa Won saw a person flying through the air.

“Head of the Intelligence Department!”

Thud!

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had crashed straight into the ground, spat out a mouthful of blood.

Sa Won quickly approached Yeon Ho-Jeong.

“A, are you alright?!”

Yeon Ho-Jeong gritted his teeth and shouted.

“It’s an attack! Bring all the remaining Zodiac Generals!”

“Understood!”

Sa Won turned and shouted.

“It’s an attack!”

The resounding voice was carried over a hundred yards.

At that moment, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s hand blade was swung.

Swish.

Sa Won’s head flew off.

“You.”

Moyong Gun, who had appeared in front of the now annihilated Hwawon, had a face as crumpled as a piece of paper.

“What in the world are you doing?”

“Kyak! Ptoo!”

“Why didn’t you kill him before he shouted?”

“Would it have changed anything?”

“What?”

Papapapang!

Four masters rushed in from all directions at terrifying speed. And about three hundred warriors followed behind them.

“Head of the Intelligence Department!”

“Are you alright!”

Yeon Ho-Jeong glared at Moyong Gun and shouted.

“Kill Moyong Clan Lord! He launched a surprise attack!”

Moyong Gun’s face contorted.

‘This bastard!’

In any case, things had to proceed this way. He had to kill Yeon Ho-Jeong, and then call in all the working group members and fake their deaths to escape safely.

But even within the same flow, a small action could make things easier or harder.

‘Why is he unnecessarily escalating things?!’

At that moment, Hwan Sa approached Yeon Ho-Jeong.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, kill him quickly! He’s much stronger than expected!”

The Hwawon had already been annihilated, and even the head of the intelligence department had spat out blood. This was not the time to worry about the situation.

Hwan Sa shouted.

“Everyone, kill Moyong Gun! I will take care of the Head of the Intelligence Department!”

Hwaaaaaak!

Cheong Ho, Su Ryong, and Gwang Gyeon simultaneously unleashed their killing intent.

Moyong Gun, who was about to swing his sword, flinched for a moment.

‘These guys.’

The killing intent they were emitting was not ordinary.

Their individual martial power was clearly below his, but the combined force of the three was pouring down on him, making it impossible to ignore.

Kwaang!

Cheong Ho unleashed his inner energy to the limit with a powerful stance.

Crack! Crack!

Eerie sounds echoed from his joints.

Cheong Ho opened his mouth wide.

Kuhuhuhuhung!!

It was a chillingly loud and intense roar. It was twice as loud and ten times more intimidating than the roar of an actual tiger, a sonic attack.

Hwaaaak!

And that wasn’t all. Su Ryong and Gwang Gyeon were also emitting much more powerful energy than usual, and their power was so great that it wouldn’t be strange to call it the power of a master who had broken through the Unbreakable Wall.

Moyong Gun’s face hardened.

‘What are these guys?!’

When they had appeared, they were just annoying, but in an instant, they had become difficult to deal with.

A change that was unbelievable even when seen with his own eyes, this was the ultimate trump card of those chosen among the Zodiac Generals.

Yeon Ho-Jeong shouted again.

“Moyong Clan’s forces are hiding on the west riverbank! The remaining forces, deal with them!”

Moyong Gun was genuinely flustered.

“You!”

Yeon Ho-Jeong didn’t give Moyong Gun a chance to speak.

“What are you doing! Attack now!”

“Understood!”

Cheong Ho, Su Ryong, and Gwang Gyeon charged at Moyong Gun simultaneously.

And that wasn’t all. The forces under the four men moved west as Yeon Ho-Jeong had ordered.

Numerous masters were entangled. It was truly a chaotic mess.

“Kkeueung.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong gritted his teeth and grabbed his side.

Hwan Sa asked urgently.

“Head of the Intelligence Department! Are you alright?”

“Senior, please take me away from the main battle for a moment. I was hit by a penetration strike.”

“Huh!”

If you were hit properly by a penetration strike, your internal organs would be damaged, and in severe cases, you could die in one blow.

Hwan Sa quickly picked up Yeon Ho-Jeong. Although he was new, he had seen Yeon Ho-Jeong’s excellence firsthand. He couldn’t let such a person die.

That’s when it happened.

Flash! Kwaaaang!

Hwan Sa and Yeon Ho-Jeong’s bodies were lifted into the air.

‘This!’

Looking back, the ground was caved in. Judging by the location, it seemed like an explosion had occurred from a sword strike that Moyong Gun had launched.

‘That bastard.’

Unlike Hwan Sa, who quickly regained his balance, Yeon Ho-Jeong fell to the ground weakly.

Thud!

Hwan Sa’s face turned pale.

No matter how skilled a master was, if they fell from a height of three yards without any preparation, their bones would be damaged. Moreover, the head of the intelligence department was already injured internally.

“Head of the Intelligence Department!”

Hwan Sa quickly approached Yeon Ho-Jeong.

That’s when it happened.

“Cough! You, come here!”

Yeon Ho-Jeong spat out blood again and called out to one of the masters heading west.

Hwan Sa asked urgently.

“Head of the Intelligence Department! Are you alright?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong said with a pale face.

“At least one person must survive to report this situation to the department!”

“Yes!”

“But it’s not me or you.”

“Yes?”

In an instant, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s hand twisted like a snake.

Thud!

‘Huh!’

Hwan Sa’s mouth dropped open.

In his slowly fading consciousness, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s gentle voice echoed in his ears.

“Thank you for everything.”

Hwan Sa felt a surge of emotion.

‘Head of the Intelligence Department! No…!’

Sreuk.

Hwan Sa collapsed.

“Carry Senior Hwan Sa and return to the department! Quickly!”

“Yes, yes!”

With that, the warrior carrying Hwan Sa on his back quickly moved away.

Immediately, the color returned to Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face.

He looked around.

‘Good.’

The life-or-death battle between Moyong Gun and the three Zodiac Generals.

And the three hundred masters heading west in the distance.

‘Where is that guy who was working under Moyong Gun?’

Yeon Ho-Jeong was certain of Mu Yeon’s existence.

Woo woong.

The Black Tortoise energy rose, increasing the humidity in all directions.

‘…!’

He was quite lucky. A presence moving like a wave was captured by the Black Tortoise energy.

Mu Yeon, who was moving two yards to the right of Yeon Ho-Jeong, was heading west in an instant. He was going to support the Moyong Clan’s forces.

Woo woong.

The Azure Dragon energy surged from Yeon Ho-Jeong’s body.

Hwaaaak.

The liver’s ability was activated, and the internal injuries he had forcibly sustained were rapidly recovering.

‘Now, no eyes are on me.’

Paahak!

The moment a flash of fire seemed to flicker, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s body moved like a ray of light.

It was a movement that broke away from the main battle in an instant. The exploding Vermilion Bird energy was madly heating his heart.

‘Moyong Gun.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong, breaking through the air with a speed faster than anyone else.

‘The mission is a success. If I can just escape properly.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled.

‘But, I can’t miss this golden opportunity. Not only you, but the momentum of the Mukryong Division also needs to be broken.’

With that, Yeon Ho-Jeong disappeared like a ray of light. The place he was heading was a street in Jangsa where the working group was moving.

Kwaaaang!

With a heavy sword strike, Cheong Ho, Su Ryong, and Gwang Gyeon were all thrown back.

‘This guy.’

Moyong Gun couldn’t concentrate on the fight.

‘What in the world is he planning?!’

It was clear that Yeon Ho-Jeong was up to something. He wanted to find out immediately, but the situation was too urgent.

His anger had reached its peak, but he couldn’t just slash at Yeon Ho-Jeong. After all, he was the commander of this mission, and it was his job to ensure the safe return of all the working group members.

‘But why?!’

If they had just stayed still, they could have returned safely, so why did he create such a mess?!

At that moment, Cheong Ho’s face turned pale.

“Huh!”

Thud!

Gwang Gyeon, who had been thrown back again by Moyong Gun’s sword strike, spat out blood and asked.

“Damn it! What’s wrong?!”

Cheong Ho’s eyes were bloodshot.

“Moyong Gun, you bastard!”

He gritted his teeth and shouted.

“Emergency report! The headquarters has been attacked by Moyong Clan’s forces!”

“……!!”

Moyong Gun’s face turned pale.