Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 250

The Mukryong Unit and the Special Task Force returned safely. Since this mission was conducted in secret, ordinary warriors didn’t pay much attention to their return. However, the higher-ups were different. They were genuinely pleased with the return of the Special Task Force warriors and were greatly satisfied that they had successfully completed their mission. After all, it was a mission to infiltrate enemy territory with very little prior information and extract internal intelligence. Even sending a top-tier spy would have had a low chance of success, but a few members of the Special Task Force had accomplished it, which was a remarkable feat. Thus, Yeon Ho-jeong and his group returned to the Martial Alliance. The Special Task Force had departed in late summer, transitioning into early autumn, and now, as they returned, a chilling winter wind was blowing at the foot of Daebyeolsan Mountain.

* * *

“You rascal,” Yeon-wi said with a smile. “Were you too busy to send a letter this time too?” It was a joke. It was a relief that they had returned alive without any major issues from an operation site where it was difficult to even send an intelligence document, let alone a letter. Yeon Ho-jeong cheerfully responded to his father’s words, “There were so many annoying bugs, you see. I wrote several times, but the surveillance was too intense, so I couldn’t send them.” “You talk a good game, you rascal.” “Whose son am I?” “Are you hurt anywhere?” “Of course not.” “Good, that’s all that matters.” Yeon-wi strode over and firmly gripped Yeon Ho-jeong’s shoulders. “It’s good to have you back. I’m truly relieved.” For the first time in a long while, a comfortable smile appeared on Yeon Ho-jeong’s face. His father was not this happy because he had succeeded in his mission. He was happy that his son had returned safe and sound. Even if he had failed the mission, his father’s reaction would not have been different. That warmed Yeon Ho-jeong’s heart. After living a life full of tension, he finally met his family, where he could relax, and he felt very comfortable. Yeon-wi wore an amused expression. “By the way, it seems you were definitely living under surveillance.” “Yes?” “Considering your rate of progress, I expected you to be almost as good as your old man by now, but you haven’t changed much since before you left.” Yeon Ho-jeong chuckled. “You know you shouldn’t say things like that anywhere else, right? Isn’t it amazing enough that I’ve reached this level at my age?” “This rascal has only grown more arrogant since I last saw you.” “I’m just acknowledging reality. And to be honest, even if I had trained every day, how could I ever hope to reach even the tip of my father’s toes?” “Ha! Now you’re even flattering me?” “Flattery? The level my father has reached is worthy of praise.” Indeed, Yeon-wi’s martial arts had also greatly improved since Yeon Ho-jeong’s regression. Yeon Ho-jeong could feel that his father’s energy was much calmer and more subtle than before. It wasn’t that Yeon-wi’s martial arts had regressed. Rather, it meant that Yeon-wi’s explosively grown inner energy had been condensed to the point where he was perfectly controlling even the energy he emitted. ‘Well.’ He had been too busy to train. However, his father before the mission and his father now were different. His father couldn’t have been less busy, yet he had still achieved enlightenment in the martial path. Yeon Ho-jeong’s expression gradually became serious. ‘I definitely need to reflect.’ This mission was a series of tense moments. He barely had time to sleep, let alone train in martial arts. But that was just an excuse. If he had made time somehow, he would have at least been better than he was now. Of course, that would have interfered with the mission. ‘Whatever the case, it’s not like I had no time to train at all. It was clearly my fault that I wasted the free time because it was an important mission.’ There were too many opponents to fight in the future. Thinking about that, it seemed like he had been too relaxed. ‘Let’s tighten up a bit more. I can’t be like this.’ Seeing his son’s hardened expression, Yeon-wi said, as if embarrassed, “I was just joking. How could you have had time to train when the mission you were on was so dangerous and important? Don’t take it to heart.” Yeon Ho-jeong relaxed his stiff expression. “No, it’s not that. Thinking about it, there were definitely times I could have used. I need to live a little busier, considering what the future holds.” “Living with too much tension is never good. Anyway, you must have suffered a lot during the mission, so rest well for the next few days and soothe your tired mind and body.” “Of course, I should. If I’m going to run again, I need to rest properly, right?” “Yes. That’s all that matters.” Yeon Ho-jeong, who was looking at Yeon-wi with a smile, hardened his expression again. “And Father.” “Yes.” “About Moyong Gun…” “Enough.” Yeon-wi shook his head. “Is what happened to him so urgent that it needs to be explained right now?” “…Of course, it’s not that urgent.” “Then let’s talk about it later. Anyway, what you have to say to us and the report you submit to the Alliance can’t be the same, so if it’s not urgent, I think it’s okay to hear it after you’ve rested enough.” Yeon-wi smiled. “Don’t think about anything else and rest well for the time being. You’ve worked hard.” Yeon Ho-jeong smiled back. “I understand. I will.”

* * *

Although he pretended to be fine in front of Yeon-wi, it seemed that his mind and body were actually exhausted. After taking a long bath and lying down in his residence, Yeon Ho-jeong finally opened his eyes when the sun was setting the next day. He had slept for almost thirteen hours straight. “…I feel dazed.” Yeon Ho-jeong scratched his head. “It’s been a while since I’ve slept this soundly.” Grumble. After catching up on his sleep, he was immediately hungry. His body was really honest. Yeon Ho-jeong gave a bitter smile and got up from his seat. Phew! Thud! As he went down to the first floor and headed to the yard, he heard a sound tearing through the air. ‘Oh.’ Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes sparkled. Phew! Thud! The sound of a tree branch tearing through the air was truly chillingly sharp. “Hmm.” Muk Bi smacked her lips. “It seems there’s been some progress.” The tree branch shot out by the Hongryeon Palace [Red Lotus Palace, a martial arts school] pierced through the wall. It was truly an amazing skill. And what was even more amazing was that the tree branch was a hollow, rotten one. Sizzle. The tree branch that had been embedded in the wall crumbled into dust. The inner energy that had been well controlled was released. Muk Bi’s face was filled with pride. “With this level of inner energy control…” “That’s amazing.” “Cough!” Muk Bi, startled, turned around. Yeon Ho-jeong, who had appeared unnoticed, was sitting on a bench with his legs crossed. “Oh, when did you get here?” “Just now.” “Give some warning when you come!” “I gave all the warning I needed to. Why would I waste my inner energy to suppress my presence?” “Ah…” “Your concentration seems to have improved. You’ve definitely improved a lot.” Muk Bi’s face flushed. She seemed embarrassed. “I’m still far from it. I’m still working through the stages, but I’m not ready to break through the Wall of the Martial Ancestor…” “Oh? You were serious about that? About breaking through the Wall of the Martial Ancestor [a metaphor for reaching the highest level of martial arts mastery].” “Of course. Didn’t I tell you? That I would at least reach the same level as Young Master Yeon.” “You were blowing the heads off those nasty Sahonjo [a type of enemy] guys while laughing.” “Ahem.” “Your combat efficiency seems to be no different from mine? Your archery is definitely terrifying.” “That’s just the nature of archery, it’s not that I’m strong.” “Your father is your father, but don’t say things like that anywhere else. You’ll get stabbed in the back.” “Everyone has different standards.” Yeon Ho-jeong got up from his seat. “Okay, have you eaten?” “Not yet.” “Good. If you’re done training, let’s go eat together.” “Shall we?” Thus, the two men and women left the Pagun Pavilion [a building or area] and headed to the dining hall in the Alliance. The Martial Alliance was quieter than expected. It was dinner time, and because the weather had turned cold, the warriors weren’t moving around as actively as before. Muk Bi grinned. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” “Hmm? What?” “Going to eat together. Didn’t you miss the Martial Alliance dining hall?” Yeon Ho-jeong grumbled with a tired face. “I even missed the weeds growing on the Martial Alliance walls. Damn it. I managed to succeed somehow, but that kind of mission really doesn’t suit my personality.” “But I heard the results were too good for that?” “If they’re so easily defeated by someone like me, it just shows how many loopholes the Mukryong Unit has.” “Is that a new way of bragging?” “Yeah.” “You’re annoying.” “I’ll gouge your eyes out.” Muk Bi burst into laughter. Looking at her like this, Muk Bi seemed quite different from before she left. She seemed brighter than before. ‘That’s good.’ Her nature wouldn’t change, but she would laugh when she was happy and cry when she was sad. Isn’t that how people live? Now, Muk Bi seemed more human. Yeon Ho-jeong genuinely welcomed her change. “By the way, aren’t they calling you from above? You submitted the report, but you still need to report on the situation separately, right?” “My father said he’d take care of it. He told me to attend the Bonggong meeting [a meeting to discuss merits and rewards] in three days. I can report then.” “It doesn’t seem like it’s an urgent matter?” “Not right now.” Depending on where you place value, it could be an urgent matter, or it could be something that can be dealt with at a more leisurely pace. Before that, the commander, Moyong Gun, had not yet returned to the Alliance. It would be better for Moyong Gun to report than Yeon Ho-jeong, the leader of the Special Task Force. As that topic came up, Moyong Gun naturally came to mind. ‘He’s not someone who’s so easy to kill.’ Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes turned cold. ‘I wonder when he’ll return. Depending on his return time, I’ll be able to guess what he’s gained.’ He was sure that Moyong Gun was not dead. It was not reason, but intuition. If he was the kind of person who would die from this kind of turmoil, he wouldn’t have been such a problem in the first place. Yeon Ho-jeong was lost in thought for a moment. Muk Bi, who had been quietly observing Yeon Ho-jeong’s face, asked in a rather cheerful voice, “Do you know about something?” “I don’t know about something. What is it?” “About the Tangma Commander [a title for a military leader].” Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes sparkled. “Why? What happened?” “It’s not bad news. Rather, something very happy happened to him.” Muk Bi smacked her lips. “Commander Moyong has broken through the Wall of the Martial Ancestor.” “What?!” It was truly surprising news. “When did that happen?” “It must have been the day before we left. It seems Commander Moyong’s side deliberately tried to suppress the rumors, but can you really stop them? Thanks to the loose lips of the soldiers of the Tangma Army, the rumors quickly spread throughout the Martial Alliance.” “Huh!” A genuine exclamation came from Yeon Ho-jeong’s face. “He’s already reached that point in just a few months? That’s really amazing.” “I know.” Muk Bi’s face became somewhat gloomy. She also had her first goal set on the Wall of the Martial Ancestor, but hearing that someone else had reached it made her feel bitter. Yeon Ho-jeong kept smiling and stroked his chin. “I really saw the potential in that guy. How long has it been since he started training seriously, and he’s already broken through the Wall of the Martial Ancestor… Heh heh, he’s really someone to look forward to.” It was then. Seeing someone approaching from afar, Muk Bi grumbled. “I don’t know if he’s someone to look forward to, but he was definitely a tiger in his past life.” “Huh?” “He’s coming right when I’m talking about him, over there.” Yeon Ho-jeong looked in the direction Muk Bi was pointing. Moyong Woo was walking towards them with a smile. “…Hmm, seeing that confident smile, I feel like my enthusiasm has been dampened.”