Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 276

“……So, that’s what happened?”

“Yes. Their demeanor was so menacing that Ga Yeok-so, the head of the Hobuk branch, reported that they had no choice but to listen to their demands.”

“Then? Did you give the witch the medicinal herbs?!”

“For now, yes.”

“You utter fool! How could you make such a mistake!”

“Excuse me? What mistake?”

“The Twin Guardians, the most powerful late-stage masters of this era and the two pillars of the Martial Alliance’s Yu-gun unit [Elite military unit], wield tremendous influence. Whether they know it or not, their reputation is comparable to that of a great clan’s elder or even a clan leader.”

“That’s right. That’s why even more…”

“They’ve built such a reputation at a young age, so how much do you think the people around them are keeping them in check! If they truly intend to attack us, we can simply report their outrageous behavior to the Martial Alliance’s service division!”

“Ah…”

“Our Medical Society is a union of physicians who have inherited the orthodox medical lineage of the Central Plains. How do you think the common people would view the Martial Alliance’s warriors who oppress such physicians?!”

“Y-you’re right. No matter what threats they make, the Martial Alliance can’t easily touch us.”

“It’s not just that they can’t easily touch us, they absolutely can’t! Not unless we make a clear mistake!”

“Oh, dear…”

“Ga Yeok-so, I placed him as the branch head because of his skills and popularity, but I should have put someone with political acumen in that position. I told him that acting first and reporting later is a no-go unless it’s an extreme situation.”

“What should we do now?”

“What do you mean, what should we do? We move on to the next plan!”

“The next plan… You don’t mean…?”

“Sending Ga Yeok-so to them wasn’t to persuade them. Although Yeon Ho-jeong is difficult, Moyong Gun is someone you can talk to, so I sent him to make him aware of the witch’s danger. From the start, I didn’t think those ignorant martial artists who know nothing about medicine would immediately believe us.”

“But…”

“I just sent him to plant a seed of doubt, but he was so pathetic that he succumbed to their threats. There’s no hope for him. How can we accomplish great things by trusting such a man!”

“Vice-Chairman, still, the opponent is the Martial Alliance. As you said, if we carry out that plan, the Martial Alliance will start to stir us up in earnest.”

“It doesn’t matter. We won’t be on the front lines anyway.”

“Branch Head Ga Yeok-so said that any external pressure or attacks on that witch from now on would be considered our doing.”

“Have you forgotten what I just said?! Those two alone can’t touch us! We’ll use that time to target the Martial Alliance’s service division.”

“Ah…”

“When you were innocently learning medicine, you didn’t know. But you’ll soon realize. You can’t survive in this world with just skill. Politics, schemes, betrayal, and tricks are rampant. If the world is so dirty, we have no choice but to step into the mud for our survival.”

“…”

“Prepare! Right now!”

“Yes, I understand.”

* * *

The next day.

Neighhhhh!

The face of Yeon Ho-jeong, who was leading the horses, was as stiff as a board.

Moyong Gun called out.

“Yeonje!”

“What?”

“Is something bothering you? I know we need to move quickly, but it seems too rushed.”

Yeon Ho-jeong frowned.

“I don’t know what kind of organization the Medical Society is, but the head of the Hobuk branch must have some influence.”

“I think so too.”

“But something keeps bothering me.”

“Bothering you? What is it?”

“…I don’t know.”

Aside from anything else, this was the first time they had come into contact with the Medical Society.

They didn’t know what their goals were, where they were active, or how they operated. Even Yeon Ho-jeong, who had experienced the era of the Dark Emperor, was hearing about the Medical Society for the first time.

‘Did history change? Is it a newly formed organization? Or was it there back then but operating completely under the radar?’

He couldn’t tell.

What was important was that even Ga Deuk-sang didn’t know much about the Medical Society. If there was even a slight chance that they would get involved with them, Ga Deuk-sang would have given them a heads-up first.

‘In other words, we can’t predict what they’ll do at all.’

They might actually be an insignificant organization. But the fact that their existence hadn’t surfaced was enough to warrant caution.

Moyong Gun said.

“Are you worried that they might actually attack the Western Mystic Woman?”

“I don’t know. Logically, I don’t think they would, but something keeps bothering me.”

Moyong Gun’s face hardened.

He knew how sharp Yeon Ho-jeong’s intuition was. His intuition wasn’t something to dismiss as just a feeling.

The ultimate insight is connected to the ultimate intuition. Moyong Gun trusted Yeon Ho-jeong’s intuition as much as he trusted his insight.

“Let’s go. There’s no harm in going quickly.”

“Alright, let’s do that.”

Thud thud thud thud.

The four of them headed south at a terrifying speed.

After riding for three or four days straight, they soon reached the Yangtze River.

Moyong Gun approached a sailor. He was a large man with a rough beard, a typical-looking boatman.

“Excuse me.”

“Hmm?”

The boatman, looking at Moyong Gun, spoke with a nonchalant expression.

“What is it?”

It was said that boatmen had the greatest courage in the world, and it was true. Even though they were clearly either from the government or martial artists, judging by their armor and swords, he didn’t seem worried at all, even scoffing at them.

Moyong Gun spoke calmly.

“We need to cross the Yangtze River quickly. Where can we find the fastest boat?”

The sailor’s eyes lit up.

“Most boats can leave quickly. If you have enough money, that is.”

Moyong Gun’s face brightened.

“Is that so?”

“I don’t know how much you’ve looked around, but you’ve come to the right place. It’ll be hard to find a speedboat as fast as ours on this stretch of the Yangtze River.”

“We also need to take four warhorses.”

“Hmm? Then you’ll need a bigger boat, not a sleek speedboat. And we’ll need to prepare plenty of hay.”

“That’s right.”

“Do you have enough money?”

“How much do you need?”

“The more, the better. Like every profession in the world, we work as much as we’re paid.”

There was no time to haggle unnecessarily. Moyong Gun took out a money pouch from his pocket.

“Will this be enough?”

The sailor’s eyes widened as he received the pouch. There were five gold ingots inside.

“H-hum! You’re rich, aren’t you? Heh heh, with this much, I can set sail right now.”

“Thank you. Then, please do so right away.”

“Alright. It’s been a while since I’ve had such generous customers. Ah! But there’s one more procedure.”

“Procedure? What procedure?”

“Your affiliation. Are you from the military?”

“No.”

“Huh? Then?”

Moyong Gun glanced back.

He said in a low voice.

“We are from the Martial Alliance’s Yu-gun unit.”

There was no need to spread it around. Moyong Gun didn’t want to cause any confusion.

But the sailor’s reaction was more dramatic than expected.

“…The Martial Alliance’s Yu-gun unit?!”

Moyong Gun frowned. The sailor’s voice was too loud.

“Yes.”

“…”

“What’s wrong?”

The sailor, looking at Moyong Gun with narrowed eyes, handed the pouch back.

“Take it back.”

“…?!”

“I said, take it back. We won’t take any members of the Martial Alliance for the time being.”

Moyong Gun’s eyes wavered.

“You won’t take members of the Martial Alliance? Why is that?”

“That’s none of your business. If you want to take a boat, look somewhere else.”

“No, you should at least tell us the reason…”

“Ah, that’s enough! Don’t bother me and look somewhere else!”

At that moment, Yeon Ho-jeong stepped forward.

The sailor flinched involuntarily. He was momentarily overwhelmed by the huge axe on Yeon Ho-jeong’s shoulder.

Yeon Ho-jeong smiled and asked.

“I’ve heard that there are a few organizations formed by boatmen.”

“Is that so?”

The overwhelming feeling was only momentary. The sailor regained his usual nonchalant expression.

“Is it possible that your organization ordered you not to accept members of the Martial Alliance?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“You’re quite impressive.”

“…What are you talking about?”

“I’ve heard that most boatmen are as brave as martial arts masters. They’re all courageous and fearless, and they’re said to be more skilled in combat on the water than most martial artists.”

“Humph!”

“You’re the ones who brave the rough waters, so how could your courage not be outstanding? Seeing you, I’ve realized once again that each and every boatman is an exceptional man.”

The sailor smacked his lips.

“You can flatter me all you want, but I won’t take you. Just go.”

“I’m not flattering you. It’s just my honest impression.”

“I understand, so just…”

“But you know, I understand that boatmen are among the most courageous in the Central Plains, but I didn’t know they were also swindlers.”

The sailor’s face immediately turned grim.

“Swindlers?!”

“This gentleman was in a hurry, so he let it slide, but five gold ingots is enough to buy two or three decent speedboats. Am I wrong?”

“Humph! So what if it is?”

“Even if money is important, how can you take that much money and pretend to do us a favor by taking us on your boat? Deceiving with lies isn’t the only kind of swindle.”

The sailor gave a twisted smile.

“So what are you going to do about it? This deal is invalid anyway.”

“Are you okay with this being spread all over town?”

“Do whatever you want. I don’t know what you’re making such a fuss about.”

He said that, but the sailor’s expression was noticeably distorted. It seemed they had their own rules, and such rumors wouldn’t be good for them.

Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.

“I won’t spread the rumor. So, please do me a favor.”

“Huh! Are you trying to negotiate with me now? Stop talking nonsense and…”

“I’ll buy a speedboat.”

“…Huh?”

“You don’t have to take us. Instead, take these five gold ingots and give us a speedboat for us to use.”

The sailor’s eyes wavered.

“Are you saying you’re going to cross the Yangtze River by yourselves?”

“You said you can’t take us, right? Then we have no choice but to go on our own.”

“You’re crazy. If you fall into the river on this cold winter day, even martial artists…”

“You just have to choose. I’ll ask again. Will you take this money and sell us a speedboat? Or will you pass this great opportunity to another boatman?”

“…gulp.”

“You said you couldn’t take us, but you didn’t say you couldn’t sell us a boat, did you?”

“T-that’s right.”

Yeon Ho-jeong smiled and shook the money pouch.

“I don’t know where that order came from, but we, members of the Martial Alliance, wouldn’t go back on our word, would we? Don’t worry and seize this great opportunity. No, you don’t have to. Just tell your superior what I just said.”

The sailor, looking at the pouch with sparkling eyes, shouted behind him.

“Hey! Jangchil!”

“Yes?”

“Bring out the ‘Monster Fish’!”

“The ‘Monster Fish’? Why?”

“Are you trying to die, you bastard? Bring it out right now?!”

“Ah, I understand.”

It seemed he was a senior sailor with a lot of experience.

The sailor cleared his throat and took the pouch.

“Don’t spread the rumor. Got it?”

“Don’t worry.”

“Heh heh hum! But have you ever sailed a boat? What are you going to do with those horses?”

“Please take care of them until we return.”

“Heh heh heh, they’d fetch a good price if I sold them, wouldn’t they?”

“…”

“If you’re going to sell those horses, then one more speedboat…”

In an instant, Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes turned as cold as ice.

The sailor’s face turned pale in an instant.

“Hey.”

“…!!”

“We’ve been patient enough. Stop babbling and bring out the boat quickly.”

An hour later.

The group, having entrusted their warhorses to the sailor, crossed the Yangtze River in a speedboat.