Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 280

The Conflict’s Origin (1)

Pheeing! Kwaang!

The cannonball, arcing through the air, slammed into the ground.

It was a misfire. The group narrowly escaped the cannon’s blast.

Gang Ryang cursed loudly.

‘Damn it! Where the hell did that cannon come from?!’

At that moment, Moyong Gun shouted.

‘Forget the cannon, just run!’

‘What? How can we ignore that! If that hits us, even the Seongcheon Thirteen Seats [a group of powerful warriors] would die instantly!’

‘Commander Yeon will handle it!’

‘Huh?’

Instantly, a red streak of light shot through the air, hurtling towards the massive cannon.

Kwaaaang!

The mangled cannon was sent flying into the sky.

It was a strike of monstrous power, a blow packed with extreme destructive force. Swinging the massive Gwangryong Axe [a large, powerful axe] imbued with the White Tiger Flag’s [a symbol of power and authority] energy, the metal behemoth weighing over a ton was sent soaring like a rag doll.

Gang Ryang’s jaw dropped.

‘Is that even human?!’

Then, Yeon Ho-Jeong yelled.

‘Run faster! There are more cannons!’

Paah!

Moyong Gun and Gang Ryang accelerated their pace.

Gang Ryang shouted.

‘Damn it! Is it safe to run in a straight line?’

‘Just run! If Commander Yeon said so, there must be a reason!’

‘Da, damn it!’

At that moment, Kiwuhee spoke.

‘It’s okay to run.’

‘Huh?’

‘I’m not worried. It’ll be fine to run.’

What was she talking about? Not worried?

Pee pee pee ping!-

Muk Bi, still firing arrows, shouted to Yeon Ho-Jeong.

‘Young Master Yeon! It would be better to change direction…!’

Kwaaaaaang!

Suddenly, a deafening roar echoed, and a huge blaze erupted from the snowy forest in the distance.

Muk Bi’s eyes widened in alarm.

‘Young Master Yeon!!’

Chwarurururuk!

At that moment, the Gyoryong Chain [a flexible chain weapon], which had shot up through the flames, writhed and moved erratically.

Thud! Thwack!

‘Kuaaaak!’

‘Aaaak!’

Along with gruesome screams, red drops of blood splattered onto the pure white snow.

Thud! Kwaaang!

In the direction the group was running, explosions continued to erupt from the forest.

Gang Ryang’s eyes trembled.

‘What is going on?’

Kwaaang! Kwaaaang! Thud!

With earth-shattering explosions, shattered and mangled cannons were scattered everywhere.

Not only that, but misfired gunpowder turned the area into a wasteland, and corpses torn to pieces flew high into the sky, scattering a rain of blood.

‘What the hell is happening!’

It was as if a giant siege weapon was indiscriminately smashing the cannons laid out in the direction the group was running.

In reality, that was exactly what Yeon Ho-Jeong’s martial arts were doing. He had abandoned the Bloodwing Sky Dance [a martial art focused on killing intent], which was fueled by extreme killing intent, and was using the White Tiger’s Imperial Step [a powerful movement technique] and the Black Tortoise Art [a defensive martial art], which boasted extreme forward momentum, to smash the cannons with brute force.

‘Wh, what?!’

‘Kill them!’

Those who were hiding in the snow, wearing white clothes, turned their cannons.

Killing intent emanated from Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes.

He swung the Gwangryong Axe at a rock embedded in the ground.

Kwaaaang!

It was not human strength.

A rather large rock was shattered into pieces the size of a thumb and fired indiscriminately at the cannons and the hidden assassins.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thud! Thud! Kwaaang!

There were no screams. The hidden assassins who could not avoid the barrage of high-speed stones died on the spot, the cannons were dented, and the gunpowder exploded, causing massive blasts.

‘Hoo.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong took a deep breath.

Weeeeeeeng!

The divine energy, empowered by the Byukra Jin Gyeol [a powerful internal energy cultivation technique], burned fiercely, injecting powerful force into Yeon Ho-Jeong’s muscles and bones.

‘Cannons, I never expected that.’

He had already smashed over seven cannons with his mad dash.

Now, there were about five cannons left. If he destroyed all of those, all that would be left was to run.

‘Why the cannons are laid out here, and who they are, I’ll think about that later.’

A light of determination flickered in Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes.

‘And about the Western Region Goddess too.’

Paah!

From the White Tiger’s Imperial Step to the Thousand Miles Swift Flight [a movement technique focused on speed].

With a refreshing footwork, Yeon Ho-Jeong approached the distant cannons and took another step of the White Tiger’s Imperial Step.

Kwaang! Kwaaaang!

In an instant, two cannons were crushed.

‘Damn it.’

No matter how strong Yeon Ho-Jeong was, it was difficult to destroy so many cannons with just an axe and chain.

Moreover, martial arts that relied on brute force, while displaying powerful might, were based on extreme stamina and internal energy consumption.

That obvious principle applied to Yeon Ho-Jeong as well. If he hadn’t thoroughly trained his lungs and muscles, and if he didn’t have the stable Byukra Jin Gyeol, he would have been out of breath and unable to move properly by now.

Jjeooooooong!

The cannon was split diagonally by the blow.

‘Four cannons.’

Kwaaang!

The cannon, flipped over along with the ground, flew to the side, smashed a rock, and crashed.

‘Three cannons.’

It was then.

Krrrrrr!

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes narrowed.

The remaining three cannons were all aimed at Yeon Ho-Jeong. They were planning to kill Yeon Ho-Jeong first, rather than the Western Region Goddess.

Cheeeeeek!

The short fuse was lit.

Woo woong!

The White Tiger energy that had been surrounding Yeon Ho-Jeong’s body disappeared, and at the same time, a serene, blue-green light appeared.

It was the Azure Dragon energy [a type of internal energy].

Thud! Kwaang! Kwaaaang!

Three consecutive cannon shots were poured directly onto Yeon Ho-Jeong.

Krrrrrr!

The forest was instantly devastated. Unmelted snow and tangled dirt flew in all directions, and several trees were uprooted and fell.

‘Is he dead?!’

‘He must be dead! Turn the cannons again! Reload! The target is already approaching the fifth line!’

‘Good!’

Kkkkkkk!

The cannon’s muzzle moved at a rapid pace.

Since it was made of steel, its weight was enormous. However, the speed and movement of the muzzle were very flexible. It seemed to be a structurally flexible object.

‘Such things.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had already flown to the top of a tree, frowned as he looked down.

‘It can’t be anything other than a government, or rather, a military item.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes twitched.

‘I knew these guys were connected to the government, but I didn’t know they were this deeply involved.’

The military’s cannons could never be taken out privately. Without an official order from the highest authority in the military, no high-ranking official could take out a cannon.

Of course, there were officials who secretly smuggled cannons. But they all did it for a contingency, not to use them to catch one person like this.

‘Things are turning out spectacularly.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong took another breath.

Woo woong.

The cold air entered his lungs through his nose, gently relaxing his tense internal organs.

Flash!

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes shone brilliantly.

Thud!

He shot straight down towards the ground, pushing the Black Tortoise energy to its limit.

It wasn’t defense. He was trying to use the absolute defense technique that utilized extreme rebound force as an attack.

Black Tortoise Art, the ultimate move of the Twelve Walls of the Northern Sky [a powerful defensive technique].

The True Martial Great Emperor’s Heavy Wall [a defensive technique] was manifested with the Black Tortoise energy, maximized by the power of the Byukra Jin Gyeol.

Yeon Ho-Jeong swung the Gwangryong Axe towards the center point of the three cannons.

Thwack!

A strangely curved, stray arrow pierced the assassin’s thigh.

The body teetered, and Muk Bi immediately fired a formless bullet [a technique that uses internal energy to create a projectile], blowing the assassin’s head off.

Thwack!

Thus, all the assassins lost their lives.

Gang Ryang shouted.

‘Sister! Are you okay?!’

‘I’m fine.’

She said she was fine, but she was definitely not okay. Due to the excessive use of internal energy, she had suffered considerable internal injuries, and she was no longer able to stand on Gang Ryang’s shoulder.

At that moment, a massive shockwave swept through the surroundings.

Krrrrrr!

‘Huk!’

‘Be, careful!’

Moyong Gun shielded Kiwuhee, and Gang Ryang turned his back, protecting the falling Muk Bi.

Wheeeeeeeng! Kugugung!

The shockwave that erupted from the forest where the cannons had been laid out caused an earthquake in the area.

It wasn’t gunpowder. The explosive power, manifested by extreme true energy, had created such a shockwave.

Muk Bi shouted.

‘Young Master Yeon!’

Kugugung! Thud!

Along with the sound of the steel cannons being flung away, another blaze erupted. This time, it was gunpowder that had exploded.

Everyone turned their heads towards the forest.

Whirr.

The flames were burning with such intensity that they seemed to reach the sky.

Gang Ryang’s face turned pale.

‘B, Brother!!’

It was then.

As if waiting for his voice, a young man walked out of the crimson inferno.

Hoo. Hoo.

White steam came out with each breath. The steam looked like the rough breathing of a beast that had fought until it was covered in blood.

Moyong Gun’s face brightened.

‘Commander Yeon!’

‘Hoo. Hoo.’

Finally, Yeon Ho-Jeong appeared.

The group, who had been about to greet him with bright faces, couldn’t speak.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s appearance was quite gruesome. The light armor made with the Tang Clan’s secret technique [a type of armor] was intact, but his whole body was covered in blood, his clothes were torn and ripped in places, and he had burns.

They had never seen Yeon Ho-Jeong so badly injured.

At the same time, they couldn’t help but be greatly impressed. Not only had he completely destroyed over ten cannons, but he had also managed to survive all those explosions. It was truly an awe-inspiring feat.

‘Commander Yeon! Are you alright?’

‘I’m not alright. It feels like all the joints in my body are dislocated.’

‘You’ve suffered. You’ve really suffered a lot.’

‘It’s nothing. Everyone suffered.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong looked at Muk Bi and said.

‘You’ve really suffered. If it weren’t for you, things would have been difficult in many ways.’

A confident smile appeared on Muk Bi’s worried face.

‘See? I told you I’d be needed, right?’

‘I should listen to what you say from now on.’

‘Of course.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong took out a small pill from his pocket.

‘I brought this just in case. Eat it.’

‘What is it?’

‘It’s for internal injuries.’

‘No. Young Master Yeon should take it…’

‘I can recover quickly without that. And for the road ahead, your archery will be more necessary than mine. It’s more important to treat your internal injuries first.’

‘But…’

‘It’s an order as the Myeolsa Commander [a title of authority]. Accept it.’

There was nothing she could do when he said it like that. Muk Bi swallowed the internal injury pill that Yeon Ho-Jeong had given her.

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled and looked at Gang Ryang.

‘You kept up well, didn’t you?’

‘…You were good at smashing things, Brother?’

‘Smashing and killing is my job. This is nothing.’

Gang Ryang shuddered.

‘I need to train like I’m going to die. If I want to even follow in your footsteps, ordinary training won’t be enough.’

‘It’s good that you realized it now. Anyway, you’ve suffered.’

‘Yes, you too, Brother.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong now looked at Moyong Gun.

There was no conversation between the two. They just looked at each other, smiled, and nodded.

Finally, Yeon Ho-Jeong looked at Kiwuhee.

Twitch!

Kiwuhee involuntarily gasped.

Moyong Gun patted her gently.

‘It seems you were surprised by Commander Yeon’s somewhat rough appearance. But don’t worry. We are all loyal guards.’

‘…Yes.’

Kiwuhee wasn’t scared by Yeon Ho-Jeong’s blood-soaked appearance. Seeing blood was a doctor’s fate, so she wasn’t particularly moved by it.

However, his eyes were frightening.

Those clear and sharp eyes that seemed to see through a person’s inner thoughts in an instant.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had been staring at Kiwuhee, lowered his head.

‘I will escort you safely. Let’s move for now.’

‘Ah, yes, yes! B, but are you alright?’

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes, which were lowered, flashed coldly.

‘I’m fine. More than fine.’