Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 317

Having finished his light drinking session with Tang Gwan, Yeon Ho-Jeong entered the Pagun Pavilion and immediately sensed a hidden killing intent.

Swish! Thud!

Instinctively turning his head to dodge, he saw a wooden arrow embedded in the ground where he had just been standing.

The strike was so sharp and powerful that the arrow’s fletching was buried in the ground. Considering the ground was frozen due to the cold, it was a terrifying display of force.

Yeon Ho-Jeong looked up at the third-floor window with an absurd expression.

There, Muk Bi, with a nonchalant look, was lowering her red lotus bow.

“Are you crazy? Just shooting an arrow like that!”

“Hmph. You’ve been off doing something fun again without me, haven’t you?”

“Fun? I’m about to die from a headache… Hey! That’s not the point! Were you aiming for my forehead just now? Do you want to die?”

“You dodged it well, didn’t you?”

“Are you kidding me? I had a drink! I barely dodged it, damn it.”

“A martial artist should always be on guard because a fight can break out at any time. You taught me that, didn’t you?”

“Can’t I just relax at home? Huh?!”

“Tch.”

Flap.

Muk Bi leaped from the window and landed in front of Yeon Ho-Jeong in an instant.

She spoke curtly.

“The Myulsa Army training is finished.”

“Oh, good job.”

“Are you just going to keep wandering outside like this? At this rate, you’ll forget what your soldiers look like.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong chuckled.

“I’ve done everything I can for now. I think we can handle the rest by reacting to the situation as it unfolds.”

“Is that lie really true?”

“It’s not a lie.”

“How ridiculous.”

“Why are you so twisted? You weren’t like this before, were you?”

“It’s all because of you, Young Master Yeon. And besides, what’s wrong with me?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong shuddered.

“Alright, I’m sorry. What can I do for you?”

Only then did Muk Bi giggle.

“There’s nothing you need to do, but there’s someone who wants to meet you, Young Master Yeon.”

“Hmm?”

“It’s Physician Gi.”

Gi Woo-Hui’s residence was located in the south, at the center of the inner city.

Past the hour of the dog (戌時) [7-9 PM], Yeon Ho-Jeong and Muk Bi arrived at Gi Woo-Hui’s residence.

“You’ve arrived?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes sparkled.

As if she knew they would come at this time, Gi Woo-Hui was sitting there in elegant attire, having prepared two cups of steaming tea.

Gi Woo-Hui smiled.

It seemed she had sorted out her feelings, as her smiling face was very pleasant to see. In fact, she had such exotic and beautiful features that her smile alone seemed to ward off the cold.

“Please, sit down.”

“We will.”

The two sat across from Gi Woo-Hui.

Yeon Ho-Jeong asked directly.

“You wanted to see me?”

“Yes. But…”

Gi Woo-Hui asked, looking puzzled.

“Have you been drinking?”

“Huh?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong tilted his head.

“Is it that obvious? I used my inner energy to dispel all the alcohol.”

Gi Woo-Hui smiled and pointed to her nose.

“I can smell the alcohol.”

“You have a nose like a bloodhound.”

“To properly examine a patient, one must also train their five senses.”

“That’s a new one.”

“There are diagnostic methods that go with it. I’ve only tried to look more closely at the details of the patient.”

Regardless of her ideology or background, she was a top-notch physician. And to reach that level, she must have put in an indescribable amount of effort.

Yeon Ho-Jeong nodded.

“Alright, let’s leave that aside. You wanted to see me?”

“Yes.”

“What for?”

Gi Woo-Hui took a sip of her tea.

It seemed like a difficult topic to broach. Nevertheless, there was no agitation in her expression.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes deepened.

‘She’s made up her mind properly.’

Her gaze, expression, and aura were all perfectly refined.

It was the look of someone who had clearly decided on their path. In a way, her conviction was even stronger than Muk Bi’s or Gang Ryang’s, and Yeon Ho-Jeong was certain that this conversation would be quite meaningful.

After a moment, Gi Woo-Hui opened her mouth.

“Commander Yeon.”

“Speak.”

“You once said that the Three Teachings would set the Central Plains ablaze and plunge countless innocent people into hell.”

“Yes.”

“I agree. No, I acknowledge it. I already knew it, but I was trying to ignore it.”

She didn’t say she seemed to ignore it, but that she had ignored it. She was speaking with conviction.

Gi Woo-Hui’s eyes shone.

“I told the strategist. I’m not here to work for the Martial Alliance, but for the nameless people who will bleed because of the Three Teachings’ invasion.”

The corners of Yeon Ho-Jeong’s mouth lifted.

“It sounds like you’re saying you’ll leave at any time if the Martial Alliance goes astray.”

“Yes. I will leave this place at any time. And I will denounce the Martial Alliance. Of course, if the Martial Alliance goes astray.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong nodded.

“That’s a good mindset. That’s what righteousness and chivalry are. Of course, I’m still far from being righteous and chivalrous.”

Gi Woo-Hui smiled.

“You say the same thing as the strategist.”

“He said that too?”

“Yes. He said I could leave at any time if the Martial Alliance went astray. I felt absolute confidence in that statement. Perhaps the strategist is confident that the Martial Alliance will not go astray.”

“It’s not confidence.”

“Huh?”

“No one knows the future. Isn’t that why we’re going through all this trouble?”

“Then how should I interpret the confidence the strategist showed?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong made a gesture of slitting his own throat.

“It means that if the Martial Alliance really gets to that point, he’ll be the first to die.”

“… !”

“Although he may seem like just a brain to others, the strategist’s sense of chivalry is among the best in the alliance. And that chivalry is directed towards the Martial Alliance. If the Martial Alliance goes astray, the strategist will no longer be in this world.”

Gi Woo-Hui smiled bitterly.

“Your faith in the strategist is truly remarkable.”

“At least for now. As I said, no one knows the future. No one knows how I or the strategist might change.”

“I suppose so.”

Gi Woo-Hui took a deep breath.

“You took the Shadow One before, right?”

“And killed him.”

“Yes, I know.”

After a brief pause, Gi Woo-Hui looked intently at Yeon Ho-Jeong.

“It wasn’t just Shadow One who came to the Martial Alliance.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes lit up.

“Yes, I heard about that before.”

“There are contacts in the outer city of the Martial Alliance. I don’t know exactly how many there are.”

“They didn’t tell you that much.”

“No. It seems Shadow One didn’t think I was very trustworthy.”

That wasn’t the only reason.

Regardless of Shadow One’s thoughts, her existence was a double-edged sword for the Divine Flame Church. [A religious organization]

Even though she was a bastard child, she was still the blood of the sect leader, so they couldn’t coldly cast her aside. But accepting her could cause a serious shift in the succession structure.

Moreover, she was working as a physician in the Central Plains. From the Divine Flame Church’s perspective, it was a headache in many ways.

“Judging by the situation, it seems that apart from a few people, no one knows about the main church.”

“They’re being careful. There’s always a chance.”

“Because someone in the alliance might be in contact with the Three Teachings?”

“Yes.”

“And that’s not the strategist?”

“At least that’s how it seemed to me. And if the strategist were working with the Three Teachings, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation.”

“That’s true.”

“So, what do you want to say?”

Gi Woo-Hui smiled.

“We have to catch them. Starting with the contacts.”

Swoosh.

In an instant, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s aura changed.

His face was smiling, but his energy was sharp and cold. Just the thought of catching them made his inner energy surge.

Muk Bi grabbed Yeon Ho-Jeong’s shoulder.

“Young Master Yeon.”

“… Haa.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong took a light breath and calmed his mind. However, his eyes were burning redder and redder.

Gi Woo-Hui continued.

“That’s why I wanted to see you, Commander Yeon. In fact, I don’t know much about the Divine Flame Church, and I’m a complete novice when it comes to these kinds of power struggles.”

“I see.”

“However, I know that catching the contacts isn’t the end of it. As you said, if we want more than that, it might be a problem to catch all the contacts rashly.”

“That’s also true.”

“What I want to say is…”

“Leak false information.”

“Exactly.”

Gi Woo-Hui forced a smile.

“If things proceed that way, the Divine Flame Church will find out later. That I betrayed them.”

“That’s right.”

“Can you protect my life?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong tapped his teacup.

“We can’t lure out the Divine Flame Church guys without you anyway. The moment you decided to join us, we became one organization.”

“I see.”

“Don’t worry. At least, I won’t be alive if your life is in danger.”

It was a promise of absolute protection.

Gi Woo-Hui smiled.

“Such a grim promise isn’t necessary, but okay. I’ll protect you too, Commander Yeon.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong and Muk Bi both tilted their heads.

“Protect me? Who’s protecting who?”

“You’ll have many fights in the future, so you shouldn’t die from an infected wound.”

“Oh? Are you going to be my personal physician?”

“It’s my principle to treat all patients equally, but it’s only natural to pay more attention to someone who holds my life in their hands.”

Muk Bi smacked her lips for no reason. It seemed that everyone who became friends with or did business with Yeon Ho-Jeong was turning out to be abnormal.

“So, I’m going to move my residence.”

“Move your residence?”

“You have to protect me, right? I should move to the Pagun Pavilion. There’s a spare room there, right?”

Muk Bi’s mouth dropped open.

Yeon Ho-Jeong frowned.

“I’m not just worried about the Three Teachings. There’s a power struggle going on within the alliance. If you come to our residence now, there will be a lot of talk.”

“That’s not my concern.”

“…”

“Besides, I’ve already been designated as a patron of the Tang Family Head. In other words, I’ve become a target not only for the Three Teachings but also for Young Master Yeon’s political enemies.”

“Hmm, that’s true.”

“The Physician’s Pavilion will officially open in four days. I want to move my residence before then and settle my mind.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong clicked his tongue.

The Yeon family’s bloodline, Muk Bi, Gang Ryang, and now Gi Woo-Hui. It felt like the Pagun Pavilion was gradually turning into a fortress.

“Alright, let’s do that. I’ll talk to my father separately.”

Gi Woo-Hui smiled brightly.

“Thank you.”

“There’s no need to thank me.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong stroked his chin.

“By the way, if you’re planning to leak false information to the contact, that contact will also approach the Pagun Pavilion.”

“I can assure you of one thing. The contact will absolutely not know what kind of place the Pagun Pavilion is or who lives there.”

“Alright, that’s enough.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes blazed.

“There were all sorts of things happening with the election and everything else. Moyong’s family is also being taken care of by my brother, so I guess it’s time for me to start running too.”

* * *

Three days later.

A middle-aged man, who appeared to be a servant, secretly entered the Pagun Pavilion.

“Young Master Yeon.”

“I felt it too.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong, leaning against the wall next to the window with his arms crossed, had a face twisted like a demon.

“…It’s hard to bear. I want to grab him and twist his neck right now.”