Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 373

The small gathering for drinks included Yeon Ho-Jeong, Moyong Gun, and Muk Bi.

Moyong Gun asked,

“Where is Strategist Jeagal?”

“The Strategist is in the Military Affairs Department.”

“No, I mean the Myeolsa Army’s strategist. Miss Jeagal.”

“Oh, her. She went to the Military Affairs Department to help her father.”

“Is that so?”

“Things have been so hectic lately. The Myeolsa Army is doing well on their own with training, and she just drops by to check on their formations or review the strategies they’ve come up with. She’ll join us when we depart.”

Moyong Gun said enviously,

“I’ve always been envious of having a strategist.”

“You won’t have to be envious anymore.”

“Does that mean we’re becoming a unified army?”

“Of course.”

“…Did you tell Miss Jeagal?”

“I haven’t? But wouldn’t she have already sensed her fate?”

Moyong Gun clicked his tongue.

“You’re something else.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong raised his glass.

“Enough, let’s have a drink first?”

“Sounds good.”

The three clinked glasses and drank their liquor in one go.

Moyong Gun asked Muk Bi,

“Then, what will happen to you, Commander Muk?”

Muk Bi shrugged.

“I’m not sure. I haven’t heard anything from Young Master Yeon yet.”

The two looked at Yeon Ho-Jeong.

Yeon Ho-Jeong chuckled.

“The higher-ups told me to reassign personnel at my discretion. So, I’ve been thinking about it.”

“What is it?”

“For the time being, the Righteous Army will maintain a two-army system. So, just keep doing what you’re doing. The Tangma Army will be led by my brother, and the Myeolsa Army will be led by Muk Bi. Oh, and in the case of the Myeolsa Army, I might move with them from time to time.”

Moyong Gun’s face clouded over.

“Of course, it’s good to make the most of each unit’s strengths since they have such distinct characteristics… but will it be alright?”

“In fact, the Righteous Army is no different from when we went to destroy the Hall of Reincarnation. It’s like a combined Tangma-Myeolsa force. The only difference is that it was temporary back then, and now it’s permanent until a separation order is issued.”

“That’s the problem, isn’t it?”

“I don’t want to force a merger either. Unless the departure date is far in the future, the higher-ups are planning to send the Righteous Army out of the Alliance soon.”

“Hmm.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong, seeing Moyong Gun’s expression, asked casually,

“You knew about it?”

“Rather than knowing, I had something to say to my brother separately.”

“Let’s hear it?”

Moyong Gun recounted his conversation with Moyong Woo from a while ago.

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled.

“The Mukryong Unit?”

“That’s right.”

“Hmm.”

“I came to that conclusion after considering various factors. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you first, Yeon-je.”

“I told you before, right? Since we all have different backgrounds, let’s move as we see fit. There’s no need to be sorry.”

“I’m grateful you say that. Anyway, what do you think, Yeon-je?”

“The Mukryong Unit?”

“Yes.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong nodded.

“It’s not bad. No, it’s actually good.”

“That’s a relief.”

“The Martial Alliance has several intentions in sending out the Righteous Army. They want us to bond quickly by rolling around in the dirt together, and they also want to send us out since we’ve been tied to the Alliance for most of our time as a military unit. And…”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes gleamed.

“It’s also to make our existence known to the world.”

“The existence of the Righteous Army?”

“Yes. In terms of numbers, it’s just fifty more than the Tangma Army, so it’s nothing new, but the important thing is the symbolism.”

“Symbolism…”

“Yes, symbolism.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong looked up at the ceiling.

“The Martial Alliance has been growing smoothly since its inception. I’m not just saying that, it’s really growing well. But there are still many people in the world who don’t know how powerful the Martial Alliance is.”

“I think so too.”

“The Myeolsa and Tangma Armies have been active in the martial world a few times, but that’s not enough. There hasn’t been a fight that all of the Central Plains has watched.”

“Didn’t the Myeolsa Army eliminate several Black Path sects? Moreover, the Black Path groups that the Myeolsa Army eliminated were all true villains who sucked the marrow out of the common people.”

“That’s right. Thanks to that, our reputation has risen. But that’s all.”

“I don’t think there’s a greater merit than that. In this era where the Empire has lost its power and its ability to maintain public order, the Myeolsa Army has punished the wicked with decisive action. For the common people, small evils scattered around cause more damage than a great evil.”

“Don’t try to do great good, but blend into the world and do small good deeds. Yes, that’s right. A true hero is like that Gi Woo-Hee, doing good silently even if others don’t recognize it. I think so too.”

“That’s why the Myeolsa Army is great.”

“That’s why I think the Martial Alliance is lacking.”

“…What do you mean?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong sighed.

“For a large organization like the Martial Alliance, dividing good and evil and acting heroically isn’t that important. Whatever the case, what moves the world is power and money. And those two things demand fame as a price in this irrational world of martial arts.”

“…”

“We’ll need a bigger, stronger, and more certain reputation. That’s why we’re sending out the Righteous Army.”

Moyong Gun’s eyes deepened.

“For the Martial Alliance’s reputation?”

“Yes. The Hall of Reincarnation is not enough. The Three Teachings? They’re the most dangerous enemies, but the world doesn’t know about them yet. Not to mention the mediocre Black Path sects.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong looked at Moyong Gun and said,

“You told Moyong Woo that the Mukryong Unit needs to be dealt with? That proposal will probably be approved in some way before tomorrow. Why? Because what the Martial Alliance needs is fame.”

“That…”

He had never thought that far. Moyong Gun had suggested to Moyong Woo that the Mukryong Unit should be dealt with because of the Evil Sound Cult, not for the sake of fame.

“I… I thought that proposal wouldn’t be easily passed. The reason being, the Mukryong Unit is a huge organization. It could easily lead to war.”

“It could.”

“What I told my brother was to catch the Three Teachings’ lackeys. I didn’t consider such a dangerous thing.”

“I know. But the world is a place where a single poem can have a hundred interpretations. How much more so for the Martial Alliance? Do you think they’ll move according to your intentions?”

“…!!”

“At least in this case, the probability of that happening is low.”

“This can’t be…”

Moyong Gun couldn’t believe it.

“Are you saying that my proposal could spark a war with the Black Path?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong shook his head.

“That’s another matter. The officials of the main Alliance aren’t fools. Starting a war first in the current situation? That’s nonsense. They’ll never do such a reckless thing.”

“I guess so?”

“However, since sending out the Righteous Army is confirmed, they’ll try to use us as much as possible. And it’s obvious that the Mukryong Unit is the best target for us to make our presence known.”

“…!!”

Moyong Gun’s face hardened.

“As you said, the officials are all wise people. It’s natural for an organization to value power and money, but they won’t try to touch the Mukryong Unit by force.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong nodded.

“That’s why I said it would be approved in ‘some way’. It’s not just about touching the Mukryong Unit. An order could be issued to attack illegal businesses or vicious sects related to the Mukryong Unit.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong chuckled.

“And I’ve infiltrated and gathered information about that myself. If it’s approved, there’s a high probability that we’ll strike them based on the information I got from the Mukryong Unit.”

“…Haa.”

Moyong Gun sighed deeply.

“Things in this world never go as one wishes.”

“Has the world ever been easy? Since it doesn’t go as we wish and doesn’t roll the way we want, each of us runs to create the world we want.”

Moyong Gun, looking at his glass with a troubled face, refilled Yeon Ho-Jeong’s and Muk Bi’s glasses.

“Anyway, this time, I have no choice but to trust the higher-ups’ decision.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes gleamed.

‘This time?’

That meant that Moyong Gun had been feeling skeptical about the higher-ups’ orders for some time.

‘Hmm.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong looked at Moyong Gun’s eyes.

They looked confused and frustrated. They looked worried, and he seemed to see anger towards this resentful world.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had been staring at Moyong Gun’s face, asked casually,

“Are you frustrated?”

“I am.”

“But we still have to fight. What else can we do?”

“Don’t say that. The higher-ups’ orders are absolute, but at least in the White Path [a righteous martial arts faction], there’s a principle that takes precedence over orders.”

“What is it?”

“Heroism.”

Moyong Gun’s eyes gleamed.

“Sacrifice the few for the many? An organization can do that. But the White Path shouldn’t. Everyone living well at the cost of making even one person unhappy? That’s something I can never accept.”

“But that’s reality. Everyone shouts those words, but in the end, the world hasn’t flowed according to ideals. For thousands of years.”

“But we still have to pursue it. Because that’s the right path. If we don’t pursue it and don’t try because it’s not realistic, how can we call ourselves the White Path, and what can we teach our successors?”

Moyong Gun’s face contorted.

“What if we lack fame? What if we lack power and money? If it’s to make even one more person live like a human being, if that’s the right path, then we must pursue it.”

His face was still confused. But Moyong Gun’s voice didn’t waver.

He was hiding his true feelings and moving to fix his family, but that wasn’t a reason to belittle Moyong Gun as a person.

Moyong Gun was originally this kind of person. He was a person who knew what values should not be abandoned even if the world were to collapse. And he was a person who was ready to risk his life for that belief.

Yeon Ho-Jeong said,

“But we alone can’t change the principle of survival that history has chosen.”

“That’s not a principle of survival. The people who made that history were people after all!”

“Then try to change it yourself.”

“What…?”

“I’ll help you, so fix all the absurdities and un-White Path-like actions that you’ve felt.”

Moyong Gun’s eyes shook violently.

Yeon Ho-Jeong said calmly,

“There are more evil people than good people in the world. And there are ten thousand times more people who don’t even know if what they’re doing is good or evil than those who are good or evil.”

“…”

“I don’t think I can reform all of them. Nor am I in a position to do so. But if you feel frustrated, if you want to create such a world, I’ll gladly risk my life.”

“Yeon-je.”

“Of course, we have to destroy the Three Teachings, but still.”

The two looked at each other silently.

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled.

“We’ve had enough to drink. It seems like you have a lot to think about, so let’s call it a night.”

“Yeon-je.”

“I’ll come over tomorrow, so buy me a meal. Muk Bi, let’s go.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had gotten up from his seat, looked down at Moyong Gun and added,

“Remember. We had a fight with the Shin Hwa Cult, but the real fight hasn’t even started yet. Think carefully about how you should move and how you should live in that situation.”

“…”

“I’m leaving. See you tomorrow.”