Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 419

At that moment.

Clang!

Sang-gak’s hand, which was swinging towards Jong-myung’s neck, stopped in mid-air.

Trickle.

A sharp blade grazed Jong-myung’s throat, leaving a scratch. A thin line of blood flowed from the torn skin.

If it had been a little later, the blade would have completely severed his throat and carotid artery. It was a perilous moment.

“……!!”

Jong-myung was too shocked to understand what had happened.

Sang-gak’s face turned red.

“Eek!”

Shudder!

His arm, bound by the chain, trembled violently.

However, with that much force, he couldn’t overcome Yeon Ho-jeong’s strength. Moreover, the Coiling Dragon Chain, infused with inner energy, clung to Sang-gak’s arm like a sticky, blood-soaked cloth, despite being made of steel.

In an instant, shock washed over Jong-myung’s face.

“Y-you!”

At that moment, Sang-gak swung his remaining hand. His sharply pointed fingertips looked as if they would shatter Jong-myung’s sternum at any moment.

Yeon Ho-jeong forcefully pulled the Coiling Dragon Chain.

Screech! Whoosh! Thud!

Sang-gak’s hand only tore Jong-myung’s collar. Sang-gak, still bound by the Coiling Dragon Chain, was flung against the wall and lost consciousness.

Fwoosh.

A cloud of smoke rose.

It wasn’t just Jong-myung who was surprised by the sudden turn of events. The head of the escort, who had belatedly followed, hurriedly drew his sword.

Clang!

“You! How dare you… here!”

“Stop!”

Jong-myung’s sharp shout made the head of the escort flinch and take a step back.

Jong-myung looked at Yeon Ho-jeong.

Yeon Ho-jeong was looking down at Sang-gak with cold eyes. His gaze was so cold and indifferent that it felt like his bones were chilling just from looking at it.

“What is your name?”

Yeon Ho-jeong spoke without looking at Jong-myung.

“I am Yeon Ho-jeong.”

“Yeon Ho-jeong?”

“That’s right.”

Yeon Ho-jeong… It was a name he had heard somewhere before. But now was not the time to rummage through vague memories.

Jong-myung spoke again.

“Would you explain what is going on?”

A strange light flashed in Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes.

‘He’s quite something.’

He could have lost his head if things had gone wrong. Yet, Jong-myung was calmly asking him questions.

‘He’s not just any ordinary man.’

Indeed, he was the Left Magistrate, a man who had started from nothing and risen to the highest position in charge of the administration of Guangdong Province. Such composure was not something even martial artists could easily display.

Yeon Ho-jeong said,

“The largest assassin group in Guangdong Province is on the verge of collapse. And they are…”

He briefly explained the series of events. Of course, all the important details were included, so Jong-myung could properly understand how the situation was unfolding.

“So, you’re saying that the leader of that assassin group has been placing his subordinates next to high-ranking officials in Guangdong Province for years?”

“That seems to be the case.”

Jong-myung’s eyes deepened.

It had been seven years since Sang-gak became his aide.

Sang-gak didn’t have any particular connections, but he possessed outstanding abilities. Moreover, he was decisive and had a strong human side, making him the perfect person to be his aide.

But to think that Sang-gak was an assassin?

“I can’t believe it. He’s been by my side for seven years, handling all sorts of matters.”

“It’s not ‘a whole seven years,’ but ‘only seven years.'”

“What?”

“There are countless people who dedicate their lives to revenge. How much more so for just seven years?”

“……!”

“It’s about killing the highest authority in charge of the administration of Guangdong Province. He probably spent a long time preparing, and he would have thoroughly investigated you.”

Jong-myung felt a chill run down his spine.

“To turn Guangdong into a living hell, they planned to assassinate key officials… !”

It was a truly dangerous idea.

To try to kill high-ranking officials of the empire, not just one but dozens.

This was a clear act of treason and a challenge to the empire. Even though the empire’s national power had weakened, he had never imagined that such a group would be running rampant right under their noses.

“This is outrageous… !”

“You should consider yourself lucky that you even managed to survive.”

“What?!”

“If you had died, Guangdong Province, which currently operates independently while still under the empire’s rule, would have descended into utter chaos.”

“…….”

“All lives are equal. However, know that I came here not because of your character, but because of your abilities and position. What matters most is the lives of the common people.”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes deepened.

In those dark eyes, Jong-myung found himself clenching his fist.

“We need to move quickly from now on. There must have been at least dozens of assassination attempts that we failed to stop. With so many officials dying at once, the administration of Guangdong Province will be completely paralyzed for the time being.”

“This can’t be…”

“You must restore order to the chaotic atmosphere of Guangdong as soon as possible. If you fail to do so, you might as well be dead.”

Chiririring!

Yeon Ho-jeong, having re-secured the Coiling Dragon Chain around his upper body, touched Sang-gak’s pressure point and hoisted him up.

Jong-myung asked,

“Where are you taking him?”

“That’s none of your concern.”

“He is a criminal who tried to kill an official of the empire. Leave him here.”

“You don’t have the ability to deal with him.”

“That’s not for you to consider! That man is… !”

“Do I look like I’m joking right now?”

Yeon Ho-jeong looked at Jong-myung.

In that instant, Jong-myung felt his legs go weak. A terrifying pressure was emanating from the other man’s gaze.

It felt like his heart would stop with just one look. This was an experience he had never had before, even after living for decades in the midst of the cutthroat political struggles.

“If you want to assert your rights, you must first have the ability and power to match them. I, too, am a person living in this land, so I hope the nation will be strong, but with someone like you, who acts recklessly without thinking, as the Left Magistrate, there’s no hope for the country to improve.”

“W-what!”

The head of the escort shouted angrily.

“How dare you!”

The fierce light in Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes gradually became clearer.

Jong-myung felt as if the other man could see right through him. He almost closed his eyes involuntarily.

“I did some research on you, but I didn’t even need to. It’s obvious. You’re just a bunch of fools with inflated egos, showing off your empty authority while sticking out your hollow bellies, but lacking the courage to reach out to those who could be of help.”

“Y-you…”

“If you hadn’t forcibly excluded the martial artists, things wouldn’t have come to this point.”

“……!”

“If you didn’t have the courage to treat them with a smile, you should have at least thought of using them. In the end, you’re just a moron who doesn’t have the brains to use martial artists, nor the guts to approach them with a smile.”

Jong-myung shouted angrily.

“You! There’s a limit to my patience!”

“If you don’t have patience? Are you going to kill me here? Me, who single-handedly defeated your entire escort and came here without a scratch?”

“Eek!”

“Get your head straight. An official is someone who serves the emperor, but at the same time, they are someone who protects the emperor’s people and helps them live prosperous lives. That is not a right, but a duty. You have neglected one of those duties, putting the situation in Guangdong on a knife’s edge. You are a sinner.”

“…….”

“If you want to satisfy that pride that’s worth less than a few copper coins, you might as well raise a dog. And instead of raising a dog, start thinking about restoring the public order and the people’s trust in this region.”

Yeon Ho-jeong turned around.

“I will come back again. If Guangdong is still in this state then, I will take your head.”

It was a terrifying statement.

No threat could be more blatant. He was treating the life of the Left Magistrate of the Seungseon Garrison, under the empire, as lightly as a few copper coins in his pocket.

However, Jong-myung could not respond to Yeon Ho-jeong’s words.

He was extremely flustered, angry, and confused, but at the same time, he knew. Yeon Ho-jeong’s words were not empty threats.

‘Terrifying!’

He was a young man who didn’t even look thirty.

Yet, the young man’s gaze was more terrifying than that of a dignified politician who had lived through decades of chaos, and his pupils, shining with divine energy, were so deep that they seemed to see into the very depths of a person’s soul.

Terrifying martial arts, a boldness that matched his martial arts, and even the ability to see through a person’s inner thoughts just by looking at them.

‘Martial artists are indeed dangerous.’

Such a person was not human. It was said that the legendary Guan Yu had broken through enemy lines and swept away the heads of his enemies like falling leaves, but that was just a legend.

That young man was someone who could make that legendary feat a reality at any time. Jong-myung had that much insight.

Jong-myung, who had been silently watching the door where Yeon Ho-jeong had left, suddenly felt the front of his upper garment become damp and lowered his head.

‘…….’

The blood from his neck had already flowed down to his collarbone, soaking his collar. He thought it was just a slight cut, but there was a considerable amount of bleeding.

Jong-myung, who had covered the wound with a handkerchief on the table, said to the head of the escort,

“Find out the status of all the high-ranking officials in Guangdong right now. Especially investigate the Provincial Military Command.”

* * *

“Damn it.”

Yeon Ho-jeong sighed.

“I was just spouting meaningless words. I still have a long way to go.”

Seeing Jong-myung still clinging to his pride even in that state, he felt a surge of anger.

Of course, Jong-myung’s words also made sense. No, if he respected the empire, he should have left Sang-gak in his care, as he said.

However, Yeon Ho-jeong knew. Once he left Sang-gak, Jong-myung would want more. He would also try to investigate him, and the time to investigate what was happening in Guangdong would be delayed.

Jong-myung was someone who rejected martial artists. Even before the investigation by the Beggars’ Union, he could tell just by looking at his eyes.

That’s why he was angry. Not because he hated martial artists, but because of his incompetence in not being able to cast them out despite hating them, and because of his clumsy pride in not being able to approach them with friendliness.

At least if Jong-myung had some connection with martial artists, he wouldn’t be so helpless.

‘Well, he would have been assassinated anyway.’

To think that someone who had been his aide for seven years was actually an assassin who could take his life at any moment if ordered to.

Even if it were him, not Jong-myung, it would be difficult to avoid that terrifying blade. Trust is always a double-edged sword.

Yeon Ho-jeong clicked his tongue.

“I can’t be like this either. Most of them are probably already dead, but if I can save even one more person, I need to move now.”

It was then.

Twitch!

Yeon Ho-jeong, who was about to push off the ground, stopped his body at the subtle aura he felt from behind.

‘……!!’

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes wavered.

He never expected to feel such a subtle yet dense aura in a place like this.

The concentration of that aura was truly immense.

It was so immense that it was the aura of someone who had taken a step further than his current self and was walking in a new world.

‘Limitless Realm!’

Yeon Ho-jeong turned around.

There, was an old man with disheveled hair like a lion, dressed in rags.

“You’re a remarkable young man. Am I too late?”

“…Who are you?”

“Hmm, it seems you saved the Left Magistrate. Tsk, I came here just in case, but it seems I made a pointless trip.”

The old man grinned.

His face was covered in grime, and his clothes were torn and tattered, but his teeth were as white as snow.

“But you, you’re really amazing. That martial art at that age… Heh heh, even Gong Gong wasn’t that good.”