Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 523

Beonjak was more than just a skilled martial artist.

To reach the pinnacle of martial arts, one needed the mental fortitude to endure immense hardship. Whether through luck or relentless training, a master’s martial arts were intertwined with enlightenment, which in turn fostered mental strength.

That’s why top masters remained unfazed by ordinary events. Even when surprised, they didn’t act impulsively, maintaining a constant harmony between mind and body.

However, Beonjak’s current state was far from harmonious.

He had pushed his Hwajeong [a technique that enhances internal energy] to its limit, sustaining severe internal and external injuries, and losing a dangerous amount of blood.

The balance between his mind and body was shattered. No matter how strong one’s mental fortitude, such a state inevitably revealed weaknesses.

Beonjak stared at Yeon Ho-jeong, silent.

Yeon Ho-jeong chuckled.

‘No answer, I see.’

‘Go ahead and say whatever you want.’

‘With Cheon Gang, and the other martial artists of yours who died by our hands before, do you know what I personally found interesting?’

‘…….’

‘The words you shout about risking your lives were unbearably hollow.’

Beonjak’s eyes twitched slightly.

‘I took Cheon Gang out of the prison for a while. There was something I wanted to check. But that guy, he was tough. He really seemed ready to throw his life away.’

It was natural. The Eighteen Martial Generals were not positions one could reach simply through martial prowess. Before martial skill and character, loyalty and faith had to be unwavering to become a Martial General.

‘It was interesting. So I tried to kill him for real. After all, hostages with no information to extract are worthless. If I sent him back, he would just turn his sword against us again, so there was no reason to keep him alive.’

‘…….’

‘Aren’t you curious about how he reacted then?’

Even without finishing the sentence, the tone made it clear that Cheon Gang had feared death.

Beonjak’s lips twitched.

‘Stop with your pathetic tricks.’

Yeon Ho-jeong’s expression turned indifferent.

‘The death you all cry out for is like that. Like the fiery Yang energy you’ve cultivated, it’s as light as a weightless flame.’

‘So, would you like to test it out?’

‘Testing is fine.’

‘No matter what you do, you won’t get even a shred of information from my mouth.’

Beonjak’s voice was firm.

Yeon Ho-jeong nodded.

‘You’ve already admitted that there’s no way out. That’s a good attitude.’

‘……!’

As Yeon Ho-jeong said, it was true.

In reality, Beonjak was helpless. His torn thighs couldn’t be healed even with Hwajeong, and a surprise attack was impossible because his internal energy was blocking the wounds.

A desperate, life-risking strike would be more advantageous, but even that was impossible. With his current internal energy, he couldn’t even catch Paeyul, let alone Yeon Ho-jeong.

If he had the strength for a final blow, he would have attacked long ago.

In other words, Beonjak was trapped, unable to advance or retreat.

His life was now in Yeon Ho-jeong’s hands.

‘Senior.’

‘Hmm?’

‘Please thoroughly block any insects from coming around. No one should trespass here.’

Paeyul’s eyes gleamed. He realized Yeon Ho-jeong was about to make a decisive move.

‘I will. But I can’t guarantee it. Your battle has devastated the entire area. If they attack simultaneously from this wide area, it will be difficult to stop them.’

He wouldn’t die, but he was saying that Yeon Ho-jeong, who was about to do something, could be harmed.

Yeon Ho-jeong shook his head.

‘You don’t need to fight. Release your battle stance and just maximize your senses. Just tell me as soon as you sense an enemy approaching.’

It wasn’t about blocking the enemy, but about focusing all his internal energy into his senses to act as an alarm.

Paeyul nodded.

‘Understood.’

Whoosh.

He moved about ten paces away from Yeon Ho-jeong and Beonjak and sat cross-legged, focusing on making his senses extremely sensitive.

Woo woo woo woo.

A faint true energy surged from Paeyul’s body, and soon, an invisible energy spread out like a net in all directions.

Yeon Ho-jeong turned his gaze back to Beonjak.

Beonjak’s expression was grim. He thought Yeon Ho-jeong was going to torture him now.

But he was wrong.

Swoosh.

Yeon Ho-jeong, using telekinesis, retrieved the long spear and lowered his stance.

He began to swing the spear without a word.

Swoosh!

A movement without internal energy.

Neither fast nor slow. Even a commoner who had not learned martial arts could clearly see the flow of the routine.

‘What is it?’

Beonjak was puzzled.

Instead of torturing him, he was suddenly showing him martial arts moves. He wondered why this guy was suddenly doing this.

Flap! Bang! Flap!

The speed control of the spear technique was perfect.

But it wasn’t a spear technique. Even amidst his confusion, Beonjak realized that Yeon Ho-jeong was using fist and palm techniques, not spear techniques.

And he felt a strong sense of déjà vu from Yeon Ho-jeong’s movements.

Yeon Ho-jeong, having thrust the spear, rotated his wrist halfway at the final point.

Whoosh!

With the rotation, the dirt on the ground softly swirled upwards.

In that instant, Beonjak’s eyes widened as if they would tear.

‘Do you recognize it?’

Yeon Ho-jeong, returning to his original stance, shrugged his shoulders.

‘It’s the martial arts that Cheon Gang showed me. And a little while ago, it’s also the routine of the fist and palm techniques you used against my martial arts.’

‘……You, where did you get that?!’

‘Didn’t I just say? It’s the martial arts that Cheon Gang showed me.’

‘That’s absurd!!’

It was a natural reaction.

Cheon Gang was not crazy enough to reveal the martial arts routine of the Divine Flame Church. It would be better to give information about the Divine Flame Church’s movements, but to reveal the form of the moves so meticulously was literally insane.

‘Then it seems someone infiltrated the Divine Flame Church’s headquarters and stole a martial arts manual.’

‘…….’

‘Well, the important thing is not that.’

It was important. From Beonjak’s point of view, it was a more important issue than any other.

But after hearing Yeon Ho-jeong’s next words, he lost the strength to even open his mouth and shout.

‘The important thing is that your martial arts, strategies, and tactics all follow a single form.’

Beonjak’s eyes shook as if an earthquake had struck.

Yeon Ho-jeong did not miss that very moment.

‘As I thought.’

Beonjak seemed to know. This flow, this shape, this absolute weakness that could be completely destroyed if one knew the countermeasure.

Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.

‘I was right.’

The reason he didn’t fight according to the countermeasure in the fight with Beonjak was to see this reaction. Of course, he was also confident that he could win.

On the other hand, Beonjak realized that his reaction had given the opponent confidence.

‘Damn it.’

But this reaction was unavoidable. Even if his condition had been perfect, he would have been caught by the opponent.

The reason was clear. He thought that there was no one in the Central Plains who could figure out that ‘form’.

To be precise, he thought that no martial artist would care about such a thing. It was a war to seize land, not a war between sects. Where would there be a crazy person who would leisurely investigate such a thing?

‘How did this guy get the Solar Military Diagram [a strategic military formation]?!’

Yeon Ho-jeong stroked his chin.

‘I won’t explain how I found out. But if you, the leader of the Eighteen Martial Generals, know it, then I can assume that your higher-ups also know it.’

‘……!’

‘In other words, whether it’s your martial arts, strategies, or tactics, even when you attempt an operational escape, you can’t be free from the movements of this shape. At the very least, if you don’t follow the shape, you can assume that there is some degree of risk. I don’t know if you can take that risk and show movements that deviate from the shape.’

Beonjak swallowed dryly without realizing it.

The dizziness caused by excessive bleeding had cleared up in an instant. His mouth was parched, and goosebumps rose on his back.

The fact that the commander of the Martial Alliance’s Righteous Army had learned a fact that should never have been known.

No, it wouldn’t just be Yeon Ho-jeong who knew. Surely, the leaders of the Martial Alliance also had some awareness of the Solar Military Diagram.

Flash!

A desire to survive flared in Beonjak’s eyes.

‘I have to tell them. I must!’

He had not intended to avoid death.

He had met Yeon Ho-jeong by chance in this place, but he had never thought that he would lose.

But he had lost, and all that remained was death. He didn’t want to believe it, but Beonjak had decided to accept that his life was over here.

Not now.

Now that Yeon Ho-jeong and the leaders of the Martial Alliance knew about the Solar Military Diagram, he could not die here. If he died here, the Divine Flame Church, unaware of this crucial fact, would suffer a fatal blow.

Contrary to his inner thoughts, Beonjak spoke in a mocking tone.

‘You’ve made a great discovery.’

‘I think so.’

‘Moving according to that shape? That’s right. But just that…’

‘But I wasn’t sure. So the Martial Alliance made a decision. To risk our lives and experiment.’

‘……What?’

‘We sent people towards the Imperial Palace. They are martial spies that you can never know about. He will go around the Imperial Palace and report any unusual findings. I don’t know what you did to seize the Imperial Palace, but if your ideology or tactics follow this shape, the spy’s report will be very useful, right?’

Thump! Thump!

Beonjak’s heart repeatedly contracted and relaxed strongly. It was a throbbing that could not be stopped even with internal energy.

‘This guy is lying.’

That’s what Beonjak thought.

‘It’s a trick to shake me. He sent spies to the Imperial Palace? Even if he did, they would all be caught.’

But looking at Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes, his confident thoughts seemed to crumble more easily than a sandcastle.

‘There was some risk involved, so I was worried. I was only going to touch the outer palace for now… but after seeing your reaction, I changed my mind. If we convey this situation, we can get faster and more precise results, right?’

‘……!!’

‘With this, the Divine Flame Church is sealed off.’

Beonjak’s face turned pale.

Yeon Ho-jeong’s words were definitive and exuded an astonishingly natural confidence.

‘No matter what you do, we will always be one step ahead. Even if the Evil Sound advances and the Mad Blood rages, there will be no place for the Divine Flame Church in that bloody war.’

Grind.

Blood vessels stood out in Beonjak’s eyes. He unconsciously ground his teeth.

Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.

‘Why? Are you not feeling well?’

‘……You bastard.’

In that instant, Beonjak recalled Makwon’s words.

‘If the people who risk their lives with a single sword on this land can win, why would they need to side with you charlatans?’

Could it be that Makwon also knew this fact?

Then, Yeon Ho-jeong spoke in a low, chilling voice.

‘But you know, we also want to make things a little easier.’

‘……?!’

‘The Divine Immortal Emperor, and the Three Armies. Tell me who you won over, who you killed, or who your next target is. If you do…’

‘…….’

‘I’ll extend your life by one day.’

He didn’t say he wouldn’t kill him. Not only would he not believe it, but Yeon Ho-jeong also didn’t want to lie and say he would spare him.

‘Have your subordinates or whatever bring me credible evidence about the Thirteen Seats of the Sacred Heaven. Then I’ll release you for exactly one day. I won’t chase you during that one day.’

‘……Do you think I’ll believe your words?’

‘Is there any other choice? For a dying man?’

‘…….’

‘I said I’d release you for a day, but I didn’t say I wouldn’t tell the Alliance that I released you.’

Swoosh.

The blade of the long spear touched Beonjak’s Adam’s apple.

‘Whether that one day of life will weigh your wisdom or your loyalty is entirely up to your judgment.’

‘…….’

‘A deal, will you accept?’