Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 580

The group walked in silence. It was a quiet procession. Each of them was a renowned master in the martial world, yet none exuded their presence. How long had they walked like that? “I was too flustered earlier to greet you properly,” Moyong Gun said to Tang Gwan, who was at the front. “It’s been a while.” Moyong Gun, having composed himself, greeted him with a smile. Paeyul, watching him from behind, thought, ‘He’s truly remarkable.’ Despite their past, which had been completely severed by the bitter political strife, he was able to greet him with a smile. What was surprising was Tang Gwan’s response. “It has been a while.” His reply was much calmer than expected. Some of the group, aware of the relationship between the two, were inwardly surprised. Even Moyong Gun looked at Tang Gwan with a peculiar gaze. Silence fell upon the group once more. A moment later. “While one’s innate nature is immutable, I believe people can still change,” Moyong Gun said with another smile. “It seems that Clan Leader Tang has become much more lenient than before.” “Is that so?” “That’s how it appears.” Tang Gwan shook his head. “Let me be clear, I still dislike you.” “Hahaha.” “It’s just that I don’t want to be harsh to someone who has come to help the main family, so don’t misunderstand.” It was a surprising statement. Moyong Gun’s eyes widened. “You’ve really changed a lot, haven’t you?” Has he changed that much? ‘Perhaps he has.’ Tang Gwan thought. He had certainly changed. However, his fundamental nature had not changed. Only his attitude had changed. If it had been the Tang Gwan of the past, he would have maintained a sharp tone throughout the conversation. But the current him was not like that. He didn’t have the luxury, nor did he feel the need to do so. He still disliked Moyong Gun, but now he had no reason to waste his emotions on such a person. “Since you’ve come to help, make sure you do it properly.” Moyong Gun chuckled. “If the Tang Clan falls, Sichuan will fall. Do you think I’d let that happen?” “…….” “I know you don’t trust me, Clan Leader Tang, but at least this time, we all need to be united. You don’t have to worry about that part.” It was likely sincere. Half of it. Tang Gwan didn’t trust the other half of Moyong Gun. He trusted his abilities, but not his character. Moyong Gun was the type of person who would never abandon his ambition to swallow the world, even at the moment of his death. Of course, he wouldn’t cause chaos within the Tang Clan. However, given the opportunity, he would devise schemes that they couldn’t even imagine to further his own interests. ‘It doesn’t matter.’ That’s right. Tang Gwan didn’t trust Moyong Gun. But he treated him this way because he thought it didn’t matter even if he did such things. ‘I failed once. If I can fix the broken atmosphere of the family, I’m willing to join hands with the devil, let alone Moyong Gun.’ Tang Gwan didn’t know. He didn’t know that a father’s heart was so miserable when witnessing his son falling into evil. The image of Tang Yang-Seon came to mind. His sharp yet handsome face, now covered with vile emotions, had turned him into a grotesque figure that was burdensome even to look at. Tang Gwan closed his eyes. ‘Yang-Seon.’ He had raised his son poorly. As a parent, his sin was great. He was a clan leader who couldn’t even take care of his own son. He was unqualified as a clan leader. Furthermore, while the clan’s power had grown, within it, his own kin, driven mad by their own madness, were baring their fangs. Tang Gwan felt deep frustration and a stinging sense of defeat. He had thought he had done well, at least as well as others, and he had never imagined that such a thing would happen to his family. Knowing that he couldn’t restore his family with pride alone, he couldn’t afford to be hostile to Moyong Gun. Tang Gwan opened his eyes. His heart was heavy, but his gaze was still deep and profound. “There might be a fight as soon as we enter the clan’s territory.” “Everyone knows that.” “But you won’t know how to prepare. The Tang Clan’s battles are completely different from what you’re used to.” Moyong Gun’s eyes flashed with interest. The Tang Clan’s battles are completely different from their battles? In a way, it was obvious. They were a clan that dealt with poison and hidden weapons. The level of danger would be on a different scale compared to attacking any other sect. However, even as he said that, there was not a hint of pride in his voice. He was indeed different from the Tang Gwan he knew. ‘He has let go of everything.’ Even his own life. In this matter, Tang Gwan was determined to overhaul the clan from its roots, even if it meant sacrificing his own life. Moyong Gun’s brow furrowed. ‘Is it that serious?’ Was Tang Gwan taking this situation that seriously? ‘Well, I suppose so.’ If the family had become a mess without him knowing, he too would find it hard to maintain a normal state of mind. What if one of his own siblings were to rebel? What if they had been hiding themselves all this time to rebel? And if he had been unaware of it until now, what would his feelings be? ‘That’s unlikely… but if such a moment were to come, I would probably be even worse than Tang Gwan.’ But his response would be different. Tang Gwan had been caught off guard, but he wouldn’t be. He had the power to restore his broken family in an instant. He wouldn’t rely on others like this. He wouldn’t show weakness either. Moyong Gun truly believed that he would be like that. “That’s the place.” The group, each lost in their own thoughts. As dawn broke and the east began to brighten, the group arrived at the rendezvous point with Yeon Ho-Jeong. “Rest. Until the brat contacts us.” Tang Gwan put his hands behind his back. “And circulate your inner energy. If you don’t want to die as soon as we enter.” * * * Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes wavered. Hwa Jin-Cheon continued. “So, it was the Beggars’ Union after all.” “…….” “The elders of the Beggars’ Union, those who should have thrown away their honor and lived in freedom and simplicity, those elders of the hundred thousand Beggars’ Union, they were swayed by the sweet talk of high-ranking officials and became greedy.” “Even if that’s true… there are countless branches of the Beggars’ Union in Sichuan, aren’t there?” “There are. In fact, quite a few youngsters have been sending in various pieces of information.” Hwa Jin-Cheon closed his eyes. “Upon investigation, most of the youngsters who sent information related to the Paradise Society suffered accidents.” “……!” “Of course, those accidents were very natural and likely to happen. In the first place, those youngsters didn’t even know what the Paradise Society was. They probably didn’t even know how serious the information they brought was.” “What about the branch leaders?” “The youngsters of the main union spread throughout the Central Plains send in hundreds of thousands of pieces of information every day. I only receive the information that is deemed important after it has been filtered and filtered again.” “…….” “It’s unfortunate, but crimes such as kidnapping, murder, and robbery happen every day in every corner of the world. For the branch leaders, such information has become less and less stimulating.” Yeon Ho-Jeong frowned. Emotionally, he couldn’t understand, but when he thought about it, it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible. On top of that, the Paradise Society had even created an organization to control information in Sichuan. They had won over the Sichuan elders of the Beggars’ Union and even created an organization to control information. Even the Beggars’ Union, which was spread throughout the world, would have had a hard time knowing about the existence of the Paradise Society. Rather, Gi Chung, who had discovered their existence and was secretly investigating them, was a remarkable person. “There’s one thing I want to confirm.” “Speak.” Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face was more serious than ever. “I know that high-ranking officials have a lot of money. Even if those from the Sichuan Three Gangs couldn’t embezzle all the funds of their sects, they could have raised a considerable amount of money with their abilities alone.” “…….” “But to raise an organization like that for over ten years, an unimaginable amount of money would be needed. No matter how I think about it, I don’t think it’s possible with their financial resources.” “Yes, you’ve already reached that point. Indeed, if you look closely, the most puzzling part is that very point.” “That’s right.” Hwa Jin-Cheon picked up the last page of the document on the table. “Take a look at this.” Yeon Ho-Jeong read the document. A moment later, his eyes were bloodshot. “We tried to trace their source of funds, but it wasn’t easy. It’s no wonder. They’ve already solidified their businesses. They’ve established a system to generate their own funds.” “…….” “We’re still investigating. Nothing definite has been revealed yet. But…” “They’re going to Tibet.” “That’s right.” Hwa Jin-Cheon’s eyes also became sharp. Although Yeon Ho-Jeong had accumulated a surprising amount of profound energy, he was still the leader of the Dragon Head Association. “A portion of the money they’ve earned is going to Tibet. If that’s the case with what we’ve investigated, the reality is that most of it is likely leaking overseas.” “…….” “The Paradise Society is earning astronomical amounts of money just by existing. And we’re guessing that the executives there are sending most of it overseas, except for the expenses needed to run the organization and a certain amount of public funds.” “…The Three Teachings [a collective term for Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism].” “We don’t know yet. But it’s highly likely.” Screech. Yeon Ho-Jeong’s right hand tore the corner of the document. He had unknowingly put strength into his hand. Hwa Jin-Cheon continued. “Shall I tell you the worst-case scenario?” “…….” “We don’t know much about the Three Teachings yet, but even if their financial power is great, this is beyond the pale. The imperial court and government officials are also extracting funds, but if that were the case, we would have noticed the distorted market flow.” “…….” “We can’t rule out the possibility that even the martial world of Tibet has joined hands with the Three Teachings.” Yeon Ho-Jeong closed his eyes. When he first formed a connection with Ga Deuk-Sang, he had asked Ga Deuk-Sang to look into the movements of the Tibetan martial world. At that time, there were no particular movements in the Tibetan martial world. Ga Deuk-Sang had said so, and if he said so, then it must be so. But what if the absolute powerhouses of the Tibetan martial world, the Small Thunder Sound Temple and the Potala Palace, were working with the Three Teachings? No, what if other sects besides them were also aiming to conquer the Central Plains with the Three Teachings? “The key is the Tang Clan.” Yeon Ho-Jeong opened his eyes. Hwa Jin-Cheon said in a serious tone. “Qingcheng and Emei are great sects with amazing power. But it’s difficult with them alone. The mountain hermits who haven’t fallen, while they may be experienced, cannot overcome the limitations of being cultivators. And in fact, they shouldn’t.” “…….” “The Tang Clan must be revived. We must restore the Tang Clan to its original state by any means necessary. The Tang Clan’s poison, hidden weapons, gunpowder, and mechanisms are the strongest forces that can protect the Sichuan martial world like an iron wall.” “…….” “The mechanisms, poison, and hidden weapons of the Paradise Society all came from the Tang Clan. While we control the Paradise Society, if you restore the Tang Clan, then there will be a major shift in the Sichuan martial world.” “…….” “If the Sichuan martial world becomes strong, it will be difficult for them to enter Sichuan. If Sichuan is blocked, they will enter by going around, and the routes to go around are very limited.” Hwa Jin-Cheon’s eyes gleamed. “In other words, whoever takes Sichuan can gain an advantage in the power struggle. If we restore the Tang Clan, we can turn the tide of the unfavorable national situation at once.”