Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 635

That night.

The brightly shining moonlight was exceptionally beautiful. Unlike the skies of Sichuan, there were hardly any clouds.

The wind blew quite strongly, but the humidity was just right, so it wasn’t too cold. It was a good night.

Tang Gwan, sitting alone in the pavilion in the rear garden of the family head’s residence, drinking, turned his head at the sudden feeling of someone’s presence.

Tang Gwan frowned.

“You’re late.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong clicked his tongue.

“I apologize. I had some things to think about.”

“I have a lot to think about too.”

“Is there a lot of alcohol?”

“You’re changing the subject.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong climbed into the pavilion and sat opposite Tang Gwan.

Tang Gwan filled his glass and said,

“This is Oryangyeok [a type of strong liquor]. It’s brewed directly at the main family.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled.

“Seeing you add that unnecessary detail, it must be a truly precious liquor.”

“It’s seven times more expensive than what’s sold on the market. And even then, there’s not much left over.”

“What kind of liquor is so expensive?”

“You only ever pour down cheap white liquor, so you don’t know the value of fine wine.”

“Isn’t the point of drinking to get drunk?”

“Quiet.”

The two clinked their glasses.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who emptied his glass in one go, showed a look of surprise.

“It’s really good.”

Tang Gwan frowned.

“Explain properly whether it’s the taste, the aroma, or what exactly is good about it.”

“…If it’s good, it’s good. Do I have to add such explanations?”

“You don’t know how to drink.”

How prickly.

It was his fault for being late, but wasn’t his reaction quite amusing? Yeon Ho-Jeong grinned and filled Tang Gwan’s glass.

“It feels much heavier than what I drank at the taverns. I wanted to drink something strong anyway, so this is perfect.”

Tang Gwan’s face softened.

“It’s heavy and even stronger. It’s a secret of the main family. I’ve also brought Geomnamchun [another type of strong liquor], so drink it all before you leave.”

“Don’t worry. I’m a heavy drinker, a real one.”

And so, the two exchanged glasses back and forth.

“How is it? How do you feel?”

“What do you mean?”

“Didn’t you open the Limitless [a state of heightened power]?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong chuckled.

“Are you asking again?”

Tang Gwan answered honestly.

“I’ve never reached that level. I’m curious how the world looks when you open the Limitless.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong stroked his chin.

“I haven’t really felt it myself yet, so it’s hard to say. I haven’t even properly examined it.”

“Weren’t you late because you were training?”

“Yes. I was mulling over my conversation with the Moyong family head.”

Tang Gwan’s eyes sharpened.

“The Moyong family head?”

“Yes.”

“What did that snake-tongued man spew this time?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled bitterly.

“Just this and that.”

He didn’t seem to want to talk about it.

Tang Gwan filled his glass, as if he’d lost interest.

“He must have been quite humiliated. He must have felt a sense of crisis too. He must have been much more shocked than I was.”

“That’s how it seemed.”

“His future must have seemed bleak. He wanted to become the leader of the Martial Alliance and had all his plans laid out, but then you, his rival, soared high into the sky. How bitter must he have felt?”

“……”

“Maybe he even gave up.”

Sharp.

His ability to respond in the moment might be inferior to Moyong Gun, but Tang Gwan hadn’t won the position of family head through luck either.

Yeon Ho-Jeong gave a wry smile.

“He was in a similar state.”

“Did he declare defeat? He wouldn’t do that with his personality.”

It would have been better if he had declared defeat.

Yeon Ho-Jeong shook his head.

“Anyway, it seems the Tang family has almost recovered.”

It was obvious he was changing the subject, but this time, Tang Gwan pretended not to notice.

“The branch families have all been called back, and the personnel arrangements are finished.”

“That was incredibly fast.”

“The youngest helped me.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled.

“I haven’t seen him properly, but I expected Tang Yoon’s abilities to be considerable.”

“He’s more than considerable. I entrusted him with quite a few tasks, and when he got serious, he handled them all in an instant.”

“Talented people are silent.”

“Indeed.”

“Looking around, the repairs are extensive. Even more so than during the day.”

“The main family’s workers are skilled.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled and filled his own glass.

Tang Gwan, who had been quietly watching Yeon Ho-Jeong, asked abruptly,

“When is it?”

“Yes?”

“When are you planning to leave?”

“……”

“Your departure from the Black Dragon Unit wasn’t just to handle the main family’s affairs, was it?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong emptied his glass.

“I should leave within three days.”

“Three days, huh.”

“But I plan to help with the cleanup. The existence of the Paradise Lodge isn’t just a matter for the Tang family.”

Tang Gwan shook his head.

“If you help, it will be easier, but if you’re busy, you don’t have to lend a hand.”

It didn’t sound like he was just saying that.

Yeon Ho-Jeong asked,

“Are reinforcements coming separately?”

“Yes.”

“From where…?”

“Where else would they be from?”

After looking at Tang Gwan for a moment, Yeon Ho-Jeong chuckled.

“Did the Dragon Head Chief apologize for being sorry?”

Tang Gwan shook his head.

“You really are as sharp as a viper.”

“He gave me a hint. I did get some help from the Beggars’ Union, but that man also crossed the line a bit.”

“After the main family’s situation stabilized, they immediately arrested the elders involved with the Paradise Lodge. It seems they were preparing in advance.”

“He was grumbling about how difficult it was.”

“The head of the Beggars’ Union doesn’t only speak the truth. He has many faces that we don’t see.”

“That’s how it seemed.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong nodded.

“If the Dragon Head Chief said he would help, he will really help properly. He may have many masks, but the chivalry within him is genuine.”

“That’s good then. The Beggars’ Union in one region has as many members as several major sects combined. They’ll be quick to handle things, and cleaning up the Paradise Lodge won’t take long.”

“Qingcheng and Emei also need to be dealt with.”

“They’re already moving. In fact, the Beggars’ Union is leading that effort.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Indeed.”

The two were silent for a moment, emptying their glasses.

It was Tang Gwan who broke the silence first.

“You’re going to try to persuade the Sound Emperor?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong sighed.

“First, I need to see his environment and condition. If the Sound Emperor has joined hands with the Three Teachings [a group of powerful sects], I’ll have to choose between persuading him or fighting him.”

“That’s going to be a headache.”

“But who knows, the Sound Emperor might not have fallen. Rather, according to the information from the Black Dragon Unit…”

“The situation you’re hoping for is unlikely.”

“Yes?”

Tang Gwan picked up a pouch that was placed next to the table.

It seemed he had planned to bring up the topic during the drinking session.

“Take this.”

“What is this?”

Opening the quite heavy pouch, he saw small, black beads inside.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes lit up.

“Is this a small fire bomb?”

“I thought so too.”

Tang Gwan shook his head.

“The mechanism isn’t that different from a fire bomb. But it’s incredibly intricate.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong, examining the beads, suddenly focused his eyes.

There were small holes all over the beads. The holes were shaped in a way that their diameter narrowed as they approached the center.

“As you said, it’s incredibly intricate.”

They had created cone-shaped holes in this small bead without a single error.

Moreover, there were several extremely tiny holes on the inner walls of the holes. They were so small that they were hard to see with the naked eye unless you were a master of the highest level. The meaning of the holes was hard to understand, but the fact that they had crafted the iron so meticulously was a testament to their amazing skill.

“It’s something the demons from the Blood Fiend Sect were carrying.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes immediately sharpened.

Tang Gwan continued,

“They say that the moment it exploded, a tremendous sound wave swept through the surroundings. To be precise, it was a vibration, but whatever it was, it temporarily inflicted direct damage to the internal energy and senses of the masters.”

“Is that possible? To use sound like a fire bomb?”

“Sound is vibration, and the principle of amplifying the vibration instantaneously to create a shockwave is understandable. But…”

Tang Gwan shook his head.

“It’s impossible. Usually.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong frowned.

“Those damned Blood Fiend Sect bastards succeeded in doing the impossible.”

“There aren’t many intact ones, so we’re still researching them. When we split one in half to examine the inside, we found that the design was twice as complex as a normal fire bomb.”

“Hmm.”

“Honestly, even I couldn’t figure out what each device was doing.”

Though not as skilled as Tang Hyeong, Tang Gwan was also well-versed in the various studies of the Tang family. Especially as a master of hidden weapons, he had extensive knowledge of fire bombs, which could be considered a type of hidden weapon.

If Tang Gwan was amazed, it was truly an impressive technological system.

“But I can say for sure. This sound wave bomb doesn’t activate on its own. It can’t be activated by a fuse like a fire bomb. In the first place, vibration isn’t a substance like gunpowder, so it can’t be contained inside. It’s a given.”

“Then…?”

“It doesn’t seem to be a sorcery, but rather an auxiliary device that maximizes the frequency of vibration with a specific internal energy to create explosive power.”

Even Yeon Ho-Jeong, the best in the world, couldn’t fully understand Tang Gwan’s words. It was because he didn’t have knowledge in that area.

However, he could understand what Tang Gwan was trying to say.

“Are you saying the Sound Emperor made this?”

“Or perhaps the Sound Emperor taught his martial arts so that this device could function properly.”

“……”

“Or maybe the Sound Emperor was originally part of the Three Teachings. We can’t rule out the possibility that the Sound Emperor inherited the direct martial arts of the Blood Fiend Sect.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face hardened.

“That is…”

“I know. It’s not something we can be sure of yet. Even if it’s not the Sound Emperor, the Blood Fiend Sect could have developed and put this technology into practical use on their own.”

“……”

“However, controlling sound means controlling vibration, and among all the martial artists in the world, no one is as skilled as the Sound Emperor in controlling vibration.”

“……”

“It would be best to be fully prepared.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong silently fiddled with the bead.

Tang Gwan added,

“The only good thing is that you’ve opened the Limitless. If you hadn’t reached that level, you wouldn’t have lasted three moves, but now you might be able to leave a tooth mark on his arm.”

“Your analogy is something else.”

“Of course, even if you’ve opened the Limitless, it’s just the beginning. I haven’t reached that level, but even among the Saintly Heavens [a group of powerful martial artists], their strength varies greatly. If you aim for a head-on fight, you’ll most likely die.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong nodded.

“That’s probably true.”

Tang Gwan, who had been silently watching him, opened a bottle of Geomnamchun and filled his glass.

“Don’t die.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled.

“Are you worried about me?”

Tang Gwan said curtly,

“I haven’t repaid the favor I received yet. If you’re going to die, die after settling our debts.”

“Haha.”

“If you make the main family a family that doesn’t know gratitude, you won’t be able to go to the afterlife even after you die.”

It was Tang Gwan’s way of cheering him on, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that it was quite gruesome.

Yeon Ho-Jeong nodded.

“I will definitely not die.”

“You promised.”

The two shared another drink in silence.

Around the time the hour of the Rat passed and the hour of the Ox began, after midnight.

“Did you say three days?”

“Yes. It’s past midnight, so it’s two days now.”

“Go see your father.”

“Yes?”

Tang Gwan said as he emptied his glass,

“He said he has a gift for you. He’s quick-witted, so he must have sensed that you’re about to leave.”

“He didn’t have to.”

“Go and receive it. I don’t know for sure, but it might be helpful in your fight against the Sound Emperor.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes lit up.

“…I must go then.”