Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 667

The False Killing Intent (10)

Ha Eun-gyo’s aura was serene yet chilling. It wasn’t explosive like Yeon Ho-jeong’s, nor was it as bloodthirsty as Ho Yeon-jong’s. It wasn’t overwhelming like Tang Hyeong’s, nor as ferocious as Yang Cheon’s.

Yet, everyone in the area felt an oppressive pressure that made it hard to breathe.

Even without exerting her full power, the masters of the world were frozen. Despite the fact that there was no one who wasn’t a master, they all felt as if an invisible beast was binding their minds and bodies.

Only then did Yeo Gwang realize his mistake. He had been consumed by shame and anger, forgetting who was standing before him.

Woo woo woo woong!

Ha Eun-gyo’s aura, spreading subtly, was filled with a strange resonance. Though there was no sound, a rich tone that seemed to echo from afar could be felt.

And from within that.

Yeon Ho-jeong’s mouth opened.

“The White Path.”

Though he couldn’t move a single finger, Yeon Ho-jeong’s voice was somehow wistful, piercing their ears.

“It is a moral ideal created by the aspirations of the people, so even if the methods are different, one must dedicate oneself to achieving justice.”

Yeon Ho-jeong looked at Yeo Gwang.

However, Yeo Gwang couldn’t take his eyes off Ha Eun-gyo.

It was a compulsion. Before Ha Eun-gyo’s chilling energy, he couldn’t even move his eyes as he wished.

“There are countless people in the world, so there will be different ways of interpreting justice. But I tell you clearly, I don’t feel any justice in your words right now. It’s just stubbornness, consumed by an old grudge you haven’t even experienced yourself.”

“…….”

“You even nearly led your own great sect down the path of destruction because you couldn’t see reality.”

Jongnam collapsing?

It was an excessive interpretation, but it wasn’t impossible if she was determined. If the Umje [a title for a powerful female martial artist], truly enraged, were to attack Jongnam right now, no one could stop her.

With the martial arts and techniques they had accumulated over many years, along with their numerical superiority and the mobilization of past masters, they might be able to inflict damage on the Umje. Perhaps they could even kill her.

However, Jongnam would also surely collapse. Especially if they were hit by her sound techniques, which were specialized for massacres, even top-tier masters wouldn’t be able to resist and would be killed.

“I hope you understand. The reason you are alive in this place. It’s not because Jongnam is scary, but because Jongnam has a history of contributing to the peace of Seoseo [a region] that you are alive.”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes deepened.

“If you understand that, be careful in your words and actions, and put more effort into the world. Do not cast a shadow on the legacy of the righteous deeds that the esteemed masters of Jongnam have achieved.”

“…….”

“If you become arrogant because you have superior power, you will soon see yourself trying to dominate the people you should be upholding.”

Ha Eun-gyo looked at Yeon Ho-jeong.

Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.

“You’re going to let me live, aren’t you?”

Ha Eun-gyo, who had been quietly watching him, couldn’t help but chuckle.

“I am not a wise person, but I am not so foolish as to think of an individual’s mistake as the wickedness of the entire group, like the Great Elder of Jongnam.”

“Conversely, you don’t see the members of the current generation as evil because of the past mistakes of that group, do you?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Today, I realized that the reason you are great is not because of your martial arts.”

Ha Eun-gyo, with a bitter smile, lowered her left hand.

Whooo woong!

Ha Eun-gyo’s chilling aura, which had been spreading, disappeared as if washed away.

“Hah! Hah!”

Most of the Jongnam swordsmen gasped for breath. They had been unable to breathe under Ha Eun-gyo’s overwhelming energy.

Ha Eun-gyo looked at Yeo Gwang and said.

“I will continue to watch you in the future. If Jongnam shows the same behavior as today, I will go to the sect leader or the Martial Alliance. You will have to take responsibility for it.”

Trickle.

Yeo Gwang’s face was wet with cold sweat.

Ha Eun-gyo gently pressed on Yeon Ho-jeong’s back. She had been less attentive to his body because she had been focused on raising his energy.

“I hope you have cultivated yourself enough to learn from tonight’s events.”

“…….”

“Go. I don’t want to see you anymore.”

In the end, Yeo Gwang lowered his head and turned his body.

At that moment, he saw Hwang Seok-tae.

Hwang Seok-tae silently looked at Yeo Gwang. His cool and deep eyes seemed clearer than the eyes of the Great Elder of Jongnam, a prestigious sect of the White Path.

Yeo Gwang walked away with a distorted face. His back, pushing through the Jongnam swordsmen, was filled with a bitter sense of defeat.

Ha Eun-gyo sighed.

“Looking at that fellow’s expression, he’s not going to reflect.”

“That’s not certain. Even if it’s rotten, it’s still a crucian carp. He’s not a member of the Nine Great Sects for nothing.”

“It’s strange to hear someone who doesn’t judge people by their background say such things.”

“I don’t judge people, but at least there must be one adult in Jongnam with the right mind.”

“That’s not it.”

“Yes?”

“You’re hoping that’s the case. That’s how Jongnam will survive. The Jongnam sect will be a great force in the upcoming war, and it would be a waste if they were ruined by something like this.”

Yeon Ho-jeong smiled awkwardly.

“Did you see through me?”

“You’re a surprisingly easy person to read.”

“Now that Sichuan is stable, the enemies will look for an entry point to deploy their main forces. There’s a high probability that the entry point will be Seoseo.”

Ha Eun-gyo nodded.

“You’re easy to read, but difficult to know.”

“You flatter me.”

At that moment, Gang Ryang slyly joined the conversation.

“You won’t retaliate, will you?”

Yeon Ho-jeong chuckled.

“If we retaliate here, Jongnam is finished. Not figuratively, but literally.”

“Isn’t he the guy who acted up in front of Umje, not knowing his place? Who knows if he’ll cause another ruckus because he can’t control his anger?”

Paeyul said.

“Even if he causes a ruckus, there won’t be anything like what happened this time.”

“How do you know that?”

“I saw the faces of the swordsmen.”

“The Jongnam swordsmen?”

“Yes.”

Paeyul’s eyes became wistful. Looking at Yeo Gwang’s behavior and his subordinate swordsmen, he was reminded of Jeomchang [a place or group].

“In any sect, there are respectable elders, and there are also old people you can’t associate with. Depending on who you follow, your own life changes.”

“What are you talking about?”

“However, I saw a kind of realization in the faces of those swordsmen.”

The more Yeo Gwang, hurt by his pride, went astray, the more the young swordsmen felt his mistakes more clearly.

It was, so to speak, an awakening. They were clumsy because they were young, but because they were young, they had many opportunities to think about what the right path was.

“Well, if they do the same thing again, then there’s no choice. Like you said, we’ll have to crush them with a preemptive strike.”

“Then you’ll be marked by the Martial Alliance. You have to think about your sect too.”

“I’m treated like an outcast even in Jeomchang.”

“Hahaha.”

Gang Ryang’s laughter sounded particularly refreshing.

Ha Eun-gyo shook her head.

“People desire peace, but they get bored if there’s no conflict. Conversely, even if life becomes difficult, they don’t hesitate to cause conflict. They need someone to pour their hatred on to escape loneliness.”

“What do you mean?”

“People are addicted to false killing intent.”

“False killing intent?”

“Even though they don’t need to be angry if they know the truth, they hypnotize themselves. They label others as the problem, say that these guys should be killed, or that they’re all the same, and they don’t hesitate to blindly curse them.”

“…….”

“They don’t not know the difference. They just know that it’s easier and more satisfying to interpret difference as wrong. It’s also a way to escape the deep loneliness.”

Ha Eun-gyo sighed.

“In the end, they become monsters who don’t even know that they are wrong. Like that Yeo Gwang.”

“…….”

“I wanted to heal those people with sound, which I am best at. That was my dream.”

The group felt a sense of solemnity for no reason.

Ha Eun-gyo, looking up at the sky with a bitter face, said in a deliberately bright voice.

“It’s been a day full of all sorts of things. I know you’re busy, but rest well here until dawn. Efficiency comes from physical strength, doesn’t it?”

Paeyul, Hwang Seok-tae, and Gang Ryang bowed their heads.

“Thank you for your generosity, Senior.”

As soon as those words were finished, Gang Ryang lay down on the spot. Paeyul sat on the edge of the cliff, swinging his legs in the air, and Hwang Seok-tae leaned against his horse, tending to his spear.

Yeon Ho-jeong was still sitting on the mat. It was because Ha Eun-gyo had not taken her hand off his vital points.

“This is enough, Senior.”

Ha Eun-gyo’s face showed a subtle sternness.

“You won’t have much time to rest, will you? You are the leader of this group. If the leader falters, the whole group falters.”

“…….”

“Stay still. I will restore you to seventy percent of your original state before the Ox hour passes.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s face was unusually awkward.

Since his regression, so many things had happened. He had intervened in all sorts of incidents and had succeeded and failed in his missions.

There were many people who helped him. He would never have made it this far on his own.

But this was the first time someone had directly treated his internal injuries so intimately. This had never happened even during his time as the Dark Emperor.

That ‘first’ experience made Yeon Ho-jeong awkward.

How much time had passed?

“…Maybe I might be like that too.”

“Huh?”

“I mean, that false killing intent.”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes wavered.

“I hate the Three Teachings. That hatred is real. But when I look back, I wonder if it’s something to go so crazy about.”

“…….”

“Are they really the kind of guys I should hate and hate, and fight while consuming myself to the point of madness?”

“…….”

“Maybe I’m finding the reason for my existence in them.”

Ha Eun-gyo’s eyes warmed.

“You are very good at reflecting on yourself.”

“If I hadn’t, I would have become a demon consumed by madness long ago.”

He had actually almost become a demon. If Ha Eun-gyo hadn’t helped him, something terrible would have happened.

“You haven’t been at the Supreme level for long, have you?”

“Yes? Ah, yes. That’s right.”

“For someone who hasn’t been at that level for long, you have great combat power. It’s not just that you’re good at fighting, but it’s as if you know how to handle the power of the Supreme level.”

Yeon Ho-jeong smiled bitterly without saying anything.

Ha Eun-gyo continued.

“The Supreme level is a double-edged sword.”

“……?”

“Being able to wield the ultimate power that is not allowed to humans also means that you can face the ultimate trials that humans cannot endure. Like when you were consumed by killing intent earlier.”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes widened.

Ha Eun-gyo stroked his back. As if comforting a discouraged child, her gesture was filled with a strange affection.

Perhaps she was reminded of a child she had abandoned in Yeon Ho-jeong. Their ages were similar.

“Don’t be consumed by killing intent. You are strong even without it.”

“…I understand.”

Ha Eun-gyo looked at the sky.

The starlight surrounding the moon was shining beautifully.

“How beautiful the sky is.”

And a day passed.

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