Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 675

“Hoo.”

The woman wiped the sweat from her brow, gazing down at the world spread out below the mountain.

“Shanxi in four days… I pushed myself too hard.”

No matter how confident she was in her movement techniques, it was a difficult distance to cover so quickly.

Especially while carrying a massive weapon weighing over eighty pounds. She had been consuming elixirs to aid her Qi cultivation as she ran, and without them, she wouldn’t have even left western Henan yet.

“Heave-ho!”

Thud!

The massive, black axe slammed into the ground.

The woman grumbled.

“Seriously, how does anyone even think of wielding something like this? No matter how I think about it, he’s not human.”

Looking at the axe, she was once again struck by how naturally gifted he was. It was astonishing that his muscles and joints didn’t break, but even more terrifying was the fact that he had the stamina to swing it for several hours.

“Let’s see.”

She had received information from the Beggars’ Sect just before climbing the mountain, and she calculated the remaining distance.

“By now, they should have entered Shanxi too…”

After finishing things in Sichuan, he said he was going to central Shanxi to handle a mission from the Mukryong Faction [a fictional martial arts faction].

She thought he really moved around without a single day off. It had been a while since she had seen him, but in that aspect, he hadn’t changed at all.

“Two days at the earliest, four at the latest.”

The woman, Muk Bi, sighed.

“Let’s hurry and rest.”

She wasn’t sure if there would be time to rest even if she hurried. Her father had said that the tension he felt in Moyong Gun’s words suggested that it could be a very dangerous mission.

So, she needed to go even faster. Though she was grumbling, she was inwardly worried.

Thwoom!

After drinking water and catching her breath, Muk Bi picked up her axe and powerfully kicked off the ground again.

She was on her way to meet her benefactor and comrade, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time.

Her steps were filled with anticipation and worry.

It was just before Yeon Ho-jeong entered Shanxi and kidnapped Ji So-hyeon.

Thud!

His posture was relaxed, but his speed was faster than anyone else’s.

Ga Deuk-sang, the Beggars’ Sect’s successor, had a movement technique that was that refined. Whether it was from rigorous training, the amount of released Qi was minimized, and the gentle flow was as calm as water. He was using his Qi extremely efficiently.

Originally, the successors of the Beggars’ Sect were not particularly strong in martial arts until they became the official sect leader. They placed much more importance on information analysis skills and the acquisition of knowledge about the entire martial world than actual martial arts.

After building up those qualities, they would then inherit their master’s inner energy and insights, quickly becoming experts. That was the typical growth environment for a Beggars’ Sect successor.

Ga Deuk-sang was different.

He had started similarly, but the martial arts he had mastered now were comparable to those of the leaders of any major sect in the Central Plains.

In a few years, he would be forty. With the current Dragon Head Beggar, Hwa Jin-cheon, having passed on his inner energy and the Beggars’ Sect’s ultimate secret technique, the Subduing Dragon, he had everything he needed to be the leader of the Beggars’ Sect.

A new dragon who had perfectly mastered wisdom, virtue, and physical prowess. He was no longer a hidden dragon, but a soaring dragon.

And he was rushing fiercely to help Yeon Ho-jeong and Jongnam.

‘That damned man.’

Behind him, as he ran at a terrifying speed, masters skilled in stealth began to follow one by one.

They were all martial artists from the Beggars’ Sect’s most renowned organizations. They hadn’t been able to gather all the masters spread throughout the Central Plains, but even just gathering the masters near Shanxi easily numbered in the hundreds.

‘Even so, how could he poison our master!’

There was no way Ga Deuk-sang didn’t know how the Sichuan situation had unfolded.

Even so, when he heard that Yeon Ho-jeong had poisoned his master, Ga Deuk-sang felt a strong sense of displeasure and anger.

However, after calmly assessing the situation, he understood Yeon Ho-jeong’s actions. Understanding and emotion were different, but at least he knew that Yeon Ho-jeong hadn’t poisoned his master for no reason.

After the Tang Clan situation was resolved, he had even come to provide an antidote, so it was clear there was no other intention. They were just as desperate, and there were no other suitable countermeasures.

However, the emotions that had accumulated in Ga Deuk-sang’s heart did not easily disappear.

Most of it had been washed away over time, but there was still some resentment. No matter the reason, a master was like a parent.

‘Once this is over, you’re going to get a beating from me!’

So, he absolutely couldn’t die before then. If Yeon Ho-jeong died, he wouldn’t have the chance to vent his frustration, nor the chance to rebuild their fierce friendship.

Swish, swish, swish!

As he was cutting through the shortest route, he encountered a dense forest.

Every moment was precious. Ga Deuk-sang’s stained robe swelled up greatly for a moment.

Ga Deuk-sang unleashed a double palm strike.

Boom!

With a loud explosion, the formless palm force that shot forward brutally shattered the trees in front of him.

A path was created in one strike. Considering the thickness and density of the trees, the power was enough to elicit shock beyond admiration.

Ga Deuk-sang shouted.

“Push harder! We need to reach Mount Jongnam by at least before sunset tomorrow!”

It was the day before Yeon Ho-jeong arrived at Mount Jongnam.

“What’s the situation?”

“It’s very urgent.”

The Iron Staff Beggar’s disciple had given himself the alias Iron Fist Beggar. His master had become a master of staff techniques, so he had the ambition to establish himself with fist techniques.

The alias was laughable, and it was actually childish. Unfortunately, his fist techniques weren’t particularly outstanding either.

However, his work ethic was an exception. The Iron Fist Beggar’s information analysis skills and instantaneous judgment were even better than his master, the Iron Staff Beggar.

“Three elders and one hundred and fifty Plum Blossom Swordsmen have descended from Mount Hua. And the Plum Blossom Spearmen, who have been training for over ten years, are also being deployed in this battle.”

“One hundred and fifty Plum Blossom Swordsmen, that’s almost all of them. And Plum Blossom Spearmen… those are the ones who have mastered external martial arts with the traditional Hua Mountain martial arts.”

“That’s correct. Since they are a force that has never been shown to the outside world, we need to keep a close eye on what they will show in this battle.”

“Before we watch their strength, the result of the Jongnam battle must be a victory. Analysis comes after that.”

“Of course. The important thing is that with Elder Hwgeomja personally taking action, Mount Hua will not take this Jongnam situation lightly.”

“Does that mean they’ve mobilized the maximum force they can?”

“I believe so.”

“Then we can assume that the Plum Blossom Spearmen’s martial arts are not much different from the Plum Blossom Swordsmen.”

“At the very least.”

“Whatever the case, three elders and one hundred and fifty Plum Blossom Swordsmen are already quite formidable. We have to assume that Mount Hua is taking this very seriously.”

They were the ones who had come to attack Jongnam, one of the largest sects in Shanxi.

In other words, this battle was the first time the foreign Guangxin Three Cults were trying to destroy a renowned major sect. As serious and symbolic as it was, the victory or defeat in the battle would determine the morale of the Central Plains.

“What is the current location of the successor?”

“There was a report that he had reached Sanyang. If he pushes himself a bit, he should be able to reach Mount Jongnam before sunset today.”

“Sanyang already? He’s already pushing himself too hard.”

“Yes. Even though he has been taught the Subduing Dragon martial arts, this speed is not normal. He must be running without any rest.”

“How many are following him?”

“About seventy each from the Long Immortal Group and the Ten Step Group.”

The Iron Staff Beggar’s eyes deepened.

“Will that be enough…?”

The Long Immortal Group and the Ten Step Group were among the few official combat units managed by the Beggars’ Sect headquarters.

They were thoroughly trained for efficient combat, regardless of individual martial prowess, so their performance in actual combat would be outstanding.

The problem was the number of enemies.

‘What path are they even taking?!’

They hadn’t even been able to grasp that the enemy forces had already reached Shanxi.

It was only after realizing that and focusing their intelligence on the north that they were able to deduce how many enemy forces there were.

‘At least five hundred. At worst, over a thousand.’

In fact, it was more of a guess, and the information was so inaccurate that it would have failed.

From five hundred to a thousand was a difference of double the forces. It had been a long time since they had dealt with information with such a large margin of error.

‘This is unbelievable.’

Whether it was five hundred, a thousand, or two thousand.

The fact that they didn’t know that such a force had entered Shanxi was fatal. It wasn’t as if the Beggars’ Sect’s Shanxi branch was slacking off either. On the contrary, how hard had they worked to survive with their intelligence between Jongnam and Mount Hua?

And yet, they didn’t know? Then it was one of two things.

‘Either they had thoroughly grasped where the major organizations of the Shanxi martial world were concentrated, or…’

The Iron Staff Beggar’s eyes wavered.

‘They had been steadily infiltrating masters into Shanxi little by little over a long period of time.’

Whether it was the former or the latter, it was clear that their preparations were thorough.

‘That’s why we must win this battle. If Jongnam falls this time, then Shanxi will also fall helplessly.’

No one was unaware of the importance of momentum and morale in a fight.

There were countless cases in history where battles that seemed impossible to win were won with burning morale and momentum. People’s mental strength, their momentum, was that important.

‘If only we had a little more time, we could have tried to reinforce our forces from Sichuan and Henan as well.’

At that moment, the Iron Fist Beggar asked.

“But Master.”

“I’m not a master, you damned disciple.”

“Tsk, Elder.”

“What is it?”

The Iron Fist Beggar tilted his head.

“Who… who are these guys?”

“Who are those guys? You have to show me the document or read the letters for me to understand.”

“Ahem! It’s a sect called the Fire Bear Gate.”

“Ah, those guys?”

“They have a really amazing name. A sect whose founder is a flaming bear?”

“And what about you, who gave yourself the alias Iron Fist Beggar?”

“It’s different, that’s.”

“What’s different? They’re both childish.”

“Anyway, who are these people? I’ve never heard of them before.”

The Iron Staff Beggar clicked his tongue.

“They’re dangerous guys.”

“Yes?”

“They’re black-hearted thugs who were running rampant in Fujian Province. Of course, when I say running rampant, they were actually hiding themselves well and seizing control of the local economy.”

“Black-hearted thugs?!”

“Yes.”

The Iron Fist Beggar spoke with a slightly hesitant expression.

“Is it okay to ask for help from a black-hearted sect? Of course, since the alliance with the Martial Alliance has been signed, they won’t be able to cause unnecessary chaos…”

“It’s fine. I’ve met their leader before. He’s like a slippery eel, but he’s also loyal and strong in martial arts.”

“How strong is he?”

“If we’re just talking about martial arts, the chances of me winning against their leader are close to zero.”

“…Yes? You, Master?”

“Yes.”

Shock spread across the Iron Fist Beggar’s face.

“Is he that strong?”

“That’s why he’s amazing. He’s about the same age as the successor, but if he’s surpassed the wall of martial arts at that age, it’s no ordinary feat. And while the successor had a sect leader, he didn’t have a master. Yet, he was managing his organization while hiding himself. Whether he’s cunning or whatever, he’s incredibly capable.”

“Oh, that’s amazing. It’s something that’s absolutely impossible with ordinary self-control.”

“His ability to assess situations is also top-notch. When the Martial Alliance’s Righteous Army marched to Guangdong Province, he immediately moved to Shanxi and set up shop. He gave up everything he had built up.”

“…!!”

“It would have been difficult to do that even out of greed. Even if he had a good strategist, if the leader hadn’t made the decision at the right time, it might have reached the Righteous Army’s ears by now.”

“My goodness…”

The Iron Staff Beggar sighed.

“It’s such a difficult situation that we have to ask for help from even those guys. We’ll talk about the details later, but first, figure out the forces of the fleeing Demonic Sound Cult. If they haven’t left Shanxi, they might recover their strength and turn this place into a wasteland again.”

“Ah, yes!”

As the Iron Fist Beggar left, the Iron Staff Beggar grabbed his hair.

“…Let’s just hold on a little longer, just a little longer.”

And a day passed.