Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 786

The next day.

“Have you arrived?”

“Yes.”

Hwa Jin-Cheon, who had been scanning Yeon Ho-Jeong up and down, chuckled.

“It seems you didn’t fight with the Great Warrior.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled.

“Why would I fight with that man? There’s no reason to fight anymore.”

“Well, that’s a relief.”

At that moment, Muk Bi approached from afar.

“Young Master Yeon.”

“Were you resting well?”

Muk Bi grumbled.

“Resting? What rest? I was out on civilian support duty and only finished yesterday.”

“Huh? Civilian support?”

Hwa Jin-Cheon said.

“The damage from the imperial palace battle wasn’t just limited to us. The nearby cities also suffered damage.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes widened.

“There was damage to civilians too?”

“To be precise, it wasn’t direct damage from the battle. However, merchant groups heading to the imperial palace couldn’t enter due to the battle here. In that situation, the merchants got drunk and caused quite a disturbance.”

“Huh?”

“The power of the government offices near the imperial palace is very strong. The problem is that the merchant group also had ties with the government offices, and an official from the government side actually arrested the people who were harmed by the merchants.”

“……”

“The whole city rose up in protest. It’s hard to do that under normal circumstances, but the imperial family’s atmosphere is so bad that the city’s public sentiment has plummeted. It was almost a popular uprising.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face hardened.

Hwa Jin-Cheon sighed deeply.

“It’s because there was so little faith in the imperial family. The local government offices here are so corrupt that the lives of the people have become extremely miserable. The imperial family didn’t step in. It was an explosion of the people’s pent-up anger.”

“So, what happened?”

“Many people died and were injured. Countless homes and buildings were destroyed. Then, the Peng Clan Head stepped in. The warriors dispatched from the Peng Clan stopped the fighting and mediated.”

“Is that the end of it?”

“Even the powerful Peng Clan of Hebei can’t do anything about the government officials. Especially since the imperial palace is right nearby? So, they ended it by protecting the city. For now, at least.”

“To the high officials…”

“……”

“No, I see. Complaining to them here would be pointless.”

“That’s right.”

“I will speak directly to His Majesty the Emperor.”

Hwa Jin-Cheon smiled.

“I would be grateful if you did. The people would be relieved.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong felt a sense of unease.

Suddenly, Gok Gyeong’s words came to mind.

‘It is only the empire that has bled. Only the empire has bled. His Majesty the Emperor, who is the empire itself, has coughed up blood, and the people, who are the members of the empire, have died.’

‘Yes, it’s because of that damn non-interference policy. But if you look at the world from a little distance, anyone can see how easily the Central Plains [the heartland of China] can collapse right now.’

The imperial family has lost its power. The government offices have become corrupt.

In their place, the prestigious orthodox sects managed the security, but they can’t properly punish the corrupt government officials. Because martial artists don’t have that authority.

Even the Peng Clan of Hebei is like this, so what about the other sects?

‘The further away from the central government, the weaker the government offices become. In distant regions, it would be possible to remove corrupt officials, but…’

If that happens, there is a high risk that martial arts sects that ignore the imperial law will become dominant and corrupt.

Yeon Ho-Jeong was very surprised inwardly. He was clearly aware that the world was in turmoil, but when he looked at it in detail, it was a world that could collapse at any time, just as Gok Gyeong had said.

‘I was too complacent.’

Killing is not the end.

It’s completely different from killing enemies in the face of foreign invasion. Killing someone who belongs to an organization is no different from going against the entire organization.

Moreover, if that opponent is a government office, it will be difficult for anyone to take action.

‘I was just thinking about getting rid of the Three Teachings, and I didn’t think beyond that.’

There was a difference.

Yeon Ho-Jeong was certain that his people would die because of the Three Teachings. It was something he had already experienced.

He had even lost many comrades. That’s why he hates the Three Teachings and wants to eradicate their roots.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s cause was only up to that point. He wouldn’t stand by and watch innocent people die, but he lived a life that didn’t look beyond that.

For him, Gok Gyeong’s words and the popular uprising he had just heard were quite a shock.

“So, did you come all the way here because you wanted to hear about what happened in the prison yesterday?”

“I also came to ask for another favor.”

“Good.”

“What did he say?”

Hwa Jin-Cheon’s expression immediately turned gloomy.

“I couldn’t get an answer.”

“Yes?”

“I literally didn’t get any answer. His condition wasn’t normal.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyebrows twitched.

“Did the prison guards torture him?”

“It’s not that. He’s literally lost his mind. He’s just staring blankly into space, completely out of it.”

“……?!”

“I even checked his pulse myself to see if he was tricking us with some kind of sorcery.”

“How was it? His physical condition.”

Hwa Jin-Cheon tapped his head with his index finger.

“His upper dantian [energy center in the body] was half crushed.”

“……!!”

“It’s a miracle he’s not dead. No, he’ll die soon. He won’t be able to last long in that condition. Moreover, he doesn’t eat or drink. He’ll probably die within a few days.”

“Is it suicide?”

“I don’t know.”

“Hmph…”

“One thing is certain, we need to investigate Tongcheon again. I’m thinking of going to the Wudang Sect [a famous Taoist sect] as soon as this is over.”

It was an unusual matter.

Although he is called a Taoist, he is actually closer to a sorcerer. A sorcerer’s mind is much stronger than that of an ordinary martial artist, so it is rare for them to commit suicide.

‘Is it someone’s scheme?’

That was also something he couldn’t know.

“I’ll go visit him later too.”

“You’d better go soon if you want to see him.”

“I understand.”

“Okay, let’s leave this topic here. What is it that you want to ask of me?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s expression became serious.

“Do you also handle information about the imperial family?”

“Of course. It’s not as much as our own backyard, but we have a considerable amount of information gathered through the mouths of corrupt officials.”

“……I don’t know whether to say it’s fortunate or absurd.”

“So, what do you want?”

“I want all the personal details of His Majesty the Emperor’s children, everything.”

Surprise flickered in Hwa Jin-Cheon’s eyes.

* * *

Five days passed.

During that time, Yeon Ho-Jeong was busy. He went to the prison to check on the condition of Tongcheon Jin-in’s disciple, and he also checked on the Blood Jade Demon Lord, just in case.

He informed the Emperor about the incident that had occurred in the nearby city, and he also helped Yeon-wi improve his physical condition.

At night, he also taught martial arts to Gang Ryang and Jin Yang through sparring, whom he hadn’t seen for a while due to various matters. The two of them didn’t show any signs of resentment even though Yeon Ho-Jeong hadn’t visited them for a while.

Muk Bi went out on civilian support duty once more, and Gang Ryang and Jin Yang also went to the city during the day to lend a helping hand with the Peng Clan people.

The reason why Gi Woo-Hee was not seen was because she was treating people in the city. She had suddenly followed them all the way to Hebei, but she clearly knew what she could do and didn’t hesitate to put it into action.

Each person does what they can in their own position.

They are martial artists, but their powerful strength is not only used for fighting. The powerful strength that ordinary people cannot match is both a threat to the people and a help to their lives.

Without realizing it, they were all approaching the world.

The training they had accumulated for a single purpose was being used for the world. That itself was another path towards the world.

And on the sixth day.

Yeon Ho-Jeong went to see the Emperor.

“Raise your head comfortably.”

“Thank you.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong knelt down ten steps in front of the dragon throne, as before.

The Emperor smiled and looked down at Yeon Ho-Jeong.

“I heard you’ve been very busy lately.”

“There are many people who are busier and have a harder time than I do. This is nothing.”

“That strong yet humbling way of speaking, it’s always refreshing to hear.”

“Is that so?”

“I also have various matters to attend to, so I cannot continue our conversation for long. Let’s get straight to the point.”

“I understand.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong straightened his back.

“I understand that Princess Cheonghwa has not yet married.”

A strange light flashed in the Emperor’s eyes.

“Princess Cheonghwa, you say?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Do you have a preference for older women?”

Princess Cheonghwa was the Emperor’s sixth daughter, and she was already forty years old.

Normally, if a princess held the title, she would get married at the age of sixteen, or at the latest, within twenty years. There were no exceptions.

But the only exception was Princess Cheonghwa.

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled.

“As I said before, I would prefer to live as a martial artist in the Jianghu [the martial world].”

“Hmm.”

It was a blatant refusal, but the Emperor did not get angry.

“Cheonghwa… Cheonghwa…”

Yeon Ho-Jeong was slightly surprised. The Emperor’s face, as he stroked his chin, was filled with difficulty.

“Are you aware that all of the Emperor’s children who have not married despite their marriageable age are expelled from the palace?”

“Yes, I am aware.”

“It is to prevent them from coveting the power of the next Emperor, who has been appointed as the Crown Prince. It is a cold but necessary law.”

“Yes.”

“Cheonghwa is the same. Although a woman cannot become Emperor, she is still sent out of the palace for the sake of fairness and to reduce even the slightest threat.”

“……”

“There have been almost no children expelled from the palace in the history of the empire. Cheonghwa is one of them.”

“I know.”

“As soon as Cheonghwa was born, many officials coveted her. Of course. Because they could become related to the imperial family. They just couldn’t say it openly.”

“……”

“But as Cheonghwa grew up, the families that wanted her began to decrease, and by the time she was seventeen, all the prestigious families had lost interest.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes lit up.

“It’s because of her personality.”

“Her personality, and also her disposition. Cheonghwa was interested in martial arts from a young age. To be honest, she greatly admired your world.”

The Emperor burst into laughter. It was a laugh closer to a hollow laugh.

“It’s absurd. I never thought that a member of the imperial family, even one who had the Emperor as her father, would have such fantasies. But it wasn’t just a simple fantasy. Cheonghwa was naturally straightforward and aggressive, and she sincerely loved martial arts, even though she was not a man.”

“……”

“Cheonghwa is still alone. She is still living in a scenic place, focusing on martial arts every day. And now, she is almost forty years old. Her age is similar to that of the Empress.”

“Yes, I’ve heard that.”

The Emperor’s eyes gleamed.

“But why are you suddenly curious about Cheonghwa? You, who have no intention of becoming my son-in-law.”

“It is impossible for an inadequate person like me to become a member of the imperial family. However, there is definitely a marriage partner that His Majesty the Emperor would be satisfied with.”

“Is there another person as good as you?”

“There is someone even more outstanding than me.”

“Oh?”

A subtle interest arose on the Emperor’s face.

“Who is it?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes flashed.

“The Vice Chief of the Black Dragon Fortress, the head of the Black Path martial world, known in the world as the Fighting King.”