Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 831

“Aren’t we stopping for today?”

“Yes.”

“You said you were in a hurry?”

“It’s good to go fast, but there’s no need to rush.”

“That’s a strange thing to say.”

Muk Won spoke to Jin Yang, who was frowning.

“When a person has no leeway [mental space], they cannot see their surroundings. Going fast is important, but what’s the point if you’re too hasty to see what’s around you?”

“…Ah, yes.”

“There’s a saying that you should take the long way around when you’re in a hurry. Well, we don’t necessarily need to take the long way, but it’s good to rest well when we can. Especially since you haven’t rested in the past few dozen days.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong chuckled and said,

“Got it, you bear?”

Jin Yang pouted. Still, he couldn’t complain since it was Muk Won who said it.

Yeon Ho-Jeong turned his gaze to the river in the distance and said,

“Let’s rest well today and take a boat tomorrow. The Bureau said they’ve already assigned someone to us, so we don’t need to find anyone ourselves.”

“Let’s do that.”

Everyone in the group nodded in agreement.

Gang Ryang unfolded a map.

“According to the map, there’s a tavern managed by the Mukryong Bureau [Black Dragon Bureau] about ten li [approximately 5 kilometers] away. Let’s rest there.”

“Sounds good.”

Thus, the group quickly covered ten li and entered a modest tavern operated under the management of the Mukryong Bureau.

The tavern owner and servers came out as a group and bowed their heads.

“We greet the Vice Bureau Chief. We received separate notice from the Bureau.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled wryly and waved his hand.

“I prefer to avoid excessive formalities, so please don’t be so formal.”

“Understood.”

Usually, even if you tell them not to, they would at least say, ‘No, it’s not,’ but the tavern owner and servers immediately straightened their backs.

It wasn’t that they were oblivious, but rather that they were quick-witted. They had realized that the person in front of them disliked unnecessary formalities just by hearing his voice.

“The accommodations have all been cleaned up, so please go and rest wherever you like.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“And there’s a separate letter for you, Vice Bureau Chief.”

“For me?”

“Yes. It’s directly from the Bureau Chief.”

“Give it to me.”

One of the servers brought a red envelope.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes hardened for a moment as he took out the letter and read it.

Muk Bi, who was about to go up to the second floor, glanced at Yeon Ho-Jeong.

“What is it? Did something else happen?”

“…”

“Young Master Yeon?”

“…A mysterious group gathering at Ok Hwa Mountain?”

Muk Bi, as well as Jin Yang and Gang Ryang, who were sitting at a table on the first floor about to start drinking, looked at Yeon Ho-Jeong.

After reading the rather long letter several times, Yeon Ho-Jeong folded it and put it in his chest pocket.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Could you bring me a cup of tea?”

“Understood, Vice Bureau Chief.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who was sitting behind Gang Ryang and Jin Yang, crossed his arms and fell into thought.

There was something ominous about the atmosphere. It didn’t seem like a huge disaster had occurred, but it also didn’t seem like something to just ignore.

The two, who had been glancing at Yeon Ho-Jeong, immediately started drinking happily when the alcohol came. Muk Bi also shrugged and went up to the second floor. Of course, Muk Won had already gone into his room.

‘Something’s strange.’

The members of the Three Teachings [referring to Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism, often used to describe unorthodox martial arts groups], who could operate in the Central Plains, at least officially, should no longer exist.

Of course, you can’t just trust information when it comes to worldly affairs. However, if the information units of the Beggars’ Sect and the Mukryong Bureau have come to the same conclusion, then it’s highly likely to be true.

In reality, there wouldn’t be much the Three Teachings could do separately in the Central Plains now. At least, not outwardly.

‘If these guys are from the Three Teachings, this is too sloppy.’

Using various merchant guilds and escort agencies to transport supplies?

It would be one thing if there was only the Martial Alliance in the Central Plains, but the Mukryong Bureau is standing right there in the nearby area. Moreover, with the world in turmoil due to foreign invasions, it wouldn’t be something that could go unnoticed.

‘And even mysterious experts.’

It was said that their martial prowess was almost comparable to the Yongah Iron Cavalry [elite cavalry known for their strength].

If the overall assessment of their martial power is like that, regardless of the number of experts, it’s quite remarkable. The power of the Yongah Iron Cavalry is on par with a great sect. Where did such experts suddenly come from?

‘Of course, it’s not impossible.’

In the case of the Nine Great Sects or the Six Great Families, each sect has elite experts that they secretly train.

Even the Yeon family alone has dozens of Flying Sword Masters (飛天劍士) who train thoroughly in the shadows. Although they are not on par with the Yongah Iron Cavalry, each one is a master of swordsmanship. The Flying Blood Hawk Sword that Seo Jeong-Gwang was taught was the martial art they cultivated.

If the Yeon family is like this, what about the other families? What about the Nine Great Sects, which have been called the pillars of the righteous martial world for hundreds of years, training in both Tao and martial arts?

‘There are exceptions like the Jongnam Sect, though…’

Strictly speaking, the Jongnam Sect’s former masters were scattered due to the nature of the system, but if they were all combined, their power would be tremendous.

The internal interests of each sect are different. Some places raise organized experts, while others let them roam freely.

The important thing is that what you see isn’t everything. There are experts who make a name for themselves, and there are also many experts who belong to some organization, training hard while waiting for a chance to make a name for themselves.

‘But even if it’s Shaolin or Wudang, it would be difficult for their secret forces to be as powerful as the Yongah Iron Cavalry.’

If that force isn’t from the Three Teachings, then it’s also unlikely to be a secret organization of a single force.

‘Zhejiang… Jiangxi… The location is good.’

In particular, Zhejiang, like the Jiangsu Province where the Yeon family is located, is adjacent to the sea, making trade with overseas countries active. If you had to compare, Zhejiang Province was much more active than Jiangsu Province.

‘Actually, the number of experts isn’t that important.’

It’s difficult to train experts, but if you’ve been investing a lot for a long time, it’s not impossible.

What really needs to be watched is the merchant guilds and escort agencies.

‘No matter how great an organization is, it’s nearly impossible to mobilize that many merchant guilds and escort agencies at once. It’s too many to be considered the influence of a single force.’

The Central Plains martial world is largely divided into three branches.

The White Path Martial Alliance, where most of the sects are concentrated in the north, and the Black Path Alliance Mukryong Bureau, which is concentrated in the south.

Of course, there are Black Path heretics in the north, and White Path righteous sects in the south. However, there are not many of those sects that have made a name for themselves in the world.

When simply divided into black and white, the concentration of power in the Central Plains was like that.

Then, where is the remaining branch?

‘It’s near Zhejiang, Jiangxi, and Fujian.’

Due to the nature of the Black Path, which is much more scattered than the Righteous Path, the density of power that the Mukryong Bureau has is lower than that of the Martial Alliance. Therefore, in the south, especially the southeast region, martial arts sects are scattered haphazardly.

‘They have a good eye.’

It’s not known who or what organization is trying to gather power there.

However, one cannot help but acknowledge their eye for the state of affairs in the Central Plains. Even Yeon Ho-Jeong was good at seeing the big picture, but he didn’t keep every detail in his head. He didn’t have the time, and it was a step down in importance from the national level.

‘I can’t rule out the possibility that they’re from the Three Teachings. They’re the kind of guys who could come out in any way.’

But what if they’re not from the Three Teachings?

‘If they’re not from the Three Teachings… then where are they from?’

At that moment, a server brought tea.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

After taking a sip of tea, his dizzy head felt a little better.

‘Wherever they’re from, one thing is clear: they’re not a single group.’

Gang Ryang, who was excitedly drinking, suddenly turned around and looked at Yeon Ho-Jeong.

“What is it? Do you have another worry?”

“Oh, a little.”

“What is it?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong sighed.

“I heard that some kind of group is gathering near Jiangxi Province. The number of confirmed experts is on par with a great sect, and the amount of goods being transported is enormous.”

“Huh.”

Gang Ryang clicked his tongue.

“Who are they this time?”

“If I knew that, I wouldn’t be worried.”

Jin Yang chuckled.

“What’s so surprising about that?”

“Huh?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong and Gang Ryang looked at Jin Yang.

Jin Yang shrugged.

“I don’t know much about the world, but I know how vast this Central Plains is. We, who live by the sword, wander around like duckweed, but ordinary people live their whole lives without leaving one area.”

Gang Ryang frowned.

“Is there anyone here who doesn’t know that?”

“Then why are you surprised?”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“Is there a rule that only the Martial Alliance and the Mukryong Bureau can be big in such a vast world? Don’t the other martial artists, whose numbers are countless, have any ambition?”

“No, that’s not it.”

“I know, you idiot. What I’m saying is that the desire to be the best is everywhere. If not the best, there are many people who want to be influential enough to affect the whole country. Of course, there are many people who are the opposite.”

“Wow, a sage has appeared. How do you know such things, brother?”

“Do I have to be called a sage for this? Did you guys know that I was leading the Hwaung Sect?”

“…Huh?”

Come to think of it, that’s right.

The power of the Hwaung Sect was so great that it was hard to believe it was a sect that had only been around for a few years. It wasn’t comparable to a great sect, but Jin Yang’s martial prowess, as the sect leader, was so great that it was known throughout the world.

What was even more surprising was that the Hwaung Sect, with such martial power, had been moving its base from place to place, hiding thoroughly.

If they were martial artists living in the shadows, they would have thought that the existence of the Hwaung Sect was a secret organization of some group. That was the logical conclusion.

However, the Hwaung Sect had actually grown into a Black Path sect that desired a stable life. They liked to train their martial arts by fighting among themselves, but they had no desire to gain fame from it.

The world is vast, and there are many people. There are people who act according to common sense, and there are many people who act irrationally. There are people who have ambition, and there are people who are content with reality.

“In other words, while the size of the force may be surprising, the action itself is not surprising. What can you do? If you’re weak, you have to gather together to increase your size.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled strangely.

“I didn’t know you had such insight.”

“I don’t think it’s something that requires insight.”

“But what did you just say?”

“Huh? Why are you doing that again? What are you trying to pick a fight about?”

“It’s not picking a fight… did you say that if you’re weak, you have to gather together to increase your size?”

“I did.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes deepened.

“I thought that group couldn’t be a single force. But weak?”

Jin Yang asked back with a puzzled face.

“Isn’t that obvious? Why would they gather if they were strong? Wouldn’t they just devour each other? They’re gathering because they’re weak.”

“That’s true, but if a sect that has already pacified its surroundings is trying to expand its power…”

“If it was a sect that had started to pacify its surroundings, if that sect boasted a power on par with a great sect, wouldn’t it have been caught by the fierce information network of the Alliance Bureau by now?”

“…!!”

“I’m confused. Why are you surprised by this? Am I smart or something?”

It wasn’t that he was smart, but that he had lived that kind of life.

Jin Yang had increased the power of the Hwaung Sect, but he hadn’t increased its size. He had only increased the skills of a small elite group to secure their survival. He knew that if the force grew, there would be checks from all over.

Once you start devouring the surrounding forces, you can never live in the shadows. This was the thought of Jin Yang and Seo Jeong-Gwang, and it was true in reality.

“They gather because they’re weak… they gather because they’re weak…”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes trembled.

“A coalition of small and medium-sized sects?”