Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 844

“The air is nice.”

The voice was peculiar. It was a husky tone typical of an older person, but it was filled with a coldness that resembled frost.

When admiration was added to that chilling voice, it sounded truly refreshing. The admiration expressed in a voice that seemed like it would only be gruff made it sound even more genuine.

“The beauty of Huangshan [Yellow Mountain] is said to be the best in the world, but the scenery of Daebyeolsan in winter isn’t bad either. This refreshing air, and it’s quite a good spot.”

The old man standing on the snow-covered high peak, looking down, was truly extraordinary.

He wore a white martial robe with a blue outer robe. Although early spring was just around the corner, the weather still called for fur clothing, yet he didn’t seem to feel the cold at all.

Even without any particular adornment, he gave off a very elegant feeling. His neatly combed hair and tidy attire gave the impression of sophistication.

“How is it? In your eyes?”

“It’s good.”

The owner of the calm voice was a very handsome young man.

A little taller than the old man. His presence couldn’t compare to the old man’s, but the vigorous aura the young man exuded made him look extraordinary.

The old man looked at the young man’s nose.

In the cold weather, white steam should be coming out with each breath. Yet, the young man’s breath was not visible.

What was invisible to the eyes of ordinary people was visible to the old man’s eyes. Nothing was invisible to the eyes of a peerless master who had transcended humanity.

Yet, the fact that the young man’s breath was not visible meant that his breathing was long and subtle.

Daebyeolsan was not low. Moreover, he must have been struggling to keep up with the old man’s speed. Yet, his breathing was incredibly stable.

The old man nodded.

“I increased the speed to check, and now you’re finally worth looking at.”

Considering the hellish training he had endured, being called ‘worth looking at’ was not enough.

However, the young man was not upset at all. He knew his grandfather’s personality, and he himself thought that he had only just built a foundation.

Of course, building a foundation was difficult, but he hadn’t even properly taken flight yet. A bird that hasn’t flapped its wings properly is not yet a bird.

The young man truly thought so. He thought of himself as lacking.

“I’m still far from it.”

A slightly satisfied light flickered on the old man’s face.

More than the young man’s achievement, the fact that he sincerely said he was far from it was more satisfying.

“People are always lacking. The important thing is whether you know you are lacking or not. Now you have finally earned the right to fly to the blue sky.”

“It’s all thanks to your teachings, Grandfather.”

“Originally, your talent was no less than your brother’s. However, your brother always knew how to reflect on his own talent. Sometimes he was overconfident and made mistakes, but he knew how to admit when he was lacking.”

“Yes.”

“In terms of martial prowess, your brother is better than you. But in terms of prudence, you are better than your brother. Therefore, your talents are equal.”

“You flatter me.”

“For a martial artist, politics and social skills are always secondary. Even a brilliant mind is bound to crumble before overwhelming martial power. Never forget that you are a descendant of the greatest sword family in the world.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

“Very well.”

The old man looked at the Murim Alliance [martial arts alliance] in the distance.

The overwhelming majesty of the Murim Alliance’s exterior was so great that even the old man, who thought that nothing was valuable except the sword, was excited.

“How strange.”

A strange excitement appeared on the old man’s face.

“I thought there was no one to exchange blows with except for the old monsters of Seongcheon [a powerful faction], but a semi-immortal aura that excites this old man is emanating from there.”

“Yes?”

“And not just one, but two… The world is indeed vast. One is cool, and the other is fierce.”

“……”

The old man pointed to the Murim Alliance with his chin.

“We will arrive within half a day. Keep up.”

“Yes.”

Whoosh!

The two old and young men disappeared from the peak.

* * *

“……?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had flinched slightly, looked out the window.

“What is it?”

At Cheon Hyo-Rak’s question, Yeon Ho-Jeong shook his head.

“There was something that caught my attention for a moment. I apologize.”

“Haha, it’s nothing.”

“Let’s have a drink.”

“Yes.”

The two warmed themselves with hot tea.

It was Cheon Hyo-Rak who spoke first.

“It’s amazing.”

“……?”

“To be honest, until the Vice Leader arrived, I was half in doubt.”

“What do you mean?”

“Whether the person called the Overlord had really reached that level.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong clicked his tongue.

“Overlord… It’s a truly ridiculous title.”

“No, it’s not. It’s not like that. Seeing you in person like this, I understand why the world calls you the Overlord.”

It wasn’t just empty words.

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled.

“I don’t know what you saw to say that, but anyway, it’s an excessive compliment for me.”

“Excessive? It’s not at all.”

Cheon Hyo-Rak shook his head.

“I can’t feel anything. If I had felt even a little bit of the energy that was pressing down on me, I would have thought that the rumors were not to be trusted.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s smile deepened.

“I’ve heard that the Demonic Murim [a faction of martial artists often considered evil] is filled with a ruthlessness that cannot be compared to any other place.”

“Haha, we are also people. Even if we are different, we are not that different.”

“I think I understand a little bit of the secret to how Young Master Cheon was able to survive in such a brutal place.”

Hwa-Hyang’s face hardened.

On the other hand, Cheon Hyo-Rak’s expression did not change at all.

“My gift of gab is quite something, isn’t it?”

“Any skill is not shameful if it is for survival. When I realized my lack of martial power, I tried my best to survive with my wits and tongue.”

“Hahaha!”

Cheon Hyo-Rak shook his head.

“It wouldn’t have been a sight befitting the absolute master called the Overlord, one of the pillars of Seongcheon.”

“Even now, I sometimes benefit more from my tongue than from my axe.”

“Then I really need to be on my guard today.”

“Why would you need to be on your guard? Whatever the reason, I am a member of the Mukryong Faction [a martial arts faction]. I can’t interfere in the Murim Alliance’s event.”

“Then, can I assume that your presence here is a personal decision?”

It was a sharp question.

Yeon Ho-Jeong shook his head as if it were obvious.

“Of course not. How many people do I know here? I received a request from above.”

Cheon Hyo-Rak looked at Yeon Ho-Jeong with a strange look, as if he was surprised.

“You’re admitting that?”

“Does anything change if I don’t admit it?”

Difficult.

Cheon Hyo-Rak thought. This man is a truly difficult person.

Before considering him a martial artist, before considering his faction, the man himself has no flaws.

‘……This is dangerous.’

He said that as a member of the Mukryong Faction, he cannot interfere in the Murim Alliance’s event. Yet, he frankly admits that he came at the request of the Murim Alliance’s higher-ups.

It’s a contradictory statement, but if you think about it a little, you can see how dangerous this situation is.

It meant that Yeon Ho-Jeong could do what the Murim Alliance could not. If a fight broke out here and he died, it would be the act of the Vice Leader of the Mukryong Faction, not the Murim Alliance.

The smile disappeared from Cheon Hyo-Rak’s face.

If he didn’t act honestly here, something would go wrong. The moment he clearly recognized that fact, the composure completely disappeared from Cheon Hyo-Rak as well.

“It seems you were asked to find out my true intentions. Isn’t that right?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong said while drinking his tea.

“That’s a secondary issue, and it’s also to give the leaders of the Alliance time to organize their thoughts.”

Cheon Hyo-Rak was quite surprised.

“Is it okay for you to say even that?”

“Surely you knew?”

“……”

“I thought you would know everything.”

“I guessed.”

“It’s not a guess, it’s a certainty. We don’t like hiding our true intentions and talking, but this isn’t a place where we need to do that, is it?”

Don’t play mind games, and engage in honest conversation.

Cheon Hyo-Rak, who had been staring at Yeon Ho-Jeong, took a sip of tea and then opened his mouth.

“What is it that you want to ask me?”

“Common sense things.”

“Common sense, you say?”

“I’m curious about why a high-ranking figure from the Demonic Murim, who hasn’t been active for a while, came to the Murim Alliance at this time, and what the intentions of the Shinma Faction [a faction within the Demonic Murim] are, among other things.”

“I see.”

“In the end, you’re curious about why Young Master Cheon visited the Alliance.”

“I can tell that to the leaders of the Alliance.”

“Of course, you should. Why you came, who made this decision, who benefits from it, and if they benefit, why they benefit, you should tell them everything.”

Cheon Hyo-Rak shook his head.

“I will also discuss that with the leaders.”

Hwa-Hyang was inwardly tense.

She did not know the deep meaning of this short conversation. However, she could feel the strange tension that was hanging in the air during the exchange.

Furthermore, she could sense how much her master’s words could make this place feel cold.

Surprisingly, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s reaction was different from Hwa-Hyang’s expectations.

“You’re honest. I like that.”

A sincere smile spread across Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face.

Hwa-Hyang was tense at Cheon Hyo-Rak’s reaction, but Yeon Ho-Jeong seemed rather satisfied with his answer.

“If someone who could become an ally to move forward together was just testing the other person, I would have been greatly disappointed.”

“……?!”

“That boldness to risk your life and be honest when necessary, I like it. Sincerely.”

Cheon Hyo-Rak’s eyes trembled slightly.

“Ally, you say?”

“Ah, don’t mind it. I’m not someone who likes to divide people into the White Path, the Black Path, or the Demonic Path. The four seas are all one, so there’s no reason why we can’t join hands with the Demonic Murim, is there?”

That reason alone wouldn’t be the whole story.

However, Cheon Hyo-Rak couldn’t ask why he wasn’t being honest.

‘Is he sincere?’

A smiling face, unwavering eyes, a neat tone and voice.

He thought it was just words, but it seemed like he sincerely thought so. At least, that’s how it seemed to Cheon Hyo-Rak.

“I’m at a loss for words, considering you think so highly of me.”

“Just think of it positively. It’s sincere.”

“If you really think so… I’m touched. As a member of the Demonic Murim.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong said, maintaining his smile.

“But I would like you to answer this much now.”

“Please, speak.”

“Did you know in advance that the head of the Tang Clan, Tang Gwan, was coming?”

“……”

“I would like you to answer this question.”

Cheon Hyo-Rak, who had been quietly looking at Yeon Ho-Jeong, asked as if throwing a stone.

“Does our life depend on this answer?”

“Absolutely not.”

If he had said yes, he would have tried to lie.

“Yes, I knew.”

“I see.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong stroked his chin.

“Shanxi [a province in China]… Although Mount Hua and Mount Zhongnan are coiled there, it’s a region where many people from the north pass through. Next to it is Gansu Province, and active trade is carried out through Yumen Pass [a historical pass on the Silk Road].”

“……?”

“If you were in the Central Plains, the Beggars’ Sect wouldn’t have been unaware, and even if the Beggars’ Sect didn’t know, it would have been difficult for the Black Path’s information network not to know…”

“……!”

Yeon Ho-Jeong muttered to himself as he touched his lips with his finger.

“As I suspected. The Shinma Faction is likely based not in the Central Plains, but in the outer regions, near Qinghai [a province in China].”

Cheon Hyo-Rak’s face was filled with shock.