Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 986

Three teacups sat forlornly on the low table.

It would have been nice to share a drink, given it had been a while since they last met, but Yeon Ho-Jeong said it wasn’t the time for alcohol and suggested tea instead.

Whether it was alcohol or tea, it was enough as long as they could talk. Gang Ryang brewed the tea himself, while Jin Yang grumbled that they were people who didn’t know the joy of daytime drinking.

“By the way, what about my sister and the others?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled wryly.

“They’ll be here soon. I had some separate business to take care of and came alone.”

Gang Ryang clicked his tongue.

“You went off without a word again, didn’t you?”

“That’s how it turned out.”

“Why do you keep making people feel left out?”

“I’m reflecting on it.”

“Actions are more important than reflection. You shouldn’t think it’s nothing. Each of those things makes people feel left out.”

“Alright, I’ll try not to do that in the future.”

“You don’t need to tell me that.”

“That’s why I’m not apologizing to you, am I?”

Gang Ryang stared at Yeon Ho-Jeong with a dumbfounded expression.

Jin Yang chuckled and said,

“Of course, you should apologize to the person you wronged.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong turned his head towards Jin Yang.

“You’ve lost some weight?”

“I haven’t been able to eat properly and have been swinging my sword, so how could I not lose weight? But why is the Martial Alliance like this? They have a lot of money and people, but the meals are so poor, aren’t they?”

“You said you haven’t been able to eat properly and have been swinging your sword? Why are you suddenly complaining about the cook?”

“I’m not complaining about the cook, I’m saying the food here is terrible.”

“Still, you’ve improved a lot, so isn’t that enough?”

Jin Yang frowned.

“It’s enough, but I think it’s better to train separately from now on.”

The corners of Yeon Ho-Jeong’s mouth lifted.

“I can tell without even looking. You almost died from Gang Ryang’s sword, didn’t you?”

“…It wasn’t to the point of almost dying. But how did you know that?”

“Looking at your martial arts, it seems like you’ve actively incorporated each other’s principles, even changing your stances and internal energy [a concept similar to ‘chi’ or life force]. To do that, you’d need to share a deep level of understanding, wouldn’t you?”

“……”

“It seems like you’re still a step ahead, but your martial arts and Gang Ryang’s swordsmanship are almost polar opposites. If Gang Ryang decided to go on the defensive and start a sudden onslaught, even you would have been at a loss.”

Jin Yang looked at Yeon Ho-Jeong with a curious gaze.

“When did you ever look at my martial arts so closely?”

“Do I need to focus to see? I can tell just by looking.”

“You’re really amazing. That’s why I hate geniuses. They do things that I can’t even comprehend as easily as breathing.”

“You’re the genius.”

“Just insult me instead. How can someone who’s famous as the youngest Saintly Heaven [a title denoting exceptional talent] be talking such nonsense?”

“I was just lucky.”

“Enough with that.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong looked at the sword leaning against the table.

Jin Yang’s greatsword was covered in rough marks here and there.

He originally used a guandao [a pole weapon with a blade], but half of the spear shaft was cut off. It was still big enough to be called a greatsword, but it looked much sleeker than before.

“Still, that’s impressive. You even cut off the spear shaft to use it.”

“It was uncomfortable to use the guandao to execute my changed martial arts. I thought it was because I was lacking in skill, but that wasn’t it. Fundamentally, the guandao didn’t suit my current martial arts.”

“So you broke your beloved weapon?”

“It wasn’t exactly beloved, but… a weapon is just a weapon. The center of gravity is a bit off, but once I got used to it, I couldn’t use anything else.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong nodded.

“You’re better than me.”

He thought that Jin Yang’s attitude of breaking his weapon to make it fit him was more like a warrior than his own, who had thrown away the Azure Dragon Axe because it didn’t fit him.

“Jin Yang is like that, but Ryang, you should also change your sword.”

Gang Ryang shrugged his shoulders.

“I’m used to this one, so I can’t hold anything else properly. What’s the point of getting stronger if I feel awkward?”

The subtle differences between Gang Ryang and Jin Yang were similar to the differences in the martial arts they practiced.

Gang Ryang would not learn a new divine art, no matter how strong or advanced it was, if it didn’t fit his swordsmanship.

On the other hand, Jin Yang would take that martial art and adapt it to his own needs. If he had to abandon his existing martial arts in the process, he would do so without hesitation.

It wasn’t a matter of who was right. The difference between the two was a difference in martial arts, as well as a difference in enlightenment and personality.

He was already looking forward to seeing how different their martial arts would be when they reached their peak.

“Anyway, you’ve both grown wonderfully. Just keep training with that attitude.”

“I’m going to rest for a while.”

“That’s good too.”

Even as he spoke, Yeon Ho-Jeong suddenly felt like the conversation was superficial.

Come to think of it, the way Gang Ryang and Jin Yang looked at him was a little different than before.

It was like they were being cautious. It felt like they had something they wanted to ask or say, but they were trying hard to keep their mouths shut.

He asked bluntly,

“Do you have something you want to say to me?”

“……”

At the question, the two of them looked awkward.

Yeon Ho-Jeong chuckled.

“You guys know you’re not smart enough to fool anyone, right?”

“That’s harsh.”

“At least it won’t work on me, so if you have something to say, say it.”

Gang Ryang hesitated without realizing it.

Jin Yang scratched his head and said,

“See, I told you he’d know just by looking. You’ve been with this guy for so long, how can you still not know that?”

At the sudden scolding, Gang Ryang grumbled.

“It’s not about how well we know each other.”

“Of course not. That’s why I’m saying let’s just say it. He’ll find out anyway.”

“That’s true, but…”

Yeon Ho-Jeong tilted his head.

“What’s going on?”

Jin Yang emptied his teacup in one gulp.

“Ugh! Hot. My palate, damn it.”

“……”

“Well, you know… this is the Martial Alliance.”

“Is there anyone dumb enough not to know that?”

“The Martial Alliance is a coalition of the White Path orthodox sects.”

Seeing Jin Yang beating around the bush after telling him to speak up, Yeon Ho-Jeong sighed.

“Just say it. What is it?”

Jin Yang smacked his lips.

“There have been some more challenges lately.”

“Challenges?”

“That’s right.”

“Martial Alliance warriors have been challenging you?”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong frowned.

“They wouldn’t do that unless they wanted to die.”

Anyone who knew anything knew that the two of them were close to the Yeon family.

That alone would make it difficult to mess with them, and their martial arts were at the level of supreme masters, comparable to the leaders of major sects.

Gang Ryang was still growing, so he could be considered somewhat clumsy, but Jin Yang, despite his frivolous words, possessed a fully matured martial power.

To challenge such people? Who on earth?

Gang Ryang sighed and said,

“It’s only natural.”

“……”

“As Jin hyung [older brother or respected male figure] said, the Martial Alliance is a coalition of the White Path orthodox sects. And Jin hyung and I are from the Black Path. Moreover, you’ve become the Vice Commander of the Black Dragon Unit.”

“So?”

Although he was calm, the two of them felt that Yeon Ho-Jeong’s voice had become several times colder.

“The orthodox and unorthodox paths, the White and Black Paths, have been at odds for a long time. There are countless sects that have been enemies for generations. How many people would draw their swords at the mere mention of the Black Path?”

“The opposite is true as well.”

“Of course. But this is the Martial Alliance. It’s the heart of the inner city where the central organizations are gathered. There are people who can control themselves, but there are also many who would draw their swords if given the chance.”

“Of course. But they…”

“They haven’t shown any of that until now.”

“That’s right. It’s not because I’m here. It’s not because my father is here either. When the Martial Alliance and the Black Dragon Unit formed an alliance, we had an atmosphere where it was unavoidable to fight a greater enemy.”

“I know. I know all of that. But that atmosphere can change at any time, can’t it?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong couldn’t understand.

Of course, as Gang Ryang said, that atmosphere could change at any time.

But who was it that led that atmosphere?

The central figures of the Martial Alliance, the elders and the Gong Gong [a high-ranking official].

Furthermore, the warriors who had fought against the Three Teachings all spoke passionately about their danger. How many Martial Alliance warriors had died at their hands?

It was only because Yeon Ho-Jeong and many others had killed or driven out the Three Teachings members in the shadows that the damage had stopped. If Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had read their actions so well, hadn’t been there, the Martial Alliance itself could have been half-destroyed.

So much so that there was a widespread opinion throughout the Alliance that ‘If the Three Teachings are so dangerous, why would they join hands with the Black Dragon Unit?’ The hostility and fear towards the Three Teachings were that great.

Atmosphere can change at any time, especially in times of peace.

But how long has it been for the dissatisfaction with the Black Path to be simmering again?

Putting aside everything else, even if they could be dissatisfied, it was not the behavior of a warrior to challenge those who had come to fight together.

‘……’

Yeon Ho-Jeong felt the anger that had been dormant inside him quietly rising.

His anger was one-dimensional. It couldn’t be helped.

People have their own reasons, but so do they. Gang Ryang and Jin Yang were people who had come to the Alliance because of their connection with him. How could he not be angry that they were being messed with?

“So, what happened?”

Gang Ryang said cautiously,

“It ended well. We didn’t really want to fight either. If a fight breaks out here, it could damage the Black and White alliance, and honestly…”

“……”

“It’s a bit of a waste to fight with guys who aren’t even worth a punch.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong sighed inwardly.

Even though he said that, he could tell how angry they must have been.

If they had messed with someone who was with the Yeon family, especially the Vice Commander of the Black Dragon Unit, they would have come out quite strongly. They might have even been severely insulted.

Gang Ryang and Jin Yang must have been upset. Perhaps Jin Yang’s grumbling about the poor food was due to his strong dissatisfaction with the Martial Alliance.

“I also felt that the atmosphere had changed a bit. I felt quite a few hostile gazes while walking here. It’s not that there weren’t any before, but it’s become quite blatant.”

“You felt it too, hyung.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had been staring at his teacup, got up from his seat.

“I’ll go see the military advisor for a moment. Rest here.”

“Hyung, don’t do that…”

“It’s not just because of you, but also because of the Martial Alliance and the Black Dragon Unit. The faster I figure out exactly what the atmosphere is like, the faster the conflict will be resolved.”

“……”

“And of course, I’ll find all the guys who were rude to you and bring them here. Even if there was a grudge, they went too far.”

“Hyung, please listen to me first…”

It was then.

“……!”

Yeon Ho-Jeong turned his head and looked at the gate.

A familiar energy suddenly came to him.

It was familiar, but also a little strange now.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes deepened.

A moment later.

“Shall we guess?”

A low, relaxed voice came from beyond the unopened gate.

“By now, you’re probably going to the military advisor’s office, but am I wrong?”

A slightly mocking tone.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s fist clenched.

“…Moyong Clan Head.”