Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 1053

“I see.”

Muk Bi nodded at Seo Jeong-Gwang’s words.

“In the end, it’s hard to know the Ice Palace’s intentions, but it means there’s a high probability that they have a significant relationship with the Divine Flame Church.”

“That’s about right.”

Muk Bi looked at Gi Cheon-Woong.

Gi Cheon-Woong tilted his head.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“There’s something I’d like to ask you.”

“Go ahead and ask.”

“Please keep in mind that this might be a somewhat sensitive question.”

“The fact that I came to the Central Plains is already an unfathomable thing for you. You don’t have to worry about that.”

“Then, I’ll ask without hesitation. I’ve heard that the current Vice-Leader of the Divine Flame Church, that is, the Leader’s son, is practically a puppet of the Evil Sound Cult Leader. Is he in a state where he can’t even make an impulsive move on his own?”

It was indeed a burdensome question. Even Seo Jeong-Gwang was watching Gi Cheon-Woong’s reaction.

But unexpectedly, Gi Cheon-Woong spoke in a calm tone as if it were nothing.

“He may be called a puppet, but he still inherited the Divine Flame’s martial lineage. Would he really just do as he’s told? Besides, even though he’s my son, his personality is completely different from mine. Of course, even I wouldn’t do everything I’m told.”

“In what ways is he different?”

“He’s been particularly hot-tempered since he was young. He had too much fire energy in his heart. Well, thanks to that, he showed great talent in training the Scorching Yang Art [a martial art focused on fire energy], and he became much calmer after reaching a certain level, but when he explodes, there’s no stopping him.”

“Does that mean he’s still like that now?”

“That’s right. He’s still like that now.”

Gi Cheon-Woong’s eyes deepened.

Even though he had become more composed, it was hard to remain calm when he remembered the moment he fought his son right after coming out of seclusion.

“Honestly, as a father, I’m not a good person. I’ve never been a good parent to my children. So, I don’t really know what my children are thinking or what parts they feel resentful about.”

“……”

“However, I know a little about that guy. He had great ambition and was intoxicated with a sense of superiority, and he tended to treat his subordinates carelessly, but at least he knew how to take care of his own people.”

“He’s like the Moyong Clan Head, isn’t he?”

“Hmm?”

“The Moyong Clan Head was like that before he changed. He was good to his own people, but he would cut them off like a knife if he thought they were unnecessary. He was also a very intelligent person.”

“Yes, that aspect is strong. But…”

Gi Cheon-Woong clicked his tongue.

“As for his martial arts talent, he’s so great that he could be discussed throughout history, but if you ask if he’s smart, it’s hard to say he is. Of course, he’s not bad, but compared to outstanding people, he’s quite ordinary.”

“So, he’s not brilliant in terms of intellect, but he’s hot-tempered and has a genius-level talent for martial arts, so he must have great pride. It’s possible that he could act impulsively at times.”

“Still, he acts like the head of an organization, so he wouldn’t be completely mindless. In fact, he handled a lot of work before I went into seclusion, so he has some practical experience.”

“That’s ambiguous.”

That’s right. It’s ambiguous.

Just by listening to words, it’s impossible to know what anyone will do.

However, the senses of martial artists who live in the midst of life and death are so sharp that, if they are experienced enough, they can get a sense of a person’s behavior just by hearing their general personality.

But in the case of someone who is just ordinary in everything except for martial arts, it was impossible to predict anything.

Except for martial arts, he doesn’t seem like an extraordinary person, but that’s why he’s more likely to deviate.

From Muk Bi’s perspective, who has always seen only outstanding people, he was a person who was truly hard to understand.

“But why are you asking about that?”

Muk Bi sighed and said,

“When the Ice Palace, or rather, the Ice Wheel Sect’s followers, move south, the Divine Flame Church can’t just stand by and watch. That’s common sense.”

“Of course, I think so too. Whether they interfered or not, they couldn’t have been unaware of the Ice Wheel Sect’s movements.”

“Then, we have to consider whether they just let them go or joined hands with them, but from what I heard earlier, it’s hard to believe they joined hands.”

“Considering the history of the past, that’s right.”

“But it’s also hard to understand why such reclusive people would come all the way to the Central Plains. In other words, no matter how I think about it, it’s a problem that’s hard to answer.”

“I think so too. We can weigh which possibility is more likely, but it’s hard to predict their intentions.”

“In fact, we’ve already sent people, so it’s ridiculous to be worrying about it now. However, what I’m worried about is…”

“Hmm?”

A slight tension appeared on Muk Bi’s face.

“If the Divine Flame Church had to be wary of them, wouldn’t that mean that there might be a Supreme Master among them?”

Gi Cheon-Woong nodded.

“Of course, there would be.”

“……”

“Different regions have different martial arts. But all martial arts, when they reach a certain level, show similar aspects. The Ice Wheel Sect’s history goes back a thousand years. No one knows how many masters have reached the Heavenly Flower Realm [a high level of martial arts mastery].”

“There won’t be many.”

“Why do you think so?”

“The development of martial arts is the development of technology, and that leads to the development of society. From what I’ve seen, for any study to develop, contact and exchange with other societies are essential.”

“……That’s right.”

“Of course, a genius of the ages could be born and change the existing framework and deliver revolutionary enlightenment. But it’s hard for such a person to be born even once in a generation. If the Ice Wheel Sect was such a closed group, there wouldn’t be many Supreme Masters, even considering their thousand-year history.”

Gi Cheon-Woong looked at Muk Bi with admiration.

“You’re quite something, aren’t you?”

Like himself, even the intelligent Seo Jeong-Gwang found it difficult to make predictions about organizations or fields he didn’t know about.

But Muk Bi was different. Rather, because she didn’t know much, she had an excellent ability to actively expand and apply what she knew and experienced.

This was possible because she always tried to find the best solution within the limits of what she knew.

Seo Jeong-Gwang said with a stern face,

“If what you say is true, Sister…”

“Hmm?”

“If what you say is true, and there are very few Supreme Masters, or rather, it seems like there would naturally be very few…”

“……?”

“We might be able to infer their intentions based on whether they sent a Supreme Master or not.”

“What do you mean by that?”

As Gi Cheon-Woong was puzzled, Muk Bi clapped her hands.

“Based on the judgment that the Ice Palace has only a very small number of absolute masters, if a master of the Supreme Master level came with them…”

“Even if we don’t know their intentions, it means we can try to gauge their intentions.”

“Yes, that’s possible.”

Muk Bi asked Gi Cheon-Woong,

“I’m not sure because my level is low, but I’ve heard that those who have reached the Supreme Realm all control a vast upper dantian [an energy center in the body], so their senses become explosively sensitive, and in some cases, they even show supernatural abilities to grasp the other person’s intentions.”

“There are quite a few people like that. Of course, various preparations are needed. They also need to resonate with each other. But…”

Gi Cheon-Woong looked at the two with strange eyes.

“Yes, there’s a possibility. I’ve also had a lot of difficulty reading other people’s desires since my upper dantian was damaged.”

Muk Bi asked Seo Jeong-Gwang,

“Who is the closest Supreme Master to Shanxi right now?”

“It would probably be the people from the Martial Alliance. The Fist King and the Sword and Saber Emperor are there.”

“Is it possible to track Senior Mak’s current location?”

“We received a report that he entered Gansu with Young Master Cheon Hyo-Rak a while ago, but we haven’t heard anything since then.”

Gi Cheon-Woong shook his head.

“Even if we have a Supreme Master who can be mobilized right away, it’s a problem. They may be called Supreme Masters, but they are still people with flesh and blood. Even if they run with godlike martial arts, no one knows how long it will take to reach Shanxi.”

“So, in the end, we just have to watch.”

“That’s about right.”

Gi Cheon-Woong chuckled and said,

“Still, wasn’t it because you judged that you had enough response capability that you sent that young swordsman? I’ve seen many masters, but I’ve rarely seen a swordsman as well-trained as him. He also seemed to have flexible judgment.”

“Yes. That’s why we sent him.”

“It’s inevitable to worry, but a leader should not look back when using subordinates. You sent him because you trusted him, so now the only answer is to watch.”

Muk Bi smiled bitterly.

“He’s not even a subordinate.”

“Whatever he is.”

Gi Cheon-Woong looked around.

“By the way, where is the Lord? People are running around so busily. He’s not the type to play alone while others are working.”

“Ah, the Lord.”

Seo Jeong-Gwang scratched his head.

“The Lord is doing what only the Lord can do.”

* * *

Swoosh.

Moyong Woo, who had dismounted from his horse, appeared next to Gang Ryang.

Mo Ja-Seon’s eyes sparkled.

“Excellent movement. They say there are many talented people on the continent, and that’s power that doesn’t suit his age.”

Moyong Woo clasped his hands.

“Moyong Woo, the Vice-Leader of the White Path Martial Alliance, greets the master of the Northern Sea.”

“You’re being too polite.”

“It’s a natural courtesy in the Central Plains.”

Mo Ja-Seon glanced at Gang Ryang and said,

“That warrior is different.”

“The continent is vast. Just as cultures differ from region to region, people’s personalities also differ.”

“That makes sense.”

“So, I’ll ask.”

Moyong Woo went straight to the point.

“May I ask why the masters of the Ice Palace have come to the continent?”

Mo Ja-Seon looked around and said,

“Who owns the land? It’s not like there’s a line drawn, and it’s not an object.”

“……”

“We just came because it was time to come. Is that such a big problem?”

“The Palace Lord knows very well that you shouldn’t say such things.”

“Do you think so?”

“Isn’t it because the Palace Lord didn’t know how the people here would react that you’ve been stationed here for so long?”

“It was you who said that if we moved further, you would consider it an act of invasion and fight back.”

“But you stopped. That means you know how the world works.”

A faint interest arose on Mo Ja-Seon’s face.

Moyong Woo had a gentleness that didn’t suit the personalities of the Ice Palace people.

But she liked his atmosphere and attitude. His packaging was soft, but his core was solid. He knew how to ask directly what he wanted, and he had the ability to constantly dig into the other person’s true feelings.

Other people in the Ice Palace might even call him a snake, but from her perspective as someone who runs an organization, Moyong Woo’s eloquence was no ordinary skill.

“That’s exactly right. We just came because it was time to come. We didn’t want to start a pointless fight, so we were stationed here, but if a battle broke out, we would never have backed down. We’re not that soft.”

“Does that mean we can take it at face value?”

“Of course.”

Moyong Woo’s eyes deepened.

Just as he was about to speak again, after staring at Mo Ja-Seon silently.

“The palace collapsed, the ice melted, and more than five hundred of our family members were killed. We had to find a place to go.”

“……?!”

“That’s how we came here. That’s our answer.”