Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 1066

That night.

After a heartfelt reunion with the Five Great Generals, except for Sama Hyeon, Yeon Ho-Jeong ascended to the top of the castle tower where the lord resided.

Looking around, he saw only darkness.

It was a clear winter night, with few clouds. It had been gloomy when he brought Mo Ja-Seon, but the weather had cleared up. The twinkling starlight was so numerous it was impossible to count them all.

“There are so many.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong reached out towards one of the stars.

Of course, he couldn’t grasp it. However, when he clenched his fist as if trying to catch a star, the starlight there seemed to vanish.

What was that starlight?

He couldn’t tell what it meant. Was it his future? Or his past? Or perhaps someone’s life?

After releasing his inner energy and drinking alcohol, he felt a buzz for the first time in a while. Even though his body had improved beyond perfection, he was drunk. He had poured it down straight, so it was understandable.

Saaah!

By circulating the Yellow Dragon Energy, the intoxication was instantly blown away.

The emotions that had been swelling with the alcohol subsided. Yeon Ho-Jeong looked again at the star he had tried to grasp.

The star and its light were still there.

Yeon Ho-Jeong turned around with a wry smile.

“Have you arrived?”

“Good.”

Gi Cheon-Woong came to Yeon Ho-Jeong’s side and placed his hands on the castle tower railing.

Gi Cheon-Woong’s face, as he looked around in a relaxed posture, held a calm composure.

“This is my first time here. It’s natural for the lord’s residence to be grand and magnificent, but I wonder if this is wise. If it’s too big, it could easily allow enemy attacks.”

In any organization, the leader’s residence is built to be the most magnificent and splendid, but at the same time, it is essential to hide it subtly so that it cannot be seen from the outside. As Gi Cheon-Woong said, it could become a target for enemies.

Yeon Ho-Jeong shook his head.

“There is the best security.”

“Hmm?”

“I am it.”

Since I am here, no one can target me.

In other words, if a master skilled enough to target Yeon Ho-Jeong appeared, hiding the residence would be meaningless.

Gi Cheon-Woong chuckled.

“That’s true. That’s why you’re extraordinary. There are many leaders who worry about their subordinates, but not many who would risk their lives for them.”

“I know my life is important too. It’s not just because I care about my subordinates that I set up my residence in a place like this.”

“Then?”

“The Black Path Murim [a martial arts world known for its ruthlessness] is a place where betrayal is rampant and human lives are worth less than a penny. Some boast about killing their own parents and siblings as if they’ve lost their virginity. There are even places where that’s considered true manliness.”

“That’s insane.”

“It’s a place where those who are worse than beasts run wild. Extreme survival of the fittest makes even the laws of nature seem like pebbles. That’s why the leader of the Black Path Murim must risk their life and show their ability and courage even more.”

“But the Black Emperor Fortress you rule is different, isn’t it?”

“I’m making it different. The warriors here, who have been organized since the Mukryong Unit, are rude and violent, but they are not the worst. However…”

“They can always revert?”

“Even people with good nature tend to lose their innate qualities and become beasts when they live in extreme environments. I am the last line of control to prevent them from becoming beasts and to keep them from being anxious.”

“The last line.”

“Moreover, a person from the White Path [a martial arts world known for its righteousness] martial families came and became the leader of the Black Path, right? I need to show them something in my own way so that they can feel secure and follow me.”

“There are so many who are moved by your reputation.”

“Because my reputation is high, I must not show a poor image. My current appearance will seem quite dashing to the people of the Black Path.”

Gi Cheon-Woong shook his head.

“It’s amazing. You’re from the White Path, yet how do you know so much about the Black Path Murim?”

“I’m just naturally smart.”

“I know that well. But when I see your actions, I think it’s not just simple knowledge but also backed by experience.”

He was indeed no ordinary person.

Even if it was easy to say, it was impossible for an ordinary person to see through the difference between thought and experience at a glance.

Yeon Ho-Jeong said nonchalantly.

“With that excellent insight, why didn’t you see through your son’s betrayal sooner?”

It was a sharp remark like an awl. For Gi Cheon-Woong, who was listening, it was a statement that could make his eyes roll.

However, Gi Cheon-Woong remained calm. Like when he met his nemesis Mo Ja-Seon, he was in control of his emotions.

“It was still quick to realize. And… it’s hard for parents to look at their children objectively.”

Gi Cheon-Woong was also aware that Yeon Ho-Jeong had deliberately mentioned his son.

Whether he had reached the realm of the Supreme or gone beyond it.

The bond of kinship was hard to fade.

Unfortunately, Gi Cheon-Woong had to fight a life-or-death battle with his son. If he made a mistake due to personal feelings, even the Central Plains Murim [the central region of the martial arts world] could be in trouble.

So, Yeon Ho-Jeong mentioned the Vice Leader of the Divine Flame Cult whenever he thought he might forget. Gi Cheon-Woong calmly accepted his words.

“Today, I saw the Cult Leader’s martial power again.”

Gi Cheon-Woong’s blue eyes sparkled.

“Did you feel it?”

“I thought you just went up to the mountaintop to enjoy the atmosphere, but that wasn’t it.”

“Would there be any need to go all that way just to enjoy the atmosphere?”

Admiration appeared on Gi Cheon-Woong’s face.

“By the way, you noticed that change.”

“Yes.”

“At your level, there’s no need to discuss what realm you’ve reached, but you’re truly amazing. Still, I think I’m a step above you.”

“If it’s a sparring match, the Cult Leader would almost certainly win.”

“What about a life-or-death battle?”

“A fight to the death is different for anyone. Even the greatest master in the world can die from poison made by a child who hasn’t learned any martial arts.”

“I want to ask if you think poison will work on me… but you’re not wrong.”

There is no perfection in this world, no absolute, and no unchanging number one in the world.

To become the true number one in the world, one must transcend everything. And such a being is not human in the first place.

“The damaged upper dantian [an energy center in the body] is becoming more and more active. Honestly, I thought it could never be fixed, but I’m surprised it could get this good.”

“The Wudang’s [a famous martial arts sect] ability to manage the upper dantian is overwhelming. Perhaps even Shaolin [another famous martial arts sect] would have a hard time keeping up with Wudang in that aspect.”

“But I don’t know why Tak Mu-Ja hasn’t been able to fix it yet.”

“He coveted the great Wudang martial arts, so he’s probably in a much more serious condition than the Cult Leader. He probably won’t be able to fix it until he dies.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong looked into Gi Cheon-Woong’s eyes.

Eyes are the windows to the soul, but at their level, they could read other things from their eyes.

“I knew it, but you are practicing a completely different martial art from other Divine Flame Cult members.”

“And different from my son.”

“You didn’t pass it all down?”

“I passed it all down. But in seclusion, I changed the Cult Leader’s martial arts to best suit me. Then, my upper dantian burned out, but I think the power is outstanding.”

“You corrected that. In a way that doesn’t train the upper dantian.”

“…You really are.”

Gi Cheon-Woong shook his head.

“How did you become such a monster at that age?”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong leaned his upper body against the railing and looked up at the sky.

“What did the Ice Palace Lord say?”

“She seemed sincere.”

“I think so too.”

“Then why are you using me?”

“It’s another check. After all, she’s a stranger, and there’s almost no information about her.”

“Even though she’s an unpleasant woman, I don’t think she’d lie.”

“Maybe…”

“Hmm?”

“Maybe, the Ice Palace Lord and the Cult Leader could be good stimuli for each other.”

Gi Cheon-Woong frowned.

“Stimuli? She’s just unpleasant.”

“We’ll see about that.”

With those words, the two stopped talking.

The two leaned against the castle tower railing, looking at the sky, each lost in their own thoughts.

How much time had passed?

“Lord.”

Someone wearing a mask appeared at the top of the castle tower. It was the leader of the Dark Unit.

“What is it?”

The Dark Unit leader silently handed over two letters.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes sparkled as he unfolded one of them.

“Finally.”

Gi Cheon-Woong tilted his head.

“What is it?”

“My master has had his wedding in the palace.”

“Oh ho?!”

The content of one of the letters was the news of Yang Cheon’s marriage.

He had finally made a hundred-year covenant with the Emperor’s daughter in the Imperial Palace. As the situation was what it was, it was held quietly, but it was said that it was held in front of hundreds of high-ranking officials and palace staff who dreamed of the future of the empire.

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled.

‘Please be well.’

It was a marriage arranged for political purposes, but according to his informant, the princess was quite fond of Yang Cheon’s magnanimous personality.

Because of the times, it was common for people to marry despite a twenty or thirty-year age difference. In the meantime, Yang Cheon had come into the world empty-handed and grown into a giant who shook the Murim, and his martial power had also reached its peak, making him look like a middle-aged man.

The princess was also said to be obsessed with martial arts, unlike the people of the Imperial Palace. Although she was well past the age of marriage, if she yearned for martial arts with a magnanimous personality, there would be no better match than Yang Cheon.

Yeon Ho-Jeong could now sincerely congratulate Yang Cheon’s marriage. Although it was a scheme he had led, it was a marriage that Yang Cheon would have refused to the end if he had not wanted it.

Gi Cheon-Woong whistled.

“He’s very blessed in his old age. But his personality is not ordinary, so his partner will have a hard time.”

“The princess’s personality is also said to be formidable. Whether they get along well or fall apart, there will be an extreme result.”

“Somehow, you seem confident in a good outcome.”

“If it were my master in the past, I wouldn’t know, but now he will be able to build a good family.”

Thinking that he should make time to see him, Yeon Ho-Jeong unfolded the other letter.

“… !”

Unlike when he read the first letter, his face immediately became serious.

“What’s wrong?”

“…”

“Lord Yeon?”

“Look at these things?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes emitted a blue light.

“With this level of movement… it means they were preparing in advance.”

“…?”

“That’s right. They moved as soon as they heard the news of His Majesty’s death. If this is true, it’s highly likely that they made the decision independently without any connection to the other side.”

Words that were difficult to understand.

As Gi Cheon-Woong tilted his head, Yeon Ho-Jeong asked the Dark Unit leader.

“Is the content of this letter true?”

“The reliability of the information is over 90%.”

It practically meant it was certain.

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled.

The unique smile that made the onlookers’ spines tingle was that of a brave general on the verge of battle.

“Cult Leader.”

“Speak.”

“Still, a bond is a bond, so let’s go to the Imperial Palace together.”

“You haven’t even established the foundation of the Black Emperor Fortress yet, and you’re going out again?”

“It’s going well on its own. I just need to give some instructions for about three days and then leave. There are many capable people besides me.”