Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 1068

The day they were to leave for the royal palace, a small meeting was held.

“You’re going again? Again?”

“The situation is what it is, there’s no other way. It’s not like I can send you all.”

“This is exactly when you should send us.”

“Just looking at the people gathered at the royal palace, I can’t send you. Unless you were all going together.”

“That’s….”

“Right? If I’m not there, I can’t have you all gone too, can I? That’s why I’m only taking a small number with me.”

“At this rate, the fortress will fall apart before we even fight the Three Sects.”

“There’s no way that’ll happen.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s confidence wasn’t unfounded.

His eye for talent was exceptional, and just looking at the movements of the core leadership within the fortress, the possibility of a rebellion was close to zero.

The current Black Emperor Fortress had better cohesion than even the Martial Alliance. Yeon Ho-Jeong was directly acknowledged by Yang Cheon as his successor, his abilities were outstanding, and his reputation was the highest in the Central Plains. [A region in the world of martial arts novels, often considered the center of power and culture.]

If anyone were to try to lead a rebellion within the Black Emperor Fortress, they would become the enemy of the entire Central Plains. Moreover, the Five Great Generals were receiving praise from the Black Emperor Fortress warriors for their exceptional work, as well as their martial prowess.

Even without Yeon Ho-Jeong, the presence of the Black and White Emperors cast a huge shadow over the entire fortress, so even if he wasn’t there, there was no chance the Black Emperor Fortress wouldn’t function well. The Black Emperor Fortress was already an organization on a path of self-growth.

Furthermore, Yeon Ho-Jeong had another talent to manage the Black Emperor Fortress.

Muk Bi sighed.

“Even so, it’s not good for the leader to keep leaving his post.”

“It can’t be helped.”

“Yes, I suppose it can’t be helped.”

Seo Jeong-Gwang, who had been subtly observing, opened his mouth.

“Since it’s come to this, General Muk should go with the Lord.”

Muk Bi blinked.

“Me?”

“Yes. Everyone would want to go with the Lord, but frankly speaking, the only people who can be of real help to the Lord are General Muk and General Sama.”

Gang Ryang and Jin Yang’s martial arts were approaching the level of the leaders of major sects, and Seo Jeong-Gwang had completely taken control of the Black Emperor Fortress with his brilliant mind.

However, even if a real battle broke out, those three would only add one more combatant to the force. They were all highly skilled, but in a place where the Limitless Masters [Extremely powerful martial artists] were rampant, it would be difficult for them to show the kind of skill that could change the tide of the war.

But Muk Bi and Sama Hyeon were different.

Muk Bi’s archery was considered the best in the world. Archery itself was a more dangerous martial art than any other. With that level of archery, she could change the course of the war depending on how she used it.

The same was true for Sama Hyeon. His stealth techniques were so formidable that even the Limitless Masters had to be wary. In a situation where they didn’t know the enemy’s movements, Muk Bi and Sama Hyeon were the perfect people to deploy to the front lines.

“Meanwhile, General Sama is teaching his assassins. He needs more time.”

Sama Hyeon nodded.

“That’s true.”

“See? General Muk is the only one.”

Muk Bi scratched her head.

“I have things to do too.”

“You can divide those tasks. Besides, hasn’t it been a long time since you’ve even drawn a bowstring?”

It was a hard point to argue. Muk Bi, who had been busy managing the Black Emperor Fortress, hadn’t been able to properly train for over twenty days.

“Among our Five Great Generals, General Muk’s martial arts are the best. We can’t let that skill rust. Take this opportunity to go out into the world with the Lord and return even stronger.”

Muk Bi sighed and said,

“No one knows if I’ll come back or if I’ll end up calling you all.”

“No, we won’t move for the time being. Right, Lord?”

At Seo Jeong-Gwang’s question, Yeon Ho-Jeong nodded.

“If we clash with the enemy, the first clash will definitely happen in the north. It’ll probably be a fierce battle, since it’s the first one. It doesn’t make sense for the Martial Alliance to miss that battle. They’ll move first.”

“If the Martial Alliance deploys a strong force, the Black Emperor Fortress must prepare for any unforeseen circumstances from behind. Naturally, we can’t move.”

“That’s right.”

Muk Bi coughed and looked at Yeon Ho-Jeong.

“Can I go with you?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong frowned.

“When have you ever not followed me when I told you not to? And Jeong-Gwang is right. Your archery can even steal the attention of the Heavenly Saint. If you come with us, we’ll be even more reliable.”

“Then I guess I have no choice. I’ll help you.”

“Look at this guy, the way he talks. Hey, you. You’re not helping, it’s your duty. What kind of talk is that? This is your fight too.”

Muk Bi, who had turned her head away, muttered.

“That’s just how I talk.”

Although she was muttering, Seo Jeong-Gwang could see the excitement on Muk Bi’s face.

‘So that’s how it is.’

Seo Jeong-Gwang thought that Muk Bi had some affection for Yeon Ho-Jeong.

But even greater than her affection was her competitive spirit.

In Seo Jeong-Gwang’s eyes, Muk Bi’s competitive spirit overwhelmed the other Five Great Generals. She just didn’t realize it herself.

Yeon Ho-Jeong always fought difficult battles, and naturally, the people who were with him also had a hard time.

Muk Bi always reminisced about those past times. It wasn’t ten or twenty years ago, but the time she spent with Yeon Ho-Jeong, traversing the martial world and fighting enemies, was very memorable for her.

She had spent a turbulent time when she didn’t know the world, so how intense must that experience have been? It wasn’t just his human charm, but perhaps because they had gone through difficult times together, Muk Bi thought of Yeon Ho-Jeong as someone special.

Yeon Ho-Jeong said to Seo Jeong-Gwang,

“I’m sorry. We should be soaring together, but I keep going out.”

“The situation is what it is, there’s no other way. And soaring isn’t something you can only do when you’re together. As long as we trust each other, we can do our best in our respective areas.”

“Muk Bi, did you see that? That’s how you talk nicely.”

Muk Bi shrugged.

“You don’t talk nicely yourself, but you expect so much.”

“I’m the Lord, you know.”

“You said you hated people who used their position to push others down?”

“You never give an inch.”

“Why should I?”

“Did you eat something wrong?”

“Not at all.”

Muk Bi was grinning.

She was exceptionally talented in many areas, so she was good at administrative work, but originally, she was a warrior who ran through the mountains and trained in archery. It was no wonder she was excited to go out into the martial world after so long.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who was smacking his lips, suddenly looked at Jin Yang.

Jin Yang was silently crossing his arms. His thighs were so thick that he couldn’t cross his legs, but the way he had one leg propped up on his knee clearly showed his discomfort.

“What’s wrong with you now?”

Unlike some, Jin Yang was honest.

“Take me with you.”

“No.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong was also honest. So Jin Yang’s expression immediately twisted.

“Didn’t you hear what Jeong-Gwang said? You stay here.”

“I can handle all the guys who aren’t at the level the leader should be dealing with, right? It’ll be easier if you take me.”

“You have to help Jeong-Gwang here, where are you going? Even with Muk Bi going.”

“Speaking of which, why are you taking my sister but not me? If you can take one person, you can take two or three, right?”

“I’m only taking one because one is enough. And since when are you calling her sister? Aren’t you about the same age?”

“If I get upset, I’ll snipe you from a hundred yards away, so how can I not call her sister? Anyway, take me with you.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong frowned.

“Why are you suddenly like this? You should know better.”

“You’re the one who shouldn’t be acting like this.”

“What?”

“I learned a lot from hanging out with Gang Ryang, but honestly, when you left us and went to Qinghai, I wondered what was going on. You just holed up in the Martial Alliance and trained until you came back.”

“……Hmm.”

“Well, I understood even if I was a little dissatisfied. But now you want me to just do paperwork? You know I’m more used to fists than my head, and more used to swords than fists.”

“Your head isn’t bad either….”

“Whatever, I’m different from Jeong-Gwang. He’s naturally smart and has that kind of personality, so he’s fine with everything, but I’m not. If we promised to grow together, you should give us the opportunity to grow together. Are you going to break your word?”

It was a somewhat forced argument.

But Yeon Ho-Jeong had no choice but to be serious now.

Jin Yang was speaking from the heart. He wasn’t a child throwing a tantrum.

In fact, Jin Yang’s talent was no less than Muk Bi’s. He was talented in many areas, not just martial arts.

It was just that his personality was preventing him from using his talents. If Jin Yang’s personality was a little more gentle, he could gain enough knowledge to pass the civil service exam within five years, even if he started studying now.

In the end, what mattered was his personality and disposition.

Thinking about Jin Yang’s personality, he must have been holding back a lot. In the past, when he was called the Demonic Blade, he was good at being at the forefront, burning enemies with his flashy martial arts, not at planning strategies or being patient.

He could do it. But if it was something that killed his ability and pride, he couldn’t just tell him to endure it as a leader.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had been quietly looking at Jin Yang, nodded.

“Okay. You can come too.”

A big smile spread across his large face, but he awkwardly stiffened his expression, coughed, and turned his head.

“You should have done that from the start.”

“If you don’t use your sword properly, I’ll send you back.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’m confident in my swordsmanship.”

His voice rose. It meant he was excited.

Seeing Yeon Ho-Jeong chuckle, Seo Jeong-Gwang said,

“Since it’s come to this, you should take General Gang too.”

Gang Ryang, who had been smacking his lips for no reason, looked at Seo Jeong-Gwang in surprise.

“Me too?”

“Yeah.”

“W-Why suddenly?”

“You don’t want to?”

“No, well… it’s not that I don’t want to.”

For some reason, Gang Ryang was intimidated by Seo Jeong-Gwang.

Seo Jeong-Gwang looked at Sama Hyeon.

“General Sama can’t go.”

Sama Hyeon shrugged.

“I don’t want to go either. My kids are just starting to bloom, where would I go? I have to watch over them until they can do their part. And the things the Lord asked me to do are more than I thought.”

“You get paid a lot.”

“Considering the money I’ve given you, you shouldn’t be saying that? Well, it’s a good amount.”

Seo Jeong-Gwang smiled and said to Yeon Ho-Jeong,

“Take all three of them.”

“What about the remaining work?”

“I’ll take care of it all.”

“It’s hard. No, it’s impossible. Considering your training time, you won’t be able to sleep for even half an hour a day.”

“That’s why it’s better. I’m thinking of starting to use the people below me.”

“The people below you?”

“The power of the Black Emperor Fortress is too concentrated at the top right now. The Generals’ Council and the Elders’ Council are involved in almost everything. I’m thinking of resolving this imbalance on my own.”

“You’re going to entrust it to people you can trust?”

“That’s right.”

“Won’t it be hard?”

“The people who are fighting tooth and nail on the front lines will have it harder than me.”

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

Muk Bi was smiling, Jin Yang was coughing, and Gang Ryang was scratching his head.

Two swords and one bow.

Yeon Ho-Jeong stood up from his seat.

“I accept the military advisor’s opinion. We’ll leave in three days, so make sure you hand over your duties properly.”