Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 10

11. The Four Divine Beasts Activate (1)

“What? A gathering of the younger generation?”

“That’s right.”

Yeon-wi wasn’t even looking at Yeon Ji-pyeong. He seemed very accustomed to flipping through several documents and reading them quickly.

“Originally, there was a gathering of the younger generation from the Seven Great Families every year. However, there’s a mandatory attendance year every five years. This year is that year.”

Yeon Ji-pyeong’s face showed a hint of bewilderment.

“A-Am I going?”

“Is there a problem?”

“N-No! It’s not that.”

Yeon-wi handed over a folded piece of paper. Yeon Ji-pyeong respectfully received it.

“This is the gathering permit. It will be held in Hefei, Anhui Province, in forty-five days. To arrive on time, you should leave at least two weeks before the gathering.”

A master of divine movement [a martial art focused on speed and agility] could cover the distance in five days if they pushed themselves. However, they would have to cross the Great River, and the terrain would be unfamiliar. Moreover, since it was a gathering, it was appropriate to leave two weeks in advance to arrive in good condition.

“The Azure Falcon Unit will escort you. Have a safe trip.”

Yeon Ji-pyeong’s eyes widened.

“The Azure Falcon Unit?”

“Not the entire unit. One squad will be assigned to you, and the Azure Falcon Unit Captain will accompany you.”

The Azure Falcon Unit was considered an elite force among the Yeon family’s military organizations. Due to the nature of the Yeon family, there weren’t many members, but each one was a highly skilled expert.

Sending a unit that was rarely dispatched to the martial world meant that the gathering of the younger generation was that important.

“Um… Father.”

“Speak.”

Yeon Ji-pyeong looked troubled.

“If it’s a gathering of the younger generation, shouldn’t my brother be the one to go?”

Yeon-wi, who had been flipping through documents, raised his head to look at Yeon Ji-pyeong.

Yeon Ji-pyeong flinched.

He had seen it countless times, but his father’s gaze was still terrifying. It was as clear as the glass imported from the Western Regions [a historical term for regions west of China, often associated with exotic goods].

‘Brother… I’m still scared of Father.’

He waited, swallowing hard, for a long time.

“Your brother is in danger.”

“Huh?”

His brother was in danger? What did that mean?

Yeon-wi turned his body towards Yeon Ji-pyeong.

“Don’t you think your brother has changed a lot recently?”

Yeon Ji-pyeong was taken aback.

His father was a man of few words, except when it came to martial arts, academics, family laws, and etiquette. It felt like this was the first time he had received such a personal question.

“A little, I think he’s changed a little.”

“It’s not a little.”

“…”

“His personality and his martial arts achievements are not the Ho-jeong I’ve known. It’s as if he’s become a different person.”

Yeon Ji-pyeong had also noticed the significant changes in Yeon Ho-jeong.

His martial arts were one thing, but he especially felt the change in his personality. Lately, when he looked at his brother, he really seemed like an adult.

“But, the fact that my brother is in danger…”

“The younger generation from the Namgoong family will also be at the gathering.”

“Ah!”

“Judging by Ho-jeong’s current personality, he won’t try to avoid conflict. Not conflicts he can tolerate, nor conflicts he can’t.”

Yeon Ji-pyeong bit his lip.

He understood why his father was telling him to go to the gathering. In a way, his father was trying to protect his brother by sending him.

“Please… ask my brother just once.”

“…”

“I beg you, Father.”

Yeon-wi’s eyes deepened.

He stared at his second son for a while before nodding.

“I will.”

“Thank you.”

“You may leave now.”

Yeon Ji-pyeong bowed his head and left the family head’s room. Yeon-wi, who had been watching the closed door, began flipping through the documents again.

But only for a moment.

Yeon-wi took his hand off the documents and leaned back in his chair. A slight confusion could be seen in his indifferent eyes as he looked up at the empty space.

“…A change.”

* * *

Whoosh!

The sound of the heavy iron staff cutting through the air was menacing.

“Hah, hah!”

His whole body ached. There wasn’t a single place that didn’t hurt, from his lower body to his back, shoulders, and even his waist.

The iron staff was as tall as Yeon Ho-jeong and weighed nearly twenty geun [a traditional Korean unit of weight, roughly equivalent to 1.3 pounds]. He had been swinging it since dinner until after midnight, so it was a wonder he hadn’t collapsed.

Thud.

A drop of blood fell from the hand gripping the iron staff.

It was too much. Yeon Ho-jeong thrust the iron staff forcefully.

Clang!

The rock that the end of the staff hit shook slightly.

A strong vibration was transmitted to the hand holding the iron staff. It felt like all the joints in his upper body, from his wrist, elbow, and shoulder to his spine, were creaking. He had no grip strength left, and his blood-soaked hand slipped.

“Ugh.”

Clang!

The iron staff fell to the ground.

Yeon Ho-jeong, who was panting, looked down at his hands with a disgruntled expression.

“Is this all I can do?”

Originally, the weapon Yeon Ho-jeong trained with was a sword.

However, he was not physically suited for a sword. He was better off fighting with his bare hands than with a sword.

He fought and fought until he finally found a weapon that suited him.

It was a giant axe attached to a six-foot-long pole. It was a heavy weapon weighing dozens of geun, but it was the perfect weapon for his personality and martial arts.

Later, he even attached a chain to the axe, filling a radius of over ten jang [a traditional Korean unit of length, roughly equivalent to 10 feet] with the storm created by the axe.

‘To not even be able to handle a mere iron staff properly.’

To use a long, heavy axe, one had to be a master of staff techniques, spear techniques, and hand axes. Yet, he couldn’t even swing an iron staff that weighed less than twenty geun until dawn.

He had felt it during his horse stance training, but his path ahead seemed quite rough.

Yeon Ho-jeong picked up a hand axe that was placed under a tree.

The torn palm of his hand stung. He fiddled with the axe a few times before throwing it at a rather thick tree.

Whirr! Thwack!

The axe embedded itself in the tree.

‘My sense is still good.’

Yeon Ho-jeong sat down with his back against the tree where the axe was embedded and looked up at the sky.

‘I know the way to become stronger. And I’ll put in more effort, not less.’

He had to prevent the family’s destruction. To prevent the destruction, he had to become stronger first.

But that wasn’t enough.

‘I can’t just keep waiting.’

It would be difficult, but even if he regained his past martial arts in a year and a half, it would still be a problem.

With the Black Demon Emperor’s power, he could prevent the family’s destruction by using all sorts of tactics and strategies. However, there would inevitably be casualties in the process, and his father or younger brother could be among them.

That would be… truly unbearable.

‘Besides my own martial power, I need a contingency plan to protect the main family. Whether it’s information or military strength, anything.’

He needed to build up power to the point where tactics and strategies were unnecessary. Even with such power, things could go wrong in this world.

‘The problem is.’

Yeon Ho-jeong’s face crumpled.

“I don’t even know who the hell they are.”

After learning martial arts from his master, the first thing he did when he came out into the world was to find the culprits.

Of course, he couldn’t find them on his own. So, he jumped into the black world [the underworld or criminal society], which had better information than the white martial world [the orthodox martial arts world], and chased after the culprits.

However, he still couldn’t find out who the culprits were.

“What’s certain is that they weren’t from the black world.”

It was definitely white, orthodox martial arts. It was twisted to the point where it was hard to trace its origins, but the characteristics of the true energy and the explosive force were clearly those of white martial arts.

“To mobilize that many experts, it would be impossible for anyone other than the Nine Great Sects or the Seven Great Families.”

And most importantly.

“…There’s a high probability that there’s a traitor within.”

It wasn’t certain. There was no evidence, and his father wasn’t the kind of person who would allow a traitor.

But what if there really was a traitor within the Yeon family?

Yeon Ho-jeong, who had been deep in thought, grumbled.

“Okay, there’s no need to worry about things I can’t know right now. I’m such a funny guy. I’m not usually one to think so much.”

It was because it was his first time dying and returning. And it was even more so because the family was the target he had to protect.

‘Anyway, I need to expand my information and military power. To quietly build up my influence without anyone knowing…’

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes sparkled.

‘Is that the only way?’

Originally, he was planning to approach him after dealing with the family’s affairs. But now that he thought about it, he realized that he could use ‘him’ to get a double benefit.

‘Even if it doesn’t provide practical help, just borrowing his name would be a great help.’

Yeon Ho-jeong got up from his seat.

“Okay, I’ve decided.”

“What have you decided?”

What a surprise.

Yeon Ho-jeong looked beyond the forest. Yeon-wi was standing with his arms crossed at the entrance of the bamboo forest leading to his residence.

“Father.”

“Were you training?”

Yeon Ho-jeong was inwardly flustered. He had been so lost in thought that he had unknowingly blurted out various things, and he wondered if his father had heard him.

“When did you arrive?”

“I just arrived. You didn’t answer when I called you.”

‘Whew.’

A sigh of relief escaped him. Judging by his expression, it seemed like his father hadn’t heard what he had said.

“What brings you here?”

Yeon-wi looked at Yeon Ho-jeong’s hands.

“You have scabs on your hands.”

“Huh? Oh, you mean this.”

“Did you swing it until your hands were in that state?”

“It’s nothing.”

He shook his hands as if it was nothing. It should have hurt, but there was no change in his expression.

“Are you not training with the sword?”

“Yes.”

“There are many excellent martial arts in the main family. However, there are not enough martial arts manuals on staff and spear techniques.”

“It’s okay.”

He knew high-level staff and spear techniques. Besides, his true martial art was not the staff or spear.

“It’s not okay at all. You are the eldest son of the Yeon family. You should be training in martial arts that are appropriate for your position.”

“It’s not right to force myself to learn martial arts that don’t suit my body.”

“What?”

Yeon-wi was quite surprised.

“So, you mean the sword doesn’t suit you?”

“That’s right.”

“Why do you think so?”

“Is there anything to think about?”

“Explain what you mean.”

“Martial arts is a study that you feel with your body before your head. If I focus on my body and find a way for my body to move more efficiently, then I should follow that path.”

“And that path for you is staff techniques?”

“To be precise, it’s something else, but I need to master the staff and spear first.”

“Mastering staff and spear techniques… Are you thinking of using a guandao [a type of Chinese polearm] or a military battle axe?”

This time, it was Yeon Ho-jeong’s turn to be surprised.

‘He’s so knowledgeable.’

The martial artists of this era were masters of their own weapons, but their understanding of other weapons was generally low.

His father was not like that. Just by hearing a few words, he could think of heavy weapons, which meant that he had a deep understanding of weapons.

It wasn’t a lie that one had to be able to demonstrate their original skills even when wielding various weapons. It wasn’t something that could be said easily if one hadn’t actually used them.

“I’m thinking of learning various things. By the way, what brings you here?”

Yeon-wi knew that his son wanted to change the subject.

He played along with his son’s tune. Or perhaps, he chose the topic that he was more curious about.

“This year, the gathering of the younger generation of the Seven Great Families is a gathering where everyone will be present.”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes sparkled.

‘That’s right, isn’t it?’

He didn’t remember many things, but he remembered the gathering of the younger generation. He had attended that gathering with his younger brother, but because of his low self-esteem, he hadn’t even spoken to anyone.

He hadn’t even exchanged a single word with his brother on the way there and back.

After a moment of silence, Yeon-wi spoke again.

“I want Ji-pyeong to go to that gathering, not you.”

“Is that so?”

“That’s right.”

Yeon Ho-jeong nodded.

“I understand.”

Yeon-wi’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Are you sure it’s okay?”

“If that’s what Father wants, I will accept it. I’m just worried that the Namgoong family might try to harm Ji-pyeong. However, since he’s not the person involved and there will be many people gathered, they won’t do anything that would make them lose face.”

“Is that your true feeling?”

“Of course. Instead, please pay a little more attention to Ji-pyeong before he leaves. He’ll be burdened by the fact that he’s going because of his foolish brother.”

Yeon-wi, who had been looking at Yeon Ho-jeong, shook his head.

“I’ll ask the question again.”

“Yes?”

“Don’t you want to participate in the gathering?”

Yeon Ho-jeong said with a look of disgust.

“Of course, I don’t want to.”

“…”

“Who would want to see those snot-nosed brats showing off? Ugh, just thinking about it makes me cringe.”