Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 1010

Moyong Gun couldn’t bring himself to speak.

Yeon Ho-Jeong closed his eyes.

“According to the Namgoong Clan Leader, the person behind this knew that you, Clan Leader Moyong, were operating a spy unit.”

“……”

“The people who know that fact for certain are Martial Alliance Leader Gong Gong, Chief Military Strategist Jeagal Mun-Ho, you, Clan Leader Moyong, my master Vice-Chief Muk Ryong, and lastly, the leader of the Gangseo Commerce Alliance.”

“……”

“In truth, suspecting the Alliance Leader and the Chief Military Strategist is meaningless. They were options excluded from the start. But if you eliminate all the facts that don’t fit, the truth will eventually come to light.”

That’s why even Gong Gong was placed on the list of suspects.

He was someone who absolutely couldn’t be, someone who didn’t make sense logically, but that was precisely why, if he were plotting something, he could inflict the most serious damage.

However, Gong Gong proved his innocence by sending Beom Oh and Sama Hyeon. At least, that was the case for Yeon Ho-Jeong.

In the same vein, Jeagal Mun-Ho also had to be excluded from the list of suspects. Because so many warriors of the Martial Alliance had begun to chase him.

There was no need to check on Vice-Chief Muk Ryong. This matter was not a scheme of a level that could be carried out by using a trustworthy person. Unless Yang Cheon was in the Martial Alliance, it was impossible for anyone to control people from a place so far away.

That left only two people, Moyong Gun and the young leader of the Gangseo Commerce Alliance.

And Yeon Ho-Jeong, having seen Moyong Gun directly, was certain. Moyong Gun was not the mastermind either.

Frankly, based purely on suspicion, Moyong Gun was several times more suspicious than the leader of the Gangseo Commerce Alliance. He had a past record, he had the brains, and he had even gone to Muk Ryong to receive talent, saying he would operate a spy unit.

Moreover, Yeon Ho-Jeong believed that a person’s nature does not change so easily. It could change, but very few people try to change, and among those few, very few actually change.

Yeon Ho-Jeong found it hard to imagine Moyong Gun, who had overcome that incredibly low probability and changed.

However, Moyong Gun had truly changed.

It couldn’t be said that he had become good because he had changed. Because his character hadn’t changed. He had simply abandoned his desires and begun to see the world from a different perspective.

Decisively.

‘Clan Leader Moyong is not a fool.’

Moyong Gun still held onto the one value that would never change, even if the world were to end.

The Martial Alliance must always be superior and glorious.

This current situation was trampling on, even tearing apart, Moyong Gun’s faith-like conviction.

“In the end, there’s only one person left.”

“……Is that Hong Ik-Cheon?”

“Hong Ik-Cheon. Is that the young leader’s name?”

“……”

He seemed quite shocked.

His shock meant that he, too, had accepted that, after listening to Yeon Ho-Jeong, there was no one else who could be the culprit other than Hong Ik-Cheon.

Moyong Gun, who had been lost in thought for a moment, took a deep breath and said,

“It’s puzzling.”

“What is it?”

“As you know, the person behind this has shown many signs of inexperience in handling this matter.”

It seemed Moyong Gun had also found that part strange.

“He toyed with the Hegemon of the World and the Namgoong Clan Leader. It was a scheme that could be considered an achievement. But the fact that the rumors spread so quickly afterward and the gathering of the Anti-Black Faction warriors in the plaza is too clumsy.”

“We also found that strange.”

“I don’t think it was a mistake.”

“Neither do I.”

“Then there are two answers……”

“If we were to be precise, there are three.”

Moyong Gun’s eyes flashed.

“Yes, if we were to be precise.”

“First, the case where he didn’t have enough resources.”

“It’s the least credible interpretation, but we can consider it.”

The Namgoong Clan Leader died with Yeon Ho-Jeong framed.

That fact alone dealt a huge blow to the Martial Alliance. If the enemy simply wanted that, it was possible.

But in this case, there’s a problem.

If there was no strength left to drive Yeon Ho-Jeong away after that, there was no reason to use force to spread the rumors in the first place.

Whether there was strength or not, letting the rumors spread was the most natural thing for the mastermind to do. That was exactly what Moyong Gun was saying.

“If we interpret the second case, which is connected to the first, spreading the rumors and gathering people was to immediately throw the Martial Alliance into chaos. If so……”

“We can assume that he’s planning to do something in that chaos.”

“I think so too. Whether your innocence is revealed later or not, it can be interpreted as meaning that he has to do something within a short period.”

“The last, third.”

Moyong Gun’s eyes deepened.

“Escape.”

Taking advantage of the chaos in the Martial Alliance, the mastermind was trying to escape safely.

“That’s why you’ve already deployed reliable troops there.”

“That’s right.”

Moyong Gun closed his eyes.

Then Yeon Ho-Jeong opened his eyes.

“The mastermind is manipulating several people. The leader of the Blue Lion Gate is probably one of them. However, the number of people he’s manipulating won’t be that many.”

“If we assume that Hong Ik-Cheon is the mastermind behind this, that would be the case. It hasn’t even been a month since he entered the Martial Alliance.”

“A month……”

Yeon Ho-Jeong frowned.

“It’s more than enough time to bewitch people.”

“If he truly has that kind of ability.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong got up from his seat.

“Have your thoughts been organized?”

“How can they be organized or not?”

Moyong Gun also got up from his seat.

“Let’s go and check.”

“Before that, let me ask you one thing.”

“……”

“Why did you make him the leader of the Commerce Alliance?”

Moyong Gun gritted his teeth.

There were many reasons, but if he were to summarize them, it was because, through his conversation with Hong Ik-Cheon, he thought he was a capable person who could shoulder the future.

Just like Moyong Woo.

And like Yeon Ho-Jeong.

“……I guess I was bewitched too.”

* * *

I had a dream.

Even amidst the surrounding noise, I had a dream. And as I realized I was dreaming, I looked ahead.

Before me was an absolute being.

An absolute being, but not a human.

On the lap of the ‘monster’ sitting on a grand chair with his chin resting on his hand, a naked woman was slumped over.

That wasn’t all.

All those standing on the reddish carpet to the left and right of the grand chair were also unclothed.

Among them were beauties who would catch the eye, and men who were so menacing that they would make one’s skin crawl.

There were also old men who seemed to have shrunk and couldn’t move, and children who looked to be only about ten years old.

People of all kinds.

Ants who served the monster, admired the monster, and were ruled by the monster.

“……How amusing.”

The monster’s voice was very pleasant to hear.

Even though it was a man’s voice, it was clear and deep like jade beads. Just listening to it made one’s heart feel at ease and one’s mind clear.

“Amazing. That you became a survivor of the Avici [a Buddhist hell] with that body.”

It was a dream I had several times.

However, each time I had the dream, the faces of those standing to the left and right, and the monster’s posture, were all different.

But that voice and those words were the same.

Furthermore, the naked woman slumped on the monster’s lap was also the same.

“You have the talent to enter the Avici without being discarded. But you have no outstanding qualities. Just enough to enter the Avici, that’s the extent of your physique.”

“……”

“No matter how great your survival instincts are, it would have been difficult to survive with that level of skill, but you ended up killing everyone and crawling out alone.”

Even though he was saying harsh words, it was a voice I wanted to keep listening to.

“How did you survive?”

The answer to that came from the woman standing in the first position on the right.

“He says he instigated chaos.”

“Explain in detail.”

“He says he caused discord with words, not martial arts. In fact, as the investigator looked into it, those who spoke with the test subject suddenly committed suicide or suddenly harmed someone, showing strange behavior.”

“Oh ho?”

A voice filled with interest.

“You manipulated people with words?”

“That’s right.”

“Bring the investigator’s analysis report.”

After a while, someone brought a bundle of parchment to the monster.

There were more than twenty sheets of parchment. Each sheet was densely filled with writing.

The monster’s eyes flashed after reading all that parchment.

“It was a testing ground.”

“……”

“That guy conducted another experiment on the test subjects of the Avici.”

Experiment.

I didn’t waver at that word.

I didn’t waver at the word experiment, but I did waver at the words of that monster, who had seen right through my inner thoughts for the first time.

It was the first time. The first person to see through my inner thoughts.

It was the first time. The first person to ‘understand’ what had happened there just by reading a report.

“Where did that wench come from…… Ah, yes, she was a wench brought from a place the mainlanders call Shanxi [a province in China].”

“……”

“That wench made the candidates for the Evil Yin Consort who came to the Shadow Yin Mountain her own people in just a few days. Yes, I remember. She was a wench who kept chattering even when she was groaning under me.”

“……”

“I’ve sown many seeds over the decades to secure useful true blood. Among them, there are only a handful of wenches I remember. Now that I see it, you look very much like that wench.”

I was a created life form.

A fruitless result, not a life form born of love and understanding. I was a product produced with a clear purpose.

A product that would be discarded if it didn’t show useful functions.

Fortunately, the man who helped my production with a few drops of bodily fluid judged me to be useful.

“How amusing. You’re not fit to succeed me, but you’re useful enough.”

“……”

“Show me what your abilities are. If it’s good, I’ll send you to the mainland immediately.”

“……”

“Make that place your testing ground. With the single question of what chaos is.”

“……It is an honor.”

“I will not pass on the teachings of this sect to you.”

Thud.

The naked woman who had been slumped on the monster’s lap slid down.

The woman’s face, which had rolled down the stairs, was reflected in my eyes as I lowered my head.

The woman’s face was very similar to my own.

* * *

“Alliance Leader.”

At the cautious voice, Hong Ik-Cheon opened his eyes.

“What is it?”

“Clan Leader Moyong has arrived.”

Again?

He thought he was coming too often. Or perhaps it was because the atmosphere within the Alliance was turbulent.

‘……No, that can’t be.’

Because of the dream he had after a long time, his mind was momentarily not working properly.

Hong Ik-Cheon analyzed the current situation as calmly as usual, but as quickly as lightning.

Moyong Gun had come to see him just half a day ago. And he had said that he would check the atmosphere within the Alliance and might visit the Alliance Leader’s residence if necessary.

Saying he might visit was no different from saying he would visit. Moyong Gun was an extraordinary person. He would have visited the Alliance Leader’s residence to convey what he had seen and felt to the Alliance Leader or the Military Strategist.

However, in terms of time, it was too early for him to have visited the Alliance Leader’s residence.

‘That’s it.’

Hong Ik-Cheon’s divine energy quickly scanned the area.

‘This game……’

Interesting energies were being read.

In particular, something huge with a dark and bloody evil spirit was felt.

It was not a person. It was a demonic soldier.

He felt the presence of a huge demonic soldier, stained with hatred, killing intent, blood, and flesh.

‘Is it already coming to an end?’

Hong Ik-Cheon opened his mouth.

“Let him in.”