Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 1021

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes wavered.

He knew this would reach Gong Gong Dae-Sa’s ears. Of course. The small master of the Black Path Alliance was going to leave the Martial Alliance, so it was impossible not to tell the Alliance Leader.

However, even Yeon Ho-Jeong, a man of great renown, did not expect Gong Gong Dae-Sa to utter such strong words.

It wasn’t just the words that were strong.

Whoooosh.

In the already cool forest, small whirlwinds arose.

Fallen leaves and bits of grass on the ground swirled in the air, rising into the sky.

The energy flowing from Gong Gong Dae-Sa’s body was palpable. Well, he was always sincere with everyone, so it was natural for him to emit such energy.

However, this was the first time his energy had been so firm and unyielding.

Yeon Ho-Jeong opened his mouth.

“Alliance……”

“To me, you have always been a mystery.”

Gong Gong Dae-Sa’s voice was heavy.

Heavy and clear.

“Is it just me? You suddenly appeared in the world at such a young age, achieved seemingly impossible feats, and even made your name known in Seongcheon [a major city]. To everyone, you are a mystery, a living legend.”

“Alliance Leader.”

“But I realized. I didn’t know why you wanted me to be the Alliance Leader, but after shedding my worries and facing reality, I finally understood you better.”

“……”

“I dare say here that while there are many chivalrous people who care for the world, there is no one else who is willing to risk their life to protect the Central Plains [the heartland of the martial world] like you.”

“That is not true.”

“Many have risked their lives. But no one has risked their entire life. Even I am like that.”

“……”

“Humans can never live alone. It’s embarrassing for me, a self-proclaimed Buddhist, to say this, but that’s how humans are. Fragile and imperfect. Me, and everyone else.”

“……”

“You were not like that.”

“Alliance Leader.”

“In my eyes, it seemed like you had a purpose the moment you stepped into the world. It wasn’t just for peace. You had a clear goal. That goal was none other than the destruction of the Three Teachings [Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism].”

“……”

“But when I saw you make your name in Seongcheon, and then return as a disciple of the Mukryong Clan [a powerful martial arts clan] after joining the Black Path, I realized.”

Gong Gong Dae-Sa’s eyes deepened.

“That the blindly devoted general who burned his life for the destruction of the Three Teachings had become another emperor who risked his entire life for the peace of this world.”

“……”

“I realized that you had grown into a man who risked his life to save everyone, regardless of whether they were from the Black or White Path.”

It was a sharp insight.

Gong Gong Dae-Sa was keenly aware of Yeon Ho-Jeong’s changes.

After his conversation with the Emperor, he went to the Mukryong Clan, gave up Yang Cheon’s dream, and became the small master of the Mukryong Clan.

Yeon Ho-Jeong had changed.

No, he had transformed. From a person who would destroy the Three Teachings even if he had to become a killer, he had become a figure who would do anything for the peace of the Central Plains.

“I thought it was a good change. Since no one can stop a person’s will, if the result is similar, I thought that a life lived with compassion and mercy rather than hatred and anger would be much more valuable.”

“……”

“But I think I was mistaken.”

“……”

“You cannot live in this world with only compassion, mercy, and understanding. If someone lives in this world with such a heart, they are a natural Buddhist, a saint with the heart of Buddha.”

“……”

“You have become half a Buddha.”

“That is not true.”

“But I don’t like that you.”

“Alliance Leader.”

“I cannot bear to see you forced to become a Buddha.”

“I am not leaving because I am being pushed.”

“Of course, it was your will. But the process was no different from being pushed.”

“……”

“Furthermore, you didn’t even have the desire to become a Buddha. You had no intention of cultivating yourself. You have lost yourself and melted into the world.”

A Buddhist says he dislikes that the other person has become a Buddha.

This was not jealousy. It was certainly not hatred.

Gong Gong Dae-Sa knew Yeon Ho-Jeong well.

He hadn’t had as many conversations with Yeon Ho-Jeong as Yeon Wi or Jeagal Mun-Ho. However, Gong Gong Dae-Sa was the one who could see deeper into Yeon Ho-Jeong’s heart than they could.

Moreover, this statement alone proved that Gong Gong Dae-Sa was closer to a martial artist than a Buddhist, a Jianghu [the martial world] person rather than a monk.

Even so, Gong Gong Dae-Sa conveyed his will. He conveyed his honest feelings even with Beom Oh by his side.

A smile spread across Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face.

“I’ve caused quite a few disturbances here and there… but it seems I haven’t lived entirely wrong.”

“If everyone in this world could live like you, if they could risk their lives for their people, not themselves, wars would never happen.”

“But I still have to go.”

“Small Clan Leader.”

“I know that the heart you have for me is worth more than a thousand pieces of gold. Therefore, just hearing those words makes me feel like I could fly.”

Sadness clouded Gong Gong Dae-Sa’s face.

Young? That meant nothing.

Although he was a young man who had lived thirty years less than him, there was a man in front of him who had lived for others more than himself.

That man understood his heart and thanked him for getting angry.

How hard must it have been?

How many setbacks, how much deep anger, and how much fierce effort did it take to build that life?

Who on earth was this man who had dedicated his life, built with such passion, to the Central Plains?

“But I am also thinking enough about myself. If I didn’t know myself, I wouldn’t have been able to reach this level.”

“……”

“I am also human, so how could I be happy? But I can shake this off with a glass of wine tonight.”

“The ones who should shake off their discomfort with a glass of wine tonight are the warriors of the Martial Alliance who ignored and insulted you.”

“It’s not too late to look back on it when the war is over.”

“Who will look back when that time comes?”

“You must make it possible, Alliance Leader.”

Gong Gong Dae-Sa closed his eyes.

“Are you truly going to leave this place?”

“It will be easier to gather the strength of the Martial Alliance if I leave.”

“……Do you think so?”

“Of course.”

Flash!

Gong Gong Dae-Sa opened his eyes.

His eyes were blazing with divine light. The light in his eyes was so clear and intense that even Yeon Ho-Jeong flinched.

“Not looking back at oneself when war is imminent is no different from spreading out a bed without finishing a meal because the cold night is approaching.”

“……”

“If a person chooses the time and place to look back at themselves, how can that be called a life worth living?”

“There are always exceptions.”

“The difference between our thoughts will not be narrowed.”

“I am sorry.”

“Then.”

Whoosh!

In an instant, Gong Gong Dae-Sa’s energy enveloped the entire forest.

It was truly a thunderous operation of true energy. It wasn’t an impossible skill for Yeon Ho-Jeong either, but he never imagined that Gong Gong Dae-Sa had already reached this level.

‘Amazing.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong was genuinely impressed.

Gong Gong Dae-Sa’s Unparalleled Great Power was at a much higher level than he had vaguely imagined. Not only was his martial arts skill at that level, but Gong Gong Dae-Sa’s enlightenment in using it was also supreme.

“How can such a significant matter be decided by a simple bet?”

“……”

“But I still have to do it. Because I am the Alliance Leader of the Martial Alliance, not a Buddhist.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had been quietly watching Gong Gong Dae-Sa, nodded.

“I understand.”

“Beom Oh.”

Beom Oh, who had been listening to the conversation between the two, bowed his head.

“Yes, Abbot Master.”

“Stay back.”

“Please do not get hurt.”

At Beom Oh’s calm voice, the energy of Gong Gong Dae-Sa and Yeon Ho-Jeong subsided.

Gong Gong Dae-Sa asked.

“Will it be okay with bare hands?”

“It’s not a life-or-death match, so it’s fine.”

“Your will may be broken depending on the outcome.”

“If I can win without wielding an axe, then your stubbornness can be broken more clearly, Alliance Leader.”

It was a combative answer.

Although he said that, his voice contained a hint of laughter.

Gong Gong Dae-Sa closed his eyes again.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s words were not to be taken at face value. His words had a very deep meaning.

And Yeon Ho-Jeong knew. He knew that his proposal for a duel was not just a bet for a choice.

Knowing that, he wanted even less to let Yeon Ho-Jeong go.

“Let’s go.”

The tension slowly rose on Yeon Ho-Jeong’s smiling face.

“Come.”

Swoosh.

In an instant, Gong Gong Dae-Sa approached within a Zhang’s [about 3.3 meters] distance of Yeon Ho-Jeong.

‘……!!’

He said he would go, but it was a movement that was almost like a surprise attack.

It was like a bolt of lightning. But it was as fast as lightning, yet it didn’t have the same oppressive force as lightning.

Gong Gong Dae-Sa, who was as comfortable as if he had always been there, reached out his hand honestly.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s body spun like a whirlwind.

Crack!

The formless force that erupted with the sound of thunder shook the entire forest.

It was a terrifying force. It was a martial art that boasted a truly destructive power, capable of turning a house-sized rock into fine powder with a single blow.

‘Great Vajra Palm!!’

It was a martial art he had seen many times. But it seemed like a martial art that was fundamentally different from the Great Vajra Palm he had seen before.

The force, filled with such immense power, exploded in the air and turned its power into nothingness. It was Gong Gong Dae-Sa’s will not to destroy external objects unnecessarily.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had avoided the force by spinning, appeared from Gong Gong Dae-Sa’s side.

Thud!

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s fist, swung with a stomp, was heavy and intense, as if it could crush even mountains.

It was the Golden Dragon True Fist. The Golden Dragon True Fist, which was unleashed with the wriggling Yellow Dragon energy, contained power no less than the Great Vajra Palm.

Gong Gong Dae-Sa’s left hand was swung naturally.

Bang!

The sound was short, but the air was hot.

The exploding energy disappeared on the spot. The martial art that blocked the Golden Dragon True Fist, the legendary sleeve technique, the Seated Zen Sleeve, which was considered one of the Seventy-Two Shaolin Arts along with the Great Vajra Palm.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s waist bent as if it would break.

He lightly pushed himself away to offset the impact, but the remaining force had to be absorbed by Yeon Ho-Jeong. That alone conveyed a sense of pressure that felt like his spine would break.

“Why are you like this?”

Bang!

Gong Gong Dae-Sa’s hand, which lightly entered his chest, exploded on Yeon Ho-Jeong’s chest.

With a blow that was neither heavy nor light, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s figure was pushed back more than ten Zhang.

“I know your skills better than anyone else. You are definitely not at this level.”

“……”

“That’s right. Do I have to be serious for you to show your true power?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong silently dusted off his front.

Gong Gong Dae-Sa nodded.

“Be careful.”

Flash!

The moment it seemed like a bolt of lightning had flashed, Gong Gong Dae-Sa’s fist flew towards Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face.

Shaolin’s ultimate technique, the Arhat Divine Fist.

In Yeon Ho-Jeong’s calm eyes, the light of determination finally appeared.

The Golden Dragon True Fist, with a power technique that was twice as dense as before, was fully loaded into Yeon Ho-Jeong’s fist.

Clang!!