Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 1032

“……So, that’s how it was.”

Gong Gong Daesa sighed, his face a mixture of relief and apology.

“Then, where is Young Master Yeon now?”

Jeagal Mun-Ho lowered his head and reported, “He lured the Shadow Cult’s pursuit team into a canyon. Then, with the combined efforts of the Ghostly Palace’s Divine Maiden Muk Bi, Swordsman Gang Ryang, Saber Master Jin Yang, and Assassin Sama Hyeon, they defeated them all. He is now entering Hunan.”

“Hoo.”

Gong Gong Daesa chuckled wryly. “Truly, there’s no end to Young Master Yeon’s abilities. Even in such a dire situation, he devised a strategy to eliminate the entire assault force.”

“It wasn’t devised in that situation,” Jeagal Mun-Ho corrected, “rather, he anticipated it and planned to defeat the enemies.”

“That makes it even more impressive.”

“Indeed. He accurately assessed not only his own capabilities but also those of his allies. He also analyzed the enemy’s forces and movements, which he had never encountered before, and defeated them in less than a day. This is truly a remarkable feat.”

“Moreover, it’s not a feat for the Martial Alliance or the Black Dragon Unit alone.”

Gong Gong Daesa lamented, “He has achieved a feat for the entire martial world.”

“That is correct.”

Gong Gong Daesa closed his eyes.

‘Young Master Yeon.’

His duel with Yeon Ho-Jeong flashed in his mind.

For masters of their caliber, a duel was more than just a fight to determine martial arts superiority. Each strike carried their heart. Those who had mastered the Supreme Art [a high-level martial art], with their highly developed upper dantian [energy center in the forehead], could perceive the opponent’s inner thoughts through their martial arts.

‘Is that the path you have chosen?’

Of course, not all Supreme Art masters could do this. It was only possible when both sides opened their hearts to each other.

Gong Gong Daesa had glimpsed Yeon Ho-Jeong’s heart during that duel.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s heart was filled with darkness, yet within that darkness, he was looking up at the shining sky.

‘How far are you willing to go for this beautiful land?’

He felt a pang of sorrow and guilt. Such responsibilities should have been borne by the adults, by him, the military advisor, or the officials.

However, Yeon Ho-Jeong was resolute. That was his mindset. He had fervently declared that if they were to fall, the war would become difficult, so he would bear everything until the war broke out.

That was Yeon Ho-Jeong’s heart.

“Military Advisor.”

“Yes, Alliance Leader.”

Gong Gong Daesa, opening his eyes, spoke in a subdued voice, “Immediately contact the Alliance’s intelligence department, as well as the Beggars’ Union, and spread the news of Young Master Yeon’s victory throughout the world.”

“Yes?”

“The Three Cults [a collective term for the main antagonistic factions] recognize Young Master Yeon as a formidable adversary. It was ambiguous before, but now I understand. The Three Cults are extremely wary of the person named Yeon Ho-Jeong.”

“Of course… that is true.”

“Until now, we have somewhat concealed and downplayed Young Master Yeon’s actions. This was because we were concerned that his overly inflated achievements might provoke resentment among the martial artists, but that is no longer the case.”

Jeagal Mun-Ho’s eyes sparkled. He understood what Gong Gong Daesa was about to say.

“Young Master Yeon is already a hero of the martial world.”

“……”

“Some might say that such an expression is childish, but just as truth is often spoken in simple, obvious words, so too is the existence of a hero.”

“……”

“We have been blind to this until now.”

Jeagal Mun-Ho nodded silently.

Gong Gong Daesa continued with a powerful voice, “Spread the word far and wide so that the entire martial world can know of Young Master Yeon’s achievements. From when he first entered the world, what he did after joining the Martial Alliance, how many people he saved while going back and forth between black and white, what his intentions were when he tried to become the young master of the Black Dragon Unit, and what hardships he faced after rejoining the Martial Alliance.”

“……”

“Let the world know how many enemies he has killed, how many enemy schemes he has shattered, and furthermore, what enemies he killed in this battle and what strategies and tactics he used.”

Jeagal Mun-Ho bowed and said, “I will ensure that Young Master Yeon’s influence shakes the entire martial world.”

“Move immediately.”

“Yes.”

Jeagal Mun-Ho hurried away.

A moment later.

“That was a wise decision.”

Moyong Gun appeared from the corridor to the side.

Gong Gong Daesa sighed. “We should have done that sooner.”

“It would have been better if we had, but what’s the point of regretting the past? From now on, we must simply look ahead and move forward. No, we must run. Even then, it will be difficult.”

“Of course, it will be.”

“Fortunately, the Alliance members, including the anti-black faction, are bowing their heads. We must seize this opportunity to firmly establish discipline.”

“You are right, Clan Leader. However, it is not I who will do that.”

Moyong Gun frowned. “If the Alliance Leader doesn’t step forward, who will? I have always believed that your sense of responsibility is second to none, so surely you wouldn’t consider burdening your subordinates with that responsibility?”

“How could I ever do that?”

“Then?”

Gong Gong Daesa leaned back in his chair. “As soon as the work of raising Young Master Yeon’s reputation is finished…”

“…?”

“I will appoint Moyong Clan Leader as the Vice Alliance Leader.”

“…!!”

Moyong Gun’s eyes wavered.

Gong Gong Daesa, despite seeing his wavering eyes, continued in a calm voice, “I cannot make him the Alliance Leader. War is a cruel thing, and I will bear all the curses and evil deeds that arise from the harsh and ruthless decisions. To do that, I must remain the Alliance Leader.”

“Daesa-nim.”

“However, in order for Moyong Clan Leader to govern well after the war, he must also participate in the war as the Vice Alliance Leader and achieve his own merits. Being just a candidate for Alliance Leader is not enough.”

“……”

“Fortunately, the children of the Namgoong, Peng, Tang, and Jeagal families do not seem to be interested in the position of Alliance Leader. Even if they were, it would be difficult to choose them.”

“……”

“The same goes for Ogu Mun. He is the furthest from the position of Alliance Leader among the candidates. Therefore, it would be right to appoint Moyong Clan Leader as the Vice Alliance Leader as soon as possible to prepare for the upcoming war.”

“……”

“What do you think, Moyong Clan Leader?”

Moyong Gun was silent for a moment. His mind must be in turmoil, Gong Gong Daesa thought.

After a moment.

“As an individual, not as a martial artist, I have one request.”

“Speak.”

“It is inevitable that one will be defeated and die if they are not capable. It is a common occurrence in the martial world, so I cannot say anything about that.”

Moyong Gun’s tone changed. “However, if you have made such a decision for the sake of the next generation, at least do not force Woo to do unreasonable things.”

“That is…”

A cold voice, unlike Gong Gong Daesa’s, came out. “Are you saying that as Moyong Gun, who still has lingering feelings for the position of Martial Alliance Leader, or as the head of the Moyong Clan?”

“It is neither.”

“…?”

“It is what I say as a brother who has a younger sibling.”

A smile spread across Gong Gong Daesa’s face.

Moyong Gun closed his eyes.

“I have done many terrible things to that guy. I did the same to my daughter, but even though there is a considerable age difference, he, who shared the same generation, was often pushed around by his parents, siblings, and even the family.”

“……”

“There is nothing more I can do for Woo. Words like ‘thank you’ and ‘sorry’ become tiresome if heard too often. And I can no longer tell the guy who has become a candidate for Alliance Leader to take over the family.”

“……”

“Since there is nothing I can do, I am just venting my anger in front of the Alliance Leader like this.”

“No, Clan Leader, there is something you can do for Moyong Gun.”

“…?”

“It is to cherish him more as a brother and love him more.”

Moyong Gun’s eyes deepened.

Gong Gong Daesa nodded. “I cannot promise that I will not make him do unreasonable things. And I believe that sometimes, one must be able to handle unreasonable things themselves.”

“……”

“However, I will be a corpse before Moyong Gun is in danger. I promise you that much.”

Moyong Gun’s eyes became increasingly bloodshot.

After staring at Gong Gong Daesa silently for a long time, Moyong Gun knelt on one knee and lowered his head. “He is a talented child. Please, Alliance Leader, guide him well.”

Gong Gong Daesa’s eyes wavered.

Moyong Gun had called him Daesa, but he had never clearly used the title of Alliance Leader. Even if he did, it was not directly.

But now, Moyong Gun called him Alliance Leader.

Gong Gong Daesa, who had risen from his seat, took a half-bow. “I will give him everything I can, even if it is insufficient. Please do not worry, Clan Leader.”

Moyong Gun, who had risen from his seat, looked out the window.

After a moment of silence, Moyong Gun smiled faintly. “Come to think of it, there is something left to give to Woo. Aside from things like affection that cannot be seen.”

* * *

Jeagal Mun-Ho’s movements were swift.

Naturally, the Martial Alliance’s intelligence department and the Beggars’ Union also moved quickly.

People often say that the continent is endless, but the continent does have an end. It’s just that they haven’t been able to clearly define where that end is.

However, rumors spread like words without feet, leaving their mark on the world.

Those who read those marks were finally able to learn the entire history of the person named Yeon Ho-Jeong.

A peerless late-stage talent who left his family before the age of twenty, destroyed the Nine Great Clans [powerful martial arts families], and made the names of the Mad Wind Clan and the Green Mountain Manor famous.

A man who entered the Martial Alliance, fought against the old political schemers, and won the leadership of the independent volunteer army for the sake of the world, and then traveled all over the world, achieving unbelievable feats.

The past actions of Yeon Ho-Jeong, down to the very details, echoed throughout the world.

It was revealed what he did in which region, what thoughts he had, what judgments he made, and how he defeated the bandits.

Over the past few years, Yeon Ho-Jeong had never rested for a single moment. If there was an enemy there, he moved, and if he heard that there was an enemy on the other side, he rushed out like an arrow to solve the problem.

Having flowed like that to the present time, Yeon Ho-Jeong even said that he would abandon the Yeon surname before the end of the war due to the existence of the Martial Alliance’s anti-black faction. That statement could have been seen as insulting his ancestors, but if one knew the circumstances, they would be astonished by Yeon Ho-Jeong’s incredible spirit of sacrifice.

In fact, not only the martial artists living in the martial world but also the common people were moved by the terrifying spirit of sacrifice of the person named Yeon Ho-Jeong.

The martial artists belonging to the anti-black faction bowed their heads once more. After hearing about Yeon Ho-Jeong’s achievements, they even wrote a pledge to relinquish all their positions in the Alliance and serve as ordinary soldiers.

Those who did not know the martial world, and those who knew it well, all called out Yeon Ho-Jeong’s name and praised him.

In less than fifteen days, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s name spread throughout the world, and the opinion that he was too young to bear the name of the greatest in the world disappeared.

Now, people no longer saw Yeon Ho-Jeong as a member of the Yeon family or as the young master of the Black Dragon Unit.

The people of the world began to see Yeon Ho-Jeong simply as ‘Yeon Ho-Jeong.’

Furthermore, there were statements that the master of martial prowess who had single-handedly defeated the Shadow Cult’s Second Law Protector and a Supreme Art master, the one who had gone back and forth between black and white and prevented the destruction of the Central Plains, could no longer be called a tyrant.

One month later.

The people of the world praised Yeon Ho-Jeong’s martial prowess and spirit and began to call him the Black and White Martial Emperor.

The strongest representative of the Holy Heaven and the greatest in the world of the new era.

In the face of the fanatical Three Cults, a fanaticism for a hero began to rise in the martial world.

A fanaticism that looked towards hope and victory, unlike the blood-soaked Three Cults, was accompanying his title.