Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 1037

As the two men were about to enter the Mukryong Unit, they were engaged in a casual conversation.

“……?!”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes changed.

Woong! Woowoong!

The black and white twin dragon insignia at his waist vibrated fiercely. The Gwangryong insignia in his hand remained still.

The wolves howled, and the tiger silently exuded killing intent. Yeon Ho-jeong’s energy instantly shifted into battle mode.

“Master.”

“…….”

“What is that person inside?”

Yang Cheon spoke calmly.

“It’s the Shin Hwa Cult Leader.”

“……!!”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes wavered.

“Did you hear what happened at the Imperial Palace?”

“A little.”

“Right, I need to tell you that story too.”

Yang Cheon explained in detail what had happened at the Imperial Palace and what had occurred so far.

Yeon Ho-jeong remained silent.

Shin Hwa Cult Leader, Gi Cheon-ung.

He was someone he had never met. Not in this life, nor in his previous life before regression.

However, he recognized him as an enemy he would have to fight someday. Not only him, but also the Gwanghyeol Cult Leader.

Yet, one of them appeared here with Yang Cheon.

It was truly an unexpected appearance. He had experienced many surprising things since his regression, but this was the most unexpected event yet.

“In short, that guy has decided to fight the Three Cults with us. Of course, he will be in charge of the Shin Hwa Cult among the Three Cults. He has personal revenge and goals.”

“……Is there no chance he’s a spy?”

“I can’t say there’s absolutely no chance. You know, only you know what’s in your own heart.”

Hearing that, he thought there was almost no chance that Gi Cheon-ung was a spy.

When he thought about it, his father was there, as well as Gwon-shin and the Sword Saint. [A title given to a master swordsman of exceptional skill].

Even the three kings of the Saeum Cult would not dare to hide their true intentions in front of those three. Especially his father’s mind sword, which had an absolute influence on the minds of others.

If Gi Cheon-ung had any malicious intent, his father would have drawn his sword first.

“Do you want to meet him?”

“……Yes.”

Sreureuk.

The burning energy subsided.

Yeon Ho-jeong said, his eyes gleaming.

“I think I must.”

* * *

In a forest not far from the Mukryong Unit.

Yeon Ho-jeong, who had planted the Gwangryong insignia in the ground and was leaning against a tree with his eyes closed, felt a hot energy approaching.

Sreureuk.

His hair writhed uncontrollably.

The Hwangryong energy awakened on its own, spreading a full force of energy throughout his body.

It wasn’t because he considered the opponent an enemy. The Hwangryong energy’s reaction was naturally in response to Yeon Ho-jeong’s habit of preparing for the appearance of a powerful figure with overwhelming strength.

Yeon Ho-jeong opened his eyes.

At that moment, the man was already three lengths away.

Golden hair, white skin, and a tall stature.

Even though he had walked barefoot, not a speck of dirt was on him. The mystical energy emanating from his entire body was truly breathtaking.

Yeon Ho-jeong, who had unfolded his arms, stood up straight.

“Impressive.”

Admiration appeared on Gi Cheon-ung’s face.

“Are you Yeon Ho-jeong?”

“……Yes, I am.”

He almost spoke informally without realizing it.

There was no killing intent or hatred that reflexively flowed out when dealing with the Three Cults. But he had lived his whole life like that. Even if he controlled himself well, it was hard to control his habits.

Yeon Ho-jeong suppressed that habit and treated his opponent as a person, not a cult leader.

Gi Cheon-ung, who was examining Yeon Ho-jeong’s face with a subtle expression, asked.

“How old are you?”

“I’m not yet thirty.”

“Not yet thirty…….”

Gi Cheon-ung sighed.

“The continent has given birth to a monster. In my cult, and in the other two cults, there was no one who achieved this level at your age. No, I doubt if anyone like that has ever existed in the entire history of the Three Cults.”

“…….”

“I heard that you were born with the insight and senses of a god, as well as a talent for military strategy. A talent for military strategy that everyone acknowledges, and martial arts that rival the best in the world in your twenties. You are a monster, so much so that even the word ‘monster’ feels inadequate.”

“…….”

“I always thought that my son and the new Gwanghyeol Cult Leader were competing for the title of the greatest talent in the world. But I was wrong. The talent of those two is like the difference between a genius and a commoner compared to you.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

He almost said, ‘Don’t talk nonsense.’

Yeon Ho-jeong controlled himself once again. When he pulled up the Hwangryong energy to envelop his middle dantian [an energy center in the body according to traditional Chinese medicine], he felt the lingering hatred and discomfort gradually disappearing.

Gi Cheon-ung’s eyes sparkled.

He was managing his upper dantian with the martial arts that Tak Mu-ja had taught him, so unlike before when his upper dantian was collapsing, he could see how the opponent’s energy was moving, even if only slightly.

‘He’s controlling his mind.’

Gi Cheon-ung’s eyes wavered.

‘But that true energy……?’

For some reason, it was a true energy that bothered him.

It was a power that contained various qualities, not just one. Yet, it wasn’t chaotic. Rather, it was an extremely mysterious and sacred energy.

‘It’s an incredible martial art.’

He realized that it wasn’t just the level of martial arts, but the depth of that internal energy technique itself was amazing.

‘Martial arts that rival the best in the world, a talent that appears once in a thousand years, and on top of that, a tactical insight that has reached the level of a god, as well as a strong mind.’

The only word that came to mind was dazzling.

Gi Cheon-ung sighed.

“In ten years, no, even in five years, there will be no master in the world who can match you.”

“…….”

“I heard that you wanted to see me. But I also wanted to see you. I was curious what kind of monster you were to have caused such amazing things.”

Gi Cheon-ung smiled bitterly.

“Indeed, you are worthy of it.”

“I have something to ask.”

“What is it?”

Gi Cheon-ung’s face, as he spoke casually, showed no sign of malicious intent. Rather, he had the air of an old sage who had let go of many things in life.

‘He’s different.’

Yeon Ho-jeong had to admit that there was a world of difference between the Shin Hwa Cult Leader he had imagined and the actual Shin Hwa Cult Leader. He would never have believed it if he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes.

‘I also have prejudices. The prejudice that they are unconditionally absolute evil.’

They weren’t fighting because the other side was evil. They were fighting because of their different values.

However, to Yeon Ho-jeong, the people of the Three Cults were all evil. They had to be evil.

Yeon Ho-jeong sighed.

“The upper dantian, is it because of the young cult leader?”

“I think Vice Leader Yang explained it to some extent.”

“I heard the details. But what I don’t know, I don’t know.”

“It’s my fault. It’s my sin for raising my son that way. I see at least half of it as my fault.”

“…….”

“The other half would be the Saeum Cult Leader.”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes blazed.

“I heard that the Saeum Cult Leader is using the young cult leader.”

“That’s right.”

“Then, has he extended his reach to Gwanghyeol as well?”

“I can’t say for sure. But I believe so. Of course, he wouldn’t have been able to extend it too deeply.”

“I see.”

Yeon Ho-jeong sighed once more.

“You have passed on the upper dantian martial arts to Senior Tak Mu-ja.”

“Because it’s a ticking time bomb. If I touch more than half of my original true energy, that day will be the day my martial arts are lost.”

“…….”

“Well, it’s okay now. I can use my martial arts as much as I want, as long as I don’t overdo it, though not at full power.”

Tak Mu-ja had also passed on that martial art to Gi Woo-hee.

In other words, Tak Mu-ja also thought that Gi Cheon-ung had not betrayed them or harbored any bad intentions.

Yeon Ho-jeong asked in a subdued voice.

“Can you fight properly?”

Gi Cheon-ung answered honestly.

“If you’re talking about Shin Hwa, I’d say no. I have no intention of destroying Shin Hwa. I just want to purify it. Of course, there will be moments when I have to fight, but that won’t lead to the destruction of Shin Hwa.”

“…….”

“However… my son is different.”

Gi Cheon-ung’s eyes turned cold.

Despite having the hottest and most intense internal energy in the world, his eyes were as cold as the ice of the distant North Sea.

“I will kill my son. I have been controlling my martial arts for that one opportunity.”

“I see.”

“Was that what you were worried about?”

Yeon Ho-jeong, who had been quietly watching Gi Cheon-ung, drew his Gwangryong insignia and turned his body.

“I just wanted to see you. I imagined the people I would someday meet as enemies and fight to the death, and you were one of them.”

“I see.”

“Whatever the reason, we’ve joined hands, so let’s not cause trouble and do our part. That’s all I wanted to say.”

Gi Cheon-ung smiled.

An enemy he had hated so much had become an ally. Yet, it was not easy to show such a reaction without showing any killing intent.

‘He’s a very straightforward guy.’

It was the first time he had seen him, but he felt trustworthy for some reason.

Watching Yeon Ho-jeong’s back as he slowly walked away, Gi Cheon-ung asked.

“Is this the end?”

Yeon Ho-jeong stopped walking.

He said without turning around.

“It’s the end. I’ll always be on guard, but for now, I can go with peace of mind.”

“You’re too lighthearted.”

“……?”

“It seems you have too much faith in your own eyes. Of course, I can see that you are an amazing person, but people’s hearts don’t change that easily.”

Yeon Ho-jeong turned around to look at Gi Cheon-ung.

Gi Cheon-ung said with a smile.

“If you really want to know each other, there’s only one way.”

“Are you sure?”

“Thanks to the old Sword Saint, I’m fine. I can’t have a full-power match, but it’s enough to get to know each other.”

He said ‘get to know each other,’ but even with Gi Cheon-ung’s power not at full strength, it would be difficult for most masters to even cope.

That was the case when he appeared at the Imperial Palace. Gok Gyeong, upon seeing Gi Cheon-ung’s martial arts, thought that while he could be an opponent, it would be difficult to achieve victory.

Gi Cheon-ung was that formidable of an opponent.

Yeon Ho-jeong, who had been quietly watching him, slung the Gwangryong insignia over his shoulder.

Whooooong!

Golden energy flowed out of his body like smoke.

“The remnants of hatred have not completely disappeared. My attacks may be a bit rough, so please keep that in mind.”

“I have no feelings for you, so I won’t use any killing moves. But you should be careful. Fire can burn down a whole mountain even unintentionally.”

“That puts my mind at ease.”

“The more I see you, the more impressive you are.”

“I’ll go first.”

Paah!

Yeon Ho-jeong charged forward and swung the Gwangryong insignia. Gi Cheon-ung lowered his stance and raised a blue flame.

They were of different races and had different goals, but they were both martial artists.

A martial artist proves himself with the training he is most confident in.

And so, the two began to get to know each other little by little.

* * *

“So, you’re moving in two weeks?”

“Yes, I have to. Of course, I won’t be able to go with you because I don’t have time. I need to go and look around before the move, and then I have to go to the Martial Alliance.”

“Are you talking about the Martial Alliance?”

“Yes. Gok Gyeong will be waiting for me there. By now, he’s probably still complaining about why I haven’t arrived yet.”

Baek Seo lowered his head.

“Vice Leader.”

“Hmm?”

“Really, do you have no regrets?”

Yang Cheon chuckled.

“My friend, why would I do something that would leave me with regrets at this age?”

“…….”

“It would be a lie to say I have no regrets, but I don’t regret it. Besides, that guy understands the Black Road better than I do in some ways. He will surely do well.”

“I understand.”

“You’re quite disappointed too, aren’t you?”

Baek Seo raised his head.

A smile was on his face, which usually showed almost no change in expression.

“I served the lord, not the owner of the Mukryong Unit.”

“Hahaha.”

“Rather, if you step down from the vice leader position, it will be much easier for me.”

“We’ve been growing old together, so you can be more comfortable from now on.”

“I will.”

“This guy, you’ve been waiting for this, haven’t you?”

Yang Cheon burst into laughter.

Baek Seo, who was smiling back, took out a letter from his chest.

“However, I think you should handle this.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“It’s a letter from Yeon-sim and Jeong-an, the sword masters of Botaam.”

Yang Cheon’s eyes sparkled.

“Botaam… Well, I have to clean up the mess I made.”