Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 1042

“Impressive.”

It had been quite some time since Gok Gyeong had arrived at the Murim Alliance, but Yang Cheon hadn’t come, so he still hadn’t returned to the palace.

Still, Gok Gyeong’s face was quite relaxed. He should have been losing sleep worrying about the Emperor, but fortunately, the people guarding the Emperor were such great figures that he was relieved.

It had taken him over twenty days to become this relaxed. Now, he had the leisure to look around.

“Is this the first time we’ve met like this privately?”

“Indeed.”

Grand Master Gong Gong didn’t mind Gok Gyeong’s rough, informal speech.

Gok Gyeong rested his chin on his hand.

“Just reaching the Supreme Extremity isn’t everything. People say the gap between those who reach that level is as thin as a sheet of paper, but I don’t see it that way. Those who are so weak as to allow such a thin gap can’t reach this level.”

“Is that so?”

“In other words, for us, that paper-thin difference can be as deep and vast as a canyon. Of course, even after reaching the Supreme Extremity, if you don’t continue to train, one sheet becomes two, and two sheets become four.”

“You could see it that way.”

“When did you reach it?”

“It hasn’t been long.”

“Yes, it certainly seems so. That wriggling true energy hasn’t fully matured yet. It couldn’t have been more than two years.”

Gok Gyeong frowned.

“But for some reason, I don’t feel like I can just win easily.”

Grand Master Gong Gong smiled.

“Evil is hard-pressed to surpass righteousness. The martial arts you’ve mastered are incompatible with mine, so it’s not unreasonable for you to think that way.”

“Isn’t the Supreme Extremity supposed to transcend the distinction between good and evil?”

“Even if it’s a paper-thin difference, it’s still a difference. How can there be no distinction between good and evil?”

“You got me there.”

Gok Gyeong, who had taken his hand off his chin and picked up his teacup, looked bitter.

“It seems the times have certainly changed. When I heard people praising me as a Saintly Sky or one of the Three Armies, I pretended not to care, but honestly, it didn’t feel bad.”

“……”

“But now, in this new world, unimaginable masters are appearing. I don’t know how many people I’m being overtaken by.”

“Isn’t that the life you chose?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Protecting His Majesty the Emperor. You chose that life. If it weren’t for that, your martial arts would be different now.”

“Is that a consolation?”

“I’m just stating the facts. The Mukryong Unit Leader highly valued your talent. If you had enough time, it wouldn’t be like this now.”

“That’s ridiculous. It’s not like you only develop through martial arts training. If I had seen life as another aspect of the martial path, I might have become even stronger.”

“Conversely, you might have become weaker.”

“You understand this level well.”

“When you look from afar, you can only guess, but when you see it up close, there are things you become certain of.”

Gok Gyeong, who had emptied his teacup in one go, leaned back in his chair.

“Talk about training or life is all unnecessary. In the end, even that is all part of my talent and skill.”

Grand Master Gong Gong’s smile deepened.

Gok Gyeong had visited the Murim Alliance before. But the Gok Gyeong of then and the Gok Gyeong of now were very different.

It was as if the man who always carried a heavy burden on his shoulders was now free from that burden.

“Later, when you have time, shall we have a match?”

“This humble monk would be honored.”

Gok Gyeong chuckled.

Grand Master Gong Gong erased his smile and asked,

“I couldn’t bring myself to ask in front of so many people.”

“What is it?”

“How is His Majesty…?”

“He’s doing well.”

“……”

“How could a martial artist like us understand His Majesty’s grand intentions? Honestly, I wondered if there was a need to fake his death, but it seems His Majesty doesn’t think so.”

Grand Master Gong Gong’s expression turned heavy.

“His Majesty must have his reasons. But one thing is clear. By now, the Three Teachings [referring to the three major evil sects] must have realized that His Majesty has passed away, and they will be preparing for war.”

“You’re wrong.”

“……?”

“They would have finished preparing for war a long time ago. The important thing is the timing. When, which forces, and which organization will be unleashed first. Their preparations are complete.”

Grand Master Gong Gong nodded.

They wouldn’t have given a secret order to kill the Emperor through spies if they weren’t prepared.

“Then, in the end, it wouldn’t be strange if war broke out tomorrow.”

“That’s right.”

“I have something I want to ask the Mad Ghost Lord, who has been by His Majesty’s side for so long.”

“……”

“His Majesty must have known that war could break out at any moment. He is wiser than anyone.”

“……”

“In other words, when His Majesty faked his death, the Central Plains was already in a state of emergency. Yet, His Majesty faked his death without any communication with the Murim [martial arts world], which could have been a great force.”

“…He did.”

“His Majesty’s death itself would signal the start of the war. But… to do such a thing without communication means that His Majesty was confident that war wouldn’t break out immediately, right?”

Gok Gyeong’s eyes sparkled.

“Whose idea is that? Is that the thought of that famous strategist?”

“Both this humble monk and the strategist had the same thought.”

“Indeed, they are people qualified to lead such an organization.”

Gok Gyeong scratched his head.

“Well, it wouldn’t be a big problem to tell you.”

“Please, tell me.”

“His Majesty said that while his death would be the start of the war, it wouldn’t break out immediately unless the Central Plains Murim was ready.”

“What does that mean?”

“What do you think it means?”

“……?”

Grand Master Gong Gong, who had been quietly looking at Gok Gyeong’s face, slowly widened his eyes.

“Could it be?”

“Yes. His Majesty thought that the first move in this war would be from the Central Plains Murim, not the Three Teachings.”

“……!!”

“To be precise, he thought it had to be that way. If they couldn’t see that, he said that I would have to go to the Murim Alliance myself to tell them.”

It was an incomprehensible statement.

The Emperor was dead.

The Emperor’s death was like the death of the leader of the Three Teachings.

The larger the organization, the greater the impact of the leader’s death. The leader was not just someone who governed the organization, but someone who controlled ‘power’ itself.

That power could be military force, authority, financial power, or information power.

And in any organization, there are those who want radical and hardline politics, and those who want stable and moderate politics.

If the leader dies in such a situation, a fierce battle will naturally break out to choose the next leader of the organization.

That is called a power struggle. In the face of power, there is no family, and that is a fight that no organization in the world can avoid.

In other words, there could be no more enticing moment for the Three Teachings.

The Imperial Palace was the center of the empire, and naturally, who became the Emperor would determine the future of the nation and the flow of the entire Central Plains. Although they had been suppressed by the power of the Murim, it would be hard to find anyone who wasn’t interested in the enthronement of a new Emperor.

It meant that the whole world would be in chaos for the enthronement of a new Emperor.

Then, from the enemy’s point of view, there would be no situation more difficult to miss. Naturally, the Three Teachings should attack first.

Even though they were suppressed by the power of the Murim, the symbolism of the Imperial Palace was strong. If they occupied the Imperial Palace, it would be like taking over the front yard of the Central Plains. Why else would the Divine Flame Church have sent so many masters to try to swallow the Imperial Palace?

But they wouldn’t attack?

Rather, he thought that the start of this war would be from the Central Plains Murim?

“Why on earth…?”

“You can think about it, but it’s hard to be sure. Especially since it’s a war. Right?”

“That’s right.”

“His Majesty is certain. His Majesty has lost battles against opponents he didn’t know, but he has never lost a battle against an enemy he knew.”

“So how did he become so certain?”

“The Divine Flame Church Leader.”

Grand Master Gong Gong’s eyes widened.

“The Divine Flame Church Leader?!”

“That guy, Gi Cheon-ung, although he was deprived of power by his son and came to the Imperial Palace as if he was being expelled, he knows everything about the Divine Flame Church. Of course. The leader is God, and to be that, he must master everything he governs from beginning to end.”

“……”

“The Divine Flame Church Leader told us about the current situation of the Divine Flame Church. Once you know the situation of the Divine Flame Church, you can naturally know the situation of the Evil Sound Church. Because the young leader is being used by the Evil Sound Church Leader. At least, you can know what the Evil Sound Church wants.”

“……!”

“I don’t know much about the Blood Madness Church, but just by seeing them trying to take over the Qinghai Divine Forest, I can tell that they won’t start a war right away. No, that’s not right. To be precise, I can tell that the Blood Madness Church won’t make the first move in the war.”

“You can’t be sure.”

“Of course, you can’t be sure with just that information. But His Majesty was biding his time and looking at the world. He was particularly focused on the outside world rather than the Central Plains Murim. It’s only natural. The Imperial Palace was in that state because of the foreign invaders.”

Gok Gyeong’s eyes flashed.

“Even if the Three Teachings launch a preemptive strike, the Imperial Palace can handle it. The all-out war won’t break out immediately after the first strike. Right now, the Imperial Palace has the Minister of Power, the Sword Saint, and the Yeon Family Head. There are also countless soldiers, including the Imperial Palace guards. The current Imperial Palace has a powerful force comparable to any large sect.”

Grand Master Gong Gong said with a troubled face.

“Even if everything you say is true, the Murim Alliance won’t attack the Three Teachings right away. No, they can’t. You can’t conquer an unknown mountain full of fog without a map, can you?”

“Do you think that just because they have the name Murim Alliance, they represent the entire Murim?”

“……?!”

“There are countless organizations besides the Murim Alliance that are trying to fight the Three Teachings. And there was one organization as large as the Murim Alliance, wasn’t there?”

“The Mukryong Unit!”

Grand Master Gong Gong’s face became urgent.

“Are you saying that the Mukryong Unit will launch a preemptive strike?”

“Not right away, but if they were to strike first, I think the Mukryong Unit would be one step ahead of the Murim Alliance.”

“No matter how brilliant the young leader Yeon’s strategies are, he wouldn’t have been able to read His Majesty’s thoughts.”

“I agree. He might know it intuitively, but he wouldn’t be able to interpret it logically.”

“Then…!”

“That’s why the Mukryong Unit Leader went there.”

“……!!”

“Well, according to what they said at the Imperial Palace, that man also didn’t want the Mukryong Unit to launch a preemptive strike. Maybe he didn’t tell them. He hates losing.”

Gok Gyeong frowned.

“But even if he doesn’t tell them, will Yeon Ho-jeong not know until the end? I don’t think so.”