Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 1067

Peng Mu-Gang’s face darkened as he read the letter. After scanning the contents, he quickly left the room. He passed through several gates and arrived at a large open space near the royal palace. Clang! As he approached the entrance of the open space, the clear sound of swords clashing echoed. Two men, two swordsmen, were fighting. One was a middle-aged man wielding a seemingly extraordinary sword, and the other was an old Taoist priest with a long sword engraved with cloud patterns. Neither of them exuded a fierce aura nor an overwhelming force. They seemed to be empty, their expressions calm. They simply circled each other slowly, occasionally swinging their swords at decisive moments. Clang! Clang! Even though their swords were swung lightly, the sound of their collision was so powerful that it seemed to shake the mountains and forests. Peng Mu-Gang felt a refreshing sensation in his ears at the sound. The reverberation was so intense that it was almost painful, but the sound itself was pure and clear. How profound the enlightenment within it must be. Although he had rushed here in a hurry, seeing the two masters clashing swords made him want to draw his own blade and join them. Clang! Shiiiing! The final clash of the two swords, after several collisions, ended with a strange scraping of the blades. Yeon-Wi gasped for breath. “It’s difficult.” “Indeed, it is.” A strange smile appeared on Tak Mu-Ja’s face. “It’s difficult, yet you manage it. How many times are you going to surprise me?” “My martial arts are still lacking.” “It’s good to be humble, but don’t belittle the martial arts you’ve created. If you were a member of the Wudang Sect [a famous Taoist martial arts school], I would have begged you to teach me them.” “You flatter me. I haven’t even created a proper formula yet.” “How can you use a formula for a sword wielded by the heart? However, if it’s a manual that unravels the enlightenment you’ve seen and heard, it would be worth more than its weight in gold.” “Haha.” Tak Mu-Ja stroked his beard. “The Mind Sword you named ‘Adjusting the Yeon Sword’ is impressive, but the three sword techniques that use a true energy close to lightning are also incredible. They seem simple, but precisely because of their simplicity, they contain the essence of swordsmanship.” “Thank you.” “What are the names of those three swords?” “At first, I dared to call them the Absolute Three Swords.” “Absolute Three Swords. An arrogant name, but fitting. There wouldn’t be many warriors who could withstand even a single strike.” Absolute Three Swords. It was a sword technique that Yeon-Wi had created even before reaching the Supreme Realm. It wasn’t because of the profundity of the sword technique, but because of his own desire to reach the absolute realm that he called them the Absolute Three Swords. Now, those martial arts had matured fully. Even Yeon-Wi’s Mind Sword, the Adjusting Yeon Sword, had emerged from the enlightenment of the Absolute Three Swords. It was a sword technique that was precious to Yeon-Wi in many ways. “I don’t dare call them that now. I call them the As-You-Wish Breaking Sword.” “As-You-Wish Breaking Sword… A very fitting name. Each one contains a noble sword principle, yet they exert absolute power. Depending on your mindset, you can break and destroy everything.” Tak Mu-Ja chuckled as if amused. “You named your Mind Sword ‘Adjusting the Yeon Sword’ with the desire for world peace, yet your combat martial arts have the power to break and destroy everything. It’s not easy to wield such opposing forces.” Yeon-Wi looked awkward. “Even though I say that, it seems I had some ambition when I created the As-You-Wish Sword.” “Where in the world is there a person without ambition? It’s fortunate that such martial arts were born from the hands of a virtuous person like you. Please use those two sword techniques for the sake of the world.” “I will certainly do so.” “Good, good.” Tak Mu-Ja looked at Peng Mu-Gang. “Our conversation has been too long.” “Yes.” Peng Mu-Gang, realizing that the conversation was over, quickly approached the two men. “I greet Senior Tak Mu-Ja.” “No need for formalities. So, what’s the matter?” “Something terrible has happened.” Peng Mu-Gang showed the letter to the two men. Tension filled their faces as they read the contents of the letter. “This is different from what His Majesty predicted?” Yeon-Wi said in a grave voice. “I don’t know if it’s good or bad.” “What do you mean? It’s obviously bad.” “The fact that they’re not moving as everyone predicted means two things. Either they understand us perfectly, or there’s some division on their side.” “……!” “If they knew us perfectly, they would have attacked long ago. It seems that the Three Teachings [referring to Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism] are not perfectly united either.” “Didn’t they say they are originally one and three, and three and one? They see each other as rivals, yet they join hands and move for one purpose.” “Of course, but you never know with people.” Peng Mu-Gang nodded. “Just as there are moderate and hardline factions in the martial world, the same must be true on their side. If there are those who are tired of this long standoff and fierce battle of wits, and if those people are in the leadership, then we can understand the current situation.” “That could be true. But it’s not certain.” “That’s why we must move immediately.” Yeon-Wi said to Peng Mu-Gang. “Clan Leader, gather the elders and the middle-ranking members. I will go to His Majesty.” “Understood.” * * * “Hoo-woo.” The exhaled breath was very refreshing and light. Yang Cheon’s face, as he slowly opened his eyes, looked very relaxed. His face, as if he had no worries in the world, was something Baek Seo had never seen before while serving the King of Fighters. Baek Seo smiled and said, “You look good.” “Hmm.” Yang Cheon looked down at his hand. On his empty hand, a black aura slowly rose and then disappeared like a ghost. “It’s amazing.” “What is, sir?” “I’m proud of the realm I’ve achieved. But I knew there were higher places than where I stood. And many of them.” “……” “Many geniuses have appeared in the world, starting with Yeon Ho-Jeong. The growth of those juniors strongly stimulated me. So, I never neglected my training for a single day.” “Yes, I’ve seen it.” “But the pace of my progress was slow. Even if I improved, the growth was so small that it mocked me. I even regressed a few times.” That was what was amazing, Baek Seo thought. Even at his current level, progress was difficult. If martial arts could be improved by risking one’s life, Baek Seo would have faced more near-death experiences than anyone else. The Supreme Realm would be even more so. Yet, Yang Cheon had continued to make small but constant progress. It was a difference in talent, not effort. Yang Cheon was someone who could achieve growth through struggling effort alone, even after reaching such a supreme realm. “Before I knew it, Ho-Jeong had surpassed me. I thought that moment would come someday, but I didn’t know it would be this fast.” “The Lord’s talent is extraordinary.” “That’s right. Honestly, I lost my motivation as a martial artist. I haven’t trained properly since then. It’s not that I gave up martial arts, but I wanted to have some leisure. But…” A satisfied smile appeared on Yang Cheon’s face. “I’ve been busy with weddings and such lately, but before I knew it, I’ve reached an unknown realm.” “Congratulations on your great achievement.” “It’s not that great. I’m just amazed that there’s such a realm in the Black Lion Energy.” Baek Seo said in a joking tone, “It seems that there has been a big change in the Lord’s heart after marrying a much younger mistress. Your face has been glowing day by day.” “Ahem! This man has no limits.” “I cannot dare to discuss the Lord’s realm, but I believe that for a Supreme Realm practitioner, great joy and stability can lead to the growth or regression of martial arts. The Lord has always moved forward, so perhaps this change in life has brought about enlightenment.” “Stability… I honestly don’t know.” “You say you don’t know, but you can’t stop smiling.” “Oh, come on.” Was it because he had stepped down from the position of the head of the Black Path Alliance? The conversation he had with his confidant, Baek Seo, was much softer than before. They were master and subordinate in name only; if one only looked at the content of their conversation, one would believe they were friends with a slight age difference. “Weren’t you very worried the day before the wedding?” Yang Cheon coughed. “I’m only saying this because it’s you, but I was really nervous.” He was about to spend a hundred years with a woman much younger than him. As a Supreme Realm practitioner, Yang Cheon couldn’t help but be nervous. Rather, because he was letting go of everything, he was nervous and worried like an ordinary person. Baek Seo was very pleased with Yang Cheon’s change. “How is life with the mistress?” “It’s only been ten days since we started living together. It’s hard to say one way or another.” “But you’re happy, aren’t you?” Yang Cheon scratched his cheek. “My wife is very considerate of me. I heard she had a fiery personality, but she’s been good to me, at least. I’m just grateful and sorry. I’m trying to be good to her as well.” Who would have thought that such words would come from the mouth of the King of Fighters? “Speaking of which, she said she wants to invite the Twelve Zodiacs [referring to the twelve disciples of Yang Cheon] to have a meal together soon. She said she’ll prepare it herself.” “Does the mistress cook as well?” “How long has it been since I was obsessed with martial arts and lived alone? In the meantime, I missed the taste of the food I ate in the palace, so I got into the habit of learning from the cooks.” “That’s amazing. It’s not easy for a princess to do that.” “Yes. She seems to be a person who is curious and passionate about everything.” “It would be an honor for us if the mistress invites us.” “The glory that was once directed at me is now going to my wife.” “Husband and wife are of one mind, so my loyalty is not wrong.” The two men burst into laughter at the same time. Baek Seo, as much as Yang Cheon, was exuding a much more human scent than during the Black Path Alliance days. It was then. “Lord.” The person who came running in was none other than Ju Won (Wine Monkey). “What’s the matter?” “A letter has been sent from Clan Leader Peng. In the meantime, there was also contact from the Black Emperor Fortress, so I brought them both at once.” Ju Won handed two letters to Yang Cheon. Yang Cheon’s face immediately turned serious as he read the letter from Peng Mu-Gang first. Then, after checking the letter from the Black Emperor Fortress, Yang Cheon stood up. “Things have gotten busy.” “What’s the matter?” “War is imminent.” “Yes?” “And…” Yang Cheon looked south. “The Lord is coming. He said he’s bringing a wedding gift, but with the Black Emperor Fortress’s intelligence, he must know our situation well.” “……!” “It seems he’s bringing all three axes, so we need to prepare just as much.”