Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 108

Moyong Woo’s eyes wavered.

‘He’s incredible.’

He was over six feet tall, with a physique that appeared slender at first glance. He wore martial attire underneath, but the white robe he wore over it seemed to soften his sharp impression.

Though tall, his build was neither large nor small. This, combined with the strange aura he exuded, made him look like a bamboo tree.

If it weren’t for the refined energy subtly emanating from him, Moyong Woo would have thought he was a handsome scholar.

‘To possess such vigorous energy?’

It was an energy that even felt somewhat mystical. Moyong Woo had never seen anyone with such an extraordinary presence.

And that axe.

It was clearly a treasure worthy of being called a divine weapon. The thick, cool blade of the axe radiated a powerful aura.

It was a rare weapon in the martial world. The fact that a slender young man was wielding it made it seem even more imposing.

Currently, there was only one person who came to mind when describing such an appearance in the martial world.

And this young man had confidently introduced himself.

“Yeon Ho-Jeong… of the Byeoksan Yeon family?”

“Indeed.”

Moyong Woo rose from his seat.

He briefly clasped his hands in greeting.

“I am Moyong Woo, the head of the Zhejiang branch of the Moyong family. It is an honor to meet the renowned leader of Byeoksan.”

It was a surprising greeting.

Moyong Woo was older than Yeon Ho-Jeong. Not just by a year or two, but by at least a decade.

Yet, he greeted him with such formality. At this early hour, during what could be considered a suspicious visit.

Yeon Ho-Jeong also put down his axe and formally greeted him.

“I am Yeon Ho-Jeong, the eldest son of the Byeoksan Yeon family of Gangso, and I greet the Hidden Dragon of the Moyong family.”

Moyong Woo’s face hardened.

The Hidden Dragon of the Moyong family. It was a truly meaningful expression.

Just as Moyong Woo was about to speak, Yeon Ho-Jeong picked up his axe.

“May I have a cup of tea?”

He meant to talk inside.

Moyong Woo nodded.

“…Come in.”

Swoosh.

Yeon Ho-Jeong entered the office through the window.

Moyong Woo’s eyes wavered.

‘Amazing footwork!’

His body movements defied common sense. They were incredibly flexible yet full of strength.

He had only seen one movement, but his wariness towards Yeon Ho-Jeong deepened.

“I don’t have good tea leaves. I hope you understand.”

“I’m not picky, so don’t worry.”

“I see.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong, having placed his axe down and sat on a chair, looked at Moyong Woo.

Moyong Woo silently began to prepare tea.

He must be curious. This silence could be awkward, and he could have said something to break it. But he focused on making tea.

More precisely, while making tea, his mind was constantly analyzing Yeon Ho-Jeong.

‘He’s still the same.’

He was cautious. He seemed tense, but his ingrained manners and upright spirit were the same as before.

No, they were even more radiant than before. He was much more human than Moyong Woo, who had become jaded and worn down by the world and the chaos caused by the Demonic Cult.

However, he was thoroughly suppressing it.

‘As I expected.’

A blue light flickered in Yeon Ho-Jeong’s pupils.

‘He’s the only one. He’s the only one who can do it.’

After a while, Moyong Woo placed a teacup in front of Yeon Ho-Jeong.

“It’s been a while since I’ve made tea, so I’m not sure if it will taste good.”

“It smells nice.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong drank the tea without hesitation.

Moyong Woo’s eyes deepened.

‘He’s drinking without any suspicion.’

Was he bold, or did he know him well? Moyong Woo had very little information about his opponent.

‘He’s rumored to be a hero of the world… but to come alone in the middle of the night like this…’

It was said that the good do not come, and those who come are not good. The martial world was a dangerous place. If someone he didn’t know came to visit at this late hour, he should be extremely wary.

Even if the Beggars’ Union had acted as a go-between.

“Congratulations.”

“What do you mean?”

“You succeeded in making a delicious cup of tea.”

“That’s a relief.”

It was a curt reply.

His voice was full of caution. It was a frank reaction.

Moyong Woo spoke.

“The weather has become quite chilly. You seem to be a great master at first glance, but even the greatest masters can’t avoid catching a cold.”

Why did he come in the cold early morning air?

It was a roundabout way of speaking, but that made it even more intimidating. It meant that pointless wordplay wouldn’t work.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s smile disappeared.

“Before we talk, let me say one thing.”

“I’m listening.”

“I don’t like beating around the bush. Please understand if I sound a bit harsh.”

“You don’t have to worry about that.”

“I know you’re having a hard time right now.”

He said it without any preamble.

Perhaps that was why Moyong Woo was momentarily bewildered. He was so busy trying to figure out what that meant that the conversation stalled.

Taking advantage of the offbeat timing, Yeon Ho-Jeong began to take the lead in the conversation.

“I heard there was a big commotion due to the power struggle between the Zhejiang merchants.”

“… !”

“And I also heard that the branch manager is in charge of coordinating the interests of Zhejiang’s maritime trade.”

Moyong Woo’s eyes deepened.

“How did you know?”

“I’ve been looking into matters related to you for a long time. Of course, I also reviewed them before coming here.”

It was a strange and chilling statement.

To be watched without his knowledge was not a pleasant feeling.

However, Moyong Woo was more curious about the other party’s intentions than upset. Why was this young tiger, a young man rumored to be a passionate hero, watching him?

“You’ve been investigating me?”

“That’s right.”

Moyong Woo, who had been watching Yeon Ho-Jeong with clear eyes, shook his head.

“If you’re thinking of controlling the maritime trade in both Gangso and Zhejiang to gain profits, you should give up now.”

“I can do that without the branch manager’s help, so I have no intention of giving up.”

It was a statement that touched his pride. But Moyong Woo’s energy remained unchanged.

His energy was like a clear lake. It was a heavy water that wouldn’t ripple easily.

“Then it’s even more puzzling. There’s no reason for you to investigate me and even come all the way here.”

“I will help you.”

“…Help? What do you mean?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong, looking at Moyong Woo, hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“Isn’t the branch manager someone who has stepped down from the ruthless path of the Moyong family head?”

“…!!”

“In my opinion, it seems like you were under pressure from the main family in the past, and you still are now.”

Moyong Woo’s expression changed drastically.

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled.

“It seems my guess was correct.”

“How did you…?”

“Because I know a bit about a person named Moyong Gun.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes changed.

The moment he thought of Moyong Gun, his eyes changed. And in that sharp gaze, Moyong Woo felt a chill run down his spine.

“Moyong Gun is an ambitious man. His greed is endless. It’s not a problem for a person to have greed, but it’s a problem when innocent people are dying because of that greed.”

“… !”

“Moreover, his ambition is purely personal. If it were for a greater cause, there might be room for consideration, but Moyong Gun is living each day fiercely with an ambition that doesn’t even qualify for that.”

Even as he spoke, Yeon Ho-Jeong felt a strange bitterness. It was because he himself didn’t have any great sense of righteousness or chivalry.

Moyong Woo’s face showed genuine surprise.

At the same time, deeper suspicion settled in. The person who investigated him also knew a lot about his older brother, the head of the Six Great Clans.

He didn’t know what he was thinking, but it was clear that he was someone to be extremely wary of.

“But you are different. You don’t want anything grand. You just want the people within your circle to live well.”

“…”

“I don’t know if you know, but if you don’t, I’ll tell you. Justice and righteousness come from there. You can only cry out for justice when you know how difficult it is to protect your own circle.”

“Justice, righteousness…”

“I also care for my people, but I don’t think I’m a righteous person. Rather, I’m closer to being an evil person.”

“…”

“Not just anyone can walk the righteous path.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong took a sip of tea to wet his throat.

“So, I will help you. If you are under pressure from your family regarding the Zhejiang trade alliance, I will resolve that issue for you.”

Moyong Woo’s eyes wavered.

“Help… May I ask why?”

“Why…”

“Yes. Why.”

Moyong Woo took a moment to breathe.

Having calmed his mind with a single deep breath, he added in a strong voice.

“Whether you know it or not, I am very confused. I did receive a letter from the Hangzhou branch manager of the Beggars’ Union, but a young master I’ve never met is suddenly saying he will help me.”

“That’s right.”

“If that were all, it would be one thing, but you said you’ve been investigating me for a long time. You even seem to know quite a bit about my older brother, the family head.”

“I know him very well. In some ways, I may know the Moyong family head better than you do.”

“Better than me… Okay. Let’s say that’s true.”

Moyong Woo’s eyes sharpened.

“Do you think that I would readily accept your help right now?”

“I guess it would be difficult.”

He expected a rebuttal, but he readily agreed. Moyong Woo smiled wryly.

“That’s right. Moreover, you are the eldest son of the Byeoksan Yeon family. If it becomes known that I received help from you, the main family will be in an uproar.”

“Are you scared?”

“What do you mean?”

“Are you scared of Moyong Gun?”

It was a provocative question.

Moyong Woo said with a stiff expression.

“I don’t know what you mean. And one more thing, it seems like you’re being too casual when referring to the head of the main family.”

“He’s someone who could become my enemy at any time, so it’s only natural.”

“…?!”

An enemy? What was he talking about all of a sudden?

“He tried to destroy the main family by joining hands with the Myeong family. Moyong Gun even infiltrated spies himself.”

“Wh-What?!”

“If I hadn’t caught the spies and completely destroyed the Myeong family, the main family might have been on an irreversible path by now.”

Moyong Woo looked at Yeon Ho-Jeong with trembling eyes.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s expression was calm. It was not the face of someone who was lying.

‘Brother…!’

What was even more frightening was that the Moyong Gun he knew was someone who was capable of doing such a thing.

Moyong Woo sighed involuntarily.

“Why are you doing this? Why do you keep doing such outrageous things…”

Moyong Woo, who had been sighing, stood up and suddenly bowed.

“I apologize on behalf of my brother. I don’t know if you can forgive him, but as his blood relative, I am ashamed.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes deepened.

Moyong Woo remained prostrate without a word. It wasn’t as if he had committed a crime worthy of death, but he was sincerely apologizing.

Could the other party be lying?

Moyong Woo’s insight was genuine. He had an extraordinary talent for discerning truth from falsehood. It was one of his many strengths.

Yeon Ho-Jeong spoke.

“If he abandons his outrageous ambition and steps down from the front lines, the main family can forgive him.”

Moyong Woo raised his upper body.

He bit his lip.

“First… I will speak to my brother directly about that…”

“But Moyong Gun will never give up.”

“…”

“You just said you were apologizing on behalf of your brother?”

“…?”

“If that was sincere, why don’t you apologize properly instead of using petty methods?”

“…What do you want me to do?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled.

“Stand at the pinnacle of the White Path.”

“Wh-What?!”

“Become the greatest giant who controls the White Path [the righteous martial world]. The day you conquer the righteous martial world, I will forgive you.”