Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 1164

The way Yeon Ho-Jeong ran in front of the Black Blood Demon looked particularly dynamic.

The upright posture of the Thousand Miles Cloud Walk [a movement technique focused on speed and agility] had somewhat collapsed. It was intentionally lowered to gain speed.

And the Black Blood Demon was keeping up with Yeon Ho-Jeong’s fast movement technique without any difficulty.

Ha Eun-Gyo was very surprised.

‘It’s no ordinary demonic creature.’

She hadn’t paid attention because she was flustered, but this huge horse was filled with demonic energy all over its body.

It was a demonic energy reminiscent of steel. It must have a strong defense against external attacks.

‘Ho-Jeong is washing away the demonic nature with his Divine King Energy.’

Although she was in a devastated state, she had also received Yeon Ho-Jeong’s Divine King Energy, so she could see the state of the Black Blood Demon at a glance.

It hadn’t completely disappeared yet, but the demonic nature of the Black Blood Demon had greatly diminished. Soon, the remaining demonic nature would be completely consumed by the Divine King Energy, and from then on, the Black Blood Demon would begin a true spiritual connection with Yeon Ho-Jeong.

Ha Eun-Gyo looked at the back of Yeon Ho-Jeong as he ran quickly.

‘Ho-Jeong is always so busy.’

She could see how fiercely Yeon Ho-Jeong had fought and grown since she had left.

Surprisingly, Yeon Ho-Jeong wasn’t particularly pleased with his own growth. To be precise, he had some joy as a martial artist, but he was much happier about other things.

He was a person who felt great joy and relief in saving someone who was about to die.

He was a person who was much happier protecting the people rooted in this Central Plains [the heartland of Chinese civilization] from being harmed by foreign enemies than his own martial arts improving. Yet, he was also a person who didn’t show such feelings.

Ha Eun-Gyo felt a great sense of shame as she read Yeon Ho-Jeong’s memories and heart.

‘Ho-Jeong is truly a person who deserves to be called a great hero.’

He was younger than her, but age ‘itself’ was no problem in getting to know Yeon Ho-Jeong as a person.

Yeon Ho-Jeong was perfect as Yeon Ho-Jeong. Ha Eun-Gyo thought so.

‘It’s heartbreaking. I should have died in Yeongeum Mountain. If I had, Ho-Jeong wouldn’t have had to come here so recklessly.’

She felt self-loathing at the thought of making a person who didn’t have a single day to rest more busy.

And that self-loathing gradually fueled Ha Eun-Gyo’s anger.

‘I won’t live like a fool anymore. I couldn’t even die and came back after being used by the enemy. I couldn’t even end my own life, so from now on, I will dedicate my life to So-hyeon and Ho-Jeong.’

Ji So-hyeon was like a daughter to her, and Ho-Jeong was a person who lived for the world. She would have no regrets even if she dedicated the rest of her life to these two.

‘But it’s strange.’

Ha Eun-Gyo’s eyes deepened.

‘There are parts where the pieces of memory don’t match.’

After finishing the Cheonghae Demonic Forest incident, Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had set out alone, had clearly gone to meet someone.

But that part didn’t seem to be cut out in a lump. Even though it hadn’t been long.

After thinking for a while, Ha Eun-Gyo shook her head.

‘The transmission of the Upper Divine Art is inherently a dangerous technique. There may be gaps in memory and heart. Now is not the time to think about such things.’

Ha Eun-Gyo’s eyes changed.

‘So-hyeon. This incompetent teacher will save you no matter what.’

How long had they been running?

Yeon Ho-Jeong raised his right fist high. It was a signal to gradually slow down.

Kurururung.

The Black Blood Demon slowed down, stomping the ground several times with its heavy hooves.

Sreureung.

Jin Yang and Gang Ryang jumped out in front of Yeon Ho-Jeong and slightly drew their swords. They were in a position to draw their weapons at any time.

“Why is that, brother?”

At Gang Ryang’s question, Yeon Ho-Jeong said calmly.

“Relax. They’re our people.”

After a while.

Sasaasak.

Two masked men quickly approached Yeon Ho-Jeong and knelt down.

“The information leaders of the Shanxi Fen Yang branch greet the supreme leader of the Black Path!”

Yeon Ho-Jeong waved his hand.

“Get up.”

“Yes!”

“Did the Fen Yang branch leader send you?”

“Yes, he did.”

One of the men took out a letter from his chest and handed it over.

As Yeon Ho-Jeong unfolded the letter, the man opened his mouth.

“Currently, unidentified experts have appeared in the Yeongseok and Bunseo areas. According to the investigation, they are not members of the Shanxi Province sects, and they are all wearing black cloaks with hoods covering their faces.”

“……!”

At that moment, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes flashed.

“Black cloaks? With hoods?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“By any chance, were the cloaks long and voluminous enough to cover their ankles?”

“Detailed reports have not come up, but it seems to be large enough that the inner clothing inside the cloak cannot be seen. There are no other reports about their clothing.”

The corners of Yeon Ho-Jeong’s mouth went up.

A fierce smile.

“It’s those guys from the Evil Sound Sect.”

Gang Ryang asked.

“How do you know?”

“That cloak will probably be long enough to cover their ankles. And that’s the uniform of the Evil Sound Sect’s Shadow Ghost Hands.”

“So, how do you know that…?”

“There’s a way.”

He knew the Shadow Ghost Hands very well, if nothing else.

In the past, the number of martial artists who died at the hands of the Shadow Ghost Hands in the battle with the Evil Sound Sect was countless. They were that strong and capable of moving in an organized manner. They were all-around experts who were proficient in martial arts, as well as various techniques, formations, poisons, hidden weapons, and even cannons.

Even with the Black Path’s intelligence capabilities at the time, the exact number of Shadow Ghost Hands could not be determined. They only predicted that it would be at least five hundred, and at most close to a thousand.

If there were five hundred to a thousand guys with that much talent, it was a truly enormous number. Moreover, some of them had mastered assassination techniques that were not inferior to the top assassins of the Central Plains.

A unit of ghosts thoroughly trained to kill any opponent they met.

It was one of the elite units that the Evil Sound Sect boasted about.

‘The fact that they even dispatched the Shadow Ghost Hands means that Ji So-hyeon’s existence is that important. The Shadow Ghost Hands were a force that was kept hidden until the early to mid-stages of the war.’

He didn’t know what they were trying to do with Ji So-hyeon, but the important thing was that the Evil Sound Sect had finally drawn their sword.

Murdurous intent flickered in Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes.

‘I’ll catch them all.’

After securing Ji So-hyeon, he would catch and kill all the Shadow Ghost Hands dispatched to Shanxi Province. They were murderous demons who should not be left alive.

“Was there any information about a young woman in her early twenties?”

“Not yet. However, we received a message from the Jongnam Sect [a renowned martial arts sect].”

“What did they say?”

“They said they had given Ji So-hyeon a code to contact the Jongnam Sect’s intelligence department. If she hadn’t lost her mind, there’s a chance she left a mark.”

The masked men bowed their heads.

“Currently, the Cheonggeom Escort Agency in Shanxi Province is also serving as the Shanxi branch of the Jongnam Sect. If those cloaked figures kidnapped Ji So-hyeon, the informants of the Cheonggeom Escort Agency will be able to search the area and confirm the mark.”

“Share the information with the Cheonggeom Escort Agency right now. Tell them to dispatch informants immediately.”

“We have already done so. It seems that the situation is urgent, so we proceeded with the work in the form of pre-processing and post-reporting. Please forgive us.”

“Forgive you? You did very well.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who praised the leaders, pointed his chin to the east.

“Investigate those strange figures thoroughly. We will also go there.”

“Understood! They were near Yeongseok and Bunseo yesterday and are moving north, so there is a high probability that they will enter Pyeongyao tonight.”

“Good work.”

After sending the information leaders away, Yeon Ho-Jeong said to Ha Eun-Gyo.

“Let’s go to Pyeongyao. Since Jongnam has also stepped in, we should be able to find Miss Ji if we search around that area.”

Ha Eun-Gyo was inwardly impressed by the Black Path’s intelligence capabilities.

“Thank you.”

“Let’s fill our stomachs before we leave.”

“Ho-Jeong, I’m fine.”

“Even if you’re fine, please eat. Not only me and the commanders, but also senior, you are not in normal condition right now. We must preserve our stamina somehow.”

Gang Ryang took out jerky and a canteen from his bundle.

“We will eat and rest for half an hour. After resting well, we will run towards Pyeongyao with all our strength.”

There is a saying that it is better to go around when you are in a hurry. Now that the destination has been decided, it would be better to take care of the body first, prepare thoroughly, and then leave.

This kind of composure was not something anyone could show. Even if you knew it in your head, it was not easy to actually act that way.

That’s how much experience he had. Ha Eun-Gyo had no choice but to admit that she, who was only absorbed in martial arts and music, could not even be compared to Yeon Ho-Jeong.

Thus, the group rested for half an hour and headed for Pyeongyao.

Pyeongyao, a city with such a long history that it was called an ancient city. There, a small destiny was calling Yeon Ho-Jeong.

* * *

“Father!”

Dang Yoon, who entered the office, quickly opened his mouth.

“It is said that a thousand demons have gathered near Geumcheon! If they advance a little further east, they will reach the front lines of Cheongseong!”

Dang Hyeong’s eyes shone sharply.

‘Look at these guys?’

He had expected it to some extent, but it seemed that they were trying to break through to Cheongseong Mountain, not Amisan.

Of course, they could also go north while advancing. It would be better for the demons to fight in unfamiliar terrain rather than fighting in the front yard of the Cheongseong Mountain swordsmen.

The important thing was that they were breaking into the vicinity of Cheongseong.

Behind Cheongseong Mountain were numerous cities in Sichuan. In particular, Chengdu was not far away. Naturally, Chengdu was the most densely populated area in Sichuan.

If a battle were to break out here, it would be a truly catastrophic disaster.

It was fortunate that the Dang Family was located in Chengdu, but it was still better not to fight here. It was because people who didn’t have to die could die.

“How did Cheongseong respond?”

“Currently, two secular sects of Cheongseong are moving north. Even if they change their direction of advance, they will be able to stop them somehow.”

“What about the other sects?”

“They are now moving to Cheongseong and the north one after another. Amisan also left only the minimum number of people and sent some elites, led by the Tiger Subduing Fist Warriors, to Cheongseong.”

“Good.”

Dang Hyeong handed two documents to Dang Yoon.

“Have these delivered to the Poison Pavilion and the Dark Pavilion, respectively.”

Dang Yoon’s eyes widened as he checked the contents of the documents.

“Are you lifting the ban on the Five Great Deadly Poisons and the Ten Forbidden Hidden Weapons?”

“They are guys who have been building their strength for a long time to swallow the Central Plains. If they sent a thousand for any purpose, it would be too much for the power of small and medium-sized sects to stop them. Even if Cheongseong rushes in late, it would be better to minimize the damage.”

“But… !”

Dang Yoon swallowed hard.

“Isn’t the Seven Steps Soul Severing Powder too dangerous? Not to mention the Rain of Pear Blossoms Needles… There are not many people who can handle these two properly.”

“I know. That’s why I’m thinking of sending you.”

Dang Yoon’s eyes flashed.

In his father’s calm voice, he felt strong conviction and trust, as well as a hint of worry.

Dang Yoon smiled.

“I will lead the Green King Squad.”