Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 1250

“Patriarch!”

The Tang Clan’s elite troops, arriving late, gathered around Tang Gwan.

Tang Gwan didn’t blame them for being late. Strictly speaking, it wasn’t that they were late, but that the people gathered here were too fast.

“Sweep away the remnants.”

The Tang Clan members unleashed their killing intent and attacked the remaining Blood Howling Corps.

The Blood Howling Corps resisted to the end, but they couldn’t land a single effective attack against the Tang Clan’s elites.

In the end, the Blood Howling Corps was annihilated by the enraged Tang Clan members.

“Hoo. Hoo.”

Tang Gwan, panting, walked towards the Blood Revered Master.

His vision flickered due to the severe headache and internal injuries.

It had been a day where he had used excessive footwork and the Mancheonhwayu [a powerful martial arts technique] with extreme power twice. It wouldn’t be strange if he collapsed right now, but his fierce pride kept his legs moving.

“Finally, I’ve caught you.”

Even though his voice was weak, it was filled with heavy dignity.

The Blood Revered Master’s eyes trembled.

“Are you going to kill me?”

“Did you think I would let you live?”

“It would be better to chase after the Young Sect Leader. He is someone with more talent than the Sect Leader. He reached the level his father achieved twenty years faster. If you leave him alone, even you….”

“It’s understandable that you’re struggling to survive, but you’re even sacrificing the people who came to save you.”

Disgust appeared on Tang Gwan’s face.

“You’re pathetic to the very end.”

The Blood Revered Master gritted his teeth.

His pride was torn to shreds. His insides felt so sore that it felt like a hole had been punched through him.

He wanted to curse, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

Even at this moment, he had to find a way to survive. Even in a hopeless situation, he would try to live until the end. That was the life he had lived his entire life.

“I am the high priest of the Blood Cult. If you don’t have me, the Three Cults will lose their legitimacy. Therefore, they need me.”

The Blood Revered Master raised his head.

His eyes were bloodshot, but despite being in the depths of death, his eyes were full of the will to live.

The second-in-command of the Blood Cult, who had long violated the lives of tens of millions, was just a human being after all. Even if he lost his body due to supreme spiritual power, he could live on as a ghost, but that was why he had an even stronger obsession with his body.

“But you must know this. If I die, the Three Cults will go completely mad. Do you think they haven’t declared an all-out war because they lacked power? Absolutely not! They are…!”

At that moment, Chaek Geuk-Pyeong spoke.

“He’s definitely gone mad.”

“……!”

“There are two people here from the Three Cults. One of them was even the leader of a cult. Tell a lie that makes sense.”

The Blood Revered Master shouted.

“Shut up, you bug!”

“What?”

“The Fire Demon Clan is only a family born with the karma of purification. The touch of the demon has never reached you! The only groups that belong to pure evil are the Mad Blood and the Evil Sound! The Three Cults? That’s just what outsiders call them! Your Divine Cult is not comparable to the other two cults!”

Killing intent poured from Chaek Geuk-Pyeong’s eyes.

Although he had betrayed the Divine Cult, his affection for the Divine Cult was second to none. He also hated the Mad Blood and the Evil Sound, but he couldn’t tolerate this kind of insult.

“That bastard…!”

“You probably don’t even know why the son of Gi Cheon-Woong was played by the Evil Sound Cult Leader! It’s not because he was stupid! It’s because that’s the natural order!”

“What nonsense! Natural order?!”

“It’s not strange for a dog guarding a house to wag its tail at its owner!”

“Shut up!”

It was then.

“You’re saying something interesting.”

Gi Cheon-Woong, who had been helped by Ha Eun-Gyo, approached and spoke in a calm voice.

“For someone who is like the incarnation of defying heaven to talk about the natural order, you should be ashamed.”

“Gi Cheon-Woong!”

“No matter how much you try to shake the people gathered here with your cunning words, the result will not change.”

His face was tired, and his already pale skin had turned as white as a sheet of paper, as if it had been painted with powder.

In front of those pale faces and the blue eyes that suited them so well, the Blood Revered Master felt his mouth go dry.

“You’re finished.”

“Shut up, traitor! Do you think I, the high priest of the Blood Cult, will die in this remote backwater!”

Tang Gwan spoke coldly.

“You must die.”

The Blood Revered Master flinched.

Unlike the eyes of the people filled with criticism and killing intent, Tang Gwan’s eyes held no emotion.

He had transcended hatred, anger, resentment, and sorrow. Although his body was too weak to move, his mental strength was overflowing.

“In this remote backwater you speak of, the high priest of the Blood Cult will die.”

“I will not die! In this disgusting land…!”

“I truly cannot understand your behavior of causing such chaos to gain even a handful of this disgusting land. But know this one thing clearly.”

Whiff.

Tang Gwan’s aura changed.

“This land, this Sichuan, is a sacred place that many people have protected. The main family risked their lives to protect Sichuan, and we have never once lost Sichuan to foreign powers.”

“……!”

“This land is an unbreakable land. It is our home that cannot be destroyed or stolen. Even if you rise again and covet Sichuan, you will not be able to achieve your ambition, even if you try for thousands of years.”

Tang Gwan raised his chin.

His unique arrogant posture suited him so well.

“Don’t worry. I’ll send all the remaining remnants to your side.”

The Blood Revered Master shouted.

“Your father’s enemy is the Mad Blood Cult Leader! The Mad Blood Cult Leader’s son has already disappeared far away! I am your…!”

“My father’s enemy is the Mad Blood Cult Leader, but the enemy of Sichuan is all of you.”

Woo-oong.

He managed to gather his scattered inner energy and created the power of the Three Yang Divine Palm [a powerful martial arts technique].

“How to catch the prey you missed is not something you need to worry about.”

The Blood Revered Master’s face crumbled.

The moment he heard Tang Gwan’s words, he felt even his obsession with life, which he had not given up until the end, being crushed.

Hwaaaak!

Only when he gave up everything did he unleash a terrible killing intent.

Tang Gwan, as the Tang Clan Head, had let go of all anger, hatred, and murderous intent, but the Blood Revered Master, as an individual, was consumed by anger, hatred, and murderous intent, and was engulfed in a terrible feeling.

That was the difference between the two.

It was the difference between a true king and a mere pawn who could never become a king.

“I will seize another body and ravage this land. Don’t be happy that you killed me now! I will definitely return!”

It was then.

-Didn’t I tell you? That you would die.

The Blood Revered Master’s eyes shook.

The voice of another me, Tongcheon Jin-In [a powerful Taoist], was heard like a prophecy.

-The density of the heavenly energy I accepted into my body is not weak. Because of that heavenly energy, you have become exhausted, and you will eventually die like this.

The Blood Revered Master trembled.

“You… you tried to kill me by sacrificing your own life?”

-A ghost who has lived for hundreds of years will not disappear so easily. However, you can never be the same as before. Even if you return as a ghost, even if you enter another person’s body, you will not be able to obtain the qualifications of a high priest.

Tongcheon Jin-In’s voice faded again.

-To make you not like yourself, that alone is enough for me to fulfill my destiny. Even if my life was only for that, I am happy.

The voice gradually disappeared.

Only then did the Blood Revered Master realize. The original owner of this body, Tongcheon Jin-In, had accepted the Blood God’s Energy only to destroy him.

A Taoist who was respected by everyone as the greatest eccentric in the Jianghu [the martial arts world] had achieved his destiny by taking on the disgrace of those around him.

A bitter expression appeared on the Blood Revered Master’s face.

“……Damn mainlanders.”

Tang Gwan’s hand swung down coldly.

Thwack!

The Blood Revered Master’s head was crushed.

The Blood Revered Master’s body, which had collapsed, spewing blood, bone fragments, and brain matter, began to emit a white smoke.

Chiiiiik!

It was a terrible smell. It wasn’t just the smell of rotting flesh.

It was the smell of death and the smell of emptiness. It was a smell like the essence of evil, as if all the stench of this world had been gathered together.

“Hoo.”

Tang Gwan, who had been staggering, finally sat down in his place.

“Patriarch!”

“Are you alright?!”

Tang Gwan, who had stopped the approaching family members, looked at Ha Eun-Gyo.

“You’ve worked hard, Senior.”

“You’ve worked harder. And….”

Ha Eun-Gyo looked at Gi Cheon-Woong and Chaek Geuk-Pyeong.

“If it weren’t for these people, we would have been in big trouble.”

“I see.”

Although he said that, Tang Gwan did not look at the two of them.

He was looking at Jo Yang-Jin-In.

Jo Yang-Jin-In, who was sitting cross-legged, had an extremely gentle expression.

Tang Gwan, who had forced himself to stand up again, bowed towards Jo Yang-Jin-In.

“Thanks to the senior from Wudang [a famous Taoist sect], I was finally able to catch this guy. Thank you.”

“……Tang Clan Head.”

“Please speak.”

“Thanks to you, I can finally follow my departed brothers. Thank you.”

Although he hadn’t killed the Blood Revered Master himself, he had played a decisive role in capturing him.

That was enough. His departed brothers would also clap their hands and say he did well.

Jo Yang-Jin-In closed his eyes.

“I’ll say just one thing.”

“Please speak.”

“Don’t become a monster while trying to catch a monster.”

“……I understand.”

A smile spread across Jo Yang-Jin-In’s lips.

Psssh.

His body turned to dust and scattered.

Unlike the Blood Revered Master’s body, which had rotted and decayed, his body scattered as clean ashes, as if he had ascended to immortality.

Tang Gwan, who was quietly looking at the clothes Jo Yang-Jin-In had left behind, spoke to the people.

“Everyone should take care of their bodies, so let’s go to the main family. The main family has the best doctors, so it will be a great help in recovery.”

Gi Cheon-Woong’s eyes deepened.

“I don’t know if you know, but the current situation is….”

“I know. But the more it is like this, the more we need to rest well.”

Tang Gwan looked far to the east.

“The smell of blood from the battlefield, which should have faded, is getting stronger as time passes.”

* * *

“Brother. Are you really going to leave like this?”

Peng Man-Ho’s face was full of regret. Not only him, but everyone’s faces were like that.

Yeon Ho-Jeong nodded.

“The situation is not good. You should all return to the Murim Alliance [a martial arts alliance] quickly.”

“Still, it’s been a while since we’ve seen you, so at least once to the Alliance….”

“Stop talking nonsense. It’s wartime now. And I am the Lord of the Black Imperial Castle.”

“Isn’t the alliance between black and white strong?”

“We have our own things to do. You also have your own things to do. The Righteous Army is a great force. Don’t move rashly and wait for the Murim Alliance’s orders.”

“If you say so, I understand.”

At that time, Yeon Ji-Pyeong spoke.

“Brother.”

“You should also return with the Righteous Army.”

“I don’t want to.”

“You rascal.”

“I’ve been in the Murim Alliance enough. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you, so I’m thinking of taking a look at the Black Imperial Castle where you are the master.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled wryly.

“Alright, if you really want to, then do so.”

Yeon Ji-Pyeong didn’t have any particular position in the Murim Alliance. Moreover, now that the reputation of the Black Imperial Castle has improved, going to the castle would not tarnish the family’s reputation.

After briefly saying goodbye to the Murim Alliance members, Yeon Ho-Jeong immediately entered Hunan with Yeon Ji-Pyeong.

The unknown unease had taken shape and was shaking his heart mercilessly.

‘It’s ominous. The air of the battlefield is getting thicker. I need to prepare quickly and go to the Imperial Palace.’

Two days later.

The entire force of the Divine Cult swept through Hebei.