Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 1255

“Patriarch!”

The elite unit of the Tang family, arriving late, gathered around Tang Gwan.

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

“Wipe out the remnants.”

The Tang family members unleashed their killing intent and attacked the remaining Blood Fiend Clan.

The Blood Fiend Clan resisted to the end, but they couldn’t land a single effective attack against the Tang family’s elite.

In the end, the Blood Fiend Clan was annihilated by the enraged Tang family members.

“Hoo, hoo.”

Tang Gwan gasped for breath as he 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 the extreme movement technique and the Mancheonhwayu [a powerful martial arts technique] with all his might twice. It wouldn’t be strange if he collapsed right now, but his terrifying 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 leader. He is more talented than the cult leader. He reached his father’s level 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 like they had been hollowed out.

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. He would seek life even in a hopeless situation. That was how 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 abyss of death, they were filled with the will to live.

The second-in-command of the Blood Cult, who had ravaged millions of lives for a long time, was ultimately just a human. Even if he lost his physical body due to his supreme spiritual power, he could live on as a ghost, but that was why he was even more attached to his physical 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, Chal Geuk-Pyeong spoke.

“He’s definitely gone mad.”

“……!”

“There are two people here who are 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 that was born with the karma of purification. The touch of the demon never reached you! The only groups that belong to the pure evil are the Mad Blood and the Evil Sound! The Three Cults? That’s just what outsiders call them! Your Shin-Hwa [a cult] is nothing compared to the other two cults!”

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

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

“You bastard…!”

“You don’t even know why Gi Cheon-Woong’s son was manipulated 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 with a calm voice.

“For someone who is like the incarnation of defying the heavens 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 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, you traitor! Do you think I, the high priest of the Blood Cult, will die in this remote backwater!”

Tang Gwan said coldly.

“You will 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 that 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.”

Whoosh.

Tang Gwan’s aura changed.

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

“……!”

“This land is an indestructible 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 forcibly gathered his scattered inner energy and created the power of the Three Yang Divine Palm [a powerful martial arts technique].

“How to catch the prey that has been 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.

Fwaaah!

Having given up everything, he finally unleashed a terrible killing intent.

Tang Gwan, as the head of the Tang family, 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 swept away by a terrible feeling.

That was the difference between the two.

It was the difference between a true king and a minion 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? You’re going to die.

The Blood Revered Master’s eyes shook.

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

-The density of the heavenly energy I accepted into my body is not weak. That heavenly energy has exhausted you, 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 won’t disappear so easily. But 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 would be happy.

A voice that was gradually disappearing.

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 was swung coldly.

Thwack!

The Blood Revered Master’s head was crushed.

His body, which had collapsed while spilling blood, bone fragments, and brain matter, began to emit a white smoke.

Chiiiiii!

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 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 Chal 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’s expression, who was sitting cross-legged, was extremely gentle.

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

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

“…Tang Family Head.”

“Please speak.”

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

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

That was enough. His deceased brothers would also applaud him.

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 appeared on Jo Yang Jin-In’s lips.

Pshhhhh.

His body turned into dust and scattered.

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

Tang Gwan, who was quietly looking at the clothes left behind by Jo Yang Jin-In, 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 of 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 that 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 guys should also return to the Murim Alliance [a martial arts organization] 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 the Black and White factions 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 go back 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 lord.”

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 wouldn’t 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 as soon as possible and go to the Imperial Palace.’

Two days later.

The entire force of the Shin-Hwa Cult swept through Hebei.