Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 1327

Time flowed, the harsh weather lashing at the world, spurring growth. Weeds that had stubbornly pushed through the desolate land were still alive.

‘Yes?’

‘What do you think?’

‘…Young Sect Leader?’

Cheon In-ryong’s face seemed somehow hazy.

‘I don’t know.’

‘…’

‘I believed that as time passed, and I learned to see more, deeper, and wider, the answer would come. But…’

‘…’

‘It’s becoming increasingly ambiguous.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong spoke cautiously.

‘Forgive me, Young Sect Leader, but for the sake of the Blood Sect’s dominance, isn’t it only natural to incinerate the non-believers and sprout new seeds on that land…’

‘Even if it means killing them all?’

‘…!’

‘Even if they are non-believers, they are people. Just like you and me.’

‘Young Sect Leader!’

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s voice became rigid.

‘How can those lowly beings be the same as you, Young Sect Leader? You are the seed of a great god. Please, never say such things again.’

Cheon In-ryong glared at Yeon Ho-Jeong with a stern look.

‘Do you also think so?’

‘Yes?’

‘Three years ago, when you were imprisoned in the dungeon because of my mistake, I said this. That you and I are the same people.’

‘…!’

‘A person cannot become more than a person. I realized that. And I thought you would understand my intention.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong knelt on the spot.

‘I am sorry! How could a lowly subject like me fully understand your noble intentions? But even an ignorant fool like me knows one thing.’

Madness gleamed in Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes as he raised his head.

Mad devotion to his master, a mad faith that truly saw his master as a god.

‘You, Young Sect Leader, are a being sent from the heavens. You are the one and only Son of Heaven chosen by the heavens as a god!’

‘…’

‘Please, do not say such reckless things, Young Sect Leader. The burden on your shoulders is immense, but I will risk my life to assist you!’

Cheon In-ryong’s face became hollow.

‘I thought of you as my friend, before being a loyal subject.’

‘…!!’

‘But now I see, you also see me as just one god.’

‘Y-Young Sect Leader?’

‘Blood Sect’s dominance? Yes, it might be possible to unify this world. I have that confidence. I feel like there’s nothing I can’t do if I just try.’

Cheon In-ryong’s face contorted.

‘But if it’s like that, can this world even be called a world?’

‘Young Sect Leader!’

‘If you desire to unify the world to gain the greatest power, that I can understand. Because everyone desires power. But this is not a path to gain power, but a path to reign as a god.’

‘…’

‘Although I am the successor of the Blood Sect, I know that the free will of people is precious. If they don’t believe in the Blood God, will their afterlife be a mess? If they don’t serve the Blood God, are they truly sinners?’

‘Y-Young Sect Leader?!’

‘People live believing what they want to believe. With that belief, life spreads its magnificent wings and wanders this earth for decades. Isn’t that what life is?’

Cheon In-ryong’s eyes became sharp.

‘I know you see me as a god. I, who am called the seed of a god, am already a god to you.’

‘…!!’

‘Even though my father is still alive and well.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes trembled.

‘You are ignoring my father and serving me as a god. Even within the same sect, what we believe is so different, yet you would trample on the people of other worlds with force and offer them as sacrifices to the Blood God? Is this truly the right thing to do?’

‘I… I don’t know.’

He truly didn’t know.

The Young Sect Leader is a god. At best, one could say he is still just the seed of a god.

How could such a person utter such miserable words? How could a god try to descend to the same world as humans?

Yeon Ho-Jeong truly couldn’t understand.

Cheon In-ryong sighed.

‘Rest for now.’

With those words, Cheon In-ryong left the sect.

It was just a simple outing, but Yeon Ho-Jeong wanted to follow him. However, Cheon In-ryong refused.

Yeon Ho-Jeong thought it couldn’t be helped, but he couldn’t shake off the unease. He had a feeling that this outing would greatly change the fate of the Blood Sect.

And his premonition was correct.

‘What is this?’

It was a sparring match after a long time.

Yeon Ho-Jeong was delighted. He had felt that the relationship between his lord and himself had become distant over the past few years.

But after several years, he was suddenly called for a sparring match, and he showed an astonishingly great martial art.

‘What do you think?’

‘This is… a completely new martial art.’

‘New?’

‘Yes. I get the impression that it is perfect in attack, defense, evasion, and counterattack. How can such techniques be born from a completely free style, not from the power drawn from the output of demonic energy?’

Yeon Ho-Jeong was genuinely impressed.

‘Truly, Young Sect Leader, you are a genius sent from the heavens.’

He couldn’t bring himself to say ‘god.’ He knew that he didn’t like that title.

Cheon In-ryong said with a calm face.

‘How many moves can you withstand?’

‘Young Sect Leader, you have already reached the realm of a Blood Demon, not only mastering the demonic arts of our sect but also taking it a step further.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong bowed his head.

‘As your subject, I doubt I can even withstand ten moves.’

Cheon In-ryong let out a bitter laugh.

‘Is that so.’

‘I heard that you have been studying the Five-Colored Hell Art recently, Young Sect Leader.’

In an instant, Cheon In-ryong’s eyes sharpened. Yeon Ho-Jeong lowered his head without realizing it.

‘I’m sorry. I investigated things without permission for your safety, Young Sect Leader. Please, kill me.’

‘…Mun-hyang.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong felt his heart pounding.

How long has it been since he heard that name? How long has it been since the Young Sect Leader called his name?

‘Yes, Young Sect Leader.’

‘The Five-Colored Hell Art is a demonic art of the devil. It is a hellish demonic art that humans cannot practice, as its name suggests.’

‘…’

‘But for some reason…’

A smile appeared on Cheon In-ryong’s face.

‘It seems like I can see a light. It feels like I can master the Five-Colored Hell Art.’

‘If it is you, Young Sect Leader, you will surely be able to do it.’

It wasn’t flattery.

Yeon Ho-Jeong was certain of Cheon In-ryong’s talent, his heaven-sent ability. For such a person, the Five-Colored Hell Art would be nothing more than an interesting study topic.

He truly believed that.

‘Go in and rest now.’

‘Young Sect Leader.’

Why was it?

Yeon Ho-Jeong couldn’t suppress the sudden surge of audacity.

‘If you have time, could you pour me some wine?’

Cheon In-ryong’s face brightened a little more.

He had only been served as a god, and this was the first time a subordinate had asked for a human interaction. How could he not be pleased?

‘I will serve you the best wine in our sect.’

And time passed…

The Young Sect Leader disappeared.

Along with the Blood Sect’s treasure, the Blood Jade.

‘You useless bastard!’

Older, weaker, but with a madness that deepened with time, Cheon Kwak-ryong’s eyes looked so dangerous that no one in the world could meet them.

‘At this crucial time to take a great step towards the continent, you lost the Young Sect Leader! You deserve to be torn apart and killed!’

‘I-I’m sorry.’

He couldn’t even speak properly. His whole body was already battered.

Cheon Kwak-ryong smashed Yeon Ho-Jeong in front of everyone. His arms and legs were broken, and his face was swollen. He was no longer human.

‘You bastard! You dog-like thing!’

Thud! Thwack!

He didn’t use his internal energy to strike. That’s why it was more painful.

He could feel the sect leader’s will not to kill him easily.

Even in the midst of that, Yeon Ho-Jeong thought of the Young Sect Leader.

‘Young Sect Leader. Young Sect Leader.’

Where could he have gone at this crucial time?

Is he eating well? He has gained power that has reached the heavens, so no one would easily touch him, but what if he fell into a trap set by bad guys and was wandering on the verge of death?

Yeon Ho-Jeong shed tears. The sect leader’s merciless beating wasn’t that painful.

No, if he hadn’t been smashed like this, he wouldn’t have been able to endure it himself.

Oh, God! Oh, God!

‘Lock this bastard in the Demonic Prison! Never let him die! The day my son returns, I will kill him in the most gruesome way!’

And so, more time passed.

Even after losing everything, he stubbornly clung to life.

And then.

The heavens brought him back to life.

‘Are you alright?’

It was a familiar voice.

That voice was so human, so unbearable that he had to open his eyes.

‘Mun-hyang.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face immediately brightened as he slowly opened his eyes.

‘Young Sect Leader.’

His voice was hoarse. His parched lips cracked and bled.

Cheon In-ryong was in front of him.

As always, in the same form as always.

‘I must have done something terrible to you in my past life. You’ve become like this again because of me.’

‘No…’

There wasn’t a single moment when he didn’t worry about the Young Sect Leader’s safety.

His own body didn’t matter, no matter what happened to it. He was just grateful to the heavens that the Young Sect Leader had appeared in such a healthy state.

Crack! Crack!

The arms and legs that had been broken and healed incorrectly returned to their original state.

How much more amazing progress had he made in that short time? His body returned to normal in an instant. It was a change that was unbelievable even when seen.

‘What can I say? I went out into the world as if possessed, but I was always worried about you and my people. I came back, wondering if it was possible…’

‘I’m fine, Young Sect Leader.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled brightly.

‘Now that the god has returned, our sect has finally become perfect.’

‘…’

‘Now is the time to leave a great mark on the world, Young Sect Leader.’

‘I will not do that.’

‘Yes?’

‘No.’

Cheon In-ryong’s eyes shone brightly.

Yeon Ho-Jeong felt his heart sink.

‘I will stop our sect.’

‘Y-Young Sect Leader?!’

‘I don’t expect you to understand. But I have no intention of withdrawing my will.’

‘…!!’

‘I realized something when I met my master in the past. No, I had already realized it, but only then did I begin to see it clearly. And after going out into the world and seeing many things, I am finally certain.’

A look of determination appeared on Cheon In-ryong’s face.

‘Our sect is wrong.’

‘Young Sect Leader…’

‘I will risk my life to stop our sect.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face went blank.

Risk his life? No, what is he going to do by risking his life? Stop the sect?

Why?!

‘What a reckless…’

‘As I said, I don’t want your understanding. I want you to know, but you and I are different. I don’t want to force you to understand something that you can’t understand.’

‘…’

‘Just know that I will do it.’

‘W-Why…!’

‘I won’t explain.’

Cheon In-ryong got up from his seat.

‘I won’t explain.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face gradually contorted.

He could give everything for his god. His body, his mind, his soul, his afterlife, and if he could, he could even give the world.

But the god has no intention of becoming a god at all.

Yeon Ho-Jeong felt something in his heart breaking little by little.

And he realized.

That he had not only lived for him, but also wanted to be with him as the king of the Blood Sect.