Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 138

The next day, at noon.

“Ugh, it’s cold.”

Yoon Ho rubbed his shoulders with his hands.

“Seriously, if you call people, you should come out on time. Why are you so late?”

Dong Ho grumbled.

“It hasn’t even been half a shichen [approximately one hour] since we arrived, Senior Brother.”

“Still! If you call us, you should come out on time!”

“Hmph, you can’t even open your mouth properly when you’re in front of that person, though.”

“What did you say, you rascal?”

“I’m just saying.”

“Anyway, why did you come? You should have stayed playing around in the branch and returned to the main sect.”

“It’s all because of you, Senior Brother.”

“What did I do?!”

“How would I know what kind of trouble you’ll get into? I came to keep an eye on you.”

Yoon Ho snorted.

“What are you going to do by watching me? You just wanted to get some fresh air, too.”

“That’s part of it.”

“Hehehe.”

“By the way…”

Dong Ho looked around.

“There are more people than I thought.”

Nearly fifty late-stage disciples had gathered in the back garden of Pagun Hall.

Most of them were martial artists from the Nine Great Sects. And they were the ones who had lost in duels after challenging Yeon Ho-Jeong at least twice.

Young masters who had not yet taken on important positions in their sects. They might not be the absolute best late-stage disciples each sect had produced, but they were internal energy masters good enough to be considered first-rate.

Dong Ho frowned.

“It’s strange.”

“What is?”

“Most of them are from our Mount Hua, Qingcheng, Emei, Diancang, and Kunlun sects. The rest… well, I don’t know. They look like wanderers.”

“So?”

“Isn’t it strange? That not a single person from the Six Great Clans came?”

Yoon Ho shook his head.

“Not strange at all.”

“Why?”

“That guy is the eldest son of the Yeon family. He’s part of the Six Great Clans. It would be embarrassing for members of the same Six Clans to join a unit led by such a person, wouldn’t it?”

“Ah…”

“Well, there might be people who are actually close to him. But the elders of their families would have stopped them, right?”

Dong Ho looked at Yoon Ho with admiration.

“How do you know such things, Senior Brother?”

“Hey, I’m from a prestigious family, too, you know.”

“You were from one of the Six Clans?”

“…Not quite to that level, just someone who had some power in a small area?”

“As expected of someone who has learned about the world beforehand. I’ve been in the mountains since I was young, so I don’t understand the conflicts of the secular world very well.”

Yoon Ho smiled bitterly.

“Don’t try to understand it. The deeper you know, the dirtier and more disgusting it becomes.”

“Hmm.”

Dong Ho scratched his head.

“But, Senior Brother.”

“What is it now?”

“I’ve been holding back from asking until now…”

“Why are you being so hesitant?”

“Why are you trying to join the unit led by Yeon Ho-Jeong?”

Yoon Ho smacked his lips.

“There are many reasons.”

“The leader hasn’t even arrived yet, so tell me.”

“Ahem.”

Yoon Ho cleared his throat and raised his index finger.

“First, there’s nothing for me to do in Mount Hua.”

“That’s a terribly insignificant reason.”

“Hey!”

“What’s the second reason?”

Yoon Ho raised his middle finger as well.

“Second, I want to experience the martial world.”

“Huh? Senior Brother, you’ve descended the mountain several times, haven’t you? You even participated in the bandit subjugation before, didn’t you?”

“Hey, can you say you’ve fully experienced the martial world just by descending the mountain a few times? I want to see a wider world.”

“Hee, what if the leader just goes around one area?”

“…I haven’t thought that far, but I guess there’s nothing I can do then.”

“Are there any other reasons?”

“Third.”

Yoon Ho clenched his fist.

“I can train freely.”

“Huh?”

“Neither you nor I have any official positions in the main sect. We’re more like reserve forces, but we have to live on a strict schedule. Sometimes we even have to guard the sect gates.”

“Well, it’s a glorious duty in its own way.”

“It is a glorious duty. However, I want to do something bigger than that. I want to grow several times bigger than I am now and return.”

Yoon Ho smacked his lips.

“Well, I’m not learning a new martial art, but I’ll have more time to contemplate, right? I have no doubt that this experience in the unit will be a great help in my life.”

Dong Ho’s eyes sparkled.

“I admire you, Senior Brother.”

“What admiration? In the end, I just wanted to do what I wanted.”

“Still, I don’t have such grand goals like you, Senior Brother.”

“It’s not just me.”

“Huh?”

Yoon Ho looked around.

Some were standing idly, looking up at the clouds, some were dozing off on small rocks, and some were sitting in a meditative posture, concentrating on something.

It was truly a diverse group.

“Those guys probably came with similar thoughts. Their situations are probably similar, too.”

The martial arts of those Yoon Ho saw were strong enough. They were at a level that could be considered first-rate in the martial world, and some, like himself, had just entered the realm of the pinnacle.

It was just that the standards of the so-called prestigious orthodox sects were too high. They were all skilled enough. Most martial artists would never reach their level even if they trained their whole lives.

However, those gathered here would want more than that. Although they were not the late-stage disciples who could represent their sects, their pride was second to none.

Dong Ho sighed.

Yoon Ho tilted his head.

“Why the sudden sigh?”

“I’m just frustrated.”

“You have a lot to be frustrated about, you young one.”

“Senior Brother, there’s only a two-year age difference between us.”

“…Tsk.”

An expression of pity appeared on Dong Ho’s face.

“We, and those people, were all expected to do great things in our sects.”

“That’s right.”

“In the end, most of us are just mediocre, so we gathered here.”

Yoon Ho didn’t answer.

He also agreed with Dong Ho’s opinion. However, if he said those words out loud, he felt like he would become too miserable.

“That’s how the world is…”

In the end, he could only utter words similar to an old man’s grumbling.

“Flap, flap, it’s getting cold as Senior Brother said.”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

“Ah, I wonder when our leader will come.”

It was then.

“Gasp!”

Someone gasped.

“I-is that person…?”

“Small Sword Immortal, Ok Cheong!”

“Shh! Hey, his seniority is higher than ours! Watch your mouth!”

They looked at Ok Cheong with fervent eyes.

Ok Cheong was the only disciple of the Sword Immortal Tak Mu-Ja, who was listed among the Thirteen Seats of Seongcheon [a prestigious group of martial artists].

The name of the Sword Immortal was respected everywhere, but especially in the Nine Great Sects that practiced Taoist and Buddhist martial arts, he was considered a peer of the Fist God, Master Mu Heo.

A figure praised by the orthodox martial world. Ok Cheong was the one and only disciple of that Sword Immortal, a genius among geniuses who was rumored to have been born with the talent of a Martial God.

“But why is that person, no, why is that esteemed one…?”

“Could it be that he’s trying to join the unit?”

“No way, he must be busy learning from the Sword Immortal.”

“That’s true.”

“…Hmm, could it be that he has a grudge against Yeon Ho-Jeong?”

“Oh, that must be it.”

The whispers were clearly audible.

Ok Cheong looked around awkwardly and then headed to a secluded spot. He was uncomfortable getting involved with strangers.

In any case, Ok Cheong’s appearance livened up the atmosphere quite a bit. He was someone they wouldn’t easily talk to, but if even the Sword Immortal’s disciple came, it seemed like they could save face by working in the unit.

Looking around, Yoon Ho suddenly approached Ok Cheong.

“Greetings.”

“Ah, greetings.”

Yoon Ho said with an awkward expression.

“I was grateful back then.”

“When was that?”

“Um… after the duel with Young Master Yeon…”

“Ah!”

Ok Cheong shook his head.

“Don’t worry about it. It was the right thing to do.”

“Haha, still, I’m grateful. By the way…”

Yoon Ho asked subtly.

“By any chance, are you also joining the unit, Taoist Ok Cheong?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“Huh? You don’t know yet?”

Ok Cheong said with an awkward expression.

“I just came after hearing the rumors. Young Master Yeon, no, Young Master Yeon didn’t look for me.”

“…Huh?”

“I’m just saying that I came because I heard that Young Master Yeon was organizing a unit. I also heard on the way that Young Master Yeon went directly to propose to the Taoist friends.”

“Ah…”

Yoon Ho tilted his head.

“Why would that guy do that? With Taoist Ok Cheong’s martial arts, he should have gone to ask him right away.”

Ok Cheong smacked his lips.

“It could be because my martial arts are so low…”

“Huh? Hey, how can you say that? If Taoist Ok Cheong’s martial arts are low, we should just go die.”

“No. My martial arts were really nothing.”

Yoon Ho smiled.

“Your humility is amazing.”

It wasn’t humility.

Ok Cheong was about to explain the past circumstances but stopped. It was too long to explain, and he was also awkward talking to strangers in the first place.

How much time had passed?

“Hmm?”

“Someone’s coming.”

Everyone’s eyes lit up.

Squeak, squeak.

The sound of walking on the snow-covered ground tickled the ears of those who heard it.

Soon, a woman appeared.

“Oh…”

“Ah, she’s beautiful.”

“An archer?”

The person who entered the outdoor garden was none other than Muk Bi.

She blushed, seemingly uncomfortable with the attention.

Yoon Ho’s eyes lit up.

“Isn’t that archer Young Master Yeon’s friend?”

“…”

“Taoist Ok Cheong?”

“Yes, yes? Ah, did you call me?”

“…Yes. Ah, by the way, Taoist Ok Cheong, you know that archer, right?”

“I know her.”

He knew her too well.

Ok Cheong unconsciously touched his thigh.

‘I was hit there a lot.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong would sometimes have Muk Bi shoot arrows at Ok Cheong.

They were blunt arrows without tips, but every time he was hit, he barely managed to hold back a terrifying scream from inside his throat. Muk Bi’s arrows were so fast that it was difficult for Ok Cheong to evade them with his reaction speed.

‘I’ve never even had a conversation with her, but Muk Bi’s martial arts must be far superior to mine.’

It must be so. The memory of the tremendous pain rising from his thigh filled Ok Cheong with fear.

‘…Ugh, I shouldn’t imagine it.’

Just as everyone was looking at Muk Bi with curious eyes.

“Ho, more people have gathered than I expected?”

Everyone was startled and looked at the entrance of the garden.

There was Yeon Ho-Jeong. He looked quite cheerful with the powerful Gwangryongbu [a type of robe] draped over his shoulder.

“Let’s see… one, two, three, four… it’s about fifty.”

The late-stage disciples, who had been scattered, all straightened their postures.

In any case, he was the leader who would lead this unit. Regardless of age and martial arts, they had to show some respect.

Yeon Ho-Jeong said with a smile.

“Did you all pack your things?”

“…?”

What does that mean?

Yoon Ho asked as a representative.

“What do you mean by packing our things…?”

“Huh? It’s just as I said?”

“Huh?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong grinned.

“Didn’t you hear? We’re leaving the sect today.”