Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 14

Boom!

With a sound like a bursting balloon, the hidden weapons scattered in all directions.

Although she used a powerful martial art, there were no openings. Her stance had become as refined as the quality of her energy had improved.

“Oh?!”

Surprise flickered across the face of Ma Bang, the leader of the Thunderfire Gang.

Behind Jeagal Jun, a pure white aura was emanating from Jeagal Ayeon, who had lowered her stance.

It was a gentle, pure, yet powerful energy. Although it wasn’t a Taoist divine art, it was incredibly profound and pure. It even seemed to carry a pleasant sandalwood scent.

It was the Mystic Sandalwood Divine Art (玄元栴檀神功), the pride of the Jeagal Clan. It was one of their secret techniques that no one could learn without the permission of the family head and elders.

“Amazing! Is this saying that even a girl is better than her brother?”

“Shut up!”

Thud!

Jeagal Ayeon charged at Ma Bang.

Unleashing her hidden secret technique, her speed and agility increased. Surprised, Ma Bang wildly swung the dagger in his left hand.

Swish! Swish!

Jeagal Ayeon’s upper body moved fluidly, dodging all the trajectories of the daggers.

Ma Bang’s daggers were poisoned. If even one blow landed, her combat power would be greatly reduced. That sense of crisis made Jeagal Ayeon’s five senses extremely sharp.

Jeagal Ayeon’s hand struck Ma Bang’s abdomen.

Thud!

‘It landed!’

Ma Bang staggered backward.

It was the Small Heaven Palm Technique (小天星掌法) combined with the Sandalwood Divine Art. It was clearly a level above Jeagal Jun’s Small Heaven Palm Technique, and the power of her true energy was much stronger.

‘I need to follow up with a continuous attack immediately…!’

At that moment, a flash of light flickered.

Jeagal Ayeon, who was about to launch an attack, hurriedly lowered her head in surprise. Suddenly twisting her body put a tremendous strain on her lower body.

“Cough! You bitch, I’ll tear you apart?!”

Ma Bang coughed roughly, glaring at Jeagal Ayeon.

Jeagal Ayeon was flustered.

‘How did he counterattack?’

She had successfully landed the ‘Vibration’ strike of the Small Heaven Palm Technique infused with Sandalwood True Energy. If he hadn’t defended with his inner energy, his internal organs would have ruptured, and even if he had defended, the internal vibrations would have made it difficult for him to move.

“Tsk, spit! You bitch! I treated you nicely, and now you think you’re invincible!”

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Nine daggers were fired, aiming for Jeagal Ayeon’s vital points.

Swish!

Again, Jeagal Ayeon dodged the daggers. Although she had no experience in real combat with an equal master, her reactions were quite quick.

But that was it.

Thwack!

“Ugh!”

A strong impact hit her side. Ma Bang, who had approached unnoticed, had attacked with a leg technique.

If she hadn’t instinctively blocked it, her ribs would have been broken. Jeagal Ayeon, who had retreated, punched Ma Bang’s chest.

Thud!

“Ugh!”

Ma Bang staggered backward. But although he had taken the impact, he hadn’t been knocked down or weakened.

‘How can this be?!’

What kind of body does he have?

“Hoo. Hoo.”

“So that’s how it is.”

Swish.

Ma Bang took out another dagger.

“That martial art, it’s still too much for you.”

Trickle.

Sweat trickled down Jeagal Ayeon’s forehead.

Ma Bang was right. The Mystic Sandalwood Divine Art could be a trump card, but it was difficult to sustain. Her level, her inner energy, was not yet strong enough to support the power of the divine art.

Ma Bang looked around and shouted.

“What are you all scared of? She’s out of energy, just rush her!”

The Thunderfire Gang members, who had been hesitant, screamed and charged.

Despair filled Jeagal Ayeon’s face.

‘Is this the end?’

The moment her breathing faltered, the energy of the Sandalwood Divine Art was cut off.

Energy always moves with intention. As her breathing became unstable and worry took precedence over her fighting spirit, her inner energy naturally faltered.

She felt all the strength drain from her limbs. As she faced the murderous intent of the approaching enemies, a strange emotion arose deep within her heart.

It was fear.

“Attack!”

“Aaaah!”

Clatter! Thud!

A chaotic melee unfolded.

* * *

“B, Brother!”

“……”

There was no reply from Yeon Ho-Jeong.

Yeon Ji-Pyeong gritted his teeth.

“If Brother won’t go… then I’ll go!”

Whoosh!

Yeon Ji-Pyeong leaped over the railing in one swift motion, stepping on the railings of the third and second floors to descend to the first floor.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had been focused on Jeagal Ayeon for a long time, lowered his head. Yeon Ji-Pyeong, who had reached the first floor, was rushing towards the main gate.

Yeon Ho-Jeong sighed.

Whoosh!

The flames outside the gate were visible from the first floor. Considering the height of the wall, it was an absurdly large fire.

‘Yikes!’

Yeon Ji-Pyeong flinched involuntarily.

If he stayed trapped in a place like this, his mind would be severely traumatized even if his body was unharmed. Even now, Yeon Ji-Pyeong had to struggle to overcome his shrinking spirit.

‘It’s nothing. I need to save the Jeagal Clan people and put out the fire!’

Yeon Ji-Pyeong took a deep breath and was about to open the gate when…

Whoosh! Crash!

With the sound of burning air, the gate’s latch was shattered.

The shattered gate fragments increased the size of the flames. At the same time, a fierce gust of wind pushed the terrifyingly burning flames forward.

Yeon Ji-Pyeong’s eyes widened.

In his clear and pure eyes, he saw a blue light leaping out, engulfed in flames.

“Brother!!”

* * *

Thwack!

“Cough!”

Jeagal Ayeon finally coughed up blood from the iron club that had struck her side.

‘My internal organs are damaged.’

Her mind cleared, but her body was still heavy. The Thunderfire Gang members’ skills were not even close to that of their leader, Ma Bang, but they knew how to infuse their attacks with true energy.

The accumulated blows had shaken her insides, and this last blow had caused internal bleeding.

Thud!

Her knees buckled against her will. For Jeagal Ayeon, who had never experienced such an extreme fight, this was her limit.

“Sh, she’s down!”

“Heh heh! She was running around like a mare in heat!”

“Boss! Why don’t we have some fun with her right here?”

Crude lewd remarks tickled her ears.

Fear and anger surged. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t muster any strength in her body.

Jeagal Ayeon raised her head.

In the distance, she saw Ma Bang’s face with a sinister smile. It seemed like he would really rape her right there.

‘I should commit suicide…!’

That’s when it happened.

Thwack!

With the sound of something shattering, a crimson liquid stained Jeagal Ayeon’s vision red.

Thud! Thump!

“Huh!”

“Wh, what is it?!”

The Thunderfire Gang members were startled and looked at the fallen corpse.

The fallen corpse was truly gruesome. The upper part of its neck was roughly torn off as if it had been crushed by a giant’s hand. The head that had flown off was shattered into pieces and scattered everywhere.

Although the head was gone, the fingers were still twitching. That only heightened the fear of those who saw it.

And next to the corpse, a long iron rod was stuck in the ground.

Ma Bang’s eyes changed.

“What is it?”

The Thunderfire Gang members looked at the main gate of the Chuseong Pavilion.

“Hoo.”

There was a young man walking in, breathing lightly.

Was he just reaching adulthood? He was quite tall, but his physique was slender like a scholar. Overall, he had a sharp impression, but he gave off a feeling of being upright rather than strong.

Ma Bang’s expression turned as cold as ice.

“Who are you?”

“Shut up, you crazy arsonist.”

“……?”

“Why are you setting fire to a perfectly good tavern, you idiot? I’ll shove an outhouse bucket down your throat.”

It was a truly vulgar curse.

Ma Bang was taken aback. He had lived in the back alleys for over twenty years, but he had never heard such a brutal curse.

At that moment, one of the gang members approached with a club. His face was flushed red as if he was drunk on the madness of violence.

“You little brat, who do you think you are….”

Thud! Thump!

The approaching gang member collapsed.

Ma Bang’s eyes widened.

‘What?’

The fallen gang member did not get up again.

It wasn’t a knockout. He was dead.

‘How did he kill him?’

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who was holding the dead gang member’s club, stomped his foot.

In that instant, Ma Bang felt his hair stand on end.

“Block him!”

Thwack!

No sooner had he finished speaking than another gang member fell.

His head was shattered, and blood was flowing profusely. Beyond the torn skin, the club mark was indented. It was an instant kill.

Yeon Ho-Jeong rubbed his shoulder.

“I wonder if my shoulder will hold up.”

Thwack!

While they were stunned, another gang member fell.

Again, it was the head. Not only had he flown off the head with the iron rod he had thrown using the Thread-Turning Technique (轉絲) [a technique to manipulate objects with internal energy], but he was also smashing heads with the club.

He was a ruthless killer. It was completely different from Jeagal Ayeon’s formal martial arts. He would attack with a single fatal blow the moment he saw an opening.

Only now did the gang members realize that their opponent’s abilities were extraordinary. They all raised their weapons.

“Th, this guy?!”

“Kill him!”

Ma Bang shouted.

“You idiots! You need to take hostages and threaten them…!”

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

He couldn’t finish his sentence.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had instantly plunged into the gang members, swung his club as if possessed. But his clubbing was strange.

It was neither fast nor strong. On the surface, it looked like a clubbing that could be dodged with one’s eyes closed.

But the gang members couldn’t block that simple attack and fell. It was one kill per blow. Some died with their heads smashed, but others died from blows to the chest or lumbar region.

‘Vital points!!’

That’s right.

Yeon Ho-Jeong was using the iron rod to strike only the vital points of his enemies. When aiming for the head, he would use more force to smash it, but for other parts, he would strike the nearest vital point to kill them.

Ma Bang couldn’t believe it.

Killing someone by striking their vital points with a club, not a sword, was not something anyone could do. Such a thing could not be easily attempted without the inner strength of a top master.

‘But?!’

No matter how he looked at it, he was not a top master. His movements, the inner energy flowing out, indicated that. At best, he was similar to himself or a level below.

But how could he kill people so easily?

“What are you guys? Even the thugs in our back alleys are more organized than you.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had already knocked down twenty gang members, threw away the blood-stained club. Then, he pulled out his iron rod that was stuck in the ground.

Ma Bang couldn’t laugh like before.

“What’s your name?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong didn’t answer and looked down at Jeagal Ayeon.

Jeagal Ayeon’s eyes trembled faintly.

“Th, thank….”

Thud!

“Ugh!”

Yeon Ho-Jeong grabbed Jeagal Ayeon’s wrist.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had been focusing on her pulse, clicked his tongue and threw her wrist away.

“I guess it’s not her for now.”

“Wh, what?”

“Take your brother and move back.”

“……”

“You’re in the way, so get lost!”

Startled, Jeagal Ayeon got up from her spot.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s voice was filled with strong power and authority. Just listening to it made her legs feel strong again.

Yeon Ho-Jeong turned his gaze to Ma Bang.

Ma Bang’s face was slightly distorted.

“You little brat who hasn’t even dried behind the ears….”

“Not Yin Cold White Type (陰寒白類), but Yin Fire Red Type (陰火紅類)?”

“……!!”

Ma Bang’s face turned pale.

Yeon Ho-Jeong smirked.

“There was a reason why you were going around setting fires.”

“You, how did you know about the Yin Fire… ?!”

Whoosh!

The heavy iron rod began to spin.

“Fire (火), you say? That’s perfect. It’s just right for cultivating Water (水).”

“……?!”

“What are you doing? Come on.”