Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 146

The Merciless Squad, having completed their first real battle in the Daebyeol Mountains, headed towards Cheonjung Mountain in southern Henan Province, guided by Yeon Ho-Jeong.

Throughout the journey to Cheonjung Mountain, Yeon Ho-Jeong never once descended into a town. He strictly adhered to mountain paths, pushing his movement techniques until someone was too exhausted to continue.

On the third day of traveling through the mountains, Muk Bi asked,

“Is there a reason we’re only taking these winding mountain paths? It feels like we’re going out of our way.”

“There is.”

“What is it?”

“We need to avoid contact with anyone other than ourselves.”

Many were still reeling from the shock of their first real battle.

There was nothing better than spending time together to calm their minds and help them bond more quickly.

Yeon Ho-Jeong didn’t stop there.

During breaks, he would chat with the members of the squad about various things.

They all pretended not to, but many were secretly intimidated by Yeon Ho-Jeong’s ability to defeat the bandits.

He clearly separated his combat persona from his everyday self. And he encouraged a lot of conversation and empathy so that they could naturally accept this side of him.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s efforts bore fruit faster than expected.

After about five days, not a single member of the Merciless Squad was afraid of or looked down on Yeon Ho-Jeong.

Yeon Ho-Jeong was strong. But he was also very playful, and yet, strangely mature.

The unique nature of Yeon Ho-Jeong that he hadn’t shown during his time as the Dark Emperor.

Conversations with his family, life in the Yeon family, and his self-belief had changed Yeon Ho-Jeong himself.

The Dark Emperor Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had lived a life of constant struggle, had finally returned as the true eldest son of the Yeon family.

Several more days passed, and the Merciless Squad entered the eastern edge of Cheonjung Mountain.

“Squad Leader.”

“What is it?”

Dong-ho hesitated.

Having barely recovered from the shock of his first kill, he hadn’t regained his old liveliness. Still, his innate nature couldn’t be helped, and he always asked what he was curious about.

“But who is our next enemy?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“Huh?”

“We’ll get separate contact from Hu-gae. Until then, we don’t engage.”

“Th-then, where are we headed?”

“I told you, Cheonjung Mountain. We’re almost there.”

“We thought there were enemies in Cheonjung Mountain, but that’s not the case?”

“Of course not.”

“Then what are we doing?”

Dong-ho’s question was everyone’s question. The entire Merciless Squad looked at Yeon Ho-Jeong with puzzled eyes.

Yeon Ho-Jeong held up three fingers.

“Three months.”

“Huh?”

“For three months, I’m going to maximize your practical combat skills.”

“……!”

“The Merciless Squad moving as one is a problem for later. Until now, we’ve been moving comfortably, but from now on, we need to cultivate you into a usable fighting force.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled confidently.

“How about it? Are you ready to become true martial artists?”

There was no answer. But their eyes were burning like flames.

Their backgrounds, skills, and dreams were all different, but they had one common goal.

To train so that the martial arts they had learned could be effective in the martial world.

“If you’re ready, let’s start. I’ll tell you in advance, it’s going to be very tough for three months.”

* * *

The heavy snowfall and the sharp, biting wind had gradually disappeared.

One month, two months, and then three months passed.

The bone-chilling wind had turned into a warm spring breeze, and the air was now filled with flower petals instead of fierce snowflakes.

“Wow.”

Jeagal Ayeon couldn’t help but admire the beautifully colored mountains in the distance.

“It’s beautiful, so beautiful. Don’t you think?”

“I do.”

“How is spring in Hebei?”

“It’s not as refreshing as this. It’s more like, a weather that makes you want to cough.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Well, it’s still better than winter. Winter is really cold.”

“I’ve never been to Hebei before. I have to visit sometime. You have to buy me something delicious when I go, okay?”

“Of course. Please take care of us when my brother and I visit Hubei later.”

“Don’t worry, you bear.”

“……”

“What’s wrong?”

“Can you not call me a bear?”

“You look like a bear to anyone who sees you.”

“Then can I call you a fox, sister?”

“Why not?”

She said it was okay so confidently that he was left speechless.

Pang Man-ho snorted.

“That’s nice. A fox and a bear? It sounds like something out of a folktale my grandfather used to tell me when I was a kid.”

“I don’t know.”

“No, you know, the one where the cunning fox tricks the bear…”

“I don’t remember having the luxury of sitting on my grandfather’s lap and listening to old stories.”

“That’s strange. Didn’t the Jeagal family, known as a repository of knowledge, tell you those kinds of stories?”

“I finished the Thousand Character Classic [a foundational Chinese text used for literacy] at five and immediately started on the Four Books and Five Classics [Confucian classics]. I didn’t have time to be fascinated by old stories.”

“That’s creepy. Isn’t that too cold-hearted?”

“That’s how it was back then. Not anymore.”

Indeed, Jeagal Ayeon’s expression was cheerful.

Pang Man-ho shook his head.

“Jun must be dying right now.”

“He’s probably getting his education as the young head of the family. Serves him right, that bastard.”

He should be envious of getting the education as the young head of the family, but he didn’t know why she said it served him right.

Jeagal Ayeon certainly had a unique side to her. As expected of a child of the Jeagal family, she was quick-witted and knowledgeable, but she didn’t seem to have any ambition for power or grand dreams.

‘Well, I guess I’m similar.’

His twin brother, Pang Dae-ho, was a typical heroic type. On the other hand, he hated troublesome things and was more of a maverick who just wanted to live freely.

Pang Man-ho suddenly thought of Yeon Ho-Jeong.

‘I hope it’s fun.’

The existence of Yeon Ho-Jeong, whom he had met at the gathering of the younger generation, had left an unforgettable impression on him.

He didn’t know about anything else, but there was one thing he wanted from Yeon Ho-Jeong.

Cheerfulness.

That cheerfulness could be a facet of boldness, or a facet of eeriness. But for some reason, he felt that if he traveled the martial world with him, he would never be bored.

“By the way, sister, I think we should pick up the pace.”

“Huh?”

“It’s already past noon.”

“Cough! Run, you bear!”

“I told you not to call me a bear!”

Whoosh!

The two men and women’s movement techniques were quite fast.

They passed through the outskirts of the village in an instant and entered Cheonjung Mountain, reaching the vicinity of the meeting point.

However, it was difficult to pinpoint the exact location. The dense trees and blooming flowers obscured their vision.

Pang Man-ho clicked his tongue.

“Seriously. Why did they choose a place like this for a meeting point…”

“It’s there.”

“Huh?”

“It’s there, you bear. Can’t you tell just by looking?”

“I’m more amazed that you can tell just by looking. But it’s all blocked off there. It doesn’t look like it at all.”

“You’re so frustrating. Come on, you idiot. Your sister will teach you a thing or two.”

“Huh? Huh? Are you really going? It doesn’t look like it’s there? Are you really going?”

Pang Man-ho, who had been following Jeagal Ayeon absentmindedly, suddenly widened his eyes.

‘Wh-what is it?’

There was a slight flow of air through the haphazardly tangled trees.

Jeagal Ayeon pointed to a tree trunk with her finger.

“You would have found it faster if you had come from below. Too bad, you bear. Let’s cut all that down.”

“Huh? Ah! Yes!”

Whoosh.

Pang Man-ho, who had taken out a heavy greatsword from his back, swung it powerfully.

Shatter!

As a powerful sword wind blew, the tough tree trunks were torn apart and flew away.

Jeagal Ayeon whistled.

“You’re strong, you’re strong. You’re quite useful with your strength?”

Pang Man-ho silently rolled up his sleeves and revealed his biceps. The muscles that bulged like mountain peaks shone brilliantly in the sunlight.

Jeagal Ayeon’s assessment was harsh.

“Disgusting.”

“……”

“Let’s go in.”

“Yes, fox.”

“It’s okay to call me a fox, but I’d appreciate it if you called me sister every time.”

“Yes, fox.”

“I should lock you up in a formation for three days later…”

“Let’s go in, sister.”

“Okay.”

The two entered through the tree trunks.

They bickered playfully, but Pang Man-ho was inwardly impressed by Jeagal Ayeon’s insight.

‘How did she know?’

As they emerged from the narrow, cave-like space, a large open area appeared three lengths ahead.

It was a scenic open area, but it was a place where the wind had difficulty settling.

Since the wind didn’t settle, the flow of air was extremely minimal. Naturally, it was difficult to detect the flow of qi [life force or energy] that moved with that flow.

‘Her way of seeing the world is different. You can’t do this unless you see things from a very three-dimensional perspective.’

That trained eye wouldn’t just be useful for finding paths quickly.

It would be of great help in strategic tactics using terrain, and even in predicting enemy movements or forming formations.

The world that Pang Man-ho didn’t know, the world seen by a strategist, was so mysterious.

“By the way, it seems they haven’t arrived yet.”

“They’ll be here soon.”

“I guess so. It’s almost time…”

“That’s not why.”

Jeagal Ayeon looked at the eastern peak.

A small smile appeared on her lips.

“They’re right on time.”

“Huh?”

It was then.

‘……!’

Pang Man-ho’s face hardened.

‘Wh-what is it?’

Thick dust rose from the end of the eastern peak in the distance.

And the moment that dust seemed to grow noticeably larger.

Shatter! Crack! Thud!

The trees lined up from the end of the peak to the bottom began to collapse one after another.

They were watching from a distance, but in reality, they were collapsing at a terrifying speed. Every time a loud sound that shook the ground erupted, three or four trees would break or be smashed.

And after a while.

“…Hmm.”

Whoosh!

The closer the distance to the dust cloud became.

The air in the quiet open area began to fluctuate violently.

The strength of the wind changed. The atmosphere in the open area was heating up due to someone explosively approaching.

Finally, the figure of the person running in the lead was caught in the eyes of the two.

Jeagal Ayeon smiled, and Pang Man-ho’s eyes widened like lanterns.

“So noisy.”

Whoosh!

Now, every time he kicked off the ground with his feet, the sound of the air exploding could be heard.

The person approaching at an incredible speed was a scholar-like young man wearing worn-out clothes. Even though he was running with a huge axe on his shoulder, his speed was as fast as the wind.

Thud!

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had kicked off the ground for the last time, stopped three lengths away from the two.

Jeagal Ayeon raised her hand.

“Would anyone scold you if you came quietly? What’s the rush…”

Swoosh.

At that moment, a woman descended from high in the sky.

She wasn’t as fast as Yeon Ho-Jeong, but her clothes were also quite dirty. However, her unique, strong yet gentle movements created an astonishingly mysterious atmosphere.

Thud!

Muk Bi, who had descended leisurely, landed two steps ahead of Yeon Ho-Jeong.

“You’ve gotten faster?”

“Are you one to talk? You started much later and you’re saying this? You’re crazy.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong raised his hand towards Jeagal Ayeon.

“Yo, long time no see?”

“…Oh? Oh, long time!”

“Look at your skin. Are you even putting on makeup now?”

Jeagal Ayeon chuckled.

“My skin was always like porcelain?”

“You’re funny.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong waved his hand at Jeagal Ayeon, who was about to speak again.

“Wait a minute. The kids are starting to arrive.”

No sooner had Yeon Ho-Jeong finished speaking than about fifty men and women appeared.

Jeagal Ayeon and Pang Man-ho, who had been looking at them with puzzled eyes, were soon filled with bewilderment.

“Ughhhhh!”

“O-Oh, it’s him! It’s him!”

“Cough! Huff! Huff!”

“I, I want to stop… I want to stop living, no, I want to stop doing this.”

“Gurgle…”

The men and women who had staggered into the open area all collapsed on the spot. They didn’t seem to have the strength to even move a finger.

Jeagal Ayeon felt dumbfounded.

Pang Man-ho whispered cautiously.

“Did you perhaps recruit all the Merciless Squad warriors from the Beggars’ Union?”