Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 16

A man in his thirties, with a look of regret, spoke with concern.

“You must have suffered greatly. This is a historic establishment, well-maintained by your predecessors.”

The Choseong Tower owner let out a frustrated sigh.

“I am simply ashamed before my ancestors. I thought I had been taking good care of it, but this happened…”

“Hey, why is it your fault, Master? Life sometimes throws unexpected disasters at us, doesn’t it? It’s a blessing that you’re unharmed.”

“Heh heh.”

Just the fact that this man came to offer comfort was a great help. Moreover, this man, whom he had never met before, was mobilizing numerous workers to help restore the damaged areas.

Though younger than him, he was clearly an extraordinary person.

“Now, please accept this.”

“What is this?”

“It’s not a large sum, but it will help with the construction costs.”

“Oh my! You shouldn’t do this! I have some public funds saved up as well…”

“Hey, you know better than that, don’t you? They say generosity comes from a full storehouse. You’ll need a lot of money to repair all this, and you’ll need to procure high-quality ingredients like before, won’t you?”

“Hoo…”

“Choseong Tower is one of the most representative taverns in Anhui. People don’t want the taste of Choseong Tower to change. Please, continue to be a landmark of Anhui.”

The Choseong Tower owner’s face was filled with emotion.

He did have some money saved, but if he used it to restore Choseong Tower, there would be nothing left.

Moreover, if word spread that there had been an arson attack, customers would be hesitant to visit Choseong Tower for a while. There was a risk that the business could fail.

He had been at a loss as to how to endure that period of hardship, but now he was receiving this help.

“Since you put it that way, I won’t refuse.”

“Of course, you shouldn’t. But don’t think you can just forget about it. When I come back later, you have to give me a free meal, okay?”

“How could I treat my benefactor so poorly? Come anytime. I will serve you a meal made with the best ingredients that day.”

“Haha, I’m not that shameless.”

The man subtly asked.

“By the way, isn’t your real benefactor someone else?”

“Huh?”

“I’m talking about the heroes who saved Choseong Tower.”

“Ah… yes, that’s right.”

The man’s eyes sparkled.

‘Fear?’

From the Choseong Tower owner’s stammering, he sensed fear rather than gratitude.

“Why? Did they do something bad to you?”

“N-no, of course not! If it weren’t for them, the entire annex of Choseong Tower would have been burned down. In my forty-plus years of life, I’ve never seen such chivalrous heroes.”

“Oh ho? That’s quite the praise?”

The man joked.

“I heard they put out the fire. And before that, they evacuated people through the safest route.”

“Yes, yes.”

“I also heard they looked young?”

“Ah! There were also warriors who looked to be around the age of the Beggar Clan’s Elder Hu [a respected elder in the Beggar Clan]. Although I haven’t learned martial arts, they seemed like incredibly skilled individuals.”

“Incredibly skilled…”

The eyes of Ga Deuk-Sang (賈得想), the Beggar Clan’s Elder Hu (後丐), shone like a bright star.

‘They must be from the Azure Falcon Unit (蒼鷹隊)?’ [A martial arts group within the Byeoksan Yeon Family]

The Azure Falcon Unit was one of the martial forces of the Byeoksan Yeon Family, one of the Seven Great Clans of the Murim [a term for the martial arts world]. The Azure Falcon Unit’s skills were well-known, so it was not surprising to hear such praise.

‘But…’

Ga Deuk-Sang looked towards the southwest gate.

‘The fire was big, but the damage is less than I thought. With a fire of this scale, the central building should have been burned down, but only the outer walls and a few warehouses were damaged. Did the Azure Falcon Unit really put it out?’

It was astonishing.

Even martial artists panic when a fire breaks out. They are just stronger and faster than ordinary people, but in the face of disaster, they are still just people.

However, based on the burn marks, the extent of the damage, and the testimonies, it seemed that they had quickly secured an escape route, minimized casualties, and quickly put out the fire.

This was not something anyone could do. Even the regular soldiers who receive fire training would have difficulty suppressing a fire this quickly.

And then there was also the Lightning Flame Sect’s Ma Bang.

‘Ma Bang was once considered a talent among the Thirteen Heroes of the Black Path (黑道十三傑) [a group of powerful martial artists from the Demonic Sect]. But he suddenly disappeared ten years ago and resumed his activities last year. His exact martial prowess is unknown, but it was said that at least a late-stage expert would have difficulty dealing with him.’

Although the Black Path had lost its former glory, the Thirteen Heroes of the Black Path represented the best late-stage experts of the Demonic Sect. And since he was said to have become stronger over the past ten years, he would be an opponent that could not be handled with mediocre martial arts.

According to eyewitness accounts, even the late-stage experts of the Jeagal Family were constantly pushed back. It was said that Jeagal Ayeon had fought well, but she had not gained the upper hand.

There was someone who had defeated such a master in a one-on-one duel.

“Have you spoken with the Yeon Family’s eldest son?”

The Choseong Tower owner flinched.

Ga Deuk-Sang tilted his head.

“Why are you so surprised?”

“Ah… it’s nothing.”

Although he said that, he seemed unwilling to talk more about that topic.

Ga Deuk-Sang smiled and bowed his head.

“It seems I’ve made things complicated for you with my unnecessary talk. I apologize.”

“Hah! No, not at all! How could you say such a thing!”

“It will take quite some time to restore the tavern. If you have any difficulties, please tell the Beggar Clan’s members anytime. Then.”

Ga Deuk-Sang finished his greetings and left Choseong Tower. He could feel the Choseong Tower owner looking at him with a complicated expression, but he didn’t pay much attention to it.

“The Byeoksan Yeon Family’s eldest son, Yeon Ho-Jeong…?”

Ga Deuk-Sang stroked his chin.

“Was he not the incompetent son (犬子) [a derogatory term for one’s own son] who was overshadowed by his younger sibling’s talent?”

It was intriguing.

As the successor of the Beggar Clan, the pinnacle of the Murim information network and one of the pillars of the White Path Murim, he was feeling an unprecedented sense of amusement.

“Hmm, a gathering of late-stage experts? Well, it doesn’t have to be from the Seven Great Clans, does it? After all, I’m a beggar, so I can go begging anywhere, right?”

* * *

Whoosh!

The movement of the iron staff had become smoother and more stable.

Holding the staff with both hands, Yeon Ho-Jeong thrust it forward powerfully.

Thwack!

A rather large tree shook.

The iron staff penetrated seven inches into the tree. What was surprising was the surface of the tree pierced by the iron staff.

The area around the pierced surface should have been cracked and broken, but it was intact. The power of the iron staff was concentrated at the tip, giving it a piercing force like a drill.

‘It’s become denser.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face showed a hint of regret as he pulled the iron staff out of the tree.

‘It’s denser, but it’s still far from enough. I need to put in more effort.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong slumped down on the spot. His hands were still covered in blood, and his whole body was soaked with sweat.

After finishing his Qi circulation with the Byeokra Jin Gyeol (碧羅眞訣) [a martial arts technique], he sat in a lotus position and drew up the Black Tortoise Qi.

Tsutsutsu.

A faint mist rose from Yeon Ho-Jeong’s body.

Surprisingly, the mist was not at all heavy. Rather, it was refreshing and sacred. The Four Divine Beasts’ martial arts were invincible combat techniques, but the Qi that formed them was all upright.

‘It’s alive again. It hasn’t been long, but it feels like it’s been a while.’

The Black Tortoise (玄武).

The Black Tortoise of the Four Divine Beasts is the water god of Gyehae (癸亥) [a term related to the Chinese sexagenary cycle], symbolizing winter.

It is also in charge of the kidneys among the five viscera and six bowels. The kidneys are the final organs through which waste products are eliminated from the body, and when the Black Tortoise Qi is strong, impurities do not enter the body.

In particular, the Black Tortoise’s martial arts are even described as an iron wall. Because it is the most solid of the Four Divine Beasts’ martial arts, starting with the Black Tortoise generally increases the subtlety of martial arts.

This was also the reason why he could easily pierce the tree with the iron staff. There was still much room for improvement, but even this much was enough to eliminate many of the shortcomings in offense and defense.

Yeon Ho-Jeong opened his eyes.

He murmured softly.

“I think I woke it up too quickly, but I don’t have much time anyway. I need to regain my old martial arts as quickly as possible.”

There was no time to whine about having too much to do. He had to quickly awaken the remaining three gods with this momentum.

After finishing his training, Yeon Ho-Jeong headed to the forest where his group was resting.

“You’ve arrived, Eldest Young Master.”

“Hmm.”

Shinmo bowed respectfully.

Yeon Ho-Jeong looked around.

“Where’s Ji-Pyeong?”

“He said he wanted to be alone for a while…”

“Is that so?”

Well, it could happen.

Wasn’t he at an age where his emotions were fluctuating? It was not strange at all.

Nodding, Yeon Ho-Jeong suddenly looked at the Azure Falcon Unit members.

The members who met Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes all lowered their heads. It seemed like they were greeting him politely, but they also seemed to be wary of Yeon Ho-Jeong.

Yeon Ho-Jeong tilted his head.

‘Why are they like that?’

Did I do something wrong to them?

Before, they would just nod when they met, but today they were acting very strange.

“Um, Eldest Young Master.”

“Huh?”

“Are you alright? There’s blood on your hand…”

“Oh, it’s okay. I guess the wound opened up after some training. It’ll heal soon.”

“Ah, yes.”

It was then.

“Excuse me…”

Yeon Ho-Jeong looked to the side.

There stood Jeagal Ayeon, with a haggard face.

“This is the first time we’re formally meeting, right? I’m Jeagal Ayeon from the Jeagal Family.”

“Yeon Ho-Jeong.”

Shinmo’s face hardened.

Unlike Jeagal Ayeon, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s tone was very arrogant. It was as if he was talking to a much younger junior.

However, Jeagal Ayeon didn’t pay much attention to Yeon Ho-Jeong’s tone.

“By the way, where is this?”

She had lost consciousness due to internal injuries and had only just woken up. Jeagal Jun was still unconscious.

Shinmo said.

“It’s a forest quite far from Hamsan (含山). I tried to find a doctor right away, but it wasn’t easy. Fortunately, the two of you are not in critical condition, so I thought it would be better to move to Hefei (合肥).”

It was a statement that was not easily understood.

If someone was injured, it was normal to find a doctor first, regardless of their skill. But to go to Hefei?

‘Wait, he said they’re not in critical condition?’

Jeagal Ayeon closed her eyes and examined her internal state.

Soon after, her eyes widened.

“Huh…?”

Shinmo’s words were true.

She had suffered considerable internal injuries due to the excessive use of the Hyeonwon Jeondan Shin Gong (玄元轉丹神功) [a martial arts technique] and the enemy’s attacks. But now, most of her internal injuries had been corrected.

‘When did I get this better?’

Jeagal Ayeon looked at Jeagal Jun.

“How about my brother? How is my brother’s condition?!”

“Don’t worry. The poison has been removed. I didn’t know the Jeagal Family’s internal energy cultivation method was so outstanding.”

“Ah!”

Jeagal Ayeon directly checked Jeagal Jun’s pulse.

‘It’s true.’

The pulse was steady. There were internal injuries due to the poison, but they were also at a level that could be treated on their own once he regained consciousness.

Shinmo said, as if embarrassed.

“I’m sorry. Actually, it would have been better to find a doctor first, regardless of the two of your conditions, but after experiencing such a situation, I became impatient. I judged that going to Hefei as soon as possible would be beneficial for everyone’s safety.”

“Oh, no! You are all our saviors, how can you say such a thing?”

“Heh heh, I’m just embarrassed.”

At that moment, Yeon Ho-Jeong spoke.

“Did you say your name was Jeagal Ayeon?”

“Yes? Ah, yes!”

“I have something to tell you, so follow me.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong said those words and walked into the shadows.

Jeagal Ayeon looked at Shinmo in confusion.

Shinmo said in a hesitant voice.

“It’s probably nothing serious.”

“…”

“…Probably.”