Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 165

The Essence of Dark Strife (6)

Whoosh.

The smoke he exhaled had a subtle green hue, a color that felt more mysterious than eerie.

Of course, since it was smoke that had passed through a person’s lungs, it was unlikely to be good for the body.

Tang Gwan tapped his pipe, scattering ashes that rose into the sky with the wind.

“Master.”

Tang Gwan silently turned his gaze to the side.

A man who appeared to be in his early forties was standing there.

“Are you alright?”

“What do you mean?”

“While I cannot presume to fathom your level of cultivation, isn’t the use of ‘Crane’s Crest Red’ [a potent poison] a bit excessive?”

Tang Gwan shook his head.

“My progress in poison arts has stagnated. I need to take measures like this to keep my body on edge.”

“…Still, I believe ‘Crane’s Crest Red’ is too much. Wouldn’t it be better to build up your resistance with weaker poisons first?”

The Tang Clan Head was the master and king of the Sichuan Tang Clan [a powerful clan known for their mastery of poisons and hidden weapons].

Very few people could make such a statement to a king, especially if they were a member of the Tang Clan.

Tang Gwan shook his head again.

“I know my body best.”

The man, Tang Yeong-Shin, the Lord of the Medicine King Hall, sighed quietly.

Tang Gwan’s eyes sharpened.

“Do you think I can’t handle this much?”

“If it is you, Master, you will surely endure it. However, I only spoke out of concern, so please do not be too displeased.”

“Hmph.”

Tang Gwan gave a cold smile.

“Stagnation means a limit. I can feel it. If I can surpass this limit and my poison arts improve, I can reach my father’s level five years earlier than expected.”

Tang Yeong-Shin’s face subtly hardened.

‘He still thinks about the Supreme Clan Head….’

Tang Gwan was a good ruler.

Of course, he was not a merciful or inclusive ruler. From the start, expecting such a ruler from a Tang Clan member was a luxury.

Tang Gwan was strong. He was exceptionally talented, had good business acumen, and was experienced in the martial world, so he rarely let his guard down.

He had no mercy for his enemies, and he was known for his straightforwardness, capable of crushing anyone who harmed a Tang Clan member, regardless of the reason.

Tang Gwan was the quintessential Tang Clan member, a ruler who truly inherited the Tang bloodline. That was why Tang Yeong-Shin served Tang Gwan with all his heart.

However, even Tang Gwan had his flaws.

‘It would have been better if he had resolved his relationship with the Supreme Clan Head.’

Tang Gwan was narrow-minded and self-righteous.

The problem was that this personality also applied to his family. He wasn’t like that with his children, but he had a bad relationship with his father, the Supreme Clan Head, Tang Hyeong.

Dark King Tang Hyeong.

One of the Thirteen Seats of the Heavenly Sages [a group of the most powerful martial artists], the best of the best, and an absolute master who was considered the most dangerous expert in the current martial world.

‘Is it unavoidable?’

The Supreme Clan Head was just as strong-willed as the Clan Head.

However, perhaps due to his age, unlike his constantly evolving martial arts, his personality had become quite mellow.

That was why the conflict between father and son had intensified. The father clicked his tongue at his son’s narrow-mindedness, and the son could not understand his father’s indulgent nature.

What if the two had a good relationship?

‘If that were the case, the Clan Head’s achievements would have surpassed any of the leaders of the Nine Great Sects and Six Great Clans.’

The Supreme Clan Head had not passed on all of his martial arts to his son, the Clan Head.

Moreover, he did not teach Tang Yang-Seon, the heir, either, saying that his character was not yet fully formed.

The only person the Supreme Clan Head had poured his affection into and taught was Tang Sang-Ah.

‘It’s a shame.’

It was a shame, but it couldn’t be helped. Tang Yeong-Shin’s master was Tang Gwan, not Tang Hyeong. And he had never once been dissatisfied with that.

“How much time is left until noon?”

“Yes? Ah, yes. About half an hour.”

Tang Gwan placed his pipe on the table.

“A guest will be arriving soon. Let them in.”

Tang Yeong-Shin’s face showed a hint of doubt.

“A guest, you say….”

“There is such a person.”

A languid look appeared on Tang Gwan’s face.

Judging by his expression, it didn’t seem like an important guest. Tang Yeong-Shin bowed his head.

“I will wait outside.”

“Do that.”

Tang Yeong-Shin left the room.

As soon as the door closed, Tang Gwan sighed.

‘Annoying.’

How many months had it been since he came to the Martial Alliance [a powerful organization of martial artists]?

There had been many events, but for Tang Gwan, they were all tiresome. If it weren’t for establishing a power base and making the Tang Clan’s presence known, he would have sent a proxy long ago.

‘I should leave soon.’

It was enough now.

He had become a member of the Martial Alliance, and his power base was well-established. Moreover, the matter with his daughter, which had been dragging on for months, had been resolved yesterday.

He finally felt relieved. Moyong Gun would take care of the rest, so he could return to Sichuan around next month.

‘….’

Looking at the clear sky outside the window, Tang Gwan suddenly thought of Tang Sang-Ah.

Tang Gwan’s eyes sank.

‘There is no place for you in the Tang Clan. It seems like a decent place for you, so find happiness there.’

Tang Gwan cherished Tang Sang-Ah.

In fact, he cherished Tang Sang-Ah much more than Tang Yang-Seon. She was talented, but more than that, she had a charm that made the people around her happy, unlike the other Tang Clan members.

She was a truly lovely child, not just because she was his daughter.

Until Tang Sang-Ah turned fifteen, Tang Gwan thought that only the most outstanding talent in the world would be worthy of his daughter.

However, when his father, the Supreme Clan Head Tang Hyeong, began to teach Tang Sang-Ah.

That was when everything changed.

Fwoosh.

Powder fell from under his hand on the table. The poison energy that had unconsciously leaked out had eroded the surface of the table.

Tang Gwan’s eyes turned cold.

“Do you know? That my father is the main culprit who ruined the main family.”

A person he had wanted to emulate when he was young, a person who had made him proud to have the Tang surname when he grew up. And now, a person he didn’t even want to see the face of.

The Tang Clan’s greatest expert, feared by the world, the Dark King Tang Hyeong, was such a person to Tang Gwan.

“It’s soon. I will be able to defeat you soon. The time you have left sitting in the position of the Tang Clan’s Supreme King is not much.”

His father was a poison. The most vicious and dangerous poison of all.

Tang Gwan believed without a doubt that driving his father out of the Tang Clan was the way to serve the Tang Clan.

His gaze suddenly turned to the pipe lying on the table.

A faint green light flickered in his pupils.

‘When I return to the clan, I should change it to an Invisible Poison.’

He was lost in his thoughts for a while.

Whoosh.

Tang Gwan’s eyes, which had been filled with languor, sharpened.

‘…?’

Someone was coming.

There was an unusual aura emanating from outside the window. It was not yet comparable to his own, but it was the aura of a powerful master that was not easily found even in the Martial Alliance.

‘Could it be this guy?’

Tang Gwan frowned.

It was a much more refined aura than he had expected. He had heard that the man had broken through the Wall of No Form [a significant breakthrough in martial arts] just a few days ago, but he had already managed to control the aura that should have been spreading in all directions.

‘He’s not ordinary.’

This was the guy that Moyong Gun had called a monster.

Moyong Gun was a cunning and ambitious hero. His eyes held the world. If such a person said that, it meant that he should not underestimate this man.

A moment later.

“Master, the guest….”

“Let him in.”

“Yes.”

Creak.

The door opened, and a young man appeared.

Tang Gwan’s eyes lit up.

The young man, dressed in white martial attire with a light green robe, was quite handsome.

He looked more like a scholar than a martial artist. That was the impression his appearance gave.

However.

‘A beast.’

As soon as Tang Gwan saw the young man, he could read the tyrant’s nature lurking within him.

He was truly a beast among beasts. He was hiding a ferocious nature that seemed capable of biting someone’s throat out in an instant if things went wrong.

A subtle interest arose in Tang Gwan’s eyes.

He was somehow similar to himself, yet different. They were different species, but both were predators. That was Tang Gwan’s first impression of the young man, Yeon Ho-Jeong.

On the other hand, how did Tang Gwan appear in Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes?

‘Finally, I see him.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s gaze was rough and dangerous, like a shard of a broken blade mixed with a cold wind.

‘He’s still the same.’

Tang Gwan, the Emperor of Ten Thousand Poisons.

In the past, the Martial Alliance Leader, Moyong Gun, was called the Sword God and revered as the number one in the righteous path.

And Tang Gwan, who served directly under him as the Vice Leader of the Martial Alliance, was known as the Emperor of Ten Thousand Poisons, striking fear into the world.

The righteous path martial alliance led by the Sword God Moyong Gun and the Emperor of Ten Thousand Poisons Tang Gwan was truly at its peak. They had reached the top through a bloody power struggle, but after reaching the top, they were giants who led the righteous path martial world with their outstanding leadership.

And Tang Gwan was always there in places where Moyong Gun could not or should not go.

He was not the number one in the world, but he was the one who was considered the most terrifying and venomous.

Furthermore, he was the one who hastened Yeon Ho-Jeong’s death.

Thump, thump.

He suppressed the rising killing intent, but the killing intent that had leaked out stimulated the Vermilion Bird energy [one of the Four Symbols, representing fire].

His heart rate increased, and the Vermilion Bird energy surged on its own.

Flaring.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes turned red.

His eyes, stained with fire energy and killing intent, revealed a terrifying ferocity. It was a different kind of resentment than when he had met the warriors of the prestigious families.

‘…?’

Tang Gwan’s gaze changed.

‘Look at this guy?’

Yeon Ho-Jeong was smiling and looking down at him, and the killing intent boiling in his eyes was extraordinary.

How powerful was it?

Crack.

Tang Gwan’s hand pierced through the table. The poison energy he had unconsciously released had eroded the table into the shape of his palm.

‘….’

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s lips curled up.

Tang Gwan’s expression changed once again.

‘This guy….’

Crack, crack.

The Vermilion Bird energy called out to the White Tiger energy [representing metal], and the White Tiger energy pulled in the Black Tortoise energy [representing water].

When the heavy Black Tortoise energy stimulated the Azure Dragon [representing wood], all the divine energies of the Four Symbols were activated, giving Yeon Ho-Jeong’s aura an immense weight.

Crack! Crack!

The two men’s fierce auras collided, and the floor cracked.

If they had intentionally released their auras, it would not have ended like this. The table would have been split, the chairs would have flown away, and the entire wooden floor would have been shattered into pieces.

The unimaginable pressure created by the auras of supreme masters.

It was a murderous atmosphere where a collision would not have been strange. Regardless of the strength of their inner energy, the two men’s venomous personalities were heating up the air.

How long had it been?

When Tang Gwan’s fingers twitched involuntarily.

“It’s nice to meet you.”

“……?”

Tang Gwan hesitated.

Crack.

The Four Symbols energy subsided from Yeon Ho-Jeong’s body.

All the energy that had been suppressed, starting with the Vermilion Bird energy, had exploded, but now was not the time to fight Tang Gwan.

Yeon Ho-Jeong bowed respectfully.

“I am Yeon Ho-Jeong, the eldest son of the Byeoksan Yeon Clan, and I greet the master of the Sichuan Tang Clan.”

Tang Gwan frowned.

The atmosphere, which had seemed like he would attack at any moment, was gone. Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had suppressed his aura and bowed respectfully, looked as clear as a cloudless sky.

Tang Gwan, who had been staring at Yeon Ho-Jeong, also slowly suppressed his aura.

Slowly.

Tang Gwan’s expression gradually returned to its usual languid state.

“Yeon Ho-Jeong?”

“That is correct.”

Tang Gwan’s lips twitched.

This was the guy who had properly punished his incompetent son. It was clearly his son’s fault, but he had no intention of forgiving this guy either.

“To reveal killing intent at our first meeting… and in front of me, no less? You must be desperate to die.”

It was an arrogant statement.

Was he truly the head of the Tang Clan? He didn’t care if the other person was a commander or whatever. He would simply crush them if he didn’t like them.

A ferocious and venomous nature. A serpent who would use any means necessary to achieve his goals.

And in that nature, Yeon Ho-Jeong was no less than Tang Gwan.

“Your hospitality is poor.”

“……What?”

“I came to have a drink. I’ve already had a hearty meal, so please give me a bottle of something strong.”

“…….”

“Oh, and if possible, make it Wuliangye [a strong Chinese liquor].”