Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 168

“Have you arrived?”

Tang Gwan sat on the chair without a word.

He sat down without the host telling him to. It was an extremely rude action, but Moyong Gun didn’t care. He knew that was just how Tang Gwan was.

“Would you like some tea?”

“No tea.”

“Then?”

Tang Gwan asked with a sullen face.

“Is there any of that ‘Five Grain Liquor’ left?”

Moyong Gun coughed dryly.

“The Five Grain Liquor is all gone, but I do have some ‘Jian Nan Chun’ [a type of Chinese liquor].”

“Then let’s finish that off.”

“Let’s do that.”

Soon after, the two men sat facing each other with their cups.

Moyong Gun poured liquor into Tang Gwan’s cup and asked,

“What brings you here at this hour?”

“Can’t you guess?”

“Of course, I can guess.”

Moyong Gun, having filled his own cup, stroked his beard.

“Is it because of that Yeon Ho-jeong fellow?”

Tang Gwan openly frowned.

“What the hell is that guy’s real identity?”

Moyong Gun smiled. It was a smile tinged with bitterness.

“I knew that question would come up eventually. So, I’ve prepared an answer in advance.”

“…….”

“I don’t really know.”

“What kind of answer is that?”

“It’s the truth. He’s the eldest son of the Byeoksan Yeon family, a madman who tried to conquer the Nine Great Clans alone, and a master who broke through the Martial Ancestor’s Wall [a legendary barrier in martial arts] at the youngest age in the current martial world.”

Moyong Gun shook his head.

“Other than that, I don’t know. I’ve mobilized all sorts of informants to investigate, but his past was too ordinary.”

To be precise, he was a typical example of a disappointing son.

He was someone for whom there was no reason to grow into such a monster. That’s why he said he was ordinary.

“So, how did the Tang Clan Head see him?”

Tang Gwan’s eyes deepened.

“I don’t know if he’s a monster, but he certainly seems like a slippery eel.”

“Hahaha.”

Moyong Gun nodded.

“A slippery eel indeed. A slippery eel bigger than a dragon and fiercer than a tiger. But even that might not be his true form.”

“What do you mean?”

“He’s someone who can change as much as he needs to, depending on the situation and the opponent. He’ll bare his claws like a cat in front of a mouse, show his teeth like a stray dog in front of a cat, and pounce like a leopard in front of a stray dog.”

“…….”

“I can roughly guess what kind of appearance he showed you. He must have shown you an unimaginable level of aggression.”

Tang Gwan’s nostrils flared.

He had let him live, but even thinking about it now, he was furious. He had never seen anyone spout such nonsense in front of him.

Moyong Gun shook his head.

“He’s like that with me sometimes too. However, it would definitely be different from the appearance he showed you.”

“I did figure out one thing.”

“What is it?”

Tang Gwan, having emptied his cup, said with venomous eyes,

“That he’s a dangerous man.”

“…….”

“I don’t know what he wants. And I don’t want to know. But he’s the kind of guy who would even start a war to get what he wants.”

“You see him well.”

“And…….”

“And?”

Tang Gwan, who had been lost in thought, shook his head.

“No.”

He filled his own cup and said casually,

“Anyway, I’ve decided not to touch him for the time being.”

Moyong Gun smiled.

‘He’s definitely not bad.’

Tang Gwan was a rough man.

But he was also someone who knew when to strike and when to retreat. Even a tyrant who reigned as the emperor of Sichuan had this side to him.

‘He’s not suitable to be the master of the world, but he’s more than enough to hold the position of a regional overlord. If I control him well, he’ll definitely be a great force.’

He had joined hands with Tang Gwan, but he had no intention of sharing everything with him.

His top priority was unconditionally his own dream. However, he thought it would be okay to give Tang Gwan the leftover meat first.

As long as he didn’t stray too far.

Moyong Gun chuckled at the thought that suddenly came to mind.

‘It’s a shame.’

The fact that two of the heads of the Six Great Clans were having this kind of conversation itself proved that Yeon Ho-jeong was an extraordinary figure.

When he thought about it, it was truly absurd.

He was racking his brains because of a young man who had just come of age? Was this even possible?

‘It’s a real shame. If he moved for me, things would be much easier.’

Moyong Gun, who was smacking his lips for no reason, opened his mouth.

“Did he perhaps ask for something from you?”

Tang Gwan’s eyes widened.

“How did you know?”

“So, he did.”

Moyong Gun emptied his cup and continued,

“When he asked me to arrange a meeting with you, I thought about it. Why would he ask me to build a bridge at this particular time?”

“…….”

“It’s one of two things, isn’t it? Either he was trying to corner you, or he had a scheme to get something from you.”

“…….”

“If he had intended to corner the head of the Sichuan Tang Clan, he wouldn’t have come alone. So, naturally, only one thing remains. He went there to get something from you.”

‘He’s different.’

Tang Gwan thought. Moyong Gun was definitely different from him.

Both he and Moyong Gun were as jaded as could be. But while fighting against the harsh world and reaching the top, they had each developed different abilities.

If he was good at pushing through with instinct and power, Moyong Gun was good at strategy and scheming.

It was hard to say whose ability was better. In an urgent situation, he would be better, and when an underhanded political struggle was needed, Moyong Gun would be better.

‘If that’s the case…….’

That meant that the eldest son of the Yeon family was capable in many areas, enough to deal with both him and Moyong Gun at the same time.

‘A monster, huh?’

Moyong Gun asked,

“So, what did he ask for?”

Tang Gwan gave a bitter smile.

“He asked to borrow the skills of the elders of the main family for a while.”

* * *

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes wavered.

Ga Deuk-sang whistled without realizing it.

“Wow, this is the first time I’ve seen a chain made with this much care.”

Clatter.

A long iron chain fell to the floor with a clear sound.

Surprisingly, the chain was a dark gray color. It had the same shape as the iron chains people commonly thought of, but it had a strange luster, making it look extraordinary at a glance.

Ga Deuk-sang glanced at Yeon Ho-jeong.

Yeon Ho-jeong was staring at the iron chain as if he were possessed.

“Do you like it?”

“Very much.”

“It seems so.”

Yeon Ho-jeong grabbed the end of the iron chain and swung it forcefully.

Clatter! Clatter!

With the sound of metal clashing, the long iron chain flew through the air.

Yeon Ho-jeong’s wrist moved smoothly.

Clatter! Clatter!

Ga Deuk-sang’s eyes widened. Muk Bi also looked at the iron chain with a surprised expression.

‘It’s moving?’

It was an amazing sight.

He had only grabbed the end of the iron chain and lightly twisted his wrist, but it was wriggling on its own.

It was like watching a living dragon. Although it wasn’t that thick, it gave off a powerful and dynamic feeling.

‘How?’

It was like watching a mysterious magic trick. He hadn’t poured in that much strong internal energy, but it was emitting a strange sense of incongruity.

After handling the iron chain for a while, Yeon Ho-jeong suddenly swung his arm wide.

Whoosh! Thud!

The end of the iron chain pierced the trunk of a small tree in front of the wall.

It was incredibly delicate. He had skillfully swung the iron chain, which was nearly five ‘jang’ [a traditional Korean unit of length, approximately 3 meters] long, to hit the desired target.

And he didn’t wrap it around, but shot the end of the iron chain to pierce through it.

It was an incredible penetrating power.

“Hmm, is it because I’m not used to it yet? It’s half a beat late.”

Ga Deuk-sang’s eyes widened.

“You’re saying this isn’t what you’re used to?”

“Hmm?”

“Did you also learn the whip technique? How are you handling that long iron chain so flexibly?”

No matter how skilled a martial artist was, it was never easy to wield a weapon they had seen for the first time skillfully.

Especially weapons like whips, iron chains, Yeon Ho-jeong’s main weapon, the great axe, or hidden weapons, were difficult to handle smoothly without thorough training.

Yeon Ho-jeong shook his head.

“I’m still far from good enough. I can’t use it in actual combat with this level of skill.”

He was only handling it with a moderate level of flexibility.

That was all. It might work somehow against someone weaker than him, but against someone equal to or stronger than him, it would be worse than using his bare hands.

‘But.’

Yeon Ho-jeong was unusually excited.

‘It’s an amazing weapon. The feeling of it in my hand is different from the iron chains I used to wield before.’

In the past, he had wielded an iron chain made of steel with the Pungryeobu [a martial arts technique].

The iron chain he carried back then was a weapon specialized for chaotic battles. Furthermore, it was rarely used except for a fatal blow that maximized the power of the Pungryeobu.

But this iron chain was different.

‘It’s much more flexible than I expected. It’s several times stronger than the old iron chain, yet it’s incredibly flexible.’

With a weapon like this.

With this iron chain that had no annoying parts, he felt like he could use it sufficiently even in one-on-one short battles.

Yeon Ho-jeong unfolded the letter enclosed in the box.

‘I heard you’ve been building a great reputation lately. If I had made this sooner, I think your hardships might have been a little less. I’m sorry for giving it to you so late.’

He was a good person.

As if Pyeon Il-gang was speaking directly, the words written in the letter were full of friendliness.

And there was a sense of pride. It must have been several times harder than when he made the Gwangryongbu [a previous weapon].

‘I’ve named it the ‘Gyoryong Chain’. Of course, it’s a name I made up on my own. As I said before, the Gyoryong Chain contains a rare material called ‘Yusanggwicheol’. It’s a unique item that can lengthen or shorten depending on the quality and strength of your internal energy. It’ll be difficult, but I believe you can handle it well.’

Yeon Ho-jeong grabbed the Gyoryong Chain with both hands and poured in his internal energy.

Whoooom!

Surprisingly, the part of the iron chain he was holding gradually darkened and slowly lengthened.

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes widened.

‘Amazing.’

He had never heard of a rare material called Yusanggwicheol even during the Black Emperor era. To control the change of metal energy with internal energy and change its physical properties was truly amazing.

‘It’ll be more difficult to handle. I won’t be able to get a sense of distance. But…….’

If he could handle it properly, it would be a very versatile weapon.

Chiririring.

He made his arm perpendicular and wrapped the Gyoryong Chain around it, then placed the neatly arranged chain on the floor.

“Huh? What are you doing?”

“Hmm?”

Ga Deuk-sang chuckled.

“You look like you’re about to die of happiness, aren’t you going to train right away?”

Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.

“I’d love to, but now is not the time.”

“Then what are you going to do?”

“Didn’t Huga say he was taking a day off today? Then I have to use him as much as possible.”

Ga Deuk-sang’s face crumpled.

“Am I an object?”

“So, you’re not going to help?”

“……Shit.”

Ga Deuk-sang, who had crossed his arms, sat down on the floor.

“I’m a valuable person. Bring out some alcohol and ask me.”

“Put the alcohol on my tab. I’ll treat you big later.”

“To be in debt to a beggar, you’re really trash.”

Although he was grumbling, Ga Deuk-sang’s eyes were full of curiosity and tension. He knew that Yeon Ho-jeong wasn’t someone who would ask for his help unless it was a big deal.

Yeon Ho-jeong asked with a serious face,

“You need to give our side some strength.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m saying we need to make the fight between the Bonggong factions a real fight.”

Ga Deuk-sang’s eyes lit up.

He immediately understood what Yeon Ho-jeong was saying.

“You want me to introduce you to someone?”

“That’s right.”

“I heard that the Tangma [Tang Clan’s elite cavalry] and Myeolsagun [a military unit] will be departing together in a few days.”

“That’s why we need to move even faster.”

“You’re going to make it a real fight before they depart…….”

“Is it not possible?”

“It’s not impossible. But the problem is that we have to choose between quality and quantity.”

Ga Deuk-sang, who had been staring at Yeon Ho-jeong, gave a meaningful smile.

“They say that sometimes good people are scarier, are you sure you’re okay with this?”