Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 196

Thwiiing! Thud!

The arrow sliced through the air and pierced the steel plate instantly.

Muk Bi’s face lit up with joy.

‘It worked.’

No matter how outstanding the Hongryeon Palace’s [Red Lotus Palace] internal energy was, it couldn’t pierce a steel plate without properly loading internal energy.

But this time was different. She had only infused a tiny amount of internal energy into the arrow.

An arrow that would have bounced off in the past had now pierced the steel plate. Instead of reducing the amount of internal energy, she had changed the way she used it.

‘Indeed, the martial path is endless.’

Just by changing her thinking, the power of the arrow had changed.

It was a diversity of martial arts implementation that she had not learned in Gwanil Valley. Her own archery, created through countless battles, painstaking efforts, and deep contemplation, was finally blossoming.

“That’s amazing.”

“Ah! Father, you’re here.”

“Yes.”

Yeon-wi smiled contentedly as he looked at the hole in the steel plate.

“Half the internal energy you used to use. You pierced the steel plate with just that much power. It means your concentration and internal energy control have grown to another level.”

Muk Bi’s face showed genuine joy. She knew it herself, but she felt relieved when Yeon-wi confirmed it directly.

“It’s all thanks to you, Father. If you hadn’t given me advice at the right time, I wouldn’t have thought of it.”

“Anyone can give advice. The problem is how you accept it.”

Yeon-wi patted her shoulder.

“Your greatest strength isn’t your natural talent. It’s your attitude of seriously contemplating anything you hear. There’s no greater talent in the realm of martial arts than not being stubborn.”

Muk Bi’s face flushed.

Yeon-wi’s praise and criticism were clear. But he usually put more weight on criticism. Doing well was the end of it, but not doing well could lead to death in actual combat.

In other words, this level of praise meant that Muk Bi’s attitude was that impressive. Muk Bi knew this, which was why she was particularly happy.

Yeon-wi asked calmly.

“Do you know?”

“Yes?”

“Before the break, Ho-jeong left the Alliance.”

Surprisingly, Muk Bi’s expression was calm.

“Yes. He told me earlier.”

Yeon-wi, who had been looking at Muk Bi, spoke again.

“Aren’t you disappointed?”

Muk Bi smiled wryly.

“At first, I was. I thought I was at least somewhat helpful, even if I wasn’t the best, but I wondered how unreliable I must be for him not to take me.”

She was naturally confiding in Yeon-wi like this. Muk Bi was also becoming more comfortable with Yeon-wi.

“You mean you think differently now?”

“Yes.”

Muk Bi looked up at the sky.

The weather had turned chilly. The clouds were just right.

“When I think about it, that person has never once ignored me since the first time we met. He joked around a lot, but even that had a clear line.”

“I see.”

“Even though he seems to treat me roughly on the surface, if he considers someone his own, he never tries to upset them.”

Yeon-wi smiled.

Muk Bi was kind, but she rarely revealed her inner thoughts. For her to say such things meant that she completely trusted his son.

“I’m glad the first person I met when I came into the world was Young Master Yeon.”

“I see.”

Muk Bi slung the Hongryeon Bow over her back.

“Those who have to leave have left, and those who remain must start their own work.”

Yeon-wi nodded.

“You’re right. As much as Ho-jeong is gone, the fight here will also become quite fierce.”

Whether it was political strife or the training of the Death Squad, things would be difficult in many ways.

The shadow cast by Yeon Ho-jeong was that large and deep. Before they knew it, his presence had left a strong impression not only on Muk Bi but also on his father, Yeon-wi, the strategist Jeagal Mun-ho, and even the leaders of the Alliance.

“Are you going to train the Death Squad?”

“Yes. I also need to deliver the light armor.”

“Understood.”

Yeon-wi, who was about to leave Pagungak first, asked as if he had suddenly remembered something.

“Are you free in the evening?”

“Yes? Ah, yes! I’m free.”

“My work should be finished around the time of Sul-si (7-9 PM). If the time is right, let’s have dinner together.”

Muk Bi smiled brightly.

“Yes!”

* * *

The group led by Yeon Ho-jeong, having left the Martial Alliance, immediately passed through Hubei and headed towards Guizhou Province.

The place where Yang Cheon was presumed to be was Changsha, the capital of Hunan Province.

The shortest route would have been to go down to Hubei, cross the river, and enter Hunan directly, but Yeon Ho-jeong had insisted on moving secretly from the moment he left the Alliance.

When Dang Sang-ah asked him why, Yeon Ho-jeong replied like this.

“They are keeping a close watch on the Martial Alliance. They might even be investigating everyone who comes and goes. If that’s the case, they’ll be even more wary of those heading to their main base.”

It was a simple yet valid reason. It would be a somewhat longer way around, but it was definitely necessary.

Yeon Ho-jeong trusted his judgment, and Ga Deuk-sang and Jeagal Ayeon judged that his words were trustworthy.

“And, Senior.”

“Speak.”

“Please enter the western part of Hunan first.”

Paeyul raised his eyebrows.

“Alone?”

“It’s to reduce suspicion. If you go ahead and settle in first, we’ll go around at intervals.”

“Does that make a difference?”

“Of course.”

“Well, alright. I don’t know why you’re going to such lengths, though.”

Thus, the group, except for Paeyul, entered Guizhou Province after passing through the southwest of Hubei in a month.

If they had used their movement techniques with determination, they could have reached it several days faster. It was because they were moving cautiously that the time was delayed.

And so, the group entered a modest inn at the northernmost tip of Guizhou Province.

“Phew, I feel alive now.”

Ga Deuk-sang scratched his head vigorously.

“You’ve all worked hard. This is an inn run by our gang, so you can rest easy.”

The group first took a hot bath to relieve their accumulated fatigue. One surprising thing was that Ga Deuk-sang was the first to go wash up.

Jeagal Ayeon asked mischievously.

“Aren’t you going to get kicked out of the Vice Chief position if you keep doing that?”

“Hmph, that’s what I’m hoping for.”

To infiltrate the enemy camp directly, he couldn’t let it be known that he was a member of the Beggars’ Union. In the end, Ga Deuk-sang had no choice but to break the gang’s rules.

The sight of Ga Deuk-sang, having washed off all the grime and wearing a white robe over his perfectly fitting martial arts uniform, was truly astonishing.

Jeagal Ayeon gaped like a fish.

“Wow! Are you really the Vice Chief?”

“Who else would I be?”

“Goodness, you’ve been hiding such a face under grime? You should wash up regularly!”

“Why would a beggar waste water to wash?”

Ga Deuk-sang grumbled, but it was understandable why such words would come out.

With his quite tall height and sturdy physique, as well as his distinct features, Ga Deuk-sang’s appearance was admirable. He was also quite youthful, so if you only looked at his dressed-up appearance, he could easily pass as a nobleman.

Dang Sang-ah quietly asked Yeon Ho-jeong.

“Is the Vice Chief also going into the enemy camp?”

“He has to. We need to get news from both sides quickly. In fact, even apart from that, it’s hard to find someone as good at improvisation as that man.”

“I see.”

“Why? Is there something bothering you?”

“There’s something crucial.”

Yeon Ho-jeong blinked.

“What is it?”

“The gap between his appearance and his way of speaking.”

It was a sharp observation.

His appearance was that of a nobleman, but his way of speaking was so uncouth that even street thugs would be taken aback. This was a much more serious problem than they thought.

Ga Deuk-sang looked at Yeon Ho-jeong with pleading eyes.

“Don’t tell me I have to change my way of speaking too? That’s not it, right? Tell me it’s not.”

Yeon Ho-jeong said in a reluctant voice.

“There are many people with strong personalities in the world. Rather, that aspect might make him look simple and honest.”

“Hehe, I knew Young Master Yeon would understand me!”

“Still, I recommend that you be quiet as much as possible…”

Having all cleaned up, the group gathered in one room after finishing their meal.

Ga Deuk-sang smacked his lips.

“It’s definitely humid in Guizhou. Even though it’s almost winter.”

Jeagal Ayeon picked up his words.

“I heard that even the experts can get sick from the climate if they’re not careful. The humidity is high, and there are a lot of bugs because of the dense vegetation.”

“Bugs are good as a daily ration when you’re hungry.”

“Ew.”

“Why are you like this? Are you going to starve to death? You have to survive by chewing on bugs. Isn’t that right, Miss Dang?”

Dang Sang-ah said with an awkward face.

“I’ve never eaten them before…”

“Huh?”

Ga Deuk-sang tilted his head.

“Miss Dang, you’ve also mastered poison techniques, right? Haven’t you eaten them while training? There are so many poisonous insects in the world.”

“You don’t eat bugs just because you’re learning poison techniques. Of course, I don’t have any particular aversion to bugs, but…”

“Hehe, is that so?”

Dang Sang-ah coughed awkwardly. She wasn’t the type to be shy, but she couldn’t help but feel burdened by Ga Deuk-sang’s outrageous sociability.

“Okay, let’s get things organized.”

Yeon Ho-jeong clapped his hands to draw attention and continued.

“As you all heard beforehand, from now on, we belong to the Musong Sect [a fictional sect].”

The Musong Sect was a mysterious sect that was said to have been destroyed over a hundred years ago.

Surprisingly, their martial arts were evaluated to be not much inferior to those of the Nine Great Sects. This was because not a single weakling was among the martial artists who claimed to be from the Musong Sect at the time.

However, the evaluation that their martial arts were inconsistent also followed. Just as each sect had its own flow of martial arts, such as the Shaolin Temple and the Mount Hua Sect, the Musong Sect had no such thing. It was as if masters from various sects had gathered to form a sect, and their martial arts boasted a variety of depths.

However, after the Musong Sect was destroyed for some reason a hundred years ago, their name was no longer heard.

“They’ve been forgotten in the memories of the world, and since there are so many types of martial arts, they won’t suspect us even if we each use different martial arts.”

The three men and women nodded.

Yeon Ho-jeong pointed at Ga Deuk-sang.

“However, it’s best to pay attention to the titles. From now on, the senior disciple of this group will be Ga Deuk-sang.”

“Do I really have to take that role?”

“You’re the oldest.”

“Then what about Senior Paeyul?”

“Senior is a martial uncle.”

“I’m young, how about the youngest?”

“Let’s move on.”

“Tch.”

Yeon Ho-jeong looked at Dang Sang-ah.

“Dang Sang-ah will be the second. The reason is the same.”

“Yes.”

“And I’m the third. The fourth is Ayeon.”

Jeagal Ayeon flared up.

“Hey, why am I the youngest? I’m a year older than you! Just because I’m friends with you doesn’t mean you can’t recognize your older sister.”

“I’m the one who has to move the most among us. Besides, anyone with a keen eye can tell that my martial arts are the deepest among the three. It’s possible up to the third, but if I’m introduced as the youngest, it’ll feel out of place.”

“Ugh.”

It wasn’t wrong. Still, Jeagal Ayeon’s mouth stuck out a foot, as if she couldn’t help but be dissatisfied.

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes shone with a serious light.

“Based on the information we have so far, Yang Cheon is likely to be in Changsha, Hunan Province. But considering the scale of the black forces he has seized so far, we should assume that his eyes are all over Hunan Province.”

Ga Deuk-sang nodded.

“The reports from our gang members are similar. The moment we enter Hunan Province, we’ll be watched.”

“That doesn’t mean we’ll travel through mountain paths or waterways.”

“We have to go on the main roads to avoid suspicion?”

“That’s right.”

Yeon Ho-jeong said to Dang Sang-ah.

“In other words, your ability will be needed as soon as we enter Hunan Province.”

“Yes? My ability?”

Come to think of it, she hadn’t heard about her role in this mission.

Dang Sang-ah was flustered. How could she not have thought of something so obvious until now? She was dumbfounded even thinking about it.

“What do I have to do?”

Yeon Ho-jeong smiled coldly.

It was an ominous smile. Ga Deuk-sang clicked his tongue, thinking, ‘There he goes again,’ and Jeagal Ayeon shuddered.

“If the eyes of the black forces focus on us, kill them immediately with your hidden weapons.”