Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 22

Myeong Ho-Rim clenched his fist.

Shatter!

The shattered glass turned to dust.

It wasn’t an act possible through training the outer body alone. To pulverize glass shards by releasing internal energy was truly remarkable.

“A mistake?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong nodded.

Interest sparked in Myeong Ho-Rim’s face.

“And you are?”

“Focus on the person you’re facing.”

“What was that?”

Myeong Ho-Rim burst into laughter.

“An interesting young man. Tell me, are you perhaps from the Gangso Byeoksan [a martial arts sect]?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong didn’t answer, instead taking a new glass and pouring himself a drink. Then, he slowly drank, even propping one leg up, looking for all the world like a playboy who frequented courtesan houses.

Myeong Ho-Rim’s eyes gleamed.

At that moment, Dang Yang-Seon spoke without turning around.

“Trash. If you do anything pointless again, I’ll kill you first.”

Again, Yeon Ho-Jeong didn’t reply.

Dang Yang-Seon didn’t expect an answer either. Myeong Ho-Rim was the only one who mattered to him.

He took a step forward.

Fwoosh.

A faint haze rose from beneath his feet.

It was the Dang Family’s Three Yang Skill. It was a difficult martial art that, upon mastery, would naturally lead to the Dang Family’s secret technique, the Guiding Reversal Three Yang Return Skill.

Even Myeong Ho-Rim couldn’t afford to remain relaxed forever. Regardless of his skill, he couldn’t ignore Dang Yang-Seon because of his poison.

Dang Yang-Seon gritted his teeth.

“I’ll turn you into a puddle of blood…”

Then, another sound of air being torn apart rang out.

Swoosh! Bang!

The powdered glass scattered in all directions.

Unlike before, Myeong Ho-Rim had extended his fist. The glass that his fist had struck had turned to dust.

Myeong Ho-Rim’s eyes deepened.

‘Impressive.’

The fist that had crushed the glass was subtly trembling. There was no pain, but it meant that the power was enough to shake the Myeong Family’s internal energy.

Myeong Ho-Rim, having released his fist, asked with a smile.

“Was that another mistake, friend?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong held up his empty hand.

“It was a mistake.”

“Haha! You’re a friend who makes frequent mistakes. Anyway, I wonder…”

“…”

“If you haven’t needlessly provoked the wolf.”

Whoooosh!

Murderous intent flowed from Dang Yang-Seon’s lowered body. Not poison, but murderous intent. And that murderous intent was directed not at Myeong Ho-Rim, but at Yeon Ho-Jeong.

“You trash of the Yeon family.”

“…”

“Do you think I’m a joke?”

“…”

“Do I look like someone who can be mocked by trash like you?”

Again, Yeon Ho-Jeong didn’t answer. He looked around and, finding no empty glasses, filled Jeagal Ayeon’s glass.

Seeing this, Namgoong Hyeon, who had calmed the guards from afar, distorted his face.

Han Ho-Myeong shouted.

“Young Master! Please calm your anger!”

Dang Yang-Seon turned his body.

Jeagal Ayeon flinched. Dang Yang-Seon’s eyes, glaring at Yeon Ho-Jeong, were filled with madness.

“I’ll make you pay for ignoring me.”

Jeagal Ayeon moved.

“Don’t…”

Thwack!

The brutal sound made everyone’s eyes widen.

Yeon Ho-Jeong dusted off his hand. The glass was gone, with only a few drops of alcohol on his hand.

Dang Yang-Seon’s expression was blank.

Trickle.

Blood flowed from his torn forehead.

Thud!

Dang Yang-Seon fell backward. He had lost consciousness after being hit by the wine glass that Yeon Ho-Jeong had thrown.

Myeong Ho-Rim’s face hardened.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, having dusted off his hand, slowly rose from his seat.

“It’s not polite to release poison at a drinking party.”

A moment of silence followed.

The sudden turn of events shocked everyone present. Han Ho-Myeong, Dang Yang-Seon’s guard, was even more surprised.

Dang Yang-Seon had fainted. And from being hit by a wine glass.

The Dang Family’s main martial art was poison and hidden weapons. The fact that Dang Yang-Seon, the eldest son of the Dang Family, couldn’t even block a single wine glass was a great shock to everyone.

Jeagal Ayeon’s eyes trembled.

“You, are you okay?”

Again, Yeon Ho-Jeong didn’t answer. No, he wasn’t in a situation to answer anyone in the first place.

‘Is it similar? Or not? I don’t know yet. But…’

The unpleasant battle intent emanating from Myeong Ho-Rim’s refined energy.

A sense of unease that he couldn’t quite put his finger on.

A unique disposition lurking beneath the stable internal energy unique to the orthodox martial world. And the explosive force.

The explosive force that shattered the wine glass followed a method of operation he had never seen before.

It was neither the internal energy nor the explosive force of those who had attacked his family. It was a color that Yeon Ho-Jeong had never seen before.

But one thing was certain.

Myeong Ho-Rim’s and the attackers’ internal energy and explosive force, though different in color, shared the commonality of ‘darkness.’ There was a connection that couldn’t be found in the Jeagal and Peng families.

Flash! Flash!

As the Byukra Jin Gyeol [a martial arts technique] was activated, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s pupils turned a faint blue.

Whirr! Whirr!

It was as if interlocking gears were turning in a corner of his head.

His concentration increased at a terrifying speed. His energy flowed along Myeong Ho-Rim’s energy, penetrating deep into his opponent’s dantian [an energy center in the body] in an instant.

‘…?!’

Myeong Ho-Rim’s neck tensed.

‘He’s reading me?’

The opponent’s sharp gaze felt like hundreds of venomous snakes coiling around his body.

‘Hah!’

Myeong Ho-Rim unconsciously stopped breathing. By stopping his breath, his energy was fixed, and his internal energy was firmly combined.

Swish!

The snakes that had been probing his entire body raised their heads, flicking their forked tongues.

The reaction was immediate. By forcibly stopping the flow of internal energy, the opponent’s energy that was exploring him faltered.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face contorted.

Tsutsutsutsu.

The surging Byukra Jin Gi [a type of internal energy] fluctuated. He didn’t like the opponent’s response.

‘Gasp!’

Jeagal Ayeon unconsciously held her breath. Yeon Ho-Jeong’s change was clearly conveyed to her, who was closest to him.

“Brother!”

Yeon Ji-Pyeong ran over from afar.

Jeagal Ayeon quickly stopped Yeon Ji-Pyeong.

“Sister?”

“Wait.”

Jeagal Ayeon looked at Yeon Ho-Jeong’s back with trembling eyes.

“Don’t go near him.”

“B-But, Brother!”

Jeagal Ayeon intuitively realized that she couldn’t stop Yeon Ho-Jeong right now.

Yeon Ji-Pyeong also knew. That his brother was different now.

‘With my and Ji-Pyeong’s current skills, we can’t stop Ho-Jeong. Then…’

Just leave him alone because they can’t stop him?

They couldn’t do that. If things went wrong, it could leave a stain on the history of the Seven Great Families’ gathering. Beyond who was in danger, it was also a matter of the face of the orthodox martial world.

Of course, the most worrying thing was Yeon Ho-Jeong. A moderate fight was one thing, but making an enemy of the Sichuan Dang Family was never a wise move.

Jeagal Ayeon spoke to Jeagal Jun.

“Tell Namgoong Brother to stop the banquet! Tell each guard to take their family’s children back to their lodgings!”

“Yes, Sister!”

At that moment, a groan was heard.

Surprisingly, it was Dang Yang-Seon. He had lost consciousness in one blow, but he woke up quickly. It meant that his recovery was excellent.

Thwack!

Han Ho-Myeong quickly approached Dang Yang-Seon.

“Young Master! Are you alright?”

A bewildered look appeared on Dang Yang-Seon’s face. He didn’t even know what had happened to him.

“What? Where did that bastard go?”

“Young Master, this isn’t the time for this…!”

“Let go of me!”

Dang Yang-Seon, looking around, saw Yeon Ho-Jeong’s back.

His eyes blazed with fire.

“You, you trash! I’ll kill you!”

Thwack!

Dang Yang-Seon, pushing away Han Ho-Myeong, rushed forward and threw a punch at Yeon Ho-Jeong’s back.

Even if he was blinded by rage, attacking someone who had turned their back was not the way of a warrior. Those who had come to stop him were once again surprised by Dang Yang-Seon’s recklessness.

The fist imbued with Three Yang Qi [a type of internal energy] reached just before Yeon Ho-Jeong’s life gate [a vital point on the body].

A cruel smile appeared on Dang Yang-Seon’s face.

‘I’ll kill you painfully!’

At that moment, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s body moved.

Tap!

“Huh?”

Dang Yang-Seon’s eyes widened.

His body stopped in the same position as he had thrown the punch. And Yeon Ho-Jeong was holding his forearm.

But Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes were still fixed on Myeong Ho-Rim. He had only reacted to the murderous intent; he had no interest in Dang Yang-Seon in the first place.

However, his instincts were different.

The minimum formality that the eldest son of the Byeoksan Yeon Family had been holding back crumbled before the instincts of the Dark Emperor, who was called the worst master in the history of the dark world.

Crack!!

“Aaaagh!”

Dang Yang-Seon collapsed on the spot. His arm bone was broken by the immense pressure.

He had broken a person’s arm bone with just his grip. It was a brutal force.

But he couldn’t faint as easily as before. Yeon Ho-Jeong was still holding his broken arm.

“Ugh! W-Won’t you let go?!”

Crack!

“Uwaaaagh!”

Dang Yang-Seon writhed in terrible pain.

He couldn’t even think about drawing out his poison skills. The first bone fracture he had ever experienced was breaking his mind.

But he was the eldest son of the Dang Family. Although this pain was new, the martial arts he had trained for ten years were not going anywhere.

Fwoosh!

Purple smoke rose from Dang Yang-Seon’s body. His body had realized that the only way to escape this pain was to shake off his opponent.

“Eek!”

Dang Yang-Seon struck Yeon Ho-Jeong’s shoulder with his good left hand.

Thud! Crack!

“Kuaaaagh!!”

Surprisingly, Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had been attacked, was unharmed. Rather, Dang Yang-Seon’s left hand, which had attacked, was fractured. Due to the powerful rebound, his right shoulder blade had even popped out. It was because Yeon Ho-Jeong was still holding his arm.

Whoooosh.

Everyone held their breath.

Around Yeon Ho-Jeong’s body, a translucent hexagonal tortoise shell appeared.

The martial art of the Four Divine Beasts, which had been unconsciously manifested. It was the Northern Sky Twelve Walls of the Black Tortoise Skill, known for its absolute defense.

“Ugh! Ugh!”

Secretions flowed from Dang Yang-Seon’s eyes and nose.

Flash!

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s gaze blazed once more. When the enemy who had been exuding murderous intent showed weakness, the ferocity he had been hiding was stimulated.

He looked down at Dang Yang-Seon.

“Huk!”

Dang Yang-Seon’s trembling body stiffened as if struck by lightning.

When he met Yeon Ho-Jeong’s clear, glass-like eyes, his heart rate instantly doubled. His hands and feet turned cold, and both sides of his throat became hot.

It felt like his entire nervous system was in chaos. Some parts of his body were hot, and some parts were cold. His pores opened and closed haphazardly.

Trickle.

Dang Yang-Seon’s lower body became wet. His bladder had released.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s smile was filled with brutal murderous intent.

It was the first time since his transmigration to the past that he was showing the true murderous intent of the Dark Emperor. With Dang Yang-Seon’s level of martial arts, there was no way to resist that murderous intent.

“Ggrrr!”

In the end, Dang Yang-Seon frothed at the mouth and fainted. This time, he wouldn’t regain consciousness for a long time.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s gaze grew darker. He was planning to crush his opponent’s mind with this momentum.

That’s when it happened.

‘No.’

Beyond the instincts of a beast, a cold reason came.

‘This isn’t the time to be concerned about that brat, is it?’

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes trembled.

Flash!

The gaze that had been blazing with murderous intent regained its former clarity.

Swoosh.

Only then did Dang Yang-Seon’s body gain freedom. His crushed arm was twisted strangely, like the body of a dead snake.

“Y-Young Master!”

Han Ho-Myeong wanted to rush to Dang Yang-Seon. He wanted to check on his safety and swing his iron whip at Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had made his young master like that.

However, he could only hesitate from afar. A portion of the uncontrolled murderous intent had also affected him.

“I’ve only ruined my appetite.”

Crack.

Yeon Ho-Jeong moved his shoulder as if it were a habit.

Myeong Ho-Rim flinched.

“You said you were the third young master of the Guju Myeong Family, right?”

“……?!”

“Would you play with me for a bit?”