Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 233

Black Yang had sought out the Head of the Intelligence Department, Jeong, to gauge his character through his reactions.

The new Head of the Intelligence Department, Jeong, the successor of the Mujong Clan, was a dangerous individual.

He had raided the Guiju Merchant Guild’s trade convoy and seized goods being transported to the Martial Alliance? [A powerful organization of martial artists]

It was a great feat, but upon closer inspection, it was something anyone with enough recklessness could have done.

‘Killing the trade convoy and taking credit wasn’t about proving his ability, but rather about establishing a pretext.’

The true ability of the Head of the Intelligence Department, Jeong, was not in his audacity or drive.

‘That guy captivated Yang Cheon in an instant.’

How he did it was unknown. What mattered was that he had piqued Yang Cheon’s interest with just one meeting and gained his trust in the second.

He, who had brought so much wealth, women, and various treasures, was still under Yang Cheon’s suspicion.

In a way, it was understandable. Yang Cheon saw him not as Black Yang, but as a warrior from the Saim Cult. [A mysterious and dangerous cult]

‘What makes you different?’

But by that logic, there was no reason to trust Jeong either.

If anything, he was more suspicious. The Mujong Clan, which had been destroyed in the past, was a mysterious sect, and there was no way to prove his origins in the first place.

Yet, Yang Cheon was not only not suspicious of him but was also favoring him. Clearly, he had done something that he had not.

‘This guy is dangerous. Whatever his purpose, I need to know more about him.’

That was his intention. If this guy’s personality and abilities were truly dangerous, he would have to gather all the information about him and send it to the Cult.

‘But he admitted it?’

He never thought the guy would admit it so easily.

It was obvious. Admitting to this meant he was practically rebelling against the Black Dragon Unit.

“Interesting expression you’ve got there.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s smile was like the biting wind of a desolate winter field where not a single blade of grass grew.

“Why? Did you think it wasn’t me?”

“…….”

“Come on, surely not. It’s absurd for a Zodiac [One of the twelve elite warriors] to come and raid the Head of the Intelligence Department without any evidence.”

“…….”

“Hmm? Why the long face? Smile. I’ve directly answered your curiosity, so why are you so stiff?”

Black Yang, who had been glaring at Yeon Ho-Jeong with a hardened face, finally opened his mouth.

“Are you really the one who killed the Black Yang Unit and the Black Leader?”

“If you’re talking about those morons who specialize in crushing their opponents with a tedious and cowardly war of attrition, then yes, that’s right. I wiped them out.”

“……!”

“And that Yang mask. Why don’t you try changing it? I thought it was meant to intimidate, but now that I think about it, it’s too crude.”

Tsutsutsutsu.

Black Yang’s body emanated killing intent.

“You…….”

“Why?”

“……?”

“So, you’ve confirmed everything you wanted to know, right? What more do you want?”

“Are you out of your mind?”

“Of course, I’m in my right mind. Do you think a madman could gain the trust of the Fighting King, Yang Cheon?”

Black Yang’s eyes flashed.

‘Fighting King, Yang Cheon?’

Not Vice-Chief Yang, nor Vice-Chief-nim.

Fighting King, Yang Cheon. The new wind of the Black Dragon Unit, who had Yang Cheon’s full trust, the Head of the Intelligence Department who had sworn loyalty to Yang Cheon, was calling him Fighting King, Yang Cheon, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Black Yang was greatly taken aback by that astonishing remark.

“If you didn’t come to confirm that.”

Fwoooosh!

Flames flickered in Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes.

The killing intent of the flames, which had been suppressed, finally boiled over. His eyes, which were as red as if they had been inlaid with rubies, radiated a heat that felt like it would burn your whole body just by looking at them.

“Did you come here to confess that you’re still acting as a lackey for the Saim Cult?”

“……!!”

He was already flustered.

The expression that surfaced on his pale face was perhaps one he had never shown to anyone else.

A look that the usual Black Yang would never show.

Therefore, that expression revealed the truth even more clearly.

“You guys have underestimated Yang Cheon by a long shot. If you were planning to deceive him, you should have sent someone more capable than you, instead of sending a muscle-bound idiot like you to monitor Yang Cheon?”

“……!”

“That’s why you’re still being manipulated by Yang Cheon. No, with your brain, you probably didn’t even realize you were being manipulated.”

Black Yang’s face visibly contorted.

He, who was usually considered calm, was unusually helpless in front of Yeon Ho-Jeong.

“What is your true identity?”

“A descendant of the Mujong Clan.”

“How do you know the name of Saim?”

“Yang Cheon told me.”

“……!”

“Of course, I knew even before he told me.”

“What?”

In that instant, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes flashed.

Thud!

The table flew towards Black Yang’s face.

He had flung the table at him from a distance of less than half a meter. For Black Yang, who had been flustered the whole time, it was a surprising attack.

However, Black Yang was no ordinary master. He was a transcendent master who had broken through the Mujong Wall, and even if it was a surprise attack, he would not be caught off guard.

Crack!

He raised his elbow as if cutting with a sword, splitting the center of the table. It was a technique of the Saim Cult, the Bujulbak. [A martial arts technique]

It was then.

Whoosh!

‘……!!’

A look of urgency appeared on Black Yang’s face.

A large hand that had pierced through the split table was aiming for his side as if it had been waiting for it.

It was a perfectly timed move. It was as if he had already anticipated that he would split the table with his elbow.

‘Hup!’

Fwoooosh!

He twisted his body with all his might to avoid the blow that was flying towards his side. His waist was caught by Yeon Ho-Jeong’s hand, and his clothes were torn long.

‘This guy is crazy…….’

In that instant, Black Yang’s body froze.

“Cough!”

The clothes, which had become as hard as iron, strongly compressed his abdomen. The embodiment of metal energy, the White Tiger Qi of the West, had hardened the entire upper body clothing of Black Yang, which had been torn, to the strength of steel. [A type of martial arts energy]

It was an unexpected technique. To harden someone else’s clothes to control their movements? It was an amazing technique that was not easily found in the Central Plains martial world, let alone the outer regions.

‘Tsk!’

His attempt to quickly retreat had instead tightened his noose. Flustered, Black Yang quickly struck down on his clothes with his hand blade. He intended to cut off Yeon Ho-Jeong’s true energy along with the torn collar.

It was then.

Flap!

The clothes fluttered as they wrapped around the hand blade. Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had already withdrawn the White Tiger Qi, had taken a step forward to face Black Yang.

‘He read me!’

Black Yang couldn’t believe it.

‘Just what kind of guy is this?!’

Not only had he instantly grasped the weakness of the Bujulbak’s elbow attack, the Chanjangjugyeok, but he had also read the timing of the Sugyeolchamdo. [Another martial arts technique]

This was impossible. The Bujulbak was a martial art from the outer regions, and it was a martial art that people of the Central Plains could never know.

Thud!

“Kuh!”

Black Yang’s right knee touched the ground. Yeon Ho-Jeong’s leg technique had struck the outer part of his thigh.

Fwaaaak!

Black Yang’s right fist back aimed for Yeon Ho-Jeong’s temple. It was a fast and swift strike, a killing move that could cost him his life if allowed.

At that moment, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s arm twisted like a snake, wrapping around his fist back and elbow.

Crack!

“Kuh!”

It was a move aimed at the reverse joint. The cartilage was torn, and the joint was broken.

‘This!’

The entire right upper body seemed to be paralyzed by the terrible pain.

Even if he were to be treated, he would never be able to use his right arm again. Black Yang’s eyes were bloodshot.

Crack!

“Cough!”

He had lost the advantage due to the surprise attack. Black Yang’s upper body folded from the upward knee attack, and Yeon Ho-Jeong’s two fists were swung like hammers onto his exposed back.

Thud!

He could no longer endure it. Black Yang involuntarily screamed.

No, he thought he had screamed.

‘……?!’

Even as he writhed in terrible pain, Black Yang felt a chill run down his spine at the opponent’s meticulousness. As soon as he had shattered his bones with his two fists, he had pressed on his acupoints to prevent the scream from escaping.

‘D, damn it!’

Urgency appeared on Black Yang’s face.

His collarbone and ribs were broken at the same time. His spine was not broken, but he was injured to the point where it would be difficult to stand up for a while.

However, his worries were meaningless.

Yeon Ho-Jeong kicked his abdomen with an indifferent face.

Thud!

Black Yang vomited a mouthful of blood.

Pshshshsh.

The true energy that had been packed into every muscle was vaporizing at a terrifying speed.

It was a destruction of the dantian. [A center of energy in the body] It was a terrifying leg technique that had shattered not only the defensive barrier around the dantian but also the dantian itself with a merciless blow.

The match was over.

“Interesting, isn’t it?”

Tsutsutsutsu.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s killing intent penetrated every part of Black Yang’s body.

Even in this situation, he was somehow controlling his killing intent. If the Vermilion Bird Qi had exploded, his killing intent would have pierced through the thick stone walls and spread throughout the Black Dragon Unit. [Another type of martial arts energy]

“I’ve seen your bare-handed martial arts countless times. Among them, Bujulbak… Chanjangjugyeok followed by Sugyeolchamdo? Isn’t that too monotonous a combination?”

“……?!”

He had analyzed the martial arts used by the Three Cults of Madness, especially the Saim Cult, countless times.

And now, there was no one in the current martial world who knew the techniques of the Saim Cult as well as Yeon Ho-Jeong.

Not even Black Yang.

“I was thinking about it anyway. I needed one more guy to be my sacrifice, and I didn’t expect it to be you. I was thinking about Hwawon, that foul-tempered woman.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled brightly.

“Thank you. For provoking me. It’s better that it’s you. It’s too easy to create a pretext.”

He kicked Black Yang’s chin.

Crack!

Black Yang’s eyes rolled back as his jawbone shattered. He had fainted right there.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes narrowed.

“……I’m ending it here because the lives of my companions depend on it. Consider yourself lucky, you bastard.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong was no longer a master.

The Dark Emperor, who had abandoned his dignity and stepped into the mud, had temporarily put aside the cultivation he had learned and was gradually returning to his meticulous and aggressive past self.

Half a day later.

As Yeon Ho-Jeong crossed the underground plaza, he heard the voices of several people.

“Hmm? Lady Hwawon?”

“Really? I haven’t seen her?”

“She must be on another secret mission.”

“Probably.”

“The Zodiacs are all like that. Or maybe she’s resting at her residence. She’s been so busy lately.”

As expected.

The Zodiacs were only those who followed Yang Cheon’s orders. They did not interfere with internal affairs until Yang Cheon gave them separate orders, nor did they have the authority to do so.

‘Well, it doesn’t matter.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong was planning to go to Yang Cheon as he was. He was going to tell him everything about Black Yang’s identity.

Of course, he would not tell the truth. In his possession was a letter, neatly folded, containing information that he had fabricated over the past half-day.

‘Yang Cheon won’t kill him right away either. He’ll probably lock him up in the prison and wait until he regains consciousness.’

That was why he had put Black Yang in that state. To make it difficult for him to regain consciousness for at least a few days.

And when he woke up, Yang Cheon would go to meet Moyong Gun.

‘Now it’s a race against time.’

It was then.

‘What is it?’

Yeon Ho-Jeong looked at the entrance of the Black Dragon Hall with a puzzled expression.

The doors of the Black Dragon Hall were wide open. And many people were coming and going through the doors.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had stopped walking for a moment, soon found Baek Seo.

“Senior.”

Baek Seo was still expressionless. But there was a hint of urgency in his voice.

“What’s going on?”