Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 249

“So it was.”
Moyong Gun gave a bitter smile.

“To interfere in the Martial Alliance Leader election… so that’s what it was.”

Surprisingly, Yang Cheon readily answered Moyong Gun’s question.

And looking at Yang Cheon, Moyong Gun couldn’t help but feel an even greater burden.

‘He has nothing left to lose now.’

The Mukryong Unit [Hidden Dragon Unit] was an organization that had not yet revealed itself to the world.

Now, it had all become futile, but at least the situation wasn’t completely beyond repair. If that were the case, Yang Cheon should have approached more cautiously.

However, Yang Cheon did not.

He was extremely angry and wanted the truth. So, he risked all his previous efforts and came directly.

And that proved one chilling fact.

‘I could die.’

The moment he realized that unavoidable reality, Moyong Gun felt his back getting damp.

He had strived to be the best his entire life, and he was actually on the verge of reaching the top. There were many obstacles, but he had been steadily building up the means to overcome them.

Yet, all of that was now in danger of being reduced to nothing.

“That is a truly bold and dangerous method. You were trying to use a method that was no different from gambling.”

“Now, tell me.”

Yang Cheon raised his chin.

“Why did you attack the headquarters? Judging by the circumstances, it seems you already knew of the headquarters’ existence. How much do you know? What did you hope to gain by provoking us? Surely, you didn’t think the Moyong family could handle the headquarters?”

It was an extremely arrogant tone.

Moyong Gun shook his head.

“The main family’s power is considered the best among the Six Great Families. But even if only half of the power of the Mukryong Unit that I investigated is true, the main family would have a hard time handling the Mukryong Unit.”

Yang Cheon’s eyes flashed.

Moyong Gun had just said, ‘the Mukryong Unit that I investigated.’ That meant that the existence of the Mukryong Unit might not be known within the Martial Alliance.

“Yet, you still provoked us? Why?”

For a moment, Moyong Gun almost blurted out Yeon Ho-jeong’s name.

‘That cunning bastard.’

He inwardly gritted his teeth at Yeon Ho-jeong.

Revealing Yeon Ho-jeong’s identity here would be the worst possible move. Yeon Ho-jeong had quickly gained Yang Cheon’s trust and even managed to secure a key position within the Mukryong Unit.

In other words, he had completely deceived Yang Cheon. In such a situation, would Yang Cheon be grateful if the truth were revealed now? Rather, his anger would explode, and he would kill him first, then attack the Moyong family, and finally declare war on the Martial Alliance.

At least, that’s what he would do. If a fight was unavoidable, he would have to weaken the enemy’s forces.

‘I must never reveal that this was a mission from the Martial Alliance.’

He had no intention of doing so in the first place, but it had become an inescapable situation. He had to make it seem like he destroyed the information chief and blew up the entrance to the Mukryong Unit entirely on his own accord.

It was truly an absurd situation.

‘Did he foresee even this?’

While he thought it was impossible, a part of him also thought it was entirely possible.

‘A terrifying man.’

Moyong Gun calmly opened his mouth.

“It was for a similar reason as the Vice-Chief.”

“A similar reason as me?”

“Yes.”

“Explain.”

“You sent the information chief instead of the Vice-Chief, didn’t you? After talking to him, I realized he was no ordinary, ruthless man.”

Yang Cheon’s face visibly contorted.

He tried not to think about it, but Jeong’s face kept appearing in his mind.

The face of a hidden dragon with a confident expression, yet cautious and sharp insight.

“…And so?”

“But I didn’t know he was someone the Vice-Chief cherished. To be honest, it wouldn’t have mattered anyway.”

“What?”

“The Vice-Chief broke his promise. In the face of the Thirteen Seats of Seongcheon [a powerful group], the title of Moyong Family Head pales in comparison, but I am also the head of a family and a servant of the Martial Alliance. I couldn’t help but feel displeased.”

Yang Cheon’s eyes twitched.

“You killed the headquarters’ information chief for such a trivial reason?”

“That guy was the one who poured oil on the fire.”

“…?!”

“He was clearly a talented individual, but he was still young. He couldn’t keep his mouth shut. When he appeared at a meeting between the heads of two groups without prior notice, he should have apologized first, but instead, he provoked me?”

Moyong Gun’s eyes turned cold.

Actually, thinking about Yeon Ho-jeong made him unable to control his seething emotions.

“Not just me, anyone would have drawn their sword.”

Yang Cheon closed his eyes.

‘This bastard.’

Moyong Gun didn’t seem to be lying. After all, he wouldn’t fabricate lies in a situation where he could easily die.

In fact, after hearing Moyong Gun’s words, he could understand.

‘How could such a meticulous man make such a mistake?’

Jeong was a man who knew his politics. However, his nature was more focused on strength than gentleness. As Moyong Gun said, he could have easily made a mistake.

Perhaps Jeong had lost his precious life because of that one mistake.

‘If he was going to leave so meaninglessly, he shouldn’t have come to my side in the first place.’

Flash!

Yang Cheon opened his eyes.

Moyong Gun had to taste a chilling feeling from his sharp gaze.

“Was the bombing of the headquarters’ entrance also because you were angry?”

“Of course not. Didn’t I say it was for a similar reason as the Vice-Chief?”

“What?”

Moyong Gun smiled coldly.

“I wanted to see how you would react.”

“…?!”

“Though I didn’t expect the Vice-Chief to come in person.”

Yang Cheon chuckled.

“You blew up the headquarters’ entrance just to see my reaction? You expect me to believe that?”

“If that wasn’t the case, why would I bother touching the Mukryong Unit? If I had intended to destroy the Mukryong Unit, I would have prepared more secretly and buried them all alive at once.”

It was Yang Cheon’s turn to feel a pang of guilt.

‘This guy is serious.’

He couldn’t help but acknowledge his audacity.

‘To say in front of this Yang Cheon that he would have buried the headquarters alive without hesitation.’

He recalled his conversation with Baek Seo.

‘If they knew of our existence, they wouldn’t have separated the Moyong family’s forces to only blow up the entrance.’

Baek Seo had clearly said that.

And Yang Cheon agreed with that statement. If they had intended to attack properly, they would have come in with a plan, and if not, they wouldn’t have touched it at all.

In other words, the Martial Alliance likely didn’t know of the Mukryong Unit’s existence. At the same time, Moyong Gun wanted something from the Mukryong Unit.

Come to think of it, wasn’t he here himself to confirm that?

Moyong Gun smacked his lips.

“Young boys often play harsh pranks on girls because they want attention. It’s a bit of an embarrassing analogy, but what I did was similar to that.”

“…”

“And I am now seeing the effects of it. It is truly an honor that the Vice-Chief has come to see me in person.”

“Regardless of the reason, I cannot overlook the fact that you attacked the headquarters. Moreover, you killed the headquarters’ information chief and three of the Twelve Zodiacs [elite warriors].”

Yang Cheon’s face was filled with murderous intent.

“Now, tell me why I shouldn’t kill you.”

At that moment, Moyong Gun inwardly rejoiced.

‘Got it.’

Why shouldn’t he kill him?

There was no need to say such a thing in the current situation. If Yang Cheon was truly angry, he would have attacked long ago.

In other words, Yang Cheon was now giving him a chance.

A chance to return alive, a word that confirmed that they could start negotiating.

His pride was hurt, but now was not the time to think about such things. Rather, it was a situation that could turn into a blessing in disguise.

Moyong Gun spoke calmly.

“Whatever the reason, as many of the Vice-Chief’s subordinates died, so did many of the main family’s warriors.”

“It’s not comparable. The subordinates you killed were talented individuals who held key positions in the headquarters. In comparison, what you lost were just pawns.”

“Then, we can just balance the scales, can’t we?”

“Balance the scales?”

“If both sides have lost something, I think it’s best to end this emotional fight here. Rather, I believe this fight can strengthen our relationship. What does the Vice-Chief think?”

Yang Cheon’s eyes lit up.

“Does that mean?”

“Yes. I will agree to the deal we originally intended to make.”

“…?!”

“Interfere in the Martial Alliance Leader election next year. If I become the leader, I will properly support the Mukryong Unit from behind.”

Yang Cheon smiled coldly.

“You said you would balance the scales, but aren’t you asking us to take another loss?”

“From the start, it was unreasonable for the Vice-Chief to interfere in the election. It was a gamble. But I am saying that I will step into that gamble myself and bet my life.”

“…?!”

“I will replace the lives of the subordinates the Vice-Chief lost with my life. And my life can be of great help to the Mukryong Unit, depending on how you use it.”

“…”

“Of course, that’s not all. A deal must be certain. If you agree to this deal…”

Moyong Gun’s eyes deepened.

‘I’m sorry.’

This was the only way for now.

‘It will be a big shock, but this can also be a stepping stone for your growth. If you endure this one sacrifice, I will use you greatly in the future.’

He sincerely thought so.

“…I will send my daughter to the Vice-Chief.”

At that moment, Yang Cheon was startled.

“Send your daughter?”

“Of course, you must not treat my daughter like a nobody. Although she is still young and lacks experience, she is quite clever.”

“…?!”

“Depending on how you handle her, she can be of great help to the Mukryong Unit. Please take good care of her.”

Yang Cheon’s eyes twitched.

It had been revealed that the Black Sheep sent by the Saeum Sect [a martial arts sect] was a traitor. It was hard to believe that a trading partner would send someone in such a situation.

However, if it was a blood relative, it was a different story.

“You’re sending your daughter as a hostage to save your life?”

Moyong Gun spoke in a cheerful tone.

“I hope you see me as someone who can make such a drastic move. Also, wouldn’t my daughter’s life help balance the scales to some extent?”

Moyong Gun’s eyes blazed like flames.

His eyes, filled with desire, ambition, and excitement, were so bright that even Yang Cheon, the best in the world, found it difficult to meet them.

“Now, what will you do? Will you make up for what you’ve lost with this one deal? Or will you kill me and prepare for a battle with the Martial Alliance?”

* * *

“Puhahaha!”

As soon as they crossed the Yangtze River in central Hubei Province, Ga Deuk-sang took a deep breath.

“Wow, even the air is different.”

Yeon Ho-jeong nodded.

“I think we can forget about the pursuers now. Now that we’ve crossed the Yangtze River, neither the Mukryong Unit nor any of the Black Path sects will be able to chase us.”

He looked around at everyone.

“You’ve all worked hard.”

Everyone in the group sighed in relief. Since Yeon Ho-jeong said so, they could really relax now.

Paeyul grumbled.

“Next time, call me when you go to a more exciting place. I thought I was going to die of boredom.”

“Understood.”

Dang Sang-ah shook her head.

“It’s better to fight an enemy you can’t handle. Infiltration is really difficult.”

“Well, that’s how it is.”

Jeagal Ayeon asked cautiously.

“By the way, Jeong-ah.”

“Speak.”

“We’re worried about ourselves, but what about the commander? Will he be able to get out safely?”

“I don’t know.”

Yeon Ho-jeong looked south.

A meaningful light flickered in his cool, calm eyes.

“…If he returns alive, there must be a good reason.”