Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 27

The atmosphere inside the restaurant turned icy. Chu Seong’s face was contorted in a truly gruesome manner. Namgoong Hyeon, who had been sipping tea at the end of the restaurant, also had a face as stiff as a board.

Yeon Ji-Pyeong swallowed hard.

“B-Brother.”

“What? Aren’t you hungry?”

“…It’s not that.”

“If you’re not going to eat, I’ll eat it all? I’ve been training since dawn, and my stomach feels like it’s stuck to my back.”

Thud!

The ground trembled.

Everyone’s gaze, except for Yeon Ho-Jeong, turned to Chu Seong.

“What did you just say?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong glanced at Chu Seong.

His gaze was truly peculiar. It was as if he wasn’t looking at a person, but rather at a passing animal or an insignificant piece of scenery.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, after looking at Chu Seong, began to chew his meat again.

It was utter disregard. Chu Seong’s face flushed red.

“I asked you what you said!!”

“You’re noisy.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong picked at his ear.

“As expected, a beast is a beast. They can’t understand human words at all.”

It was like pouring oil on a raging fire.

“This brat dares!”

It was then.

“Stop it.”

Namgoong Hyeon, who had been sitting far away, approached.

Chu Seong didn’t look at Namgoong Hyeon. His anger had reached the top of his head. It seemed like he wanted to draw his sword right away.

He was actually clenching and unclenching his fists repeatedly. He really seemed like he was about to draw his sword.

Namgoong Hyeon put strength into his voice.

“Unit Leader Chu!”

“……”

“Step back.”

Chu Seong, who had been grinding his teeth, turned his body. His movements were so rough that the hem of his clothes fluttered.

Namgoong Hyeon, who inwardly sighed in relief, spoke in an icy voice.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong tilted his head.

“Are you talking to me?”

“Then who else would I be talking to but you?”

“What did I do to make you act like this?”

“That act of insulting the head of another family’s guard, do you think the main family will let it slide?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong chuckled.

“When did I ever insult your guard captain?”

“What?”

“I don’t think I ever mentioned anyone by name?”

“That’s petty. Don’t play with words. Anyone who saw this situation would…”

“Right, you said it well.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face became serious.

“Why didn’t you come out sooner when you were watching this whole situation? You saw my temper yesterday, yet you were leisurely drinking tea?”

“Wh-What did you say?”

“If you have something to say, come out and say it yourself. Don’t hide behind an old guard captain and just watch.”

“What nonsense are you spouting?!”

“I’m telling you not to be petty. What’s so lacking in you, the second young master of the Namgoong family, that you can’t even ask me to step outside? Are you perhaps afraid of me?”

“You’re mistaken. You’re driving people…”

Yeon Ho-Jeong waved his hand.

He didn’t listen to the other person’s words until the end. After all, it would be obvious what they would say.

If they were going to say something that would irritate him, he might as well just say what he wanted to say.

“I know you don’t have good feelings towards me. Then, like a martial artist, challenge me to a duel or ask me to have a drink. If you’re going to scheme, do it without being so obvious.”

“This is getting ridiculous. Why would I…”

“Wasn’t it? You must have been planning something because of your sister’s incident?”

Namgoong Hyeon’s expression changed drastically.

To bring up Namgoong Sang-Hwa in front of everyone? This was dangerous.

Just as Namgoong Hyeon was about to open his mouth, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s words were already pouring out.

“It’s one thing to have a twisted personality, but if you’ve learned the rules of your prestigious family, you shouldn’t cross the line. Looking at you and your sister, the name Namgoong is a waste.”

Namgoong Hyeon’s face became fierce.

“Are you insulting the main family right now?”

“If you don’t want to be called a beast, you should listen to people properly. Saying the name Namgoong is a waste means that you and your sister didn’t act like people of the Namgoong family. Can’t you even understand that much?”

“You…!!”

“And.”

A faint light flickered in Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes.

In that instant, Namgoong Hyeon’s body flinched. The glint of light that flashed like lightning seemed to have pierced through his eyes and the back of his head.

“Right now, here, you are using the concluded incident from yesterday as an excuse to insult the main family through me and my brother. Is there any reason why I shouldn’t insult you?”

“In-Insult!”

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled.

“Wasn’t it an insult? Then you’re saying you didn’t order your guard captain to do this?”

“Of course not!”

“Then I have every right to deal with your guard captain, who insulted the main family in this place.”

It was absurd.

But Yeon Ho-Jeong made that absurd statement sound reasonable.

“If it wasn’t something you ordered, then your guard captain acted on his own and insulted another family. As the eldest son of the insulted family, shouldn’t I resolve this grievance?”

“That’s ridiculous! Unit Leader Chu was merely exercising his authority for the gathering, he didn’t insult anyone…!!”

“I told you not to be petty with me, right? You shouldn’t do that either. Everyone in this restaurant saw your esteemed guard captain’s overbearing attitude.”

Namgoong Hyeon unconsciously looked around.

The young men and women scattered around were looking at this place. Some looked uneasy, while others looked interested.

The important thing was that all of them were members of the Seven Great Families.

Namgoong Hyeon gritted his teeth.

‘Damn it!’

He had only wanted to refresh the atmosphere of the second day of the gathering.

It was he who had ordered Chu Seong to corner Yeon Ho-Jeong. However, he had no intention of actually driving the Yeon brothers out. Even though their family was small, the Yeon family was also a member of the Seven Great Families.

He had planned to step in at the right moment and defuse the situation in front of everyone. It was to establish his own prestige, break the opponent’s spirit, and make Yeon Ho-Jeong lower his guard.

And at the decisive moment, he had planned to diminish the opponent’s face and show the power of the Namgoong family.

But what was this? The audience, who should have created a favorable situation for him, was instead supporting the opponent.

“If you really don’t like it, then punish your guard captain yourself instead of me.”

“Wh-What did you say?!”

“Whether he has the authority or not, your guard captain crossed the line. As the second young master of the family, shouldn’t you give him a stern scolding?”

“…!!”

“Choose.”

Namgoong Hyeon was originally a possessor of cold reason.

However, he had never encountered such a reckless situation. In fact, this was a minor squabble, not even worthy of being called an incident.

But the opponent had placed the burden of the family’s honor on this minor squabble. No matter how smart Namgoong Hyeon was, he couldn’t help but be flustered.

It was then.

“I will take responsibility for it.”

Namgoong Hyeon turned to look at Chu Seong.

Chu Seong’s eyes were burning like fire.

“In any case, this incident happened because of me, so it’s something that can be resolved by me. There’s no need for the young master to worry about it.”

The blood drained from Namgoong Hyeon’s face.

‘This damn it!’

It was the worst.

Chu Seong shouldn’t have stepped forward like this. He should have said something like, ‘Don’t be fooled by the opponent’s words, I’m not guilty.’

But he was saying he would take responsibility. That was tantamount to admitting that he had insulted the Yeon family.

Yeon Ho-Jeong grinned.

It was a truly pleasant smile, showing all of his chillingly white teeth.

“Unlike his master, he knows how to take responsibility. I like that one thing about him.”

Whoo-oong.

Chu Seong took a step forward.

He wasn’t releasing his inner energy, but an ominous aura was spreading out.

“So, how do you intend to hold this Chu Seong accountable?”

“Is there anything special about how martial artists resolve conflicts?”

“Are you saying you want to have a duel?”

“Wouldn’t that be the cleanest way?”

From Chu Seong’s perspective, it was an absurd situation.

Even if he was the eldest son of the Seven Great Families, he was a young man who wasn’t even twenty years old. On the other hand, he was a top-tier martial artist who had experienced the life and death of the martial world for over fifteen years.

To have a duel with him? He couldn’t understand the opponent’s confidence.

Perhaps because it was so absurd, Chu Seong spoke in a mocking tone.

“Well, seeing you fight with the third young master of a prestigious family, it seems you have a knack for hand-to-hand combat. While we’re at it, how about you give this Chu Seong a good lesson in front of everyone?”

It was a mockery, but also an opportunity to show the greatness of the Namgoong family. Chu Seong really wanted to thoroughly defeat Yeon Ho-Jeong in front of the younger generation.

Then what about Yeon Ho-Jeong?

‘What a stroke of luck?’

Yeon Ho-Jeong couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear.

He had wanted to start a fight anyway, and now they were even saying things like that? He wanted to forget everything that had happened a moment ago.

“Shall we? I think that would be good, right?”

The person who should have been shrinking back seemed to be enjoying it too much.

In that instant, Chu Seong wondered if the opponent had some kind of scheme. No matter how he thought about it, the probability of Yeon Ho-Jeong winning against him was less than one in ten.

Yeon Ho-Jeong jumped up from his seat.

“There’s also such a thing as a friendly duel. After holding you accountable, it would be quite meaningful for the younger generation to show off their martial arts skills, wouldn’t it?”

Chu Seong couldn’t help but let out a scoff.

“Do as you please.”

“Good, very good.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes gleamed ominously.

At this moment, his eyes were not on Chu Seong, but on Myeong Ho-Rim.

“Let’s have a good time.”

* * *

“Wh-What did you say?!”

Jeagal Ayeon’s mouth dropped open.

“Chu Seong? You don’t mean that Noehyeop Chu Seong who recently became the unit leader of the Namgoong family?!”

“…Yes.”

Jeagal Ayeon unconsciously touched her forehead.

“Damn it! Why would he fight with someone like that?!”

Noehyeop Chu Seong.

Chu Seong was a veteran expert who had gained considerable fame in the Henan and Anhui areas.

Known for his violent swordsmanship that matched his fiery temper, he was famous for single-handedly subduing three-tenths of the bandits in the Henan and Anhui areas over the past fifteen years.

Among those bandits, the majority were skilled in martial arts. Although most of them were from the underworld, there were many large bandit groups with hundreds of members.

In other words, he was not someone whose martial arts at the level of the younger generation would work on. The younger generation referred to those who were outstanding among their peers, and although there were occasional geniuses, fighting a real swordsman who had experienced countless battles was a dangerous thing for anyone.

There was a reason why the Namgoong family had appointed Chu Seong as a unit leader.

“We have to stop it! No matter how skilled Ho-Jeong’s martial arts are, this is not it!”

“That’s…”

Yeon Ji-Pyeong sighed.

“They’re already preparing at the outer training grounds. It’s supposed to start in an hour.”

“Huuu!”

Jeagal Ayeon made a gasping sound.

“Still, it’s not okay! Chu Seong is known to be as ruthless as his martial arts! He’s not the type to care about what people think!”

“There’s nothing we can do. If we back down here, my brother’s reputation will fall, not just the main family’s.”

Jeagal Ayeon was dumbfounded.

“But Pyeong, why are you so detached? Have you given up on everything? Have you become enlightened?”

Yeon Ji-Pyeong sighed.

“How could that be? I’m worried too. I’ve tried to stop him several times. But…”

“But?”

“As worried as I am, I also believe in my brother.”

“…!!”

“So far, the brother I’ve seen has always done things that he can take responsibility for, even if they seem a bit extreme to others. As his blood relative, I’m worried, but I believe my brother has a plan.”

Jeagal Ayeon’s eyes wavered.

He believes in his brother? No matter how much you believe in your brother, this is a bit much, isn’t it?

They were truly strange brothers. Worried but believing? It wasn’t the thinking of an ordinary person.

‘Brothers are brothers.’

But Yeon Ji-Pyeong’s eyes didn’t waver. He wasn’t anxious.

He clearly believed in his brother’s judgment as well as his skills.

“You two are truly a difficult pair in many ways.”

“Yes?”

“Never mind! Let’s go to the training grounds quickly! Jun! You come out quickly too!”