Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 310

“Hoo.”

A stifling heat mixed with the light exhale.

He didn’t bother to force out the alcohol with his inner energy. He had drunk several bottles of strong liquor, so it was impossible not to be drunk.

At least, considering his usual tolerance, he should have been passed out drunk already.

“An ambiguous amount.”

Moyong Gun looked out the window.

Last night, the snowstorm had raged fiercely. But tonight, the sky was clear as if it were a lie. The moonlight, as well as countless starlight, were each showing off their presence.

A faint smile spread across Moyong Gun’s face.

“The weather is nice. Is winter finally starting to recede?”

Perhaps yesterday’s blizzard was the last one. It would still be cold in the mountains for a while, but at least it wouldn’t snow as much as before.

“Spring is coming… I used to be so happy when spring came.”

Moyong Gun’s smile grew increasingly bitter.

“How different it is when I’m full of anticipation for the future and when I’m completely immersed in reality.”

He had expected it. No, he had foreseen the current situation when he eliminated his own flesh and blood in the family’s power struggle to ascend to the position of head of the family.

However, what he hadn’t anticipated was the existence of Yeon Ho-Jeong.

‘No, it’s not just him.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong was a formidable opponent. He was a being who transcended age, power, and experience.

Moyong Gun honestly admitted it. Yeon Ho-Jeong was his greatest rival in life. He was certain that even if he eliminated Yeon Ho-Jeong in the future, there would never be a greater enemy.

But the problem wasn’t just Yeon Ho-Jeong.

‘Most of the Bonggong [a high-ranking position in the Murim Alliance], including Yeon-wi, are extraordinary.’

Things he had overlooked while fighting so fiercely with Yeon Ho-Jeong.

It was the capabilities of the giants who had obtained the same position and the same Bonggong title.

Among them, there were those who declared neutrality and did not step forward, those who openly revealed their greed, and those who focused on peace and stability like Yeon-wi and Jeagal Mun-Ho.

None of them were easy to deal with. A prime example was Tang Gwan. Moyong Gun believed that he could control Tang Gwan until the day he died, until Tang Gwan betrayed him.

‘It was arrogance.’

Tang Gwan never really liked him in the first place. Nor did he completely trust him.

He had been looking for an opportunity to turn his back from the beginning. Yeon Ho-Jeong’s persuasion was just the signal that brought that opportunity to the surface. He was someone who would have broken away at any time.

To have been so sure that he could control such a person until the end, how arrogant was that?

‘Was I such a narrow-minded person?’

Moyong Gun closed his eyes.

‘It was probably from then on.’

After finishing his deal with Yang Cheon and returning to the Murim Alliance.

He had tried to forcibly expel Gong Gong Dae Sa [a high-ranking elder in the Murim Alliance] in order to win the Alliance Leader election.

To be precise, it wasn’t an expulsion but a scheme to tarnish his reputation. But in the end, the plan was to prevent him from running in the Alliance Leader election, so it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it an expulsion.

However, that plan failed before it could even properly begin.

‘Even thinking about it now makes my face burn.’

Then, and again in his conversation with Yeon Ho-Jeong this time.

He had to taste failure once more.

He had been pushed back in power struggles before, but he had never felt so powerless.

If he had lacked ability, he wouldn’t have felt so wronged. Moyong Gun knew his strengths and weaknesses accurately, and he was a person who prided himself on seeing them with a colder eye than anyone else.

Yet why did he keep showing such a pathetic side? Why did he only realize his mistakes after committing them?

At least, I wasn’t like this until last year.

‘…….’

Moyong Gun opened his eyes.

The look in his eyes, as he gazed at the starlit night sky, was darker than ever before.

‘I got rid of the Myeong family. I’m competing with the Namgoong family for the top seat among the Six Great Families. I entered the Murim Alliance and created my own faction. After that, I joined hands with Yang Cheon.’

So much had happened in the meantime. And in the process, he had tasted quite a few failures, but he had struggled to climb up to his current position.

‘I was drunk. I was so focused on climbing step by step to a position I had only dreamed of that I failed to look at the situation calmly.’

Moyong Gun suddenly thought of Yeon Ho-Jeong.

He had never seen anyone as talented as Yeon Ho-Jeong. But when he evaluated it calmly, he and Yeon Ho-Jeong were not that different.

Yet Yeon Ho-Jeong did not make the same mistakes as him. He failed and was betrayed, but he always persistently aimed for the next step.

Was it a difference in patience? Or a difference in youth?

Or was it truly that there was such a gap between him and Yeon Ho-Jeong?

“I’m the one who’s incompetent.”

Moyong Gun sighed.

“To mess things up because I was excited that the future I had dreamed of was right in front of me. Even the great Moyong Gun has fallen so low.”

On the other hand, Yeon Ho-Jeong wasn’t trying to sit at the top.

Even this fierce power struggle was just a process for him. He didn’t know what Yeon Ho-Jeong’s dream was, but he knew that it wasn’t to seize the greatest power in the Murim [martial arts world].

In other words, Yeon Ho-Jeong didn’t need to be patient like him. That difference created the gap between him and Yeon Ho-Jeong.

Sighing in bitterness, Moyong Gun shook his head at a sudden thought.

“No, I almost made another mistake.”

Moyong Gun smiled.

“Isn’t my goal to defeat Yeon Ho-Jeong? Even if he’s better than me, I just need to achieve my goal, so why do I keep worrying about him?”

He had to worry about him. He was the biggest obstacle on the path to his dream, so of course, he had to worry about him.

However, simply worrying about him and being conscious of him were different matters.

Moyong Gun’s eyes sparkled like starlight.

“Yes, now I understand what I did wrong.”

Coming to this position? Creating his own faction? Joining hands with Yang Cheon?

Yes. It was through those processes that he had reached his current position. It was because of that that Moyong Gun, one of the twelve Bonggong of the Murim Alliance and a contender for the next Alliance Leader, existed.

But the reason why his vision had become narrow and his heart had become impatient was different.

“I’ve become too accustomed to fighting. My life wasn’t about surviving in this mess to win. I was trying to survive alone in the rotten pond under the throne, not for the throne itself.”

Moyong Gun burst into a hearty laugh.

“Hahaha, at this rate, I’m no different from the countless petty people who pursued power and were destroyed by it.”

He had once said this to Tang Gwan.

That he was different. That he wouldn’t follow in the footsteps of the fools who were swallowed by the monster of power while chasing it. That he would be a person who could control power like a well-behaved dog until the moment he died.

But before he knew it, he too was captivated by the magic of power, only looking at what was right in front of him.

“I have to change.”

Moyong Gun refilled his glass and emptied it, muttering to himself.

“I must control power, not be captivated by it.”

Moyong Gun pushed the empty glass aside.

“Isn’t that right?”

Creak.

The door opened, and Moyong Woo appeared.

“Did you know?”

“Of course.”

“I came carefully, thinking you might be asleep since it’s late, but I could feel your presence.”

“Haha, it’s not even midnight yet, so I can’t end the day yet.”

“You’ve drunk too much.”

“There should be times like this, shouldn’t there? Well, even I think I drank a lot.”

Chiiiik!

A strong scent of alcohol rose from Moyong Gun’s body. He had instantly blown away the alcohol with the true energy of the Thunder God Technique.

Moyong Gun looked at Moyong Woo with noticeably clearer eyes.

“Yes, it’s not midnight, but it is late. Why have you come all the way here in the middle of the night?”

The clear and deep gaze that looked at his younger brother.

Moyong Woo, who had been quietly facing his older brother, pointed to a chair.

“May I sit down?”

“Of course. Haha, why would you ask such a thing between us? Would you like a drink?”

“Then I’ll have a glass.”

“Oh my! What kind of serious story have you brought that you’re so different from usual? I’m already getting scared.”

Moyong Gun filled Moyong Woo’s glass.

Moyong Woo emptied his glass in one go and his eyes sparkled.

“Brother.”

“Yes.”

“…….”

“It seems like it’s a difficult topic to talk about. It’s okay, I’m ready to accept any story. Speak freely.”

Moyong Woo, who had been staring at his brother’s face, sighed slightly.

“It might sound a bit presumptuous…”

“……?”

“About this Alliance Leader election. Do you have any intention of giving up?”

It wasn’t a presumptuous statement, but it was a surprising one.

Moyong Gun’s eyes changed.

“Why do you say that?”

“I also…”

Moyong Woo, who had been moving his lips for a moment, lowered his head.

“I don’t know either.”

In fact, he had wanted to say this for a long time. However, the Moyong Gun he knew was someone who didn’t know how to give up, and he also knew that it was a pointless thing to say, so he could only tell him to fly higher.

But now, he had no choice but to confess his true feelings. Seeing this series of events, Moyong Woo couldn’t help but feel frustrated.

‘You’ve become too broken.’

Moyong Woo had made up his mind.

It had been the same since he joined hands with Yeon Ho-Jeong. In the meantime, Moyong Gun had made enough big mistakes, and at the crucial moment, he had even decided to step forward and send him to hell.

But the recent Moyong Gun was different from before.

Was it because of the bond of blood? Moyong Woo wished that Moyong Gun would just step down here. He wanted him to quietly step down and return to the Moyong family to spend his last years.

He knew that it was like a death sentence for Moyong Gun, but he still wished for it. He was going to make him step down from the position of head of the Moyong family anyway, but even so, this wasn’t it.

He wanted Moyong Gun’s end to be not glorious, but at least not miserable.

At least, that feeling was similar to what it was before and now.

‘How frustrating.’

Perhaps this statement towards Moyong Gun itself could put a burden on Yeon Ho-Jeong.

But it was something he had wanted to say at least once. He also felt relieved that he could say it today.

‘I know you won’t do it in the end, but I’m still saying this.’

Moyong Woo smiled bitterly and stood up.

“I’m sorry. I think I said something unnecessary. It’s just the useless worry of a younger brother…”

“No.”

“…Yes?”

“Your worries are never useless. I sincerely think so.”

“Brother?”

Unexpectedly, Moyong Gun was smiling.

“Yes, I was just reflecting on myself while drinking. And I realized that I’m not the same as before. On such a day, my younger brother even comes to worry about his older brother, so apart from the bitterness, my heart feels warm.”

“…….”

“I guess the only ones I can trust are my own flesh and blood.”

Moyong Woo closed his eyes.

Moyong Gun’s words that the only ones he could trust were his own flesh and blood stabbed him in the heart.

“So, I’m saying.”

“…?”

“I need to call one more of my flesh and blood.”

“…Yes?”

Moyong Gun’s eyes changed once again.

In that instant, Moyong Woo felt a chill run down his spine. The expression on Moyong Gun’s face, whose eyes had changed, looked like a devil who had attained enlightenment.

“There’s one thing I haven’t told you yet.”

“What is it?”

“I joined hands with Yang Cheon, and I sent Yeon-hwa there.”

“……!!”

“And Yeon-hwa will soon come to the Murim Alliance.”

“B-Brother!!”

Moyong Gun smiled.

It was a chilling smile that made the viewer’s skin crawl.

“Thanks to you, I’ve gained a great realization. Yes, it doesn’t matter when I get the Alliance Leader position. In the end, it will fall into my hands anyway. Isn’t that right?”