Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 320

Two days later.

‘Hmm.’

Yeon-wi’s eyes sank deeply, like a lake.

‘So, that’s what happened?’

‘Yes, it is.’

He was managing his expression as he had tea with his father. However, Yeon-wi saw a layer of frost on his eldest son’s face.

‘The last information hub of the Shin-hwa Cult [Divine Transformation Cult] is near Heo-chang. Considering the third one is at Cheonjasan, there must be at least two more places to send information besides Heo-chang in case of emergency.’

Information brokers who steal and exchange information operate numerous hubs.

The most important hubs are the first and last ones. While maintaining the main hubs, it’s safer to have multiple first and last hubs.

If information is properly stolen, there are often more than ten hubs. Having only four could be considered few.

‘They must have established the hubs thinking the Murim Alliance [Martial Arts Alliance] doesn’t know of their existence.’

‘That’s likely. But each hub seemed weak. They were probably temporary, and they’ll start building proper ones over time.’

‘Yes, that’s likely. Anyway…’

Yeon-wi clicked his tongue.

‘You mean you chased down every single carrier pigeon?’

‘Yes, I did.’

From Daebyeolsan, where the Murim Alliance is located, through the second hub, to the third at Cheonjasan, and then from Cheonjasan to the last one at Heo-chang, he had swept through them all and returned.

This was a matter of mental strength, not just internal energy or physical strength. No matter how good one’s physical strength was, they couldn’t catch up without an extreme determination to catch them.

He even went back in reverse order to check each one again on his way back.

He knew his son was tenacious, but he didn’t know he was this persistent.

‘Maybe it’s understandable.’

His son had said he lived for decades and then returned to the past for an unknown reason.

Yeon-wi had no doubt that his son’s confession was true.

Regardless of how absurd it sounded, Yeon-wi believed his son’s confession. And when he thought about that, his son’s persistence was not something he couldn’t understand.

‘You’ve worked hard. Get some rest today.’

‘It’s alright. This is nothing.’

‘You fool, you’ve traveled that far and haven’t even rested properly!’

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled wryly.

‘Rather than regretting the past at a crucial moment, it’s better to move with sweat on my feet even if I feel like I’m dying now.’

‘……’

‘For now, the situation within the Alliance seems calm. If Gong Gong [a term of respect, often used for elders or officials] gives us an answer soon, I think we can move after that.’

‘Hmm.’

‘I’ll focus on this for the time being. Father, please keep an eye on the flow of political strife.’

It was a request, but his tone was more determined than ever. Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had made up his mind, exuded a terrifying force.

Come to think of it, his son had been meddling in too many things. He was busy keeping Moyong Gun in check, worrying about the Myeolsa Army [Army of Extinction], predicting the future of the Murim Alliance, and even watching the rise of the Three Teachings [Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism].

It was absolutely impossible for one person to do all that. Although it was precarious, his son had held on to everything until the end.

Yeon-wi’s eyes gleamed.

‘I think I’ve burdened you too much while being concerned about ‘people.’ It will be different from now on. This father will keep a close eye on the flow of political strife, so go ahead without any worries.’

‘Thank you.’

‘But before that.’

Yeon-wi nodded.

‘Unless someone’s head is about to roll right now, I still want you to rest today.’

‘Father.’

‘This is not an order as the head of the family, nor is it a recommendation as a father. It’s a request.’

‘……’

‘As you said, it’s better to do your best when you can rather than regretting it at a crucial moment. But in this father’s eyes, you look terrible right now.’

It wasn’t just that he looked tired.

Was it because he was running after one of the Three Teachings after a long time? Yeon Ho-Jeong was somewhat excited.

That excitement and murderous intent, worry and anger, determination and conflict, Yeon-wi could feel them all.

‘The eldest son I know is a genius who can see one or two steps ahead even when he’s extremely excited. But I don’t see that in you right now.’

‘……!’

‘Let’s rest just for today. I want you to cool your head while resting.’

‘……Understood.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong sighed.

‘Since you say so, Father, I won’t go out today.’

Yeon-wi smiled contentedly and stood up.

‘The business world south of the Yangtze River is quite turbulent. There’s a Bonggong meeting scheduled for that matter, so I probably won’t be back until midnight. I’ll go to the meeting and check on the Bonggongs, so rest well.’

‘Understood. Have a good day.’

‘Alright.’

With that, Yeon-wi left the residence.

Yeon Ho-Jeong sighed, feeling frustrated.

‘Rest, huh?’

He had used Gi Woo-Hee properly for the first time, and at the same time, he had found the information hubs of the Shin-hwa Cult.

And now, he had to lead the construction of watchtowers using Jin-beop [a type of formation or array] around those information hubs. Of course, he had no time to rest.

But.

‘Alright, let’s rest just for today.’

He trusted his father. He trusted his father’s eyes and his heart.

If his father said he was different from usual, then he was. His father could see the gaps or flaws that he himself didn’t know about.

Of course, resting for a day wouldn’t make this urgency disappear, but he intended to calm his mind as much as possible.

Yeon Ho-Jeong lay down on the bed.

His heart was pounding like thunder. Yet, as soon as he lay down, his eyelids felt strangely heavy.

But Yeon Ho-Jeong’s mind was still racing.

‘Father and the strategist are handling the political strife, Hoo-gae is handling the information, my brother is handling Moyong Gun, and Muk Bi is handling the Myeolsa Army. They are all trustworthy, but no one is perfect. Sooner or later, something will go wrong somewhere.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong bit his lip.

‘A single minor problem can collapse an entire organization. It’s rare, but in the current situation where we can’t afford to neglect anything, I can’t let my guard down.’

It had been a long time since his head felt like it was about to break.

His mind kept going to the Three Teachings, but if he focused on that, there would be gaps elsewhere.

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust people. It was because he knew the world too well.

Of course, there was no guarantee that his intervention would solve the problem. If he thought about it that way, his current worries were unnecessary.

After thinking for a while, Yeon Ho-Jeong sighed.

‘This isn’t resting.’

He deliberately tried to clear his mind.

Trying to force his mind to be empty only made the random thoughts continue. Still, Yeon Ho-Jeong focused.

How long had it been?

‘……’

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s breathing gradually evened out.

He must have been really tired. Yeon Ho-Jeong’s expression while sleeping looked strangely exhausted.

Half a day later.

Bang!

‘Jeong-ah!’

The door opened, and Jeagal Ayeon entered.

Her eyes were dark, as if she had been through a lot. But her eyes were sparkling, indicating that she had achieved something.

‘I found it! There’s a perfect Jin-beop at the main family… Huh?’

Jeagal Ayeon frowned.

‘You make people work and then you just lie down and sleep? What a terrible boss!’

Jeagal Ayeon, who had been huffing and puffing, eventually sat down on a chair by the window.

Her face, which had been distorted while looking at Yeon Ho-Jeong, gradually turned expressionless.

‘Well, yeah.’

She knew Yeon Ho-Jeong’s personality. Even if he said that, Yeon Ho-Jeong wasn’t the type to make his subordinates work while he slacked off.

‘He would rather do even harder work.’

Besides, if she had come in making such a loud noise, he should have woken up. No, he would have sensed her presence and woken up before she even yelled.

But the fact that he was sleeping soundly meant that Yeon Ho-Jeong’s fatigue was beyond imagination.

Jeagal Ayeon scratched her head and took out a few neatly folded papers from her pocket.

‘Tch, I worked hard to find this. Well, it’s not that urgent.’

After all, the enemy’s hubs weren’t going to disappear right away. As long as the environment was right, Jin-beop could be built in a few days, so it was better to rest properly when resting.

‘The enemy, huh?’

Jeagal Ayeon’s expression became serious.

‘There’s a certain force aiming for the Murim?’

This was the first time she had heard of such an organization.

Of course, she didn’t blame Yeon Ho-Jeong for not telling her sooner. The fact that Yeon Ho-Jeong and her father had kept quiet until now meant that there was a good reason for it.

‘If Jeong and Father are so tense, it must be a formidable enemy.’

She was imagining the ‘enemy’ when she heard a cautious voice from outside the door.

‘Um…’

Jeagal Ayeon blinked.

‘Who is it? Oh? Is it Ji-Pyeong?’

‘Ah, yes.’

‘Come in, come in.’

Yeon Ji-Pyeong carefully opened the door and entered the room.

Jeagal Ayeon smiled and waved her hand.

‘We’re so busy, we don’t even see each other often.’

‘That’s right. How have you been, Sister?’

‘Of course, I’m fine. Wow, Ji-Pyeong is so kind, even after seeing him again. I wish my bratty brother would learn from you.’

‘Cough.’

‘Anyway, Jeong is sleeping? Did you come to see Jeong?’

‘Ah, yes. But he’s sleeping.’

‘I know, right? I came to see him too, but he’s completely knocked out.’

‘……’

‘……’

‘……Ahem! Are you waiting here?’

‘Huh? Oh, of course. If I come back later and find out he’s awake and wandering around again, it’ll be a headache.’

‘T-That’s true.’

It was strange to sit next to someone who was sleeping and wait.

Jeagal Ayeon flicked her fingers.

‘Why don’t you come and sit down? Since it’s like this, keep your sister company.’

‘Yes, yes?’

Yeon Ji-Pyeong was flustered. Even so, it didn’t seem right to chatter next to his sleeping brother.

‘There’s a flat bench outside. Wouldn’t it be better to talk there?’

Jeagal Ayeon flicked her fingers left and right.

‘He’s still sleeping even after I yelled with abdominal breathing, so he must be in a deep sleep. Look, even though you came, he’s not even making a sound.’

‘T-That’s true, but…’

‘Hey, don’t be like that, come and sit here.’

Yeon Ji-Pyeong sat opposite her, as if he had no choice.

Jeagal Ayeon smiled and said,

‘By the way, I didn’t notice when I saw you a while ago, but you’ve improved a lot? If we fought seriously, I’d probably lose.’

‘That can’t be true.’

‘No, it’s true. You don’t seem to realize it, but your energy is like…’

The two talked and laughed more comfortably than expected. Of course, Yeon Ji-Pyeong occasionally lowered his voice, glancing at Yeon Ho-Jeong.

That’s how half an hour passed quickly.

Since it was winter in the mountains, the sun was setting early. The scenery outside the window was gradually turning crimson.

Jeagal Ayeon laughed and said,

‘It’s been a while since I’ve had such a pleasant conversation partner. I feel like all the fatigue I’ve accumulated has flown away.’

Yeon Ji-Pyeong smiled with a serious expression.

‘I’m glad that our conversation relieved your fatigue.’

‘You’ve really become an adult. You’re more mature than your brother.’

‘Cough! Ah, no! Absolutely not.’

‘No, it’s true. That’s how I feel.’

‘Cough, cough!’

‘Do you have a cold?’

‘……No.’

Jeagal Ayeon giggled.

‘Come visit our place often. I’ll treat you to some good tea.’

‘I’ll visit you often in the future, Sister.’

Jeagal Ayeon, who was smiling contentedly, suddenly looked at the sunset shining through the window.

‘It’s so red. It looks like there’s a fire somewhere.’

‘It does.’

‘Ugh, I hate fire.’

‘Why?’

‘Don’t you remember when we first met? The martial art I learned is based on wood energy, so I was almost overpowered by that pervert.’

‘Ah!’

‘Ever since then, I get sick of seeing fire. They say I can train my martial art to the point where I won’t be affected by fire energy, but I don’t know when I’ll achieve that.’

‘Your talent is so outstanding, Sister, you’ll achieve it faster than anyone else…’

That’s when it happened.

‘That’s right.’

The two were startled and looked at the bed.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had woken up, was stroking his chin.

‘Wood and water energy are sensitive to fire energy… Yes, that’s right. It’s the same even in front of divine fire.’

‘Cough! When did you wake up?’

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled brightly and grabbed her arm.

‘Let’s go. I’ve got a good idea.’

There was no time to ask where they were going.

Whoosh!

The two who had jumped out of the window instantly became tiny dots in the distance.

Yeon Ji-Pyeong could hear Jeagal Ayeon’s voice fading away rapidly.

‘Hey, you damn bastard! Not once, but twice… Don’t touch my hand… I’m going to kill you…!’