Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 321

‘I knew something was off.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong, having arrived near the first information hub, looked around and nodded.

‘Oh, my back. What are you talking about?’

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s Heavenly Flight [a technique that allows for extremely fast movement] was at its peak. The speed of his explosive movement, powered by the Yeon Family Divine Art, was already worthy of a sect leader.

She had practically been piggybacked, but he had run too hard. It was no wonder Jeagal Ayeon’s back was stiff.

Yeon Ho-Jeong pointed around with his hand.

‘What do you think of this place?’

‘What do I think?’

‘Tell me what you observe about this terrain.’

Jeagal Ayeon’s eyes sparkled. Yeon Ho-Jeong wouldn’t ask such a question without a reason.

‘Let’s see.’

Jeagal Ayeon looked around seriously, then tilted her head.

‘Well? I don’t see anything particularly strange? The first hub is over there, in the forest, right?’

‘Yes.’

‘They chose a good location. You can tell they put some thought into it. Unless you were suspicious from the start, even a master would just pass by.’

‘Anything else?’

‘It’s good for hiding and concealment, taking advantage of the geographical features? It’s also far enough from the village, but it’s in a good spot to monitor it. But…’

Jeagal Ayeon’s eyes narrowed.

‘There are so many trees.’

‘That’s it.’

The cold of winter hadn’t completely faded yet. It would be at least two more months before new leaves sprouted on the bare trees.

Yet, the Shin-hwa Cult’s [a cult that worships fire] information hub was nowhere to be seen. The trees were too dense.

‘I don’t think they chose this location just for hiding and concealment. If you think about it, there are plenty of more secluded places they could have chosen.’

‘You mean?’

‘There must be another reason why it had to be this place.’

Jeagal Ayeon’s eyes sparkled. It was the look of a curious girl who had found something interesting.

‘Are the other hubs like this too?’

‘Yes. I felt a strange sense of déjà vu, and when I thought about it, all the hubs were surrounded by dense trees. So much so that it was hard to find them.’

‘Hmm.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes blazed.

He had met the Shin-hwa Cult’s enemies, but he had never fought a master. Most of those he had fought were demons from the Sa-eum Cult [a demonic cult].

However, he knew the characteristics of the Shin-hwa Cult’s masters.

‘They worship fire.’

The Divine Fire, and the Sacred Fire.

The leader of the Shin-hwa Cult was the representative of the god who first brought fire, and he was absolutely trusted by the followers. Like the Sa-eum or Gwang-hyeol [another cult], their trust was in the realm of fanaticism.

Therefore, all the martial arts they used were based on fire energy.

Of course, it wasn’t just simple fire energy. It was said that their Heat Yang Art [a martial art focused on fire energy] was different from the Heat Yang Art of the Central Plains, and their fire energy was overwhelmingly powerful.

According to a master from the Sa-eum Cult, the firepower emitted by someone who had mastered the Shin-hwa Cult’s martial arts was almost equivalent to lava.

With that level of firepower, you could ignore even the elemental advantages.

‘At the same time, they train in places with strong wood energy, which is used as a sacrifice to grow their fire-based martial arts. After reaching a certain level, they train their Heat Yang Art in places with abundant water energy to suppress the elemental advantage.’

It was the same principle as throwing a few drops of water on a raging fire, making it burn even more fiercely.

Yeon Ho-Jeong looked around again.

‘This place is full of wood energy. All the hubs are like that. It’s not just for martial arts training, but also for escape and concealment if they are discovered. Furthermore, in a place like this, even a master several levels above them wouldn’t be able to overpower them.’

There is a saying, ‘iron fortress.’ It means a state where absolute defense is possible.

In that sense, these places were like iron fortresses for the hub managers. If they concentrated their firepower, the entire place would turn into a sea of fire in an instant.

‘These enemies have all mastered extreme yang martial arts. They’ve been practicing Heat Yang Art for hundreds of years, so their level of Heat Yang Art is better than that of the Central Plains.’

Jeagal Ayeon’s face became serious.

‘Then… that explains why they set up their hubs in places like this, full of wood energy.’

‘Yes.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong sighed.

‘I should have noticed it sooner.’

He now understood why his father had told him to rest.

Normally, he would have noticed this strangeness right away. But he was so caught up in excitement and increasing fatigue that he thought he was dealing with the Sa-eum Cult, not the Shin-hwa Cult.

That’s why he was late in figuring it out. It was an uncharacteristic mistake.

‘How many of the formations you found are based on water energy?’

‘Two out of fifteen.’

‘The enemy.’

‘In the first place, formations that use the Five Elements are rare. They are the most difficult to master.’

‘Hmm.’

‘Besides, formations that control and manipulate energy are not in accordance with the natural order, so they will naturally break down over time.’

‘How long do they last?’

‘At least two months, assuming they are made properly. The manufacturing itself isn’t that difficult if you have people to do it.’

‘That’s good.’

‘But you need a water source to complete the formation. If you set up the formation without it, the area outside the formation will become extremely dry.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong looked north.

There was a narrow river that stretched along the northeast side of the village.

Jeagal Ayeon nodded.

‘It’s far, but it’s possible if we connect the formation axes. But it will take about fifteen days to connect the axes. And if we want to work secretly, it will take about five more days.’

‘Twenty days.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong nodded.

‘Anyway, we have forty-five days until we send the information again. Now we have forty-two days left.’

‘Shall we start?’

‘Of course.’

‘Just this place?’

‘No. This place, Heochang, and the last hub…’

That’s when it happened.

Thwack!

Yeon Ho-Jeong covered Jeagal Ayeon’s mouth and retreated backward in an instant.

Jeagal Ayeon, startled, sent him a telepathic message.

[What’s wrong?!]

[Quiet.]

The telepathic reply was incredibly heavy. Jeagal Ayeon unconsciously shut her mouth.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, hidden behind a large rock, looked far to the north.

‘A master?!’

Whirr.

A fiery aura, like a hallucination, was transmitted.

The unknown master was also suppressing his presence, but it was not enough to escape Yeon Ho-Jeong’s senses, which had become incredibly sharp due to rest, the Yeon Family Divine Art, and the balanced Four Divine Energies.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes wavered.

‘What is it, all of a sudden?’

He was a formidable master. Judging by his aura alone, the completion of his inner energy was comparable to that of the heads of the Six Great Clans [powerful martial arts families].

It was difficult to compare him to his father or Moyong Gun, but he seemed no less powerful than Peng Ga-ju or Namgoong In, the head of the Namgoong Clan.

A supreme master who was not easily seen. Such a master had entered an area only a few dozen miles away from the Murim Alliance [a martial arts organization].

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes faintly trembled.

‘These guys are fearless.’

In terms of the Sa-eum Cult, it was as if a general-level master had appeared as a vanguard.

‘Why at this time? Why? Are they really this careless? Or are they absolutely confident?’

Questions piled up. But when the opponent’s aura reached the front of the hub, Yeon Ho-Jeong stopped thinking.

He secretly circulated his inner energy, maximizing his hearing.

‘Have you arrived, Twelfth General?’

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes lit up.

It was a familiar voice. It was definitely the middle-aged man he had heard in the hut two days ago.

After a while, the unknown master’s voice was heard.

‘I heard that the half-wit sent a message.’

It was heavy.

The voice itself was somewhat high-pitched, but it sounded strangely low and resonant.

It was very dignified. The voice conveyed the dignity of a great master. Regardless of the completion or density of his inner energy, his presence as a strong person was overwhelming.

‘Yes, sir.’

‘What was the information?’

‘D-Didn’t you hear it?’

‘……’

‘Huk! I’m sorry! I have committed a great sin…!’

‘It’s alright. I am not the Eleventh General. I am not so heartless as to punish you for not answering immediately.’

‘I am just sorry.’

‘So, what was the information?’

‘It was information about a junior named Yeon Ho-Jeong, the leader of the Murim Alliance’s Yu-gun unit.’

‘Yeon Ho-Jeong, you mean that junior who has recently become famous?’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘Not even a Bong-gong [a high-ranking martial artist], but you sent information about such a mere whelp?’

‘Yes, but if the content sent is true, it is a surprising matter.’

‘Give me the letter.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes deepened.

It was he who had thrown out false information based on truth. But when his own name was mentioned by the enemies, he felt strange.

Clench.

His fist clenched involuntarily.

The urge to rush out and blow their heads off was overwhelming, but an even greater sense of calm dominated his body.

Swoosh.

Jeagal Ayeon gently grabbed Yeon Ho-Jeong’s shoulder.

She didn’t know what was going on, but it was a sign to stay calm. Yeon Ho-Jeong secretly regulated his breathing.

After a while.

‘Is this true?’

‘We have dispatched informants to verify the facts. It will take some time, but we will be able to thoroughly investigate the person named Yeon Ho-Jeong.’

‘……Whether this is true or false, it is definitely information that needs to be handled carefully.’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘Perhaps, they have noticed our existence? Isn’t it possible that they deliberately leaked this unbelievable information?’

Yeon Ho-Jeong felt a pang in his chest for no reason.

‘Currently… it is believed that there is no possibility of that. However, there is always a chance, so we are being extra careful.’

‘I heard that the half-wit has a Shadow One attached to him. Where is he now?’

‘He has not been located.’

‘What?’

‘T-That is! He had the Sacred Fire Token and a handwritten letter from the Elders! He was allowed to communicate directly with the upper echelons, so he does not take orders from our side!’

‘The Elders…’

Yeon Ho-Jeong could hear a faint smile in the voice of the master called the Twelfth General.

It was a mocking voice.

‘Old men with no teeth left. Those who are about to die always have that problem. They cling to useless traditions and bloodlines. Even our cult is a human world.’

‘I am just sorry.’

‘I understand. Anyway, that Shadow One is just a power-hungry fool. He’s a moron I don’t even want to share a table with, but he’s the type who would never betray us for his own sake.’

‘Y-Yes, sir.’

‘I understand. I will visit again later. Make sure you keep a proper watch.’

‘I will keep that in mind!’

Swoosh!

The presence of the master called the Twelfth General quickly faded away.

‘Hoo, I’m going to die. Why did a general-level person suddenly come all the way here?’

The owner of the grumbling voice went inside the hut.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes flashed.

[Ayeon. Return to the Alliance now. You must maintain your current aura. You must not get caught.]

[What about you?]

[I’m going after him.]

Jeagal Ayeon read a strong will in Yeon Ho-Jeong’s telepathic message. He was not the type to be stopped.

[Be careful. Don’t overdo it.]

[Okay.]

Swoosh!

Yeon Ho-Jeong disappeared from sight in an instant.