Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 328

“How is it?”Muk Bi asked with a smile.”The physicians of the Uiseon Pavilion, I mean. Weren’t they difficult to handle?”Gi Woo-hee smiled back.”Yes. They’re much more accommodating than I expected.”Jegal Mun-ho had gathered the physicians to work at the Uiseon Pavilion, focusing thoroughly on their character and diligence.If the Murim Alliance [Martial Arts Alliance] had needed physicians with immediate skills, such a selection would have been impossible. Jegal Mun-ho believed that the growth of the Uiseon Pavilion depended on the physicians’ diligence and righteousness, and he had no doubt that Gi Woo-hee would be the foundation for that growth.Moreover, most of them had no connections and had not received formal education, so they had studied and gained experience on their own.Naturally, they didn’t have the useless arrogance or pride of the Medical Deity Society, which boasted that Central Plains medicine was the best. Although Gi Woo-hee was from the Western Regions, these people would have little prejudice against her skills or character.”Dealing with people won’t be easy.””It’s true. Even though they are such kind people, I have many concerns. Come to think of it, the Myeolsa Army soldiers seem to follow Deputy Commander Muk very well.”Muk Bi laughed awkwardly.”It was a good start. Young Master Yeon also took control from the beginning. It’s not that I did well, but rather that Young Master Yeon built a good relationship from the start.””I see.”Gi Woo-hee’s smile became a little awkward.Muk Bi stood up from his seat.”I’ll go to the unit for a while. Please rest comfortably.””Ah, yes!”With that, Muk Bi left.Left alone, Gi Woo-hee sighed softly.’Young Master Yeon.’For her, Yeon Ho-jeong was an extraordinary existence.They had no personal connection, nor had they met as doctor and patient. Yet, Yeon Ho-jeong had instantly seen through Gi Woo-hee’s identity and forced her to make a choice.Yes, it was coercion. But the problem was that it was coercion that came at a very opportune moment.That’s why Gi Woo-hee was grateful to Yeon Ho-jeong. To put it badly, she had betrayed her father, but to put it nicely, she had been able to pursue the greater good.In any case, Yeon Ho-jeong was a person who had greatly influenced Gi Woo-hee’s life.Gi Woo-hee let out a soft sigh.’What kind of life has he lived?’A few days ago, she had been able to fully feel Yeon Ho-jeong’s emotions with a hard-to-explain ability called the Spirit Eye.Volcanic rage, sorrow reminiscent of a dark abyss, and undiminished worries, among others.It was a list of all the emotions a human could harbor. Emotions that could never be combined were crammed into one person’s heart, becoming an explosive ready to detonate, only letting out rough breaths.’I’ve seen many people’s emotions, but I’ve never seen such rich emotions. He’s someone who has experienced the extremes of all emotions a human can feel.’The Spirit Eye can sense a person’s emotions and distinguish truth from falsehood.However, it cannot read thoughts. That was why Gi Woo-hee didn’t know Yeon Ho-jeong’s identity or his past.Gi Woo-hee was lost in thought when.Knock. Knock.Someone knocked on the door.Gi Woo-hee was not flustered. She already knew who it was.”Come in.”The door opened, and Yeon Ho-jeong entered.Gi Woo-hee forced a smile.”What brings you here… Huh!”She jumped up.”Commander Yeon. Are you badly hurt?”Even though there was nothing outwardly wrong, she could tell at a glance that he had internal injuries. Her skills were indeed remarkable.Yeon Ho-jeong shook his head.”It’s nothing. It’ll heal on its own in a few days.””Still, that’s not right. Please sit here first. I need to check your pulse for an accurate diagnosis…””I didn’t come here for treatment.””Still, please sit down!”Her voice was uncharacteristically firm.Yeon Ho-jeong, who had been staring at Gi Woo-hee, sat down on the chair without a word.”I’ll check your pulse for a moment.”There was no pulse-taking in Western medicine. It was clear that she had learned both Central Plains and Western medicine without bias.Gi Woo-hee took Yeon Ho-jeong’s pulse.’…!’What surprised her as soon as she took his pulse was Yeon Ho-jeong’s powerful blood circulation.The flow of blood through his veins was very powerful yet smooth. She had never seen such a strong pulse before.’He’s truly amazing.’Not only his qi [life force], but his body was in extremely healthy condition.He was either born with an exceptional physique, or he had trained and refined his innate physique with formidable true energy.Either way, it was an extraordinary body. Gi Woo-hee composed herself and focused on the pulse diagnosis.After a while.”As Commander Yeon said, you have quite deep internal injuries, but they have improved a lot in just a few days. You can heal naturally if you leave it as it is.””I told you.””Still, there’s a physician to take care of you, so there’s no need to endure the discomfort.”Gi Woo-hee took out a needle case from her bosom.”I’ll make the flow of qi a little smoother. It will cut your recovery time in half.”Yeon Ho-jeong shook his head.”I’m really fine.””Commander Yeon.””I said I didn’t come for treatment. Put the needle case away.”It was awkward to insist on treatment when he said so much.In the end, Gi Woo-hee put the needle case back in her bosom.Yeon Ho-jeong asked.”How are the kids?””Pardon?””I mean the Uiseon Pavilion kids. Isn’t it your first time having so many people under your command?”Gi Woo-hee said with an awkward expression.”It is my first time. But they’re all kind, so it’s okay.””I heard their skills are below average.””Honestly, they’re not at a good level. That’s why we’re working on a textbook. So they can see and learn directly.””I see.”He probably didn’t come to ask about this. It was just a formality before getting to the main point.And Gi Woo-hee’s judgment was accurate.”A few days ago, I captured the Twelve Commanders of the Sinhwa Cult [Divine Flower Cult].””…!!””You know what kind of people the Eighteen Commanders are, right?”Gi Woo-hee swallowed.’That must have been it.’It must have been the incident that happened in the early morning of the day she felt Yeon Ho-jeong’s emotions with the Spirit Eye.”Before he died, he spat out some information. There were quite a few things I didn’t know.”Gi Woo-hee swallowed again and asked.”Do you believe what he said is true?””Yes.””Why? The Eighteen Commanders aren’t just positions you can reach by being strong in martial arts. If you don’t have absolute faith in the cult, you can’t get the position of a commander, no matter how good you are at martial arts.””I still think it’s true.”Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes darkened.”It was torture that even the most stubborn couldn’t withstand. The probability of it being a lie is extremely low.””…!!”Gi Woo-hee’s face turned pale.Perhaps it was because she had felt Yeon Ho-jeong’s emotions once? Although she couldn’t see it, she could imagine how cruel and terrible the torture he had inflicted must have been.”The important thing is this. I’m quite knowledgeable about the Sajeon Cult [Evil God Cult]. But I don’t have as much knowledge about the Sinhwa Cult or the Gwanghyeol Cult [Blood Light Cult].”Yeon Ho-jeong leaned forward and clasped his hands.Even that slow movement felt like a change in atmosphere. A darker and heavier atmosphere tightened around Gi Woo-hee’s neck.”Originally, I didn’t intend to ask you more than this. From what I heard before, it seemed like you didn’t know much either, and I had heard everything worth hearing. Even if you were hiding something, I thought it would be better to wait until you told me yourself.””…””There’s one thing you haven’t told me, right?””Pardon?””The Sinhwa Cult leader’s bloodline.””…!””I haven’t heard anything about your siblings, except for you. Furthermore, I haven’t heard in detail what kind of person the Sinhwa Cult leader is and why you’re suffering because of your bloodline.””…Is it important?””Yes.””Could you tell me in what way it’s important?””I had some idea when I captured a guy named Jamyeong Ilho before. And I was sure when I captured the Twelve Commanders this time. The Sinhwa Cult is trying to take control of the imperial palace and the government.”Gi Woo-hee’s eyes wavered.Yeon Ho-jeong continued in a monotonous tone.”But no matter how much I think about it, I don’t understand. One of the reasons why the weakened empire has been able to survive until now is because of bloodline, legitimacy. No matter how corrupt it is, it’s not so weak that it can be taken over by people from the Western Regions.””It’s possible that the powerful people are that corrupt…””I think a little differently. If the powerful people of the empire were that corrupt, the empire should have collapsed long ago. It means they’re fighting a battle that crosses the line.””…””Even if you live as a traitor, there’s a line you can’t cross. Both the white and black paths have their own lines. Then what is the line for the rulers who run the country?””…Legitimacy, I suppose.””There would be many things. But the biggest one among them is, as you said, legitimacy.”Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes shone.”Whether they take bribes or are oppressed by force, there must be at least a minimum of justification. And the greatest justification for the empire’s politics is bloodline, legitimacy.””…””Tell me. How is the Sinhwa Cult leader connected to the Central Plains Empire?”Gi Woo-hee, who had been staring at Yeon Ho-jeong, let out a frustrated sigh.”Commander Yeon, you’re really sharp.””…””That’s right. I didn’t tell you all the information about the Sinhwa Cult. To be precise, I couldn’t even think about telling you. Because I was trying hard to forget it too.”Yeon Ho-jeong smiled coldly.”The memory you were forgetting, try to recall it. And tell it to me.”* * *”What?!”Dong-gak’s eyes widened as if they would tear.”You’re saying the Twelve Commanders haven’t arrived yet?””Y-yes, that’s correct.”The old man swallowed.”With the Twelve Commanders’ skills, they should have already passed Heochang and arrived in Gaebong. But they haven’t shown up yet.”Dong-gak’s face contorted.”What on earth happened?!”Gyujeok was a thorough person.Aside from his skills, he was a reliable person when it came to handling tasks. He was not the type of person to disappear without a word.Then?”Could it be that he was defeated by someone?!”The old man almost said that it couldn’t be, but he held back.’You never know.’This place was close to the Murim Alliance. And the Murim Alliance was like a sanctuary for the white path martial artists. That meant that many masters came and went. It was not strange for anything to happen at any time or place.There might not be many masters who could capture someone like the Twelve Commanders without a trace, but you never know.”There is one suspicious point.””What is it?””While returning, I saw traces of a forest fire not far from here. After a brief investigation, there were many stories, such as it was caused by lightning or a fire started by an unknown traveler.”Dong-gak’s eyes turned cold.”Fire?”The Sinhwa Cult worships fire.Naturally, the Sinhwa Cult members also practiced the Fiery Yang Art. Among them, the Eighteen Commanders practiced the highest level of Fiery Yang Art.If they wanted to, starting a forest fire wouldn’t be difficult. The problem was why the Twelve Commanders started a forest fire.”Any traces of a fight?””I haven’t been able to find out that far.””Go and find out right away. If any traces of a fight are found…”Dong-gak gritted his teeth. He rather hoped there were traces of a fight.If Gyujeok had disappeared without a word, the higher-ups wouldn’t leave him, the last witness, alone.”Then report it to the higher-ups. We need to summon a higher-ranking commander.”