Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 339

Moyong Yeon-hwa greeted Moyong Gun as he entered his residence.

“Father!”

Moyong Yeon-hwa’s face was filled with surprise. Her father’s clothes were roughly torn in several places. It was clear to anyone that he had been in a fight.

“Are you alright? Could it be that Yeon Ho-Jeong… ?!”

“Yeon-hwa.”

“Yes?”

“Go back to your residence. I wish to be alone.”

Moyong Yeon-hwa’s face turned pale in an instant as she was about to ask what had happened.

Woong. Woong.

Moyong Gun had been perfectly refining his energy. However, the moment he spoke to his daughter, a wave crashed in his well-controlled mind.

The wavering of his mind soon caused even his refined energy to falter. Moyong Yeon-hwa felt suffocated by the wild and unrestrained energy of the Thunder God Technique.

She knew instantly. Her father’s mood was worse than any moment she had ever seen.

“…I’ll come again tomorrow morning.”

“Alright.”

Moyong Yeon-hwa carefully left the room.

And a while later.

Thud!

Moyong Gun’s fist pierced the wall and sank deep into it.

It was a state where his internal energy was unconsciously protecting his body. Of course, his fist was fine, but his mind was not.

“…The Three Cults of Madness?”

What the hell was that?

They were infiltrating the imperial palace and government offices, trying to overthrow the world? The Mukryong Group was also an organization established by one of those three cults?

…And the power of those organizations was that great?

Moyong Gun’s eyes were bloodshot.

Thud! Thud!

It was an uncharacteristic, rough series of punches. Each time he threw a punch, large holes were punched into the wall.

“Hah, hah.”

He was so angry that his breathing became ragged. If even a master of Moyong Gun’s caliber couldn’t control his breathing, it meant his emotional turmoil was extraordinary.

But Moyong Gun was still Moyong Gun. Even amidst the unbearable rage and confusion, his subconscious was already trying to regain its composure.

‘Why am I so angry?’

Was this something to be so angry about?

He hadn’t been insulted, nor had his true nature been exposed. If anything, if what he said was true, he should be grateful to Yeon Ho-Jeong.

So why was he so angry? Why couldn’t he suppress his resentment?

‘Is it simply because I was surprised? Or because the other party knows something I don’t? Or perhaps….’

Moyong Gun’s eyes flashed.

The reason he was able to rise to the position of family head, surpassing his brothers, was due to his exceptional talent, terrifying decisiveness, and the cold-bloodedness to even cast aside his own flesh and blood.

However, even with all those advantages, he wouldn’t have been able to purge his brothers if he hadn’t been exceptionally intelligent.

His brilliant mind quickly retraced the past.

‘That’s right, that guy wasn’t looking at me.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong.

Moyong Gun had worked with Yeon Ho-Jeong to bring down the Myeong family. Since then, they had clashed countless times, leaving scars on each other.

But there were times when he couldn’t hide his bewilderment.

‘His main enemy wasn’t me.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong always had his blade pointed at him. However, his ultimate goal wasn’t to destroy him.

More precisely, that terrifyingly powerful drive wasn’t just to destroy him. There were many attempts to politically destroy him, but he was always looking beyond that.

The sensitive Moyong Gun knew this. But he didn’t acknowledge it.

‘I am the best.’

Pride? Ego? Self-esteem? Call it what you will.

If someone was his enemy, they should never look elsewhere. They should only look at him. The head of the Moyong family was not someone to be taken lightly, someone who could afford to give others leeway.

But Yeon Ho-Jeong was different.

‘Why? What was he worried about?’

In the past, he thought Yeon Ho-Jeong was also pursuing power like him. He thought he was doing it to make his family the best in the martial world, and to eventually seize control of the world.

As the saying goes, a Buddha sees only Buddhas, and a pig sees only pigs.

At some point, Moyong Gun, while seeing Yeon Ho-Jeong who was so different from him, had concluded that he was no different from himself.

“…In other words.”

Moyong Gun’s face contorted into an indescribable expression.

“That guy had the余裕 [leeway] to deal with me.”

If what Yeon Ho-Jeong said was true, it meant he had known about the Three Cults for a long time.

There was no way he would have told him information he had only learned recently. He would have thought about it carefully ten times, no, a hundred times before telling him.

In other words, Yeon Ho-Jeong, while aiming to destroy the Three Cults as his ultimate goal, had not only dealt with him but was also overturning the political landscape of the martial world.

“…!!”

Suddenly, Moyong Gun felt a chill run down his spine.

‘What kind of ridiculous guy is that…?!’

He was handling multiple tasks at once. He had been enduring this with gritted teeth, something that was difficult to do even one of properly.

It was absolutely impossible for an ordinary person. It was questionable whether even a genius of the century could do it. Yeon-wi and Jeagal Mun-Ho may have helped, but it was Yeon Ho-Jeong who had moved those giants in the first place.

Yeon Ho-Jeong was doing all of that. He was watching everything, interfering in every situation, and furthermore, he was bringing everything to a successful conclusion without fail.

“Heh, heh, heh.”

Moyong Gun let out a hollow laugh and slumped to the floor.

“…It wasn’t like that?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face came to mind.

The eyes full of experience that didn’t suit a young man, the ability to adapt freely to changing situations.

And the wisdom of a divine calculation that could see two or three steps ahead, which someone who didn’t know him might describe as precognition.

“He wasn’t just the only one who could fight me on equal terms, he was already ahead of me?”

Moyong Gun’s fist trembled.

He didn’t want to admit it. But if what Yeon Ho-Jeong said was true, he couldn’t deny it.

‘I have to kill him.’

Someone whispered from somewhere in his mind.

‘I have to kill him. He’s a monster. If he’s like this now, how much bigger will he be in five years, and how much more will he grow in ten years?’

Cold sweat trickled down his back.

The thought of Yeon Ho-Jeong ten years from now made him feel hopeless. If that guy survived ten years in this chaotic martial world, he would become a true monster that even the entire martial world would have difficulty catching.

No, would it even take ten years? Considering his abilities and talents, it seemed like it could happen as early as next year.

Suddenly, another voice whispered in his mind.

‘No. He is someone we must kill someday, but not now. We must never provoke him.’

Why? At least now, I’m stronger than him, right? Wouldn’t it be better to just assassinate him?

‘There’s no way he would have given me that information without thinking about that, right?’

Moyong Gun closed his eyes.

“…This is absurd.”

How shocked must the great Moyong Gun be to waste time on such ridiculous worries?

Moyong Gun leaned his head against the wall.

He had no strength left in his body. On the other hand, his mind was becoming frighteningly cold.

‘It’s clear. That guy has known about those Three Cults of Madness for a very long time.’

It was not a guess, but a certainty.

For a brief moment, he thought it might be a lie. But he quickly dismissed it.

Neither he nor Yeon Ho-Jeong were small enough to deceive each other with such crucial information. This was a completely different matter from crossing the line or not.

Moreover, while fighting Yeon Ho-Jeong, Moyong Gun had read the sincerity and desperation in his energy.

No matter how talented a person is, they cannot fake the sincerity that is revealed.

‘The fact that he opened his heart so much in front of me means that he can no longer hold on.’

The Three Cults, the Mukryong Group, and himself.

He had somehow managed to endure while handling all of those things, but now he had reached his limit. That’s why he came to him and suggested they deal with their common enemy first.

And Yeon Ho-Jeong’s choice was truly the right one. He would have done the same.

As he thought that far, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face came to mind.

The face of that beast, hiding his impatience with composure.

‘I also dislike the Righteous Faith Society. Though for different reasons than you.’

‘For you, the Martial Alliance is a sacred place. In the eyes of someone who wants to become the master of that sacred place, those who dared to touch the Martial Alliance wouldn’t look good.’

Moyong Gun chuckled to himself.

“He must have been in a hurry. Trying to test me by mentioning the Righteous Faith Society.”

His closed eyes slowly opened.

It was as if his vision was flashing. His head felt heavy, like when he had been squatting all day as a child and suddenly stood up.

It was then.

Swoosh.

Moyong Gun’s senses picked up countless presences.

They were revealing their energy as if they had no intention of hiding it. The individual martial arts were at a level that Moyong Gun would scoff at, but there were quite a few energies among them that could not be ignored.

‘The Beggars’ Sect.’

Several dozen members of the Beggars’ Sect were also surrounding the residence. They were monitoring Moyong Gun in case he made any suspicious moves.

Moyong Gun did not react sharply. He had already heard about it from Yeon Ho-Jeong, and he no longer had the strength to be on edge.

His gaze turned to the window.

The moon was bright.

“It will be a long night.”

* * *

Yeon-wi, Jeagal Mun-Ho, Muk Bi, and Yeon Ji-Pyeong greeted Yeon Ho-Jeong as he returned to his residence.

“Huk! Brother?!”

Yeon Ji-Pyeong approached with a worried expression.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

It was clear to anyone that he was not fine. His mouth was stained with blood, his hair was disheveled, and his well-dressed clothes were covered in cuts and tears.

Jeagal Mun-Ho hurriedly asked.

“Did you fight Moyong Gun?”

“We sparred lightly. I also wanted to confirm that guy’s sincerity.”

“Look at you, man. That’s not what I call a light spar.”

“If that guy was really connected to the Three Cults, I had to deal with it myself. I also wanted to loosen up and read his intentions, so I broke a sweat for the first time in a while.”

It meant he had fought with the intention of killing him if things went wrong. Jeagal Mun-Ho was speechless at his reckless audacity.

“So.”

Yeon-wi asked in a serious tone.

“What did you think?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong shook his head.

“There’s a 99% chance that Moyong Gun didn’t know.”

“Hmm.”

Yeon-wi nodded. He was also certain that Moyong Gun had not joined hands with the Three Cults.

Jeagal Mun-Ho asked.

“Are you sure?”

“Personally, I’m sure, but there’s always a chance, isn’t there? That’s why I said 99%. Even if we work together in the future, we shouldn’t let our guard down.”

“Hoo, I see.”

Jeagal Mun-Ho patted Yeon Ho-Jeong’s shoulder.

“You’ve worked hard. You’ve really worked hard.”

“It’s nothing. This is nothing.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong straightened his posture.

“I’ve already asked Hu-Gae to keep an eye on the Moyong family’s residence.”

“Good job.”

“And please gather everyone who knows about the existence of the Three Cults by noon tomorrow.”

“Noon tomorrow?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong told them about his conversation with Moyong Gun.

Jeagal Mun-Ho nodded.

“That’s like him. Well, there’s nothing more certain than seeing the faces of those who know.”

“You should also prepare the investigation reports on the Three Cults.”

“Hmm.”

No matter how fiercely they had fought in the past, they were now allies who had to join hands to eliminate a common enemy. Sharing information was essential.

Yeon-wi said.

“Let’s do that. We may not be able to resolve all the feelings of the past, but from the moment we formed an alliance, we must not hide anything from each other.”

“I think so too.”

After Jeagal Mun-Ho replied, he shook his head and sighed.

“Seeing how I keep worrying about him even though I know, he was a truly remarkable person in a different sense. There aren’t many people who make me worry this much.”

“We must use that great ability to target the Three Cults. Let’s think positively.”

“We must.”

Jeagal Mun-Ho, after letting out a short sigh, clasped his hands.

“I will come to Pagungak by noon tomorrow. Please rest well. And Commander Yeon, you’ve worked hard.”

“Please be careful on your way.”

“Alright. Ah! Before that.”

“Yes?”

Jeagal Mun-Ho’s eyes twinkled.

“If you were to work with Moyong Gun, where would you start?”

“We need to target the obvious places first to see how they react.”

“Let’s target the bright places in the middle of the sky… It’s the Shin Hwa Cult after all.”

“Yes.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled.

“As soon as the meeting with Moyong Gun is over tomorrow, I will move immediately.”