Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 367

“Huh! Did Moyong Clan Head really make such a proposal?”

“Yes.”

Jeagal Mun-Ho stroked his chin.

Tang Gwan, who had been silent all along, spoke abruptly.

“I am against it.”

“Why is that?”

“No one knows what that Moyong Gun is thinking. For a guy like that to bow his head and come in first, it clearly means he’s plotting something.”

Tang Gwan’s tone was definitive.

He had spent a short, or perhaps long, time with Moyong Gun. People’s minds change a dozen times a day, but their nature doesn’t change easily.

In Tang Gwan’s view, Moyong Gun was never someone who acted with pure intentions. Whether making a proposal or a deal, he always tried to gain an advantage. That was Moyong Gun.

Yeon-wi said,

“He even offered his own brother’s life. I don’t know what Moyong Clan Head is thinking, but at least it doesn’t seem like he’ll be scheming behind our backs.”

“He didn’t risk his own life, did he?”

Tang Gwan said coldly.

“That guy never tries to lose in a deal. Blood ties? Sure. He’s a person too, so he must have some affection for his family, right? But what he values more than his family is his own life.”

It was a rather harsh statement. But it wasn’t entirely wrong.

Jeagal Mun-Ho nodded.

“I partially agree with Tang Clan Head. Moyong Clan Head is definitely not someone to be taken lightly. He must have his own intentions.”

“See?”

“However, it’s strange that he reached out first.”

“What do you mean?”

“One hand cannot handle ten things. Moyong Clan Head knows his own abilities well. At the same time, he also knows that there are people here who are not inferior to him.”

“Hmm.”

“He reached out first? He can’t not know what this action means. He knows that we will be watching him closely, yet he still made such a proposal. This can be interpreted in three ways.”

“……?”

“He’s either sincere, or he’s confident he can deceive us.”

“What’s the other one?”

“Both.”

“……!”

Jeagal Mun-Ho sighed.

“Looking at the situation, the Tangma army is Moyong Clan Head’s only weapon, excluding the power of the clans. Moreover, the Martial Alliance cannot mobilize the power of the clans. In other words, he has put everything on the line.”

Yeon-wi nodded.

“I agree.”

“Furthermore, Moyong Gun’s brotherly love for Tangma army commander Moyong Woo is genuine. He didn’t risk his own life, but at least it would be as shocking as losing an arm or a leg. For Moyong Clan Head, who is so keen on profit, it can be seen as a bold decision.”

Tang Gwan frowned.

“Then, what does it mean that it could be both?”

“He’s confident he can evade our eyes and investigations, but he won’t launch a preemptive strike until the preparations against the common enemy are perfect.”

“……Hmm.”

Yeon-wi, who had taken a sip of tea, said with a sigh.

“Whatever the case, the problem is us. The matter regarding the Martial Alliance Leader election is not something that can be easily postponed. Moreover, even if it’s not an election, there are many people who are qualified to be the temporary leader.”

“I agree. For example…”

“Gong Gong Daesa.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Gong Gong Daesa also knows about the information regarding the Three Teachings. In other words, he is the only person who knows the identity of the Three Teachings, except for those who already knew.

“In fact, in terms of ability, character, and wisdom, it’s hard to find anyone as qualified as Gong Gong Daesa. Especially for the first leader, it’s better to have a stable leader that all the White Path martial artists can accept.”

“I think so too.”

“However…”

“However?”

Jeagal Mun-Ho, who had paused for a moment to think, opened his mouth with a soft sigh.

“Gong Gong Daesa will never accept the position of Martial Alliance Leader. Even if it’s temporary.”

“Hmm.”

Yeon-wi groaned.

He was also someone who knew Gong Gong Daesa’s character. And the Gong Gong Daesa he knew was not someone who would accept the position of leader, even temporarily, as Jeagal Mun-Ho had said.

Putting everything else aside, the request to postpone the election and temporarily take on the role of leader for a year implied that he was not suitable for the position of the first leader. It suggested that he had the ability to take on the role temporarily, but not the ability to become the real leader.

Even if Gong Gong Daesa himself didn’t care, it was something that the high-ranking officials of Shaolin and the influential figures who were close to Shaolin would vehemently oppose.

Tang Gwan, who had been listening quietly, spoke abruptly.

“Let’s decide on just one thing for now.”

“……?”

“Are we going to accept Moyong Gun’s proposal, or not?”

A moment of silence.

It was Jeagal Mun-Ho who broke the silence first.

“I think this person is not bad.”

“You’re going to accept the proposal?”

“Yes. Whatever it is, it’s a proposal that won’t harm us right now. It’s actually better. It’s also an opportunity to control one of Moyong Clan Head’s arms.”

“Hmm.”

Tang Gwan looked at Yeon-wi and asked,

“What do you think, Yeon Clan Head?”

Yeon-wi sighed.

“Honestly… I don’t like the proposal itself.”

“Why is that?”

“To agree on something beforehand and then try to make it beneficial for us… it’s no different from political maneuvering.”

Tang Gwan frowned.

“We’re in a situation with a common enemy. And those damn guys are so powerful that they encompass the entire Central Plains. I don’t think this is the time to worry about such things.”

“We must live while upholding what we must uphold, and the weight of that statement is as heavy as a mountain. If we uphold it when things are good and gloss over it when things are bad, then why do we need rules? It would be a disgrace to the title of the White Path [a term referring to the righteous martial arts factions].”

“I don’t think so. We need to show some flexibility when necessary, and I think now is such a time.”

“Sometimes it may be a little complicated, and we may have to go a longer way around, but there are lines that we must still uphold.”

Yeon-wi sighed again. He had been sighing a lot today.

“I’m afraid. I’m afraid that we might become monsters. I’m afraid that we might lose the right to teach righteousness and rules to the younger generation. There are values that are more important than life, but I’m worried that we might become hypocrites who only speak of them but don’t act on them.”

Jeagal Mun-Ho looked at Yeon-wi with a troubled expression.

Only then did he realize why Yeon-wi’s expression was so serious. While he and Tang Gwan were contemplating Moyong Gun’s proposal itself, Yeon-wi had recognized that there was a problem with the situation itself, regardless of the benefits of the proposal.

‘He’s truly righteous.’

Jeagal Mun-Ho didn’t think that Yeon-wi’s attitude was stubborn, although he didn’t know what Tang Gwan thought.

To be more precise, he thought that it was a stubbornness that should be displayed. If the White Path is not like the White Path, then how is it different from the Black Path [a term referring to the evil martial arts factions]?

That’s why Jeagal Mun-Ho was able to make a decision.

“Do you know about the military?”

“……?”

“The military of an organization is a group of people who have deviated halfway from the righteous path that they should follow. The reason is that if they are bound by rules, they may endanger the lives of the entire organization.”

“Military.”

“We, who walk the White Path, must pursue values that transcend profit and loss. Like Yeon Clan Head. But I am different.”

Yeon-wi said with a troubled face,

“Please don’t.”

“No, rather, I should have made the decision first. Before the two Clan Heads agonized, I, as the military strategist, should have finished the arrangements first.”

Jeagal Mun-Ho smiled.

“That’s why I have more monthly pay and responsibility than the two Clan Heads. The military strategist is a position that can transcend the Alliance Law in times of emergency.”

“……”

“Of course, that doesn’t mean that I can wield power as I please. Therefore, the position of military strategist has been held by people who are not only brilliant but also have a clear sense of public and private matters and are trusted by everyone.”

Jeagal Mun-Ho added playfully,

“Like me.”

It was a remark that eased the tense atmosphere a little. Yeon-wi couldn’t help but chuckle.

Tang Gwan asked,

“Then, what is the military strategist’s decision?”

“I will proceed with Moyong Clan Head’s proposal separately. I will finish it within five days at the latest, so please pretend you don’t know. This is a request from me as the military strategist, not as the Jeagal Clan Head.”

Tang Gwan nodded.

“Now that you’ve made up your mind, handle it well.”

“Thank you.”

Yeon-wi couldn’t bring himself to answer. He just sighed again with a troubled face.

Jeagal Mun-Ho said soothingly,

“The two of you fought against the masters of the Shinwha Cult [a fictional cult] at the risk of your lives. In other words, that is the responsibility that the two of you, and countless other members of the Alliance, must bear. Yeon Clan Head, you have taken on that responsibility more than enough, so now I will take on the responsibility as the military strategist.”

“…I’m just frustrated.”

“There’s no need to be frustrated. I’ll take care of everything.”

“That’s why I’m frustrated. If the military strategist truly chooses that path, you will have a hard time later after the battle with the Three Teachings [a mysterious organization] is over.”

It meant that he would not only be removed from his position but could also be punished by the Alliance Law if things went wrong.

Jeagal Mun-Ho burst into laughter.

“When that time comes, I have no doubt that the two of you will defend me.”

Tang Gwan snorted and got up.

“You guys really complicate things. Anyway, I’m going to get going.”

Yeon-wi asked,

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going to meet the eldest son of the Clan Head.”

“Hmm? You mean Ho-Jeong?”

“Yes.”

“What for?”

Tang Gwan smacked his lips.

“That guy asked me for something, and it seems like it’s finished.”

* * *

“Did you call for me?”

Tang Gwan glanced at Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face and scoffed.

“You look ridiculous. Are you still not fully recovered?”

“Well, that’s how it is.”

“Lack of training. I thought you were quite strong, but now I see you’re just weak.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong scratched his head.

“I admit it. That’s why I plan to focus on training for the time being. I don’t want to be embarrassed by fainting again.”

“That’s easy to say. With that weak body, can you even wield an axe properly?”

“Of course…”

At that moment, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes lit up.

Tang Gwan kicked a large box placed on the floor.

“It was made at the main family’s smithy. They implemented the measurements, weight, and shape you ordered exactly.”

“It’s finally here.”

“Open it. I’ll tell you in advance, I have no intention of making it again even if you don’t like it. Whether it turns out good or bad, just swing it like crazy.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled and opened the box.

Soon, surprise appeared on his face.

Tang Gwan said with a mocking face,

“It looks a million times better than that hideous axe you carry around. Don’t you think so?”