Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 374

“Ho-Jeong.”

“You’ve arrived, Father.”

It seemed the meeting had gone on late. Yeon-wi’s face, returning past midnight, showed subtle signs of fatigue.

Yeon Ho-Jeong rose from his seat.

“You’ve worked hard. Please, go in and get some rest.”

“I have something to say before that.”

“Is it about the departure point?”

“That’s right.”

Yeon-wi sighed.

A parent’s worry for their child is not bound by experience. Even if they’ve won ten battles, the worry for their child going into the eleventh is no different from the first.

Yeon-wi was the same. His concern for his son was as it always had been.

However, the man who always maintained a composed expression was now filled with worry.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes sparkled.

“Is it the Black Dragon Unit?”

Yeon-wi asked in surprise.

“How did you know that?”

He recounted his conversation with Moyong Woo verbatim.

Yeon-wi’s face hardened.

“The Tangma Commander?” [Tangma refers to a specific military rank or title]

“Yes, sir.”

For Yeon-wi, who valued rules, Moyong Woo’s statement was undoubtedly a step too far.

However, Yeon-wi quickly composed himself. It wasn’t as if Yeon Ho-Jeong didn’t occasionally offer advice or solutions to situations. From that perspective, Moyong Woo’s actions of suggesting a strategy to Moyong Gun weren’t so reprehensible.

It was just that his own flesh and blood was involved, which made him feel uneasy.

As if reading Yeon-wi’s mind, Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled and said,

“Commander Moyong is an exceptional talent. His martial arts are beyond question, and his strategic abilities are equally impressive. But what surpasses all of that is his character.”

“Character, you say.”

“Moyong Woo is the most righteous person I’ve ever met. Of course, aside from you, Father.”

Yeon-wi gave a wry smile.

“I trust your judgment.”

“Thank you.”

“The results of the meeting will be formally announced at noon tomorrow. However, the councilors thought it best to inform you, the leader of the Righteous Army, first. That’s why I’m telling you now.”

“I’m listening.”

Yeon-wi took a deep breath.

“As you said, the departure point is related to the Black Dragon Unit. However, we’re not directly engaging the Black Dragon Unit.”

“I figured as much. If we were to rashly engage them, it could lead to war.”

“Of course, war is unlikely to break out easily. Even if we launch a preemptive strike, most issues are resolved through diplomacy, and actual bloodshed is rare. But there’s no harm in being cautious.”

“You’re right. So, what are our orders?”

“Before that, do you know a man named Hong-gwan?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong tilted his head.

“That’s the first time I’ve heard that name…”

“Yes. I’m the same. Until I heard it from Hu-gae, I knew nothing about him.”

After a brief pause, Yeon-wi said casually,

“Hong-gwan is one of the disciples of the Fighting King, Yang Cheon.”

“… !”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face hardened.

“Please explain in detail.”

“I wish I could, but there’s not much I can say for sure about him yet. However, according to Hu-gae, he’s one of Yang Cheon’s most powerful disciples, and he’s been deliberately hiding from the world, operating in the shadows.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong couldn’t hide his bewilderment.

‘One of the most powerful? A disciple of Yang Cheon?’

He was a man who had lived a life once before.

In other words, he had some knowledge of the events that would happen in the past, or rather, the future, and of people the world didn’t yet know about.

But he knew nothing about a man named Hong-gwan. A disciple of the Fighting King, Yang Cheon? Of course, he had fought with his disciples, but Yeon Ho-Jeong only knew of four of Yang Cheon’s disciples.

Four was not a large number. Yet, his father said he was one of ‘many’ disciples.

Yeon-wi nodded.

“Yes, if you knew, you wouldn’t have reacted like that.”

“I fought a life-or-death battle with Yang Cheon, killed him, and reigned as the king of the Black Faction.”

“I know.”

“The Black Faction’s intelligence network is, in some ways, even superior to the White Faction’s. And in war, if you kill the enemy’s leader, it’s common to find and eliminate the dangerous figures under his command to prevent future problems. I did the same.”

“…”

“But I know of only four disciples of Yang Cheon. That’s not a number that can be described as many…”

“Then it’s one of two things. Either he’s been hiding and plotting something even after Yang Cheon’s death, or… he wasn’t Yang Cheon’s disciple in the first place.”

“…!!”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face hardened again in shock.

Yeon-wi continued.

“Actually, the Righteous Army’s departure point was to be decided based on the information you seized from the Black Dragon Unit. The illegal businesses the Black Dragon Unit was running were shaking the economy of the martial world, and hidden sects were secretly sucking the blood of the common people. We were going to target such places first.”

“I expected as much.”

“But the situation has changed. According to Hu-gae, discovering Hong-gwan was incredibly lucky.”

The information network of the Beggar Clan, the best in the world, was said to be at the pinnacle.

Even Hu-gae was only able to investigate Hong-gwan by chance, which showed how well Hong-gwan had hidden himself.

“What is this Hong-gwan doing, and where is he?”

“He’s an assassin.”

“…Excuse me?”

Yeon-wi’s face hardened.

“Hong-gwan is an assassin. But not just any assassin. He’s said to be the king of the assassin world, a figure unknown to me, Hu-gae, and the entire White Faction.”

“…?”

“And his power is said to be so immense that he controls the underworld of the martial world. In other words, he’s the master of all assassins and wields immense power in the shadows.”

“… !”

“It was unbelievable information. Even his name and relationship with Yang Cheon are clear, but there’s no detailed information beyond that, so it’s hard to trust. But… Hu-gae seemed convinced that he truly reigns as the god of the martial assassin world.”

Yeon-wi’s eyes narrowed.

“The problem is what comes next. The Beggar Clan is processing all the information gathered from all over the world in real-time and sending only what needs to be known to the Martial Alliance. The sheer amount of filtered information is staggering.”

“I know.”

“Strategist Jeagal said that unusual things are happening in the southern part of the Central Plains. Sects that had been making a name for themselves had lost their power and either closed their doors or were destroyed by bandits. There was also a surge in the number of martial families that were destroyed.”

“Bandits?!”

“Yes. Of course, it’s not just bandits. There were also local wars between sects, and some famous old martial artists died of illness or fell off cliffs.”

“That’s…”

“The problem is that these things are happening so naturally. The Central Plains are vast. And disease, death, and conflict can happen at any time. So far, even the Beggar Clan has been watching the events in the south, but they haven’t found anything particularly strange.”

Even the Beggar Clan, who didn’t think it was strange, had it pointed out by Jeagal Mun-Ho. It was a reminder of how extraordinary his insight was.

“And Hu-gae… believes that Hong-gwan is involved in the natural, yet clearly visible, reduction of the White Faction’s power in the south.”

“Hong-gwan… Then what is the Righteous Army supposed to do?”

“That’s right.”

Yeon-wi sighed.

“Go to the southern part of the Central Plains with the Beggar Clan, investigate why this is happening, and if there’s a clear cause, find out what it is, and then find, eliminate, or capture Hong-gwan.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes turned cold.

The Righteous Army was just that, an army. But the higher-ups were telling them to investigate the situation, find the cause, and even find and eliminate Hong-gwan.

It was something the Righteous Army could do, but it was far beyond their capabilities. That’s why they were being told to get help from the Beggar Clan, but it wasn’t an appropriate mission for the Righteous Army.

“It would be better to send a small elite force. The Righteous Army has over five hundred soldiers. This isn’t something an army should handle, but rather a special operations unit or special agents.”

“Doesn’t the Righteous Army have a special operations unit?”

“… !”

Yeon-wi sighed.

“Yes, the councilors highly value the capabilities of the Myeolsa Unit. But I also think this isn’t something the Righteous Army should handle.”

“Then even more…”

“That’s why, even more, I want the Righteous Army to take on this task.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face slightly contorted.

“Is it because of our reputation?”

“It’s not just because of that, but I don’t think that reason is entirely absent.”

Yeon-wi was the head of the Byeoksan Yeon Family and a member of the Six Great Families. Naturally, his reputation and presence were significant.

The problem was that all the councilors had a presence and authority that was no less than Yeon-wi’s. Even if a few councilors stepped forward to strongly object, they would have to follow the majority unless it was a major violation of morality.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had been quietly watching Yeon-wi, asked,

“Just one question. Did Strategist Jeagal also approve of this operation?”

“Unbelievably, he was the first to approve.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes lit up.

Yeon-wi sighed.

“That’s why I couldn’t strongly object either. It’s not because I’m close to the strategist. I think there must be a reason why the strategist approved of this.”

“That’s right.”

“However, no matter how much I think about it, I don’t understand this operation. Especially if Hong-gwan is truly a powerful figure in the underworld, as Hu-gae said, finding and eliminating him would be like trying to pick a star from the sky.”

“…Hmm.”

Yeon-wi asked tentatively,

“What do you think? Do you think there’s a clear reason why the strategist confidently approved of this?”

“There must be. I don’t know yet, though.”

“Hoo.”

After a moment of thought, Yeon Ho-Jeong nodded.

“Whatever the case, if such an order has been given, we must prepare accordingly.”

“I’m sorry. I’m also a member of the council.”

“It’s alright. I’m the leader of five hundred and fifty soldiers. I’m puzzled and worried, but if it’s an order from above, I must obey.”

That’s what an army is. Even if an unreasonable order is given, they move, and the army’s job is to achieve that order with maximum efficiency.

However.

‘It’s unsettling.’

A faint shadow fell over Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face.

‘It’s unsettling. Strategist Jeagal and Hu-gae know Father’s personality. If it was something like this, they could have given him a heads-up, but it seems Father only heard about it at the meeting.’

Then, Yeon-wi said,

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled.

“There’s nothing in particular. However, may I ask one favor?”

“Yes, speak freely.”

“Please meet Moyong Gun.”

“Moyong Gun? Now?”

“Yes, sir.”

“What should I do after meeting him?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong said in a monotonous tone.

Instantly, Yeon-wi’s face hardened like frost.

“…Alright, if that’s what you truly think, I will do it.”

Half an hour later.

A person caught Moyong Gun’s eye as he was drinking tea and looking out the window.

Moyong Gun, who had been watching him for a while, opened his mouth.

“Is anyone outside?”

“Yes, Master.”

“Prepare a table of drinks. A distinguished guest has arrived.”

“Yes.”