Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 375

Stagnant water is bound to rot. [This is a metaphor for a situation that is not progressing or changing, which will eventually become corrupt or harmful.]

Wham!

The air rippled from a light punch.

It wasn’t a punch filled with powerful internal energy, nor was it incredibly fast, but the air around the fist expanded in transparent concentric circles.

“How is it?”

The woman bowed her head at the Absolute’s question.

“It’s a realm I can’t even dare to imagine with my current abilities.”

“Of course. However, it seems you’ve recognized the martial principle within this seemingly ordinary punch, so your enlightenment doesn’t seem far off.”

“Thank you.”

“There’s no need to thank me. Rather, I’m the one who feels sorry. I haven’t been able to properly teach my disciple because I’ve been busy, so I’m ashamed as a master.”

A strange light flickered in the woman’s eyes.

The master she knew was not someone who would say such things to his disciple. He was an endlessly aloof and cold master.

“There are countless martial arts in the world. Hundreds of martial arts disappear every day, and hundreds more are born. But all those martial arts pursue one thing.”

“……”

“Death.”

“……”

“People die when their heads are severed or their hearts are pierced. They die from excessive blood loss, and even simple wounds can fester and lead to death if not properly cared for. They can even die from pain alone. Humans are that fragile.”

The Absolute retracted his fist.

“Martial arts, in the end, are about me living and the opponent dying. Those mediocre individuals who are deluded by useless teachings act like gentlemen and believe that martial arts have a ‘Dao’ [the Way, a concept of ultimate truth or path], but that’s just empty talk. Martial arts are not like that.”

The Absolute raised his index finger.

“It’s just about this length. If a hole of this depth and thickness is made in the head or chest, a person dies. And all martial arts in the world are fighting techniques created to efficiently achieve this result.”

“……”

“Therefore, good martial arts are uncluttered and clean. That’s why they can contain the ‘Dao’ within them. Those martial arts are what are called first-rate.”

He said there was no Dao in martial arts, but now he says that martial arts can contain the Dao.

In other words, since there is no Dao in martial arts, it must be the person who embodies the Dao.

The Absolute, Yang Cheon, spoke.

“To step into martial arts, the most important thing is to honestly understand its essence. After perfectly mastering that essence, even a simple punch like the one just now can turn a ten-thousand-pound rock into dust.”

“Yes.”

Yang Cheon smiled.

“I have no doubt that this level will soon come to you as well. You’ve improved remarkably since I last saw you. You’ve truly worked hard.”

The woman closed her eyes.

“Your words are too much for me to bear. Without your excellent teachings, Master, I could not have achieved this.”

Yang Cheon laughed and sat on his grand chair.

“The Central Plains is vast. And there are many strong people. Perhaps, there are far more powerful individuals in hiding than those who have made a name for themselves in the world.”

“I’m experiencing it firsthand.”

“You’ve defeated so many strong people and finally reached your current position, so I want to give you a great reward.”

“The single punch you showed me, Master, is a more precious reward than any treasure. I will strive every day, aiming for that single punch.”

“Hahaha.”

Yang Cheon burst into hearty laughter.

“You’re truly like you always are. Yes, you’ve always been like that. Although you weren’t as exceptionally talented as the first, nor as skilled in fighting as the third, you always walked your own path silently.”

“……”

“And now, your efforts have finally blossomed. Even the first or third would not find it easy to face you now.”

The woman’s eyes gleamed.

She was someone who feared nothing in the world except her master. So, she had never thought of surpassing her master or trying to defeat him.

However, there were two opponents she definitely wanted to crush. They were the eldest disciple and the third disciple, whom her master had mentioned.

Her master had never spoken to her about the eldest disciple and the third disciple before. And now, her master had mentioned them.

‘He didn’t say it wouldn’t be easy to win, but that it wouldn’t be easy to face them.’

In other words, her achievements were equal to or greater than those of the eldest disciple or the third disciple.

She calmly suppressed the surging joy.

Yang Cheon asked.

“Your martial arts have developed so much, and you’ve done more than expected in your assigned tasks, so I’ll be calling you back to headquarters soon. You’ve worked hard.”

“Thank you.”

“Before that.”

Yang Cheon’s eyes immediately sharpened.

“I haven’t received a separate report about the Potala Temple matter. You handled it properly, right?”

The woman, Bu Seon, bowed her head again.

“I’ve released an invisible poison into the clean water, so the Potala Temple will not be able to interfere in the affairs of the martial world for the time being.”

“Are you certain?”

“I am certain. When a group that has never experienced conflict falls into chaos, that’s when desires begin to sprout. They will not be able to step out into the martial world for at least three years as they try to bring the position of the next Sword Queen to their own faction.”

Only then did Yang Cheon wear a satisfied smile.

“Well done. You did well until the end.”

“Thank you.”

“And one more thing.”

Yang Cheon frowned slightly.

“Have you received any separate contact from the Yin God side?”

“I have not. They haven’t reported on time even once in the past half year.”

Crack!

The armrest of the grand chair, made of iron, was crushed as if it were mud. It was the result of Yang Cheon’s terrifying grip strength.

“That’s an interesting fellow. Truly interesting. Well, since he can’t contact the Black Sheep of the headquarters, he must have noticed that something is amiss.”

“……”

“I understand. You’ve had a long journey. Go back and rest…”

It was then.

“Deputy Chief.”

Yang Cheon’s eyes lit up at the voice coming from afar.

“What is it, Baek Seo?”

“We have a guest.”

“A guest?”

Not many people knew of the existence of the Black Dragon Division. Let alone a guest for the Deputy Chief?

“The Moyong Clan Head has come in person.”

In an instant, Yang Cheon’s eyes blazed.

A moment later.

Whoosh!

Moyong Gun felt an unusual sense of tension from the powerful energy wave emanating from the dense forest in the distance.

Scurry, scurry.

The sound of each step reverberating from the ground was eerie.

“Well, I didn’t expect you to come without any notice.”

“……”

“As you know, I’m not a man of leisure. At first, I was going to send you back. But for some reason, I had a bad feeling. So, I put aside my work for a while and came to see you myself.”

A tremendous sense of pressure was felt in his calm voice.

‘As expected.’

Moyong Gun closed his eyes.

‘A powerhouse of the Saintly Heaven… I’ve only faced him twice, but he truly surpasses all imagination.’

His energy wave, voice, and presence all exceeded common sense.

First-Class Martial General? It was incomparable. Grand Master Gong Gong? He had never seen his full power, but he was certain that he could not exert this level of pressure.

If it were Yeon-wi’s Absolute One Sword, it might be able to wound even this strongman. However, since he was a master whose fundamental abilities were incomparable, he would not just stand there and take such a sword strike.

‘It’s ridiculous. Unless it’s a former master of the righteous path, no master of the current Martial Alliance can be a match for this man.’

The procession of a giant who had completely transcended the limits of humans and martial arts.

Yang Cheon appeared.

“So you’ve come.”

Yang Cheon’s eyes flashed.

“Did you come alone?”

“Yes.”

With Yang Cheon’s skills, he could hear even the smallest flutter of an insect’s wings, let alone the animals living in this area. That was why Moyong Gun could not lie.

Even so, the reason Yang Cheon asked that was because he fundamentally did not trust Moyong Gun.

“I told you I’m not a man of leisure, right?”

“I heard you.”

“So, it would be wise to choose your words carefully. If I feel that you’ve wasted even a little of my time, I’ll tear out half of your roots.”

Moyong Gun’s roots. That meant the Moyong Clan of Hunan.

Moyong Gun spoke calmly.

“I’m not a man of leisure either, so I won’t waste time unnecessarily.”

“That’s a wise decision. But before that, isn’t there something we need to settle?”

“What is it?”

Murderous intent was revealed in Yang Cheon’s eyes.

“You didn’t contact me separately. Moreover, you kicked out the attendants I sent with your daughter.”

“……”

“If you can’t explain this properly, this precarious cooperative relationship will end today. And since you’re not with me, you’re clearly an enemy, so I’ll have to kill you here.”

“……”

“Speak. What is the reason for breaking the promise and acting as you pleased?”

Moyong Gun looked at Yang Cheon with deep eyes.

‘He’s a great powerhouse. There’s no doubt about it. It’s no exaggeration to say that he can face a large sect alone. I can’t even imagine how many years I’d have to train to reach the same level as him. But…’

He could read genuine anger and wounded pride in Yang Cheon’s eyes and face.

‘As a martial artist, he deserves respect, but as a leader, he’s not first-rate.’

Yang Cheon was a good enough leader. Generally speaking, that was the case.

However, Moyong Gun thought that Yang Cheon’s capabilities were not that great when limited to being a leader. The reason he felt this now was because Yang Cheon’s presence was so overwhelming.

‘He traveled the world alone and fought against it, but he hasn’t had much experience in running an organization in earnest.’

A small smile appeared on Moyong Gun’s lips.

‘Even a transcendent powerhouse like him can’t do anything about his lack of experience.’

Yang Cheon’s eyebrows twitched.

“The answer?”

“I will. But there’s a matter that’s ten thousand times more important than this answer, so can I tell you that first before answering?”

“…You’re a truly interesting person. In some ways, I’m even impressed. I’ve seen many people, but I’ve never seen anyone be so arrogant in front of me like you.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

“I don’t need your wordplay! Answer me right now…”

“Do you know about the Three Teachings?”

“…What?”

“Don’t you know? Then I’ll put it another way. Do you know about the Evil Yin Sect?”

Whoosh!

In an instant, Yang Cheon’s energy changed.

It became even more violent, but the energy wave was not directed at Moyong Gun.

The emotion that was cast on Yang Cheon’s face was surprise. It wasn’t a fabricated reaction, but genuine. He was purely surprised.

Moyong Gun’s eyes deepened.

“I knew it. Deputy Chief Yang also knew about them.”

“You…”

Whooooooong!

The surging energy wave blazed hotly for a moment.

Moyong Gun felt his breathing become constricted for a moment. Yang Cheon’s energy, burning with confusion, anger, suspicion, and passion, was sweeping over Moyong Gun’s entire body.

Yang Cheon asked in a sharp voice.

“How do you know about the Evil Yin Sect?”

Crackle!

In an instant, lightning energy surged from Moyong Gun’s body.

The energy wave burning with passion was not exclusive to Yang Cheon.

Moyong Gun glared at Yang Cheon with eyes full of anger. It was a genuine, passionate anger, no less intense than that of the Fighting King Yang Cheon.

“Even though you know about them, you’ve been holed up in this pathetic cave, acting like a boss?”

“What did you say?”

Moyong Gun shouted.

“Now that those vile beings from beyond the borders are trying to swallow the Central Plains whole, I’m asking why you’re not trying to chew them up and swallow them instead of trying to fill your own belly!!”