Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 40

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s body faltered.

The hand that had unleashed the Yeonhwan Palm [a palm technique of the Yeon family] was flushed red. In that instant, Yeon-wi had also neutralized the attack with a palm strike.

*Whooong!*

A faint aura rose from Yeon-wi’s outstretched hand.

‘The Reversing Dragon Palm!’

It was one of the Yeon Family’s ultimate martial arts. Each strike was powerful, but it was a palm technique that was especially unmatched in counterattacks.

However, Yeon-wi was even more surprised.

“Is that the Yeonhwan Flying Swallow Palm?”

“Yes, it is.”

*Paaah!*

No sooner had the answer been given than Yeon Ho-Jeong charged again.

Just when he thought he would come straight in, he suddenly lowered his stance and swung the Sky Piercing Halberd [a long, heavy polearm].

Despite the close distance, the blade of the halberd, a long weapon, accurately swept towards his ankle. Even though it was a long and heavy weapon, it was not restricted by distance.

Yeon-wi’s sword scraped the floor of the training ground.

*Kagagagak! Kang!*

The sword, scraping along the ground, deflected the Sky Piercing Halberd. Once again, the halberd failed to achieve its purpose.

The rebounding shaft drew an exquisite arc, aiming for Yeon-wi’s side. It was a faster attack than when the blade was swung.

*Jjeojeong!*

It was perfect.

Yeon Ho-Jeong couldn’t help but be amazed. His father’s martial arts had reached the level of perfect unity of offense and defense.

*Jjeong! Kwajik! Paaah!*

No matter how many times he swung the Sky Piercing Halberd, or how many times he created openings with his fist and kick combinations, he couldn’t break through. He didn’t allow a single effective hit.

‘To think he has trained to this extent!’

Before inner energy or sword force, the martial path he had achieved was close to perfection. There was nothing to add or subtract; it was truly a complete martial art.

‘He’s amazing!’

During the Black Demon days, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s martial arts were far ahead of Yeon-wi’s.

However, even the Yeon Ho-Jeong of that time could not have displayed such a perfect unity of offense and defense as Yeon-wi did now. It wasn’t a matter of level, but a matter of specialty.

If Yeon Ho-Jeong’s martial arts were about maximizing his strengths to the extreme,

Yeon-wi’s martial arts were like a steel fortress that did not allow a single flaw. It was the epitome of orthodoxy, the embodiment of the righteous path of martial arts.

‘Good.’

His first spar with his father?

That thought had already vanished from his mind. Yeon Ho-Jeong was facing a martial artist who was unlikely to appear again in the history of the martial world, and he felt a burning competitive spirit like never before.

*Paaang! Pababak! Peoong!*

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s martial arts became even more intense.

The heavy Sky Piercing Halberd increased its speed. The halberd techniques, placed in an unbroken flow, targeted Yeon-wi’s entire body.

*Jjeojeojeojeong!*

All the heavy attacks were blocked.

But it was okay. Yeon Ho-Jeong believed that his father would never be hurt.

*Boo Woong! Boo Woong!*

As the speed increased, so did the destructive power, and as the destructive power increased, his movements gradually gained momentum.

Yeon-wi’s eyes gleamed.

‘Impressive.’

He was surprised by his son’s martial arts.

‘Such intense and exhilarating martial arts.’

The foundation of his stance was the Biseonjin Knot [a martial arts stance], but his martial arts were so ferocious that it didn’t seem like he had mastered the stable Biseonjin Knot.

But did that mean the balance of offense and defense was broken? Not at all.

*Jjeoeong!*

The short, forcefully swung steel sword was blocked by the halberd shaft.

He was using offense to replace defense. He wasn’t just trying to block, but rather, he was using an extreme martial art that wrapped around the opponent’s attack and struck it down.

At this level, one couldn’t criticize it for being too offensive. Defense was also an attack, and the attack was an even stronger attack. It was a practical martial art that relentlessly pushed the enemy, a battlefield fighting method that sought survival by killing before being killed.

‘Moreover…’

*Papapapapang!*

Yeon Ho-Jeong wasn’t just skilled with the halberd.

The moment a halberd strike seemed to come, a kick would fly, and if the kick was blocked, he would use a fist or palm strike as if he had been waiting for it. If the palm strike was evaded, the Sky Piercing Halberd would come again, and the moment the halberd was deflected, a subtle foot technique would come in.

He didn’t rely solely on weapon techniques just because he was holding a weapon. It was literally a fight. It wasn’t about overpowering the opponent with powerful martial arts, but about finding the enemy’s weakness and taking them down.

What was even more impressive was the nature of the close-quarters combat techniques that targeted weaknesses.

‘Basic skills?’

The Yeon Family’s Thirteen Fists, the Yeonhwan Flying Swallow Palm, the Empty Sky Kick, the Autumn Wind Step. [all basic martial arts of the Yeon family]

They were all basic martial arts of the Yeon Family. They didn’t display great power, but they were martial arts that could build a martial artist’s basic foundation.

To inflict such efficient attacks with such martial arts?

‘Could I even do this?’

It was said that a master calligrapher does not discriminate against their brush.

That saying was about his son. He was facing the head of a great family with martial arts that were like exercises to train the body.

Yeon-wi’s gaze changed.

*Jjeoeoeong!*

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s body was pushed back with a strong sword strike.

He had seen enough of his son’s martial arts. Just this much was enough to know the level his son had reached.

The moment Yeon-wi was about to open his mouth.

*Paaaang!*

He charged with an incredible speed that he had never shown before.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had closed the distance in an instant, swung the Sky Piercing Halberd like an axe.

Yeon-wi was startled.

‘This can’t be!’

This sword strike was by no means simple.

It was a technique that used strong rebounding force to push the opponent back. It should have been difficult enough just to maintain one’s balance.

But to approach with such speed?!

Yeon-wi quickly raised his sword.

*Jjeoeoeoeong!*

The sound of the sword and halberd clashing echoed beyond the training ground and into the family head’s residence.

It was the most explosive and powerful strike of all the attacks so far. Yeon-wi’s sword trembled slightly.

*Hwook!*

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had lowered his stance like lightning, unleashed a terrifying series of attacks.

*Papapapapa.*

Yeon-wi blocked his son’s martial arts with godlike skill.

‘So that’s it.’

Yeon-wi finally realized why his son had undertaken such extreme training.

‘It was to gain this stamina.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s attacks were relentless.

Each strike of his son’s martial arts, which unleashed powerful force, was a typical one-hit-kill type of martial art. However, to create that explosive strike, physical strength and endurance were essential in addition to inner energy.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s martial arts were saying, no, proving it.

This is who I am.

The martial arts I pursue are like this. I pursue extreme offensive power without compromise.

Yeon-wi’s eyes closed.

*Kwaang!*

Along with a terrifying Zhen Foot [a powerful foot technique], the steel sword drew the shape of lightning.

*Kwarung!*

“Hmm.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s body was pushed to the edge of the training ground.

It was a power that was on a different level from the previous Rebounding Force Sword. A sharp pain arose in both hands holding the Sky Piercing Halberd.

“That’s enough.”

*Sreureung.*

Yeon-wi, who had already left the training ground, sheathed his sword.

Yeon Ho-Jeong felt a sense of regret.

‘I was almost there.’

While attacking his father’s iron-clad martial arts, he had grasped a clue to draw out the White Tiger [one of the Four Divine Beasts].

The summoning of the Four Divine Beasts was not enough with just formulas and enlightenment. If he could draw out the White Tiger’s energy, which was specialized in attack, his inner energy, body, and martial arts would all greatly improve.

‘It’s a shame, but it can’t be helped.’

If he could handle two of the Four Divine Beasts, he would be able to summon the other Divine Beasts through training alone.

But not the White Tiger. It would not be easy to draw it out unless it was a life-or-death battle. The Four Divine Beast Martial Arts themselves were martial arts born on the battlefield.

‘That’s how amazing my father’s martial arts are. Even though it’s not a life-or-death battle, he’s at a level where I can draw out the White Tiger.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had relaxed his stance, looked at Yeon-wi with a strange gaze.

‘How did he develop such martial arts?’

*Teong!*

Yeon-wi, who had placed his sword on the rack, asked.

“How was it?”

“Pardon?”

“In your opinion, how were this father’s martial arts?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes lit up.

“I think they are close to perfect.”

“Perfect?”

“Yes. There is room for improvement, but it seems like you are pursuing a flawless perfection without any weaknesses. It seemed like you wanted a middle path that does not lean towards attack, defense, evasion, or counterattack.”

He confidently said that there was room for improvement.

The reason he wasn’t offended by his son’s words was probably because his son’s words were hitting the nail on the head.

“Did you see it?”

“Isn’t it harder not to see it? Martial artists each have their own specialties, but I didn’t see any such specialties in you, Father.”

“……”

“Martial arts that encompass all things. That is your martial art, Father.”

Frank surprise appeared on Yeon-wi’s face.

“Your insight is truly remarkable. I didn’t know that my son would recognize my martial path, which no one else has ever seen through.”

“Is that so?”

“It is.”

Yeon-wi, who had been quietly looking at his son, sighed.

“I wanted you to follow in my footsteps.”

“Pardon?”

“About half a year ago, starting from the ancestral rites, you changed. I don’t know why you changed so much, but as the head of a family, I welcomed your change.”

“Ah, yes.”

“But now…”

“……”

“I’m a little, disappointed.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled.

“If there is anything I have done wrong, please tell me. I will correct it at any time.”

“You have done nothing wrong. That’s why I’m disappointed.”

Yeon-wi’s face was filled with a mixture of pride and disappointment towards his son.

“Before being the family head, as the father of two sons, I wanted my sons to walk the same path as me. You can call it greed, or you can call it stubbornness.”

“……”

“But you have already embarked on a different path from me. Through your martial arts, I was able to vaguely understand what you are pursuing.”

“What is it?”

“You have no desire to become the head of the main family.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face hardened.

It wasn’t just his son who had hit the nail on the head. Yeon-wi, too, had accurately seen through his son’s inner thoughts while watching his martial arts.

“I had been pondering about that part while watching your changed self. Today, I was able to confirm it. Your ambition is not here, but rather, it is reaching out to the world.”

“……”

Yeon-wi put his hands behind his back and looked up at the sky.

The sky, without a single cloud, was filled with an unknown sadness, unlike his usual gaze.

“I didn’t tell you the reason why I wanted to see your martial arts, did I?”

“……Wasn’t what you just said the end of it?”

“No, it wasn’t.”

“Then what is the reason?”

“I wanted to see through your martial arts whether you had the mindset to be the young family head.”

“……!”

Surprise appeared on Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face.

‘The young family head…?’

It was a position he had never thought about.

Yeon-wi shook his head.

“It’s truly a regrettable thing. As the family head, I wanted to test your capabilities, but as a father, I am frustrated to know that your ambition is not tied to the family.”

“……”

“Indeed, it seems that things in the world do not go as one wishes.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong couldn’t say anything.

Yeon-wi, who had been looking up at the sky for a long time, turned his body.

“It was a wonderful martial art. Let’s spar often in the future.”

“……Yes.”

“You’ve done well.”

Yeon-wi walked towards the family head’s residence.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who was watching his father’s back, opened his mouth.

“Father.”

Yeon-wi turned around.

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled.

“Even if our paths are different, my heart is always here. If it is to protect the family, I will point my sword at the world, even if it means being called a demon.”

“Nonsense.”

Yeon-wi turned back towards the family head’s residence.

“If the world calls my son a demon, I will place that world under my sword.”

“……”

“Rest now.”