Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 426

427. The Past Woven by the Four Gods (2)

“……”

No one among those seated around the low table spoke first.

The atmosphere was heavy. The silence was stifling.

How much time had passed like that?

It was Jong-myeong who spoke first.

“Setting aside the fact that you came without notice and took up the time of an official in the middle of his duties.”

Jong-myeong looked at Tam-gyeong.

He was the only one smiling in this place. Rather, he seemed intrigued by this situation, and his occasional glances around even revealed a childlike innocence.

“How did you come to know and bring this person here?”

He referred to him as ‘this person’.

The Left Garrison Commander of the Seungseon Garrison was a high-ranking official of the second rank. He was the core of local power, and there was no need to treat him with respect just because the other person was older.

For such words to come from such a person, it meant that they already knew each other well enough.

Yeon Ho-jeong said,

“I thought it would be better to have an official persuade someone they find difficult, rather than a martial artist suppressing an official.”

“……I’ll say this clearly.”

Jong-myeong’s eyes turned cold.

“Don’t you think that your attitude makes people see your group as a dangerous one?”

“I don’t think there’s any need to wear a mask for an official who already sees martial artists as a dangerous element.”

Jong-myeong frowned.

“I think it’s a matter beyond what my ideology is.”

“Whether your ideology is right or wrong is not my concern. What’s important is that under the guise of working for the future, you are ignoring countless ways to make Guangdong Province a better place to live.”

“Reality is reality. It is the duty of an official to work day and night for a better future and a better life.”

“At the same time, isn’t it also the duty of an official to nurture the lives of the many common people living in the present?”

“I have never thought of myself as someone who needs to learn the duties of an official from a martial artist.”

“Then I can only conclude that you are greatly mistaken and lack the qualities of an official. It is said that even a three-year-old can learn from others, but you don’t even have the awareness that you can learn from anyone.”

Jong-myeong’s stiff cheeks trembled.

Putting aside everything else, he couldn’t win against him with words. As an outstanding administrator who had never been defeated in any negotiation, let alone administrative matters, it was a painful experience.

Yeon Ho-jeong spoke in a calm tone.

“I’ll say this clearly, Guangdong is wrong right now. If you truly cared about Guangdong and the country, you wouldn’t have let those rotten assassins run rampant for over ten years, and you would have realized that the orthodox martial arts world is losing its power.”

“It seems you want to blame everything on me.”

“Now I see that you not only lack the willingness to learn, but you also have the bad habit of only listening to what you want to hear.”

“You!”

Jong-myeong’s voice rose.

“I will not tolerate any more of your insolence! The country has laws, rules, and regulations! The state doesn’t appoint officials for no reason!”

“Instead of dodging the issue, it would be better to admit what needs to be admitted.”

“Do you truly wish to be imprisoned!”

“You are a failed administrator.”

“……!!”

It was a single sentence that flew like a sharp dagger and pierced him.

Failed administrator. That simple and clear modifier shut Jong-myeong’s mouth.

“It is said that the Seungseon [Military Garrison] and the Doji Command [Military Command], and the Jihyeong [Judicial Office] are clearly defined in their rights and responsibilities and do not interfere with each other. So, seeing the state of Guangdong as your sole fault might be an overstatement. However……”

“……”

“While you may be judged as not bad in financial and foreign affairs, you have clearly failed in passive administration such as order and welfare.”

“……”

“Even if the three powers are separated, given the current special circumstances of Guangdong Province, the Jihyeong Anchal Office [Judicial Inspectorate] should be the one most criticized for the assassin issue. Yet, the reason we came to you is that the Left and Right Garrison Commanders are in the best position to grasp what the common people want.”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes sharpened.

“You saw the world of martial arts, which is real yet seems like a fantasy, as a dangerous and exclusionary entity, so you couldn’t accept it as part of your administrative target. If you had at least thought of eliminating it, it might have been different, but you didn’t even do that, so parasites were breeding in that gap.”

“……No matter what you say, I have only one thing to say.”

With his face flushed, Jong-myeong said,

“I will not tolerate any more crossing the line. Since you saved my life as the Left Garrison Commander, I will consider your rudeness up to now as if it never happened.”

“……”

“Go back. The affairs of the state will be handled by the officials. Don’t think of interfering any further.”

At that moment, Tam-gyeong spoke.

“Before, Ju-gak, that friend of mine, said something like this.”

Instantly, Jong-myeong’s face froze. It must have been because of the name Ju-gak.

Tam-gyeong spoke calmly.

“Smart people don’t need to be stubborn, but as they get older, they become more stubborn than anyone else.”

“……”

“Being stubborn isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The problem is that for the operator of any organization, it becomes a sin. If you’re stubborn, your vision narrows, and you can’t think about anything else.”

Jong-myeong stammered,

“Even if the elder mentions that person’s name, I will never……”

“Are you afraid? That I might put pressure on that friend and drag you into the mire?”

“……!!”

“People have different personalities and abilities. However, looking at you now, it seems like you are living for yourself, not for Guangdong Province.”

“Elder.”

“That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Aren’t officials people too? The problem is that you should have paid more attention to the public sentiment of Guangdong, even for your own sake. If you wanted to go higher than you are now, you should have managed Guangdong while losing sleep to avoid causing any problems. Why? Because that’s why you receive so much salary.”

“……”

“There are many fools and greedy people among your superiors, but there are also many people with pure character and good insight.”

“……?!”

“Do you understand what I mean? Even if you have eliminated countless rivals to get to where you are now from the bottom, your current politics clearly have problems.”

Jong-myeong’s eyelids trembled.

Tam-gyeong’s voice was much calmer than Yeon Ho-jeong’s, to the point that it sounded leisurely. But the weight of his words was immense.

“Whether it’s to achieve your ambition or to fulfill your duties as an official, you shouldn’t have left the administration of Guangdong like this. I’m an amateur when it comes to administration, but I know that your fault is not small.”

“I……”

“Don’t you want to admit it? Because it will tarnish the history you’ve created? Then you shouldn’t have done it in the first place?”

“……!!”

“It’s already happened, and there’s already a stain on your history. Then there are two things left. Either show such outstanding skill that you cover up that stain, or step down from that position.”

It was a terrifying statement.

Step down from that position. It wasn’t something an old man who wasn’t an official, or even someone who had left the influential Shaolin Temple, should say.

Yet, Jong-myeong’s complexion had turned extremely pale. Tam-gyeong’s words didn’t sound like empty words.

Yeon Ho-jeong said,

“If I had known you were such a stubborn person, I wouldn’t have saved you.”

“……!!”

“Does it sound harsh? I don’t care. When I think of the common people screaming even at this moment, officials who haven’t done their jobs properly should have nothing to say even if they had a hundred mouths, and they shouldn’t be forgiven even if they lost a thousand heads.”

Yeon Ho-jeong turned to the side.

There was So-bang, who was full of hostility. Her hands were bound with chains, and her fierce expression made her look like a Rakshasa [a demoness in Hindu and Buddhist mythology].

“Do you know who this woman is?”

“……?”

“She is a remnant of a heretical group called the Saeoe, Saeum Cult. And the Saeum Cult is joining hands with a group called the Sinhwa Cult to overthrow the martial arts world and the imperial family and take over the Central Plains.”

“Wh-what did you say?!”

Jong-myeong was startled and looked at So-bang.

So-bang’s face became even more distorted. She was offended by Yeon Ho-jeong’s words calling the Saeum Cult a heretical group.

“And the assassin we dealt with was also a spy dispatched by the Saeum Cult. He was living as a force that would serve as a blockade line in the southernmost part of the Central Plains in the future war, and at the same time, he would be in charge of supporting troops in case of emergency.”

Flash!

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes turned extremely cold.

“This is what’s happening in the world you haven’t seen, the world you didn’t want to see. And that will continue to happen, and it has actually grown into something too big to touch right now.”

“I-is that really true?!”

“What have you been doing?”

“I asked if it was true!”

“I don’t lie in a place that shakes the rotten head of an official who is even the Left Garrison Commander.”

“Oh, my!”

Jong-myeong jumped up.

Yeon Ho-jeong shook his head.

“Don’t think about informing anyone. Their claws have already reached the upper echelons.”

“……What?”

“I’m telling you to keep your mouth shut. The moment you carelessly speak about that matter, you will be killed without a trace. They will send people ten times more terrifying than the assassin who has been with you for seven years.”

“……!!”

“Also, before that, I will kill you first if you carelessly blabber.”

The corners of Yeon Ho-jeong’s mouth curled up.

“Do you understand? Why we are telling you this?”

“……”

“You can’t escape now. As this old man said, it’s one of two things. Either keep your mouth shut and fix Guangdong properly, or die in this place.”

“……”

“Since you’re someone who’s obsessed with self-preservation, I don’t think I need to tell you to be careful with your words.”

Yeon Ho-jeong leaned back in his chair.

“It seems you are in contact with the Eun Clan. Let’s start there, the path to saving Guangdong. I’ll say this in advance, don’t delude yourself into thinking that your administration will work without the help of the Guangdong martial arts world. I believe you’re not that stupid.”

Yeon Ho-jeong had not only visited the Seungseon Garrison. He had also toured the Doji Command and the Jihyeong Anchal Office over five days with Tam-gyeong and So-bang.

What he learned in the process was that Tam-gyeong’s presence was more significant than he had thought. Even the highest authorities of each department couldn’t say a word in front of Tam-gyeong.

Moreover, with So-bang’s presence, it was very easy to handle things. Yeon Ho-jeong would set the stage, Tam-gyeong would persuade, and finally, So-bang’s presence would be the final blow, leading the officials as they intended.

In that way, the five-day tour was successfully concluded.

“So, is this the end of what I have to do?”

“You’ve done a great job.”

Tam-gyeong smiled.

“Is it your turn now? Our deal.”

Yeon Ho-jeong nodded.

“Let’s go.”