Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 435

Several people were gathered in the room.

There was Yeon Ho-Jeong, the commander of the Righteous Army, Moyong Gun, the leader of the Tangma Army, and Muk Bi, the vice-commander of the Myeolsa Army.

Also present were Ga Deuk-Sang and, unexpectedly, Sama Hyeon, whom Yeon Ho-Jeong had called separately.

The leaders of the Martial Alliance’s strongest military units, the de facto head of the Martial Alliance’s intelligence division, and the descendant of the legendary assassin known as the ‘Sound God,’ who was now a legend of the fallen Central Plains assassination world, were all gathered in one place.

This was why an unusual atmosphere filled the room. They were not gathered as friends with personal ties, but as individuals holding important positions within a single organization.

“So,” Yeon Ho-Jeong began, having read the letter for some time.

“You’re saying that a major power struggle has broken out within Bota Temple?”

“That’s right,” Ga Deuk-Sang said, frowning.

“When I saw the letter from the Mukryong Deputy Chief, I couldn’t help but be surprised. I don’t think he’s the type to lie about such a matter, but as always, I conducted an investigation to verify the truth.”

“What were the results?”

“The Mukryong Deputy Chief’s words were correct.”

“Are you certain?”

“Do you know why I felt a sense of futility while investigating this Bota Temple matter?”

Ga Deuk-Sang sighed.

“It’s because the information management on the Bota Temple side was so lax that there was no need to investigate thoroughly. Well, I suppose it’s understandable. Bota Temple is the sect and temple of the Sword Empress. Unlike the Shaolin, they are not actively involved in the martial world, so they probably didn’t have a proper intelligence organization.”

“That’s true.”

“I don’t know why it changed so much, but Bota Temple is no longer the sacred temple of the Sword Empress it once was.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong looked at Muk Bi.

“Vice-Commander Muk.”

“Yes, Commander.”

“Do you know about Bota Temple?”

In truth, Bota Temple and Gwanil Valley were similar in many ways. However, Gwanil Valley was closer to a religion, while Bota Temple was more of a closed sect that trained in martial arts rather than a temple.

Muk Bi shook her head.

“I’ve heard the name a few times, but I don’t know much about it in detail.”

Since joining the Myeolsa Army, she had studied various organizations in the Central Plains martial world. Of course, Bota Temple was among them.

At first, she was curious about a sect made up of women, but she soon lost interest. She didn’t want to waste time digging into a sect that didn’t venture into the martial world.

Yeon Ho-Jeong asked Moyong Gun,

“What about you?”

“I only know the general details. In fact, Bota Temple is so far removed from the interest of the martial world. I only know that they choose a Sword Empress from generation to generation, and that the Sword Empress’s martial prowess is beyond imagination.”

“I see.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes deepened.

‘It seems everyone knows less than I do.’

The reason Yeon Ho-Jeong knew so much about Bota Temple was similar to why Yang Cheon was concerned about it.

‘She must be in her mid-twenties by now? She’s probably around the same age as Muk Bi, rather than me.’

Bota Temple selects a candidate to become the Sword Empress from each generation and sends them out into the martial world.

The Sword Empress candidate who goes out into the martial world thoroughly eliminates evil and accumulates good deeds from her own perspective. Naturally, there were many clashes with the Black Path [a term for the criminal underworld of martial artists] over the generations.

In fact, the Black Path is a lawless world that accounts for more than eighty percent of the brutal image of the martial world known to the public.

Murder and plunder are commonplace there. Hunting the weak is a daily occurrence. For a Black Path member, backstabbing was not just acceptable, but a virtue, and even the absolute powerhouses who ran organizations were called fools if they trusted their subordinates.

To put it bluntly, the Black Path martial world is a mess. It’s a chaotic scene where countless jackals are constantly looking for opportunities to bite each other.

The Sword Empress candidates proved themselves by dealing with such Black Path thugs or dismantling organizations. The easiest place to find dens of evil in the Central Plains was the Black Path martial world.

However, after Yeon Ho-Jeong advanced into the Black Path, built his reputation in the dark, and established the Black Emperor’s Castle to control the Black Path martial world,

The Sword Empress wandered the Black Path martial world and then disappeared somewhere.

‘She was strong.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s pupils dilated.

‘She was strong. Even I at the time couldn’t have been sure of victory.’

He had met the Sword Empress candidate at the time.

She was just a candidate, but she was already an absolute powerhouse whose martial arts had reached perfection. Yeon Ho-Jeong, who was the successor of the Death God, had killed Yang Cheon, and was beginning to be called the best in the Black Path, was very surprised to see the female swordsman who was so strong that it was hard to discuss victory without experiencing a major battle.

Yeon Ho-Jeong recalled part of the conversation he had with her at the time.

‘So, you’re the one. The man who conquered the chaotic Black Path and began to rule it with strict rules and laws.’

‘And?’

‘I hope your path is filled with light. I hope that your reforms will prevent the Black Path from repeating its past mistakes.’

‘If you’ve said your piece, get lost. I’m busy.’

‘I know you. You’re a man with a deep heart, contrary to your appearance. That’s the conviction I’ve gained from watching you for several months.’

‘Shut up.’

‘I hope that your sincerity in changing the Black Path from a world of beasts to a world with a human touch will be passed down to future generations. Otherwise, the next generation of Sword Empress will seek out the Black Path again.’

‘Are you still not gone?’

‘Remember. The moment your grand plan collapses, the Sword Empress’s sword will once again target the heart of the Black Path.’

There were various political reasons and countless incidents, but one of the reasons why the large organizations born in the Black Path did not last a generation was the existence of the Sword Empress.

The successive Sword Empresses started from the bottom of the Black Path, crushed all sorts of organizations connected by evil, and then returned to Bota Temple.

‘It was truly ridiculous.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong didn’t particularly like Bota Temple and the existence of the Sword Empress.

They had power. And they used that power solely for their own values.

Of course, it couldn’t be seen as bad. People’s personalities varied greatly, and individual freedom could be more important than the suffering of others. Yeon Ho-Jeong did not deny that.

However, he found their behavior difficult to agree with.

Eliminating evil and accumulating good deeds? Proving it and establishing it as a symbol?

It was a ridiculous act. Once you’ve started eliminating evil, you have to see it through to the end. The reason is that if you only do it half-heartedly, it is not evil but good that suffers more damage.

That was why he thought a half-hearted hero was worse than an indifferent person. The so-called Sword Empress candidates only saw the evil in front of them and did not consider what oppression the scattered evil behind them would inflict on the common people.

Even that was individual freedom? From Yeon Ho-Jeong’s point of view, it was absurd. It was not a matter of discussing freedom, but the selfish self-satisfaction of those who did not know responsibility.

That was why Yeon Ho-Jeong did not like Bota Temple or the Sword Empress.

And now, they were said to be in a mess, caught up in a power struggle.

‘Something happened.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong once again thought of the Sword Empress.

The female swordsman with deep eyes who, during the Black Emperor era, had declared in front of him that she would point her sword at evil.

‘Her eyes were genuine back then. At least, she wasn’t the kind of person who would come from a sect ruined by a power struggle.’

Regardless of how Yeon Ho-Jeong viewed them, at least the Sword Empress of the past had maintained a pure innocence.

She was not the kind of person or had the kind of eyes that would come from a group caught up in a power struggle. It was a hasty thought, but Yeon Ho-Jeong sensed that the situation of Bota Temple now was completely different from the Bota Temple he knew in the past.

“Just a simple thought of mine,” Yeon Ho-Jeong said, his eyes gleaming.

“There must be a reason why Bota Temple has fallen into such a state.”

Ga Deuk-Sang nodded.

“I think so too. In fact, tradition has the power to evaporate any kind of conflict without a trace. There must have been greedy people in the hundreds of years of Bota Temple’s history, right? Nevertheless, the reason why Bota Temple has been able to enjoy its current reputation is that their history and tradition had enough power to suppress greed and ambition.”

“I agree.”

“In other words, as the Commander said, something must have happened to them. Furthermore, I thought so too, so I delved deeper.”

“What were the results?”

“I couldn’t find anything.”

Ga Deuk-Sang sighed.

“I don’t know. Why they became like that.”

“I see.”

If even the Beggars’ Union’s investigation couldn’t find anything, there was no need to dwell on that part any longer.

Then they had to look at the present.

“Deputy Chief Yang said in his letter that one of the three factions of Bota Temple came to him. He said that if he lent the power of the Mukryong Faction, they could maintain a good relationship in the future.”

“That’s right.”

“Even if it’s a power struggle, they’re really rotten to the core.”

Regardless of what kind of person Yang Cheon was, he was the leader of the Black Path Alliance. He was the leader of the Black Path martial world that Bota Temple had been constantly interfering with.

To go to such a person and ask for help? It showed how broken Bota Temple was.

“And,” Yeon Ho-Jeong frowned.

“He wants us to take a part of Bota Temple, destroy it, and share their power?”

Ga Deuk-Sang scratched his head. White dandruff fell in a flurry.

“It’s a very Black Path Alliance leader-like thought. He doesn’t miss an opportunity.”

“No. If he were the leader of the Black Path Alliance, he would have tricked us and tried to swallow Bota Temple’s power whole.”

“I thought so too, but Yang Cheon is not an ordinary person. He must have thought that a clumsy lie wouldn’t work.”

“That could be true.”

Ga Deuk-Sang’s eyes gleamed.

“The Mukryong Deputy Chief sent this letter to the Commander, not the main branch of the Martial Alliance. The Commander is part of the Martial Alliance, so he’ll be sure that this letter will go to the Martial Alliance, but what does it mean that he sent it to the Commander first, not the main branch?”

“……”

“I know. Why that man sent the letter to the Commander.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong looked at Ga Deuk-Sang.

Ga Deuk-Sang smacked his lips.

“That guy also knows. The influence the Commander has.”

“Influence, you say.”

“I’ve been too embarrassed to say it, but frankly, the things the Commander has accomplished so far are nothing short of achievements.”

“That’s an overestimation.”

“That’s an accurate assessment. And the Mukryong Deputy Chief knows that well. Aside from anything else, the Commander has a history of playing with the Mukryong Deputy Chief. How many people in the world today can deceive a powerhouse of Seongcheon [a reference to a powerful martial artist]?”

“……”

“The Mukryong Deputy Chief is keeping an eye on the Commander.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong silently looked down at the letter.

Ga Deuk-Sang asked,

“What are you planning to do?”

“What else can I do? I have to inform the Martial Alliance.”

“That’s obvious, but the problem is our position.”

A subtle tension appeared on Ga Deuk-Sang’s face.

“If we don’t give him the answer he wants, we don’t know what Yang Cheon will do.”

Honam and Guangdong were close. Furthermore, the influence of the Black Path martial world was stronger than that of the White Path martial world south of the Yangtze River.

And it was Yang Cheon. If he decided to move, Yeon Ho-Jeong and the Righteous Army would suffer fatal damage.

‘A recommendation and a threat, and a threat and a favor.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong frowned.

‘The series of events is too smooth. Surely, Yang Cheon, you didn’t do this? Making Bota Temple like that, I mean.’

It was then.

“Hmm?”

Ga Deuk-Sang’s face, which had been perking up his ears, suddenly contorted. He had heard a transmission from his subordinate.

Yeon Ho-Jeong asked,

“What’s wrong?”

“……The situation is turning out to be quite remarkable.”

“……?”

Ga Deuk-Sang stood up from his seat.

“One of the swordsmen from Bota Temple has contacted me through the Beggars’ Union.”

“……”

“Damn it, think about how to respond until I come back.”

As Ga Deuk-Sang left, Yeon Ho-Jeong sighed deeply.

“Vice-Commander Muk.”

“Yes, Commander.”

“I need to call a monk.”