Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 461

Kwaaaang!

The impact was so powerful that it shook several cave chambers.

It was fortunate that he had subconsciously lessened his strength. This place was his residence, but also the territory established by his master. Considering his master’s fearsome reputation, even making a hole in the wall could earn him a scolding.

But that was that, and this was this.

‘You… you son of a bitch!’

Urrrrrrung!

Jeon Hong’s enraged shout was filled with intense killing intent.

He looked at his right arm with bloodshot eyes.

The right shoulder, the area below it, was empty.

The pain was not as great as he had expected. No, he couldn’t feel the pain itself.

That was because the sense of loss was greater than the pain. The terrible feeling of a person who has witnessed the fact that his right arm, which he had used his entire life, had now disappeared forever, could not be understood by anyone who had not experienced it themselves.

‘Uaaaah!’

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Jeon Hong struck the ground several times, his left fist instantly stained with blood. He had struck without using any internal energy.

How much time had passed like that?

‘Hah! Hah!’

His eyes were flipped, and he couldn’t even manage his breathing.

Jeon Hong, who had been taking ragged breaths several times, frowned and clutched his chest. He felt a churning sensation inside due to internal injuries.

‘Damn it! Damn it!’

Once he became aware of the pain, there was no part of his body that didn’t hurt.

The sword wounds that crisscrossed his upper body like a spiderweb had not yet fully healed. Considering his usual recovery speed, it was truly astonishing.

That indescribable pain fueled his anger once more.

‘Bastard! I’ll kill you!’

Kwarururung!

Jeon Hong, who had roughly opened the door and stepped out, flinched for a moment.

‘Indeed, your recovery is fast.’

‘……Senior Sister.’

The person waiting with arms crossed in front of Jeon Hong’s residence was Bu Seon.

Jeon Hong’s lips twitched.

‘Did you come to see how miserably your cute junior was defeated?’

It was an aggressive tone.

Bu Seon shook her head.

‘I have no interest in your defeat.’

‘Hah! Nonsense. You must be laughing inside. To someone who has struggled to climb up with insufficient talent, the defeat of a senior brother who was praised as a genius must be as sweet as honey, wouldn’t it?’

Bu Seon simply stared at Jeon Hong without any response.

Jeon Hong frowned. For some reason, she seemed like a different person from the Bu Seon he had known in the past.

‘Enough. Get out of my way.’

‘Where are you trying to go?’

‘Do I have to report that to you, Senior Sister?’

Unexpectedly, Bu Seon nodded.

‘Yes, you do.’

‘……What did you just say?’

‘Master was anticipating your impulsive behavior.’

Jeon Hong flinched for a moment. No matter how much he raged like an angry colt, he couldn’t help but feel intimidated by the title of ‘Master.’

Bu Seon continued with an indifferent expression.

‘Such predictions are not only Master’s privilege. Everyone who knows you expected it. That you would go on a rampage as soon as you woke up. And you haven’t deviated from our expectations by even an inch.’

Jeon Hong’s eyes twitched.

He felt like his insides were churning. Not because of the internal injuries, but because Bu Seon’s current appearance, which was insulting him, felt so disgusting that he wanted to vomit.

‘Master has directly ordered me to control you.’

‘That’s absurd! How many capable subordinates does Master have? Why would he give such an order to you, Senior Sister?’

It was a question of whether she had the ability and qualifications to do so.

Even with his aggressive tone, Bu Seon remained completely unfazed.

‘Are you questioning Master’s judgment? Or do you not trust Master?’

‘……!!’

He was given back more than he had given. Jeon Hong could not answer that question.

Bu Seon glanced at his arm.

‘Go back inside and rest quietly. Your recovery is fast, but it doesn’t seem like a wound you can push yourself with.’

‘……Grrr.’

This was clearly mocking him. That’s how Jeon Hong felt.

Bu Seon turned her body. The way she coldly turned her body as if she had said everything she needed to say, irritated Jeon Hong’s nerves to the core.

Jeon Hong, with his heart twisted, said as if throwing a stone.

‘How did you coax him?’

Bu Seon stopped walking.

‘What are you talking about?’

‘How did you coax Master into giving you such an important task? Did you give him bribes? Or did you offer him beautiful women?’

‘……I didn’t know you had fallen so low.’

Killing intent flickered in Jeon Hong’s eyes.

‘Fallen low? If you’re not careful with your words…!’

‘Or what?’

Whoooosh!

In an instant, shock washed over Jeon Hong’s face.

Bu Seon, who had turned her head and was glaring at him, was emitting a tremendous aura that was binding his mind and body.

It was a shockingly powerful force. That dark and savage aura, which stimulated a person’s primal fear, was something he had only felt from his master, Yang Cheon.

Thud!

Was it because he was too surprised? Jeon Hong found himself sitting down without realizing it.

Bu Seon’s lips curled up. At the same time, Jeon Hong’s face turned red. He had shown an absurdly disgraceful sight.

‘The thing on your shoulders is there for you to think with. Your mouth is not just for eating, but also for making careful statements.’

‘……!’

‘I understand how you see Master. Bribes? Women? That’s ridiculous. A pathetic guy like you doesn’t deserve to be a disciple of the Fighting King. I’m ashamed of my past self for having even a moment of envy for someone like you.’

Bu Seon turned her body again and said.

‘Stay in your room and reflect. If you ignore this warning and do something foolish, you will be thrown into the prison immediately.’

With that, Bu Seon disappeared.

Jeon Hong’s body, which was sitting on the ground, trembled as if there was an earthquake.

After a while.

Kwaaaang!

His fist finally made a hole in the ground.

‘Uaaaaaaaaaah!!’

* * *

The next morning.

‘Did you stay up all night?’

At Jeong An’s greeting, Yeon Ho-Jeong simply raised his hand once.

Jeong An looked at the opposite side of Yeon Ho-Jeong.

A chair that was slightly pulled back. An empty wine glass and scattered chopsticks were also visible.

Jeong An’s eyes deepened.

‘Deputy Chief Mukryong… could it be that he left?’

‘Yes.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s voice was quite dry.

Jeong An, who had been quietly watching him, sat down opposite him.

‘The Chief told me to go with him, right?’

‘That’s right.’

‘There are many reasons why he asked me to go with him, but you also know that the reason I accepted that invitation was because of the meeting with Deputy Chief Mukryong, right?’

‘I know.’

‘But why didn’t you call me?’

Jeong An also knew that a master of unimaginable skill had visited last night. She had felt a powerful internal energy wave from the back garden.

But after that, she couldn’t sense anything. In other words, the opponent was a master who could not be caught by Jeong An’s senses.

Yeon Ho-Jeong silently filled his glass. There were five bottles of alcohol lined up on one side.

Jeong An waited patiently.

‘He must have something in mind.’

Although it hadn’t been long since they had met, Jeong An trusted Yeon Ho-Jeong.

At least, he was not someone who would lie or break his promises. She had a clear conviction in that regard.

How much time had passed like that?

‘Listen carefully.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong told her without exaggeration why Botaam had become like that and what Yang Cheon was thinking.

Srrr.

Jeong An’s hand, which was tightly gripping her sleeve, was trembling slightly.

‘Just… just because of such discord?’

Yeon Ho-Jeong shook his head.

‘Don’t say just. People can gain courage from a single whisper, and they can lose confidence from a single sarcastic remark, losing the will to do what they could have done.’

‘Even so!’

‘Their actions were clearly wrong. But if you ask if it would have been better to lead troops and crush them, it’s not like that either. The important thing is that Botaam was attacked by the Mukryong Faction [a faction within Bota].’

‘This is a cowardly act. Bota is a temple where practitioners gather. Even if they have bad feelings towards this side, they should at least start with a conversation…’

‘It is ideal to try to resolve disputes through dialogue. However, even the sects of the righteous path will draw their swords without dialogue if they judge that their power is stronger. How much more so would the Mukryong Faction?’

‘So, are we just going to leave them alone?’

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes deepened.

‘We can’t do that.’

‘That’s right. I don’t know what process there was, but if the Mukryong Faction made the main temple like that, it’s an issue that can’t be overlooked.’

‘Okay, since we’re on the topic, let’s hear your thoughts.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong crossed his arms.

Although he had stayed up all night, his eyes seemed even deeper than before.

‘If we can’t leave them alone, what do you want to do? The Mukryong Faction is a group that you can’t handle with your individual power. Before that, you can’t even handle Yang Cheon. So, are you thinking of gathering people to help you and attacking the Mukryong Faction?’

Jeong An did not waver even though Yeon Ho-Jeong did not directly say that he would help.

‘Of course. I know that my power has limitations. But I’m not someone who doesn’t value my life. But I can’t just stand by.’

‘……’

‘You said before, Chief, that it was wrong for me to deal with it half-heartedly. If even one of us had risked our lives and rushed into the changed situation of Botaam, it would have been a change, even if not immediately.’

‘That’s right.’

‘I can’t just stand by even though I know all the circumstances. But I’m not thinking of gathering forces and attacking them either. For now.’

‘Then?’

‘I will contact the Mukryong Faction Chief and ask to meet him.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong couldn’t help but burst out laughing. It was a serious situation, but he couldn’t help but laugh.

Jeong An frowned.

‘Why are you laughing like that?’

‘Ah, I’m sorry. I’m not looking down on you. I’m not dismissing your determination as the shallow thinking of someone inexperienced. It’s just…’

Yeon Ho-Jeong scratched his cheek.

‘I just think it’s a very natural course of action.’

‘Of course, we should meet and talk first.’

It was a simple thought, almost naive.

But Yeon Ho-Jeong thought. Her thoughts, her will, were right.

She doesn’t know the world? Is it because she’s young?

That’s right. But before everyone in the world sneers at Jeong An’s judgment, they should have pondered the fundamental problem of why the world has become like this.

A dispute has arisen? It should be resolved through dialogue.

It can’t be resolved through dialogue? Then we should try dialogue again.

They won’t meet? Even so, we should try to meet and talk.

The person who committed the crime must clearly apologize, and the person who suffered the damage must receive appropriate compensation. That was the natural order.

‘But the world isn’t like that.’

Jeong An is young and inexperienced. Things won’t be handled according to her thoughts.

However, Yeon Ho-Jeong was truly pleased with her will and determination.

Yeon Ho-Jeong shouted towards the window.

‘Gang Ryang! Prepare to go out!’

Jeong An tilted her head.

Prepare to go out? Suddenly?

Shortly after, Gang Ryang came up to the fourth floor in a hurry.

‘What is it, Brother? Suddenly going out? Where to?’

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had emptied the remaining alcohol in one go, put down the glass forcefully and stood up from his seat.

‘Where else? We have to go back and question the person who made this situation so chaotic.’

‘Yes?’

Yeon Ho-Jeong looked at Jeong An intently.

‘Are you ready to risk your life?’

Jeong An nodded her head vigorously.

‘Of course.’

‘Good.’

Chi-i-i-ik!

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had instantly blown away the alcohol fumes, rotated his shoulders and said.

‘Let’s go fix what’s twisted. That’s the right thing to do.’