Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 467

Yeon-wi sat in a lotus position, looking utterly at ease. He wasn’t circulating his energy, nor was he meditating. He simply sat cross-legged in the field, enjoying the gentle breeze and the fresh energy of the surroundings. That’s all it seemed like.

How long had it been?

“You were here.”

Yeon-wi opened his eyes.

Jeagal Mun-ho stood before him. The relaxed smile he usually wore was gone, replaced by a somewhat stiff expression.

Yeon-wi rose to his feet.

“Welcome. But what brings you here at this hour?”

“I came to complain because someone has been too engrossed in their training, leaving me with a headache.”

Yeon-wi looked embarrassed.

“I’m sorry. I was too focused on the sword…”

Jeagal Mun-ho chuckled.

“I’m just kidding, just kidding. Goodness, I thought you had finally relaxed, but you’ve already gone back to your old ways?”

“It’s true that I’ve been neglecting my duties.”

“I should take care of my own work. If it were truly urgent, I would have asked for help. Don’t worry about it.”

Yeon-wi clicked his tongue. Hearing those words made him feel even more guilty.

But apart from his guilt, Yeon-wi sensed something was off.

“Your expression isn’t good. Has something happened?”

Jeagal Mun-ho sighed.

“I received a message from Yeon Daesu.”

Yeon-wi’s expression immediately brightened.

“From Ho-Jeong?”

“Yes. But the contents of the letter are unsettling.”

“What happened?”

“Read it yourself.”

“…….”

“Oh, don’t misunderstand. I’ll be discussing this matter at the Bonggong [Martial Alliance’s governing body] meeting in an hour.”

Yeon-wi nodded.

“That’s true, but I’m worried about something else.”

“You mean the spy.”

“Yes.”

Jeagal Mun-ho shook his head.

“Everyone in Bonggong is already aware of the possibility of a spy. In this situation, if we try to control information unnecessarily, it will only breed discontent. We need to share what needs to be shared.”

“Well, I’m sure the strategist knows what he’s doing.”

Yeon-wi read the letter Jeagal Mun-ho handed him.

A moment later.

“Yang Cheon?!”

Yeon-wi was startled.

Jeagal Mun-ho sighed.

“I knew he had shaken up Botaam [a region], but I never imagined he would try to touch Saeum [a sect].”

A three-way battle centered around Botaam.

It was called a three-way battle, but if such a situation were to arise, the Martial Alliance and the Mukryong Clan [a powerful clan] would join forces to manipulate the Saeum Sect. They could deceive the Saeum Sect and even infiltrate its ranks.

The problem was that all of this was extremely dangerous. Even if they succeeded, if clear evidence emerged that they had brought Botaam to such a state, Shaolin [a famous Buddhist temple and martial arts school] would not stand idly by against the Mukryong Clan.

For the Central Plains martial world, which had to fight against the Three Teachings [a collective term for opposing factions] as a whole, this was an unwelcome situation.

“The only good thing is that Daesu somehow managed to stop it.”

He thought, as expected of Yeon Ho-Jeong. She probably had the same thought as he did now. That’s why she would have tried so hard to stop it.

“The problem is Cheonimun [a faction], which went to the Saeum Sect. If they really receive help from the Saeum Sect, Botaam will never recover.”

“Hmm.”

Yeon-wi neither affirmed nor denied.

Jeagal Mun-ho continued.

“This is the situation. The representative of Cheonanmun who went to Daesu is repenting his mistakes after being persuaded by Beom Oh, and the Yeonhwamun leader has suffered internal injuries that will take at least several years to heal. In other words, the leaders of two of Bota’s three factions are suppressed.”

“There’s nothing written about the successors.”

“Judging by the fact that they weren’t mentioned, it doesn’t seem like there’s any particular problem.”

“Hmm.”

“For now, Cheonimun is the problem, but frankly, if they have contacted the Saeum Sect, we can’t stop them, and it’s questionable whether we should even try.”

Yeon-wi’s eyes gleamed.

“What do you mean?”

Jeagal Mun-ho nodded.

“Bota is already ruined. At least the ‘current’ Bota is. It will take a very long time for them to regain their former vitality.”

“…….”

“If it were the Martial Alliance or the Mukryong Clan instead of the Three Teachings, it might be different… but the moment Cheonimun receives help from Saeum, they should be considered contaminated.”

This contamination didn’t mean a disease or a desire. It meant that the Cheonimun faction itself had been taken over by Saeum.

Wasn’t it an organization that was not easy to deal with? Of course, it could be.

But the organizations that had been defeated by Saeum so far were not easy to deal with. Even the world of assassins, which was much more difficult to handle than Cheonimun, had been taken over by the power of the Saeum Sect.

What if the Shinwha Sect or the Gwanghyeol Sect were also involved?

‘Cheonimun is finished.’

It was destruction.

That’s why Yang Cheon sent Cheonimun to the Saeum Sect. To make sure they were completely tainted. And to trace back the Saeum Sect experts who had infiltrated the Central Plains through Cheonimun.

Yang Cheon had presented them with a path of no return.

‘He’s a terrifying man.’

He knew that Yang Cheon was a dangerous person, but looking at the recent events, it seemed that he had underestimated him in the past.

It wasn’t just because of Botaam.

“In the past, when I received a letter from Hu-gae and replied, I sent the letter to two places. One to Hu-gae, and the other to the Mukryong Clan’s information network.”

Yeon-wi’s eyes gleamed.

“What do you mean by their information network?”

“It was to create confusion. It was before I received permission from the Moyong Clan Leader, but in fact, the Moyong Clan Leader also agreed with my decision.”

“What did you write?”

“That the Moyong Clan was creating a secret organization to strike at the Mukryong Clan.”

Yeon-wi’s eyes wavered.

Jeagal Mun-ho sighed again.

“No matter how great the Mukryong Clan is, the Moyong Clan is like a thorn in their side. And not just any thorn, but a dangerous one that could paralyze a leg if it pricked them.”

“And?”

“The Mukryong Clan completely ignored that information. We tried to disrupt their intelligence, and then infiltrate a spy when there was a gap in their information network to check on Cheonimun’s movements, but they never wavered.”

“Hmm.”

“Do you understand? If it were the Yang Cheon of the past, he would have been furious upon receiving that report. But he didn’t waver.”

The fact that he didn’t waver even after a drastic measure meant that Yang Cheon had grown stronger than before, or that a sharp-eyed strategist had appeared by his side.

“Now the Mukryong Clan has also become stronger. Both internally and externally.”

Jeagal Mun-ho’s eyes gleamed.

“That’s why we shouldn’t have serious conflicts with them. It’s good to keep each other in check, but we shouldn’t waste our strength with unnecessary disputes.”

From the beginning, Jeagal Mun-ho saw the Mukryong Clan as a dangerous element. But now, he was saying that they had to move forward together with the Mukryong Clan.

That’s how much he had come to acknowledge the Mukryong Clan. Of course, it was an acknowledgment of their power as a force.

“That’s why I came to the Clan Leader. I have a request to make.”

“What kind of request?”

“When the meeting is held, many of the Bonggong members will express great antipathy towards Yang Cheon’s actions. There might even be extreme opinions.”

“…….”

“I don’t know what the Clan Leader thinks, but the Clan Leader’s words carry great weight. Please prevent things from escalating to extremes.”

“I understand. I will do my best.”

“Thank you.”

Yeon-wi quietly looked at Jeagal Mun-ho.

“Is that all?”

“That’s all.”

Jeagal Mun-ho’s reaction was calm.

Yeon-wi nodded.

“I understand. Then, let’s meet at the meeting later.”

“Alright.”

Jeagal Mun-ho turned away.

Yeon-wi tilted his head.

‘He definitely seems like he has more to say?’

But Yeon-wi soon dismissed the thought.

The fact that he didn’t say something even though he had something to say meant that there was no need to say it right now. Or it could simply be his misunderstanding.

‘I will just do my best in my position, in what I can do.’

Surprisingly, Yeon-wi’s intuition was accurate.

Jeagal Mun-ho, who had walked far from the field, stopped and sighed.

“…You should just curse at me.”

He took out another letter from his pocket.

It was also a letter from Yeon Ho-Jeong. Sent secretly, only for Jeagal Mun-ho himself to see.

And in that letter, it was written that Yeon Ho-Jeong wanted him to take measures so that she could work in the Mukryong Clan.

‘This person. You have such dangerous thoughts, so how can I not have a headache?’

Jeagal Mun-ho smiled bitterly.

What was even more regrettable was that the thought of Yeon Ho-Jeong going into the Mukryong Clan and shaking the black world was extremely alluring and wouldn’t go away.

What if Yeon Ho-Jeong could become the bridge between the black and white worlds by joining the Mukryong Clan?

If that really happened, things would become very easy.

‘Would Clan Leader Yeon oppose it? Or would he agree?’

He didn’t know. Considering Yeon-wi’s usual personality, as a father, he would oppose it, but as a Bonggong member of the Martial Alliance, he would agree.

However, the problem was that there was a possibility of a conflict with Yeon Ho-Jeong in the process. Yeon Ho-Jeong also knew this, so she sent him a separate letter.

Not neglecting relationships because of the greater good. That was Yeon Ho-Jeong’s strength.

He was stuck in the middle, but it was a hard task.

Jeagal Mun-ho slapped his cheek with a loud sound.

“Don’t be weak, you fool. Even a young man who is like your son is risking his life. You can’t even help, so don’t whine.”

* * *

Three days later.

Yeon Ho-Jeong said to Yang Cheon.

“Then, I’ll be going now.”

“Be careful on your way.”

“It might be a pointless thing to say, but until I return, please stop causing trouble.”

Yang Cheon frowned.

“Honestly, you’re the only person in the world who can give me such ridiculous advice in front of me.”

“Then you should reflect on yourself. Both your past carelessness and your narrow relationships that only keep people who can’t even make such comments by your side.”

“You’re getting more and more outspoken, aren’t you?”

“I’m telling you to experience it in advance. The moment I’m dispatched to Mukryong, not only good things will happen. The Deputy Leader will also have a headache because of me.”

Yang Cheon chuckled.

“If gold falls from the sky, some people will handle the money well and live happily, while others will be so anxious that they’ll hoard it and die without spending a penny.”

“Is the Deputy Leader the latter?”

“I’m the former, you fool.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who was smiling, looked at Gang Ryang.

Gang Ryang nodded.

“When I come back, this friend will also be a dispatch member.”

Yang Cheon looked at Gang Ryang.

Even though an absolute master was looking at him, Gang Ryang’s expression remained calm.

Yang Cheon clicked his tongue.

“If I keep such a dangerous sword by my side, I’ll have nightmares.”

“So you were the latter.”

“…You got me there.”

“Please take good care of the descendants of Bota until I return. I won’t cause any trouble.”

“Don’t worry about unnecessary things and just go and come back safely. And Yeon Daesu.”

“Yes?”

Yang Cheon’s eyes flashed with killing intent.

“That spy, we must catch him.”

A similar killing intent appeared on Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face as well.

“We will, without fail.”