Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 5

Clunk!

The person who jumped up from their seat was, unexpectedly, Yeon Ji-Pyeong.

‘Listening to this, I think it’s gone too far, don’t you think?’

‘What?!’

‘Even if you are a daughter of the Namgoong family, there are things you should and shouldn’t say!’

Yeon Ji-Pyeong shouted as if scolding.

‘Apologize to Yang Woo!’

Namgoong Sang-hwa, who was about to spew out a torrent of curses, tilted her head in confusion.

She thought he was telling her to apologize. But he was telling her to apologize to the ‘fallen bug’.

What was he talking about?

‘How can you slap an innocent person? Is that the etiquette of a prestigious family? Is the decorum of the Namgoong family’s ladies so rude?’

‘……What?’

‘Rude words and unprovoked violence! It’s clearly the young lady’s fault! Apologize to Yang Woo right now!’

He was confident.

The way Yeon Ji-Pyeong stood tall and shouted, though a bit clumsy, was reminiscent of a bamboo tree.

Yang Woo looked at Yeon Ji-Pyeong with trembling eyes. Lee Jeong-hak’s gaze towards Yeon Ji-Pyeong also became strange.

Namgoong Sang-hwa muttered as if dumbfounded.

‘What is that moron talking about?’

To her, Yang Woo was no different from a commoner, someone easily found in the martial world.

Even a dog she raised would wag its tail. But this guy wasn’t wagging his tail; instead, he was barking presumptuously.

Not breaking his legs was already a great act of generosity.

‘If you don’t apologize, you’ll be disgraced. I’ll say it one last time. Apologize.’

‘Disgraced?’

Namgoong Sang-hwa burst into laughter.

Her high-pitched, sharp laughter was filled with ridicule. Of course, her anger didn’t subside just because she laughed.

‘Just because people praise the Seven Great Families, do you think you can act like you’re above everyone else?’

‘Even if one is from a collapsing martial house, if they were properly educated, they would act like me. Because that’s what they would have learned is right.’

Yeon Ji-Pyeong’s eyes did not waver.

‘It seems you were not properly educated.’

Namgoong Sang-hwa’s laughter stopped.

Whoooom!

‘You don’t know your place!’

Murderous intent flickered in her eyes.

The atmosphere on the fourth floor of the tavern became twice as cold as before.

While heated arguments could be overlooked, the fact that she was emitting murderous intent was a different story.

Yeon Ji-Pyeong’s face also hardened.

‘What a pathetic person.’

‘Shut your mouth!’

There was no point in exchanging words any further; it would only fuel her anger.

Namgoong Sang-hwa, who was breathing heavily, shouted at Lee Jeong-hak.

‘Make that guy kneel before me right now!’

‘M-me, you mean?’

Lee Jeong-hak’s eyes widened.

Namgoong Sang-hwa’s cheeks twitched.

‘Do you want me to make sure your family can’t even set foot in Anhui?’

Lee Jeong-hak was genuinely flustered.

He had passed the blame onto the Yeon family to avoid taking the heat. But he never imagined the situation would unfold like this.

‘What are you doing? Move now!’

‘Y-young lady! Even so, fighting with a member of the Yeon family is problematic…!’

Slap!

Thud.

Blood flowed from the corner of Lee Jeong-hak’s mouth. It was a much fiercer slap than when he hit Yang Woo.

‘If you annoy me one more time, you and your entire family will taste hell.’

‘…….’

‘Make him kneel.’

Yang Woo’s face was filled with shock.

Even though he was a bit submissive, he never thought Lee Jeong-hak would be treated like this by Namgoong Sang-hwa. Even if the Anhui Lee family was not as powerful as the Namgoong family, they were still a prestigious family in Anhui.

To be slapped and not be able to say anything.

Lee Jeong-hak turned his body.

Lee Jeong-hak’s eyes, looking at Yeon Ji-Pyeong, were distorted with shame and anger.

Step, step.

Lee Jeong-hak slowly walked towards Yeon Ji-Pyeong.

Yeon Ji-Pyeong sighed.

He had a lot to say, but he also kept his mouth shut.

Namgoong Sang-hwa shouted once more.

‘Don’t dawdle, bring that guy to me quickly!’

It was then.

‘This is ruining my drink.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong rose from his seat.

Namgoong Sang-hwa growled.

‘Oh, you too, I was just about to…!’

Thwack!

In an instant, everyone’s eyes widened.

‘Cough!’

Lee Jeong-hak staggered backward.

He was punched in the abdomen without any defense. His insides churned, and his legs lost all strength.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s left hand reached for Lee Jeong-hak’s head.

Crack!

‘Ugh!’

He was grabbed by the hair.

It was the kind of behavior that street thugs would engage in. It was not the kind of behavior that a martial artist who had learned the orthodox martial arts would show.

Flustered, Lee Jeong-hak grabbed Yeon Ho-Jeong’s wrist.

‘Y-you can’t let go of this?!’

Then, Yeon Ho-Jeong twisted his wrist.

Lee Jeong-hak’s body, having spun once in the air, crashed to the floor back first.

Boom! Bang!

‘Cough!’

Yeon Ho-Jeong coldly raised his foot.

A look of disbelief flickered across Lee Jeong-hak’s face, which was contorted in pain.

Crunch!

‘Kaaaaaah!’

Lee Jeong-hak screamed and rolled on the floor. His nose was broken, and his front teeth were knocked out.

Yeon Ho-Jeong brushed the blood off his pants and said.

‘You shouldn’t try to pass on the responsibility you should bear to others.’

‘Cough! Hack!’

‘I’ll consider your debt paid with this.’

Everyone’s faces were filled with shock.

Yeon Ji-Pyeong was no exception. Even though he had been watching closely, he couldn’t understand what technique Yeon Ho-Jeong had used.

It was the first time he had failed to understand the principle of a martial art he had clearly seen. So he was flustered, and he was surprised by his brother’s harsh attack.

‘B-brother!’

‘Pyeong-ah.’

‘Yes?’

‘In the future, if such a thing happens, don’t waste time with unnecessary conversations unless it’s absolutely necessary.’

‘……?’

‘Do you think those who can’t communicate will act like that in front of people? These guys are already rotten.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes gleamed.

‘If you really want to correct them or give them a lesson, it’s not too late to do it after you’ve knocked them down.’

It was a very rough statement.

Yeon Ho-Jeong walked towards Namgoong Sang-hwa. He made eye contact with Yang Woo in the middle, but his indifferent gaze proved that he had no interest in Yang Woo.

Namgoong Sang-hwa’s face contorted.

‘What the hell do you think you’re doing?’

Yeon Ho-Jeong still didn’t say anything. He was just walking towards Namgoong Sang-hwa at the same speed, with the same stride, as if he was out for a stroll.

It was complete disregard. Namgoong Sang-hwa’s eyes flipped.

‘You damn bastard! How dare you ignore me?!’

Fwoosh!

A strange energy emanated from Namgoong Sang-hwa’s body.

It was an energy of a different quality than the power Lee Jeong-hak possessed. Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes gleamed.

‘It’s the Azure Sky Energy.’

It was the energy of the Azure Sky Heart Method, one of the internal energy cultivation methods that the Namgoong family was proud of. The level of the heart method itself was high, and it was a first-class heart method that could encompass all of the Namgoong family’s martial arts.

‘She certainly has talent.’

Was she only eighteen years old?

It was an excellent true energy that was difficult to emit at that age. She was qualified to be called a first-class martial artist.

But Namgoong Sang-hwa had a serious problem.

‘Kneel down right now! Then, considering your sincerity, I might spare you from complete humiliation…’

Whoosh!

‘Huh!’

Namgoong Sang-hwa was startled.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had been walking at a constant speed, had suddenly increased his speed. Such a movement was bound to surprise someone who was not prepared for it.

Namgoong Sang-hwa’s right hand instinctively lashed out.

Swish!

The hand gesture that tore through the air was very sharp. Although she had an arrogant nature, she had properly learned martial arts.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s hand moved to meet it.

A triumphant light flickered across Namgoong Sang-hwa’s face.

‘Idiot!’

She thought it was foolish to dare to face the Heavenly Wind Palm. She could now break a log with a single strike of the Heavenly Wind Palm.

To try to block such a Heavenly Wind Palm with bare hands? His hand and shoulder would be shattered.

Namgoong Sang-hwa infused her hand with even stronger Azure Sky Energy.

It was then.

Whirr!

‘Huh?!’

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s hand twisted like a snake and climbed up Namgoong Sang-hwa’s wrist.

It was as if he had no joints. The speed was slower than the Heavenly Wind Palm, but it was so timely that she couldn’t pull her arm away.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s fingers pressed down hard on Namgoong Sang-hwa’s elbow, the Crooked Pond acupoint [a pressure point on the elbow].

Crack!

‘Aaaah!’

Namgoong Sang-hwa screamed and staggered backward.

The Azure Sky Energy that had flowed to her hand was cut off. Her entire right arm, which had extended the Heavenly Wind Palm, was numb.

‘W-what kind of sorcery is this…!’

Snap!

‘……Huh?’

Namgoong Sang-hwa stared blankly at her leg.

Her left leg was bent inward. It was a position that was impossible to bend to, given the structure of the human joints.

Only then did she realize that her leg was broken.

‘Kaaaaaah!’

Thud!

Namgoong Sang-hwa lost her balance and collapsed.

This was not carelessness or anything. Although she could have avoided it, Namgoong Sang-hwa had failed to avoid Yeon Ho-Jeong’s attack.

She had thought that if she retreated, the opponent would wait for her. That was how the sparring she had learned had been.

But Yeon Ho-Jeong’s fighting style was not so soft.

Once they engaged, they would keep going until one side admitted defeat or died. That was the way of the Black Path [a ruthless and unorthodox martial arts style].

‘Ugh! You, you bastard! You broke my leg?! Now you and your family are all dead!’

Snap!

‘Kaaaah!’

Namgoong Sang-hwa screamed again. Her left arm was also broken.

Namgoong Sang-hwa, who was about to spew out another curse, suddenly felt her body stiffen.

Cold eyes, devoid of any emotion, were looking down at her. It was a gaze that lacked any of the emotions that a human should have.

It was like looking at an object. That was the way Yeon Ho-Jeong’s gaze, his heart, was when he looked at Namgoong Sang-hwa.

‘What are you going to do?’

‘Ugh! W-what do you mean?’

‘How are you going to kill me and my family?’

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled.

Namgoong Sang-hwa and Yang Woo felt a chill run down their spines when they saw that smile.

‘You’re an interesting kid. Are you going to come back as a ghost?’

It was a more chilling statement than the smile.

Become a ghost? That meant he was going to kill Namgoong Sang-hwa.

Only then did Namgoong Sang-hwa realize. That she had provoked someone she couldn’t handle.

She stammered.

‘I-if it gets out that you did this to me, the main family will not forgive you!’

‘Really?’

‘Yes! So, release me right now…!’

Bang!

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had broken a chair with a kick, picked up one of the broken chair legs.

‘Then I’ll have to kill you and bury you even more. That way, the Namgoong family won’t know, right?’

Namgoong Sang-hwa’s face turned pale.

‘You…!’

Thwack!

This time, there was no scream. Namgoong Sang-hwa, who had been hit on the head, fell to the side.

It was a situation where she should have passed out, but strangely, her mind became even clearer. That was why the pain was more severe.

Fear settled on Namgoong Sang-hwa’s face.

She realized that this madman might actually kill her.

Shivers.

Behind that terrifying face, the murderous intent of the Great Master who had created the legend of the Black Abyss was slowly rising.

If they smile first, we smile back twice.

But if they touch us first, we will crush them so they can never touch us again.

Whether they pushed with their hands or stabbed with a knife, the degree doesn’t matter. Once they have been harmed, they will rush in and tear them to shreds.

That was the Black Abyss Emperor, the Lord of the Black Emperor Castle, and the reason why all the heretics bowed their heads to the Great Master of the Black Path.

‘Now, instead of saying what you want to say, say what I want to hear.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled and raised the club.

And he swung it mercilessly.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!