Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 507

Swish!

The blade sliced through the air with chilling sharpness. It was an exceptionally clean cut, a single move that could serve as a textbook example for swordsmen worldwide.

However, Yeon-Sim felt disheartened as she looked at her own sword.

‘I’m getting weaker.’

The luster on the sword’s blade had dulled considerably compared to before. That luster was the manifestation of her will. At least, the sword techniques she had used in the past, even if they weren’t stronger, contained a clear purpose and dream.

What about now?

‘It’s empty.’

At her level, and even for those who hadn’t reached it, many masters could imbue their own unique color and depth into a single strike. She had no color. Even the faint hue she once possessed had faded, leaving it excessively transparent.

Clang.

Yeon-Sim’s sword touched the floor.

Lately, even the desire to train in martial arts had been diminishing. She couldn’t even remember the last time she had broken a good sweat.

“Haa.”

She didn’t know how many times she had sighed, but there was nothing else she could do.

At that moment, a deep voice came from the side.

“Your mind seems troubled.”

Startled, Yeon-Sim turned her head.

It was Yang Cheon.

“Rather than engaging in such meaningless training, it would be better not to draw your sword at all.”

Yeon-Sim looked at Yang Cheon with confused eyes. To her, or rather to the Bota Hermitage [a secluded martial arts sect], Yang Cheon was the enemy of enemies. In a way, he was the culprit who had torn apart the Bota Hermitage, which had a history of hundreds of years.

But she couldn’t get angry at him, nor could she leave the Black Dragon Unit [a powerful martial arts organization].

The reason?

‘I don’t know.’

Yang Cheon, who had been observing Yeon-Sim’s face silently, shook his head.

“I valued your talent highly. While one’s character and goals can change with experience and enlightenment, talent is innate. There are those who reach the pinnacle through effort alone, but I no longer wanted to cling to such special cases.”

“……”

“But now, I’m starting to think that my judgment might have been wrong.”

Yeon-Sim’s eyes wavered.

Unlike her confused gaze, Yang Cheon’s eyes were as hard as steel.

“What is your reason for being here?”

“……”

“If you want to remain in this ambiguous state, unable to hold onto yourself, then go ahead.”

The corners of Yang Cheon’s mouth curled up.

It was a smile that made the hearts of those who saw it sink.

“I tend to embrace the weak and even subordinates who fail in their missions. But I believe that a half-wit who lacks will and doesn’t know what they should do is utterly useless.”

“……!”

“If my eyes, which saw you as precious, were wrong, then I’ll just admit that they were wrong. But you will be discarded. A cannon without gunpowder is just a piece of junk taking up space in the warehouse.”

Yeon-Sim clenched her teeth without realizing it.

“Is that, is that what you should be saying?”

She also had her pride. She wasn’t so foolish that she couldn’t say a word even after hearing such remarks.

Yang Cheon’s face turned cold.

“Shouldn’t I? Why can’t you point your sword at the enemy who destroyed your sect? Are you afraid of dying?”

“……”

“There’s a guy named Gang Ryang. He’s from a prestigious family in the Black Path [a term for the unorthodox martial arts world], and his sect was destroyed by my hand. His parents and siblings all died.”

Why was he suddenly talking about a swordsman named Gang Ryang?

“Whether it was luck or something else, Yeon Ho-Jeong took him. When I saw him again, do you know what he said to me? He said that he would seize any opportunity to crush me, even for a single moment. To take my head.”

“……!!”

“He will soon be dispatched to the headquarters with Yeon Ho-Jeong. He’s aiming for my life, but until then, he’s doing what he needs to do, or what he can do. Even under the command of his enemy.”

Yang Cheon, who had been quietly looking at Yeon-Sim’s face, turned his body.

“Yeon Ho-Jeong had a request. He asked me to take good care of the descendants of Bota until he returned.”

“……”

“That’s a promise. And I rarely break my promises. So, until those guys come, I don’t care if you waste the headquarters’ food or whatever.”

Yang Cheon’s intention was clear.

He meant that he would kick them out after Yeon Ho-Jeong and Gang Ryang arrived. If they wanted to stay, they had to change before then and have their value recognized by him.

It was truly shameless. Although Yeon-Sim didn’t know the world well, she knew that the perpetrator shouldn’t make such remarks to the victim.

But there was something she had overlooked.

This was the Jianghu, the Murim [the martial arts world]. A world of mad warriors, far removed from the ordinary world, living by bizarre laws that could not be defined even though reason and common sense existed.

Moreover, the Black Dragon Unit was a league representing the Black Path Murim. It was not a group that prioritized charity, peace, consultation, and morality.

And that fact, while her head thought that Yang Cheon’s actions were wrong, stimulated Yeon-Sim, who felt that she was being indecisive and hesitant in her heart.

Whooosh.

A powerful energy flared like smoke from Yeon-Sim’s sword. The rising anger and hurt pride flushed her face red. She really wanted to chase after Yang Cheon right now and propose a life-or-death duel.

But.

‘…….’

Yeon-Sim sighed.

“What am I even doing here?”

There was also someone completely different from Yeon-Sim.

‘Hmm.’

Yang Cheon, with his hands behind his back, looked at Jeong-An with subtle admiration.

‘How much time has passed for her to have deepened so much?’

After Yeon Ho-Jeong left, Jeong-An had not properly swung her sword even once.

But it wasn’t that she hadn’t been training. Rather, her meditation, which she spent most of her day doing, was much deeper and more refined than before.

And.

Flash!

Her true energy, which flashed like an explosion around her body, emitted an even richer and more seamless aura as time passed.

She wasn’t meditating because her mind was troubled, but rather to grow her martial arts. She had judged that the stage of swinging her sword to train had passed, and at least that method was right for her. That’s why she was able to control her energy to this extent in such a short time.

‘Yeon Ho-Jeong took notice of her… is she really that different?’

Yang Cheon felt a bitter taste inside.

Yeon-Sim, whom he had chosen and tried to possess, was even losing her unique sharp talent. But Jeong-An, the swordswoman candidate who had come with Yeon Ho-Jeong, even though she might have less talent than Yeon-Sim, was already seeking a path of development.

‘Is it that my eye for people is different, or am I wrong?’

From the beginning, Yang Cheon was also the type of person who did not recognize his disciples as complete disciples until they proved themselves.

That was Yang Cheon’s way, and it was also the way of the Black Path. If they had the sense to develop through teaching, they should either die or struggle to survive. They had to choose one of the two paths.

In that respect, Jeong-An was showing a sufficiently excellent performance as a result.

“……Hehe.”

A laugh escaped him without him realizing it.

Swoosh.

Jeong-An opened her eyes. She had heard Yang Cheon’s laughter.

Yang Cheon said with a wry smile.

“My apologies. Did I interrupt your meditation?”

“No, you didn’t.”

Jeong-An, who had risen from her seat, looked straight at Yang Cheon.

“What brings you here?”

Yang Cheon replied with a slightly sarcastic tone, as if he found it amusing.

“The entire Black Dragon Unit is my territory. I can go wherever I please, and sometimes I just wander around without any particular thought.”

“Is that so?”

“That is so.”

How would Jeong-An react? What kind of demeanor would the swordswoman candidate that Yeon Ho-Jeong liked show?

Swoosh.

Jeong-An sat back down in a cross-legged position.

“Then, please look around and go.”

With those words, she went back into meditation.

She wasn’t pretending to be bold. Her soul was instantly moving to the other side of consciousness.

In the enemy’s territory, and in front of the enemy’s leader, she had actually gone into meditation.

Yang Cheon shook his head.

‘What a monstrous audacity.’

Even he couldn’t easily show such a demeanor.

Even if he knew that the other person wasn’t someone who would do anything, such an action would be impossible due to tension.

And that amazing thing was being done by that young girl with less talent than Yeon-Sim.

‘Hoo.’

Yang Cheon sighed inwardly.

‘It seems that things don’t always go as planned.’

Soon, he turned his body.

Seeing Jeong-An’s appearance, he suddenly craved alcohol.

* * *

“Hmm.”

At Pae-Yul’s voice, Yeon Ho-Jeong momentarily snapped out of his concentration.

“You’re already here.”

That’s right. The group had already arrived within ten li [approximately 5 kilometers] of the Black Dragon Unit’s main base.

Pae-Yul punched Yeon Ho-Jeong’s arm with his fist.

“Hey, what are you thinking so much about? You’re not nervous, are you, unlike you?”

“Huh?”

“You kept spacing out in the middle, so I took the lead.”

“Ah!”

Yeon Ho-Jeong smacked his lips.

“I’m sorry. I was just thinking about a few things.”

Pae-Yul tilted his head.

“You’re really not nervous, and what were you thinking so deeply about? You haven’t had a single sip of water for two days.”

“Has it already been two days? No wonder I’m thirsty.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong stroked the horse’s mane.

“The horse must have had a hard time too.”

“It seems like you don’t even remember. We took several breaks, you idiot.”

“……Did we?”

Pae-Yul clicked his tongue.

“You, who can accurately perceive the surrounding situation even in extreme concentration, have completely let your guard down this time?”

It wasn’t that he had let his guard down.

Trusting Pae-Yul and Gang Ryang, he had completely focused his ambiguous consciousness on himself.

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled. He didn’t bother to say those words.

“I was thinking a lot about martial arts.”

“Martial arts?”

“Yes. I’ve recently learned something new. To balance it, I have to train even when I don’t have time.”

Even without actively circulating his energy, just by tracing the formulas of the divine art and activating the energy of the divine core, the achievements of the Sword Extremity and Divine Body techniques increased.

Thanks to that, the achievements of the two divine arts had increased in that short time. Although the understanding of the Bira True Art and Dragon Robe Technique was said to be perfect, it was still a terrifying speed of refinement, even considering that.

‘It’s thanks to the Yeon Family Divine Core.’

All the energies were combined into one, forming a mass of power. If he hadn’t formed the divine core, this level of refinement speed wouldn’t have been possible.

Of course, it was still far from enough.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had quenched his thirst with a few sips of water, said.

“Thank you for your hard work because of me. Now that we’re only ten li away, let’s go quickly.”

“Alright.”

With that, the three of them spurred their horses and headed towards the entrance of the Black Dragon Unit.

How much time had passed?

“……Hmm.”

Pae-Yul’s eyes flashed.

“Did you feel it?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong said in a leisurely voice.

“I felt it a while ago.”

Gang Ryang scratched his head.

“I just felt it now.”

Pae-Yul shook his head.

“What an amazing power. The aura that’s being emitted is superb. It feels as strong as the sect leader.”

“I think I know who it is.”

“Do you know him?”

“I don’t know him, but I know the energy. It’s an internal energy based on the Black Dragon Unit Lord’s Lion Art.”

Another moment later.

A man appeared in front of the group.

Pae-Yul frowned.

“Who are you?”

The man, with his hands behind his back, replied in a relaxed voice.

“Yeop Seong (燁星).”

“Not your name, who are you?”

Perhaps intrigued by the other’s blunt words?

The man, Yeop Seong, curled up the corners of his mouth.

“I am the chief disciple of the Fighting King, Yang Cheon.”