Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 508

Yang Cheon, one of the Thirteen Seats of Seongcheon [a prestigious group of martial artists] and the strongest fighter in the Jianghu [the martial world], unmatched in combat skills.

The man before them was Yang Cheon’s chief disciple.

‘Impressive.’

Pae-Yul’s first impression of Yeop Seong was one of pure astonishment.

‘He’s incredibly rough.’

Whoosh!

An invisible, intangible energy enveloped his entire body.

The unique, fierce aura was so remarkable that it wouldn’t be strange to call it magnificent. It felt like facing a massive beast rather than a person; even before considering the Fighting King’s martial arts, his innate nature was that of a wild animal.

‘And…’

Pae-Yul’s eyes scanned Yeop Seong’s hands.

The backs of his hands were as thick as bear paws. With that level of inner energy, he could have easily shed any calluses, yet they had repeatedly formed and thickened, resulting in such hands.

And those thick hands were covered in scars. Cuts, punctures, and tears that had healed—these scars were evidence of his relentless training.

‘He’s strong.’

Strong.

It was a first. This was the first time Pae-Yul had ever evaluated someone else as strong.

Beyond mere martial prowess, the man himself was strong. A person born with such strength had been undergoing intense training, repeatedly mangling and healing his hands.

Thump.

Pae-Yul felt his heart pounding fiercely.

Of course, it wasn’t out of fear.

‘I want to fight him.’

The opponent’s age or martial arts level didn’t matter.

As soon as Pae-Yul saw Yeop Seong, he felt an intense competitive spirit. He wanted to engage in a life-or-death match with this beast-like man who didn’t rest on his innate talent but trained like a monk every single day.

Fzzzzzz.

The fighting spirit was so intense it was almost intoxicating.

Yeop Seong, possessing martial prowess comparable to a sect leader of the Nine Great Sects [major martial arts organizations], couldn’t have failed to sense Pae-Yul’s fighting spirit.

Yeop Seong’s eyes deepened.

“Not bad.”

Not bad?

It was a truly rude and challenging tone. It was the kind of remark that was hard to make unless one looked down on their opponent.

However.

“Oh, do you want to see this ‘not bad’ martial art?”

Pae-Yul grinned, showing all his white teeth.

Considering his high pride, it was surprising he hadn’t drawn his sword or spear yet. He was that captivated by the opponent’s strength.

At that moment, Yeon Ho-Jeong raised his hand.

“Please calm down, Senior.”

Pae-Yul’s eyebrows twitched.

He wanted to grapple with that man right away, but he made an effort to control himself. He had been dispatched to the Black Dragon Unit with Yeon Ho-Jeong, not to pursue martial arts training.

Yeon Ho-Jeong looked down at Yeop Seong and asked,

“Are you the Fighting King’s chief disciple?”

“……”

“Did the Unit Lord summon you directly? I thought he didn’t usually get involved in his disciples’ affairs.”

Yeop Seong’s lips twitched.

“Unit Lord Yang… That’s quite an arrogant title.”

“This meeting can’t be a coincidence. So, what’s the reason for blocking our path?”

Yeop Seong’s eyes narrowed.

A young man in his mid-twenties was looking down at him from horseback.

He didn’t have a broad physique, nor did he exude a strong fighting spirit or an imposing aura.

He looked like a scholar who had learned a bit of martial arts. At least, that’s how he appeared on the surface. If one didn’t know better, they might mistake him for a Confucian scholar engrossed in his studies.

Yet, this young man was addressing his master, the great master of the Jianghu, Yang Cheon, so casually.

“Are you Yeon Ho-Jeong?”

A faint smile appeared on Yeon Ho-Jeong’s lips.

“Did you block the path of someone you don’t even know?”

His reaction was utterly relaxed.

Yeop Seong’s eyes narrowed further. He didn’t like the other’s nonchalant response.

“I heard you were dispatched from the Martial Alliance.”

“So?”

“Disappointing.”

Yeop Seong scanned Yeon Ho-Jeong from head to toe.

“No matter how I look at you, you don’t seem like the kind of talent my master would praise.”

“……”

“How impressive is that silver tongue of yours that you could captivate a strongman of Seongcheon?”

“Hey.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong said with a nonchalant expression.

“I’m asking, why did you block our path?”

“……”

“If you just wanted to chat, then move aside.”

Yeop Seong’s eyes gleamed.

The other’s words were excessively arrogant to simply ignore, but he had to admit the man had guts.

“I’ve heard that the righteous sects are all about formalities, but at least you seem different from those guys.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong shook his head.

“You’re one to only say what’s on your mind.”

He said to Pae-Yul and Gang Ryang,

“Let’s go.”

Clatter.

Yeon Ho-Jeong spurred his horse and passed by Yeop Seong.

Pae-Yul looked at Yeop Seong with regret before following Yeon Ho-Jeong, while Gang Ryang didn’t even glance at Yeop Seong.

Yeop Seong watched Yeon Ho-Jeong’s back as he passed by with a strange look in his eyes.

Usually, when a conversation reached this point, most people would get angry or engage in a war of nerves; they wouldn’t just let it go. Especially martial artists.

Yeon Ho-Jeong was different.

Even after seeing him, the Fighting King’s chief disciple, he didn’t flinch at all, nor was he overwhelmed by his aura or swayed by the conversation.

‘He’s going his own way, is that it?’

Yeop Seong didn’t think that Yeon Ho-Jeong didn’t care about him at all. He thought that he did care, but he didn’t see any reason to talk, so he just passed by.

That was natural. As the Fighting King’s chief disciple, his reputation alone was comparable to that of a head of a major sect.

That’s why it was even more impressive. At least in that aspect.

‘I don’t know if he’s someone my master would care about, but at least he’s not someone who can be dismissed as a mediocre martial artist.’

Yeop Seong smiled.

It was a dangerous-looking smile.

‘It won’t be boring.’

He hadn’t returned to the Black Dragon Unit for several years due to his own missions and training.

But recently, his master had summoned him. The reason was that an envoy from the Martial Alliance would soon be dispatched, and he should come to the unit and take a position.

Normally, he would have made various excuses and focused on his training alone, but he had become intrigued when he heard that the envoy was Yeon Ho-Jeong.

Yeon Ho-Jeong.

The eldest son of the Byeoksan Yeon family of Gangdong, and a prodigy called the greatest rising star of this generation.

The leader of the Martial Alliance’s strongest military unit, the Righteous Army, and a genius warrior who had successfully completed every impossible mission he had been assigned.

Yeop Seong had quite a few people in the Black Dragon Unit. It wasn’t intentional, but as the person closest to being Yang Cheon’s successor, people had subtly lined up behind him.

Yeop Seong had received a lot of information about Yeon Ho-Jeong from them. Especially the fact that his master was interested in him and had even sparred with him.

His master was someone who rarely sparred even with his own disciples. Yet, he had given a lesson to a rising star from the righteous faction.

These various stories had led Yeop Seong to come here.

“But it’s strange.”

Yeop Seong tilted his head.

“Did he lose his martial arts? Or…”

He was supposed to be the greatest rising star, but he couldn’t sense any proper energy or aura.

To be precise, it was a rather strange presence. He had learned martial arts, but the subtle energy he exuded was below expectations. Even if he was being generous, it was not at the level of an expert.

‘There’s no way he has mastered a martial art that can deceive my senses.’

Whatever it was, he was definitely a unique individual.

With his hands behind his back, Yeop Seong walked towards the Black Dragon Unit. He had come ahead because he thought it would be difficult to meet him due to various matters once he entered the unit, but he hadn’t gained much information.

But he was intrigued. That was enough.

Swoosh!

Yeop Seong’s body became a streak of light, passing by the three of them. He was going to enter the Black Dragon Unit first.

Gang Ryang chuckled.

“I don’t know why that guy blocked our path if he was going to rush off like that.”

Pae-Yul shook his head.

“He probably just wanted to see our faces.”

“Senior, you seemed completely smitten with that guy?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Is he a woman?”

“It looked like you were about to draw your sword or spear at any moment. Well, his temperament was truly terrifyingly fierce.”

Pae-Yul’s eyes deepened.

“That’s true.”

He asked Yeon Ho-Jeong,

“What did you think of him?”

“Huh?”

“That Yeop Seong or whatever his name is.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong shrugged his shoulders.

“His master probably called him. I didn’t sense any particular ill intentions.”

It was as if he didn’t care about Yeop Seong’s martial prowess or presence.

Pae-Yul frowned.

“He’s a dangerous man. His temperament says so.”

“Maybe so.”

“Aren’t you worried? He’s the Fighting King’s chief disciple, so he must have considerable power within the organization.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled.

“Not at all.”

He knew Yang Cheon well.

Yang Cheon was a cold-hearted person who only showed affection to the disciples he recognized. Bu Seon was an example of this.

However, he only showed affection and didn’t give them real power. In other words, he treated them strictly as disciples and only gave them tasks when necessary.

Yeop Seong might gain real power depending on how he presented himself to Yang Cheon in the future, but at least not now.

And Yeon Ho-Jeong was truly not worried about Yeop Seong. He had seen countless people like him in both his past and present lives.

‘But well… he did remind me of reality.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong took a deep breath.

He had breathed the air of Honam [a region in Korea] countless times, but the air now was different.

It was the air of the Black Dragon Unit.

The air of the black path, filled with the stench of blood.

It was completely different from the ambiguous and moderately humid air of the Martial Alliance. It was dry and brutal. It felt like there was gold dust mixed in the air, and his lungs tingled every time he breathed.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had been focusing solely on reviewing his martial arts on the way here, now realized that he had entered a new environment.

Yeon Ho-Jeong spurred his horse forcefully.

“Let’s go.”

When the group reached the entrance of the Black Dragon Unit, twelve experts were lined up there.

The Twelve Zodiac Gods.

For Yeon Ho-Jeong and Moyong Gun, and the Twelve Zodiac Gods who had died on missions were all replaced, the Black Dragon Unit now possessed a different power than in the past.

And.

Whoosh.

As Baek Seo, who was standing in the center, stepped forward, the energy of the Twelve Zodiac Gods began to sweep the surroundings.

It wasn’t to pressure Yeon Ho-Jeong’s group. It was their own quiet and solemn greeting to the envoys dispatched from the Alliance.

Baek Seo clasped his hands in a formal greeting.

“On behalf of the Twelve Zodiac Gods under the Black Dragon Unit Lord, I greet Envoy Yeon, a representative of the White Path Martial Alliance. I am Baek Seo.”

It was different from Yeop Seong’s case. If they came out like that, they had to show the appropriate respect.

‘They’ve become stronger.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who was looking at Baek Seo, dismounted from his horse and clasped his hands in a formal greeting.

“I am Yeon Ho-Jeong, the leader of the Righteous Army of the Martial Alliance. I look forward to working with the Twelve Zodiac Gods of the Black Dragon Unit.”

Baek Seo nodded.

Kugugugung!

At the same time as he finished speaking, the entrance of the Black Dragon Unit opened.

Like the entrance to an abyss, the large and dark entrance of the cave looked particularly brutal.

“The Unit Lord is waiting. Please come inside.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled.

“Let’s go.”