Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 51

Where the Wind Blows (2)

Flash!

A streak of blue light pierced the cliff.

Swish.

A sword mark, about a foot long, appeared on the cliff where the blue light had struck.

It was an astonishing sight. Despite being unleashed with supreme sword energy, it left only a sword mark without any cutting sound or roar.

This meant the cutting power of the sword energy was immense. By compressing the destructive force to its limit, no trace was left other than the cut itself.

It was a level of swordsmanship that even a master swordsman could only dream of. It was an incredible martial art that was hard to achieve even with a lifetime devoted to the sword.

“Hmm.”

The old man, seeing the sword mark on the cliff, tilted his head.

“Is it still not enough? I thought it would work this time.”

Shhh.

The sound of the sword sliding into its scabbard was as smooth as flowing water.

The old man stretched greatly.

He looked to be in his fifties, but his exposed upper body was covered in tremendous muscles. His upper body muscles, which didn’t look sluggish at all, were compressed to the limit, like solid rock.

“Hoo, I’ll have to focus on the sword for a while. Just a foot, I’m still far off.”

At that moment, a beautiful voice was heard.

“If you say that, I’ll feel too insignificant, won’t I?”

“You’ve come?”

Moyong Yeon-Hwa smiled brightly, looking at the cliff.

“You’re amazing. To leave such a sword mark from this distance. When will I ever be able to even imitate that?”

“Haha, you’re too greedy. It’s already a great feat that you’ve mastered such martial arts at your age. Considering your father’s time, you deserve to be called a genius.”

“Don’t lie. I heard that my father had already mastered the Sapping Wind Sword at my age.”

“Mastering a martial art and manifesting it are two different things. While my mastery of martial arts might have been higher, I didn’t have the ability to manifest it as naturally as you do. You can be proud.”

Moyong Yeon-Hwa shrugged her shoulders.

“I’m always proud. But I think the more greed, the better.”

“That’s not wrong, but if you get consumed by greed, you might regress.”

“I’m not that incompetent, Father.”

“Of course, whose daughter are you?”

The old man, Moyong Gun, laughed heartily.

Moyong Yeon-Hwa smiled back and took out a letter from her bosom.

“I have good news.”

Moyong Gun’s lips curled up involuntarily.

It was a red letter. His heart was already burning.

As Moyong Gun opened the letter, a gleam appeared in his eyes.

“The Myeong family succeeded, they say?”

“So it seems.”

“Now that they’ve found the origin of their martial arts, will their lifespan problem be solved?”

“That’s unknown. The Myeong family’s martial arts are strong. They’re not lacking compared to the main family’s martial arts.”

Moyong Yeon-Hwa looked at the cliff.

“Can it compare to that supreme sword power?”

“That’s also unknown. However, I once exchanged blows lightly with the head of the Myeong family.”

“Oh? I haven’t heard about that?”

“It wasn’t a life-or-death match, just a check of each other’s skills. It’s not something to go around talking about.”

Moyong Yeon-Hwa’s eyes sparkled.

Within the family, her father was the one who gave her the most information. He told her everything, even the smallest details.

But not everything. There were some things he didn’t tell even his own daughter.

That’s why she respected Moyong Gun. She wanted to emulate his caution and sharpness, always vigilant even at the pinnacle of the family.

“How was it? The head of the Myeong family’s martial arts.”

“Impressive.”

“You don’t say that about many people, Father.”

Moyong Gun shook his head.

“None of the heads of the Seven Great Families are easy to deal with. Outwardly, it’s said that the heads of the Myeong and Yeon families compete for the top spot in martial arts, but that’s something you won’t know until you actually fight.”

“Are you saying that other family heads are hiding their strength, like you, Father?”

“Of course. Unlike the Myeong and Yeon families, the five traditional families never fully reveal their strength.”

Moyong Gun’s eyes deepened.

“However, even considering that, the head of the Myeong family’s martial arts were impressive. If they find the origin of their martial arts, I expect it won’t be inferior to the main family’s secret arts.”

“That’s amazing.”

“There’s a reason why they’ve maintained the title of the strongest family in the world.”

Moyong Yeon-Hwa smiled.

“It’s a shame. They won’t be able to use that title anymore.”

Moyong Gun read the last part of the letter.

As if to emphasize it, the writing was thicker than the rest, even though it was in fine script.

“Tsk, tsk, head of the Myeong family. It was good that you found your ancestor’s martial arts, but your greed was too much. How can you shamelessly call yourself the strongest in the world after killing hundreds of innocent laborers?”

Surprisingly, Moyong Gun knew everything the Myeong family had done.

It was a meticulously planned scheme since the day Moyong Gun became the head of the family. He had planted ‘eyes’ not only in the Myeong family but in all the families of the Seven Great Families.

In some families, he even infiltrated professional spies, creating secret passages and safe houses within those families. The Yeon family was a prime example.

Of course, it wasn’t easy. It required astronomical sums of money and trustworthy individuals. Even for Moyong Gun, it wasn’t something he could prepare in just a decade or so.

The grand scheme was something he had undertaken with his father, the previous head of the family.

“I proved my abilities to my father, your grandfather. Even to the point of eliminating my brothers.”

“I know, Father.”

“You are also proving your abilities to me. When you are confident, bring me the plan you have drawn up. If it’s a satisfactory plan, I will entrust the family to you.”

Moyong Yeon-Hwa wore a confident smile.

“I’m preparing everything step by step. Don’t worry.”

“Hahaha.”

Moyong Gun was very pleased with his daughter’s boldness. His sons’ talents were also extraordinary, but they didn’t dare to cross the line.

That was why he favored his daughter. Moyong Yeon-Hwa, who had inherited his blood, was a possessor of a cold-blooded heart of iron, capable of cutting down even her own kin if necessary.

A talent far more important than a brain that had reached divine skill. That was ruthlessness.

“By the way, has there been any separate contact from the Yeon family?”

“No. Not yet.”

Moyong Gun clicked his tongue.

“What a frustrating person. A man famous for his resolute swordsmanship that can even split waves, yet he’s so timid in these matters.”

“It seems his nature is to dislike adventures.”

“That might be true. Even when the head of the Yeon family was young, he wasn’t interested in expanding his power.”

“Besides, he’ll be more cautious this time. It’s not easy to receive three business proposals. He must be having a lot of worries.”

Moyong Gun smiled.

“To maintain the family’s lineage, it would be better for him to agree willingly.”

At that moment.

A warrior in black uniform and a mask, came rushing from afar.

Swoosh.

The warrior knelt before Moyong Gun and spoke in a stiff voice.

“Family Head.”

“What brings you here at this hour?”

“There’s been a problem.”

“A problem? What kind of problem?”

“We haven’t heard from our contact in the Yeon family for five days.”

Moyong Gun’s eyes turned cold.

The contact was required to report the situation once a day. Even if something happened, it usually didn’t take more than three days.

Not hearing from them for five days meant that something had happened to the contact.

“Could it be that the Yeon family found out? That’s unlikely.”

He didn’t think Tae-Gyeong would be caught. It wasn’t as easy as one might think to suspect a chief manager who had been rooted in the family for nearly ten years.

The problem was the real spies and the contact. Even if Tae-Gyeong was caught due to bad luck, Nail and Jang-Hak shouldn’t be exposed. They were the real ones from the start. Tae-Gyeong was just a cover to fully plant Nail and Jang-Hak.

“It’s difficult to ascertain the exact situation. We’re currently looking into Tongcheon Group, their information trading partner.”

“Investigate quickly.”

“Yes.”

Moyong Yeon-Hwa frowned.

“What could have happened? Jang-Hak is a top-notch contact. He’s not someone who would make a mistake.”

“As long as they’re human, they can make mistakes. We need to figure out if it’s due to external factors or other issues.”

Moyong Yeon-Hwa shook her head.

“We should consider the worst-case scenario, just in case.”

“Of course. If the Yeon family has truly discovered the existence of the spies, we’ll have to bury them before any noise is made.”

Moyong Gun frowned.

“Ha! Do we have to draw our swords already?”

* * *

“…In total, there are seven places.”

“I see.”

“It seems…”

Lee Baek-Hyun, who had been hesitating, opened his mouth as if he had made up his mind.

“Our family also needs to fortify the entire estate, like the other families.”

Although the Yeon family had a short history among the Seven Great Families, the family itself had a history of over 150 years.

However, the current buildings of the Yeon family, except for a few damaged areas, maintained the same appearance as they had when their ancestors used them. There was nothing to take away, and nothing to be concerned about, so they didn’t think there was a need to build new ones.

Yeon-Wi was the same.

No, he didn’t have any attachment to buildings in the first place. He had only left them as they were because his father, the previous head of the family, had insisted on it.

But now that the situation had become like this, there was no other choice.

“Summon Elder Pyeon.”

“Are you referring to Pyeon Il-Gang, the divine craftsman?”

“Yes.”

Lee Baek-Hyun tilted his head.

“There’s no need to talk about Elder Pyeon’s skills, but… isn’t he a blacksmith, not an expert in civil engineering or mechanical formations?”

Yeon-Wi looked at Lee Baek-Hyun.

Lee Baek-Hyun was startled and lowered his head.

“I apologize. I will bring him immediately.”

“…Elder Pyeon.”

“Yes?”

“Elder Pyeon has close ties with the masters of mechanical formations.”

“Ah!”

“Bring him here.”

“Yes, yes! I understand.”

Lee Baek-Hyun left the family head’s room.

Yeon-Wi, with his hands behind his back, looked out the window. His back looked lonely, unlike his usual self.

Yeon Ji-Pyeong sighed inwardly. Even without expressing it, he could tell that his father was frustrated.

Of course, he was also greatly shocked. Chief Manager Tae-Gyeong was someone who had been kind to him as well.

However, it wouldn’t be as difficult for him as it was for his father. As a person and as the head of the family, he must have received a great shock.

“Father…”

“Then, I’ll finish up and get going.”

Yeon Ji-Pyeong was startled and looked at Yeon Ho-Jeong.

Yeon-Wi turned around.

“Are you leaving?”

“Yes.”

Yeon Ji-Pyeong tilted his head.

“Leaving? Brother, where are you going?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled.

“A trip to the Central Plains.”

“Huh?!”

What was he suddenly talking about?

Yeon-Wi asked.

“You haven’t decided on a destination?”

“That’s exactly what I’m going to discuss with Father.”

“Hmm?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong picked up a letter on the table.

“We’ve caught the spy, so we can take a breather, but what do you think they’re thinking? They must be flustered.”

“Of course, they would be.”

“Then we need to see what kind of follow-up actions they’ll take.”

Yeon-Wi’s eyes flashed.

“We’ve erased all traces of the Moyong family. It’ll be difficult for them to figure out our situation, so they’ll probably try to find out through Tongcheon Group.”

It was an accurate assessment.

Yeon Ho-Jeong was a man who had experienced all sorts of chaos in a place where lies were rampant. However, Yeon-Wi was able to predict how the enemy would react without such experience.

Innate wisdom and ability were not something that could be taken away. Yeon Ho-Jeong felt a sense of relief.

“That’s right. It’s in their best interest to keep this quiet, so they’ll have to approach cautiously.”

“The problem is after that. The moment they find out our situation, I have no idea what they’ll do.”

That was understandable.

Yeon-Wi had almost no personal connection with Moyong Gun. So he didn’t know what kind of person he was.

You need to know your opponent to deduce their methods. Not building personal connections was Yeon-Wi’s weakness.

“In other words, we can assume that neither side knows the other’s situation.”

“That’s right.”

“And we can predict the enemy’s initial actions.”

“That’s also true.”

“Then we have only one option.”

Yeon-Wi and Yeon Ji-Pyeong looked at Yeon Ho-Jeong.