Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 52

“Burp! Oh, that was a good meal.”

“Would you like more?”

“Huh? Ah, no, thanks. Overeating isn’t good for you.”

The Iron Staff Beggar had to hold back tears as he looked at the pile of chicken bones on the floor.

Though they lived the life of beggars, the Beggars’ Union, a martial arts sect and a major player in the information industry, had unimaginable financial power. Naturally, a branch leader would have a considerable amount of personal funds at their disposal.

However, while the Iron Staff Beggar had often used his own money for the sake of the people, he had never indulged in extravagance. That was true for the Iron Staff Beggar and all the beggars of the Beggars’ Union.

Yet, the Iron Staff Beggar had spent a fortune to buy three chickens for the first time. And not just any chickens, but hens.

And all those treasures had ended up in Hugae’s belly.

“Huh? Why does Branch Leader look so sour? Are you upset?”

“Huh? Ah, no! How could I be!”

“Right? I thought you were feeling bad about spending money on the chickens.”

It wasn’t about the money spent on the chickens. It was just that Hugae had devoured them all, leaving not even a chicken neck behind, that made him resentful.

“But…”

“Huh?”

The Iron Staff Beggar tilted his head.

“Your face is glistening with oil? Did you find a good patron or something?”

Ga Deuk-Sang grinned.

Bits of boiled chicken were stuck between his neat teeth.

“I found a very interesting patron. Though, he seems a bit dangerous at times.”

“Don’t tell me it’s the Yeon family head?”

“Are you crazy? That man is beyond dangerous, he’s terrifying. He’s the second person I’ve ever met that I can’t even stand to look at, after my master. It’s like he has jewels embedded in his eyes, they just keep flashing.”

“Then…?”

“Not the Yeon family head, but his son.”

“Gasp!”

The Iron Staff Beggar inhaled sharply without realizing it.

“Are you talking about the Mad Wind Lion?”

“What lion?”

“The Mad Wind Lion…”

“Who’s the Mad Wind Lion?”

“The eldest son of the Yeon family.”

Ga Deuk-Sang tilted his head.

“That’s right, but did that guy get a nickname?”

“Yes. It’s quite famous, you know? It spread all the way to Jiangxi Province a couple of months ago.”

“Oh?”

Well, it was understandable.

The martial arts Yeon Ho-Jeong had shown at the gathering of the younger generation was shocking. He was not only the best among the younger generation, but his merciless assault on the Thunderous Fist Chuseong was savage.

The martial world was sensitive to rumors. Moreover, the ones who spread the rumors were the younger generation of the Seven Great Families.

Naturally, a nickname with a lot of embellishment would have spread.

“Even so, Mad Wind Lion? That’s a bit much.”

A lion that calls forth fierce winds, or a lion that creates mad winds.

It could be interpreted in different ways, but it didn’t sound very good. It was too extreme for the nickname of the eldest son of the prestigious Yeon family.

‘Well…’

If you ignored his background and environment, it was a fitting nickname. He might not be a lion, but he was definitely half-crazy.

“To have the Mad Wind Lion as a patron, you truly are something, Hugae.”

“Is that guy very famous?”

“It’s a rumor spread by the younger generation, who are famous for their pride. Everyone who knows about it probably knows by now.”

Ga Deuk-Sang snorted.

“That pride is always the problem. Look at the Nine Great Sects. The kids trained there are all humble.”

“Because they inherited the lineage of the Immortal Families. But they weren’t all humble, were they?”

“They’re better than the Seven Great Families. Ugh, you should have seen them at the gathering. The kids were all full of pride and so immature.”

“They are actually young.”

“Still, they’re the descendants of prestigious families.”

“They’re frogs in a well.”

“You speak well?”

“I’m the Iron Staff Beggar, Iron Staff Beggar.”

Ga Deuk-Sang stretched.

“Ugh! Anyway, I ate well. I think I should get going.”

Disappointment filled the Iron Staff Beggar’s face. But his eyes shone brighter than the sun.

“Are you leaving already?”

“Should I stay longer?”

“…”

“You’re surprisingly cold. Ah, whatever! I’m busy too!”

“Hehehe.”

The Iron Staff Beggar, who was chuckling, tilted his head.

“But where are you going?”

“Where else would I go? I’m going to meet the mad lion. Looks like I’ll be wandering aimlessly again for a while.”

“It’s Mad Wind Lion, not Mad Lion.”

“Whatever. Ah! And…”

Ga Deuk-Sang’s eyes turned cold.

“Help the Yeon family head for a while. The Tongcheon Dan [a type of medicinal pill] won’t be able to do its job, so it’ll be a bit tough.”

* * *

Whoosh!

The sound of the axe cutting through the air was heavy and overwhelming.

“Hoo.”

One wrong move and his breathing would be thrown off. The power of each strike was so strong and extreme that, even with his improved physical strength, it was difficult to execute his martial arts.

But it was okay.

The Biseon True Energy [a type of internal energy] was a rare divine art. The stability of the Biseon True Art wasn’t limited to just the true energy, but also affected the entire body.

Stronger, faster, more extreme.

It was a divine art that stably supported him so that his body wouldn’t break down even when he pushed past his limits. Moreover, with the infinite power of the Xuanwu Qi [a type of internal energy], he would quickly get used to it.

Just as he was thinking about trying to wield the axe, he received a gift. He was grateful to his father once again.

Whoosh! Swish!

After wielding the giant weapon for a while, it felt like all the joints in his body were being pulled out.

‘One last time.’

A determined light flickered in Yeon Ho-Jeong’s sweat-soaked face.

‘The White Tiger.’

Thud!

The momentum changed.

The violent and explosive momentum instantly transformed into a majestic and spirited one.

The axe held in both hands created a tremendous wind.

Swoosh! Bang!

The huge axe blade struck the ground. Half of the wide axe blade dug into the ground.

It was an incredible power, but Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face was filled with disappointment.

“It still doesn’t work.”

Without generating the White Tiger Qi [a type of internal energy], it was difficult to draw out the true essence of the White Tiger.

He could imitate the form, but it was difficult to bring out its true power. Each form of the Four Divine Martial Arts was profound and contained deep principles, and without the corresponding directional qi, its power would not be fully realized.

‘Should I be satisfied with the Beast Spear for now?’

The Beast Spear Technique was a simplified martial art based on the form of the White Tiger. Thanks to this, it was compatible with any internal energy, but its level was far below that of the White Tiger’s martial arts.

Of course, it was still a first-class martial art in its own right, so it was not insufficient to use.

Yeon Ho-Jeong shook the axe stuck in the ground and pulled it out, then took a deep breath.

‘Don’t be impatient. It needs to be fast, but not rushed.’

He recalled his master’s words.

‘People say that you must let go of greed to gain something. That’s just a word game. Greed gives rise to desire, and desire fuels passion. Those who let go of greed can only regress. However, you need to be careful of being hasty. Being fast and being rushed are different. You need to know the difference to gain momentum in your growth.’

He had never forgotten a single word of his master’s teachings.

He was a divine being. He was a martial god who possessed not only the Four Divine Martial Arts, but also countless forgotten secret arts of the martial world.

Among them, the Four Divine Martial Arts were undoubtedly the most outstanding secret arts. He also evaluated the Four Divine Martial Arts as the most ideal from a martial perspective.

However, even though he had mastered the Four Divine Martial Arts, he was not fond of them.

‘The Four Divine Martial Arts were created during a time of turmoil, a hellish era of constant war. Their very creation was for the destruction of enemies. As martial arts, they are close to perfection, but they do not seek to transcend humanity. That’s why I cherish and despise the Four Divine Martial Arts at the same time.’

His master was a successor of the Immortal Family. He aimed to transcend the human body and ascend to immortality, so it was difficult for him to view the Four Divine Martial Arts favorably.

‘Well, my master was a bit of an eccentric himself. He pursued non-action and nature, yet he was overly human.’

Thinking about it, he was curious.

‘Where is my master now?’

He was a person who wandered the world with the wind and clouds. Even if he went to the place where they had met in the past, his master would probably not be there.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes deepened.

‘Will I be able to meet him? In this life?’

He didn’t know how he had returned to the past. But since he had returned to the past, wouldn’t he be able to meet his master?

‘I want to see him, even just once.’

His master, who had trained him in the Hongcheon Qi [a type of internal energy] and the Four Divine Martial Arts for several years, had suddenly left one day. Without a word, without a letter.

He was that kind of person. But even if he understood, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of disappointment.

Yeon Ho-Jeong shook his head.

“If fate allows, I will meet him.”

At that moment, a playful voice was heard.

“Who? Did you hide a pretty maiden or something?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong chuckled.

“Would a pretty maiden even glance at me?”

“Bullshit. Don’t say that anywhere else. Are you teasing me, or what?”

“I’m a madman who carries an axe the size of a person. Would a normal woman throw herself at me?”

“Hehehe, well, I guess that’s true.”

Ga Deuk-Sang whistled.

“Looking at it like this, it’s quite terrifying. How much does that thing weigh?”

“It must be about eighty pounds.”

“It’s no different from grabbing a person and swinging them around? You’ll break all your bones when you get old.”

“I don’t care.”

“By the way, what kind of martial arts are you learning? No matter how I look at it, it’s not the Yeon family’s martial arts.”

“There is such a thing.”

“Ha! A young man with so many secrets?”

“There are places where the whole family tries to deceive others.”

Ga Deuk-Sang’s eyes deepened.

He realized that he was talking about the Moyong family.

“You should be leaving soon, right?”

“That’s right.”

“I’m bored, should we go to your destination together?”

“Aren’t you busy?”

“Can you be so formal? It seems like you’ve benefited a lot from me lately? You should be bowing and saying thank you, not acting like that.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled.

“I don’t like bowing, but thank you.”

“Ah, whatever! I’ll use you later if I get into some dog-like trouble, so don’t refuse.”

“Of course.”

Ga Deuk-Sang chuckled.

It was sunset, and the forest behind Goyang Pavilion was already dark.

“Alright, let’s go.”

“Let’s go.”

At that moment.

Whoosh!

Ga Deuk-Sang’s eyes flashed.

“Danger!”

Clang!

A sharp longsword collided with the wide axe blade.

Cling!

The mysterious attacker retreated at a terrifying speed, then approached again and swung his sword.

It was a fast and fierce swordsmanship. His internal energy was not great, but the elasticity of the true energy in his sword was admirable.

Yeon Ho-Jeong swung his axe powerfully.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The eighty-pound heavy weapon moved like a swift sword, blocking the sword strikes.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, having blocked all the incoming sword strikes, unleashed a storm-like blow in an instant.

Bang!

With a loud explosion, the branches piled on the ground scattered in all directions.

Whoosh.

The attacker holding the sword flew away and then regained his posture with a light movement.

Ga Deuk-Sang’s eyes widened.

“Huh? What? Young Master Lee?!”

The swordsman, Yeon Ji-Pyeong, straightened his body.

His eyes were clear and calm.

“You’re amazing as always, brother.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong stroked the axe handle.

“You were amazing too. I haven’t seen your martial arts in a while, but I didn’t know you’d grow this much in such a short time.”

“There’s someone I have to chase after urgently. If my brother is too amazing, it becomes tiring for his younger brother.”

Swish.

Yeon Ji-Pyeong, having sheathed his sword, respectfully clasped his hands.

“Are you leaving?”

“Yes, I’m leaving.”

There was no sadness or regret in Yeon Ji-Pyeong’s eyes. He must have already washed it all away.

Yeon Ho-Jeong felt proud as he looked at his younger brother’s eyes.

“You should have said something before leaving.”

“I’ll be back soon, why bother?”

“That’s just like you, brother.”

Yeon Ji-Pyeong, who was looking at Yeon Ho-Jeong with a smile, gradually began to waver. He thought he had calmed his emotions, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.

Yeon Ji-Pyeong bowed his head and respectfully clasped his hands.

“Please have a safe trip, brother.”

There was no reply.

Yeon Ji-Pyeong, who had been bowing his head for a while, straightened his body.

Yeon Ho-Jeong and Ga Deuk-Sang were no longer there.

“…It seems my brother is indeed the eldest son. He’s as cold as father.”