Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 526

Swoosh!

Mok Won’s eyes snapped open.

“You’re awake?”

The first person to greet him was Pae Yul. He had been acting as a sort of guardian by his side.

“Where is this?”

It wasn’t the deserted forest from before. It was the same forest, but the unique smell of burning air and the murderous intent were gone.

In the distance, there was also a quaint building. It was a low, two-story building, but the surroundings were so quiet and the scenery was beautiful.

“You completely lost consciousness. I tried to wake you, but your inner energy kept moving, so I had no choice but to move you here while you were lying down.”

“…I see.”

Mok Won wasn’t surprised.

The poison that had taken root in his body was still there. He had been focusing and concentrating to remove the poison, but it seemed he had lost consciousness at some point.

Even in the midst of that, the Heavenly Martial Divine Weapon, true to its ancient divine power, was moving on its own to control the poison.

It was a fortunate thing.

“I was going to bring you inside, but it seemed like the poison was acting up from time to time. Since it’s an unknown poison, I made a place for you outside.”

“That was a wise decision.”

“It wasn’t my decision, but the leader’s. Anyway, it’s good that you’re awake.”

Pae Yul’s tone was somewhat stiff.

But Mok Won knew. Pae Yul wasn’t a bad person.

It wasn’t because he was a warrior of Jeomchang. Pae Yul was a person who wasn’t very smooth in human relationships. You could tell that just by exchanging a few words.

However, he had his own principles and beliefs within him. Mok Won was sure of that.

“By the way… what about that young man?”

“You mean Yeon Ho-jeong?”

“Yes. Yeon Ho-jeong.”

The greatest prodigy of the younger generation.

Mok Won muttered that title to himself. He never imagined he would receive help from a prodigy, but Yeon Ho-jeong was a true powerhouse who didn’t fit the word prodigy.

Pae Yul pointed his chin towards the forest entrance.

“He’ll be here soon. He said he had some things to take care of.”

“Take care of things?”

“You can hear it from him when he comes. Anyway, shouldn’t you eat something?”

Mok Won nodded.

“Please.”

Pae Yul chuckled and got up.

“I like that you’re honest. Wait a little bit.”

After a while, Pae Yul came back with a large bundle and a water bottle.

He didn’t come alone. Hwang Seok-tae, holding a red spear, was following him. He was wearing armor, but his helmet was off.

Mok Won clasped his hands in greeting.

“I’m late in saying this. I owe you a debt of life. It’s a debt that’s hard to repay with just words of thanks.”

Hwang Seok-tae was uncharacteristically flustered.

“I came here under orders from my superiors. You should thank my lord, not me. And…”

The Ironclad Unit had only taken him and fled. The ones who had been decisive and helped at the critical moment were Yeon Ho-jeong and Pae Yul.

Hwang Seok-tae couldn’t finish his sentence and closed his mouth. Mok Won’s condition wasn’t good, and the situation was long to explain.

“I’ll take you to a comfortable place. First, let’s fill your stomach and then go inside.”

Mok Won shook his head.

“It seems like there are people in the building, so I can’t do that. This poison is a deadly poison that even I can’t handle. If it leaks out, it could cause unexpected damage.”

“But you can’t stay outside like this.”

“I prefer the hard ground to a soft bed. I’ve lived like that for almost my entire life. You don’t have to worry about me.”

If he said this much, it was clear that he was at least okay for now.

Pae Yul said as he unwrapped the bundle.

“Eat this first. It’s a quick-absorbing medicinal meal.”

“Thank you.”

Mok Won devoured the food as if he were a starving ghost. He didn’t care if people were watching him. That’s how hungry he was.

An hour later, Mok Won had eaten all the food.

Pae Yul whistled softly.

“You have a good appetite.”

Just in case, he had brought several kinds of food. It was enough for three or four grown men to eat their fill.

He had eaten it all in one sitting. As expected, masters had different stomachs.

“I was very hungry. I’m embarrassed.”

“It’s good to see you eating well. You’ll get better soon. That’s a relief.”

Hwang Seok-tae subtly gestured to Pae Yul. He thought that it was too disrespectful to the great senior of the martial world and the number one of the Three Armies.

Pae Yul, who was strangely insensitive in such matters, didn’t understand what Hwang Seok-tae’s gesture meant. Even if he did, he would have ignored it.

“I’ll take this, so rest.”

As Pae Yul took the empty bowls, Hwang Seok-tae said,

“He’s a very peculiar person. If you were offended, I apologize.”

It was a rare sight of Hwang Seok-tae. It was very rare for him to lower himself like this.

Mok Won burst into laughter.

“Why would I be offended? I’m more worried about being a burden.”

“As I said, we are under orders. Besides, it’s an honor to escort the number one of the Three Armies.”

If you asked a spear user who they would most like to meet among the strong of Seongcheon, it would undoubtedly be the Spear King So Hyun-rip.

But Baekbyeong Shingun [White-Clad Divine General] Mok Won was also a master they wanted to meet. He was the king of weapon techniques who handled all kinds of weapons, and among them, Mok Won was the one who mainly used the staff and spear techniques.

There was a reason why Hwang Seok-tae was so humble. He was a person worthy of respect just for his martial prowess and reputation, but especially as a martial artist who had learned spear techniques, Mok Won was also an ideal.

“You don’t have to praise me so much. By the way, I’d like to hear about the situation.”

At that moment, a clear voice was heard from the entrance of the forest.

“I think we should hear what Great Hero Mok has to say first.”

Mok Won wasn’t surprised. Unlike Hwang Seok-tae.

“You’ve arrived?”

Yeon Ho-jeong clasped his hands in greeting.

“I greet you again. I am Yeon Ho-jeong, the eldest son of the Gangdong Byeoksan family, the chief of the Righteous Army of the Martial Alliance, and the special adjutant of the Mukryong Unit.”

A strange aura surrounded Mok Won’s face.

If you had to divide them into righteous and evil factions, Mok Won was clearly a person belonging to the righteous faction. He had never created his own sect, but his actions were far from those of a heretic.

In fact, he also had a tendency to distance himself from the black path and the evil faction to some extent. The black path groups he had seen were all villains who tormented the weak.

However, Mok Won didn’t show it. Whatever the reason, they were the people who had saved his life. Moreover, the greatest prodigy of the younger generation held positions in both the Martial Alliance and the Mukryong Unit.

There was something going on.

Mok Won realized that the time had come for a deep conversation.

“It’s sudden, but the sooner the better. Let’s talk.”

* * *

That night.

“Hoo.”

Pae Yul, who had worked up a good sweat, caught his breath.

Yeon Ho-jeong, who had been watching Pae Yul’s training from the side, smiled wryly.

“Are you alright?”

“Huh?”

“I’m asking if your body is okay. You have internal and external injuries, and your inner strength is unstable.”

Although he had fought them off with great vigor, this battle was by no means easy.

The assassins’ skills were worthy of being called first-class, and the large-scale formation of the government side, which had practiced the Divine Flame Church’s martial arts, was tight and dense. It was not a familiar martial arts battle.

Moreover, there were so many of them. Hidden by Yeon Ho-jeong, Pae Yul’s skill in surviving with only this much damage was also worthy of praise.

Pae Yul twirled his single spear like chopsticks and said,

“I trained thinking it was just another fight. In the martial world, battles are always fought at a disadvantage. It’s rare to enter a real battle in perfect condition.”

“That’s true.”

“I realized it in this fight.”

Pae Yul looked up at the sky.

The moonlight was beautiful.

“I’ve done my part. Gwanil Gong [One-Penetrating Skill] is complete in itself. In other words, it’s the completion of the original. Now, it seems that the only thing left is for its characteristics to change depending on the person who practices it.”

“Is that so?”

“What do you think?”

Yeon Ho-jeong shook his head.

“I’m not a monster enough to understand the true meaning of martial arts just by watching the forms being practiced.”

“You’re talking nonsense.”

“However, Gwanil Gong is definitely a martial art that will go down in the history of Jeomchang. I can be sure of that.”

“Is that so?”

“Furthermore, I also know that the martial art created by you, senior, has not completely melted into your body. As you said, senior, it will be important to practice your own Gwanil Gong.”

Pae Yul nodded.

Yeon Ho-jeong stroked his chin.

“And…”

“Hmm?”

“Gwanil Gong is already close to perfection, but… in my opinion, it seems like there is still room for development.”

Pae Yul’s eyes lit up.

“Did you find a flaw?”

“Rather than a flaw, it’s more like seeking a way to go further. No matter how close to perfection a martial art is, there is no such thing as truly perfect.”

The closest martial art to perfection would probably be the Four Divine Arts.

The Four Divine Arts itself was an unparalleled divine art, and it was a martial art that thoroughly divided all characteristics such as offense, defense, evasion, and counterattack.

By dividing and emphasizing the characteristics, an extreme level of completion was achieved in one area. And the process of combining those four areas of completion into one was smoothly mixed.

It was a repetition of division and unification. The Four Divine Arts had gone through such a process for a long time, and had transformed into a flawless divine art with no room for even a needle to enter.

On the other hand, Gwanil Gong was an excellent martial art, but considering its history, it was still at the crawling stage.

A young martial art with a short history. That was an advantage in itself, but compared to a divine art that had eliminated its disadvantages and enhanced its advantages over a long period of time, its level of completion was bound to be lower.

Pae Yul nodded.

“Yes, you’re right. Perhaps I was so obsessed with completing Gwanil Gong that I couldn’t satisfy my desire for my own martial art. That’s why I might have given up on thinking about how Gwanil Gong could go further.”

“You don’t have to say that. Not just because you’re a senior, but because no one in the world can create a martial art like this.”

It was not just difficult, but close to impossible.

The number of masters who create a martial art that will go down in history in one generation is only a handful among the many martial artists.

Pae Yul was a person who had accomplished such a difficult and great task.

Yeon Ho-jeong, who had been quietly watching Pae Yul, smiled and threw off his robe.

“The moonlight is so beautiful that it’s a shame to go to sleep like this. Now that it’s come to this, shall we try to revise Gwanil Gong together?”

It was an unexpected but welcome offer. Pae Yul grumbled.

“I won’t tell you the formulas and methods.”

“I didn’t expect you to. I just want to study together.”

“Okay.”

“Now, then, let’s see…”

Yeon Ho-jeong, who had taken off his Black and White Twin Dragon Armor and the Azure Dragon Chain, picked up his spear.

“First, the spear… hmm.”

Yeon Ho-jeong turned his head to the right.

Pae Yul smacked his lips.

“It seems like we always have guests when we’re about to do something.”

“They’re precious guests. Don’t say that.”

“I’m just saying.”

Shortly after, Mok Won appeared.

“Did I interrupt?”

Pae Yul smacked his lips and shook his head.

“No.”

Yeon Ho-jeong answered as if he had been waiting.

“You did interrupt.”

“…”

The atmosphere turned cold for a moment.

Mok Won scratched his head awkwardly.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt. Then…”

“Since you’ve already interrupted, Great Hero, why don’t you join this game?”

“Huh?”

Yeon Ho-jeong smiled at Pae Yul.

“Since you’ve interrupted, you should help us.”

Pae Yul couldn’t help but admit it.

‘That guy could sell the water of the Yangtze River with his tongue.’