Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 530

“Huh! Brother?”

“Commander Yeon.”

Gang Ryang and Jeong-an greeted Yeon Ho-jeong with smiles.

“Did you have a good trip?”

“Yeah, I did, but…”

Yeon Ho-jeong tilted his head.

“What, did a war break out? Why do you two look like that?”

It was a reasonable question.

Gang Ryang’s appearance was a mess, almost like a beggar. Though not as grimy as them, his clothes were nearly rags, and there were scabs all over his body.

Jeong-an’s state wasn’t much different. It was clear they had exchanged fierce sword strikes, and while not as bad as Gang Ryang, she looked quite rough.

Gang Ryang spoke as if it were nothing.

“I’ve been fighting with Miss Jeong-an almost every day.”

“Didn’t you sleep? Not even rest?”

“It’s a waste of time. We slept here, ate here, and fought here.”

Yeon Ho-jeong looked at Jeong-an.

Jeong-an scratched her head. The deep, calm feeling unique to the Unbreakable Gate [a martial arts concept referring to a state of mental and physical stability] that he had sensed before was nowhere to be found in the Jeong-an he saw after a long time.

It was as if she had become a sharp sword. It was hard to believe she was a swordswoman of Bota [a fictional martial arts school or clan].

“Somehow, I also…”

“You two are going to start dating at this rate.”

Both of them shouted at the same time.

“No, we’re not!”

“That’s not it!”

After shouting as if they had been waiting for it, a strange silence fell.

Yeon Ho-jeong waved his hand.

“Whether you date or kill each other is up to you, but first…”

“It’s not like that.”

“I know, you idiot. But why are you still in that state?”

“Huh?”

Gang Ryang tilted his head.

“Me? What about me?”

“You…”

Yeon Ho-jeong, about to speak, suddenly looked at Jeong-an.

Jeong-an smacked her lips. She seemed to know what Yeon Ho-jeong was thinking.

Sensing the atmosphere, Gang Ryang’s face became somewhat serious.

“Is there something wrong with me?”

“No, it’s nothing like that.”

Yeon Ho-jeong patted Gang Ryang’s shoulder.

“You’ve had enough sparring, so go inside, wash up, and rest.”

“Uh… there’s no need to do that.”

“Listen to me, you idiot. You’ll have to go out again soon. I’ll take you with me then, so take good care of yourself.”

Gang Ryang’s eyes lit up.

“Has a mission already been assigned?”

“It’s a mission that will go out as soon as I’m ready. We can’t drag it out, so get yourself in perfect condition as soon as possible.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Gang Ryang bowed to Jeong-an.

“Thank you for everything, Miss. I learned a lot.”

Jeong-an also bowed her head. Although her temperament had changed, she still greeted with a bow, showing that her lifelong habits remained.

“I, too, have learned a great deal.”

“Then.”

Gang Ryang smiled and left.

Yeon Ho-jeong asked Jeong-an.

“When did it start?”

“Pardon?”

“When did you start allowing that guy to cut you with his sword?”

Jeong-an’s face became awkward.

“About ten days ago.”

It was an incredible thing.

Although still immature, Jeong-an was a master who had broken through the Wall of No Form [a metaphorical barrier in martial arts representing a significant leap in skill]. She was far from being comparable to the leaders of the Nine Great Sects, but it was not a level that could be achieved at the age of nearly thirty.

On the other hand, what about Gang Ryang?

Gang Ryang had not broken through the Wall of No Form. He had only reached the edge of that wall.

The difference between before and after crossing that one wall was much greater than people vaguely imagined.

It was like the world one lived in changed. Things that could not be seen before crossing the wall became clearly visible the moment one crossed it.

The moment impossible things became possible.

It could be seen as a change in the human being itself, before the achievement of martial arts. Unless there was a significant variable, a master who had not crossed the wall would have difficulty even making a scratch on the body of a transcendent master.

Yet, Jeong-an’s body was full of wounds.

They were not wounds she had deliberately taken. Some of them were wounds that could have been life-threatening if they had been a little deeper.

No matter how much one held back while sparring, one would not allow such wounds. It was not a matter of reason, but a matter of instinct.

“Ten days ago…”

In other words, Gang Ryang, despite not having broken through the Wall of No Form, had inflicted this much damage on the body of Jeong-an, a transcendent master.

“It’s already more than enough.”

“I think so too.”

“He fought this well against a transcendent master? Without even breaking through the wall?”

What did that mean?

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes deepened.

“That guy will completely transform into a monster the moment he breaks through the Wall of No Form.”

He was seeing the world beyond the wall from a place where all sides were blocked.

It was not something anyone could do. It was because Yeon Ho-jeong had the senses, experience, and enlightenment of his past life that he was able to inflict damage on masters several levels above him. It was nearly impossible for a young master who had not experienced a past life like Gang Ryang to achieve such results.

What did that mean?

‘He’s almost got it all.’

Yeon Ho-jeong looked at Jeong-an.

‘It’s not about quickly passing through the wall, ignoring the things you can get like Jeong-an. He’s almost got all the martial principles that can be obtained at the level of a peak master.’

Even if they were both right before the Wall of No Form, there were differences between people. Some would cross the wall without getting what they could get with a moment’s enlightenment, while others would linger in that place for decades before crossing the wall.

Gang Ryang had obtained all the enlightenment he could as a peak master, even though he had not stayed in that realm for a long time.

On the other hand, Jeong-an had quickly broken through the Wall of No Form, excluding things that she could obtain but did not necessarily need.

That difference had drastically narrowed the gap between those who had crossed the wall and those who had not. That was why Jeong-an was struck by Gang Ryang’s sword.

“He’s been getting stronger at an alarming rate. Every day, his perspective changes, and every day, he hears things he couldn’t hear before.”

“Is that so.”

Jeong-an shook her head.

“He’s a scary person. The more he fights, the more blood he sees, the stronger he gets.”

Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.

“Anyway, that guy is also a member of the Black Path [a term referring to a dark or unorthodox martial arts faction]. He’s also a seed of a hegemon who has inherited the blood of a prestigious Black Path noble family.”

Jeong-an smiled. It was a slightly bitter smile.

“I’m envious. To have such talent.”

“You’re talking nonsense. Your talent is not ordinary either. There are only a few people in a generation who can reach that realm at your age.”

“Then there must be a lot of monsters in this generation. Even Commander Yeon…”

“Me?”

Yeon Ho-jeong chuckled.

“I’m the most ordinary guy when it comes to martial talent.”

“Is that a consolation?”

“It’s true. I have no martial talent.”

Jeong-an was taken aback.

“How could you have reached that level at that age without martial talent…”

“It’s a chronic problem with martial artists. They don’t acknowledge that there are many ways to become strong without martial talent.”

Of course, Yeon Ho-jeong was someone who had experienced the extreme realm.

But even then, compared to others, he had broken through the realm of the Supreme at a much earlier age and had gained fame as one of the top three strongest people in the world.

The ability to instinctively find weaknesses? That could be a talent for fighting, but it was not a talent for quickly mastering martial arts itself.

“Anyway, what about you? Are you going with us?”

“Me? Me?!”

“Yes.”

Jeong-an was flustered.

“There’s no reason to take a newbie like me, is there?”

“Of course not.”

“…”

“But I, Gang Ryang, and even the Vice Chief of the Black Dragon Unit were all newbies once. We just shed that skin with one experience.”

“…!”

Jeong-an was shocked.

Yeon Ho-jeong turned his body.

“If you have the will to go with us, you should also take care of yourself. No matter what path you choose, if you are with us, you will inevitably have to fight the Three Teachings [a collective term for three major religious or martial arts factions]. Even in preparation for that, cultivate your own abilities.”

* * *

“Isn’t the scenery nice?”

Yang Cheon and Mok Won had escaped the underground cave and ascended to a high canyon.

“It is indeed beautiful.”

Mok Won’s face, as he looked around, was filled with admiration. It wasn’t just a polite remark; the scenery here was truly beautiful.

Yang Cheon said in a cheerful voice.

“Running an organization is no easy task. At least, it wasn’t for me. There were many times when I felt stifled, which didn’t suit me, and whenever that happened, I would come here to feel the wind. After a couple of hours, all the complicated thoughts would disappear.”

“It is a view worthy of that.”

“People’s eyes are all similar. I knew you would like it.”

Yang Cheon, laughing heartily, took out a bottle of alcohol from his waist and handed it over.

“Would you like a drink?”

“I would.”

Mok Won took the bottle as if he had been waiting for it and opened the stopper. Then, he gulped it down.

Yang Cheon smiled.

“You drink so heartily.”

“It’s good liquor.”

“It is good liquor, but don’t you have any doubts? What if I had put poison in it?”

“You are not someone who would stoop to that level.”

“Don’t think of me as such a great person. I’m someone who would use poison and hidden weapons if necessary.”

“Anyway, I enjoyed it. Here, take it.”

Yang Cheon smiled and took the bottle, drinking from it.

After finishing the drink, Yang Cheon asked in a casual tone.

“Who did it to you? That poison.”

Mok Won’s eyes flashed.

“You knew?”

Yang Cheon said with a smile.

“Your presence was truly remarkable. Unique, sharp, and abundant. But, how should I say it… it was a bit lacking.”

“Lacking?”

“It felt somewhat lacking for the aura of the head of the Three Armies, the one called the Divine Eye of a Hundred Battles. Your skills are great enough, but I didn’t think it would be at that level.”

“…”

“I was wondering what was going on, so I took a closer look, and I got the feeling that you were firmly controlling something with your inner energy.”

Yang Cheon put the bottle back on his waist.

“It must be poison. A potent poison that even your abilities can’t handle.”

Mok Won sighed.

“Honestly, I didn’t think the difference between me and the Immortal Emperor was that great.”

“It’s not great. To exaggerate a little, you could say it’s a difference of a single sheet of paper.”

“It seems to be a sheet of paper as thick as a large tree.”

“It could be as thick as a mountain to some, and it could really be as thin as a single sheet of paper to others. You know that, don’t you?”

Mok Won gave a bitter smile.

Yang Cheon’s eyes deepened.

“Where did it happen?”

“I cannot answer the question of where it happened. Honestly, I don’t know when or where it happened either.”

“…Is that so.”

“However, I do know the group that handles this poison.”

“…”

“The Divine Transformation Church.”

“The Divine Transformation Church… It’s the Three Teachings after all.”

Yang Cheon smiled coldly. It was as if he had changed in an instant.

He, too, had been living without knowing that his body was deteriorating due to the poison of the Demonic Sound Cult Leader. If it hadn’t been for Yeon Ho-jeong, he didn’t know what would have happened to him by now.

“Didn’t Vice Commander Yeon say anything on the way here?”

“About what?”

“Vice Commander Yeon knows a lot about the Three Teachings. If that poison you were afflicted with came from the Three Teachings, maybe Vice Commander Yeon might know the cure.”

Mok Won’s eyes wavered.

“He didn’t mention anything like that.”

“Is that so? Then we can interpret it in one of two ways.”

“…?”

“Either Vice Commander Yeon doesn’t know the identity of that poison and its antidote, or…”

Yang Cheon’s cold face now turned indifferent.

Seeing that change in expression, Mok Won recalled Yeon Ho-jeong’s words. That Yang Cheon had a thousand faces.

“He doesn’t completely trust you right now.”

“…!”

“Have you ever talked to Vice Commander Yeon about your past?”

“No.”

“Then it’s the latter.”

“Vice Commander Yeon doesn’t trust me?”

“It’s not that he doesn’t trust you, but rather that you didn’t follow the rules of the implicit deal.”

“What do you mean…?”

“The Merchant King, So Hyun-rip.”

“…!!”

Mok Won’s face visibly hardened.

Yang Cheon turned his head back towards the vast canyon.

“The merchant took out his ledger, but you remained a martial artist to the end. If you saw that ledger, shouldn’t you have revealed your ledger as well?”