Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 540

Puh-uh-uhng!

With a flamboyant explosion, Dang Sang-ah was pushed back.

That was all. She was only pushed back, not injured. It was just that one of her sleeves was torn to shreds.

“Hoo.”

Tension flickered across Dang Sang-ah’s face.

“It’s amazing. I’ve blocked it several times, but Father’s Thousand Poison Hand is truly…”

“Now you’re finally worth looking at.”

“Pardon?”

Dang Gwan relaxed his stance.

“You’ve almost perfectly controlled the poison. Have you made progress with the Emperor Poison Scripture?”

Dang Sang-ah gave a wry smile.

“I’ve had some minor epiphanies.”

“Those minor epiphanies will guide you to the path of a Grandmaster.”

Dang Gwan nodded.

“Well done. Even the elders of the main family can’t block my Thousand Poison Hand so cleanly.”

Dang Sang-ah was flustered by her father’s praise.

“I don’t think I’m quite there yet…”

“It’s beyond my expectations. If you continue to grow like this, you’ll be able to contend with the main family’s elders within three years.”

“R-really?”

Dang Gwan nodded.

It wasn’t that he was saying it because she was his child. Rather, he was even stricter with his child. Although his relationship with his daughter had improved, his unique strictness hadn’t dulled.

If Dang Gwan said so, then it was truly so. No, considering his cautious nature in these matters, she might reach that level within a year, not three.

Of course, that would require the same grueling effort as now.

“I won’t assess your dagger techniques separately. But I will continue to observe your poison. To achieve true poison essence, you need life-risking detoxification training.”

Detoxification training was nothing special. It involved inhaling extreme poison and taking a small amount of antidote, then using internal energy alone to expel the poison.

Naturally, it wasn’t something anyone could do. It was only possible because of the Dang family’s internal energy cultivation method. Even with the best internal energy cultivation method in the world, doing such extreme detoxification training like the Dang family would ruin one’s body.

Determination settled on Dang Sang-ah’s face.

“Yes!”

“Remember this. We are those who wield poison. Poison is death. We are cultivating the closest art to death in the Murim [martial arts world].”

“……”

“That’s why it’s fast, and that’s why it’s dangerous. You know how many people have died during detoxification training in the main family.”

“I know.”

“Among them were many who were more talented than me, or even you.”

Dang Gwan’s eyes deepened.

“Talent is important, but what’s more important is a relentlessly cold mental fortitude. If you become complacent, thinking it’s easy or okay, and let your guard down even once, you could lose your life.”

“……”

“Keep that in mind.”

“Yes!”

A resolute answer. Yet, Dang Sang-ah’s expression was bright.

It couldn’t be helped. Originally, her father was strict, but he didn’t have such meticulousness.

Such a person was becoming more delicate as time passed. And it was all for his child.

Dang Sang-ah was a hundred times happier about her father’s change than her own martial arts progress.

“I’ll end today’s training here.”

“You’ve worked hard.”

“Yes.”

“If you don’t have anything else to do, would you like to have dinner with me?”

Dang Gwan nodded.

“I will.”

Dang Sang-ah smiled brightly.

It was another change in her father. In the past, even if they had meals together, he wouldn’t show such a natural reaction.

Now, it truly felt like they had become a father-daughter relationship that others would envy.

Dang Sang-ah linked her arm with Dang Gwan’s.

“Let’s go. I’ll cook for you today.”

“Let go of my arm. It’s heavy.”

“You’re such a drama queen.”

Dang Gwan only chuckled and didn’t scold Dang Sang-ah any further.

It was when the father and daughter returned to their residence.

“Clan Leader Dang.”

A Beggar Union member stood at the entrance of the residence.

Dang Gwan tilted his head.

“Do you have business with me, beggar?”

Dang Sang-ah glared at Dang Gwan. No matter how much he had changed, his unique way of speaking would never change.

The Beggar Union member bowed his head.

“I have urgent news for you, Clan Leader Dang.”

“Urgent news?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Is it from the main family?”

“No. It’s a letter from the Hunan Black Dragon Unit.”

In an instant, Dang Gwan’s eyes flashed.

“That cheeky bastard.”

The Beggar Union member took out a letter from his chest.

Whoosh.

With a gust of wind, the letter in the Beggar Union member’s hand flew and landed in Dang Gwan’s hand.

The Beggar Union member’s eyes widened. It was the first time he had seen the skill of manipulating objects through the air.

Dang Gwan unfolded the letter with a cool demeanor.

After a moment.

“He’s still cheeky even over there. Throwing work disguised as a favor from thousands of miles away?”

Although he said that, there was no sign of displeasure on Dang Gwan’s face.

Dang Sang-ah asked.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen to Senior Yeon?”

“That guy himself is a problem. The cheekiest bastard in the world.”

Dang Gwan grumbled and turned his body.

“Let’s have dinner tomorrow.”

“Ah, okay.”

“And.”

Dang Gwan, who had paused for a moment, said in a slightly serious voice.

“Yang Seon will arrive around noon tomorrow.”

“I see.”

“It’s a meeting time, so make sure you guide them well.”

“Yes!”

Dang Gwan looked at the Beggar Union member.

“Beggar.”

“Yes? Ah, yes!”

“Follow me.”

“Yes?”

“Shouldn’t we send a separate message to that side before the Western Divine Maiden departs? Hurry and follow me before I poison you.”

“Cough! Yes!”

* * *

Woo-oo-oong.

Gang Ryang opened his eyes.

‘Hmm?’

He looked down at his legs.

His legs were in a cross-legged position, and a sword was placed on his knees.

‘A sword?’

He had heard a strange resonance while meditating. And the source of that resonance was the sword.

Gang Ryang tilted his head.

He grabbed the sword.

“……”

The sword was still. No resonance was felt.

Gang Ryang smacked his lips.

“Did I hear things?”

Come to think of it, he had already skipped three meals while meditating.

Maybe it wasn’t the sword but the sound from his stomach. Thinking that, he felt extremely hungry.

Gang Ryang pulled up the Ghost King Energy [a type of internal energy].

Whoosh.

A faint black-gray aura surged from his body before disappearing again.

“There’s nothing wrong with my body. Damn it, let’s fill my stomach.”

Gang Ryang got up and left his quarters.

It was then.

“Where are you going?”

Gang Ryang turned his head.

There was Jeon Hong.

Gang Ryang, who had been quietly looking at him, turned his head again.

“Going to eat.”

Jeon Hong’s lips twitched.

“You’re shamelessly freeloading.”

“At least it’s not something I should feel sorry for you about.”

Gang Ryang walked away briskly. He didn’t seem to care about Jeon Hong at all.

Jeon Hong’s face contorted.

He spoke as if shouting, his voice filled with anger.

“You better watch your back. This is the Black Dragon Unit. The cute logic you learned from your destroyed sect doesn’t work here.”

Gang Ryang still didn’t answer.

Jeon Hong’s eyes flashed with killing intent before subsiding.

“You won’t live long, you.”

Sreuk.

Gang Ryang stopped walking.

He turned to Jeon Hong and said.

“If you lost because you lacked skill, how about using this time to grit your teeth and train to surpass me?”

“What?”

“Whether it’s the black or white path, it’s a world where you risk your life with a single sword. If you survived a life-or-death duel, you should train with the determination to bleed out so that the same result doesn’t happen again.”

Gang Ryang’s voice was very cold.

“It’s fine to fuel your anger by looking at me. It can be a driving force. But if you’re just here to whine, you should reconsider your attitude as a martial artist.”

“Shut up!”

Woo-oo-oo-oong.

Intense killing intent emanated from Jeon Hong’s body.

“How dare a descendant of a destroyed sect try to teach me?”

“That descendant of a destroyed sect is also training like crazy every day to get revenge. And you, you had one of your arms cut off by the descendant of that sect.”

“You!”

“Do you even have time for that? If not me, shouldn’t you train fiercely to survive your own senior brothers?”

Gang Ryang chuckled and turned his body.

“Don’t come looking for me anymore. It’s not like you want a constructive conversation, right? How about improving your speaking skills instead?”

In an instant, Jeon Hong’s killing intent soared to the top of his head.

“You bastard!”

Thwack!

Jeon Hong kicked off the ground.

At that moment, Gang Ryang’s body moved with an uncanny speed.

Thwack!

“Cough!”

Jeon Hong knelt down and collapsed on the spot.

“Cough! Cough!”

Jeon Hong’s face, clutching his stomach and writhing, was extremely pale.

He had been hit squarely in the abdomen with the scabbard. He couldn’t breathe, and he tasted a metallic tang in his mouth. He had suffered internal injuries in one blow.

Even in the midst of immense pain, Jeon Hong couldn’t help but be shocked.

‘How can he be so fast?!’

It was a speed that was on a different level from when they fought at the inn.

Speed wasn’t everything. The power that was carried by that speed, and the delicate control of internal energy that prevented that power from piercing his abdomen, was also incredible.

This was a completely different person. It was impossible to think that they were the same person.

Gang Ryang’s gaze, looking down at Jeon Hong writhing on the ground, was chillingly cold.

Sreureureung.

The sword was drawn with a chilling sound.

Swish.

Jeon Hong’s body flinched. He forgot the pain for a moment at the terrifying sharpness he felt at his neck.

“Is the world easy?”

“……!”

“You’ve been living comfortably thinking that as a disciple of the Fighting King Yang Cheon, I wouldn’t kill you, right?”

Woong!

The Ghost King Energy was imbued in Gang Ryang’s sword.

The already sharp edge was amplified two or three times. It felt like that sharpness alone could cut through even a steel-like mental fortitude.

“You better watch the scene of your comfortable mindset ending your life. My patience has also reached its limit.”

Thwack!

Jeon Hong’s face flushed red. It was because Gang Ryang had stepped on his neck with his foot.

Gang Ryang’s cold gaze turned indifferent.

It was the gaze of a swordsman. Swordsmen tend to become indifferent when wielding their swords.

‘This guy?!’

Jeon Hong’s eyes were filled with shock.

‘This guy, really?!’

Gang Ryang swung his sword coldly.

Clang!

The tip of his sword pierced the ground. It was less than half an inch away from Jeon Hong’s left earlobe.

Shhh.

Although he wasn’t cut by the blade, the sharpness emanating from the sword itself had cut Jeon Hong’s earlobe in half.

Gang Ryang’s indifferent gaze returned to normal.

“Were you scared?”

Gang Ryang, who had taken his foot off his neck, sheathed his sword in one swift motion.

“Actually, I am. Even so, I can’t kill you as a disciple of the Fighting King, right? Especially in the Black Dragon Unit? No way. I can’t handle the Fighting King’s power yet.”

“……?!”

“Instead, don’t do that again. Even if I don’t kill you, I know quite a few ways to cripple people. Yang, the Vice Chief, wouldn’t be able to say anything about that, right? You attacked first.”

Gang Ryang walked away again.

“There are others who would benefit from you getting hurt. If you don’t want to be eaten alive, worry about the succession instead of me. Looking at those two, they look like they’re ready to boil you alive.”

With that, Gang Ryang disappeared from Jeon Hong’s sight.

“Cough! Cough!”

Jeon Hong, who had coughed several times, stared at the place where Gang Ryang had disappeared with bloodshot eyes.

“Aaaaargh!”

Kwaaang!

The ground caved in from the fist he slammed down.

He felt like he was going crazy with anger. He was so angry that he even felt killing intent towards himself for coming here.

“Damn it! That bastard I want to chew to pieces…!”

It was then.

“I really can’t stand to watch this.”

Startled, Jeon Hong turned around.

“……Who are you?!”