Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 554

“……Is that true?”

“Yes, it is.”

Song Ha-shinni sighed.

“At least, that’s what I know.”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes deepened.

His reaction was more composed than expected. On the other hand, Hwang Seok-tae looked at Song Ha-shinni with a shocked expression.

“Ah, even so, that’s….”

The content was so shocking that even Hwang Seok-tae stuttered.

Song Ha-shinni said in a gloomy voice.

“I didn’t believe it at first either. I thought it was nonsense.”

“……”

“But thinking about it now… maybe I was just turning a blind eye because I didn’t want to believe it.”

Surprisingly, Hwang Seok-tae felt like he could understand Song Ha-shinni’s feelings.

This was a problem that went beyond the simple dichotomy of right and wrong. Anyone in that situation would be skeptical at first.

Song Ha-shinni, who had been biting her lip, said urgently.

“You must never reveal this to the outside! Several prominent figures in Sichuan are already involved in this! I don’t know much about the world, but I can imagine how terrible they would be to keep this secret…!”

“It’s alright.”

Yeon Ho-jeong raised his hand to stop Song Ha-shinni from speaking.

“You told me, your benefactor, a secret you were willing to risk your life to protect. And I’m not foolish enough to not understand the weight of your words.”

“……I’m just grateful.”

“The problem is.”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes gleamed.

“Do the heads of each faction know about this?”

Song Ha-shinni bit her lip.

“I don’t know. I don’t even know when this started. Of course, I don’t think the faction leaders know….”

It meant she couldn’t be sure.

Even with almost no experience in the martial world, Song Ha-shinni was a cautious person. Her heart was breaking, but she didn’t abandon her suspicion because of her relationships.

Yeon Ho-jeong was lost in thought for a moment.

‘If this is really true….’

The great factions of Sichuan, namely the Tang Clan, Qingcheng, and some of Emei, had stepped into a deadly swamp.

It was a truly shocking situation. However, Yeon Ho-jeong found it hard to believe that their faction leaders knew about this.

‘First of all, the Tang Clan leader wouldn’t know.’

It wasn’t because he had become friendly with Tang Gwan.

The Sichuan Tang Clan boasted a ruthlessness that was on a different level from other factions. The Yeon family was also strict with their family laws, but the Tang Clan was a family that sometimes showed cruelty beyond strictness.

In other words, to become the head of the Tang Clan, one needed not only an iron will to withstand that ruthlessness and cruelty but also absolute power.

No wonder Tang Gwan called himself the emperor of Sichuan. The fact that he called himself an emperor despite the presence of Qingcheng and Emei, which had similar power, was because he had that much confidence.

If Tang Gwan knew about this, he wouldn’t have come out until he had completely reorganized the family.

Also, if he was also one of those who were charmed by the ‘swamp’ that Song Ha-shinni mentioned, the Martial Alliance would have already been in trouble.

In the same vein, it was highly likely that Bok Ho, the head of the Emei faction, was also unaware of this.

Then what about Qingcheng?

‘Pung Byeok-ja.’

Pung Byeok-ja was a spy sent by the Three Teachings [a mysterious and powerful organization].

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes turned cold.

‘Pung Byeok-ja is dead, but if this is true, that bastard must have been involved from the beginning.’

Yeon Ho-jeong, who was thinking about Pung Byeok-ja, shook his head.

“Whatever it is, it’s all just speculation for now. It’s best not to be certain until we find out properly.”

“Yes?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Yeon Ho-jeong got up from his seat.

“Leave this matter to us.”

Song Ha-shinni said in surprise.

“Didn’t you say you would keep it a secret?”

“Don’t worry about the secret being leaked. I won’t tell those who I think are the enemy.”

“……?!”

“If it’s just something you want to hide, then so be it, but if it’s something you want to solve, you have to find a way.”

“That’s true, but….”

Confusion filled Song Ha-shinni’s face.

“I don’t know how to solve this… and everyone around me is….”

“This isn’t just your problem. It’s all of our problem.”

“……!”

“Don’t worry and trust me. After all, we came here to clear the clouds hanging over Sichuan.”

Yeon Ho-jeong said to Hwang Seok-tae.

“Please stand guard for a moment.”

“Are you thinking of going there?”

“I think it’s okay to go, but I think it’s time to prioritize caution over recklessness.”

“I think so too.”

Yeon Ho-jeong handed the iron cage to Hwang Seok-tae.

“I’ll go and clean up the surroundings first. When it’s roughly done, bring Shinni to my room.”

Hwang Seok-tae nodded.

“Go without worry.”

“I will.”

Song Ha-shinni asked urgently.

“Clean up the surroundings? What do you mean by that?”

“I realized while following you. Some people are watching you. Of course, it was only for a moment, but I roughly counted about six or seven of them.”

“……?!”

“Take off your outer robe.”

“Yes?”

“I’m saying, give me your outer robe and bamboo hat.”

Song Ha-shinni, as if possessed, took off her outer robe and bamboo hat and handed them to Yeon Ho-jeong.

Yeon Ho-jeong put on Song Ha-shinni’s outer robe and wore the bamboo hat.

There was a difference in height and build, but Yeon Ho-jeong was not a large man to begin with. Although he had a body with muscles compressed to the limit, his frame itself was rather slender.

Yeon Ho-jeong took out an axe and cut his hair.

Swish!

Hair fell to the ground. His hair, which had reached his lower back, had become short in no time.

Song Ha-shinni’s eyes trembled with bewilderment.

“W-Why the hair…?”

Yeon Ho-jeong silently wore the bamboo hat. It was so big and thick that it completely covered his short hair.

Not only that, but he also entrusted the Black Dragon Unit and the White Dragon Unit [elite fighting forces] to Hwang Seok-tae.

“I’ll be back.”

Swoosh.

With those words, Yeon Ho-jeong disappeared from sight.

“W-What is this…?”

She had no idea what was going on. Song Ha-shinni stared blankly at the distance.

At that moment, Hwang Seok-tae said.

“Don’t worry about that man and focus on healing your internal injuries with your inner energy.”

“But… this is too dangerous.”

“No matter how dangerous this is, is it as dangerous as infiltrating the Black Dragon Unit as a spy?”

“……”

“That man is someone who has done that. Especially since he’s an expert in this kind of intrigue, there’s no need to worry at all.”

Song Ha-shinni’s mouth dropped open.

Hwang Seok-tae chuckled without realizing it.

“Even so, to leave his axe behind, he has a lot of confidence.”

* * *

The streets were still bustling.

It was far from midnight, but even if it passed midnight, this vitality didn’t seem like it would disappear.

Rows of taverns and inns lined the left and right. There was also a red-light district beyond the alley, as well as shops selling simple snacks, and places selling leather shoes at the fabric stores.

It was a lively street.

‘Really….’

Yeon Ho-jeong, walking down the street with his bamboo hat pressed down, felt very complicated.

‘It’s beyond imagination. If what Song Ha-shinni said is true….’

Yeon Ho-jeong knew well how terrible things a person could do to lead a war to a perfect victory.

Some say. That one shouldn’t do such inhumane and immoral things. That there is a line even in war.

That’s nonsense.

People who haven’t experienced war always talk about the minimum.

But when war becomes a reality and falls before their eyes, no one talks about the minimum. The word ‘minimum’ that they were shouting is immediately replaced by the word ‘somehow’.

For life, for their land.

Furthermore, for the future.

The reasons are different. The important thing is that the stronger the desire in each reason, the more terrible things humans can do beyond imagination.

The Three Teachings of the past were like that, the Martial Alliance was like that, and the Black Emperor Castle was also like that. There was no distinction between black and white, or right and wrong, when it came to dealing with the enemy mercilessly.

However.

‘I didn’t know they would go this far.’

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes twitched slightly.

He didn’t expect anything from the Three Teachings. He thought of them as invaders who would attack and kill before being attacked.

Moreover, he had suffered from their cruelty for years. That’s why he didn’t feel guilty when he killed members of the Three Teachings.

However, at least in his previous life, they didn’t do such sticky and vicious things. At least, as far as Yeon Ho-jeong knew.

‘In a way, it’s a really effective method.’

War tactics produce terrible and effective results the more they lack morality.

Now, the Three Teachings were attacking Sichuan with deeper, more vicious, and more deadly schemes than before.

‘Damn it, we’ve been attacked in reverse.’

Yeon Ho-jeong realized how they were able to use such tactics, and how these tactics were able to capture the leaders of the powerful factions so quickly.

‘We tried to hide the existence of the Three Teachings as much as possible. Because if their existence was known to the world, it could cause great chaos. We thought that when we revealed them to the world, it would be when the majority of the martial world was ready to unite.’

He still thought so. It was a difficult task, but even if everyone’s minds were united, it was difficult to stop the enemy.

But, they had slipped into this gap.

‘Corrupting the leaders of the powerful factions… amazing. If the entire Central Plains knew about the existence of the Three Teachings, they would never have used this method. It would severely damage their morality. It’s a method that would cause big problems in the occupation after victory.’

It was then.

Yeon Ho-jeong didn’t miss the sinister gaze that was directed at him.

Swoosh.

Yeon Ho-jeong, who had been buried in the crowd, had moved behind a merchant selling leather shoes.

Crack!

Yeon Ho-jeong, who had broken his neck in an instant, shoved his corpse under the table.

The streets were still bustling. No one realized that the merchant had died.

Yeon Ho-jeong dusted off his hands.

He was a man who had mastered inner energy [internal energy cultivation] and also assassination techniques.

He naturally blended into the crowd.

‘But we haven’t revealed the existence of the Three Teachings yet. There are more people who know about their existence than before, but the majority still don’t know. That’s why they were able to find a gap.’

Yeon Ho-jeong sighed.

Swoosh.

He blended into the crowd again, and then appeared on the roof of a tall tavern building.

On the roof, a masked man was looking down at the street. Judging by the way he was turning his head, he seemed to be looking for Yeon Ho-jeong, who was dressed as Song Ha-shinni.

Yeon Ho-jeong’s hand grabbed the masked man’s neck.

Crack!

The masked man collapsed with his tongue sticking out.

Whoosh!

Yeon Ho-jeong, who had come down to the street in an instant, was buried in the crowd again.

‘Later, even if we announce that the Three Teachings did such a thing, the depth of the truth will be different. It might be possible if they are instigated, but when looking at the big picture of the war, it’s not as important. When that time comes, everyone will draw their swords and fight.’

Yeon Ho-jeong smiled bitterly.

‘It’s amazing. I don’t know whose plan it was, but they really got one over on us.’

Swoosh.

Yeon Ho-jeong stopped walking.

‘Tang Clan Leader.’

Tang Gwan came to mind.

In the past, during the Black Emperor era, he was the one who had stabbed him with a hidden weapon.

And now, in this era, the giant of Sichuan who had changed into such a human-like person.

‘I hope he doesn’t collapse.’

It was then.

“You’re not Song Ha.”

Yeon Ho-jeong looked straight ahead.

At a crossroads where people were passing by, a middle-aged woman was glaring at Yeon Ho-jeong.

“Who are you?”

Yeon Ho-jeong smiled bitterly.

“I’m a hollow-headed woodcutter, you bastards.”