Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 559

Crack! Crackle! The sound of the bonfire crackling had a strange charm. Tang Gwan personally poked at the fire. As the embers flared, the bonfire seemed to grumble. Tang Yang-seon spoke with an awkward expression. “Father, I can do that.” “It’s fine.” “…Yes.” Tang Yang-seon cleared his throat and sat upright. Since leaving the Murim Alliance [a martial arts alliance] and coming here, he had barely spoken to his father. In a way, it was only natural. From the start, his father wasn’t a man of many words. Even within the family, his father rarely spoke more than three or four words a day unless it was about martial arts or business. He was incredibly surprised to see his father having such friendly conversations with his older sister. ‘Older sister.’ Tang Yang-seon’s eyes deepened. ‘That damned woman.’ He disliked Tang Sang-ah. No, he hated her beyond just disliking her. ‘If she’s of marriageable age, she should find a decent man, settle down, and live her life.’ Within the Tang family, Tang Sang-ah’s status was much higher than he thought. It wasn’t just her martial arts; her personality was particularly outstanding. Despite being a direct descendant of the family head, she was kind to those from the collateral branches and didn’t ignore their difficulties. Her talent was also exceptional. If his father hadn’t intervened to stop Tang Sang-ah’s training, she would have broken through the wall of the Martial Grandmaster realm [a high level of martial arts mastery] years ago. Tang Yang-seon refused to acknowledge that fact. He believed it was a woman’s limitation. Even if his father hadn’t intervened, Tang Sang-ah would never have been able to overcome the wall of the Martial Grandmaster realm, he thought. But deep down, Tang Yang-seon knew that wasn’t true. Even his grandfather had been amazed by Tang Sang-ah’s talent. He had praised her, saying that if she trained properly, she would surpass his own level in the future. That was a fact proven by the supreme master of the Heavenly Saint, who was considered the strongest in the world. No matter how sharp Tang Yang-seon’s insight was, how could it compare to that of the Dark King, Tang Hyeong? Tang Yang-seon simply didn’t want to admit it. That Tang Sang-ah’s talent was far superior to his own. He hated hearing people say that if she had been born a man, she would have been chosen as the young family head long ago. ‘Whatever the reason, you won’t be able to set foot in the main family.’ The corners of Tang Yang-seon’s lips curled up slightly. ‘A woman cannot become the head of the Tang family. I am the next head of the Tang family. When I become the head, I will change all the irrational and useless family rules of the main family.’ Irrational and useless family rules. It couldn’t be seen as a judgment for the public good. It was solely to create a kingdom for Tang Yang-seon himself. And Tang Yang-seon didn’t acknowledge that fact either. He believed it was the way to revive the hundreds of years of Tang family history, the foundation of the Tang family. At that moment, Tang Gwan spoke. “Yang-seon.” “Yes? Ah, yes.” “Consistent effort alone does not lead to growth.” “……?” What was he suddenly talking about? Tang Yang-seon looked at Tang Gwan with a puzzled expression. Tang Gwan, still poking at the bonfire, spoke in a blunt tone. “You must know what you lack. It’s not just about martial arts.” “……?” “Excessive self-confidence, despair over unchangeable realities, lack of talent, lack of experience, and even the ignorance of blindly believing in false facts.” “……” “The list could go on forever. Even if you know your own shortcomings, you can’t change everything at once. And even if you do change, it’s not certain that you’ll grow more because of it.” Crack! A flame flared up. The flame obscured Tang Yang-seon’s view of Tang Gwan. “Nevertheless, it is very important to clearly see your own problems. Effort without change has its limits, but there is no limit to the growth of those who constantly strive to change.” Swish. The flames split and surged in all directions. Tang Gwan’s face, revealed within them, seemed somewhat tired. “You must constantly look within yourself. What do I lack, what am I seeing wrong, is the position I’m in really suitable for me, and so on.” “……” “If you don’t develop the habit of doubting yourself, you’ll find yourself going astray at some point. And when you discover it, it will already be difficult to fix.” Tang Yang-seon silently stared at Tang Gwan. Tang Gwan, who had been looking at the bonfire, turned his gaze to Tang Yang-seon. “Your father taught you wrong.” “Yes?” “To be precise, I think I taught you backward.” “What… do you mean?” “You probably think the main family is the best in Sichuan [a province in China]. You are aware that the main family’s influence is shaking not only Sichuan but the entire world.” “Of course.” “That’s not how it should be.” “……?!” “You shouldn’t think of it as the truth. You shouldn’t think of it as a given.” “I… I don’t understand what you’re saying, Father…” “Why is the main family the best in Sichuan?” “……?” “It’s not the best in Sichuan because it’s called the best in Sichuan. There must be a clear reason why the main family is called the best in Sichuan. Have you ever thought deeply about that?” Tang Yang-seon was flustered. “The main family… is a prestigious family with hundreds of years of history. The main family’s power and reputation have reached the world. No force in the world dares to defy the main family.” “That’s wrong. There are many people who look down on the main family, and many who think the main family is nothing special.” “……?!” “But that’s not important right now. I asked you why the main family is the best in Sichuan, but you haven’t given a valid reason. You’re just saying it’s because it’s called that, because people fear us, because of our history.” “Ah, Father.” “That’s exactly what I mean by saying you were taught backward.” Tang Gwan’s eyes deepened. In that moment, Tang Yang-seon felt a chill run down his spine. The light of the bonfire made his father’s eyes gleam beautifully. Within them was anger, sadness, and pity. “It’s not easy to become the best in one field. But the main family is a family that has seen the end of two fields.” “……” “We couldn’t become the best with swords, spears, or fist techniques. So we turned to hidden weapons and poison.” “……Father?” “The orthodox Murim despised hidden weapons and poison as cowardly, but our ancestors ignored their gazes and coldness. They believed that if they ever became the best, if they reached the pinnacle of both fields, then the world’s view of us would change.” Whoosh. The wind blew. The bonfire danced with the wind. “And we became the originators of poison and hidden weapons. As we handled poison, our medical skills naturally developed, and as we manufactured hidden weapons, our ironworking naturally developed.” “……” “When everyone was stuck in the same place, trapped by common sense and the eyes of others, we challenged other fields with change and innovation as our core, and we flew the flag of victory.” “……” “Do you understand? The reason the main family is famous as the best in Sichuan is not because we are strong, not because we have a lot of money, not because our influence is great.” Tang Gwan raised his index finger and pointed to the sky. “Under this sky of Sichuan, there was no family that was more despised and oppressed than the main family. We overcame that history of humiliation and finally reached the pinnacle, so it is no exaggeration to say that the will of a family passed down through generations changed the perception of the world.” Tang Yang-seon felt goosebumps all over his body. His father’s words, the pride he felt in those words, the content of those words, thrilled him. “That’s why the main family is the best in Sichuan. That’s why the people of the main family can be proud. That’s why we must not be defeated, and that’s why we must cherish our blood relatives.” “……!” “If there is someone who makes a member of the main family shed tears, we must make that person shed tears of blood. If there is someone who kills a member of the main family, we must avenge them by uprooting not only that person but also their roots. That was our way of survival, and that is the pride of the main family.” “……” “What about you?” “Yes?” Was it his imagination? Or was it because of the light of the bonfire? Tang Yang-seon felt that his father’s eyes had become colder than before. “Do you deeply understand the pride of the main family, the greatness of the main family?” “O-Of course!” “Are you sure?” “Yes! I believe without a doubt that the main family is the best in the world. I am confident that one day all the martial artists in the world will kneel at our feet!” “Is that so?” “Yes, it is.” Tang Gwan slightly raised his chin. “I have clearly shown you that the main family’s martial arts can discuss the world.” “Yes!” “The main family’s martial arts are the crystallization of the souls of our blood relatives, filled with their efforts and sacrifices. If you are a member of the Tang family, you should respect the main family’s martial arts and strive to see their end.” “I also think so…” “But what is that wicked martial art of yours?” “Yes?” Whoooom. Tang Gwan’s pupils turned deep green. “I asked what is that greedy martial art that is filling your belly, that is still bubbling even now.” In an instant, Tang Yang-seon’s face turned pale. Tang Gwan covered the bonfire with his hand. Whoosh! The bonfire, which had been burning fiercely, went out in an instant. The world darkened. The wind grew cold. “I understand.” If voices had color, Tang Gwan’s voice would be the color of ink. “Yes, that can also be freedom. Whether you are the son of the family head or a child of a collateral branch, there is no difference in the depth of your worries. It’s just that the direction of your worries is different. If you had said that you wanted to learn a different martial art than the main family’s, I would have been sad and angry, but I would have considered other methods.” “Ah, Father! That is… !” “Since I, your parent, taught you wrong, how can I blame only my child for that sin? It is the parents’ job to catch their children when they go astray. In that regard, I have been negligent towards my child.” Swish. Tang Gwan rose from his seat. It was as if someone darker than the darkness had risen. “If you had truly wanted it, I would have surely allowed it.” “Father! P-Please, hear me out… !” “Choice is also giving up. To realize your will, you must give up your position. If you wanted that other martial art that much, I would have respected you. However…” Flash! A deep green light burst from Tang Gwan’s body. The darkened world became bright again. But that brightness was different from the brightness of the bonfire. A light darker than darkness. Even though it was brightly illuminating the surroundings, it was the radiance of a dark sky that seemed to sink into endless darkness. “I’m just sorry.” “……!!” “I taught you wrong. But no matter how wrong I taught you, it is clearly your fault for laying your hands on such a messy and wicked martial art.” In an instant, Tang Yang-seon turned and ran away without realizing it. Whoosh! Tang Yang-seon quickly moved away from Tang Gwan. It was instinct. Under the terrifying aura that Tang Gwan was emitting, Tang Yang-seon could do nothing but run away. However. Whoosh! Tang Yang-seon’s body suddenly stopped. Boom! With an explosion, his body flew backward. A tremendous pulling force had surged from Tang Gwan’s hand. Thud! “Kuh!” Tang Gwan grabbed Tang Yang-seon by the collar. Tang Yang-seon’s face turned white. “Father!” “Yes, I am your father.” Flash! Tang Gwan’s face, with his pupils and even the whites of his eyes turned deep green, was no different from a demon. “Forgive your father for finally acting like a parent.”