Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 569

“Brother… Huh?”

Gang Ryang, having opened the door and stepped inside, scratched his head.

Yeon Ho-Jeong was sitting cross-legged on the floor. A faint haze rising from the top of his head indicated he was deeply focused on cultivating his inner energy.

“Tch, you could have made a sound or something.”

Gang Ryang turned to leave.

Just then, Yeon Ho-Jeong spoke, his mouth barely moving.

“Just wait a little longer.”

“Yes? Ah, okay.”

Gang Ryang closed the door, crossed his arms, leaned against the wall, and fixed his gaze on Yeon Ho-Jeong.

Gang Ryang’s eyes narrowed, a thoughtful expression settling on his face.

‘He noticed?’

Not long ago, Yeon Ho-Jeong had mentioned that his senses had changed, that he couldn’t perceive his surroundings as clearly as before.

At first, it seemed like a physical issue. But Yeon Ho-Jeong had insisted it wasn’t.

It was a change in his martial arts.

Whether it was a regression or an advancement, it meant Yeon Ho-Jeong’s martial arts were undergoing another transformation.

‘That’s something.’

A complex smile, tinged with bitterness, envy, determination, and pride, appeared on Gang Ryang’s face as he watched Yeon Ho-Jeong.

‘He’s really a tough one.’

Gang Ryang also strived to stay true to the path of martial arts every day, every moment.

It wasn’t just about training. It was about mindset, a way of life.

Even so, there were times when his words and actions strayed from the path. At such moments, he consciously pulled himself back.

Whether eating, drinking, or resting, he tried to naturally integrate his body into the principles of martial arts.

If that integration happened unconsciously and naturally, then every day would be extraordinary. Gang Ryang was certain of it.

The reason for his certainty was clear.

The person in front of him was consistently maintaining the state that Gang Ryang aspired to.

‘It’s not just the integration of life and martial arts. That alone can’t explain my brother’s change.’

Gang Ryang’s gaze intensified.

‘What kind of world does my brother see? With what kind of heart is he living in the world? What efforts is he making to constantly improve?’

He didn’t know. It was impossible to know.

Yeon Ho-Jeong trained like others, lived like others. Sometimes, he even seemed more relaxed than others.

But the change in him was undeniable. He improved every moment, and even when faced with setbacks, he managed to rise again, using them as stepping stones for further growth.

‘Maybe.’

Gang Ryang swallowed unconsciously.

‘He might have already reached a level where physical training is meaningless.’

It was often said that for a master, a sudden enlightenment was more important than tedious physical training.

That was a misconception.

Enlightenment was indeed important, but constant training was necessary to achieve that enlightenment.

The body was a vessel, and enlightenment was the content. Even if one was blessed with enlightenment, if the body wasn’t properly trained to receive it, it would be in vain.

That was why the harmony of mind and body was crucial. Without effort, enlightenment would not come.

In other words, Gang Ryang believed that Yeon Ho-Jeong’s body was now in a state where it could accept any enlightenment.

‘The reason his senses are different could be because of that. My brother, who used to perceive the flow of his surroundings even while focusing intensely on one thing, might have had his senses blurred when the harmony of his mind and body was disrupted.’

If that were true?

‘My brother, who is now regaining his senses…’

Gang Ryang’s crossed arms tightened.

‘Does that mean he is unknowingly, little by little, gaining fragments of enlightenment?’

At that moment, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes snapped open.

“Hoo.”

Gang Ryang unfolded his arms.

“How is your body?”

“Almost back to normal.”

The efficacy of the Hwabaekdan [a powerful healing elixir] given by Dang Gwan was truly remarkable.

It guaranteed faster and more stable recovery than any other internal injury medicine he had ever taken. As Dang Gwan had said, the deeper the internal injury, the less effective it would be, but if one took the Hwabaekdan after treating a certain level of internal injury, the healing speed was astonishingly fast.

“Amazing.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong, having released his cross-legged position and stood up, clicked his tongue.

“I’ve never seen an internal injury medicine with such potency. No wonder it’s the Sichuan Dang family.”

Gang Ryang chuckled.

“Aren’t they always fiddling with medicinal and poisonous herbs? They may not know about elixirs, but when it comes to recovery medicine, no other sect can match them.”

“That’s true.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong rotated his shoulders.

His words about being almost recovered were not empty. Just by observing his shoulder movements, one could tell he was back to his usual self.

“What about Song Ha-Shinni and Deung Hwa?”

“They are in the room on the third floor.”

“How is Song Ha-Shinni’s condition?”

Gang Ryang clicked his tongue.

“Not good.”

He had said that even Myeong Jin-Satae of the Emei Sect had been captured.

Upon hearing those words, Song Ha-Shinni had looked as if her heart had almost collapsed. In reality, she must have been greatly shocked.

Yeon Ho-Jeong nodded.

“Wasn’t today the last day? That the Dang family head rented this inn?”

“That’s right.”

“Then tell everyone to gather on the second floor.”

Two hours later.

Everyone in the group gathered at the table in the center of the second floor.

The atmosphere was heavy. This was because Yeon Ho-Jeong’s expression, who had called them together, was serious.

“It’s time to talk about business.”

The eyes of Dang Gwan, Pae Yul, Hwang Seok-Tae, and Gang Ryang flashed simultaneously.

Song Ha-Shinni, sitting on one side, also straightened her back, as if trying to muster all her strength. Her face looked much worse than it had a few days ago, as if she had suffered extreme mental anguish.

Yeon Ho-Jeong began to speak.

“There is a place called Nakwonso [literally ‘Paradise Place’, a euphemism for a place of vice and exploitation] in Sichuan. And the people who created that Nakwonso are those who belong to the Sichuan Three Gangs [three powerful martial arts sects in Sichuan].”

Dang Gwan’s eyes narrowed, and Song Ha-Shinni’s complexion turned pale.

Yeon Ho-Jeong sighed.

“Honestly, I don’t know where to start. From what I’ve heard, it seems to be spread all over Sichuan, and even if we uproot it, I don’t know how long it will take to eliminate the remnants.”

“Wait a minute.”

Gang Ryang raised his hand.

“I’ve heard the word Nakwonso, and I’ve fought fiercely with those people.”

“Hmm.”

“But I still don’t know what Nakwonso is. I think we need to know that first.”

Gang Ryang looked at Dang Gwan.

“It seems like the Dang family head doesn’t know either.”

Dang Gwan looked at Yeon Ho-Jeong without answering.

Yeon Ho-Jeong nodded.

“Song Ha-Shinni.”

“Yes, yes?”

“Please explain. Honestly, without exaggeration.”

Song Ha-Shinni swallowed.

“Ah, I understand.”

She had devoted her life to mountain training. The things that happened inside Nakwonso were chilling even now.

And she was angry. As a practitioner, she should have controlled her emotions, but it was not easy.

“Nakwonso is…”

Song Ha-Shinni’s explanation began.

She was different from Yeon Ho-Jeong. She lacked the ability to speak only the main points, there were unnecessarily long parts, and there was a lot of content that was somewhat biased towards emotions.

But everyone who heard her words was horrified.

“That’s…”

Disbelief appeared on Gang Ryang’s face.

“Is that really true?”

“…Yes, it is.”

“Ah, but still, they are practitioners? Qingcheng and Emei are sacred places that are admired by Taoist and Buddhist practitioners, aren’t they? For practitioners from such places to create such a ruthless group…?!”

Yeon Ho-Jeong opened his mouth.

“A person becoming a demon is not a matter of age, gender, or status.”

“But!”

“Rather, such people are more likely to emerge from a group of practitioners who adhere to a clean, sometimes suppressed, and sometimes frustrating life.”

Gang Ryang was dumbfounded.

It wasn’t just Gang Ryang. There was even a murderous aura in Pae Yul’s eyes.

However, his voice was not as agitated as Gang Ryang’s.

It was calm and composed.

“It’s been at least ten years.”

“That’s right.”

“It takes a long time to raise that many masters. It’s been at least ten years, but it’s likely to have been longer.”

“I think so too.”

“The problem is.”

Pae Yul frowned.

“How on earth did they create such an organization?”

Confusion settled on Song Ha-Shinni’s face.

“What do you mean?”

“Shinni, an organization or group cannot be created just by gathering people.”

“Yes?”

“It means money is needed.”

“…?!”

“They have enough money to set up Nakwonso all over Sichuan. If the terrible things are being done in Nakwonso as Song Ha-Shinni said, then just securing that many people would cost an unimaginable amount in labor costs.”

“Ah!”

She, who had only focused on training in the mountain temple, was particularly weak in this area.

The Emei Sect also followed Buddhism, but of course, they were also making money. This was because it was difficult to properly operate a sect without making money.

“Besides, they have been teaching the martial arts of each sect to others for over ten years. Unless all those who were taught were geniuses, they would have needed all sorts of elixirs and training grounds to raise that many soldiers.”

“Y-yes, that’s right.”

“On top of that, they even raised assassins. I heard they weren’t assassination specialists, but that’s even more amazing. Espionage and information control are impossible without knowledge in that area, and training personnel in that field is much more difficult than raising masters.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong nodded.

“That’s right.”

“Where on earth did they get all that money? Even if they embezzled the sect’s public funds, it’s absurd considering their organizational power. There’s no way each sect wouldn’t know about that much money going missing.”

“That’s also correct. However, there is one thing to correct.”

Everyone looked at Yeon Ho-Jeong.

Yeon Ho-Jeong placed his axe on the table.

“I am a fairly famous person.”

Gang Ryang clicked his tongue.

“It’s not… bragging, is it?”

“Shut up, you.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong scratched his head.

“Of course, the stories about me have been somewhat exaggerated. However, the most unique thing about my rumors is that I use a cavalry called the Gwangryongbu [a legendary cavalry unit], and that axe is bigger and heavier than a person’s height. Anyone would know it’s me.”

“That’s right.”

“But they didn’t know.”

“…Huh?”

“They didn’t seem to know about me. Was it because I wasn’t holding the Gwangryongbu? Even if it wasn’t the Gwangryongbu, there aren’t many masters of this age who wield an axe.”

“There aren’t many, it’s just you, brother. If you consider the level of martial arts.”

“Right. But still, they didn’t seem to know me.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes gleamed.

“The main figures might not know. They might be so immersed in lust and martial arts training that they don’t know what’s going on in the world. Not everyone will be like that, but I think most of them will be.”

When people become deeply immersed in one field, they lose sight of their surroundings.

Even if they heard it, they forget it, and even if they saw it, they don’t remember it. It doesn’t matter whether they are masters or ordinary people.

“But isn’t it a bit strange that the guys who were raised for espionage and information control don’t know me?”

“…That’s true?”

“It’s strange. At first, I thought they were pretending not to know, but that wasn’t it either. They really didn’t know anything about me.”

“Then…”

“That’s why I think it’s a good thing.”

“Yes?”

“It’s a good thing. It means that their information power is limited to Sichuan.”

“…!!”

The eyes of those present flashed.

Yeon Ho-Jeong said.

“If they knew the details of our situation, it wouldn’t make sense. If that were really the case…”

Dang Gwan frowned.

“The Beggars’ Sect [a powerful information network].”

“Exactly. We would have to assume that even the Beggars’ Sect has joined hands with them.”

“…”

“That’s why it’s a good thing. We can assume that the Beggars’ Sect is not in cahoots with them. At least the main branches, not the smaller ones.”

Hwang Seok-Tae said as if throwing a stone.

“The board is getting huge.”

“It hasn’t gotten huge. The Beggars’ Sect is out of it for now. That’s why it makes sense. The reason why they didn’t recognize me.”

“Hmm.”

“They are afraid of the Beggars’ Sect. So they were thoroughly controlling information within Sichuan. They don’t have the power, the leeway, or the time to build up more information power than that.”

“Then…?”

“Their world is limited to Sichuan. Outside of that is no longer their world. For them, Sichuan is the whole world. That’s why…”

Yeon Ho-Jeong stroked his chin.

“The strategy becomes easier.”