Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 57

The Justification for the Fight (2)

After running through the forest for quite some time, Amchil finally saw the edge of the woods.

‘Just past there…!’

It was then.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“Hup!”

Thwack!

Amchil, sent flying by a single blow, crashed into a tree, spitting out blood.

The impact was immense, given his running speed. Had the attacker not withdrawn his inner energy [a form of internal power cultivation] at the last moment, his heart would have burst, killing him instantly.

“You’re more capable than I thought? You seem to be just a regular member, but your level is quite high. Is this what they mean by ‘the Myeong family is indeed the Myeong family’?”

“Cough!”

Amchil, coughing roughly, asked in a trembling voice,

“Who, who are you?!”

“Me?”

Ga Deuk-sang grinned.

“I’m a street cleaner, you bastard.”

He swung his foot.

Crack!

Amchil, struck in the temple, lost consciousness immediately.

Ga Deuk-sang looked down at Amchil with cold eyes.

“What you guys are doing is quite amusing. And I’m the type to share amusing things. I hope everyone in the Central Plains [a common term for the heartland of China] gets to know about it.”

Swish.

Two beggars holding clubs appeared and lifted Amchil.

“What should we do, Huga?”

“What do you mean, what should we do? Tie him up with the others we caught.”

“But is it okay?”

“What is?”

“They’re from the Myeong family…”

“So what? Should we just endure it? After seeing what these bastards are doing, should we just say, ‘Oh, they’re strong, so we should endure it’? Is that what you’re saying?”

“…It’s not that, but…”

“Stop talking nonsense and take him away.”

“Yes, sir.”

It was clear that Huga was extremely angry. The beggars, afraid of getting caught in the crossfire, quickly took Amchil away.

Ga Deuk-sang, who had been staring at the tree for a while, sighed.

“Damn it. That fortune teller is damn good. He kept saying something about the ‘changing tides of fortune’ and other nonsense I couldn’t understand. He said I’d be running around like crazy from this spring, and he was spot on.”

He was indeed extremely angry, but he wasn’t simply acting on his emotions. If he were that simple, he wouldn’t have become Huga.

‘There’s no time. It’s no different from when we were spies. If we don’t hear from the assassination squad, the Myeong family will take their own measures.’

He wanted to blow everything up right now, asking what the hell they were doing, but he couldn’t.

The Guju Myeong family was the greatest family under the heavens. If they tried to corner them with flimsy evidence, they could face a backlash.

That would be a headache. The Beggar Clan or the Yeon family could face public criticism. The Myeong family would also become more cautious and hide even deeper.

They needed more evidence. At least enough to make it impossible for them to touch this side.

“Well, I’ll have to think about it after Young Master Yeon catches the remaining stragglers…”

It was then.

‘……!!’

Ga Deuk-sang looked towards the east.

In the dark forest, there was a chilling murderous intent flowing with the cool breeze.

It was a very familiar murderous intent. Even though he wasn’t the target, the overwhelming ferocity felt like a giant beast was sinking its teeth into his neck.

“…That bastard!”

Thud!

Ga Deuk-sang, using the Beggar Clan’s secret movement technique, ‘Ten Thousand Mile Autumn Wind,’ was filled with urgency.

“I told you to capture them, not kill them!!”

* * *

Crack! Thud!

A tree, broken from its base, fell straight down.

Even while destroying the tree, his speed didn’t decrease at all. A huge axe blade was flying towards her side.

Whoosh!

Myeong On-ji, leaping up with nimble footwork, dodged the axe.

Not only that, but immediately after dodging, Myeong On-ji kicked off a thick branch and swung her palm towards Yeon Ho-jeong’s head.

It wasn’t a killing blow. It was a palm strike intended to knock him unconscious in one hit.

At that moment, Yeon Ho-jeong’s iron axe underwent a mysterious change.

It seemed to writhe like a snake, and then the direction of the attack changed elastically. The axe blade, swinging upwards, exuded a terrifying pressure.

Urgency flickered across Myeong On-ji’s face.

The attack was timed so perfectly that she couldn’t retract her hand. The inner energy contained in that axe blade was too strong to deflect.

Thwoom!

She managed to twist her body and retract her palm strike, but the sharp axe blade instantly sliced through her forearm.

Thud!

Hot drops of blood fell to the ground.

“Kuh!”

Myeong On-ji’s face turned pale as she landed on the ground.

‘I’ve injured an artery.’

The wound was deep. Blood was gushing out. It wasn’t a bleed that could be stopped by applying pressure with her hand.

Whoosh!

Yeon Ho-jeong was relentless. He closed the distance in an instant and attacked, with an intensity that suggested he wouldn’t care if he died.

Clang!

The axe shattered a small tree into pieces.

Thud!

Myeong On-ji charged forward again.

She had intended to lure him in and subdue him, but it was no longer possible.

Yeon Ho-jeong was not an opponent she could subdue with her abilities. It wasn’t just his strength, but his stamina was too great.

Thud!

She pressed on a pressure point to forcibly stop the blood flow.

But there was a limit. If her inner energy consumption continued, the pressure point would naturally release. Then the bleeding would resume.

There was no time. She couldn’t die trying to catch him.

Thud!

A chilling explosion echoed in her spine.

‘That monster!’

Her whole body was covered in goosebumps.

A heavy weapon inevitably consumes more inner energy than a light one. By using inner energy to negate the heavy weight and only focus on destructive power, the consumption of inner energy increases rapidly over time.

And that wasn’t all. Stamina was also a problem.

No matter how well-trained an inner energy master was, there was a limit to how much they could increase their stamina. Unless they had the inner energy of the heads of the Seven Great Families or the leaders of the Nine Great Sects [powerful martial arts clans and sects], there was no way to make up for the reduced power of their martial arts due to stamina issues.

But what was that guy?

It was as if he had infinite stamina. He was using such martial arts even after defeating all the members of the assassination squad. It even seemed like the power of his axe had become stronger than before.

Clang! Crash!

It was like being struck by lightning.

Even amidst her fear, she couldn’t help but be curious. Myeong On-ji involuntarily looked back.

‘……!!’

Two or three trees were collapsing on the spot.

No, ‘shattered’ would be a more accurate description. Like a cavalryman made of steel, he was randomly smashing trees as he charged forward.

It was a storm-like charge.

‘Crazy!’

She broke out in a cold sweat, realizing she had fought such a ruthless person.

It was also the first time she hadn’t recognized her opponent’s skill upon their first encounter. She couldn’t even tell what kind of martial arts he had learned.

‘Will I get caught? If this is the case, wouldn’t it be better to just use the secret technique?!’

Fear stimulated her desire. She wanted to draw out her hidden power and defeat him right away.

‘…No. Not yet. It’s a power that shouldn’t be revealed.’

Whoosh!

Myeong On-ji increased her speed.

At that moment, Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes flashed.

‘I’ve been waiting.’

Thwack!

He smoothly sliced through a small tree and kicked it.

Clang!

It was as if gunpowder had exploded. The tree, struck by his immense leg strength, flew straight towards Myeong On-ji’s back.

“Huk!”

It wasn’t easy to change direction with such speed. Myeong On-ji turned her body and blocked the flying tree trunk.

Crack! Thud!

“Cough!”

Myeong On-ji’s body crashed through a tree and tumbled over.

“Hoo.”

Yeon Ho-jeong also stopped his movement technique.

He seemed to have infinite stamina, but he was still human. He had used the Black Demon’s enlightenment to control his inner energy and replenish his stamina, but he couldn’t do it forever.

He had caught her at just the right time. The beggars that Huga had sent were surrounding the entire forest, so they must have caught the escaped assassination squad members as well.

Yeon Ho-jeong walked towards Myeong On-ji.

If he caught Myeong On-ji, the situation would be over. It was finally over.

It was then.

Thud!

Yeon Ho-jeong’s body was pushed back.

Whoosh!

From the broken pile of wood, an immense fighting spirit surged.

Murderous intent surged in Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes.

‘…This martial art?!’

Fwoosh.

Myeong On-ji, rising from her spot, had pupils that were glowing gold.

Not only that, but powerful energy was swirling in both of her hands.

“I didn’t think I’d have to go this far, but…”

The swirling energy slowly permeated her entire body. It was a completely different aura than before.

“It can’t be helped. It’s better to kill than be caught.”

Flash!

‘Huk?!’

Myeong On-ji was horrified and looked up at the sky.

A mass of murderous intent was flying towards her.

Clang!

A beast-like blow struck her forearm.

Surprisingly, she blocked the strike by crossing her arms. The axe blade had cut two inches into her arms, but it hadn’t severed them.

It was no exaggeration to say that she was impervious to swords and blades. Myeong On-ji shouted angrily.

“You bastard!”

Yeon Ho-jeong turned his body and kicked her in the chest.

Clang!

Myeong On-ji staggered back.

It was an immense power. It was a completely different attack power than before.

Myeong On-ji couldn’t believe it.

‘What is this?!’

Not long ago, the Myeong family had obtained the martial arts of the founder.

That martial art was truly amazing. It not only solved the lifespan problem of the Myeong family’s martial arts but also increased their overall martial power.

It wasn’t the time to use it, but it seemed like she was about to be caught by him. She thought it was better to kill him than be caught, so she had unleashed the secret technique.

But he had also changed.

To be precise, his nature had changed.

Thwack! Thwack!

Yeon Ho-jeong, closing the distance in just three steps, swung his iron axe.

It was a merciless barrage. An immense murderous intent was pouring out from his axe strikes, which were faster and more intense than before.

‘Eek!’

Clang! Clang!

Myeong On-ji swung both hands to block the iron axe.

However, Yeon Ho-jeong’s attacks became more violent. They became faster and more ferocious.

Clang! Clang! Thwack!

“Huk!”

Her arms, which had been blocking the axe, gradually became tattered.

‘This can’t be!’

It was a martial art that had perfectly blocked even the Young Master Yi’s martial arts. But she couldn’t block Yeon Ho-jeong’s axe strikes.

“Uwaaaah!”

Thwack!

“Aaaah!!”

Finally, a scream burst from Myeong On-ji’s mouth. The axe blade had severed her right arm from the elbow.

Yeon Ho-jeong didn’t stop there.

‘Kill!’

He had seen the martial art used by one of the family’s scourges.

The martial art of the giant who had broken the family’s signboard and smashed the gate. The martial art of the Vajra Warrior [a figure known for immense strength and resilience] who had charged forward, blocking the Yeon family warriors’ fierce swordsmanship with his bare body.

Seeing that martial art, his mind had gone blank.

Thwack!

Yeon Ho-jeong, tripping Myeong On-ji, stood over her and raised his axe.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

“Cough! Cough!”

Myeong On-ji’s body was gradually being buried into the ground.

It was a brutal axe attack. In an instant, her entire upper body was covered in blood. Her forearms, chest, and shoulders were all covered in axe marks.

Fear flickered across Myeong On-ji’s face.

A crazy murderer was trying to kill her with an axe. It was the most extreme fear she had ever felt in her life.

“S-stop! Stop it, you bastard!”

Clang! Clang!

“Cough! Ugh!”

Clang! Clang!

“S-save me…”

“You didn’t.”

Yeon Ho-jeong raised his axe again.

His face, looking down at Myeong On-ji, looked like a monster.

“You didn’t.”

At that moment, Ga Deuk-sang came running from afar.

“Young Master Yeon! No!!”

He swung his axe down with all his might.

Clang!