Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 582

“Hmm.”

Yang Cheon placed his cup down with an indifferent expression.

“It’s stale.”

It was a wine he usually enjoyed. But today, it didn’t suit his taste at all.

Well, his taste for alcohol had been declining for a while now. He wasn’t sure exactly when it started, but recently, his taste for alcohol had been particularly poor.

And Yang Cheon knew the reason why.

Slipping.

Yang Cheon pushed the cup to the center of the table, crossed his arms, and looked out the window.

Sitting across from him, Bu Seon, who was carefully drinking, opened his mouth.

“Shall I clear the table?”

Yang Cheon shook his head.

“It’s fine. You drink more.”

“Ah, I…”

“It’s wine made with elixirs. Excessive drinking isn’t good, but one bottle is fine.”

“…Yes.”

Bu Seon filled his cup with an awkward expression.

Yang Cheon’s eyes grew hazy.

“By now, Vice-Commander Yeon and the Iron Brigade Commander must be having a hard time.”

Bu Seon, who was about to lift his cup, respectfully put his hands together.

“Master.”

“Hmm?”

“I have a question.”

Bu Seon was usually someone who didn’t easily ask questions, even if he had them.

Yang Cheon smiled and said,

“What are you so curious about?”

Bu Seon carefully opened his mouth.

“Before going to the Yin Clan, Vice-Commander Yeon’s group said they would resolve the Tang family’s issues, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Putting aside the political issues, is that amount of force enough?”

“Hmm?”

“That is…”

Bu Seon cleared his throat.

“Vice-Commander Yeon’s martial arts are truly amazing. The Iron Brigade Commander who went with him is also formidable, and Gang Ryang is also a powerful force on the verge of breaking through the wall of martial arts [a metaphor for reaching a higher level of skill]. The Martial Alliance also said that some experts would come to their aid, so it’s definitely a force that no ordinary small or medium-sized sect can match.”

Yang Cheon nodded.

“You’re saying, can that amount of force achieve what they want against the Tang family, the most dangerous family in the Central Plains, right?”

“Yes. The Sichuan Tang family, though I don’t want to admit it, is considered the most dangerous family in the Central Plains. Resolving their issues with just that amount of force…”

Bu Seon trailed off.

Yang Cheon crossed his arms.

What he had to pass on to his successor wasn’t just martial arts. He also had to teach him how to see the world and how to survive in the complex political world.

And he had to teach him well about strategy and tactics.

Well, when it came to matters involving Yeon Ho-jeong, there was no need to discuss strategy or tactics.

“First of all, there’s one thing you’re mistaken about.”

“Yes?”

“Vice-Commander Yeon isn’t going with a small group because he lacks the ability to gather forces. He’s going with a small group because it’s something that shouldn’t be done with a large force.”

Bu Seon’s eyes widened.

“Yes, there are those connected to the Three Evil Sects lurking within the Tang family. I don’t know how many there are, but if they were to be suppressed all at once, it would be better to have more forces.”

“That’s right.”

“But it’s a war without justification.”

“Yes?”

Yang Cheon poured wine into his empty cup.

“As I said, there are people connected to the Three Evil Sects within the Tang family. If even the Tang family head’s son has learned the Saheup Gong [a martial art] from outside, there’s a high probability that many people are connected to them.”

If Tang Yang-seon was a so-called genius, it would be a different story.

But he wasn’t that kind of talent. He had talent, but if you looked around, you could find many others with similar talent.

And considering Tang Yang-seon’s personality, the Three Evil Sects wouldn’t have had a reason to cling to him from the start.

“In other words, the current Tang family is in a state where it’s difficult to show the powerful side it once had as the king of Sichuan. To give an example with the imperial palace, the Tang family is currently in a situation where the imperial relatives are running the palace as they please while the emperor is absent.”

“…!!”

“In that situation, what would happen if they recklessly gathered forces and attacked?”

“Ah…”

“Many people would die. Okay, let’s package that as a meaningful death and accept it. Even so, gathering forces to attack is not an option. It’s a matter of justification.”

“A matter of justification…”

“Even we, the Black Path [a term for the unorthodox martial world], aren’t completely free from justification. Do you know why the leader of a mountain fortress shows such cruel behavior? It’s because they always have to remind themselves of their face and dignity.”

Yang Cheon emptied his cup.

The wine still tasted stale.

“The White Path [a term for the orthodox martial world] is even worse. Especially the Tang family, who were the masters of Sichuan even among the great sects of Qingcheng and Emei. If such a place is surrounded by a large force and the rebellion is suppressed, how will people think of the Tang family in the future?”

Bu Seon sighed.

“They won’t fear the Tang family anymore.”

“Money and information aren’t everything in governance. If an organization is acting as the ruler of a region, it needs a strong dignity that matches it.”

Yang Cheon smiled.

“Furthermore, the Tang family is special. The Tangs use poison and hidden weapons. They seized power in Sichuan with two weapons that the world despises. If such a family collapses even once, the people of Sichuan will no longer trust the Tangs.”

To be precise, they would question whether the Tang family could act as the bulwark of Sichuan.

The reason why the people of Sichuan fear and respect the Tang family is because they never cross the line.

That line is clear. Even if the Tangs sometimes cause trouble, when viewed broadly, the Tang family has always been at the forefront of enriching the lives of the people of Sichuan.

Moreover, even when the trouble was caused by the Tang family, they would try to resolve the issue in some way.

Kindness doubled, grudges tenfold.

Their principles were clear, and that was why people feared and trusted the Tang family.

“Of course, I know that part as well. In my opinion, the people of Sichuan probably wouldn’t care if the Tang family’s bloodline was caught up in internal strife, as long as there was no major damage.”

“You see it well. It has always been like that, and it will continue to be so.”

“The problem is whether they alone can resolve the Tang family’s conflict. The Tang family head entered the Martial Alliance alone without any forces. If someone from the bloodline seized power… the Tang family head might be dealt with before even entering the family.”

“That’s why Vice-Commander Yeon went, isn’t it?”

“Yes?”

Yang Cheon grumbled.

“I told them to leave it to them, but they went anyway.”

“…?”

“It’s dangerous, but they’ll handle it well enough with that amount of force. It’s natural to risk their lives, but they must have their own confidence.”

Bu Seon’s face became awkward.

“In the end, you’re saying that Vice-Commander Yeon’s abilities make it possible.”

“No one knows whether it’s possible or not. Even Vice-Commander Yeon, who has done well so far, can make mistakes. In the martial world, mistakes often lead to life-threatening situations.”

“Then…”

“Let me ask you something. Do you think Vice-Commander Yeon is strong?”

“Yes?”

What kind of question was that?

Bu Seon nodded with a bewildered expression.

“Yes, he is. There aren’t many as strong as Vice-Commander Yeon in the entire world.”

“Then why do you think he’s strong? Because his martial arts are strong? Is that all there is to it?”

“…?!”

“As you said, there aren’t many as strong as Vice-Commander Yeon in the entire world. There aren’t many, but there aren’t none either. If you look for them, you can find those who are even stronger than him.”

“Master, what you’re saying is…”

“Think about the things he’s done so far.”

Yang Cheon swirled his cup. It didn’t seem like a particularly meaningful action.

“After entering the martial world, he started by destroying the Nine Great Families. But how did he destroy the Great Families? Did he boldly charge in and take the family head’s head?”

“…No.”

“No, he didn’t. There was a unit from the Yeon family, but in reality, their power was nothing compared to the power of the Great Families.”

“…”

“He secretly gained the support of the Beggar Clan and the Moyong Clan. He didn’t just borrow the power of the two groups, but he conspired with them to even hold a Martial Alliance assembly.”

Bu Seon’s eyes trembled.

“And that’s not all. He became the commander of a unit called the Myeolsa Army in the Martial Alliance. He properly outmaneuvered the Moyong Clan head, who is second to none in political maneuvering. Did it end there? No. He transformed rookies with no practical experience into elite soldiers in less than a year.”

“…”

“After that, he destroyed the Hoirangdan, and brought the Western Region Divine Maiden, who is here now, to the Martial Alliance as the head of the Medical Pavilion. In the middle, he defeated the Three Evil Sects, and after reclaiming the Guangdong martial world that had fallen into the enemy’s hands, he was even dispatched to the headquarters as a representative of the Martial Alliance.”

“…”

“And recently, he even brought the Baekbyeong Divine Army. That Baekbyeong Divine Army, who is said to be a strongman of Seongcheon [a legendary realm of martial arts].”

Listening to it all listed like this, it was chilling.

Bu Seon was unable to hide his shock at the fact that one person had succeeded in all those things. When he heard about these things one by one, he didn’t feel much, but hearing them all in a row like this, he realized that Yeon Ho-jeong’s true strength wasn’t his martial arts.

Yang Cheon’s eyes narrowed.

“He is a hegemon.”

“…A hegemon.”

“Yes, a hegemon. And a complete hegemon at that.”

“…!!”

“Martial power? It’s a great advantage. He’s worthy of being called a genius who appears once in a hundred years. But when you look at the missions he’s succeeded in, martial arts were just one of many means.”

Bu Seon swallowed hard without realizing it.

“He wins battles he can win with power. He won battles he couldn’t win with power through justification. He won battles he couldn’t win with justification through cunning.”

“…”

“And in battles he couldn’t win with cunning, he won with his inherent human charm.”

Yang Cheon filled his cup.

“He is someone who shakes the world. His abilities are one thing, but his very existence is already a giant who shakes the fate of the era.”

“…”

“And there aren’t many giants who show that kind of power, even among the strongmen of Seongcheon.”

It was a terrifyingly high evaluation.

He had heard many things about him being a genius of martial arts and a master of strategy, but he never expected such a tremendous evaluation as a giant who moves the era to come from his master’s mouth.

“I don’t know how he’ll get through this Tang family situation. But what’s clear is that even if he fails, most of the Tang family members who have joined hands with the Three Evil Sects will soon disappear from the face of the earth. And there…”

Yang Cheon’s eyes flashed.

“He will also realize. What position he has risen to.”

* * *

“…Are you saying we should go like that?”

“Yes.”

“Are you out of your mind?”

“Isn’t it crazy to attack the Tang family with this force right now?”

“Of course, it is, but…”

“What’s even more ridiculous is that we don’t even know how many people in the Tang family are related to the Three Evil Sects. We’re moving as if they all are, though.”

“…”

“Then we absolutely shouldn’t take a detour. We shouldn’t handle this secretly either.”

“But isn’t this too reckless?”

“If we try to stab them in the back clumsily, we’ll be annihilated.”

“…”

“Fighting in the enemy’s battlefield is foolish. Then, the only option is to make this place our battlefield.”

Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.

“Since we can’t do it with force, let’s start by securing justification.”