Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 591

“This is truly frustrating.”

The Sixth Elder, Dang Hyo-gang, grumbled quietly.

“It’s already unbelievable that three elders were defeated, but now even the Scarlet Unit and the Tiger Star Unit have collapsed.”

From the rooftop of a building, the Green Water Tavern was clearly visible.

Below, over four hundred warriors lay in heaps.

They weren’t in gruesome states, with blood flowing or body parts torn off.

They were lying down peacefully, as if asleep. Though it was hard to be certain from a distance, their breathing seemed steady and deep, like people who were actually sleeping.

The Second Elder, Dang Hyo-bak’s eyes turned cold.

“The Dance of Mindless Sleep Wave.”

“Hmm?”

“That’s the name of the technique they were hit with. The Dance of Mindless Sleep Wave.”

Dang Hyo-gang tilted his head.

“What is that? I’ve never heard of such a martial art.”

“It’s a secret art from the Emperor’s Poison Scripture. It’s more of a poison technique than a martial art, but the fact that it requires the user to heighten their inner energy to create the environment for the poison to spread means that it also requires enlightenment, so it can be considered a martial art.”

“Emperor’s Poison Scripture? What’s that?”

“It’s a secret manual that the previous Clan Leader completed before passing the Clan Leader position to Dang Gwan. It’s a legendary martial art that is said to be the culmination of all poisons and encompasses all poison studies.”

“…Such a thing existed?”

“It’s understandable that you wouldn’t know. It’s a fact that’s not known to many, except for a select few. You were busy with external missions at the time.”

“……”

“The previous Clan Leader wanted to create an absolute martial art that encompassed both poison and hidden weapons. The first thing he completed was the Emperor’s Poison Scripture.”

“I see.”

“I’ve never even read a single word of that manual, but I can confidently say that if one were to master the Emperor’s Poison Scripture to its peak, they could contend for the title of the strongest under heaven.”

A hint of greed flickered across Dang Hyo-gang’s face.

“You’re saying he created such a powerful martial art?”

“However, as powerful as it is, the difficulty is also immense. It’s said that without a certain level of knowledge and skill, one cannot even begin to learn it. To master the Emperor’s Poison Scripture, one needs a certain level of skill and insight.”

“Hmm.”

“Perhaps the previous Clan Leader might have created a hidden weapon technique comparable to the Emperor’s Poison Scripture by now.”

Dang Hyo-gang shook his head.

“We can’t know that, and it’s not something we need to think about right now.”

“Yes, you’re right.”

“Tell me about this Dance of Mindless Sleep Wave. What kind of poison technique is it? A whole four hundred experts were knocked out without even putting up a fight. If he has countless secret techniques like that, who among us can stop Dang Gwan?”

Dang Hyo-bak’s eyes deepened.

“The Dance of Mindless Sleep Wave is a poison technique, but it’s different from other poison techniques. Even the clan’s most potent poisons don’t work on poison masters who have mastered poison to its extreme. I heard that this technique was created to subdue such opponents.”

“……?”

“It puts them to sleep.”

“Puts them to sleep…”

“Even dream-inducing drugs or sleeping pills are almost ineffective against poison masters. However, it’s not that they are completely ineffective.”

“So, the Dance of Mindless Sleep Wave is a technique that maximizes the effects of dream-inducing drugs.”

“That’s right. I don’t know the exact principle. However…”

Chiriring.

The tip of a whip with steel scales attached to it slipped out from the end of Dang Hyo-bak’s sleeve.

“I know that it’s one of the secret techniques that can’t be used again for half a day once it’s used.”

Dang Hyo-gang gave a twisted smile.

“I said it’s not the time to worry about such things, but I have to ask this. Where did you hear about such things?”

“From the previous Clan Leader.”

“Huh?”

“It was a private conversation. It was before he even created the Emperor’s Poison Scripture. I just happened to overhear him discussing such techniques with the clan’s experts.”

“I see.”

Chiring!

Steel gauntlets, forged from steel, were already on Dang Hyo-gang’s fingers. The steel gauntlets, with their sharp fingertips, were called the Blood Eagle Iron Claws, Dang Hyo-gang’s unique weapon for maximizing hand techniques and claw techniques.

“Anyway, it means that Dang Gwan can’t use that secret technique again right now.”

“That’s right.”

“Will the two of us be enough?”

Dang Hyo-bak shook his head.

“If it were a martial arts match, it would be enough. But if it’s a life-or-death battle, it won’t be enough.”

“That’s why I brought this.”

Dang Hyo-gang pulled out a cone-shaped club that was shorter than an adult man’s forearm.

Dang Hyo-bak’s eyes lit up.

“Indeed.”

“Take it.”

Dang Hyo-gang handed the object to Dang Hyo-bak and took a breath.

“I’ll charge in as soon as it explodes. If Dang Gwan isn’t dead, I’ll need you to provide rear support.”

“Don’t worry.”

“Then.”

Flap!

The two men simultaneously donned black robes.

They had sufficient resistance to poison. And with the Soul-Locking Membrane [a protective barrier against poison], they would be safe from corrosive poison techniques like Explosive Force or Bone-Melting Powder.

“Let’s go.”

Paah! Paah!

The two men unleashed their movement techniques almost simultaneously.

It was an incredible movement technique. The moment they seemed to kick off the roof, they were standing on top of the Green Water Tavern, without a single sound or sign.

It was an astonishing lightness skill, an overwhelming ability to move. Even among the elders and former masters, it was hard to find anyone as skilled in movement techniques as these two.

This was the reason why the two sons of the former Clan Leader, Dang Hyang-min, were dispatched. They were sensitive to poison and nimble in their movements, so it was believed that they could escape safely even in an emergency.

Srrr.

Dang Hyo-bak took out the cone-shaped object.

Dang Hyo-gang nodded slightly. Then, Dang Hyo-bak slowly rotated the pointed end of the cone three times.

Click!

The moment he heard a clicking sound, Dang Hyo-bak threw the object inside the window of the top floor.

Paah!

The two men soared into the sky and wrapped their bodies in the Soul-Locking Membrane.

A moment later.

Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwaang!!

With a tremendous explosion, the fifth, fourth, and third floors of the Green Water Tavern collapsed in succession.

And that wasn’t the end of it. From the exploding and scattering debris, countless feather needles were shot out in all directions.

Pa ba ba ba bak!

Even the Soul-Locking Membranes of the two men were pierced by dozens of feather needles.

It was only because they had protected themselves with precise timing, precise direction, and powerful inner energy that they were able to block them. Otherwise, the two men would have been turned into honeycombs.

This was the power of the improved Rain of Pear Blossoms Needles. It was far more powerful than the Rain of Pear Blossoms Needles known to the outside world, so the leaders called it the Mad Blood Needles.

Paah!

Dang Hyo-gang, who had escaped from the Soul-Locking Membrane and landed inside the collapsed Green Water Tavern, looked around.

“Kuaaaak!”

“Aaaak!”

“Run, run away!”

“Someone’s been buried! Help!”

It was utter chaos.

The feather needles fired from the Rain of Pear Blossoms Needles had an enormous range. Several civilians far from the Green Water Tavern were also hit by the feather needles, and they collapsed immediately after their skin turned blue.

Moreover, many people were buried under the shattered debris of the building. Dozens of warriors from the Scarlet Unit and the Tiger Star Unit, who had lost consciousness and fallen, were crushed to death without any resistance.

A terrifying power.

No expert in the world could remain unscathed after experiencing such a surprise attack.

However, Dang Hyo-gang was certain that Dang Gwan was not dead.

‘Where is he?’

All he could see were people bleeding and the debris of the collapsed building.

‘Did he hide? There’s no sign of him.’

Dang Hyo-gang, like others, acknowledged Dang Gwan’s abilities. Dang Gwan, who had been directly taught by the strongest person in the history of the Dang Clan, would not die so easily, even if he had suffered a fatal wound.

However.

“…What? Could he really be dead?”

Parararak!

Dang Hyo-bak, still covered in the Soul-Locking Membrane, landed on the rooftop of the building next to the tavern and surveyed the Green Water Tavern.

He saw his younger brother and fellow elder, Dang Hyo-gang.

‘Can’t he see him?’

He couldn’t see Dang Gwan either. He also couldn’t sense the unique presence of a poison master.

‘Did he die? That can’t be possible? Could he have been careless…’

It was then.

Ossaak!

A sense of danger that could not be explained in words made the back of his neck cold.

Paah!

Dang Hyo-bak turned his body in an instant and swung his steel-scaled whip.

Kaaang!

Dang Hyo-bak’s eyes widened as if they would tear.

A man had appeared behind him. And the whip he had swung was wrapped around the man’s forearms.

Not a single drop of blood came from the man’s forearms.

The whip body of the steel-scaled whip, the Blood Dragon Whip, was extremely sharp. It was a vicious weapon that could grind away human skin and even stone pillars.

Yet, there was not even a scratch, let alone blood?

Hwaaaak!

The man raised his arm and pulled the whip. Then, Dang Hyo-bak’s body was pulled towards the man.

‘Huk!’

It was an incredible force. His vision blurred for a moment. It felt as if all the joints in his arm holding the whip were being pulled out.

Then, the man’s two fists erupted with fire.

Peobeobeok! Kwadeuk! Kwadeuk! Kwadeuk!

He instinctively released his poison sacs, but even that was useless. The barrage of blows that pierced through the poison sacs like lightning completely crushed Dang Hyo-bak’s ribs and jawbone.

It was a terrifying power. It was not flashy, but it was strong.

‘Who…?’

Dang Hyo-bak’s vision blurred.

In front of his blurring eyes, a black fist flew towards him, rapidly enlarging.

Bbakak!

With a gruesome sound, Dang Hyo-bak’s head was crushed.

“Hmm?!”

Dang Hyo-gang was surprised and turned his head towards Dang Hyo-bak. The moment he heard a strange impact sound, his brother’s life force had completely died.

Hook!

A black Soul-Locking Membrane spread out widely.

“Second Elder?!”

Dang Hyo-bak’s figure was not visible because of the widely spread Soul-Locking Membrane.

Paah!

Dang Hyo-gang quickly approached and pulled away the Soul-Locking Membrane fluttering in the air.

“Huk! Brother!”

On the rooftop of the building, Dang Hyo-bak’s corpse, his upper body completely crushed and covered in blood, was lying there.

It was a speed that exceeded imagination. Dang Hyo-gang was also clearly a supreme expert, but even though the surroundings were chaotic, the fact that he had killed the Second Elder in the short time it took him to sense the anomaly was shocking.

Dang Hyo-gang’s face turned pale.

‘Could it be Dang Gwan?!’

At that moment, he felt a subtle presence.

It was a presence tainted with poison. Perhaps that was why the aura itself was subtly fluctuating.

Dang Hyo-gang quickly turned around and swung his Blood Eagle Claws.

Kwak!

A middle-aged man was seen grabbing the open iron claws as if clasping them together.

Dang Hyo-gang’s eyes shook.

“Wh-what? Who are you!”

“…I am.”

The man’s face was as pale as a corpse.

And it was expressionless.

“Eon Ja-bang.”

A terrifying inner energy surged into his hand that was clasping the iron claws.

Kwadeudeuk!

The iron claws were crushed as they were.

* * *

“Huk!”

Although there was chaos everywhere, the gatekeepers guarding the main gate thoroughly maintained their positions.

They were the first to regret their duty.

Step, step.

There was a dignified man walking leisurely, as if taking a stroll.

“As expected, he’s a man without respect for his elders. Even though his elders called for him, he couldn’t even come running, instead sending his underlings? Well…”

Flap!

The hem of his robe fluttered in the wind.

The dignity of an emperor was revealed through the fluttering hem.

“That’s why he brought the clan to this state with such rebellious acts.”

The man, Dang Gwan, asked with an indifferent face.

“Don’t you think so?”

“C-Clan Leader!”

“Yes, you call me Clan Leader.”

“……!!”

“But what are you doing? The owner of the house has arrived, so you should do what you have to do.”

Dang Gwan raised his chin.

“Open the gate.”