Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 628

Chiiiik!

While patrolling the forest’s edge, keeping watch, Pae-yul suddenly noticed wisps of white smoke rising from his shoulder.

‘Damn it.’

Woo woong!

He circulated his inner energy, completely covering and suppressing the poison remaining on his skin’s surface.

Thanks to the medicine Tang Gwan had given him, he had been temporarily immune to most poisons, but after the medicine’s effects wore off, the accumulated poison was making him feel nauseous.

It was a stroke of luck that he hadn’t lost his life. If his martial arts, honed through past enlightenment and countless battles, hadn’t done their job, he would have died of poisoning long ago.

‘Even so, it’s truly vicious.’

With ordinary poison, he could have neutralized it instantly with his inner energy. Most of the martial arts of the Nine Great Sects [a group of powerful martial arts schools] were of such a high caliber.

Not to mention Pae-yul’s divine skills as an elder of Jeomchang [a martial arts sect]. Yet, the fact that he was suppressing it meant that he couldn’t get rid of this poison without fundamental treatment.

‘Vicious bastards. They’re such a pain.’

Pae-yul didn’t desire battles where they shot poison and hidden weapons instead of the chilling clash of steel on steel.

Yeon Ho-Jeong must have known this, which was why he sent him to this place. That guy was definitely skilled at analyzing people.

‘Either way, I can’t fight with this body right now.’

Woo woong! Woo woong!

The inner energy that had risen once quickly circulated throughout his body.

Every part of his body ached. It wasn’t just the poison; he had also suffered considerable external injuries. The damned hidden weapons of the Tang family didn’t just pierce through; they tore through flesh and muscles, causing excruciating pain.

Pae-yul used his inner energy to gently push out one of the hidden weapons that had embedded itself in his shoulder muscle and pulled it out with his hand.

Pshhh!

Blood gushed out, emitting a rather toxic smell.

With practiced hands, Pae-yul stopped the bleeding and waved his hand, releasing his inner energy.

Saaak.

The toxic smell slowly disappeared in the light breeze.

Pae-yul shuddered.

‘I will never fight the Tang family bastards again.’

Well, if this operation succeeds, he won’t have to fight the Tang family again.

If it fails, then they would have to wage war.

Muttering inwardly, Pae-yul scouted the surroundings.

How much time had passed?

‘……!’

His face hardened.

Srrr.

He took out a single spear, cleaned with a clean cloth, and put strength into his toes.

Sararak.

Even though he was poisoned and had internal and external injuries, his footwork was still fast and agile. Moreover, it was so silent that even a highly skilled expert with good eyes would have difficulty grasping his movements.

A moment later.

“It’s definitely strange.”

Pae-yul’s eyes gleamed.

Beyond the well-maintained forest path, a group of people was approaching, chatting.

“The air emanating from the Tang family from afar… this is the air of the battlefield. It’s full of killing intent.”

“Indeed.”

“The information was true. I wish it wasn’t.”

“This situation has become urgent. Has there been any separate contact from their side?”

“No, not yet.”

“Now that the Murim Alliance [a coalition of martial arts sects] knows this, it’s only a matter of time before the entire Sichuan [a province in China] becomes a sea of blood.”

“Or.”

“Hmm?”

“They might not be able to attack Sichuan recklessly.”

“What do you mean by that?”

‘Indeed, what does that mean?’

Pae-yul pricked up his ears without realizing it.

There were over two hundred people, and each one was a formidable force, but the meaning of the conversation between the two men and women was unusual.

“Don’t you understand? We have nowhere else to retreat.”

“That’s true, but.”

“It’s the same for us, but Cheongseong [a martial arts sect] will be even worse. Now that it’s known that the Cheongseong Sect Leader, Pung Byeok-Ja, was a spy for their forces, the Murim Alliance will abandon Cheongseong.”

“……!”

“Of course, it will be the same for us. From their perspective, what we did in Sichuan is unacceptable.”

“They are truly frustrating.”

“They are frustrating, but reality is harsh. If they all decide to dispatch troops, it will be difficult for Emei [a martial arts sect] and Cheongseong to stop them.”

“That’s not wrong, but would the Murim Alliance really do that? Even though they temporarily joined hands, the Mukryong Division [a military force] is definitely not a trustworthy force. The moment there is a gap in the Alliance’s power, the Mukryong Division is likely to act.”

“I don’t want to waste my mind on things I can’t be sure of. So, I thought about it. What is the most likely thing to happen, and what is most likely to work against us?”

“What is that?”

“It’s that the Murim Alliance will move.”

“As I said, that is…”

“They will move. Definitely.”

“…….”

“The Murim Alliance is a coalition, and as large as it is, it doesn’t move easily. But from their standards, what we did is something they can’t just overlook. It’s something they would try to catch us for, even if it means enduring attacks from outside forces.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“The reason for the Murim Alliance’s creation is the peace of the Central Plains [the heartland of China].”

“……!”

“The Murim Alliance’s purpose is the peace of the common people. Since we have touched them, they will never overlook this. Whether publicly or secretly, they will try to end us.”

“……If that’s true, we can’t stay like this, can we?”

“That’s why we have only one choice. And if that happens, the Murim Alliance won’t be able to move recklessly.”

“What do you mean?”

“We’re changing ships.”

“……?!”

“…….”

“Are you suggesting we join hands with the Three Teachings [Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism]?”

“Yes.”

“That’s absurd! That’s impossible!”

“Haven’t we already joined hands?”

“Wh-what?”

“You must know how the Paradise Lodge was created, right?”

“……!!”

“Our businesses are running well now, but the Paradise Lodge itself wouldn’t have been created if it weren’t for them providing the initial capital. Also, a considerable amount of our income goes to them.”

“Th-that’s true, but we haven’t joined hands with them! We’re just doing business with them.”

“Don’t ignore reality. Even if it’s just a business relationship, the Murim Alliance will see it as the same thing.”

“Th-this!”

“They are trying to swallow the Central Plains. And perhaps, they might achieve that goal.”

“…….”

“One of the ways to achieve that goal is Sichuan. That’s why they made the proposal to us. Didn’t we also join hands with them to escape the lies of our predecessors?”

“……That’s right.”

“I no longer have any attachment to the Central Plains. I’m only interested in the truth of this world, the inherent destiny of mankind.”

“…….”

“What about you, Elder?”

“Of course… I feel the same.”

“Yes. Now, what’s important to us isn’t land, public sentiment, or loyalty. If so, we should go into an environment that suits our purpose, right?”

“But is that possible? We can somehow overthrow the main sect by combining our strength, but Emei will be difficult. There are many people in Emei who follow Bok Ho, right?”

“There are many, but there are also many who have accepted their destiny. Besides, Bok Ho is in the Alliance. If we plan to take control, it’s not impossible.”

“Hahaha.”

“We have lost many comrades. We’ve lost people like family, lovers. Any more sacrifices will only drag us into the gutter.”

“Yes, that’s right. Elder Sa-tae’s words are all correct.”

“Will you join me?”

“When I think about it, there’s no other path left. Of course, it’s not a path we chose reluctantly. As Elder Sa-tae said, we have already abandoned our identities as practitioners. We’re just living for ourselves.”

“You see it clearly.”

“Let’s start by confirming. Let’s check how things are going with the Tang family, and then we’ll start our work.”

“Okay. I’ll contact Tang Yun.”

At that moment, Pae-yul’s eyes gleamed.

‘Tang Yun, you say…?’

A name he had heard once, Tang Yun.

‘Tang Yun, Tang Yun… huh?!’

Pae-yul’s eyes became bloodshot.

‘The youngest son of the Dark King?!’

A peerless genius who, in terms of pure talent, was considered equal to or even greater than Tang Gwan.

But that was all that was known about Tang Yun. He was born with a talent that was unmatched, and he was indeed very strong, but information about him was kept strictly secret.

‘No way!’

Listening to their conversation, it seemed that not only Tang Ho but also the youngest, Tang Yun, had become their accomplice.

‘This…!’

He almost instinctively ran towards the Tang family.

Pae-yul maintained his concealment with superhuman patience. If their words were true, the group was very likely facing an unexpected and dangerous situation.

Forcibly suppressing his rising anger, surprise, and worry, he repeated inwardly.

‘Not now. Not now. If they find out, I won’t be able to inform them.’

He was a madman for fighting, but at least he was clear about public and private matters.

Pae-yul stayed in his place until the end. He didn’t miss a single movement or a single word of their conversation.

Flap flap!

A moment later, a pigeon flew high into the sky.

It looked ordinary, but there was a faint gold band around its beak. It was such a subtle mark that an ignorant person would think it was just an ordinary pigeon.

“It’s done. I’ve sent the Golden Crown Divine Pigeon, so we’ll get a reply soon.”

Pae-yul’s eyes gleamed.

* * *

Whooooooosh!

The wind rushing into the explosion site quickly cooled the overheated air.

A wind that felt cool, even cold.

As he faced the wind, Tang Gwan, who was looking at the devastated land, suddenly felt his throat swell.

“Uwaaaak!”

The amount of blood he vomited was considerable.

Tang Gwan’s eyes wavered.

‘It was too much, after all.’

Mancheonhwayu (Full Sky Flower Rain), or Manhwasu (Ten Thousand Flower Hands) for short, was an extremely difficult martial art that could not even be entered without mastering the Emperor’s Poison Technique.

The problem was that even if you mastered it, you needed to break through the wall of the Martial Ancestor to use it properly. That meant that it required extreme consumption of inner energy and a unique understanding of true energy.

And even if you met those conditions and mastered it, using Mancheonhwayu was dangerous.

‘The energy of the three dantian [energy centers in the body] is going wild.’

Woo woong! Woo woong! Chiiiik!

White smoke rose from Tang Gwan’s body.

The energy of the three dantian was released all at once. He didn’t have the strength to control the remaining true energy. Tang Gwan’s dantian, which had released all its power, began to act erratically, absorbing and then releasing the surrounding energy, regardless of whether it was natural or impure.

“Kuh!”

Eventually, his knees touched the ground. Considering his strong endurance, it was clear how much pain he was suffering.

‘Is Father alright?’

He forced his unmoving neck to turn and looked at his father.

His father, who had watched his fight, was sitting up and looking at him with a very complex expression.

‘It’s only natural.’

He had witnessed the outstanding growth of one son and the death of another. How terrible must be the misery a parent feels.

Tang Gwan closed his eyes.

‘Farewell.’

A great martial art, a martial art full of killing intent.

The first victim of this martial art, which was created by his own blood and sweat, and which he had learned and created even at the cost of his pride, was his own brother.

‘I’m sorry. If I had been a proper older brother, you wouldn’t have fallen into the evil path.’

Tears did not come. The master of the Tang family does not shed tears.

However, they welled up inside and became tears of blood.

‘When I go to the afterlife, I will apologize then.’

It was then.

“Brother.”

Tang Gwan’s eyes flashed open.

“Are you alright?”

A shadow covered his body.

Tang Gwan slowly raised his head and looked at the owner of the shadow, his eyes shaking as if an earthquake had struck.

“…Yun?”