Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 644

“Did they leave?”

“Yes, they did.”

Though he was his son, he was also the head of the family.

Unless it was a clearly private setting, Tang Hyeong did not treat Tang Gwan carelessly.

Tang Hyeong sighed.

“The Sound Demon, Ha Eun-Gyo… I’ve always wanted to meet him.”

Tang Gwan nodded.

“The Tang family’s poisons and hidden weapons are quite unique in the Central Plains martial world. But they are nothing compared to sound techniques. Those who truly master sound techniques are less than a handful in the entire martial world.”

“I’ve heard stories. They say the Sound Demon’s martial arts are different from those of the Central Plains. It’s only natural since sound techniques are his specialty.”

“I’ve heard that as well. They say he has a gentle nature, loves art, and rarely gets involved in worldly affairs. Even when he does, he often handles things without anyone realizing he was involved.”

“Where did you get that information?”

“From the Dragon Head Chief.”

“The Dragon Head Chief…”

Tang Hyeong chuckled.

“I wonder if that old man is doing well. He doesn’t have much time left.”

Although he hadn’t opened the Supreme Path [a high level of martial arts mastery], the Dragon Head Chief, Hwa Jin-Cheon, was of a similar age to Tang Hyeong.

Not many people of that age were still active. He could retire and enjoy his old age, but he was a truly passionate person.

“Where is the Sound Demon currently located?”

“I don’t know exactly, as he’s moving based on information from the Black Dragon Unit. But I heard he was near Shaanxi.”

“Shaanxi…”

Tang Hyeong frowned.

“That’s a troublesome place.”

Shaanxi Province was home to the Mount Hua Sect and the Zhongnan Sect.

The Central Plains was divided into more than ten provinces, but each province was the size of a small country.

The Tang family was called the rulers of Sichuan because Sichuan was so vast. They weren’t just powerful; they were a family that influenced the entire region of Sichuan, so they were treated like royalty.

But Shaanxi was different from Sichuan.

The Qingcheng and Emei sects of Sichuan traditionally did not interfere in worldly affairs, but the Mount Hua and Zhongnan sects of Shaanxi were known for actively participating in civil matters.

That’s why there wasn’t a single sect among the many that didn’t have connections with Mount Hua and Zhongnan. It was a clear difference from the Sichuan sects, each with their distinct personalities.

Tang Gwan said nonchalantly.

“Yeon Ho-Jeong, that rascal, may seem reckless, but he’s actually very meticulous and capable of manipulating situations to his advantage.”

“Hmm.”

“He won’t have any major problems this time either. At least not because of Mount Hua or Zhongnan.”

“It’s important that there are no problems in the end, but if something unpleasant happens during the process, it will be a headache later on.”

“That’s true.”

“It’s fortunate that Yeon Dae-Su has opened the Supreme Path.”

Tang Gwan asked subtly.

“I have a question.”

“What is it?”

“What is the current level of that brat, I mean, Yeon Ho-Jeong?”

Tang Hyeong shrugged.

“He’s just a newborn baby. It’s amazing that he’s already crawling when he should barely be able to move his arms and legs.”

“I see.”

“And what’s scary is that even a crawling baby’s punch can break bones.”

Tang Gwan’s eyes sparkled.

“Does that mean he has a trick up his sleeve?”

Tang Hyeong, who had been deep in thought, shook his head.

“Honestly, I don’t know. Yeon Dae-Su is a very unique person. He clearly just opened the Supreme Path, but his true energy control and combat skills are comparable to those of the masters of the Saintly Heavens [a very high level of martial arts mastery].”

“… !”

“But he also makes mistakes in unexpected places. Not like a master who has opened the Supreme Path.”

“That’s not like him…”

“If you were to open the Supreme Path now, you would definitely be a step above Yeon Dae-Su.”

“Excuse me?”

It was a surprising statement.

Tang Hyeong stroked his beard.

“He has reached the Saintly Heavens after opening the Supreme Path, but something feels empty inside. It’s not a lack of skill, but rather a lack of enlightenment, and I don’t know what it is.”

“…”

“If I had to say, it’s like…”

Tang Hyeong tapped his head with his index finger and then tapped his chest.

“It’s like the harmony between here and here isn’t right.”

“…”

“It’s like he opened this realm with force, not with a sudden enlightenment. That’s the feeling I get.”

Tang Gwan’s face stiffened.

“Are you saying that brat’s realm is only half-baked…?”

“No, it’s not half-baked. It can’t be half-baked. It’s not a realm you can reach halfway.”

“…?”

“Let’s just say… I feel like his mind and body are disconnected. In some ways, he seems very familiar with this realm, but in other ways, I wonder what he’s doing.”

Tang Hyeong clicked his tongue.

“His realm is as unique as his unpredictable personality.”

It was a difficult state to explain. Simply put, it was a completely different form from the Supreme Path that Tang Hyeong knew.

“Well, he’s a very perceptive and passionate person, so he’ll find his own path soon. His wit is as sharp as his martial arts. My worries will soon be meaningless.”

“I’m sure they will.”

Tang Hyeong smiled and looked at Tang Gwan.

“Aren’t you jealous, Clan Head?”

Tang Gwan shook his head.

“Why wouldn’t I be? But right now, I have more important things to do. Once I’ve settled everything, I’ll have to soar so that I don’t fall behind either.”

“You can do it, Clan Head. You definitely can.”

“I have to.”

The two men looked out the window.

The weather was still humid, but the sky was quite clear.

* * *

‘Between Hanzhong and Taibai, there’s a place called Longyan Mountain by the people of Shaanxi. There’s a valley there called Homi Valley, where people don’t go. The Sound Demon is currently believed to be there.’

The information received from a Black Dragon Unit informant while they were on the move was quite detailed. Even while Yeon Ho-Jeong’s group was dealing with matters in Sichuan, the Black Dragon Unit had been constantly searching for the Sound Demon.

Their efforts had not been in vain. They no longer needed to search an entire region.

Of course, that meant they had to be even more careful.

‘Is he alone? Or is he with someone?’

‘I couldn’t find out that much. But based on the words and rumors of people passing by, unidentified martial artists have been frequently appearing near that area.’

‘Unidentified, huh…’

‘It seems that even Mount Hua and Zhongnan don’t know yet. But since it’s their own backyard, it’s only a matter of time before they become aware of the suspicious group.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong internally denied the informant’s words.

‘There’s no way they don’t know. They already know.’

The Black Dragon Unit’s intelligence was certainly impressive.

But they couldn’t be faster than the local overlords. Even if they didn’t know about the Sound Demon, there was no way that Mount Hua and Zhongnan wouldn’t know about suspicious martial artists coming and going.

‘That’s why we need to hurry even more.’

Thud, thud, thud, thud.

The speed of the horses the group was riding was truly remarkable.

Each one was larger and had longer legs than ordinary horses. They had excellent stamina and mobility, and their long legs also allowed for great maneuverability.

Even with Yeon Ho-Jeong, who was carrying an eighty-pound heavy illness, they showed no signs of fatigue.

They had probably chosen the best horses from Sichuan. They also had a lot of combat experience, with many small scars like medals all over their bodies.

Yeon Ho-Jeong was grateful for Tang Gwan’s consideration.

How long had they been riding?

“Should we rest soon?” asked Hwang Seok-Tae.

Yeon Ho-Jeong nodded.

“Let’s do that.”

The group entered a moderately dense forest, stopped their horses, and fed them hay.

It was getting dark. Autumn was almost over, and the wind was quite sharp, but thanks to the hot and humid air of Sichuan, it wasn’t cold.

“We should be able to leave Sichuan in about two more days.”

Paeyul drank water with a tired face.

Gang Ryang asked subtly.

“Are you tired?”

“My body is itching. I would have preferred to use my movement techniques.”

As Gang Ryang broke through the Martial Ancestor realm, everyone in the group had reached the level of a transcendent master or higher.

At that level, they could run faster than horses. The further the distance, the less they could keep up with the horse’s mobility, but between regions, a transcendent master’s movement techniques might be faster.

But that was not the right thing to do. Even if time was of the essence, there was something they had to take care of. For the group, it was their stamina.

“I’ll be back in a bit.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong got up, holding the Heavenly Passage Book.

Gang Ryang asked.

“Where are you going, Brother?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong turned and replied.

“Meditation.”

With those words, Yeon Ho-Jeong disappeared into the forest, out of sight of the group.

Gang Ryang snorted.

“That guy, even after reaching that level, what’s with the meditation? It’s not like him.”

He grumbled and looked at Hwang Seok-Tae.

“Tsk.”

Hwang Seok-Tae was already sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed. With the long Red Dragon Divine Spear resting on his knees, he looked like an ascetic.

‘The strongest, most terrible man leading the Black Path.’

Gang Ryang snorted a few times and then looked at Paeyul again.

Paeyul frowned.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“We’re riding horses to conserve our stamina, but how can you look so tired?”

“What does it matter to you what kind of face I make?”

“It makes me lose my energy just looking at you.”

“…Look at this guy?”

Paeyul’s eyes turned fierce.

“Just because you broke through the Martial Ancestor barrier, do you think you’re all that? I won’t go easy on you like before.”

“If you go easy on me, you’ll get beaten, right?”

“…What?!”

“Why are you acting so surprised? If you’re so frustrated, why don’t you have a match with me?”

Paeyul looked Gang Ryang up and down.

“You won’t regret it? You seem to have gotten a bit cocky after gaining some enlightenment, but I won’t go easy on you like before.”

“If you go easy on me, you’ll get beaten, right?”

“…Follow me, you brat!”

Gang Ryang smiled brightly and got up. His expression was perfect, as if to say, ‘I knew it.’

And so, the two of them also went into the forest. It was in the opposite direction from where Yeon Ho-Jeong had gone.

As the surroundings became quiet, Hwang Seok-Tae opened his eyes.

“Those noisy people.”

Hwang Seok-Tae leaned against a tree and fiddled with the Red Dragon Divine Spear.

He seemed to be in meditation, but in fact, he had many thoughts.

‘The Sound Demon.’

A shadow fell over Hwang Seok-Tae’s face.

He had followed Yeon Ho-Jeong under orders from his superiors, but as he had come this far, he had reflected a lot on his own martial arts.

‘They said the Sound Demon’s surroundings are noisy. If there are many unidentified martial artists, there’s a high chance of a fight breaking out.’

Hwang Seok-Tae sighed.

‘I can’t seem to perform well.’

The skirmishes with the Paradise Clan masters and the battles within the Tang family.

For him, who was specialized in one-on-one frontal battles in open fields, it was difficult to perform well under these conditions.

But Hwang Seok-Tae didn’t complain. Rather, he was realizing his own limitations as he fought those battles.

‘One-on-one, frontal battles. I knew very well that the world’s fights aren’t so fair.’

He had become dull to such fights while leading his unit.

‘I need to change. Even if I can’t help, I shouldn’t cause any harm.’

Hwang Seok-Tae glanced at the forest. It was the direction Yeon Ho-Jeong had gone.

He hesitated for a moment, but then he was about to get up with a determined look on his face.

Clang!

A fierce sound and a desperate voice erupted from the opposite side.

“Gang Ryang!”