Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 703

“Hoo.”

As always, Yeon-wi finished his training with a deep breath.

Dang Sang-ah wiped the sweat from her forehead and looked at Yeon-wi.

Despite the rather cold weather, he was dressed in light training clothes. Even so, his whole body was drenched in sweat.

Generally, once one breaks through the wall of martial arts [achieves a high level of mastery], they become impervious to heat and cold. They certainly feel the heat and cold, but because their bodies maintain an optimal state at all times, they rarely sweat.

Yeon-wi was one of those who had almost reached the pinnacle of such a state. Yet, such a master had trained to the point where his entire body was soaked in sweat.

‘Amazing.’

Dang Sang-ah felt awe.

‘You can’t achieve that kind of state just by trying hard.’

There isn’t a master worth their salt who hasn’t tried hard, and there isn’t anyone who doesn’t try hard.

But Yeon-wi was different.

Those who train almost obsessively don’t seem normal, in fact.

However, Yeon-wi strictly adhered to his training schedule, yet maintained a gentle and strict demeanor at other times. The common notion that masters must be crazy to grow didn’t apply to Yeon-wi.

But Dang Sang-ah was certain. Yeon-wi was working harder than anyone else.

The method of effort differs from person to person. Yeon-wi grew by training with high intensity within a set time.

That image gave Dang Sang-ah great inspiration and emotion.

“Are you finished?”

“Hmm?”

Yeon-wi smiled gently. His smile was becoming gentler day by day.

“Yes, I’m done.”

“It seems like you’ve achieved something.”

“Haha, there’s always achievement.”

“Pardon?”

“Even if martial arts regress, it’s an achievement; even if one’s level stagnates, it’s an achievement. If you can keep the promises you set for yourself clearly and completely each day, what else is that if not an achievement?”

“……!”

“There’s no need to limit the scope of what it means to gain something. What’s important is how you use the achievements you’ve made.”

It was a unique perspective. At least, it was for Dang Sang-ah.

Yeon-wi asked.

“Is your training finished?”

“Yes? Ah, yes. I just finished too.”

“If you don’t have any other plans, let’s wash up and have a meal.”

“Yes!”

Before Dang Gwan went to Sichuan, he had asked Yeon-wi to take good care of his daughter.

After Dang Gwan left, Yeon-wi took care of Dang Sang-ah like family.

It was like having a real father.

He didn’t interfere more than necessary, but he always gave her a warning when she did something out of line. He was gentle and soft, but when he was stern, he was more resolute than anyone else.

For Dang Sang-ah, it was a very unfamiliar yet familiar father figure. Yeon-wi’s words and actions were, in some ways, more difficult to deal with than Dang Gwan’s.

So, Dang Sang-ah was even more careful, and at the same time, she felt more affection.

“Chef Jeong is going to serve the pork dishes he’s been making since yesterday. Shall we go there?”

“Good. If you arrive first, start eating.”

“Yes!”

It was then.

“Clan Leader!”

Jeagal Mun-ho’s voice was heard from outside the door.

Yeon-wi said calmly.

“Come in.”

The door opened, and Jeagal Mun-ho entered. He looked quite urgent but also had a bright face.

“Jongnam… !”

At that moment, Jeagal Mun-ho saw Dang Sang-ah.

Dang Sang-ah bowed her head.

“I’ll go out first.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s nothing.”

Then, Yeon-wi raised his hand.

“Since it’s something that will be known anyway, let’s not make the situation uncomfortable.”

“……?”

“Sang-ah is a child who keeps secrets. Don’t worry and speak.”

It was an unusual remark for Yeon-wi, who valued formality and etiquette.

Jeagal Mun-ho nodded and said.

“They won!”

Yeon-wi’s eyes lit up.

“That’s a relief.”

The news from Jongnam was delivered very secretly and quickly. It had been five days since the Jongnam Sect Leader had left after hearing the news.

“However, the damage is said to be considerable.”

“……I suppose so.”

“The details of the damage and the situation will be formally announced at the Bonggong Council [a high-level meeting of the Martial Alliance].”

“Let’s do that.”

“Ah, and.”

Jeagal Mun-ho smiled.

“It is said that Commander Yeon played a big role in this battle again. And of course, he is in perfect condition.”

Yeon-wi nodded.

“Thank you for the news.”

“Then, I’ll be going.”

This kind of news could have been delivered by a subordinate. Yet, the fact that he came in person meant that Jeagal Mun-ho felt close to Yeon-wi, and at the same time, it meant that he thought highly of Yeon Ho-Jeong.

After Jeagal Mun-ho left, Yeon-wi sighed. It was a sigh of relief, but also a sigh of bitterness.

“It’s fortunate and unfortunate.”

Dang Sang-ah cautiously asked.

“It seems that Commander Yeon jumped into another dangerous mission again?”

Yeon-wi said calmly.

“An outside force, one of the three sects, attacked Jongnam.”

“……What?!”

“They sent a tremendous force. However, it seems that Ho-Jeong’s group and the Hwasan disciples joined forces and eventually defeated the enemy.”

Dang Sang-ah was startled.

“Th, they attacked Jongnam?!”

“Yes.”

“That’s… a war!”

“That’s right.”

At that moment, Dang Sang-ah covered her mouth.

There must be a reason why this fact was only shared among the leaders of the Martial Alliance. Indeed, the news that Jongnam, one of the Nine Great Sects, had been attacked by an outside force should not spread like wildfire.

Yeon-wi closed his eyes.

“It’s truly fortunate that Ho-Jeong survived. But it’s truly sad that many Jongnam people died in the enemy’s attack.”

“…….”

“The Jongnam Sect Leader must be very sad.”

Dang Sang-ah, who had been quietly watching Yeon-wi, opened her mouth.

“May I ask you one thing?”

“Yes.”

“It’s clear that this is information that shouldn’t be spread carelessly… but is there a reason why the Martial Alliance didn’t send troops separately?”

There was a reason why the Nine Great Sects and the Six Great Clans were considered the best among the countless sects in the Central Plains [the main region of the martial world].

Jongnam was strong in itself. Strong enough that it didn’t need any help.

The problem was that the power of the outside forces was so strong that it could wage a full-scale war with the entire Central Plains martial world.

If it was difficult to stop with the power of a regional hegemon, the Martial Alliance should have sent troops separately to help. But they didn’t.

Yeon-wi shook his head.

“When we learned of that information, the enemy had already reached Jongnam.”

“Ah… !”

“And even if we had known before that, I don’t think the Alliance would have sent troops to Seoseo [a region].”

“Yes? Why is that…?”

“Because it’s a war.”

Yeon-wi looked up at the sky.

“It’s not a war about giving up one or two regions, but a fight for the entire continent.”

“……!”

“The enemy has infiltrated various parts of the Central Plains without us knowing. Now, it’s even difficult to distinguish between friend and foe.”

“B, but… !”

“What if, when they attacked Jongnam, they were also preparing to attack other sects at the same time?”

“……?!”

“What if the enemy was stationed near Mount Wudang without anyone knowing? Or what if they were planning to attack this place in a way we couldn’t imagine, waiting for the Martial Alliance’s troops to leave?”

Dang Sang-ah’s face turned pale.

Yeon-wi, who had lowered his head, smiled and said.

“Of course, that kind of thing is unlikely to happen. Not only because of the terrain, but also because the Central Plains’ intelligence network is faster and more precise than that of the outside world. Moreover, we’ve joined hands with the Mukryong Unit [a special intelligence unit].”

“Y, yes, that’s right.”

“However, we also don’t know much about the enemy.”

That’s why they were waiting.

That’s why they were keeping their mouths shut.

That’s why they were forcing a smile.

The words he couldn’t say, the words he was keeping inside, swirled around in Yeon-wi’s mouth. It wasn’t something he could say to Dang Sang-ah right now.

“Just know this one thing. We are also thoroughly preparing. Just know that the Central Plains martial world, which has protected its homeland for hundreds, no, thousands of years, is keeping its eyes wide open so that it can once again wave the flag of victory against the invasion of outside forces.”

Dang Sang-ah bowed her head.

“I’ve confused the Clan Leader with a pointless question.”

Yeon-wi laughed heartily.

“How could that be? However, you are a member of the Dang family. The matter in Sichuan has been resolved well, but you know that the enemy’s attacks are very strange, don’t you?”

“……Yes.”

“The world is changing so rapidly. It has become more dangerous, and at the same time, more brilliant.”

Yeon-wi stroked Dang Sang-ah’s head.

“I won’t tell you to look far ahead. But you must know that patience is difficult.”

“…….”

“I’ll see you later.”

Dang Sang-ah asked quickly.

“Shouldn’t you go to the Bonggong members? You heard the news from Jongnam, after all.”

“There’s nothing I can do right now. However, I think there will be something I need to do in the future. I’m just living each day faithfully for that.”

“……?!”

Yeon-wi turned his body.

“I am also enduring.”

Dang Sang-ah thought. Yeon-wi seemed to have changed somehow.

The benevolent and strict demeanor, the contrast between intense training and peaceful daily life.

He was the same Yeon-wi she had seen yesterday, but also different.

He was growing deeper day by day. He was growing bigger.

Looking at something that ordinary people could hardly imagine, Yeon-wi was gradually transcending the realm of ordinary people.

* * *

“Have you come?”

Yong Hwa-jin-in, who had been lying down, raised his upper body.

Hwang Seok-tae raised his hand.

“Lie down.”

“No. I’m much better now.”

It was obvious that he wasn’t okay, but Hwang Seok-tae didn’t stop him. He didn’t think he would listen anyway.

“Sit here.”

Hwang Seok-tae sat on a chair next to the bed.

Yong Hwa-jin-in, who had been quietly looking at Hwang Seok-tae, chuckled.

“It’s a strange sight.”

“Hmm?”

“Wouldn’t anyone who saw this scene find it strange? The elder of Hwasan, one of the Nine Great Sects representing the righteous faction, and the leader of the Black Path’s top unit sitting together.”

Hwang Seok-tae asked bluntly.

“Is your arm okay?”

“Huh, you don’t like jokes?”

“…….”

“Haha, you’re more taciturn than I thought. You were so wild on the battlefield.”

Hwang Seok-tae’s expression was still indifferent.

No, rather than indifferent, it was closer to not knowing what kind of expression to make. He, too, felt awkward in this situation, just like Yong Hwa-jin-in had said.

Yong Hwa-jin-in raised his right arm.

The splinted arm was stained black.

“It was fortunate that I blocked with my right arm at the moment of impact. If I hadn’t blocked properly, my life would have been in danger.”

“That’s a relief.”

“They say it will be difficult to hold a sword for about half a year. However, they said I might be able to hold it sooner depending on my efforts.”

Yong Hwa-jin-in lowered his arm and continued.

“I heard from my disciples that you’ve been going around looking at the patients?”

Hwang Seok-tae was silent.

Yong Hwa-jin-in smiled and asked again.

“Even though Commander Hwang is seriously injured, why aren’t you resting?”

“I’m just moving because I can move.”

He spoke bluntly, but Yong Hwa-jin-in knew. Why Hwang Seok-tae was going around to see patients almost every day. Why he was trying to take care of the patients with the doctors.

It was because he was the person in charge.

This war was clearly a victory for their side, but there were also many casualties. If Hwang Seok-tae hadn’t been the center and hadn’t planned the strategies and tactics, the damage would have increased exponentially.

But Hwang Seok-tae felt a strong sense of responsibility for the dead as well as those who were seriously injured. Perhaps he was even more concerned because they didn’t belong to his unit.

‘There was someone like this in the Black Path [a faction known for its ruthlessness].’

He knew it in his head. But this was the first time he had felt it like this.

White Path and Black Path, they had different environments, but in the end, people were just people. There were vicious people, and there were also people like this, who were truly human.

Hwang Seok-tae got up from his seat.

“You seem to be okay, so I’ll get going.”

“Let’s have some tea.”

“……?”

“Did you think I called you just to see your face? I called you because I wanted to have some tea. I’ve asked my disciple, so it will be here soon.”

“I’m…”

“If there’s nothing else, let’s not refuse to help the patients.”

Hwang Seok-tae, who had been quietly looking down at Yong Hwa-jin-in, sat back down with an awkward expression.

Yong Hwa-jin-in smiled.

“…….”

A moment of silence fell.

Yong Hwa-jin-in opened his mouth.

“Still, the gloomy atmosphere has improved a lot…”

“You should be careful.”

“Hmm? What do you mean?”

Hwang Seok-tae’s eyes deepened.

“Elder Hwa Geom-ja is meeting with the Jongnam Sect Leader.”

“……?”

“It seems like they’re having a big argument.”

Yong Hwa-jin-in’s eyes widened.