Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 704

“What do you mean? A big fight?”

“I don’t know the details. But from what I overheard, it didn’t sound like just a simple argument.”

“……?”

“Whether it’s a public or private matter, something must be wrong for them to be shouting like that. I don’t know the reason, but I advise you to be careful.”

Yong Hwa-jin-in, whose expression had hardened for a moment, soon smiled.

“What trouble could there be?”

“Don’t be so sure.”

Hwang Seok-tae shook his head.

“This is a world where parents sell their children and children stab their parents in the back. I know how long you’ve been together under the name of the Nine Great Sects, but people’s hearts can change from one day to the next.”

“……”

“Moreover, many disciples within your sect have died or been injured. It’s absurd to harm those who came as reinforcements, but the Jongnam Sect Leader’s mind might not be in a normal state.”

It was an understandable point.

However, Yong Hwa-jin-in thought that the Black Path [a term for the unorthodox or evil martial arts sects] was definitely different.

The world is the same everywhere, but just as each region has its own unique characteristics, the colors of the Black and White Paths [the orthodox and unorthodox martial arts sects] were vastly different.

There might be those who uphold loyalty in the Black Path, but at the same time, their world has a more direct sense of fear than the White Path. There are many who openly betray others, and they might even accept it as a way of life.

‘This is where they differ.’

They are similar people, but the differences are clear.

Yong Hwa-jin-in shook his head.

“We should be working together until the very end. Besides, making such an extreme choice now would only be bad for Jongnam.”

“I think so too. But there are many sects and nations that have fallen due to the extreme choices of leaders who were once praised as wise rulers.”

That was also true.

Yong Hwa-jin-in smiled.

“I know you’re saying this out of genuine concern. Thank you. But I believe they won’t make such a choice.”

“……”

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

“Then I have nothing more to say.”

“Haha.”

Shortly after, a Plum Blossom Swordswoman [a female disciple of the Mount Hua Sect] brought tea.

The Plum Blossom Swordswoman handed teacups to the two men, bowed deeply, and left the room.

Yong Hwa-jin-in chuckled.

“They seem to like you quite a bit.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m talking about the disciples of Mount Hua. They seem to think very highly of you.”

“……”

“Well, you are a renowned general who minimized the damage in this war by skillfully managing unfamiliar troops. You deserve respect regardless of whether you are from the Black or White Path.”

Hwang Seok-tae shook his head.

“No one knows if the damage was minimized. We haven’t seen the results otherwise.”

“That’s true.”

The two men refreshed themselves with tea.

Yong Hwa-jin-in, who had placed his cup by the window, took a deep breath.

“The breeze is wonderful. Even though sorrow still flows like a river, the mountain breeze of Jongnam washes away the darkness so pleasantly.”

Hwang Seok-tae remained silent.

He was a man of serious and straightforward character. Sometimes, he showed a rough side. To him, Yong Hwa-jin-in’s words must have sounded like empty platitudes.

Hwang Seok-tae took another sip of tea and stood up.

“I enjoyed the tea.”

“Are you leaving already?”

“There are many places to look around.”

“Haha, it seems I’ve kept you for too long.”

Hwang Seok-tae turned around.

Yong Hwa-jin-in spoke to his back.

“Thank you.”

“I was pushed into this job. And even then, there were many casualties. There’s nothing to thank me for.”

“Still, thank you. I’ve seen the full extent of the capabilities of the leader of the Mukryong Unit’s best force, the Yongah Iron Cavalry.”

Hwang Seok-tae chuckled.

“Take good care of yourself.”

With those words, Hwang Seok-tae left the residence.

A deep smile spread across Yong Hwa-jin-in’s face.

“I knew there were people in the Black Path, but he is truly a man worth befriending.”

Even in the midst of great tragedy, people live on.

And they realize that they have been living trapped in countless shells.

It was a tragic war, but in the midst of it, Yong Hwa-jin-in was able to realize how dangerous his vague hatred and disgust for the people of the Black Path were.

It was an enlightenment several times more precious and noble than any improvement in martial arts.

“The breeze is truly wonderful.”

* * *

Although she had heard that the Jongnam Sect Leader had arrived, Muk Bi still guarded Yeon Ho-jeong’s residence.

From the start, she had nothing to do or say. She was merely a vice-commander of the Martial Alliance’s Righteous Army.

It was around the time when the sun began to set.

‘Hmm?’

Muk Bi’s eyes sparkled.

There were two men approaching the residence.

One was a man of such a large build that just looking at him was enough to make one feel intimidated. He was nearly seven feet tall with an enormous frame, making him look like a bear standing on two legs.

On the other hand, the young man next to him looked frail. His skin was pale and his eyes were clear, making him look much younger than his actual age.

What they had in common was that both were conspicuously carrying heavy weapons. The large young man carried a Green Dragon Crescent Blade [a large, pole-mounted blade], and the frail-looking young man carried a Fangtian Halberd [a polearm with a spearhead and side blades].

Muk Bi almost whistled without realizing it.

The bear-like young man was impressive just by his physique alone. With that size and the Green Dragon Crescent Blade, he looked like a general from ancient myths.

The frail young man was also strangely eye-catching. He was carrying a Fangtian Halberd that didn’t suit his physique, which made him stand out even more.

‘Jin Yang and Seo Jeong-gwang, was it?’

She had clearly seen the two of them in action during the last battle.

And Yeon Ho-jeong had also spoken about them when he was awake.

‘I was surprised. It seems that fate really does exist. Both of them were formidable figures who held positions among the Five Great Generals.’

If that was true, then the will of heaven was truly mysterious.

‘Which means.’

The two men were getting closer.

Muk Bi’s eyes deepened.

‘It means that I was their comrade.’

Shortly after, the two men stopped in front of her gate.

Muk Bi stood up from her seat.

Jin Yang cleared his throat.

Seo Jeong-gwang glanced at Jin Yang and sighed deeply.

“You always dump this kind of thing on me……”

“Hey, I’m your superior.”

“That’s why. I should have just stayed his friend. Why did I become his subordinate? I’m so resentful.”

“Ahem!”

Jin Yang cleared his throat again and spoke in a heavy voice.

“Okay, let’s start.”

“Alright.”

Seo Jeong-gwang stepped forward and clasped his hands in a formal greeting.

“I am Seo Jeong-gwang, the Vice-Sect Leader and strategist of the Hwaung Sect.”

Muk Bi slightly lowered her head.

“I am Muk Bi, the Vice-Commander of the Martial Alliance’s Righteous Army.”

There was a hint of awkwardness in her tone. If she hadn’t heard anything, it might have been different, but now that she had heard that they were comrades, she didn’t know how to act.

Seo Jeong-gwang smiled and said,

“I’ve heard a lot about you. They say that the Martial Alliance’s best archer unit has a divine archer who defeats enemies with their godlike archery.”

Muk Bi flinched for a moment.

Divine Archer. That was her alias during the Black Demon Emperor era.

It felt strange to hear these words from a former comrade she had never met, someone who only Yeon Ho-jeong knew about.

“It is an honor to meet the Divine Archer Muk Bi, Vice-Commander Muk.”

“Ah, yes.”

It was quite a curt reply.

Jin Yang’s expression immediately turned sour, but unexpectedly, Seo Jeong-gwang’s eyes showed a subtle interest.

‘She’s an interesting person.’

It was said that the Tiger General Yeon Ho-jeong of the Twin Tiger Swords was accompanied by the peerless genius, the Divine Archer.

With that kind of reputation, she could boast anywhere in the world. Although her background was unknown, Yeon Ho-jeong, who was with her, was the eldest son of the Gangdong Byeoksan Yeon family, one of the Six Great Clans. She had every reason to be arrogant.

Yet, Muk Bi didn’t show any arrogance.

Her eyes were clear and deep, and although her responses were somewhat blunt, her attitude was polite.

‘Impressive.’

As the strategist of the Hwaung Sect, he had seen countless attitudes of the White Path martial artists.

Even those from White Path sects that were not well-known, let alone famous, would strut around with arrogance. But Muk Bi was not like that.

‘I don’t know her true personality… but this is good enough for a first meeting….’

At that moment, Seo Jeong-gwang noticed the bewilderment on Muk Bi’s face.

He quickly realized his mistake and said,

“Ah, I was just surprised to see the face of the Divine Archer, whom I had only heard rumors about. I apologize.”

“Ah, no, it’s okay.”

Seo Jeong-gwang cleared his throat for a moment and spoke in an even more polite tone.

“It’s just that our Sect Leader and the Hwaung Sect forces are thinking of heading back.”

“What?”

Muk Bi was startled.

Jin Yang pretended not to notice and put his hands behind his back, looking at the distant mountains. His repeated, strange coughs showed his awkwardness.

Seo Jeong-gwang scratched his head.

“I don’t know how you’ll take this, but the truth is, our Hwaung Sect isn’t exactly a White Path orthodox sect.”

“Ahem!”

The cough was particularly loud, showing his discomfort. It meant that there was no need to say such things.

Seo Jeong-gwang shrugged.

“Our Sect Leader is a bit shy. Please understand.”

“Ahem!”

“Anyway, it doesn’t seem like there’s anything more we can do to help. It’s been quite a while, and with the Jongnam Sect Leader here, it’s better for us to leave.”

Even Jin Yang couldn’t openly show his discomfort at this. He was the leader of the Jongnam Sect, after all, so it was natural to feel awkward.

Muk Bi nodded.

“I see.”

“Yes. We were originally planning to slip away without saying goodbye……”

Seo Jeong-gwang glanced at Jin Yang.

Jin Yang, who had already turned around, was stretching his arms wide. He looked like he was doing gymnastics while looking at the distant mountains. Of course, he was listening to the conversation.

“But we fought alongside Great Hero Yeon, no, Great Commander Yeon Ho-jeong, at the end, so we thought it would be good to say goodbye.”

The words were nice.

In fact, Jin Yang had been planning to leave Jongnam Mountain for a while. But for some reason, he was worried about Yeon Ho-jeong and couldn’t easily leave.

It felt very uncomfortable to just ignore him, and it was also awkward to go and say goodbye. He had even thought about leaving last night, but he eventually gave up. He had a bad feeling that Yeon Ho-jeong would come and grab him by the hair later.

It was unlike him to bring Seo Jeong-gwang and use him as a mouthpiece, but that was the reason.

Muk Bi pondered for a moment.

‘What should I do?’

Yeon Ho-jeong hadn’t clearly stated what he wanted to do with them. He had only told her who they were and how talented they were.

‘It’s been a long time since Master Yeon was so amazed and happy.’

Muk Bi looked back and forth between Seo Jeong-gwang and Jin Yang.

‘I don’t know for sure… but I don’t have any reason to stop them.’

It was then.

“Wait.”

Startled, Muk Bi looked behind her. Seo Jeong-gwang did the same, and Jin Yang, who had been doing gymnastics, froze in place.

Creak.

When did he get up?

With a somewhat pale complexion, Yeon Ho-jeong, wearing only a loose white robe that didn’t suit the chilly weather, appeared.

“Master Yeon.”

Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.

“I told you I was fine, but you were still guarding me.”

Muk Bi grumbled.

“I don’t have any friends here.”

“What about Hu Gae?”

“He’s busy.”

“Well, I guess so. You’ve suffered because of me.”

“It’s nothing.”

It was a world of difference from how she treated Seo Jeong-gwang.

Yeon Ho-jeong looked at Seo Jeong-gwang.

Seo Jeong-gwang flinched without realizing it.

Yeon Ho-jeong, who had been quietly looking at Seo Jeong-gwang, closed his eyes.

“Please wait a moment. Someone is coming to see me.”

“……Huh?”

Yeon Ho-jeong slowly sat down on the steps.

Muk Bi stood next to him, and Seo Jeong-gwang, who had been scratching his head, coughed and took a few steps back, crossing his arms. Jin Yang’s gymnastics became somewhat passive.

A strange silence flowed for a moment.

How much time had passed?

Whoosh!

Muk Bi, Jin Yang, and Seo Jeong-gwang’s eyes changed in turn.

A powerful aura was rapidly approaching. It was a master with a burning rage, a high-level expert rooted in the pure Taoist arts.

Yeon Ho-jeong stood up from his seat.

“Have you arrived?”

The one who finally revealed himself.

It was none other than the Jongnam Sect Leader, Sun Woo.