Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 709

Night had fallen.

Sun Woo sat on a rock outside his quarters, his face weary as he gazed at the moon hidden behind the hazy clouds.

Even as the cold wind blew and time passed, he didn’t move. It was as if he had become one with the rock he was sitting on, turning into stone himself.

How much time had passed like that?

“Senior Brother Jangmun.”

Sun Woo slowly turned his head to the side.

Gu Yun was there.

Gu Yun bowed his head slightly.

Sun Woo also nodded weakly.

“What is it?”

“…”

For a moment, Gu Yun was at a loss for words.

The voice of his Senior Brother, carried by the wind, sounded like that of a dying man.

How could he talk about work in front of him? It was something that needed to be dealt with quickly, but he couldn’t bring himself to speak.

“The wind is cold. What if you catch a cold?”

Sun Woo chuckled.

It was a laugh that could have been a bitter smile or a sneer.

“So many disciples have died, is my body of any importance?”

“It is important.”

“…?”

“Our disciples fought bravely. I dare say that all the deceased brothers and disciples thought only of Jongnam until their last moments.”

“…”

“Everyone knows that your heart is not at peace. However, it is precisely at times like these that you must find strength.”

“You speak like…”

Sun Woo closed his eyes.

“You speak like that fellow Yeon Ho-jeong.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“He is a good young man.”

Sun Woo was silent.

Gu Yun continued in a calm voice.

“If it weren’t for Commander Yeon, Jongnam might have been destroyed in our generation.”

“…”

“Commander Yeon is giving the credit to the leader of the Yongacheolgi unit [a unit known for its ironclad armor], but in reality, the main force that led this war to victory was Commander Yeon. If Commander Yeon had been even a day late… truly terrible things would have happened.”

Sun Woo remained silent. His figure, gazing at the sky without a word, was like a painting drawn only in ink, without color.

Gu Yun’s face was filled with pity.

“Senior Brother Jangmun.”

“…”

“It’s not your fault…”

“No, it’s my fault.”

“Senior Brother!”

Sun Woo shook his head.

“Even if there’s an earthquake, or lightning strikes from the sky, or disciples are lost in a downpour, it’s all my responsibility.”

“…”

“That’s what a leader is. A leader, a sect leader, a Jangmun [Head of the Sect], must take responsibility for everything, even natural disasters and unexpected events that harm the disciples.”

“…I see.”

A silence fell between the two men.

Sun Woo sighed deeply.

“I know.”

“Yes?”

“I know that this is not the time for me to be wallowing in sorrow. I also know that this is the time to keep this boiling anger and resentment. The deed is already done, and the living must live. A leader must pretend to be okay even when they are sad, and they must be able to smile even when they are angry, for the sake of the sect’s future.”

“…”

“But…”

Tears flowed from Sun Woo’s eyes. The sight of him slowly bowing his head and clutching his hair was too painful to watch.

“It’s as if I can hear the voices of the dead disciples every time I blink.”

“…”

“How cold and painful must it be? How arduous and resentful must it be to travel that long, cold road to the afterlife? So many young disciples who learned Jongnam’s swordsmanship without even fulfilling their ambitions have died.”

Gu Yun closed his eyes.

Even if everyone else pointed fingers at Sun Woo, calling him a weak human, he could not do that.

Because he knew. How much Sun Woo loved his disciples.

He was a man who gave affection to all of Jongnam’s disciples, an affection that was hard to give even to one’s own children. He had lived his life only for the sect and its disciples, without ever deviating, while managing such a large sect.

A love of immeasurable magnitude. That was why it was so hard for him to endure this tragedy.

He had mastered the Taoist Divine Art? Achieved an unmoving heart?

Those were just empty words. Sun Woo’s heart, having experienced the death of children he treated like family, was truly torn to shreds.

After sobbing for a long time, Sun Woo finally stopped crying after two quarters of an hour.

Gu Yun spoke.

“Senior Brother Jangmun.”

“I’m sorry. I showed you a pathetic sight.”

“There is a place you must go with me.”

“…A place to go?”

“We will go to the Great Elder.”

Sun Woo’s eyes wavered.

Gu Yun continued.

“You’ve heard about what the Great Elder has done, haven’t you?”

“…”

“This is not something to delay. Whatever judgment you make, you must go there yourself, Senior Brother.”

“…”

“It’s not something that can be dealt with in broad daylight with everyone watching, is it?”

Sun Woo silently stared into the void.

Gu Yun waited patiently.

Another quarter of an hour passed.

“Let’s go.”

Sun Woo stepped down from the rock.

“Let’s go to the Great Senior Brother.”

Soon after.

Creak.

The door to the cave opened.

The inside of the cave was very well maintained. Unlike a typical cave, the humidity was low, and numerous lanterns were installed on both sides of the entrance, making it easy to see.

This was the Jongnam’s Seo-oh Cave. It was a cave meant to wash away what was wrong and impure, a cave where the sect’s great sinners were imprisoned.

In this place, where no one had been imprisoned for nearly ten years, an old man was confined.

“Wh, who is it?!”

Inside the cave, there were about twenty rooms with iron bars.

And in the first room, Yeo Gwang was there.

Sun Woo’s eyes filled with sorrow.

“Great Senior Brother.”

“Jangmun!”

Yeo Gwang’s appearance was truly wretched. His hair was disheveled, he was covered in grime from not being able to wash, and his clothes were torn in several places.

Several bowls were scattered in front of the iron bars of his prison. They had given him food, but he hadn’t eaten it properly, except for the water.

“The Jangmun has come!”

A bright light appeared on Yeo Gwang’s face.

His eyes were focused only on Sun Woo. He didn’t even glance at Gu Yun, who was standing behind him.

“I am truly glad. You shouldn’t be like this, open these iron bars right now! How can I meet the Jangmun in this state?”

He seemed to be rambling.

Sun Woo looked into Yeo Gwang’s eyes.

The old Great Senior Brother’s eyes were bloodshot. To an outsider, they would look like the eyes of a madman.

Sun Woo sighed, and Yeo Gwang spoke again.

“Ah, did you hear the story? I don’t know what you heard, but it’s all a misunderstanding! First, open these iron bars! I’ll explain everything to the Jangmun…!”

“Great Senior Brother.”

“Oh, speak!”

Sun Woo said with a sad face.

“Why did you do it?”

“What do you mean? No, first, these iron bars…”

“How could you teach the disciples the wrong spirit of Jongnam?”

“Jangmun! Listen to me first!”

“How could you try to kill the Third Elder?”

“Jangmun!”

“How did you become like this?”

“Sun Woo, you bastard!!”

Gu Yun was startled.

Yeo Gwang’s expression and voice changed in an instant. His face, which had been full of urgency, twisted like a ghost, and real madness began to seep from his bloodshot eyes.

“How dare you interrupt your Great Senior Brother! Just because you’ve risen to the position of Jangmun, have you forgotten the etiquette for elders?!”

Gu Yun looked at Yeo Gwang with an absurd expression.

Yeo Gwang raged.

“I am the Great Elder of Jongnam and your senior brother! No matter what my sin is, how dare you imprison a great elder of the sect in this stinking place! You will all face divine punishment!”

Gu Yun’s face was filled with vivid anger.

He, too, had respected and revered Yeo Gwang as his senior brother, but he had given up on everything since the time he had tried to kill him. He had even thought of dying quietly.

If he had shown that much respect, and if he had reflected here, he shouldn’t be showing such a face now.

The personality he had suppressed for a long time began to rise fiercely from within.

“Great Elder!”

“Shut up, Gu Yun!”

“How dare you speak such nonsense in front of the Jangmun! Bow your head and apologize right now!”

“Can’t you shut your mouth! You should be bowing your head and apologizing, yet you dare to shout at me!”

It was a statement that was not only absurd but also infuriating. It was not something a man who had drawn his sword to kill his junior brother should say.

Gu Yun’s face flushed red.

“Are you truly senile?!”

“That uneducated fool dares!”

At that moment, Sun Woo raised his hand.

Instantly, both men’s mouths closed on their own. It was because an unusual aura was flowing from Sun Woo, who had raised his hand.

Sun Woo stared calmly into Yeo Gwang’s eyes.

Yeo Gwang’s eyes wavered.

“Great Senior Brother.”

“…”

“I know that your mind is clear. How long are you going to keep up this act in front of me?”

“…!”

“Are you afraid of death? Or are you afraid of being forgotten? Or perhaps…”

Sun Woo closed his eyes without realizing it.

“Are you trying to avoid acknowledging your own sins?”

“…Jangmun.”

Yeo Gwang swallowed.

“You must listen to me. There were circumstances. Right now, there are only ungrateful bastards around you who are trying to drive a wedge between you and me.”

“…”

“Of course, I have my sins. I guess I’ve become narrow-minded as I’ve gotten older. But I can explain. No matter how old I am, I wouldn’t do something without a reason…!”

“You’re wrong.”

“Wh, what do you mean?”

Sun Woo opened his eyes again.

In that instant, Yeo Gwang was startled. It was because a sharp glint was emanating from Sun Woo’s eyes, which had been filled with sorrow.

“If you had truly repented, you should have apologized to the Third Elder first.”

“Jangmun!”

“Furthermore!”

Sun Woo’s powerful voice echoed throughout the cave.

“It is also a grave sin for an elder of Jongnam, who should be a role model, to preach to the disciples the vile teachings that only worldly hypocrites would utter, as if they were the truth!”

Yeo Gwang’s face twisted.

However, his voice was urgent, unlike his expression.

“I told you! I had my reasons! I was on edge chasing after those ruthless Black Path bastards!”

“Black Path?”

For a moment, a question arose on Sun Woo’s face.

“Black Path? What are you talking about?”

Yeo Gwang was flustered. He had thought that Sun Woo had heard the whole story.

Was that why? He missed his chance to speak.

Gu Yun bowed his head and said.

“Several days before the war broke out, the Great Elder descended the mountain with swordsmen. It was a unilateral decision that did not go through the Elder Council.”

“And?”

“The Great Elder blocked Commander Yeon’s group from entering Seoseo [a region or area].”

In that instant, Sun Woo’s eyes flashed with a blue light.

Yeo Gwang, who was about to interject, could only swallow. For him, who was not only sealed off from his inner energy but also imprisoned, Sun Woo’s aura was overwhelmingly frightening.

Gu Yun told the truth about what had happened without adding or subtracting anything.

After a while.

“…”

Sun Woo sighed.

“So, that’s what happened.”

“In the midst of the chaos, I reported mainly on the crimes committed by the Great Elder. I apologize.”

Only then did Yeo Gwang finally interject.

“The Jangmun will understand my heart. Thanks to our efforts, Seoseo has become so clean that the Sima Outer Sect cannot even set foot there. How could I allow the Black Path to enter such a place, even if the Maengbu [a group or faction] had formed an alliance?”

“…”

“It’s absurd. I did it for Jongnam, and for the entire Seoseo…”

Gu Yun cut off Yeo Gwang’s words with an icy voice.

“Jongnam Mountain was saved from destruction thanks to the help of the Black Path people that Commander Yeon Ho-jeong brought.”

“What?”

“If it weren’t for them, the Great Elder would not be alive right now. The enemy forces would have occupied the main mountain and wiped out all the disciples.”

Yeo Gwang’s face turned pale.

“D, did you really bring those Black Path bastards into the main mountain?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“You crazy fools!!”

Yeo Gwang shouted, revealing his murderous intent as if he was truly enraged.

“You have truly tarnished the name of Jongnam! How dare you bring such trash into the sacred Jongnam Mountain, you should be ashamed!”

Thud!

In an instant, Yeo Gwang was terrified and retreated behind the wall.

Sun Woo’s fist struck the iron bars. The iron bars that were hit by his fist caved in.

Sun Woo said in a subdued voice.

“Third Elder.”

“Yes, Jangmun.”

“Tomorrow morning, I will destroy the Great Elder Yeo Gwang’s dantian [energy center] and sever his limbs’ meridians.”

Yeo Gwang’s face turned white.

“J, Jangmun!”

Sun Woo looked at Yeo Gwang.

Yeo Gwang collapsed on the spot without realizing it. Sun Woo’s gaze was filled with a ferocity he had never seen before.

After glaring at Yeo Gwang silently for a long time, Sun Woo moved towards the entrance. Gu Yun bowed his head and followed behind him.

The prison cell grew further away.

The sound of Yeo Gwang’s sobbing reached their ears.

Creak.

Sun Woo, who had come out of the Seo-oh Cave, looked up at the sky again.

“Senior Brother Jangmun, are you alright?”

“Junior Brother.”

“…Yes, Senior Brother.”

“Tomorrow morning, send a separate message to Commander Yeon. Tell him to have a meal with me in the evening.”

Gu Yun bowed his head.

“Understood.”