Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 730

Mad Soul Demon Lord, Gok Gyeong.

He is one of the Three Military Commanders of Seongcheon’s Thirteen Seats, and his martial prowess is said to be a step below that of the Divine Immortal Emperor. [The Divine Immortal Emperor is the highest authority in the martial world, a figure of immense power and prestige.]

However, that is just an external assessment. No one can know the outcome until they actually fight. He could be stronger or weaker than the world’s assessment. That’s usually how the reputation of the martial world goes.

However, considering the time he opened his Limit [a state of heightened power achieved through intense training and spiritual cultivation] and was recognized for his strength, no one in Seongcheon could be below Yeon Ho-Jeong.

‘I can’t figure it out.’

He never imagined he would meet the Mad Soul Demon Lord here.

But now was not the time to think about this and that.

Flash!

Five masked men, swept away by the blade light of the glaive swung in a cross pattern, were torn apart.

Gok Gyeong’s eyes flashed.

He naturally knew that his opponent was a master who had opened their Limit.

The key was whether they were a strong figure who held a certain position even within the Limit. At first glance, they didn’t seem to be a strong figure who had made a name for themselves in Seongcheon, so there was a high probability that they were a rookie.

But that was not the case.

Just from seeing this one move, this single blade technique, he could tell that his opponent’s martial prowess was not ordinary.

“You fools! Who told you to attack directly!”

Swoosh!

No sooner had he finished speaking than the surviving masked men retreated to the rear.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes gleamed.

‘Fast?’

Regardless of their skill level, the masked men’s movement technique was extraordinary.

Surprisingly, their level was among the highest even among the supreme masters. It was comparable to Moyong Gun’s movement speed.

At that speed, it was no exaggeration to say that they were almost on par with a master of the Limit.

‘Just what are these guys?’

Sleek.

The masked men took out small metal pieces, slightly larger than the palm of their hand, from their pockets.

They had a strange shape. They looked like small versions of the matchlock guns that had emerged about three hundred years ago and then declined.

The masked men aimed their guns at Yeon Ho-Jeong.

In that instant, Yeon Ho-Jeong felt the hair on his entire body stand on end.

Fling! Thwack, thwack, thwack!

Several holes were pierced in the spot where Yeon Ho-Jeong had disappeared.

Tiny bullets, fired with an extremely small sound, pierced the ground.

Surprise flickered across Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face as he soared into the sky.

‘This is!’

Originally, weapons that used gunpowder were supposed to make a loud noise. This could be seen even with the Tang Clan’s Golden Flame Hidden Weapons. [The Tang Clan is a famous family known for their mastery of hidden weapons and poisons.]

But their hidden weapons did not.

They did make a sound, but it was so small that it was impossible to think of them as gunpowder weapons.

Whoosh!

“Where are you looking?”

Gok Gyeong, who had soared into the air where Yeon Ho-Jeong had jumped, powerfully swung his fist.

Yeon Ho-Jeong met him with a palm strike. It was ambiguous in terms of timing and distance to swing his blade.

Boom!

With a roar, the two men’s bodies were sent flying in opposite directions.

Fshhhhh!

Gray smoke rose from Yeon Ho-Jeong’s left hand as he stepped onto the ground, using a tree to break his fall.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face contorted.

‘It’s brutal.’

The intense energy of the Vermilion Fire Qi [a powerful internal energy technique focused on fire] completely evaporated the evil energy that was trying to penetrate him.

Under the hot energy, he felt a sensation as if his entire hand was freezing. If there was a master of Yin [the concept of darkness, cold, and passivity in traditional Chinese philosophy] and also evil energy, this would be the most authentic of them all.

Meanwhile, Gok Gyeong was just as surprised.

“Look at this guy?”

Whoosh!

A strange energy, both blue and dark, gathered in his hand, dissolving the energy that was trying to penetrate his body.

And that speed was subtly faster than Yeon Ho-Jeong’s.

Crack.

Gok Gyeong’s expression changed as he clenched his fist.

“He reacted right away? That wouldn’t have been easy.”

“Why is someone like the Mad Soul Demon Lord here?”

Gok Gyeong ignored Yeon Ho-Jeong’s words.

“Considering your level, it doesn’t make sense… Oh, you’re a fighter skilled in life-or-death battles. That’s why you were able to block it.”

It wasn’t that simple, but it seemed that Gok Gyeong didn’t care about such things.

Gok Gyeong frowned.

“I’ll ask again. What is your identity? I’ve never heard of someone like you in the current martial world.”

“……”

“Does not answering mean you want to hide it? Or is it because of some pointless stubbornness?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had been quietly watching Gok Gyeong, relaxed his stance.

Although he relaxed his stance, his senses became more acute as time passed.

Gok Gyeong could see that at a glance. That’s why he was even more concerned.

‘Being able to sharpen his senses so acutely means he’s really used to fighting. Even a guy who’s crazy about fighting wouldn’t be able to do that…’

At that moment, Yeon Ho-Jeong opened his mouth.

“Before we get into all that, let me ask you one thing.”

“You little brat, your tone is terrible. How about fixing your tone before we get into anything?”

“The people you killed, were they civilians?”

A clearly unpleasant look appeared on Gok Gyeong’s face.

“I don’t know why you’re curious about that, but you’ve got the wrong person. I only destroy those who are guilty.”

His tone was rough, but it was clear to anyone who heard it that he was being truthful.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s intense gaze softened slightly.

Crack.

Gok Gyeong gently rotated his shoulders.

“You’re relieved. Because I said no civilians were killed.”

“……”

“You talk about justice and righteousness, but you don’t seem to be from the White Path factions who only fill their own bellies.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong couldn’t help but smile wryly.

Gok Gyeong was a notorious supreme master of the Demonic Path. He couldn’t have a good perception of the Righteous Path, but he was saying that just by worrying about civilians, he didn’t seem to be from the White Path.

It was partly because of Gok Gyeong’s background, but it also meant that there were indeed such ruthless people in the White Path.

“Anyway…”

“This is the end.”

Gok Gyeong spoke frankly.

“If I didn’t have other things to do, I would have crushed that rude mouth of yours, but if it’s a rookie like you, I’d have to use quite a bit of strength. If I use my strength in the wrong place before a big event and get backstabbed, it would be painful for me too.”

“……”

“But it doesn’t make sense for me to be stuck here because of you.”

Crack!

A savage sound echoed from Gok Gyeong’s two fists.

Fshhhhh.

Evil energy that slowly rose like a mist, but burned as brilliantly as a flame.

It was as if he was emitting blue flames that spewed gray smoke. The masked men around Gok Gyeong bowed their heads and retreated.

‘As expected.’

Sweat formed on Yeon Ho-Jeong’s hand holding the glaive.

‘He’s strong. Really strong.’

He was different from the Dark King Tang Hyeong, the Yin Monarch Ha Eun-Gyo, or the Fighting King Yang Cheon.

He had seen their strength enough, but he had never fought an opponent who was determined to kill him and was emitting killing intent.

Gok Gyeong was different.

This man was genuinely revealing his killing intent, and he was exuding an aura that he would finish things if necessary. Moreover, this man’s martial prowess was beyond the Limit.

If a fight broke out, regardless of the outcome, Yeon Ho-Jeong would also suffer fatal damage.

“I’ll ask one last time.”

“……”

“Reveal your affiliation and name.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes deepened.

‘What should I do?’

Gok Gyeong was serious.

He was a master of Seongcheon who he had encountered in an unexpected place and at an unexpected time. Before his surprise could fade, a fight broke out, and through a few words of conversation, he had learned some of the opponent’s personality.

Gok Gyeong was a simple man. Although the smell of blood was flowing from his entire body, he unexpectedly did not fight without a reason. It was an intuition.

However, because he was simple, his current statement was important.

If he continued to keep his mouth shut, a true life-or-death battle would ensue, but if he honestly revealed his identity…

“Huh?”

At that moment, Gok Gyeong’s eyes turned to Yeon Ho-Jeong’s upper body.

“Wait. That armor… I’ve seen it somewhere before?”

In an instant, Yeon Ho-Jeong hesitated.

Gok Gyeong’s furrowed eyes widened.

“You…? Are you one of those guys under Yang Cheon?”

This was another unexpected development?

Yeon Ho-Jeong suddenly recalled his conversation with Yang Cheon.

‘He suddenly came at me with a fist, asking to fight, and I was so dumbfounded that I almost got hit. But he didn’t seem like a guy who was crazy about fighting. He just didn’t like that I was rated higher than him.’

That’s right.

Yang Cheon had met Gok Gyeong before. And they had exchanged blows.

The result was naturally Yang Cheon’s overwhelming victory, but his assessment of Gok Gyeong was considerable.

‘There was a clear difference, but he said that he was still great enough to be defeated if he wasn’t careful.’

Indeed, Yang Cheon’s words were not wrong.

The martial prowess of Gok Gyeong, which he could feel right in front of him, was truly great. He didn’t seem like he would be pushed back much even if he fought against masters of the Divine Immortal Emperor level.

“Speak! You, one of Yang Cheon’s…”

“That’s right.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong readily admitted.

“I am affiliated with the Black Dragon Unit. I cannot reveal anything more than that.”

“…Black Dragon Unit.”

A sullen look appeared on Gok Gyeong’s face.

“What’s with the sudden change? When did the Black Dragon Unit Lord raise someone like you?”

“It’s hard to explain.”

“…Well, I guess it would be. He’s a guy who has hundreds of snakes in his belly, so how could it not be so?”

He knew more accurately than he thought?

“Then what are you doing here? Is it an order from the Fighting King?”

“That’s right.”

It wasn’t entirely wrong.

Gok Gyeong, who had been glaring at Yeon Ho-Jeong with a sullen face, sighed deeply.

“Damn it. It’s awkward to crush a junior, and… that old man has never been to my liking.”

A junior?

“Why am I your junior?”

Gok Gyeong snorted.

“Look at how stiff your neck is. As expected of a guy from the Demonic Path, your attitude is something else.”

Misunderstandings were piling up in an instant.

“Okay. If you’re under that old man, I can’t easily touch you. I’ll let you go quietly, so forget everything you saw today.”

“……”

“But you must answer this one thing clearly. No matter how much of a junior you are, if you are our enemy, I can’t just let you go.”

Gok Gyeong asked seriously.

“Did you come because of the Tyrant King?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong answered honestly.

“That’s right.”

“I knew it. What are you going to do with the Tyrant King?”

A lie that had caught a wave flowed out naturally.

Of course, it was just one lie hidden among nine truths.

“No specific instructions have been given. However, since the Tyrant King suddenly appeared in this situation, they told me to find out what his purpose is for coming into the world.”

“…Hmm.”

Gok Gyeong stroked his chin.

“Is that all?”

“If he is judged to be an enemy.”

Whoosh.

Killing intent spread from Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes.

It was a ruthless killing intent that even Gok Gyeong, the master of the world, flinched at for a moment.

“They said it’s okay to eliminate him on the spot.”

“Oh ho?”

Gok Gyeong smiled savagely.

“How do you judge that he is an enemy?”

In that instant, Yeon Ho-Jeong knew.

Right here, right now, was the time for the showdown.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had been quietly looking at Gok Gyeong, smoothly uttered plausible words.

“If he is someone who can be put within the shadow of the Black Dragon Unit, he is not an enemy. But if he does not come within it, he has no choice but to become an enemy.”

Gok Gyeong’s smile became a little more sinister.

“Then I’m an enemy too? I have no intention of joining the Black Dragon Unit.”

“I was ordered to investigate the Tyrant King. The Mad Soul Demon Lord was not mentioned anywhere in that order.”

“Look at this guy? So if you were ordered to test me? Would you kill me too?”

“If such an order is given.”

“……”

Gok Gyeong’s smile became increasingly fierce.

Yeon Ho-Jeong looked at Gok Gyeong with calm eyes.

After a while.

Whoosh!

The brutal evil energy that had been rising from Gok Gyeong’s body disappeared in an instant.

“That old man, he still picked up a decent guy in his old age.”

Gok Gyeong turned his body.

“Follow me, junior. Since we also have to catch the Tyrant King, do whatever you want, whether you want to observe from the side or not.”

“Is that okay?”

“We don’t know where he is, do we?”

“That’s true, but.”

Gok Gyeong snorted.

“It’s not bad to put that old man in debt. So come and watch. Well, thanks to you, I might be able to borrow some of your abilities.”

“What if our goals are different when we actually meet?”

“They can’t be different.”

Killing intent rose on Gok Gyeong’s face.

“If it’s the Fighting King, he’ll definitely want to kill the Tyrant King.”