Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 751

The shocking words continued to pour out.

Yeon-wi spoke with unwavering confidence. Yet, his words were not the kind one would easily utter before the Emperor, nor were they considered polite by any measure.

Surprisingly, these blatantly disrespectful remarks didn’t sound disrespectful at all.

Was it the effect of his pleasant, low voice?

It couldn’t be just that. Yeon-wi’s demeanor and attitude conveyed that his words were not out of line.

This was evident in the Empress’s behavior. Despite having ample opportunity to interject, she remained silent, as if mesmerized by Yeon-wi.

A trickle of cold sweat ran down Woo-heon’s neck.

‘What is going on?’

He couldn’t quite grasp the situation.

It was true that Commander Moon-seok of the Palace Guard was heading to the audience chamber with his troops.

He also knew that the heads of the Yeon and Peng families, as well as the daughter of the Jeagal family, were among those troops.

Up to that point, everything was as expected. Woo-heon was skilled at gathering information and deriving the most realistic conclusions. He had judged that such a force would have difficulty breaking through the Imperial Guard and the Eastern Depot’s troops.

Even if they did break through, he was confident they would never get past the masters of the Shinwha Order [Divine Harmony Order] waiting around the audience chamber.

That was a logical assessment. Hong Ryong-geom alone possessed martial prowess that rivaled any sect leader of the Nine Great Sects [the most powerful martial arts sects].

In addition, there were countless masters who had trained in the Shinwha Order’s secret arts for a long time within the Imperial Palace and the Hong Ryong Palace, skilled in sniping, all without official titles.

It was a barrier that even the abbot of Shaolin [a legendary Buddhist monastery known for its martial arts] could not penetrate. No, it was a barrier that could not be breached even by three masters of the Shaolin abbot’s level. At least, that’s what Woo-heon believed.

‘Could it be?!’

Woo-heon’s eyes darted to Yeon-wi.

The rain of greatswords falling from the shattered ceiling. If a master could reveal such a threatening aura so clearly, they could be considered among the top martial artists, even surpassing the leaders of the Nine Great Sects and the Six Great Families [influential martial arts clans].

However, even that wouldn’t be enough to break through the many troops Woo-heon had prepared.

‘Could it be that he… has reached that realm?!’

He couldn’t be sure.

Of course, that couldn’t be. Even with his martial arts sealed, his senses were not dead. His intuition, his instincts, told him that Yeon-wi’s level had not reached ‘that place’.

‘…!’

That was the bigger problem.

To have reached the audience chamber, breaking through that ironclad defense without having opened the heavens [a metaphor for reaching the highest level of martial arts mastery]?

That could mean that even without reaching the heavens, he had a secret strategy to face the absolute masters who had opened the heavens.

‘That’s impossible!’

If not, he might have the ability to execute the best possible tactics at every moment. His son, Yeon Ho-jeong, was not only incredibly powerful but also a monster who had dismantled all sorts of strategies of the Three Teachings [Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism] with tactical insights that could only be described as genius.

Where would he have learned those strategies and tactics? It was highly likely that he had learned them from his father, Yeon-wi. Thinking that way, it wasn’t impossible.

The problem was that even so, Yeon-wi’s greatness was not diminished.

Whether he possessed martial arts that could face absolute masters who had reached the heavens without reaching it himself, or whether he had a genius-level tactical mind capable of breaking through a sect-level force single-handedly, it was equally dangerous.

‘This won’t do.’

The Emperor was listening to the words of such a dangerous person.

No, it wasn’t just listening; they were having a conversation.

Another piece that had deviated from his expectations was the Emperor.

Even if Yeon-wi was impressive, he never thought the Emperor would be interested in him. No matter how great Yeon-wi was, if the Emperor had ordered him to be executed, he would have brought in masters to attack Yeon-wi, even if it meant defiling the audience chamber.

It was neither this nor that. He thought it would be this way, but it wasn’t, and he thought it wouldn’t be that way, but it really was.

Woo-heon felt his head spinning. He didn’t know what to do or how to act in this situation.

While Woo-heon was extremely flustered and just rolling his eyes.

The Emperor finally opened his mouth.

“That is a truly fascinating and dangerous statement.”

Yeon-wi’s eyes flashed.

It was a dangerous statement, but also a fascinating one. It was not the kind of words that would come from the mouth of an incompetent ruler who had abandoned state affairs and indulged in worldly pleasures.

“When you first greeted me, you clearly called me the Son of Heaven.”

“That is correct.”

“What is the Son of Heaven? The Son of Heaven is the child of heaven. Because he is the child of heaven, he is different from ordinary people and therefore noble.”

“…….”

“To me, your rudeness is becoming more excessive with each passing moment.”

“You are mistaken.”

“Mistaken?”

Yeon-wi’s voice now sounded as smooth as a melody.

“The title of Son of Heaven is merely a name.”

“……!”

“Since ancient times, the Emperor has been called the Son of Heaven because he is a ruler who must care for the people on behalf of heaven. Your Majesty was born to the late Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager was also a child of man, and Your Majesty is also a child of man.”

“That statement alone makes you a traitor.”

“Also, the Son of Heaven is not noble because he is the child of heaven.”

“…….”

“It is the one who has a heart of compassion for all people, the one who is responsible for filling the bellies of all people, the one who is born with the heavenly mandate to dedicate his life to protecting and enriching this land where all people live.”

“…….”

“That is why the Son of Heaven is noble. He is noble because the lives of countless people rest on his shoulders.”

“Those are extremely dangerous words. Are you saying that I am less than the people?”

“Without the people, there is no Son of Heaven.”

“…….”

“Your Majesty has neglected your duties for the past several decades. Therefore, you have not been the Son of Heaven for several decades.”

Yeon-wi closed his eyes.

“Please, become the Son of Heaven.”

It was a shock like a thunderbolt.

The Empress, as well as Woo-heon, who was dizzy, were startled by Yeon-wi’s words.

Become the Son of Heaven.

Return to the wise Emperor you once were.

Correct the current flawed Imperial Palace and realize what the heavenly mandate is.

It was a direct statement that was difficult to come from anywhere or anyone’s mouth. Rudeness and hope, sincerity and fact, a law that disregarded the rules were contained within it.

“Those are dangerous words. It is the statement of a traitor who deserves to have his entire family, no, his nine generations, exterminated. I have never seen anyone as disrespectful as you in all the time since the late Emperor was alive.”

“…….”

“But, your eyes are truly clear.”

In an instant, a pair of eyes on the shadowed dragon throne flickered like lightning.

‘…!’

Yeon-wi’s eyes wavered.

The Emperor’s face, which was difficult to see clearly. The two eyes that adorned that face, like treasures, revealed a chillingly clear transparency.

It was at that moment.

At that very moment, Yeon-wi could be certain.

‘He hasn’t given up.’

It was as he had expected.

‘Your Majesty has not given up on the Imperial Palace, on the Empire.’

Yeon-wi did not know the circumstances.

No, no one here would know. Not even the Empress, nor Woo-heon, who had devised all sorts of cunning schemes to render the Emperor useless, would know the Emperor’s true situation.

He had that conviction. The moment he saw the Emperor’s eyes, he realized it naturally.

“The Son of Heaven is merely a ruler who governs the people on behalf of heaven, not a divine being appointed by heaven… Yes, it has been a long time since I have heard such words. It is a direct statement that makes my mouth bitter just to hear it.”

“Your, Your Majesty!”

Woo-heon cried out without realizing it.

The Emperor said.

“May I call you the head of the Yeon family?”

“It would be an honor.”

“Head of the Yeon family, I do not know what you believe in to have come this far. You know very little about me, let alone the Imperial Palace. Is that not so?”

“That is correct.”

“Yet, how did you come this far? Seeing you now, I know that there are not many masters in the world who can match you, but at the same time, I also know that you are not some amateur who is just running wild with a little martial arts skill.”

“…….”

“You could have easily been branded as a family of traitors. If I had not listened to you and had ordered the eunuchs to capture and kill you, you would never have escaped this place.”

“That would have been the case.”

“Did you come here risking your life?”

“I came here risking my life, but I had no intention of dying at the hands of treacherous officials and heretical groups, even if it meant dying at the hands of the Emperor.”

“Is life and death something you can control?”

“At least, I can postpone it.”

“How so?”

“I was prepared to die at the hands of the Emperor, but I did not say that I was prepared to die at the hands of ‘the current’ Emperor.”

“……!!”

“If Your Majesty had shown a demeanor unbecoming of the Son of Heaven, I was planning to showcase my greatest skill in this place.”

It could be said that this was the most terrifying statement Yeon-wi had made today.

The Empress’s lightly powdered face turned completely white, and even Woo-heon was shocked, his mouth agape. Yeon-wi’s statement was that excessive.

Even the Emperor himself.

The eyes of the Emperor sitting on the dragon throne were also slightly shaking.

But what was truly surprising was the Emperor’s following statement.

“Is this to say that the Emperor is the parent of all people and the ruler of the Empire, but if he does not act as the Son of Heaven, he is an existence that can be destroyed at any time?”

“That is why I believe you are the one who reigns above all.”

“You martial artists do not recognize the Imperial Palace and the government. How can such words come from your mouth, living under the humiliating clause of ‘no government interference’?”

“I do not believe this is the place to argue about what happened in the past. Even if it were, I do not have the insight and wisdom to judge the rights and wrongs of the past.”

Yeon-wi’s eyes shone.

“What is important to me is now, this very moment.”

“…….”

“However, I have not been aware of the world for long, and I have also lived seeing many things incorrectly. It is only now, when foreign forces are planning to turn this continent into a wasteland, that I, a stubborn fool, have realized what I must do.”

“…….”

“Please forgive me for coming here now, with only the pride of righteousness. This sin, I will not be able to repay in my lifetime.”

It was frightening.

It was frightening, but it was different from Woo-heon.

Woo-heon, as a treacherous official wearing the mask of a loyal subject, said that he would receive punishment later for violating the rules and etiquette.

But Yeon-wi, who had come to correct the wrong things at the risk of his life, said that violating the Imperial Palace’s etiquette and rules was not a capital offense.

The real capital offense he was talking about was his own foolishness for arriving too late.

The Emperor closed his eyes.

For some reason, the shadows that had fallen on the dragon throne seemed to have lifted a little.

“…….”

A terribly heavy silence enveloped the audience chamber.

How much time had passed?

“Treacherous officials and heretical groups.”

“…….”

“I will not ask how you know about them.”

“…….”

“What I want to know is whether their wrongdoings can be revealed in broad daylight or not.”

It was then.