Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 801

The day the Black Dragon Unit designated its successor.

The Murim Alliance delegation was already at the doorstep of the Murim Alliance.

They had been traveling without rest, except for sleep, so the time it took to travel from Hebei to Henan was incredibly fast.

However, no one suggested taking a break because they were tired. They all deeply felt the gravity of the situation.

However, Yeon-wi seemed to be the only one with a bit of composure.

It was when the group passed the outpost in the Daebyeolsan Murim Alliance territory.

“Ah!”

Jeagal Ayeon cried out with a surprised look.

“Father!”

Jeagal Mun-ho was standing with his hands behind his back on the mountain path leading to the Murim Alliance.

Jeagal Mun-ho clasped his hands in greeting.

“You all have worked very hard with the matters of the Imperial Palace.”

Yeon-wi and Peng Mu-gang returned the greeting.

“It’s nothing.”

Jeagal Mun-ho, straightening his back, smiled and looked at his daughter.

“How was it? The Imperial Palace?”

“It was incredibly fierce.”

“Yes, you’ve worked hard.”

“But Father, rather than that right now…”

“Go into the Murim Alliance first.”

“Yes?”

Jeagal Mun-ho looked at Peng Mu-gang and said,

“I apologize, but I have something to discuss with the Yeon Clan Head separately, so could you please enter the Alliance with my daughter first?”

Peng Mu-gang nodded with a heavy expression.

“Of course.”

“Thank you.”

“Before that, let me ask you one thing.”

Jeagal Mun-ho shook his head.

“The thing that Clan Head Peng is worried about has not happened. Please do not worry.”

“…Is that true?”

“Yes, it is. And I will make sure it doesn’t happen in the future. That is why I am here now.”

Peng Mu-gang sighed.

“Thank you.”

“Please don’t say that. Just as you two risked your lives to do what you had to do, I am simply doing what I have to do in this position.”

“Still, thank you.”

“Haha.”

Peng Mu-gang headed to the Murim Alliance with Jeagal Ayeon.

Yeon-wi and Jeagal Mun-ho looked at each other silently.

After a moment.

“You look more gloomy than I thought.”

Jeagal Mun-ho chuckled and spoke first.

Yeon-wi smiled wryly.

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“I was so busy rushing here that I didn’t even pay attention to my appearance.”

“Haha, that’s not what I meant.”

“Hmm?”

“I’m talking about your expression.”

Yeon-wi flinched.

Jeagal Mun-ho shrugged.

“I thought that Yeon Daesu would have sought the Clan Head’s consent before making such a decision. But now it seems that’s not the case.”

“My son is all grown up. He sees the world through his own eyes, and he is working for the good of the world in his own way. He doesn’t need to tell his father, me, about his decisions.”

“That’s true. There is no one else like Yeon Daesu in the world. Still…”

Jeagal Mun-ho scratched his head.

“Doesn’t Yeon Daesu, despite acting like he doesn’t, care a lot about his family?”

“That’s right.”

“Especially in a case like this, the intelligent Yeon Daesu must know that it will cause quite a scary ripple effect. So, I thought he would have at least told the Clan Head first.”

“He didn’t say that, but I did get the feeling that he was going to do something unusual.”

“I see.”

“And all I could say as his father was to be careful.”

Jeagal Mun-ho couldn’t help but laugh.

“You two are truly an amazing father and son. If it were me, I would have asked him in detail what he was planning to do.”

Yeon-wi chuckled.

Jeagal Mun-ho stopped laughing and spoke seriously.

“This time, it’s not the will of the Black Dragon Unit, but the will of Yeon Daesu, right?”

“That’s right. I know that a separate message was sent to the military advisor as well.”

“Yes, I received it too. But I asked just in case.”

“If he thought it was wrong, he would have refused even if it meant losing his head. No matter who did it first, this result came about because Ho-jeong accepted it.”

“I think so too.”

Jeagal Mun-ho pointed to a flat rock on one side.

The two sat side by side on the rock, looking down at the mountain path.

“As you might have guessed, the Murim Alliance is a bit noisy.”

“It must be more than a bit.”

“It’s a bit less than expected. Of course, it might seem like a huge uproar to the Clan Head.”

Yeon-wi sighed.

“Whatever the case, I feel sorry for the middle-ranking members. I’ve caused trouble for everyone.”

“How is this the Clan Head’s fault?”

“I love and support my son, but if someone is harmed by what he has done, then it is also my fault as his father.”

“That’s the same. How can we say that it’s only Yeon Daesu’s fault?”

“Military Advisor.”

“It’s the fault of the Three Teachings.”

Jeagal Mun-ho’s face was more serious than ever.

“It’s their fault for invading our peaceful world. It’s the fault of the Three Teachings for making geniuses who could have soared much higher wallow in the mud.”

“…”

“The Three Teachings, the situation, the world, have created the current Murim [martial arts world].”

“But people ultimately create that world.”

“That’s why it’s even less Yeon Daesu’s fault. Rather, we should all bow our heads and thank Yeon Daesu.”

Yeon-wi couldn’t help but be moved by Jeagal Mun-ho’s words.

However, he did not take Jeagal Mun-ho’s words at face value. His son had certainly done a lot, but merit is just merit.

Jeagal Mun-ho read Yeon-wi’s expression like a ghost.

“Do you know?”

“Know what?”

“As a military advisor, I have to doubt everyone.”

“…”

“I can’t even love my own family as easily as before. I believe they wouldn’t, but a military advisor is a position that has to assume all possibilities. Someone who shouldn’t trust anyone except themselves, that’s what military advisors are.”

Pity arose on Yeon-wi’s face.

How suffocating and unhappy must the life of someone who can’t trust anyone but themselves be? He had heard it before, but he felt anew the weight of responsibility that pressed down on Jeagal Mun-ho’s shoulders.

Jeagal Mun-ho lowered his head.

“It’s the path I chose. It’s not because I was made a military advisor, but because I agreed to it. This much is natural.”

“I… I have nothing to say.”

“But…”

“…?”

“Strangely, I couldn’t doubt Yeon Daesu.”

Yeon-wi’s eyes wavered.

Jeagal Mun-ho sighed.

“It’s probably the same for Public Affairs Officer Gong, Ascetic Master Seung-hyeon, and most of the Murim Alliance officials and elders. Do you know why?”

“…”

“Yes, you wouldn’t know. As his family, the Clan Head wouldn’t know. You love your son, but you just think of him as a person with great talent and monstrous abilities, and you would never know.”

Jeagal Mun-ho’s words were hitting Yeon-wi’s heart accurately.

It was also a statement that analyzed Yeon-wi’s personality perfectly. Yeon-wi loved his family, but he didn’t think that his family should receive special treatment compared to others.

It’s not that he loves them because they are special. It’s that they are special to him because he loves them.

Yeon-wi was someone who knew that distinction very well.

“Yeon Daesu, or rather, Ho-jeong’s eyes were always burning.”

“…”

“That fire didn’t go out when he was eating, sparring, training, or when he was planning strategies with me. Although I haven’t seen it, I dare to guess that Ho-jeong was burning with anger towards the Three Teachings even in his sleep.”

Jeagal Mun-ho sighed.

“You would have to be pretty bad not to be suspicious. Ho-jeong’s every move was aimed at fighting against the Three Teachings. When I look at Ho-jeong, I even think that he might be the natural enemy of the Three Teachings sent by heaven.”

“…Actually.”

Yeon-wi sighed.

“Isn’t that right?”

Jeagal Mun-ho smiled wryly.

“That’s what I’m saying. When you think about it, none of the Three Teachings guys who Ho-jeong fought against were unharmed. That’s enough to call him a natural enemy.”

“Hah…”

“In that respect, I am not an ideal military advisor. But there’s nothing I can do about it. As far as Murim politics and matters related to the Three Teachings are concerned, I trust Ho-jeong more than my own family.”

The two were silent for a moment.

It was Jeagal Mun-ho who spoke first again.

“However, Ho-jeong is going too far.”

“…”

“Of course, it doesn’t matter to us. I don’t know exactly who ‘us’ includes, but anyway, we’re fine.”

“…”

“The problem is those who don’t belong to ‘us’. Among them, there are those who seek power, those who blindly envy and try to bring down those who are better than them, and those who hate people who stand out for no reason. Of course, there will be many who try to use him.”

“I know.”

“And there are far more people who are not ‘us’ than there are of us.”

Yeon-wi nodded.

Jeagal Mun-ho looked at Yeon-wi’s profile and said,

“I have received good reports about what happened in the Imperial Palace, but there must be many omissions.”

“That’s right. There were many things that were difficult to write in a letter.”

“May I hear about it here first?”

“So be it.”

Yeon-wi told him everything that had happened in the Imperial Palace.

The meeting with the Empress, the meeting with the Emperor.

The flow and results of the battle that broke out in the Imperial Palace, as well as all the private conversations he had with the Emperor.

Jeagal Mun-ho nodded.

“His Majesty the Emperor said that he would be a strong ally.”

“That’s right. And…”

“He will unite the world.”

Jeagal Mun-ho smiled.

“Do you agree?”

“My opinion doesn’t matter.”

“It does matter.”

Yeon-wi nodded.

“To be honest, it’s not wrong. I, and Ho-jeong, saw that His Majesty the Emperor was determined, seeing him endure hardship and bide his time.”

“What about his abilities?”

“I had some casual conversations about the administrative aspects.”

Yeon-wi sighed.

“I couldn’t gauge it. The depth and vastness of it.”

Jeagal Mun-ho’s eyes wavered.

Although he had entered the Murim Alliance as an official and was not well-known, Yeon-wi was a person who had taken good care of the lives of the people of Gangdong. In other words, he was a wise ruler of Gangdong.

Of course, it wasn’t just Yeon-wi. To be called a hegemon of a region, everyone had to have top-notch abilities.

If Yeon-wi felt an unfathomable depth, then the Emperor’s knowledge and wisdom were far greater than expected.

Jeagal Mun-ho suddenly looked at the sword hanging from Yeon-wi’s waist.

“Is that the Imperial Sword?”

“That’s right.”

“The Heavenly Net Imperial Sword… Just by looking at that sword, I can tell that His Majesty the Emperor is determined to take action.”

Jeagal Mun-ho smiled and continued,

“Buy me a drink later. You are loved so much that those around you are jealous.”

“Would ten bottles of wine be enough?”

“Hahaha!”

Jeagal Mun-ho’s laughter was as clear and refreshing as ever.

When you think about it, there was no one as great as him. A military advisor is a position that has to doubt everyone, but at the same time, it is also a position that wields great power.

Nevertheless, Jeagal Mun-ho had never used that power for personal gain. His eyes and ears were always open to the world, and he never envied or was jealous of those who were better than him.

That’s why Yeon-wi trusted Jeagal Mun-ho. He liked him as a person, but he also liked his integrity and sense of responsibility.

However, from this statement of Jeagal Mun-ho, he couldn’t help but feel a shock as if the sky was falling.

“Clan Head Yeon.”

“Speak.”

“You must be prepared.”

“Prepared for what?”

Jeagal Mun-ho’s eyes shone.

“Can you cut ties with Ho-jeong?”