Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 809

The events that Yeon Ho-jeong caused in the restaurant spread throughout the Mukryong Unit in an instant.

Only a very few felt a sense of satisfaction at his actions, while the majority felt unease. They were anxious about what might happen next in the rapidly changing situation and atmosphere.

In a way, such tendencies of the Black Path people were similar to those of most common people living in the present era. They were the ones who suffered from the conflicts and competition of those in high positions, so they couldn’t help but react sensitively and feel anxious.

That was why it was said that the Black Path was reality, and the White Path was an ideal.

They were self-centered, rough, anxious, and one could not find those who would risk their lives for an ideal.

However, surprisingly, the more power and strength one possessed, the more blurred the boundaries between the Black and White Paths became.

Those who gained great power desired even greater power. Naturally, they could not even imagine losing the power they already possessed.

Yeon Ho-jeong touched upon that very point.

And the Black Path leaders gathered within the Mukryong Unit began to move as Yeon Ho-jeong had intended.

* * *

Kugugung!

The doors of the main hall opened, and several Black Path leaders appeared.

Along with the head of the Janggang Waterway, the heads of the five prestigious Black Path clans were present. There were also three heads of Black Path merchant guilds who had made astronomical amounts of money through illegal businesses such as salt trading.

Thus, nine influential figures came to see Yang Cheon.

“Interesting.”

A sly smile spread across Yang Cheon’s face as he sat on the grand chair.

“It’s quite novel to see all of you, who are usually hard to catch a glimpse of, flocking together like this.”

The nine leaders knelt and bowed their heads.

“We greet the master of the Mukryong Unit.”

They had always referred to Yang Cheon as the master of the Black Path, the king of the Black Path. But now, the words ‘master of the Mukryong Unit’ came from their mouths. It was clear how angry they were, beyond their fear of Yang Cheon.

The seasoned Yang Cheon immediately saw through their intentions. Well, it was hard not to notice given the situation.

“So, what is the reason for all of you gathering and coming all the way here?”

The leaders exchanged glances without speaking.

Yang Cheon’s eyes flashed.

“Why are you all looking at each other? Are you planning to say something you shouldn’t say to me?”

“N, no, that’s not it!”

The leaders bowed their heads once more.

Among them, Go In-wook, the head of the Janggang Waterway, straightened his back and spoke.

“The reason we have come to the main hall like this is because of the incident that occurred at the restaurant a while ago.”

“Ah, that incident.”

Yang Cheon smiled slyly again.

“Why? Did you all also commit some sin against the Vice-Chief?”

“N, no, that’s not it.”

“Then?”

Go In-wook gritted his teeth.

“After the Vice-Chief rose to become the emperor of the Black Path, we have always served him with all our hearts.”

“Is that so?”

“…If we have fallen short and not met your expectations, we apologize here and now.”

Yang Cheon waved his hand dismissively.

“Enough, so what is it that you want to say?”

Go In-wook hesitated for a moment. Yang Cheon’s reaction was more lukewarm than he had expected.

But it was already too late to turn back.

“The Vice-Chief’s act of killing the head of the Green Forest will cause great chaos in the Black Path. To kill the leader of the Green Forest without a clear reason, how can there be anything more tragic than this?”

“No reason?”

“O, of course, the head’s son insulted the Vice-Chief and his friend, but even so, punishing the head himself was excessive. Moreover, it is said that the head’s sincerity in offering to cut down his own son to uphold the authority of the Mukryong Unit was trampled upon. This is something that we cannot simply overlook.”

Yang Cheon tilted his head.

“Listen here, Go In-wook.”

He called him by his full name, not his title.

With just that form of address, Go In-wook, as well as all the leaders who had come with him, felt unease.

“Yes, Vice-Chief.”

“Are you trying to play politics with me right now?”

“Huk! N, not at all! How could I, a mere person, do such a thing…! Absolutely not!”

“Then why are you, like those hypocrites of the White Path, picking out only the information that is advantageous to you and reducing it as if that is the only truth?”

“V, Vice-Chief?”

“Or else.”

Whoosh!

Yang Cheon’s dark energy instantly took over the main hall.

“Are you coming to question the emperor of this Black Path, whom you serve so faithfully, without even properly investigating the series of events?”

“Heok!”

Go In-wook fell to the ground on the spot.

“I’m sorry! I certainly didn’t mean to… !”

“Then? What is the reason for this absurd group action?”

Cold sweat dripped from Go In-wook’s forehead.

At that moment, one of the leaders at the front straightened his back.

A man with a strong presence, wearing an eye patch on one eye, was none other than Seok Pae, the head of the prestigious Black Path clan, the Mad Blade Clan [狂刀房], also known as the One-Eyed Ghost Blade [獨眼鬼刀].

“Seok Pae, the head of the Mad Blade Clan, may I say a word?”

“I allow it.”

“I understand that the reason the Vice-Chief killed Head Jo Dong-guk was because of his despicable actions.”

“Despicable actions, you say.”

“Yes. However, that was entirely…”

“Speak on.”

“Yes?”

“What were those despicable actions? Say it with your own mouth.”

Seok Pae’s one eye trembled slightly.

But only for a moment.

“Head Jo Dong-guk failed to properly manage his subordinates. They frequently went down to the villages to hunt humans and defiled women.”

“And?”

“Furthermore, it was said that the head himself had abused and killed the beautiful women he had kidnapped from all over the country once they were no longer of use.”

“So?”

“Yes?”

Yang Cheon’s eyes became indifferent.

“That’s more than enough reason to die. So what about it?”

An expression of incomprehension appeared on Seok Pae’s face.

“It is true that he did shameful things, but he was not someone who deserved to lose his life for such matters, was he?”

“Such matters?”

“…Even if he were to be held accountable, it is only right that the rights and wrongs should be clearly determined through due process before a judgment is made. The Vice-Chief’s actions were clearly excessive, no matter how leniently one looks at it.”

“That’s another interesting thing to say.”

Yang Cheon tilted his head.

“Is your position higher than the Vice-Chief’s?”

“Of course not.”

“Then? Who are you to talk about looking at the Vice-Chief leniently or not?”

Seok Pae’s cheek twitched slightly.

“It’s not how I see it, but from a common-sense perspective, the Vice-Chief’s actions were clearly wrong.”

Whirr!

Yang Cheon’s energy flared up like fire. Even the proud and strong-willed Seok Pae could not help but feel fear in the face of that intense energy.

“Are you discussing common sense in front of me right now?”

“…Vice-Chief.”

“You’ve grown quite a bit while I wasn’t looking, Seok Pae.”

In an instant, Seok Pae’s face turned pale.

He slowly bowed his head.

“I apologize. I was reckless and disturbed the Vice-Chief’s mind…”

That was when it happened.

Crack!

“Kuek!”

Seok Pae suddenly stood up, then froze in place, standing straight.

Yang Cheon, who had reached out his hand towards him, released the energy of the Black Lion from his powerful fingertips, which became an invisible rope that completely bound Seok Pae.

Seok Pae’s face turned red.

He was struggling with all his might, but he could not escape from this powerful, intangible binding.

‘T, this can’t be!’

Even though there was a significant difference in their levels, this was too much.

Of course, even a master of the Saintly Realm could not openly use telekinesis to bind a supreme master. However, Yang Cheon’s killing intent had created an opening in Seok Pae’s mind, and Yang Cheon’s true energy, not missing that opening, had instantly captured his mind and body.

Yang Cheon’s hand slowly tightened.

Crack!

“Kuk!!”

Seok Pae’s right arm was bent at an odd angle.

Whoooooooom!!

The entire main hall actually darkened. Yang Cheon’s Black Lion energy had even dimmed the light of the night-illuminating pearls.

It was as if one was looking at a winter evening with dark clouds. Yang Cheon’s divine skill was that powerful.

“Dignity is the courage shown by one who has nothing to be ashamed of in their own heart, not the recklessness shown by a rotten dog with no sense of right or wrong.”

“Kuek! V, Vice-Chief! I was just… !”

“The matter with Jo Dong-guk was too much? So what are you trying to do?”

Yang Cheon smiled coldly.

“Why? Did you think that if you all acted together, I would back down? That without your power, the Mukryong Unit would be only half of what it is, so even a king of the arena wouldn’t dare to act recklessly? Is that the foolish calculation behind your actions?”

“…!!”

“It seems you’ve already forgotten how I brought you under my command, and it hasn’t even been that long.”

Yang Cheon clicked his tongue.

“To think you’d be this foolish. To have dreamed of unifying the world with such people, I feel like gouging out my own eyes.”

Fear clouded Seok Pae’s face.

“Vice-Chief! Please forgive me… !”

“Forgive?”

Yang Cheon turned his head towards the corridor next to the grand chair.

“You make the judgment. Should we forgive this lawless man?”

That was when it happened.

Whoooooooom!

From inside the corridor, a dark current swirled and revealed itself.

The terrifying ferocity created by that powerful force was a carbon copy of Yang Cheon’s. Although it was a somewhat rough energy that had not been completely refined, the atmosphere was exactly like Yang Cheon’s.

Expressions of shock spread across the leaders’ faces. The power that had taken over the main hall, and a power of the same kind, was swirling inside the corridor.

And then.

Crash!

With a burst of sound, a tremendous gust of wind flew in an arc.

Thwack!

With a gruesome sound, Seok Pae’s head was spectacularly shattered.

Thud, thud.

Yeon Ho-jeong walked out of the corridor.

“From the moment you dared to dismiss the great sin of exploiting and defiling those who should have been protected as ‘just that,’ you deserved to die, didn’t you?”

“Indeed.”

Yeon Ho-jeong knelt towards the grand chair.

“I greet my master.”

“That was a magnificent Whirlwind Lion Fist [旋風獅子拳].”

“I am still lacking in many ways.”

“That’s inevitable. But with your talent and aptitude, you’ll be able to make it your own soon enough.”

Whoooooooom!

The energy that had taken over the main hall disappeared as if it had been washed away.

Thud! Thud!

Seok Pae’s headless body flew out of the red carpet and crashed onto the floor.

“…!!”

The remaining leaders’ faces were pale, almost blue. The energy that had taken over the main hall had completely disappeared, but the fear that it had instilled remained.

Yang Cheon looked down at them with cold eyes.

“Your fangs are worn down, and your claws are all crushed, so you can’t even hunt with your own hands. That’s why you are all half-wits.”

“… !”

“You too must have fought countless battles to get to your positions. You killed your rivals, betrayed your teachers, betrayed your subordinates, and gathered forces to fight for power. You lived a rough but fierce life and achieved a certain level of success.”

“…”

“If you have lived like that, if you have seized the highest position, no matter what the process was, you should have shown the qualities of a person befitting that position. Isn’t that right?”

Yang Cheon clicked his tongue.

“It is only natural that you are being purged.”

The leaders were startled and raised their heads.

Yang Cheon nodded at Yeon Ho-jeong.

Yeon Ho-jeong spoke in a firm voice.

“I have investigated your organizations. There are many talented individuals who are skilled but have no connections, who have high ideals but are unable to overcome the petty schemes of small-minded people, and who are crawling on the ground.”

“…?!”

“I have summoned all of them to the Mukryong Unit. They are the ones who will create a new era with us, instead of you.”

“Heok!”

Killing intent flickered in Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes as he looked at the leaders who were unable to come to their senses.

“If you don’t want that, then prove your worth right here and now.”