Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 817

Pae-yul walked away, his steps echoing like the finality of a closing chapter.

Yeon Ho-jeong’s gaze followed Pae-yul’s retreating figure.

He seemed, in a way, relieved. Pae-yul’s back was striking, radiating a unique blend of freedom and sharp elegance that was distinctly his own.

Yeon Ho-jeong spoke up, breaking the silence.

“Don’t you drink?”

Pae-yul, who had been walking away, stopped in his tracks.

He grumbled quietly, almost to himself.

“Why would men need a farewell drink? Just saying goodbye is enough.”

“I suppose so.”

“Take care.”

“Yes.”

Pae-yul started walking again.

But only for a moment.

“Damn it.”

Pae-yul turned around, his face contorted in a mix of frustration and exasperation.

“You bastard, did it have to be that way?”

It was an abrupt question, but Yeon Ho-jeong understood what he meant.

“Yes. This was the best way.”

“Best? What’s so good about it? You just chose the easiest way.”

“How is a choice where the eldest son of a prestigious righteous clan becomes a disciple of the Black Path’s [a term for a group of martial artists who are considered evil or unorthodox] leader the easiest way?”

“…Damn it.”

“My choice has even caused harm to my family. Of course, there are many who are helping, though.”

Pae-yul was momentarily speechless. He knew how much Yeon Ho-jeong cared for his family, even if he didn’t often show it.

It was a choice that even risked harm to his beloved family. It was definitely not an easy decision for Yeon Ho-jeong.

“Are you sure that was the only way?”

“There might have been many ways. However, I thought this was the best.”

“Why the best? Do you think the Black Path will easily bow their heads before a righteous clan’s successor?”

“That’s why I came.”

“What?”

“To make them bow. With that kind of authority and unity, it could be a great help in fighting the Three Teachings [a term for three major evil sects or organizations].”

“The Three Teachings, the Three Teachings!”

Pae-yul gritted his teeth, his frustration evident.

“Is that all you have in your head?”

Yeon Ho-jeong smiled bitterly, not offering a verbal response.

He knew why Pae-yul was saying that. It wasn’t that the Three Teachings weren’t important, but that he was asking where Yeon Ho-jeong’s own life had gone because of them.

“My life can be found after the annihilation of the Three Teachings.”

“……”

“You know that, don’t you?”

“I know that our home could be turned into a sea of fire because of the Three Teachings. But you don’t have to shoulder this much sacrifice alone just to crush them. After crushing them, you might not have a place to return to.”

His edgy tone was laced with concern for his comrade.

Yeon Ho-jeong shook his head.

“Rather than hesitating while worrying about that, I’ll do what I can right now.”

“…You crazy bastard, what can I say?”

“So, you should go, senior.”

“Why? Are you worried I’ll be cut off from the Mount Hua Sect [a famous righteous martial arts sect]?”

“……”

“You little brat, I was a black sheep in Mount Hua from the start. If it weren’t for the sect leader, I wouldn’t have even become an instructor, let alone an elder.”

“Either way, there are people who care about you. No matter what, you are an elder of Mount Hua. Once you have the position of elder, it doesn’t just disappear.”

“They’d probably like it.”

“Yes?”

“They’d probably like it if I threw away my elder position. My fellow disciples who didn’t like me would be happy.”

Yeon Ho-jeong frowned, his brow furrowing in concern.

“I don’t know what the circumstances are, but even if that’s true, the rumor that a Mount Hua person abandoned his elder position to join the Black Path’s successor will greatly harm Mount Hua.”

“Make sure it doesn’t.”

“…?!”

For a moment, Yeon Ho-jeong thought he had misheard.

“What do you mean by that?”

“I said, make sure it doesn’t. And you must have a way to do that.”

“Yes?”

“Did you make a choice that could harm your family without any countermeasures? At least the Yeon Ho-jeong I know isn’t a reckless fool who dances with a sword without any preparation.”

That was certainly true. If that wasn’t the case, he would have rushed to the Martial Alliance as soon as he became Yang Cheon’s successor.

Yeon Ho-jeong had been exchanging letters with Jeagal Mun-ho. Of course, only Yang Cheon knew about that, no one else.

He had been dealing with the Black Path first because he was sure that Yeon-wi and Yeon Ji-pyeong were safe through those letters.

“Senior. That won’t work.”

“They call you the Tyrant.”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s face instinctively twisted in annoyance.

“Who told you that?”

“Who told me? The whole world knows.”

“Damn it.”

“And you have the White Divine General, Mak Won, by your side.”

“……”

“I’m coming back from seeing Mak Won. And I’m sure that when you head to the Martial Alliance, he will go with you.”

“The name of the Saintly Heaven [a high level of martial arts mastery] cannot erase past mistakes.”

“It will to some extent.”

“But that won’t stop Mount Hua from being shaken.”

“Since when have you cared so much about the sect?”

“Senior.”

“The reason why a scoundrel like me could become an elder is because the sect leader is virtuous and capable. He doesn’t want to step forward himself, but if he were to take a position in the government, he would do better than anyone.”

“……”

“It won’t be difficult for him to resolve the situation.”

Yeon Ho-jeong shook his head, his expression troubled.

“Why are you doing this? We can all just do our best in our own positions without having to be together.”

“I know.”

“I don’t think you do. There’s no reason to risk this and be together. Even at the cost of harming your sect…”

“Harm to the sect!”

Pae-yul’s booming voice cut through the cold night air, his words carrying weight.

“Harm from reputation is not real harm. The real harm is when the long history and the footsteps of our ancestors are trampled by the dirty feet of outsiders.”

“……!”

“I don’t know how you think of our relationship, but I chose you.”

“……?”

“From the first time I saw you, I thought I could have a very interesting life with this guy. And through many battles, I was able to find myself.”

Pae-yul’s passionate gaze was neither cold nor dark like before. It was filled with a genuine warmth.

“I know my place well. Going back to Mount Hua would be good too. But to be of even the slightest help to this world, it would be better to be with you. That’s what I think.”

Yeon Ho-jeong sighed, a mix of emotions swirling within him.

“Senior.”

“And I like you.”

“……”

It was an unexpected remark, catching Yeon Ho-jeong off guard.

“The fact that I recognized you as a junior and a comrade, and chose you, wasn’t just for my goals.”

“……”

“I just enjoyed being busy with you. The few years I spent with you felt much more rewarding than the forty years I spent doing nothing but swinging my sword.”

“……”

“I could live a rewarding life on my own. But not now.”

Pae-yul pointed at Yeon Ho-jeong with his finger, his gaze intense.

“There are a few people who are moving this world right now. They are the core that creates the flow. And you are one of those few cores.”

“……”

“It’s embarrassing, but I can’t do it like you. I don’t want to. I just want to work for the world next to someone who recognizes my abilities and can throw me where I can be used well.”

“……”

“If I live that kind of life with someone I acknowledge and like, there will be no more fulfilling life. That’s all.”

Like how he scattered the illusion with his fantastical swordsmanship and revealed the cold ground, Pae-yul was speaking his true feelings. Clear feelings that he hadn’t spoken before, that he didn’t need to speak.

“You said I’ve changed. That’s right. I’ve changed. Now that I’ve completed my martial arts, I’m full of confidence, and I don’t want to bother with low-level guys.”

“……”

“But the reason I’m angry at you isn’t because you made me fight low-level trash. If you truly thought of me as a senior and a comrade, you should have asked me, regardless of the harm to Mount Hua.”

“Asked what?”

“If I could continue to be with you.”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes wavered, his composure momentarily shaken.

Pae-yul’s eyes blazed with a fierce intensity.

“Instead of subtly trying to figure out my feelings like a fool, you should have asked with sincerity and confidence. That’s the part that made me angry.”

“……”

“And that’s why you’ve changed. I would have understood if you had become arrogant and power-hungry after becoming Yang Cheon’s disciple, but you’ve become much stranger than that.”

“……”

“A guy who threw away his pride for the sake of destroying the Three Teachings is now sticking his nose into other people’s business without knowing his place.”

Yeon Ho-jeong closed his eyes, taking a moment to process Pae-yul’s words.

Pae-yul’s voice continued, unwavering in its conviction.

“It takes two to clap. Even if I want to be here, if it’s difficult for you, I don’t want to force myself to stay.”

“……”

“Say it again.”

“Yes?”

“Say what you should have said when you saw me again, right here and now.”

Pae-yul’s demand was confident, yet it also carried the weight of their shared history and camaraderie.

And that demand was also natural as a comrade, a friend who had stood by him through thick and thin.

Yeon Ho-jeong sighed, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

“Do you really have to hear such embarrassing words after setting the mood like this?”

“A relationship where you understand each other without words is established because you said what needed to be said.”

“……”

“I’m giving you this chance because I’m your senior. Other guys wouldn’t dare to make such a demand because of your position and harsh personality, but I can because it’s me.”

“……”

“If you don’t want to be labeled as a traitor and a rude guy, don’t miss this chance.”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s face, which had been smiling bitterly, gradually became serious, the weight of the world settling on his shoulders.

Pae-yul could see the fatigue that was cast over that serious face. Even though it was night, Yeon Ho-jeong’s fatigue was noticeable, a stark contrast to his usual stoic demeanor.

The fatigue he had never shown to anyone. The expression he thought he shouldn’t show was clearly revealed under the moonlight, a vulnerability that was both surprising and poignant.

“Can you endure being excommunicated?”

“If the Azure Mountain [a reference to his family or clan] is safe, being excommunicated is nothing.”

“Your hands will be stained with a lot of dirty blood.”

“Just don’t make me do any embarrassing swordplay.”

“You must not die.”

Pae-yul’s lips curled up into a confident smile.

“I have no intention of smelling the Sanzu River [a reference to the river in the underworld] at this age.”

“Then.”

Yeon Ho-jeong lowered his head, his voice filled with a sincerity that was rare for him.

“Please, be with me.”

Whoosh!

The short spear, thrown with tremendous speed, stopped right in front of Yeon Ho-jeong’s nose, the wind from its passage ruffling his hair.

Yeon Ho-jeong’s hand, which was holding the short spear, was trembling slightly. It was an even more powerful attack than the one he had thrown with all his might a moment ago, a testament to Pae-yul’s skill and resolve.

Pae-yul smiled, his eyes sparkling with a newfound determination.

“I will be with you.”

* * *

The next day.

“……”

Yeon Ho-jeong, who had received a letter from the Martial Alliance, visited Yang Cheon.

“Were you busy yesterday?”

“Yes, I had some things to take care of.”

“I see. So, what brings you here so early in the morning?”

“I received a message from the Martial Alliance.”

Yang Cheon’s eyes lit up with anticipation.

“What did it say?”

“They will soon announce an official document regarding the selection of the Martial Alliance Leader.”

“…Finally.”

“And, one of my rivals has appeared.”

“Rival?”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes deepened, a hint of challenge flickering within them.

“Moyong Gun has broken his seclusion.”