Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 88

Past midnight.

Moyong Gun, having seen Yeon Ho-Jeong off, was drinking alone, gazing at the now-cold dishes.

“Ha, it’s been a while since I’ve drunk this much.”

He had deliberately suppressed his inner energy and indulged in the intoxication. As a result, his neck and face were flushed red.

Moyong Gun wore a faint smile.

He was replaying his conversation with Yeon Ho-Jeong in his mind.

‘But this permit, isn’t it completely useless?’

‘Ha! What a rude thing to say. It bears the seal of the Moyong Clan Head.’

‘I don’t trust the other party, so I don’t trust the evidence they provide. Also, before trusting someone, I analyze the situation. Both you and I are too greedy to trust each other and proceed, aren’t we?’

‘…….’

‘I’ll leave this here. Buy me a drink later.’

Moyong Gun looked at the permit placed to one side.

“……That snake-like fellow.”

Amazing.

No matter how many times he said it, it wasn’t enough. He was truly an amazing talent.

“Hey, Ho-Jeong. But you know, you’re good in every way, but you overlooked one thing.”

Ts ts ts.

With a surge of killing intent, the permit flew up and landed on the greasy food.

“The nail that sticks out gets hammered down. They say a talent will eventually be recognized even if they don’t show themselves, but that doesn’t apply in the martial world. Do you know why?”

He muttered as if Yeon Ho-Jeong were right beside him.

Moyong Gun grinned.

“Martial artists are full of worries. They can’t stand a nail that sticks out. Once a nail is seen sticking out, they grab it and twist it.”

He was too outstanding to leave alone.

He was smart and quick-witted. He could grasp the context of a situation instantly and create a flow by combining different situations.

He should never be given too much information. He would analyze and combine the information to figure out the true intentions hidden beneath the surface.

Furthermore, he shouldn’t be given too much time. Even without information, he could somehow figure things out and see through what was happening.

He was a tricky one. That’s why he couldn’t be left alone.

“I wish he’d get a taste of bitterness in Anhui. Don’t you think so?”

Moyong Gun turned around.

Surprisingly, a man in his forties stood with his arms crossed in a corner of the room.

“You knew?”

“Haha! Of course. How could I not recognize your unique wind-like inner energy?”

The man’s eyes sank deeply.

The moment he revealed his presence, he exuded a subtle pressure like a fog. He was no ordinary master.

“You should have come a little earlier. You could have seen Yeon Ho-Jeong, that friend of yours.”

“I have no interest.”

“Haha, still the same.”

“So, do we just spread it to the Namgoong Clan?”

“That’s right. As you know, the source of the information must never be revealed.”

“The Namgoong Clan Head is a sharp one. He’s not someone who would believe information without a source.”

“At the same time, he’s not someone who will just sit idly by. He’ll move out of curiosity, at the very least.”

“May I ask you one thing?”

“Ask away.”

“Why are you so concerned about that Yeon Ho-Jeong fellow?”

Moyong Gun’s eyes turned cold for a moment.

“Because he’s too outstanding.”

“Is that all?”

“He’s not even twenty years old. I’m on edge because of someone like him. Even when I drove out my brothers and took the Clan Head position, there was no one like him.”

“…….”

“Do you understand what I mean? He’s a monster who can see what I see at that age. And his martial arts are outstanding too.”

“…….”

“If he grows like this, I don’t know how terrifying a monster he’ll become in the future.”

The man felt a chill run down his spine.

He knew Moyong Gun well. He knew his abilities and character.

That’s why he didn’t trust him, but at the same time, he couldn’t escape him.

‘A talent that even the great Moyong Gun is wary of…….’

The man opened his mouth.

“What if he finds out?”

“It doesn’t matter. Even if he knows it’s a trap, he won’t retaliate.”

“How can you be so sure?”

Moyong Gun smiled.

“Because he also knows the terror of public opinion. That’s why we’re leaking information to the Namgoong Clan, isn’t it?”

“…….”

“Affection is a terrifying thing. And just as terrifying as affection is pride. For the Namgoong Clan, Yeon Ho-Jeong is that kind of person.”

“…….”

“Now, let’s get started.”

Moyong Gun raised his glass.

“The result doesn’t matter. What matters is the conflict. Whether he dies, gets crushed, or comes back alive, it’ll be a very interesting spectacle.”

* * *

Yeon Ho-Jeong, having sent the Chang-Eung unit back to the Yeon family, was finally alone.

Thump!

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s movements as he climbed the mountain path were light.

It wasn’t the speed of a person running with an eighty-pound iron axe on his shoulder. It was worthy of being called a first-rate movement technique.

‘It’s still a bit tough.’

He was training his movement technique using only the minimum amount of inner energy [internal energy or life force].

It was different from when he trained his true essence after returning from the Later Generation Gathering. Back then, he pulled up heavily with maximum power, but now he was pushing out lightly with minimum power.

Light (輕), Push (推), Scatter (散), Release (發), Soft (柔) – these five characters were the essence of the light body technique [a martial art focused on agility and speed].

Only when one had fully mastered these five essences and could operate them all unconsciously could one be said to have reached the pinnacle.

‘Still lacking.’

The Four Divine Martial Arts that Yeon Ho-Jeong had mastered were worthy of being called the best in the world.

However, he had not learned a separate movement technique. He hadn’t done so even during his time as the Dark Emperor.

What mattered was fighting and killing, not pursuit. Besides, even if his movement technique wasn’t outstanding, his stamina was the best in the Central Plains, so he never got tired even after running for days.

But now it was different.

‘I need to strengthen my movement technique. Even to avoid the same regrets as before.’

At least during his time as the Dark Emperor, he had subordinates he could trust. But now, he had to do everything alone.

‘I have to be able to do everything. I have to become all-powerful.’

Thump!

He accelerated.

One day passed, then two, but Yeon Ho-Jeong didn’t stop. When he got really tired, he drank water and ate rice balls. He didn’t even sleep.

It was only on the third day that he collapsed in a sprawling position on an unnamed mountain.

It was a reckless training method. It was a miracle he hadn’t died.

The next day, after sleeping for more than six hours, he once again began training his movement technique and ran towards Mount Palgong.

After several days, he finally entered Anhui.

Swish!

A downpour began.

It looked like it would continue for the next three or four days.

Yeon Ho-Jeong decided to stop his movement technique training. Having entered Anhui, it was safe to say he had entered the battle zone. From now on, he needed to build up his stamina and maintain a perfect condition.

Splash! Splash!

He slipped and fell several times while descending the rain-soaked mountain path.

After descending the mountain for a long time, he was finally able to enter a large inn called San-eum Stop in Taihe County, Anhui.

“Give me a south-facing room on the top floor of the back building. And please prepare a bath.”

“Ah, yes, sir.”

He took out a gold ingot, just in case they treated him like a beggar. The eyes and attitude of the staff completely changed.

The inn was crowded.

But no one thought Yeon Ho-Jeong was the one from the rumors. Although he was carrying an intimidating axe, his appearance was too shabby.

That was a relief. He hated being tired.

“Ugh.”

Two hours later.

After finishing his bath and devouring all the food that had been prepared, Yeon Ho-Jeong collapsed onto the bed.

“……You really train recklessly. Are you really the Dark Emperor?”

The next day.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had slept all day and only opened his eyes at dusk, suddenly got up, sensing a strange presence from outside the window.

“Ugh. Who is it?”

Surprisingly, a calm voice came from above the window, on the roof.

“I’m from the Wild Wind Pavilion.”

“Wild Wind Pavilion?”

“The information organization of the Moyong Clan.”

“Ah.”

He had requested certain things from Moyong Gun. One of them was information.

Anhui Province was a region tightly controlled by the Namgoong Clan. However, it was so large and vast that they couldn’t check everything one by one.

That was why the Wild Wind Pavilion’s informants could exist in Anhui.

“This is an interim report. I’ll come again at this time tomorrow.”

“Thanks for your work.”

Swoosh.

A well-sealed letter flew in from outside the window.

Their way of handling things was different from the Beggar Clan. The Beggar Clan was more disorganized than them, but that was just on the surface. They were much more organized and professional.

He could see why the Beggar Clan was called the best information organization in the White Path [the righteous martial arts world].

Yeon Ho-Jeong unfolded the letter.

“Hmm.”

His sleepiness and fatigue vanished in an instant.

“They came faster than I thought.”

Even though he had been training his movement technique while choosing mountain paths, he had arrived faster than Myeong Heo-Rim. Myeong Heo-Rim was currently still in Henan Province.

That was inevitable. Myeong Heo-Rim would be moving with extreme tension, paying attention to his surroundings.

Of course, the Wild Wind Pavilion’s informants hadn’t pinpointed Myeong Heo-Rim’s exact location either. They only knew his approximate location based on his traces.

‘If I start chasing him from behind, he won’t stop by Mount Palgong. It’s better to go ahead and wait.’

The letter also contained the location of the Ahn family in Mount Palgong.

Of course, even if he knew the location, he couldn’t just enter. He would need a unique method for entry. He just had to wait in front of it.

“In that case.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes deepened.

“I can meet him in advance.”

In fact, he didn’t necessarily have to accept this task. For him, Moyong Woo was ten thousand times more important than Myeong Heo-Rim.

But he couldn’t ignore the fact that Muk Bi was here.

A small smile appeared on Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face.

“What was that man like in his youth?”

Muk Bi was a man of few words. Naturally, he didn’t know about his past. He even always wore a mask. Yeon Ho-Jeong was the only one who had seen Muk Bi’s real face.

The smile on Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face gradually turned indifferent.

“The Golden Sword Sect.”

Why did Muk Bi destroy the Golden Sword Sect?

The Muk Bi he knew wasn’t someone who would shoot an arrow without a reason. Even with his extreme martial arts, which were among the top three in the Dark Emperor’s Castle, he didn’t kill recklessly.

He was a man who knew restraint and responsibility. That’s why Yeon Ho-Jeong cherished Muk Bi.

Yeon Ho-Jeong rotated his wrist.

With a cracking sound, his entire arm felt refreshed.

“Shall we start moving?”

The thought of meeting Muk Bi soon made him lose his appetite. Well, he had eaten a lot before going to bed yesterday.

He placed his foot on the windowsill.

Thump!

Even though he had only trained his movement technique for a few days, he definitely felt that the spring technique had become lighter.

He moved from the center of Taihe County to the outskirts in an instant and soon found a shabby beggar’s den.

Whoosh!

“Aaaah! You scared me! Huh? Wh-who are you?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong took out a black token from his pocket.

The beggar’s eyes changed in an instant.

“The Central Plains branch has received a message from the rear. We greet Young Master Yeon.”

“I came because I want to know something.”

“The Wild Wind Pavilion……?”

He also knew that he had come with the Moyong Clan’s Wild Wind Pavilion. Their information network was truly impressive.

“I don’t get along with those guys. The Beggar Clan is the best for information.”

The beggar grinned.

“What information did you come for?”

“The Anhui Blood in Mount Palgong……”

That was when it happened.

Kaaah!

A faint scream echoed from the south.

Yeon Ho-Jeong and the beggar’s expressions changed.

Thump!

The two of them burst out of the beggar’s den.