Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 907

The road to the Qinghai Shinma Forest was quite rough.

After leaving Gansu and entering Qinghai, the group realized that the weather in Qinghai was quite dry and cold. Of course, everyone had abundant inner energy and was used to camping out, so they had prepared thick clothes and didn’t suffer much from the cold.

However, the air in Qinghai was definitely different from that of Gansu. It felt more exotic than Gansu.

The vast grasslands and plains, and the rows of mountains in the distance, were truly spectacular.

Looking at one place, it was desolate, and looking at another, it was magnificent. A land that created a strange disharmony as if it were harmonious. That’s why it was a land that was more mysterious, frightening, and gave off a magical power that made you want to see it often.

“This way.”

Cheon Hyo-Rak also climbed onto the roof of the carriage.

His face was filled with worry and excitement as he smelled the scent of his vast homeland. How arduous was the journey to come to the Central Plains from here? It was a situation where it wouldn’t be strange to be lost in sentimentality.

Tang Gwan’s condition was rapidly improving. Considering the internal injuries he had sustained, he should have been resting for a month, but since Yeon Ho-Jeong had corrected his internal injuries early on, he was in considerably good condition after fifteen days.

“Brother.”

“Hmm?”

Yeon Ji-Pyeong held out some jerky.

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled and accepted the jerky.

“Thank you.”

“It’s amazing.”

“What is?”

“I really never thought I’d come to Qinghai with you, brother.”

They were so busy with their own lives. Especially Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had been living like a man with no tomorrow since he had entered the martial world.

Yeon Ho-Jeong gave a wry smile.

“Let’s come again when the situation in the Central Plains gets better. With Father too.”

“I really hope so.”

Yeon Ji-Pyeong’s face looked quite calm. It seemed he had cultivated himself well while coming here.

Yeon Ho-Jeong didn’t bother to talk to Yeon Ji-Pyeong about martial arts or his mindset.

He had faith in him, but he also thought that such things had meaning only when one thought about them and achieved them on their own. He also thought that it would be enough for him to just watch and learn from his own way of handling things and dealing with enemies.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had been patting Yeon Ji-Pyeong’s shoulder, looked at Ok Cheong and said,

“You’re about to burst soon.”

“Yes?”

“Your Hongwon Qi [a type of internal energy] is full in your body? It’s almost like night and day compared to when we left Maeng.”

Ok Cheong stroked his belly.

“That’s what I’m saying. I’m also nervous.”

Unlike how he treated Yeon Ji-Pyeong, Yeon Ho-Jeong didn’t hesitate to give advice to Ok Cheong.

“You know that your Hongwon Qi is being stimulated and growing because of Cheon Gongja and his guards, right?”

“Yes.”

“Actually, you shouldn’t have joined the Myeolsa Army [a group of warriors] if you were to become the next Sword Immortal of Wudang [a famous Taoist sect].”

Ok Cheong looked at Yeon Ho-Jeong with calm eyes.

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled.

“You knew?”

“Yes. Vaguely.”

“I had a conversation with Senior Tak Mu-Ja. He said that your immortal bones are more outstanding than anyone else’s. He even thought that perhaps the founder of Wudang had manifested himself.”

“Is that so?”

“That’s why he scolded me a lot at first. As a joke, of course.”

Ok Cheong’s expression became bitter.

“Of course, the world I see and the world my master sees are different.”

“That’s inevitable. Everyone is like that.”

“My master wanted me to lie down in the energy of Wudang Mountain and become a true Sword Immortal. Perhaps… if I hadn’t come out into the world, I might have grown really fast.”

That would have been the case. In fact, Ok Cheong’s martial power was great during the Black Underworld Emperor era.

Unfortunately, he was killed by a master sent by the Three Sects, but Ok Cheong was a genius who broke through the Limitless Realm at a young age.

“But I don’t regret the path I’ve chosen now.”

“Is that so?”

“What good is the Dao [the Way, a Taoist concept] gained by being cooped up in the mountains?”

“You can achieve your own perfection.”

“Yes, that’s all it is.”

Just that one thing.

The personal achievement that Ok Cheong saw was just that.

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled and asked,

“Is there anything more important than that?”

“I wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t joined the Myeolsa Army.”

“I see.”

“It’s not important whether I’m a talent for achieving the Dao or not. If I have power, I’ll just use it wholeheartedly for the world. Even if I stray from the Dao, it looks more right to me.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had been quietly looking at Ok Cheong, turned his gaze back to the front and said,

“I don’t know if I should say this to a Taoist, but even Sakyamuni of India threw away wealth and fame and went out into the world to practice asceticism in order to gain enlightenment.”

“……”

“Not all enlightenment is gained by suffering. Nor is it that you can only gain enlightenment by suffering. Still, Sakyamuni went out into the world and witnessed the lives full of suffering with his own eyes. That itself must have been painful.”

“……”

“Every moment in life has its own meaning. It cannot be said that the Dao that is cooped up in the mountains is more shallow than the Dao that has experienced the world and sprouted.”

“That’s right.”

“In the end, it’s just a difference in the way you see the world. Even within that difference, the world is writhing.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong patted Ok Cheong’s back.

“Your Hongwon Qi is screaming. What you have seen and experienced will soon give you enlightenment. Keep striving.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

No one interrupted, but everyone in the group was listening to their conversation.

Some pondered the conversation seriously, while others let it go in one ear and out the other.

But at least the traces left by the conversation were engraved in the hearts of all of them.

The road to the Shinma Forest was quiet.

The population density of Qinghai Province was quite low. Was that why? There weren’t many people they encountered on the way.

‘……’

On the seventh day since entering Qinghai.

Mok Won felt a strange feeling.

“Brother.”

“Yes.”

“I’m not the only one feeling it, right?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong opened his eyes.

“It seems we’ve entered a zone.”

“I thought so too.”

Muk Bi asked,

“What do you mean?”

“It’s been a bit strange since we entered Qinghai. Although we haven’t encountered many people, most of them had little curiosity or wariness in their eyes when they looked at us.”

“You can feel that?”

“A little.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong looked up at the sky.

“There have been a lot of hawks lately.”

Paeyul’s eyes deepened.

“Are they contacting the Shinma Forest?”

“To be precise, it’s not the Shinma Forest, but the eldest son’s side.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong looked at Cheon Hyo-Rak and asked,

“Isn’t that right?”

Cheon Hyo-Rak nodded heavily.

“That’s probably it. But…”

“…?”

“It’s strange. The information network of our forest is very good, but we don’t use that many messenger hawks.”

Cheon Hyo-Rak’s eyes sank.

“Now that I think about it, their speed seems faster than the messenger hawks raised in our forest. Looking at the distance they fly, their endurance seems better too.”

“The Blood Demon Sect.”

Tang Gwan, who had been riding his horse with his eyes closed, said.

“It must be the messenger hawks of the Blood Demon Sect. I thought it felt familiar somewhere.”

The atmosphere of the group changed.

Yeon Ho-Jeong said,

“The eyes watching us have become sharper. It seems we’ve entered the territory of the Shinma Forest.”

Cheon Hyo-Rak said,

“The real territory of the Shinma is still a day away. But if the eldest brother is drawing on the power of the Mad Demon and is stationed there… perhaps the fight has already begun.”

Silence fell among the group.

Yeon Ho-Jeong turned to look at Tang Gwan.

Tang Gwan grinned.

“Don’t worry. I’m fine.”

He wouldn’t be in perfect condition. But he didn’t seem to have any problems fighting.

Yeon Ho-Jeong drove his horse next to Paeyul and Bu Seon.

“Senior.”

“Speak.”

“Stand at the front with Bu Seon. If you find an enemy, then the two of you must become the vanguard.”

“The two of us?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong turned to look at Tang Gwan and Muk Bi.

“There will be support fire from the rear. Right?”

Muk Bi nodded and checked his bowstring, while Tang Gwan snorted.

“Is there really a need for two vanguards? I’ll just blow their heads off before they even get here.”

Paeyul grinned.

“Good.”

When Yeon Ho-Jeong turned to look at Bu Seon, she immediately opened her mouth.

“I’ll fight as usual, I know.”

“Good. You don’t forget what I say, after all.”

Then, Bu Seon said something out of the blue.

“Please watch me from behind.”

“Hmm? What?”

“I want to try something I thought of after seeing my brother’s martial arts. Please watch me when the fight breaks out.”

Paeyul whistled.

“You’re going to test it in a real battle? You’re amazing. You have guts.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong chuckled.

“You could get killed by a stray sword.”

“Then that’s where my limit is.”

“Good. I’ll watch you properly.”

Mok Won stepped back and stood on the right side of the carriage. It was the spot where Ok Cheong was.

Yeon Ho-Jeong took the left side of the carriage with Yeon Ji-Pyeong, and Tang Gwan and Muk Bi, who were five lengths away from the carriage, rode their horses on the left and right.

Yeon Ho-Jeong looked back.

There was the Iron Cavalry following about ten lengths behind the group.

Hwang Seok-Tae smiled and nodded. He had heard all the conversation here.

It was then.

“…Now, let me go.”

From inside the carriage, Daegeumbul’s weak voice was heard.

The group looked at Yeon Ho-Jeong.

Yeon Ho-Jeong nodded with a calm face.

“Okay. But we’re short on food. I’ll give you plenty of water, so you’ll have to figure out the food yourself.”

“O, okay.”

Daegeumbul’s voice was full of trembling. As time passed, he wondered if Yeon Ho-Jeong would break his promise, but that was why he was so relieved that he was being let go so easily.

Yeon Ho-Jeong said to Cheon Hyo-Rak and Hwa Hyang,

“Go inside the carriage. I’ll sit on the roof.”

“Understood.”

Yeon Ji-Pyeong grabbed Yeon Ho-Jeong’s reins.

As Yeon Ho-Jeong climbed onto the roof, the door opened and Daegeumbul came out and got on his horse. He was still in a state where he could barely use one-tenth of his original inner energy, but his physical abilities, which he had trained his whole life, were still there.

As Cheon Hyo-Rak and Hwa Hyang went inside the carriage, Yeon Ho-Jeong said,

“Go. Don’t ever appear before us again.”

Daegeumbul turned his horse without answering. Then he rode off to the west.

Muk Bi glanced at Yeon Ho-Jeong.

“Shall I shoot him?”

Tang Gwan looked at Muk Bi with a dumbfounded expression.

“Hey, we let him go, why would you shoot him again?”

“I’ve never seen Master Yeon let someone go so obediently. I think he has some ulterior motive.”

“Even the people of the main family don’t do that. This guy is more reckless than I thought.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong waved his hand.

“Just let him go. He’s in a state where he can’t affect the big picture anyway.”

“Still.”

“Who knows? He might cause some division.”

“Huh?”

It was then.

“They’ve come.”

A group of people appeared in the distance.

It was too far away. It seemed to be at least twenty li [approximately 6 miles] away.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes flashed.

‘They suddenly appeared?’

Except for the mountains, it was an open plain. They should have appeared sooner if they were going to appear.

‘There’s something, as expected.’

Mok Won’s eyes narrowed.

“I don’t know for sure. The distance is too far. But they’re all on horses.”

“They are demons.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong took a deep breath.

The eyes of the coiled yellow dragon slowly opened.

‘It’s the smell of demonic energy.’

In the chilly air of Qinghai, there was a musty scent mixed with intense malice.

“What are you going to do?”

“What else can we do? No questions asked.”

“Still, we should hear them out…”

“Let’s hear them out after we beat them all down. Senior Paeyul.”

Paeyul vigorously whipped the reins.

“Hyah!”

Neigh!

Paeyul and Bu Seon, who were at the front, increased their speed. At the same time, the horses following the carriage and the rear also increased their speed.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had placed the Gwangryong Bu [a type of talisman] on the roof of the carriage, took out the Black and White Twin Dragon Bu and placed it on his lap.

‘Now, how are you going to come out?’