Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 989

“Could it be Namgoong?”

Jeagal Mun-Ho didn’t answer immediately.

He took a sip of the cold tea to moisten his throat before speaking again.

“There’s something I want to ask the Vice Leader.”

Everyone knew he was deliberately trying to steer away from the main topic, but no one urged him to answer right away.

Yeon Ho-Jeong nodded.

“Please, speak.”

“Vice Leader, you despise the Three Evils, don’t you?”

What was the meaning behind that question?

Though curious, Yeon Ho-Jeong answered readily.

“Yes, I do.”

“What is the reason for your hatred of the Three Evils?”

It was such an obvious thing.

Jeagal Mun-Ho wouldn’t have asked if he didn’t know. He was also curious, but Yeon Ho-Jeong answered quietly.

“It’s simple. It’s obvious that their invasion will plunge my land, my family, and my home into the abyss of hell.”

“I see.”

“Furthermore, their methods are also a problem. There have always been invasions from beyond the borders, and we have always fought against them.”

“Hmm.”

“From our perspective, anyone who invades the Central Plains is an enemy. It’s pointless to say things like, ‘They’re also people, so if we accept them well, it’ll be fine.’ If they had at least officially declared a power struggle, it would be one thing, but they’ve been corrupting society and committing all sorts of evil deeds without the slightest sense of morality.”

A prime example was the incident at the Paradise of Sichuan.

It was a problem that those who fell for it were also at fault, but they kidnapped people to satisfy their sexual desires or provide human flesh, doing things that were too horrible to even mention.

The actual actions were a problem, and the fact that they even thought of such things was also a problem.

There is no good in war. If war is about doing anything to win, then they were just using any means necessary to win the war.

However, war is also something that people wage. If they crossed an invisible line that people should know, then it was clearly something that should be criticized.

Therefore, war itself should never happen. That was the important thing.

“That is why I despise the Three Evils. There’s really no need to repeat myself. The moment they attack, they are our enemies.”

“……”

“We should be thinking about how to fight the enemy and how to end the fight, not questioning whether they are truly the enemy.”

Moyong Gun nodded.

“I agree. No, everyone should agree with this. Everyone has the desire to kill someone who has harmed them, but not many people actually do it. The moment you actually kill, the relationship changes.”

In other words, the Three Evils were enemies because they had actually attacked the Central Plains martial world.

There was no simpler or more solid logic than this. What the Three Evils did, what ideologies they held, and how many sacrifices they made for what they ultimately wanted were not worth discussing.

The Three Evils chose to invade.

Therefore, they were the enemy.

That was Yeon Ho-Jeong’s point, and it was Moyong Gun’s sentiment.

Jeagal Mun-Ho nodded.

“The Vice Leader is right. Clan Head Moyong is also correct. They have been committing numerous atrocities in secret, in places we couldn’t see, to conquer the Central Plains.”

“That’s right.”

“Furthermore, there have been numerous actual battles, and they have declared that they will advance into the Central Plains. There is no clearer enemy than them.”

Jeagal Mun-Ho’s eyes deepened.

“Then, what about the Black Path?”

“From the perspective of the White Path, they are clearly enemies.”

“That’s right. And from the perspective of the Black Path, the White Path is also the enemy.”

“That’s correct.”

“However, since we claim to be the White Path, let me speak from our perspective. To us, the Black Path is actually a more dangerous enemy than the Three Evils.”

Not ‘was’ but ‘is’ an enemy.

He was speaking definitively, but Yeon Ho-Jeong knew that Jeagal Mun-Ho had not lost his composure. He was expressing his opinion, but at the same time, he was looking at the situation from a third-party perspective.

“It’s pointless to ask when it started or where it came from. The Black Path and the White Path have been at odds for a long time, and their relationship has developed into one of killing each other. From the perspective of the entire Central Plains martial world, it could be said to be a state close to internal strife, but their territories were so firmly established that it was difficult for them to unite.”

Right now, there were many Black Path people who had died by the swords of White Path martial artists, and many White Path people who had died by the spears of Black Path martial artists. That had accumulated, and now they had reached a point where they could not control their emotions.

At this point, it was even unclear why they hated each other. Of course, those with deep personal grudges had to be excluded, but the majority simply showed unconditional animosity for being White Path or Black Path.

“It can’t be helped. Prejudice is something that cannot be erased from human society. To be free from such things, one would need thorough self-cultivation and infinite love for this world.”

“I agree to some extent.”

“In other words, the idea of the White Path and the Black Path uniting to fight the Three Evils was a truly dangerous and unrealistic one.”

Moyong Gun frowned.

“Hold on, Military Advisor. You’re not suggesting that we should abandon the Black and White alliance…”

“But that seemingly impossible thing has been accomplished. That thing that no one thought possible has become a reality in the current martial world.”

Jeagal Mun-Ho gazed intently at Yeon Ho-Jeong.

“It’s all thanks to you, Vice Leader.”

“……”

“Of course, many people agreed to it and worked behind the scenes to accept reality. Among them were the Alliance Leader, myself, and Clan Head Moyong here.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong silently looked at Jeagal Mun-Ho.

Jeagal Mun-Ho sighed.

“I confess. Seeing this seemingly impossible alliance actually come to fruition, I couldn’t sleep well for several days.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, it was that exciting. I, too, was raised from a young age to stay away from and even eliminate the Black Path, but to my young mind, they were just unknown beings. Back then, I had never seen a Black Path person, so I vaguely thought they had horns on their heads and long tails on their buttocks.”

Even in the midst of a serious conversation, he had the ability to adjust the atmosphere so that it wouldn’t become too heavy.

Jeagal Ayeon smiled slightly, and Yeon Ho-Jeong chuckled.

“Later, I came out into the world and saw countless Black Path people. Indeed, most of them were unrefined, cruel, and committed all sorts of illegal acts as if it were natural. However, I also saw with my own eyes that there were not a few who, while claiming to be of the Black Path, were chivalrous and loyal, more like warriors than any White Path person.”

“The Black Path martial world is also a world where people live.”

“Yes, if there are people like that, then there are also people like this. But…”

“……”

“Not everyone can see the world so calmly.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong nodded heavily.

“I couldn’t sleep at night after witnessing the seemingly impossible come true, but after that, I couldn’t help but be more worried than ever.”

“……”

“The alliance between the White and Black Paths was formed too quickly and smoothly. To those who knew, it would have been obvious that countless sacrifices were made behind the scenes for such a peaceful process.”

“Unfortunately, not everyone in the world is like that.”

“Exactly. Even those who know, those who hate and despise their opponents, would have felt a sense of rejection in their hearts, even while thinking that it was the right decision rationally.”

“Humans are emotional beings.”

“That’s right. I focused on that part. And I thought.”

A shadow fell over Jeagal Mun-Ho’s face.

“If a war were to break out soon, the Black and White Paths would truly be able to join hands and fight the Three Evils. But… if the war doesn’t become visible enough to be felt, then dissatisfaction will inevitably begin to accumulate on both the Black and White sides.”

One way or another, Jeagal Mun-Ho had been pondering this for a long time.

Yeon Ho-Jeong knew that Jeagal Mun-Ho’s words were true. There was no need to question his sincerity. Jeagal Mun-Ho was the chief military advisor of the White Path Martial Alliance. He was someone who would naturally think that much.

“I was deeply troubled. If a war doesn’t break out immediately, what kind of problems will arise in this alliance that was outwardly peaceful and smooth? No, problems are inevitable. Then when will it be? How severe will it be?”

“……”

“And I couldn’t just declare an all-out war against our main enemy, the Three Evils. We can’t burn down the whole house to catch a single bug.”

“That’s right.”

“Then how can we quell those dissatisfactions?”

“……”

“Actually, the answer was simple.”

Moyong Gun said casually.

“Public opinion manipulation.”

Jeagal Mun-Ho nodded.

“It’s a basic principle of military political science. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. To put it another way, you need to recognize the existence of an enemy to be willing to join hands with your other enemy.”

“But…”

Moyong Gun’s eyes deepened.

“It’s dangerous.”

Jeagal Mun-Ho smiled faintly.

Even though he was so emaciated, his smile had strength. Yeon Ho-Jeong and Moyong Gun were both people with such excellent insight and intellect that they could be considered at the pinnacle of the Central Plains. Talking with such people naturally gave him strength as a military advisor.

“That’s right. Public opinion manipulation is very powerful, but if it turns out to be false, it will suffer a fatal blow. Not only will the Black and White alliance be fractured, but in the worst case, there will be a strong distrust of the Martial Alliance leadership.”

“That’s right.”

If they were to fight divided when it was already difficult to guarantee victory even if they were united, then defeat was certain.

The Black and White Paths, who were like mortal enemies, had joined hands. It was possible thanks to the efforts and sacrifices of many people, including Yeon Ho-Jeong.

Jeagal Mun-Ho could never let this relationship break. If necessary, he had to use immoral methods to maintain the bond between the two.

“When I was deeply troubled by these things, someone came to see me.”

“Who was it?”

“Namgoong In.”

At that moment, Yeon Ho-Jeong and Moyong Gun’s eyes widened.

Namgoong In. Clan Head of the Namgoong Clan.

The son of the Sword Saint Namgoong Seung, who was called the greatest swordsman of the era, a member of the Martial Alliance’s Bureau of Service, and a talented strategist who made a name for himself as the ruler of Anhui Province south of the Yangtze River.

“It was late at night. He came to me with anxiety and resignation in his eyes, as if he was being chased by someone, and at the same time, as if he had given up on everything.”

“……”

“He told me that the Black and White alliance was wrong and asked me to hold a Bureau of Service meeting immediately. He said that the matter must be discussed.”

Moyong Gun’s eyes flashed with killing intent.

Conversely, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes were cautious.

Jeagal Mun-Ho sighed and said,

“When I asked him what kind of nonsense he was talking about, he said that if a meeting was not held on that agenda, the Namgoong Clan and the other clans that shared his views would all leave the Martial Alliance.”

“……”

“Now, I ask the Vice Leader. Why did Clan Head Namgoong In suddenly come to me and make such unreasonable demands?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s cheek twitched.

“It wasn’t his true intention.”

“……”

“Clan Head Namgoong, was Namgoong In being threatened by the Three Evils?”