Monochrome Sovereign (Novel) - Chapter 102 - A Change of Perspective (2)
Chapter 102 – A Change of Perspective (2)
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Translated by Heavenly Cat
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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Thump.
Yeon Ho-jeong, who put down his axe, felt considerable fatigue.
‘The impact was too strong.’
His father’s sword was a sword of the Middle Way. That meant, when necessary, he could wield martial arts stronger than anyone else.
That strong sword far exceeded the power of the axe swung as an eighty-geun heavy weapon. His resilient internal energy, thoroughly tempered physical body, and the operational ability to unleash his enlightenment had reached their peak.
‘It’s a shame.’
There was no reason Yeon Ho-jeong couldn’t do it. No, Yeon Ho-jeong could even look beyond that.
However, his tempering was still lacking. Anguish and enlightenment were essential to delve into a higher-dimensional martial path, but ultimately, what contained them was the physical body.
‘I am still lacking a lot.’
His muscles, stamina, and flexibility were sufficient. However, his body was not accustomed to containing high-purity qi.
It felt like he had clearly seen the shortcoming he had vaguely thought about. It was the most valuable gift he obtained from this sparring.
Yeon Ho-jeong thought that his martial arts were still far off. He saw his shortcomings and faced the parts he needed to fix.
However, in Yeon Wi’s eyes, Yeon Ho-jeong’s martial arts had already entered the realm of a master.
“Truly…”
“Pardon?”
“You have become truly strong.”
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled bitterly.
“I told you I am still far off.”
“No, rather, it is excessive. Even if it’s excessive, it is far too excessive. In the current Murim, where else would there be someone your age who has accumulated such martial arts? It is questionable if even the Two Dragons and Three Phoenixes could compare to you. I wonder if even the rising stars secretly raised by the Nine Great Sects could be compared to you.”
It was uncommon high praise.
Yeon Wi was not someone who praised like this, regardless of who the subject was.
However, Yeon Ho-jeong was an exception. His growth speed had completely deviated from the standard. Furthermore, it was also because he believed his son was not someone who would become satisfied or arrogant with this level of praise.
“You have already escaped the mold of martial arts and cultivated your own martial path. It would not be an exaggeration to say you have established a school of your own.”
“There are more than one or two things to supplement.”
“Your body is like that. However, your enlightenment has already crossed the eight-tenths ridge of Mount Tai.”
Yeon Wi shook his head.
“Both older and younger brother, the physical body being unable to keep up with enlightenment is exactly the same.”
It was different.
Yeon Ji-pyeong didn’t have decades of experience like Yeon Ho-jeong. Even so, his enlightenment was excessive, and his physical body couldn’t keep up.
On the other hand, Yeon Ho-jeong had years of actually learning martial arts in an Asura realm where blood and flesh splattered. Since he cultivated his martial arts based on the enlightenment obtained through actual combat, it was inevitable that the developmental level of his physical body couldn’t naturally keep up with it.
“By the way…”
Curiosity arose on Yeon Wi’s face.
“You have refined a new martial art. It doesn’t seem to be based on the main family’s martial arts.”
“Ah.”
“There are two types of footwork, and one external martial art of weapon techniques.”
“Exactly speaking, it is three footworks and three weapon techniques.”
Yeon Wi tapped the floor of the training ground with the tip of his foot. It was the place where a hole was pierced by Yeon Ho-jeong’s fist.
“This fist method is?”
Yeon Ho-jeong held up his fist with a satisfied face.
“I changed the weapon technique into the form of a fist method. It is the first time I deployed it today, but fortunately, its proper power is alive.”
Yeon Wi was momentarily unable to continue his words.
‘Does he even know what he is saying right now?’
There is a reason a sword method is called a sword method and a fist method is called a fist method.
It is not impossible to deploy a weapon technique bare-handed. However, it requires undergoing considerable changes in all parts, including the operation of true qi and the routine.
Yet, this surprising son of his had exuded a power that was no different from a weapon technique with his bare hands.
‘Ten Thousand Streams Returning to the Source…’
Yeon Wi let out a hearty laugh without realizing it.
“Heoheo.”
Yeon Ho-jeong blinked his eyes. It was his first time seeing his father laugh like that.
How should he say it… He didn’t know why, but he got goosebumps for no reason…
Yeon Wi stopped laughing and asked.
“Right, what should that martial art you obtained be called?”
In an instant, Yeon Ho-jeong was speechless.
‘Can I tell him?’
The Four Gods Martial Arts.
The martial art of a rare martial artist who ended the Blood Cult Rebellion three hundred years ago, and a peerless martial art presumed to be of the Four Directions Martial Emperor, who is counted first when discussing the strongest in the thousands of years of Murim history.
In truth, there was no reason he couldn’t tell someone who already knew he was learning other martial arts.
However, the Four Gods Martial Arts was a single-inheritor secret martial art directly passed down by his master. If it was a single-inheritor secret, even parents and siblings were outsiders, so he wondered if it was truly right to let the outside know without even receiving permission from his master.
However.
‘Let’s think simply.’
He had never seen his master after his regression anyway. Furthermore, his master was someone who wandered aimlessly seeking the Dao.
He had no interest in worldly disputes. He merely thought of the Four Gods Martial Arts itself as an outstanding peerless martial art, and even if there were people who knew it, he would not care.
‘Besides.’
Come to think of it, isn’t this a bit strange?
Yeon Ho-jeong inwardly tilted his head.
‘Since the current me is the successor of the Four Gods Martial Arts anyway, isn’t there no need for me to be bound by the rules of ancestors and the like? I don’t even know if such things existed in the first place.’
Then, in the end, wasn’t how I handle my martial arts entirely up to my heart?
“…Hoo.”
Looking at it now, wasn’t it an issue he didn’t need to worry about in the first place?
‘It’s freedom?’
Hoo, hoo.
Seeing his son holding his chin and smiling insidiously, Yeon Wi frowned.
“Why are you smiling so hideously?”
“Pardon? Ah, it is nothing.”
Yeon Ho-jeong spoke, smiling confidently.
“The martial art I learned is called the Four Gods Martial Arts, the Four Gods Art.”
“Four Gods Martial Arts?”
“Yes.”
Yeon Wi’s eyes sparkled.
“Is it the Four Gods of the Eastern Azure Dragon, Western White Tiger, Southern Vermilion Bird, and Northern Black Tortoise?”
“That is correct.”
“The routine and form of the martial arts you deployed were perfect to the point it would be hard to approach. Although it leaned towards offense, within the framework of offense, it was developed to the point where there could be nothing above it.”
“That is exactly the White Tiger’s martial art, the Sovereign Tiger’s Nine Thunderclaps.”
“The White Tiger’s martial art… then are the other martial arts also in their respective fields?”
“Yes. Let me tell you how mind-boggling this martial art is.”
“Correct your speech.”
“Let me tell you how funny this martial art is.”
Yeon Ho-jeong explained the characteristics of the Four Gods Martial Arts to Yeon Wi in detail.
The more he heard the explanation, the more surprise spread on Yeon Wi’s face.
“It takes four peerless arts specialized in offense, defense, instant kill, evasion, and counterattack as its weapons…”
“That is correct.”
“There are not many martial arts that take martial arts extremely specialized in offense, defense, killing techniques, evasion, and counterattack as a single fence. Our main family’s martial arts are exactly that uncommon martial art of the Middle Way. However, the martial art you obtained called the Four Gods Martial Arts doesn’t seem to walk the Middle Way.”
“It is not the Middle Way, but a martial art of the battlefield that has developed each field to the extreme. It is different from the main family’s martial arts.”
“Yes, it looks that way.”
Yeon Wi tilted his head.
“However, somehow, the more I listen, the more it reminds me of one person’s martial arts.”
Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes shone.
“Four Directions Martial Emperor.”
“That is correct.”
“Do you also know about the Four Directions Martial Emperor, Father?”
“Isn’t that obvious. He is a rare chivalrous hero who left an unforgettable footprint in the history of the Orthodox Murim, and a martial artist worthy of respect. You cannot discuss Murim history without knowing him.”
“…….”
“Are you perhaps saying you only found out recently?”
Yeon Ho-jeong cleared his throat.
Yeon Wi clicked his tongue.
“No matter what, shouldn’t you have basic common knowledge. He is a great man. It is right to know at least the achievements of a great man.”
“I understand.”
“In any case, I don’t know if the martial art you obtained is the peerless martial art of the Four Directions Martial Emperor, but I know it is an outstanding martial study. And also that you are delving deeply into that martial art.”
Yeon Wi asked seriously.
“I will ask. Do you intend to see the end with that Four Gods Martial Arts?”
“That is correct.”
“…Yes, I understand.”
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled. It was because he knew why his father had asked that question.
“I will not neglect the family’s martial arts. Please do not worry.”
Yeon Wi shook his head.
“Even at my first glance, the Four Gods Martial Arts does not lack in the slightest compared to the main family’s peerless martial arts. Achieving great success in such a martial art is a truly difficult task. If you thought to see the end with it, there is no need to necessarily turn your eyes to other martial arts.”
It was said while trying hard not to reveal his disappointment. It was also his sincere feelings.
Yeon Ho-jeong spoke.
“That is not what I mean.”
“Hm?”
“Shouldn’t I know all of the family’s martial arts and learn them at least a little bit, so that it will be helpful when selecting the family members to teach the Four Gods Martial Arts to?”
In an instant, surprise colored Yeon Wi’s face.
“Does your words mean you intend to incorporate that martial art you obtained into the main family?”
“I am a person of the Yeon Clan. I do not think it is a problem for a person of the Yeon Clan to share their own with the family members.”
“Are you serious?”
“Of course.”
The Yeon Clan was strong.
However, its power was small, and there were not many core experts. In fact, all of Yeon Ho-jeong’s uncles had established branch families and moved out, and it was hard to even see their faces once unless it was an ancestral rite.
To put it, one could say the Yeon Clan was strong thanks to the excellence of its martial studies and the support of the common people. Considering its actual fighting power, it was true that it fell behind compared to other sects.
Yeon Ho-jeong thought.
‘The main family’s fighting power needs to become stronger.’
When the Three Cults of Fanaticism revealed their true colors, the Central Plains would become a sea of blood. That was certain.
Even if they had prevented their immediate annihilation, it was questionable if they could survive the future disasters. In that case, he had to grow the Yeon Clan’s fighting power even a day sooner.
“However, the Four Gods Martial Arts is a peerless art that one cannot even begin to learn without senses. Even if it is incorporated into the family’s martial studies, the people who can learn this will only be a very small minority.”
Yeon Wi was speechless for a moment.
‘Family… Family.’
It could be said that his son obtaining this level of martial arts was a fortuitous encounter.
If one obtained such an amazing martial art, it was common sense to appropriately make it one’s personal peerless martial art. However, his son was suggesting to incorporate his martial art into the family’s ultimate techniques as well.
Suddenly, he recalled the words his son had said in the past.
‘Even if my intentions are different, my heart is always here. If it is to protect the family, even if I suffer the stigma of being a demon head, I will aim my sword at the world.’
Yeon Wi closed his eyes.
It was after half a quarter had passed that he, who had chewed over and over his son’s words, opened his eyes.
“I know your intentions well.”
Yeon Wi’s gaze seemed to have somewhat softened.
“If your heart is like that, I will express my gratitude as the clan head of the Yeon Clan. Thank you for passing down an outstanding martial art.”
“Not at all.”
“There are quite a few tasks I have delayed. I plan to wrap them all up within three days, so let’s have a meeting regarding this matter after that.”
“I understand.”
It was then.
“Father! Brother! Are you here?!”
Yeon Ho-jeong’s face brightened.
“He has arrived.”
From the other side of the training ground, Yeon Ji-pyeong was running over. He had seen him from a distance before the sparring with his father, but facing him up close like this, the gladness was fresh.
Yeon Ho-jeong welcomed Yeon Ji-pyeong with a smile.
His smile evaporated in an instant at Yeon Ji-pyeong’s words that were like a bolt from the blue.
“Brother! Congratulations! I have greeted Sister-in-law!”
“…Wh-What?”
“She was incredibly pretty! She’s a celestial fairy, a celestial fairy!”
Yeon Ho-jeong’s mouth dropped open.
A faint smile appeared on Yeon Wi’s face. His strange smile somehow felt like he was cheering for Yeon Ji-pyeong. He, too, was a father who couldn’t help it.
Like that, the father and two sons gathered for the first time in a very long time.