Monochrome Sovereign (Novel) - Chapter 104 - A Change of Perspective (4)
Chapter 104 – A Change of Perspective (4)
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Translated by Heavenly Cat
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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Paaang!
Yeon Ho-jeong, who exhausted all his internal energy with a final palm strike, sank down in that spot.
“Huuuu.”
It was truly a long time since he had trained only in bare-handed fist combat, and all day long at that.
Close-quarters combat techniques deployed with a bare body are an absolutely necessary training even if one is not a martial artist specializing in fist techniques. On a small scale, it is easy for physical conditioning, and on a large scale, it is good for developing reaction speed and senses.
However, Yeon Ho-jeong’s fist combat was simply beyond that level.
Skill to the point where his fighting power wouldn’t fall significantly behind even if he didn’t hold his axe. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he had established his own school just with his fist techniques.
Yeon Ho-jeong, who sat leaning against a small rock, naturally released his internal energy.
Wooooong.
With his inhaling breath, the White Tiger Qi naturally rose. The White Tiger Qi, which drew in more air and more natural energy, spread qi throughout his whole body.
As his blood circulation sped up, the Vermilion Bird Qi in his heart became active. As a certain amount of impure qi gathered from the rapidly circulating blood, the Black Tortoise Qi in his kidneys surged and expelled all the impure qi.
Wooooooong.
As the Three Divine Qi quickly recovered his physical body, the Jade Gauze True Qi also naturally rose and boosted his strength.
“I will end today’s training with this.”
After returning to the family, he didn’t waste a single moment. It was a process of reflecting on his past martial arts and, at the same time, an act of constantly verifying the path forward.
Fortunately, although he didn’t have talent like Yeon Ji-pyeong, he had his own Dao tempered while going through the Asura realm.
It was the reason he could become this strong in a short moment.
“Now slowly…”
Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes shone.
“I should choose.”
His goals after his regression were broadly divided into two.
First, preventing the clan’s annihilation.
Second, preparing for the Three Cults of Fanaticism’s invasion of the Central Plains.
For now, he had prevented the clan’s annihilation. Although the Murong Clan remained, Murong Jun wouldn’t attack the Yeon Clan even if it meant overexerting himself. In other words, there was enough time.
Then what about the Three Cults of Fanaticism?
He had time for that as well. However, unlike how the clan’s enemies were clear so he could strike first in advance, preparing for the invasion of the Three Cults of Fanaticism was an excessively broad and ambiguous task.
Yeon Ho-jeong didn’t know detailed information about them. He merely knew that their stronghold was located somewhere outside the borders, and that their power was unprecedentedly strong.
It was difficult to make complete preparations with limited information. If so, he merely had to make all the preparations he could.
‘However, what makes me anxious is.’
The reason he tried to stop their invasion was one. Because his people would be in danger.
However, it wasn’t just them who were dangerous.
‘Murong Jun.’
Unlike the Murong Jun who had become the Murim Alliance Leader, the current Murong Jun was virtually like an incarnation of greed.
It was the difference between someone who had obtained everything and someone who wanted to obtain everything. Murong Jun would commit any wicked deed to become the apex of the Central Plains.
And within a short period of time, he would definitely try to strike the Yeon Clan.
More precisely, he would try to strike him.
“The control of the Murong Clan, the preparation against the Three Cults. I cannot choose just one of the two. I must do them simultaneously.”
Therefore, what he thought of was Murong Yu.
If it hadn’t been for Muk Bi in the first place, he would have headed straight to Zhejiang after catching Myeong Heo-rim.
‘It is certain that Murong Jun was the one who fanned the Namgung Clan. He must have expected the Namgung Clan and me to clash.’
He must have hoped that even a very small conflict would arise. He knew that their relationship wasn’t good to begin with, and with Yeon Ho-jeong’s personality, he wouldn’t treat the Namgung Clan affectionately.
However, thanks to Muk Bi, he was able to divert the Namgung Clan’s gaze. It became a situation of killing two birds with one stone, so to speak.
It was the same this time as well.
“Killing two birds with one stone… I need to establish a rival horse named Murong Yu to check Murong Jun, and simultaneously make political allies so I can seize control of the Murim Alliance.”
A task he couldn’t do alone. Even if it went against morality, he would use everything around him for the result.
In a sense, he needed to become more venomous than his past Dark Emperor days.
Yeon Ho-jeong let out a bitter smile without realizing it.
“One way or another, it seems I am not destined to live taking it easy.”
Rising from his seat, he cleanly washed his body with a water bath and headed to the clan head’s office.
“Eldest Young Master?”
“I came to see Father.”
It was late at night, but he knew he was not sleeping.
The gatekeeper sword guard bowed his head.
“Please wait.”
A moment later, the gatekeeper sword guard spoke.
“Word has come. Please enter.”
“Keep up the good work.”
Yeon Ho-jeong, who was heading to the clan head’s office, changed direction. Because he felt his father’s strong presence from the rear garden.
Soon, entering the rear garden training ground, Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes saw two fast-moving people.
Swiiiish! Claaaang!
“Heo-eok!”
Yeon Ji-pyeong, who retreated from the intense single sword strike, inhaled deeply.
Yeon Wi raised his sword to the middle guard.
“Again.”
Paaahk!
Even though his breathing was so rough, his approach speed was fast.
Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes deepened as he leaned against the wall and watched Yeon Ji-pyeong.
‘He has surpassed his limits.’
Clang-clang-clang!
Yeon Ji-pyeong’s sword speed was fast.
He was not at the skill level to unleash such fast and fierce sword formulas. However, he was actually unleashing them.
Yeon Ho-jeong looked at Yeon Ji-pyeong’s eyes.
Yeon Ji-pyeong’s eyes were vacant.
He was in a state where his mind had half-flown away. Both his stamina and internal energy were hitting rock bottom. It wouldn’t be strange if he collapsed at any moment.
The techniques of the Iron Sword Great Extension unfolding subconsciously.
No matter how much of a genius one was, one couldn’t subconsciously manifest a sword method they had only learned a short while ago. That was why Yeon Ji-pyeong’s sword was uncharacteristically fierce and brutal.
Yeon Wi, who blocked dozens of sword strikes, extended his left hand in an instant.
Thump!
Yeon Ji-pyeong flew far away and collapsed without even being able to let out a moan.
Srrk.
At the same time, Yeon Wi appeared behind Yeon Ji-pyeong and placed his hand on his chest.
Wooooooong!
A cold and sharp energy flowed into Yeon Ji-pyeong’s body.
“Huu.”
Yeon Ji-pyeong’s breathing instantly found its normalcy.
That wasn’t all. He stimulated all sorts of acupoints in his body to drive out the impure qi, transferred a trace amount of internal energy, and triggered the growth of internal energy with high-concentration Sword-Limit Thought Qi.
Surprise appeared on Yeon Ho-jeong’s face.
‘Transmitting Force across Bodies?!’
Qi has a property of trying to follow higher quality. Yeon Wi’s qi remaining in Yeon Ji-pyeong’s body would heal the damaged blood vessels while simultaneously leading Yeon Ji-pyeong’s qi to an endlessly higher dimension.
‘As expected.’
It is an incredible mastery of internal energy.
Transmitting Force across Bodies beyond a certain degree could damage the caster’s internal energy. Yeon Wi was maintaining a precarious line while pulling up Yeon Ji-pyeong’s internal energy level.
“Cross your legs in the lotus position.”
“Cough! Yes? Ah, yep!”
Perhaps his mind had returned, Yeon Ji-pyeong immediately sat cross-legged and operated his internal energy.
He focused in an instant and entered into regulating his breathing and circulating his energy. It was a concentration where he wouldn’t be surprised even if a lightning bolt struck next to him.
“Have you come?”
“Yes.”
Yeon Ho-jeong finally stepped onto the training ground.
Yeon Wi asked.
“How did you see it?”
“Pardon?”
“This kind of training, I mean.”
Yeon Ho-jeong evaluated honestly.
“I think it needs to be more venomous.”
“Is that so?”
“Ji-pyeong is a guy who will grow well on his own. However, if he is grown with half-hearted venomous training, I think confusion could arise in his own training methods in the future.”
Yeon Wi shook his head.
“I am newly surprised by your temperament. I thought it was sufficiently venomous training.”
It was venomous indeed. Consuming his stamina and internal energy to the bottom wasn’t enough, it was not an ordinarily difficult task to push him until his mind left, and then induce him to unleash sword formulas subconsciously.
“Martial artists are bound to grow most explosively in the gap between life and death. The limit is clear for those who do not put their lives on the line. No matter how great their talent is, a person who hasn’t experienced the crossroads of life and death is merely a half-measure.”
He spoke words that were chillingly cold-hearted while smiling.
Yeon Wi gazed at Yeon Ho-jeong silently.
“Is the reason you grew so much because you fought putting your life on the line?”
“That is correct.”
To speak more specifically, it was like that during his Dark Emperor days. Because there wasn’t a single day in a year he could spend comfortably without seeing blood.
However, after becoming strong, he didn’t necessarily obsess over life-and-death battles.
Yeon Wi shook his head.
“Ji-pyeong is not ready yet.”
“That is also true.”
The most important things in a life-and-death battle are bold decisions and an awl-like killing intent.
It was a mindset he had to learn even by force someday, but at least it wasn’t right now.
“Right, what brings you here?”
Yeon Ho-jeong, who hesitated for a moment, asked.
“The Murim Alliance will be founded soon, right?”
“That is correct.”
“The main family is also a member of the Six Great Clans. If it is the head of the Nine Sects One Gang or the Six Great Clans, you will be nominated as at least an Elder or an Honored Guest of the Murim Alliance.”
“That would be so. If the Murim Alliance continues to be maintained.”
Yeon Wi shook his head.
“The Murim Alliance to be founded currently is temporary. It hasn’t even been decided yet whether the fighting power of the Orthodox Path will be concentrated or not.”
“They will go through a meeting among the heads, and after that, they will likely call various famous masters and representatives of small to medium-sized sects to make a decision.”
“That would be so.”
This was exactly it.
Yeon Ho-jeong spoke straightforwardly.
“I would like Father to cast a vote in favor.”
Yeon Wi’s eyes widened.
“In favor?”
“That is correct.”
“In favor… In favor. Do you see the Murim Alliance as absolutely necessary?”
“I think it must absolutely exist.”
“What is the reason?”
“Because I think a decision-making body is needed to control not only the Nine Sects One Gang and the Six Great Clans, but also the numerous Orthodox sects.”
Yeon Wi’s expression changed.
“Is it because of this Myeong Clan incident?”
“Not necessarily, but it is not without that reason.”
“Hm.”
“And one more thing.”
“……?”
“I also think it is the time for Father to unfold the wings you haven’t unfolded until now to your heart’s content.”
“…Unfold my wings?”
“That is correct.”
“You are saying truly dangerous things. Do your words perhaps mean…?”
Yeon Ho-jeong spat out a more serious word than ever before.
“The position of the Alliance Leader must be left empty for a person suitable for it. However, high-minded patriots with the will to seize the world together with the Alliance Leader are needed.”
“……!!”
“Among those high-minded patriots, I think there is no one as good as Father.”
It was a surprising remark. Yeon Wi hadn’t known his son would even be thinking this far.
He observed Yeon Ho-jeong with sharp eyes.
Even a certain resolve and tension could be glimpsed on Yeon Ho-jeong’s face. However, no greed whatsoever was visible in his clear and deep eyes.
‘…Does he have no greed.’
His son’s will was upon the world. However, he hoped he wouldn’t walk the path of World Domination, which sounded heroic but was full of only blood and death.
Fortunately, the disposition of an ambitious person trying to grasp the world in his hands was not visible from his son. At least outwardly, it seemed so.
Yeon Wi, who had observed his son for a long while, opened his mouth.
“I still want you not to pay attention to such parts.”
“…….”
“I say this in case you misunderstand. This father is not disparaging your abilities by any means. Martial arts aside, the insight and coping ability you showed while dealing with the Myeong Clan had fully reached the level of the world.”
“It is nothing special, things like that.”
“Nonsense. That is another talent residing in a completely different domain from martial talent or military strategy talent. I called it talent, but in truth, it was an unknown something that couldn’t be expressed with the word talent.”
“…….”
“You read the flow of a world you hadn’t experienced, and faced the world alone and won with strong confidence in yourself. That is an ability that transcends the category of talent, and does not lack being called Divine Eyes.”
His father didn’t know. That he had lived grappling with the world for decades.
He didn’t know his self as the Dark Emperor who fought not to win but to live, and who tempered himself not to become stronger but to kill.
That is why he praised it as a talent, even using a grandiose word like Divine Eyes.
“You are a genius in a different sense from Ji-pyeong. However, your talent is accompanied by danger.”
“Danger…”
“Yes, danger. It is a talent that has the danger of being exposed to demonic creatures that can corrupt even Daoists and monks who have put effort into self-cultivation their whole lives.”
Yeon Ho-jeong closed his eyes.
He could understand deep in his heart what his father was about to say.
“Are you afraid I will be swayed by desires?”
A warm color appeared on the grim face of Yeon Wi.
“If you had been thinking up to there, you are truly amazing. You are my son, but I don’t feel at all that you are a blood-boiling young man.”
“Is it because you worry I will be swayed by greed, that you wish for me not to pay attention to such parts?”
“It couldn’t be. You will not go astray.”
“How are you so confident?”
“Because I believe.”
“…….”
“However, I don’t want to see you get exhausted already. You can call it a parent’s obstinacy, or you can call it excessive worry of a generation that is past its prime.”
“…….”
“Because I believe in you, I don’t want to needlessly entrust the burden that I can carry to my son.”
Yeon Ho-jeong opened his eyes.
He understood his father’s heart. Also, listening to his father’s words, he was able to realize that he had lacked composure.
It was after a quarter of an hour had passed that Yeon Ho-jeong, who had been lost in thought for a long while, opened his mouth.
“Please promise me just one thing.”
“Speak.”
“Whenever you are having a hard time, please never try to solve it alone and call for me.”
Yeon Wi held a smile.
“Isn’t that why I am sending you to Zhejiang?”
“…Well, that is also true.”
Yeon Ho-jeong scratched his head.
As the worry that was cast on one side of his chest disappeared, it felt like his shoulders became lighter for some reason. He spoke with a cheerful face.
“No matter what anyone says, I will go my own way. Please don’t regret later, thinking you should have listened to your son.”
“When did I ever say I would ignore your words?”
“Pardon?”
Yeon Wi nodded.
“Casting a vote in favor of founding the Murim Alliance, I will ponder it deeply.”
Thinking of the ruinous power of the Three Cults of Fanaticism, it was clear that preparing from now would still not be enough.
However, Yeon Ho-jeong thought it was okay.
Clothes that are patched up hastily are bound to wear out quickly. At least in this regard, he thought his father’s choice was better than his own choice.
It is urgent, but it is okay. Just as his father believed in him, Yeon Ho-jeong also believed in his father.
He believed his father’s realized wisdom of life would work.
“It seems I had many worries for no reason. Seeing things like this, I am also still far off. Thanks to Father, I realized something big.”
“Is that so?”
“That is correct.”
“Then, shall this father tell you what I realized thanks to you?”
“Pardon?”
“Experiencing your change, I realized that two roles of parents are enough on this stage called the world.”
“What are they?”
“Protecting my family, and waiting for them forever.”
“…….”
“You have grown enough that I don’t have to protect you. In that case, there is now only one thing I have to do.”
Yeon Wi turned his body and approached Yeon Ji-pyeong as he spoke.
“I will wait for you forever. I will embrace anything. When it is hard, come to your father anytime.”