Monochrome Sovereign (Novel) - Chapter 108 - You Have to Lift Your Head to See the Sky (2)

Chapter 108 – You Have to Lift Your Head to See the Sky (2)

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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“It has been a while.”

“Indeed. This is the first time since we met in Henan.”

“That is right.”

“I didn’t expect to see you again like this. Fate seems to be fate.”

Well? No one knows whether that fate is just fate or a bloody ill-fated relationship.

“By the way, who is this person?”

Flustered, Muk Bi looked up at Murong Yeon-hwa.

“Ah, I am…”

She felt like she had to introduce herself but was at a loss for how to do so. She had formed friendships with the people of the Yeon Clan, but interacting with strangers was still awkward for her.

Yeon Ho-jeong spoke.

“She is a friend.”

“A friend?”

Murong Yeon-hwa’s face turned strange.

“…I see. A friend.”

She thought that given Yeon Ho-jeong’s personality, he couldn’t have many friends. Seeing such a Yeon Ho-jeong confidently introduce her as a friend, her curiosity couldn’t help but be piqued.

“Anyway, it’s a strange coincidence. Does Young Master Yeon also have business in Zhejiang?”

Zhejiang.

Yeon Ho-jeong realized one thing from Murong Yeon-hwa’s words.

‘Not Hangzhou, but Zhejiang. That means this girl will soon leave Hangzhou.’

At an age full of vigorous blood, it’s hard to easily escape the charm of Hangzhou.

However, Murong Yeon-hwa was different. Although she didn’t have much Jianghu experience, she was smart. Smart enough for Murong Jun to directly entrust her with clan affairs.

What exactly was her purpose?

‘…I planned to rest well, but I guess I can’t.’

Yeon Ho-jeong nodded.

“I came for some sightseeing.”

“Hoho, sightseeing… Sightseeing is nice. Zhejiang has many famous scenic spots after all.”

A light of exploration flickered in Murong Yeon-hwa’s distinct black and white eyes.

She didn’t think Yeon Ho-jeong was a person who would come all the way to Zhejiang merely for sightseeing. That was a separate issue from acknowledging the other party.

Yeon Ho-jeong was not a person who moved without a reason. She viewed him that way.

“Then please have an enjoyable meal time. Since I also have a party waiting.”

“Please do.”

“If our karma connects, we will meet again.”

With those words, Murong Yeon-hwa returned to her party. Knowing that Yeon Ho-jeong was quite a sharp person, she judged that it would be difficult to dig anything out of him.

Her judgment was correct.

It was correct, but that judgment was too slow.

“What do you want to eat?”

“Pardon? Ah, food? Well. There are too many kinds…”

“Then let’s try ordering three or four things.”

“Isn’t it expensive?”

“So what? When else would we eat this if not now. And…”

Yeon Ho-jeong looked at Murong Yeon-hwa.

Murong Yeon-hwa, who was smiling prettily among the young men and women, also suddenly looked at Yeon Ho-jeong.

The gazes of the two people clashed in the empty air, sparking.

“…You should eat heartily now so you won’t regret it later.”

“Pardon?”

“After eating, rest. I have a place to go. It will take about a day.”

Muk Bi was flustered.

“Are we not going together?”

“Right now, it’s better for me to be alone. Besides, don’t you need to rest a bit too?”

“That is true… Well, if it’s better to be alone, it can’t be helped.”

“Make sure to eat your meals properly.”

“I am not a child.”

“I would have rather left you somewhere if you were a child.”

“Tch.”

Yeon Ho-jeong looked out the window.

Focusing his eye power by drawing up his internal energy, he could see a few beggars shambling far away to the south of West Lake.

That night.

Yeon Ho-jeong, who had returned to his residence, draped a rather luxurious long robe over himself and picked up his axe.

‘Shall I go.’

Huk!

The moment he placed his foot on the window frame, his body was already cutting through the empty air.

Smooth and quiet. Even amidst that, a subtle dignity could be felt. The scent of a gentleman blooming in the silence, the Heaven-Sent Moving Flight was a lightness art that showed the characteristics of the Yeon Clan’s martial arts very well.

He arrived near West Lake in an instant.

It was then.

‘They attached themselves.’

The Jade Gauze True Qi made his senses even sharper.

‘One, two, three. It’s three of them.’

It was a stealthy and swift lightness art.

Standing next to a large willow tree beside West Lake, Yeon Ho-jeong looked at the serene lake and maximized his senses.

‘The distance is twenty zhang. Good, this is enough.’

Yeon Ho-jeong’s pupils gradually dyed blue.

Within his aura, which had quieted down through training with the house warriors, the madness-filled killing intent of the Dark Emperor was released.

‘Murong Yeon-hwa… You shouldn’t carelessly monitor a person.’

He returned to the front of the willow tree and stuck close to it. It was a blind spot that couldn’t be seen from the monitors’ position.

A moment later.

Rustle.

One masked person cautiously approached the tree.

In an instant, his eyes shook.

The person who should have been there was not visible. Flustered, he swept his gaze all around.

The surveillance target was still nowhere to be seen. He couldn’t even feel a presence.

It was then.

“The scenery is nice, isn’t it?”

Startled, the masked person reflexively turned his body and threw a punch.

Pak!

Yeon Ho-jeong’s hand snatched the masked person’s fist.

Crack, crack!

“Keuk!”

The masked person fell to his knees just like that. Using the flow of force, it was a suppression technique utilizing the reverse joint. Even with a flexible body, it was hard to escape.

The masked person looked up at Yeon Ho-jeong with trembling eyes.

“Gasp!”

He involuntarily inhaled sharply.

The opponent standing with his back to the brightly rising full moon looked like a pitch-black shadow. Within that dark shadow, a pair of blue pupils was pressing down on him.

It was the gaze of a ghost.

“I sent your friends to the Sanzu River first.”

“…!!”

“Desolate Wind Pavilion, right?”

The masked person’s eyes shook.

His mind was already in disarray. The wavering gaze alone was enough of an answer.

Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.

Even stealthy auras naturally had their own colors. He had felt their aura a number of times before.

“Did that little girl not tell you? That you could die if you got caught.”

“…Keuk.”

“Then again, she still doesn’t have an eye as good as her father’s. That’s why she is this reckless.”

Kung!

Leaning the Crazy Dragon Axe against the willow tree, Yeon Ho-jeong gathered his index and middle fingers and lifted them.

Tuk!

The masked person’s eyes became heavily bloodshot.

The true qi that dug into the Yamen acupoint severed the flow of qi connected to the tongue root.

Drip.

The area around the masked person’s mouth became wet with saliva. A large amount of saliva suddenly flowed out, but his mouth wouldn’t close. It was also difficult to swallow the saliva.

It was extremely delicate internal energy operation. If he had violently thrust the true qi in, he would have turned into an idiot or died on the spot.

Peoeok!

The masked person vomited blood. The Qihai acupoint had been shattered.

His mind grew faint from the extreme internal injuries. No strength entered his legs.

Yeon Ho-jeong patted his back.

“Go to your master.”

Flinch!

The masked person felt goosebumps rise all over his body.

In an instant, his head froze coldly. Yeon Ho-jeong’s words became a coercive command and swallowed his reason.

“Cough!”

Taking off his mask out of frustration, he continuously vomited blood as he ran toward the Lake Fresh Great Joy Tower. His walking was staggering, but it was a desperate sprint.

Drops of blood falling one by one.

Yeon Ho-jeong, who should have been at the place where he poured out the most blood, was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

“Branch Leader. I have delivered the letter to the Zhejiang Trade Alliance.”

“You did well.”

Yi Geon sighed.

“They said they will send a representative envoy by noon tomorrow.”

“I understand. You should go in and rest as well.”

Yi Geon tried to say something more but soon bowed his head.

“Then.”

As Yi Geon left, Murong Yu put down his brush.

Kung!

Filled with an unknown anger and sorrow, he struck the table and stood up. He tried to somehow calm his rough breathing, but it wouldn’t easily settle down.

He looked out the window.

In the dark night, the canal flowing far away could be seen. The silently flowing canal soothed his mood with a lonely sound, as if knowing Murong Yu’s heart.

Murong Yu sighed.

“Who can I blame. It’s all because my abilities are lacking.”

He sincerely thought so. He had talent in martial arts and talent in commerce, but he couldn’t spread his wings to his heart’s content.

The reason was simple.

He was a person of the Murong Clan. No matter how much the clan suppressed him, how could he raise a banner of revolt against the clan.

Even if he did raise a banner of revolt, it was dangerous. He was stronger than any Rising Star in the world, but Murong Jun’s martial arts were on a different dimension.

Moreover, the power of the clan gathered under Murong Jun’s cold-blooded politics was immense. If they sent just two elders of the clan right now, it would be difficult to guarantee life or death.

‘Elder Brother… Elder Brother.’

Murong Yu sighed.

‘How did you become such a monster.’

He recalled Murong Jun, who used to care for him during their childhood.

However, around the age of ten, after confirming that he had learned the clan’s basic arts up to seven stars, Murong Jun’s goodwill disappeared.

And a few years later, Murong Jun became the new master of the Murong Clan after killing or co-opting his siblings.

Murong Jun’s intention was clear.

He did not forgive those who had the potential to aim for his authority and throne. In order to survive in that bloody world, one had to either run away or become his person.

Murong Yu was a person who did not fall into either of those categories. He neither ran away from his older brother nor became his person.

Yet, the reason he had been able to survive until now was thanks to his talent.

Murong Jun recognized Murong Yu’s talent for commerce and sent him away to the Zhejiang branch. It meant that he would spare his life if he served the clan in Zhejiang.

Murong Yu could neither stop his brother nor take his own life. By the time he thought that the cold-blooded family tradition had to be eliminated, everything was already too late.

Thus, after being appointed as the Zhejiang Branch Leader at a young age, he greatly expanded the clan’s business over several years. In the end, he ended up living exactly as Murong Jun desired.

‘It can’t go on like this. If the main house doesn’t abandon this path of supremacy… it will cause a great disaster someday.’

It will eventually happen. Even if the Murong Clan is fine, countless people will bleed because of it.

But…

“I am a Murong after all, unable to help it.”

The corners of Murong Yu’s eyes turned slightly red.

“To be an ugly fool who worries about blood relations over the safety of the world even in this situation.”

Caring for one’s blood relations was a proper duty. But if those blood relations chose a path that could plunge the world into misery, what should one do then?

Must one fight back holding back tears, or submit and live?

Must one stop it even risking one’s life, or hide and live helping the innocent?

At that time, Yi Geon’s voice was heard from outside the door.

“Branch Leader.”

Murong Yu controlled his agitated breathing.

“What is it.”

“A letter has arrived from the Beggars’ Gang.”

“The Beggars’ Gang? To me?”

“Yes.”

“Come in.”

Yi Geon handed the letter to Murong Yu.

Doubt appeared on Murong Yu’s face as he unfolded the letter.

“What is the matter?”

“…”

“Branch Leader?”

“Hmm?”

Murong Yu folded the letter.

“It is nothing. You may leave now.”

“Ah, yes.”

As Yi Geon left, Murong Yu unfolded the letter again.

“He will send someone so please do not refuse the guest…?”

It was a letter sent directly by the Hangzhou Branch Leader of the Beggars’ Gang.

He remembered the Hangzhou Branch Leader of the Beggars’ Gang. He had met him a few times, but they didn’t have enough of a relationship to exchange letters personally.

‘Just who is he sending?’

The letter concluded with words saying that the person would arrive before dawn passed.

In other words, it meant giving up sleep. Staying up one night was not a problem, but the point was whether there was a need to commit such a discourtesy.

‘He doesn’t seem like a person who would make an unreasonable request…?’

Murong Yu felt something unusual. He received a feeling that he shouldn’t ignore this letter at the very least.

Thus, Murong Yu sat in his office and reviewed documents. Even without the Hangzhou Branch Leader’s words, work was piled up like a mountain.

How much time had passed.

Well past midnight, just as the Yin hour was passing.

Huuung.

Murong Yu’s face hardened at the bizarre presence transmitted along with the cold wind.

“Who are you.”

The voice heard from the right window was surprisingly that of a young man.

“A guest.”

Murong Yu slowly turned his head.

There, stood a young man with the air of a scholar holding a giant Crazy Dragon Great Axe.

Murong Yu spoke while struggling to swallow his surprise.

“Are you the person sent by the Hangzhou Branch Leader?”

“That is correct.”

The young man, Yeon Ho-jeong, smiled.

“Nice to meet you. I am Yeon Ho-jeong.”