Monochrome Sovereign (Novel) - Chapter 109 - You Have to Lift Your Head to See the Sky (3)

Chapter 109 – You Have to Lift Your Head to See the Sky (3)

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Murong Yu’s eyes shook.

‘He is incredible.’

He was a person who had a seemingly slender build at first glance despite being over six chi tall. He wore a martial arts uniform inside, but the white long robe draped over it seemed to gently soften his sharp impression.

He was tall, but his physique was neither large nor small. That appearance harmonized with the bizarre atmosphere exuding from his entire body, making it seem as if he was looking at a single bamboo tree.

If it weren’t for this refined aura subtly flowing out, he would have thought he was a truly handsome scholar.

‘To harbor such vigorous Qi?’

It was an aura that even gave a mysterious feeling at a glance. Murong Yu had never seen a person with such an extraordinary presence until now.

Moreover, that axe.

Even at a glance, it was a treasure worthy of being called a Divine Weapon. A magnificent and grand spirit overflowed from the axe blade that emitted a thick yet chilly sharpness.

It was an odd weapon rarely seen in the Jianghu. Since a slender young man was holding such an odd weapon, it looked even more full of an intimidating presence.

Currently, there was only one person in the Murim who came to mind when describing such an appearance.

And this young man had proudly finished introducing himself with his own mouth.

“If you are Yeon Ho-jeong… from the Green Mountain Yeon Clan?”

“That is correct.”

Murong Yu stood up from his seat.

He briefly cupped his fists.

“I am Murong Yu, the Zhejiang Branch Leader of the Murong Clan. It is an honor to meet the Tiger General of Green Mountain, whose reputation is resounding.”

It was a surprising greeting.

Murong Yu was older than Yeon Ho-jeong. And it wasn’t just a difference of a year or two, but he was born more than ten years earlier.

Yet, he greeted him formally. At this dawn, at this moment that could be considered a sufficiently suspicious visit.

Yeon Ho-jeong also put down his axe and greeted formally.

“Yeon Ho-jeong, the eldest son of the Green Mountain Yeon Clan of Jiangsu, greets the Hidden Dragon of the Murong Clan.”

Murong Yu’s face hardened.

The Hidden Dragon of the Murong Clan. It was a truly significant expression.

Just as Murong Yu was about to open his mouth, Yeon Ho-jeong picked up his axe.

“May I get a cup of tea to drink?”

He meant let’s talk inside.

Murong Yu nodded.

“…Please come in.”

Seureuk.

Yeon Ho-jeong entered the office through the window.

Murong Yu’s eyes shook.

‘An amazing lightness art!’

The movement of his body deviated from common sense. It was an extremely flexible yet robust movement.

Even though he had only seen a single motion, his wariness toward Yeon Ho-jeong became even thicker.

“I do not have any good tea leaves. Please understand.”

“I eat anything well, so do not worry.”

“I understand.”

Yeon Ho-jeong, who placed his axe and sat on a chair, looked at Murong Yu.

Murong Yu was silently brewing tea on one side.

He would naturally be curious. He could have just thrown a word out of the awkwardness of this silence. However, he concentrated on brewing tea without a word.

To be precise, while brewing tea, his consciousness was constantly probing Yeon Ho-jeong.

‘He is the same as always.’

He was cautious.

He was on edge for some reason, but the courtesy and Righteous Qi ingrained in his body were exactly the same as back then.

No, they were shining even more than back then. He was exuding a much more human-like scent than Murong Yu of back then, who had been exhausted to the limit due to the Evil Lust Cult’s Rebellion on top of being stained by the hardships of life.

It was just that he was thoroughly suppressing it himself.

‘As expected, my guess was right.’

A blue light flickered in Yeon Ho-jeong’s pupils.

‘There is only this person. Only this person.’

A moment later, Murong Yu placed a teacup in front of Yeon Ho-jeong.

“Since it’s my first time brewing it in a while, I don’t know if the taste will be okay.”

“The scent is good.”

Yeon Ho-jeong drank the tea without hesitation.

Murong Yu’s eyes deepened.

‘To drink it without any suspicion.’

He didn’t know if he had good guts or if he knew himself well. Murong Yu was extremely lacking in information about the opponent.

‘Rumors are loud that he is a hero of the world, but… seeing as he came alone on a late night like this…’

It was said, ‘He who is good does not come, he who comes is not good’. It meant that a person with good intentions does not come, and the person who has already come does not have good intentions.

The Jianghu Murim was a dangerous place. If someone he had never met, and at this late hour at that, came to visit, it was natural to be thoroughly on guard.

Even if the Beggars’ Gang had built a bridge in the middle.

“Congratulations.”

“What do you mean?”

“You have succeeded in brewing delicious tea.”

“That is a relief.”

It was a stiff reply.

Wariness was naturally felt from his voice. It was an honest reaction if one could call it honest.

Murong Yu opened his mouth.

“The weather has become quite chilly. Even at a glance, you seem to be a great master, but even a master of the world finds it hard to avoid catching a cold.”

What is the reason you came drinking the cold dawn air.

He was speaking in a roundabout way, but that made it even more frightening. It meant useless wordplay would not work.

Yeon Ho-jeong retracted his smile.

“Before we converse, I will tell you just one thing.”

“I will listen carefully.”

“I do not like to beat around the bush. I hope you understand even if it sounds somewhat radical.”

“You do not need to worry about that part.”

“I know that you are struggling a lot right now.”

It was a statement that skipped all the context before and after.

Was that why? Murong Yu became momentarily bewildered. The conversation was cut off as he pondered what those words meant.

Taking the slightly off-beat gap as his own, Yeon Ho-jeong began to lead the atmosphere.

“I heard there was quite a commotion due to a fight over interests among the merchants of Zhejiang.”

“…!”

“And I also heard that the Branch Leader has been entrusted with coordinating the interests of Zhejiang’s maritime trade.”

Murong Yu’s eyes deepened.

“How did you know?”

“If it’s matters related to you, I have been looking into it for a long time. Of course, I also reviewed it before coming here.”

It was a puzzling yet chilling remark.

Being watched without even knowing it was definitely not a pleasant thing.

However, rather than feeling displeased, Murong Yu was curious about the opponent’s true intentions. Why was this young tiger, a young man even rumored to be a hot-blooded chivalrous warrior, watching him?

“Are you saying you investigated this person?”

“That is correct.”

Murong Yu, who was watching Yeon Ho-jeong with clear eyes, shook his head.

“If you are thinking of taking away the interests by controlling the maritime trade of both Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions, I think it would be better for you to give up even now.”

“That matter is possible even without borrowing the power of the Branch Leader, so I do not particularly have any thoughts of giving up.”

It was a remark that touched his pride. However, there was no change in Murong Yu’s aura.

His aura was like a clear lake. It was heavy water that hardly even rippled.

“If so, it is even more questionable. You have no reason to specifically investigate me, let alone come all the way here.”

“I will help you.”

“…Help? What do you mean by that?”

Yeon Ho-jeong, who was looking at Murong Yu, pondered for a moment and then spoke.

“Did the Branch Leader not step down from the cold-blooded and ruthless path of the Murong Clan Head?”

“…!!”

“From what I see, it was like that in the past, and you seem to be under pressure from the main house right now as well.”

Murong Yu’s expression changed abruptly.

Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.

“It seems my guess was correct.”

“How could you…?”

“Because I know to some extent about a person named Murong Jun.”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s gaze changed.

Just by thinking of Murong Jun, his gaze changed abruptly. And at that sharp gaze, Murong Yu felt his heart grow cold.

“Murong Jun is an ambitious man. His greed has no end. There is no problem with a person living with greed, but the problem is that innocent people are dying because of that greed.”

“…!”

“Moreover, his ambition is thoroughly personal. If he were rather doing it for a great cause, there would at least be room for consideration, but Murong Jun is living viciously day by day harboring an ambition that doesn’t even amount to that.”

Even while speaking, Yeon Ho-jeong felt an unnecessary bitterness. Because it wasn’t as if he himself had any great spirit or chivalrous heart.

Honest surprise appeared on Murong Yu’s face.

At the same time, a deeper suspicion dwelled within. A person who investigated him also knew well about his older brother, the Head of the Six Great Clans.

He didn’t know what thoughts he came with, but it was clear that he was a person to be extremely wary of.

“But you are different. You do not want anything grand. You just want the people inside your fence to eat well and live well.”

“…”

“I don’t know if you know, but if you don’t, I will tell you. Justice and righteousness start right from there. You have to know how exhausting it is to protect your fence to be able to cry out for justice.”

“Justice, righteousness…”

“I also care for my family, but I don’t think I am that just of a person. I am rather closer to a villain.”

“…”

“The Orthodox Path is not something just anyone can walk on.”

Yeon Ho-jeong moistened his throat with a sip of tea.

“So I will help you. If you are receiving pressure from the clan regarding the Zhejiang Trade Alliance matter, I will definitively resolve that part.”

Murong Yu’s eyes shook.

“Help… May I ask the reason?”

“The reason…”

“Yes. The reason.”

Murong Yu briefly inhaled a breath.

Having controlled his mind with one deep breath, he added words in a strong voice.

“I don’t know if you know, but I am extremely confused. I did receive a letter from the Hangzhou Branch Leader of the Beggars’ Gang, but a young master I have never seen even once has come and is abruptly saying he will help me.”

“That is so.”

“It would be one thing if those words were all, but you said you have investigated me for a long time. You even seem to know quite well about my older brother, the Clan Head.”

“I know very well. In some sense, I might know the Murong Clan Head better than you do.”

“Better than me… Fine. Let’s say that’s the case.”

Murong Yu’s eyes became sharp.

“If it were you, do you think I could readily accept your help right now?”

“That would probably be difficult.”

He thought he would refute, but he outright agreed. Murong Yu gave a bitter smile.

“That’s right. Besides, you are the eldest son of the Green Mountain Yeon Clan. If it becomes known that I received help from you, there will be an uproar in the main house as well.”

“Are you scared?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m asking if you are scared of Murong Jun.”

It was a provocative question.

Murong Yu spoke with a stiff expression.

“I don’t know what you mean. And one more thing, you seem to be addressing the Clan Head of the main house too carelessly.”

“It is natural since he is a person who can become my enemy at any time.”

“…?!”

An enemy? What was this all of a sudden?

“He held hands with the Myeong Clan and tried to annihilate my family. Murong Jun even personally infiltrated a spy.”

“Wh-What?!”

“If I hadn’t caught the spy with my own hands and smashed the Myeong Clan to pieces, my family might have been walking an irreversible path by now.”

Murong Yu looked at Yeon Ho-jeong with trembling eyes.

Yeon Ho-jeong’s expression was plain. It was not the face of a person telling lies.

‘Elder Brother…!’

What was even more frightening was that the Murong Jun he knew was a person who could fully do such a thing.

Murong Yu unknowingly sighed.

“Just why is he doing this. Why does he keep doing such ruthless things…”

Murong Yu, who had been adding sigh upon sigh, stood up and suddenly bowed.

“I will apologize on behalf of my older brother. I don’t know if you can forgive him, but as a blood relative, I truly have no face.”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes deepened.

Murong Yu was lying prostrate without a word. Even though he wasn’t the one who committed a crime worthy of death, he was apologizing with all his heart.

Could the opponent have lied?

Murong Yu’s discerning eye was genuine. He had an extraordinary talent for grasping truth and falsehood. That was one of his countless merits.

Yeon Ho-jeong opened his mouth.

“If he gives up his ruthless ambition and steps down from the front lines, my family can forgive him.”

Murong Yu raised his upper body.

He bit his lip.

“First of all… regarding that part, I will personally speak to my older brother…”

“But Murong Jun will absolutely not give up.”

“…”

“Did you just say you were apologizing on behalf of your older brother?”

“…?”

“If that is sincere, how about apologizing properly instead of using petty methods?”

“…What would you like me to do?”

Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.

“Stand at the peak of the Orthodox Murim.”

“Wh-What?!”

“Become the Number One Giant under Heaven who sways the Orthodox Path. The day you sweep across the Orthodox Murim, I will forgive you.”