Monochrome Sovereign (Novel) - Chapter 11 - Activation of the Four Gods (1)

Chapter 11 – Activation of the Four Gods (1)

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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“Pardon? A meeting of the rising stars?”

“That is correct.”

Yeon Wi was not even looking at Yeon Ji-pyeong. The way he flipped through several documents and read them quickly looked very familiar.

“Originally, there was a meeting among the rising stars of the Seven Great Clans every year. However, there is a year once every five years when attendance is mandatory. That is precisely this year.”

An air of bewilderment appeared on Yeon Ji-pyeong’s face.

“I-am I the one going?”

“Is there a problem?”

“Ah, no! It’s not that.”

Yeon Wi handed over a folded paper. Yeon Ji-pyeong received it politely.

“It is the meeting authorization. It will be held in Hefei, Anhui Province, forty-five days from now. To arrive on time, you should leave at least fifteen days before the meeting to be safe.”

It was a distance that could be covered in even five days if an expert in movement techniques pushed themselves. However, one must cross the Great River, and the geography would be unfamiliar. Moreover, since it was a meeting, it was only right to leave fifteen days early to arrive with a decent appearance.

“The Goshawk Squad will escort you. Have a safe trip.”

Yeon Ji-pyeong’s eyes rounded.

“The Goshawk Squad?”

“Not all of them. One squad will be attached, and the Goshawk Squad Leader will accompany you.”

The Goshawk Squad was a unit evaluated as elite even among the Yeon Clan’s martial forces. Due to the nature of the Yeon family, there were not many members, but each and every one was composed of outstanding experts.

To send along a unit that is not usually sent out into the Jianghu means that the rising stars meeting is that important.

“Um… Father.”

“Speak.”

Yeon Ji-pyeong looked reluctant.

“If it is a meeting of rising stars, shouldn’t you naturally send Brother?”

Yeon Wi, who had been rummaging through documents, raised his head and looked at Yeon Ji-pyeong.

Yeon Ji-pyeong flinched.

He had seen it countless times, but his father’s gaze was still scary. Its transparency was like the glass brought from the West.

‘Brother… I am still afraid of Father.’

Waiting for a long time while swallowing his saliva.

“Your brother is dangerous.”

“Pardon?”

His brother is dangerous? What does this mean?

Yeon Wi turned his posture toward Yeon Ji-pyeong.

“Don’t you think your brother has changed a lot lately from how he used to be?”

Yeon Ji-pyeong was flustered.

Except for content regarding martial arts, academics, family laws, and etiquette, his father was a person whose words were extremely few. It seemed to be the first time he had received such a personal question.

“He seems to have changed, just a little bit.”

“It is not a little.”

“…”

“His personality, his achievement in martial arts… he is not the Ho-jeong I have seen. It’s as if the person has changed.”

Yeon Ji-pyeong also felt Yeon Ho-jeong’s change greatly.

The martial arts were one thing, but he felt the change in personality especially strongly. Looking at his brother lately, he felt he was truly like an adult.

“But saying Brother is dangerous is…”

“At the meeting, rising stars from the Namgung side will naturally come as well.”

“Ah!”

“Looking at Ho-jeong’s current personality, he will not try to avoid conflict. Neither conflict that can be endured, nor conflict that cannot be endured.”

Yeon Ji-pyeong bit his lip.

He understood why his father was telling him to go to the meeting. In a way, his father was trying to send him to protect his brother.

“To Brother… please ask for his opinion just once.”

“…”

“I beg of you, Father.”

Yeon Wi’s eyes deepened.

After staring at his second son for a while, he nodded.

“I will do so.”

“Thank you.”

“You may go now.”

Yeon Ji-pyeong bowed his head and left the Clan Head’s office. Yeon Wi, who had been watching the closed door, rummaged through the documents again.

But only for a moment.

Taking his hands off the documents, Yeon Wi leaned his back against the chair. A bit of confusion was felt in his indifferent eyes looking up at the air.

“…Change.”

* * *

Vrooom!

The sound of the heavy iron staff cutting through the air was nothing short of blood-chilling.

“Huff, huff!”

His entire body was stiff. Not just his lower body, but his waist, back, and shoulders… there wasn’t a place that didn’t ache.

The length of the iron staff was about the same as Yeon Ho-jeong’s height, and its weight was close to twenty geun. Having swung it since after dinner until past midnight, it was a miracle he hadn’t collapsed.

Drip.

Drops of blood fell from the hand holding the iron staff.

He couldn’t push himself any further. Yeon Ho-jeong thrust the iron staff powerfully.

Thump!

The rock struck by the end of the staff shook slightly.

An intense vibration was transmitted to the hand holding the iron staff. All the joints of his upper body… wrists, elbows, shoulders, and even his spine… seemed to creak. Lacking even grip strength, his blood-soaked hand slid down.

“Urgh.”

Clang!

The iron staff fell to the ground.

Panting for breath and looking down at both hands, an unsatisfied air hung on Yeon Ho-jeong’s face.

“Is this the limit for now?”

Originally, the weapon Yeon Ho-jeong trained with was the sword.

However, the sword did not suit him constitutionally. It was better to fight with his bare palms than with a sword.

After fighting and fighting again, he finally found the weapon that suited him.

It was none other than a giant axe attached to a six-cheok spear shaft. It was a heavy weapon weighing dozens of geun, but it was a weapon that perfectly matched his personality and martial arts.

Later, he even attached an iron chain to the axe, filling a radius of ten zhang with the storm created by the axe.

‘To think I can’t even properly handle a mere iron staff.’

To use a long and heavy axe, one must be a master of staff techniques, spear techniques, and hand axes. Yet, he still couldn’t swing even an iron staff weighing less than twenty geun all night long.

He had felt it during the Horse Stance training too, but the road ahead seemed quite arduous.

Yeon Ho-jeong picked up a hand axe he had placed under a tree.

His torn palm stung. He toyed with the axe a few times and threw it toward a fairly thick tree.

Whirl! Thwack!

The axe embedded itself into the tree just like that.

‘The feel is fine.’

Sitting with his back against the tree where the axe was embedded, Yeon Ho-jeong looked up at the sky.

‘I know the way to become strong. I’ll add more effort to it, not less.’

I must prevent the extermination of the clan. To prevent the extermination, first, I must become strong myself.

But that level is not enough.

‘I can’t just keep waiting forever.’

It would be difficult, but even if he regained his past martial arts in a year and a half, it would still be a problem.

With the martial power of the Dark Emperor and the use of all kinds of tactics and strategies, he could prevent the extermination. However, there cannot be no victims in that process, and his father or brother could be among those victims.

That would be… truly hard to bear.

‘I must have a countermeasure to protect the clan other than my own martial power. Whether it be information or martial power, anything.’

I must build power to the extent that tactics and strategies are unnecessary. Even with such power, one can be caught off guard in the world.

‘The problem is.’

Yeon Ho-jeong’s face crumpled.

“The fact that I don’t know who on earth they are.”

After learning martial arts from his master, the first thing he did upon coming out into the world was to find the culprits.

Of course, he couldn’t find them with his power alone. So, he jumped into the Black Path, whose information power was said to be a step above the Orthodox Murim, and chased after the culprits.

However, in the end, he couldn’t find out who the culprits were.

“What’s certain is that they weren’t people of the Black Path.”

It was certainly the martial arts of the Orthodox, the White Path. Though it was twisted to the point where its origin was hard to know, the characteristics of true qi and the method of exerting power were clearly those of the White Path’s martial arts.

“To pour out that many experts in large numbers, it is impossible unless it is at least the Nine Great Sects or Seven Great Clans.”

And decisively.

“…There is a high probability that there is a traitor inside.”

It wasn’t certain. There was no physical evidence, and his father was not an easy person to allow a traitor.

But what if there really is a traitor within the Yeon family?

Yeon Ho-jeong, who was lost in deep thought, grumbled.

“Forget it, there’s no need to worry about things I can’t know right now. I’m quite a funny guy. I’m not usually someone who thinks much.”

It was because it was his first time dying and his first time returning. And because the target he had to protect was his family, it was even more so.

‘Anyway, expansion of information and martial power is necessary. To increase my influence quietly without anyone knowing…’

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes sparkled.

‘Is that the only way after all?’

Originally, he had intended to approach it after handling the family’s affairs. But thinking about it, he thought he might be able to get a double-gain opportunity by using ‘him’.

‘Even if he isn’t of practical help, even just borrowing his name will be a great help.’

Yeon Ho-jeong stood up.

“Good, I’ve decided.”

“Decided what?”

Startled.

Yeon Ho-jeong looked beyond the forest. Yeon Wi was standing with his arms crossed at the entrance to the bamboo forest leading to the residence.

“Father.”

“Were you training?”

Yeon Ho-jeong was secretly flustered. Since he had so many worries, he had spat out various words involuntarily, and he wondered if his father had heard them.

“When did you come?”

“I just arrived. You didn’t answer when I called.”

‘Phew.’

A sigh of relief came out. Judging by his demeanor, it seemed his father hadn’t heard his words.

“What brings you here?”

Yeon Wi looked at Yeon Ho-jeong’s hand.

“Blood scabs have formed.”

“Pardon? Ah, this?”

“Did you swing it until your hands reached that state?”

“It’s nothing.”

As if it truly was nothing, he brushed his hands off nonchalantly. It must have been painful, but there was no change in his expression.

“Are you not training with the sword?”

“Yes.”

“There are excellent martial arts in our clan. However, there is a lack of martial arts manuals regarding staff and spear techniques.”

“It’s fine.”

If it was high-level staff and spear techniques, he knew them himself. Moreover, his true martial arts were not the staff or spear.

“It is not fine at all. You are the Eldest Young Master of the Yeon family. It is only right that you refine martial arts appropriate for that position.”

“It is not right to forcibly learn martial arts that do not suit my body.”

“What?”

Yeon Wi was considerably surprised.

“Does that mean the sword does not suit you?”

“That is correct.”

“Why do you think so?”

“Is there anything to think about?”

“Explain what you mean.”

“Martial arts is a study felt by the body before the head. If I have focused on my body and found a way for it to move more efficiently, I should walk that path.”

“And for you, that is staff techniques?”

“To be precise, it is something else, but I should properly master the spear and staff first.”

“Properly mastering spear and staff techniques… Do you intend to use a Crescent Moon Saber or a military battle axe?”

Now it was Yeon Ho-jeong’s turn to be surprised.

‘He is quite erudite.’

Martial artists of the current era were masters of the weapons they held, but their understanding of other weapons was generally low.

His father was not like that. Seeing him think of heavy weapons after hearing just a few words, he was certainly a person with deep knowledge of weapons.

The words that one must know how to display their original skill even while holding various weapons were not a lie. It was not something that would come out easily if he hadn’t actually used them.

“I intend to learn this and that. By the way, what brings you here?”

Yeon Wi knew his son wanted to change the subject.

He played along with his son. No, perhaps he chose the part he was more curious about.

“This year, the meeting of the rising stars of the Seven Great Clans is a gathering where everyone meets.”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes sparkled.

‘That was it, right?’

He didn’t remember many parts, but he remembered the matter regarding the rising stars meeting. He remembered attending that meeting with his brother, but due to his bottom-scraping self-esteem, he didn’t even mingle with others.

And the fact that he hadn’t even said a word to his brother while going and coming back.

After a brief pause, Yeon Wi spoke again.

“In that meeting, I would like Ji-pyeong to go instead of you.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

Yeon Ho-jeong nodded.

“I understand.”

Yeon Wi’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Are you alright with that?”

“If that is Father’s will, I will accept it. My only concern is whether the Namgung side will touch Ji-pyeong. However, since he is not the party involved and it is a place where many people are gathered, they wouldn’t rashly do something to lose face.”

“Are you sincere?”

“Of course. Instead, please pay a little more attention to Ji-pyeong until he leaves. It will be burdensome for him to go because of his foolish brother.”

Yeon Wi, who had been staring at Yeon Ho-jeong, shook his head.

“I will ask the question again.”

“Pardon?”

“Do you not want to participate in the meeting?”

Yeon Ho-jeong said with an expression of disgust.

“Of course I hate it.”

“…”

“Who would want to see a bunch of brats whose blood hasn’t even dried on their heads acting all high and mighty? Ugh, just thinking about it makes me want to throw up.”