Monochrome Sovereign (Novel) - Chapter 118 - The Price of Insult (6)
Chapter 118 – The Price of Insult (6)
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Translated by Heavenly Cat
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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Yeon Ho-jeong glanced down at Muk Bi.
“I should serve good tea to someone who came from a long way, but my companion is in this state, so it won’t do.”
Murong Yu turned his gaze to Muk Bi.
Tsss.
Gray haze was rising from Muk Bi’s body.
Murong Yu’s eyes flashed.
‘An expert!’
Even at a glance, she seemed much younger than him, but the internal energy she harbored was as immense as the head of a great sect.
Murong Yu shook his head.
“She is a remarkable person.”
“Her potential alone is enough to discuss the world.”
“Even without bringing up potential, isn’t her current skill alone sufficiently amazing?”
Yeon Ho-jeong shook his head.
“This level is nowhere near enough. Age, training period, experience. They are all important, but it’s meaningless if she doesn’t become stronger.”
“That seems like too extreme of a remark.”
“I wouldn’t care if it were even more extreme, as long as she could become stronger.”
Murong Yu’s eyes deepened.
“To prepare for the future?”
Yeon Ho-jeong nodded.
“To prepare for the future.”
Silence fell for a moment.
The one who broke the silence was Yeon Ho-jeong.
“It’s a bit awkward to stand, so take a seat there.”
“I am fine.”
“Then suit yourself.”
Yeon Ho-jeong plopped down on the spot.
In that appearance of Yeon Ho-jeong, Murong Yu saw the illusion of a giant bird freely flying through the azure sky.
Murong Yu let out a fake cough.
“How old are you?”
Yeon Ho-jeong let out a chuckle.
“Are you doing a background check?”
“It’s because I am genuinely curious. On the outside, you seem to be around twenty years old, but your words and actions don’t seem like it at all.”
“I am the exact age I appear to be. I was born ten years later than you.”
“Ten years…”
Murong Yu let out a low sigh.
Ten years younger? That meant Yeon Ho-jeong and Murong Yeon-hwa were around the same age.
They were the same age, but the two were too different. One person, despite having excellent talent, was making the clan sick along with her father, and the other person was fighting the world with the soul of a Master of a Generation.
Murong Yu smiled bitterly.
“I feel somewhat resentful.”
“About what?”
“I don’t know what I was doing at your age.”
“What do you mean what. You must have been going through all sorts of hardships just trying to endure the tyranny of your utterly cold-blooded clan.”
“…You truly render me speechless.”
Murong Yu fluttered his long robe.
“It won’t do. As expected, sitting is more comfortable.”
“Like I said, take a seat.”
Murong Yu, having taken a seat, stared fixedly at Yeon Ho-jeong.
Yeon Ho-jeong wore a smile as if he found it amusing.
“Is there something on my face?”
“I have one favor to ask.”
“Speak.”
“I think there will be many occasions for us to meet in the future. Whether for good things or bad things.”
Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes shone.
He had felt it when he came to find him, but he could be certain of it now.
‘He has made a decision.’
Indeed. Murong Yu had finally made up his mind.
The lightheartedness and strong tension felt in his voice proved that he was certain. And yet, an unknown sense of composure could be seen, making him think he had indeed chosen the right person.
“And so?”
“I said I would make a deal with you. Do you remember?”
“I remember.”
“Yes, a deal. But as you probably guessed, I cannot completely trust you yet.”
“That is only natural.”
“However, I was able to realize many things through this help.”
He was an amusing man.
He said he realized them, rather than obtained them. It was a remark typical of Murong Yu.
“You took control of the trade union’s affairs in one fell swoop. But I am not thankful for that.”
“…”
“What I am thankful to you for is that, due to this situation, you made me detest my past indecisive self.”
Yeon Ho-jeong shook his head.
“You don’t need to think that far. People each face different environments. You fought a difficult battle in the situation you faced. No one evaluates that as being indecisive.”
Murong Yu shook his head.
“I am truly thankful that you say that, but still, I shouldn’t have been like that. Even if it wasn’t necessarily you, I should have opened my eyes faster.”
“What is important is the present. Rather than wasting time regretting, it’s better to focus on the present and do your best to grasp the future in your hands.”
“You are right. However, the reason I am saying these words is to express my gratitude to you.”
Murong Yu bowed his head while remaining seated.
“Thank you. Sincerely.”
Yeon Ho-jeong, who was quietly looking at Murong Yu, nodded.
“I will accept that sincerity well.”
Murong Yu smiled.
“It is fascinating.”
“What is?”
“My current situation, where I joined hands with someone I had never met before after just a few conversations, and on top of that, feeling thankful to the person who approached me first, is fascinating.”
“You find odd things fascinating.”
“So let me ask one favor.”
“Shouldn’t you say ‘even so’?”
“I want to get along more comfortably with you.”
Yeon Ho-jeong furrowed his brows.
“What does that mean? Speak straightforwardly.”
Murong Yu let out a fake cough.
“That is…”
“Huh?”
“…Even if it’s not to the point of calling each other brotherly terms upon our first meeting, I’m saying this because I wish we were a bit closer. I want to at least sort out our titles.”
Yeon Ho-jeong scratched his head.
“Is something like that important?”
“It is important.”
“Goodness.”
“Although it’s my first time seeing you, I can at least be certain that you didn’t deceive me.”
“You saw correctly.”
“And one more thing.”
Murong Yu’s eyes shone.
“You absolutely do not betray your own people. Rather, if your person gets hurt, you must be a person who hurts as if you were hurt yourself.”
“Ah, you really make a person cringe.”
“I am just speaking according to my intuition.”
“It is an incredibly cheesy intuition.”
“In any case.”
Murong Yu continuously let out fake coughs. It seemed he felt a bit embarrassed even when thinking about it himself.
“Can I just comfortably call you Younger Brother Yeon?”
“Did you drag it out like that because you wanted to say those words? I told you to call me whatever you want.”
“…”
“I don’t care what you call me. As you said, we made a deal. I will help you, and you just have to help me in your own way. That is all.”
They were quite cold-hearted words. Depending on the person, it was a remark that could also cause hurt.
However, it seemed to not be hurtful at all to Murong Yu.
Rather, he rejoiced and laughed.
“I look forward to working with you, Younger Brother.”
Yeon Ho-jeong was smiling bitterly when he suddenly realized he had clenched his fist.
…Was I trying to hit him one without realizing it.
Yeon Ho-jeong gently loosened his fist, which felt like it would cramp, and said.
“Now, let’s try getting into a more constructive conversation.”
“Let’s do so.”
“…”
“Why are you like that?”
“It’s nothing. I just feel like I can somehow understand that girl’s feelings.”
“Hmm?”
“There is someone, a quick-witted kid. She called me an old man in a child’s body because of my way of speaking.”
“She is an amusing friend.”
Well? I don’t know why that’s amusing?
Yeon Ho-jeong’s expression became serious.
“So, what happened? Explain how you handled it.”
Murong Yu’s face naturally became serious as well.
“That is…”
Murong Yu explained the matter with Murong Yeon-hwa in detail.
“That’s how it happened.”
“…”
“Why are you like that?”
Yeon Ho-jeong, who was blankly looking at Murong Yu, asked in a dejected voice.
“So what you’re saying is, didn’t you half-destroy Murong Yeon-hwa?”
“Ahem! Younger Brother, your way of speaking seems a bit rough.”
“…You human.”
Yeon Ho-jeong pressed his temples with all his might.
“You could have just said you would take care of it, you would show it with results, and sent her back at that level, but you made such an extremely dangerous remark?”
Murong Yu shook his head with a cold face.
“I couldn’t do that.”
“Why couldn’t you!”
“I don’t know what you expected from me, Younger Brother, but I couldn’t hide my true feelings even in front of Yeon-hwa.”
“Ha!”
“Gather strength without the clan knowing? Yes, that could be done. But even so, it would just be a precarious tightrope walk. Doing it that way, I don’t know when I could ever return the main house back to normal.”
“…”
“I am sorry to you, Younger Brother. Perhaps doing as you said could be the safer and faster path.”
Murong Yu’s eyes shone.
“However, since I have also made my decision, I don’t want to move lukewarmly. I have no intention of becoming a puppet that moves solely according to your words, Younger Brother.”
“…Is that so?”
“I think it might look frustrating. But isn’t this a matter where both you and I, Younger Brother, have to exert our strength.”
“That’s right.”
“Let’s agonize together and judge together. I believe that blindly following only one side’s opinion as if holding a fanatical belief will definitely become a problem in the future.”
Murong Yu sighed.
“Anyway… I’ve lost face regarding this matter.”
“No.”
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.
That sincere smile seemed to even harbor a pleasantly refreshing feeling at a glance.
“You don’t want to live as a puppet…”
He was baffled at first, but the more he listened to Murong Yu’s words, the better his mood became.
‘That’s how it should be.’
He had to be at this level. He had to show this level of subjective opinion and guts to make working together enjoyable.
A person who is passively dragged around can always only do up to what they are ordered. But a person who works with their own subjective opinion like Murong Yu finds work on their own even without being told.
That difference was much larger than vaguely thought.
“I thought you were just entirely naive, but that wasn’t it. Yes, you have to do at least that much. You are someone who will become the next Murim Alliance Leader.”
Murong Yu’s face stiffened.
“Let’s stop that talk.”
“I will keep doing it, so block your ears if you don’t want to hear it.”
It was an eloquence that rendered one speechless. Murong Yu shut his mouth instead of blocking his ears.
Yeon Ho-jeong crossed his arms.
“By the way, things have become a bit busy. If you came out like that, Murong Jun wouldn’t stay still either.”
“Hmm?”
“Murong Yeon-hwa will pass on the conversation she shared with you intact, won’t she. Murong Jun will absolutely not leave you alone. Even at the latest, the Murong Clan’s forces will enter Zhejiang within two months.”
“Do not worry about that.”
“Why? Knowing Murong Jun’s personality, he would absolutely not endure it?”
“The Clan Head elder brother is currently not at the main house.”
“What?”
“The Temporary Murim Alliance.”
Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes flashed.
Murong Yu continued his words.
“He is very busy with public and private matters regarding the establishment of the Murim Alliance. There is more time to spare.”
“Is that so. But the result doesn’t change.”
“Those are correct words. So that is why.”
Yeon Ho-jeong could not forget this moment.
Murong Yu’s eyes were shining more radiantly than ever before.
The shining eyes, to the extent that even Yeon Ho-jeong, who had swept through the Unorthodox Murim being called the King of Darkness, flinched for a moment, were like the writhing of a Hidden Dragon aiming for the time of flight.
“I sent a letter to my elder brother before departing for this place.”
“A letter?”
“That’s right.”
“What kind?”
“Saying that I would properly grow Zhejiang. I said I would grow the trade business by twice as much by next year.”
Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes widened roundly.
“Twice as much…?”
“That’s right.”
“Are you actually planning to do that?”
“If I couldn’t do that, I wouldn’t have even written it in the letter and sent it.”
Yeon Ho-jeong’s face became serious.
‘He would grow the business by twice as much?’
That was a truly audacious letter, but the problem was not knowing how Murong Jun would react.
Whatever the reason, Murong Yeon-hwa would spit out the entire conversation she had shared here.
Murong Yu continued his words.
“My elder brother is a person bright in profits. If I even send a business plan, there will be enough time…”
“No, it won’t do with such a soft strategy.”
“Hmm?”
Yeon Ho-jeong looked at Murong Yu.
Murong Yu flinched without realizing it himself.
“You.”
“Speak.”
“At that time when you made up your mind to make a deal with me, it would be fine to consider that you had already put your life on the line, right?”
“Of course.”
“Then do you want to try properly putting it on the line this time?”
“Do you happen to have a separate brilliant move?”
Yeon Ho-jeong nodded.
Murong Yu was startled at Yeon Ho-jeong’s words that came out immediately after.
“If you went astray for more than ten years, wouldn’t it be fine to stop riding the crooked boat now?”
“…?”
“Go under Murong Jun.”
“…!!”