Monochrome Sovereign (Novel) - Chapter 129 - Orthodox Path Murim Alliance (4)
Chapter 129 – Orthodox Path Murim Alliance (4)
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Translated by Heavenly Cat
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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Just the time to go from the outer castle to the entrance of the inner castle took almost half a shichen. If a peak master exerted maximum speed without resting, would it take about one ke?
It wasn’t as much as the outer castle, but the inner castle was also wide. As it was the focal point of the Murim Alliance, the arrangement of buildings became strategically denser and simultaneously splendid.
“This is the place where we will stay.”
The place where the Yeon Clan stayed in the inner castle was the Destroying Army Pavilion. The exterior of the buildings looked particularly antique and sturdy.
Yeon Wi, who had unpacked, said.
“This father will go straight to the Martial Sage Hall. Rest up.”
“Have a safe trip.”
“Do not cause an accident.”
“I won’t.”
Yeon Wi glanced at Ga Deuk-sang.
He was pacing around outside the building. The sight of him wandering around here and there while smacking his lips with his hands behind his back looked quite anxious.
Yeon Ho-jeong let out a loud fake cough.
“I will tie him up well.”
Yeon Wi, who hesitated for a moment, said.
“If necessary, you may use martial force.”
It meant to suppress him immediately in case he went crazy and caused a disturbance. Yeon Ho-jeong smirked.
“He isn’t someone without manners to that extent. Don’t worry.”
“Understood. Then I will trust you and be back.”
“Yes.”
Yeon Wi left the Destroying Army Pavilion.
Yeon Ho-jeong, who was seeing Yeon Wi off, frowned and said.
“I’m going to go crazy. Why do you keep doing that distractingly?”
Ga Deuk-sang hurriedly approached.
“Let’s drink alcohol, alcohol. I haven’t been able to put a drop of alcohol in my mouth for half a year.”
“Well, if it’s alcohol, we can drink it, but…”
Yeon Ho-jeong swept his eyes over Ga Deuk-sang from top to bottom.
“By the way, you’ve changed enormously in half a year?”
He was acting like someone lacking, but Ga Deuk-sang’s aura was a world of difference from when he saw him last summer.
‘His internal energy has exploded.’
Even estimating conservatively, it had increased by at least three to four times compared to the last time he saw him.
It was truly an enormous amount of internal energy. It was comparable to Muk Bi’s latent internal energy amount, and looking at his internal energy alone, it would be no exaggeration to call him a super peak master.
Of course, what he could properly use among that was only half. Because Ga Deuk-sang’s enlightenment was lacking.
‘Transmitting Force across Bodies. Did the Dragon Head Chief pass on some of his internal energy?’
The probability was high. The energy that hadn’t been gathered was very fierce, but it was refined to a high level corresponding to that. It was a power that couldn’t be obtained from spirit medicines.
‘It’s not just his internal energy that has increased.’
Crucially, the thickness of the aura Ga Deuk-sang emitted had changed.
It was only half a year, but he must have spent every day like hell. Yeon Ho-jeong suddenly felt a competitive spirit rising.
“A round before drinking alcohol?”
Ga Deuk-sang shouted angrily.
“You crazy bastard! I ran away because I didn’t want to train, so what do you mean a round! Set up the drinking table first!”
“Don’t you think you are too shameless when it’s not even your own house?”
“Hand over the alcohol! Alcohol!”
“If you fight a round.”
Ga Deuk-sang grabbed Yeon Ho-jeong’s fist and then forcefully hit his own face with it.
“Aigoo, I lost! I lost! Yeon Ho-jeong, this damn bastard is too strong! I can’t win!”
Ga Deuk-sang laid down flat and then rolled around while clutching his face.
Yeon Ho-jeong felt his enthusiasm deflate. It wasn’t because he felt sorry for the other person, but because he seemed out of his mind, so he lost his strength.
“Damn it, let’s go in.”
“Hehehe.”
Ga Deuk-sang went into the residence ahead of Yeon Ho-jeong. He was completely acting like it was his own house.
Muk Bi, who was watching that sight from the side, said with a sour face.
“There are truly many fascinating people in the Jianghu?”
“That human is the best among them. It’s hard to find such a crazy person.”
“Excluding your family, the people you know are all abnormal.”
“I know, right. You aren’t normal either, are you?”
“What did I do!”
“Enough, are you going to have a drink too?”
Muk Bi shook her head as if she was sick and tired of it.
“You want me to endure that terrible hangover? I’m good. I will rest.”
“You can just drink moderately, what’s the big deal.”
“I’m good.”
“Understood. Rest.”
“See you later.”
“Don’t forget to wash up before resting.”
“I am much cleaner than you!”
Muk Bi went into her lodging while huffing and puffing.
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled broadly. Teasing her indeed has its flavor.
A moment later, a modest drinking table was set up in Yeon Ho-jeong’s residence. It was thanks to the cook and servants of the Seven Stars Pavilion, which had become the residence of the Six Great Clans, not the Seven Great Clans, moving the drinking table all the way into the room.
“Now, receive a cup…”
When he tried to fill his cup, Ga Deuk-sang abruptly lifted the bottle and gulped it down.
‘Straight from the bottle…?’
It’s quite strong alcohol? Wouldn’t his stomach get ruined doing that?
Then again, if it was a monster-like stomach that had digested twelve jin of pork, it seemed he could handle it sufficiently. Yeon Ho-jeong grumbled and filled his own cup.
“Did you originally like alcohol that much?”
“Burp! Where in the world is there a beggar who doesn’t like alcohol?”
“Still, that’s a bit much.”
“It’s fine. Ugh, after swallowing a bottle in one gulp, the alcohol is rushing up.”
Ga Deuk-sang buried his back in the chair. His neck was slowly turning red. It was clear he was forcefully suppressing his internal energy.
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.
“Still, it seems you have been doing well and healthy.”
“Is physical health everything? My mind hurts, my mind.”
“Tell me about it. You weren’t a crazy beggar bastard to this extent?”
“…”
“What’s wrong?”
“You’ve changed quite a bit while I didn’t see you?”
“Is that so?”
“In the past you would stab with a knife, but now you smile and slap cheeks.”
“I will take that to mean it’s better now.”
“Both are bad!”
Ga Deuk-sang grumbled.
“Anyway, it seems you are healthy too. I see you’ve been doing extremely dangerous things during that time?”
“Hmm?”
“Catching Myeong Heo-rim, crushing Murong Yeon-hwa, stabbing assassins, smashing the Zhejiang merchant group, and what else was there?”
“As expected, you knew everything?”
“Isn’t that obvious? Why did I give you the Filthy Essence Tablet? You put our kids to good use.”
“Thanks to that, things became quite easy.”
Ga Deuk-sang’s face became serious.
“Let’s talk about the past a bit.”
He had made such a fuss about drinking alcohol, but in the end, it seemed he had a lot to talk about with Yeon Ho-jeong.
“First of all, there is something I want to ask most.”
“Please speak.”
“The young lady who came with you, is she the Anhui Blood Bow?”
It seemed it would be better not to hide the truth from Ga Deuk-sang easily.
“She isn’t the Anhui Blood Bow. But she does belong to Sun-Piercing Valley.”
“Please explain in detail.”
Yeon Ho-jeong talked about Muk Bi’s, no, Baek Hyang’s past without leaving out a single thing. What kind of group Sun-Piercing Valley was, and how the infamous name Anhui Blood Bow came into the world.
Ga Deuk-sang’s eyes widened.
“The Murder God Cult? As expected, there are still quite a few mysterious sects in the Jianghu that we don’t know about.”
“I heard it’s closer to a religion than a sect.”
“So? To stop those guys, you borrowed the sword called the Namgung Clan and smashed the place called Sun-Piercing Valley?”
“That is so.”
Ga Deuk-sang clicked his tongue.
“How many lives do you have? To do such a thing against the Namgung Clan in this world, if you got caught, you would be in big trouble!”
“I didn’t get caught.”
“…Damn it, you saying it like that leaves me with nothing to say.”
“And I didn’t lie. The Anhui Blood Bow is someone from the Battle of Yesin that took place five years ago. The Golden Sword Sect was also swept up in that bizarre battle of life and death and was exterminated.”
“Tsk.”
“In the end, it was a good thing for the Namgung Clan too. Because they caught the Anhui Blood Bow.”
Ga Deuk-sang nodded.
“Anyway, my doubt is resolved. So the one who killed the kids at that branch was also an archer belonging to Sun-Piercing Valley.”
“I am sorry. But I couldn’t give up that guy.”
“It’s fine. We cannot turn the arrow of resentment towards her just because they were members of the same organization. Moreover, since you say that young lady personally killed the culprit, I am rather thankful and sorry.”
Seeing him at times like this, Ga Deuk-sang was definitely not an ordinary person either. Thoroughly distinguishing debts of gratitude and grudges despite having a hotter heart than anyone else, it was absolutely not an easy thing.
“Well, that part was bothering me the most. If the circumstances are like that, I fully understand.”
Only then did Ga Deuk-sang pour alcohol into his cup.
“What happened with the assassins? I told the kids separately to investigate, but I couldn’t gauge where those guys popped out from.”
“I don’t know well either. They probably seem to be assassins operating in the Hubei area, but there is nothing certain.”
“Hubei? How did you know?”
“I just had a feeling. Since it’s too late to investigate now anyway, it’s meaningless.”
“That is true, but…”
Ga Deuk-sang, who emptied his cup, flashed his eyes.
“Is it the Murong Clan?”
“I am seeing it as the highest possibility. However, I can’t be certain.”
“Probably. Damn it, since your personality is so foul, would you have just one or two enemies?”
“I will break your head.”
“I am not an enemy. Do not misunderstand.”
The two people giggled and laughed. Even while having a serious conversation, they were overflowing with composure.
But that was also for a moment.
“Speaking of the Murong Clan.”
“Please speak.”
Ga Deuk-sang’s face became serious. He wasn’t the beggar who was going crazy begging for alcohol until a little while ago.
“Please tell Clan Head Yeon to be careful of the Murong Clan.”
“What’s with the suddenness.”
“I heard some of the Myeong Clan’s masters imprisoned in the Murim Alliance’s prison have disappeared.”
Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes shone.
“I can’t be certain either, but it seems an extremely small part of the Nine Sects and the Six Great Clans sneaked a few of them out.”
“As allies?”
“Probably.”
Yeon Ho-jeong nodded.
“If they have the capability, that would be good too.”
Ga Deuk-sang frowned.
“Are you saying words that make sense right now? All members of the Nine States Myeong Clan should naturally go to prison regardless of the reason, and they all deserve to be punished according to the Alliance Law. No matter how much they are the pillars of the Orthodox Path, secretly bringing out sinners is a felony.”
“Yes, it is a felony, but who will report that crime?”
“…”
“Moreover, the current Murim Alliance is temporary. Looking at the atmosphere, it seems the Murim Alliance will be rebuilt, but if we push them without evidence, we are the ones who will see blood.”
Ga Deuk-sang let out a deep sigh.
“I’m saying this because I’m frustrated too. No matter how greedy one is for talent, to secretly sneak them out without even going through procedures is…”
“Human greed transcends laws and order. That is the reason there is no perfect law in the world. Even if thousands of years pass, laws will constantly change.”
“Heo-eo.”
“And thanks to that, I also benefited a bit.”
“Eh? Benefited?”
Yeon Ho-jeong filled his cup again and said.
“On the day I was attacked by assassins, there was also an attack by quite a strong master.”
“A master? If Young Master Yeon says that much…”
“He used the Diancang Sect’s Sun-Piercing Sword Method.”
“…!!”
Ga Deuk-sang’s eyes widened.
“I-Is that real?”
“It is real. Because Muk Bi was there, I was able to catch him easily, but considering my martial arts at that time, it might have been difficult to gain an advantage in a frontal bout.”
“…!”
“His age was in his late thirties to early forties. He was a person with a thick smell of blood. Probably having killed an unquantifiable number of people…”
“Mong Ui.”
“Hmm?”
Thud!
Ga Deuk-sang slammed the table.
“It is definitely Mong Ui. The great disciple of the previous sect leader of the Diancang Sect, and the one who obtained the Sun-Piercing Sword Method which was said to be lost. He is the one who killed the previous sect leader and disappeared.”
The two people looked at each other.
Yeon Ho-jeong opened his mouth.
“Does he belong to the Myeong Clan?”
“It is not certain, but our union sees it that way.”
“Hmm, his mouth was incredibly heavy. He is still imprisoned in the main clan’s prison.”
Ga Deuk-sang’s eyes became cold.
“Then if we trace who took Mong Ui, we can also know the culprit who tried to kill Young Master Yeon.”
“Probably.”
“Right from today, I will have them find out…”
“It’s fine.”
“Eh?”
Yeon Ho-jeong smirked.
“If Murong Jun is the person who sent Mong Ui, he would have erased all traces. If you poke around pointlessly, you will only make Murong Jun more tense for no reason.”
“It might not be Murong Jun? What will you do if it’s a new enemy?”
“Let’s think about that when the time comes. Do you know? If there is another place to use him.”
Ga Deuk-sang beat his chest.
“You still haven’t thrown away that reckless temperament. Man! Murong Jun recently gained another powerful treasured sword! It’s like adding wings to the back of a tiger! You have to at least make it so he cannot move carelessly!”
“Wings?”
“Murong Yu! The hidden genius of the Murong Clan! Even the monster who was the Zhejiang Branch Leader entered under Murong Jun’s command!”
“Iis thaat sooo?”
“You, you don’t know Murong Yu? That gentleman is a genius among geniuses that the world doesn’t know about. It’s no different from Murong Jun becoming two! Of course, considering his innate nature, he would…”
“…”
“…What? You know?”
“I want to ask. Did you not know? Things were easy thanks to your union’s Hangzhou Branch Leader?”
“I, I haven’t heard such a story? You really joined hands with Murong Yu?”
Yeon Ho-jeong let out a sigh of relief and leaned his back against the chair.
“I won’t have to worry from now on.”