Monochrome Sovereign (Novel) - Chapter 163 - The Essence of the Secret Struggle (3)
Chapter 163 – The Essence of the Secret Struggle (3)
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Translated by Heavenly Cat
Edited by Celestial Knight
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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Surprise arose on Murong Yu’s face.
“You are?”
“…Ha, hahaha.”
Tang Sang-ah, who was extremely flustered, eventually formed an awkward smile.
Of course, she couldn’t break through this situation with a single piece of such a smile.
Yeon Ho-jeong glanced at Murong Yu.
“Someone you know?”
“…”
“Look here.”
“Heok! Eung?”
“I asked if it’s someone you know.”
Before he knew it, Murong Yu’s face was also full of perplexity.
“Ah, this person is… that…”
This person? Hmm?
‘Certainly.’
Yeon Ho-jeong scanned Tang Sang-ah’s attire.
It wasn’t a carefully arranged attire like Muk Bi wearing a palace attire. But looking at the delicate and antique needlework on high-quality silk, there was a high probability she was from a good family.
Moreover.
‘This deep and peculiarly sharp internal force is quite familiar?’
Surprisingly, her level of internal energy nearly approached Murong Yu. Murong Yu’s internal energy had also grown greatly while learning the Clan Head’s Learning of the Murong Clan, but if her level of internal force was high enough to be compared to that, this was no ordinary matter.
Such a person was not common. Even within the Murim Alliance.
‘She looks like she’s in her early twenties, but dignity and experience can be glimpsed in her eyes. Could she be around thirty years old.’
It was then.
Tang Sang-ah suddenly stood up and took a fist salute posture with an almost reverent attitude.
“I am sorry. I snuck in and caused a nuisance. I sincerely apologize.”
Yeon Ho-jeong tilted his head.
“Shouldn’t you introduce yourself first? So what is your identity?”
He wasn’t very rough, but he gave off a peculiarly sloppy hooligan-like feeling.
Tang Sang-ah was flustered by Yeon Ho-jeong’s tone, but she didn’t let it show.
Whatever the reason was, the person who did wrong was herself. That was the important thing.
“I am a person who uses the name Sang-ah. Eh, so…”
“……?”
“I tell you that I am sorry once again. My curiosity was aroused so I followed behind Army Commander Murong, but I did an action that goes against morality and justice.”
Tang Sang-ah folded her waist in half.
“I am truly sorry.”
“…Hmm.”
What a peculiarly interesting person?
Yeon Ho-jeong felt interest in the opponent’s words and actions.
‘At least it seems there are no bad intentions.’
Because he met so many people, he could now roughly know that person’s character just by looking at their eyes.
Furthermore, as he achieved a qualitative improvement of internal energy by breaking through the Wall of the Martial Arts´ End, his Essence, Qi, and Spirit unified, and his practical sixth sense developed.
In his eyes, this woman named Sang-ah wasn’t a gloomy person enough to have a grandiose ambition or dig into others’ backgrounds.
At least the feeling was so.
‘Hm? But Sang-ah?’
I’ve definitely heard it somewhere?
At that time, Murong Yu said.
“Miss Tang.”
In an instant, Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes flashed.
‘Tang clan? Tang Sang-ah? Then the Dark Heaven Divine Maiden?!’
One of the One Dragon and Three Phoenixes, and the eldest daughter of the Sichuan Tang Clan rumored to be cherished more by the Tang Clan Head than his son.
And she was the eldest daughter of the Tang Sect who definitely must have met Murong Yu yesterday.
‘No wonder.’
The quality and color of her internal energy was completely different from Tang Yang-seon.
Rather, it was similar to Tang Kwan during the Dark Emperor days in the past. Of course, it was much lacking compared to him, but its flow and powerfulness exactly resembled her father.
It was when Yeon Ho-jeong was looking at Tang Sang-ah as if bewitched.
“Did you say you followed behind me?”
“Yes?”
Murong Yu’s face was somewhat stiffened.
A shadow also fell on Tang Sang-ah’s face.
“…Yes. I am sorry.”
“Why?”
“Ah, that’s…”
It was then.
“Muk Bi.”
“Yes?”
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled gloomily.
“Could I ask you for some tea?”
Muk Bi, who was about to ask why he was asking that to her, flinched for a moment. It was because she saw the expression of this human whom she didn’t know what was in his head.
‘Is that guy plotting something again?’
Muk Bi nodded her head.
“Understood. Wait a moment.”
“I have a lot of time. You can serve it slowly.”
“Keung. As if you wouldn’t.”
Muk Bi, who turned her body, glanced at Tang Sang-ah.
Tang Sang-ah bowed her head without a word. That action was full of apologetic feelings.
Muk Bi smacked her lips and left the room.
Yeon Ho-jeong clapped his hands.
“Now, let’s sit down first.”
“Yes?”
“I said let’s sit. It’s a bit awkward to keep standing.”
Murong Yu was flustered and looked at Yeon Ho-jeong.
‘Younger brother Yeon?’
Yeon Ho-jeong pretended not to see his gaze.
“Did you say you’re Miss Tang?”
“Yes? Ah, that is so.”
“Sit down.”
There was a peculiar intensity in Yeon Ho-jeong’s voice. Tang Sang-ah hesitated and sat on the chair.
Like that, the three people sat with the table between them.
Yeon Ho-jeong asked.
“By the way, what kind of relationship do you have with Army Commander Murong that you secretly followed him?”
“Heok! We aren’t in any relationship!”
She seemed rather flustered herself at the words she spat out without realizing. Tang Sang-ah immediately continued her words.
“Ah, that! It’s true we’re in no relationship but how should I say this… So…”
“Aha? By any chance?”
Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes were openly insidious. At the expression of twitching his nostrils and forming a peculiar smile, Tang Sang-ah hurriedly said.
“It’s not like that! Absolutely not! I just…!”
“What did I say?”
“Yes?”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“Ugh.”
Tang Sang-ah’s face heated up red.
Yeon Ho-jeong spoke with an amused expression.
“Ah! The season is entering autumn, but the blowing wind contains the warm sunlight of spring. Heolheol, my chest feels warm and it’s nice!”
Murong Yu spoke with a heavily suppressed voice.
“Squad Leader Yeon. Don’t tease her too much.”
“Tease? What kind of friendship do you and I have for me to tease you?”
“I’m not talking about me.”
“Then?”
Murong Yu was flustered.
“Why do you keep acting like this. Anyway, if there’s nothing else to say, let’s break up the gathering now.”
Break up what, when the situation was just getting interesting.
Anyway, there was a need to ventilate the atmosphere.
Yeon Ho-jeong opened his mouth.
“Miss Tang.”
“Yes?”
“Did you perhaps come because of your younger brother?”
Younger brother?
In an instant, Tang Sang-ah’s eyes deepened.
“Are you talking about Yang-seon?”
“That’s right.”
Yeon Ho-jeong’s expression became calm before he knew it.
“You must also know because you heard. What that guy did, and also who the person that smashed him is.”
“…Green Mountain Tiger General Yeon Ho-jeong. It is exactly you, Commander Yeon.”
“That’s right.”
A cool energy arose in Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes.
“The one who did wrong first was clearly that guy. I think I showed my own mercy just by sending the enemy, who even unleashed killing moves because he felt bad, away without killing him. And twice at that.”
“…”
“However, as blood kin, you can show enough hostility to the person who ruined your younger brother regardless of what the causal relationship is. I probably would have done so too.”
Tang Sang-ah spoke in a much calmer voice.
“Do your words, Commander Yeon, mean that I might have come targeting you, Squad Leader Yeon, and not Army Commander Murong?”
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.
“The Tang Clan is a prestigious family of poison and hidden weapons. Wouldn’t you be better than an average assassin at killing a person?”
It was a very provocative remark.
No matter how much he committed a wrong first, it wasn’t words that could be easily passed over as a descendant of a prestigious family. It was words that would be fine to suddenly get angry at if it was a person with strong pride in their family.
How would Tang Sang-ah’s reaction be?
“Yang-seon’s fault is clear.”
“Hm?”
“As the opponent who suffered, it’s like a thunderbolt falling from a dry sky. Just as Commander Yeon said, it’s a matter to be thankful for just letting him live without killing him.”
Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes sparkled.
Tang Sang-ah’s calm expression was real. It didn’t seem like she hated or despised her younger brother either.
Yet what did it mean that she could say such words?
“I will ask straightforwardly. Didn’t you come to kill me?”
Tang Sang-ah wore a faint smile.
“The young tiger of Jiangdong. A hot-blooded young man who tried to face the Number One Family Under Heaven alone, the Evil-Annihilating Army Commander of the Murim Alliance, and a genius master who broke through the Wall of the Martial Arts´ End as the youngest in the current generation’s Murim.”
“…”
“With my level of skill, I can’t touch you. Rather, I would end up in the exact same state as my younger brother.”
She was serious when asking for forgiveness, and was not easily agitated by provocative words. She had the wisdom to soothe an aggressively approaching opponent and make them accept her innocence with their heart.
She was a person who knew how to draw a line clearly. Regardless of men or women, such a person was not common in Murim.
‘I like her.’
A fine character. No, in Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes, Tang Sang-ah was someone who had a human smell, unlike a person from the Sichuan Tang Clan known to be venomous.
“In other words, I wasn’t the goal?”
“Yes. In the first place, I hate fighting.”
“I didn’t know someone who is the Dark Heaven Divine Maiden of the world would say such words.”
Tang Sang-ah spoke bitterly.
“Right? Everyone seemed to think like that.”
“As expected, it seems you have to meet a person to know.”
Yeon Ho-jeong, who nodded his head, formed a gloomy expression once again.
“Then what business did you have with Army Commander Murong that you secretly followed him?”
“Ugh.”
Tang Sang-ah touched her hair for no reason.
“Th-that…”
“That?”
Perhaps Murong Yu was also inwardly curious, he subtly looked at Tang Sang-ah.
Tang Sang-ah’s face became slightly red.
“I don’t know if you’ll believe me but.”
“Please speak.”
“…Because I was bored.”
“……?”
Yeon Ho-jeong blinked his eyes like a fool. Murong Yu stared blankly at Tang Sang-ah as if he was despondent.
Tang Sang-ah’s complexion became even redder.
“I, I know it’s absurd even when I think about it. But it’s true. I was really bored. I somehow saw Army Commander Murong, but looking at his expression, he looked a bit serious. I was curious and also had nothing to do so I just…”
“And then you even hid in the ceiling?”
“Keok! I was trying to leave right away! This, I don’t know if you’ll believe this either. I have a serious disease where if I get hooked on something once, I can’t control myself. This crazy unconsciousness that even I don’t know about…”
“I believe you.”
“…Yes?”
“I said I believe you.”
Tang Sang-ah’s eyes bulged out like bells.
“R-really?”
Even after saying it, it seemed she expected to be treated like an idiot. Instead, Tang Sang-ah’s expression looked more bewildered than Yeon Ho-jeong’s or Murong Yu’s.
Yeon Ho-jeong asked Murong Yu.
“Do you not believe those words?”
Murong Yu shook his head.
“There is no reason to necessarily not believe it.”
“Is that so?”
“That’s right.”
Murong Yu genuinely thought so.
It wasn’t because he was quick-witted, but because he actually thought a person could do that if they were bored. Of course, how many such people would there be in Jianghu where swords dance wildly, but since she was speaking so full of sincerity like that, wasn’t there no reason to not believe her.
People are of all sorts and kinds. There are many people even weirder than that. That is the world.
Yeon Ho-jeong nodded his head.
“Anyway, I understand that you have no malicious intent.”
“Heok! Thank you! You really believe me!”
“I believe you. But I think belief and forgiveness are different problems though.”
Tang Sang-ah’s expression, which had brightened like a fully bloomed flower, turned into a dried-up weed in an instant.
“R-right. Because anyway I did a huge wrong.”
“That’s right.”
“…I truly have no face. As long as it is within the line of not going against morality and justice, I will pay any price.”
Not only Yeon Ho-jeong, but Murong Yu also smiled.
She was a good person.
Although unique, she also knew how to be serious as a person, and she didn’t put lies in her mouth. It was a personality hardened like that.
For Yeon Ho-jeong, it was a type of innocence he had seen in a long time excluding Muk Bi or Yeon Ji-pyeong, and for Murong Yu, it could be said to be a type he saw for the first time in his life.
“Army Commander Murong.”
“Hm?”
“How much time is left for the foundation ceremony?”
“Eung? Heok!”
Murong Yu hurriedly stood up from his seat.
“It’s already almost noon. I should get up now.”
“I see.”
Yeon Ho-jeong, who nodded his head, pointed at Tang Sang-ah with his chin.
“Take her with you.”
“…Eh?”
“I said take her with you.”
“M-me?”
“Then should I take her? You told me not to come?”
“That’s true, but Miss Tang doesn’t necessarily need to attend the foundation ceremony…”
“She should attend. She’s a member of the Demon-Sweeping Army starting today.”
Murong Yu’s eyes widened. Tang Sang-ah couldn’t even guess what the situation was turning into, so she only rolled her eyeballs around.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Miss Tang says so. That she will pay the price. With Miss Tang’s level of combat power, wouldn’t she be a big help to the Demon-Sweeping Army?”
“Eoeok?!”
Yeon Ho-jeong grinned.
“If you did wrong, you should naturally pay the price. Isn’t that right, Miss Tang?”
“…”
“Didn’t you say you were bored? Then work.”
Tang Sang-ah’s eyes lost focus blankly.
For the first time in her life, she cursed her own curiosity.