Monochrome Sovereign (Novel) - Chapter 164 - The Essence of the Secret Struggle (4)
Chapter 164 – The Essence of the Secret Struggle (4)
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Translated by Heavenly Cat
Edited by Celestial Knight
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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The foundation ceremony of the Demon-Sweeping Army proceeded much more grandiosely than expected.
It was different from the Evil-Annihilating Army from the start. Not only the Demon-Sweeping Army Commander Murong Yu, but his subordinate five hundred warriors were also uniformly dressed in high-quality light armor and even held ceremonial weapons.
The people who attended the foundation ceremony could not help but admire the outstanding majesty of the Demon-Sweeping Army.
Perhaps because they had yet to do any training worthy of the name, each of them overflowed with individuality, but the solemn momentum they emitted was not lacking to be called an elite force.
And Murong Yu, who stood in front of them, was undoubtedly the highlight among them. Countless people could not help but admire while looking at Murong Yu’s figure and cool spirit.
Like that, the foundation ceremony of the Demon-Sweeping Army ended.
Of course, the foundation ceremony of the Demon-Sweeping Army wasn’t everything on this day. After that, the foundation ceremonies of the organizations under the Murim Alliance followed, and the event that started at noon was only finished when the setting sun went down.
As soon as the long foundation ceremonies ended, a festival was held. Martial artists gathered in groups of three or five to eat meat and drink alcohol.
In that harmonious gathering, the Evil-Annihilating Army was absent.
* * *
“Heoheoheo!”
The way back to the residence.
Murong Jun continuously burst into hearty laughter as if something was so good.
“You did well. You did truly well. I knew you were not ordinary, but you properly imprinted your presence in front of so many people watching.”
Murong Yu formed a bitter smile.
“It was a show-off style.”
“There are many people who fall behind because they cannot do that show-off. How much must you have suffered with your plain character, but that is also all necessary work.”
“I know.”
“Heoheoheo!”
He really seemed to be in a good mood. His laughter didn’t stop the whole time they were walking from the Martial Sage Hall to here.
Murong Yu bowed his head.
“Then, I will take my leave now.”
“Hm? Where are you thinking of going? Just for today, let us drink until we are drunk together.”
“The Demon-Sweeping Army is an amazing combat power. However, a unit that hasn’t united together is nothing but a rabble.”
“Heo-eo, wouldn’t it be fine to rest today?”
“I plan to let the soldiers rest, but I shouldn’t do so. The Demon-Sweeping Army will also shine only if I do my job properly. Also, wouldn’t I be able to become older brother’s strength if I control them even one day sooner?”
“What? Hahaha!”
Murong Jun formed a satisfied smile.
“You don’t need to overdo it to that extent. Wouldn’t you naturally take care of it well?”
“When everyone was excited, problems definitely erupted if we let our guard down. Even to get a grip on myself, it seems it would be good to spend today alone.”
Murong Jun smiled.
Murong Yu was right. Enemies were always bound to aim for when the opponent let their guard down. Of course, would there be someone worthy to be called an enemy in the Murim Alliance, but that kind of tension wasn’t bad.
“If your thought is like that, it’s good. My younger brother says he’ll try hard, so becoming an older brother, I shouldn’t stop you.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
“Before that, there is one thing I want to ask.”
“Please speak.”
Murong Jun subtly asked.
“Are you thinking of being with the Tang Clan Head’s daughter?”
It was one of the reasons why he was exceptionally in a good mood.
Murong Yu accepted Tang Sang-ah into the Demon-Sweeping Army. It was the same for other organizations, but due to the characteristics of a mobile unit, the Commander’s command was absolute. If Murong Yu hadn’t wanted it, she wouldn’t have been able to enter the Demon-Sweeping Army.
Murong Yu smacked his lips.
It wasn’t what he wanted, but since he had accepted her anyway, he had no choice but to embrace and go with it.
“No matter how good a person is, it’s hard to know their true worth by looking at them once. However, her first impression wasn’t bad and her abilities are also outstanding, so it will be of help to the Demon-Sweeping Army as well.”
“Keuhahaha! Well done, you did truly well.”
With this, he also had something to say to Tang Kwan. Hadn’t he dragged this problem on for quite a long time in the meantime. He felt like an aching tooth had popped right out.
And before that, he liked that audacity to utilize even the person who would become his wife for profit.
‘I properly saw a person right.’
Good. Very good. Murong Yu, who hadn’t shown his presence all this time, was recently proving his abilities in earnest.
Murong Jun was extremely satisfied with such an appearance of his younger brother.
“The night has deepened. Don’t overdo it too much.”
“Understood.”
Murong Yu bowed his head.
“Then please rest well, older brother.”
“Alright. Let’s have a meal for lunch tomorrow.”
“Yes.”
Murong Jun, who sent Murong Yu off like that, smiled and headed to his residence.
How long had he walked.
Around the time the main gate of his residence started to become visible.
‘…’
Frost settled on Murong Jun’s face that was full of smiles.
Tseutseutseutseu.
A presence that wafted out subtly stimulated his five senses.
A frighteningly deepened qi. He was somehow trying to control it, but the brutal energy that spread out faintly was crossing over the wall and being transmitted up to here.
It was an energy that even a Peak Master would have a hard time feeling easily. Super Peak, crossing the Wall of the Martial Ancestor, it was a presence that could only be felt if the sixth sense developed and the density of Qi rose.
‘Interesting.’
A cold smile appeared on Murong Jun’s face.
‘To come visiting at this time. He always exceeds expectations.’
A moment later, Murong Jun arrived in front of the main gate.
At the same time, one young man revealed his figure from a shaded place inside the main gate.
“Have you been well all this time?”
Murong Jun smiled. Where did his cold expression go, his whole face was full of composure.
“Have you been well?”
“As you can see.”
Yeon Ho-jeong spread out both his hands. The fluttering bottom of his long robe looked like wings.
Murong Jun’s eyes deepened.
‘An outstanding guy is an outstanding guy.’
His body, which looked slender at first glance, would be well-knit with extremely compressed muscles. However, draped in such a luxurious long robe, his atmosphere was different once again from before.
Should it be said he looked like a scholar possessing a noble ideal. Just looking at that figure, one could hardly imagine the sight of him swinging a reckless axe weighing over eighty jin.
“What brings you here at this late hour?”
“If it isn’t this time, wouldn’t a lot of other people’s gazes be concentrated.”
“Do you have a story you want to tell?”
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.
“They grandly called it a festival, but I haven’t put a single sip of alcohol in my mouth yet. I would be thankful if the person who removed the place of the Evil-Annihilating Army at the foundation ceremony gave me a cup of consoling wine though.”
Murong Jun spoke cuttingly.
“There is no consoling wine to give you.”
“You’re coming out stiffly.”
“Heoheo, I don’t think we’re in a relationship where we can share wine cups while laughing though?”
“Even so, we aren’t in a coldhearted relationship to the point of not being able to pour a cup of wine, are we?”
What peculiar words.
Murong Jun felt a strange atmosphere from Yeon Ho-jeong’s words and actions.
‘It doesn’t seem like he came to pull some kind of trick in particular.’
At the point when the Evil-Annihilating Army was made and the card named Mong-ui was used, there was no longer a matter for the two people to face each other. If each of them strove for their desires in their respective positions, that was it.
‘That is something you bastard should also know well.’
Yeon Ho-jeong was a genius of fighting.
Whether it was martial arts or politics, he was a guy who grasped victory with skillful methods. Moreover, he was incredibly bold, so he didn’t alternate between joy and sorrow over trivial matters.
It meant he wasn’t of a vessel to come complain about being excluded from the foundation ceremony. Even though he was an enemy, Murong Jun was acknowledging Yeon Ho-jeong.
‘Then did he come to demand something? Or…’
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.
“If you’re curious, let’s go in.”
It was as if he was reading his thoughts.
Murong Jun smirked.
“I can’t serve common alcohol to a person who is the head of the Evil-Annihilating Army. Let’s go in. There is no consoling wine, but there is alcohol with a good scent. Because I recently got some decent alcohol.”
“Good.”
A moment later.
“Hoo, the scent is quite heavy?”
Murong Jun burst into a roaring laughter.
“It’s Wuliangye of Sichuan. In the midst of being heavy, the aftertaste is peculiarly light.”
“A famous liquor of Sichuan?”
“I received it from the Tang Clan Head.”
Yeon Ho-jeong smirked.
“Now there’s nothing to hide, is that it?”
Murong Jun spoke as if there would be no problem at all.
“You would already know everything anyway, so is there a need to necessarily hide it?”
“You’ve become more bold than before.”
“It’s exactly the same now as it was before. It’s just that my evaluation towards you has changed.”
“Did the evaluation go up a bit?”
“I adjusted it upward.”
“It’s an honor.”
Murong Jun smiled and lifted his cup.
“Let’s have a drink.”
Ching!
The cups clinked together and made a clear and beautiful sound.
Yeon Ho-jeong, who refreshingly emptied his cup, spat out a dry cough.
“It’s stronger than expected.”
“If you keep drinking, you won’t even know it’s strong. Rather, this much is average.”
“I know why it’s called a famous liquor.”
“Right? I didn’t enjoy alcohol all this time, but if I only drank this kind of alcohol, it seems I would quickly become a heavy drinker.”
“Do you have plenty? I want to drink quite a lot.”
“Keuhaha! Don’t worry. I have enough to make you drunk.”
Yeon Ho-jeong grinned.
“I’ll be peeling off some dirt in my throat after a long time.”
The two people drank alcohol, giving and receiving.
Surprisingly, the two of them did not put any stories about how the world turned or political stories in their mouths at all. Conversations about just trivial daily topics or parts they didn’t know about each other formed the main part.
It was a peaceful drinking party. It was as if a senior of Murim who had established his own school was serving alcohol to a junior overflowing with talent.
At least it was so on the outside.
How much time passed like that.
“Do you know that?”
“What do you mean?”
“I had this kind of thought once in a while. Ah! I want to make this guy my person, I want to put him under me, that kind of thought.”
Yeon Ho-jeong smirked.
“You and I are a different species.”
“Do you think so? That’s unexpected. I thought we were the same species.”
“Is that so?”
“That’s right. It’s hard to find people as fierce as us in the Murim of the current generation. Whether it’s you or me, aren’t we beasts aiming for an opportunity to tear off and eat a piece of lean meat?”
Even if he didn’t know about other things, he felt empathy for the word beast.
The fierce political strife between Yeon Ho-jeong and Murong Jun was a fight between wild beasts. At first glance, it looked luxurious, but inside it, a base desire to ruin the opponent and achieve one’s own goal was wriggling.
It was right to burn one’s life to achieve a goal. However, on one hand, there was also no need to fight to this extent.
A fight of beasts that could be done because they were human.
To Yeon Ho-jeong, and to Murong Jun as well, there was no Righteous Path.
“So I will ask.”
Murong Jun’s eyes shone.
“I won’t say to come under me. Because you’re not a person worthy of being under someone. However, how about joining hands with me?”
“Join hands…”
“That’s right.”
It was an amazing proposal.
Murong Jun had chosen for himself his entire life, he was not a person to propose to someone. Especially when his own situation was good, it was even more so.
It also meant that he valued Yeon Ho-jeong highly to that extent.
At the same time, he felt pity for Yeon Ho-jeong.
Even though there was a way to bloom that terrifying talent easier and faster, he deliberately fought a battle of wits with him. Even though if he went just a little more smoothly, he would be able to reach the peak faster than anyone else.
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled faintly.
“By any chance.”
“Hm?”
“In the future when I knock you down, I wish you would change your mind. I also find your abilities a pity, you see.”
“Heoheo.”
“It seems we are just destined to live like this.”
Murong Jun smirked.
“Did you really come just to drink alcohol today?”
“There should be days like this too. Isn’t that right?”
“That’s true, but as I said, aren’t we beasts. We aren’t in a relationship to come visit without a purpose.”
“Well, yes.”
“Try speaking. Is there something you want from me?”
“I’m trying to go a bit easily, you see.”
“What do you mean?”
Ting, ting.
Yeon Ho-jeong tapped the empty cup with his index fingernail.
“The person who gave this alcohol.”
“……?”
“Please set up a meeting with that person. Because for some reason, if I go visit, it seems I’ll be turned away at the door.”
“The Tang Clan Head?”
“That’s right.”
Interest arose on Murong Jun’s face.
“If I listen to that request, what will you do for me?”
“I will protect the Demon-Sweeping Army Commander.”
“…?!”
“I yielded the position of Grand Commander, but I was pondering. How to handle him.”
“Hmm.”
“I will become a shield, not a sword. At least for this time.”
Murong Jun smirked.
He thought that it was truly like Yeon Ho-jeong.
“My being in a good mood today has become a benefit for you.”