Monochrome Sovereign (Novel) - Chapter 167 - Tying the Knot (1)
Chapter 167 – Tying the Knot (1)
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Translated by Heavenly Cat
Edited by Celestial Knight
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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Yeon Wi, who returned to the residence to take a rest, saw Muk Bi stumbling out into the yard.
Yeon Wi’s eyes widened.
“Bi-ah.”
“Heok! Ah, father, have you arrived?”
“Right. But…?”
Seureuk.
Yeon Wi appeared in front of Muk Bi in an instant.
Yeon Wi’s face, who was holding and examining her pulse, became cold for a moment.
“Who is it?”
“Yes?”
“I mean who in the world made you like this. The internal injuries are not ordinarily severe.”
“Ah, this is…”
Muk Bi stammeringly explained the whole story.
Yeon Wi clicked his tongue.
“You did an extremely dangerous training.”
“I-is that so.”
“Making the true qi flow backwards and even twisting the existing breathing method to attempt an attack… It is easy to say, but putting one’s soul into a single attack for a certain kill is never easy.”
It was not just not easy. It should be seen as virtually close to impossible in a daily life where it is hard to unconsciously feel a crisis.
“Your concentration is truly amazing.”
An Internal Arts Master stabilizes internal energy and optimizes the body’s movements with their own breathing.
So to speak, it is the unification of Mind, Qi, and Body. This could be seen as a preparation stage for the complete response of Essence, Qi, and Spirit.
Because she forcefully distorted such a structure to manifest an extreme martial art, it wasn’t strange that her body broke down. If Muk Bi’s realm had been higher, it would have been rather more dangerous than now.
Of course, if her realm rose, there wouldn’t even be a need to do such a training necessarily though.
“What did you say the mind method that becomes the foundation of your internal force is?”
“It is the Living Bow Steel String Method.”
“Right, I heard that mind method is definitely thoroughly focused on moving arts.”
“That’s correct.”
Muk Bi moved one foot with an awkward face.
“So I came out like this also to circulate qi.”
Yeon Wi shook his head.
“It’s not good.”
“Yes?”
“I don’t know if you did so before, but when you have suffered internal injuries, moving arts training cannot be seen as efficient. By any chance, haven’t you learned a mind method capable of sitting arts training?”
“Ah! I learned one.”
Great Heaven Qi.
Because it focused on explosive internal force augmentation, it was naturally also skilled in controlling the increased internal energy. It could truly be called perfectly suitable as a mind method to assist the Living Bow Steel String Method.
“Right, since you’re at it, govern the internal injuries with sitting arts. I will call a doctor for you.”
“Heok! Y-you don’t have to do that…”
“Internal injuries shouldn’t be taken lightly. Especially martial artists who have many matters to be deployed into actual combat like Ho-jeong and you have to pay even more attention.”
Subtle worry and affection seeped out in the strict voice.
‘…’
Why was it.
Was it because she had never suffered such severe internal injuries like this? So did her heart become needlessly restless?
A question she absolutely wouldn’t have asked normally burst out of her mouth without her realizing.
“Father.”
“Why are you doing so?”
Muk Bi asked with a confused expression.
“Why are you treating me so well?”
It was quite a bold question.
Yeon Wi answered with an expression saying ‘anew’.
“Aren’t you my son’s friend. As I said before, you were the first friend Ho-jeong brought.”
That was the question to Muk Bi.
She knew to some extent about the world now. Especially in this world called Murim, there was nothing as dangerous as trusting someone without a reason.
But he treated her this well just for the reason that she was his son’s friend.
Yeon Wi was the Clan Head of the Yeon Clan, counted as one wing of the Six Great Clans. It constantly bothered her mind that such an amazing person treated her well just for such a romantic reason.
“I might perhaps be a spy by any chance, you know. Like the spy the Murong Clan sent before…”
Yeon Wi smiled.
It seemed he was gradually getting used to smiling. Muk Bi felt her heart becoming cozy looking at Yeon Wi’s smile.
“What kind of spy in the world is as clumsy as you?”
“…Ugh.”
“While hunting down the Murong Clan’s spy together with Ho-jeong, do you know what I learned?”
“…”
“That sincerity cannot be polished through training.”
Muk Bi’s eyes wavered.
Yeon Wi shook his head.
“The reason it is difficult to hunt down spies is because there is no thought of reading the opponent’s sincerity. At least I think so.”
“…”
“You find me difficult, don’t you?”
“Yes? Ah! Th-that’s…”
“I know why you find me difficult. However, I have no thought of making you uncomfortable. And I have no thought of appealing or forcing that mind onto you either.”
“…!”
“Won’t the time when you recognize my sincerity as you call me father come someday?”
Muk Bi felt a lump in her throat for no reason.
“I… believe in you, father.”
“Right, that is enough.”
Although he said she was his son’s friend, Yeon Wi was regarding Muk Bi like a daughter before he knew it. It was also because he only had two sons, but it was because he liked Muk Bi’s character that much.
Muk Bi was pure. She had lost quite a bit of that purity while experiencing the world, but her innate nature itself was gentle. That gentleness was in some sense even more impressive than the second child’s.
“Rather than that, where is Ho-jeong?”
“Ah! Young Master Yeon went out for a while saying he had an appointment.”
Yeon Wi nodded his head.
He was the head leading an independent mobile unit in name and reality. It was a position where this and that appointment would be caught.
“Circulate qi first. With your level, there won’t be a big strain in using martial arts after three or four days.”
“Yes!”
It was then.
“Excuse me.”
Yeon Wi turned his head. It seemed someone had come looking for the Army-Destroying Pavilion.
“Who is it?”
“An item has arrived under the name of Yeon Ho-jeong of the Green Mountain Yeon Clan, Army-Destroying Pavilion in the inner castle of the Murim Alliance.”
“An item?”
“Yes, it’s an item that came from Jiangsu Province though.”
What is it?
Yeon Wi opened the main gate. Then one warrior put down a single large box.
“Since I delivered it, I will be taking my leave now.”
“Good work.”
Yeon Wi lifted the box and tried shaking it.
Deudeudeuk. Chiriring.
The sound of the box scratching, and the sound of small pieces of iron clinking together were heard.
Yeon Wi tilted his head inwardly.
What could this be? It seemed to be an item made of iron, but it didn’t seem to be a sword type.
At that time, Muk Bi’s eyes shone.
“By any chance, is that…”
“Hm?”
“Could it be something grandfather sent?”
“Grandfather?”
“Ah, Divine Artisan Pyeon (Pyeon Sin-gong).”
Yeon Wi’s eyes shone.
A peculiar excitement arose on Muk Bi’s face.
“It seems Young Master Yeon’s item is completed.”
* * *
‘It’s been a while.’
Burning fire was breaking out in his chest but his head was peculiarly cold.
‘It’s been a while for a guy like this.’
It was truly the first time in a long while for a guy who showed audacity saying the treatment from the master of the Tang Clan is harsh or telling him to serve alcohol.
No, it was safe to say it was the first time. The people who faced Tang Kwan up until now were uniformly anxious and trembling in fear. It was because they had heard the notoriety of the Sichuan Tang Clan being the most venomous under heaven.
Of course, audacity is audacity, and rudeness is rudeness.
Tang Kwan had no thought of forgiving Yeon Ho-jeong’s arrogant and presumptuous attitude.
“Serve alcohol?”
“With Wuliangye.”
“You bastard must be firmly crazy if you’re crazy. Even though you shouldn’t be able to just be thankful for not being struck to death with one palm.”
Yeon Ho-jeong tilted his head.
“What is the reason you are getting angry like that?”
“What?”
“If someone has to get angry, it should rather be me. No matter how much higher your age is, you seem to look at a person too easily.”
They were words that left him dumbfounded.
Killing intent formed in Tang Kwan’s eyes.
“It will be fine to hear the reason after you go to the afterlife.”
Tseutseutseutseu.
Yeon Ho-jeong looked at his left hand.
The energy blooming creepingly was truly amazing. Prior to being toxic qi, the density of the internal energy itself was incredible.
With that level of internal energy, it was almost comparable to Murong Jun. It meant he didn’t act as the master of Sichuan for nothing.
‘Still the same.’
He wasn’t talking about Tang Kwan’s character.
He was talking exactly about the start of his martial arts.
“Is that the Forbidden Observation Hundred Poisons Hand?”
In an instant, Tang Kwan’s eyebrows wriggled.
He, who was quietly looking at Yeon Ho-jeong, opened his mouth.
“Do you know this martial art?”
“You drastically decrease combat power with the Forbidden Observation Hundred Poisons Hand, wrap around with the hidden weapon technique of the Iron Net Divine Network, and sever the life with the Life-Severing Palm.”
“…!!”
“Seeing that you chose the linked technique of three strikes, you seem to think of me as a formidable opponent. If you had looked at me easily, you would have thought to end it in one strike with the Ten Essences Poison Palm. Isn’t that right?”
Astonishment fell on Tang Kwan’s face. He was so surprised to the point of not even recognizing that Yeon Ho-jeong’s tone had subtly changed.
“You…?!”
“You ask how I know your habit of martial arts manifestation?”
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled fishily.
“So why didn’t you do mental education for your son properly first?”
“What?!”
“He was fully terrified and told me every single detail of things I didn’t even ask.”
“…!!”
“Since I smashed your son to that state, I thought I would clash with you at least once anytime. It’s a good thing I memorized it.”
Tang Kwan’s eyes wavered.
“Yang-seon told you?”
“Then who else would have told me?”
“Nonsense! There is no way Yang-seon would have let a bastard like you know such a thing!”
“Believe it or not is your freedom. Isn’t the important thing that I am a guest?”
Before one knew it, Yeon Ho-jeong stood up the fallen chair and sat down.
Tang Kwan, who was glaring at him with a face stained with shock, soon formed a cool smile.
“You bastard, you are telling a lie.”
Yeon Ho-jeong tilted his head.
“You’re an interesting person. Do you by any chance think that I would have monitored you?”
“…”
“Anyway, when will you treat me to alcohol?”
Confusion dwelled on Tang Kwan’s face.
‘Could it really be?’
He looked at Yeon Ho-jeong’s face once again.
‘…!’
Unbelievably, Tang Kwan could not read Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes.
Even if he was pointed fingers at for having a narrow-minded and venomous personality, he was the one dominating the Tang Clan, the most dangerous in Murim. His wits were not behind any old Jianghu veteran of Murim.
The opponent’s true intentions were not read even in his eyes.
The ability to distinguish at least truth and lies at a glance did not work on Yeon Ho-jeong.
Tang Kwan opened his mouth.
“…Truly, you mean Yang-seon told you?”
“That’s not what is important right now, is it?”
“Shut up! Answer my question definitely first!”
“Why should I?”
“…?”
“I came because I had something to argue with you about. I’m saying I didn’t come to get interrogated.”
Yeon Ho-jeong grumbled lowly.
“That idiot-like guy Tang Yang-seon also came out like a thief turning on the master, but are all Tang clan people like that?”
Tang Kwan was dumbfounded.
“You bastard, have you truly lost your fear?”
“There’s no way.”
“Unless you did, how dare you show such a presumptuous attitude in front of me…!”
“Who do you think you are?”
“…?!”
“You seem to think of yourself very greatly, but that is arrogance. Because a truly amazing person knows how to view themselves coldly.”
It was a remark that turned one’s insides out.
With the situation coming to this point, admiration came out behind the soaring anger that seemed like it would explode right away. Until now, excluding his father, there was not a single guy who provoked his temper to this extent.
Saaaaak.
The killing intent spreading out from Tang Kwan’s body thickened exponentially.
“I understand one thing.”
“Hm?”
“The Murong Clan Head misjudged the person. If you’re offensive, it would be fine to just kill you, I don’t know the reason why he praises you mentioning monsters.”
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled coolly.
“The Murong Clan Head is smarter than you. Because that person knows how to worry about the aftermath.”
Tang Kwan also smiled coldly.
“It must be because his toxic qi is weak.”
“You seem to have no thoughts.”
“There are overflowing reasons for you to die anyway, so you don’t necessarily have to be so anxious to that extent.”
“That’s interesting. I also have a move that will ruin you, would you like to hear it once?”
“Not even funny…”
“Why did you do it?”
“What?”
Hwarreureuk!
Yeon Ho-jeong’s pupils heated up red.
“I’m asking why you ordered the Red Demon Group to try to kill us, you son of a bitch.”