Monochrome Sovereign (Novel) - Chapter 171 - Sweeping Demons and Annihilating Evil (1)

Chapter 171 – Sweeping Demons and Annihilating Evil (1)

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Murong Jun’s face, having entered his residence, was stiffly cold like a sheet of ice.

Ho-gyeong asked cautiously.

“Uh, Clan Head…”

At that moment, Murong Jun raised his hand.

The cold gesture clearly conveyed his meaning that he wanted to be alone. Ho-gyeong bowed his head and left the room.

Like that, Murong Jun was left alone in the room.

His figure, crossing his legs and tapping the table with his index finger, was full of a strange sense of incongruity.

How much time had passed?

In an instant, the corners of Murong Jun’s mouth twitched.

“Did you think I wouldn’t know?”

Murong Jun’s eyes, looking up at the ceiling, were as fierce as a beast, and as deep and wise as an ascetic who had attained enlightenment.

“If you put the Zhuge Clan Head in the front, did you think I wouldn’t know the fact that you manipulated things from behind?”

Murong Jun, who had been glaring into the empty air with a cold smile and eyes a thousand times colder than that.

Soon, he burst into laughter.

“Hahahaha!!”

A refreshing emotion dwelled in his laughter that burst out as if to blow away the entire room.

“I really can’t handle your resourcefulness. As expected, you are a talent that this Murong Jun would want to get his hands on. I kicked you out of the foundation ceremony, and you immediately pull my hair out.”

He was an amazing guy.

Not only was he equipped with outstanding resourcefulness and excellent political ability, but now he even touched the peak of the Murim Alliance, the Alliance Leader’s office.

He wondered if there was such a guy in the world. Leaving aside the matter of ability, this was a method that no one would dare even attempt unless they were a guy who could risk their life on trivial matters.

This was neither boldness nor anything else. He was simply crazy.

‘He is crazy, but the bigger problem is that he has the vessel to handle that madness.’

Even a tolerable genius would not dare think of seizing the overall situation by using the Clan Heads of the Six Great Clans, who had a higher generation ranking than him, as a shield.

‘But that guy does it.’

That was Yeon Ho-jeong.

A sinister warrior wearing the skin of a hot-blooded martial general. In a sense, that viciousness seemed to be even worse than the Sichuan Tang Clan.

‘I don’t know how long it’s been. Since this Murong Jun helplessly fell into an opponent’s trap.’

Getting hit once by Yeon Ho-jeong and making him the commander of an independent mobile unit?

Something like that was nothing. Rather, didn’t he make two mobile unit troops and even create a spot for Murong Yu? The ability to turn a crisis into an opportunity was essential for a politician.

But this time, there was no method.

‘I said to take time and decide, but it seemed the majority of the honored guests already agreed.’

Since the topic had been brought up, the position of Vice-Alliance Leader would be pushed through somehow.

Dispersing the positions meant dividing the power. It was safe to say that there was no sect in the Orthodox Path that welcomed the concentration of power.

It would take some time, but it would clearly be passed. However, since two Vice-Alliance Leader positions were excessive, they would likely lean towards reducing it to one.

‘The important thing lies in the position of Vice-Alliance Leader itself, which prevents the dictatorship of the Alliance Leader. Suggesting two positions on purpose must have been to imprint the importance of the Vice-Alliance Leader position.’

Murong Jun’s cheeks twitched.

‘Is this not Yeon Ho-jeong’s, but the Zhuge Clan Head’s trick?’

Zhuge Wen-hu was a fox.

There was no one who could ignore the words of Zhuge Wen-hu, who had clearly revealed his presence while discussing the Alliance Law in the past.

That was why he brought up the strict departure time and clung to it. Because it would be hard to deny things twice in a row, even if they were different issues.

Even more so if the person who brought up the issue was a military strategist, an important figure in the Alliance.

“It’s amazing.”

Murong Jun let out a bitter smile.

“It is truly terrifying when a peerless genius and an old, shrewd strategist join hands. I got hit properly.”

However, there was one part where his doubt still hadn’t disappeared.

“Why did they rush?”

Zhuge Wen-hu clearly predicted that he would move up the honored guest meeting. And he intended to burst the matter concerning the Vice-Alliance Leader position at that place.

‘Did he have to?’

Whether early or late, it was ultimately a difference of one day. Even if the meeting was held on time, the result wouldn’t have been different.

Of course, it might have been to induce carelessness by moving up the time and to imprint the importance of the Vice-Alliance Leader with a decisive move.

But was that really the end? Wasn’t there a reason why they even mobilized the lay disciples of Emei to make this side anxious?

‘…!!’

In that instant, Murong Jun’s eyes widened.

“You…?”

Yeon Ho-jeong came to mind.

The expression of the genius, who had a face with thin lines like a scholar and an impressive sharp gaze like a blade.

“Did you use me to perfectly draw the Emei Sect Leader to your side?!”

Abbess Bok-ho was a person who placed great value on chivalry and righteousness, along with the sect leaders of Shaolin and Wudang.

It was impossible to draw such a person to one’s side with a tolerable method. If one didn’t create a clear enemy and highlight the viciousness of that enemy, they could never make her an ally.

“Ha! I’ve been hit doubly, triply.”

He knew Abbess Bok-ho had crossed over to that side, but because it wasn’t the immediately important thing, he hadn’t paid attention.

But thinking about it now, this wasn’t an ordinary matter. The honored guests also knew well of Abbess Bok-ho’s chivalry and righteousness and morality. In other words, it meant her voice had that much power.

When a good person held power, the moment they could become truly terrifying was exactly when evil appeared.

Yeon Ho-jeong and Zhuge Wen-hu had imprinted Murong Jun as evil onto Abbess Bok-ho.

“Factional fighting… Was it to balance the power?”

Murong Jun unconsciously raised both his hands.

“Hehe, it’s an undeniable perfect defeat.”

He hadn’t even imagined that he would be hit by such a counterattack in a moment of carelessness.

It was a dizzying day in many ways. Murong Jun locked himself in his residence and grumbled for a long time.

* * *

“So that’s what happened.”

“Yes.”

Yeon Ho-jeong calmly drank tea.

Yeon Wi, who was blankly staring at his son whose expression hadn’t changed at all, asked indirectly.

“Did you say you plan to drive it into a factional fight?”

“Yes?”

“I’m talking about drawing in Abbess Bok-ho this time.”

“Ah, yes.”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s face became serious.

“There are at least four forces that have joined hands with Murong Jun. With that much power, it should be enough to change the agendas that come out of the honored guest meeting to their liking.”

“Hmm.”

“His ultimate goal is the Murim Alliance Leader. But he will sacrifice countless people in the process.”

“…”

“The people who will be the biggest obstacles in his path are me and a few others. However, unfortunately, he is an honored guest, and I am just a mere mobile unit commander.”

“Since he is in the head and you are at the extremities of the body, does that mean you took measures in advance so he couldn’t do anything useless?”

“There is that too. Above all, he is skilled in vicious politics. There is no guarantee that there won’t be another person like Murong Jun among the honored guests, right?”

“…”

“It might be different for the Unorthodox Path and Evil Factions that revere power, but the concentration of power in the Orthodox Path will make many people unhappy. Whoever becomes the Alliance Leader, it is good to create a position that can prevent the Alliance Leader’s radical dictatorship.”

Yeon Wi looked at his son with dumbfounded eyes.

“You are truly amazing.”

“Yes?”

“Sometimes when I converse with you, I wonder where on earth you developed such an outstanding discerning eye. It’s not like you’ve shown such a surprising appearance just once or twice though.”

Yeon Ho-jeong let out a bitter smile.

“It’s just a trivial talent.”

Those who would use any means and methods to get power were everywhere.

Yeon Ho-jeong’s political talent was specialized in dealing with such people.

The method to conquer the Unorthodox Path was power, but a sensitive sense and discerning eye were essential to rule the conquered Unorthodox Path. As he dealt with countless people aiming for the position of the Dark Emperor Castle Lord, his discerning eye to see the essence naturally grew.

Therefore, he knew. In the end, the Orthodox Path was just a world full of dirty water, no different from the Unorthodox Path.

“Anyway, in this game, Murong Jun took a proper hit without any means to counterattack. He will stay quiet holding his breath for a while.”

“I think so too.”

“Externally, that is.”

“Hmm?”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes sparkled.

“I don’t want to be entangled in the same category, but I and Murong Jun are the types of humans who must definitely return what we suffer. He’ll stay quiet in the front, but there’s no telling what schemes he’ll plot behind the scenes.”

Yeon Wi shook his head.

“He might do that. But you and Murong Jun are different.”

Before being careful about the future, it seemed he wanted to make that part clear.

Yeon Ho-jeong shrugged his shoulders.

“Well, what does it matter if we have similarities? Even if our innate natures are the same, I believe we can become a saint or an evil person depending on the path we choose.”

Yeon Wi smiled faintly.

“So, which one do you think you are?”

“At the very least, I am definitely not a saint. Isn’t my innate nature quite petty?”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s face became serious again.

“Anyway, if Murong Jun makes up his mind and secretly plots something, there’s no way to find out about it.”

“I suppose so.”

“In the end, there’s no choice but to be careful and careful again.”

Of course, if he went through Murong Yu, he might be able to dig into it somehow.

But this time, the Demon-Sweeping Army and the Evil-Annihilating Army were departing together. He wouldn’t be able to investigate through Murong Yu, and even if he did find out, he couldn’t help but be cautious.

Because if he made a slight mistake, the fatal card called Murong Yu could be discovered.

‘There is also a need to suffer to some extent. The problem is how to adjust the level.’

He had to adjust it well. So that this side’s intentions wouldn’t be discovered, so that Murong Jun would recognize him just as a young tough enemy who wasn’t easy to deal with, like now.

Yeon Ho-jeong didn’t know. That Murong Jun was paying much more attention to this side than he thought.

Such things were hard to know no matter how outstanding one’s discerning eye was. Because it was a natural response like breathing to Yeon Ho-jeong himself, but not to the opponent.

He guessed it with his head, but he couldn’t feel it physically.

If that was Yeon Ho-jeong’s loophole, it was a loophole.

“Since you’ve done this much for now, he won’t be able to move hastily like before.”

“That’s right.”

“Don’t worry about this side, and take good care of your body first. There are only three days left until the departure.”

Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.

“Do not worry.”

He couldn’t help but worry even when told not to. It was a matter unrelated to ability.

To Yeon Wi, Yeon Ho-jeong was a son. A child was just a child no matter how old they got.

“There’s no need to necessarily compete with the Demon-Sweeping Army. You will surely take care of it yourself, but don’t fight needlessly to establish military merit.”

“Understood.”

“Although he is Murong Jun’s person, the character of the Demon-Sweeping Army Commander was extremely outstanding. Annihilating the enemy is also important, but the most important thing is returning safely, so move while helping each other well.”

“I will keep it in mind.”

Still feeling anxious, Yeon Wi laid out affectionate nagging to Yeon Ho-jeong for a long time.

It was said that even good sounds bound to make one feel bad after hearing them many times. However, Yeon Ho-jeong purely liked his father’s nagging.

He wanted to hear nagging like this for a long time in the future, even after overcoming the rebellion of the Three Cults.

Yeon Ho-jeong sincerely and endlessly hoped for it.

Like that, how much time had passed?

“…?!”

“…”

The eyes of the father and son immediately became sharp.

‘This aura?’

At that time, a clear voice was heard from the main gate far away.

“Amitabha. Is Commander Yeon present?”

Surprise colored Yeon Ho-jeong’s face.

“Shaolin?!”