Monochrome Sovereign (Novel) - Chapter 19 - A Martial Artist's Values (3)
Chapter 19 – A Martial Artist’s Values (3)
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Translated by Heavenly Cat
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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“Family Head.”
“What is the matter?”
Tae-gyeong was more than polite, even careful, toward Yeon Wi, even though several years had passed since he became the general manager of the Yeon family.
“A letter has arrived from the Murong Clan.”
“From the Murong?”
“Yes.”
A sense of wonder appeared on the indifferent face of Yeon Wi.
The Murong Clan was a member of the same Seven Great Clans along with the Yeon family. Unlike the Green Mountain Yeon Clan, it was also a traditional Murim family with a history of over five hundred years.
Perhaps because of that, the Yeon family had no particular point of contact with the Murong Clan. They had greeted each other a few times at the Orthodox Murim Alliance in the past, but that was all the connection they had.
“Give it to me.”
“Here it is.”
Yeon Wi’s eyebrows twitched as he read the letter.
Tae-gyeong asked cautiously.
“What is the matter?”
“It is a business proposal.”
“A business?”
Yeon Wi, who placed the letter on the table, tapped the table with his index finger.
‘Join forces?’
Jiangsu Province, where the Yeon family was located, was an area where maritime trade was active along with Zhejiang Province.
Of course, in the case of sects with high reputations, they would establish branch halls in Jiangsu and Zhejiang to conduct trade business. The Yeon family, which had settled in Jiangsu, was also conducting a trade business.
‘Is the Murong family also planning to try this kind of work?’
In the past, the Murong Clan was located in Liaoning Province, which is on the outskirts of the Central Plains. However, after the Blood Cult Rebellion three hundred years ago, they moved to Hunan Province in the middle of the Central Plains.
Since they had settled inland, he thought they would not be interested in maritime trade. But it seemed that was not the case.
Yeon Wi, who pondered for a while, shook his head.
“As expected, I cannot do it. Chief Steward.”
“Yes.”
“Please prepare paper, brush, and ink.”
“Ah, yes!”
Yeon Wi quickly wrote a letter and let it dry. As a swordsman praised as one who excelled in both literature and martial arts, his handwriting was very elegant.
“Deliver this to the Murong family.”
“I understand!”
“You may go now.”
Tae-gyeong bowed his head and left the family head’s room.
Yeon Wi, who was about to return to his work, suddenly looked toward the window.
A barely visible worry was cast over his indifferent eyes.
“…It must be cold over there too.”
* * *
“Wooooo!”
An exclamation that could not be hidden rose on Yeon Ji-pyeong’s face.
“It is amazing, Brother!”
As they entered Hefei, the number of people became noticeably larger.
That was not all. The splendor of the city was truly great. It was not inferior even when compared to Suzhou, which is heard of as paradise along with Hangzhou.
Yeon Ji-pyeong looked around frantically. It was definitely different from Jiangsu Province, which is adjacent to the sea. From the buildings to the people’s clothing, everything visible was colored in various hues and pleased the eyes.
Zhuge Ah-yeon, who was looking at the excited Yeon Ji-pyeong, poked Yeon Ho-jeong.
“Your brother’s mood is almost riding a wave, isn’t it? Even until last night, he looked as if he were carrying all the worries in the world. Is it because he lives near the sea?”
“…”
“Is he usually like that?”
“Noisy.”
“Even when I talk to you.”
Yeon Ji-pyeong approached Yeon Ho-jeong with an excited face.
“Brother! Brother! Shall we go and play at that market street over there? Shall we?”
A sense of difficulty was harbored on Yeon Ho-jeong’s face.
“How about securing an accommodation first?”
“We can just secure an accommodation anywhere! Right?”
Well, that is true, but.
“Even if they look fine, rest should be the priority.”
Yeon Ho-jeong pointed at Zhuge Ah-yeon and Zhuge Jun.
Yeon Ji-pyeong thought, ‘Ah.’
“Ah! S-sorry. I was too excited…”
Zhuge Ah-yeon laughed like a scatterbrain and waved her hand.
“Oh my, it is fine. Do not mind us and go and play. We can just go and secure an accommodation ourselves.”
Zhuge Jun also stepped forward and said.
“That is right. Since there are about two days left anyway, we can just rest nearby in the meantime.”
The Zhuge siblings turned to Shin Mo and asked simultaneously.
“Right?”
Shin Mo cleared his throat.
“Eldest Young Master. What would you like to do?”
Everyone’s gaze naturally gathered on Yeon Ho-jeong.
Yeon Ho-jeong, who looked around for a moment, nodded his head.
“I will go to the meeting place first, so those who want to play and come back, please do so.”
“Ahem!”
“Aaaah…”
A clearing of the throat and a groan in which disappointment was naturally felt were heard simultaneously.
Yeon Ho-jeong scratched his head.
He had spoken without thinking, but it was a statement that seemed to give room for misunderstanding.
“No, really, you do not have to mind me.”
“Hey, still, that is not right.”
Yeon Ho-jeong glared at Zhuge Ah-yeon with sharp eyes.
Zhuge Ah-yeon retracted her neck like a tortoise. However, she said what she had to say.
“If we decided to go together, it is right to move together. Ahem!”
“Shouldn’t you have separate work to do?”
“Eh? Separate work?”
“Shouldn’t you first find the guards of your family whom you likely shook off?”
“Gasp?!”
Zhuge Jun also seemed to have thought, ‘Ah,’ and straightened his limping leg.
Yeon Ho-jeong frowned.
“I can tell. If you do not find the guards before the meeting begins, the innocent guards will go back to the family and be beaten with clubs.”
“N-no!”
Whoosh!
Zhuge Ah-yeon suddenly carried Zhuge Jun on her back. There was no time for Zhuge Jun to stop her.
“We will go first! Great Hero Shin! See you at the meeting place! Jeong-ah! Let’s meet again!”
“Aaaaargh! Sister! Put me down! A man of character should…”
“Shut up, you weakling bastard!”
Dash!
The Zhuge siblings disappeared in an instant. Everyone looked at the place where the Zhuge siblings had disappeared with dazed faces.
Yeon Ho-jeong muttered.
“She is pretending to be close until the end.”
Whether it was the Nine Sects One Gang or the Seven Great Clans, it was a situation where he had to suspect everyone. The suspicion regarding the Zhuge Clan was almost diluted, but one never knew.
He was someone who had seen incidents break out in unexpected situations countless times. It was not yet time to lower his guard against the Zhuge Clan.
‘To know properly, I must see the core members of the family. Carelessness is forbidden.’
At that moment, Yeon Ji-pyeong asked.
“Brother.”
“Hmm?”
“Let’s go to the meeting place.”
“Eh? You said you wanted to look around the market street?”
Yeon Ji-pyeong smiled brightly and said.
“What fun would there be if you do not go together, Brother? It is fine.”
“There is no need to do that. If so, then just until tonight…”
“No, no. If I think about it, we didn’t come here to play. Even if it’s a gathering, we cannot bring shame to the family’s reputation. It would be better to compose my mind.”
Yeon Ho-jeong wore a smile.
‘He is admirable.’
His way of thinking is definitely different from the boys of this age. Although he still has innocence, he also has deep thoughts.
“Yes, let’s do that.”
“Yes!”
In that way, the group headed straight to the meeting place.
While heading to the meeting place, Yeon Ho-jeong fell into thought.
‘The gathering of rising stars is in two days. It lasts for three days. It is called a gathering, but it is just a social venue, so I must investigate everything I need to investigate in the meantime.’
As it is a gathering of rising stars representing the Seven Great Clans, the number of people is small. Even if one family sends five or six people, it is a number of less than fifty people.
The important thing is that I must scan all of their martial arts and true Qi individually. With Yeon Ho-jeong’s current level, it was impossible to analyze just by looking at the nature of others’ internal energy.
‘Even if it’s not a fight, if there is a duel or physical contact, somehow…’
It was then.
“I am sorry.”
“Hmm?”
Yeon Ho-jeong looked at Yeon Ji-pyeong.
“What did you say?”
“I am sorry.”
“For what?”
Yeon Ji-pyeong lowered his head deeply.
“In fact, I heard the conversation between you and Sister Zhuge in the forest yesterday, Brother.”
“I know.”
“Gasp! A-you knew?”
Yeon Ho-jeong smirked.
“Since you hid your true Qi so clumsily, there’s no way it wouldn’t be noticeable.”
“Ah…”
“There is no need to be sorry about such a thing. If it had bothered me, I would have called you first.”
Yeon Ji-pyeong’s face turned bright red. It was an expression in which shyness and apologeticness were felt.
“That is also true.”
“Hmm? Was there something else you did wrong to me?”
“…It is not that, but anyway, I am sorry.”
Yeon Ho-jeong involuntarily smirked.
At first, he did not know why his brother was acting like that. But last night, in the conversation with Zhuge Ah-yeon, he realized the reason why Yeon Ji-pyeong’s words were particularly sparse.
‘I was too indifferent.’
He had no intention of changing his way and perspective at all. However, he felt sorry for not being able to mind his brother.
Yeon Ho-jeong rubbed Yeon Ji-pyeong’s head vigorously.
“Ugyagya! B-Brother!”
“You brat, a young fellow shouldn’t keep saying ‘I am sorry.’ It will become a habit.”
“But…!”
“Because my perspective is excessively clear and rough, I do not easily get close to people. Because of that, there are times when I do not even try to understand others on purpose. So I do not feel gratitude or apologeticness well either.”
“…”
“You do not need to be extreme like me, but I do not think it is good to have gratitude and ‘I am sorry’ constantly on your lips either. Isn’t it that being different doesn’t mean being wrong?”
“Is that so?”
“I think so.”
Yeon Ho-jeong tried not to inject his thoughts into his brother as much as possible.
However, he made him think. This was because he hoped he would become a person who sees wider and deeper than himself, not a person like himself.
At least he hoped he would not become a person who mistook a perspective set by others as one he had set himself.
A strange light appeared on the face of Shin Mo, who was looking at the brothers talking in low voices.
‘Their brotherly love is very deep.’
It was what he had thought even when they were heading to the Tower of the Chu Sound.
So he was inwardly puzzled. This was because everyone who knew that the Eldest Young Master terribly hated the Second Young Master knew it.
However, in reality, it was not like that. In Shin Mo’s eyes, the Yeon brothers seemed to have deeper brotherly love than any other brothers in the world.
‘Furthermore…’
Shin Mo’s eyes were fixed on Yeon Ho-jeong’s back.
‘He was incredible.’
He could not think about it at that time because the situation was urgent, but after time passed, it was a series of surprises.
Martial arts were martial arts, but especially his judgment was great. As if he were a person who had experienced arson incidents countless times, he presented surprisingly fast and clear countermeasures.
‘Just where did he gain such experience?’
Martial arts can be understood if one thinks the Family Head passed them down separately.
However, the series of actions of finding an answer as naturally as breathing in a crisis situation was not something that could be learned by looking at a secret manual.
‘It was not a skill experienced once or twice. Truly, I just don’t…’
“Leader Shin.”
“Yes? Ah, yes!”
“I want you to have one squad member stand guard at the entrance of the meeting place.”
Shin Mo was startled and looked around.
Before he knew it, they had arrived at the entrance of the meeting place. It was called a meeting place, but they had just rented one manor. Of course, that manor was large enough to accommodate hundreds of people.
“Ah, of course.”
“And if there is anyone entering, I would like you to immediately report to me who they are from which family and how many they are.”
“I will follow the Eldest Young Master’s command.”
“Good.”
Yeon Ho-jeong slowly loosened his shoulders.
“Shall we go in?”
Shin Mo knocked on the main gate of the manor.
Thump! Thump!
“Is anyone inside?”
As if waiting, a voice was heard from the inside.
“Who is it?”
“We have come from the Green Mountain Yeon Clan of Jiangsu. Please open the door.”
After a while.
Creeeeeak!
When the door opened, the spacious interior of the manor came into view. And also a group of people close to the main gate.
“Green Mountain Yeon Clan?”
“That is right.”
The man standing at the very front bowed his head.
“I am called Han Ho-myeong of Sichuan. It is an honor to meet the warriors of the Yeon family.”
Sichuan, and Han Ho-myeong.
Although it was a relationship where they had never seen each other’s faces even once, Shin Mo could know his identity in an instant.
“Poison Dragon Iron Whip Han Ho-myeong?!”
“Haha! It is an honor that you recognize me.”
Like Shin Mo, Han Ho-myeong was also one of the peak masters who were renowned in a region.
Furthermore, there was one more common point between Shin Mo and Han Ho-myeong. It was that they had entered as members of the best martial family in that region.
Sparks flew from Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes.
Behind Han Ho-myeong, a young man with an impressive sharp gaze and a moderate build was visible.
“Tang Clan.”