Monochrome Sovereign (Novel) - Chapter 4 - The Prodigal Son Returns (3)

Chapter 4 – The Prodigal Son Returns (3)

===================

Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

===================

The wind was quite cool.

However, even the cold autumn wind could not cool the vitality of the market street. Numerous people were soliciting customers, telling them to come into their shops.

‘It’s been a long while.’

Upon actually coming outside, thoughts about the Jade Gauze True Formula completely disappeared.

It was the first time he had come out to the market street since returning to the past. He was filled with deep emotion.

‘It’s the same.’

This street where he had wandered around so much in his childhood.

It was a street he had never visited once after the clan was destroyed. Because every time he came here, it felt like he would think of his dead family.

“It’s good.”

“Hehe, right?”

Yeon Ji-pyeong’s face was fully flushed. Because it was the first time he had come out to the market street with just his brother.

“Elder brother, but are you uncomfortable somewhere?”

“Hmm?”

“Your walking is a bit strange?”

“Ah, just a bit.”

Suddenly, the quality of his internal energy had risen by two levels.

Moreover, he had pierced quite a few blocked acupoints. As the true qi repeatedly went to and fro there, strength naturally entered his body.

The misalignment between his body and true qi. Even if he tried to walk slowly, speed naturally picked up. It was a gap created because his muscles and bones were not perfectly refined.

‘I’ll have to suffer a bit from now on.’

Just as important as internal energy is the robustness of the body. To train an unripened body to the level of the Dark Emperor, hellish training would be necessary.

While Yeon Ho-jeong was rotating his shoulders for a long time.

“Ah, there! Let’s go there!”

The place Yeon Ji-pyeong pointed to was a liquor house with a neat exterior.

“It’s the Goyang Tower.”

Goyang Tower was a liquor house that boasted considerable fame even in the southern part of Jiangsu Province. The prices were quite high, but it was famous for the taste of the food and the scenery.

“Ah, have you been there too, elder brother?”

“A few times.”

It was not a place where he had particularly good memories.

Was it about half a year before the Yeon Clan was destroyed? Becoming desperate, he drank quite a bit of alcohol. Among those, the number of times he drank at Goyang Tower was quite high.

‘I lived so stupidly.’

In a state of intoxication, he broke many items, and getting into quarrels, he was beaten up tremendously.

It was a place where both his body and mind became a wreck.

“The fish dishes there are very famous. Let’s go eat fish, fish.”

“Sounds good.”

“Huh? But do you eat fish too, elder brother? You didn’t like it much, did you?”

Yeon Ho-jeong shrugged his shoulders.

“I should eat it while I can. Anyway, is it your first time going?”

“Hehe, actually I’ve been there once. With my friends.”

“Friends… from the Cheonggang Academy?”

“Yes! They’re all good friends.”

The Green Mountain Yeon Clan emphasized both literary and martial arts more than other Murim sects. They did not hope to become outstanding scholars, but it was the thought of the ancestors that they should at least be above others.

That teaching was the same even now that they had risen to the ranks of the Seven Great Clans. That was also the reason why Yeon Ji-pyeong attended Cheonggang Academy and learned writing.

Yeon Ho-jeong wore a smile.

“Make sure to learn well. There’s nothing bad about learning.”

Yeon Ji-pyeong asked with an innocent expression.

“By the way, are you not going to come out from now on either, elder brother?”

“To the Cheonggang Academy?”

“Yes!”

“I’m not going.”

Yeon Ho-jeong had gone out to learn first. However, two years ago, to focus on martial arts, he even cut off the writing.

A faint disappointment was cast on Yeon Ji-pyeong’s face.

“I, I see.”

He’s a truly honest fellow.

It was pitiful, but he still had no intention of going out. Not because he disliked writing, but because he thought there was no need to learn more.

“You seem to be getting along well with your friends?”

“Of course. Ah! Come to think of it, short-term auditing students came to the academy this time!”

“Short-term auditing students?”

“Yes! They’re from famous martial families in Anhui. Among them, there’s even a child of the Namgung Clan!”

He spoke with a brightened expression as if he had never been disappointed.

Yeon Ho-jeong knit his brows.

“From the Namgung?”

“Yes! Surprising, right?”

Was it so?

He does not remember that part. In the first place, during this period, he was only interested in himself.

‘Namgung… Namgung.’

The most prestigious family in Anhui, adjacent to Jiangsu.

It was a family counted among the Seven Great Clans along with the Yeon Clan, but it was a family with a much longer history than the Yeon Clan.

Speaking of Namgung, it was the sword. Both in the past and present, the most famous as a sword family was precisely the Namgung Clan.

It was the same even after an unprecedented swordsman appeared in the Murong Clan.

“Elder brother?”

“Hmm?”

“What’s wrong? Your expression doesn’t look good.”

“It’s nothing. Let’s go quickly.”

“Yes!”

The two finally entered Goyang Tower.

Goyang Tower was unexpectedly quiet. In the liquor house of a total of four floors, it seemed there weren’t even ten people.

“We’re lucky, elder brother. Let’s go to the fourth floor!”

“Sure.”

Ascending to the fourth floor, the scenery was very good. Since the window side was wide open, the wind was refreshing rather than cold.

“It’s good, right? It’s good, right?”

“Yeah, I think we came well.”

Although it was a place he had visited many times in the past, his mood was new as if it were the first time.

As they sat at the window seat, Yeon Ji-pyeong excitedly ordered food. Ordering one fish dish and two vegetable stir-fries, the price was not trivial.

“Isn’t it too expensive?”

“I’ve saved up a lot of pocket money!”

“Are you going to buy?”

“Of course! I told you I’d buy you a meal!”

Well, he had not even brought money.

Yeon Ho-jeong smacked his lips.

“I’ll eat well then.”

“As much as you want!”

He was in a spirit to buy every dish of Goyang Tower. With his eyes sparkling, he was no different from an excited puppy.

Yeon Ho-jeong found such a younger brother cute. And at the same time, it was also burdensome.

‘He’s such a bright child.’

He was jealous and acted meanly toward such a child. Though he had not committed verbal abuse or physical violence, sometimes indifference can be far more cruel.

So even if it was burdensome, he particularly tried to smile in front of Yeon Ji-pyeong. The regret given by his past mistakes was that large.

Yeon Ji-pyeong, who was looking at Yeon Ho-jeong while grinning, suddenly asked carefully.

“Umm…”

“Yeah?”

“You don’t have any feelings of being upset or anything like that, right?”

“What?”

“No. Just… if there’s anything you’re unnecessarily bothered by, something like that.”

Yeon Ho-jeong tilted his head.

“I wonder? There hasn’t been such a thing.”

“I see.”

“Why? Do I look like my face is not that good?”

“No! Just in case.”

“You silly fellow.”

Yeon Ho-jeong turned his head toward the window. He wanted to view the scenery.

Looking at such a brother, Yeon Ji-pyeong inwardly let out a sigh of relief.

‘He seems okay.’

The conduct of the Flying Eagle Squad Leader Kang Yun at that time was something he could sufficiently understand as a person of the Yeon Clan. However, wasn’t it in front of the younger brother? Anyone would likely feel embarrassed.

Fortunately, his brother did not seem to care much. Rather, because it felt like he had experienced such a thing because of him, Yeon Ji-pyeong was so sorry.

Yeon Ji-pyeong, who was looking at Yeon Ho-jeong while smiling, suddenly tilted his head.

“But elder brother.”

“Yeah?”

“Uh… I don’t know if I can say this.”

“What is it?”

“Your Flying Swallow Qi has become active?”

Ho-oh?

“Can you tell?”

“Pardon? Ah, yes. I was half-doubting, but you definitely seem to have changed from before.”

Yeon Ho-jeong looked at Yeon Ji-pyeong with renewed eyes.

‘He felt that?’

His dantian was activated and his Flying Swallow Cultivation Method was mastered, but that was a change hard to notice without checking the pulse.

Because Yeon Ho-jeong was skilled at constantly concealing his qi. Moreover, as the Flying Swallow Cultivation Method itself was not a high-level martial art, the range of change was not large. On the surface, it was bound to be hard to notice the change in true qi.

The younger brother had seen through that. Even though he did not yet have the skill that could be called first-rate.

“I’ve mastered the Flying Swallow Cultivation Method.”

Yeon Ji-pyeong stood up abruptly without realizing it.

“R-Really?!”

“Yeah.”

Is it because it’s too sudden that he will not believe it?

“Congratulations! Truly congratulations, elder brother!”

He believes it.

Yeon Ji-pyeong sincerely congratulated him as if it were his own affair. Clenching his two fists and shaking them vigorously, he looked very excited.

He was grateful for such a brother, but the surprise was greater than the gratitude.

‘I knew his talent was outstanding but…’

A faint admiration rose on Yeon Ho-jeong’s face.

‘This fellow, he was a complete monster?’

Usually, cases of being seen as talented in martial arts are divided into two. Cases where the body is outstanding and cases where the head is outstanding.

However, Yeon Ji-pyeong’s talent was not at that level.

‘His sense is good.’

What is even harder to possess than superiority of the body or an outstanding eye is precisely the sense.

A power that overwhelms logic and reason. So to speak, it was an innate ability he was born with. He did not know about other fields, but at least regarding martial arts, Yeon Ji-pyeong’s sense was definitely superior to anyone else’s.

Furthermore, isn’t his physical talent also being called the best in the Yeon Clan?

‘If he refines it properly, he’ll make a name for himself in the not-too-distant future.’

Yeon Ji-pyeong spoke with a fully excited face.

“You’ll become strong quickly, elder brother! Definitely!”

“Yeah, I should.”

In any case, it was a moment that gave each other surprise.

A moment later, the dishes came out.

The two laughed and chatted even while eating. Mostly Yeon Ji-pyeong was the one talking, but Yeon Ho-jeong’s speech was not little either.

The two, who finished their meal in an instant, also ordered tea. A good scent came from the steam rising in billows.

“Elder brother, since you’ve mastered the cultivation method, let’s practice together!”

“No.”

It was a more resolute refusal than expected. Yeon Ji-pyeong shrank his neck.

“Why?”

“The way you and I practice is different. Maybe later, but for now, doing it separately… Hmm?”

Yeon Ho-jeong turned his gaze toward the stairs.

“Why is that, elder brother?”

“…”

“Elder brother?”

“It’s considerable?”

Considerable? What?

Yeon Ji-pyeong, who was tilting his head, suddenly felt a faint aura rising from all the way down on the first floor.

Yeon Ji-pyeong’s eyes widened.

“An expert?!”

No, it’s not an expert.

A true expert must be able to unleash more than ninety percent of the level they’ve achieved in actual combat. Only then are they qualified to be called an expert.

From that perspective, there was no expert among those rising from the first floor. At least Yeon Ho-jeong thought so.

However, the level they had achieved was considerable.

‘Compared to their age, that is.’

The vitality seeping from the qi was very fresh. It was clear that they were at an age not even twenty.

“Ah!”

Yeon Ji-pyeong let out an exclamation.

“Why? Is it someone you know?”

“Yes! I don’t know who the expert is, but I feel a familiar aura. It’s likely an academy friend.”

An academy friend?

“Go and say hello.”

“Ah?! Would that be okay?”

“If you didn’t know, it would be one thing, but you can’t just pass by without a greeting when you know them. Go.”

Yeon Ji-pyeong slowly stood up.

“Then elder brother, I’ll be back quickly. Please wait just a bit.”

“Take your time and talk.”

Yeon Ji-pyeong hurried down the stairs.

Yeon Ho-jeong smiled and propped his chin up.

‘He’s cheerful.’

Was it because he grew up so darkly?

He had developed some social skills while unifying the Black Path, but he wasn’t as bright as Yeon Ji-pyeong. There were many times when talking to someone was a hassle.

So he liked that appearance of his brother. Because it was a personality he didn’t have.

‘Grow up brightly. You don’t need to be serious every moment just because the world is harsh.’

He hoped he would grow up more wonderfully than anyone else. That was the only thing Yeon Ho-jeong wished for his brother now.

Yeon Ho-jeong, who was drinking tea and viewing the scenery outside the window.

He thought it was not the time to enjoy such leisure, but what could he do? Hadn’t he come out for a meal with his brother for the first time?

Preparing for the destruction is most important, but there were also things that should not be missed.

It was while Yeon Ho-jeong was enjoying a short leisure time like that.

“Is it here?”

“Oh! Even the third floor is definitely different!”

Clamoring voices were heard from the third floor.

And also the flustered voice of Yeon Ji-pyeong.

“W-Wait a moment. First, I have to talk to my brother…”

“A-hem! We’re just saying we’ll say hello, so why are you like this? Besides, you guys didn’t charter the fourth floor. Let’s take a look too.”

“Ah…”

An unknown embarrassment seeped from Yeon Ji-pyeong’s voice.

A moment later.

“Hiyah, the scenery is killer!”

“Coming up was a good choice!”

Yeon Ho-jeong turned his gaze toward that place.

Yeon Ji-pyeong’s face, sandwiched between two males and one female whom he saw for the first time, looked very troubled.