Monochrome Sovereign (Novel) - Chapter 41 - Flaw in the Rules (1)
Chapter 41 – Flaw in the Rules (1)
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Translated by Heavenly Cat
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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Yeon Ho-jeong’s body faltered.
The hand that had unleashed the Linked Palm glowed red. In that split second, Yeon Wi had also neutralized the attack with a palm strike.
Hummmm!
A faint auspicious energy rose from Yeon Wi’s extended hand.
‘Counter-Dragon Palm!’
It was one of the peak martial arts of the Yeon Clan. While the power of each individual strike was excellent, it was a palm technique said to have no equal, especially in counterattacking.
However, Yeon Wi was even more surprised.
“Is that the Linked Flying Swallow Palm?”
“That is correct.”
Whoosh!
As soon as he finished answering, Yeon Ho-jeong charged again.
Just when it seemed he was striking from the front, he instantly lowered his stance and swung the Halberd.
Even though the distance was close, the blade of the Halberd, a long-handled weapon, accurately swept toward the ankle. Despite being a long and heavy weapon, it was not constrained by distance.
Yeon Wi’s sword brushed the floor of the training ground.
Screech! Clang!
The sword, which had moved while scraping the ground, deflected the Halberd. Once again, the Halberd failed to achieve its purpose.
The bouncing shaft drew a subtle arc and aimed for Yeon Wi’s flank. It was an attack faster than when he had swung the blade.
Clang clang clang!
It was perfect.
Yeon Ho-jeong could not hide his amazement. His father’s level of martial arts had entered a state of perfect unity of offense and defense.
Clang! Crack! Crash!
No matter how many times he swung the Halberd, or how many times he created openings with palm and kick strikes to attack, he could never break through. He was not allowed a single effective hit.
‘To think he had refined it to this extent!’
The martial path itself, even before considering internal energy or sword power, was close to perfection. It was a martial art that had reached completeness, with nothing more to add and nothing to take away.
‘He is truly amazing!’
In his days as the Dark Emperor, Yeon Ho-jeong’s martial arts had far surpassed Yeon Wi’s.
However, even the Yeon Ho-jeong of that time could not implement a martial path of perfect offense and defense as complete as the current Yeon Wi. it was not a matter of level, but a matter of specialty.
If Yeon Ho-jeong’s martial arts were ones that pushed their strengths to the extreme.
Yeon Wi’s martial arts were like a castle of steel that did not tolerate a single weakness. It was the most orthodox of the orthodox, worthy of being called the incarnation of the White Path’s martial arts.
‘Good.’
His first duel with his father?
Such thoughts had already vanished from his mind. Facing a martial artist who was rare in the history of Murim, Yeon Ho-jeong felt a competitive spirit burning more fiercely than ever.
Boom! Swish swish! Crash!
Yeon Ho-jeong’s martial arts became even more intense.
The heavy Halberd increased its speed even further. The spear and staff techniques, placed within an unbroken flow, aimed at Yeon Wi’s entire body.
Clang clang clang clang!
The heavy attacks were all blocked.
But it was fine. Yeon Ho-jeong believed. That his father would never be hurt.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
As the speed increased, the destructive power grew, and as the destructive power grew, his body movements gradually gained resilience.
A glint appeared in Yeon Wi’s eyes.
‘Amazing.’
He was startled by his son’s martial arts.
‘To think it’s such an intense and refreshing martial art.’
The one holding the center of the body was the Jade Gauze True Formula, but it was a martial art so fierce that one wouldn’t even think he had learned that stable formula.
So, was the balance of offense and defense broken? That wasn’t it either.
Clang!
The steel sword, which had struck briefly, was blocked by the shaft of the Halberd.
He replaced defense with offense. It was an extreme martial art that did not block just to block, but swept away even the opponent’s attack all at once.
At this level, one couldn’t criticize it for having excessive offense. Defense was also offense, and offense was an even stronger offense. it was a practical martial art that endlessly drove the enemy back, a way of fighting on the battlefield to seek survival by killing before being killed.
‘Moreover…’
Thwack thwack thwack!
Yeon Ho-jeong was not only skilled in spear and staff techniques.
At the moment it seemed a spear strike was flying in, a kick would fly out, and if the kick was blocked, he would use palms and fists as if he had been waiting. If the palm strike was avoided, the Halberd would fly in again, and the moment the Halberd was deflected, a subtle leg technique would come in.
He did not rely only on weapon techniques just because he held a weapon. It was literally a fight. It was not a combat technique to suppress the opponent with powerful martial arts, but to strike and collapse them by digging into the enemy’s openings.
What was more amazing was the identity of the close-combat techniques that came in aiming for openings.
‘Basic techniques?’
Yeon Clan’s Thirteen Fists, Linked Flying Swallow Palm, Air-Torturing Kick, Autumn Wind Step.
They were all basic martial arts of the Yeon Clan. They were martial arts that could build the basic foundation of a warrior, even if they didn’t exert great power.
To launch such efficient attacks with those kinds of martial arts?
‘Even I wonder if I could do it like this.’
Was it said that a master calligrapher does not blame the brush?
Those words were meant exactly for his son. He was facing the Clan Head of one of the Seven Great Clans with martial arts that were like exercises to condition the body.
Yeon Wi’s gaze underwent a sudden change.
Clang!
Yeon Ho-jeong’s body slid backward at the strongly struck sword blow.
He had seen enough of his son’s martial arts. Seeing this much was enough to know the level his son had reached.
The moment Yeon Wi was about to open his mouth.
Whoosh!
He charged with a tremendous speed that he had never shown before.
Yeon Ho-jeong, who had closed the distance in an instant, swung the Halberd as if striking with an axe.
Yeon Wi was startled.
‘How can this be!’
This sword strike was by no means simple.
It was a tactic to push the opponent back by loading it with strong Springing Strength. It should have been normal to have one’s hands full just maintaining the center of the body.
Yet to approach with such speed?!
Yeon Wi sharply struck upward with his sword.
Clang!
The sound of the weapons clashing spread beyond the training ground to the outside of the Clan Head’s office.
It was the most explosive and powerful blow among the attacks so far. Yeon Wi’s sword trembled slightly.
Whoosh!
Yeon Ho-jeong, who had lowered his stance like lightning, poured out a fearsome series of linked techniques.
Thwack thwack thwack.
Yeon Wi blocked his son’s martial arts with god-like skill.
‘I see.’
Yeon Wi finally realized. Why his son had carried out such extreme training.
‘It was to obtain this stamina.’
Yeon Ho-jeong’s attacks were carried out without giving him a chance to breathe.
His son’s martial arts, where each strike radiated powerful force, were of a typical ‘one-hit-kill’ type. However, to create those explosive blows, physical robustness and endurance were essential in addition to internal energy.
Yeon Ho-jeong’s martial arts were speaking. No, they were proving.
This is exactly who I am.
The martial art I pursue is this kind of thing. I pursue extreme offensive power without any compromise.
Yeon Wi’s eyes closed.
Boom!
Along with a fearsome Earth-shaking Stomp, the steel sword drew the shape of a lightning bolt.
Crash!
“Hmm.”
Yeon Ho-jeong’s body was pushed to the end of the training ground.
It was a power of a different class from the previous Springing Strength Sword. A sharp pain arose in both hands holding the Halberd.
“That’s enough.”
Screech.
Yeon Wi, who had stepped off the training ground before he knew it, retrieved his sword.
Yeon Ho-jeong felt a sense of regret.
‘I could almost see it.’
By attacking his father’s iron-wall-like martial arts, he had grasped a clue to draw out the White Tiger.
Summoning the Four Gods was not enough with just the formula and enlightenment. It was certain that if he drew out the White Tiger Qi, which specialized in offense, his internal energy, body, and martial arts in general would grow significantly.
‘It’s a pity, but it can’t be helped.’
If he could handle two of the Four Gods, he would be able to summon the other Four Gods with just training.
But that was not the case for the White Tiger. It would not be easily drawn out unless it was against a life-and-death enemy. It was because the Four Gods Martial Arts itself was a martial art born on the battlefield.
‘His father’s martial arts are just that amazing. To the point where I could almost pull out the White Tiger even though it wasn’t a life-and-death battle.’
Releasing his stance, Yeon Ho-jeong looked at Yeon Wi with a peculiar gaze.
‘How did he refine such a martial art?’
Step!
Yeon Wi, who had placed his sword on the rack, asked.
“How was it?”
“Pardon?”
“In your eyes, how was your father’s martial arts?”
Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes sparkled.
“I think they are close to perfection.”
“Perfection?”
“Yes. There is room to become stronger, but I think you pursue a flawlessness without a single weakness. It seemed to me that you desire the Middle Path, which is not biased toward either offense or defense, evasion or counterattack.”
He spoke boldly that there was room to become stronger.
The reason he didn’t feel offended even though he heard such a story from his son was probably because his son’s words were hitting the mark.
“Did you recognize it?”
“Wouldn’t it be harder not to know? Every warrior is bound to have their own specialty, but I couldn’t see such a specialty in you, Father.”
“…”
“A martial art that encompasses ten thousand phenomena. That is exactly your martial art, Father.”
An honest look of surprise appeared on Yeon Wi’s face.
“Your insight is truly amazing. I didn’t know that my son would be able to recognize my martial path, which no one has been able to see through.”
“Is that so?”
“It is.”
Yeon Wi, who was quietly looking at his son, let out a sigh.
“I… hoped that you would follow me.”
“Pardon?”
“You changed, starting from the time of the memorial service half a year ago. I don’t know for what reason you changed like that, but as the head of a family, I welcomed your change.”
“Ah, yes.”
“But now…”
“…”
“I am a little… sorry.”
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.
“If there is anything I have done wrong, please tell me. I will correct it at any time.”
“You have done nothing wrong. That is why I am sorry.”
A sense of pride and regret for his son were deeply etched on Yeon Wi’s face.
“Before being a Clan Head, as a father of two sons, I hoped that my sons would embark on the same path as me. You may call that greed, or you may call it stubbornness.”
“…”
“But you have already embarked on a different path from me. Through your martial path, I could faintly understand what you pursue.”
“What is that?”
“You have no intention of becoming the Clan Head of this family.”
Yeon Ho-jeong’s face hardened.
It was not only the son who hit the mark. Yeon Wi, too, while watching his son’s martial arts, was accurately seeing through his son’s inner thoughts.
“Watching your appearance after the change, I was contemplating that part. I could be certain only today. That your will is not here, but is stretched toward the world under heaven.”
“…”
Yeon Wi put his hands behind his back and looked up at the sky.
His gaze, looking at the cloudless sky, held an unknown sorrow unlike usual.
“I didn’t tell you the reason why I wanted to see your martial arts, did I?”
“…Wasn’t what you just said the end of it?”
“No.”
“Then what is the reason?”
“I wanted to glimpse through your martial arts whether you had the mindset that is not lacking as the Young Clan Head.”
“…!”
A look of surprise appeared on Yeon Ho-jeong’s face.
‘Young Clan Head…?’
It was a position he had never thought about.
Yeon Wi shook his head.
“It is truly a lamentable thing. Even though I wanted to test your capabilities as a Clan Head, to think I would feel frustrated knowing as a father that your will is not tied to the family.”
“…”
“It seems that things in the world do not go as intended after all.”
Yeon Ho-jeong could not say anything.
Yeon Wi, who had been looking up at the sky for a long time, turned around.
“It was a wonderful martial art. Let’s trade blows with this father often in the future.”
“…Yes.”
“You’ve worked hard.”
Yeon Wi walked toward the Clan Head’s office.
Yeon Ho-jeong, watching his father’s back, spoke.
“Father.”
Yeon Wi turned around.
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.
“Even if the intentions are different, my heart is always here. If it is to protect the family, I will point my blade toward the world even if I were to hear the stigma of being a Demon.”
“Nonsense.”
Yeon Wi moved his steps toward the Clan Head’s office again.
“If the world calls my son a Demon, I will place that thing called the world under my sword.”
“…”
“Rest.”