Monochrome Sovereign (Novel) - Chapter 43 - Flaw in the Rules (3)

Chapter 43 – Flaw in the Rules (3)

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Kang Yun’s eyes flashed.

A third-rate thug? These words were clearly directed at him.

“Are you speaking to me?”

“Did you sell your manners somewhere?”

“Pardon?”

“I am the Eldest Young Master of the Green Mountain Yeon Clan. Surely you weren’t unaware of that, as a Squad Leader? Or did you forget? You’re not senile already, are you?”

After staring at Yeon Ho-jeong for a moment, Kang Yun lowered his head in a disciplined manner.

“I was distracted and committed an impoliteness. Kang Yun, Leader of the Flying Eagle Squad, greets the Eldest Young Master.”

“Is that all?”

“Pardon?”

“Do you think that being distracted excuses even killing a person?”

Kang Yun’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

“Your words are excessive.”

“Are you talking back to me?”

“How is this talking back? It is by no means such a thing.”

“If you’re not talking back, then what’s with those eyes? Is it rebellion?”

“Eldest Young Master.”

“What?”

“I am neither talking back to you nor rebelling. So, please stop here.”

“Stop here?”

“That is correct.”

“Giving a command instead of a request? This won’t do, Leader Kang.”

Kang Yun’s expression gradually distorted.

“No matter if you are the Eldest Young Master, do you not think this is too much?”

“You’re even arguing now. Do your seniors know you’re acting like this?”

“Eldest Young Master!”

Without realizing it, strength entered his voice.

Yeon Ho-jeong picked his ear.

“No greeting, talking back is a daily occurrence, and on top of arguing back, you even dare to give commands?”

“……!”

“At this rate, you would have nothing to say even if you were kicked out of the family, would you?”

The corners of Kang Yun’s eyes trembled.

“Why are you doing this? I have never intended to be disrespectful to you.”

“Why don’t you reflect on yourself?”

“Of course, failing to greet you was my mistake. However, I also believe your words were excessive.”

“You mean the evaluation of being a third-rate thug?”

“That is correct.”

“Then, Leader Kang, do you think your current behavior is any different from what a group of thugs does?”

Kang Yun’s eyes became bloodshot.

“A group of thugs? Those are words I find difficult to bear.”

“Oh? So my words were too harsh, you say?”

“They were.”

“Then what about those kids?”

“Pardon?”

Yeon Ho-jeong pointed his chin toward Yu Ji-ha.

Yu Ji-ha’s body was drenched in sweat. It seemed he had already been put through the wringer once. There was dirt on his martial robe here and there.

It wasn’t just Yu Ji-ha. The entire Third Squad of the Flying Eagle Squad was the same.

“What did they do so wrong that you make them train without meals or rest? And even making them hold Iron-Core Wooden Swords.”

“They did not listen to my commands as their Leader. It is a violation of discipline and disobedience of orders. As the Leader, it is only right to deliver the appropriate punishment…….”

“If they disobeyed orders and even violated discipline, you should have dealt with them with immediate execution. Why give such filthy punishment?”

It was a terrifying statement.

The faces of the entire Third Squad of the Flying Eagle Squad turned pale. They had never imagined that the words “immediate execution” would be brought up over such a thing.

Kang Yun was also flustered by the sudden, explosive remark.

“Immediate execution? That is an excessive measure!”

“It seems better than what you’re trying to make them do now. If you’re going to kill them, just take their heads with a single sword stroke; why torture them?”

“How can you call it torture? This is a valid disciplinary action!”

“Disciplinary action?”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes shone with a razor-sharp light.

The gaze was so fierce that even Kang Yun, who was famous for his grit, felt a chill in his chest.

“You, you said your name was Yu Ji-ha, right?”

He had not expected the Eldest Young Master to remember his name. Yu Ji-ha raised his head in surprise.

“Yes, yes!”

“Step forward.”

Yu Ji-ha took a step forward.

Among the Third Squad, he seemed to have rolled particularly hard, as there were many minor wounds on his face and hands.

“What is the reason you guys are being scolded by the Leader?”

“Pardon?”

“…….”

“Ah! Th-that is…….”

Yu Ji-ha looked at Kang Yun’s face.

Kang Yun spoke.

“With all due respect, Eldest Young Master, I am the Squad Leader. And the Leader has full authority regarding the rewards and punishments of his squad members. No matter if you are the Eldest Young Master, this can be seen as an abuse of authority.”

“So you’re telling me to shut my mouth?”

“Eldest Young Master!”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s voice turned cold.

“If you interrupt me one more time while I am speaking, I will summon you to the Hall of Judicial Blades.”

Kang Yun’s eyes wavered.

The Hall of Judicial Blades was the organization that presided over the family laws and internal investigations. In special cases, it was also an organization that delivered judgments directly on behalf of the Clan Head.

Because of the nature of their work, the martial artists in the family feared the Hall of Judicial Blades the most. The moment they violated the family laws or committed corruption such as bribery, they would be dragged to the Hall of Judicial Blades and face heavy sentences.

Yeon Ho-jeong was saying he would summon the Squad Leader to such an organization.

Kang Yun’s breathing became heavy. However, he did not dare to step forward.

Yeon Ho-jeong said to Yu Ji-ha.

“The same goes for you. If you do not immediately answer my questions, you will go to the Hall of Judicial Blades along with the Leader.”

Yu Ji-ha’s posture immediately became upright.

“I-I will correct myself! I was being punished for conducting personal training for two-hours during sleep time last night! I am sorry!”

Yeon Ho-jeong frowned.

“You’re being punished for doing personal training?”

“Th-that is correct!”

“A member of a martial organization reduced their night’s sleep to train, and that is a crime?”

“That is…….”

“Surely you didn’t negatively affect the squad’s training with your excessive practice?”

Yu Ji-ha could not answer. This was because judging that was entirely up to the Squad Leader.

However, Yeon Ho-jeong could tell from Yu Ji-ha’s expression alone that he had performed the squad’s training well.

Yeon Ho-jeong turned his gaze back to Kang Yun.

“Why is this a crime?”

Kang Yun spoke.

“I gave a command to my squad members. Eat at the scheduled time, and sleep at the scheduled time. Such control is essential for a hundred squad members to move as one body.”

“Control?”

“That is correct. Such training has continued for years. No one has ever violated those military rules. Until yesterday.”

Kang Yun’s expression was not very good. He wondered if he really had to explain such things in front of the squad members.

Yeon Ho-jeong turned back to Yu Ji-ha.

“Your Leader says so?”

“…….”

“Your Leader might lack manners, but what he just said seems to make some sense in its own way.”

“But…….”

“But?”

Yu Ji-ha bit his lip.

He must have felt it was unfair even to himself. No matter how important military rules were, how could a scholar reading a book or a martial artist honing his martial arts be a crime?

Was it because of the unfairness? Yu Ji-ha spoke in a suppressed voice.

“I joined the Flying Eagle Squad last year.”

“And?”

“I worked hard to enter the Flying Eagle Squad. However, for the past year, personal training has been strictly forbidden. It was only squad training.”

“So?”

“Since I came to the squad, I must act according to the squad’s rules. That is natural. But I wanted to be more than that. Yet, for the past year, my skills, as well as those of the other squad members, have not improved even by a hair’s breadth.”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes deepened.

“Instead, the combat power of the Flying Eagle Squad itself must have improved. Since everyone is tightly united as one.”

“That is true.”

“How old are you?”

“I am eighteen.”

“At eighteen, isn’t that an age where you know everything you need to? You are a member of the Flying Eagle Squad. If you have entered the Flying Eagle Squad, you need to act in accordance with the rules of the Flying Eagle Squad. That is called responsibility.”

“…….”

“I understand your sense of unfairness. However, an organization has its own laws. As it is an organization you entered by your own choice, you must also bear the corresponding responsibilities.”

“That is why I tried to quit.”

“What?”

Yu Ji-ha said as if it were unfair.

“In the end, it means I failed to adapt to the organization. Thus, I followed the proper procedures and requested to leave the unit. But it was not accepted.”

“You requested to leave after following the proper procedures? Then why were you unable to quit?”

Yu Ji-ha spoke as if venting his indignation.

“He said once a Flying Eagle, always a Flying Eagle. He said there is no way to leave the Flying Eagle Squad except through death.”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes turned cold.

Now he understood why Yu Ji-ha had tried to make personal time. Since he had gone against the Squad Leader’s command, it was clearly a violation of discipline, but for Yu Ji-ha, who wanted to become stronger, there had been no other way.

Kang Yun hurriedly intervened.

“What nonsense! That was merely a statement for the squad’s sense of community; it is not actually like that!”

“But it turned out that way.”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s voice grew colder as time passed.

“You say it is not actually like that, so why was this friend unable to leave? Didn’t he say he followed the proper procedures?”

“The procedures also require a certain level of flexibility. At that time, there was an announcement of the combat power of the various units within the family. In such a situation, a member leaving could have been a major problem.”

“It was a natural measure?”

“It was.”

“So the flexibility of those procedures was, for example, for the sake of the organization called the Flying Eagle Squad.”

“Of course. The Flying Eagle Squad becoming stronger means the combat power of the Yeon Clan rises.”

Kang Yun spoke with confidence.

And to such a Kang Yun, Yeon Ho-jeong threw the words he had been holding back.

“You incompetent bastard!”

“Wh-what did you say?”

“As you said, the Flying Eagle Squad becoming stronger means the strength of the Yeon Clan becomes stronger. Then, for the Flying Eagle Squad to become stronger, who must become stronger?”

“……!”

“Why can’t you answer? I am not asking for the sake of receiving a good evaluation in the family’s combat power announcement, but what the minimum requirement is for the Flying Eagle Squad to truly become stronger.”

“That is…….”

“Is it enough if only you are strong?”

“…….”

“The squad’s combat power rises only when the squad members become stronger. Yet, under the pretext of serving the organization, you forcibly detained a squad member who wanted to leave.”

Kang Yun’s face crumpled.

“The word ‘detained’ is a misnomer. At that time, there was nothing that could be done.”

“Then what about after that? Why does this friend still remain in the Flying Eagle Squad even now?”

Kang Yun could not answer easily.

In truth, he had long forgotten about that part. He had thought that if he just trained them properly, they would adapt on their own.

Everyone grows up like that. So he had thought Yu Ji-ha’s request was not worth a moment’s consideration.

“Is that also a rule? Not letting someone leave even though they followed the proper procedures?”

“…….”

“Answer me.”

“It is not, but this was all for the sake of the Yeon Clan…….”

“Ah, is that so? So this was all because of your personal judgment that it was for the sake of the family?”

Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.

“So this is what it is. You would stake your life on laws and rules, but you discuss flexibility in the parts you consider important, and you are only sharp like a blade in the parts you yourself consider unimportant.”

“That is not true!”

“What do you mean it’s not true, you incompetent piece of trash.”

Kang Yun’s face turned menacing.

“No matter if you are the Eldest Young Master, I can no longer tolerate further insults. Moreover, this matter is entirely the business of the Flying Eagle Squad. Do not interfere further.”

From the beginning, Kang Yun did not like Yeon Ho-jeong.

No, he loathed him. From the moment he knew that the eldest son of the great Green Mountain Yeon Clan was a pathetic wretch who frequented taverns, he did not see Yeon Ho-jeong as a person.

It was the same even after Yeon Ho-jeong changed. On the side of the Goshawk Squad, there was much talk about the Eldest Young Master’s changed appearance, but he never believed it.

Such an Eldest Young Master was interfering in the business of the Flying Eagle Squad. Kang Yun had also reached the limit of his patience.

Yeon Ho-jeong’s smile faded.

“Do not interfere?”

“That is correct.”

Yeon Ho-jeong said to Yu Ji-ha.

“You, go and bring the Master of the Hall of Judicial Blades.”

Instantly, the atmosphere of the Great Martial Arts Ground turned cold.

Yeon Ho-jeong said while looking at Kang Yun.

“Since you handled the Flying Eagle Squad as you pleased for the sake of the Yeon Clan, I must also kick an incompetent bastard like you out of the Squad Leader position for the sake of the family.”

“……!”

“Prepare to take off your uniform.”