Monochrome Sovereign (Novel) - Chapter 52 - Toward Where the Wind Blows (2)

Chapter 52 – Toward Where the Wind Blows (2)

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Flash!

A streak of blue radiance seeped into the cliff.

Ssshh.

A sword mark one zhang long appeared on the cliff struck by the blue light.

It was an amazing sight. Even though he had struck with supreme sword energy, there was no cutting sound or roar, only the sword mark was engraved.

It meant that the cutting power of the sword energy was that enormous. Because the internal force, which had destructive properties, was compressed to the limit, no trace other than the cutting wound remained.

It was a realm that an ordinary master’s sword power could not even dream of. It was a remarkable martial art that was hard to even look at even if one devoted their entire life to the sword.

“Hmm.”

The elderly man who saw the sword mark engraved on the cliff tilted his head.

“Is it still too much, after all? I thought it would work this time.”

Slide.

The sound of the sword entering the scabbard was as smooth as flowing water.

The elderly man stretched greatly.

He looked to be in his fifties, but his revealed upper body was covered with incredible muscles. His upper body muscles, which didn’t look dull at all, were compressed to the limit, making him look like a flintstone.

“Phew, I should devote myself to the sword for a while. Only one zhang, I still have a long way to go.”

Just then, a beautiful voice was heard.

“If you say that, I’ll become too miserable.”

“Have you come?”

Murong Yeon-hwa smiled brightly while looking at the cliff.

“You’re amazing. To leave such a sword mark from this far away. When will I ever be able to even imitate that?”

“Hoho, there is no greed like that. It is a great thing to have refined such martial arts at your age. Considering your father’s time, it wouldn’t be enough to even call you a genius.”

“Don’t lie to me. I heard that Father had already mastered the North Wind Sword at my age.”

“Mastering a martial art and manifesting it are two different things. Although my achievement in martial arts may have been high, I didn’t have the ability to manifest it as naturally as you do. You can take pride in it.”

Murong Yeon-hwa shrugged her shoulders.

“I always feel pride. However, I think that the more greed there is, the better.”

“It’s not wrong, but if you are swallowed by greed, you may regress.”

“I’m not that pathetic, Father.”

“Indeed, whose daughter are you?”

The elderly man, Murong Jun, laughed heartily.

Murong Yeon-hwa smiled in return and took out a letter from her sleeve.

“Good news has arrived.”

The corners of Murong Jun’s mouth rose naturally.

It was a red letter. His heart already began to race.

A glint appeared in Murong Jun’s eyes as he received and opened the letter.

“They say the Myeong Clan succeeded?”

“I see.”

“Now that they’ve found the original source of their martial arts, will the problem of their lifespan also be solved?”

“That is unknown. The martial arts of the Myeong Clan are strong. They are not lacking even when compared to the martial arts of our clan.”

Murong Yeon-hwa looked at the cliff.

“Is it comparable to that supreme sword power?”

“That too is unknown. However, I once briefly exchanged blows with the Head of the Myeong Clan in the past.”

“Oh? I didn’t hear about that.”

“It wasn’t a life-and-death struggle, we just confirmed each other’s skills. It’s not something to go around talking about.”

Murong Yeon-hwa’s eyes sparkled.

She was the person her father gave the most information to within the family. He was someone who told her everything, down to the smallest detail.

But not everything. There were a few things he hadn’t informed even his own daughter about.

That was why she respected Murong Jun. She wanted to emulate the prudence and sharpness of someone who stood at the peak of a clan yet thoroughly guarded against his surroundings.

“How was it? The martial arts of the Head of the Myeong Clan.”

“It was great.”

“There aren’t many people Father calls great.”

Murong Jun shook his head.

“There is not a single person among the leaders of the Seven Great Clans who is an easy opponent. Publicly, it is said that the martial arts of the Head of the Myeong Clan and the Head of the Yeon Clan compete for the top, but that too is unknown until they actually fight.”

“Are you saying that like you, the other clan heads are also hiding their strength?”

“Of course. Unlike the two newly emerging families, the Myeong and Yeon Clans, the five traditional families never reveal all of their strength.”

Murong Jun’s eyes deepened.

“However, even taking that into account, the martial arts of the Head of the Myeong Clan were remarkable. I expect that if they find the original source of their martial arts, they will not fall behind the secret arts of our family.”

“That’s amazing.”

“They haven’t maintained the name of the Number One Clan under Heaven until now for nothing.”

Murong Yeon-hwa smiled thinly.

“That’s a pity. Since they won’t be able to use that title anymore.”

Murong Jun read the last part of the letter.

As if to emphasize it, the handwriting was thicker than the other contents despite being in fine script.

“Tsk, tsk, Head of the Myeong Clan. It was good to find the martial arts of your ancestors, but your greed was too much. How can you brazenly call yourself the Number One under Heaven after killing hundreds of innocent workers?”

Surprisingly, Murong Jun knew everything the Myeong Clan had done.

It was a meticulous secret plot that had been planned since the day Murong Jun became the Clan Leader. He had planted ‘eyes’ not only in the Myeong Clan but in all the families belonging to the Seven Great Clans.

In some of those families, he had even infiltrated professional spies and created secret passages or safe houses within those families. A representative example was the Yeon Clan.

Of course, it was not an easy task. An astronomical amount of money was needed, and trustworthy people had to be prepared. Even for Murong Jun, it wasn’t something that could be prepared in just a dozen years.

That great undertaking was something he had started together with his father, the previous Clan Leader.

“I proved my ability to my father, your grandfather. Even while striking down my own brothers.”

“I know, Father.”

“You are also proving your abilities to me. When you are confident, bring the plan you have drawn to this father. If it’s a satisfactory plan, I will entrust the clan to you.”

Murong Yeon-hwa showed a confident smile.

“It’s being prepared steadily. Don’t worry.”

“Hohoho.”

Murong Jun very much liked his daughter’s boldness. Although the talents of his sons were not ordinary, those fellows didn’t try to cross the line.

That was the reason he favored his daughter. Murong Yeon-hwa, who had inherited his blood as it was, was a possessor of a cold blood and iron heart who would cut down even her own flesh and blood if necessary.

A talent much more important than a brain that had reached divine skill. That was none other than cold-heartedness.

“By the way, has there been no separate contact from the Yeon Clan?”

“No. Not yet.”

Murong Jun clicked his tongue.

“Truly a frustrating person. Someone famous for a sword technique so resolute it could even split waves, yet he’s so timid in this regard.”

“It seems his nature itself is that of someone who dislikes adventure.”

“That may be so. The Head of the Yeon Clan had no interest in expanding his influence even when he was young.”

“Furthermore, he will be more prudent this time. It’s not an easy thing to receive a business proposal three times. He must be contemplating a lot.”

Murong Jun smiled.

“It would be better to obediently agree if he wants to at least maintain the lineage of his clan.”

It was then.

From afar, a warrior wearing black martial robes and even a mask approached at a fast pace.

Slide.

The warrior who knelt before Murong Jun said in a stiff voice.

“Clan Leader.”

“What brings you here at this hour?”

“A problem has arisen.”

“A problem? What kind of problem?”

“There has been no contact for five days from the liaison planted in the Yeon Clan.”

Murong Jun’s eyes turned chilly.

It was mandatory for the liaison to report the progress once a day. Even if something happened, it usually didn’t exceed three days.

The fact that there had been no contact for five days had to be seen as a sign that something had happened to the liaison.

“Could it be that the Yeon Clan found out? That shouldn’t be possible.”

He didn’t think Tae-gyeong would be caught. Suspecting the Chief Steward, who had taken root in the clan for nearly ten years, was not as easy as one might think.

The problem was the real spies and the liaison. Even if Tae-gyeong was caught by bad luck, Na-il and Jang Hak must not be discovered. In the first place, those two were the real ones. Tae-gyeong was nothing more than a wrapper to completely plant Na-il and Jang Hak.

“It is difficult to grasp the exact situation. For now, we are in the process of touching their information source, the Heavenly Communication Group.”

“Look into it quickly.”

“Yes.”

Murong Yeon-hwa furrowed her brows.

“What could it be? Jang Hak is a first-class liaison. He is not someone who would ever make a mistake.”

“As long as one is human, one cannot help but make mistakes. We have to look into whether it’s because of an external factor or some other problem.”

Murong Yeon-hwa shook her head.

“Just in case, I think we should consider the worst-case scenario.”

“Of course we should. If the Yeon Clan truly realized the existence of the spies, we should bury them before any noise is made.”

Murong Jun frowned.

“Hah! Do we already have to draw the sword?”

* * *

“…up to that, there are a total of seven locations.”

“I see.”

“It seems…”

Yi Baek-hyeon, who was hesitating, opened his mouth as if he had made up his mind.

“It seems our clan, like other families, needs to fortify the entire estate.”

Although their history of being counted among the Seven Great Clans was short, the history of the clan itself had exceeded one hundred and fifty years.

However, the current buildings of the Yeon Clan maintained the same appearance as their ancestors had used, except for a few damaged spots. It was because they thought there was no need to build new ones since there was nothing to take and nothing to be bothered about.

It was the same for Yeon Wi.

No, in the first place, he had no particular lingering affection for the buildings. He was just leaving them as they were because the previous Clan Leader, his father, had been stubborn about it.

However, since the situation had turned out like this, there was no choice.

“Call Old Man Pyeon.”

“Are you referring to the Divine Craftsman Pyeon Il-gang?”

“That’s right.”

Yi Baek-hyeon tilted his head.

“There’s no need to even speak of Master Pyeon’s skills, but… isn’t he a blacksmith, not someone specialized in civil engineering or mechanical traps and formations?”

Yeon Wi looked at Yi Baek-hyeon.

Yi Baek-hyeon was startled and lowered his head.

“I am sorry. I will bring him here immediately.”

“…Old Man Pyeon is.”

“Yes?”

“Old Man Pyeon has deep friendships with the great masters of mechanical traps and formations.”

“Ah!”

“Bring him.”

“Yes, yes! Understood.”

Yi Baek-hyeon left the Head’s office.

Yeon Wi’s back as he looked out the window with his hands behind his back looked lonely, unlike his usual self.

Yeon Ji-pyeong inwardly sighed. Even if he didn’t express it, he could tell that his father was frustrated.

Of course, he too was greatly shocked. Because Chief Steward Tae-gyeong was someone who had been good to him as well.

However, it wouldn’t be as hard as it was for his father. As a person and as the head of the clan, he must have received a great shock.

“Fat…”

“Then, I shall finish up and take my leave.”

Yeon Ji-pyeong was surprised and looked at Yeon Ho-jeong.

Yeon Wi turned his body.

“Are you going?”

“Yes.”

Yeon Ji-pyeong tilted his head.

“Going? Brother, where are you going?”

Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.

“An outing to the Central Plains.”

“Wh-at?!”

What was this sudden talk?

Yeon Wi asked.

“Have you not decided on a destination separately?”

“I’m going to consult with Father about that right now.”

“Hmm?”

Yeon Ho-jeong picked up the letter on the table.

“We’ve caught the spies, so we can breathe a sigh of relief, but what will that side think? They must be flustered.”

“Of course they would be.”

“If so, we have to see what follow-up measures they will take.”

Yeon Wi’s eyes flashed.

“All the shadows of the Murong Clan have been erased. It will be difficult for them to grasp the situation here, so they will probably try to look into it through the Heavenly Communication Group.”

It was an accurate insight.

Yeon Ho-jeong is a man who had experienced all sorts of carnage in a place where lies were rampant. However, Yeon Wi was predicting how the enemy would act even without such experience.

Innate wisdom and ability do not go anywhere. Yeon Ho-jeong felt his burden lightened significantly.

“That’s right. Even if they make this matter public, they are the ones who will suffer damage, so they have no choice but to approach it carefully.”

“The problem is after that. The moment they learn about the situation here, I have no idea what they will do.”

It could only be so.

Yeon Wi had almost no friendship with Murong Jun. Thus, he didn’t know well what kind of person he was.

One must know the opponent to deduce their methods. Not having built up friendships with others was Yeon Wi’s weakness.

“In other words, it can be seen that both sides do not know each other’s situation.”

“Right.”

“In the meantime, we can predict the enemy’s primary action.”

“That is also true.”

“If so, we have only one option.”

Yeon Wi and Yeon Ji-pyeong looked at Yeon Ho-jeong.

Yeon Ho-jeong showed a meaningful expression.

“After making the enemy’s eyes blurry, we just have to launch an air raid from an unexpected point.”

“…?!”

“Thinking about it that way, the place I should go has also been decided.”