Monochrome Sovereign (Novel) - Chapter 62 - The Eldest Son of Green Mountain (2)
Chapter 62 – The Eldest Son of Green Mountain (2)
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Translated by Heavenly Cat
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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Myeong Chi-san was considerably surprised.
‘Hoh.’
The wind brushing through the bamboo forest shook Yeon Ho-jeong’s collar.
It felt as if he might scatter in that wind. An empty yet profound energy filled his entire body.
‘He is a remarkable talent.’
He had heard that the youth had not even reached the age of twenty.
However, the atmosphere was very strange. Even with ten masters standing before him, he did not seem agitated at all.
Furthermore, what was that posture?
‘It is free.’
Even though he was just standing still, it felt as if he could dash out in any direction.
It did not seem like his level of lightness art was exceptional, yet it was so. He was a young man who possessed such a mysterious temperament.
Myeong Chi-san admired him honestly.
“The Yeon Clan has finally caused an accident. To think they raised such a talent?”
Yeon Ho-jeong asked calmly.
“Did you come from the Myeong Clan?”
His voice was lower and softer than expected. He had heard that his personality was rough, but judging only by his voice, no such sign was visible.
“That is correct.”
“You are later than I thought.”
“Later… does that mean you knew we would come?”
“It would be difficult not to know. Is there any place in the land of Henan that the Myeong Clan’s eyes do not reach?”
“What? Haha!”
Myeong Chi-san burst into laughter despite himself.
He was a bold fellow. He was an arrogant fellow.
Yet, he did not dislike that confidence. Within the Myeong Clan, there were no martial artists who stood out like this.
Myeong Chi-san said with a smile.
“Your guts to be so calm even in front of the warriors dispatched by the Myeong Clan are surprising. I like you.”
“I don’t like men.”
“Your eloquence is good as well. Since I am someone who has only done sword work my whole life, I envy such fluency as yours.”
Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes sparkled.
‘He is strong.’
He was a peak master.
But he was no ordinary peak master. Let alone the Lightning Hero Chu Seong, he could not even be compared to Myeong On-ji, who was said to be the leader of the Hidden Death Squad.
He had only done sword work his whole life? That statement was believable.
Even after hearing such words from a junior, he did not get angry at all. That composure was the composure of the strong.
‘If I am not careful, this could be dangerous.’
That was why it was good.
To meet such a man as his first opponent, he was truly lucky.
“I shall introduce myself. I am Myeong Chi-san, belonging to the Pure White Martial Soldiers of the Myeong Clan.”
Pure White Martial Soldiers.
It referred to a group of martial artists in the Nine States Myeong Clan who held no official positions and only practiced martial arts.
They did not belong to a combat unit, nor were they mobilized for household affairs. Instead of never holding any position throughout their lives, they were the ones deployed to a given mission when an order was issued.
So to speak, they were troubleshooters. However, they were no ordinary troubleshooters.
The Pure White Martial Soldiers was a group that included many from the collateral branches of the countless Myeong bloodlines.
“And these people came from the Home-Protector Hall.”
Yeon Ho-jeong shook his head.
“I don’t know what kind of organization that is.”
“Hoho, it is fine if you do not know. There is no need for you to know.”
There was no need to know, but they were worth being wary of.
Myeong Chi-san was strong. However, the nine warriors he had brought were also sufficiently strong. Their actual combat ability was unknown, but each of them possessed martial arts that were two or three levels higher than those of the Hidden Death Squad members.
Yeon Ho-jeong tilted his head.
“So, what brings you here?”
“Did you not say it yourself? That you knew we would come. There must be a reason why you thought so?”
“The Hidden Death Squad?”
In an instant, Myeong Chi-san’s eyes grew sharp.
“Hidden Death Squad… did Myeong On-ji, that child, reveal even the unit name so easily?”
“She spilled it before I even asked.”
“That cannot be. That child is not someone who was trained half-heartedly.”
“When I kept hacking at her with an axe, she spilled everything as if she didn’t want to die.”
Myeong Chi-san’s face hardened.
He read the truth in Yeon Ho-jeong’s words. Yeon Ho-jeong was not lying right now.
‘Could it be?’
And the words that he hacked with an axe also bothered him.
Myeong Chi-san’s voice sank slightly.
“I will ask you point-blank. Where is the Hidden Death Squad?”
“Those who came to kill me, would I have sent them back alive?”
They came to kill?
“Nonsense. They never had any intention of killing you.”
“Why are you so certain when you weren’t even there?”
“It is better to stop the wordplay there. I will ask again. Where is the Hidden Death Squad?”
“All you Myeong people have poor comprehension. Just like that wench.”
Yeon Ho-jeong grinned.
Thump, thump.
The mysterious atmosphere vanished, and a faint pale blue airflow radiated a murderous fighting spirit.
“It was a life-and-death battle where we killed each other. There was no reason to go easy.”
“…Are you saying you killed them all?”
“Then would I be the one to die?”
“You fellow! Speak properly! I asked if you truly killed the Hidden Death Squad!”
Tung!
Lifting the axe that was resting at his feet, Yeon Ho-jeong’s gaze turned cold.
“I killed them.”
Hwah!
A terrible killing intent erupted from Myeong Chi-san’s body.
Not only him, but a vicious killing intent also rose from the bodies of the warriors belonging to the Home-Protector Hall.
It was a sincere killing intent. They seemed ready to tear Yeon Ho-jeong to death right away.
Myeong Chi-san said in a low voice.
“I received an order to bring you, but there were no specific words about your condition.”
“…”
“You should expect to lose a limb.”
Ch-ch-ch.
The tightly woven fighting spirit gradually turned into killing intent.
Yeon Ho-jeong gave a colorless and transparent smile.
“Will such soft determination be enough?”
Myeong Chi-san shouted.
“Capture and make him kneel!”
At that moment, the warrior standing at the end took out a horn bow like lightning.
Shh! Ting!
The sequence of nocking an arrow and pulling the string was as fast as a flash of lightning. In a flash, the arrow was already being fired.
The place the arrow aimed for was Yeon Ho-jeong’s thigh. The intention was to block his movement from the start.
Tung!
The archer’s eyes shook.
“You use good arrows. You have a lot of money too.”
The arrow was caught in Yeon Ho-jeong’s hand. He snatched it naturally as if he had known it was aiming for his thigh.
Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes turned cold.
“Thanks to you, I couldn’t even eat my meal, you damn bastard.”
Kung!
Stepping strongly on the ground, he threw the arrow.
Ping! Puck!
“Urgh!”
The archer staggered while clutching his shoulder. The arrow was lodged in his left shoulder.
It was faster than firing with a bow. It was as if he had mastered hidden weapon techniques.
Myeong Chi-san’s eyes became piercing.
‘He is fast!’
A master who practiced archery had fast lightness art. It was natural since they had to fire arrows while maintaining distance.
Such an archer was hit by an arrow without even being able to react properly. If he hadn’t instinctively tilted his upper body, it would have been lodged in his chest.
“Do your best!”
Tadadak!
Eight masters dashed toward Yeon Ho-jeong.
It was a footwork that was faster and more aggressive than that of the Hidden Death Squad. They narrowed the distance in an instant and brandished their respective weapons, forming a perfect joint attack without any gaps.
Yeon Ho-jeong swung his axe.
Jjejejejeong!
Seven weapons were bounced off. However, one saber managed to cut through the wind pressure and left a wound on Yeon Ho-jeong’s shoulder.
Yeon Ho-jeong’s body whirled like a whirlwind.
Ppah-gak!
The saber wielder flew away and crashed into the ground. He was hit by the Yeon Clan’s High-Air Kick.
“Cough!”
The saber wielder, who was trying to get up again, vomited a handful of blood and collapsed on the spot.
Amazement appeared on Myeong Chi-san’s face.
‘In one blow?!’
The warriors of the Home-Protector Hall basically trained their external cultivation as much as their internal cultivation. This was because they had to block the enemy’s sword even by throwing their bodies in dangerous moments.
That warrior with such a sturdy body collapsed from a single kick technique.
‘Infiltration Force!’
Paaak!
Yeon Ho-jeong rushed in.
As if waiting, the remaining seven warriors also brandished their weapons and pressured him.
‘It is different.’
They were certainly on a different level from the Hidden Death Squad members. If those were hyenas, these were wolves. Each of them clearly handled their assigned direction and routine.
Even if only one blow landed, they could lower his combat power. It was a formation designed with such intention.
Since it had come to this, he had no choice but to use his full strength from the beginning.
Boom!
It was a stomp stronger than when he threw the arrow.
Yeon Ho-jeong swung his axe like a windmill.
Jjejejejeong! Boom!
It was an overwhelming dignity.
The weapons hit by the axe blade all had their edges chipped or broken.
No matter how well-made a weapon was, the difference in weight could not be helped. Furthermore, it was an axe whose hardness was increased by Yeon Ho-jeong’s internal energy.
Paaak! Peooock!
A warrior hit by a fist vomited blood and collapsed.
Ting! Kwang!
He swung the side of the axe, striking the chest along with the weapon. The warrior, who was sent flying, collapsed after breaking about ten bamboo trees.
Kang! Kagagagang!
Among them, there was one who used remarkable sword strikes. He blocked the attack of the sword, which came with fast and light movements, with the shaft.
With the continuous sword strikes not stopping, Yeon Ho-jeong, who was blocking the attacks with the shaft, executed a kick technique toward the upper body.
Ppah-gak!
The swordsman hit on the temple crumbled on the spot.
Myeong Chi-san’s eyes shook.
‘He is strong!’
Yeon Ho-jeong was a powerhouse.
His martial arts were his martial arts, but his combat ability itself was strong.
‘The flow…? No, that’s not it.’
Peooock!
Another warrior collapsed again. They didn’t even clash; he was struck by the end of the shaft that bounced off while he was approaching and fell.
‘That guy is reading the weaknesses.’
He was piercing through the weaknesses of the formation at a glance. He knew exactly where it was vulnerable, who to attack, and even what move to take next.
Myeong Chi-san burst into admiration despite himself.
‘It is a natural talent. Instead of clashing and breaking, he thoroughly attacks the weaknesses to strike them down?’
No matter how he looked at it, he did not have a martial frame. His skeletal structure itself was not suitable for learning martial arts.
Yet, he fought better than anyone else.
He had met countless martial artists so far, but he had never seen anyone who fought as efficiently as him. While attacking weaknesses without hesitation, when engaging in a head-on confrontation, he would rush in like a ferocious beast and strike them down.
He was not a martial artist. Nor was he a competitor.
He was a warrior. He was a fellow who only fought battles he would win, and who knew how to win.
Myeong Chi-san kicked off the ground.
Tu-wu-ung!
Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes sparkled.
He tripped the remaining warrior, causing him to fall, and then struck upward with the side of the axe.
Peooock!
The jaw, teeth, and ribs were broken into pieces as he flew away. It was exactly in the direction Myeong Chi-san was approaching.
Huu-ung.
Myeong Chi-san’s hand grabbed the warrior’s collar and turned him behind.
And before him, Yeon Ho-jeong had already arrived.
“I have been waiting.”
“You bastard!”
A heavy broadsword was drawn from Myeong Chi-san’s waist belt.
Jjeeeeeeeong!
The resonance of metal clashing against metal swept through the entire bamboo forest.
It was a full-strength battle from the start. Yeon Ho-jeong retreated three or four steps at Myeong Chi-san’s explosive saber strike.
A murderous light flashed in Myeong Chi-san’s eyes.
He was impressed by his opponent, but admiration was just admiration. He was the one who killed the Hidden Death Squad, and furthermore, his niece Myeong On-ji.
He could not forgive him.
Tak!
The footwork narrowing the distance was enough to make one stick out their tongue.
His whole body was full of elasticity. It was a movement on a different level from the warriors of the Home-Protector Hall.
Yeon Ho-jeong swung his axe.
Jjejejeong! Jjeong!
It was a magnificent martial art.
He parried each strike of the eighty-catty axe, and not a single notch appeared on his blade. The blade, protected by powerful internal energy, became a weapon more formidable than Yeon Ho-jeong’s axe.
The two people’s weapons clashed brilliantly.
Jjejejejejejeong!
They clashed at an incredible speed. It was a head-on battle that was exceptionally refreshing.
Seog-ok!
Blood splattered from Yeon Ho-jeong’s chest.
After bouncing off that heavy weapon, he rotated his sword for a short moment and finally managed to cut him. The wound was shallow, but it was a blow that cleared his mind.
Puh-pung!
The fist of the Yeon Clan’s Thirteen Fists striking upward from below was blocked by the knee.
His defense was as excellent as his rough attacks. It was a martial art of offense and defense as one. He was a martial artist who was not easy to attack.
‘Yes.’
Puck!
Blood splattered from Yeon Ho-jeong’s mouth as he failed to avoid a kick technique.
Even while vomiting blood, Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes followed Myeong Chi-san to the end.
‘If it is this fellow.’
Bu-wu-ung! Ppah-gak!
Myeong Chi-san also faltered. His upper body creaked at Yeon Ho-jeong’s elastic kick technique.
In an instant, his concentration reached its peak. In front of an opponent who could take him down if he made a single mistake, Yeon Ho-jeong’s will became as sharp as a blade.
‘If it is this fellow, it is possible.’
Uuuuuuuuuung!
Within the faint pale blue true qi, the dark energy of the north wavered.
It was Black Tortoise Qi. However, it was not the energy he pulled up to unfold the North Heaven Twelve Walls.
A martial art already prepared. A true qi already prepared.
That energy was slowly revealing its appearance under the guidance of the Black Tortoise Qi.
‘If it is this fellow, I can call it out.’
Myeong Chi-san’s blade was brandished ruthlessly.
Bu-wu-ung! Swaaaaek!
A terrifying saber wind was fired. It was a saber wind that flew across the distance. If he couldn’t block it, his right arm would be blown away along with the axe.
Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes momentarily turned white.
‘Wind.’
At that moment, the world slowed down.
The swaying bamboo leaves slowed down as if they were waves. Myeong Chi-san’s movements looked stifling as if he had fallen into mud.
And in the midst of it, the wind of the blade, which should not be visible, appeared as a pure white light.
Yeon Ho-jeong’s thigh muscles swelled up.
Kwaaang!
The stomp striking the earth resembled the roar of a tiger. The muscles of both arms holding the axe swelled up like an angry bull.
‘Come out!’
Hwaaaaak!
The white wind flocked to his lungs.
The cold and cool white energy instantly spread to the nerves of his entire body like a flash of light.
Yeon Ho-jeong’s mouth opened naturally.
Keo-heong!!
With the roar of the King of the Mountain, his axe began to show a mysterious movement.