Monochrome Sovereign (Novel) - Chapter 66 - There May Be Opponents, but There Is No Absolute (1)

Chapter 66 – There May Be Opponents, but There Is No Absolute (1)

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Murong Jun, who was reading two letters alternately, shook his head.

“He certainly has some boldness.”

“What is it?”

“Our little outing to Henan might end up being a waste of time.”

“Yes?”

Murong Jun showed the letters to Murong Yeon-hwa.

Murong Yeon-hwa’s eyes wavered.

“The Blue Wolf Ghosts?!”

Murong Jun smacked his lips.

“The Myeong Clan Head has truly made up his mind.”

“Even so, to send all of the Blue Wolf Ghosts? Surely there is no need to go this far?”

“There is.”

“Yes?”

“The Myeong Clan Head’s love for his children is quite terrible. His second son returned near death; is it any wonder he has lost his mind?”

“Well, that’s true.”

There was one reason why Murong Yeon-hwa hadn’t immediately thought of that reason.

It was because Murong Jun was not such a person. He was a man who would preserve his full strength even if his child died.

And she also thought her father’s thinking was reasonable. One could not burn the clan’s full strength just for the sake of one child.

“Does Yeon Ho-jeong know this as well?”

Murong Jun shook his head.

“Whether he knows or not is not important.”

“I know the Blue Wolf Ghosts are a fearsome group. But I don’t know their exact strength. Are they really that great?”

“They have never failed even once until now.”

“Isn’t it possible they only met opponents they could handle?”

“That’s not the case, and even if it were, that would be more of a problem. It means they swarmed in because they thought he was an opponent they could handle.”

“…!”

A look of interest appeared on Murong Jun’s face.

“In the midst of this, isn’t this fellow’s reaction also interesting?”

“I don’t know. To me, it looks like reckless bravado.”

“It could be seen as reckless bravado. But it doesn’t look like simple bravado.”

“Yes?”

“Even though he already knows I have come to Zhengzhou, he says he’ll do one more cleanup before coming. Even if one has confidence that they can handle their opponent, it is not easy to act this way.”

That was true.

There was no need to go the long way when there was an easy path. The difficult path was not always the right path.

“The more justifications there are, the better… Is he not a truly wise and yet violent fellow? Since he possesses contradictory attributes simultaneously, he is truly no ordinary fellow.”

Murong Yeon-hwa sighed.

“One thing is certain. He has a personality that makes people tired.”

“Hahaha!”

“Blue Wolf Ghosts… I heard they are a group almost like assassins.”

“They are ambiguous fellows.”

“Yes?”

“In terms of martial arts alone, none of them would be a match for you. There are first-rate ones among them, but no ultra-first-rate ones.”

Murong Yeon-hwa furrowed her brows.

“And yet, with only five, they caught the Mount Heng Sword Hero? A master who fought to a draw even with an elder of the Qingcheng Sect?”

“Do you think being strong in martial arts means one is adept at killing?”

“Yes?”

“One with outstanding martial arts can easily kill others. However, that does not mean they are an expert in killing.”

Murong Yeon-hwa nodded.

She also knew it in her head. However, she had never experienced it.

In the Jianghu, in the world, it was not strange no matter what happened. What was the reason why the saying that even a first-rate master’s head falls to a third-rate master’s blade circulated so often?

However, she had never met a true murderer until now. She didn’t know how efficiently they killed people, or how far they could go in their viciousness to kill a person.

That was why it didn’t feel real. Only five of them caught the Mount Heng Sword Hero? Does that make sense?

“To kill a target, the Blue Wolf Ghosts sometimes wipe out an entire area where the target is located.”

“…Yes?”

“If they are in a village, they will burn the village; if they are in a forest, they will burn the entire forest. If the target is someone full of righteousness, they won’t hesitate to tear a child to death or kidnap and rape a woman from an ordinary house right before their eyes.”

“…!”

“They start their work only after shaking the opponent’s psychology. Therefore, they make contact first and then devise a strategy. Poisoning liquor is a common occurrence, and they even kidnap the families of commoners to send them as suicide squads.”

A look of disgust appeared on Murong Yeon-hwa’s face.

“They are demons.”

“They are demon-like fellows. That is why they are strong. Because they are fellows who can do anything for their purpose.”

“And they’ve been safe even after doing such things until now?”

“Because the Myeong Clan looked after them.”

A look of interest appeared on Murong Jun’s face.

“Until the Myeong Clan looked after them, they thoroughly hid themselves. They are excellent at concealment and difficult to catch.”

Murong Yeon-hwa nodded.

Only now did she understand how they caught the Mount Heng Sword Hero with just five. With such a dirty method, the Mount Heng Sword Hero, who was regarded as a great hero in his own right, must have lost his mind.

Murong Jun looked out the window.

“A hellish strategy that even an elder-level master of the Nine Great Sects could not withstand. In other words, it is a battle of mental strength before a battle of skill.”

“…Will Yeon Ho-jeong be able to overcome it?”

“The probability of winning is low. Usually, martial artists tend to believe more in individual martial prowess than in strategy and tactics. However, if he should overcome it even by a one-in-ah-million chance…”

A momentary cool light flickered in Murong Jun’s face.

“Even I would have to be wary of him.”

* * *

Yeon Ho-jeong, who had drunk his fill of delicious food and liquor for the first time in a while, only woke up at noon the next day.

“Uda-da-da!”

The alcohol had already been completely flushed out. Perhaps that was why? His sense of psychological fulfillment was great, and his body felt completely relaxed.

This was why rest was important. Yeon Ho-jeong was able to blow away his accumulated fatigue with just one day of rest.

“Shall I start preparing?”

Sitting in a cross-legged position on the bed, he lightly finished his revolving cultivation. After the cultivation was over, he stopped by the latrine to do his business, then returned to his quarters and ate all the rice balls and steamed pork he had packed in a bamboo tube last night.

It was truly a refreshing start.

Fastening two water skins to his waist, he loosened his body.

“Let’s see, first of all…”

Having fully warmed up, he took out a dagger he had tucked into his robe. This too was an item he had asked the waiter to bring from a nearby blacksmith shop before returning to his quarters last night.

Of course, it wasn’t just one. In his robe, there were nineteen daggers besides the one in his hand.

“I paid a fairly high price, but the quality isn’t very good.”

Yeon Ho-jeong clicked his tongue.

Well, it wasn’t as if he was going to have a sword fight with daggers. This much would be enough to hold out.

Yeon Ho-jeong looked out the window.

The weather was clear. The day was so good that there was nothing more to ask for.

The thought of having to grapple with crazy murderers on such a fine day already made him feel gloomy.

Flash!

Beyond the window, a light sparkled from a tall pavilion.

Yeon Ho-jeong scratched his head and breathed Jade Gauze True Qi into the dagger.

Vrrrrm.

“I wonder if I can finish before sunset.”

He applied strength to his lower abdomen and swung his whole body.

Whirrrr! Thwack!

The flashing light disappeared.

At the same time, a scream echoed from afar.

“One guy down.”

Picking up his axe, Yeon Ho-jeong placed his foot on the windowsill.

He had left the money on the bed. Though it was a bit of a waste of the change, he couldn’t stop by the main hall of the tavern. If he did something wrong, an innocent person might die.

“Shall we start the cleanup?!”

Boing!

Yeon Ho-jeong soared high into the sky.

Climbing to the top of the building opposite in one breath, he looked around.

‘Quite impressive.’

Since he had killed one person, it was only right for the enemies’ eyes to be entirely focused on him.

Nevertheless, he didn’t particularly feel any murderous aura. He felt dozens of gazes, but among them, there was no gaze harboring murderous intent.

They were highly refined fellows. It was certain they had received professional training in killing.

‘It should be at least this much.’

Boing!

Kicking off from the roof, he passed over several buildings in an instant.

Although his attainment was lower than his footwork, his lightness art could also be said to be quite outstanding. Even if he couldn’t produce the tremendous speed of so-called masters of lightness arts, he was confident in his endurance.

It was because his method of efficiently operating internal energy was on a different level from other masters.

Boing! Boing!

Even though he was jumping between buildings, it didn’t look dangerous at all.

The sense of balance he had gained while swinging heavy weapons already far exceeded the level of a peak master. Added to that, his overall physical abilities had significantly increased upon obtaining the White Tiger Qi, and his internal energy had also achieved qualitative and quantitative improvement.

If he made up his mind to flee, no one would be able to easily give chase.

Yeon Ho-jeong, who had been running for a long time, momentarily felt a faint murderous aura.

Pow!

A dagger that flew like an arrow was accurately embedded between the eyebrows of a merchant.

It was an enemy disguised as a commoner. His senses had become so sensitive that he could respond immediately if even a tiny bit of murderous aura was revealed.

Yeon Ho-jeong increased his speed.

Pow! Thwack! Pow! Thwack!

He killed a total of six people while running ten li. The dead enemies likely died without even knowing why or how they died.

Yeon Ho-jeong, who had been running for a long time, his eyes sparkled.

‘This place will do.’

He saw an old Guan Di Temple in front of a low rocky mountain.

Yeon Ho-jeong, who was about to enter it, momentarily felt an ominous sensation. That ominousness was coming from the Guan Di Temple.

‘I don’t feel a human presence.’

He felt a murderous aura, but there was no human presence. In other words, it meant no one other than the enemy was hiding there.

Whirrrr!

A white wind whirled around the axe.

Soaring high into the sky, the moment Yeon Ho-jeong landed to the left of the Guan Di Temple, he unleashed the Sovereign Tiger’s Nine Thunderclaps.

Boom!

The massive force of the wind erupting from the giant weapon smashed the old walls and pillars of the Guan Di Temple as they were.

Splaaash!

A large amount of fresh blood splattered. Two enemies hiding inside had died instantly.

However, one survived.

Slash!

It was a surprising attack.

A short spear flew through the crumbling wall and the blood splattering like a silk curtain. Even in the midst of being ambushed, he had launched an exquisite attack that obscured the opponent’s vision.

Clang!

The flying short spear struck the axe and was deflected.

Swinging his body as if performing a whirlwind kick, Yeon Ho-jeong kicked a large brick that was falling.

Thud! Thwack!

The sound of a skull crushing was heard. A head had been blown away by the brick.

Yeon Ho-jeong increased his speed.

Boing! Boing!

He was someone who climbed to the top of the rocky mountain in an instant.

While climbing the rocky mountain, Yeon Ho-jeong thrust his fists toward the rock face here and there.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

His fist-power, laden with plenty of Jade Gauze True Qi, struck the rock face as many as twelve times. He didn’t strike just one spot, but struck several places while climbing in a zigzag pattern.

Although he struck with so much internal energy, there were no marks on the rock face. Because they had their backs turned, the enemies could not see that scene.

Zip!

Climbing onto the rock face with agile movements, Yeon Ho-jeong turned his body.

In his eyes, about thirty warriors were visible.

To a man, they were dressed in dark blue martial robes. Men and women were evenly mixed, and even their ages varied widely.

And in their midst was the woman he had seen yesterday, Nang-po.

Nang-po’s eyes were sternly hardened.

“You, what is your identity?”

Yeon Ho-jeong smirked.

“Did you try to kill me without even knowing who I am?”

“I heard you are the Eldest Son of the Green Mountain Yeon Clan?”

“That’s right.”

“Nonsense.”

A ferocious murderous aura dwelled in Nang-po’s eyes.

“A softie of the Orthodox path, and a greenhorn with no Jianghu experience at that, handles us so skillfully? That’s such bullshit it won’t even take root.”

“You should take that up with the Myeong Clan who sent you.”

“…!”

Yeon Ho-jeong, who was looking down at them with a smile, sighed.

“The Mount Heng Sword Hero, that gentleman was also quite a gentle soul, wasn’t he? To have passed away at the hands of such incompetent fellows, life walking on the edge of a blade is truly futile.”

Nang-po, who was staring up at Yeon Ho-jeong, shouted.

“Poisonous Rakshasa!”

Pop-pop-pop-pop!

All of the Blue Wolf Ghosts set off poison bombs.

The speed at which the deep blue poison smoke spread was remarkably fast. It was certainly faster than Yeon Ho-jeong’s lightness art.

Yeon Ho-jeong looked down at the poison smoke rising at a rapid speed. Inside that poison smoke, they would be preparing a secondary attack.

While watching where he moved.

Yeon Ho-jeong smiled and picked up his axe. He did not move as the Blue Wolf Ghosts wanted.

To be precise, there was no need to.

“Compared to the assassination squad of Dark Emperor Castle, you guys are only at the level of having just taken your first steps.”

He struck down powerfully with his axe. All the forms of the Sovereign Tiger’s Nine Thunderclaps were poured out in succession.

Boom! Kaboom! Crash! Rumble!

The rock face, whose interior had been broken in various places by the Internal Heavy Striking Method, collapsed entirely.