Monochrome Sovereign (Novel) - Chapter 68 - There May Be Opponents, but There Is No Absolute (3)

Chapter 68 – There May Be Opponents, but There Is No Absolute (3)

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Murong Jun looked at Yeon Ho-jeong with cold eyes.

Yeon Ho-jeong did not avoid his gaze.

While they stared at each other for a long while, the food and alcohol finally arrived.

“Place them on the table.”

“Yes.”

The waiter, trembling in fear, placed the food. Since a young man covered in blood was sitting there, it was understandable that he was afraid.

Once the waiter left, Murong Jun picked up the liquor bottle.

“Have a drink.”

Murong Jun filled Yeon Ho-jeong’s cup and then filled his own.

“Let’s drink.”

The two men drained their cups refreshingly.

The alcohol was more bitter than expected. Murong Jun, whose face distorted for a moment, soon spoke with an expressionless face.

“It was too fast.”

“What do you mean?”

“Haha, I think our conversation was excessively fast. Don’t you agree?”

Murong Jun smiled and relaxed his posture.

“Let’s put aside the conversation we just had for a moment. Right, you said your name was Yeon Ho-jeong?”

“…”

“I am still the head of a family. I am also a swordsman who has made quite a name for himself in the Jianghu, and a figure who represents one wing of the Seven Great Clans.”

“I am aware.”

“You told such a person to come to Henan.”

Yeon Ho-jeong shook his head.

“You are wrong. I said that if you intended to join hands with me, you should come to Henan at that time.”

“Whatever the reason, you called me.”

“Is there a problem?”

“There is no problem. It could simply end as a meeting where the head of a family and his daughter, out for an excursion, happened to encounter the eldest son of another family from the Seven Great Clans.”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes flashed.

Murong Jun asked with a smile.

“Whether we eliminate the Blue Wolf Ghosts or call upon Shaolin, I think it wouldn’t be too late to proceed after clearly defining our relationship first.”

He was experienced.

Yeon Ho-jeong had pulled the atmosphere toward himself with his unconventional appearance and speech.

However, Murong Jun was not easy to deal with either. He interrupted the talk at an exquisite moment and suggested making everything clear one by one. He had appropriately cut off the conversation in a situation where he could have lost the lead to his opponent.

It was a seasoned way of speaking. It was an attitude closer to that of a merchant than a warrior… seeking profit while avoiding loss.

Yeon Ho-jeong smirked.

“Please pour me another glass.”

“Hmm? Haha, that is not difficult.”

Murong Jun filled his cup.

Yeon Ho-jeong, who drained the cup again, let out a dry cough.

Murong Jun clicked his tongue.

“Are you alright?”

“My stomach is stinging.”

“To drink strong liquor with a body suffering from internal injuries… do not overwork your body just because you are young.”

Yeon Ho-jeong shook his head.

“So, are you saying that you still have no intention of joining hands with me, Clan Head?”

“This fellow. I must weigh who will take the stakes of this gamble, who will raise the stakes in the next round, and whose hand will be used to decide the match in the final round. Is there such a thing as a transaction that is concluded without even clicking the abacus?”

“I thought there was no abacus to click between us.”

“In any unfair transaction in the world, one must take at least three percent of the stakes. That is what a transaction is.”

Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.

‘He is still the same.’

The head of a powerful, established family. A seasoned peak master.

Murong Jun was exactly as he had been in the past. The more urgently the opponent acted, the more leisure he embraced. He never showed an opening at any moment and adjusted the field to his advantage by using the opponent’s psychology.

The Sword God Murong Jun he had seen during his time as the Dark Emperor and the Clan Head Murong Jun he saw now as Yeon Ho-jeong were the same.

The only difference was that he knew Murong Jun, but Murong Jun did not know him.

‘What is this?’

Murong Jun was inwardly puzzled.

The young man smiling at him. There was no trace of flusteredness on the youth’s face.

‘Is he confident?’

Putting that aside, he had never seen anyone so relaxed while facing the head of the Great Murong Clan.

If nothing else, his guts alone could be debated as the best under heaven. This kind of fellow was bound to cause an incident before leaving, no matter what he did.

Murong Jun could finally be certain.

‘There is no secret hand helping this fellow. It was definitely this guy who wrote that letter.’

Murong Jun could not help but be impressed.

‘Clan Head Yeon. You have certainly raised your child well.’

Yeon Ho-jeong spoke.

“To get straight to the conclusion, I have no intention of going together with your side forever.”

“Mm?”

“I can applaud your goal-oriented life as you run toward your dreams, but it seems others might not feel the same way.”

Murong Jun’s smile deepened.

On the other hand, his eyes sank coldly.

“Why did you think so?”

“About what?”

“The Number One Clan under Heaven, and the Murim Alliance Leader. Those are not words that come out easily. I believe there is a reason why you dared to write those dangerous and seductive words in the letter.”

“Then, am I wrong?”

“That is not an answer to the question.”

“There must be something to give as an answer for me to give it. I know you are an ambitious man who dreams of becoming the Number One Clan under Heaven and wants to grasp the position of the Murim Alliance Leader. What else is there for me to say?”

“…”

“I did not place meaning on every single character of the letter. Please rest easy.”

Murong Jun’s eyes flashed.

He instinctively realized it. That Yeon Ho-jeong was certain.

Even if he scoffed or denied it, the boy would not believe him. Why? Because he knew it was the truth.

So, Murong Jun readily admitted it.

“How did you know?”

“About your ambition, Clan Head?”

“That’s right. How did you know that I want to make my clan the Number One Clan under Heaven and that I ultimately have the ambition to become the Murim Alliance Leader?”

Yeon Ho-jeong shook his head.

“It is something anyone who is the head of one of the Seven Great Clans could dream of.”

“Since this is a round where all the cards each of us holds have been revealed, let’s just share the stakes. I will ask again. How did you know?”

“Then it seems I have won this round.”

“…”

“If you are curious, you should find out for yourself.”

Murong Jun, who had been staring at Yeon Ho-jeong blankly, grinned.

“There are no openings. I am impressed.”

“It is nothing much.”

Murong Jun filled Yeon Ho-jeong’s cup.

This time, Yeon Ho-jeong also filled his cup.

“If you think about it, it’s quite strange, isn’t it?”

Murong Jun, who drained his cup refreshingly, continued.

“After receiving your letter, I was quite shocked. No, it couldn’t be otherwise. It was as if you had looked into my head; you touched upon my thoughts, dreams, and even my magnanimous spirit.”

“It is an honor.”

“I’ll ask one thing.”

Murong Jun leaned his upper body forward.

“If I were to decide not to make the deal, what would you do?”

Yeon Ho-jeong tilted his head.

“Would there be a way? I would have to run wild alone.”

“Run wild alone… against the Myeong Clan?”

“At the same time, I would also have to deal with the Murong Clan.”

Murong Jun asked with a smile.

“How?”

“They say a family dreaming of being the Number One Clan under Heaven has spread spies throughout other families. In the case of the Yeon Clan, they were planning not only to swallow the businesses but also to destroy the family along with the Myeong Clan, weren’t they?”

“…”

“I would end my life in a somewhat lonely battle, but what about you, Clan Head? With that single rumor, you would have to give up one of your dreams.”

Murong Jun’s smile deepened.

“Shall we put your life and my family’s honor on the scales?”

“You should put more on it.”

“What?”

“Behind me are the Yeon Clan and the Beggars’ Gang. No matter how great the honor of the Murong Clan is, do you think it is more valuable than my life, which is supported by one of the Nine Schools and One Gang and one of the Seven Great Clans?”

“…If it were just you, it might be different, but it would certainly be burdensome to deal with the Mad Wind Lion supported by two groups.”

“It seems I have won this round as well.”

“Hahaha!”

Murong Jun burst into a loud laugh.

Murong Yeon-hwa was startled. She had never seen her father burst into such a loud laugh.

Murong Jun was honestly impressed.

“You are truly incredible.”

“You overpraise me.”

“It is by no means overpraise. I heard you haven’t even reached twenty yet; how could you have cultivated such experience and insight at such a young age?”

“If you live while being pushed around here and there, you naturally become like this.”

“Hahaha.”

Murong Jun was truly enjoying himself.

He was a man who would use any means and methods for his dreams. He was the kind of person who would turn a sect that had nothing to do with him into a pile of ashes overnight if necessary.

A cold-blooded personality. However, a person’s character was never simple.

Unexpectedly, Murong Jun liked Yeon Ho-jeong. He liked the young man who had boldly handed him a defeat with that extraordinary boldness, brain, and sharp insight.

He was a charming rising star. Usually, if someone acted so stiffly, one would feel they were arrogant, but he didn’t feel that way at all.

As if he were another comrade-in-arms.

It was as if he were seeing a friend who had made it through a chaotic world and possessed similar insight and ideology.

Murong Jun filled Yeon Ho-jeong’s cup and his own with a smile.

Holding the cup, he spoke refreshingly.

“Let’s blow away the Myeong Clan.”

Yeon Ho-jeong also held up his cup with a matching smile.

“Sounds good.”

Clink!

The two of them bumped their cups for the first time.

Murong Jun, who drained his liquor in one go, said.

“Since we have joined hands, let’s not drag the talk out.”

“That is what I desire.”

“Do you really intend to pull in Shaolin?”

“It is a sect located in the same Henan. Moreover, with Shaolin’s prestige, the Myeong Clan will not dare to raise their heads.”

“That may be so. But if it were me, I would add one more thing there.”

“What do you plan to do?”

Murong Jun spoke calmly.

“I will secretly convene a temporary Murim Alliance.”

A glint flashed in Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes.

“A temporary Murim Alliance?”

“That’s right. Although Shaolin’s power and prestige are discussed as the best under heaven, they are not enough. Shaolin is like an immortal above the clouds. That is why they are strong, but at the same time, they can become infinitely weak.”

Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.

“I think I have a rough idea of the decisive move the Murong Clan possesses.”

Murong Jun smiled back. His smile was sincere.

“This is why it’s comfortable to talk with a smart person.”

“Did you also plant spies in the Myeong Clan?”

“Didn’t you already know all about it? Seeing what you said earlier, I thought you had already guessed it.”

“I guessed it, but I didn’t have certainty.”

“Hah! I’ve been hit again.”

“My stomach feels full even without eating any side dishes.”

“Hahaha!”

The expression of Murong Yeon-hwa, who was watching the two of them, became strange.

She felt that her father was truly enjoying himself. He had recognized the opponent as someone who fully matched his own status.

‘Is he at that level?’

In fact, Murong Yeon-hwa was not able to properly keep up with the fast-paced conversation between the two. She could understand it if she thought deeply, but the progress was too fast in that short moment.

It was like a conversation between seasoned politicians who looked two or three steps ahead.

And she had not yet reached the same realm as them.

A small wound appeared on Murong Yeon-hwa’s pride.

“Then when do you plan to start moving?”

“There is no need to drag it out. You have defeated the Myeong Clan’s Hidden Death Squad, Pure White Martial Soldiers, Home-Protector Hall, and even the Blue Wolf Ghosts. That is enough to gather sufficient justification.”

“It will take quite a while to convene a temporary Murim Alliance.”

“It will be faster than you think. The head of one of the Seven Great Clans has various powers.”

“That is a relief then.”

“However, it will still take a full month. In the meantime, how do you plan to endure before the Myeong Clan’s demonic clutches?”

It was then.

Yeon Ho-jeong turned his head toward the window.

“Leave it and go.”

Sli-ide.

A beggar appeared outside the window, bowed his head, placed a letter down, and disappeared.

Yeon Ho-jeong opened the letter.

His eyes flashed.

“…I am also quite exhausted. If it’s a one-on-one battle, that’s one thing, but if they come swarming in, it will become difficult.”

“Then?”

Yeon Ho-jeong showed the letter to Murong Jun.

Murong Jun’s eyes widened.

“The Myeong Clan is in Jiangsu?”

“I didn’t know either. I didn’t know my father was investigating this part.”

“Haha, they say that to plot for the world, one must be born with the fortune of the times. I don’t have that much grandiosity, but at least it’s not lacking for striking the Myeong Clan.”

Yeon Ho-jeong stood up from his seat.

“I will be going to rest now.”

Murong Jun also stood up.

“You’ve worked hard. Go and get some good rest.”

“Yes.”

“And do not die. If you die, this meeting today will become meaningless.”

“Do not worry about that. Even if my entire body is plastered with the Tang Clan’s Cow-Hair Needles, I can stubbornly survive.”

“Haha! How nonsensical, why must it be Cow-Hair Needles? Hahaha!”

Yeon Ho-jeong picked up the axe he had placed by the entrance.

“I will be going.”

“Farewell.”

Yeon Ho-jeong turned and opened the door.

From behind, Murong Jun’s laughter could be heard.

His face, which had been full of smiles, turned indifferent.

‘Laugh as much as you want. Next is you.’