Monochrome Sovereign (Novel) - Chapter 76 - Natural Enemy (1)
Chapter 76 – Natural Enemy (1)
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Translated by Heavenly Cat
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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“What? Is that true?”
“It is unbelievably true. They say the fight that began yesterday evening continued until this morning, and no one has been able to defeat Young Master Yeon so far.”
Ga Deuk-sang’s mouth hung open.
“No, does that make sense? The Myeong Clan Head isn’t a fool; there’s no way he would have sent fellows who were just moderately easy to handle, right?”
Flying Tiger Beggar swallowed hard.
“Just yesterday, they say he dispatched the three experts Myeong Hak, Myeong Hwi, and Myeong Heon.”
“Eh?! Who are they? I feel like I’ve heard the names…”
“I also found out while investigating this time. They are experts from the branch families of the Myeong Clan, and it’s said that if those three brothers cooperate, they can even suppress the highest elder-level experts of the Nine Great Sects and One Gang.”
“T-they are experts of that caliber?”
“At the very least, that’s the level. It’s an analysis from the Pavilion of Filthy Ears, so there’s no mistake.”
“Hooo…”
Ga Deuk-sang shook his head.
“This feels like I’m dreaming.”
He knew Yeon Ho-jeong’s martial arts.
Of course, there might be martial arts he hadn’t shown him. However, that was literally just the martial art; it was a different matter from skill.
Yeon Ho-jeong was a strong man. At the age of nineteen, an age before reaching twenty, he was a capable person who easily pushed around decent peak masters.
Talent of that caliber was surely at a level comparable to the Two Dragons and Three Phoenixes. No, in terms of pure talent, he might be even more than that.
But that was all. Although he was not lacking to be called a genius, he was just a great vessel that had not yet been completed. There would be an uncountable number of warriors stronger than Yeon Ho-jeong in the vast Central Plains.
And yet, he was supposedly facing them. The experts of the Myeong Clan.
‘Man, exactly how is this turning out?’
The role Yeon Ho-jeong had originally taken was that of bait.
Literally dragging out time. With that excessively brilliant way of speaking, the primary plan was to hold his ground while claiming the Myeong Clan’s lawlessness and his own innocence in front of numerous people.
The secondary plan was none other than himself. If the Myeong Clan tried to drag Yeon Ho-jeong away by force, then he, the Successor of the Beggars’ Gang, would step forward and express Yeon Ho-jeong’s innocence.
For that, hadn’t he been collecting information all night until now? It wasn’t information to defend Yeon Ho-jeong, but information collecting the illegal acts the Myeong Clan had committed.
Of course, that wouldn’t be enough to strike a blow to the Myeong Clan. However, it could at least buy time.
Until when? Until the Great Meeting was held.
And during that time when everyone’s attention was focused on the Myeong Clan, he intended to gather the sects in Henan that had connections with the Beggars’ Gang to pressure the Myeong Clan.
‘The core of this plan is not to push the Myeong Clan. It’s to buy time to dig into the source of the rumors after making the Myeong Clan hesitate.’
It seemed complicated but was not complicated at all. It was a picture that could be fully completed with Yeon Ho-jeong’s ability and the Beggars’ Gang’s intelligence power.
But Yeon Ho-jeong had ruined that.
“What a crazy human. I told him over and over never to fight.”
“Um… Successor.”
“What!”
“Should I tell you something even more serious?”
Ga Deuk-sang made a fed-up expression.
“There’s something more serious than this?!”
Flying Tiger Beggar spoke while hesitating.
“…He is doing it.”
“Speak properly! So I can hear everything!”
“Y-Young Master Yeon. They say he is showing his guts by telling them to bring the Clan Head.”
“What?”
“He is supposedly under pressure, telling them not to waste precious subordinates but to appear in person.”
“…!”
“I really don’t know what kind of reckless act this is. Even so, if he’s done this much, I think it would be better to step back… Furthermore, the experts sent by the Myeong Clan, he’s been hacking them down like firewood one by one…”
“That’s not it.”
“Pardon?”
Ga Deuk-sang’s eyes flashed.
“He’s doing well in the midst of it.”
“D-doing well? Is it doing well to tell the head of the number one family under heaven to come in person?”
“It’s doing well. Because he’s focusing the attention of the entire Henan.”
Although they hadn’t exchanged a single letter.
Ga Deuk-sang was able to immediately realize what Yeon Ho-jeong was intending.
‘He means to dig out the Myeong Clan’s corruption as much as possible before the Great Meeting takes place.’
The attention of the entire Henan is focused? The Nine States Myeong Clan is also included in that gaze.
The Nine States Myeong Clan, after obtaining the signboard of number one under heaven, was being tested by one person for the first time. Moreover, not by an elderly old master, but by a fresh youth who had not even reached twenty.
Their insides would be bursting with rage.
Since the attention of the entire Henan was focused, they couldn’t send assassins, and since it was obvious he would prove his innocence, they couldn’t just kill him.
No, in the first place, since he was the eldest son of one of the Seven Great Clans, killing him was difficult. Because a subordinate or a branch bloodline dying and a direct blood relative dying was a matter of a different level.
“Just in case, should we release the Hidden Death Squad now?”
“Are you crazy?! Then a justification for the Myeong Clan to kill Young Master Yeon will be created!”
“Ah…”
“The Hidden Death Squad must be released after the Great Meeting is held. What we have to do now is dig up the corruption committed by the Myeong Clan.”
Anyway, the decisive blow would be delivered by the Murong Clan. Until then, he just needed to reveal the Myeong Clan’s corruption one by one so that the Myeong Clan could not touch Yeon Ho-jeong.
“Ah, and there is one more thing I haven’t told you!”
“Report everything at once, please! What is it?!”
“Yi Cheol-gyeong has appeared.”
Ga Deuk-sang’s eyes widened.
“Yi Cheol-gyeong? That Yi Cheol-gyeong?”
“That’s right.”
Yi Cheol-gyeong was an expert who boasted the strongest reputation among the secular disciples of Shaolin.
Although he was a secular disciple, he was an expert born with a genius talent, so to speak, having been passed down several of the peak martial arts of the invincible Shaolin. His age was similar to Ga Deuk-sang’s, but his martial arts were already known to have reached the level of a Nine Sects elder.
It was the public’s thought that it would not be strange if the Two Dragons and Three Phoenixes changed to Three Dragons and Three Phoenixes because of him. In fact, in some regions, they included Yi Cheol-gyeong and called them the Three Dragons and Three Phoenixes.
Furthermore, having just passed thirty, he was already leading a sect called the Vajra Fist Sect.
The Vajra Fist Sect was a sect counted among the top ten secular sects of Shaolin. Its influence was powerful in Henan as well.
“Why him all of a sudden?”
“What do you mean ‘all of a sudden’? It’s an unprecedented event for the Myeong Clan and a rare occurrence even looking at the history of the Henan Murim. Naturally, he is likely to move.”
“That may be so… No, where is that man right now?”
“It’s said he was seen in a tavern not far from Young Master Yeon’s group.”
“Is thaaat so?”
Ga Deuk-sang grinned.
“This matter might flow more easily than expected.”
“Pardon?”
“You! Right now, convey it to all the beggars in Henan, Hubei, Jiangsu, Anhui, and Zhejiang! If there is a business or organization related to the Myeong Clan, tell them to raid it without fail!”
“A-understood! Then what about the Successor?”
“I’m going to that crazy guy!”
While Ga Deuk-sang was moving so quickly that several layers of dirt on the soles of his feet would be peeled off.
***
The atmosphere of the Green Mountain Yeon Clan in Jiangsu Province was literally nothing short of solemnity itself.
“…The circumstances have turned out like this.”
“…”
“What do you plan to do?”
Yeon Wi, looking out the window, was motionless.
Iron Staff Beggar inwardly sighed.
‘Is it natural?’
It is a moment when a child’s life and death are hanging in the balance, no matter how much a man of iron guts he is.
However, he could not move immediately. He was the Clan Head. Frankly speaking, if the Myeong Clan crazily poked into Jiangsu in this state of affairs, the Yeon Clan could be blown away into pieces.
Putting that aside, hadn’t he already sent the Goshawk Squad? For the Clan Head to move once more from there would be an act that lowers the status of the family.
And yet, he wouldn’t be able to just watch his eldest son’s crisis, so it must be maddening.
It was then that Yeon Wi spoke.
“Branch Leader.”
“Yes, Clan Head.”
“The Murong Clan Head has sent an urgent letter to the leaders of the Nine Great Sects and One Gang and the Seven Great Clans. He says he intends to convene the Great Meeting.”
Iron Staff Beggar’s eyes shone.
“It has arrived already.”
“It arrived this morning.”
“Do you plan to go?”
Yeon Wi slightly lifted his head. He was looking up at the sky outside the window.
“I don’t intend to go.”
“…”
“If I move now, Ho-jeong will be shaken. At a time like this, the best policy is to simply hold one’s ground.”
A look of regret arose on Iron Staff Beggar’s face.
He could tell that Yeon Wi’s voice was trembling slightly. In his heart, he likely wanted to run there immediately, regardless of the Great Meeting or anything else.
“I have one favor to ask of you.”
“Please speak.”
Yeon Wi turned around. He had the same nonchalant expression he always showed.
“Take this.”
The letter he held out was quite thick.
Taking the letter, Iron Staff Beggar looked at Yeon Wi with a puzzled gaze.
“What is this?”
“It is something I looked into separately through my trade merchants.”
“Trade merchants?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm… may I take a look?”
“Look.”
Iron Staff Beggar unfolded the letter.
Instantly, his eyes widened as if they were going to tear.
“In fact, I don’t care whether the Myeong Clan perishes or not. However, since they crossed the line and showed greed for our home, I think it would be enough if it finishes with just a warning.”
“Gulp.”
“However, my son dying is a completely different matter. Before being a Clan Head, as a father, I cannot help but take revenge for my son.”
“…!”
“Blood will form a river. Many unrelated people will also die. While I hope my son is safe, I also have no desire to kill innocent people.”
“…”
“So, send this as an urgent delivery to the Myeong Clan.”
“C-Clan Head. If we send this to the Myeong Clan, the Myeong Clan’s sword will instead be directed toward you.”
“That’s likely.”
“With just this much, we cannot collapse the Myeong Clan. However, if this fact becomes known, the Myeong Clan will have to lay down the name of number one under heaven.”
“That is why I’m telling you to send it.”
“R-rather, sending this to the Murong Clan Head and having it detonated sequentially at the Great Meeting would be…”
Momentarily, Yeon Wi’s eyes emitted a terrifying brilliance.
“Rather than the Myeong Clan disappearing from the world!”
“…?!”
“My son’s life is more important.”
“Clan Head.”
“Even though he’s my child, I’ve never been able to properly embrace him once. Such a fellow has grown up before I knew it and gone out into the world, fighting and handling matters alone that his father should be responsible for.”
“…”
“Send it to the Myeong Clan Head. By urgent delivery. It must not leak to anywhere else in the middle.”
“…Understood.”
“I’m sorry for shouting.”
“Not at all. Rather, I am sorry. Blinded by the thought of punishing a great evil, I failed to fathom the Clan Head’s heart. Please forgive me.”
He knew that Yeon Wi was not someone who said sorry easily. It must mean he was that anxious.
“I’ll leave it to you.”
“Do not worry. It will arrive within three days.”
Iron Staff Beggar hurriedly left the Clan Head’s room.
Yeon Wi cast his gaze out the window again.
“……It’s clear.”
The cloudless sky was damnably clear. It was so clear that he felt like tearing it all to pieces with the sword technique of the Heavenly Net.
“Endure just a little more. Just a little.”