Monochrome Sovereign (Novel) - Chapter 8 - What Takes Precedence Over Family Law (2)
Chapter 8 – What Takes Precedence Over Family Law (2)
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Translated by Heavenly Cat
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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Namgung Dae-san’s face turned as red as a well-ripened persimmon.
“An ill-mannered girl? Watch your words!”
“It is you who should watch your words.”
Yeon Wi did not get excited like Namgung Dae-san, nor did he let his aura flare up.
He was calm and composed. His characteristic blunt expression remained unchanged.
“Have you properly verified the cause and effect of the incident?”
“Cause and effect? Is this the time to argue over such things?! What on earth did you hear! No matter how the quarrel started, how could he break the limbs of a young lady not even of age? How has the Clan Head raised his son!”
Though his rudeness was excessive, Namgung Dae-san’s resentment was not incomprehensible.
Even if she was not his own child, his cherished niece had become a cripple. Anyone would be furious.
In his heart, Yeon Wi understood Namgung Dae-san.
However, he could not tolerate his words, actions, or Namgung Sang-hwa.
“I find it regrettable that my son’s self-restraint ended at just that level.”
“What!”
“If it were me, I would never have forgiven an opponent who not only mocked the clan but even tried to kill my son.”
Yeon Wi’s voice grew slightly colder.
“My son’s mercy saved the daughter of your esteemed clan. You should be grateful.”
“You… you wicked man!”
Extremely enraged, Namgung Dae-san trembled.
However, he could not let his anger explode any further.
The words he had brushed off when he first heard them were being repeated by the Yeon Clan Head once again. Those repeated words cooled Namgung Dae-san’s head slightly.
‘She mocked the clan and tried to kill his son? What does this mean?’
As if piercing through his thoughts, Yeon Wi spoke.
“I heard that the child named Sang-hwa from your esteemed clan was drunk and said that the Namgung has never once considered this clan as an equal among the Seven Great Clans.”
Namgung Dae-san gnashed his teeth.
“And you consider that mocking your clan? Just for such a reason…!”
“I do not believe the words of a child who has not even refined her character represent the will of the Namgung. Moreover, since she was drunk, it would suffice to dismiss it as the nonsense of a drunkard.”
Even while thinking it was true, Namgung Dae-san felt his anger rising further. The Yeon Clan Head was saying his cherished niece had not refined her character and was a drunkard.
How could he not be angry?
“However, the story changes if she revealed her killing intent and demanded the children of the Yeon family kneel.”
“Wha-what?”
“That act of not only saying she would kill them but also intending to humiliate them… I do not know how the Namgung Clan Head taught his child.”
Namgung Dae-san’s eyes wavered.
No matter how short its history, the Green Mountain Yeon Clan was one of the pillars of the Seven Great Clans.
Being counted among the Seven Great Clans with a history of only fifty years in the Central Plains meant that the Yeon family’s power was not lacking in the slightest compared to other families.
No, one could even see its potential as being greater. A clan without power would never be mentioned alongside the most prestigious names in Murim.
Namgung Sang-hwa had not only tried to kill the sons of such a clan but also tried to humiliate them.
“I cannot believe it!”
Namgung Dae-san’s face turned red again.
“Is there even any proof? If you intend to insult the Namgung by listening only to the words of your son…!”
“This is a matter between children of the Seven Great Clans. Do you think I would have investigated it carelessly?”
“Eek! Then call the parties involved! I will directly hear the words of the Clan Head’s son…!”
“Listen here, Hall Master Namgung.”
Yeon Wi’s eyes deepened further.
“Do I look like I am joking right now?”
“…”
“My children were insulted, and even threatened. In my heart, I feel like cutting off your niece’s head.”
“I’m saying!”
“At a time when my anger wouldn’t be appeased even if the Namgung Clan Head himself came and apologized, how dare a mere Outer Court Hall Master come and cause such a scene?”
Yeon Wi did not speak for long.
“Do you wish to die?”
Flash!
A faint killing intent emanated from Yeon Wi’s eyes, which had not lost their composure or calmness.
Feeling that killing intent, Namgung Dae-san felt an illusion as if he had stepped into an ice cave for a moment. It was so cold and fierce that his internal energy stirred involuntarily.
“If this is the will of the Namgung, fine. I will personally see how sharp the sword of the Namgung is. I will cut off your head and visit the Namgung myself.”
At the chilly voice that pierced his ears, Namgung Dae-san shouted involuntarily.
“Wa-wait a moment!”
“Do you have something to say?”
Namgung Dae-san swallowed his saliva.
He only revealed a killing intent as dense as needles, and did not feel any aura beyond that. Yeon Wi was still blunt and calm.
However, Namgung Dae-san could tell just from that killing intent. Yeon Wi’s martial arts had reached a realm he could not even hope to challenge.
“Wait a moment. I think I may have misunderstood something.”
“Misunderstood? Are you in a position to spit out such deceitful words before me?”
Namgung Dae-san bit his lip.
Even he thought it was a truly pride-hurting and petty response.
But he had no choice. He not only lacked the confidence to handle Yeon Wi before him, but if Yeon Wi’s words were true, this could escalate into an impossibly large problem.
‘Damn it!’
He regretted it. All his brothers sat in key positions of the Namgung, but he still remained as the Hall Master of the Outer Court.
Within the family, he was treated as part of the leadership, but a Hall Master was still a Hall Master. His elder brother, the Clan Head, did not give him great power.
It was because he was so hot-tempered. Fearing he might ruin external affairs, he remained a Hall Master until this age.
Although there were many times he felt hurt by it, the thought occurred to him that perhaps his brother’s judgment was correct.
“For now…”
His lips went dry.
The prideful Namgung Dae-san spoke while gritting his teeth.
“I apologize for entering without considering the circumstances.”
“…”
“I lost my mind because I heard my niece ended up in that state. I have no face to show the Clan Head.”
Yeon Wi watched Namgung Dae-san without a word.
His gaze was as transparent as glass. Namgung Dae-san’s mouth opened involuntarily.
“I-I will look into the circumstances again. So, about today…”
“Don’t worry. I won’t forget it.”
“Clan Head!”
“I will make sure all of the Orthodox Murim knows this fact. Unless your clan offers a proper apology for this.”
Namgung Dae-san’s face turned pale.
This was it. This was exactly what he was worried about.
If Yeon Wi’s words were all true, the chivalrous name of the Namgung Clan would be stained. And the responsibility for that would lie not only with Namgung Sang-hwa but also with himself.
It was a major problem. He had charged in blindly out of anger, but due to this hot-tempered nature, he was about to smear the reputation of the clan.
“C-Clan Head…”
“I don’t want to see your face, so leave at once.”
“…”
“I will watch closely to see how your esteemed clan acts.”
Yeon Wi turned around.
Biting his lip, Namgung Dae-san left the South Gate. The entrance he had broken into personally now looked like the maw of hell.
Thus, Namgung Dae-san left the Yeon family.
Yeon Wi shook his head as he looked at the broken South Gate.
“What a waste.”
It was a waste, but rather, it was for the better.
“Where is the Chief Steward?”
“Did you call, Clan Head!”
A slender man ran from afar. He had learned martial arts, but it didn’t seem he had trained deeply.
A man who looked to be in his mid-thirties, he was the Chief Steward of the Yeon family, Tae-gyeong.
“Request a main gate from Old Man Sang at the Government Office. Tell him to make it with better quality wood than before.”
“Ah, yes!”
Tae-gyeong spoke with a somewhat anxious face.
“But Clan Head. Is it alright?”
“Hmm?”
“Weren’t you being too strong…”
He seemed to have watched everything from afar.
Yeon Wi shook his head.
“Take care of things here first, and look into it tomorrow.”
“Ah, yes! I understand.”
Leaving Tae-gyeong to clean up the surroundings, Yeon Wi walked alone toward the inner court.
At that moment, a shadow appeared.
It was Yeon Ho-jeong.
“Father.”
Yeon Wi was not surprised. He had already sensed the presence of his eldest son.
“It is late. Go to your chamber and sleep.”
“I couldn’t sleep.”
Yeon Wi stopped walking and looked at Yeon Ho-jeong.
It was a night with an especially bright moon. Step out of the shadow of the building and bathed in moonlight, his eldest son’s eyes looked very deep.
Yeon Wi, who was about to tell him to go to his chamber again, suddenly felt like asking his son a question.
“What do you think?”
“About what?”
“I mean, what do you think the Namgung Clan will do?”
Yeon Wi himself didn’t know why he suddenly asked such a question.
However, at Yeon Ho-jeong’s answer, he was secretly surprised.
“Isn’t the important thing our clan, not the Namgung Clan?”
“What do you mean?”
“Even if the Namgung Clan does not apologize, you will probably keep this matter quiet.”
“Why do you think so?”
“There’s no need to set a fire just to shake off some dust on one’s clothes, is there?”
To think he could think this far.
Aside from the uncomfortable metaphor, Yeon Wi thought his son’s insight was not bad. No, considering the behavior he had shown until now, it was hard to even describe it as anything but a leap forward.
Perhaps, the thought occurred to him that believing he knew his son well might have been arrogance.
Yeon Wi, who was watching Yeon Ho-jeong, turned around again.
“Do you think this incident is trivial enough to be passed over smoothly?”
“Pardon?”
“You are my son.”
Yeon Ho-jeong blinked.
Before he knew it, Yeon Wi, having finished his words, was walking away. His gait was no different from usual.
Staring blankly at his father’s back, Yeon Ho-jeong scratched his head.
“Who doesn’t know that?”
* * *
The next day.
“Ugh.”
The cool autumn wind could not cool his body.
The dripping sweat had already formed a puddle. However, there was no change in Yeon Ho-jeong’s posture.
Creak.
The door opened, and Yeon Ji-pyeong appeared.
“Brother, I’m he…huh?!”
Yeon Ji-pyeong’s eyes widened.
“Brother, what are you doing?”
“Can’t you tell? I’m practicing the Horse Stance.”
“H-Horse Stance?”
It was understandable for Yeon Ji-pyeong to be flustered.
The Horse Stance, which trains the lower body, is the core of all martial arts. However, there was no need for his brother, who had mastered even the Flying Swallow Cultivation Method, to specifically practice the Horse Stance, which is the basic of basics. If he wanted to train his body, weren’t there many other training methods?
Yeon Ho-jeong grimaced.
“It’s a punishment from Father.”
“P-Punishment with the Horse Stance? Wait, since when have you been doing this?”
“Since the Hour of the Rabbit (05:00-07:00).”
“Heh! It’s been almost two shijin (four hours)?!”
“There’s not much left.”
Yeon Ho-jeong’s body was not yet mature. If anyone does the Horse Stance for half a day without even using internal energy, they would die.
Yeon Ho-jeong grumbled to himself.
‘Doing this won’t change anything.’
Early in the morning, he had received a message from his father through Chief Steward Tae-gyeong.
‘Given the situation, it seems you did nothing wrong. However, you have one sin. It is the sin of a martial artist. Cruel hands are bound to bring blood, and that is not the way of the Orthodox. Regain your original intention through two shijin of Horse Stance training.’
If he were a person whose character could be changed by Horse Stance training, he would not have survived even in the Black Path.
At first, he wondered what on earth this was, but he still worked hard at it as if it were training. He also reviewed the Jade Gauze True Formula and checked the things he had to do in the future.
Yeon Ji-pyeong whispered softly.
“Brother, stop now. It’s roughly two shijin.”
“It’s fine.”
He didn’t think it was particularly a sin, but anyway, what can be done when the atmosphere of the clan is like this? It seemed like there would be many things to grumble about, but he should try to get used to it as much as possible.
A moment later, when a little over two shijin had passed.
Only then did Yeon Ho-jeong release the Horse Stance.
“Ooh, my legs are shaking.”
“It’s hard, right? Please wait a moment, I’ll bring a meal.”
It was then.
Thump. Thump.
Someone knocked on the main gate.
“Is the Eldest Young Master here?”
“Ugh, who is it?”
“The Clan Head is calling for the Eldest Young Master.”
Yeon Ho-jeong grumbled as if he found it tiresome.
“He must be wanting to check my homework. Geez, really.”