Monochrome Sovereign (Novel) - Chapter 86 - The Wind Does Not Stop (4)

Chapter 86 – The Wind Does Not Stop (4)

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Clang!

“Ugh!”

Yeon Ji-pyeong stumbled back.

“Again.”

Yeon Wi was like a single stalk of bamboo.

His left hand was placed behind his back, and the sword held in his right hand pointed toward the lower level. His waist was straight, and his two eyes were focused forward.

Yeon Ji-pyeong felt a sense of hopelessness.

‘There are no gaps.’

It seemed like he could attack anywhere, yet he could attack nowhere.

His father’s martial arts were truly like an iron wall. The sword force cutting through the air was as powerful as a wave, and the sword techniques that parried attacks were as flexible as the wind.

Yeon Ji-pyeong, who was staring blankly at Yeon Wi, breathed heavily for a moment and then released his posture.

Yeon Wi’s eyes shone.

Releasing his posture even though the sparring hasn’t ended?

‘He hasn’t given up.’

Although he released his posture, the emanating momentum did not decrease. No, rather, it was sharper than before.

Yeon Ji-pyeong tapped the floor with his toes.

Thud!

After making his entire body flexible, he instantaneously tightened his muscles to pull up his forward speed.

Pababa-bak!

Just as it seemed he was running head-on, it wasn’t so. Approaching while drawing the character ‘Ji’ with terrifying elasticity, Yeon Ji-pyeong’s footwork was fast and flexible.

It was an impressive approach, but Yeon Wi’s expression was cold.

‘He should know it won’t work.’

It was then. The moment Yeon Ji-pyeong, who had approached ten steps to the left, moved to a distance of seven steps to the right.

Whish. A light palm force was fired toward Yeon Wi’s chest.

Slash! Yeon Wi’s sword coldly cut the palm force.

At that moment, Yeon Ji-pyeong struck from the left-middle path.

It was a speed half a time faster than before. He wasn’t completely evading to the left either.

In other words, it was a feint of footwork and a sharp psychological warfare. After making the opponent accustomed to the direction of approach, he delivered an explosive blow from an unpredicted direction at the decisive moment.

Yeon Wi’s sword soared toward the upper level.

Clang! Yeon Ji-pyeong’s body came to a sudden halt.

He delivered a blow with strong force, but it was a failure this time as well.

Of course, with Yeon Ji-pyeong’s current martial arts, he couldn’t leave even a single scratch on Yeon Wi’s body. However, he thought he could at least make him feel rushed, but even that didn’t work.

Yeon Wi opened his mouth.

“Enough…”

Flash! At that moment, Yeon Ji-pyeong’s sword was fired like a bolt of lightning.

It was a stab, not a slash. A small amount of surprise dwelled on Yeon Wi’s face.

Kagagang! The swords of father and son stopped right as they collided.

Yeon Wi, who was looking down at his son with cool eyes, nodded his head.

“Stop.”

“Phew!”

Yeon Ji-pyeong stumbled back.

It was a sword strike unleashed with all his soul’s strength. But as expected, it was blocked this time too.

His pelvis and knees, as well as his entire right arm, felt numb. However, he couldn’t show it.

Yeon Ji-pyeong, who sheathed his sword, bowed his head.

“Thank you.”

“You are quite good.”

Yeon Ji-pyeong, startled, looked at Yeon Wi.

Yeon Wi continued as he withdrew his sword.

“It was impressive how you shook the opponent’s psychology and unleashed a swift sword strike at the decisive moment.”

“Ah… T-thank you.”

He had never received such praise from his father. Yeon Ji-pyeong’s face turned bright red.

Yeon Wi couldn’t hide his inner admiration.

‘This child uses such tactics as well.’

In actual combat, all kinds of variables overflow. Martial arts learned only honestly may make the roots sturdy, but are difficult to utilize in real combat.

In the meantime, Yeon Ji-pyeong had made his roots as a martial artist sturdy. They were roots so thick and solid that they wouldn’t be uprooted even if a hundred years passed.

He was thinking of teaching him irregular martial arts soon, but he had already researched and displayed them on his own. Such a change surprised Yeon Wi.

And decisively.

“Regarding that last sword strike.”

“Ah, that?”

“How did you unleash that sword?”

Yeon Ji-pyeong rubbed under his nose as if embarrassed.

“It’s a sword technique I realized while practicing the Flying Swallow Eight Swords and the Wave Nine Swords. Although it’s a bit crude, mixing the swift sword of the Flying Swallow and the linked sword essence of the Wave resulted in a strong sword like a bolt of lightning.”

“…….”

“It can’t be called complete yet, but it seems it needs a lot of refining to be used in a match. That’s why I haven’t been able to show it until now, but I thought it might be possible now…”

“No, it can be completed.”

“Pardon?”

Yeon Wi spoke in his characteristic blunt voice.

“What was made by combining the characteristics of the Flying Swallow Eight Swords, the Wave Nine Swords, and the Radiant Great Sword to contain advanced martial principles is precisely the Iron Sword Great Extension Thirty-Six Forms.”

“Eh?!”

Yeon Ji-pyeong was startled. The Iron Sword Great Extension Thirty-Six Forms was one of the three great sword arts of the Yeon Clan. Among the three great sword arts, its sword force itself was the lowest, but it was also a martial art that implemented every single characteristic of the sword without missing even one.

Therefore, the Iron Sword Great Extension was like a sword art as well as a divine art. For Yeon Wi as well, the first of the three great sword arts he practiced was the Iron Sword Great Extension Thirty-Six Forms.

“By practicing the Iron Sword Great Extension, you can obtain a sword of the Middle Way that does not lean in any direction. The single move you just unleashed is a technique called Lightning Strike One Breath from the latter twelve forms of the Iron Sword Great Extension.”

“Ah…!”

“You have implemented a martial art I didn’t even teach you through the sword principles you refined yourself.”

Yeon Wi nodded his head.

“Well done.”

Honest joy dwelled on Yeon Ji-pyeong’s face. He was much happier to receive praise from his father than to have independently realized and used a martial art he wasn’t taught. He felt as if he was finally being recognized as a swordsman.

“Thank you.”

“Variant forms and combined swords. There is no longer a need to be fixated only on the basics. Since we’re talking about it, from tomorrow, I will pass on the Sword-Limit Thought Qi and the Iron Sword Great Extension.”

This meant he would pass on both the divine art and the sword art that represented the Yeon Clan. Yeon Ji-pyeong lowered his head deeply.

“I will work hard.”

“I trust you.”

I always trust you. Yeon Wi didn’t bother to spit out the words that came to mind afterward.

Was it because they clashed so much over this and that? To his firstborn, he would occasionally reveal his inner thoughts. However, to his second child, it wasn’t easy yet.

‘He is fast.’

Whatever the reason, Yeon Ji-pyeong’s martial arts training speed was terrifyingly fast. Although he himself was recognized for his outstanding talent in the previous generation, Yeon Ji-pyeong had long since surpassed him.

‘He is five years faster.’

I practiced the Sword-Limit Thought Qi from the age of seventeen, but I began to refine the Iron Sword Great Extension only after passing twenty.

Moreover, I couldn’t even think of combining the essences of intermediate sword arts. It was an excellent talent in many ways. Since he doesn’t settle for his talent and doesn’t neglect his daily refinement, his future is truly to be expected.

Furthermore, the second child had not yet fully bloomed his talent. Yeon Ji-pyeong was gentle and kind by nature. It was a temperament that didn’t suit a swordsman, where victory or defeat is decided in an instant.

The moment that temperament is carved and refined into a single jade, that very moment is the real beginning.

‘…….’

However, Yeon Wi thought that Yeon Ji-pyeong’s gentle personality wasn’t bad. No, if he were to be greedy, he wished he could keep that purity for a long time.

Not to mention himself, the firstborn had also been tainted too much by the world. Is that why? Yeon Ho-jeong harbored a cold-hearted temperament in a corner of his heart, almost to an excessive degree.

Yeon Wi hoped that Yeon Ji-pyeong would not have such cold-heartedness. To a warrior of the Jianghu, that is destiny, but he wished at least the second son could escape that destiny. Yeon Wi sincerely hoped so.

“Let’s end today’s training here.”

“Yes! You’ve worked hard!”

“Indeed.”

It was when the father and son placed their swords on the rack.

“Clan Head!”

Yi Baek-hyeon came running breathlessly.

“It’s a letter! A contact has arrived from the Eldest Young Master!”

Yeon Ji-pyeong’s face brightened significantly.

“B-big brother?”

Yeon Wi received the letter from Yi Baek-hyeon’s hand. He took it as if almost snatching it, but he did not realize it. He opened the letter.

When Yeon Wi opened the letter, Yeon Ji-pyeong cleared his throat and stealthily stood beside him.

‘I am sorry. Since I have been so busy with work, I haven’t been able to contact you frequently. I heard the Beggars’ Gang contacted you separately. Things have worked out well, and I am safe.’

Yeon Wi, with his eyes fixed on the letter, opened his mouth.

“Ji-pyeong.”

“Yes?!”

Yeon Ji-pyeong, startled, unwittingly took a step back.

Yeon Wi said calmly.

“In the future, when you go out into the Jianghu, you must not act like your brother.”

“…Pardon?”

Yeon Wi shut his mouth.

‘Heartless fellow.’

He thought about how busy he could possibly be that he couldn’t even send a single letter on time.

If this is also filial impiety, it is filial impiety. Would he even scold him for lack of sincerity if he just wrote a few letters? What was important was not the content, but whether there was anything wrong with his safety.

The firstborn was good at everything else, but he truly had a problem in this regard. He is an insolent fellow.

‘It seems I need to undergo some investigation as a witness to this incident. It will probably be over soon. However, it will take some time until I return. It’s nothing special, I’m just planning to look around the world, so please be at ease.’

He is an even more insolent fellow. Once the matter is over, he should come back, greet first, and then go out again. He felt as if he had learned another problem of the firstborn.

‘I wonder if the clan’s construction is finished. Ji-pyeong must be doing well, right? I’m already looking forward to how much he has grown.’

Yeon Ji-pyeong grinned. Yeon Wi glanced at the second child. Yeon Ji-pyeong hurried to manage his expression. He turned his gaze back to the letter.

Ah, and please send separately the evidence materials for the Salt Tax that the Myeong Clan bastards obtained illegally by threatening the East Sea merchants. I would appreciate it if you could also enclose the documents of kidnapping Western merchants and selling them as slaves in the Black Market.

Yeon Wi said to Yi Baek-hyeon.

“There is a ledger in the library marked as the Red Sandalwood Ledger. Hand over the thickest bound document among them to Branch Leader Iron Staff Beggar. It should be sent to the Temporary Murim Alliance.”

“Understood, Clan Head.”

Yi Baek-hyeon ran out quickly.

I am sorry for starting this on my own without telling you in advance. I will receive my punishment when I return. The days are very hot. Please be careful of your health.

At the very bottom of the letter, it was written as Filial Impiety Son Ho-jeong.

“…At least he knows.”

Yeon Ji-pyeong blinked his eyes. Yeon Wi, who folded the letter, looked up at the sky.

The clouds were quite scattered, but the sky was clear. Summer had truly arrived.

‘Since you’ve gone out into the world anyway, grow even larger before returning.’

* * *

“Eh? What? Where are you going?”

Ga Deuk-sang looked at Yeon Ho-jeong with curious eyes.

Yeon Ho-jeong, wearing cleanly laundered martial robes, was even holding an axe. Looking only at his appearance, he seemed ready to leave at any moment.

“I’m planning to leave Henan.”

“What? Now?”

“Is there a problem?”

“Uh… no, well, there’s no problem.”

He had finished all the investigations as a witness. Since several days had passed and he was able to move, there was no longer a need to stay in Henan.

“If I hadn’t come to visit, you would have left without even saying a word?”

“Probably?”

“Such a heartless person!”

Yeon Ho-jeong chuckled.

“Anyway, doesn’t the Successor of the Beggars’ Gang have to return to his original business too? We shall meet again if fate allows.”

“My original business is monitoring you.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“My master said so. Since this fellow is dangerous, if he falls into the Heterodox Path, I should blow off his head. In other words, a special mission has fallen upon me.”

Yeon Ho-jeong frowned.

“Is the position of Successor of the Beggars’ Gang so leisurely? Aren’t you busy?”

Ga Deuk-sang laughed weakly.

“I’m a bit busy. So I can’t follow you right now.”

“Anyway, even if we traveled together, there would be nothing but tiring things.”

“Wretched person. Cold person.”

“See you later.”

“Wait.”

Ga Deuk-sang handed over a pouch that was stained with filth from his bosom.

Yeon Ho-jeong’s expression was a sight to behold.

“Take it.”

“…”

“Why? Is it dirty?”

“I’ll take it. But what is this?”

“It’s a Filthy Essence Tablet.”

“The name is truly a masterpiece.”

Ga Deuk-sang shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t know where you’re going or what you’re doing, but if anything happens, take that and visit any branch. You’ll be able to get the information you want.”

Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.

“Thank you.”

“Forget it. I’m trying to monitor you with that, so use it as much as possible.”

“I will.”

Yeon Ho-jeong stepped out of the door.

“Then I shall go first.”

“Young Master Yeon.”

“Hmm?”

Ga Deuk-sang took a fist-to-palm salute.

“I wish you martial luck.”

Yeon Ho-jeong did not take that greeting lightly. Setting down his axe, he returned the salute.

“See you later.”