Monochrome Sovereign (Novel) - Chapter 94 - Same Bed, Different Dreams (6)

Chapter 94 – Same Bed, Different Dreams (6)

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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“Were you here?”

“…….”

“Information has arrived. Currently, Myeong Heo-rim is passing through Mengcheng. His movements are still slow, so it will take at least two days.”

“Understood.”

“Just in case, you should wait near the entrance of the safe house after noon tomorrow.”

“I will.”

“Then.”

The informant from the Desolate Wind Pavilion disappeared.

Yeon Ho-jeong, who was leaning against a tree with his arms crossed, let out a sigh.

“It can’t be helped.”

Myeong Heo-rim must be caught. Not necessarily because of the deal with Murong Jun or his reputation, but because it was certain that he would cause trouble eventually.

With Myeong Heo-rim’s talent, he would master the fake Four Gods Martial Arts as quickly as Myeong Cheon. If he mastered it without even noticing the changes in himself, many unrelated people might be hurt in the future.

And as a Grandmaster of the Four Gods Martial Arts, he could not just leave it alone.

“Muk Bi…… Hah, they say things in the world don’t go as planned.”

Knowing that the Anhui Blood Bow, Muk Bi, was in Bagong Mountain, he had run there without looking back. However, he didn’t know that the organization Muk Bi belonged to was causing such a mess.

For now, he had saved her life, but…….

‘I can’t just drag her along by force.’

If she had planned to cause a bloodbath, he had intended to decide whether to leave her alone or help her after listening to her story sufficiently. After that, he also thought about making her his person again.

If she was staying in Bagong Mountain for no particular reason? Even then, he had intended to persuade her somehow and make her his person.

It was not because of Muk Bi’s talent or past friendship. To stop the Evil Lust Cult, he needed the forces he knew well. In fact, he was the person who had strategically utilized Muk Bi best in the past.

But in this situation, it was difficult to take her away by force right now.

Yeon Ho-jeong, who came out to the street, headed for the second floor of the back garden of the Blue Thread Tower.

“Ah, have you come?”

“How is the child?”

The middle-aged physician let out a sigh.

“She has passed the dangerous crisis. She was born with a weak body, but she was even poisoned by a terrible toxin.”

“How is it, is detoxification possible?”

“It’s difficult, but not impossible. However, since her physical condition also needs to be raised, quite a long time will be needed. I’ll have to see the degree of recovery, but I should expect at least a year.”

Yeon Ho-jeong nodded.

“That’s a relief, at least.”

“It’s more than a relief. If it had been a day or two later, she would have crossed the river of no return. The gods of heaven and earth have helped.”

“The child’s father made a lot of effort. It seems that sincerity reached the heavens.”

“Ah! Is that so. Eh? But where is the father?”

Yeon Ho-jeong smiled bitterly.

“I wonder.”

With those words, he headed to the opposite room.

“Heo-eok! Heo-eok!”

Baek Jung-cheon was lying on the bed.

His whole body was drenched in cold sweat. All the wounded areas were treated, but he was a body whose life force had been exhausted.

Was it because of the shock? Or was it because of the sense of futility? He was rapidly losing energy.

Yeon Ho-jeong, who was looking down at Baek Jung-cheon silently, turned his back.

Slide.

Muk Bi, no, Baek Hyang, was crouching in the corner. Her eyes were full of tears.

“……It’s because of me.”

“What is?”

“If, if I didn’t have talent……!”

Yeon Ho-jeong shook his head.

“Your circumstances are none of my business.”

It was a cold remark. Baek Hyang looked up at Yeon Ho-jeong with wet eyes.

Looking at those eyes, Yeon Ho-jeong was swept by an unspeakable emotion.

‘They’re dead.’

Her eyes were dead.

While struggling with sadness and regret, her eyes were gradually losing the light of emotion.

When that light was completely extinguished, it was exactly the gaze of Muk Bi.

Muk Bi knew responsibility and duty, but that was literally close to a trained reflex action.

However, as she hung out with the generals of Dark Emperor Castle, including himself, revealing emotions became more frequent. But usually, she still didn’t give her heart to others.

Suddenly, this thought occurred to him.

What would Muk Bi have thought when she heard the news of him, who had perished together with the leader of the Evil Lust Cult? How would she have accepted the death of her lord, and perhaps her only friend?

Yeon Ho-jeong’s mouth opened on its own.

“You are not that kind of person.”

“……Yes?”

“You have never revealed your emotions easily. But you were not without emotions at all. Rather, you were a warrior with a heart hotter than anyone else.”

Even amidst deep sadness, Baek Hyang felt a sense of wonder.

What is this young man talking about right now?

“I liked you. At least at that time, you knew how to choose your life yourself. Although that path was painful, you never complained once.”

“Wh-what are you saying…….”

“I didn’t know your past. I didn’t know it would be like this. But trying to look into more than this would just be meddling.”

“……?”

“The past is just the past. However, I wanted to fix the past that would become a terrible future. To do that, a different me from the past me is necessary.”

“……?!”

“I will ask. How do you want to live?”

Baek Hyang’s eyes wavered greatly.

How did she want to live? She had never received such a question.

She had held a bow since her childhood, which she didn’t even remember, and she had pulled the string as if it were natural. Since then, her life was determined as a Ghost Archer to become the Archer God.

It was a life lived just like that. That was natural. She had never thought about it in any other way.

“I will ask the question again.”

“…….”

“Do you believe in that existence called the Archer God?”

“……!”

“As I thought. Neither you nor that archer on that bed believes in the existence of the Archer God. And yet, you try to become one. Without even knowing what that existence is, and without even believing in it.”

Shock was etched on Baek Hyang’s face.

Yeon Ho-jeong sighed.

“If you ever want to find a new life, you can stop by a branch of the Beggars’ Gang and give my name. I won’t be able to take responsibility for your life, but I can give you some help. Of course, I will receive a price.”

Yeon Ho-jeong turned his body.

“My name is Yeon Ho-jeong.”

With those words, he left the room.

Thump.

As the door closed, only Baek Jung-cheon’s rough breathing was heard.

Baek Hyang stared blankly at the door.

It felt as if the raging storm had disappeared in an instant. The words left behind by that storm made her head dizzy.

It was then.

“Cough! ……Go.”

Startled, Baek Hyang looked at Baek Jung-cheon.

“F-follow him.”

“Brother!”

She quickly stood up and stood before Baek Jung-cheon.

“Are you okay? Have you come to your senses?”

“My senses…… I’ve had them for a while now.”

Baek Hyang put her hand on Baek Jung-cheon’s chest.

“If you’ve come to your senses, please straighten your posture! I will lead your Qi……!”

“Don’t do that.”

“Yes?!”

“I know my body well. I will die soon.”

Baek Hyang burst into tears.

Baek Jung-cheon held her hand.

“Hyang-ah.”

“……Yes, brother.”

“Hyang-ah, Hyang-ah, Hyang-ah.”

He called Baek Hyang’s name several times.

At that sorrowful voice and the warm emotion felt after such a long time, Baek Hyang lowered her head.

Baek Jung-cheon wore a faint smile. Such a smile did not suit his blunt face very well.

“Do you remember? You were loved by us brothers since you were young.”

“…….”

“But from some point on, the eyes of the brothers toward you turned cold. It was the same for me. Because I realized that your talent had far surpassed us.”

“…….”

“The adults postponed the contest after seeing your skills. Because they felt your talent was a waste. So the contest five years ago ended in a fizzle.”

“Brother.”

“But…… doesn’t that mean we all have to die by your arrow? I hated that decision. Therefore, I hated you even more.”

Baek Hyang’s tears dripped onto Baek Jung-cheon’s hand.

“Even so, I shouldn’t have hated you.”

“No. No, brother.”

“Instead of hating you, I should have left the Valley of Piercing the Sun.”

“……!”

“To become the Archer God, one should have been prepared for death. That is the life of a Ghost Archer. But I was not prepared for death.”

Baek Jung-cheon’s smile faded.

“It’s because I lived habitually. If I hated that, I should have left the valley, and to stay there, I should have accepted death.”

“…….”

“The brightest moment in such a life of mine was when I met my wife. And…….”

Moisture rose in Baek Jung-cheon’s eyes.

“And, it was when I found out I had a daughter.”

She is not his own daughter. But he treated her as a daughter.

The shock was great, but Baek Jung-cheon did not regret his life where he risked his life for an unknown girl.

“It doesn’t matter whether that child is my daughter or not. What matters is that I lived according to my own will for even a very short time. That’s why I am grateful to that child.”

“Brother…….”

“Live the life you want. If you don’t know what you want, go out into the world like me. I hope you also taste that ecstatic feeling I felt.”

“Sob.”

Baek Hyang, who held Baek Jung-cheon’s hand, wailed silently.

He stroked Baek Hyang’s hair. He didn’t know how long it had been since he stroked his sister’s hair.

At the same time, he thought.

If more time had remained, he would have stroked Ga-ryeong’s hair like this too.

“Please help me stand up.”

Baek Hyang lifted Baek Jung-cheon’s upper body. Baek Jung-cheon sat with his back against the wall next to the bed.

“Hyang-ah.”

“……Yes, brother.”

“It’s been a long time, I want to see your archery.”

“Yes?”

Baek Jung-cheon pointed to his heart with a trembling hand.

Baek Hyang’s face turned white.

“All the rest died by my hand. Baek So-gyeong was the last.”

“Brother!!”

“There were quite a few times when the survivors of the Battle of the Archer Gods did not return to the valley. Probably, the valley will try to track you down. But…….”

Strength was loaded into Baek Jung-cheon’s eyes.

“Yeon Ho-jeong, that young man, will be able to protect you for the time being. I saw that much power and possibility in him.”

“I can’t! I absolutely can’t do that! How can I by my own hand, brother……!”

“Didn’t you even have that much determination?”

“……!!”

“Did you participate in the contest without even that much determination? Did you hope to become a winner without either dying or killing? If so, it is something to be ashamed of.”

“B-brother.”

“I promised that young man named Yeon Ho-jeong. To apologize to the beggar. I said I would apologize on his behalf when I die, but I shouldn’t do that.”

Baek Jung-cheon closed his eyes.

“I owe him a great debt. I haven’t been able to repay that debt even a little. If so, I want to at least keep my promise.”

“Sob, sob!”

Baek Jung-cheon wore a smile. His appearance as he laughed with his eyes closed looked extremely detached.

“I beg you.”

Baek Hyang, who had been pouring out tears for a long time, suddenly distanced herself.

Tsu-tsu-tsu.

It was as if an arrow without form was sprouting on the bowstring that had nothing.

Baek Jung-cheon let out a cry of admiration.

“Invisible Strike! As expected, it’s amazing!”

Baek Hyang bit her lip.

“……I am sorry, brother.”

“Shoot.”

“…….”

“Quickly!!”

Baek Hyang tightly closed her eyes.

She released the string.

Tiiiiiiing! Thump!

* * *

“Heok, heok!”

There was a man panting and climbing up the dark mountain road.

His hair was disheveled, and his clothes were torn here and there. He looked like nothing but a beggar.

However, his movements were very nimble. Even though his breathing was so disordered, he was climbing the mountain without rest like a tiger.

‘I’m almost there!’

Exultation surged in the man’s eyes.

‘Safe house! Now I’m saved!’

It was then.

“Myeong Heo-rim.”

In an instant, the man felt goosebumps all over his body.

He turned his head to the right, where the sound came from.

There stood a young man holding an enormous axe in his hands behind his back.

“I’ve been waiting for you.”