Volume 6 Chapter 15 – Mount Beimang

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Translated by Rain

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Luoyang Sword Family Elders’ Hall, Grand Hall.

In the Grand Hall, which was soon ahead of opening, a quieter and calmer atmosphere than usual was hovering.

“It is quiet…”

An elder who sat quietly leafing through documents muttered like a monologue.

“Since there are no people who are the noisiest, after all.”

At the words of the colleague elder beside him, he raised his head and slightly scanned the conference hall.

“It seems the elders of the Third Young Master’s faction have been out of their minds handling the ‘accident’ that occurred at the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering stadium construction site since the day before yesterday.”

“It seems it was not a matter that would end easily, indeed.”

Only one or two elders were quietly chatting on the side of the Third Young Master’s faction’s seats.

“Thanks to that…”

Their heads turned to the opposite side.

“…It seems the Second Young Master’s faction plans to exploit this gap and completely return the joint project of the Eldest Young Master and the Fourth Young Master to a blank slate.”

“Is it virtually equivalent to declaring a political all-out war…?”

In the direction of the Second Young Master’s faction, only a single elder, Elder Son, sat guarding his seat.

Since there was no problem with the voting as long as they had power of attorney from the absent elders, it was a shape where only a minimum of elders from both camps remained.

“…”

Without anyone else striking up a conversation, the elder who stared at Elder Son, who merely had his arms crossed and eyes closed, muttered.

“…They said the South of the River faction took a blow from the Luoyang faction; the information must have been true.”

“The insides over there are complicated as well.”

The conversation of the two people stopped.

“…”

“…Damn it.”

As the agendas to be dealt with today did not enter his eyes, the elder who ultimately cast aside the documents spoke first.

“It is rare for a situation to fit the expression ‘calm before the storm’ to this extent.”

“Things are unsettling, unsettling indeed.”

Why did his mood feel so strange?

“…Since the Second Young Master’s side came out with an all-out war, naturally it should be a fight that the Second Young Master’s camp has no choice but to win. Is it not so?”

“…Right. Although they say the Eldest Young Master’s wisdom has reached a realm called Divine Calculation, in the end, there is a limit to resolving matters with extraordinary schemes.”

“It is the entire elders. The Second Young Master mobilized the entirety of the elders of his own faction.”

“Indeed.”

It was a declaration of firm resolve to absolutely not miss this opportunity and to crush the Eldest Young Master and the Fourth Young Master.

“…Indeed.”

Nevertheless, the atmosphere of the Grand Hall had a strangely peculiar aspect.

The Second Young Master was mobilizing his entire political resources.

When they evaluated it objectively, the strength of the Eldest Young Master and the Fourth Young Master was merely a handful compared to the Second Young Master.

“…They say the Eldest Young Master made his first outing since his confinement, right?”

“I heard so.”

Nevertheless.

Among the whispering elders, there was a strange current that could not be explained logically.

They were not cheering for the Eldest Young Master, nor were they greenhorns to be swayed by the unconscious psychology of mindlessly cheering for the weak, but… there was a question that strangely tickled their insides.

A single curiosity that was illogical and irrational, purely derived from senses.

‘Could the Second Young Master crush the Eldest Young Master with overwhelming strength just like their calculations?’

* * *

At the same time.

Luoyang Sword Family, Somewhere.

The Supreme Executive Council was in progress.

“In that case, regarding the disturbance that occurred at the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering stadium site…”

“It would be best to monitor the Third Young Master’s response further for the time being.”

“The Third Young Master’s camp does not have a very good relationship with the Luoyang administration, so to prepare for contingencies…”

“Then, treating it that way…”

Modulated voices were echoing in the stone grotto.

“In that case, to the next agenda…”

Everyone rustled, spreading out new documents.

“The deadline of the emergency order for support to Pavilion of Perfect Enlightenment only until today…?”

“…Until today.”

As the stone cave fell into silence for a moment, the modulated voice of the chairperson flowed out.

“You all must have received information that the Eldest Young Master went out.”

“That is so, but…”

Even when the meeting was in progress, all important information was bound to come to them.

Information coming from the information departments of the Luoyang Sword Family is delivered to the Institution.

The information that came in like that was delivered to each executive commissioner by the Institution.

“This chairperson interprets this to mean that the Eldest Young Master has finished all preparations.”

The new female executive commissioner cautiously spoke.

“But still, even if the strength of the Eldest Young Master’s side is calculated together with the Fourth Young Master’s side, it is clearly a massive relative inferiority.”

The new male executive commissioner also spoke in a reluctant attitude.

“At a time like now when there is a justification accepted by the Second Young Master and the Third Young Master, focusing support slightly more…”

They were absolutely not siding with the Eldest Young Master in this succession competition, but even so, they did not want the Eldest Young Master to collapse unilaterally either.

“Although those words are correct…”

At those words, the shadow of another executive commissioner shook its head.

“I think if further support continues due to the emergency order, it will merely become something that members belonging to other factions can use as a pretext to catch the Eldest Young Master.”

“But at present when the Second Young Master’s offensive is beginning, even if it is not a big help, support for Pavilion of Perfect Enlightenment must be maintained…”

“That is also true, but…”

The chairperson, who had been listening to the conversation passing between them for a moment, cut in.

“Do you think the Eldest Young Master has no chance of winning?”

The new male and female executive commissioners hesitated.

“Probably…”

“Wouldn’t it be difficult? Although we know well the abilities possessed by the Eldest Young Master.”

At their remarks, small chuckles flowed out from here and there for a moment.

“C-cough.”

“…We wish we could laugh together as well, though?”

The chairperson smiled bitterly at their reaction.

“…It would be good if we could share our memories, but I have no choice but to tell you to just watch the Eldest Young Master’s moves in the future.”

There was simply no way to explain the Eldest Young Master’s ability other than that it was truly bizarre.

The Eldest Young Master’s ability and the achievements accomplished through that ability existed somewhere between incomplete records and variable memories.

Therefore, it could not be fully conveyed through the incomplete communication medium of language.

“…”

While the crowd was wrapped in silence for a moment, the chairperson unfolded a note transmitted through the metal tube installed in his room.

Confirming the information written on the note, the chairperson smiled broadly.

“Deliver the information to all executive commissioners.”

Under his authorization, notes entered through the metal tubes installed in their respective small rooms.

“…This is?!”

“Mmh…”

The new male and female executive commissioners who opened and read the notes could not hide their dumbfoundedness.

Even more, not only them, but other executive commissioners also let out groans without even realizing it.

“Did you see the Eldest Young Master’s first move?”

Looking again at the note held in his hand, the chairperson chuckled.

“It seems you all will be able to know this time as well.”

* * *

Luoyang Sword Family, Second Young Master’s Camp.

Grand Conference Hall.

“The expected scenarios regarding the Eldest Young Master’s movements are being prepared well individually, right?”

Elder Hahou was traversing all over the grand conference hall, waving the cigar held in his hand.

“As I said from the beginning, there is no need to share opinions at this stage! Don’t do it at all! Pull up each of your imaginations to the maximum and eliminate all blind spots!”

He moved around like that, boosting morale.

“We have resources close to infinite that the Eldest Young Master’s side does not possess! In the next room, almost all of our side’s elders are racking their brains just like you!”

The tacticians filling the grand conference hall were scribbling with brushes, sweating profusely.

They were in the middle of pre-configuring all possibilities that the Eldest Young Master might deploy while carrying out this joint project.

“Good! Very good!”

Elder Hahou burst into a broad smile and clapped.

“Elder Hahou!”

At that moment, a messenger came running in and handed a note to Elder Hahou.

“It is urgent news!”

Everyone’s gazes focused on Elder Hahou.

“In the future, there is no need to deliver it to me secretly!”

Elder Hahou, who did not receive that note, instructed the messenger.

“Announce it right away so everyone in this conference room can know! Do you understand?!”

“Yes!”

The messenger unfolded the note and read it in a loud voice.

“Eldest Young Master! Currently passing through the entrance of Mount Beimang!”

Elder Hahou’s body froze.

“…What?”

He bit the cigar back in his mouth and snatched the note the messenger was holding.

“…”

The grand conference hall fell silent.

Elder Hahou did not bother asking the tacticians who were imagining the Eldest Young Master’s movements for predictions regarding ‘Mount Beimang’.

For it was something even he had not estimated.

He shouted to the messenger instead.

“Tell all the elders in the next room to come right now!”

* * *

At that hour, Emei Sect’s Abbess Chongmu, who was meeting with a neutral faction elder, was suppressing her uncomfortable look to the maximum.

“…Vested interests in Sichuan Province.”

The elder of the Luoyang Sword Family sitting opposite shook his head with a lukewarm expression.

“It does not seem to be a deal that is very appetizing. For deals on the Sichuan side, the Tang Family side is indeed better. Or, the Dali Duan Family.”

“…”

Abbess Chongmu barely held back her hand from tensing up as she lifted her teacup.

A situation where she must borrow even one more person’s strength to prepare for the worst-case scenario.

“…It might be so immediately, but looking ahead five years…”

Abbess Chongmu’s words, as she tried with difficulty to continue her persuasion, were cut off by those who suddenly burst in.

The appearance of the messenger entering behind the elder and the messenger entering behind Abbess Chongmu was almost simultaneous.

“Hmm.”

The elder, who received the note from his messenger, nodded slightly while looking at Abbess Chongmu who was receiving a note with a bewildered expression.

“It seems the Third Young Master’s side is sharing information reliably indeed. Haha.”

“…”

Abbess Chongmu, who was groaning over how the Third Young Master’s side had figured out her destination which she had hidden as much as possible, unfolded her note.

“…! This is…!”

The widening of the old woman’s eyes and the leaking of an exclamation from the elder’s mouth were almost simultaneous.

‘That Eldest Young Master fellow entered Mount Beimang?!’

Whether the old woman trembled or not, the elder nodded his head, admiring continuously.

“Is he indeed the Eldest Young Master… Mount Beimang. Oh, my. He casually commits something unimagined.”

He smiled slyly while observing the face of Abbess Chongmu, whose forehead was bulging with veins.

“…Abbess Chongmu must know about Mount Beimang as well, right?”

Even just looking at Abbess Chongmu’s reaction—no, even without looking at it, there was no way a person in a position like the old woman’s did not know about Mount Beimang.

“Wow. The super-luxurious mansion district of Mount Beimang!”

Yet the elder went out of his way to chatter about Mount Beimang.

“It is the very place that families who rose to the highest ranks in this Central Plains Empire’s imperial court absolutely secure.”

From old, Mount Beimang was famous as a gravesite for high-ranking officials and noble dignitaries seeking auspicious sites since its feng shui was so splendid.

Therefore, Mount Beimang was a place filled with super-luxurious mansions including ancestral halls to worship ancestors, and was also a kind of villa where those who retired from the imperial court spent their old age enjoying the luxury and abundance of Luoyang.

“That Mount Beimang, where they say you cannot dare to obtain even a single piece of land unless you rose to the highest rank for generations…”

Although it was the elder who initially continued to admire exaggeratedly to tease Emei Sect’s Abbess Chongmu, soon even he gradually began to feel dumbfoundedness.

“The families of that place are those who wield the most powerful ‘political authority’ in the Central Plains Empire.”

He let out a groan.

“Even if they are successors of the Main Family, they are families they can never enter and exit at will…”

Families that had assisted the Emperor at the closest distance for generations.

Retired giants of the imperial capital whom even the successor of the number one family under heaven could not dare meet at will.

“Just how did the Eldest Young Master…?”

Only silence descended heavily in the tea room.