Volume 6 Chapter 19 – The Most Terrifying Warrior (4)

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Translated by Rain

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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The Luoyang Sword Family.

The Second Young Master’s camp, the grand conference chamber.

A tactician shouted.

“There must have been some secret pact between the Grand Patriarch and the Sixteen Families! Otherwise, this path of the Eldest Young Master cannot be explained!”

The tactician next to him countered.

“You fool! If there were such a secret pact, how on earth could only the Eldest Young Master know of its existence and utilize it?!”

“T-That might be because the Grand Patriarch cherished the Eldest Young Master…!”

Another tactician chimed in.

“You forgot that the Grand Patriarch was the very person who confined the Eldest Young Master! Besides, if there were a family-to-family secret pact in the past, the Supreme Executive Council would have become the subject of that pact by now!”

One tactician was banging his head on the table and murmuring.

“…Was there really no intention behind the order of visits? Could there be some meaning hidden in the very fact that he visited in order starting from the one closest to the entrance? If so…”

An elderly-looking tactician spluttered spit.

“If it was not a family-to-family secret pact but a person-to-person secret pact in the first place, then it is a different story!”

The tactician who was covered in spit raised his voice with veins bulging.

“Stupid Luoyang natives! You just keep adding unreasonable assumptions to defend your claims, which have no logical foundation or evidence!”

At those words, the tacticians from Luoyang rushed forward in a swarm.

“You port country bumpkins whose brains are pickled in sea stench…!”

“You should pack your bags right now, return, and join a band of pirates to plan a raid instead!”

The tacticians from the South of the River rolled up their sleeves and swarmed in.

“How dare you chaff-like bastards, who fell into pleasure-seeking in Luoyang and grew soft to the bones!”

“Scribblers from scholar backgrounds ignoring pirates?! I will knock all of you down by myself right now!”

Though it does not show when the atmosphere is good and things go well.

In bad situations, inherent conflicts are like detonators that can explode at any time.

“Sigh…”

Several tacticians who had quickly backed away sighed.

The words they were babbling right now were merely being spat out as they came.

In truth, they were of no value.

How could they not know, even if they were tacticians?

Since they gathered people who were considered hotshots in this field.

“…When we cannot even grasp the situation properly, what on earth can we discuss in terms of strategy?”

Those who were full of vigor or hot-tempered were simply running wild out of frustration.

Someone’s fistfight began, and desks and chairs started to be overturned.

Just like that, the grand conference chamber was falling uncontrollably into chaos.

“Stop!”

A shout infused with internal energy rang out first, and soon, a thunderous roar and impact, as if a bomb had exploded, shook the grand conference chamber.

Those tacticians with weak energy even slumped to the floor on the spot, and even those from the South of the River who were used to the sound of bombardment felt their hearts turn cold.

Everyone’s gaze turned toward the dais.

Elder Hahou, who had punched a huge hole in the wall with a single fist, laughed loudly.

“It would be best for everyone to cool their heads a bit!”

While everyone stared at him with dumbfounded expressions, he waved his hand.

“Everyone get out starting from now! Go out, eat, drink, masturbate alone, or do whatever you usually like to do, and clear your head!”

He smiled with the same confident appearance seen at the beginning.

“By the time the next assembly order is issued, we elders will be able to present a proper direction to you all!”

One of the chief tacticians, who had long stood leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, nodded slightly.

“…An intervention at an appropriate moment.”

Stepping outside with him, another chief tactician shook his head.

“The Eldest Young Master’s first move was a move that could not be responded to in the first place. Since it was a move utilizing the Eldest Young Master’s own overwhelming prestige.”

“It is because we were merely preparing to respond to the Eldest Young Master’s strategy, which is called divine calculation.”

“We simply got the direction wrong from the start.”

“Indeed.”

“But you know…”

One of the chief tacticians moving together silently murmured.

“Just how on earth does the Eldest Young Master, who has only just ended his confinement, possess such prestige?”

There was no answer.

* * *

The Second Young Master’s camp, the elders’ lounge.

“….”

From the cigar held in Elder Hahou’s mouth, only smoke billowed.

Every elder who was smoking, whether it was tobacco, a pipe, or whatever, was merely puffing out smoke from their mouths.

The ashtray placed in their midst was an artwork carved from crystal, but its original beauty had long since vanished due to tobacco ash and discarded tobacco.

Even so, there was vitality and determination in their eyes.

“Let us review it from the beginning again…”

The elder who stood by the window to avoid the smoke broke the long silence.

“It seems clear that the Eldest Young Master being a famous artist is the point of contact with the retired patriarchs.”

At those words, several people nodded.

“In fact, it was difficult to find any contact point other than that from the beginning.”

Elder An, the manager of the Great Immortal Merchant Group who had returned after putting out an urgent fire, pushed up his glasses.

“In terms of exclusivity, the top-tier art world is just like Mount Beimang.”

At least, none of the Luoyang Sword Family elders gathered here viewed art from the perspective of art.

For most of the Luoyang Sword Family elders who prioritized material value, artworks were basically assets.

They were nothing more than consumer goods, ornaments, or investment objects bought and sold in a manner recommended by experts.

Even so, they were knowledgeable about the art market.

It was because of the professional expertise required to deal with the high-ranking officials they frequently met due to their positions.

“Once someone is around the level of the former head of the Sixteen Families, they are practically elders of the State of Zhongyuan’s art world.”

“Even if such people favor the Eldest Young Master, who occupies an unrivaled position in the art world, it is not strange.”

For the Eldest Young Master was known to be proficient not only in poetry, calligraphy, and painting, but also in pottery sectors such as stonework, woodwork, and bamboo work, and even in fields called miscellaneous skills.

* * *

Luoyang Mount Beimang, the Gongsun Family.

Gongsun Na-gang and Yeon So-hyeon.

Although the two looked like grandparent and grandchild just by their age group, one could tell that the reality was different by looking at their actions.

“Come, come, hurry this way.”

Gongsun Na-gang, dressed lightly, repeatedly urged Yeon So-hyeon, who was walking leisurely behind.

“You seem to be in a hurry?”

“How could I not be in a hurry?”

A broad smile hung on the wrinkle-filled face of Gongsun Na-gang, who moved his skinny legs quite vigorously.

“When such a young master has personally visited this old disciple’s residence.”

Laughing with a wheezing sound, he guided Yeon So-hyeon.

“Exchanging only letters and works via couriers all the time, and then meeting the young master directly like this, how this old disciple’s heart fluttered…!”

“hahaha.”

From corridor fork to corridor fork.

From room to another room.

The scale of the mansion, with ninety-nine rooms in the annex alone, clearly showed what kind of status the Sixteen Imperial Capital Families held in the State of Zhongyuan.

“Now. This is precisely this old man’s humble storehouse.”

The place they arrived at before long was a gallery specially designed to store his works.

A space where sunlight did not enter directly, oil lamps and works maintained an appropriate distance, ventilation was smooth so mold did not form, and humidity was always maintained without major fluctuations.

It was a perfect art storage repository to the point where referring to the space humbly as a worthless storehouse felt embarrassing.

“It is a wonderful place fitting for your outstanding works.”

“No. That is not it. This place is merely a simple storehouse…”

As Yeon So-hyeon clapped his hands elegantly, the old former patriarch grinned widely, revealing his gums, and waved his hands repeatedly.

“But if it is enough to satisfy the young master, then the effort was worthwhile. Worthwhile indeed. Ihikhik”

As they moved their steps inside, the first to reveal themselves were Gongsun Na-gang’s most recent works.

Upon seeing the works, Yeon So-hyeon burst into admiration.

“Oh, what is this…?!”

At that expression of surprise filled with purity, Gongsun Na-gang’s shoulders seemed to dance.

“How is it? What do you think?”

Yeon So-hyeon’s eyes narrowed.

His sharp gaze swept over the painting in detail as if dissecting it.

“…It is amazing.”

Since the work was indeed excellent, Yeon So-hyeon expressed his admiration honestly without addition or subtraction.

“With the birth of this work, you have become the founder of a new brushstroke technique that did not exist in the State of Zhongyuan until now.”

That was by no means empty words.

“Is that so?! Does it look that way even to the young master?!”

The awkwardness of the first meeting flew away quickly.

That sight looked as if a teacher and disciple, who did not know each other’s faces, had begun a warm exchange like a spring day.

* * *

Luoyang Sword Family, the Second Young Master’s camp.

The elders’ lounge.

“Works treated as top-tier are born from the hands of the highest-class officials, and circulate only among them.”

Elder An nodded.

“It is correct that the combination of the Eldest Young Master and such people has no choice but to be good from the start.”

“Looking at it that way, their relationship would be exceptionally good.”

Elder Hahou took the cigar from his mouth and puffing out a long trail of smoke, spoke.

“But wasn’t there a reason we set aside these speculations from the start?”

That was so.

Everyone nodded heavily.

“Exchange of art? Crossing the threshold of the Sixteen Families as if crossing one’s own threshold for just that reason?”

“That is nonsense. Even if the former patriarchs consider the Eldest Young Master as a teacher, that is impossible.”

That was true.

No matter how high personal affinity was, it did not matter.

For the height of the Sixteen Families’ threshold was not the personal face of the retired patriarch, but the face of the family, and the status of the family.

Elder Hahou narrowed his eyes.

“Whatever the reason, the Eldest Young Master moving so freely in Mount Beimang means there is something beyond just artistic exchange between them.”

Another elder stroked his beard and added words.

“And that something must be huge enough to set aside the family’s face.”

* * *

Past, Yeon So-hyeon’s childhood.

“Son… just what did you do and how?”

At the dumbfounded father’s question, young Yeon So-hyeon smiled brightly.

“It was not very difficult!”

Held in his father’s arms, young Yeon So-hyeon spoke in a clear voice as if chirping.

“First, using the confidential information from the Imperial Capital in Father’s office, I checked the situations the patriarchs of the Sixteen Imperial Capital Families were facing!”

Young Yeon So-hyeon shrugged his shoulders as if it were no big deal.

“And I simply informed the patriarchs who were experiencing problems of the solutions to escape those situations!”

* * *

Luoyang Sword Family, the Second Young Master’s camp.

The elders’ lounge.

“If so, this time as well…”

Elder Hahou’s voice pitched heavily.

“It means that the Eldest Young Master and those old devils have something to trade.”

* * *

“Good! Very good!”

Gongsun Na-gang laughed loudly and repeatedly slapped his knees.

“With such a young master guiding me personally, this old disciple’s skill also seems to have improved by leaps and bounds today!”

As time passed, Yeon So-hyeon and Gongsun Na-gang sat facing each other in a pavilion where an artificial stream flowed.

“By the way, young master…”

Toward Yeon So-hyeon, who was leisurely enjoying the aroma of tea, Gongsun Na-gang asked.

“I do not think you trampled and crossed this family’s threshold with those ferocious iron wheels merely to give guidance to an old disciple.”

That was a tone of speech with a completely different temperature from the gentle atmosphere up to now.

“Before reaching this Gongsun family, a whopping nine families.”

The wrinkles filled on his face grew even more desolate.

Like an old man, his eyeballs embedded deep inside glared like greased glass beads.

“I believe you have come fully prepared to pay the price for that.”

The eunuch, who had once served the Emperor from the closest position and possessed the most powerful authority in the political world of the State of Zhongyuan, revealed his true face.

“Of course.”

A smile far brighter than before hung on the lips of Yeon So-hyeon, who was sitting opposite him.

That smile appeared even more alive than any expression Yeon So-hyeon had shown when looking at any amazing artwork until now.