Volume 6 Chapter 20 – The Most Terrifying Warrior (5)

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Translated by Rain

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Luoyang Sword Family, the Supreme Executive Council.

After the Eldest Young Master entered the Gongsun family’s residence, the flow of information stopped.

“….”

“….”

And after that, the newly appointed male and female council members also fell silent.

“Do you feel it a bit now too?”

The chairperson spoke.

“From the past, the Eldest Young Master’s abilities and the achievements accomplished through those abilities existed somewhere between the Main Family’s incomplete records and individual variable memories.”

The newly appointed male and female council members could not even find words to reply, only letting out groans.

Behind the curtain, the chairperson turned his head to look far away.

“…I wonder if those who are facing the Eldest Young Master have realized it as well?”

They were not facing Yeon So-hyeon, the ‘Eldest Young Master of the Luoyang Sword Family.’

Their opponent was ‘that Yeon So-hyeon,’ who also happened to be the Eldest Young Master of the Luoyang Sword Family.

* * *

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

One elder tried to put out the tobacco he was smoking, but the crystal ashtray was already full.

“….”

He brought over a broad white porcelain ceramic vessel that elegantly decorated the lounge and stubbed the tobacco out.

Although no additional information had been coming in for a while, none of them were waiting for information anymore.

“…We must acknowledge it now.”

Elder An murmured with a displeased expression.

“What we were facing was the ‘most terrifying warrior.'”

If one was an elder of the Luoyang Sword Family, whether they practiced martial arts or not, it was impossible not to know those words.

“Since there is nothing more to speculate on now…”

At another elder’s words, the elder belonging to the Outer Courtyard took the pipe from his mouth and slowly nodded.

“…We have no way to guess nor any way to confirm what contents the Eldest Young Master is discussing with the former patriarchs of the Sixteen Families.”

It felt as if they were diving in a deep lake on a night without a single ray of moonlight.

“We cannot even guess how many more families the Eldest Young Master will stop by in the future.”

“…As things stand now, I do not think I would be surprised even if the Eldest Young Master tours all sixteen families.”

It was a joking tone, but no one laughed.

“Hmm.”

When the cigars in his pocket ran out, Elder Hahou, who had brought a box from his office to smoke, opened his mouth.

“In the first place, it was not tacticians that were needed to respond to the Eldest Young Master’s move this time.”

They were the tacticians who had shown excellent performances during the past Inner Courtyard Incident and the Patriarch’s Official Seal Incident.

The reason such people showed a particularly lacking appearance this time was that, from the beginning, the board the Eldest Young Master set up was not in their, the tacticians’, field.

“…For the Eldest Young Master, famous for his strategies, to pull out a completely unexpected card. Hmm.”

Ultimately, one elder ended up blurting out the question that kept hovering among them but could find no answer to.

“Just what kind of skill did the Eldest Young Master use to even make trades that would tempt the Sixteen Families and build relationships with them?”

“…And during confinement, at that.”

The elder, who had brought up the subject in a joking tone but received no response, made another joking remark.

“Could it be that, like in the rumors that circulated in the past, he read the astronomical alignments and warned them beforehand of some ominous omen that would strike their families?”

This time, everyone let out a snicker.

“Or with that strategy, when he was two or three years old, he might have subtly informed those who were the patriarchs at the time of a way to gain the favor of the Emperor.”

At the even more exaggerated remark, everyone let out a wry smile but chipped in a word.

It was a moment when the desolate atmosphere was temporarily refreshed.

“Perhaps…”

Thinking it was Elder Hahou’s turn to joke this time, everyone looked at him.

“Perhaps we should assume that the rumors about the Eldest Young Master we heard in the past are true.”

The people, who at first wore expressions of not knowing where to laugh, waved their hands one by one upon seeing Elder Hahou’s endlessly serious face.

“No, what kind of nonsense…”

“Elder Hahou, are you speaking while knowing just how many absurd and ridiculous rumors there are about the Eldest Young Master during his childhood?”

“Rumors like writing a medical book at age two, developing agricultural methods at age three, and whatnot?”

Elder An, who had only been listening to the conversation until then, spoke up.

“But you know.”

The gazes of the assembly turned to him.

“In the first place, wasn’t the claim that the Eldest Young Master possessed the strategy of a divine calculation originally just a rumor too?”

Puzzlement rose on the faces of the other elders.

“What on earth are you talking about…?”

“Why would that be a rumor…”

The elder who was speaking closed his mouth with a stiffened expression.

The other elders also felt something strange and shut their mouths.

“I see…”

The space between Elder Hahou’s eyebrows twitched.

“That was it. The stories about the Eldest Young Master’s strategy were originally just rumors too…”

At those words, the faces of the elders grew confused.

“No, everyone knew about the Eldest Young Master’s strategy…”

Elder Hahou cut him off.

“No. That is not it.”

“I mean, it was only a little while ago that the Eldest Young Master used Elder Yeom as a broker to stir up the Elders’ Hall…”

“Was there not also the Inner Courtyard Incident?”

Elder Hahou frowned.

“I am talking about before that, before that!”

He struck the armrest.

“For heaven’s sake, everyone knew from before then that the Eldest Young Master, who had been confined for nearly ten years, was a divine calculation or whatever, and that his strategy was tremendous! Even before the Eldest Young Master caused the Inner Courtyard Incident!”

Only then did the expressions of the elders turn blank.

“Just why, and on what basis, did we ‘believe’ from long ago that the Eldest Young Master was such an outstanding strategist?!”

One elder spoke up with difficulty.

“If they were those who had been in the Main Family for a long time, everyone would have heard one or two stories about the Eldest Young Master in the past…”

“Is it a story with a solid basis?”

“….”

Elder An took off his glasses.

“…Strange. It is strange.”

He raised his eyes to look far out the window.

“It seems there is definitely something here that we do not know yet.”

Who indeed were those at the very top level of this Luoyang Sword Family who did not just believe the rumors, but knew that truth?

In his vision with his glasses off, everything looked blurry.

* * *

Luoyang Sword Family, the Elders’ Hall.

What awaited the elders who came outside after finishing the elders’ meeting held in closed session was the talk regarding the movements of the Eldest Young Master, Yeon So-hyeon.

The respective elders did not even leave the front of the Elders’ Hall, listening to the information delivered by their close associates.

That was the same for the elders on the Third Young Master’s side who had attended the elders’ meeting.

“Oh. The Sixteen Families, you say…?”

“It is an unimaginable movement.”

Among the colleagues who were listening to the information for a moment, the first to leave was the former Sect Leader of the Diancang Sect, whose face had stiffened.

“Elder! Please wait a moment!”

The one who called him was one of the warriors who had brought the information.

“…What business do you have with me?”

“Abbess Chongmu of the Emei Sect wishes to see you, Elder.”

“Is that so? Tell another elder to go instead of me.”

He turned around sharply and walked away.

The one who caught him was a fellow elder who had attended the elders’ meeting together.

“Wasn’t the matter regarding Abbess Chongmu handled by the Sect Leader?”

At those words, the former Sect Leader sighed.

“It was merely because I had a connection with Abbess Chongmu in the past that I had no choice but to step forward in the first place.”

He waved his hand.

“Since it is now a stage where mutual communication has been sufficiently established, it does not matter who takes over the rest.”

Although he heard a voice calling him from behind, the former Sect Leader ignored it and took strides forward.

He roughly rubbed the back of his neck, where goosebumps had risen for no reason, after hearing about the Eldest Young Master’s first movement.

‘Do you think I would involve myself any deeper in a board where that devil-like bastard runs rampant?!’

It was when he was passing an intersection, avoiding carriages.

“Please wait a moment!”

Thinking someone was calling him, the former Sect Leader turned around and doubt arose in his eyes.

“You are…?”

* * *

A warehouse area inside the Luoyang Sword Family.

“If it is here, we can converse without watching eyes. So…”

The former Sect Leader spoke thus, looking at the other party with narrowed eyes.

“First, tell me from where you heard stories about the ‘gathering.'”

The other party, ‘Elder Son’ of the Second Young Master’s faction, sent him a short sound transmission.

It was a sound transmission regarding the source of information.

“…Hmm.”

The former Sect Leader let out a brief groan.

“Well, I cannot play dumb.”

He leaned back with his back against the cold wall of the warehouse.

“What are you curious about?”

Elder Son hesitated for a moment and finally opened his mouth.

“…Could I hear the reason why you withdrew from that ‘gathering,’ former Sect Leader?”

Having finished thinking for a moment, the former Sect Leader wore a twisted smile.

“…So you were the one who had been facing the Eldest Young Master on the Second Young Master’s side all this time.”

Elder Son affirmed with silence.

“It seems you have developed doubts about the one called the Eldest Young Master now?”

Elder Son asked a question back instead.

“…Former Sect Leader, do you think the Eldest Young Master handed over the Patriarch’s Official Seal to the council members because he had no choice?”

This time, the former Sect Leader closed his mouth.

And that silence was also a sufficient answer for Elder Son.

“…That ‘gathering’ is.”

After a moment, the former Sect Leader opened his mouth with a sigh.

“It is a non-partisan secret organization that conducted operations to keep down the Eldest Young Master’s influence, just in case he returned as he did now.”

“I heard there are also quite a few elders from our Second Young Master’s faction, the Third Young Master’s faction, and the neutral faction.”

The former Sect Leader nodded readily.

“Yes. But among them, I was the only one who knew the Eldest Young Master’s danger properly, at least.”

“…Former Sect Leader, what did you experience?”

The former Sect Leader mocked Elder Son, who asked such a question.

“Did you expect me to tell an old story that could potentially become a weakness to an elder of an opposing faction?”

“….”

Detaching his back from the wall, he headed outside the warehouse.

“I will tell you one last thing.”

The one who had grabbed the warehouse doorknob spoke without turning back.

“It will be safer to believe that all of the rumors about the Eldest Young Master are entirely true, rather than believing that some exaggerated parts are false.”

He giggled as he stepped out the door.

“Though I would only be treated as a madman for saying such words.”

He left, and the door closed.

“….”

Looking at the door for a moment, Elder Son looked up at the high ceiling of the warehouse.

“It is safer to believe all the rumors…?”

* * *

Past, the Luoyang Sword Family.

“How did you send the letter?”

The father asked with a stern face.

“Just in case, I sent the letter anonymously, following the security guidelines as I was taught.”

“Then how did you receive the invitation card?”

“According to security guidelines, I received it through the confidential reporting systems of the Outer Courtyard and Inner Courtyard.”

Only then did the father’s face soften slightly.

“…Well done.”

Having closed his eyes to think for a moment, the father opened his mouth.

“…In the future, if you wish to exchange letters with not just those old devils but with most people, make sure to use my name or a pseudonym.”

“…Yes. I will keep it in mind.”

“That is not all.”

The father looked down at young Yeon So-hyeon.

Those crystal-clear eyes that resembled his mother perfectly did not yet seem to have any fear of the world’s groundless ruthlessness and irrationality.

“From now on, you must not perform everything you do directly under your name until you become an adult.”

“….”

For young Yeon So-hyeon, who seemed somewhat dissatisfied, the father chose his words to add further explanation.

“Meaning…”

Young Yeon So-hyeon opened his mouth first.

“It is because Mother Ouyang and Mother Namgung gave birth to baby boys, is it not?”

“….”

How could this child be so intelligent?

Unlike the purity shown on the outside, was he already realizing even the dark side of the world?

The father swallowed a sigh inwardly.

“…Yes.”

Young Yeon So-hyeon continued his words.

“It is because my mother and I have no maternal relative forces to provide protection, is it not?”

“…That is also correct as you said.”

It was because the Luoyang Sword Family was a family where the rule that the eldest male inherits the family did not exist in the family law.

“This father is often away from the family due to issues in the South of the River. So…”

Young Yeon So-hyeon smiled bitterly.

“…I have heard that excessive jealousy makes people commit even unimaginable things.”

What should he say?

What would be good to say?

The father, who clenched his teeth, sat in front of his son and matched his eye level.

“…I have said it several times, but the next patriarch of this family is you, So-hyeon.”

The father faced young Yeon So-hyeon.

“So until you learn a way to protect yourself without even holding a sword, please endure until then.”

Young Yeon So-hyeon nodded.

“Yes, Father.”

Gently grasping his son’s shoulders with both hands and touching foreheads, the father spoke.

“…Please forgive this sinful father.”

Young Yeon So-hyeon merely smiled to comfort his father.

“Inner Courtyard Chief Manager!”

“Please command.”

The Inner Courtyard Chief Manager, who was waiting like a shadow, knelt down.

“You heard, right?”

“Yes. From now on, the Eldest Young Master’s name will not be mentioned more than necessary.”

That was when Yeon So-hyeon was four years old.

Since then, rumors about the Eldest Young Master who occasionally accomplished unbelievable achievements circulated in the Luoyang Sword Family, but they would soon fade away.

Even so, after the Bloody History, there were those of the topmost class who remembered the events of that time, at least partially.

By such people, the story that the Eldest Young Master’s strategy reached the heavens spread secretly with persuasiveness.