Volume 4 Chapter 2 – Lines and Boundaries

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Translated by Rain

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Elder Yeom asked the Chief Warrior, who looked clearly exhausted.

“So. How was it?”

The Chief Warrior slumped into the chair, shaking his head.

“Ah, I cannot even begin to describe it. Extreme penalties that have not been seen in the main family’s public venue for a while were just pouring out…”

Elder Yeom chuckled, his massive body shaking.

“It seems Elder Hwangbo, who was in charge of the trial, got excited after a long time.”

“If he gets excited just two more times, a sight that even the main family’s warriors cannot watch with sanity will unfold.”

The Chief Warrior shook his head.

“Yes. It must be at least that much to have the effect of making an example of them. How did the kids you took along react?”

The Chief Warrior raised his two hands.

“Do you not know even after seeing how exhausted I am? The apprentice warriors managed to walk back on their own two feet somehow, but those scholars…”

Elder Yeom burst into hearty laughter.

“Now those fellows will absolutely not be able to make light of the Eldest Young Master either.”

“That is for sure.”

The Chief Warrior nodded.

“On the way back, I even heard a story that ‘the Eldest Young Master killed all the Inner Courtyard managers because they did not pay for his books’.”

He shrugged his shoulders.

“At least, from now on, words like ‘the Swordless One’ or whatever will absolutely not come out of the mouths of the low-ranking servants.”

Elder Yeom’s eyebrows twitched.

“…Rumors again?”

The Chief Warrior looked up at Elder Yeom with an expression that said he did not know what he meant.

“Since an incident of this scale occurred, is it not natural that all kinds of rumors would spread?”

Elder Yeom leaned back.

“…I feel strange. It seems the Eldest Young Master’s aims have not ended yet.”

“His aims?”

“Gather all the advisors.”

* * *

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

Great Meeting Room.

The young scholars who had been waiting for the regular meeting gathered in groups of threes and fives, chatting.

The topic of their conversation was, naturally, about the Eldest Young Master.

A scholar whose face was dotted with acne brought up the topic.

“Hey. Did you hear the rumor about the book prices?”

“Of course I heard. They say the Swordless One exploded, mobilized the Inspection Department, and thoroughly shook down the Inner Courtyard?”

“They say two departments of the Guardian Pavilion also stepped out. It was just destroyed in a single night.”

“A huge storm of blood blew in the Central Square since this morning.”

“Look at that fellow over there. I heard he passed near the Central Square earlier, and his face is still pale white.”

“Ah, crazy… How should we call this? The Book Price Wrath Incident? The Book Price Massacre?”

Young scholars who looked slightly older were conversing in one corner.

“After all, that Swordless One is also a legitimate direct bloodline member of the main family. It can be called a foreseen result.”

“Everything progressed too fast, so they say there was not much our side could do.”

“I heard only the information-related personnel are dying of exhaustion. They say they cannot even go home from work lately.”

In another area, scholars who looked close to middle age were sharing a conversation.

“By the way, is the Eldest Young Master not currently in seclusion by the order of the Grand Patriarch? Is it alright for him to commit such an act?”

“If it is that kind of issue, the higher-ups will handle it appropriately on their own.”

“…Moreover, strictly speaking, it seems the Eldest Young Master did not necessarily violate his seclusion either.”

“True. This Sword Family is all his own home, so what problem could there be?”

“…So the logic is that he merely resolved a problem that occurred in his own home.”

At that moment, as the front door of the Great Meeting Room flung open, the crowd fell silent.

Through the open front door, a strategist with a long beard hurriedly showed his appearance.

“Now! Everyone, vacate this meeting room! Hand over! Hurry!”

At his words, everyone grumbled in low voices and packed up their belongings in a hurry.

“Honored Strategist.”

“What is it?”

A middle-aged scholar at the front bowed and opened his mouth.

“A regular meeting was scheduled here soon, what urgent matter has arisen?”

“Right now…”

The moment the long-bearded strategist opened his mouth to reply to him, strategists began to pour in through the front door.

“What are all these kids?! What are you doing still not vacating the meeting room?!”

At the shrill voice of a certain strategist, the scholars hurriedly grabbed their belongings and ran toward the back door.

“Hieek, it is Strategist Choi…!”

“Strategist Han is here too!”

“Run! Run!”

In an instant, the Great Meeting Room emptied like the ebbing tide.

“Control all doors, whether the front or back door! I mean, control the pavilion itself altogether!”

While the warriors swarmed in to reinforce the control, lower-ranking strategists hurriedly organized the Great Meeting Room and distributed the necessary confidential documents and reports to those seated.

“E-Excuse me, how should the tea be prepared…”

At the question of the manager responsible for the Great Meeting Room, Strategist Choi roared like thunder.

“Did you not hear me say I am controlling the pavilion earlier?! I mean, all of you get out of this pavilion right now too!”

Strategist Choi slammed the front door shut right in front of the manager’s eyes.

A strategist sitting behind smirked and whispered to the strategist next to him.

“That fellow, since he was thoroughly shaken down due to the Fourth Young Master’s case, seems to be venting his anger on the whole town lately.”

“His personality was originally garbage, but now no one can stop him. I heard the kids belonging to his division all want to go back to Jiangnan lately.”

Strategist Choi spat fire from his mouth.

“Will everyone not be quiet?!”

Along with his bark, the emergency meeting began.

A strategist of small stature stood on the platform and began to lead the proceedings.

“Surely there is no one among those present in this place who did not feel a problem in the Eldest Young Master’s steps.”

He held up a document.

“Those who have not yet read Strategist Han Myeong-hwi’s emergency report, check the contents even now.”

A seriousness settled also on the faces of the strategists who had maintained a shred of composure until then.

* * *

“How is the reaction of the Third Young Master’s side?”

One of the strategist groups in charge of the Third Young Master answered from their seat.

“It seems they also started an emergency meeting around the same time as us. It means we are not the only ones taking this situation seriously.”

Another strategist opened his mouth.

“Then, should we also verify the rumor that was circulating earlier, that the Eldest Young Master is conducting a business together with the Fourth Young Master?”

“But since the listening posts we had planted on the Fourth Young Master’s side have all been cut off…”

“It is hard inside, but did we not still have personnel monitoring the trends regarding the progress of the Fourth Young Master’s business outside the Sword Family?”

The gaze of the strategists glanced at Strategist Choi.

Strategist Choi spoke while trembling.

“Do not look at me with those eyes! Because currently, they have all been reassigned to trace the rumors about the Eldest Young Master or to the Inner Courtyard incident.”

The small-stature strategist nodded.

“Since that was a matter decided entirely in the meeting, it is better to move past it.”

“First, the intention is important. We must think about why the Eldest Young Master began his moves at a time like this.”

“The reason he remained silent until now also needs to be analyzed from various aspects.”

“Honestly, what benefit is there for the Eldest Young Master to jump into the successor competition at this point?”

“Is there even a chance of winning in the first place?”

“According to what we calculated, the Eldest Young Master’s chance of winning was predicted to be virtually nonexistent.”

“If so…”

“Even starting now, we must strengthen our rumor campaign against the Eldest Young Master. We must spread the infamy of the ‘Swordless One’ more actively…”

“Such things have ceased to be any countermeasure since the procession of extreme penalties began in the Central Square today.”

“I know there are maids who recently joined Pavilion of Perfect Enlightenment. According to information received from the Inner Courtyard, we should also bear in mind the possibility that they are behind this…”

“Mere female interference? Did you go on vacation to Hangzhou and leave your mind behind there?”

“What?!”

The discussion continued intensely for a while.

To raise their own value, the lower-ranking strategists raised their voices without exception.

And the higher-ranking strategists compiled their thoughts while referring to their discussion and occasionally correcting the direction of the debate.

“This strategist will say a word.”

As Han Myeong-hwi stood up, the gaze of the crowd concentrated on him.

“All of this arose because the Grand Patriarch’s order given to the Eldest Young Master was in the ambiguous form of ‘seclusion’.”

While looking at Han Myeong-hwi displeasingly, Strategist Choi nodded nonetheless.

“I agree. Seclusion is a form of disciplinary action that does not legally exist in the Sword Family Code of Law.”

Another high-ranking strategist also opened his mouth.

“In the first place, the interpretation of it as a disciplinary action is merely arbitrary. It is just interpreted from the fact that he specifically ‘ordered’ seclusion under the circumstances.”

Han Myeong-hwi continued his words again.

“Therefore, this strategist judges that the Eldest Young Master is currently ‘stepping on the line’.”

“Stepping on the line…”

A high-ranking strategist said, stroking his beard.

“Is it that he is attempting to make moves because seclusion is not subject to legal restrictions…?”

“To be more precise, it would be correct to interpret that he intends to expand his boundaries of activity as he steps on the line.”

For a moment, the meeting hall sank into silence.

The strategist of small stature tapped the platform.

“…If that interpretation is correct, it would be right to view the Eldest Young Master’s Inner Courtyard incident as merely a beginning. However, I think it is a time when we must approach with more perspectives.”

Han Myeong-hwi shook his head.

“As time passes, we will lose the justification to control the Eldest Young Master’s moves.”

Another high-ranking strategist also nodded.

“If we start responding now, we might be able to block him at least within the Sword Family. But what if it is after he steps out to Luoyang? What if it is after he expands his range of activity to the entire Henan Province?”

“In the end, by what justification will we stop him when he crosses the Yangtze River?”

“Then, should we not force him not to operate in the first place?”

“Or even strip him of his successor qualifications altogether?”

The meeting hall became noisy for a while.

At that time, a lower-ranking strategist cautiously opened his mouth.

“…Excuse me, if the Eldest Young Master runs wild to that extent, would the Grand Patriarch who issued the seclusion order not stop him directly?”

The high-ranking strategists fell silent all at once.

They seemed to know something, but no one spoke about it.

Although every strategist present in this place was qualified to handle classified information in the Second Young Master’s camp, the secret matters of the Luoyang Sword Family were another story.

Wondering if his remark had offended their feelings, the lower-ranking strategist was flustered.

“I-I am sorry…”

Just then, the front door opened, and an old man with a sturdy build showed his appearance.

At that, all the strategists stood up from their seats and bowed to him.

The strategist of small stature came down from the platform and greeted him as the representative.

“Greetings to the Elder of the main family.”

The old man raised his hand to accept the greetings and looked around the crowd.

“I am sorry. Could everyone except for the Chief Strategist class vacate their seats?”

It was the start of the full-scale meeting.