Volume 4 Chapter 12 – Manipulator

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Translated by Rain

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Yeon So-hyeon rested his arm outside the window and enjoyed the cold wind.

At that sight, the commander sitting opposite him cautiously spoke.

“Eldest Young Master, exposing your face outside is, according to the Institution’s guidelines…”

“Be quiet.”

“…”

Remembering the warning of Cheongsu, the senior commander who had handed over the duties to him, he shut his mouth in silence.

‘If you get on the bad side of the Eldest Young Master, your life in the Sword Family will become truly tiring.’

He did not understand why getting on the bad side of the Eldest Young Master was related to one’s life in the Sword Family getting twisted.

Although he, the youngest command warrior who had been promoted quickly, had plenty of experience as a warrior, there were still many things he did not know about the society of the highest class.

Therefore, his senior’s warning was always worth a thousand pieces of gold.

In his experience so far, even if a senior’s warning did not earn him a thousand gold pieces, did it not at least prevent him from losing a thousand gold pieces?

“…”

From the sight of the command warrior sitting huddled in the corner, Yeon So-hyeon could read ‘many things’.

The warriors of the Institution, who always moved as one with his father, had been the most interesting ‘playmates’ for Yeon So-hyeon during his childhood.

How delightful it had been every time he broke down those who appeared as cold as an ice wall.

Perhaps because of that, even now, whenever he saw the warriors of the Institution, the desire to tease them naturally welled up.

“Hey.”

“…Yes?”

His eyes, visible through the eyeholes of his mask, were reminiscent of a startled rabbit’s eyes.

“Pass a word to the command warrior who dragged me to the stone cave earlier.”

He bowed his head.

“Well, according to the guidelines, doing personal errands is…”

“Be quiet. You’re the youngest among the commanders, right? Or the second from the bottom.”

“Uh, the Eldest Young Master does not have the authority to handle information on personnel belonging to the Institution…”

“Even without such authority, I can tell just by looking at how you act.”

“…”

“That guy had quite a temper, and you get picked on a lot by him too, don’t you? He always picks on you, right? And in a really irritating way, too?”

The words of Yeon So-hyeon, who intentionally used the ‘warriors’ slang’, were somehow full of persuasiveness.

“…”

“So cooperate with me. If you just deliver this message, I guarantee you will be able to see him constantly on edge in the future.”

It was the tongue of a devil.

“…”

Understanding his silent affirmation, Yeon So-hyeon spoke in a gentle, quiet tone.

“I was almost dragged to the front of the stone cave back then. That is why my shoulders and arms are still stiff even now, you see?”

Yeon So-hyeon smiled, revealing his white teeth.

“Deliver a letter saying that this Yeon So-hyeon will personally remember that grudge forever. Write it in code, so no one knows who wrote it.”

“…”

After glancing left and right, he quickly nodded his head, lest anyone see.

Yeon So-hyeon chuckled.

Unlike his past self, his current self found it incredibly delightful to settle such small grudges.

He tapped on the ceiling.

“Hey, guys! Pick up the pace a bit more! The sun is about to set!”

As Yeon So-hyeon shouted, the commander immediately issued instructions via sound transmission.

Inside the four-person palanquin that rushed down the empty street like an arrow, Yeon So-hyeon burst into cheerful laughter.

The Institution, which everyone in the Luoyang Sword Family found uncomfortable to deal with.

Although almost no one who remembered him remained in that Institution now.

Nevertheless, he, met the younger brother of his old acquaintance, forged a precious connection, and at the same time obtained an important contact to intervene in the matters of the Institution; imprinted upon the warriors guarding the meeting hall the sight of him getting away without any trouble even after standing up to the members of the Supreme Operations Committee; implanted the name of Pavilion of Perfect Enlightenment in the mind of the once-renowned command warrior who was contemplating retirement; would instill fear in the insolent command warrior who had mocked him as the Swordless One while directly or indirectly remembering him; and made the youngest command warrior, who was meeting him for the first time, run errands according to his intentions and move his subordinates according to his will.

Having once tasted what it was like to hold hands with Yeon So-hyeon, this young command warrior would never be able to forget that taste in the future.

All of this had unfolded in less than half a day since he had encountered them.

* * *

Inside the Scripture of Controlling Darkness and Shaking the Heavens.

“It was very enjoyable! It was extremely amusing!”

The Fallen Immortal clapped his hands and rejoiced.

“Since I was imprisoned here, it has been a long time since I have seen such an entertaining spectacle.”

“I am glad you enjoyed it, Elder.”

“Moreover, to successfully take action while suppressing that Scripture of Controlling Darkness and Shaking the Heavens!”

Yeon So-hyeon, who was sitting on the edge of the stone coffin, shrugged his shoulders.

The Fallen Immortal, his eyes flashing, asked Yeon So-hyeon.

“If so, was it not you, before becoming the chosen one, who replaced the members of the Supreme Committee by exposing their identities from the past?”

“Yes, that is correct. It was the minimum amount of activity I could perform for my father’s family while protecting my mother’s seal, which had been cracked during the Blood History.”

“Remarkable!”

“…At that time, that was all I could do.”

“Unlike now, of course.”

Yeon So-hyeon laughed together with the Fallen Immortal, who wore a devious smile.

The corpses inside the stone coffin wailed together.

“Then, then tell me.”

“Yes.”

The Fallen Immortal asked excitedly.

“From the very moment you began spreading rumors, your ultimate goal was only one. It was to make the confinement order officially lifted!”

“That is right.”

Yeon So-hyeon nodded and added an explanation.

“In the first place, because I was in confinement, there was no way for me to contact the Supreme Operations Committee directly.”

The Supreme Operations Committee was not a group of people he could meet at his whim just because he wanted to.

“You touched the Inner Courtyard for that purpose. You made others feel a sense of alarm at your actions!”

“In addition, I dealt with the administrators who were being troublesome at every turn, and created a way to reclaim the budget that I had not received.”

“Indeed! I saw it too!”

* * *

“I know this is far from enough to count as compensation, but…”

Having gathered the opinions, the chairman said to Yeon So-hyeon.

“This Supreme Operations Committee will spare no effort in supporting Pavilion of Perfect Enlightenment by simplifying all administrative procedures so that it can regain its functions as quickly as possible.”

Yeon So-hyeon shrugged his shoulders.

“In particular, please speak well to the Chief Manager of the Inner Courtyard. I need to receive what the Inner Courtyard has pocketed from my share of the budget all this time.”

After a short while, the voice of a Supreme Committee member was heard.

“…Do you prefer cash? Or promissory notes?”

“Half and half, please. Let the guarantor of the notes be in the name of the Supreme Operations Committee.”

“We will process it immediately.”

“Thank you.”

“It is nothing.”

Yeon So-hyeon spoke next.

“And deliver this to the Guard Captain as well. If he detains and delays the book merchant entering Pavilion of Perfect Enlightenment without reason just one more time, I will personally visit the Guard Headquarters.”

“…We will ensure such a thing does not happen.”

Yeon So-hyeon nodded in satisfaction.

“And those Warrior Chiefs who intentionally make their forces jog along the walls of Pavilion of Perfect Enlightenment every dawn while singing military songs…”

“We will handle that as well.”

“And there is more.”

“…”

* * *

“Th-That was also very amusing.”

The Fallen Immortal doubled over with laughter.

Tumbling backward, he crushed the corpses inside the stone coffin.

Yeon So-hyeon smiled awkwardly.

“…If it were the past me, these were matters I would have just let slide.”

“Above all…”

The Fallen Immortal wiped away the discharge that spilled out instead of tears.

“I was most surprised by the fact that you did not really ‘do anything’ to achieve what you ultimately aimed for this time!”

He spoke in a dramatic fuss.

“In fact, all you did to lift the confinement was summon that inspecting investigator!”

“Do you mean Kang-ho?”

“Indeed! You only called a single inspector investigator, and before anyone knew it, the Elders’ Council convened!”

And the Elders’ Council, due to the elders who took Yeon So-hyeon’s issue seriously, caused Yeon So-hyeon to be summoned to the Supreme Operations Committee.

“And the Supreme Operations Committee, due to their original sins, had no choice but to lift the confinement order placed on you!”

“Since the past me had already replaced all the members of the Supreme Committee who could become problems, I could be certain from the very beginning.”

In truth, lifting his confinement was impossible in any other way.

Even if it were possible, it would have taken too long, or there would have been too many factors that could become troublesome.

In the first place, for him to even reach the Supreme Operations Committee now was a colossal obstacle in itself.

However, by merely triggering the sense of crisis within the highest class of the family, he had been able to settle all procedures with lightning speed.

The Fallen Immortal smacked his lips.

“But tell me. That Patriarch’s Seal. Was it not a waste? Wouldn’t there be a place to use it even later?”

Yeon So-hyeon laughed out loud.

“It might feel regrettable for now. But no one would have allowed me to lift the confinement while holding the Patriarch’s Seal. Besides…”

“Besides?”

Yeon So-hyeon smiled cryptically.

“Holding the Patriarch’s Seal would have caused me to face extremely troublesome problems later on.”

“…I see! You already knew what would happen because of the Patriarch’s Seal!”

He nodded repeatedly, highly satisfied.

“It was enjoyable. Very enjoyable. I do not know how many of the chosen ones so far have displayed their true abilities as much as you.”

Yeon So-hyeon’s eyes widened.

“Oh, are you satisfied already?”

The Fallen Immortal leaped up.

“What! Is there still something left?!”

Yeon So-hyeon smiled.

“Regrettably, time is up. You will understand all the remaining things if you watch in the future.”

The Fallen Immortal could not hide his disappointment.

“Just tell me one thing! Just one! That remaining thing is because of what you did outside the family in your spare time, right…?!”

The Fallen Immortal’s voice drifted away.

* * *

Returning to reality from the internal space, Yeon So-hyeon smiled as he felt the cold wind.

‘As for the two newly joined members of the Supreme Committee… I will watch them a bit more for now.’

He had already figured out who they were.

No matter how much they altered their voices, used shadows as body doubles, or absolutely refrained from speaking of personal matters, it was useless.

There was a secret guideline they followed to hide their identities.

However, that the guideline had been written by the hand of the young Yeon So-hyeon, who was helping with his father’s work in the past.

Could they possibly even imagine such a thing?

Add to that the verbal habits slipped out unconsciously, their reactions when provoked, their reactions when past stories were brought up, and the sources of the phrases they mainly used or quoted, merely having the opportunity to have a proper conversation once or twice was enough.

Furthermore, he was now the chosen one of the Scripture of Controlling Darkness and Shaking the Heavens.

If he only caught a few glimpses of the memories of the vengeful spirits venting their grudges against them, he could know not only their identities but also all the secrets they wished to hide.

The roster of the Supreme Operations Committee, which belonged to the greatest secrets of the Luoyang Sword Family, was already entirely in his head.

“Yeehaw! Run, run!”

“E-Eldest Young Master, it is dangerous!”

He was so excited that he could not contain himself.

Now there were no restrictions or limits for him.

The things that the past Yeon So-hyeon had done out of goodwill were meeting the things that the current Yeon So-hyeon was doing out of malice, bearing fruit.

From far away, the southeast wind was blowing.

* * *

Every piece was piling up according to his intentions.

Until all those pieces were piled up, no one would know the full picture.

Except for Yeon So-hyeon himself.