Volume 4 Chapter 13 – Celebratory Drink

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Translated by Rain

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Luoyang Sword Family, Third Young Master’s camp.

On the top floor of a massive five-story pavilion, two people sat facing each other.

The old man in crimson silk clothes possessed the air of a Daoist immortal, and his deep eyes were filled with profound mysteries.

The middle-aged man sitting opposite him wore white silk clothes and was a dignified, handsome man whose eyes flashed with intuition.

Behind each of the two men, scholars in crimson robes and scholars in white robes lay prostrate, respectively.

Through the open window, a hawk flew in.

It was the messenger hawk of the Third Young Master.

The crimson-robed scholar calmed the messenger hawk, while the white-robed scholar secured the letter and politely spread it out between the two Great Tacticians.

The middle-aged man in white, peering at the letter, spoke first.

“Teacher Sima. The Supreme Operations Committee kept its promise.”

The old man in crimson, addressed as Teacher Sima, stroked his beard.

“Just as Brother Zhuge predicted, they took back the Patriarch’s Seal instead of keeping the Eldest Young Master’s confinement.”

The middle-aged man in white, called Brother Zhuge, bowed his head.

“This time, this tactician was lucky.”

Teacher Sima slowly nodded.

“Brother Zhuge, do you think we must respond directly to the Eldest Young Master from now on?”

The middle-aged man called Brother Zhuge took a sip of tea and fell into thought for a moment.

“…When checking the records, the Eldest Young Master was indeed threatening. However, the Eldest Young Master back then was backed by the Patriarch of that time. As of now, he is only a single person and does not even have a proper faction.”

“I agree. For the time being, the most he can do is mobilize his personal intellect, just like this Inner Courtyard incident.”

“And unless we look inside his personal mind, it is also highly difficult to predict what he will do.”

Those prostrate behind them were recording their conversation in unison.

“If so…?”

“I believe it is sufficient to adopt reactive response as our principle for the time being. As long as he does not have the Patriarch’s Seal, he can no longer be a decisive threat.”

“…You are correct. By stripping him of the Patriarch’s Seal, the biggest problem is practically resolved. At present, he is an existence even lesser than the Fourth Young Master.”

“Then, continuing the discussion on this matter any further would be a waste of time.”

“Let us rest for a moment and move on to the next agenda item.”

The opinions of the two Great Tacticians reached an agreement.

The crimson-robed scholars and the white-robed scholars went down the stairs in unison to convey the guidelines they had received.

They would deliver the Great Tacticians’ guidelines to the tacticians filling the five-story pavilion.

Teacher Sima, who was drinking tea, looked at the middle-aged man.

“Brother Zhuge. Something seems to be weighing on your mind.”

“No, it is just…”

Teacher Sima sipped his tea and quietly waited for the middle-aged man to continue.

“…I am just slightly disappointed because everything flowed exactly as expected.”

A gloomy look cast over his handsome face.

“Is the Eldest Young Master, whom so many in this Sword Family feared, only of this level?”

Teacher Sima burst into laughter.

“Do not worry, Brother Zhuge. Is the Eldest Young Master not a man who has been freed from confinement now? In the future, he will have plenty of opportunities to meet your expectations.”

“I only hope so.”

The scholars returned and presented a new agenda item to them.

Teacher Sima spread open the scroll and spoke to him.

“For now, we must focus on the Second Young Master, who is our greatest threat.”

“They are the true threat indeed.”

The setting sun was casting its light from outside.

* * *

Second Young Master’s camp,

Office of Tactician Han Myeong-hwi.

Han Myeong-hwi, who was pacing around his empty office with an anxious look, shouted at the sound of knocking on the door.

“Come in!”

“Excuse me.”

The door opened, and the one who revealed himself was none other than Elder Son.

“Elder! How dare I be so impolite…!”

Elder Son waved his hand.

“It is fine. It is my fault for visiting without any notice. Do not worry about it.”

With that, Elder Son handed a note to Han Myeong-hwi.

“You said the problem was that the information tacticians could access was limited, right?”

Han Myeong-hwi took the note with a dazed expression.

“What is this…?”

Elder Son wore a benevolent smile.

“Tactician Han. This is the report of victory for you.”

At his words, Han Myeong-hwi hastily opened the note and read it.

“…Confinement of the Eldest Young Master lifted. Patriarch’s Seal sealed. Congratulations, Tactician Han. Second Young Master, Yeon Ja-cheong.”

It was thrilling.

For a moment, Han Myeong-hwi let out a silent shout.

Watching this, Elder Son burst into a hearty laugh and pulled out a small ceramic wine jar from his bosom.

“Bestowed directly by our Lord as a victory wine, this is Seonha Daegok. It is an extremely precious liquor. Do you have cups?”

Han Myeong-hwi hurriedly rummaged through the drawers and took out two cups.

Elder Son personally poured the liquor into the cups he held.

A refreshing yet pungent, strong aroma filled the room.

The two immediately clinked their cups in celebration and drained them in one gulp.

Elder Son leaned against the desk in a relaxed posture.

“Our Lord was highly satisfied with your achievement this time. Therefore, he decided to appoint you to be in charge of the Eldest Young Master from now on.”

The fine wine of victory was sweet.

However, the reward was even sweeter.

“I will continue to do my best in the future.”

“You just need to do exactly as you did this time.”

Elder Son poured more liquor into his empty cup once again and continued.

“Everyone points to the slum development project with the Fourth Young Master as the Eldest Young Master’s first move. Is your prediction the same?”

“Yes, it is.”

Elder Son nodded.

“If that is the case, work closely with the private division of Tactician Choi, who is in charge of the Fourth Young Master, to resolve this matter.”

“Actually, I was already carrying out a certain task together with Tactician Choi even now.”

Han Myeong-hwi smiled.

“Oh, really? What is it?”

While holding his cup, Han Myeong-hwi searched for one of the documents piled high on his desk and spread it open.

“Recently, there was a delay in the work because of the Eldest Young Master, but I was in the middle of searching for the lost Sword Family Bronze Plaque.”

“Indeed.”

“Also, I was tracing the external source of the rumors about the Eldest Young Master.”

Han Myeong-hwi pointed to a section of the document.

“And Tactician Choi was tracing the Fourth Young Master’s business plans externally, on behalf of the ‘ears’ we lost internally.”

A thick smile spread across Han Myeong-hwi’s lips.

“He and I were able to find a single name that matched at the same time.”

Elder Son read the point he was pointing to.

“…Lord of the Crescent Moon Pavilion?”

As Elder Son tried to search his memory, Han Myeong-hwi waved his hand.

“He is not a prominent figure that Elder Son would remember. He is merely an informant who is only slightly known in the marketplaces of Luoyang.”

“But to think that such a person is related to all of those matters?”

“We will have to hear the details directly from the person themselves.”

“Proceed with it immediately.”

Han Myeong-hwi pointed behind Elder Son.

“It is already underway.”

At his words, Elder Son looked around his empty office.

“…So that is why the office was empty!”

A deep smile hung on the corner of Han Myeong-hwi’s mouth.

“By now, my subordinates should already be surrounding the Crescent Moon Pavilion.”

* * *

At a time when darkness had fallen.

Luoyang, near the Crescent Moon Pavilion.

“We have completed the surrounding. Now, not even a single rat will be able to escape.”

A warrior of the Luoyang Sword Family submitted a report to Han Myeong-hwi’s closest tactician.

“Good. Continue the surrounding until separate instructions are given.”

Although the surrounding was successfully completed, for some reason, the closest tactician frowned as he looked at the pavilion where the Crescent Moon Pavilion was located.

“…To think this is the pavilion of a mere informant?”

The tacticians in charge of information belonging to the Great Immortal Merchant Group nearby reported.

“Originally, they leased and used two floors of a pavilion in the main street, but they say they recently purchased the entire pavilion you see now.”

“No matter how rapidly they sold information related to the Eldest Young Master and the Fourth Young Master’s business recently, the calculations do not add up.”

“Shall we investigate the source of their funds separately?”

The closest tactician shook his head.

“No. We just need to check with the person directly. Order them to clear the path.”

The warriors rushed in first, and there was no resistance to the point of futility.

If there was anyone on this Luoyang soil who resisted even after seeing the emblem of the Luoyang Sword Family, they were either Demonic Cultists, rebels, or those with a death wish.

Leaving behind the personnel of the Great Immortal Merchant Group who were performing a secret mission under concealed identities, Han Myeong-hwi’s closest aides stepped inside the pavilion.

“They say the Lord of the Crescent Moon Pavilion is in the office.”

They went straight to the office.

The door was flung open by the warriors.

The only thing illuminating the neatly decorated office was a single lamp on the desk.

Han Myeong-hwi’s tactician asked the person sitting at the office desk.

She was flawless enough to be called a beautiful woman.

However, if there was a flaw, it was that her aura appeared far too fierce.

“Are you the wench called the Lord of the Crescent Moon Pavilion?”

At his insulting words, the bodyguard standing like a shadow behind the Lord of the Crescent Moon Pavilion winced, but the Lord of the Crescent Moon Pavilion raised her hand to stop her.

“Yes, I am the Lord of the Crescent Moon Pavilion.”

Her sole eye, which had been buried comfortably in the chair with a languid expression, turned toward them.

“…Are you that famous Jiangnan Private Division of the Second Young Master?”

At her remark of casually calling the Second Young Master, the warriors of the Luoyang Sword Family placed their hands on their swords this time.

“The wench is indeed at a level where she can go around calling herself an informant.”

The Lord of the Crescent Moon Pavilion, Se-ah, smiled faintly and put the long tobacco pipe she held to her lips.

“Of course. This body is a successful informant. I also know that you belong to the division of the one called ‘Tactician Han’.”

“…A mere informant wench knows far too many things she does not need to know.”

Han Myeong-hwi’s aides were not entirely composed of tacticians.

“Originally, we planned to conduct a brief interrogation here, but we changed our minds. We shall escort you to the Sword Family.”

One of them held a Japanese sword and approached her.

Although his momentum quietly swept through the office, she exhaled smoke with a relaxed demeanor.

“Seeing how you grip that Japanese sword, you must be the Sheathed Blade Hound, the killer hound of Fuzhou.”

She sneered at the man called the Sheathed Blade Hound.

“Are you not still wanted in Fujian Province? If I report you, I would make quite a bit of pocket money.”

The Sheathed Blade Hound’s murderous intent exploded.

And even faster than that, his Japanese sword was drawn as if it were launched.

“…!”

His Japanese sword, which was about to slice the bridge of the Lord of the Crescent Moon Pavilion’s nose in a single breath, was blocked before it could even be fully drawn.

It was the work of the expressionless woman standing like a shadow behind the Lord of the Crescent Moon Pavilion.

She struck the tsuba of the Japanese sword to block the draw, and then pointed her blade at the Sheathed Blade Hound’s Adam’s apple.

Second Sword, Torrent.

It was the moment when the technique of unity of offense and defense was unfolded, severing and suppressing the pulse of the opponent’s attack and launching a counterattack with the remaining force.

The warriors of the Luoyang Sword Family drew their swords all at once and pointed them at the two women.

Han Myeong-hwi’s tactician looked at the Lord of the Crescent Moon Pavilion with an absurd expression.

“Just what are you relying on to turn against someone from the Luoyang Sword Family?”

“What am I relying on?”

She smiled, grinning.

“Right here.”

She picked up the object resting on the desk and showed it to them.

“Th-The Sword Family Bronze Plaque?!”

The Lord of the Crescent Moon Pavilion rose from her seat while holding the Sword Family Bronze Plaque.

“For your information, if you look at the serial number of this, you will see it is not the Sword Family Bronze Plaque that the bitch Geum-ju had.”

“Th-Then…?!”

The smile playing on her lips grew even thicker.

“I have no loyalty to speak of to thieves who barge in in the middle of the night.”

She pointed at the door with the hand holding the Sword Family Bronze Plaque.

“All of you, get out before I file a formal protest with the Luoyang Sword Family.”