Chapter 84
Part 9: Laughing in Scorn
The newly appointed female supreme member was briefly at a loss for words, but then she opened her mouth again.
“Eldest Young Master. This supreme member expresses gratitude for your spirit of sacrifice for the main clan. At the same time, as a member of the Supreme Operations Council, I apologize for this council’s actions.”
Yeon Sang-hyeon shook his head.
“I already received that apology long ago, in this very council.”
“...Then—”
“The reason I brought this up again is because you people, who hid that fact, dared to use it as the basis for a deal with the Second and Third Young Masters.”
The newly appointed female supreme member held her breath.
They had hidden the goodwill the Eldest Young Master had shown and had not made it public.
And then, to the Second and Third Young Masters, who knew nothing of that fact, they had made a deal, saying they would prevent the Eldest Young Master from wielding the clan-head seal.
She herself had also been present at that deal.
She opened her mouth with some difficulty.
“Eldest Young Master. Regarding that deal, this supreme member—”
“Wait.”
A supreme member who had remained silent until then cut her off.
“That deal was something this council had no choice but to make in order to keep the promise we made to you, so that we could repay the goodwill you had shown us.”
“Is that so?”
“That is so.”
“It does not seem that promise is being properly kept right now.”
“...We are making efforts.”
By this point, the newly appointed female supreme member had no choice but to admit it inwardly.
The same was true for the newly appointed male supreme member.
The chairman’s words during the preliminary meeting before the Eldest Young Master arrived had been correct.
This meeting could not proceed with anything decided in advance without the person concerned, Yeon Sang-hyeon.
And such a conversation could never be left on record.
She closed her mouth.
***
For a while, a long silence settled over them.
It was a dizzying and confusing situation.
After organizing his thoughts, the newly appointed male supreme member cautiously spoke.
“...Could someone explain what promise this council made to the Eldest Young Master at the time?”
The supreme member who had just spoken with Yeon Sang-hyeon answered.
“This council made one promise to the Eldest Young Master at that time.”
He continued calmly.
“That we would ensure the competition between the successors did not lead to a large-scale conflict.”
The newly appointed female supreme member sighed.
“I understand. I also understand that both of your statements are correct.”
She continued.
“The deal with the Second and Third Young Masters was inevitable in order to keep the promise made to the Eldest Young Master.”
She reflected on that time.
“What this council demanded of them was that they must observe several rules to prevent the competition from intensifying. And...”
She rubbed her temple and continued.
“...Also, this council is gradually losing control over the successor competition.”
Another supreme member added,
“Of course, we are still perfectly controlling the successor competition for now.”
“But as time passes...”
Yet another supreme member continued,
“It will become increasingly difficult to stop the power holders inside and outside the main clan from openly supporting the successor they have chosen.”
If the Second and Third Young Masters continued competing in an evenly matched state as they were now, there was no doubt that those supporting them would snowball in number.
The newly appointed female supreme member sighed.
“And eventually, that will become a landslide that cannot be stopped.”
“And even if someone begins to gain the upper hand, the same problem will occur.”
There was no way those who had expanded their influence by tightly banding together until that point would meekly accept defeat and step aside.
No, rather, they would begin to act the moment defeat drew near.
Yet there was neither justification nor means to stop them from expanding their influence from now on.
One supreme member asked Yeon Sang-hyeon,
“...Then, Eldest Young Master, you have decided to resolve this matter yourself.”
“That is correct.”
Yeon Sang-hyeon straightened his shoulders and looked down on them.
“Today, I request that the Supreme Operations Council, in its capacity as acting clan head, officially and publicly withdraw the seclusion order imposed upon me.”
A long silence followed, and then one of the supreme members opened his mouth.
“I understand what you mean. Then, from this point on—”
At that moment, the newly appointed male supreme member cut him off.
“This supreme member objects.”
Just as everyone was about to be rendered speechless, he asserted his position even more forcefully.
“Rather, even now, the seclusion order against Eldest Young Master Yeon Sang-hyeon should be made more specific, and he should be confined entirely to Wongakjeong! And if possible, he should be placed under house arrest!”
Once again, everyone fell silent.
However, the newly appointed female supreme member also let out a sigh and carefully expressed agreement with his words.
“...I know it is shameless, but it is an argument with merit.”
Yeon Sang-hyeon remained expressionless.
Unable to look directly at his face, she continued speaking.
“All the supreme members here agree that the Eldest Young Master’s abilities are outstanding.”
She closed her eyes instead and spoke.
“However, precisely because the Eldest Young Master’s abilities are outstanding, if his seclusion is lifted, the competition will escape this council’s control even faster.”
Yeon Sang-hyeon asked in the direction from which her voice came.
“Even if I give up the clan-head seal here?”
Her eyes shook violently.
“...That is—”
The newly appointed male supreme member drew the line in her place, as she could not bring herself to finish.
“It does not matter. Without the clan-head seal, you will resort to even more extreme methods, and the result will appear the same.”
Yeon Sang-hyeon asked again,
“Even if I say I will follow the rules you have set?”
“That is correct. This supreme member knows that the Eldest Young Master has the ability to twist the rules as skillfully as he pleases.”
The newly appointed female supreme member nodded.
“...That is something this supreme member agrees with as well. In the end, the struggle between the Eldest Young Master, who will try to twist the rules, and this council, which will try to regulate him, will cause a massive rift within the main clan.”
Yeon Sang-hyeon shook his head.
“...Since this is all happening because my abilities are far too outstanding, I have nothing to say. But even so, don’t you think that is a little too much?”
“I had not intended to say even this...!”
At his calm, almost shameless attitude even in such a situation, the newly appointed male supreme member clicked his tongue.
“Do you not think that the very act of the Eldest Young Master trying to step forward now is shameless to begin with?”
“Supreme member...! I understand what you mean, but please be a little careful with your words...”
Yeon Sang-hyeon shook his head.
“Not at all.”
“Do you not even think of the blood that innocent people of the main clan will shed because you, Eldest Young Master, step forward now?”
“I do not understand what you mean.”
Yeon Sang-hyeon gave a twisted smile.
“If blood flows because I, a direct blood relative of the Yeon family, assert my rightful authority within the Yeon clan...”
His gaze sharpened.
“Then the price of that blood is naturally something my family must pay.”
Beneath the pouring sunlight, Yeon Sang-hyeon bared his teeth.
“Do not delude yourselves into thinking you are the masters of this family.”
The supreme members held their breath.
“Eldest Young Master...! You should also be careful with your words! This council has had its current position recognized through legitimate procedure.”
Yeon Sang-hyeon sneered.
“Do not talk to me about legitimate procedure. You thieves.”
“What...?!”
She was rendered speechless, too dumbfounded to speak.
“...Yeon Sang-hyeon, you bastard!”
The newly appointed male supreme member trembled with rage.
“What a shameless young wretch you are!”
His shout, filled with inner force, rang loudly through the stone cavern.
“When your father, the Grand Elder Clan Head, collapsed in the past, were you not the one who gave up the rightful line of succession?!”
He raged.
“If you had stepped forward then and faithfully fulfilled the role of acting clan head with those abilities you are so proud of, the main clan would never have ended up in this complicated situation!”
He pointed at Yeon Sang-hyeon.
“And now a bastard like you dares talk about the price of blood?! Now you say you cannot trust us, so you must step forward yourself?! You...!”
As his words seemed likely to grow too heated, the newly appointed female supreme member cut in.
“Eldest Young Master! I understand that you feel wronged and angry, but this council has proven its ability with excellent results up to now! So trust us and...!”
Her words were true.
Under the Supreme Operations Council system, the Sword Clan had continued to grow at a terrifying pace every year.
But Yeon Sang-hyeon could not hold back and burst into laughter.
It was uproarious laughter.
“You have proven your ability...? I should trust you...?”
He even rolled around on the floor.
Her deep patience snapped there.
“Eldest Young Master Yeon Sang-hyeon! Your arrogance has truly reached its peak!”
“It seems you will not come to your senses until you shed tears of blood from your eyes!”
“...Everyone, stop.”
It was the chairman’s voice.
But no one paid any attention to that powerless voice.
Still lying where he was, Yeon Sang-hyeon spoke toward them.
“Is it not you who have reached the height of arrogance, and you who will not come to your senses until tears of blood flow from your eyes?”
“What?! You lunatic! Now that nothing is going your way, you think everything that spills from your mouth counts as words!”
“The crime of insulting the Supreme Operations Council is subject to summary punishment, so feel for yourself just how terrifying that crime is!”
It was unclear which of the two newly appointed supreme members pulled the cord to announce an emergency first.
But in any case, bells rang loudly outside, and the Institution warriors who had been waiting beyond the door immediately poured in.
“Drag this man down to his knees at once! We will judge him summarily here and now!”
“If necessary, I will stake my position as a supreme member to have Yeon Sang-hyeon, you bastard, punished today!”
At that shout, the Institution warriors hurriedly approached Yeon Sang-hyeon.
Yeon Sang-hyeon ignored them.
He merely lay there and gave a twisted smile in the chairman’s direction.
“Everyone, leave!”
When the chairman’s roar of anger finally burst out, the Institution warriors’ steps froze in place.
“Chairman! The summoned person has gone too far! If this is allowed to pass, everyone will think of supreme members as laughingstocks!”
“If the chairman comes out like this, we will not remain still either!”
At that moment, an overwhelming wave of energy erupted from the stone chamber where the chairman was seated.
“How dare you ignore this chairman’s order in the Supreme Operations Council chamber of the main clan?!”
For an instant, it felt as if an earthquake had struck.
The supreme members covered their ears, and the Institution warriors all rolled across the ground like fallen leaves.
When the chairman waved his hand, they were swept out into the corridor as if caught in a gigantic broom.
And when he pulled his hand back again, the enormous stone door closed with terrifying force.
From the ceiling of the stone cavern, dust fell from the aftershock.
All of it happened in a single breath.
It was truly a technique worthy of being called divine might.
“Eldest Young Master...”
But the voice of the chairman, who had displayed such divine might, was only filled with sorrow.
“...Do you intend to repeat this every time there is a newly appointed supreme member?”
What did that mean?
What did he mean by “this”?
And why was the chairman using the utmost honorifics toward Yeon Sang-hyeon?
The two newly appointed supreme members, who had been raging until now, felt confusion.
“Of course.”
The gazes of the newly appointed supreme members hurriedly turned toward Yeon Sang-hyeon, who was lying on the floor.
“If you people will not pass down your own shameful history, should I not, as the sole witness, pass it down at least?”
He pushed himself up and rose from the floor.
Dust that had fallen from the ceiling scattered from his body.
“Before you sit in that seat and govern this entire family as if it were yours, should you not first know your own original sin?”