Chapter 88
Part 13: A Toast
Luoyang Sword Clan, Third Young Master’s faction.
Two men sat facing each other on the top floor of a massive five-story pavilion.
The old man dressed in crimson silk robes possessed the bearing of an immortal sage, and his deep eyes were filled with profound mystery.
The middle-aged man sitting across from him wore white silk robes. He had a dignified, handsome appearance, and keen intuition flashed in his eyes.
Behind each of them, scholars dressed in crimson robes and scholars dressed in white robes lay prostrate.
A hawk flew in through the open window.
It was the Third Young Master’s messenger hawk.
A crimson-robed scholar soothed the messenger hawk, while a white-robed scholar secured the letter and respectfully spread it out between the two Grand Strategists.
The middle-aged man in white was the first to speak as he looked down at the letter.
“Teacher Sima. The Supreme Management Council has kept its promise.”
The crimson-robed old man called Teacher Sima stroked his beard.
“Just as Brother Zhuge predicted, they lifted the First Young Master’s confinement, but took back the Clan Head’s Seal.”
The middle-aged man in white, called Brother Zhuge, bowed his head slightly.
“This time, this strategist merely had good fortune.”
Teacher Sima slowly nodded.
“Brother Zhuge, do you think we should deal with the First Young Master directly from now on?”
The middle-aged man called Brother Zhuge took a sip of tea and fell into thought for a moment.
“…When I examined the records, the First Young Master was certainly threatening. However, the First Young Master of that time had the Clan Head backing him. As things stand now, he has only a handful of people and no proper faction to speak of.”
“I agree. For the time being, the only things he can do will be limited to matters that rely on personal schemes, such as this Inner Court incident.”
“And unless we can look inside an individual’s mind, predicting what he will do is also extremely difficult.”
Those lying prostrate behind them were all recording their conversation in unison.
“Then…?”
“I believe it will be enough for us to make post-response our principle for the time being. Now that he no longer has the Clan Head’s Seal, he can no longer become a decisive threat.”
“…Your words are correct. By taking the Clan Head’s Seal from him, the greatest problem is as good as resolved. Right now, he is even less of a figure than the Fourth Young Master.”
“In that case, continuing this discussion any further would be a waste of time.”
“Let us rest for a moment, then move on to the next matter.”
The opinions of the two Grand Strategists had reached agreement.
The crimson-robed scholars and the white-robed scholars all descended the stairs at once to relay the instructions they had received.
They would deliver the Grand Strategists’ directives to the scholars filling the five-story pavilion.
As Teacher Sima drank his tea, he looked at the middle-aged man.
“Brother Zhuge. Something seems to be weighing on your mind.”
“No, it is only…”
Teacher Sima calmly waited for the middle-aged man to continue while drinking his tea.
“…It is merely that everything went exactly as expected, so I feel somewhat disappointed.”
A gloomy air settled over his handsome face.
“Could the First Young Master, whom so many people in this Sword Clan feared, truly amount to only this much?”
Teacher Sima burst into laughter.
“Do not worry, Brother Zhuge. Has the First Young Master not only just been released from confinement? I am sure he will have plenty of opportunities to satisfy your expectations from now on.”
“I only hope that is the case.”
The scholars returned and brought them a new agenda.
Teacher Sima opened the scroll and said to him,
“For now, we must focus on the Second Young Master, the greatest threat.”
“They are the true threat.”
The setting sun was casting its light in from outside.
***
Second Young Master’s faction.
The office of the strategist Han Myeong-hwi.
Han Myeong-hwi had been pacing around the empty office with an anxious expression when he heard a knock at the door and shouted,
“Come in!”
“Pardon the intrusion.”
The door opened, and the one who revealed himself was none other than Elder Son.
“Elder! I have been terribly rude…!”
Elder Son waved his hand.
“It is fine. It was my fault for coming without any notice, so do not mind it.”
Then Elder Son handed Han Myeong-hwi a note.
“You said the problem was that the information accessible to strategists was limited, did you not?”
Han Myeong-hwi received the note with a bewildered expression.
“This is…?”
Elder Son smiled benevolently.
“Strategist Han, this is a victory report meant for you.”
At his words, Han Myeong-hwi hurriedly unfolded the note and read it.
“…The First Young Master’s confinement lifted. The Clan Head’s Seal sealed. Congratulations, Strategist Han. Second Young Master, Yeon Ja-cheong.”
A thrill ran through him.
For an instant, Han Myeong-hwi let out a soundless cry.
Watching him, Elder Son laughed heartily and took out a small porcelain jar of liquor from his robe.
“This is Seonha Daegok, personally bestowed by our lord as victory wine. It is an extremely rare liquor. Do you have cups?”
Han Myeong-hwi hurriedly rummaged through a drawer and took out two cups.
Elder Son personally poured liquor into the cup Han Myeong-hwi held.
A refreshing yet sharp, strong fragrance filled the room.
The two men immediately clinked their cups in celebration and drank them down in one breath.
Elder Son leaned comfortably against the desk.
“Our lord was extremely satisfied with your achievement this time. Therefore, he has decided to appoint you as the one in charge of the First Young Master from now on.”
The fine wine of victory was sweet.
But the reward was even sweeter.
“I will continue to do my utmost.”
“Just continue doing as you did this time.”
Elder Son poured liquor into his empty cup once more and continued speaking.
“Everyone seems to be naming the First Young Master’s slum development project with the Fourth Young Master as his first move. Is that your prediction as well?”
“That is correct.”
Elder Son nodded.
“In that case, for this matter, make sure you cooperate well with Strategist Choi’s private corps, since he is in charge of the Fourth Young Master, and resolve it together.”
“As it happens, I was already working on a matter with Strategist Choi.”
Han Myeong-hwi smiled.
“Oh? Is that so? What matter?”
Holding his cup, Han Myeong-hwi searched through the documents piled high on his desk and opened one of them.
“There was a recent delay in the work because of the First Young Master, but I had been searching for the lost Sword Clan Bronze Plaque.”
“Indeed.”
“In addition, I was also tracing the external source of the rumors about the First Young Master.”
Han Myeong-hwi pointed to one side of the document.
“And Strategist Choi, in place of the ‘ears’ we lost internally, was tracking the Fourth Young Master’s business plan from the outside.”
A deep smile appeared on Han Myeong-hwi’s lips.
“He and I were able to find one matching name at the same time.”
Elder Son read the spot he was pointing at.
“…The Hyeonwol Pavilion Master?”
As Elder Son tried to recall the name, Han Myeong-hwi waved his hand.
“She is not someone remarkable enough for you to remember, Elder Son. She is merely an information broker whose name is somewhat known in the streets of Luoyang.”
“And yet you are saying that someone of that level is connected to all these matters?”
“We will have to hear the details directly from her.”
“Proceed immediately.”
Han Myeong-hwi pointed behind Elder Son.
“It is already under way.”
At his words, Elder Son looked around his empty office.
“…So that is why your office was empty!”
A thick smile settled on Han Myeong-hwi’s lips.
“By now, my men should already be surrounding Hyeonwol Pavilion.”
***
At the hour when the day had grown dark.
Luoyang, near Hyeonwol Pavilion.
“The encirclement is complete. Not even a single rat will be able to escape now.”
One of the Luoyang Sword Clan warriors delivered the report to Han Myeong-hwi’s closest strategist.
“Good. Continue the encirclement until further orders.”
The encirclement had been completed successfully, but for some reason, the close strategist frowned as he looked at the pavilion where Hyeonwol Pavilion was located.
“…You are saying this is the pavilion of some mere information broker?”
The intelligence strategists belonging to the Great Immortal Merchant Guild who were near him reported,
“She originally rented and used two floors of a pavilion in the central district, but recently, she is said to have purchased the entire pavilion you are now looking at.”
“No matter how briskly she sold information related to the First Young Master and the Fourth Young Master’s business, the numbers do not add up.”
“Shall we investigate her separate source of funds?”
The close strategist shook his head.
“No. We need only confirm it directly from her. Give the order to open the way.”
The warriors charged in first, and there was almost disappointingly no resistance.
After all, in this land of Luoyang, anyone who saw the mark of the Luoyang Sword Clan and still resisted would have to be a demonic cultist, a rebel, or someone with a death wish.
Leaving behind the members of the Great Immortal Merchant Guild who were carrying out a secret mission with their identities hidden, Han Myeong-hwi’s closest aides entered the pavilion.
“The Hyeonwol Pavilion Master is said to be in her office.”
They headed straight for the office.
The door was flung open by the warriors.
Inside the neatly furnished office, the only thing illuminating the room was a single lamp on the desk.
Han Myeong-hwi’s strategist asked the person sitting at the office desk,
She was beautiful enough to be called a fair lady.
However, if there was a flaw, it was that her spirit seemed far too strong.
“So you are the woman called the Hyeonwol Pavilion Master?”
At his insulting words, the guard standing like a shadow behind the Hyeonwol Pavilion Master flinched, but the Hyeonwol Pavilion Master raised her hand and stopped her.
“That is right. I am the Hyeonwol Pavilion Master.”
With a languid expression, she was comfortably leaning back in her chair, and her single eye turned toward them.
“…Are you people the famous Second Young Master’s Gangnam private corps?”
At her casual way of referring to the Second Young Master, the Luoyang Sword Clan warriors placed their hands on their swords this time.
“For a wench, you at least know enough to go around calling yourself an information broker.”
The Hyeonwol Pavilion Master, Se-a, smiled faintly and bit down on the long tobacco pipe in her hand.
“Of course. This body is a successful information broker, after all. I even know that you people belong to the private corps of the one you call ‘Strategist Han.’”
“…A mere information-broker wench knows far too many things she does not need to know.”
Han Myeong-hwi’s aides were not all composed only of strategists.
“We originally planned to interrogate you briefly here, but I have changed my mind. We will escort you to the Sword Clan.”
One among them approached her while gripping a Japanese sword.
His aura swept silently through the office, but she exhaled smoke with a leisurely air.
“Judging by the way you hold that Japanese sword, you must be the Sheathed-Blade Hunting Dog, the murderous hound of Bukju.”
She sneered at the man she called the Sheathed-Blade Hunting Dog.
“Are you not still a wanted man in Bukgeon Province? If I report you, I could make some pocket money.”
The Sheathed-Blade Hunting Dog’s killing intent exploded.
And even faster than that, his Japanese sword was drawn as though fired from its sheath.
“…!”
His sword, which had been meant to cut down the Hyeonwol Pavilion Master’s throat in one stroke, was stopped before it could even be fully drawn.
It was the skill of the expressionless woman standing like a shadow behind the Hyeonwol Pavilion Master.
After striking the sword guard to prevent the draw, she had pressed her blade against the Sheathed-Blade Hunting Dog’s Adam’s apple.
Second Sword, Raging Current.
It was the instant a technique of unified offense and defense was displayed: cutting off the flow of the opponent’s attack to suppress it, then using the remaining momentum to launch a counterattack.
The warriors of the Luoyang Sword Clan all drew their swords at once and aimed them at the two women.
Han Myeong-hwi’s strategist looked at the Hyeonwol Pavilion Master with an incredulous expression.
“What in the world are you relying on to dare attack someone from the Luoyang Sword Clan?”
“What am I relying on?”
She smiled brightly.
“This.”
She picked up the object that had been lying on the desk and showed it to them.
“A-a Sword Clan Bronze Plaque?!”
The Hyeonwol Pavilion Master stood up while holding the Sword Clan Bronze Plaque.
“For your information, if you check the serial number, you will know this is not the Sword Clan Bronze Plaque that Geumju had.”
“T-then…?!”
The smile lingering on her lips deepened even further.
“I have no obligation to tell that to thieves who barge in during the middle of the night.”
With the hand holding the Sword Clan Bronze Plaque, she pointed toward the door.
“Before I file a formal complaint with the Luoyang Sword Clan, all of you may get out.”