Book 7: Chapter 23

Book 7: Chapter 23

The darkest hour.

“2nd Young Master is arriving!”

The elders lined up on both sides.

Those on the left belonged to the Luoyang faction, while those on the right were from the Gangnam faction.

Subordinates of insufficient rank lowered their bodies in unison and immediately disappeared from the courtyard.

As the elders straightened their attire, silence engulfed the surroundings.

In that darkness and silence, the sound of metal clanging and clicking echoed continuously.

“...”

As the owner of the sound appeared at the entrance of the residence, the elders bowed their heads in unison.

When the left foot, encased in black metal armor of unknown material, stepped on the cobblestone, a metallic clang rang out.

The right foot’s high-quality leather shoe had a heel to match the height of the left foot’s armor, producing a clicking sound.

Clang, and click.

The combination of sounds, precise in rhythm yet somehow unsettling, reverberated through the courtyard.

Four skilled warriors silently accompanied him like shadows without making a sound.

Clang, click.

Eventually, those footsteps came to an abrupt halt in front of Elder Hahu.

“...”

His lord did not turn to face him.

Nevertheless, Elder Hahu’s expression hardened, and cold sweat trickled down his wrinkled forehead.

His large frame seemed to rapidly shrink.

“...”

In his deeply bowed gaze, he saw his lord’s left hand, also encased in black armor like the left foot.

With a creaking sound, the armor on the left hand clenched and unclenched repeatedly.

“...”

Elder Hahu bowed his head even deeper.

“Elder Hahu.”

A voice resembling a beast’s growl, a deep bass mixed with the sound of wind whistling through torn paper doors.

It was a terribly hoarse voice.

“Yes, my lord. Please give your command.”

The end of Elder Hahu’s voice unintentionally cracked.

“Didn’t you say you were confident?”

“...I-I have no face to show.”

Creak, the armor on the left hand made another spine-chilling sound.

“Face(面目), you say.”

The right hand, covered in a leather glove instead of armor, grabbed Elder Hahu’s collar.

“...!”

Although Elder Hahu could have shaken off that hand if he fully exerted his internal power, he did not resist.

No, he dared not resist.

And almost simultaneously, the left hand encased in black armor flashed.

“Urgh...!”

In his lord’s left hand was Elder Hahu’s own eyeball.

He swallowed his scream.

As his lord, who barely reached his shoulder height, pulled his collar, Elder Hahu’s gaze met his lord’s.

“...!”

Through the eyeholes of the golden mask that completely covered his face, fiery red eyes glared down at him.

Those eyes, burning like coal, were the symbol of the unique martial arts of the Four Heavenly Kings’ Ryeon-ju, the Demonic Rakshasa.

“You’ve lost an eye.”

The characteristic hoarse voice caused by inhalation burns softly settled around with internal energy.

“And now, if you lose your face like me, that’s when you truly lose face.”

Yeon Ja-cheong, who had lost his face to severe burns, spoke.

His left hand creaked and crushed Elder Hahu’s eyeball.

“...!”

Seeing that left hand slowly approaching his own face, Elder Hahu trembled like a leaf.

The surrounding elders also raised their heads and stared at that hand with trembling gazes.

They were well aware that 2nd Young Master Yeon Ja-cheong was a ruler who dominated through fear.

Nevertheless, this level of anger was unprecedented.

“My son!”

At the woman’s voice that resounded clearly through the courtyard, 2nd Young Master’s hand abruptly stopped.

“Although Elder Hahu has committed a grave mistake, your anger should be directed elsewhere, shouldn’t it?”

A seductive and gentle voice, yet somehow filled with venom.

The one who appeared, accompanied by dozens of maids and butlers, was none other than 2nd Young Master’s mother, Madam Guyang.

Dressed in a lavish palace dress, she approached with a leisurely gait and whispered to her son,

“That anger should be directed at the one coveting the position promised to you.”

Dozens of mounted warriors joined the procession.

‘If only I had given birth to my son a few months earlier.’

The 2nd Young Master and the Eldest Young Master were both seventeen years old this year.

Madam Guyang gritted her teeth as she looked up at the sky with a hateful expression.

‘By now, my son would have become the Minor Patriarch and would be ruling the Sword House alongside me...!’

If that had been the case, she believed her son would have been the Eldest Young Master and undoubtedly would have become the Minor Patriarch without any issues.

“You all heard the orders.”

She lowered her head and shouted at the elders.

“Now, get moving!”

At that voice filled with abstract authority, the elders replied in unison,

“We will follow Madam’s command.”

***

Valley of Sin, Advance Base.

Standing on the watchtower, facing the wind, Yeon So-hyeon spoke,

“Bi, you’re here?”

Yeon Bi, the 4th Young Master, leaped up, landed on the watchtower, and bowed deeply to Yeon So-hyeon.

“Yes, Big Brother. This Bi has arrived.”

Yeon So-hyeon stretched out his hand and roughly ruffled the 4th Young Master’s hair, just like in the old days.

“You brat.”

“Hehehe.”

Considering the 4th Young Master’s dignity as the leader of a faction, it was a sight that couldn’t be shown in front of others.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“No. You’re the one who has done all the hard work, Big Brother. I merely assisted a little on the side.”

The 4th Young Master, expressing sincerity beyond humility, delivered the news he had brought.

“I heard that 2nd Young Master’s procession has left Luoyang.”

“As expected. It’s a bit faster than anticipated. The Sichuan Tang Clan also came earlier than expected.”

Indeed, the world was vast, and capable individuals were many.

“Even so, it’s only a little. A very little.”

Yeon So-hyeon smiled at the 4th Young Master, who made a small gap between his thumb and index finger.

“Big Brother.”

“Yes.”

“We must not trust the Sichuan Tang Clan completely.”

The 4th Young Master said the same words as Tang Baek.

“I know. Don’t worry.”

“Of course, even if they try their best, they’ll still be in the palm of your hand, Big Brother.”

Everything was proceeding as predicted by the Big Brother whom the 4th Young Master respected immensely.

However, the 4th Young Master’s expression was somewhat sullen.

“I wish we could spread poison along that bastard 2nd Young Master’s travel route and detonate Heavenly Thunder to kill him off.”

At the pointless grumbling, Yeon So-hyeon smiled.

“If we did that, the elders would use the assassination of the successor as a pretext to try and change the Clan from a clan leader system to an elder cabinet system.”

“They would definitely do that.”

The 4th Young Master glared at the air and briefly hurled curses at the elders.

As Yeon So-hyeon watched the 4th Young Master from behind, a memory that no longer existed came to mind.

Although the 4th Young Master’s business location had now been changed to the Valley of Sin through a joint venture by Yeon So-hyeon, in the original history, it was Hodu Village.

At that time, without Yeon So-hyeon’s involvement, the 4th Young Master, Yeon Bi, had taken his first steps alone.

The 4th Young Master, who was merely at the starting stage, posed no threat to anyone.

However, in that simple business, he had suffered an irreversible blow.

By 2nd Young Master Yeon Ja-cheong.

Back then, 2nd Young Master had torn apart the 4th Young Master’s business in a radical way that no one could have imagined, crossing a line that had never been crossed before.

He even ignored the mediation recommendation of the Luoyang Sword House’s supreme operating council and endured disciplinary action afterward.

‘Until then, no one truly understood the distorted and twisted resentment he possessed.’

A monster raised and trapped in a curse-like resentment and hatred, constantly instilled by a mad mother.

That was 2nd Young Master Yeon Ja-cheong.

“Bi.”

“Yes, Big Brother.”

“This time will be different.”

The 4th Young Master, interpreting those words in his own way, widened his eyes and then grinned.

“Of course.”

At that moment, cheers echoed from afar.

They were cheers signaling the completion of the fire suppression.

As the sun rose, the 4th Young Master raised his hand to shield his face.

And in the distance, as the eastern sky brightened, a new day was dawning.