Book 10: Chapter 20: Great Immortal Merchant Group

The tower made by piling human heads was still rising in real-time.

For if workers whose clothing was not unified at all carried heads on carts or A-frame carriers, the Fourth Young Master's warriors continued to pile them up.

“…So you are saying you do not know what is going on?”

“Correct.”

At Constable Park's question, the personnel on the Fourth Young Master's side shrugged.

“Where these heads come from, or why someone is sending us heads. We have absolutely no idea.”

He spoke in a calm tone.

“Rather, we were just about to report it to the office, but you arrived knowing first. This worked out well. Please conduct an investigation.” "……."

For a moment, Constable Park was speechless.

Truly.

It was a response so sly it was dumbfounding.

“Then, the reason you are piling up a tower like this…?”

Constable Park asked, trying not to look toward the tower.

“That, of course,” the warrior on the Fourth Young Master's side who answered him smirked.

“is it not to collect the evidence in one place to help the investigation?” "……."

That smile seemed to openly mock Constable Park, and by extension, public authority.

Swallowing a sigh inwardly, Constable Park looked toward his junior.

“So they don't know?”

“Of course, sir.”

In that place was the figure of the junior constable, who had been throwing questions at the workers bringing heads from somewhere.

“We just received a request to move 'goods' from a designated location to here, sir.”

“The client is?”

“We don't know such things, sir. And we don't wish to know.”

“Then, after completing the request, how do you receive money?”

“The cart that contained this head is my wage, sir.” "……."

Workers who were clearly of poor origins.

They were people who would do anything just to put food in their mouths.

Carrying already severed heads would likely be no big deal to them.

“…I see.”

Sending the workers away, the junior constable looked toward Constable Park and shrugged.

[Senior. There is no one who seems to know even a little bit.] anything more was out of the question.

[…Of course not.] since there was no way the subordinates of those of the level of the Eldest or Fourth Young Master of the Luoyang Sword Family would leave any loopholes in their work.

[We did as much as we could. Let's withdraw.] they had made a show of carrying out the investigation instructions passed down from above.

[Yes, sir!] the junior's expression instantly brightened.

'Right… well, at this level.'

Just as they were about to withdraw after roughly finishing their work, a loud voice was heard from one side.

“You are saying it still cannot be done?!”

Just looking at the clothing of the one intentionally shouting, he was clearly a high-ranking official.

“Did you not say it did not matter whether it was the Eldest Young Master or the Fourth Young Master?!”

It seemed the district chiefs were trying to meet the Eldest or Fourth Young Master.

It seemed they had finished formulating countermeasures, or perhaps they had finally summoned their courage.

'Or maybe their backer exerted even greater pressure.'

Whether he knew Constable Park was mocking him from behind or not.

The high-ranking official spoke once more in a trembling voice.

“…Can something really not be done?”

His voice now carried an atmosphere of almost begging.

“That…”

The person on the Fourth Young Master's side dealing with him also seemed troubled.

“If you need a reasonable justification to convince the district chiefs…”

At the voice heard from the direction of the entrance, the high-ranking official's head turned that way.

“I will provide it.”

Looking at the owner of that voice, followed by a group of personnel, the high-ranking official's body shuddered as if struck by lightning.

There was no way a high-ranking Luoyang official could fail to recognize their attire.

“The Inner Courtyard of the Sword Family?!”

The high-ranking official's gaze directed toward the waist of the person who had spoken to him.

'Seven gold tassels…!'

There was a matching physical characteristic in his memory.

“…Are you the Chief Manager's Secretary of the Inner Courtyard?”

“Correct.”

To the high-ranking official who swallowed hard, the Chief Manager's Secretary of the Inner Courtyard smiled.

“Now, you will be able to convince the district chiefs that they must also wait their turn, correct?”

The high-ranking official hurriedly nodded.

“O-Of course!”

Naturally.

The fact that the Chief Manager's Secretary was here meant, soon, was equivalent to saying that.

'that Chief Manager of the Inner Courtyard is here…!'

The high-ranking official did not say things like, 'Why is the Sword Family's Inner Courtyard here?!'

Nor did he say, even more so.

'Is the Chief Manager of the Inner Courtyard here?!'

For the Inner Courtyard of the Luoyang Sword Family was such a place, and the Chief Manager of the Inner Courtyard of the Luoyang Sword Family was such a person.

That Chief Manager of the Inner Courtyard was the Inner Courtyard Chief Manager of the Sword Family even when he first stepped into public office in his youth.

And even now, when he had grown old and become a high-ranking official, he was still the Inner Courtyard Chief Manager of the Sword Family.

* * *

Watching the high-ranking official hastily running down the slope through the window, the Fourth Young Master, Yeon Bi, opened his mouth.

“It seems the Chief Manager of the Inner Courtyard has no intention of particularly hiding that he is here?”

“Why would this old man have anything to dread to the point of needing to hide that he is here?”

The Chief Manager of the Inner Courtyard answered, opening his mouth leisurely.

“Rather, is it not the Eldest Young Master's side that would want to hide the meeting with this old man?”

Those words could be spoken because he was certain that Yeon So-hyeon was currently conducting some work behind the scenes.

“…Work that I am conducting? How could I conduct work that I myself do not know about?”

Yeon So-hyeon shrugged as if he knew absolutely nothing, but.

“Cut the nonsense, Eldest Young Master.”

Yeon So-hyeon himself knew very well that such a thing could not work before the old monster of the Sword Family.

“Currently, everyone in Luoyang feels your fury, but you cannot deceive this old man.” "……!"

Startled by those words, the Fourth Young Master hastily hid his expression and looked at Yeon So-hyeon.

'Eldest Brother?!'

Yeon So-hyeon's eyes narrowed as if displeased.

“…Are you expressing doubt about the sincerity of my anger for my siblings?”

“No.”

Even under Yeon So-hyeon's pressure that seemed to coil and tighten around the room, the Chief Manager of the Inner Courtyard sitting in an upright posture did not show a bit of disarray.

“That anger must be true. However…”

The Chief Manager of the Inner Courtyard's gaze, flashing from the depths, clashed with Yeon So-hyeon's.

“This old man has watched you since you were very young.”

The Chief Manager of the Inner Courtyard's gaze deepened further, as if piercing Yeon So-hyeon's vision for an instant.

“It was like that since childhood. You have never once moved for a single reason alone.”

The Chief Manager of the Inner Courtyard's voice grew deep as well, just like his gaze.

“While expressing emotions with that chest as if pure, that head read and gouged out the thoughts of others, those eyes looked beyond a thousand li, and that mouth spoke of the future.”

At the Chief Manager of the Inner Courtyard's words, the Fourth Young Master swallowed a groan.

“When the right hand pointed forward, the left hand was moving from behind. When the right arm cared for people with infinite benevolence, the left hand slaughtered enemies with infinite ruthlessness.”

Yeon So-hyeon cut off the Chief Manager of the Inner Courtyard's words that dug into his essence.

“So what is it you want to say?”

The Chief Manager of the Inner Courtyard's lips parted, piercing Yeon So-hyeon's target.

“Great Immortal Merchant Group.”

The Great Immortal Merchant Group was the name of the Second Young Master's external intelligence organization.

"……"

While Yeon So-hyeon fell silent for a moment, the Chief Manager of the Inner Courtyard continued.

“Taking advantage of this chaos, you must surely be aiming straight at the Great Immortal Merchant Group from behind right now.”

“…Since it seems you came knowing everything.”

Yeon So-hyeon ended the silence.

“I will also refrain from uselessly denying it to avoid wasting each other's time. Besides…"

Yeon So-hyeon spoke, leaning back comfortably in his chair.

“I too have been able to gain certainty that the Great Immortal Merchant Group's weakness has been exposed, since the Chief Manager of the Inner Courtyard has personally come here like this.”

The Chief Manager of the Inner Courtyard also withdrew his sharp blue gaze.

“As expected of the Eldest Young Master. I like that we communicate well.”

The Fourth Young Master raised his hand.

“W-Wait a moment!”

Currently, he was the only one in this place who could not follow the conversation.

“What on earth is going on with the conversation?”

For these two were conversing while omitting details to the point that even the Fourth Young Master, who was called a genius, could not comprehend.

“Clearly, Eldest Brother, you said earlier that all of this current situation is a misdirection played by the Second Young Master's side.”

And Yeon So-hyeon said that due to the appearance of the Chief Manager of the Inner Courtyard, he could gain certainty that this matter is a misdirection.

“In that case, judging by the words of you two, what the Second Young Master's side wants to cover up with the misdirection is…”

With his intelligent head, the boy deduced the situation from the conversation of the two who were continuing their talk in a way only they understood.

“the exposed weakness of that Great Immortal Merchant Group?”

“Correct, Fourth Young Master. The Great Immortal Merchant Group is not a simple intelligence organization.”

The Chief Manager of the Inner Courtyard's gaze looking at the Fourth Young Master was slightly more favorable than when looking at the Eldest Young Master.

“The Second Young Master's side, no, to be precise.”

The old man shook the staff he was holding.

“Grand Madame Ouyang has, from the past, secretly laundered the funds of the Luoyang Sword Family through the Great Immortal Merchant Group and embezzled massive amounts externally.”

"……!"

The Eldest Young Master added.

“To be precise, it was from after Father collapsed.”

“Wait…!”

The Fourth Young Master wore a confused expression.

“The Chief Manager of the Inner Courtyard has this as his duty originally, but how did you, Eldest Brother, know that fact…?”

Mid-sentence, the Fourth Young Master realized on his own.

“The Sword Family Bank…!”

He shouted like an exclamation, like a scream.

“The ledger Eldest Brother obtained from the Sword Family Bank!”

Yeon So-hyeon nodded.

“After all, the only place where such a massive amount of funds could come from is the Sword Family Bank.”

The Fourth Young Master shouted with an disbelieving expression.

“Then, the reason Eldest Brother visited the Sword Family Bank was…!”

On the surface, there were other reasons such as the misconduct of the Yeon clan or binding the feet of the Second Young Master's allied families who were visiting there, but.

“it was to check those massive funds that had escaped to the Great Immortal Merchant Group!”

“Correct.”

Inside the Fourth Young Master's head, the events began to connect one by one.

“The decisive reason the corrupt Yeon clan members chose to attend the meeting hosted by the Second Young Master's side at that specific point was also…!”

“Because it was the Second Young Master's side that embezzled the largest amount from the Sword Family Bank. The reason for that meeting was to protect themselves rather than to attack me.”

“But it was not of much help! Because Eldest Brother brought the Third Young Master's side back to the frontline, the Second Young Master's side could no longer serve as the focal point!”

“Once the Second Young Master's side failed to link up with the corrupt Yeon clan members, they became even more anxious.”

“And the Yeon clan members began to smuggle the black money out of Luoyang—” the one who picked up the Fourth Young Master's words this time was the Chief Manager of the Inner Courtyard.

“Moreover, the funds smuggled by the Yeon clan members were even plundered by an 'unidentified' opponent.”

The Chief Manager of the Inner Courtyard's gaze, speaking of the unidentified, turned toward Yeon So-hyeon, but yeon So-hyeon calmly ignored the gaze and spoke.

“now that the funds of the corrupt Yeon clan members, which the Central Inspection Department had to investigate, have vanished, the Great Immortal Merchant Group, which is obvious to be the next target of investigation, could no longer hold out either.”

“So that was why!”

The Fourth Young Master clapped his hands.

“The reason Luoyang was not blockaded even after the Third Young Master's side's pursuit was thwarted!”

His eldest brother had said there was a sixty percent probability that the current attack was a misdirection.

“Yes. I conjectured that the Second Young Master's side probably pulled strings to prevent Luoyang from being blockaded even in this chaos.”

“Because if it were blockaded, the Great Immortal Merchant Group's funds would also be unable to escape!”

Hence, the sixty percent probability.

The moment the Chief Manager of the Inner Courtyard came here and instilled certainty, that probability became one hundred percent.

Currently, the Great Immortal Merchant Group was trying to smuggle the massive funds embezzled from the Sword Family to the outside.

That amount which no one could dare to find even if they tried.

However, just like the Yeon clan members in the end, the moment they themselves moved those funds, that very moment was when the weakness was exposed.

“The Central Inspection Department has smoked screens up to now as if they were going to investigate here and there, but they haven't actually conducted a proper investigation in any single place until now!”

That was to make the Great Immortal Merchant Group even more anxious.

And it must also have been to focus the entire power of the Central Inspection Department completely on striking the Great Immortal Merchant Group at the precise moment.

“Since the time you visited the Sword Family Bank, Eldest Brother, you were already aiming at the enemy's head! You were aiming at Grand Madame Ouyang's weakness!”

Instead of answering, Yeon So-hyeon smiled faintly, and the answer came from elsewhere.

“Visiting the Sword Family Bank? No, Fourth Young Master.”

At those words, the Fourth Young Master Yeon Bi's gaze turned toward the owner of the voice.

The only figure in this place who could follow Yeon So-hyeon's thinking at a similar speed.

The figure who had been constantly watching Yeon So-hyeon without a single moment of rest.

The Chief Manager of the Inner Courtyard spoke in a low voice.

“It was probably from much earlier than that.”

Yeon So-hyeon looked at the Chief Manager of the Inner Courtyard with a mysterious smile, like a person who had posed a riddle.

“When do you think it was?”

The Chief Manager of the Inner Courtyard answered.

“From when you visited Mount Beimang.”

Slowly and leisurely, yet with conviction, he continued speaking.

“The former patriarchs of the Sixteen Imperial Capital Families are also, in name and reality, artists representing the State of Zhongyuan. The influence they exert on the art market is beyond words. And the art market is—” the Fourth Young Master shouted like a scream.

“Money laundering!”

The Chief Manager of the Inner Courtyard nodded.

“The art market is one of the representative money laundering methods of the Great Immortal Merchant Group.”

In fact from the very moment Yeon So-hyeon contacted the former patriarchs of the Sixteen Imperial Capital Families, yeon So-hyeon's plan to pressure the Great Immortal Merchant Group had practically begun.

Although Yeon So-hyeon visiting the Sixteen Imperial Capital Families was not solely for that reason clearly, it meant that reason was also present.

“…Ha.”

The Fourth Young Master slumped into his seat.

“Just what on earth is Eldest Brother…”

“No, it wasn't.”

Watching Yeon So-hyeon's expression remaining mysterious without changing at all, the Chief Manager of the Inner Courtyard changed his words.

“It wasn't from when you visited Mount Beimang.”

“…Pardon?”

For the first time, on the Chief Manager of the Inner Courtyard's face an expression, however faint, was revealed.

It was admiration.

Or rather, close to astonishment.

“There is no way the Eldest Young Master's plan to ally with the former patriarchs of the Sixteen Imperial Capital Families would have started at the time of visiting them.”

At those words, the smile hanging on Yeon So-hyeon's lips deepened.

Looking at that smile, the Chief Manager of the Inner Courtyard's expression began to reveal itself slightly more.

“Presumably, the plan must have started from far earlier than the point of visiting them.”

Yeon So-hyeon's smile deepened even further.

Inside one intention lay another intention behind one move lay another move, and beside one arrangement lay another arrangement.

“In that case…”

In that smile, the Chief Manager of the Inner Courtyard gained certainty in his conjecture.

“…It was from the beginning.”

Finally yeon So-hyeon laughed.

“Correct.”