Book 10: Chapter 4: Inn

The old town of Luoyang.

The secret meeting of the Spring of Luoyang.

“Just now, the Department Head of the Sixth Department of the Law Enforcement Court, who is the legal head of the construction site of the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering stadium, submitted the first investigation report to the Supreme Executive Council.”

Yeon So-hyeon delivered the contents of the report, which was immediately reported to him, to the heroes.

“It is judged that additional investigation will be unnecessary.”

No cheers burst out.

Instead, as soon as the Eldest Young Master finished speaking, sighs of relief burst out from all directions.

“Huu…”

“…What a relief.”

Although they had earlier prepared to lay down their lives for righteousness and to bring spring to Luoyang facing the fact that the Luoyang Sword Family might actually hunt them in earnest was indeed of a different dimension.

The majority of them could not even breathe properly due to tension.

“This is also all…”

One of them expressed gratitude to Yeon So-hyeon.

“It must be thanks to the Eldest Young Master exerting his influence.”

To Yeon So-hyeon, the voice behind the mask was familiar.

'It is Cheong Ho-wi.'

The Cheong family, a prestigious family of Luoyang that had produced famous judges for generations and was currently waging war against the families of the Second Young Master's side in aid of Yeon So-hyeon.

He was Cheong Ho-wi, the nephew of the patriarch of the Cheong family and a former famous constable turned fixer.

“I do not know how to repay this endless kindness.”

Everyone nodded at Cheong Ho-wi's voice.

“Thank you, Eldest Young Master.”

“Thanks to the Eldest Young Master, we saved our lives several times.”

One of them directly asked Yeon So-hyeon.

“Is there something the Eldest Young Master wishes from our Spring of Luoyang?”

Yeon So-hyeon answered the question with a question.

“You had invited me to this secret meeting. What did the Spring of Luoyang expect from me when you sent the invitation?”

“That is…”

“Hem, hem.”

Thereupon, the people in the gathering wore embarrassed smiles.

Cheong Ho-wi, who was at least acquainted with Yeon So-hyeon, stepped forward.

“Originally, our Spring of Luoyang intended to verify if Eldest Young Master Yeon So-hyeon had any intention to join the great cause, and request support.”

Yeon So-hyeon smiled lightly.

“Support, is it.”

Cheong Ho-wi hurriedly waved his hand.

“No, it is not. As I said, that was merely the original thought. Coming to this point, we have received too much grace, so to wish for anything more…”

Cheong Ho-wi trailed off his words.

The smile playing on Yeon So-hyeon's lips grew deeper.

“So. Are you saying that you do not need that support?”

“…It is not exactly that, either.”

Cheong Ho-wi's awkward appearance was clearly visible.

'It seems the situation is very difficult.'

Although Yeon So-hyeon was smiling outwardly to lighten the atmosphere inwardly he was smiling bitterly.

That was by no means due to displeasure.

His gaze swept the surroundings.

The warehouse that was no different from a ruin in the old town of Luoyang.

Whether there was a place where sewage was exposed somewhere, an unpleasant smell was rising.

Although the expression 'secret meeting' was grandiose the place was insignificant.

“I pray the Eldest Young Master does not misunderstand.”

“I do not misunderstand.”

Yeon So-hyeon's gaze, which answered Cheong Ho-wi calmly, swept over the heroes of the Spring of Luoyang this time.

Hearing that Yeon So-hyeon, who was their benefactor in a way, was coming, everyone seemed to have wanted to dress neatly.

However, the patches here and there on their clothes and their appearances, which were worn to the point of shining, could not be hidden even if they wanted to.

'The support Cheong Ho-wi spoke of was indeed referring to financial support.'

To pursue a great cause and practice righteousness was a noble thing.

However, was it a mysterious law of the world?

For some reason, poverty inevitably followed the way of life that pursued the rightness of righteous deeds.

These heroes, each and every one of them, were martial artists who deserved to be treated well anywhere in the State of Zhongyuan.

Yet they were poor.

They had probably reached out to those in need even at the cost of using up their entire fortunes.

“Eldest Young Master.”

As Cheong Ho-wi fidgeted, an elderly hero who was quietly watching the situation stepped forward.

“Please forget about that support.”

The eyes of the elderly hero were clear and transparent, unlike his age.

“We of the Spring of Luoyang are not ungrateful people, nor are we so tactless as to demand the bundle from the benefactor who saved us from drowning.”

The heroes accepted those words.

Although they were in desperate need of support once they accepted it, they nodded their heads cleanly.

“Indeed.”

“Just saving us is already a grace whose value is hard to calculate.”

The public opinion began to unify to some extent.

“Cheong Ho-wi merely answered the Eldest Young Master's question asking about the original purpose.”

Clasping his hands, the elderly hero spoke to Yeon So-hyeon.

“Apart from that, our meeting this time was held solely to discuss how to repay the Eldest Young Master's grace.”

Now, everyone expressed brief agreement or nodded to side with the elderly hero's opinion.

'I see.'

Yeon So-hyeon nodded.

'Is this the decision-making process of the Spring of Luoyang?'

The Spring of Luoyang, which was said not to have any specific leader.

Its decision-making process was unique, if unique.

“So if the Eldest Young Master presents a way for us to repay the grace—” the elderly hero could not continue speaking and shut his mouth.

“You said you gathered to discuss how to repay the grace to me, but” it was because Yeon So-hyeon raised his hand slightly to ask for understanding.

“I also did not come here with the purpose of having you repay the grace I bestowed upon you.”

“Then…?”

“Because I have my own purpose.”

Il-ryeong, who was waiting outside the building, came in and reported to Yeon So-hyeon.

“They say all preparations are finished.”

As soon as her words finished, shouting of the Spring of Luoyang's heroes who were standing guard outside was heard.

“It is carriages!”

“Over ten carriages are approaching the alley!”

The moment confusion was about to begin, yeon So-hyeon's voice, carrying internal energy, echoed quietly inside the room.

“They are carriages I prepared for everyone, so you may rest assured.”

“…The Eldest Young Master prepared them?”

Through the broken window frame, the appearance of carriages arriving one after another in the alley was visible.

They were high-class carriages that they would seemingly have no opportunity to ride in their entire lives.

“To continue this meeting, I prepared them thinking it would be better to move places first.”

Yeon So-hyeon added briefly.

“To a place that suits you all a bit more.”

At the meaningful smile hanging on Yeon So-hyeon's lips, everyone wore a smile following him with anxious expressions.

* * *

The point where the Valley of Sin is visible across the small stream.

Luoyang Tanryung District, super-luxurious inn.

The super-luxurious inn located in the bustling streets of Luoyang was operated strictly on a membership basis, so for an ordinary person, even entering was impossible.

At the entrance of that super-luxurious inn, a sign reading 'Temporary Holiday' stood.

However, unlike usual, the reason the fundamental atmosphere of the inn was cluttered was because its owner had changed recently.

“To dismiss everyone from work now?”

“Yes.”

Answering the manager's question was a woman possessing dazzling beauty.

The Number One Beauty of Sichuan.

Tea Fan Maidens Sangwan Nan-hwa.

She pressed a small gold pouch into the manager's hand.

“With this much, there will be no issue for the entire staff to enjoy a holiday for about a day in the suburbs of Luoyang.”

At the heaviness felt from the gold pouch, the manager hurriedly nodded his head.

“Of course! It is more than enough, indeed!”

“As the new master bestows this upon you who have been loyal to the former master for a long time, please be grateful.”

“I will surely deliver the words to the staff as well!”

He quickly moved his steps.

Behind him grasping the door handle, Sangwan Nan-hwa's voice was heard.

“…You must know, right?”

The manager did not ask what he was supposed to know.

He was a person who had been in charge of the site of this super-luxurious inn for over ten years.

“We, the entire staff, saw nothing today, sir.”

Apart from looking frivolous, he was a man of skill.

While holding the door handle, he looked back at Sangwan Nan-hwa and smiled.

“Because all of our staff members were on holiday today.”

That was also why she decided to keep employing him as he was.

However, even so, she could not give him only carrots.

“Your new master is basically a merciful person, but in accordance with his status, he is also very strict at times.”

A dry smile hung on Sangwan Nan-hwa's lips.

“If you unfortunately get dismissed, what your families will receive will be a sufficient consolation payout.”

A consolation payout, not a severance package.

The implication that the families receive it, not they.

He understood well enough what Sangwan Nan-hwa meant.

Swallowing his dry saliva hard, he bowed his head.

“…There will never be any reason for you to be disappointed.”

Watching him leave for the staff corridor until the end, Sangwan Nan-hwa also left the spot.

She stepped onto the luxurious guest corridor.

Through the open ceiling, she looked down at the dining hall where a cool breeze blew in.

That place was noisy with the voices of those eating food and drinking alcohol.

“For the spring that will visit Luoyang someday!”

When someone with a face flushed red with intoxication raised his cup and shouted, everyone shouted together.

“We will become firewood that endures the long winter!”

They were the heroes of the Spring of Luoyang.

At first, they were intimidated by the overwhelming luxury and hesitated, but as soon as alcohol entered, they quickly became busy celebrating their victory.

“They have joyful expressions.”

At Sangwan Nan-hwa's words, leaning on the railing of the corridor and looking down at the dining hall, Eldest Young Master Yeon So-hyeon smiled.

“They are people who should naturally be joyful at this moment.”

A hero who discovered Yeon So-hyeon raised his cup high toward him.

“And for our benefactor, the Eldest Young Master!”

All the heroes raised their cups toward Yeon So-hyeon.

Those who chose not to drink alcohol raised tea cups instead.

“For the Eldest Young Master!”

The masks they had been wearing were already thrown away long ago.

Since Yeon So-hyeon's subordinates were defending this place like an iron wall, there was no need to worry about any potential exposure of identity. "……."

Raising the cup he was holding toward them, Yeon So-hyeon downed the alcohol in one breath.

“As expected of the Eldest Young Master!”

“Indeed, you also know how to enjoy alcohol properly!”

Exchanging eye contact with them, Yeon So-hyeon turned around, leaned against the railing, and looked at Sangwan Nan-hwa.

“The staff?”

“I dismissed them all.”

Yeon So-hyeon nodded slowly.

“…They are staff members raised by a prestigious family for generations.”

He handed the empty cup to Sangwan Nan-hwa.

“They are outstanding in their respective fields to the extent that they can be called the best in this Luoyang. Without them, this Geumjanru is merely a half.”

For Sangwan Nan-hwa, who received the empty cup, Yeon So-hyeon personally tilted the wine kettle to pour wine.

“I should thank the Lee family.”

The family Yeon So-hyeon had struck down concurrently with the start of the battle.

The original owner of this Geumjanru was that Lee family.

“For the Lee family who 'willingly' handed over this wonderful inn and outstanding staff.”

Geumjanru was one of the assets Sangwan Nan-hwa had extracted from the Lee family's merchant group through threats.

“In that case, I…”

Chuckling at her words, Yeon So-hyeon poured wine into his new cup and raised it toward her.

“In the sense of admiring the skill of the woman who made them willingly hand over such a wonderful inn.”

The two, who raised cups toward each other, emptied their wine cups at the same time, without saying who went first.

“Keu-heum.”

It was good to down it magnificently, but coughing at the unexpectedly strong liquor, Sangwan Nan-hwa walked to the opposite side of the corridor.

Having smiled at her sight, Yeon So-hyeon looked down once again.

“Everyone, please pay attention.”

He did not need to say it twice.

Everyone stopped their actions and looked up at Yeon So-hyeon standing on the second-floor corridor.

“You all have worked hard. Although this banquet cannot dare to be a price for the sacrifices you have made so far, I hope you gain even a bit of comfort.”

At Yeon So-hyeon's words, smiles hung on everyone's lips, and cheers burst out.

“However.”

Yeon So-hyeon raised his hand.

“This was the first time you clashed head-on with the Sword Family. And everyone must have felt it from this incident.”

After pausing for a moment, Yeon So-hyeon spoke.

“That like this, none of you will be able to make a true change and will end up oxidizing into a handful of ashes.” "……."

A heavy silence settled down.

“…We do not follow righteousness for the sake of change, but sacrifice our bodies for the sake of meaning.”

Someone said in a low voice.

Another hero continued.

“Since nothing happens unless we do something, we stood up and raised our voices.”

Yeon So-hyeon nodded, readily accepting their voices.

“Indeed. It is a meaningful thing. However.”

The boy's deep voice dug into their ears.

“Instead of becoming firewood in the dead of winter, burning oneself to leave even ashes,” the boy's deep gaze matched eyes with each of them.

“would it not be right to successfully create change and at the same time, live to welcome the happy spring?”

Before an answer returned “all of you,” yeon So-hyeon spoke.

“follow me from now on.”

He declared.

“For I will bring the true spring to this Luoyang and to this State of Zhongyuan in the future.”