Book 11: Chapter 4: Those Who Must Shed Blood

The upper reaches of the Valley of Sin.

The sight of littered corpses.

Although it was a fairly familiar sight to someone who had built a career as a constable in the metropolis of Luoyang. "……."

It was the first time even for Constable Park to see so many corpses in one place as today.

A corpse was merely a corpse.

Regardless of whether they belonged to the Three-Five Union, the White Bone Gang, or the Black Steel Gang, they were mixed and covered the valley densely.

The blood flowing from the corpses gathered along the slope of the valley and flowed like a stream.

"…In the end, did the Eldest Young Master not even need the help of our government soldiers?"

"Indeed."

Beside him, the junior constable spoke while blowing tobacco smoke.

"We are just in charge of clean-up."

His entire body was splattered with blood.

And Constable Park was in the same state.

"It is a tremendous force. Luoyang is already noisy with stories of the Eldest Young Master. Now, only stories about the Eldest Young Master will circulate."

"Who would have imagined? That the name of the Swordless One, which was practically a symbol of disgrace, would change like this."

"…He is a terrifying individual. The Eldest Young Master."

"I rather welcome it though."

"You… welcome it?"

"Yes."

Chuckling, the junior constable thrust his spear downward.

"Ugh…!"

The life of the gasping, writhing underworld survivor was cut short right there.

The government soldiers were deployed only after the battle had ended, processing the survivors in this manner.

"Senior. Doesn't it feel like things are finally turning out properly now?"

The junior constable took a drag of the tobacco he was holding.

"…Is that so."

"Yes."

The junior constable plunged his spear into the chest of another survivor who was writhing and grabbing his foot.

"Up-sa."

The junior constable had an indifferent expression as he pulled out the deeply embedded spear.

"You also heard the rumors about the uprising of the poor laborers at the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering arena, didn't you, senior?"

"…I heard."

Constable Park lit a new tobacco.

"They say that the Third Young Master's side of the Sword Family secretly tried to suppress them all by force, but were instead done in by the Dark Venerable."

The smoke he blew was swept away and scattered in an instant by the strong wind carrying the smell of blood in the valley.

"And they say the Eldest Young Master took over the final construction process."

"Senior. That is exactly what I mean."

Smiling, the junior constable continued his task of confirming kills.

"Whether it is the Third Young Master's side of the Sword Family who tried to slaughter those innocent laborers, or these damn underworld bastards."

The smile on his lips was even refreshing at a glance.

"Aren't those who deserved to shed blood finally shedding it?"

As his voice rose, force was also loaded into the spear thrusts he made.

"…What about what happened in the business circles today?"

The junior constable shrugged his shoulders.

"They are those who leaped into the fire while carrying brushwood because they wanted to. It couldn't be helped." "……."

Looking somewhat tired.

The junior constable leaned on the spear embedded in a corpse and looked at Constable Park.

"Do you think differently, senior?"

"…I don't know. But it is true that the Eldest Young Master's hand was excessive."

"The Eldest Young Master's hand was excessive?"

The junior constable chuckled.

"Senior."

He spat phlegm onto the ground.

"Today. If the Eldest Young Master had deployed our government soldiers first, as everyone had predicted at first, what would it have been like?"

He raised his hand and pointed to the pile of corpses that the government soldiers were gathering.

The government soldiers from the central office who were stacking the corpses of the enemies were covered in blood and filth all over their bodies, but.

Among them, naturally.

There were no injured or dead.

"At least one of the two of us would have been buried along with those guys. Together with all of our boys." "……."

"Instead, the Eldest Young Master was able to significantly reduce the sacrifice of his own troops."

Although it was true that the sacrifices on Yeon So-hyeon's side were small compared to the enemies who were practically annihilated.

That did not mean there was absolutely no damage on Yeon So-hyeon's side.

"…But he didn't do that."

"Right."

The junior constable smiled and took a drag of his tobacco, but no smoke was drawn.

It was because the blood of the underworld thug that had splattered on his face in the meantime had extinguished the tobacco.

"Senior. As for me."

The junior constable threw away the extinguished tobacco without regret.

"I was actually thinking that it would be nice if the Eldest Young Master inherited the Sword Family this time."

"…You aren't even an elder of the Sword Family."

After falling into thought for a moment, Constable Park chuckled.

"Does anything change just because you think that way?"

The junior constable also giggled.

"Naturally, absolutely nothing will change."

After laughing for a while, the junior constable scratched the back of his head.

"I just meant my thoughts are like that, you know. Just my thoughts."

He directed his gaze far toward the uppermost reaches of the Valley of Sin.

"But still."

Looking at the same sight as his junior, Constable Park spoke.

"No matter who becomes the boss. Not much changes in the lives of subordinates like us." "……."

Constable Park's words carried the unique weight of a senior in life.

"At least today was not our turn. In the end, our blood will also flow like this someday."

"Perhaps."

"Furthermore, for the Eldest Young Master, who was lagging far behind, to become the next patriarch, far more blood will have to flow than for anyone else."

"Like lately."

"Even more than lately."

"…I suppose so."

Leaning on his spear, the junior constable slowly nodded.

"…Still."

His mouth opened.

Since it was rare for him to dispute the words of his senior who was like a father figure, Constable Park also listened to his words.

"If that Eldest Young Master becomes the leader of the Luoyang Sword Family."

Receiving the senior's gaze, the junior constable showed a faint smile.

"Even if my turn comes one day and I end up spilling blood and guts…"

His voice was slightly hushed.

"I feel like that blood will flow in the direction it should flow."

Although the expression itself was ambiguous.

"…The direction it should flow."

It was a statement with the power to make one chew on its meaning that much.

"…Perhaps so."

Constable Park followed the junior's gaze and looked at the uppermost reaches of the Valley of Sin.

Although the valley was filled with corpses.

For some reason, it looked much cleaner to them than before.

* * *

Luoyang, the reception room of the Ha Family Merchant Group.

There was the sight of young ladies sitting in the seats of honor.

They were the Third Young Lady Yeon Da-eun and the Fourth Young Lady Yeon Da-hye of the Luoyang Sword Family, who were the owners of the merchant group.

However, even though they were sitting calmly, their complexions were exceptionally pale. "……."

Their held hands were even trembling slightly. "……."

"So, what I mean is, sisters."

The Fourth Young Master explained desperately, waving his hands and feet.

"The Eldest Brother didn't kill them all just to express his anger and ease his mood—" he hurriedly chose his words.

"—deal with them."

He was diligently defending his eldest brother.

"Eldest Brother had no choice."

Yeon Bi, the Fourth Young Master whose intellect was counted among the best even in the Sword Family, could not possibly fail to know what part his eldest brother Yeon So-hyeon feared the most.

"Those merchants were instigated by the Second Young Master's side to insult Eldest Brother in an arrogant and shameless manner. And they dared to insult you sisters, who are the young ladies of the Sword Family."

The Fourth Young Master nodded with certainty.

"Also for the sake of your safety, in the long run, it was absolutely—" the Third Young Lady Yeon Da-eun cut in.

"A necessary slaughter, you mean?"

The Third Young Lady and the Fourth Young Lady.

As soon as they took Yeon So-hyeon's side.

The merchant group run by their followers was attacked.

And soon, it led to something close to a massacre that threw Luoyang into terror.

'…To some extent, it can't be helped that my sisters are shocked.'

Receiving their gazes, the Fourth Young Master gave a sigh-mixed answer.

"…Yes. It was a necessary slaughter."

No matter how he worded it to explain Yeon So-hyeon's situation in detail.

The merchants were caught in the power struggle of the Sword Family and died a violent death.

And the one who ordered those merchants killed was Yeon So-hyeon.

"This matter is neither Eldest Brother's fault nor your mistake, sisters. It is just—" at his sister's voice calling his childhood name, Yeon Bi lowered his head and replied.

"Bi-ah."

"…Yes, sister."

She asked the Fourth Young Master.

"Do you think we didn't know what would happen to them?"

The Fourth Young Lady Yeon Da-hye also spoke.

"If we honestly told Eldest Brother that the merchant group was attacked, did we really know nothing about what kind of things would happen?"

"…What?"

Looking at the Fourth Young Master Yeon Bi whose mind momentarily froze, Yeon Da-eun smiled with a sad face.

"You still see us as mere children remaining in our childhood."

"Indeed. You were exceptionally clever since childhood, even more so than the adults around you."

Yeon Da-hye said, her gaze blurring as if recalling the past.

"I understand that to your eyes, we look like fragile porcelain that is easy to crack or get damaged."

"But."

The Third Young Lady Yeon Da-eun put strength into her words.

"We are no longer children."

"Since we were born as the young ladies of this family, we can no longer remain as children."

"Nor should we remain as such."

At their words, the Fourth Young Master Yeon Bi let out a sigh.

"…Sisters, you had already completed your resolve."

The two girls, who were only fourteen years old, nodded.

"Yes. We resolved ourselves. Our resolve to shed blood."

"And our resolve to hurt others." "……."

Yeon Bi leaned back, burying himself deep in the chair, and shut his mouth tightly.

'…Damn Sword Family.'

Unlike him.

Since childhood, how pure and kind were his two sisters?

This accursed family, not satisfied with the Fourth Young Master himself, was finally staining even his sisters in blood.

"We are fine."

Yeon Da-eun gave him a gentle but firm smile.

Yeon Da-hye showed the same smile.

"Because today is a harder day for the enemies than for us."

If they were in a mentally difficult situation, the enemies were in a situation full of confusion and death.

The twin sisters, at least.

Were not buried in their own emotions with narrowed vision.

But they looked at the situation widely and understood it.

"…Yes."

After groaning for a moment, the Fourth Young Master nodded.

"I am glad that you accept it that way, sisters."

The Fourth Young Master did not stop and nodded continuously.

"I am glad. Truly glad."

Sooner or later.

Everyone must become an adult someday.

Because the only child in this world who cannot become an adult is a child who lost their life without becoming an adult.

"…Although this matter is also a warning sent to everyone in the Luoyang business circles."

The Fourth Young Lady Yeon Da-hye said, slightly tilting her head.

"We somehow feel that at the same time, this is a lesson Eldest Brother taught us."

The Fourth Young Master asked.

"…Eldest Brother's lesson?"

The Third Young Lady Yeon Da-eun answered.

"Eldest Brother told us to do whatever we wanted. He said so."

"Eldest Brother also said that he would make sure no one could touch us."

Hearing up to that point, the Fourth Young Master understood what they were saying.

"…Responsibility and price."

The twin sisters nodded at the same time.

"Yes."

"A lesson that with all freedom, responsibility and a price follow."

"That is what we think."