Book 12: Chapter 2: Search for the Enemy

Institution Headquarters, main building.

“…This.”

Following Command Warrior Myeong's orders, groans escaped from the mouths of the Institution warriors who entered the interior.

“…Are you saying this is the work of just two people?”

Whether in the corridors or anywhere else.

Inside the complexly intertwined main building of the Institution, the corpses of the enemies were scattered everywhere the eye could reach.

“…Even though the Sword Venerable stepped forward, this is.”

“No.”

The Institution warrior who bent down to examine a corpse shook his head.

“Look at the marks left on the corpse.”

Those who heard those words could understand the meaning behind them without difficulty.

“…Half of them died due to swords.”

“Then, the other half…”

“Exactly.”

The one who first discovered the marks pointed at the corpse.

Shattering the thick breastplate of the Institution's armor as if twisting it.

What remained clearly on the chest was unmistakably the mark of a single fist.

And the number of those who died in a way other than by a sword appeared to be approximately half.

“The Eldest Young Master laid his hands on half of them.”

Shock swept through the crowd.

“Such a thing…?!”

“Are you saying the Eldest Young Master has crossed the wall?”

Externally.

The one known to have crossed the wall the fastest in the history of the Luoyang Sword Family was the Second Young Lady.

Seamless Heavenly Robe, Yeon Seo-rin.

“…Was it not after entering her twenties that the Second Young Lady crossed the wall?”

“The Eldest Young Master is only seventeen years old this year…!”

“Furthermore…”

The one who had first examined the marks shook his head.

Having received specialized autopsy training, he could read more from the scene than others.

“…These marks cannot be explained simply by the fact that the Eldest Young Master crossed the wall.”

It did not make sense.

The corpse he was looking into was.

Judging by the armor worn and the empty scabbard, it was unmistakably a commander warrior of the Institution.

“…Just how on earth.”

Even if the Eldest Young Master had crossed the wall, to beat a commander warrior to death who must have already ascended the wall and reached a state of maturity?

“The Eldest Young Master—” when he was about to continue speaking, a transmission flew to all of them.

[This is Command Warrior Myeong.] it was Myeong, who had been temporarily granted field command.

[The brothers deployed in the main building are requested to hurry with their mission.] upon hearing the transmission, the Institution warriors immediately began their mission without a word of complaint.

“It does not matter whether it is external or internal! Completely seal all spaces related to information!”

They pulled out the paper and glue they had brought and began sealing every place suspected of storing the Institution's information.

In this way.

If anyone wanted to access the information stored by the Institution by any means.

It was a task that forced them to damage the paper.

[…As I said before. This is a 'consideration' to ensure that our Institution can focus solely on resolving the situation.] after the word 'consideration' came out.

There was a very brief gap until the next transmission.

[…Everyone, stay faithful to your given mission. That is all.]

* * *

Institution Headquarters.

The top floor of the main building, the office of the head of the Institution.

“Eldest Young Master.”

Even amidst clear signs of exhaustion, the Sword Venerable's eyes alone gleamed brilliantly.

“I have delivered all the orders.”

The face of Yeon So-hyeon, who sat cross-legged and controlled his internal energy, was likewise pale and devoid of blood.

“Thank you.”

“It is nothing.”

They had just swept clean the main building of the Institution, one of the elite forces of the Luoyang Sword Family, with just two people.

If it was a stroke of luck, it was that the corrupted individuals amounted to only about half of the Institution's total personnel.

“Because there is too much sensitive information in the Institution, you see.”

Nevertheless, the old man, who was standing firmly on his two feet.

Sat down only after Yeon So-hyeon raised his hand to point at a chair, then continued speaking.

“The initial breakthrough. From the beginning, it was something only you and I, Eldest Young Master, could do.”

In the Institution, which assisted the Supreme Executive Council from the closest distance.

Information that would cause a major disturbance if leaked to the outside was scattered everywhere.

Because no one could know what might happen in the midst of the chaos.

“The seals will be strictly guarded until the elders of the Elders' Hall personally come out to break them and retrieve all the information.”

“…Did Myeong seem to notice?”

“Although I told him it was a 'consideration' to let them focus on cleanup…”

At Yeon So-hyeon's question, the Sword Venerable wore a bitter smile.

“That young man named Myeong. He is a clever and capable fellow.”

Though it was an indirect reply, the meaning was fully conveyed to Yeon So-hyeon.

“…Is that so.”

The emotion contained in Yeon So-hyeon's response was complex.

Well aware of that feeling, the Sword Venerable nodded slowly.

“Reclaiming trust once lost is a difficult thing.”

The Institution had lost trust.

The cleanup of the core areas including information, and the grand reorganization of the Institution in the future.

Could not be entirely left to themselves.

Although those currently resolving the situation were the ones who resisted corruption.

It meant there could easily be any number of people among them who harbored other thoughts in their hearts.

“…Having to trust subordinates, yet being unable to trust them completely, is the destiny of a ruler.”

The Sword Venerable, the Chairman of the Supreme Executive Council, and Yeon So-hyeon knew that fact all too well.

In the past.

The ones who were closest to the Grand Patriarch, Yeon So-hyeon's father.

Usurped the position Yeon So-hyeon should have inherited to create the current Supreme Executive Council.

“…And Myeong, that fellow, also seemed to understand that grievance well.”

“That is fortunate.”

“Come to think of it…”

Feeling that Yeon So-hyeon's response had become noticeably lighter, the Sword Venerable shifted the conversation.

“Checking on the way back, I noticed a few core figures were not to be seen in the situation room.”

Aside from the head and deputy head of the Institution.

It meant that those who had fainted or suffered severe injuries due to Yeon So-hyeon's surprise attack were nowhere to be seen.

“Where are they now—?”

“Those bastards are currently.”

A streak of ghostly fire flickered by Yeon So-hyeon's eyes.

“Being interrogated.”

Overlapping his original voice, a strange sound like boiling metal drifted out.

“…I see.”

The incomprehensible existence.

Although the aspect of the Dark Venerable was revealed for only a brief moment.

Its strangeness and bizarreness were of a nature that one could never get used to, no matter how hard they tried.

“…Then, I will arrange it so that they are treated as having been secretly imprisoned elsewhere for interrogation.”

The Chairman did not pry any further than that.

“Now, we wait for news to arrive—” a presence.

The Chairman shut his mouth, and Yeon So-hyeon looked toward the door.

“The news has arrived.”

Receiving Yeon So-hyeon's permission, the one who revealed himself was the head of the Administration Department.

The one who temporarily served as the eyes and ears of the Supreme Executive Council in place of the Institution had come in person.

“I greet the Lord.”

The title was not Eldest Young Master, but Lord.

However, the Sword Venerable did not show any sign of it, and the head of the Administration Department did not care about the Sword Venerable either.

“Report.”

“The operation is a success.”

The head of the Administration Department reported the conclusion first and wore a thin smile on his lips.

“With the Institution, which had to cover the eyes and ears of the Supreme Executive Council, out of the picture, a great chaos began in the upper echelons of the Main Family.”

The Sword Venerable breathed a sigh of relief.

“The Eldest Young Master's move worked.”

“Yes.”

The head of the Administration Department nodded and continued his report.

“Although the Institution is out, those involved in this matter must prevent the Supreme Executive Council's intervention by any means.”

With the Institution gone, a fire fell on the feet of those involved in this matter.

If the Supreme Executive Council intervened now, everything would come to naught.

They had to at least neutralize the Eldest Young Master's forces and blow away the foundation of the reformists.

“Is the work of searching for them going smoothly?”

There was even urgency in the Sword Venerable's question.

“Of course.”

That was the operation name, Search for the Enemy.

As it was the core of the mission Yeon So-hyeon had entrusted to the head of the Administration Department.

“From the highest-ranking officials of the Luoyang central administration to the Yeon clan blood relatives, the elders, and even the heads of each organization.”

The head of the Administration Department, who backed the power of the Supreme Executive Council albeit temporarily was looking into every single detail of the Luoyang Sword Family, both inside and out.

“Even those who were unrelated to the past large-scale embezzlement at the Sword Family Bank have now begun to surface.”

* * *

Luoyang Sword Family, Intelligence Department.

“Make the contacts! I told you to ask for cooperation!”

Someone who appeared to be a director-level manager was shouting at his subordinates.

“We must block the Supreme Executive Council from moving by any means! Block all information going up!”

At first, the Second Young Master's side.

Had only demanded that they stay silent, but.

Now the situation had changed.

At the point where the Institution was neutralized, they could no longer just sit and keep silent.

“We must hold out until that damn Second Young Master's side sweeps away the Eldest Young Master!”

“…Director Two!”

One of his close aides spoke up with difficulty.

“I know the situation is urgent, but if we move so hastily, we might be exposed.”

Once one person mustered up courage, another close aide followed with direct advice.

“Already, just sharing information with the Second Young Master in the Imperial Capital could lead to problems later. In such a situation, this kind of full-scale intervention is—” director Two spat out curses.

“Shut up!”

“I know that sort of thing too!”

Although Director Two was famous for normally being calm, he could not remain calm now.

“Is there anyone here who knows that better than me?! Do you have an alternative?!”

His close aides shut their mouths. "……." "……."

Not a single person could offer a sharp alternative.

“…Now, there is no choice.”

Director Two sighed deeply.

“The Second Young Master's side has made too big a mess.”

Unable to hide his anxiety, he gritted his teeth.

“Now, it is all or nothing. To live or to die. Only one of those two options remains.”

Such scenes.

Attempts to prevent the Supreme Executive Council's intervention, without distinguishing between the Luoyang Sword Family and Luoyang itself were currently unfolding in various places.

And.

[This is the order that can prove Director Two's involvement.] one of Director Two's close aides was secretly meeting with a member of the Administration Department.

[Excellent. I will report it immediately.] when the member of the Administration Department reached out, Director Two's close aide pulled back the order.

[Confirm it to me once again.] on his face were anxiety, guilt over betraying his superior, and a determination that he must survive.

[If I hand over this order, I will definitely survive, right?] a grin hung on the lips of the Administration Department member.

[Of course.] in various parts of Luoyang, people selling out their superiors who had committed blunders to guarantee their own survival were appearing.

* * *

“You are doing well.”

“You flatter me.”

At Yeon So-hyeon's brief praise, the head of the Administration Department bowed his head deeply.

“I merely become a tool and execute according to my Lord's command.”

The prediction that the Second Young Master's side would use the extreme method of mobilizing military force that they would receive silent cooperation from many powerful figures in the process and forcing them to personally move and reveal themselves by cleaning up the Institution in a surprise attack, the Sword Venerable opened the window and looked out in the direction of Luoyang.

“Everything is possible because of my Lord's plans.”

“Then, the variable now is…”

“I hope they can hold out until we have searched out enough of the internal enemies.”

The place where the Sword Venerable's gaze fell was where the Valley of Sin was located in the far distance.

Since it was such an astronomical distance, even with the Sword Venerable's vision, it could not be seen properly, but.

Without looking, he could almost hear Yeon So-hyeon's forces holding on desperately and without hearing, the screams of the dying and the noise of clashing weapons seemed to reach him.

“If the Eldest Young Master's forces begin to be pushed back, we must immediately initiate intervention.”

Operation Search for the Enemy.

How successful the operation to distinguish the real enemies hidden inside and outside the Sword Family would be depended on how long the Valley of Sin could hold out.

“Without the Eldest Young Master, how much longer can our forces hold out?”

Yeon So-hyeon, who was circulating his single remaining thread of internal energy to somehow suppress the demonic qi of the Scripture of Controlling Darkness and Shaking the Heavens, smiled.

“How long can they hold out?”

Even in a situation where he could not personally intervene, Yeon So-hyeon's smile was nothing but relaxed.

“You should ask when they will win.”