Book 13: Chapter 21: The First Three Tenths

Volume 13 Chapter 21 - The First Three Tenths

“…The voting is currently in progress. Elders who have not yet voted, please do not leave your seats and…” the voice of Elder Hwangmok, who was in charge of the proceedings, was echoing through the grand hall, but—

“…Therefore, if you could please be a little quiet…” right now, there was not a single elder paying attention to that side.

"------!"

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On one side of the grand hall, the elders gathered as if occupying it, and high voices were being exchanged among them.

“What on earth are they doing gathered over there?”

An elder who had just returned after finishing his business narrowed his eyes and scanned the faces of those gathered.

“…Each and every one of them seems to be a senior elder or the head of a faction or clique?”

At that question, a fellow elder of the Hebei faction shrugged his shoulders and replied.

“They say they are doing that to find the betrayer.”

“Betrayer…? Ah.”

The elder who had asked nodded as if he understood immediately.

“Are you talking about the three tenths who broke the agreement in the beginning and cast invalid votes for the Eldest Young Master?”

“That is right. But…” an elder who had been watching the situation closely intervened.

“They say they are not looking for the three tenths, but rather looking first for the ten percent who changed their minds and switched to invalid votes during the revote.”

The ones whispering here.

Although they were not figures who stood out or held great influence in the Elders' Hall as expected of the elders of the Luoyang Sword Family, they quickly understood the rationale.

“Ah, indeed.”

“Rather than searching for the combination of factions and cliques that make up four tenths in total, finding that ten percent would be easier and faster.”

“So through that ten percent, they plan to find the three tenths who were the core of this matter.”

At that moment.

Another elder from the same Hebei faction returned from voting, approached them, and asked.

“So, everyone. Which way did you vote?”

Originally, he would not have asked so openly, but now the situation did not matter anymore.

“Rejection.”

“I also voted for rejection.”

Voting for rejection on the motion of no-confidence meant they chose to keep the current Bank Director as he was.

“The Deputy Director of the Bank, who was the candidate for the next Bank Director, was captured and taken to the dungeon of the Central Inspection Department.”

“He will probably come out dead.”

“No. Far from coming out dead—” at the words 'they,' everyone slightly raised their heads and looked in the direction where the blood relative elders of the Yeon clan were.

“—He probably won't even be able to come out in death. They say they cremate the bodies inside on their own.”

“In this kind of situation, what is the point of dragging out time?”

“I just want to go in quickly, wash my feet, and rest.”

“Moreover…” the one who stealthily slipped into their conversation was an elder of the Imperial Capital faction, who was usually close to the Hebei faction.

“Since they have also given up like that, what meaning is there anymore?”

“…It is still fierce, but.”

“The venom has drained out.”

“It is no different from a house of mourning.”

At those words, the elder of the Imperial Capital faction who had joined the conversation chuckled.

“Since they will soon hold consecutive funerals, that is not exactly wrong.”

“Why, have you heard something?”

The answer to that question surprisingly came from a new elder of the Hebei faction.

“From what I heard…” he was the new elder whom the Eldest Young Master had patted on the shoulder and encouraged.

“They say the investigative agency secured the secret transaction ledger that the Deputy Director of the Bank possessed.”

At those words, the elder of the Imperial Capital faction nodded.

“I also heard the same news.”

Stroking his beard, he looked at the new elder of the Hebei faction with a subtle gaze.

“That aside, you are quite capable. By any chance, are you interested in our Imperial Capital faction—” the Hebei faction elders immediately glared with anger.

“Uh-huh!”

“This guy…!”

“Are you playing tricks to snatch our rookie right in front of us?!”

Even amidst those angry shouts, the elder of the Imperial Capital faction did not withdraw his subtle gaze from the new elder of the Hebei faction.

“If you are interested, give me a hint later.”

“Haha, no thank you.”

The new elder of the Hebei faction rejected the offer on the spot.

“I have already decided on my path and have my own aspirations, so while I appreciate the offer, I must decline.”

“Really?”

The elder of the Imperial Capital faction smacked his lips.

“He has determination and is a decent fellow—” his words could not be finished.

“We said it was not us!”

Everyone raised their heads at the loud voice.

It was from the direction where the senior figures and leaders were gathered.

“This is…”

“Isn't this the voice of Elder Peng, the head of our Hebei faction?”

* * *

“If it is not you, then it is not. Elder Peng, why are you getting so excited?”

An elder from the Third Young Master's side narrowed his eyes.

“We are merely talking about numbers.”

“Numbers do not lie. Is that not so?”

Under the pressure from the Third Young Master's side, Elder Peng shouted with a flushed face in excitement.

“If numbers do not lie, then you must have calculated incorrectly!”

The heads of the cliques and factions who were pointed out along with Elder Peng's Hebei faction also raised their voices.

“We having a backroom deal with the Eldest Young Master behind your backs would bring us what benefit?!”

“If you push us like this, we also have our own thoughts!”

As the conversation grew increasingly harsh the senior elders who were watching quickly stepped forward.

“Now, now, everyone is too excited…!”

“Calm down for a moment…!”

An elder who was elderly even among the senior figures stepped forward.

“Although there is a lot of talk right now, we will eventually find those people and punish them. Is that not so?”

At those words, even the Third Young Master's side and those who were suspected because the total numbers matched, nodded in agreement.

“That is true.”

“We must make them taste bitterness.”

“Only then will this not happen in the future…!”

“To stab fellow elders in the back and snuggle up to the Eldest Young Master…!”

As the atmosphere began to heat up again, the old elder raised his hand.

“However, this old man actually thinks it is fortunate that things are as they are now.”

“…Did you say it is fortunate?”

The voting result was obvious.

They, the Elders' Hall, had suffered a humiliating defeat to the Eldest Young Master.

Combined with the eyes focusing on them from the outside since morning to an unusual degree their loss was by no means small.

“Yes. Think about it, everyone.”

The old elder continued.

“If those belonging to the factions or cliques corresponding to that three tenths had completely stood on the side of the Eldest Young Master, what do you think would have happened to this matter?”

The moment they heard that question instantly, chills ran down everyone's spines.

“…Indeed.”

“…I see.”

The senior elders and leaders groaned.

“If they had not deceived their fellow elders in the shadows, but rather revealed themselves, that would mean…” Elder Peng's eyes trembled.

“…It would mean that as many as three tenths of the Elders' Hall were a firm force of the Eldest Young Master.”

If they had not secretly joined hands with the Eldest Young Master behind the scenes in this matter but had followed orders because they were already the Eldest Young Master's force… because it was a spine-chilling statement, even though they had spoken it themselves, everyone swallowed hard.

“If that were the case, it would not have ended with just a defeat in this matter.”

“…Everything would have changed from now on.”

“…….”

“…….”

“…Then, right now, we.”

“…It means we have actually avoided the worst-case scenario.”

“…Truly, we might have to say it is fortunate.”

Once the awareness of the problem was shared and a consensus was established, the old elder who had brought up the story got to the point.

“Therefore, although finding the betraying clique or faction in some way is also important, the most important point is…”

*Thump.* the old elder struck his staff once on the floor and said in a much heavier tone.

“A sprout must be cut before it is too late. We must prevent them from forming a force around the Eldest Young Master in the future.”

* * *

The seats of the Hebei faction.

“It has quieted down again.”

“I thought it would run headlong into catastrophe like this.”

“But it seems some discussion is progressing.”

The elders of the Hebei faction breathed a sigh of relief as they looked in the direction where the senior figures and leaders were gathered.

“By the way…” as the tension eased, one of the elders turned back to the new elder.

“Earlier, you said, 'I have already decided on my path and have my own aspirations.' What did you mean by that?”

“I am also curious about that.”

Another elder glanced at the elder of the Imperial Capital faction who had returned to his seat, and approached the rookie.

“That is…” as attention focused on him, the new elder seemed flustered for a moment, but soon, as if making up his mind, he asked everyone in a subtle tone instead.

“Senior elders, are you not dissatisfied with this Elders' Hall as it is now?”

“Dissatisfied…?”

“…Dissatisfied, indeed.”

An elder chuckled.

“There are plenty of dissatisfactions.”

Another elder shrugged and shifted his gaze.

In that direction were the senior and leader elders they had been watching until just now.

“…This place is already too stagnant.”

Because it was not something to say in a loud voice, they whispered.

“It is a game where only those who have been doing it continue to do it.”

“Still, if there is hope—” an elder cackled and picked up those words.

“—If there is hope, it is that they are also growing old, and when our turn comes, we can have our share.”

“We just endure while waiting for that day.”

The elder who smiled bitterly spoke to the new elder.

“…Everyone is speaking too bluntly, but it is not wrong.”

“No. That is not what I meant.”

The new elder firmly shook his head and looked at the senior elders.

“I do not mean that the entirety of the Elders' Hall should just be about taking care of one's own interests and political gains like now…!”

He spoke with a passion that made it hard to believe he had been quiet until now.

“An Elders' Hall that truly worries and exchanges opinions for the future of the Luoyang Sword Family.”

He sprang up from his seat and shouted.

“I am asking if you do not want to become such a true Elders' Hall and true elders…!”

However.

Like that.

What returned to the new elder, who had bared the thoughts hidden deep in his heart, was the bewildered expressions of his seniors.

“…….”

“…….”

“…Pfft, hahaha!”

In the end, someone even burst out laughing.

“Did you harbor such thoughts, my friend?”

“You are young, indeed, young.”

“Haha. How did you even manage to rise to the rank of elder?”

One of the senior elders shook his head.

“This is all because a large number of the Second Young Master's elders were pushed out in the previous clash with the Eldest Young Master.”

“My word.”

Someone wiped the tears that leaked out from laughing and shook his head.

“In all my life, to hear such childish words in a place like the Elders' Hall.”

“My friend…” the senior elder who had first questioned the new elder tapped his shoulder.

“I advise you in all sincerity, if you want to survive here, you had better discard such naive delusions quickly.”

“…….”

*Chatter, chatter.* in front of the seniors who looked at him and laughed, the new elder clenched his fists unseen.

“…I am.”

At that moment, someone looked toward the VIP seats and called out in a low voice.

“The Eldest Young Master of the Main Family is arriving!”

Since the Eldest Young Master was entering, what was so strange about calling out to announce it?

However.

“…Which elder is calling out?”

This was the Elders' Hall.

“It seems there is a foolish person who clung to that side just because the Eldest Young Master won this time.”

“Stupid…” originally, in a place with nothing but elders, announcing the arrival of the Eldest Young Master was equivalent to lowering oneself.

At first, they laughed at that elder as they had laughed at the rookie, but— among those who confirmed the identity of the elder who announced Yeon So-hyeon's entry, bewilderment spread rapidly.

“…But that elder.”

“Isn't he the Department Head of the First Department of Law Enforcement…?”

“No, why is the Department Head of the First Department of Law Enforcement…?”

“Where did the Lord of the Law Enforcement Court go? Is the Department Head of the First Department of Law Enforcement claiming to be a subordinate of the Eldest Young Master?”

Even while everyone's attention was focused on him, the neck of the Department Head of the First Department of Law Enforcement was stiff and there was not a single disturbance in his expression or posture.

“…The Department Head of the First Department of Law Enforcement.”

The new elder, who was also staring at the Department Head of the First Department of Law Enforcement with wide eyes like the other elders, soon nodded.

“…Although you seniors laughed at me.”

The senior elders who turned to the new elder frowned and gestured for him to sit down.

“No, my friend, in this kind of situation, are you still paying attention to those words?”

“We have also forgotten about it, so stop with the useless talk—” however, the new elder ignored their words and proudly continued what he had to say while standing.

“But there was someone who did not laugh at my thoughts, but rather listened attentively, and even decided to lead the way for me.”

Saying so, the new elder looked at the person who entered the grand hall and looked around the crowd with an arrogant gaze.

He looked at the Eldest Young Master Yeon So-hyeon.

“My friend…?”

“Right now…?”

Only then did the senior elders feel something strange and tried to say something, but the new elder's words came first.

“To me, who was anxious, he said he would show his influence, ability, and power.”

The new elder said.

“In return, what he demanded of me was simply to cast an invalid vote in secret.”

“……!”

“……!”

As the details of the story, which they could not have even imagined, began to be revealed everyone in the Hebei faction froze.

“And he, the Eldest Young Master, proved it flawlessly and splendidly, exactly as he said.”

At that moment.

“Hmm? Where are you going?”

“Uh, uh…?”

The ones who stood up from their seats were not just the new elder of the Hebei faction.

“What is this…?”

As they stood up one by one, there were those who stood up from their seats in succession, as if gaining courage from it.

“What is everyone doing…?”

And as if they had agreed to do so from the very beginning toward the direction of the VIP seats that was, they gathered by the side of the Eldest Young Master Yeon So-hyeon, and their number was three tenths of the total.

According to later records, they called this 'the first three tenths.'

“…….”

“…….”

It was.

In the Elders' Hall of the Luoyang Sword Family.

The moment the faction of the Eldest Young Master officially revealed itself.