Book 14: Chapter 10: Internal Strife

The Luoyang Sword Family, Pavilion of Perfect Enlightenment.

“No, we just want to meet the Eldest Young Master. Is that really so difficult?!”

The leaders of the New Martial Alliance on the Third Young Master's side were raising their voices to a maid of Pavilion of Perfect Enlightenment.

“Isn't the Eldest Young Master the host of this banquet?!”

“As a matter of duty as the host, shouldn't he at least receive the greetings of the guests!”

However, Yi-ryeong, one of the triplet maids, with a face that was not sorry at all, the leaders of the New Martial Alliance on the Third Young Master's side beat their chests.

“I am sorry, Elders.”

“Since the Master is currently hosting an urgent meeting for internal members,” shook her head firmly at their words.

“he expressed his apologies for not being able to receive the honored guests in person.”

“No...!”

“Then, what about the people from the War Department and the Sword Forest?!”

“Why are they attending that meeting where the Eldest Young Master is?!”

Yi-ryeong, one of the triplet maids, shrugged her shoulders.

“That is something the Master decided. Even if you say so to me...”

“Tsk!”

They stamped their feet.

“…Then!”

“Then, at least Elder Peng, whom they say the Eldest Young Master helped cross the wall...!”

“Let us at least meet him!”

“Pardon?”

Yi-ryeong, pretending to be startled, covering the corners of her mouth with her sleeve, she wore a dumbfounded expression.

“Currently, Elder Peng is consolidating his enlightenment alone in a quiet place.”

“Are you planning to barge in at such an important moment?”

“N-No.”

“It is not that...”

“Then, at least the Eldest Young Master...”

Although they wanted to confirm the truth of the rumor somehow, just like making rice with newly harvested grain and letting it steam until it is glossy, was it his intention to draw out the public's curiosity to the limit?

“As I have told you several times before, the Master is busy with internal meetings.”

The Eldest Young Master had already thoroughly blocked their access.

“Ugh...!”

They showed their discomfort blatantly, but it was a matter of course that raising their voices at a smiling maid would be of no use.

“Ahem!”

“…Let us wait for now.”

“Sigh, really.”

They eventually had no choice but to turn back and return quietly to the Grand Banquet Hall.

‘Hehehe!’

Looking at their retreating backs, Yi-ryeong raised her nose high.

‘The current Master is not someone you can meet just because you want to, even if you are an elder of the Main Family.’

What a change of eras.

Only a few months ago Pavilion of Perfect Enlightenment was a place that precious guests hardly ever visited, but now, even those who had risen above the rank of elders were stamping their feet to meet the Eldest Young Master somehow.

‘Now, with this, we, the triplet maids, will also become the idols of the subordinates in the Main Family!’

Holding her highly raised nose even higher, in that state, to Yi-ryeong, who was giggling inwardly with her shoulders shaking, a thunderous telepathic message flew in.

‘Mwahahaha!’

[Yi-ryeong!] Yi-ryeong jumped in place.

“Hieek?!”

[What are you doing?!] it was the telepathic message of Chief Maid Jeong-ah, whom she feared the most.

[If your work is done, return to the conference room immediately!] with the power of the Golden Eyes, there were no blind spots for Jeong-ah, who monitored the entirety of Pavilion of Perfect Enlightenment without a single gap.

“Y-Yes! I am coming right now, Chief Maid!”

* * *

“If the Eldest Young Master, just like the rumors, really pushed the back of a martial artist who hit the wall...”

The leaders belonging to the New Martial Alliance on the Third Young Master's side gathered in one corner of the Grand Banquet Hall and whispered.

“…if he has a mysterious talent that can make one cross the wall to become a master.”

“That is a tremendous thing. A tremendous thing indeed.”

Since it was a celebration for the Eldest Young Master's faction there was no one paying attention to them, who were of the Third Young Master's side anyway, and even if someone was interested, there was no one who would go out of their way to speak to them here and now.

“…If so,” as expected of those who had been involved in the former Martial Alliance, their political sense of smell was incomparably outstanding.

“…Mmh.”

In the past even the new Sect Leader of the Zhongnan Sect, who had chosen to be absorbed into the Luoyang Sword Family after incurring massive debts due to repeated failures in expanding business, in the past, after the dissolution of the Martial Alliance, even the Grand Master of the Kongtong Sect, which had almost collapsed once due to internal conflict and was seeking reconstruction under the Luoyang Sword Family, not only they, but all the leaders belonging to the New Martial Alliance who had rushed over like the wind after hearing the news of the Eldest Young Master, were only sizing each other up, drinking alcohol in vain and stirring their food, without bringing out the decisive words.

“…Ahem.”

“So, that is...”

“…Tsk.”

“…….”

“…….”

“Hah.”

Snorting loudly once, it was the former Sect Leader of the Diancang Sect who joined their group late.

“After coming all the way to attend this event, did you suddenly become afraid of the Grand Tacticians on the left and right and the Namgung Clan at this late hour?”

“Your words are too harsh, Sect Leader...!”

“Have you not had too much of the medicinal alcohol...?!”

The accusations of those who immediately flared up in anger flew in, but already having realized the dread of the Eldest Young Master during the past Blood History, to the words of Yeon Ha-eung of the Kaifeng Yeon branch who came representing Yeon So-hyeon, the former Sect Leader of the Diancang Sect had answered like this: even in a state of heavy drinking, among them, angry shouts poured toward the former Sect Leader of the Diancang Sect who calmly spat out what could be considered a taboo.

“Rather than calling it betraying the family, I would like to express it as seeking a way to live together with us.”

[…Please convey to the Eldest Young Master that I look forward to working with him in the future.] like that the former Sect Leader of the Diancang Sect, who was already secretly holding hands with the Eldest Young Master's side, now, toward the Third Young Master's side, began to play his snake's tongue.

“Listen carefully, everyone.”

“I will clear things up for you nicely.”

“In the past, after the dissolution of the Martial Alliance,” the eyes of the former Sect Leader of the Diancang Sect showed no shaking, even though they were full of drunkenness, and his eyes swept over the faces of those gathered here.

“Shaolin, which was the Mount Tai and North Star of the martial world, closed its gates. The sword of Mount Hua, which sought a splendid revival, was broken by Elder Yeom, the Sword Peak Mountain Destroyer, and” his tongue was in no way lacking in sharpness compared to a sharp sword tip.

“the Wudang Sect was torn into the Outer Mountain and the Inner Mountain. The respected Nine Sects have fallen long ago. Especially...”

“Especially, the ones in this place are the leaders of the sects that failed to adapt to the era of capital and eventually yielded to the Sword Family.”

“Sect Leader...!”

“Watch your mouth...!”

Since the gathered individuals were who they were the pressure generated by their anger was beyond imagination even without a single point of internal force, but the expression of the former Sect Leader of the Diancang Sect was like looking at beasts whose limbs were not only cut off but also tightly bound in chains.

“Sect Leader my foot.”

“Sect Leader, Sect Leader, Grand Master, New Martial Alliance. It is all bullshit.”

The former Sect Leader of the Diancang Sect gulped down the bottle of alcohol he was holding and, without even wiping the alcohol running down his mouth, he spoke toward the gathering.

“*Belch*, the alcohol tastes killer!”

“Even if we hold onto each other and lick our wounds and chatter like that, it is nothing more than playing house.”

With a "Tsk tsk," the former Sect Leader of the Diancang Sect clicked his tongue as if pitying them, then continued speaking.

“Even if you struggle like that, it is not like you do not know that this era already belongs to the prestigious families that monopolized capital power.”

As the words of the former Sect Leader of the Diancang Sect grew longer, the faces of the New Martial Alliance leaders on the Third Young Master's side turned red and blue.

“it is also not like you do not know that while hearing ourselves called by the nice-sounding title of Sect Leader, merely occupying an elder seat thrown to us by the Sword Family is everything.”

“…….”

“…….”

“Therefore, everyone,” to them, the former Sect Leader of the Diancang Sect continued speaking clearly as if driving a wedge.

“isn't it with a glimmer of hope that you rushed over upon hearing the news of the Eldest Young Master?”

As one corner of his mouth twitched upward “If you stand on the Eldest Young Master's side even now,” he formed a sneer.

“while desperately thinking that maybe, somehow, you can replicate that era of glory from the days of the Martial Alliance.”

The ones who had tried to shut his mouth when the former Sect Leader of the Diancang Sect was blathering, in fact, even after his words finished, there was not a single person who opened their mouth particularly.

“……!”

“…….”

Rather, only the whispering voices of the guests who were watching the farce of the Third Young Master's side unfolding in the Grand Banquet Hall were noisy.

“…That is right.”

“The former Sect Leader of the Diancang Sect spoke the truth.”

“Just because you try hard to avoid it, a fact does not cease to be a fact.”

“Although the influence of the sects that became subordinate factions of the Sword Family is strong,” as the murmuring grew louder, the faces of the New Martial Alliance leaders on the Third Young Master's side grew dark.

“even so, it cannot be compared to the days when they reigned as the rulers of their respective regions.”

“…….”

“…….”

“Did I hit the mark too much?”

The former Sect Leader of the Diancang Sect giggled and, looked around the gathering and sneered.

“Does everyone have nothing to say?”

“…If the Third Young Master,” as a sect leader opened his mouth in a squeezed voice, gazes gathered on him.

“becomes the Young Patriarch of this Sword Family and stands tall as the Patriarch in the future...!”

Showing his clenched fist, he forced strength into his voice.

“we too will become the mainstream in this Sword Family—!”

“—What a grand dream.”

However the voice of the former Sect Leader of the Diancang Sect crushed his laboriously squeezed-out words as they were.

“Even if the Third Young Master becomes the Patriarch, do you think our situation will change in any way from now?”

“…….”

He had no particular reason to raise his voice.

“Then or now, we would merely be occupying the elder seats. Our situation of having to pick up and eat the falling crumbs will remain the same.”

For the content alone was enough to chill them to the bone.

“When comparing our future selves to the current old men of the War Department, do you think we will be in any better position then?”

“…….”

If they had not known that no one would have attended this Eldest Young Master's banquet.

“…….”

“…….”

And so, they had nothing else to do but avoid the murmurs around them and desperately turn their gazes away.

“Ahem!”

The Sect Leader of the Zhongnan Sect, unable to watch any longer, intervened, coughing while slightly loaded with internal force.

“Sect Leader.”

“There are eyes watching, so why don't you leave it at that?”

“Sect Leader of Zhongnan.”

The former Sect Leader of the Diancang Sect clicked his tongue in regret.

“Surely you are not going to say you still have not noticed either?”

“…What do you mean?”

“The Blood History.”

At that single word, the leaders of the New Martial Alliance on the Third Young Master's side shut their mouths.

“…….”

“Come to think of it...!”

The entire gathering in the Grand Banquet Hall stirred.

“In the past, we merely laughed off the rumor that the Eldest Young Master was behind that Blood History as a false rumor, but” amidst that stir, the voice of the former Sect Leader of the Diancang Sect echoed clearly.

“looking at the ability the Eldest Young Master is showing now, it might not be a mere false rumor after all.”

“The previous Sect Leader of Zhongnan was dragged away and disappeared without anyone knowing during the Blood History. Not only that, because all of your senior and junior brothers were dragged away...”

The finger he raised pointed toward the current Sect Leader of Zhongnan.

“…you, who were left alone among the brothers, became the Sect Leader. But do you know this?”

The former Sect Leader of the Diancang Sect laughed with a wheezing sound and asked, the voice of the Zhongnan Sect Leader sank quite gloomily.

“It was rather fortunate that you became the Sect Leader. Your martial brothers were all trash lacking in talent.”

“…Sect Leader.”

“Just what is it that you want to say right now?”

The former Sect Leader of the Diancang Sect wiped the laughter from his face and spoke.

“What I want to say is—” however, that wide Grand Banquet Hall fell into silence amidst a scream-less shock.

“What he wants to say is,” his words were cut off by a voice heard from the opposite side.

“to make it even slightly helpful to the future of the Main Family,” the former Sect Leader of the Diancang Sect, who confirmed the owner of that voice, silently bowed his head and stepped back a pace.

“while exposing the treason at that time, your martial brothers were all” the one who revealed himself in that place, assisted by the maids, was none other than the Eldest Young Master Yeon So-hyeon.

“handled by my own hands, is it not?”

“……!”