Book 9: Chapter 1: Extracting Firewood from Under the Cauldron

The Sword Family Bank, back garden.

“Eldest Brother! So, so, Hye-ah, I mean…!”

“Sister, it's embarrassing! Why do you keep bringing up only my story!”

Giggling, the two girls burst into laughter.

A smile also played on the lips of Yeon So-hyeon, who was watching that sight.

Although the stories they babbled on about were only trivial things from daily life, just watching them and hearing their voices left no room for boredom.

It felt like waking up in the morning, breathing in the fresh air, and listening to the chirping of mountain birds.

“No, so anyway. A mare was giving birth to a foal, and Hye-ah, you see—.”

“I told you to stop…!”

When the Fourth Young Lady Yeon Da-hye poked her older sister Yeon Da-eun in the ribs, Yeon Da-eun giggled as if she was about to lose her breath and fell backward.

Not missing the opportunity, Yeon Da-hye tickled her older sister's ribs relentlessly.

“Take this!”

Not to be outdone, Yeon Da-eun launched a counterattack by tickling her younger sister's forearm, which was her weak spot.

Their ceaseless tumbling back and forth was like watching two kittens.

'…They really resemble her.'

Yeon So-hyeon thought that the way the two of them smiled without a single crease of worry resembled their mother, Madame Ha.

'So-hyeon.'

As her voice came to mind, a corner of his chest throbbed with pain.

'Leave the matters of adults to the adults. Since my husband is away, I must step forward at least.'

'But…'

At the young Yeon So-hyeon's worried words, she had rolled up her sleeves, showing off her biceps with a smile.

'I might not be as strong as your mother, Sister So-yu, but I am not someone to be easily trifled with either.'

And that was the last word the young Yeon So-hyeon had heard from her.

One hot summer day.

Beneath the rainbow hanging in the sky after a sudden shower, Madame Ha's pale corpse had already begun to decompose.

That smell.

The smile that had hung on her lips until the last moment, as always, looked exceptionally strained.

That sound.

'To enjoy playing in the water at a time like this…'

'They said there was heavy rain in the uppermost stream. There was no way that small ferryboat could withstand the suddenly rising water.'

'No, but still. She enjoyed playing in the water alone on a ferryboat without a single guard…?'

'Shh. Be quiet.'

An assassination disguised as an accident.

[…kill them.] the nightmare of that day, which he could not forget even a single detail of due to his memory that was no different from a curse.

[Kill them all.] the scream he had shrieked while looking up at the sky when he was young.

'What on earth do you want me to do?!'

Resentment toward fate.

That despair.

That helplessness.

That self-loathing.

That fear.

That anger.

From his heart, the energy of the demonic creature surged and overflowed.

Grit—.

Yeon So-hyeon's teeth ground.

“…Brother?”

The moment Yeon Da-eun and Yeon Da-hye looked back at him, a small but sharp gust of wind swept through.

“Kyaah…!”

It was a wind formed by the Dual Principles Mind Art, which Yeon So-hyeon had temporarily raised to the limit.

When the two sisters closed and opened their eyes in the dusty wind, there stood the back of Yeon So-hyeon, who had risen from his seat. …….

For some reason, the back of their eldest brother, who stood silently looking into the distance, suddenly seemed far away.

Just as they were about to speak to him, Yeon So-hyeon's mouth opened first.

“It seems the subordinates of that Second Young Master have made their move.” …….

At those words, the two girls hurriedly stood up from their seats and directed their gazes in the direction Yeon So-hyeon was looking.

“Fourth Young Lady.”

The first to arrive was an agent from the intelligence department of the Luoyang Sword Family.

The agent, who bowed to Yeon So-hyeon, delivered a note to the Fourth Young Lady, who was the intelligence secretary of the head of the Business Support Group.

“Ah, thank you.”

“Don't mention it.”

While the Fourth Young Lady Yeon Da-hye asked for Yeon So-hyeon's understanding and opened the note, the agent of the intelligence department glanced at Yeon So-hyeon.

He probably did not want to miss the moment of seeing Yeon So-hyeon, who was at the center of all rumors lately, in person.

'…Is this person the Eldest Young Master, Yeon So-hyeon?'

The agent did his best to examine Yeon So-hyeon secretly.

'But why does he look more ordinary than what I heard—.'

At that moment, Yeon So-hyeon, who felt the gaze examining him, locked eyes with him. ……!

Eyeballs like an endless abyss.

Would falling from a bottomless cliff feel like this?

With a sensation that made his stomach drop, the agent felt as if his soul was fleeing.

No, it was as if his soul was being captured—.

“…Excuse me. Excuse me. Agent?”

“Ye-yes?!”

He answered, startled by the voice calling him.

“P-please speak, Y-Young Lady.”

Toward the agent, the Third Young Lady Yeon Da-eun tilted her head.

“Do you still have some other business left?”

These were words she said because usually, the agents of the intelligence department were busy leaving as soon as they handed over the note.

“Ah, no!”

He waved his hands at the Third Young Lady and glanced at Yeon So-hyeon. …….

In the meantime, the Eldest Young Master had already turned his gaze far away as if he had lost interest.

“It is nothing…” …….

Yeon Da-eun watched with strange eyes the back of the agent, who was hastily disappearing as if chased by something or possessed.

“Brother…”

When Yeon Da-hye, who had finished reading the note, swallowed dryly and called Yeon So-hyeon, he nodded.

“The Second Young Master's subordinates must be trying to pull in the Yeon family blood relatives, right?” ……!

At Yeon So-hyeon's words, which predicted the contents as if he had read the note himself, Yeon Da-hye showed a startled expression.

“Those people are trying to drag in even the Yeon family blood relatives in the end?!”

Yeon Da-eun jumped at the content.

“What on earth are they thinking—!”

Just as she, with frustration rising to the top of her head, was about to say more, a man and a woman revealed themselves from the side Yeon So-hyeon was looking at.

“Eldest Young Master.”

Along with the bodyguards of the Third and Fourth Young Ladies, the Red Venom Spider, who had been far away, appeared with a lanky young man.

“Brother…!”

Yeon Ha-eung waved his hand upon spotting Yeon So-hyeon and strode forward, but froze when his eyes met Yeon So-hyeon's. ……?

The Red Venom Spider looked at Yeon Ha-eung with puzzled eyes.

“Brother.”

Yeon Ha-eung asked, putting strength into his trembling legs.

“What happened that your mood is so foul…?”

“Stop with the useless talk.”

At those words, everyone looked at Yeon So-hyeon, but Yeon So-hyeon had already turned his body away from them.

“Speak of the news you brought instead. It must be information related to the Yeon family blood relatives, right?”

“Yes, of course it is.”

Yeon Ha-eung nodded with an awkward expression and approached cautiously to speak.

“This time, the Second Young Master's side did not even intend to hide it. They sent letters to all the blood relatives currently holding high positions within the Main Family.”

He took a letter out from his breast pocket and waved it.

The letter had even arrived for Yeon Ha-eung, who was known to have a close friendship with Yeon So-hyeon.

Just as he said, it seemed certain that the Second Young Master's side had no intention of hiding what move they would make.

“Because it is a move that does not need to be hidden.”

At Yeon So-hyeon's words, everyone nodded in agreement.

“This family is the Yeon family, and that is why the Yeon family blood relatives occupy nearly half of the key positions…”

To Yeon Da-eun's words, Yeon Da-hye added.

“Therefore, anyone who makes an enemy of the Yeon family blood relatives is as good as facing half of this family.”

Facing half of the Luoyang Sword Family, which was called the Greatest Family Under Heaven.

That was, in fact, no different from a death sentence.

“…Just as you said, Brother, there is no need to hide it, and in the first place, it is a move that cannot be hidden.”

“Because the Yeon family blood relatives are not a single organization.”

Even among those gathered here right now, all of them except the Red Venom Spider were of the Yeon surname, yet were they not Yeon So-hyeon's allies?

“The Yeon family blood relatives in key positions are mostly individuals who have their own mutual interests.”

“Since attempting to contact such people secretly through clumsy means would inevitably lead to leaks somewhere, they must have sent the letters openly from the start.”

“But Brother…”

Yeon Da-hye cautiously brought up a question.

“I understand that the Second Young Master's side is contacting the Yeon family blood relatives, but how on earth do they plan to gather them together to make them hostile to you, Eldest Brother?”

At that question, everyone's gaze gathered on the back of Yeon So-hyeon.

“Of course, they probably do not expect to gather all of them. It is not even possible.”

Yeon So-hyeon, who succeeded in suppressing the surging demonic qi and killing intent so they would not leak out, turned to look at them.

“It will be a success if they gather even a quarter of the Yeon family blood relatives. Pushing aside someone like me, who has just ended my seclusion, would be child's play.”

“How will they get that quarter…?”

Yeon So-hyeon wore a bitter smile.

“It will consume a lot of political resources, but it is not impossible. Because…”

He raised his hand and pointed at the back door of the pavilion connected to the back garden.

There stood a middle-aged woman with white hair and white eyes.

“Chief of the Central Inspection Department…”

“Dokgo Ya-yeon.”

The target of fear and dread for the powerful figures within the Luoyang Sword Family.

The nightmare of those who were corrupt, embezzled, and pocketed funds.

“From now on, my sword belongs to the Eldest Young Master.”

She offered her sword to Yeon So-hyeon. ……!

While the gathered crowd could not hide their astonishment, Yeon So-hyeon accepted her sword along with its scabbard with a natural expression.

“I shall accept it.”

Kneeling on one knee, she bowed her head and spoke to Yeon So-hyeon.

“…I shall deliver my first report to my Lord.”

Her tone of voice was calm as usual, but everyone could feel the anger and shock underlying it.

“While searching the bank director's private ledger archive of the Sword Family Bank, I discovered the existence of a massive, abnormal flow of funds.”

“It must not have been just one or two cases.”

The voice of Yeon So-hyeon questioning her was low.

“…The ones roughly identified so far alone amount to dozens.”

* * *

A certain luxurious mansion of the Luoyang Sword Family.

“So Yeon So-hyeon, that guy, raided the Sword Family Bank…”

A person dressed in silk tapped a thick desk rhythmically.

The close aide who reported to him bowed his head at his master's harsh expression.

“Lord. It has not yet been confirmed whether the bank director handed over the secret ledgers to the Eldest Young Master. There is no way to confirm it either.”

Another close aide also cautiously chimed in.

“Furthermore, is it not true that even the existence of the secret ledgers containing past matters is uncertain? That is also merely a one-sided claim by the Second Young Master's side, just like the statement that the bank director handed over the secret ledgers to the Eldest Young Master.”

In reality, the Second Young Master's side had no way of knowing what conversation Yeon So-hyeon and the bank director had shared, whether the secret ledger that only existed as a rumor really existed, or whether the bank director had handed over that ledger.

But what did that matter?

“This is without a doubt a shallow trick to draw in the power of the Yeon family blood relatives.”

“Tell them to prepare to make contact with the Second Young Master's side.”

Other than the master of that mansion, many Yeon family blood relatives were preparing to head to the meeting place that the Second Young Master's side had left in the letter.

* * *

The Sword Family Bank, back garden.

“T-then, what should we do?!”

The Third Young Lady Yeon Da-eun stomped her feet.

“…Those people will definitely try to prevent their misconduct from being exposed.”

The quick wits of the Second Young Master's side, who took advantage of the fact that Yeon So-hyeon visited the Sword Family Bank along with the Central Inspection Department, were astonishing.

“Do not worry.”

Yeon So-hyeon smiled broadly to reassure them.

“At any rate, the Yeon family blood relatives have different interests from the root, so if the Second Young Master's side drops out, they will not even be able to build a proper alliance.”

Extracting firewood from under the cauldron.

It means removing the firewood from under a boiling cauldron.

It meant that to stop the water from boiling, one must eliminate the source of the fire.

“The Second Young Master's side is dropping out?”

Why would the Second Young Master's side drop out after gathering the Yeon family blood relatives?

“Ah…!”

Yeon Ha-eung, who at least knew a bit more about Yeon So-hyeon's movements, clapped his hands.

Yeon So-hyeon, whose gaze met his, nodded and asked his younger sisters.

“How was that Second Young Master guy able to concentrate all his strength on me in the first place?”

His younger sisters answered his words.

“That is, of course, because the Third Young Master's side has withdrawn from the front line at present…”

“Because the Third Young Master's side has poured all their strength into responding to the large-scale unrest at the construction site for the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering arena…”

The two of them gasped, looked at each other, and shouted to Yeon So-hyeon.

“Then, do you plan to bring the Third Young Master's side back to the front line against the Second Young Master, Eldest Brother?!”

“How on earth…?!”

At that time, Yeon So-hyeon's head maid, Jeong-ah, approached and spoke to him.

“Master. The ox cart has finished maintenance and is ready.”

Sure enough, from far away near the main gate, the sounds of two spiritual beasts crying vigorously could be heard.

“That is simple.”

Yeon So-hyeon smiled at them and said.

“Can I not just resolve that unrest myself?”

Yeon So-hyeon recalled the conversation he had shared with two members of the 'Spring of Luoyang', Suran and Cheongho-wi.

“Originally, we should have helped with the fire in the Valley of Sin last night…”

Yeon So-hyeon shook his head.

“No, I already guessed that most of the righteous scholars belonging to the Spring of Luoyang are currently tied down at the construction site of the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering arena.”

Since he had even received an invitation from them in advance by chance, was it not killing two birds with one stone?

Now, it was time to attend the scheduled secret meeting of the Spring of Luoyang.