Book 9: Chapter 15: Birthright

The Supreme Executive Council of the Luoyang Sword Family.

End of the emergency call meeting.

The emergency call for the supreme council members due to urgent items had ended.

However, many supreme council members did not know how to leave their seats.

“Will the Central Inspection Department dig up the corruption of the Yeon clan blood relatives that was buried deep in the Sword Family Bank?”

“The Bank Director would have had to cooperate to capture the flow of that massive corruption, but…”

“The Eldest Young Master visited the Sword Family Bank in person. If he weren't even going to meet the Bank Director, there seems to be no reason for him to visit in person.”

“And if he met the Bank Director…”

“It is highly possible the Bank Director showed the ledgers that were passed down in secret to the Central Inspection Department.”

The remaining supreme council members groaned.

“…A bloody wind will blow.”

In the air coming from outside, it felt as if a thick smell of blood was already mixed.

“Even our Supreme Executive Council does not know all of which figures are involved in those secret ledgers.”

“Already, the blood relatives who seem to be related have flocked to the Second Young Master's meeting.”

This family was the Yeon family, and therefore, the Yeon clan blood relatives had occupied key positions in the Sword Family since long ago.

Naturally, their power and influence within the Sword Family were massive.

“If they and the Second Young Master's side join forces…”

It would not end merely as a problem regarding the succession structure of the Sword Family, but could become a great war involving the entire Sword Family.

“So isn't it a relief?”

The Chairman, who was organizing documents, spoke.

“Since the Eldest Young Master timely stepped forward and resolved the problem of the Third Young Master's side.”

Even though they could not see each other's faces, the supreme council members had no choice but to nod at those words naturally.

“That is certainly the case.”

“If the disturbance at the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering construction site is resolved, the Second Young Master's side, which should have been the focal point of the Yeon clan blood relatives, will be pulled out.”

There was also a supreme council member who marveled.

“…Should we say as expected of the Eldest Young Master. When and how did he prepare all of this?”

“That time was a full ten years.”

At that marvel, another supreme council member spoke, stroking his long beard.

“Thinking about how much that Eldest Young Master, who was forcibly silenced for ten years, must have sharpened his blade, this matter is also not so surprising to me.”

The supreme council member stroking his long beard that reached his waist let out a bitter smile.

“If this old man's thoughts are correct, the Eldest Young Master's steps will only be the beginning with this.”

A greater chaos than now.

A greater clash.

“……”

Everyone shut their mouths.

“Soon, it will be dawn.”

The Chairman channeled a bit of inner force into his voice, refreshing the atmosphere.

“Before the next regular meeting begins, everyone get some sleep.”

The Chairman added.

“The discussion on the renewal of the trade route usage contract with Spain has been postponed.”

“Does that mean…?”

“More critical agenda items submitted by the Eldest Young Master have arisen. In the next regular meeting, we will discuss those first.”

As soon as the Chairman's words ended, everyone left their seats.

That appearance, at the mention of the agenda submitted by the Eldest Young Master, also looked like they were running away.

“……”

Looking at the lights going out one by one beyond the curtains, the Chairman fell into deep thought.

No, he was about to fall into it.

“…Chairman.”

Not everyone had left.

At the voice of the female supreme council member, the Chairman raised his head.

“…Any questions?”

“Yes, well…”

She was exceptionally cautious in bringing it up.

Although she had now escaped from being a novice who knew nothing, still his existence, having sustained the Sword Family during the ten-year absence of the Patriarch, was that heavy.

“You and I are merely one of the supreme council members. So speak without reservation.”

What had to be said had to be said.

The female supreme council member swallowed a sigh filled with pressure inwardly and opened her mouth.

“…The decision made just now will not be able to avoid public opinion that it is unilaterally favorable to the Eldest Young Master. Even if the one who resolved the matter was the Eldest Young Master, wouldn't it be difficult for the Third Young Master's side to meekly accept it and back down?”

It was a decision that included both a reward for the merit achieved by the Eldest Young Master and disciplinary action against the Third Young Master's side who caused the situation.

“It is so 'now'.”

At her words, the Chairman replied.

“But soon, the reason they have no choice but to accept will be revealed.”

“…It seems the Chairman has more stories that you have not shared with us.”

“You will know soon.”

The critical agenda items he said would be handled in the next regular meeting were like that, and so was bringing the Eldest Young Master's solution all of a sudden.

Not only that, but somehow, somewhere it felt as if a fundamental part of the Chairman had changed.

“Even if other people accept this decision as you said. Putting that aside, the appearance the Chairman showed in the emergency call meeting just now was…”

She bit her lips and continued.

“unusually biased toward the Eldest Young Master.”

Once the words came out, they flowed out surprisingly easily.

“I also know now that the one who originally should have inherited this Sword Family was the Eldest Young Master. But in any case, right now, that Eldest Young Master is not the master of the Sword Family. We are.”

At those words, the Chairman's eyebrows twitched, but she could not see.

“I know the Chairman feels guilt toward the Eldest Young Master. But shouldn't you show an appearance more fitting for the Supreme Executive Council that leads the Sword Family?”

It was a clear accusation against the Chairman of the Supreme Executive Council, who should maintain his duty of neutrality.

“…The master of the Sword Family.”

Repeating her words, the Chairman suddenly brought up an unexpected story.

“Lately, whenever I have free time, I have been reading a history book of Europe. It is a story about their religion.”

Although he was reading a translation because his talent was lacking, the voice of the Chairman, laughing softly, echoed quietly in the secret cave.

“This is a story that happened in the days of the Roman Empire. They say their Savior was in that land more than a thousand and several hundred years ago from now.”

An incomprehensible story continued, but the female supreme council member listened closely to the Chairman's voice.

“…So his disciple asked. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar? Or should we not pay taxes?”

A dilemma.

It was a trap-like question.

Whether he said it was right to pay taxes or not, there was no choice but to have a bad result.

If he told them to pay taxes to the Emperor, there would be internal backlash, and if he told them not to pay taxes, external persecution would only grow larger.

“To that question, he retorted like this instead.”

Whose likeness and inscription is this on this coin?

The answer that it was Caesar's returned.

“Then render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's.”

His calm yet detached voice echoed in the secret cave.

“I have not violated the duty of neutrality. I am merely trying to render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's.”

* * *

Inside the siege, a deep point.

“……”

Those approaching at high speed toward the cooking smoke did not make even a breathing sound, nor was there even the sound of footsteps splashing in the rain.

It was an extraordinary level of martial arts befitting warriors of the Sword Family.

“…If only we could eat white rice like this forever, it would be good.”

“Indeed. If only I could bring this white rice to my daughter at home…”

“I remember my late mother…”

Those who should be standing guard at the outpost were distracted by eating rice, smacking their lips.

Taking advantage of that gap, the approaching warriors took positions below the outpost.

'They don't even stand guard properly, busy stuffing themselves with rice? Were we struggling against the likes of these fellows?'

Coldly sneering at the foolish people on both sides, the ally and the enemy, the squad leader transmitted instructions along with hand signals.

[There are three enemy sentries. You take the right, I will take the center, and you take the left fellow.] the squad leader of the warriors who took positions below the outpost sent close telepathic messages to the squad members.

[We handle them at once upon the signal.] the warriors nodded.

Rainwater flowed down the non-reflective swords in their hands, reflecting the lightning light.

[Now.] in an instant, the warriors scaled the wall and launched a surprise attack.

As designated in advance, the squad leader's sword pierced the center figure.

From scaling the wall to thrusting the sword, the surprise attack ended even before the echo of the thunder that followed the lightning subsided.

“……?!”

He thought it was over.

But it was not.

“Is there not even a shred of pity in your hearts?”

Although they had definitely plunged their swords deep into the chests the pierced figures contorted their faces all at once, wearing bizarre smiles.

“Is there not even a shred of regret in your minds?”

Their mouths ripped wide up to below their ears.

At the same time, claws incomparably sharper than swords pierced the squad members' chests.

“Keup!”

“Ugh…!”

The screams were short.

Long claws pierced through their backs like long swords.

The warriors flailed their hands with wide eyes, then went limp, foaming blood from their mouths.

“S-sorcery…?!”

The squad leader, who barely deflected the claws with skills superior to the other warriors, spoke without realizing.

He thought the enemy was three, but they were one.

He thought they were human, but they were not.

“Sorcery, you say…”

Under the repeatedly striking lightning, the opponent's rain-drenched white mask was exceptionally vivid.

“Interesting.”

This area was already under the encroachment of the severe demonic qi of the Scripture of Controlling Darkness and Shaking the Heavens.

The sentries they saw were also illusions caused by demonic qi.

“Ugh?!”

The squad leader, whose bone marrow was already penetrated by demonic qi to a unstoppable degree, also unleashed two or three sword strikes and met the same end as the squad members.

“Th-this sinister… gurgle.”

From the chest of the squad leader, who made a boiling sound of blood instead of a last will, the claws slid out.

“Indeed.”

The Dark Venerable sneered, looking at the fallen corpses of the warriors.

“Is this Dark Venerable a sinister existence using sorcery, and you are upright warriors using martial arts?”

Although they were highly sarcastic words naturally, there was no returning answer from the corpses.

* * *

“…Damn it!”

Those who kicked open the doors of the buildings where cooking smoke was rising and entered came out shouting loudly.

“It is empty!”

“There is no one!”

The top of a tall building.

Looking at the warriors rushing back out onto the street, the Dark Venerable wore a twisted smile on the corners of his mouth.

The enemies are many, the infiltration routes are diverse, and those to protect are many, but he is alone.

If so, yeon So-hyeon had withdrawn the commoners and the righteous gentlemen of the Spring of Luoyang from the enemies' approach routes.

'I just have to lure the enemies.'

Following his instructions, they had set up the cooking smoke and retreated.

Precisely as he aimed, the enemies, thirsty for merit, swarmed to that cooking smoke like flies.

“Damn it, was it a trap…?”

The commander of the right wing who joined late, the Director of the White-Slaying Martial Hall Martial Arts Hall, gnashed his teeth.

“Everyone be careful! It is an enemy trap, so watch out for surprise attacks!”

Even before his shout ended, a warrior's screaming shout resonated.

“Unidentified enemy discovered!”

When one of the warriors gathering back on the street and looking around shouted, pointing his hand at the Dark Venerable, everyone looked up at the building.

“It is the white mask!”

“D-Dark Venerable?!”

Even in the fiercely lashing rain even in the vision shaking due to the wild wind, the appearance of the entity looking down at them from the distant rooftop that presence, was too massive.

The pitch-black coat hanging on the Dark Venerable's shoulders fluttered in the wind, stretching long, as if covering the sky.

“That guy is the Dark Venerable in the rumors…?”

The Director of the White-Slaying Martial Hall Martial Arts Hall frowned.

How could there be anyone in Luoyang who had not heard that name even once?

“D-Dark Venerable, you say…?”

“The one who inflicts heavenly punishment on behalf of heaven…?”

At the sight of the murmuring filled with anxiety spreading in an instant, the Director of the White-Slaying Martial Hall Martial Arts Hall raised his sword toward the distant Dark Venerable.

“By what right do you block the activities of the Luoyang Sword Family?!”

Just when the thunderous shout containing inner force was about to resonate through the sound of rain the answer was heard from right behind the Director of the White-Slaying Martial Hall Martial Arts Hall.

“With what face do you fellows try to trample on the survival rights of those who are merely trying to live?”

A chill rushed up his spine.

“……?!”

The earlobe touched by that cold breath felt as if it were freezing solid.

A thick smell of sulfur rushed in, paralyzing his sense of smell.

“Keup…!”

The sword swung backward reflexively cut through the rain streaks all at once.

However, the opponent had already stepped far back.

'How did he move behind me in that short instant…?!'

He glanced and estimated the distance from the top of the building where the Dark Venerable was originally standing to where he was.

It was an absurd distance to move in an instant.

'Damn it…!'

If he was possessed by something, he was heavily possessed.

The old man pointed his sword again, shouting like a fit.

“No matter how elusive you are. Do you think you can survive in this Luoyang after becoming an enemy of the Sword Family?!”

“I am an enemy of the Sword Family?”

Did his words stimulate the Dark Venerable somehow?

His pitch-black coat melted into the darkness, wriggling in the air as if it were alive.

“You fellows who force harsh labor upon the poor in hunger in the name of the Sword Family, try to suppress the struggles of pain with those swords, and squeeze Luoyang only to fill your own pockets…”

Along with a growl beneath the mask, sharp teeth not appearing to be human were revealed.

“You are precisely the enemies of the Luoyang Sword Family.”

The Luoyang his mother raised.

The family his father raised.

The Dark Venerable, Yeon So-hyeon, did not hide his righteous anger as the legitimate heir.

“Shut up! You monster!”

One man and one monster clashed inside the sword formation.