Book 9: Chapter 3: Heavy Rain

Although commonly referred to as the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering arena construction site for convenience, it was actually more accurate to describe it as a complex composed of the arena and related convenience facilities.

The Luoyang Sword Family decided to construct the complex in the outskirts to replace the saturated interior of Luoyang.

The responsibility for that construction plan came to be held by the Third Young Master's side at the end of a fierce political struggle.

And at present, thousands of poor laborers who had staged an uprising were isolated there.

* * *

Deep night.

Outskirts of Luoyang.

The Dragon and Phoenix Gathering arena construction site outskirts boundary checkpoint.

The rain, which had felt like a spring rain that would moisten the dry land, was now pouring down as if a hole had been punctured in the sky.

The warriors of the Third Young Master's side who were guarding the checkpoint wore raincoats, but they were useless against the pouring rain.

'If it continues to pour like this, an unseasonal flood might break out.'

Elder Yu of the Fourth Young Master's side, who was briefly worried about a flood, let out a dry laugh.

Since the place she was at right now was no different from a powder keg on the verge of exploding.

It was not the time to be worrying about something like a flood.

'If it were not for the order of that Eldest Young Master, I would not have even thought of coming to such a dangerous place…'

In front of the checkpoint, her close aide and the checkpoint squad leader warrior were raising their voices.

“…It is not permitted!”

“…ut still, in any case, since we came with an entry permit like this…!”

“…hat is why, currently, the entry of all outsiders is banned…!”

However, even their shouting voices were buried under the sound of the rain, so she could not properly hear them. …….

Watching that bickering scene from a short distance away, Elder Yu tried to pull a cigarette out of her breast pocket out of habit, but gave up.

“…Damn rain.”

She patted and calmed her horse, which was shaking its head, completely drenched. …….

The horse was exceptionally sensitive to the killing intent overflowing from the surroundings.

Even though this was merely a boundary area on the outskirts.

It was because the posture of the warriors of the Third Young Master's side was extremely tense, and their eyes gleamed, stained with killing intent.

Their figures pacing back and forth with swords in hand were like watching wild beasts prowling in the rain in search of blood and flesh.

'To think the uprising of mere laborers would last this long.'

And to think the resolution would drag on so sluggishly even while the Third Young Master's side poured in all their strength.

The current situation was clearly more serious than what she had heard at the Main Family.

It was just as the Eldest Young Master predicted.

“Elder Yu!”

The close aide, who had been bickering for a long time, spat on the ground and returned to the group of her and her companions.

“They say passage is not allowed no matter what! In my opinion, it seems some kind of operation is currently in progress!”

A dark night with pouring rain was a good time to attempt a surprise attack.

In her mind, the sight of the guerrilla unit of the State of Yue roaming through the rainforest in the past came to mind.

“…o, although entry is difficult right now…!”

Her close aide shouted while pressing down his bamboo hat in the intensifying rain and wind.

“If we wait just a little longer, probably—!”

His shout did not reach an end.

A flash.

And a sudden explosion.

—–!!

At the flash that recalled a thunderbolt and the explosion that simulated thunder, everyone reflexively lowered their postures.

It was an explosion of such magnitude that the direction of the wind changed instantaneously.

The horses went wild in confusion at the subsequent small explosions.

As a horse reared its forelegs, one of her subordinates who was unfamiliar with horse riding was seen falling off.

“…Damn it!”

Drawing upon her past experience, Elder Yu, who barely succeeded in controlling her horse, directed her gaze toward the distant epicenter of the explosion. ……!

In the distance, a high-rise pavilion that had been close to completion was engulfed in flames and collapsed just like that.

Even amidst the pouring rain and pitch-black darkness, the scene was vivid.

Soon, a vibration arrived along with the sound of collapse.

“…What on earth…!”

Amidst that chaos, Elder Yu's gaze sharply swept the surroundings.

“…his is the operation zone…?!”

The personnel at the checkpoint also seemed distracted, all looking toward the place where the explosion had occurred.

“Are you conscious?!”

“I-I am fine…!”

Her subordinate who fell from the horse did not seem to have lost consciousness for the time being.

A brief moment.

She made a decision.

Her mouth opened.

“We will pass through the checkpoint taking advantage of the confusion!”

At her shout, her subordinates' gazes focused on her.

Showing her teeth in the darkness and heavy rain, she shouted.

“Right now!”

She spurred her horse forward first without even looking back.

Her subordinates, startled, followed behind her.

* * *

After a while.

The Dragon and Phoenix Gathering arena construction site.

The Third Young Master's camp.

In the distance, between the darkness and the downpour, the construction site that had reached near-completion was seen below.

Set up on the empty lot of the hill, the tents of the Third Young Master's side were swaying as if dancing in the wild wind and rain.

[There is no chase now.] receiving the sound transmission of the subordinate warrior, Elder Yu nodded.

No matter where she looked within the camp, the warriors and soldiers of the Third Young Master's side were running around frantically in the wind and rain.

“Argh…”

Those who suffered burns and lacerations from the explosion, or had broken bones and lost body parts after being crushed under debris in the collapse.

“What are you doing?! The field hospital cannot handle this! Evacuate them to the rear immediately!”

“The rear is also full! I am saying they cannot handle any more!”

Those supporting the injured or carrying them on stretchers.

“Count the personnel first!”

“Just how many people did we leave behind?!”

With those pushing back after the operation was aborted due to the explosion, the camp was in a state of complete chaos. …….

Mounted on horses, Elder Yu's companions were passing through the camp in such confusion.

In this situation, there was no one who would block and inspect riders carrying the flags of the Luoyang Sword Family.

“The command tent seems to be over there!”

Seeing one of her subordinates pointing at the largest and most luxurious tent, Elder Yu dismounted from her horse.

“Everyone, wait here!”

Leaving her subordinates behind, Elder Yu walked toward the command tent without hesitation while pressing down her bamboo hat.

“Physician! Is there no physician?!”

Those carrying wounded soldiers while looking for a physician slipped on the muddy ground and tumbled down in front of her.

“Ugh…”

The sight of a blood-covered soldier reaching out his hand toward her caught Elder Yu's eye.

“Ugh, m-mo…”

His burned lips flickered.

“Mom…”

With those words as his last, strength drained from the soldier's hand.

“Hey! Kid! Wake up!”

“You bastard! Open your eyes, I tell you!”

Leaving behind the shouts of his comrades shaking the corpse, Elder Yu entered the command tent.

“Wait. Prove your identity—.”

The warriors blocking the entrance saw the elder plaque of the Luoyang Sword Family she held out and backed off.

“…What do you expect me to do?! Those bastards are holding the buildings currently near completion hostage!”

“Even so, we should have pushed harder…!”

“Did you not see the explosion this time?! If the arena is blown away, will you take responsibility?!”

'Indeed, did the explosion have such a meaning?'

She nodded inwardly.

The loud voices she had heard as soon as she entered the tent entrance continued to ring out even after she quietly slipped inside.

“Isn't it only the government troops we brought after barely gaining cooperation that keep dying?!”

“How is that our fault? Isn't it a problem of the military department that is only being swayed by the tactics used by mere poor laborers?!”

“With your brain, does that explosion look like something poor laborers could pull off?!”

“Synthesizing the reports, it is clear that there are even those who possess internal energy!”

“So didn't I say from the very beginning?! It is certain that there is some cooperating force behind them!”

It was complete pandemonium.

The commander of the government troops could not even think of intervening and was just staring blankly at the tactical map in the corner.

“Then wouldn't it have been fine if you, the warriors of the Hengshan Sect, had taken the lead from the beginning?!”

“Is Zhongnan, who did nothing but stand by with folded arms, the one raising their voice only now?!”

The sight of those at the very top blaming each other, shifting responsibility, and refusing to step forward.

For Elder Yu, who was familiar with the scenery of the Elders' Hall, it was not particularly surprising.

If the command of the Second Young Master's camp were compared to a two-headed snake, the Third Young Master's camp was like a giant with countless heads.

'Useless bastards who cannot even live up to their names.'

Externally, the Third Young Master's force was so prominent that it was called the 'New Martial Alliance,' but once the lid was peeled off, the reality was this pathetic.

“You there, let me borrow a light.”

Elder Yu borrowed a light from a warrior who was chain-smoking where he stood, and lit her own cigarette.

“Phew—.”

Through the long billow of smoke, she could see old men dressed in luxurious martial robes arguing as if they would grab each other's collars at any moment.

“Don't talk nonsense, you old man! We lost two warriors in the last forced reconnaissance!”

“They probably died because their skills were lacking!”

Nevertheless, because they were centered around sects that had been members of the former Martial Alliance, they were a force as powerful as the Second Young Master's side, which was backed by the distant Evil Tyrant Heaven.

“Isn't it a funny sight?”

A heavily armed old man approached Elder Yu's side.

“Since the Lord is away on an expedition, things have ended up in this state.”

Mentioning the absent Third Young Master, he flicked the ash of the cigarette in his hand to the floor.

“Doesn't it feel like watching a play every time you see it? That is why lately, I do not visit a theater separately.”

He chuckled.

“Probably, they will be in that state for a while until there is a recommendation from the Left and Right Grand Strategists.”

Elder Yu glanced at him and bowed her head slightly to greet him.

“Sect Leader of Diancang, it has been a long time.”

That old man was none other than the former Sect Leader of the Diancang Sect, who had vanished from the Main Family after arranging the meeting with Abbess Chongmu of the Emei Sect.

“You have not attended the Elders' Hall meetings lately, and indeed, you were here.”

At her words, the former Sect Leader of Diancang shrugged his shoulders with a playful expression.

“Because I am a martial artist by birth.”

To the words of the man who had handed over Diancang entirely to the Luoyang Sword Family and became an elder, Elder Yu chuckled and wore a twisted smile without a reply.

“By the way…”

Even after seeing that, the former Sect Leader of Diancang asked her with a sly expression.

“What business brings you, who belong to the Fourth Young Master's faction, here?”

Contrary to his expression, his eyes were as sharp as if slicing flesh.

“Phew—.”

Regardless, Elder Yu, who exhaled the last puff of her cigarette, replied with a calm expression.

“Originally, if there were any scheduled military operations, I planned to ask you to stop them…”

She stubbed out her cigarette in the provided ashtray.

“Now, there seems to be no need for that.”

Since the operation that had already begun ended in failure, there would be no new operation for a while at least.

“No, under what authority do you…”

Hearing that, the former Sect Leader of Diancang initially burst into laughter as if it were absurd.

“Did the Eldest Young Master send you to make such a request by any chance?”

However, even at such explicit mockery, Elder Yu's complexion did not change in the slightest. …….

She merely pulled out a new cigarette, bit it, and lit it by borrowing a light, as if intending to smoke all the cigarettes she had not been able to smoke until now.

At the sight of her, the smile gradually faded from the lips of the former Sect Leader of Diancang, who had been chuckling.

“…Could it be?”

She nodded.

“A decision from the Supreme Executive Council to suspend hostile military activities for the time being will be handed down shortly.”

The color drained from the former Sect Leader's face.

“Why on earth…?”

It had not even been two days since the Supreme Executive Council's decision to completely delegate the response to the Third Young Master's side had been handed down.

* * *

Near the cordon of the Third Young Master's side.

The underground space of a ruined and abandoned giant warehouse.

The Spring of Luoyang, secret meeting.

“The explosion just now was indeed…”

A masked middle-aged man muttered in a gloomy, sigh-filled tone.

Rain was leaking continuously from the ceiling of the completely dilapidated basement.

“Following the food storage, what the righteous scholars occupied while helping those who rose up in rebellion…”

Even those who would have habitually grumbled about the poor environment under normal circumstances were keeping their mouths shut.

They merely sighed beneath the masks they wore to hide their faces.

“It was definitely the fuel depot and the powder magazine.”

It was clear that the fuel depot for night shifts and maintenance, along with the powder magazine where gunpowder for blasting rock was stored, was the source of that massive explosion.

“…Did the situation progress so urgently that they even had to carry out a suicide attack?”

“It must have been a critical moment if they did not remind them that they were holding the buildings hostage even by doing that.”

The middle-aged man looked down at the floor.

“…Now things are spinning out of control.”

“In the first place…”

A woman with a cold voice spoke from behind her mask.

“There was no way to turn back.”

“That…”

Although they did not want to admit it, it was already destined from the moment the starving laborers accidentally raided the food storage.

From the moment the Spring of Luoyang intervened to help them, it was an expected sequence of events.

“Speaking of which.”

The middle-aged man turned back and asked a well-built man.

“Shouldn't the Eldest Young Master of the Sword Family have arrived by now under normal circumstances?”

At the mention of the Eldest Young Master of the Luoyang Sword Family, several people cleared their throats, showing discomfort.

They were people who had joined the Spring of Luoyang because they hated those in power. …….

Yet, even such people did not openly voice their complaints in a situation like the present.

Everyone was in a state of mind where they wanted to grasp at straws.

“Just as you said, he should have arrived by now, but…”

Scratching the back of his head, the masked giant, Cheongho-wi, recalled Suran, who had gone to receive Yeon So-hyeon.

“Perhaps he is late because of the sudden heavy rain—.”

“Ah! I am sorry!”

Just then, a masked girl revealed herself from the punctured ceiling.

It was Suran.

“I ended up arriving late!”

However, she was alone.

“Huh? The Eldest Young Master is…”

She spoke from behind her mask.

“The Eldest Young Master said that since the meeting cannot meet a quorum right now anyway, there is no point in him stopping by here first.”

“S-so?”

She shrugged her shoulders.

“So he went inside, saying he would lift the cordon first.”