Luoyang Sword House.
Grand Banquet Hall operated by the Reception Pavilion.
The Grand Banquet Hall, for which even the term ‘luxurious’ was insufficient, never lacked singing and music.
When it came to entertainment, Luoyang. When it came to Luoyang, entertainment.
And in Luoyang, the Reception Pavilion of the unrivaled Luoyang Sword House.
Its hospitality was truly unparalleled under the heavens.
“How wonderful! This is the Moon Palace, this is Heaven! No matter where you look, there’s not a single thing lacking, it’s not envious of a banquet in the realm of immortals!”
At the shout of Dang Go-gyu, intoxicated with revelry, the members of the investment group applauded and cheered.
Hearing that clamor reaching even the garden outside, the 4th Young Master nodded his head in satisfaction.
“Good. It’s going well.”Elder Yeom, smoking a cigarette beside him, stuck out his tongue with a fed-up expression.
“After traveling such a long distance and even being ambushed, their eyes are rolling back at the mention of a banquet…”
The 4th Young Master laughed.
“Isn’t that joviality the strength of the Sichuan people? Besides…”
He nodded his head to the melody drifting in, matching the rhythm as he continued.
“It’s no exaggeration to say ‘everything depends on the banquet’ when it comes to how much investment we can attract from this investment group.”
“…That may be true, but.”
Elder Yeom sighed.
“Rather than that, Emei Sect’s behavior in Sichuan weighs on my mind. We’ve heard reports that their misconduct has worsened compared to the past, but seeing Daseollang’s case this time, it’s not something we can overlook.”
“After forming an alliance with the Daelidan family recently, they no longer have to be mindful of the Dan family.”
4th Young Master’s mouth was smiling to the drifting melody, but not a hint of mirth could be found in his eyes.
“Originally, they collected profits from businesses under their influence in the form of donations, but now…”
Elder Yeom continued.
“Now they’re outright seizing shares.”
The smoke flowing from her mouth dispersed with the wind.
“…To think the historically renowned Emei Sect has fallen to the point of no return.”
Her gaze turned to a distant place.
“Or is it simply that these are such times, and Emei Sect is merely riding the current…?”
The brilliant prestige of the Nine Great Sects in history had long faded.
There was no answer from the 4th Young Master.
Elder Yeom hadn’t expected an answer either.
4th Young Master merely hummed along with the faintly drifting song from the banquet hall.
A song from Sichuan that his mother used to sing to him in his childhood.
^**
Luoyang Sword House, Wongak Pavilion.
“Can’t you explain it in a way that’s easier to understand?”
At the sight of Life-Stealing Devil Sword grumbling while holding a chisel, a maid from the maid group sighed.
“…There’s probably no easier way to explain door repair than this.”
It was Life-Stealing Devil Sword, still struggling to repair a single door panel.
“With that level of comprehension, how did you even learn ascension martial arts…?”
At the maid’s words as she shook her head, Life-Stealing Devil Sword flared up.
“No…! What does repairing a door have to do with martial arts…!”
Then the one who appeared behind them was Second Miss Yeon Seo-rin.
“Ah!”
Having just finished bathing in the hot springs, she pointed her practice sword at Life-Stealing Devil Sword.
“If it isn’t Life-Stealing Devil Sword!”
Life-Stealing Devil Sword, who had turned around at the sound, was startled.
“Wh-what?! Why is Second Miss at this Wongak Pavilion?!”
Stuck in a corner of Wongak Pavilion all day repairing the door, he seemed unaware of Second Miss’s visit.
“The fellow who disappeared leaving only rumors of retirement, what are you doing at my younger brother’s house…?”
Gazing at the chisel in his hand, she shook her head.
“No, that doesn’t matter anyway.”
Second Miss approached with quick strides, her expression unreadable as to whether she was baring her teeth or smiling.
“Life-Stealing Devil Sword! You won’t escape today!”
“D-damn it!”
Life-Stealing Devil Sword tossed aside the chisel and disappeared with exceptional footwork.
It was a dizzying speed that the maids could hardly guess the direction.
“Stand right there!”
Second Miss leaped, stepping on bamboo leaves in succession, and chased after Life-Stealing Devil Sword with a terrifying momentum.
The maids left behind sighed.
“No door repair today either, I guess.”
***
Eldest Young Master’s Office.
Yeon So-hyeon sank deep into his chair and opened his mouth.
“…Hand over all the shares?”
At his words muttered like a soliloquy, Sanggwan Nanhwa firmly nodded her head.
“Yes. We mean to give you the entire Daseollang Company.”
Yeon So-hyeon placed his hand on the armrest and tapped it with his finger.
“Let me make it clear first, even if you transfer the shares to this Eldest Young Master, you won’t be free from Emei Sect’s retaliation.”
Sanggwan Nanhwa’s attitude didn’t waver in the slightest.
“We know. Even if you declare the Sword Houses protection of Daseollang in its name, you won’t be able to stop Emei Sect from staging ‘accidents’ in Sichuan.”
“That’s right. Even if the Sword House picks on that point and pushes ahead recklessly to mobilize troops…”
Sanggwan Nanhwa continued.
“The Sichuan Dan family, not wanting the Sword Houses influence to grow in Sichuan, will declare neutrality in that conflict.”
Under her lush eyelashes, deep eyes turned to Yeon So-hyeon.
“In that case, the Sword House will find itself in a situation where it has to face both Emei Sect and the Daelidan family simultaneously under the burden of an expedition.”
She summarized briefly.
“So the Sword House will choose to feign ignorance of the ‘accidents’ from the beginning.”
Sanggwan Nanhwa’s eye for judging the state of affairs was, even by Yeon So-hyeon’s standards, worthy of being rated as sufficiently excellent.
“You know well.”
It seemed this decision wasn’t made out of youthful impulsiveness after all.
Yeon So-hyeon, with a slightly more serious expression, brought his hands forward and interlocked his fingers.
“Even so, you’re saying you’ll transfer all the shares to this Eldest Young Master?”
It was equivalent to asking if they were willing to risk the sacrifice of their families.
“…”
In the atmosphere as heavy as a pressing rock, the one who opened her mouth to answer that question wasn’t Sanggwan Nanhwa.
“To that question, rather than Representative Sanggwan Nanhwa…”
A Daseollang, a full head taller than Sanggwan Nanhwa even when seated, carefully continued.
“It seems appropriate for me, An Song-gyeong, to offer a response.”
“Understood.”
That was because even if Emei Sect retaliated, there was no way the family of Sanggwan Nanhwa, the daughter of the Seongdo Guild Master, would suffer.
“Excluding Representative Sanggwan Nanhwa, all the joint representatives of Daseollang and all the families of the joint representatives…”
Her voice trembled slightly in the tension, but there wasn’t a shred of hesitation in her attitude.
“Have already resolved to accept any sacrifice.”
Resolving that someone from their families would become the target of retaliation.
Those weren’t words any businessperson in the Central Plains could easily utter.
Moreover, no matter how one looked at it, they were far from the kind of heartless monsters.
“…”
Yeon So-hyeon’s gaze met the gazes of each Daseollang.
Despite trembling unknowingly under his soul-piercing gaze, not a single person avoided eye contact.
Not even the youngest Daseollang.
The Head Maid’s sound transmission reached his ear.
‘At least at this point, their resolve is sincere.’
Yeon So-hyeon closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them.
“Fine.”
He pulled his body, which had been sunken into the chair, forward to sit upright.
His eyes deepened.
“In that case, I must listen to your story seriously.”
***
The maids took away the cooled tea and brought new tea.
But none of Daseollang moistened their lips with that tea.
None of them leaned back in their chairs either.
They had felt the fatigue weighing a thousand pounds just a moment ago when they had finished bathing and having dinner.
“…”
But now, none of them felt that fatigue.
It was because of the tension.
Before their eyes was the Eldest Young Master of the Luoyang Sword House, exuding a presence bizarre to the point of being strange.
They were all realizing how absurd the rumors surrounding the name ‘Swordless Expert’ were.
“I understand your resolve well.”
Once all the maids had withdrawn, he opened his mouth.
“If this Eldest Young Master accepts the proposal, what do you plan to do with your families?”
An Song-gyeong answered.
“As soon as they receive the letter we sent, our families will abandon everything in our hometown and attempt a desperate escape.”
“Emei Sect won’t be lax in their surveillance even for a moment, though?”
An Song-gyeong bit her lip.
“Even so, our families have resolved themselves.”
Once the declaration spread across the land of Sichuan that the Eldest Young Master of the Luoyang Sword House would protect them, there would certainly be retaliation, but not everyone would die.
Nevertheless, the meaning of attempting an escape without waiting for that declaration was…”
‘Not leaving their fates to the heavens, but a manifestation of their will to decide for themselves.’
Yeon So-hyeon slowly nodded his head and threw the next question.
“Then what do you plan to do with the rest of the relatives in the family besides the immediate family?”
An Song-gyeong’s expression hardened.
“We won’t care about them.”
The expressions of the remaining Daseollang also stiffened rigidly.
It wasn’t an expression of tension, but one of anger.
“…I can guess.”
At Yeon So-hyeon’s words, An Song-gyeong nodded.
“When Daseollang succeeded as a company, the ones who reached out and approached the fastest were the relatives…”
Another Daseollang, who had been biting her lip, couldn’t help but interject.
“And when Emei Sect started tormenting us, the first ones to side with their threats were those who called themselves our relatives.”
Even without them explicitly saying more, all the things Daseollang must have gone through flashed before his eyes.
The sight of elders swarming like ghosts, down to the in-laws of the eighth cousins, as soon as there were rumors of a young daughter from a relative’s family making some money.
Those who acted as if they were the closest family in the world, as if they had made a vow in a peach garden, bringing up stories of changing their diapers in childhood, despite having lived like strangers with the parents all their lives.
Those who came to the house like dogs with a full bladder, just circling aimlessly around the pillars with nothing to do.
Those who boasted of their connections, even those twice removed, saying to leave everything to them no matter what happened.
And then, as soon as rumors began circulating that Emei Sect was casting covetous eyes, they were the first to show up with swords in hand.
Groveling as if they had become Emei Sect’s inner disciples, they barged into the inner chambers under the pretext of being relatives and made threats.
“I see.”
How could Yeon So-hyeon not know such a situation?
He himself was the eldest son of a family where brothers were pointing swords at each other.
“You seem to want to start Daseollang anew here in Luoyang.”
Sanggwan Nanhwa bowed her head.
“That’s right.”
“The condition for transferring the shares to me would be to assist in the reconstruction of Daseollang in all aspects.”
At those words, Sanggwan Nanhwa shook her head.
“It’s enough if you, Eldest Young Master, just lend us your name.”
If they had at least minimal protection.
“Because we are Daseollang.”
The resolve to succeed again, as many times as needed, no matter what.
The resolve of the families to attempt a desperate escape for the sake of their daughters, to throw the relatives to Emei Sect as prey, and not give up even a single coin of their own even if they incurred Emei Sect’s resentment.
The determination to somehow crawl back up from a depth lower than rock bottom.
They already possessed more than enough qualifications to survive in the world’s struggles.
“Excellent.”
A smile hung on Yeon So-hyeon’s lips.
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