NABC Book 6: Chapter 18
Book 6: Chapter 18
Book 6: Chapter 18
Luoyang.
A bustling street near the North Mang Mountain checkpoint.
Elder Kang of the 2nd Young Master’s faction didn’t even have the presence of mind to wipe the sweat trickling down his broad forehead.
“...So, what did you say just now?”
A civil official belonging to a branch bloodline of the Sixteen Clans shrugged his shoulders.
“It’s exactly as I said.”
“So you’re saying the Eldest Young Master is coming and going from the Sixteen Clans as if it’s his own house, without any invitation?”
Pretending not to notice Elder Kang’s eyelids twitching for the sake of maintaining face, the civil official nodded.
“That’s correct. I just returned from confirming that the Sword House’s Eldest Young Master left our clan.”
“...”
“Then I’ll be going.”
The civil official politely bid farewell and left the teahouse, scanning his surroundings.
“...”
Having already ceased thinking and deducing on his own, Elder Kang handed the warrior standing by a piece of paper to record the situation.
***
Luoyang Sword House.
2nd Young Master’s Faction, Grand Assembly Hall.
The information delivered by the warriors accumulated steadily, albeit relatively slowly.
And the more information piled up, the quieter the Grand Assembly Hall grew.
“...The eighth clan visit, is it?”
“...Yes.”
“I heard he even dined with the retired clan head at the previous clan?”
“Yes.”
“He went in without any prior appointment and got a free meal?”
“...Yes.”
“Does that make any sense to you?!”
As an elder suddenly lashed out at a scholar, Elder Hahu patted his shoulder.
“For now, let’s set that part aside. We’re continuously investigating the Eldest Young Master’s connections to the Sixteen Clans, so it’s best we focus on what we need to focus on.”
Elder Hahu clapped his hands to draw the attention of those around him.
“Now! Here’s what we need to analyze at this point.”
The gazes of the entire assembly gathered on him.
Pointing to the names of the clans laid out in order on the large table, he spoke.
“We need to analyze the order in which the Eldest Young Master is visiting these clans. If we can analyze this, we’ll be able to grasp what priorities the Eldest Young Master is moving according to.”
Another elder also nodded.
“Indeed. If we analyze the order, we may even be able to speculate how the Eldest Young Master is able to come and go from the clans after the Kong Clan without any invitation.”
Time passed in this manner.
“Information that the Eldest Young Master has entered the tenth clan.”
Leaving behind only those words, the warrior hurriedly vanished from the Grand Assembly Hall.
Because the atmosphere in the Grand Assembly Hall was far too heavy.
“...”
No one, not a single person was speaking.
The Grand Assembly Hall was filled only with the smoke from the scholars’ and elders’ cigarettes.
“Um...”
A scholar cautiously raised his hand.
He was a young scholar who had joined the 2nd Young Master’s Jiangnan faction not long ago.
As everyone’s attention focused on him, he momentarily shrank back.
“Ah, n-never mind.”
Elder Hahu shouted.
“It’s fine! Say whatever it is!”
At those words, the young scholar carefully opened his mouth again.
“We’ve all put our heads together and pondered, but forget guessing the Eldest Young Master’s intentions, all that’s left are analyses that don’t even make sense, no?”
Elder Hahu nodded.
“True. To begin with, before we even guess the Eldest Young Master’s intentions, visiting clans of the Sixteen Clans’ caliber in this absurd order itself doesn’t make sense.”
There existed intricate power dynamics among the clans.
That was why the matter of which clan one visited first was an extremely important issue.
Because these power-oriented aristocratic clans were the sort to sometimes stake everything on their prestige.
Yet currently, the Eldest Young Master was disregarding those power dynamics and barging ahead with his visits.
“The most powerful officials, you say?”
“Yes, that’s right!”
The father hurriedly nodded.
“So for example, the clan heads of the Capital’s Sixteen Clans who defend the Imperial Court...?”
***
Luoyang, North Mang Mountain.
The Capital’s Sixteen Clans, Gongsun Clan.
The main gate opened, and Yeon So-hyeon’s armored horse carriage emerged, boasting of its massive weight.
The steel wheels rolled, emitting fierce noise and sparks, and the two spirit beasts exhaled rough breaths.
The eyes of the butlers watching the ultra-expensive cobblestones being shattered in real-time quivered fiercely.
“Ho-ho. So that’s the rumored Iron Fortress of the Medicine Fairy!”
Nevertheless, the skinny and irritable-looking owner of the mansion didn’t seem to pay any mind to such things.
Finally, the carriage came to a complete halt, and the door opened.
An elegant beauty stepped out first and waited for her master with a graceful demeanor.
“I didn’t expect you to personally come out to the courtyard to welcome me.”
Along with a melodious voice, Yeon So-hyeon, the Eldest Young Master of the Luoyang Sword House, descended from the carriage.
The sight of his black satin overcoat elegantly fluttering in the spring breeze was impressive.
“Young Master Yeon!”
The old man’s desolate face brightened as if seeing his beloved grandson.
“Isn’t this the first time we’re meeting face to face like this?”
“That’s right. As you said, this is our first in-person meeting.”
The old man, unlike someone from the Capital who valued etiquette as if it were his life, approached Yeon So-hyeon first with a laid-back demeanor.
“...Even seeing you with my own two eyes, I still can’t believe it.”
“Is that so?”
Yeon So-hyeon burst into loud laughter.
“...It’s truly unbelievable.”
The old man’s eyes held half amazement and half bewilderment.
“To think that the person I, Gongsun Nakang, who served closest to two Emperors, had been exchanging letters with since then was such a young child...!”
***
In the past, Yeon So-hyeon’s childhood.
“Father!”
Young Yeon So-hyeon came running.
“Oh my, has our So-hyeon come?”
The father lifted his eldest son with both hands and embraced him.
“Haha, you rascal. What news have you brought today?”
Young Yeon So-hyeon asked his father with a beaming smile.
“I’ve established friendships with the clan heads of the Capital’s Sixteen Clans! What’s the next step now?”
The father’s brightly smiling face froze in place.
“...What did you just say?”
Yeon So-hyeon shouted again.
“I said the stage of forming friendships with the clan heads is complete! So the next stage is...”
“No, wait, wait a moment.”
The father shook his head.
“So-hyeon, you’re saying you’ve formed personal friendships with the clan heads of the Capital’s Sixteen Clans?”
“Yes. Not with all of them yet, but...”
Young Yeon So-hyeon nodded with a puzzled expression.
“...?”
Seeing his father blinking like a cow, Yeon So-hyeon opened the silk pouch he had brought.
“Here are the invitations sent by the clan heads.”
Indeed, inside the silk pouch were invitations stamped with seals that were extraordinary at a glance.
“Father...?”
“Those old monsters sent invitations...?”
With the expression of someone seeing something incomprehensible, the father asked young Yeon So-hyeon.
“How in the world did you do this?”
Young Yeon So-hyeon grinned brightly.
“It wasn’t all that difficult!”