NABC Book 7: Chapter 2
Book 7: Chapter 2
Before Yeon So-hyeon returned through the Dark Heavens Scripture, Daseollang had achieved the feat of becoming one of the top ten trading groups in the Central Plains.
And through their own investigation, they revealed that it was the Emei Sect who had assassinated one of their members in the past.
***
“To cut to the conclusion, the Emei Sect did not intend to assassinate all of Daseollang”
“Then?”
Yeon So-hyeon nodded.
“Yes. They tried to tame ‘Daseollang’ through shock therapy.”
Yeon So-hyeon looked around at the former clan heads with a meaningful smile.
“You elders here would know the effects of that shock therapy even better.”
At those words, some of the old devils smirked sinisterly, some smiled bitterly, and some simply nodded calmly.
“...Originally, the Emei Sect’s plan was to eliminate some of Daseollang through assassination, protect them, and return to Sichuan.”
Even without mentioning the power of attorney they had obtained by threatening the parents, it would have been very easy to handle Daseollang, who had lost their friends right before their eyes.
No matter how determined Daseollang was to go to Luoyang, they were also accustomed to the peaceful Imperial City, to the point of experiencing chaos from a single battle.
Even if they tried to resist and insist on going to Luoyang like this, that resistance would have been feeble.
Enough to be persuaded.
“The importance of this plan lies in having a close person who can take good care of them after the incident.”
It required an ‘expert’ who could warmly embrace, console, and appease the shocked ‘targets’ and lead them in the desired direction.
“But according to your story, wasn’t the Emei Sect constantly in conflict with Daseollang?”
Yeon So-hyeon smiled bitterly.
“Upon investigation, there turned out to be such a person.”
***
In front of the residence, on the main road.
“Ah, what a disaster...”
The nun of the Emei Sect.
“Where have the Daseollang kids gone? Do you see the matron?”
The one who was called the self-defense instructor by Daseollang was looking around in all directions with a long neck and pitiful eyes.
The soldiers of the Second Guards Regiment, sensing her presence, turned around.
“Please just stay still...!”
The matron nun, who was riding in the carriage together, panicked and stopped the self-defense instructor.
“Isn’t it natural not to see them when the soldiers are surrounding each carriage one by one...?!”
At the matron nun’s scolding in a low voice, the self-defense instructor lowered her head dejectedly.
“This shouldn’t be happening... It shouldn’t...”
‘They’re just innocent children in the provincial exam.’
Seeing her starting to mumble something, the matron nun frowned and looked at her.
‘I’ve occasionally felt it before, but there’s something strange about this girl.’
The matron nun felt a chill down her spine, as if she was looking at someone fundamentally twisted.
***
“...I see. The Emei Sect is quite something. I thought they were just an ordinary martial arts sect.”
“Their weight in Sichuan has been changing day by day since they ‘transitioned into a business’.”
Amidst the chatter among them, a former clan head asked Yeon So-hyeon,
“...If successful, the effect would have been excellent. But it also seems like a method that involves taking risks.”
“They had no room for leisure.”
Yeon So-hyeon smiled bitterly.
“Daseollang had been consistently and firmly rejecting their invitations that were not really invitations, but they happened to receive an invitation from the Eldest Young Master of the Luoyang Sword House and headed to Luoyang.”
“...They thought the Eldest Young Master of the Luoyang Sword House would take Daseollang away from them.”
In reality, Daseollang showed enough initiative to hand over all their shares to Yeon So-hyeon.
The former clan head, nodding in agreement, moved on to the next question.
“Putting that aside, it’s surprising that they mobilized the Dali Clan before the actual assassination attempt happened, even if it was just a pretext.”
Yeon So-hyeon smiled.
“It was because the letter containing that information was delivered by ‘His Highness the Prince Hyeon’.”
A letter sent by the Eldest Young Master of the Luoyang Sword House, who wielded enough influence to move Prince Hyeon.
That was the persuasive power that moved the Dali Clan before the incident.
“...Moreover, they only suspended the alliance and haven’t fully moved yet.”
“That’s right.”
Yeon So-hyeon added an explanation.
“I heard that the Emei Sect, whose influence had grown significantly, had been experiencing increasing friction with the Dali Clan, who had been treating them high-handedly, beneath the surface.”
“...Even if the assassination didn’t happen, it would have been enough to remind the Emei Sect of their position again.”
“Exactly.”
Another clan head asked Yeon So-hyeon, who was nodding in agreement,
“The attempted assassination did actually happen. But in the end, the Dali Clan will demand additional evidence, so how about that part?”
Yeon So-hyeon stroked his chin.
“Well, the very first evidence is the carriage itself.”
“The carriage?”
“At the time of the surprise attack by the assassination group known as Cheongya, unlike the other carriages belonging to the investment group, only Daseollang’s carriage had some poisoned arrows found in it.”
The carriages of Daseollang and the investment group were being strictly guarded by the Luoyang Sword House as evidence.
And that was why Daseollang rode in a carriage provided by Yeon So-hyeon today, not their own carriage.
“Poisoned arrows flew only at Daseollang’s carriage?”
“Yes.”
***
At the time of the battle with the assassins.
“Hmm. The enemy’s firing has ended, and it seems Elder Yeom will attack? As expected of Elder Yeom.”
Cheongsu, who was peeking outside through a slightly opened window, stretched her hand out the window and retrieved an arrow stuck in the carriage wall.
“Ho ho?”
The gazes of the Daseollang ladies were focused on her as she examined the arrow, but Cheongsu didn’t say anything and just carefully collected the arrow.
‘It’s a poisoned arrow...’
***
Yeon So-hyeon said,
“Those poisoned arrows were all retrieved, and the poison was sent to the best expert for analysis.”
***
Last night.
***
The former clan heads, who heard the full story of the attempted assassination of Daseollang, were all nodding their heads.
“Hmm. Indeed.”
“Eldest Young Master, if there is such a skilled ‘expert’, could you please introduce them to me?”
“Right. I would also like to meet this Gongsun Nagang once.”
At those words, Yeon So-hyeon shook his head with a bitter smile.
“That person’s own will is the most important, so they are not suitable for use in major affairs.”
In fact, that was just an excuse.
‘If Seo Lim-cheong met these people, he would first rip out their necks before starting.’
The former clan head of the Yang family said to Yeon So-hyeon, who was smiling bitterly to himself,
“Then, if we send the evidence now, the Dali Clan will proceed with the matter.”
“No.”
“Then?”
“This is a fresh one that arrived at dawn today.”
Yeon So-hyeon took out a letter from his chest.
“The Emei Sect Master was quick-witted. This is a ‘letter of surrender’ from the Emei Sect, agreeing to all the demands.”
The letter through the Luoyang Sword House’s external emergency communication system in the Imperial City reached Yeon So-hyeon at a speed that rivaled even the Imperial Court’s.
***
At that moment.
Somewhere in the Luoyang Sword House, Daru.
“Th-this... What the hell is this...?”
The fungus-covered hands of the Emei Sect’s Chief Administrator, who received the letter through the External Division, trembled uncontrollably.
“No, this can’t be...”
Yeon Ha-eung, who delivered the letter to the Chief Administrator, showed a sympathetic expression.
“Oh my, it seems something bad has happened to you.”
Yeon Ha-eung, who ‘deliberately’ delivered the letter late on Yeon So-hyeon’s orders, shook his head.
“But there’s even worse news.”
Upon hearing those words, the Chief Administrator looked at Yeon Ha-eung with insane, blue eyes.
But Yeon Ha-eung was unfazed.
“This letter contains a request for cooperation with our Luoyang Sword House, and it bears the seals of the Emei Sect, the Dali Clan, and the Imperial City Governor.”
The warriors of the Luoyang Sword House poured in behind him.
Yeon Ha-eung said to the Chief Administrator with an expressionless face,
“Chief Administrator of the Emei Sect, I will arrest you as the mastermind behind the attempted assassination of Daseollang”
The Emei Sect’s Chief Administrator tried to raise his internal energy immediately, but soon realized where he was and lowered his hand.
“Y-you...!”
After the Chief Administrator, trembling with uncontrollable anger, was practically dragged away,
Yeon Ha-eung picked up the letter that had fallen to the floor.
[I’m sorry. This is all for the Emei Sect that you’ve devoted your entire life to building.]
A cold sneer crossed Yeon Ha-eung’s face as he read the letter.
The Emei Sect’s renowned Inner Disciple had lost to the Eldest Young Master, whom he had never even met face-to-face, before he could even try anything.
***
Yeon So-hyeon judged that the Emei Sect might do something unexpected after receiving the Sect Master’s letter.
So this morning, he had the Emei Sect’s members join the procession, separating them and the Chief Administrator from Daseollang
‘It was obvious that the Chief Administrator would try to attach her own people to Daseollang somehow.’
And he separated the Emei Sect members, who might have received some prior orders, from Daseollang
‘By now, the Emei Sect members may have noticed that the carriage Daseollang was riding in has disappeared.’
“Young Master.”
The former clan heads looked at Yeon So-hyeon with eyes burning much fiercer than before.
“I understand it’s to trick the Emei Sect, but the method seems a bit complicated and cumbersome.”
“Is there some meaning to that?”
Yeon So-hyeon nodded.
“I had to do it this way.”
Then he took out a bundle of luxurious envelopes from inside his coat.
“Because this was the only way to obtain these business selection rights.”
Yeon So-hyeon placed the envelopes containing the business selection rights on the table.
“Ooh...!”
As soon as he put them down, the former clan heads practically pounced on the table.
At that moment, Yeon So-hyeon pressed down on the envelopes with a thud!
Then he looked at the former clan heads with a pathetic expression.
“Young Master...?”
Yeon So-hyeon clicked his tongue.
“As I said earlier, you’re all too blinded by the gains right in front of you.”
Although he lowered his voice slightly, none of the former clan heads pointed out Yeon So-hyeon’s tone.
“...What do you mean by that?”
Yeon So-hyeon picked up one envelope.
“Even if you take this, it’s one per person. One per clan.”
Yeon So-hyeon continued,
“What you can do with this is just select a suitable clan in Sichuan or Yunnam and exert influence through them.”
Just like how the Dali Clan of Yunnam exercised influence in Sichuan through the Emei Sect.
“W-well, that’s true, but...”
“At best, it would only amount to the elders handling matters faster than the current clan heads in their respective clans.”
“Then?”
Yeon So-hyeon smiled, revealing his teeth.
“At the very least, regardless of who is the clan head, shouldn’t you become an indispensable and important figure in the clan?”
The eyes of the former clan heads widened.
“There’s a way to do that?!”
Yeon So-hyeon nodded.
“Of course.”
Yeon So-hyeon muttered to himself,
‘Now, one step forward.’