Chapter 84
Chapter 84
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 84
Chapter Title: Hastening the Harmony Assembly
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Nangong Jangcheon entered the grand hall.
The elders looked at Nangong Jangcheon with heavily sunken faces.
They had a vague idea of why they had gathered here.
Nangong Jangcheon took his seat at the head of the hall.
He swept his gaze across the assembly, lingering briefly on Nangong Baek before withdrawing it.
After a moment to lighten the mood, Nangong Jangcheon spoke.
“I believe you all know why we’ve gathered here. An unfortunate incident has occurred at the main household today.”
“Due to the kidnapping?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Mm!”
The elders let out sighs mingled with groans.
Some showed clear discomfort, while others made no effort to hide their anger.
Hefei was a place where the Nangong Clan wielded absolute influence.
There was even a saying that even a grand general commanding a million troops would shrink his shoulders and lower his voice upon entering Hefei soil.
It was a jest that underscored just how immense the Nangong Clan’s prestige was in Hefei.
Yet in such a Hefei, right in the heart of the Nangong Clan’s domain, one of their bloodline had been kidnapped by unidentified assailants.
This was an event that wounded the clan’s pride and stirred a sense of crisis.
Didn’t it imply that someone had pierced the Nangong Clan’s intelligence network somewhere?
“Who the hell!”
“It has to be the Black Dragon Sect, definitely the Black Dragon Sect!”
“Even the Black Dragon Sect has never dared to act in Hefei, no matter how fearless they are! This is tantamount to declaring all-out war!”
“Then who else could have pulled this off?”
“How many factions could slip past the main household’s watchful eyes? We can’t take this at face value.”
“Are you suggesting some shadow faction?”
At the mention of a shadow faction, the elders clamped their mouths shut.
It felt like doubts were piling up without resolution.
Even absurd notions had to be taken seriously now.
Unease showed on the elders’ faces.
They could sense that the clan’s prestige was wavering.
Nangong Uigyeong cleared his throat lightly and asked.
“Do we have any leads on the assailants’ identity?”
“We’re investigating.”
“Mm!”
“But it seems connected to those bandits we captured earlier.”
“The bandits? The ones we dragged in from the Huabei Plains and interrogated?”
The elders’ expressions hardened as they recalled the bandits who had targeted the Silver Shadow Merchant Group’s fine steeds alongside the Heaven-Earth Sect.
The clan had been in an uproar because those bandits had suddenly died during interrogation.
Not only the bandit leader had perished, but the Heaven-Earth Sect leader had also been found as a cold corpse, delivering an even greater shock.
Even then, they hadn’t uncovered the culprits’ identities, and the matter had fizzled out.
If the assailants behind this incident were linked to them, it was a grave matter.
“The methods are similar. They leave no traces, and the way they handle the aftermath is suspicious.”
“That alone is...”
“Shouldn’t we keep all possibilities open? If strange events keep happening around the main household, we can’t dismiss them as coincidences.”
Nangong Uigyeong nodded at Nangong Jangcheon’s words.
“The Family Head is right. I myself have been questioning the bizarre occurrences in the clan, and I know you’ve been investigating them.”
“Yes.”
“I’d like to hear your thoughts. This old man seems to share similar suspicions.”
Nangong Uigyeong trailed off as he looked at Nangong Jangcheon.
The elders’ gazes converged on Nangong Jangcheon.
After a brief pause, he spoke carefully yet firmly.
“I plan to advance the Harmony Assembly.”
The elders buzzed with murmurs, creating a small commotion.
“The Harmony Assembly?”
“Isn’t that too hasty a decision? The losses would be considerable.”
“There isn’t enough time to prepare the Harmony Assembly...”
The elders looked flustered.
The Harmony Assembly was a major event that mobilized the entire Nangong Clan.
Even sending out the notices to the clan’s businesses scattered across Anhui Province took considerable time, making a schedule change impractical.
And such abrupt changes inevitably led to financial losses.
As the elders voiced their objections amid a situation where resources were already stretched thin, Nangong Uigyeong chuckled softly.
“As expected, we think alike! If crisis looms over the main household, we need to strengthen our unity and swiftly discuss future plans, don’t we? There’s no better occasion than the Harmony Assembly.”
“But...”
“If not the Harmony Assembly, then what? We’d have to send out notices and convene separately anyway. Better to endure a bit of loss, hold it early, and plan for the long term than bother with two separate events.”
One by one, the elders nodded at Nangong Uigyeong’s words.
It was persuasive upon reflection.
The Harmony Assembly was originally a forum for discussing the Nangong Clan’s future.
Holding it earlier as needed wasn’t a bad idea.
It would just mean increased costs and a busier schedule.
Nangong Jangcheon addressed the elders.
“If there are no major objections, we’ll advance the Harmony Assembly’s date. We’ll set it soon and notify the outside promptly.”
“Understood, Family Head!”
“Please don’t view this too gravely. This Harmony Assembly will solidify our clan’s bonds and boost morale. See it as an opportunity to make the main household even stronger.”
Nangong Jangcheon’s low but resonant voice echoed through the grand hall.
The elders’ stiff expressions softened somewhat.
At that moment, Nangong Uigyeong spoke in a mild tone.
“Then perhaps we should distribute substantial rewards this time. Clear rewards and punishments are what make people follow.”
The Fifth Elder quickly chimed in.
“Ah! Indeed! There are plenty deserving of rewards, especially this time. Ahem!”
The elders nodded in agreement.
Nangong Jangcheon exhaled softly and said.
“We’ll consider that as well. With that, let’s conclude the meeting. I’ll inform you as soon as the Harmony Assembly date is adjusted.”
The grave meeting ended on a somewhat lighter note.
* * *
Nangong Baek entered the secret chamber, grinding his teeth.
Seeing Gwiyeong lounging casually at the table twisted his guts.
He immediately vented his rage.
“What the hell have you done!”
The secret chamber rang and shook.
It was a roar infused with formidable inner energy.
The black-clad figures standing at Gwiyeong’s sides flinched, their eyes bloodshot from the force.
Gwiyeong simply looked at Nangong Baek.
“What are you referring to?”
“Are you truly asking because you don’t know?”
Nangong Baek glared at Gwiyeong and said.
“Because of your blunder, we’re drawing even more suspicion. Your subordinate’s corpse ended up in the main household, linking back to the previous incident!”
“So?”
“What?”
Nangong Baek was taken aback by Gwiyeong’s nonchalant demeanor.
“They discussed this very matter at today’s meeting!”
“Is that such a problem?”
“Do you really not grasp the issue? If you were going to do it, do it perfectly—yet your men botched my son’s kidnapping and got caught by that Nangong Hyeok! That’s why the elders’ meeting was called, and now the Family Head is on high alert!”
They had nearly seen all their plans go up in smoke.
The failure in managing the kidnapping after pulling it off irked him more than the act itself.
Nangong Baek glared with eyes bulging in fury.
“Were you deliberately sabotaging things?”
Gwiyeong looked at Nangong Baek for a moment before tilting his head.
“Does that change anything?”
“...What do you mean?”
“Has Nangong Jangcheon figured out our plan? Or learned the date of the grand scheme? Or even become aware of our existence?”
“...”
“Nothing has changed. The Nangong Clan still knows nothing of us, and the chaos has only deepened. So stop overreacting.”
“It’s already a mess as it is.”
Nangong Baek ground his teeth.
The situation had never been favorable to begin with.
No, objectively speaking, it was now tilted against him.
With the Nangong Clan growing wary, the grand scheme’s success was in doubt.
Yet the very Gwiyeong who had heightened that wariness spoke so calmly, fueling Nangong Baek’s burning frustration and rising fury.
Gwiyeong shook his head slowly.
“No. The real snag lies elsewhere.”
“...?”
“We confirmed it this time, so it’s actually a solid gain.”
Gwiyeong’s voice remained consistently calm.
Even Nangong Baek, who had been bellowing with explosive aura, faltered.
“What do you mean?”
“You now have reason to stake your life on this matter.”
“I asked what you mean.”
“Nangong Hyeok.”
At the name from Gwiyeong’s lips, Nangong Baek’s face crumpled instantly.
“He’s more amusing than expected.”
“...”
“I looked into him, and he’s a weakling who could drop dead any moment. Crippled by the Nine Yin Severed Meridians, body frail as porcelain.”
“Fine, so what?”
“You know.”
Gwiyeong fixed Nangong Baek with gleaming reddish eyes.
“That weakling has dismantled everything you built over ten years in less than half a year. With utterly absurd growth.”
“...”
“I said to buy time, didn’t I? But would time solve it? Your foundation is crumbling like a sandcastle, and he’s already toppled your position. In mere half a year.”
Nangong Baek’s eyes darkened.
He knew what Gwiyeong was driving at.
“What if a year passes like this? Will the elders side with you? What will you gain? The more time passes, the more he’ll devour everything of yours and grow stronger.”
“...”
“Now is the perfect moment. Stake your life on this. Unless you want to be devoured by a mere brat not even in his thirties.”
The words scraped at his pride, but Nangong Baek felt it too.
His teeth chattered, fury surged, but the situation demanded cold analysis.
The grand scheme wouldn’t falter over one blunder by Gwiyeong.
‘He’s right—that bastard is uncontrollable.’
Even thinking half a year ahead filled him with dread.
In just three months of activity, Nangong Hyeok had earned the elders’ cold shoulders, and his once-promising son had lost his place.
Nangong Baek’s footing shook endlessly, while Nangong Hyeok soared skyward.
...A mere loach he had dismissed.
Nangong Hyeok was dragging him into an unimaginable abyss.
‘Cut off his breath before he grows further.’
Gwiyeong was right. He had to stake his all.
No time for hesitation or weighing options.
As Nangong Baek sank into deep thought, Gwiyeong declared like a verdict.
“Choose decisively. Half-measures will only tighten the noose around your neck.”
The dagger-like words made Nangong Baek’s hand tremble faintly.
‘He means draw the sword?’
Yes, soon there wouldn’t even be a chance to draw it.
It would be at his own throat instead.
Now he had to decide when to draw that sword.
Nangong Baek steeled his resolve and steadied his breath.
“The Harmony Assembly.”
The hastily prepared Harmony Assembly would surely create openings.
In a chilling voice, Nangong Baek said.
“I’ll have everything in perfect readiness by then.”
He would overturn the board before it shifted to a new game.
That was Nangong Baek’s plan.