Yeon So-hyeon's Net
Chengdu, the main mountain of the Emei Sect.
What on earth is going on…?
The Sect Master of the Emei Sect nearly sank to the floor where she stood when the report reached her that the Prince himself had stepped forward to meet the families of Daseonrang.
It's fine. It's fine. Things have not gone wrong yet. It must merely be a coincidence.
But it did not take long for her to decide that the matter was no coincidence at all.
"Sect Master!"
The instant a nun entered the office with a deathly pale face, the Sect Master of the Emei Sect realized that something had gone terribly, irreparably wrong.
Officials of Chengdu who ordinarily could not even meet her eyes stormed in accompanied by fully armed government troops. They leveled the charge that the Emei Sect had embezzled the taxes due to His Majesty. At the same moment, word arrived from every trading house with which they dealt that every last asset of the Emei Sect had been frozen.
"By whose audacious order is this being done?!"
One of the officials twisted his lips in a faint sneer.
"By order of the Governor of Chengdu."
That the Governor of Chengdu—a man who ordinarily possessed no presence whatsoever—would dare to pull something like this. It was impossible. Under the protection of their alliance with the Dali Duan Family, a Governor of Chengdu who commanded no real influence could never touch them.
In that case…
This is the work of the Dali Duan Family.
Her face twisted.
But why on earth?!
Recalling the face of the Governor's wife—herself of Dali Duan origin—the Sect Master opened the door to the Governor's office.
"Sect Master, I have been waiting for you. Please, have a seat over here."
The Governor of Chengdu offered her a place as though he had been expecting her all along. Not a word passed between the two of them—until the wife entered the office and took the seat of honor.
"Highly reliable information has reached the Dali Duan Family."
The Governor's wife continued in her usual expressionless, cold face.
"According to that information, the Emei Sect is currently proceeding with an assassination plot against Daseonrang."
Every trace of color drained from the Sect Master's face.
How did they learn of that?!
Was the assassination plot against Daseonrang not a top-secret plan known only to a tiny handful even within the Emei Sect itself?
"W-what do you mean by that…?"
Ignoring the Sect Master's words entirely, the Governor's wife unilaterally delivered her message.
"My daughter, Sang-gwan Nan-hwa, is also a daughter of the Dali Duan Family. If the information about the assassination plot is true, then the Emei Sect has attacked its own ally."
Her lifeless eyes turned upon the Sect Master.
"Therefore this alliance is suspended until the truth is ascertained."
She then clutched at her own chest.
"Personally as well, it is a most shocking and surprising matter."
Looking into those colorless, glass-like eyes that held not a shred of emotion, the Sect Master screamed inwardly.
What utter nonsense is this, coming now?!
She could not believe the words coming from a woman who had never once uttered a single protest no matter what they did to Daseonrang—which had included Sang-gwan Nan-hwa.
No. Calm down. This woman is merely a representative of the Dali Duan Family.
The Sect Master, who had weathered every storm, quickly composed herself.
In the first place, the Dali Duan Family would never abandon the Emei Sect—their precious ally in Sichuan—over something like that.
This was merely a pretext.
Some unknown matter has been progressing beneath the surface…!
It would have to be something enormous enough for the Dali Duan Family to discard an alliance that could check the Sichuan Tang Family within Sichuan. The Emei Sect had been swept up in some absurd affair without knowing a thing.
"To sever an alliance merely because information has come in—is that not an excessive measure?"
"That is precisely why I said it was suspended."
The Governor's wife replied, still maintaining that peculiar expressionlessness.
"If there is no assassination attempt, the Dali Duan Family will retract all of this. Of course, there will be an apology and appropriate compensation as well."
It was an answer that left no room whatsoever. There was no will to negotiate.
…Is it over?
The Sect Master of the Emei Sect finally let the expression she had barely maintained crumble, and squeezed her eyes shut.
If she could cancel the assassination commission even now, there would be no problem—but in the present situation it was impossible.
All the trouble I went through to make contact with the assassin group of Henan Province without leaving a single trace is now holding me by the ankles instead…!
Moreover, the assassin group that had already accepted the commission would have vanished without a trace, preparing for any contingency.
Without even thinking to take out the handkerchief in her bosom, the Sect Master wiped the sweat streaming down her face with her own hand.
"…Then what of the tax embezzlement charges?"
The answer came from the Governor of Chengdu, who had said nothing until then.
"If that assassination plot is true… do not think you will get away with laying a hand on my daughter unscathed!"
"…!"
The Sect Master recoiled before she knew it.
It was a presence that the usual weightless Governor of Chengdu could never have been imagined to possess—enough that the body of the Sect Master, who had reached a high realm, took it as a danger signal and moved reflexively.
…Surrounded on all sides.
She had not even grasped the situation yet, and the blade was already at her throat. And it was not a blade stopped close by, but one drawing nearer with every moment.
Moreover, the Emei Sect had a problem even greater than this enraged Governor of Chengdu.
If the alliance with the Dali Duan Family ends, we will have to face the hegemon of Sichuan—the Sichuan Tang Family—alone.
Reciting sutras inwardly as she desperately sought a way out, the Sect Master shook her head.
…We have been completely outplayed.
Now it was time to find a path for survival.
The Sect Master exhaled a deep breath and opened her closed eyes.
"…The Emei Sect acknowledges defeat."
Her voice trembled.
"Whom should we contact?"
Both the Governor of Chengdu and his wife answered simultaneously.
"The Luoyang Sword Family, First Young Master Yeon So-hyeon."
Chengdu, Sichuan Tang Family, reception hall.
Not yet. There is still one last chance remaining.
It was the Sect Master of the Emei Sect, waiting alone for the master of the reception hall to appear.
Because I made a show of acknowledging defeat before them, I obtained an important clue.
The Luoyang Sword Family, First Young Master Yeon So-hyeon.
She had no idea how that First Young Master—who she knew had not even reached twenty yet—was involved in this matter. But she had obtained one more clue than before, and she had not given up yet.
"Oh? What is this. The Sect Master of the Emei Sect herself walking right into the middle of 'hostile territory'?"
After a long while, an elder of the Sichuan Tang Family entered the reception hall with a leisurely air and sneered with an openly mocking expression.
"My, my. Tomorrow the sun will rise in the west."
The elder of the Sichuan Tang Family held his belly and burst into laughter as if greatly amused. But the Sect Master paid it not the slightest mind and stated her business.
"You will already have heard of this recent matter."
"Of course. I most certainly have."
The other's gaze, devoid of even a scrap of warmth, and his openly revealed greed, were directed at the Sect Master.
"Have you come for a deal, by any chance? Or a request for mediation? Surely not to beg?"
"…Call it whatever you like."
The Sect Master twisted the wrinkles filling her face into a forced smile.
"I will hand over half the shares of all the enterprises the Emei Sect currently possesses."
"Hmm…"
Even at the enormous sum, the elder of the Sichuan Tang Family showed an uninterested attitude.
"Then how about transferring the operating rights of the Emei Academy as well?"
"…Mmm."
The Sect Master did not give up. The enemy of my enemy can become an ally—this was a time when she had to gamble even on the slimmest of probabilities. If she joined hands with the Sichuan Tang Family, even at a great cost, she could always aim for a comeback, could she not?
"Well, this is…"
The elder of the Sichuan Tang Family, who had done nothing but shake his head for a long while, heaved a sigh.
"I am growing rather bored now, so I will tell you."
"What do you mean…?"
Had he been toying with her all this time? The Sect Master's gaze turned fierce, but the other paid it no mind.
"If you wish to resolve this matter, the person the Sect Master must contact is someone else."
At those words, a single name flashed through the Sect Master's mind.
"Surely…?"
"The Luoyang Sword Family, First Young Master Yeon So-hyeon."
"…!"
Looking at the Sect Master's expression, the elder of the Sichuan Tang Family burst into a mad laugh incomparable to anything before.
"…."
"…Ah, and Sect Master."
After laughing for a long while alone, bending his waist backward, he met the Sect Master's eyes.
"I recommend you not even entertain any foolish thoughts."
His mouth curved into a long crescent as if splitting.
"The shadows of the Tang Family are monitoring every single move of the Emei Sect."
Luoyang, Mount Beimang, Gongsun Family estate.
"With the First Young Master's explanation, we have roughly understood the situation the Emei Sect finds itself in."
They were the former family heads who had heard the explanation of the "net of Yeon So-hyeon" that had engulfed the Emei Sect. But they felt that, rather than before hearing the explanation, far more questions had only increased.
"First Young Master, before we continue the story, answer our questions first!"
"There is no way the Dali Duan Family would abandon their most important alliance in Sichuan over something like that! An assassination plot against Daseonrang is nothing more than a pretext! Just what kind of deal took place?!"
"And just how did the First Young Master know that there was an assassination plot by the Emei Sect?!"
"For what reason did the Emei Sect try to assassinate Daseonrang, whom they had been trying to take for themselves?!"
At the questions pouring down like a midsummer shower, Yeon So-hyeon laughed and waved his hands.
"Now, now, everyone calm down. You will understand once you hear the whole story—but even so, I will explain one thing at a time for now."
At Yeon So-hyeon's words, the former family heads finally closed their mouths and sat down.
Good. Things are going very well.
Yeon So-hyeon offered them a bright smile at their appearance, so excited that it would not have been strange if they had howled toward the heavens at any moment.
"First, as for why the Dali Duan Family discarded the alliance called the Emei Sect, I will explain later. It is related to content that comes after this."
"Fine. Anything is fine, so just give us an answer!"
Yeon So-hyeon stroked his smooth chin.
"And as for how I came to know of the Daseonrang assassination plot, I will find it difficult to speak of that channel."
"Revealing an informant is naturally a difficult matter. Understood. So next question, quickly!"
In truth, even for Yeon So-hyeon, there was no informant who could have told him of a plan treated as the highest secret within the Emei Sect. He had merely remembered it.
In the history before he returned by the power of the Jeam Jincheon Scripture, the incident in which part of Daseonrang had been murdered. Yeon So-hyeon, who had been in seclusion as usual, had known the approximate timing through rumors among the servants of Wongak Pavilion at the time. And the rest was simply him putting himself in the position of the assassin and finding the optimal assassination point. That assassination point had been so perfect that even Elder Yeom and No-gunsa of the War Advisory Group had acknowledged it. There was no way there could have been a deviation from that prediction.
"Then tell us just why the Emei Sect tried to assassinate Daseonrang!"
The former family heads grew even more impatient at Yeon So-hyeon dragging out the time.
"Then I shall first explain why the Emei Sect tried to assassinate Daseonrang."