Chapter 79
Chapter 79
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 79
Chapter Title: Part 4: Elders' Meeting
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Luoyang Sword Clan.
Elders' Assembly, Great Assembly Hall.
Whenever Elder Yeom attended the Elders' Assembly's regular meetings, he always tried to maintain a tension akin to right before launching into battle.
Sharpening his senses to the utmost, yet without letting his body stiffen from the strain.
In that state of perfect tension, his instincts would sometimes whisper to him.
Just like right now.
“The next item on the agenda is regarding the replacement or deletion of terms not used in the Sword Clan Code, and the establishment of missing terms.”
The fellow elder sitting beside him let out a small sigh.
“…The most boring time of all.”
Normally, Elder Yeom would have had every reason to agree.
It was one of the most dreadful times for a warrior like him.
But for some reason, the back of his neck itched, and his nose tingled—something felt off.
“…The terms targeted for replacement or deletion are…”
People were already starting to doze off here and there.
“…Therefore, as examples of usage for designating and expressing these…”
In any case, such academic matters were always handed off to the Elders' Assembly's subcommittee.
It would then be up to the fellow elders in each faction who had devoted decades to those specific duties.
The rest typically went along with their opinions.
“…Next, the third item: on establishing missing terms…”
But today, he had a conviction that it couldn't be handled that way.
“…The corresponding terms are diligence in service, seclusion, honorable retirement…”
His mind snapped alert.
'Well, well…?'
He nudged the dozing elder from his own faction beside him to wake him up, then turned his gaze toward the elders belonging to the Second Young Master's and Third Young Master's factions.
Interestingly, they all looked bored, but none were dozing or yawning.
The moment Elder Yeom's instinct turned into certainty.
“…Therefore, for this item, as usual, we will proceed with a simple vote to refer it to the relevant subcommittee…”
And apparently, the Elder Council Lord—who had been openly leaning back, half-asleep—had also sensed something amiss.
“Hold on!”
Despite his small stature, the old man, owner of brilliant achievements and called the 'Little Giant' in some circles, shouted.
“Who the hell is pulling this crap?!”
Such cursing, crude speech, and eccentric behavior from him could only be seen during the completely closed-door Elders' Assembly meetings.
“I told you all before, didn't I? Anyone trying to bury important matters in a subcommittee like this, I'll hunt them down and kill them!”
Though it was a shout without a shred of internal energy, per the strict rules, it reverberated through the vast Great Assembly Hall.
“…Wh-what?”
“Damn near scared me to death.”
The dozing or distracted elders snapped to attention in an instant.
“Council Lord. What's going on?”
“Calm the Council Lord down first!”
Several elders forcibly pulled the cursing Elder Council Lord down and seated him.
One elder, who had clamped his hand over the Council Lord's mouth mid-rant, shouted loudly.
“Someone explain this!”
The Protection Court Lord, who had been chuckling as he watched the scene, spoke up.
“It seems someone wanted to shift the scope of the Eldest Young Master's seclusion to a subcommittee and define it at their whim.”
“What…?”
It took little time for the hall to descend into chaos.
* * *
'As expected of these monsters.'
Elder Yeom clicked his tongue.
Even elders who normally showed zero interest in the Eldest Young Master grasped the situation in an instant.
However…
“With things always going like this, why don't they realize that everyone in the successor factions gets lumped together and vilified?!”
“If you hate that, the Third Young Master's faction should have behaved properly from the start!”
“What?! You filthy evil sect sympathizer?!”
“You failed righteous sect bastard who can only run your mouth?!”
The elders from the Second and Third Young Masters' factions were on the verge of grabbing each other's collars.
And with others joining in half for fun, half out of interest, the whole place erupted into pandemonium.
They resembled nothing so much as quarreling peddlers brawling in a back alley marketplace.
It was a drawback of the Elders' Assembly meetings, where no internal energy could be used, and no content could leak outside.
The elder in charge of proceedings approached Elder Yeom and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“…I leave it to you, Elder Yeom.”
Elder Yeom let out a deep sigh and rose from his seat.
He then slammed down his massive fist, smashing the desk into two pieces in one blow.
“If you're itching for a fight, this Yeom will gladly take on anyone.”
For a moment, the entire Great Assembly Hall froze.
Some elders grumbled that it was over too soon, expressing disappointment.
Others tried to egg them on.
But the hall had already entered a lull.
No one wanted to grapple with Elder Yeom, who could rip off scalps without a trace of internal energy.
* * *
The meeting thereafter proceeded in a reasonable and serious atmosphere, given the nature of the agenda.
“Defining the scope of seclusion in the Clan Code can be done through consensus, so no big issue there. Retroactive application can be handled with an exception clause.”
“But the problem lies in the subject being the Eldest Young Master, doesn't it?”
“…It seems many have taken the matters in our Assembly as the Eldest Young Master's 'declaration of refusing seclusion.'”
“That would be the elders from the Second and Third Young Masters' factions, wouldn't it?”
“Well, with that Eldest Young Master, no matter what he starts doing, it wouldn't be surprising.”
“Was the Eldest Young Master that frightening in the past?”
“…Don't ask. 'That story' is practically taboo even in the Elders' Assembly.”
“Do we really need to restrict the Eldest Young Master's scope of seclusion at this point?”
Amid the elders murmuring back and forth, the elder from the Second Young Master's faction—Sun Elder, whose turn it was for proceedings—stepped up to the podium.
“It seems many here still don't grasp the gravity of the situation.”
He gave a friendly smile, chuckling affably.
“This agenda only benefits those in the successor factions, doesn't it?”
At one elder's question, Sun Elder stepped right up to the podium.
“What do you all believe Eldest Young Master Yeon So-hyeon's current status to be?”
“Well…”
The elder who had been about to say 'Eldest Young Master' as a matter of course stiffened.
Elder Yeom's expression hardened similarly.
Normally, he wouldn't have noticed, but having recently investigated and studied Yeon So-hyeon, he knew.
“What's that supposed to mean?”
“Someone explain.”
Murmurs grew louder, centered on elders who had lost interest in the once-secluded Yeon So-hyeon.
“Elder Yeom. What does he mean?”
To his fellow faction elder's question from beside him, Elder Yeom moved his lips.
“…Have you forgotten? The Eldest Young Master currently holds the Family Head Seal of the main family.”
“What about it…”
His fellow elder's face hardened.
Sun Elder, standing at the podium, wore a satisfied expression at the increasingly heavy atmosphere.
“Now everyone gets it. Strictly speaking, his current status is both Eldest Young Master and the main family's 'Acting Family Head.'”
“Acting Family Head?!”
The elders erupted in murmurs.
“Isn't he currently in seclusion? Then…”
“Acting Family Head is a position, but also a status. The current Acting Family Head as a position is being handled by the Supreme Operations Council, but…”
He surveyed the assembly.
“That doesn't mean we can flatly say the Eldest Young Master's status isn't Acting Family Head.”
“Is that true, Enforcement Court Lord?!”
The Enforcement Court Lord crossed his arms and nodded.
“…It's a bit of a stretch, but since the Eldest Young Master received the Family Head Seal directly from the Supreme Family Head, we can't say the interpretation is wrong.”
“Wasn't it not formally delegated?”
“Doesn't matter.”
One elder shot to his feet and shouted.
“Even if so, it's merely an academic interpretation! Who would accept it if he claimed that?!”
A few nodded.
But most shook their heads.
“Think about it.”
One of the head-shakers spoke up.
“If the Eldest Young Master builds up enough power through activities like now, then claims he's the legitimate Acting Family Head, what happens?”
“Won't the Supreme Operations Council judge it?”
“What if the Supreme Operations Council denies him as Acting Family Head, and the Eldest Young Master refuses, saying it's not the Supreme Family Head's intent?”
The same word flashed in everyone's minds.
Civil war.
Elder Yeom groaned inwardly as well.
Sun Elder smiled at the even heavier atmosphere.
“Now everyone realizes the seriousness, right?”
The smile deepened on his lips.
“You all now understand why this Elder Assembly must impose clear restrictions on the Eldest Young Master's seclusion.”
* * *
A brief recess was declared.
But since it was only brief, no one could leave the Great Assembly Hall.
“Why does the Eldest Young Master still hold the Family Head Seal to begin with?”
“Because the Eldest Young Master has been the most obedient in seclusion, right?”
“…More accurately, no one could retrieve it.”
“If the Supreme Operations Council tried to retrieve it in the Supreme Family Head's name, there would have been massive backlash from those who know the truth…”
“Even if forced, per Clan Law, only the 'Family Head' and 'those permitted by the Family Head' can claim ownership of the Sword Clan Golden Seal.”
“…Neither the Supreme Family Head nor the current Acting Family Head—Supreme Operations Council—qualifies.”
Someone clicked their tongue.
“Damn. We've been sitting on a Heaven-Shaking Thunderbolt all this time, dozing right on top of it.”
“Who would have thought anyone would defy the last order the Supreme Family Head gave to the Eldest Young Master?”
As the meeting resumed, voices erupted here and there.
“We must restrict the Eldest Young Master's scope of seclusion immediately!”
“Precisely, we need to add and define the term 'seclusion' in the Sword Clan Code.”
“Start the vote now!”
But many remained silent.
The Inspection Department Lord, who hadn't spoken until now, was one of them.
He opened his mouth.
“It won't work.”
All eyes in the hall focused on him.
The Elder Council Lord, who had been watching calmly, nodded in agreement.
“He's right. The main family's Family Head is above Clan Law. The same goes for Acting Family Head.”
The Protection Court Lord and Enforcement Court Lord agreed.
“I agree.”
“If this reaches my court's tribunal, I'd have no choice but to rule the same.”
“That would only solidify the Eldest Young Master's ambiguous position up to now.”
Elders from the Second and Third Young Masters' factions unleashed a barrage of accusations at them.
“Silence! Silence!”
Even the shouts from the elder handling proceedings were useless.
“Shut your damn mouths and pipe down, you filthy vermin!”
Only when the Elder Council Lord climbed onto his desk and bellowed did the voices begin to die down.
“…Then there's only one way to prevent civil war.”
His voice was a murmur, like talking to himself, but it was enough to silence everyone.
As the Great Assembly Hall fell quiet, the Inner Court Chief Steward—who received treatment equal to the elders—continued.
“Escalate this matter to the 'Supreme Operations Council.'”