Chapter 90
Chapter 90
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 90
Chapter Title: Part 15: Liberation
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Deep into the night.
Walnut Village, temporary base of the Fourth Young Master’s side.
In the darkness, people holding lanterns moved about busily.
A warrior dispatched from the Fourth Young Master’s office for situational assessment asked as he was guided by the on-site supervisor.
“According to the previous report, wasn’t there an ongoing power struggle between underworld organizations?”
The warrior’s sharp gaze turned toward the on-site supervisor.
The on-site supervisor sweated enough to make the cold night air seem mild and bowed his head.
“Th-that is, based on the information we could gather through external scouting... we judged that to be the most plausible explanation.”
The warrior was well aware that they hadn’t had the time to establish proper informants in the Valley of Sins from the start.
“Rumors about someone called the ‘Dark Heaven Venerable’ have been circulating all this time, haven’t they? But why haven’t you even submitted an initial report on him?”
The on-site supervisor’s footsteps halted as he trembled while guiding.
“Ah, that Dark Heaven Venerable...”
But his body was shaking even more than before.
“We can’t even confirm if that person truly exists. The rumors are rampant, but they’re utterly bizarre and grotesque...”
The warrior sensed something off.
“At first, we dismissed it as mere hearsay, and later thought it might be some hidden eccentric or a wandering master. But...”
Initially, he had assumed the on-site supervisor was trembling out of fear of him, dispatched from the Fourth Young Master’s office.
But that wasn’t it.
“The stories about that ‘existence,’ the sightings—they were completely different from any rumors of reclusive masters we’d heard before.”
The on-site supervisor’s hand trembled, and the lantern he held shook along with it.
Their shadows flickered chaotically.
“Th-those sightings were like ghost stories or superstitious nonsense about spirits. The more we investigated, the less sense any of it made, s-so we...”
The warrior furrowed his brow.
No wind blew, yet a chilling dread crept over his body.
“...Enough with the nonsense. Just guide me to the secured survivor.”
The supervisor jumped at the voice laced with subtle inner energy and hurriedly resumed walking.
“S-sorry!”
As the on-site supervisor led him deep underground, the warrior scowled.
“I heard the survivor was badly wounded. Even if it’s underworld trash, he’s a key witness right now—why keep him locked in the basement?”
The supervisor, descending ahead into the basement, began to mumble.
“Th-that’s... whether to call it a survivor or what, he is a witness, but...”
The warrior sighed.
He thought the discipline at the site had seriously laxed since he’d left the field years ago.
“Th-through there.”
The on-site supervisor pointed inward.
The pitch-black basement had no sign of life.
The warrior shook his head.
“No presence at all. Must be dead already. Treating a valuable witness like this and letting him die—you’ll be severely punished...”
Then, a voice came from the darkness beyond.
“Death is not an end, but merely a beginning.”
“What...!”
It was less a voice and more like the sound of leaking air.
The warrior rushed toward the source in the darkness.
“...!”
His eyes widened as if they might tear.
“Death is not the start of eternal rest, but merely the wheel of eternal torment.”
The voice came from right in front of him, yet even his keen senses detected no vital energy.
It had to be that way—what he saw was merely a corpse clutching its bisected body with both hands.
The corpse moved its lips, barely producing a voice like leaking wind.
“Fear. Tremble in terror. For He who punishes earthly karma in place of the indifferent heavens has come...”
Even as it spoke, entrails endlessly spilled from the split, and the floor was already a sea of blood.
The eyes of the dead one rolled grotesquely toward the warrior.
“If you too accumulate evil karma, you will eventually meet Him.”
Having spoken, the corpse went limp as if all strength had fled.
Its arms, barely holding on, gave way, and it collapsed with a sickening sound, severed in two.
Staring down at it, now motionless as a true corpse, the warrior stood speechless for a long while.
* * *
Luoyang Sword Clan Outer Courtyard.
One of the offices.
On Yeon Ha-eung’s desk—the man known for rumors that grew legs—piled invitations from various prestigious families around Luoyang.
And his brush lay messily atop the letter he’d been writing a reply to.
But he paid it no mind.
He unfolded a note secretly passed to him by I-ryeong, one of the Triplet Maids from the First Pavilion.
‘...The Eldest Young Master has finally lifted his seclusion!’
He tossed the note into the brazier.
His usually affable face looked utterly transformed.
Flames seemed to burn in his eyes.
‘As expected, only he can help me reclaim my unjustly stolen position as Acting Family Head of the Kaifeng Yeon Family.’
Luoyang Sword Clan, Elder Yeom’s office.
“Father. Have you finally made up your mind?”
Elder Yeom burned a note obtained from an informant.
“That’s right—so steel yourself as well.”
Yeom Baek-ha, cradling the White Tiger, smiled.
“My resolve is already set.”
* * *
Luoyang Sword Clan Protection Courtyard.
Office of the Leader of the Six Protection Divisions.
“Pardon the intrusion.”
The door burst open, and the First Division Chief strode in.
“...Huh? Senior? What brings you here?”
The Sixth Division Chief, who had dozed off reviewing case files, rubbed his eyes and sat up groggily.
“Lend me some of your tobacco.”
Without waiting for a reply, the First Division Chief opened the case on the desk and lit one.
“...People who never intend to pay back always say ‘lend me’ like that.”
Yawning, the Sixth Division Chief took out his own tobacco.
The office quickly filled with smoke.
“...You really came all this way just for tobacco?”
The First Division Chief puffed deeply before speaking.
“For the time being—no, until I say otherwise—transfer all cases involving the highest echelons to other divisions in the Protection Courtyard.”
“...Pardon?”
The Sixth Division Chief frowned at the First Division Chief’s words, as if speaking to a child let loose by the water.
“You’ll have complaints. Naturally. But for your family’s sake, bow your head.”
It was the second time he’d heard “think of your family” from the First Division Chief.
And the first time was...
A transmission entered from the First Division Chief.
‘The Eldest Young Master has been released from seclusion.’
‘Ah, I see. But what does that have to do with me...’
It was hard to tell if what the First Division Chief exhaled was tobacco smoke or a sigh heavy with worry.
‘The Eldest Young Master currently has virtually no faction.’
‘That’s true.’
What faction could someone freshly released after ten years of seclusion possibly have?
‘That means he’ll swing whatever comes to hand if needed.’
The First Division Chief’s gaze fixed on him.
‘And whatever he swings will fatally wound the struck, while the wielder won’t escape unscathed either.’
The Sixth Division Chief’s expression went slack.
He had already glimpsed the Eldest Young Master’s terror through the Inner Courtyard incident.
‘From now on, double- and triple-check the causal links in every incoming case, no matter how trivial.’
* * *
Outskirts of Luoyang,
A certain manor.
The Medicine King was placing needles into the back of a middle-aged man lying face-down.
“Lady Soyu’s son, So-hyeon, will be moving soon.”
At those words, the middle-aged man’s back visibly stiffened, then relaxed.
“...Congratulations. Isn’t he like a grandson to you, Elder?”
“And to you...?”
The middle-aged man chuckled wryly.
“I serve that lord for life, but his son is just his son.”
“So-hyeon is a special child.”
“Who among ‘us’ didn’t know his son was extraordinarily gifted from childhood? It’s just that there can’t be another like that lord in this world.”
The Medicine King’s hands moved busily.
“...So you have no interest, is that it?”
The middle-aged man fell silent.
“So-hyeon asked me to contact Mother’s acquaintances.”
“...Not meeting them himself?”
“I said I’d handle what I could.”
After a pause, the middle-aged man quietly spoke.
“...Since it’s your request, Elder. I’ll watch.”
The Medicine King nodded.
“That’s enough.”
The Medicine King nodded again.
Watching would suffice.
Though he couldn’t place Yeon So-hyeon and Lady Soyu on the same level for comparison.
If it was the grandson he knew, he possessed a magnetic force utterly unlike Lady Soyu’s charm, a power to move people.
* * *
Luoyang Sword Clan.
Deep within the Retired Family Head’s residence.
A small hall with only one passage leading to the Retired Family Head.
It was shrouded in darkness, with a single human shadow cast by the dim moonlight filtering in.
The hunched elder sat cross-legged there as always.
Known in some quarters as the old monster, a figure treated like an elder statesman despite his elder status.
The Inner Courtyard Chief Steward.
At last, his lips parted, and a murmur escaped.
“...Do you hear me, Family Head?”
A faint swirl of emotions churned in his voice.
“...Your eldest son has returned to the world. The Heaven-Slaying Star has risen, and great turmoil will follow for the clan.”
His unfathomable eyes turned toward the ceiling.
“This old man will protect you, Family Head, until the day you promised, no matter the sacrifice or offering.”
* * *
Luoyang Sword Clan, Tang Retired Matriarch’s quarters.
The Fourth Young Master’s mother, the Tang Retired Matriarch, sat alone in her quarters as always, devoid of any presence.
With every breath, white vapor escaped her lips.
“...Sister Soyu.”
The note dropped through the perforated ceiling by the Fourth Young Master’s falcon had already melted away in her hand, vanishing without a trace.
“Sister’s child. So-hyeon has broken all restrictions and seals to emerge into the world.”
As her tears fell to the floor, acrid smoke rose with a foul stench.
“Sister might blame me for failing to keep my promise. No—sister would always say it’s fine, that everything will work out, and embrace me.”
She squeezed her eyes shut.
“Unlike the promise with you, unlike the request you made, I’m glad So-hyeon has shaken off all those chains.”
Tears fell one by one down her cheeks.
“I want that child to destroy everything blocking his path.”
Her skin cracked as her emotions surged, black ooze seeping out.
“I want that child to burn away all the darkness in this clan.”
The air grew turbid, a horrific aura filling the room.
“I want that child to hunt down everyone who made my husband that way and slaughter them in the most excruciating agony.”
Her eyes snapped open, flashing with deep green light.
“I want that child to forgive no one.”