Chapter 162: v7c12 - Rules of Conduct
Volume 7 Chapter 12 – Rules of Conduct
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Nureongi and Geomdungi, who were pulling the armored fortress, the ox cart carrying Yeon So-hyeon, let out a long cry as their muscles tensed across their entire bodies.
The steel wheels rolled relentlessly, throwing sparks behind them.
Behind Yeon So-hyeon’s ox cart, which was running relentlessly through the night streets of Luoyang, followed the carriage of the Gong family carrying the Four Heroes of Hwangho.
Inside that carriage, a heavy tension lingered.
“….”
All of the Four Heroes of Hwangho were checking their respective armaments, repeating the check over and over again.
“Come to think of it.”
The bearded man, who was tightly tying the straps of his gauntlets, opened his mouth.
“I think I heard something called the ‘rules of conduct in the Five Evils’ from some senior in the past, but does anyone remember the exact contents?”
The zeroth rule of conduct was not to approach the Five Evils, but under the current circumstances, it was already a useless statement.
“Ah. I remember it.”
The woman, who was checking the blade of her dagger and fixing it firmly again, frowned and recalled the memory in her head.
“Perhaps the first is…”
At that moment, the black armored carriages waiting at the intersection joined Yeon So-hyeon’s procession.
They were the armored carriages carrying the Pavilion of Perfect Enlightenment maid division, who had returned to the Luoyang Sword Family to finish supplying and rejoined.
Among them, there was also a carriage carrying the members of the Emei Sect.
In this way, all the armored carriages—with only the armored carriage of the Tea Fan Maidens missing from the procession that had departed Pavilion of Perfect Enlightenment this morning—merged into a single procession.
* * *
Although they had managed to put on the armor they were provided with the help of the maid division, the members of the Emei Sect still found the armor awkward.
“Please pay attention.”
The gazes of those gathered turned to the fully armed maid sitting opposite the superintendent nun.
“I will now inform you of the rules of conduct to keep for your safety in the place we will soon arrive at, called the Valley of Sin, or the Valley of Sin.”
Pulling out a note from her bosom, she began to read out the contents that she had already firmly memorized.
It was a list refined by local experts from what were commonly known as the rules of conduct in the Five Evils.
“First. Never answer questions from the local poor.”
She added an explanation.
“In your case, it is better not to contact them at all. Relief of the poor is the job of the experts on-site. There is nothing for you to help with, and you must not help.”
Everyone nodded.
Being exposed to crime while a decoy struck up a conversation was a common occurrence even in the urban areas of Sichuan.
And they could also understand the words the maid added.
As long as they did not know the behavior of the poor here well, avoiding contact with them in the first place was a recommended matter.
“Second. Do not mistake a path for one with human presence.” “…?”
Something about the words was a bit strange.
It was not a warning not to enter paths without human presence, but to not mistake them for paths with human presence.
However, as the numbers of the rules increased, the bizarre feeling gradually grew stronger.
“Third. Do not follow a strange voice calling your name.”
The Emei nuns looked at each other with bewildered expressions.
Calling their names—who?
“Fourth. Just because the people you were with laugh together, do not laugh along. And leave the place immediately.”
“What is that—”
The maid ignored them and added.
“In your case, you just need to leave the scene immediately and retreat to your respective designated safe areas.”
“….”
“Fifth. This fifth one is the most important.”
The maid’s gaze met each of the Emei martial nuns inside the carriage one by one, as if warning them.
“If you suddenly hear someone’s shout for no apparent reason, or strange, incomprehensible voices, you must evacuate into the nearest stone building.”
She emphasized repeatedly in a clear voice.
“Always listen to the surrounding noise. And always keep track of the stone buildings around you.”
She folded the note she was reading and put it in her bosom.
“That is all.”
Then, she handed out one note each containing the same contents, prepared according to the number of people.
“….”
Although her words ended, the Emei members who received the notes had absolutely no idea where to start speaking.
Even if they just tried to memorize it while looking at the note as told, there had to be some connection and logic for it to be memorized.
Was this not a bundle of mysterious words without head or tail?
“You must have many questions.”
As if understanding their minds, the maid opened her mouth again.
“I also know a few reasons why these guidelines exist, but I trust the words of the on-site experts who said that acting according to the guidelines is much safer than knowing it halfway.”
* * *
Inside Yeon So-hyeon’s armored fortress.
A middle-aged man, who had been waiting at the point where the procession carrying the Emei Sect joined and then climbed onto Yeon So-hyeon’s running ox cart, greeted Yeon So-hyeon.
“Excuse me, Eldest Young Master. Having only submitted reports in writing, this is the first time I have seen your respected face in person. I am Yang Tong, in charge of the Valley of Sin for the Crescent Moon Pavilion. You may call me Yang or Tong, whichever is convenient.”
It was a strangely sly tone of voice.
The composure that must not be lost even in urgent situations, and the confidence that must be maintained even without a basis.
It was the unique atmosphere possessed by those who had worked for a long time in the intelligence field and established a track record.
“I am Yeon So-hyeon.”
He was about to sit down stealthily opposite Yeon So-hyeon, but wore an embarrassed expression at Jeong-ah’s sharp gaze.
“Ahem. First of all, you must have received the report at the Gong mansion, but…”
To him, who was kneeling on the floor of the ox cart, Yeon So-hyeon said.
“Where is the report?”
“Ah, that is…”
He hesitated, raised his body again, rummaged through his bosom, and pulled out a bundle of notes.
“As you know right now, it is a complete mess, so the leisure to write a proper report is…”
It was not a lack of sincerity.
In reality, the Crescent Moon Pavilion was currently fighting a battle disguised as an intelligence war against the Great Immortal Merchant Group, which possessed a body much larger than their own.
“I will take it.”
“Ah, yes.”
Jeong-ah took the bundle of notes from his hand and politely offered them to her master.
“Short and simple, only the core.”
“Ah, yes. Understood.”
Yeon So-hyeon flipped through the notes with his gaze on them, looking as if he were barely reading.
‘Is he even reading properly…?’
Even if one skimmed unprocessed information like that, there was no way a proper analysis could be made.
However, was that not why high-ranking people needed middle management like himself?
He cleared his throat with a cough, and began to speak the processed information he had organized in his head.
It was time to exercise his greased tongue and show off his brilliant eloquence.
“Reporting from the current situation, we succeeded in forcing considerable damage on the Great Immortal Merchant Group side and…”
“And now it is a lull again?”
“Ah? Yes. That is correct.”
“The Great Immortal Merchant Group side is reorganizing a step faster.”
“Yes. That is correct.”
“It seems that reinforcement of their power is continuously taking place, and they are constantly making changes to their response stance?”
“Yes, yes. It is just as you say…”
Yang Tong wore a startled expression at the words of Yeon So-hyeon, who had guessed the situation before he could even report the analysis results.
His gaze turned to the notes Yeon So-hyeon was rapidly flipping through.
‘Was he actually reading them?! And he is even analyzing unprocessed information in real time?!’
The sight of Yeon So-hyeon handling by himself a task that analysis experts and executive levels had to put their heads together to do was something anyone working in that field could not help but be surprised by.
“….”
Looking blankly at the notes Yeon So-hyeon was flipping through at a rapid speed, he suddenly saw Yeon So-hyeon’s hand stop and raised his head.
“What are you doing?”
“Pardon?”
“Are you not reporting?”
“I-I apologize…!”
Yeon So-hyeon sighed briefly.
“From the start of today’s operation. Short and simple, only the core.”
“Yes!”
The composure and sly personality that Yang Tong had naturally developed while working in the intelligence field for a long time had already vanished without a trace.
He broke out in a cold sweat and began to report again.
“As ordered, I will report starting from the moment today’s operation began.”
The gaze of the Eldest Young Master steadily looking at him was a moment more burdensome than anything else.
“This morning, the initial surprise attack, which proceeded simultaneously with the Eldest Young Master shaking the Second Young Master’s side through Mount Beimang, was carried out successfully.”
The Crescent Moon Pavilion’s surprise operation, which was carried out through the information that had been calmly gathered and gathered below the surface without responding to the Great Immortal Merchant Group until now, succeeded.
“And we evaluate that the second battle, which broke out after the ‘Fourth Young Master’ joined the command headquarters later on, is also being wrapped up successfully so far.”
Aided by the cooperation of the Fourth Young Master, Yeon Bi, the elites of the Fourth Young Master’s side pushed hard against the Great Immortal Merchant Group, which was sorting out the situation.
“Of course, the situation is not completely over yet, and the operation is also only in its beginning stage, but…”
Yeon So-hyeon cut off his words.
“The situation is not over, but since they have already hidden the sub-organizations of the Great Immortal Merchant Group that were operated as point organizations below the surface and raised the security level to the maximum, you want to say that it is difficult for additional operations to proceed at this point.”
“Yes…”
Yeon So-hyeon handed the bundle of finished notes to Jeong-ah.
To Yang Tong, who received the bundle of notes through Jeong-ah, Yeon So-hyeon’s voice flew.
“And for the operation to continue to proceed, there is a need to shake the Second Young Master’s side once again.”
Yang Tong hastily nodded at Yeon So-hyeon’s gaze.
“Yes, you are exactly correct. The Lord of the Crescent Moon Pavilion also said so.”
“I see. The Crescent Moon Pavilion has done excellently well.”
“Yes, yes! Thank you!”
Yang Tong bowed his head so low it almost touched the carriage floor.
Yeon So-hyeon pulled out other reports piled up inside the ox cart and spoke without even giving a glance to Yang Tong.
“However, you use too many useless words. Make sure to deliver reports more briefly with only the core.”
“Yes! I will keep it in mind!”
In fact, it was Yeon So-hyeon’s side that had done most of the talking, and Yang Tong had not spoken much.
However, the Eldest Young Master in front of him seemed to already see through Yang Tong’s psychology of trying to show off his presence at their first meeting.
“Good.”
Yeon So-hyeon, who nodded his head, moved on to the next topic.
“Next is the Valley of Sin side.”
“Yes, but…”
Yang Tong smacked his lips.
‘Delivering bad news was always a burdensome thing.
“Although you must have already heard from the Gong family through our informant, the situation on the Valley of Sin side is currently quite bad. That is…”
At that moment, Jeong-ah’s eyes briefly shone with a golden light.
‘Obstacle detected ahead.’
As soon as her teletransmission reached Yeon So-hyeon, the window on the driver’s side opened hastily and a maid shouted.
“The control of the main road ahead is not working properly! We will reduce our speed!”
Yeon So-hyeon’s ox cart braked and began to slow down.
Subsequently, the entire following procession slowed down.
“What on earth is the situation?”
At Jeong-ah’s words, the maid at the driver’s seat reported.
“The main road is crowded with people who have poured out!”
At those words, Jeong-ah pushed aside the steel cover that was covering the window.
* * *
The Gong family carriage carrying the Four Heroes of Hwangho.
“L-Look at that!”
Those who were flustered by the carriage suddenly slowing down looked in that direction at the shout of the person who was watching out the window.
“No, why are there so many people…”
As if some major event had occurred, the people had all poured out onto the main road.
They were showing a chaotic appearance, buzzing while gesturing or shouting.
The efforts of the government soldiers, who were trying to push people to the roadside for control, were almost pitiful.
“Not that way! Over there! Look far over there!”
Gazes moved along his hand.
The mountain that boasted a distinct presence even in the darkness was Mount Eunhyeong, located north of the center of Luoyang.
The urban area of Luoyang continued even into the valley in the middle where its foot spread left and right.
And in that valley’s urban area, thick smoke was now soaring along with red flames.
“I-Isn’t that the Valley of Sin?!”
Looking out the window from inside the ox cart, Yang Tong frowned without realizing it.
“…It seems the fire has become more serious in the meantime.”