Chapter 182: v8c7 - Blitzkrieg
Volume 8 Chapter 7 – Blitzkrieg
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The Lee Family was originally a family that began to grow in power with the founding of the current State of Zhongyuan, and was a well-known influential family in Luoyang.
Having registered their roots in Jiangxi Province during the past former dynasty era, their family had maintained a good relationship with Evil Tyrant Heaven for a long time.
In that way, their family accumulated capital based on trade through land routes with Jiangnan (the region south of the Yangtze River) and produced numerous officials, centered around Luoyang’s local government posts.
It was extremely natural for such people to form an alliance with the Second Young Master, who had that Evil Tyrant Heaven backing him.
As if showing off the prestige of an influential Luoyang family, the conference pavilion of the Lee Family was built over a pond and was incomparably luxurious.
And in that pavilion, members of the Lee clan were gathering moment by moment.
“So, what did they say about their conditions?”
Since it was broad daylight in the middle of daily routines, most of those occupying the meeting seats were the elders of the family who had retired from active service.
“According to the physician of the Medicine Fairy Sect, neither of their lives is in danger.”
“What about the aftereffects? Is it possible for them to recover enough to lead an official life again?”
Those whom the old men holding long pipes referred to as ‘them’ were the District Chief of Cheonghak District and his Chief of Security.
It was a designation possible because they were the elders.
“That is…”
The old men clicked their tongues at the words of the young clan member who trailed off.
They merely expressed regret over the loss of an influential figure in the family, and no pity for the District Chief and the Chief of Security as individuals could be found.
“Rather, it turned out well.”
As one of the Lee clan’s elders spoke while tapping off the tobacco ashes from his long pipe, everyone nodded in agreement.
“With this, our Lee Family has gained a justification to properly attack that Eldest Young Master, ahead of any other families.”
“By now, the other families that have relationships with the Second Young Master must be envying our family.”
“I really should see the faces of those On Family bastards right now; what a pity.”
“Those On bastards must be burning with anxiety right now.”
They chuckled while bringing up their competitor, the On Family, who had similarly lined up behind the Second Young Master.
“But that Eldest Young Master bastard is also absurd. No matter how angry he was, to assault high-ranking officials and attack government soldiers?”
“This is all because that Eldest Young Master bastard is young.”
“Was it not because his hot blood rushed to his head due to his cherished House of Benevolence and Love being attacked?”
“Ahem.”
The elders of cautious disposition immediately expressed their opinions to counter the optimism.
“However, you must not underestimate him. Do not forget that he was stirring up Mount Beimang yesterday for whatever reason.”
“Did the Second Young Master’s side not also warn us several times?”
“From what I heard, rumors about him within the Sword Family’s political circle were very ominous. We must not let our guard down.”
“I heard that several influential families also provided help at the scene of the fire in the Valley of Sin last night.”
At those words, even those who had been gloating over gaining a justification quickly darkened their expressions.
The experience they had accumulated was not so little that they would just continue to underestimate the opponent even after hearing cautious opinions.
“Say what you will, in the end, what we can do is hold onto the justification to the very end.”
“As long as we do not let our guard down and slacken our offensive, it will be enough to cause setbacks in that Eldest Young Master bastard’s steps.”
They then continued their discussion on which families to cooperate with and in what manner to pressure the Eldest Young Master.
Since they were people who had spent their entire lives in political maneuvers, all kinds of ways to utilize the justification poured out in no time.
“Patriarch. Why are you keeping so silent?”
While everyone was smoking their long pipes and plotting schemes against the Eldest Young Master, one of the elders asked the Patriarch.
It was because the Patriarch of the Lee Family, who like them had retired from active duty, had been silent for a while.
“…Something is suspicious.”
When the Patriarch opened his mouth, everyone’s eyes gathered on him.
“What do you mean by suspicious?”
“The Eldest Young Master.”
He was just about to continue his words.
“In this Patriarch’s opinion, for that Eldest Young Master of the Sword Family to give away a justification so easily—”
At that moment, a roar and vibration as if a Heaven-Shaking Thunder had exploded resounded.
* * *
The main gate of the Lee Family’s main house vanished.
Due to the gate shattered into pieces and scattered, thick dust rose like a cloud, and through that dust cloud, an iron carriage revealed its form.
“——!!”
The two spiritual beasts let out a long howl as if boasting of the scene of destruction they had created.
The sight seemed as if to prove what Hyang, the Maid Captain, had said in the Valley of Sin last night: ‘If it is the Ironclad Fortress, it can break through the buildings blocking the way.’
“What on earth is this?! What on earth is that?!”
Forgetting their age, the elders who ran to the gate in a single breath shouted at the top of their lungs while pointing at the Ironclad Fortress with its driver’s seat empty.
“What are you all doing! Subdue those hideous beasts this instant!”
“I do not care who is riding inside, drag them out!”
As soon as the gate was broken, a state of emergency was declared in the Lee Family’s main house, and the martial artists and armed servants who were always on standby began to surround the Ironclad Fortress.
“No, that is…!”
One of the elders who joined late looked at the Ironclad Fortress and suddenly recalled an old memory.
“The one the Medicine Fairy used to ride in the past…?!”
At that moment, through the commotion, a clear voice laden with internal energy was heard.
“To point spears and swords right away.”
A figure that looked like a boy crossed the dust cloud and revealed himself.
“The hospitality is utterly terrible, to the point where it is hard to believe this is that prestigious Lee Family.”
There was no separate need for an introduction.
The boy had the giant flag of the Luoyang Sword Family’s Eldest Young Master slung over his shoulder.
“E-Eldest Young Master?!”
Skin so pale it felt translucent, an arrogant smile, and the sight of a black coat that would not pale in comparison to a treasure fluttering.
Anyone, even if they had never met him in person, could tell who he was the moment they saw him.
“Yes, I am indeed the Eldest Young Master, Yeon So-hyeon.”
At the looking-down gaze and blatant disrespect, the expressions of the Lee Family’s elders instantly turned fierce.
“This green, reckless brat…!”
“On what basis are you acting so arrogantly and presumptuously?!”
Pointed fingers and angry roars flew.
One of the elders stepped forward and spoke to Yeon So-hyeon.
“Do you know that invading another family by force in Luoyang is a serious crime that even the Eldest Young Master of the Luoyang Sword Family cannot escape punishment for?”
Yeon So-hyeon nodded coolly.
“Of course I know.”
At those words, the eyes of the elder who had stepped forward gleamed chillingly.
“You must also know that for what you have just committed, the Law Enforcement Court of the Luoyang Sword Family and the Luoyang Central Court will punish you severely?”
Yeon So-hyeon burst into laughter at those words.
“Why do you chatter so diligently about things that are already fully known? It would be harder to bring a legal clause that this Eldest Young Master does not know.”
The elder who had stepped forward bared his teeth.
“If you are so smart, you must also know the ‘right of self-defense’ to protect oneself and one’s property against someone who encroaches upon another’s private property.”
Even while he spoke, armed servants of the Lee Family constantly gathered, and martial artists raised or hired by the Lee Family also continued to show themselves.
Well-known martial artists staying as retainers of the family also revealed themselves, holding their weapons to earn their keep.
The momentum was such that it seemed they would completely fill the courtyard inside the spacious gate of the Lee Family with forces.
Once enough forces had gathered, the elder spoke to Yeon So-hyeon.
“The Lee Family will bind you and escort you directly to the Central Court.”
Yeon So-hyeon burst into laughter at his words.
A clear sound of mockery echoed across the spacious courtyard.
The eyes of the gathered forces grew even fiercer, and more strength went into the hands gripping their weapons.
“What makes you laugh so much?”
Yeon So-hyeon stopped his deliberately exaggerated laughter and said.
“No. It is just that what you bastard said is exactly what I wanted to say.”
“…What?”
Yeon So-hyeon leaped lightly and stood on top of the carriage.
“This Eldest Young Master will bind you myself from now on and escort you to the Central Court!”
At those words, the corners of the elders’ mouths twisted.
There were also those who burst into blatant laughter.
“Under what authority does someone like you, who does not even have judicial power, say such a thing?”
Yeon So-hyeon shrugged his shoulders.
“That is why I brought those who have legal authority.”
Even before the elders could fully understand Yeon So-hyeon’s words, the voice of an old man was heard.
“Selling government posts, smuggling, tax evasion, human trafficking, solicitation of murder, confinement, abuse of authority, intimidation…”
The owner of the voice emerged through the collapsed gate, reciting one after another the charges the Lee Family was facing.
“Since the charges the Lee Family is facing are too numerous, it is hard to list every single one of them.”
Since he was retired, he wore silk robes instead of official judicial robes.
However, if one was a proper member of an influential family in Luoyang, there was no one who would fail to recognize his face.
“Is, is that not Magistrate Cheong?!”
The Lee Family elder, who had initially addressed him with respect reflexively, shouted like a scream.
“The Patriarch of the Cheong Family himself?! Why?!”
A figure who was once called a renowned judge and made his name known beyond Luoyang all the way to the Imperial Capital.
Meeting the gazes of the crowd, Lord Cheong, whose build was imposing despite his age, smiled.
He was none other than the Patriarch of the Cheong Family, who had visited the temporary command post last night leading his servants to help extinguish the fire.
“Since I am now retired from the office of magistrate and cannot execute the law or pass judgment, I borrowed a bit of my family’s strength.”
No sooner had his words ended than members of the Cheong Family wearing official judicial robes followed in behind him.
They were all active magistrates.
The Cheong Family, which had produced renowned judges generation after generation and still had numerous active magistrates, had displayed its power.
‘Those magistrate bastards are burdensome to deal with even if just one comes at us…!’
Yet, such magistrates had appeared in a crowd.
Seeing that sight, the expressions of the Lee Family’s elders distorted more and more.
“Lord Cheong! What on earth is this?! For what reason is the Cheong Family declaring war on our Lee Family?!”
“Just what kind of grudge do you hold against our Lee Family to do such a thing?!”
It was a situation that made no sense.
They had heard information that the Cheong Family helped extinguish the fire in the Valley of Sin last night, but that was merely fire suppression.
However, the action shown now was on an entirely different level.
This was no different from declaring an all-out war between the families to see who would survive.
“Do not pretend to be wronged. It was your Lee Family that first touched the Eldest Young Master, my ‘ally’.”
“Ally…?!”
Expressing it specifically as an ‘ally’ was highly blatant, so there was no Lee Family elder who failed to understand Lord Cheong’s intention.
Magistrate Cheong meant that the Cheong Family had made the decision to enter this war on the side of the Eldest Young Master.
Watching their war of words, the arrogant smile hanging on the corners of Yeon So-hyeon’s mouth deepened further.
‘The best moment to reveal one’s hand is the moment one can sever the enemy’s throat in a single stroke.’
The enemies probably never imagined that he would be able to mobilize the entire Cheong Family into the war.
“Let us begin.”
As Lord Cheong gestured, the magistrates of the Cheong Family commanded.
“Investigators, prepare to execute the search and seizure!”
At their command, the investigators led by each magistrate appeared all at once on top of the walls.
Fully armed, their appearances were no different from grim reapers to those who had committed misconduct.
Having grasped the situation, killing intent turned in the eyes of the Lee Family’s elders.
“Do you think our Lee Family will just take this lying down?!”
One of the elders who stood at the very front retreated and shouted.
“The Lee Family now invokes the right of self-defense to block this absurd execution based on charges with insufficient evidence!”
At his shout, the forces of the Lee Family gritted their teeth and raised their weapons high.
“We obey!”
The voice they produced as a single mass resounded loudly.
Blocking the magistrate’s judicial execution with the flimsy claim of the right of self-defense was a last resort.
However, since they were bound to be arrested immediately if the search and seizure proceeded, there was no reason to worry about the aftermath.
“Dear me…”
At that sight, the Patriarch of the Cheong Family, Lord Cheong, shook his head as if there were no choice.
“For influential families to abuse the right of self-defense and obstruct judicial execution remains the same even after time passes.”
There was not the slightest wavering in the eyes of the investigators who had to carry out the execution.
Just as Lord Cheong said, whenever they executed the law on influential families, armed clashes broke out like daily occurrences.
As they raised their hands to signal, the judicial execution forces began to pour in through the collapsed gate.
“Form the line!”
“Into suppression formation!”
According to the squad leaders’ shouts, the judicial execution forces moved in perfect order.
Armed with heavy armor, heavy shields, and short spears, their appearances were like seeing an elite army heading to a battlefield.
The elder of the Lee Family who had retreated far back shouted.
“Proud members of the Lee Family, for the glory of the family until the very end—”
He, who had intended to order the start of the battle, could not finish his words.
It was because he was struck by the Hundred-Step Divine Fist, flying far away to crash into a huge pillar of the pavilion and breaking his waist.
“You talk too much.”
Pulling back his fist, Yeon So-hyeon controlled his internal qi and shouted.
“Strike!”
Even though it was a command from Yeon So-hyeon, who had no command authority, the judicial execution forces began their charge all at once.
In his voice was contained an authority that mere common soldiers could not dare resist.
“B-block them!”
Of course, at the very front of that charging formation was Yeon So-hyeon, carrying his own flag.