Chapter 186: v8c11 - Thumbprint
Volume 8 Chapter 11 – Thumbprint
Read it only at Nineheavens.org
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Around the time Yeon So-hyeon began the surprise attack on the Lee Family.
Sangwan Nan-hwa, the founder of the Tea Fan Maidens, was looking through documents in an office at the headquarters of the House of Benevolence and Love. “…….”
Beneath her thick eyelashes, her beautiful eyes held an unresolved question.
“What kind of document is it that you are contemplating so deeply?”
Yi-ryeong, the second of the triplet maids who was in charge of her exclusive bodyguard duty, asked her.
“Ah, this document is the second list that the Representative gave me. It contains the names of the businesses we need to acquire.”
At her answer, Yi-ryeong tilted her head.
“Is there some kind of problem with the list that Master handed over?”
“No. It’s not that, but the businesses listed in the appendix are…”
Sangwan Nan-hwa’s fine eyebrows furrowed.
“Their management situations are good, and the scale of those businesses is also huge. They are businesses that seem completely impossible for us to acquire through ordinary methods.”
“Why did Master include such businesses in the list, even going as far as to append them?”
Sangwan Nan-hwa’s long, slender fingers tapped on the document.
“Well. First of all, to point out the commonalities of these businesses, they are large-scale businesses that even I, who had a business base in Sichuan, know of, and…”
Seeing Sangwan Nan-hwa reciting the commonalities of the businesses one after another just by looking at a list of names, Yi-ryeong wore a slightly weary expression.
“Ah…!”
“Did you find out something?”
Sangwan Nan-hwa nodded and smiled.
“Please prepare the carriage. I think an order to move will come down from the Representative in a little while.”
“…Pardon?”
With a puzzled expression, Yi-ryeong called someone to carry out Sangwan Nan-hwa’s instruction.
And about two hours later, a coded note containing coordinates arrived from Yeon So-hyeon along with instructions to move. “……!”
Yi-ryeong wore an expression as if she had been possessed by a ghost.
* * *
Currently.
Luoyang, the main house of the Lee Family.
A rookie investigator quietly scanned the surroundings and stealthily approached the area where the prisoners were gathered.
“Ahem.”
Pretending to flip through the documents in his hand, he cleared his throat near a martial artist with a large build.
“…What is it?”
The middle-aged martial artist, who was meditating while bound, opened his eyes and looked back at the rookie investigator.
The rookie investigator was momentarily overwhelmed by the sight of the man’s face down to his exposed chest covered in scars, but since curiosity got the better of him, he asked in a subtle tone.
“You are that famous duelist of Kaifeng, right?”
At those words, the martial artist called a duelist chuckled.
“There are many duelists in Kaifeng.”
Just then, the rookie investigator’s colleague stealthily approached and joined the conversation.
“But looking at your appearance, you seem to be the Scorching String Saber Bladesman, known for ‘One Step, One Saber, One Victory Per Day’. Am I right?”
The middle-aged martial artist gave a brief nod.
“Yes. That is me.”
“I knew it. So you were that Scorching String Saber Bladesman who defeated the Wolf Ghost Saber who was running toward a hundred victories.”
“Indeed. You would have to be at least that level to stay as a guest in the Lee Family.”
The Scorching String Saber Bladesman showed no interest whatsoever in the two bantering back and forth.
“We have something we want to ask you.”
“…What is it?”
The other rookie investigator subtly gestured with his chin in a certain direction.
“That gentleman over there. That gentleman.”
Scorching String Saber Bladesman’s sharp sanpaku eyes turned toward the direction the investigator pointed.
Far off in the distance was the figure of the Eldest Young Master, Yeon So-hyeon. “…….”
The moment he confirmed his figure, the face of the duelist, which had been devoid of expression, distorted for a brief instant.
It must have been because he recalled his own situation of surrendering without even exchanging a single blow.
“What level do you think that gentleman’s realm is at?”
The rookie investigators asked.
“A famous duelist would have better eyes for martial arts than we do.”
Since they were only rookies who had merely observed the battle, the two had been able to properly watch Yeon So-hyeon’s performance.
In order to satisfy the curiosity they could not help but have, they had gone out of their way to speak to a prisoner famous in the jianghu. “…….”
Scorching String Saber Bladesman did not particularly want to answer, but he could tell that if he did not, the investigators would keep pestering him.
Furthermore, even though they were clearly just rookies, considering his current situation, there was nothing to be gained by being uncooperative with the investigators.
“…I don’t know much about group combat or tactics.”
His sharp gaze fixed on Yeon So-hyeon in the distance.
“His movements knew no hesitation even among the elite soldiers, and he swept through the ranks of the army contesting their strength in close proximity as if entering an uninhabited territory.”
“We saw that clearly as well.”
“So, what level do you think the Eldest Young Master’s realm has reached?”
Scorching String Saber Bladesman shrugged his shoulders.
“I do not know.”
At that answer, the expressions of the two rookie investigators turned dumbfounded.
“What do you mean you don’t know?” “…….”
Instead of answering, he closed his mouth.
He then closed his eyes again and even pretended to fall into meditation.
“Hey, speak up.”
“If you’re planning to get something out of keeping us curious—”
A rough palm slammed against the backs of the heads of the impatient rookie investigators.
“You foolish bastards…!”
It was a senior investigator.
He scolded them in a low voice.
“Have you discourteous greenhorns lost your minds, getting excited after seeing blood?”
“S-Senior…!”
At the sight of the senior who looked dead serious with no trace of playfulness, the rookie investigators hurriedly corrected their posture and bowed their heads.
“That gentleman is not a mere martial artist of the jianghu, but the Eldest Young Master of the Sword Family, and a hero who greatly reduced the sacrifices our allies could have suffered today. How dare you whisper about what his realm is like in a place where such a person is present?”
The fierce gaze of the senior, wearing armor on which the enemy’s fresh blood had not even dried yet, glared at the two rookies.
“Do you think others don’t talk about the divine power he displayed because they lack eyes or mouths? Do you bastards not even have the heart to show respect? Or did you just not learn any manners?”
At his reprimand, the faces of the rookie investigators instantly turned pale.
“…W-We will correct this.”
“Useless fools. Both of you, return to your duties immediately.”
As the rookie investigators hastily left the spot, the senior investigator, who looked at their retreating backs with disapproval, also returned to his duties.
“…Hmph.”
Having closed his mouth in advance upon sensing the approach of the senior investigator earlier, Scorching String Saber Bladesman slowly opened his closed eyes and looked at Yeon So-hyeon in the distance.
‘…To display a level of martial arts that even I can find difficult to grasp at that age. Following the Seamless Heavenly Robe, Yeon Seo-rin, has another genius emerged in the jianghu?’
He was one who challenged the ‘wall’ to reach the peak of mastery, and the fact that he could not grasp the realm meant that the Eldest Young Master’s realm had clearly crossed that wall.
Trying to observe every move of Yeon So-hyeon in order to find even a slight clue to help him cross the wall, Scorching String Saber Bladesman quickly lowered his head. “……!”
The moment he channeled his internal energy to enhance his vision for observation, Yeon So-hyeon, like a lie, had looked back at him.
The moment their eyes met, his mind had instantly gone blank.
Beyond pressing down on his body and mind, it was a gaze that seemed to pierce through and crush the very depths of his soul.
‘…W-What on earth!’
He felt the cold sweat that trickled down before he knew it.
Although he was one who had seen countless warriors second to none in that hellish land of Kaifeng, that Eldest Young Master was different from any of them.
‘Come to think of it…’
A thought suddenly flashed through his mind.
‘If a sword were held in that Eldest Young Master’s hand…?’
Was that youth, whose realm could not be dared measured, not the Eldest Young Master of that ‘Sword Family’?
* * *
Before boarding the fully prepared Ironclad Fortress, Yeon So-hyeon spoke to Lord Cheong, the Patriarch of the Cheong Family.
“I leave the wrap-up in your hands.”
“Leave it to me, Eldest Young Master.”
At those words, Lord Cheong wore a hearty smile.
“Besides, isn’t this war only just beginning?”
“Indeed.”
Once Yeon So-hyeon, after glancing at Lord Cheong, boarded and the door closed, the spiritual beasts cried out long, and the steel wheels began to move. “…….”
One of the wounded soldiers who was receiving treatment brushed off the physician’s touch and stood up.
Seeing that, other wounded soldiers also stood up on their two feet, even if they had to receive assistance.
It was because they saw the armored carriage move. “…….”
The investigators conducting the probe, the young magistrate who directly commanded the investigation on the front line, and the law enforcement forces resting in the shade—all of them stood and turned their gazes toward the Ironclad Fortress.
Not a single trace of disrespect could be found in those gazes.
The first to raise his hand to his chest and bow his head was the commander of the law enforcement forces.
And following him, everyone politely placed their clenched fists against their chests and bowed their heads toward Yeon So-hyeon.
It was a military salute. “…….” “…….”
It was an expression of respect for the Eldest Young Master, who had directly plunged into enemy territory despite his martial prowess, valor, and high status.
Even after the Ironclad Fortress disappeared from sight, they did not raise their heads for a long time.
And after enough time had passed for everyone to be satisfied that they had fully expressed their respect, they began to open their mouths one after another.
“…Did you see that?”
“Of course, I saw it. That was a display of divine power. He is a gentleman who perfectly fits the term ‘Divine General’.”
Since they had to maintain etiquette in the presence of Yeon So-hyeon, they did not dare talk this way or that behind his back.
But it was different after he left.
He had displayed a brilliant performance today, and widely spreading praise for that performance was the proper treatment a rising star deserved.
The investigators also talked, none wanting to be left out.
“Thanks to him, my eyes have been opened wide today.”
“Just by watching, I feel like I’ve gained some realization regarding my own martial arts.”
“He did not discriminate between fists, palms, or kicks, and furthermore, that sublime spear technique he displayed with the flagpole…!”
The magistrates also repeatedly stroked their beards.
“To think that such a figure had been living in seclusion and hiding his skills until now!”
“It is said in Huainanzi that tigers and leopards do not expose their claws on the outside, and they do not show their teeth when they bite…”
Tigers and leopards do not expose their claws, and they do not show their teeth when biting.
“Indeed, those words point precisely to that Eldest Young Master.”
Listening to the gradually rising murmur among the crowd, the smile hanging on Lord Cheong’s lips grew deeper.
Today the performance he showed would chain together to become rumors.
And those rumors would spread throughout Luoyang, spawning countless questions and speculations regarding the Eldest Young Master’s realm.
He thought that, guaranteed, by dinner time tonight, whichever restaurant or tavern one visited in Luoyang, one would be able to hear stories about the Eldest Young Master of the Luoyang Sword Family.
* * *
Luoyang, the headquarters pavilion of a business owned by the Lee Family.
“Are you still contemplating?”
Sangwan Nan-hwa smiled at her counterpart.
Wearing a luxurious yet weighty outing outfit, she had applied her makeup a level thicker than usual, displaying a mature appearance. “…….”
Though the smile was alluring, to her counterpart, it only felt like a beast growling.
“From what I see, it does not seem to be a matter that requires so much contemplation.”
The general manager of the Eternal Tile Merchant Group, a business owned by the Lee Family, answered while sweating profusely.
“…Asking us to hand over the entire business. Although the main house of the Lee Family has collapsed, isn’t the Eldest Young Master acting too excessively?”
“Handing over the entirety? Anyone listening would think we are extorting it. The Eldest Young Master will pay a sufficient price.”
“…The price is not the problem! Our Eternal Tile Merchant Group is currently growing every year and recording huge surpluses. Asking us to sell such a merchant group is no different from tyranny itself!”
“Is that so?”
Sangwan Nan-hwa stood up in an elegant manner.
“How much longer can all of those things, including the distribution routes to Jiangnan that this Eternal Tile Merchant Group occupied, be maintained?”
She spoke as if offering advice out of generosity one last time.
“Soon, competing businesses that hear the news of the Lee Family’s collapse will begin to rush in, regardless of who they are. They will devour this Eternal Tile Merchant Group without leaving even a single bone fragment behind. I will at least wish you martial fortune.”
She, who offered a greeting and stepped back, seemed to have not even a shred of regret.
“W-Wait…!”
In the end, it was the general manager of the Eternal Tile Merchant Group who held her back.
“Please give me just a little more time!”
Sangwan Nan-hwa, after letting out a blatant sigh, sat back down.
She sat crookedly to the side instead of pulling the chair and sitting upright, openly showing that she could leave the spot at any time.
“…Khh!”
The general manager of the merchant group, sweating like rain, clawed at his hair.
To reveal his feelings without reservation in a place of trade.
Even for him, until this moment arrived, he had not even imagined that he would show such a side.
However, the current situation was the worst of the worst, so even if he hid his expression to avoid showing his state of mind, there was not a single angle that would become advantageous.
He was in a situation where he was barely hanging on the edge of a cliff in the first place.
“…Although I am the general manager of this merchant group, the sale of this merchant group is not something I can decide alone.”
“If it is that, please do not worry.”
At his words, Sangwan Nan-hwa smiled and pulled out a document she had prepared.
That document was the one she had received from the Head Maid Jeong-ah at the coordinates indicated by the coded note.
“The Patriarch of the Lee Family has already agreed to the sale.”
“…What do you mean by that?!”
“See for yourself.”
The general manager accepted the document with wide eyes.
“……?!”
The document was stamped with the official seal of the Lee Family’s Patriarch, and alongside it, the thumbprint of the Lee Family’s Patriarch was also vivid.
“B-But this thumbprint is…?”
Though the thumbprint was just as red as ink paste, its dark reddish tint was different from the dried color of the ink paste he was familiar with.
Moreover, the faint fishy smell wafting from that thumbprint.
“Could it be…”
Lifting his trembling gaze, he looked at Sangwan Nan-hwa.
“Oh my…!”
She checked the thumbprint for a moment, then showed a smile in which no emotion could be felt.
“The Patriarch of the Lee Family must have been in an extreme hurry. To stamp the thumbprint with his own blood.”
The general manager’s complexion turned stark white.
It was not very difficult to guess what had happened to the Patriarch. “…….”
To avoid being eaten, one had to eat the other first.
Sangwan Nan-hwa, who in the past had almost lost even the lives of her members and family to the Emei Sect, was now ready to strip everything from the enemy.