Chapter 24

“Elder Brother,” the Fourth Young Master, Yeon-bi, reported. “The carriage procession has just entered the valley.”

Yeon So-hyeon rose from his seat. “Our new allies are arriving.”

“I cannot help but admire your strategy of bringing both the district chiefs and the families hostile to them into the same alliance to keep each other in check, but…” Yeon-bi wore a slightly troubled expression. “At their core, are these families not cut from the same cloth as those district chiefs?”

“They are.” Yeon So-hyeon nodded as his head handmaiden, Jeong-ah, helped him adjust his attire.

“They are men who know nothing of a great cause. For such men to join our alliance…” The Fourth Young Master trailed off. To say more would feel like opposing his elder brother’s decision.

“Yeon-bi, you are good at drawing good people close to you and building excellent relationships with them.”

At the gentle gaze and unexpected compliment, the Fourth Young Master scratched the back of his head. “…It is a modest talent.”

“It is not modest at all.” The reason the Fourth Young Master’s subordinates were so loyal to him was not merely because he possessed a strategic mind that belied his age. It was because his character and actions had the charm and skill to bind himself and his subordinates together like a family.

“However,” Yeon So-hyeon said, his tone as gentle as his gaze. “To truly achieve great things, it is not enough to surround yourself with only those who suit you, with only the excellent.”

Despite the soothing tone meant to placate Yeon-bi’s concerns, Yeon So-hyeon, now impeccably dressed, exuded an even greater sense of dignity than usual.

“…You are right, Elder Brother.”

“As you said, besides their grudge against the Second and Third Young Masters’ factions, these families have no real connection to us.” Yeon So-hyeon looked out the window and continued, “Their character is not particularly evil, nor have they committed many great misdeeds…” A twisted smile touched his lips. “…but that is only because they were pushed out of the mainstream after falling out of favor with the Second and Third Young Masters.”

“Meaning they haven’t done much wrong because they never had the opportunity,” Yeon-bi said, a similar twisted smile on his own face. “A common type.”

“Yes.” Looking down from the window, Yeon So-hyeon spoke in a cool tone. “That is why, in this alliance, we will now make them understand their place.”

Yeon-bi’s eyes sparkled with interest. “You mean to establish dominance from the very beginning…!”

***

In a speeding carriage:

“Acting Matriarch, we will be arriving at the Grand Young Master’s business headquarters in the Valley of Sins shortly.”

At the words from her subordinate in the driver’s seat, the woman known as the Acting Matriarch’s eyes grew sharp. “Soon…”

She was acting as the head of the Seo Clan in place of her bedridden father. She appeared to be in her early thirties.

“The Swordless One,” the man sitting across from her said. “These days in Luoyang, they say you can hear that name every three steps you take.” He was her husband, her closest confidant, and a son-in-law who had married into her family. “Rumors are bound to be exaggerated, but what he has accomplished so far can only be described as brilliant, even when viewed objectively.” Her husband stroked his chin and smiled. “I am quite eager to see what kind of man he is in person.”

“Set aside your personal curiosity,” the Acting Matriarch said, her tone firm. “What kind of man he is is of little importance to us.” She looked out the window. “What is important to us is that this is the moment the Grand Young Master needs us most.”

“Indeed.” Her husband nodded. “He is so short-handed right now that he had to outsource the retaliation for his sisters.”

The reason she used her husband, a man younger than herself, as her closest confidant was precisely because he showed an insight that was unbecoming of a man in his twenties.

“The fact that the Grand Young Master, who had not so much as deigned to reply to our requests, let alone form an alliance, has now reached out to us is proof of that.”

“And yet, in such a situation, to also attempt to clean up the Valley of Sins…” The Acting Matriarch of the Seo Clan narrowed her eyes. “Is he rushing things out of youthful impatience?”

“As the Acting Matriarch said, what kind of man he is does not matter. All that matters…” the son-in-law of the Seo Clan winked at her, “…is that the Grand Young Master is in a situation where he has to persuade the hostile district chiefs and even use the city guards.”

The Acting Matriarch of the Seo Clan picked up his thought. “And that it is a situation where our Seo Clan can gain the upper hand over the other families in this alliance. That is what is most important.”

His gaze followed hers out the window. “Indeed.” There, the sight of their cavalry escort could be seen. They were the armored cavalry of the Seo Clan.

“Because our Seo Clan is a military family of deep-rooted tradition.” A smile touched the son-in-law’s lips. “Right now, our family possesses the very combat power the Grand Young Master so desperately needs.”

The Valley of Sins was a natural fortress. Although the underworld that had taken root there after the Venerable One of Dark Heavens’s cleansing had not had time to grow deep roots, their forces, having grown rapidly through the drug trade, were formidable.

“The summons has been sent to the family’s troops. They will arrive at this valley before sunset.”

The Grand Young Master had declared the start of the cleansing in a rush, so the Seo Clan’s response was a little delayed, but they thought it didn’t matter. The Grand Young Master would have to establish a siege perimeter and wait for sufficient reinforcements to arrive before he could make a move anyway.

“In this alliance with the Grand Young Master, the advantage will be held by our Seo Clan.”

***

In another family’s carriage:

“What of the mercenaries?!”

“Not yet, my lord!”

At the old man’s shout from the carriage window, a subordinate riding alongside replied hastily.

“If we were to recall the ones we hired to attack the merchants—.”

“Those bastards are too small-scale! They won’t do!” the old man snapped. “What we need right now is a mercenary band of a size that can immediately undertake a military mission!”

But a prepared mercenary band of that scale was not easily found in Luoyang. Furthermore, thanks to the merchants all scrambling to hire mercenaries to protect themselves, finding any available bands in Luoyang had become extremely difficult.

The subordinate cursed internally and replied, “I will dispatch more men at once!”

“And if that doesn’t work, hire a bunch of ragtag bands and at least make up the numbers!”

“Yes, my lord!”

As the subordinate wheeled his horse around and rode off, the old man slammed the carriage window shut. “Damned Grand Young Master.” He ground his teeth. “A sudden subjugation of the Valley of Sins.” His twisted gaze fell on the Seo Clan’s carriage riding ahead of them. “Isn’t this a situation that only benefits those bastards from the Seo Clan?”

The military family, the Seo Clan, would not miss this opportunity.

“But, Father,” his son, who was riding with him, began carefully. “For something orchestrated by the Grand Young Master, doesn’t this seem too sudden? It is possible he has made his own preparations…”

“Of course he’s made preparations!” the father roared, making his son flinch. “But what is important is that whatever preparations he has made, his current forces are undoubtedly insufficient!”

“B-but according to the rumors, his unit of maids has the strength of a Sword Clan sword company—.”

“Fool!” his son protested, but the old man just shouted him down. “A unit of maids! They haven’t even been properly organized for a full year! Have they proven anything at all?” The old man scoffed. “Their very name is ‘maids.’ They are nothing more than a gathering of serving girls with a talent for internal energy.”

In the old man’s view, it was nothing more than an act of extravagance that only the Sword Clan could afford.

“Originally, what real fighting force did the Grand Young Master’s faction have to speak of?”

“The troops from the Fourth Young Master’s Tang family are presumed to be the elite,” his son replied.

“And where are they deployed now?!”

“Ah, they are likely…” his son quickly racked his brain. “…presumed to be fully committed to the ongoing friction between the Crescent Moon Pavilion and the Great Immortal Merchant Guild.”

“Yes, you fool! That is exactly my point.” The old man’s voice, filled with conviction, echoed in the carriage. “At this very moment, the Grand Young Master has no proper fighting force!” He thumped his chest in frustration. “There will never be a better moment than now to gain the upper hand in this alliance with the Grand Young Master…!”

And he was not the only one thinking this. The heads of every family in the procession were thinking the exact same thing.

“Gather all the household troops at once!”

“No mercenary bands? If there are none in Luoyang, then bring them in from Henan!”

“It doesn’t matter! It will take time for the Grand Young Master to gather sufficient forces anyway!”

And those thoughts…

…began to shatter the moment they stepped out of their carriages.

“Welcome,” a voice said. “You have all timed your arrival well.”

The Grand Young Master of the Luoyang Sword Clan, his Black Silkworm Robe[1] fluttering in the rough valley wind, welcomed them with open arms.

“We were, in fact, just about to begin the attack.”

“…!”

Stunned into silence at the words ‘attack now,’ the young Acting Matriarch of the Seo Clan stepped forward. “Grand Young Master! A rash decision is forbidden! If you wait just a little, the forces of our Seo Clan will arrive before—.”

“They are not needed.” Yeon So-hyeon’s voice was utterly resolute.

The patriarch of another family stepped forward. “Grand Young Master, the city guards and your current forces will not be enough—.”

“No,” Yeon So-hyeon cut him off again. “I already possess all the forces I require.”

“What do you mean—?”

One of the patriarchs tried to speak, but his words were drowned out by a booming voice.

“Handmaiden unit, combat preparations complete!”

A sharp, clear voice followed. “Executing tactical maneuver, rapid advance!”

Rumble.

The ground began to shake with the sound of rolling wheels. It was the appearance of a procession of armored carriages. Reinforced with additional plating and with their numbers increased to carry the entire handmaiden unit, the armored carriages were a truly imposing sight. They were less ‘armored carriages’ and more like war chariots.

“The handmaiden unit will pierce the enemy lines in a single thrust and split their forces in two!”

The owner of the sharp voice was an old woman, riding in a carriage in the center of the procession. “Trust in your armor! Trust in your mobility!”

Old Lady Gwak. The woman known as the Sleeping Dragon of Nanman exchanged a nod with Yeon So-hyeon, who had caught her eye from a distance.

“Handmaiden unit, advance!”

The patriarchs of the new alliance, who had been mesmerized by the armored carriages, were startled by Yeon So-hyeon’s powerful, qi-infused shout.

“Chung (Loyalty)!”

Who had called them a group of novices, not even a proper sword company, with no real combat experience?

“…”

The Acting Matriarch of the Seo Clan let out a low groan. This is completely different from what we expected…! The formidable killing intent and refined sharp aura emanating from the maids’ voices were in no way inferior to any of the Sword Clan’s sword companies. Their name, ‘handmaiden unit,’ was a complete misnomer.

“They are more formidable than expected, but…” Her husband, the son-in-law, who was standing beside her, began cautiously. He was speaking only to his wife, not intending for the others to hear, but everyone present could hear his voice. “The upper reaches of the Valley of Sins are like a fortress. It will be difficult to break through with armored carriages alone.”

A few of those with military experience reflexively nodded in agreement. “If they do not neutralize the defensive positions located at key points—.”

As if in response to his words, a clear, loud voice rang out from the other side. “Combat Engineer Corps! Remove the camouflage nets!”

“What are those—?!”

Giant camouflage nets were being removed from various locations in the lower valley. Everyone had assumed they were there to cover the unsightly scars from the recent fire.

“Show those bastards what a real fire feels like!”

At the sight of the savage war machines revealed from beneath the nets, the members of the new alliance were once again struck with astonishment.

“A-a catapult?!”

Catapults, a sight one would expect on a battlefield, not in the middle of the great city of Luoyang.

“First volley, load!”

At the sight, the son-in-law of the Seo Clan muttered in a daze, “To build and operate catapults… Where in the world did the Grand Young Master find such personnel…?”

Yeon So-hyeon did not deign to answer his question.

“Find your range with the first shot!” the man commanding the catapults yelled. “Any bastard who can’t keep up will be sent to the mess hall!”

As his booming voice echoed through the valley, laughter erupted from various places.

“Battery One, ready!”

“Battery Two, ready!”

“Battery Three…!”

One by one, the flags of each battery were raised in a flurry of motion.

“Fire!”

Boulders arced through the air. Yeon So-hyeon glanced at the massive stones flying over his head and smiled. “Watch closely.”

With the exception of those in his own faction, at a moment no one had expected, in a way no one had predicted, the battle had begun.

“And understand your place in this alliance.”

Yeon So-hyeon looked at the members of his new alliance with an arrogant smile.