Chapter 19

A moonless dark had fallen over the Sword Clan of Luoyang, yet within the residence where the Emei Sect was confined, not a single lamp was lit. It was a darkness of their own making, a reflection of the grim fate that awaited them. These were the women implicated by Yeon So-hyeon in the ‘attempted assassination of the Dasunrang,’ and despair was a thick shroud in the air.

“…If they drag us back to Sichuan like this… what’s going to happen to us?”

The mumbled words of a middle-aged nun were phrased as a question, but it was one for which everyone already knew the answer. They knew that the moment they were returned to Sichuan, they would become little more than morning dew upon the executioner’s grounds, vanishing without a trace.

“Rumor has it the low-ranking martial nuns have all sworn fealty to the Grand Young Master!”

“The lowly curs…!” a high-ranking nun spat, pounding her chest in a fit of rage. “To think that we, who truly carry the burden of the Emei Sect, are locked away in here, while those traitors are outside, playing the part of guard dogs for the Grand Young Master’s estate!”

Traitors. That was how they saw the monks who had chosen to aid Yeon So-hyeon.

“Those backstabbers! Once we are free, we must dispatch an extermination squad and take all their heads!”

“Amitabha… Amitabha…”

Never had the sacred chant of the Buddha sounded so utterly profane, so discordant with the murderous intent that filled the room.

“We cannot allow them to take us away!”

“We must get out of here and deliver judgment to those who betrayed us!”

Their eyes blazed with a manic fire, their calls for the slaughter of their former brothers echoing with a collective madness.

[Someone is approaching…!]

A visitor in the dead of night? At the telepathic warning from the nun on watch, a sudden silence fell over the room.

“Is anyone here?”

Without bothering to wait for an invitation, the visitor threw the main gate wide open. A flood of Sword Clan warriors, who had been guarding the perimeter to prevent any escape, poured into the courtyard. They raised their torches high, their expressions stern as they formed a wary perimeter around the nuns who rushed out from the main building.

“The audacity!”

“How dare you barge in at this late hour without so much as a word of permission?”

The nuns’ protests were sharp and indignant, but the warriors remained stone-faced, their lips sealed tight.

“Permission, you say….”

A figure stepped forward from among the warriors, his presence so commanding it set him apart from the rest. “Considering we’ve granted you the dignity of house arrest rather than throwing you into the Inner Prison, I believe our Sword Clan has already afforded the Emei Sect all the courtesy its name deserves.”

“…”

He was not wrong, but what truly silenced the nuns was the undeniable air of authority that clung to the old man.

[…He must be an elder of the Sword Clan.]

[…So it would seem.]

As women who reveled in wielding authority, they were, in turn, deeply susceptible to it.

[But which faction does he represent?]

He was not among the elders known to be allied with either Grand Young Master Yeon So-hyeon or Fourth Young Master Yeon Bi. Surely, then, he could not be an agent of that nefarious Grand Young Master.

“Your silence suggests you understand,” the Sword Clan elder said, a slight smile playing on his lips as his long, white eyebrows twitched. “In that case, perhaps you will now allow me to speak with someone more befitting my station?”

At his words, the gazes of all the nuns shifted as one, turning toward the unlit interior of the main room. There, seated upon the seat of honor, was a figure who had not uttered a single word. Yet, her presence was a palpable force, a weight in the darkness far greater than anyone else in the courtyard—greater, even, than the elder who had just arrived.

“…What business does the Second Young Master’s faction have with me?”

The elder offered a wry, internal smile, impressed by her ability to instantly discern his allegiance. So, this is her… She’s no one to be trifled with.

His gaze, sharpened by internal energy, pierced the gloom and settled on the old woman seated within. The Chief Administrator Reverend Abbess of the Emei Sect. The very woman who had given the final, fateful order to assassinate members of the Dasunrang.

The White-Haired Star of Emei, the Old Gu-Poison Demoness, indeed.

Though she had been defeated with almost comical ease by the future-knowing Yeon So-hyeon, she was a formidable power in her own right.

“I am well aware that your Second Young Master’s Grand Matron Ouyang has been pushed into a corner,” the Chief Administrator Reverend Abbess continued, her voice raspy but firm. It was clear that even under lock and key in the heart of the Sword Clan of Luoyang, she remained dangerously well-informed.

“…Then this will be quick.” The elder clasped his hands in a formal gesture. “I am Elder Son, of the Sword Clan, in service to the Second Young Master.”

“An elder from the Jiangnan faction, I see.”

“…That is correct.”

A chilling, murderous glint flared deep within the Chief Administrator Reverend Abbess’s eyes. “Well then, Elder Son, what is your business with the Emei Sect?” Even now, she spoke as if she commanded the entirety of her sect. A sneering smile twisted her wrinkled face, her eyes flashing in the torchlight. “I imagine the Second Young Master’s side has very few promises it can afford to make me at the moment.”

Elder Son shook his head. “What our side desires is not a deal with you.”

The old woman’s eyes narrowed to slits. “Then what is it?”

At a subtle gesture from Elder Son, the surrounding warriors began to withdraw, not just from the courtyard but from the residence entirely.

“…Hmm?” The Chief Administrator Reverend Abbess’s honed senses picked up on the tactical retreat instantly. “What is this scheme?” Her voice was a low, venomous hiss, like a viper coiling to strike.

“It is no scheme at all, Chief Administrator Reverend Abbess.” Elder Son’s smile never faltered, even as the old nun’s immense pressure washed over him. “Tell me, do you harbor any desire to punish the Emei traitors? To make Grand Young Master Yeon So-hyeon pay the price for driving you into this state?”

“……!”

A palpable stir went through the assembled nuns. For a fleeting, almost imperceptible moment, Elder Son saw the Chief Administrator Reverend Abbess’s gaze waver. He pressed his advantage, his smile turning benevolent.

“As I said, I have not come with a deal or a scheme.” His voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper, weaving words of pure poison. “What I offer you is revenge—still hot, not yet cooled.”

For a breathtaking instant, a power like a lightning strike flashed in the Chief Administrator Reverend Abbess’s eyes. Elder Son recognized it for what it was, for he had seen it in the desperate before. It was madness.

“…I don’t know what your plan is, but—”

Her words were cut short by a sound that rolled in from the far distance, a faint, deep rumble like the birth of a storm.

Elder Son’s shoulders lifted in a casual shrug. “Oh, dear. It seems the others have already begun.” He turned his gaze back to the Chief Administrator Reverend Abbess, his smile unwavering. “If you delay any longer, I’m afraid your revenge will become someone else’s prize.”

***

A short while earlier. A pier in Luoyang.

A bustling hub on the great East-West Grand Canal that connected the southern heartlands of Jiangnan to the imperial capital of Luoyang. A considerable number of men had gathered under the cloak of night.

“This is taking too long,” one of the Second Young Master’s strategists muttered, clicking his tongue in annoyance.

The official in charge of the pier, a man whose pockets were already lined with their silver, bristled at the complaint. “Do you think this is an easy job?!”

Another strategist sneered back. “All you have to do is wave the ships through. Must you make such a fuss?”

“What did you say?!” The pier officials flushed with indignation. “Is that any way to speak to an official of His Imperial Majesty?!”

“Spare us the nonsense and do the job you were paid for.”

Away from the bickering, in the relative quiet of the pier master’s office, a more delicate negotiation was underway.

“It was not a simple task,” the highest-ranking official in Luoyang was saying, his tone heavy with implication. One of the Second Young Master’s elders nodded sagely.

“You have endured much for our cause. Rest assured, you will be compensated handsomely for your trouble—”

“That’s not what I meant!” the official cut in, grinding his teeth. “Under normal circumstances, letting a few ships pass would have simply required a nod from the military’s high command.”

“We are aware,” another elder said coolly. “All vessels entering Luoyang through the Grand Canal fall under the military’s jurisdiction. That is precisely why we promised to support your bid to become the next governor of this city—so that you could handle it.”

“That may be so, but…!” The official flinched under the elder’s sharp gaze but pressed on with desperation. “The high command of the Luoyang Defense Force is the problem! The Guardian Families!”

At the official’s near-shriek, the elders exchanged frowns. “What of them?”

“Have you not heard the news?” the official cried, his voice thick with frustration. “The Seo Clan, backed by that damnable Grand Young Master, is systematically exposing the Guardian Families’ corruption! They’re tearing them apart!”

Indeed, ever since the purge of the Valley of Sins, the Seo Clan, having sworn their swords to Yeon So-hyeon, had been on a relentless crusade.

“We heard whispers, but what relevance does it have to tonight’s business?”

“Just a moment ago!” the official nearly screamed. “The Seo Clan submitted a mountain of evidence to the Luoyang Central Government Office! They filed a formal request to have the Guardian Families’ duties and authority temporarily suspended!”

“……!”

The news struck the elders like a physical blow. “Just now? But at this hour, the judiciary would never move so quickly—”

“The judge presiding over the case is from the Cheong Clan!” the official wailed, cutting him off. “Grand Young Master Yeon So-hyeon’s staunchest allies, the Cheong Clan!”

“It can’t be…?!” The elders’ faces went pale with disbelief.

[Has that bastard Grand Young Master already extended his reach this far?!]

[Could our entire operation have been leaked…?]

Seeing that he had sufficiently rattled them, the senior official lowered his voice, his tone shifting from panicked to cunning. “Had I acted even a moment later, the ships you’re so desperately waiting for would never have arrived. Do you understand?”

A wave of relief, cold and sharp, washed over the elders.

“…So you’re saying they made it through the final checkpoint.”

Even so, a chill of unease lingered.

[When we first heard the grand undertaking was tonight, we feared Grand Matron Ouyang was acting too hastily.]

[If we had waited until tomorrow…]

[…we would have failed.]

“Of course, it was a success,” the official preened, his confidence returning now that his value had been established. “Who do you think I am? How could I possibly fail at a task like this?” He puffed out his chest. “Therefore, the Second Young Master’s side should do more than just send elders to treat with me. It is high time the Second Young Master himself granted me a private audience—”

“We’ve heard enough. That will do.”

The voice that cut him off was low and devoid of warmth. The official bristled, turning to protest. “What? I am merely expressing the difficulties I faced. For you to react this way…”

His words died in his throat as he met the gaze of the man who had spoken.

“React this way…?”

The man’s one remaining eye was a terrifying web of bloodshot veins.

“And what will you do,” Elder Hahu asked, his voice a chilling rasp, “if I react ‘this way’?”

It was not merely his tone that was unsettling. Elder Hahu, who had lost an eye to the Second Young Master’s cruelty and had been placed in charge of this desperate operation, had long ago crossed a line from which there was no return. Even his fellow elders shifted uncomfortably, avoiding the abyss in his gaze. He was a man unmoored from sanity.

“N-nothing at all,” the official stammered, his bravado evaporating like mist. “I merely wished for you to recognize the challenges I faced.”

He was saved from further torment by the timely arrival of a warrior. “The ships are in sight! We’ve confirmed the signal; they are our vessels!”

As if granted a royal pardon, the senior official shot up from his seat. “Well, well! Let’s not stand around! Let us all go and confirm their arrival!” he boomed, hurrying to a large window overlooking the water. “The finest feature of this office, you see, is that through this very window, one can see all the ships entering the pier at a glance…”

He threw the window open, but his boastful words faltered on his tongue. “Can see…”

His mouth fell agape. He stared, his eyes wide with horror at the massive silhouettes cutting through the dark water. He spun around, his face a mask of terror, and shrieked at the elders.

“Y-you told me they were merchant ships! For smuggling your people into Luoyang!”

One of the elders offered an infuriatingly placid shrug. “Is there a problem?”

“Th-those are…!” The official’s trembling hand shot out, pointing at the approaching fleet. “Those are armed warships!”

And they were. The colossal ships sliding into the pier were lined with over a dozen ominous, dark holes along their hulls. And peeking out from those holes were the unmistakable muzzles of naval cannons.²¹

“A-armed warships… loaded with cannons?!” The senior official, pale as a ghost, began to tremble uncontrollably. “What in the world are you people planning to do in Luoyang—?!”

But his words were never finished.

With heavy, deliberate steps, Elder Hahu closed the distance and, without a word, kicked the official clean through the open window.

A single, choked scream—“Uwaaack!”—was abruptly silenced by the wet, final sound of a skull bursting against the stone pier below.

“Kill them all!”

At Hahu’s command, the Second Young Master’s men, who had been arguing with the pier officials moments before, drew their swords and fell upon them in a storm of steel. The dark night air on the pier grew thick with the coppery stench of blood.

“…Elder Hahu.” A fellow elder’s face was grim. “If we butcher all the officials, how do you intend to handle the aftermath?”

“Aftermath?” Elder Hahu let out a short, sharp bark of a laugh. “There is no ‘after’ for me.”

He raised a hand, giving a sharp signal to a subordinate waiting below. A moment later, a signal arrow hissed into the night sky.

And then.

KWAKWAKWAKWAKWANG!

The cannons of the warships roared in unison, a deafening clap of thunder that split the night, spitting tongues of fire across the water.

Their target?

The Valley of Sins.