Chapter 17: War Clouds

The Valley of Sins.

As darkness settled over the valley, campfires bloomed like scattered embers, their flickering light illuminating the armed men gathered around them. They were Yeon So-hyeon’s forces.

“…Therefore, in a situation like today’s, a field commander must not focus solely on eliminating the enemy before him—on the tally of his kills. The final conclusion is that you must look beyond the immediate battle.”

A man in full armor stood before one of the fires, delivering a lecture that was both a lesson and an after-action review of the day’s battle.

“Grasping the state of the front line, maintaining the integrity of the formation, distinguishing between primary and secondary objectives… a commander must…”

The man delivering this surprisingly brilliant lecture was, of course, the Martial Master of the War Advisory Group. Not only the mid-level officers of the House of Benevolence, but even the commanders of the government troops who had remained behind for the cleanup, were listening with rapt attention, completely engrossed.

“Today’s breakthrough was excellent. However, after the initial breach, there was a lack of close coordination with allied forces.”

In another part of the valley, the handmaidens of the Wongakjeong were listening intently to an old woman. This was Old Woman Gwak, the woman known as the Crouching Dragon of Nanman. As someone who had spent her entire life on the battlefield, she was a boundless well of practical, life-saving knowledge.

“…The proper procedure for treating a wounded comrade is…”

Throughout the valley, in every corner, lessons like these were being conducted for everyone, down to the lowest-ranking soldier.

And watching it all from the window of his office was one man.

“…”

Yeon So-hyeon.

As always, it was impossible to tell what thoughts were swirling in the abyss of his deep, dark eyes.

“Grand Young Master.”

A gruff voice spoke from behind him. “What kind of trick did you pull to make the Supreme Operations Council attempt a plea bargain with Grand Matron Ouyang?”

The owner of the voice tapped his prosthetic leg against the floor. “I know better than anyone how heavy-bottomed those bastards are.”

There were very few people in the Luoyang Sword Clan who would dare to refer to the Supreme Operations Council as ‘those bastards.’ The Chief of Sword Clan Construction was one of that handful.

“The pretext of aiding the Emperor alone wouldn’t have been enough to make them move exactly as you wished, would it?” he asked, a keen interest in his eyes. As someone who often had to deal directly with the Council, he was desperate to learn Yeon So-hyeon’s secret.

“What news of the Chief Steward of Inner Court?” Yeon So-hyeon asked, answering the question with one of his own.

“Well, there’s no word on the man himself, but judging by the atmosphere in the Inner Court, I’d say it’s not far off from your predictions,” the Construction Chief replied, readily answering despite his own curiosity. “After we went to all the trouble of successfully raiding the Great Immortal Merchant Guild, you swooped in and snatched the tastiest part for yourself.”

The ‘tastiest part’ he was referring to was, of course, Grand Matron Ouyang.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if the Chief Steward of Inner Court has a straw doll of you hanging on his wall right now, hammering nails into it,” he laughed heartily.

For the past decade, it was an unprecedented event for the Chief Steward of Inner Court—a man known as the old monster of the Sword Clan—to be outmaneuvered in a political game. Even when he had appeared to be on the defensive, every conflict had ultimately ended in his victory. And yet, first with the book price incident, and now with this, the Grand Young Master had landed two solid blows against him in a row.

“That old man, the Chief Steward of Inner Court… he’s been a bit strange ever since the Manor Lord collapsed,” the Construction Chief said, his tone one of unconcealed satisfaction. “I’m hoping this incident will knock some sense into him. But…” He stopped and began to tap his prosthetic leg against the floor again. “Now, stop stalling and give me an explanation, Grand Young Master!”

Yeon So-hyeon turned from the window with a faint smile. “Have you heard of His Imperial Majesty’s project to expand and maintain the Yangtze River waterway?”

“Hmm, not in detail,” the Construction Chief said, stroking his scarred chin. “I know that an agreement was already reached with the Sichuan Tang Clan and the Dali Duan Clan for the upstream portion, and that they were planning to use a plea deal with Grand Matron Ouyang to ‘persuade’ the Heavenly Wicked Hegemons on the downstream end. Is that about the gist of it?”

“Hoh…”

Though he claimed not to know the details, he had grasped the situation with a precision that surprised even Yeon So-hyeon, especially for a matter that had only just begun to unfold. As expected of the Chief of Sword Clan Construction. It was clear he maintained his own thorough intelligence network, separate from the Manor’s official channels.

Yeon So-hyeon nodded. “Once negotiations with the Heavenly Wicked Hegemons are concluded, the waterway expansion and maintenance project will begin on the lower reaches of the river, will it not?”

“It will.” The Construction Chief nodded patiently, though the point was obvious. “Only then will the project be complete.”

“In that case, who do you think will be in charge of the downstream project?”

“In charge…” The Construction Chief’s eyes narrowed at the difficult question. “It absolutely cannot be the Sichuan Tang Clan or the Dali Duan Clan,” he began, thinking aloud. “The Heavenly Wicked Hegemons would never tolerate those clans, who have been coveting a port to the great ocean for years, setting foot in their territory.”

It was a well-known fact that the Tang and Duan clans desperately wanted an ocean port. They wanted to be like the Luoyang Sword Clan and the Heavenly Wicked Hegemons, who were recording enormous profits each year from their overseas trade with the Western Empires. That was the very reason they wanted to expand the Yangtze, to allow the great Western galleons to sail all the way upstream.

“Then, the Heavenly Wicked Hegemons themselves?” Yeon So-hyeon prompted.

The Construction Chief laughed and waved his hand. “Don’t be absurd,” he said, as if the idea were ludicrous. “Those Heavenly Wicked Hegemons bastards would be lucky if they knew how to properly hold a shovel. They don’t have the capability to manage a super-massive civil engineering project like this, do they? Now, if it were us, the Sword Clan Construction, that would be a different story. But those men can’t even build a proper levee…”

He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes widening as the pieces of the puzzle clicked into place in his mind.

“…Don’t tell me.”

“That’s right.” Yeon So-hyeon pointed a finger at him. “The construction on the lower Yangtze will be handled by the Luoyang Sword Clan. Specifically, by Sword Clan Construction.”

“And that’s why…!”

Yeon So-hyeon nodded. “That is why the Supreme Operations Council moved their ‘heavy bottoms’ and offered a plea bargain to Grand Matron Ouyang. Because the Sword Clan stands to win the contract for a massive civil engineering project.”

“And it’s us, Sword Clan Construction, who will get it!”

“Correct.” Yeon So-hyeon gave him a pointed look. “The lower Yangtze, Jiangnan, is the territory of the Heavenly Wicked Hegemons. During the project, there will be constant friction with them. Without considerable guts and power, one could not even begin such a venture.” A provocative smile touched Yeon So-hyeon’s lips. “Are you confident?”

“You ask if I am confident?” The Construction Chief let out a booming laugh. “In all the world, who else but I can even speak of guts?” He slapped his thick bicep and bared his teeth. “Thank you, Grand Young Master! Thanks to you, I can finally soothe the regret of not having been able to participate in our Lord’s conquest of Jiangnan in the past!”

He laughed again and shot to his feet. “This is no time to be standing around! I must return and begin drafting a project proposal!”

“By all means.”

Yeon So-hyeon gave him a final glance, then turned back to the night view outside his window.

“…But one more thing, Grand Young Master.” The Construction Chief, his hand on the doorknob, glanced back over his shoulder. “Why have you not yet allowed your troops to rest?”

It was the question that had been nagging at him from the very beginning. He could not see the expression on Yeon So-hyeon’s back.

This time, too, Yeon So-hyeon answered with a question of his own. “Did Grand Matron Ouyang agree to the Supreme Operations Council’s deal?”

“There has been no official move yet,” the Construction Chief shrugged, “but I was told she is reviewing the offer in a positive light.”

“Which means there has been no real progress,” Yeon So-hyeon’s voice dropped low. “…And at the same time, it means that this business is not yet over.”

“…I see.”

There was something chilling in Yeon So-hyeon’s tone. The dark clouds that filled the night sky outside his window seemed exceptionally ominous, and the Construction Chief knew it was not just his imagination.

“I wish you luck, Grand Young Master.”

As he opened the door and left, the Construction Chief thought to himself, So the war clouds have not yet dispersed.

***

The Imperial Capital.

The meeting of the current heads of the Sixteen Imperial Families had been temporarily adjourned. The shock of the news the Second Young Master had received from Luoyang was too great.

“We absolutely cannot allow the Grand Matron to accept that plea bargain!”

“To do so would be the same as admitting our defeat in this war!”

The Second Young Master’s staff officers were arguing amongst themselves.

“Then what do you suggest we do?!”

“Are you going to personally advise the Grand Matron to allow herself to be imprisoned?!”

“W-well, that’s…!”

Though they had been debating strategy for some time, no brilliant solution had presented itself. The discussion had long ago devolved from a strategic meeting into a draining, pointless shouting match.

“…”

Leaving the chaos behind him, the Second Young Master stood with his hands clasped behind his back, staring out the window from behind his golden mask.

Kadeuk.

The ebony-black gauntlet that covered his left hand made a dissonant, grating sound. But unlike usual, the sound was completely drowned out by the shouting of his advisors.

Yeon So-hyeon…

He mouthed the name of his half-brother, chewing on each syllable as if spitting it out.

I never once underestimated him.

The moment Yeon So-hyeon had made his first official move by visiting Mount Mang, he had immediately departed for the Imperial Capital. When Yeon So-hyeon had gathered the former heads of the Sixteen Imperial Families, he had immediately gathered the current heads. When his opponent had made a move in the Imperial Palace, he had gathered the current heads to counter it.

One move. Then another. He had thought they were playing a game of chess, taking turns moving their pieces.

But he now realized that Yeon So-hyeon had somehow been making dozens of moves on his own.

I cannot admit defeat like this.

He still had a ‘final measure.’ His mother, Grand Matron Ouyang, was surely buying time for that very purpose.

But.

He was still missing one decisive move to turn the tables.

*The Venerable One of Dark Heavens.*

The decisive problem was that unknown being, the Venerable One of Dark Heavens. As if he had foreseen that he would resort to his final measure, Yeon So-hyeon had already subtly revealed his connection to the creature.

As he was grinding his teeth in frustration, a commotion erupted at the door to his chamber.

“Who are you?!”

“How dare you enter without permission!”

“What are the guards outside doing?!”

The voice that answered was bizarre. “The guards seemed tired, so they are sleeping.” It sounded as if two people were speaking at the same time.

“W-wait a minute. You… aren’t you a strategist from our Jiangnan Division?”

The Second Young Master turned from the window. The visitor’s skin was so pale it looked as if all the blood had been drained from it. The veins on his face were a grotesque, bulging network of blue.

Pointing at the man’s face, one of the Second Young Master’s advisors spoke, a flicker of recognition in his eyes. “You… you’re Han Myeong-hwi of the Jiangnan Division, are you not?”

Another advisor who knew the name recalled, “Han Myeong-hwi? Isn’t he the senior strategist who went missing a few days ago?”

The answer came not from Han Myeong-hwi, but from their own lord.

“All of you, leave.”

The Second Young Master had definitely heard that strange, overlapping voice before.

“Yes? But, my lord…!”

“Now.”

As his staff officers departed, the man called Han Myeong-hwi let out a cackling laugh. “Do see yourselves out.”

But even his laugh was grotesque. His limbs were twitching as if in a seizure, and with every small, spastic movement, the sound of twisting bones and muscles could be heard. The cackling sounded less like a laugh and more like a scream.

“It has been a long time, Second Young Master of the Sword Clan.”

The Second Young Master recognized the face. It was, as his advisors had said, Han Myeong-hwi, the senior strategist from the Jiangnan Division who had disappeared from the streets of Luoyang several days ago. The very same Han Myeong-hwi who had distinguished himself during the book price incident by predicting Yeon So-hyeon’s moves.

“It has been a while,” the Second Young Master replied.

But he called him by a different name.

“Geum-jil.”

The being wearing the skin of Han Myeong-hwi broke into a wide smile. “I see you are troubled by the being known as the Venerable One of Dark Heavens.”

Through the vocal cords of Han Myeong-hwi, Geum-jil spoke.

“I have brought you the solution.”