Bachelor Swordsmanship Remastered [EN]: Chapter 439

439. The New Owner of the Hoam Merchant Guild

The elders of the Hoam Merchant Guild couldn’t hide their bewilderment.

Suddenly, the Grand Bowmaster of the Northern Sea One Clan had barged into the Council of Elders.

A moment of silence fell due to her beauty, but that silence soon turned into displeasure and anger.

“What is this impudence!”

Elder Lee Heon-seong said, his long beard trembling.

“To dare intrude upon the Council of Elders! Even if you are from the Northern Sea One Clan, how can you be so presumptuous…!”

“It seems you didn’t hear what I said.”

The Grand Bowmaster’s clear voice cut off Lee Heon-seong’s words.

“Is it so hard to understand that I’ll have to kill you all if you start the vote?”

Thud, thud.

Over a dozen warriors from the Northern Sea One Clan entered without hesitation.

Binghun stood behind the Grand Bowmaster, while the other warriors surrounded the elders, blocking the entrances.

The elders’ faces changed at their murderous gazes.

“W-What are you saying, Clan Leader?”

Internal Affairs Chief Lee Hak-bung stepped forward.

“What is the reason for this sudden intrusion, and why do you say you will harm us?”

“How foolish.”

The Grand Bowmaster’s gaze was cold.

“To dare accuse the Lord of the Azure Dragon Alliance of unfounded charges and openly seek revenge is already unforgivable…”

Rustle.

Looking at the elders, the Grand Bowmaster said.

“To give such a person a chance to become the Guild Leader of the Hoam Merchant Guild through a vote is the same as declaring the entire Hoam Merchant Guild an enemy of the Azure Dragon Alliance.”

The Grand Bowmaster’s eyes flashed coldly.

“So, I have no choice but to kill you all.”

‘Gasp.’

Lee Hak-bung realized that the Grand Bowmaster had heard everything they said.

His face turned pale, but Lee Yu-geol gritted his teeth and glared at the Grand Bowmaster.

At that moment, one of the elders spoke.

“Are you saying you dared to eavesdrop on us!”

The elder shouted, his face red.

“We welcomed you with sincerity, yet you spied on us! Who will believe your words after this…?”

Swish.

The Grand Bowmaster didn’t even listen to his entire sentence and gestured to Binghun.

Binghun gestured, and a warrior from the Northern Sea One Clan immediately dragged someone in.

Thud.

The person thrown in front of the elders was a Hoam Merchant Guild guard who had lost consciousness.

“If there was sincerity,”

The Grand Bowmaster said quietly.

“Shouldn’t you have refrained from spying on us as well? To welcome us as guests and then send spies to our lodgings—the guests at the General Assembly will be very displeased to hear about this.”

The elder’s brow furrowed.

“T-That can’t be…”

“And aside from all these issues,”

The Grand Bowmaster cut off the elder’s words.

“It is a clear fact that you plotted revenge against the Lord of the Azure Dragon Alliance.”

“That’s absurd!”

Several elders immediately protested.

“What evidence do you have to say such a thing…?”

“Evidence is unnecessary.”

A moment of silence descended at the quiet voice.

Thud, thud.

A young man in scholar’s attire walked in slowly.

Rustle.

The Clan Leader of the Northern Sea One Clan and Binghun stepped aside and paid their respects.

The young man stopped in front of the elders.

“Because I heard it myself.”

It was Yunhyun.

Yunhyun looked at Lee Hak-bung, Lee Yu-geol, and the elders with a calm gaze.

“W-Who are you…?”

“Let me tell you.”

It was Chief Strategist Yeongho-jun’s voice.

Yeongho-jun, who had followed behind, paid his respects to Yunhyun and then spoke.

“This person is the Lord of the Azure Dragon Alliance, Azure Dragon Sword Lord.”

Confusion and bewilderment spread across the elders’ faces.

They couldn’t understand why the Lord of the Azure Dragon Alliance was appearing in this place.

Swish.

Yunhyun looked down at Lee Yu-geol.

Lee Yu-geol, who was sitting in his chair, gritted his teeth.

However, Yunhyun’s gaze didn’t linger on Lee Yu-geol.

Yunhyun looked back at the elders.

“Blood Prince Munwang is the one who destroyed the Murim Alliance [a martial arts alliance] along with Yeom Jung-bu.”

Yunhyun said with a calm expression.

“In the process, Lee Ho-am helped Munwang and accumulated enormous profits, and Lee Seo-yeon betrayed me and stabbed me in the back.”

The elders’ expressions twisted.

They already knew that the Hoam Merchant Guild had risen to become one of the Three Great Merchant Guilds through transactions with Blood Prince Munwang.

But the fact that Lee Seo-yeon had done such a thing changed the elders’ complexions.

Yunhyun asked quietly.

“So, what do you think I should do to the Hoam Merchant Guild?”

None of the elders could answer.

If what Yunhyun said was true, they would have nothing to say even if he sought revenge.

“That can’t be true!”

Lee Yu-geol shouted instinctively.

“Show us the evidence! How can we just listen to your words…?”

Lee Yu-geol, who was speaking, flinched.

It was because Yunhyun was looking down at him with a cold gaze.

It wasn’t a look of anger or resentment.

Just that gaze alone, which simply looked down at him, made Lee Yu-geol feel a chill run down his spine.

“I, I…!”

Lee Yu-geol was about to say something when…

Thwack.

A thick scabbard struck Lee Yu-geol.

The elders were startled, and at the same time, Lee Yu-geol spat out blood and collapsed.

“Cough.”

“Take this man away immediately!”

The elders’ eyes widened at the unfamiliar voice.

It was Royal Secret Inspector Jo Gwan, wearing his official robes and carrying his suchundo [a type of sword].

Tap, tap.

Several government soldiers entered and dragged away the fallen Lee Yu-geol.

Only then did the elders come to their senses and see the torches burning brightly outside.

Government soldiers had been mobilized.

“These people must be imprisoned immediately.”

Royal Secret Inspector Jo Gwan said to Yunhyun.

“It is clear that they had some connection with the Blood Prince. How can we show leniency to those who dared to plot to harm the Grand Master, who is a special Royal Secret Inspector of the court? We must thoroughly investigate their crimes and punish them with the utmost severity.”

Jo Gwan’s fierce gaze was enough to turn the elders pale.

To the elders, who had lived their lives as merchants, the Royal Secret Inspector in his official robes was no different from the Grim Reaper.

The change brought about by Jo Gwan’s appearance was clear.

“W-We are innocent!”

One elder said in a hurried voice.

“It was all Lee Yu-geol’s doing!”

That elder was Lee Yong-hong.

He, who had been siding with Lee Yu-geol, was now changing his attitude and placing all the blame on Lee Yu-geol.

“Mentioning the Blood Prince, contacting the big shots, mentioning the Lord of the Azure Dragon Alliance—it was all Lee Yu-geol’s doing!”

“Hmm, it’s hard to believe that it was all Lee Yu-geol’s doing.”

Chief Strategist Yeongho-jun frowned.

“Weren’t you the ones who were trying to give him the chance to become the owner of the Hoam Merchant Guild?”

The elders couldn’t say anything.

Until a little while ago, weren’t they trying to seat Lee Yu-geol as the Guild Leader?

“N-No, that’s not true. This is a custom of the main family…”

“Insolent!”

Jo Gwan shouted.

“Dare you try to evade the imperial law with the word ‘custom’!”

Lee Yong-hong’s face was not only pale but completely ashen.

It was then.

“Lord!”

Internal Affairs Chief Lee Hak-bung prostrated himself before Yunhyun.

“These people are old and merely powerless old men! Although they are called the Council of Elders, they have long since retired and have no authority. As for the Blood Prince, they only heard about him in passing, so how could they be involved in such a terrible thing?”

The elders looked at Lee Hak-bung with surprised eyes.

They never thought that Lee Hak-bung would stand up for them.

Lee Hak-bung continued to bow his head and said.

“However, in the midst of the confusion over the death of the Guild Leader, they made unpardonable slips of the tongue, so please forgive them!”

Thud, thud.

He didn’t hesitate to strike his forehead against the floor.

“Stop.”

Lee Hak-bung immediately stopped moving.

Yunhyun sighed quietly.

He turned his head and looked at the elders.

“Is it true that the Council of Elders has no authority?”

A moment of silence flowed.

But it wasn’t long.

“Of course.”

Lee Heon-seong, the oldest of the elders, said.

“The Council of Elders is merely a nominal institution and has no real authority.”

“Y-Yes, that’s right.”

The other elders also nodded.

“But weren’t you trying to hold a vote?”

“T-That’s…”

It was when Lee Heon-seong couldn’t answer.

“That was to decide on the dissolution of the Council of Elders!”

Lee Hak-bung shouted as if crying out.

Lee Heon-seong, as well as the other elders’ faces, instantly crumpled.

However, Lee Hak-bung was too busy recalling the ‘telepathic message’ he had just heard.

The only way for the Hoam Merchant Guild and Lee Hak-bung to survive was to follow that ‘telepathic message.’

“We never said that the Council of Elders would decide the Guild Leader! Clan Leader! Isn’t that right?”

Lee Hak-bung turned to the Grand Bowmaster and said.

A strange light flashed in the Grand Bowmaster’s eyes.

“…Come to think of it, there was no such statement.”

The elders had only said, ‘We have heard the intentions of Lee Hak-bung and Lee Yu-geol, so what should we do now?’

They had never explicitly stated what they were voting on.

Lee Hak-bung’s expression brightened as if he had grabbed a lifeline.

“The Council of Elders will be dissolved immediately! They will never interfere in the affairs of the guild again, so please have mercy! Lord.”

In his desperation, he even asked for mercy.

But now was not the time to worry about that.

Thud.

Lee Hak-bung struck his forehead against the floor.

The elders’ faces were so distorted that they looked miserable, but no one opened their mouths.

If they denied Lee Hak-bung’s words here, they would be forced to take the blame.

“Is that so?”

Yunhyun asked the elders.

Elder Lee Heon-seong stammered and said.

“Y-Yes, that’s right. The Council of Elders will… dissolve from this moment on.”

Lee Heon-seong finally lowered his head.

However, Yunhyun’s expression was not so bright.

“I see. Then who should I hold accountable for the Hoam Merchant Guild’s wrongdoings?”

At that moment, all the elders’ gazes turned to Lee Hak-bung.

Lee Hak-bung gritted his teeth and said with a determined expression.

“The elders have already said that they would like me to take on the position of Guild Leader. I will take all responsibility.”

Yunhyun frowned slightly.

But Lee Hak-bung continued with a firm expression.

“Lee Yu-geol will be expelled from the family for his crimes, and those involved in this matter will be immediately expelled from the guild and receive due punishment. So please, hold me accountable for all the wrongdoings!”

Silence flowed.

The elders only looked at Yunhyun’s mouth.

After thinking for a moment, Yunhyun raised his eyes.

“You.”

Yunhyun said to the elders in a quiet voice.

“Report to the Regional Inspector by tomorrow morning to receive an investigation. If even one person is missing, I will hold all of you responsible.”

The elders nodded with stiff expressions.

Yunhyun said to Yeongho-jun.

“Chief Strategist.”

“Yes, Lord.”

Yeongho-jun immediately paid his respects and answered.

“Handle the rest of the matters, but consult closely with the Royal Inspector and the new Guild Leader of the Hoam Merchant Guild.”

It was the same as declaring that the new Guild Leader of the Hoam Merchant Guild was Lee Hak-bung.

Yeongho-jun bowed his head.

“I will obey your command.”

“Thank you!”

Lee Hak-bung shouted.

“Thank you! Lord!”

His cry was probably sincere.

But Yunhyun didn’t listen anymore and turned his body.

And left the place.

Thud, thud.

How far had he walked?

When he could no longer see the torches of the government soldiers, Yunhyun stopped.

“Aren’t you happy?”

The clear voice belonged to the Grand Bowmaster.

She had followed Yunhyun.

“You have the Hoam Merchant Guild, one of the Three Great Merchant Guilds, in your hands.”

Yunhyun gave a bitter smile.

“I just wanted to prevent people from being unfairly harmed. The people working in the guild are innocent.”

The Grand Bowmaster smiled faintly.

Yunhyun paid his respects to her.

“Thank you for your help, Grand Bowmaster.”

The Grand Bowmaster replied with a polite bow.

“You’re welcome. It’s only natural for the sake of the Azure Wolf. Besides, I did almost nothing.”

The one who asked Seolyeongdae of the Northern Sea One Clan to monitor the Council of Elders, summoned Royal Secret Inspector Jo Gwan and the government soldiers, and told Lee Hak-bung the way to survive through telepathy was all Yeongho-jun.

In a way, the Hoam Merchant Guild was being played by Yeongho-jun alone.

“Still, the Grand Bowmaster…”

“…You’ve changed a little.”

The Grand Bowmaster said suddenly.

She gazed intently at Yunhyun.

Her beautiful eyes were shining like starlight.

“But that’s not bad either.”

The Grand Bowmaster said with a faint smile.

Rustle.

She stepped back.

And bowed her head lightly.

“Then see you again.”