The Ruler of Darkness

In the early dawn hours, while the Elder Council Head was heading to the Senate, a tense quietude pervaded the Supreme Operating Council in the Administrative Tower of Luoyang Sword House.

Since last night, the staff in the Administrative Tower, especially those in the secretary’s office of the Tower Head, had been in a state of emergency readiness. They were either sipping tea, conversing in low tones, or pacing around the office. A commonality among them was the occasional glance towards the office door of the Administrative Tower Head.

Finally, the door opened, and the department heads, who had finished their meeting, started pouring out. As the responsible figures hurried back to their departments without looking back, the Administrative Tower Head emerged last.

“Effective immediately, an emergency order is issued in accordance with the resolution of the Supreme Operating Council.”

The secretaries promptly sprang into action following the directive.

Drawers were opened, revealing armbands embroidered with the word ‘Emergency’. The secretaries, after donning these bands, followed the Tower Head to open and operate the situation room.

* * *

Descending several floors, a department head opened a door to reveal a large space filled with about fifty scribes, all poised with brushes at their desks.

“It’s an emergency order from the Supreme Operating Council!”

The scribes began copying various orders, cooperation letters, and visitation passes rapidly and seamlessly.

Secretaries continuously supplied fresh bundles of paper, collecting the completed documents for verification by inspectors.

After inspection, the department head did a final check, stamped them, and the papers officially became formal documents.

The secretaries sealed the documents in silk pouches marked with their destinations, securely tying them up.

These silk pouches were immediately taken to the ground floor, where about two hundred messengers from the Postal Bureau, urgently deployed, were waiting.

The messengers, after receiving the silk pouches, secured them in leather carriers and fastened them to their backs.

With the receipts in their pockets, they dashed out of Luoyang Sword House premises like the wind, heading in all directions.

Red flags marked with ‘Emergency’ fluttered wildly from their backs.

* * *

At the Luoyang Sword House’s Steward Department, the spacious courtyard was already bustling with activity even before the official start of work hours.

“Make way, it’s urgent! Clear the path!”

A messenger from the Postal Bureau, with a red flag on his back, cut straight across the courtyard without any hindrance.

Startled attendants quickly ushered the messenger to the office of the Chief Steward.

In his office, the Chief Steward, who had spent the night working, greeted the messenger with a faint smile.

After stamping the receipt, the Chief Steward, with trembling hands, hastily broke the seal.

He burst into loud, almost maniacal laughter after reading the official letter, stamped clearly with the seal of the Supreme Operating Council from the Administrative Tower.

“Is anyone there?!”

At his call, a maid hurriedly ran in.

“Go and summon the duty officer immediately! And put a call through to the head of the Armor Division Special Training Unit, now!”

“Yes, Chief Steward!”

Knowing his temperament, the maid responded and dashed off.

“Finally…!”

With a face filled with exhilaration, he picked up his brush.

* * *

At the Luoyang Sword House’s Business Division,

Sword House Construction Business Department, Luoyang Sword House Headquarters.

The duty officer’s office, which had been wrapping up a quiet night shift, burst open.

“What’s going on?!”

Inside were a panting messenger and the office clerk who had guided him.

Seeing the red flag, the duty officer, without even wiping the spilt tea, hastily broke the seal after stamping the receipt.

“What? What?!”

He frantically searched through the night duty officer’s manual, shouting.

“Coordinate with the Postal Bureau, gather all high-ranking executives working at the headquarters!”

Confused staff, drawn by the commotion, asked incredulously.

“All of them, sir?”

“Yes, all! It’s an emergency assembly!”

He found the section on emergency communication.

“Summon all the messengers to my office! And you, start copying this letter! It needs to be distributed to the executives!”

* * *

At the Luoyang Sword House’s Outer Court

Dressed in his distinctive silk garments, the renowned informant Yon Ha-eung stepped out of his office. The usually leisurely and cultured atmosphere of the Outer Court was nowhere to be found, replaced instead by a frenetic energy of people rushing to and fro.

Upon reaching the Foreign Affairs Hall, an Elder flagged him down amidst the chaos.

“Ah, good timing. I was just about to call for a consultant.”

Yon Ha-eung, with a light-hearted smile, rubbed his hands together.

“I saw a messenger with a red flag and thought I might be of assistance.”

“Great! All the attendants and maids have been dispatched to call the personnel of the main institute.”

The Elder served Ha-eung some cool tea.

“You may already know about this…”

As the Elder began to pull out a copy of the official letter sent from the Supreme Operating Council, Ha-eung waved his hand.

“Ah, I’m already aware of that matter.”

The Elder burst into laughter.

“Ha-ha! Truly fitting for our Outer Court’s walking intelligence bureau!”

“Ah, you flatter me.”

Typical of the Luoyang Sword House’s Foreign Affairs department, even in urgency, they engaged in a bit of small talk before delving into the main topic.

“Then let’s get straight to it. I would like you, as our consultant, to visit the elders on this list.”

Ha-eung took the document and looked over the list.

“Oh my! Aren’t these former high officials residing in Luoyang?”

As Ha-eung expressed his astonishment, the Elder smiled.

“With a consultant like you who has connections with the Eldest Young Master, even the most difficult of them should be amenable. Right?”

Tucking the document into his coat, Ha-eung nodded continuously.

“Leave it to me! I’m already acquainted with several of them, so don’t worry.”

“Ha-ha! We’ll rely on you then!”

* * *

On the rooftop of the Postal Bureau, carrier pigeons were released non-stop, scattering in all directions.

Messengers with red flags on horseback left the Luoyang Sword House’s headquarters at a tremendous speed.

Following them were mounted warriors from the Guard Tower and cavalry troops.

They were headed to various business sites of the Luoyang Sword House, as well as to the vassal and collateral families across the Middle Kingdom.

* * *

Early morning at the Luoyang Sword House’s warehouse district.

As the night shift was nearing its end, a warehouse attendant, eagerly awaiting the change of shift, suddenly widened his eyes in disbelief.

“What the…?!”

Was it because of sleepiness? Even after rubbing his eyes, the scene before him remained the same, making his eyes grow even wider.

“What is all this? Where is it coming from?”

Carts, wagons, and porters were continuously streaming in.

“Hey! Be careful! You’ll crash into something!”

“Line up! Get in order!”

It was an unusually large influx of arrivals all at once.

As the new shift members gradually arrived, they too were taken aback. Not only the usual shift members but also attendants from other shifts were present.

“What’s going on here?!”

A member of the changing shift spotted him and approached.

“Ah, you haven’t heard? An emergency order came down at dawn!”

“Emergency order?!”

They had to shout to be heard over the surrounding noise.

“Yes, an emergency order! Directly from the Supreme Operating Council!”

“Supreme Operating Council?!”

He jumped in shock.

In all his time working for the Luoyang Sword House, this was the first time he was dealing with an order of such importance.

“What’s the order about?!”

“I don’t know the details!”

As they talked, various transport workers from all corners of the Luoyang Sword House, seemingly every available transport worker, were occupying the large open spaces of the warehouses.

“How many transport units from Sword House Construction have been mobilized?”

“There are even carts from the Combat Transport Division!”

“And carts for food transportation too…”

It seemed like all available transport personnel from every organization within the Luoyang Sword House were converging here.

Suddenly, a booming voice shouted at them.

“Hey, you idiots! What are you loafing around for?! Get moving now!”

It was their warehouse manager.

Normally, the manager would leisurely appear around the end of the morning shift, but today, he was there in the early dawn, fully active and commanding.

“Yes, right away!”

Just yesterday, their warehouse manager had been wrapped up in several layers of thick clothing, but today, he was bare-chested, his torso exposed. Moreover, he had a black whip, usually only taken out for maintenance, coiled around his shoulder.

“Run, you slackers! Run!”

They hurriedly dashed, lining up behind their colleagues.

With almost the entire workforce assembled, the warehouse manager, his breath visible in the cold air, began the briefing.

“First, the night shift will extend their duty for two more hours!”

Not a single complaint came from the night shift workers. They might not have been highly educated, but they were not without common sense.

“Due to the emergency order that came into effect this morning, we are to cooperate unconditionally with related departments!”

His sharp eyes scanned the crowd.

“I know you usually don’t get along with the transport workers! But today, there’s no room for such attitudes!”

The warehouse manager thumped his chest emphatically.

“From now until the end of the emergency order, lack of cooperation means trouble for all of us! Got it?!”

“Yes, understood!”

Such a robust response would normally have pleased the warehouse manager, who would have applauded their spirit.

“This is no joke!”

But today, his eyes blazed with an even greater intensity.

“Until the emergency order is lifted, not only the supervisors but also the advisors from the Steward Department, and even high-ranking officials whom you’d never usually meet, might come for unexpected inspections!”

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