The Ruler of Darkness

“We must return to the north at once! Whether by ship or carriage, prepare the fastest one!”

As soon as he arrived at the lodging, Dong Ga-hyu, with a face pale as death, was screaming at the top of his lungs, causing the servants to scatter in all directions.

“Run! Keep running!”

Dong Ga-hyu continued to urge on the backs of the servants as they dispersed.

‘In this situation, the only way to survive is to become a limb of that Eldest Young Master!’

He looked down at his hands, still trembling.

‘That way, he won’t be able to dispose of me easily. The more competently I handle tasks, the longer I will live…!’

Eventually, a path will open up.

In truth, abandoning everything and fleeing overseas had the highest chance of survival.

That option had never existed in his mind.

‘I will survive! There will be no defeat at this point! In the end, I will be the one to have the last laugh!’

Whether he will succeed as he intends remains to be seen.

* * *

The ‘Ugrai Tribe’ was not even a familiar name to Elder Yeom, who had lived in the north for half his life.

He had only heard the name.

It was a tribe that had no relation to the Central Plains, both geographically and politically.

Perhaps the merchants using the Silk Road might know.

Yet, the Eldest Young Master sitting before him knew far too much about such a tribe.

He even knew about incidents within the tribe that occurred before he was born.

How could he possibly know that the perpetrator of that incident and the target of the war in the north were the same person?

As if sensing his question, the Eldest Young Master smiled at him.

“This Eldest Young Master has many friends far and wide.”

“Is that so…”

It was an explanation that couldn’t be more insufficient, yet it was also a response that was difficult to probe further.

A network of information sources that provide reliable information was said to be as valuable as a vein of gold.

Asking for the source was akin to trying to freeload off that network, so it was natural to be at a loss for words.

“….”

Seeing her father immersed in thought with a low hum, Yeom Baek-ha cautiously spoke up.

“May I dare to ask about something that piques my curiosity?”

“By all means.”

Yeon So-hyeon nodded readily.

“Why did Dong Ga-hyu grovel so lowly before you, my lord? When he first entered, it seemed as though he was unaware that you knew his secret.”

She was an exceedingly intelligent and talented woman, but ultimately, she couldn’t find the answer.

And that was to be expected, as this was a question that was nearly impossible to speculate on without ‘specific information’.

The Eldest Young Master answered with a gentle smile.

“It seems Elder Yeom may have a guess as to the answer to that question.”

The Eldest Young Master looked towards Elder Yeom.

“Why not share your thoughts, Elder Yeom?”

‘I thought I had concealed my suspicions well enough…’

Elder Yeom inwardly smirked bitterly and asked the Eldest Young Master.

“As you may know, this concerns confidential matters related to you, my lord. Is it alright to disclose it to my daughter?”

“Of course, it is. Isn’t she your successor?”

With permission granted, Elder Yeom briefly explained.

“There has been talk within the Council of Elders that the Eldest Young Master has been betrothed for some time. This information has been controlled outside the council.”

“A betrothal?! The Eldest Young Master?!”

Yeom Baek-ha reacted as if she had heard tragic news about a lover, leaving the Eldest Young Master looking puzzled.

However, Elder Yeom, who had long been aware of his daughter’s feelings, continued with a bitter smile.

“Until now, the identity of the other family involved has not been disclosed, but seeing Dong Ga-hyu’s reaction today, it became clear.”

“The Eldest Young Master is betrothed? The Eldest Young Master is betrothed?”

Though Yeom Baek-ha was the one who posed the question, she now seemed to be in distress.

Elder Yeom decided to give his daughter some time to recover from her internal shock and turned to the Eldest Young Master.

“Is my guess correct?”

The Eldest Young Master, who had been looking at Yeom Baek-ha with curiosity, nodded.

“That’s correct.”

Turning his gaze back to Elder Yeom, the Eldest Young Master inquired.

“It seems you also have an idea of who the betrothed family might be.”

“That is correct.”

“And who might that be?”

After a brief silence, Elder Yeom spoke.

“The family of the Northern Great General, the Murong family.”

Yeon So-hyeon nodded.

“Exactly.”

As noon arrived, the Eldest Young Master suggested taking a break for lunch and some rest.

He provided a quiet place for the Yeom family to dine alone, a gesture of consideration on his part. He knew Yeom Baek-ha was unwell, and her complexion had worsened due to the prolonged conversation and constant tension.

“Haah…”

Yeom Baek-ha may have been unwell, but her pallor worsened for a different reason entirely.

“Phew…”

After picking at her meal, Yeom Baek-ha let out a series of long sighs.

“Of all families, ‘that Murong family’.”

She muttered in annoyance.

“I stand no chance against them… Defeated before the battle even began. And utterly so.”

Elder Yeom, who had finished his meal and was wiping his mouth, smiled bitterly.

“Admitting defeat so readily? That’s unlike you.”

“Ugh… But what can I do!”

Yeom Baek-ha puffed her cheeks.

“The Murong family has wielded influence in the north for over a thousand years.”

By now, it was said that ‘without the Murong family, there would be no northern territories,’ highlighting the significant position the Murong family held within the Central Plains.

“The imperial family of the Central Plains treats them on par with royalty. They’re practically a royal family! A royal family! If it’s a daughter of the Murong family, she’s practically a princess!”

Elder Yeom teased his daughter.

“Aren’t you, too, a princess in your own right?”

It was a jest based on her nickname, ‘Executioner Princess’.

“Father!”

As his daughter flared up, Elder Yeom prepared some tea, waiting for her mood to settle.

After a moment of silence, Yeom Baek-ha, having cooled down, spoke first.

“…Now only the formal negotiations with the Eldest Young Master remain. Can we expect a favorable outcome?”

It was a heavy topic.

But it was also unavoidable.

After a long contemplation, Elder Yeom finally spoke.

“…It’s difficult to expect a favorable outcome, I’m afraid.”

Yeom Baek-ha bit her lip, struggling to find words.

“The Eldest Young Master’s capabilities far exceeded what I had anticipated.”

Elder Yeom spoke with a sigh.

“I was never blinded by common rumors, nor did I underestimate the Eldest Young Master’s abilities. But…”

Instead of her faltering father, Yeom Baek-ha spoke up.

“…The Eldest Young Master I saw today was vastly different from the one I thought I knew.”

Elder Yeom heavily nodded in agreement.

“Even the elders of the main family believed that the Eldest Young Master’s strength lay in his almost divine strategic acumen. They expected that once his seclusion ended, he would remain a lone force, shaking the board with his schemes.”

A smirk appeared on his lips.

“But they were all wrong.”

He looked up at the ceiling.

“He has transcended age and experience.”

His voice was soft, but to Yeom Baek-ha, it sounded like a scream.

“He is already akin to a complete sovereign.”

The eerie and overwhelming presence that dominated and swayed the assembly.

The eloquence that wielded control over conversations at will.

The unfathomable depth of his inner thoughts that made it impossible to guess his intentions.

Yet, the Eldest Young Master was not a lonely monarch.

The flood of congratulatory letters and gifts that kept coming even at this moment revealed a vast and profound network of connections, the origins of which were unclear.

And likely, a powerful intelligence network formed through these connections.

The overwhelming support from the lower classes of Luoyang, stemming from the legacy of his mother, the Grand Lady.

What about within the Sword House?

The relationship with the Senate was revealed by the special task force guarding the Wongak Pavilion.

Elder Yeom might not know the details, but for some reason, even the old and venerable elders who usually kept their distance seemed to respect the Eldest Young Master.

While he may have been ignored by the warriors, through some feat, he had already gained the loyalty of Life-Stealing Devil Sword, one of the top warriors of the Sword House.

He also possessed a Sword Squad made up of excellent maidservants and maids with outstanding potential.

Not to mention, the strong cooperative relationship with Sagongja, who had always been on good terms, was beyond words.

This was the force the Eldest Young Master revealed just after ending his seclusion.

“However…”

A determined look appeared in Elder Yeom’s eyes.

“This father will not give up everything in the end.”

At the same time, in the dining hall of Wongak Pavilion.

A spacious area where members of Wongak Pavilion took turns dining together.

“….”

Elder Yeom’s chief warrior was sweating profusely.

He had been unable to properly eat a single spoonful of rice for a while now.

“Why aren’t you eating?”

The reason was the person sitting opposite him, enjoying their meal.

“Doesn’t it taste good?”

At the Eldest Young Master’s question, the maidservants who had been chatting and eating around them all turned their gaze towards the chief warrior.

“No, no! It’s delicious!”

He hurriedly stuffed food into his mouth.

He couldn’t even distinguish the taste.

“You’ll get indigestion. Drink some water.”

As the Eldest Young Master kindly poured him some water, the chief warrior internally screamed.

‘I wouldn’t get indigestion if you weren’t here!’

* * *

Elder Yeom silently showed his daughter the note he had received from a maid of Wongak Pavilion.

“The Eldest Young Master wishes for a private meeting.”

The observation period for Elder Yeom’s successor had come to an end.

This meant that the decisive battle that would determine the fate of the Yeom family was approaching.

Elder Yeom stood up.

“I’ll be back.”

Yeom Baek-ha looked at her father with a worried expression.

“…Do you have a new strategy?”

The strategies they had prepared beforehand were now virtually useless.

Elder Yeom nodded.

“Yes.”

He directed his gaze towards the Eldest Young Master’s office, visible in the distance through the window.

“I plan to confront him honestly for starters.”

Yeom Baek-ha hid her trembling hands under the table and tried to smile as brightly as she could.

“Please come back safely!”

Her complexion looked unusually pale.

In the office of Wongak Pavilion.

Jung-ah prepared a new tea set and reported,

“When you subdued that merchant’s will, Elder Yeom too nearly lost his will to fight.”

“But he ultimately endured and did not break.”

Yeon So-hyeon, who was leisurely leaning back in his chair, smiled as if amused.

“In the face of death, he finds a way to survive.”

A spirit that never gives up.

“A virtue commonly found among undefeated generals.”

It was a compliment.

Yeon So-hyeon was praising a person whose role as friend or foe was yet undecided.

“…And you say such comforting words again.”

Il-ryeong, who was cleaning the floor, curled her lips.

“Didn’t you wish to have Elder Yeom under your command, my lord?”

Yeon So-hyeon laughed and replied to her bold question,

“Of course. The power of a single elder in the politics of the main family is like having an army of thousands.”

Jung-ah nodded in agreement.

“Currently, you have no allies within the Council of Elders, my lord.”

‘I really can’t grasp what you’re thinking.’

Il-ryeong sighed and continued cleaning the floor.

The smell of cold sweat from Dong Ga-hyu had left her in a very unpleasant mood.

“Elder Yeom is on his way here.”

Jung-ah stated while looking towards the distant wall.

Yeon So-hyeon slowly rubbed his palms together and smiled broadly.

“Now, Elder Yeom. What path of survival have you found?”

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