Pierced by black thorns, Yang O-dan writhes in midair.
If he were an ordinary person, it wouldn’t be surprising if his breath had been cut off ten times already.
Even those who merely possess internal energy are considered inhuman beings, so his tenacious vitality at his realm is natural.
However, at this moment, that superhuman vitality was making him feel the terrible pain longer and more intensely.
“Aargh! Aaaaah!”
Whenever he thrashed in midair, blood splattered from his pierced wounds.
Whenever he screamed in unbearable agony, he spat out blood along with it.
“….”
“….”
The former patriarchs, some sitting down, some kneeling, and some collapsing, were looking up at the scene.The twisted forest obscured the sky.
Amidst the black fog enveloping the surroundings, ghostly blue flames danced everywhere, and the sun turned its head away.
And Yang O-dan dances in midair.
Deep, profound terror was directly engraved into the minds and souls of those witnessing the scene.
[Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!]
Beneath the mask, Sovereign of Dark Heavens’s mouth stretched wide, forming a smile-like expression.
Now it was time to etch an unforgettable scene into their minds, even in death.
The former patriarchs watched as Sovereign of Dark Heavens slowly rose into the air.
As if heralding the final moment of the execution ritual, he rose in front of Yang O-dan and spread his hands.
Fierce, claw-like black nails on his hands glinted, reflecting the ghostly flames in the air.
“…Gasp!”
Along with the sound of someone inhaling sharply, Sovereign of Dark Heavens’s figure spun so fast that it was impossible to properly see with the naked eye.
And the result of that spin was horrifying.
A rain of blood poured down from the sky, and pieces of flesh and entrails fluttered.
The faces and entire bodies of the former patriarchs, who had been blankly staring at the sky, were directly splattered with that blood, flesh, and entrail fragments.
The blood entered the mouths of those who had opened them without realizing it, and the falling flesh and entrail pieces stuck to their foreheads.
Someone screamed and rolled on the ground, someone leaped up from where they were sitting, and someone rubbed their face frantically with both hands.
Hundreds of large and small black hands that had risen from the ground wriggled in bizarre shapes, as if welcoming the rain.
The black fog blanketing the earth twisted its body as if cheering, its tongue flicking.
The ghostly flames danced everywhere as if overcome with excitement, and even the trees blocking the surroundings trembled with joy.
“….”
And in midair, Sovereign of Dark Heavens, with the ghostly blue flames burning even more fiercely, was looking down at the great sinners.
His anger was overflowing like an active volcano.
‘They are all the masterminds behind the Northern War….’
Once the interests of all Sixteen Families aligned precisely, the resolution for war was made too swiftly.
And as everyone knows, the outcome of that war was called a ‘victory’ by the imperial court, but in reality, it ended with no clear victor or loser.
If one were to consider only the gains and losses, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it a de facto ‘defeat.’
‘But the aftermath of the war didn’t end there.’
Ridiculously, during the war, the wealth of the entire Central Plains grew even more.
International trade was recording surplus after surplus with each passing day, and the massive families and large merchant associations were struck with a windfall from the war bonds that the imperial court had issued in abundance at the time.
But they were not the only ones who enjoyed the war boom.
Amidst the large and small famines that continued every year, self-employed farmers chose to hand over their land and become tenant farmers.
The massive families and large merchant associations, overflowing with money, were able to buy up land even more recklessly.
‘It was around this time that the Emei Sect was able to quickly acquire land in the capital.’
As a result, the already increasing number of large plantations grew even more, and countless tenant farmers began to be driven out in the midst of efficient management.
The young people who returned from the front lines and the expelled tenant farmers needed jobs.
They gathered in the cities, and more cities, in search of work.
Luoyang, a megalopolis that already had slums on a scale incomparable to other cities.
Now, the slums of Luoyang had reached a size unprecedented in the history of any dynasty established on this land.
And the repercussions were still ongoing in real-time at this very moment.
‘I sent them letters again and again.’
Before they resolved to go to war, Yeon So-hyeon had sent them letters many times, earnestly trying to dissuade them from their war.
But they all ignored him.
Because the fantasy of the political gains they would receive upon victory was too sweet compared to Yeon So-hyeon’s ‘bitter words.’
[Kill them! Kill them! Kill them!]
[Kill them! Kill them! Kill them!]
[Kill them! Kill them! Kill them!]
It was not to protect the country, nor to protect their families.
The conscripted soldiers who died miserably on the front lines, longing for their hometowns.
Those who somehow survived and returned but later died in terrible labor.
Their families, who had already died in the harsh life of poverty.
The original urban poor who had endured somehow but died as their lives crumbled with the influx of new poor.
Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of ‘vengeful spirits’ cried out for revenge.
[Kill them! Kill them! Kill them!]
[Kill them! Kill them! Kill them!]
[Kill them! Kill them! Kill them!]
The heavens trembled, and the earth churned.
[Please, revenge…! A terrible death upon them…!]
A child riding on Sovereign of Dark Heavens’s shoulder whispered in his ear.
[Did I have any other choice? If I hadn’t taken my own life, would a happy future have awaited me? Shouldn’t my brother, who suffered and returned from the war, at least live?]
The child named Yeong wept.
Those hot tears fell on Sovereign of Dark Heavens’s shoulder.
[Still, I wanted to eat the meat porridge that my brother brought back for the last time….]
Yes.
They all had to die.
They all had to be devoured on the spot.
[Kill them! Kill them! Kill them!]
[Kill them! Kill them! Kill them!]
[Kill them! Kill them! Kill them!]
They had to remain in the hell created by Dark Heavens Scripture, in the most terrible agony even in that hell.
Until their souls were completely consumed…!
[I thought the Medicine Fairy would protect us….]
Why did he intend to keep them alive?
[Will you let live those who created such terrible consequences to satisfy their own greed?]
They all had to die right now.
Next, those who had clung to such people also had to be killed.
[Kill them! Kill them! Kill them!]
[Kill them! Kill them! Kill them!]
[Kill them! Kill them! Kill them!]
And next… next….
[Kill them! Kill them! Kill them!]
[Kill them! Kill them! Kill them!]
[Kill them! Kill them! Kill them!]
Kill, kill, kill.
[Kill them! Kill them! Kill them!]
[Kill them! Kill them! Kill them!]
[Kill them! Kill them! Kill them!]
A heart-wrenching scream burst from the mouth of the Sovereign of Dark Heavens, Yeon So-hyeon.
“Aaaaaaaaaaaah!”
Along with that scream, a storm so strong that one couldn’t open their eyes rushed in.
That storm pushed away the fog of demonic energy that had been swirling on the ground.
The ghostly flames shattered and collapsed as if destroyed, and the trees that had been entangled and obscuring the sky returned to their places.
‘Begone! Dark Heavens Scripture!’
Beneath the mask, ‘Yeon So-hyeon’s’ eyes opened wide.
The true energy of the Yangeuisimgong, which had reached its ‘peak,’ was pulsating madly as if alive.
‘It is I who will live my life and create my destiny!’
Yeon So-hyeon raised both hands and ‘tore off’ the mask covering his face.
The mask, which had clung to the end, refusing to fall off, clinging to the skin of his face.
That mask, symbolizing the Sovereign of Dark Heavens, finally tore off the skin of Yeon So-hyeon’s face before falling off.
‘I did not make a contract to be dominated by the likes of you!’
The countless ‘phantoms’ of vengeful spirits that had filled the surroundings began to scatter, screaming in unison.
[Aaaargh-!]
[Aaaaah-!]
Even the last phantom of the vengeful spirits shown by Dark Heavens Scripture disappeared.
In that place, only Yeon So-hyeon stood firm, his two feet planted on the earth.
“….”
Yeon So-hyeon looked up at the sky with his blood-soaked face.
The spring sky, once clear, was now slowly being draped by the sunset.
His truly superhuman willpower had once again suppressed Dark Heavens Scripture, the demonic creature of the ages.
The blood from the wounds on his skinned face stopped, and the wounds gradually healed.
“….”
He lowered his gaze and looked down at the great sinners of the world.
He looked at them, crawling on the ground like the most insignificant and filthy insects, with a gaze filled with contempt.
How should the punishment for the immense sins committed by these former patriarchs, who wielded great power, be carried out?
That was the greatest topic during Yeon So-hyeon’s time of endurance and suffering.
And the decision had already been made within him.
If he were to kill them on the spot like Yang O-dan, Dark Heavens Scripture would squeeze them with endless agony.
But that way…
‘It would be of no help to this world.’
Even if they suffered, it couldn’t satisfy those who had long since died and whose souls had scattered.
Even if they disappeared, it wouldn’t improve the lives of those currently living, whose every moment was like hell.
“Young Master.”
Jung-ah, the head maid who had approached at some point, draped Yeon So-hyeon’s black hemp outer robe over his shoulders.
She was the one who had touched the acupoint of the butler who was receiving guests and monitoring her in order to attend to her master, and had used the blind spots of the guards at the residence.
“…!”
“…!”
Startled by her appearance, the former patriarchs frantically looked around and at each other.
Although all the scenery they had seen had already returned to normal.
Although the blood that had been splashed all over their bodies had already been absorbed by Dark Heavens Scripture.
The sight of the destroyed garden remained the same.
The empty space left by one person who had disappeared among them felt chillingly real.
It still seemed as if Yang O-dan’s screams could be heard, the fishy smell of blood and flesh could be smelled, and the lukewarm sensation could be felt on their skin.
To them, Yeon So-hyeon spoke with a smile.
“Did you all have a good look at how I fine-tuned things?”
Looking at Yeon So-hyeon’s slowly healing skin, the former patriarchs nodded their heads like madmen.
“We saw it! We certainly did!”
He continued to speak with his characteristic calmness and shamelessness.
“I hope there won’t be a need for me to fine-tune things like this again next time.”
“Of course! There shouldn’t be any need!”
Yeon So-hyeon chuckled.
The former patriarchs laughed along with him.
“Ah, hahaha.”
“Haha….”
Only then did they realize that they were rolling on the ground, and they stood up clumsily.
Yeon So-hyeon slowly crossed his arms and looked at them.
How did they understand the story recited by the Sovereign of Dark Heavens?
“Ha, haha. Indeed, when the Young Master told us not to, we shouldn’t have even dreamed of something like war.”
“Absolutely. Indeed.”
“We shouldn’t have let Yang O-dan boast about himself and hold the command baton in the imperial palace.”
“Of course. That bastard should have borne the ‘responsibility for the defeat,’ haha.”
“From the beginning, the command should have been handed over to the Northern Commander-in-Chief during the early stages of the war….”
“To think that such a person would not appreciate the grace of Young Master, who gave him this good opportunity again, and already plot behind his back. Tsk tsk.”
‘As expected.’
Yeon So-hyeon shook his head inwardly.
‘They are incapable of feeling how many people suffered because of their actions.’
Whether it was innate or acquired, these people lacked empathy.
That’s why they…
They believed that Yeon So-hyeon had executed Yang O-dan, holding him responsible for the defeat in the Northern War that Yeon So-hyeon had told them not to pursue, and for the sin of having ulterior motives behind his back today.
‘They can’t even feel guilty before repenting for their sins.’
It was as Yeon So-hyeon had expected.
And it was more convenient that way.
“Haha! Oh my. Although that bastard was old, he was still someone who had reached a realm, but Young Master’s divine might is remarkable!”
The former patriarch of the Ak family, a military household like the Yang family, burst into a forced hearty laughter.
“Moreover, to read the celestial energy and see into people’s hearts….”
“Indeed. Only with that much can one demonstrate such a strategy imbued with unparalleled wit.”
While saying that, they sent timid glances at Yeon So-hyeon, as if seeking some kind of answer.
“Hmm. According to my reading of the celestial energy, the Yang family and the Min family will soon announce their engagement and declare an alliance.”
Of course, it was a fact from his memories of his previous life.
“Indeed….”
“Is that so?”
The old horses cleared their throats and nodded their heads.
That crucial decision between powerful families wouldn’t change just because a former patriarch had ‘gone missing.’
They would watch and see if Yeon So-hyeon had truly looked into their hearts and read the celestial energy.
While the old horses exchanged words with each other, they never mentioned anything about the appearance Yeon So-hyeon had shown them.
Hadn’t they heard information about the Sovereign of Dark Heavens?
Even if they asked Yeon So-hyeon, it was clear they wouldn’t receive a proper answer, and there was no room for them to utilize this information.
And above all…
“With Young Master, we can definitely trust and follow the future plans.”
“Indeed, to prevent these many old men from acting selfishly and moving on their own, someone like Young Master is needed.”
“That divine might and those strategies! Truly a perfect fine-tuner, isn’t he? Hohoho.”
They had finished calculating that an Yeon So-hyeon who was also Sovereign of Dark Heavens would be a more reliable and beneficial ally than an Yeon So-hyeon who was merely strategic.
Even if the other party was not the Sovereign of Dark Heavens but an even greater demon, they would immediately join hands if their interests were guaranteed.
Although the fear of the Sovereign of Dark Heavens was deeply ingrained in their subconscious minds, their behavioral principles and personalities remained unchanged.
‘Just like during the time with Dong Ga-hyu.’
It was the same result as what he had already confirmed during the time of the Northern War merchant Dong Ga-hyu.
“Now, now. Quiet, everyone! Young Master has already brought us many benefits.”
“That’s right. Now it’s our turn to fulfill what Young Master desires.”
Everyone agreed, looking at Yeon So-hyeon with smiles full of goodwill.
“Then, first…”
Yeon So-hyeon’s mouth opened.
“Before I tell you my demands, let’s discuss how to deal with the former patriarch of the Yang family, who has ‘gone missing for unknown reasons.'”
Yeon So-hyeon gave his first ‘order’ to them.
“Of course!”
At those words, the old horses began to discuss how to handle and utilize the disappearance, flicking their tongues.
“Since one of the managers is gone, our influence will also grow.”
“Excellent.”
To them, Yang O-dan was already a discarded existence, and no one had any regrets.
“Then, if we handle this like this…”
“If we do that, it will move like this…”
Rather, they were preoccupied with finding ways to punish the Yang family, which had joined hands with the Min family.
‘It’s like watching old hunting dogs happily tearing apart the corpse of a former companion.’
As twilight fell, the old horses presented their established strategies to Yeon So-hyeon.
Yeon So-hyeon readily agreed.
“An excellent strategy.”
Originally, it was a deal where Yeon So-hyeon would present the strategies, and they would listen to Yeon So-hyeon’s requests.
But they were already voluntarily handling tasks that Yeon So-hyeon didn’t need to do, taking the initiative themselves.
It was not just to make a deal with Yeon So-hyeon to seek power, but to voluntarily step up to maintain a relationship overflowing with sincerity and devotion.
“Now, next…”
Yeon So-hyeon began to convey his instructions to his ‘hunting dogs.’
The old hunting dogs gathered together and listened attentively to their master’s instructions.
“These are the things you can do until you leave Luoyang.”
The instructions were delivered.
Everyone nodded their heads.
“Of course, we should at least do that much.”
“That way, Young Master will be even more satisfied with this deal and provide even better strategies in the future, right?”
Everyone agreed, showing good-natured smiles.
Just by looking at their expressions, no one could tell what had happened here a moment ago.
***
The empty courtyard of the Gongsun family.
Yeon So-hyeon boarded the steel horse carriage opened by Jung-ah.
“Then, I’ll be relying on you in the future as well.”
Yeon So-hyeon spoke through the open door, seated.
“Oh my, we should be the ones relying on you.”
“It’s getting dark, so please take care on your way back.”
The former patriarchs all clasped their hands and bowed their heads in unison.
It was an unprecedentedly polite attitude.
Who could recall their appearance from a few hours ago, when they were reprimanding and trying to tear down Yeon So-hyeon, seeing this?
“Ah, and…”
Everyone looked at Yeon So-hyeon with puzzled faces.
“The matters I mentioned should be started right away, right?”
The old horses, who were exhausted and drained of physical and mental strength, thinking of resting immediately, raised their heads.
“Of course!”
“Is there any other way?!”
As Yeon So-hyeon’s carriage passed through the main gate, they briefly exchanged glances.
“I’ll leave Luoyang right away to accomplish what you said.”
“Indeed. I need to see the Hanam Province Branch Manager.”
“Then, I should meet with the Luoyang Branch Manager.”
“Young Master said that the Gong family will have the Luoyang Branch Manager and high-ranking officials of Luoyang on standby.”
“Good. Then come with me at once!”
Their chests swelled with the thought of immediately displaying their power to their subordinates.
And they were drooling in anticipation of the greater influence that would arise as a result of their actions.
Yeon So-hyeon’s fourteen old hunting dogs began to run.
***
After destroying the Black Bone Faction, Yeon So-hyeon had said this to Se-ah, the Crescent Moon Pavilion Mistress.
‘It doesn’t matter what form I take. Whether it’s the Swordless Yeon So-hyeon, Young Master Yeon So-hyeon, or Sovereign of Dark Heavens.’
He had made a deal with Dark Heavens Scripture to fulfill his responsibilities and carry out his duties.
‘Since I have decided to fulfill my duties, everyone with responsibility must take responsibility.’
And that was why he had rejected the path of destruction led by Dark Heavens Scripture.
He was still rejecting it now.
‘Responsibility.’
The former patriarchs of the Imperial Sixteen Families would also be held responsible by Yeon So-hyeon.
From now on, they would not question Yeon So-hyeon’s instructions.
They would simply move according to Yeon So-hyeon’s purposes and directions.
‘They will now dedicate the rest of their lives to me.’
Their power would be used by Yeon So-hyeon to change the world.
And the more they changed the world, the greater the influence and reputation of Young Master Yeon So-hyeon would grow.
Without compassion or guilt, they would atone to the world without even realizing it.
Until the very last moment when they would meet their end at Yeon So-hyeon’s hands.
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