The Ruler of Darkness

The twin sisters, Third Young Lady and Fourth Young Lady, were able to get answers to all the questions they had initially brought.

Second Young Lady Yeon Seo-rin had sincerely answered their questions.

Now it was time to leave.

“…”

But for some reason, it was difficult to take a step.

The twin sisters felt their curiosity about their big brother, Eldest Young Master Yeon So-hyeon, grow even more.

Second Young Lady Yeon Seo-rin gave a wry smile to the sisters who had finished their greetings but weren’t moving their feet.

“If you’re that curious, why don’t you go and meet him in person?”

The startled sisters shook their heads at those words.

“W-We can’t directly go meet our big brother! That would be seen as us siding with him.”

“It’s impossible. The Business Support Group must maintain political neutrality.”

Even these young children had to mention political neutrality just to meet their brother.

The children just wanted to directly see and know the appearance of their blood relative they had forgotten about, but even that was difficult.

Yeon Seo-rin felt a bitter taste rising within her as she once again felt disillusioned with such a clan.

“Hmm. But from what I’ve heard from you two, it seems the Business Support Group’s scale is currently leaning towards 2nd Young Master’s side?”

However, she didn’t show any of those feelings and instead spoke words of persuasion for her cute little sisters who wanted to see their big brother.

“That’s…”

“Indeed, it seems certain that the First Support Division has colluded with 2nd Young Master’s side.”

“But if we Young Ladies move, won’t it escalate?”

Yeon Seo-rin showed her usual refreshing smile.

“Didn’t you say you were temporarily members of the First Support Division?”

She winked at her sisters.

“It wouldn’t be strange for you to visit the Valley of Sin that the First Support Division is involved in and meet the person in charge there.”

“Ooh!” the twin sisters exclaimed simultaneously.

“T-That’s right!”

“Ahem,” Third Young Lady Yeon Da-eun cleared her throat as if it couldn’t be helped.

“If it’s like that, we have no choice.”

“The Head of the Business Support Group would also think it’s natural if it’s for that reason.”

With a heartfelt smile, Yeon Seo-rin stretched out her large hand and patted her sisters’ heads.

“Ah, aah?!”

“Is this sudden violence?”

Yeon Seo-rin, who had awkwardly withdrawn her hand, cleared her throat.

“Ahem. My teacher will be returning soon. It would be best for you to leave before then.”

It was evident from the anxious glances the training hall master, who had let them in without permission, had been giving them from a distance.

“C-Captain of the Guards?!”

Although Yeon Seo-rin’s teacher, the Captain of the Guards, was also an aunt to the twin sisters, they fidgeted at the mere mention of her.

“T-Then Sister! I hope we can see you again soon!”

“Take care of your precious body…”

They observed the situation for a moment, then gathered their courage and took turns giving their second sister a light hug.

“…Thank you.”

Yeon Seo-rin felt a tingling sensation in her nose.

“You’re going through a lot because of the incompetent adults.”

The twin sisters shook their heads at Yeon Seo-rin’s words.

“You’re the one who’s going through a lot, Sister.”

“We’re also from the Yeon Clan, but there’s no one we like among those called the Yeon Clan bloodline.”

At their words, Yeon Seo-rin’s eyes widened.

“If they bother you too much, don’t think about the consequences and just beat them all up!”

“We’ll support you then too.”

It was a reference to the darkness that loomed over the Yeon Clan bloodline of the Luoyang Sword House, and also about the chains that bound Second Young Lady Yeon Seo-rin by those who called themselves her relatives from the same clan.

She thought these little sisters were too young to know these heavy and dark facts.

‘Right. The cleverness of these children has always been famous.’

Yeon Seo-rin, who had initially shown a slightly perplexed expression at their words, gave a wry smile.

“…You don’t need to worry about me.”

Any further mention might seem like disrespecting Cheon Yi-mubong Yeon Seo-rin, so the twin sisters politely paid their respects to her.

“…”

The Third Young Lady’s footsteps suddenly stopped as she walked away from Yeon Seo-rin.

“Did you think of a new question?”

Third Young Lady Yeon Da-eun carefully looked back at Yeon Seo-rin.

Fourth Young Lady Yeon Da-hye had also stopped walking.

“Um, Sister…”

Yeon Da-eun, looking at Yeon Seo-rin, seemed vulnerable as if she might break at any moment.

She hesitated after trying to speak several times.

Yeon Seo-rin waited for her words with a gentle expression without urging her.

Finally, Fourth Young Lady Yeon Da-hye asked,

“…Will our big brother be happy to see us?”

Yeon Seo-rin nodded with the greatest possible confidence and a large, definite gesture.

“Of course.”

***

Only Yeon Seo-rin was left in the outdoor training yard again.

The faces of the twin sisters who had left were bright.

Their footsteps were noticeably lighter, and they ran out as if using lightfoot technique.

“…Cute brats.”

They were like a small whirlwind.

Yeon Seo-rin, who had laughed after recalling their appearances, picked up the real sword she had placed beside her.

An old and time-worn long sword.

It didn’t have any particularly fancy decorations or unique shapes.

It was a sword that only embodied practicality, and the only unique feature was that it was very well-maintained.

However, unlike its simple appearance, anyone who knew the original owner of that sword would be surprised to know it was a famous sword in the world.

“…Father.”

That sword belonged to the Grand Supreme Patriarch.

She brought the hilt of the sword to her forehead and recalled her father and teacher.

“…When will I be able to reach that ‘One Sword’?”

***

Luoyang, old downtown.

The House of Compassion branch where the headquarters of the Fairy Sect was located.

The branch was bustling with the poor receiving help as always, but there was no one coming and going where the two individuals were waiting.

“Hmm…”

The large man had been fidgeting and straightening his attire for a while.

“Ah! Stop being so impatient, seriously. Just stay still…”

The girl with a striking beauty kicked the man’s shin.

It was a merciless kick infused with internal energy.

“Argh…”

The man grabbed his shin with one hand and hopped in place.

He wanted to rub it vigorously with both hands to relieve the pain, but unfortunately, he only had one hand left.

But fortunately, thanks to his cultivation, the pain subsided quickly.

“You damn brat. When meeting the Eldest Young Master of the Clan, if you don’t pay attention to your attire first, do you think he’ll take us seriously?”

The girl clicked her tongue.

“Stupid. The Eldest Young Master runs this House of Compassion, do you think he’ll judge a person’s first impression based on something like attire?”

“Ah, that’s true.”

The man scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed expression.

Seeing him like that, the girl clicked her tongue again.

“…Sheesh. To think a guy like this is my assistant.”

At those words, the man flared up.

“Not an assistant, but a business partner!”

“If it weren’t for a girl as big-hearted as me, do you think anyone would have accepted an unemployed guy like you who lost an arm?”

“If it weren’t for a man as big-hearted as me, do you think I would have partnered with a lunatic like you?”

The two people, who seemed like mortal enemies, bared their teeth and growled at each other, but only for a moment.

Their professional instincts kicked in, and they soon began looking around and observing their surroundings.

“It’s different from the House of Compassion I know. Were the facilities of the House of Compassion this good? Or is it because this branch has the headquarters?”

The girl shook her head.

“No. I had been here before, but the facilities weren’t this clean. This must have been recently renovated.”

The House of Compassion they knew would rather use the insufficient funds to help one more poor person than to repair old facilities.

However, the House of Compassion they were seeing now had been neatly renovated to the point where it was difficult to find the parts that had collapsed and crumbled.

“But that doesn’t mean they’ve neglected helping the poor.”

“Rather, it seems the number of people in the House of Compassion has noticeably increased.”

Not only had the number of people increased, but their attire and medical equipment also seemed to be of better quality than before.

The two soon reached the same conclusion.

“…As expected, it’s the influence of that person called the Eldest Young Master.”

“There’s no other way to explain it.”

The Eldest Young Master of the Luoyang Sword House, who had ended his seclusion, showed terrifying moves as if his previous silence had been a lie.

Just the actions he showed in a single day yesterday were enough to spread rumors throughout Luoyang.

“…I hope he cooperates with us, as the Mistress of the Crescent Moon Pavilion said.”

The “us” the man mentioned naturally referred to the Spring of Luoyang.

“Because among the powerful, those who can become our comrades are rarer than spirit beasts…”

The girl gave a wry smile.

Why would someone with vested interests be eager to join hands with them, who wanted to change the existing order?

The man raised his hand and stroked his short beard.

“But if he’s the son of the Fairy of Medicine, runs this House of Compassion, and opposes that damn bastard 2nd Young Master, maybe we can at least talk to him and have some expectations.”

Their expectations for Eldest Young Master Yeon So-hyeon were not very high.

If some members within the Spring of Luoyang hadn’t strongly recommended him, they might have come individually, but they wouldn’t have come representing the Spring of Luoyang like this.

“…I hope he’s at least half as good as we’ve heard.”

The girl made a peculiar expression at the man’s words.

“Hmm. I have a really good feeling about this. I smell a jackpot from that person called the Eldest Young Master.”

The man openly showed a dissatisfied expression at her words.

“The last time you said that, we both nearly died getting caught up in the succession struggle of the underworld…”

Another merciless kick landed on his shin.

As the man was holding his shin and groaning, the door to the room they were in opened.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

It was a beauty who made the room feel brighter the moment she entered.

“…?”

As her unusually pale eyes and gaze met, the man who had been holding his shin abruptly stood up.

“Hahaha. Ah, hello. I am…”

At that moment, the girl shouted,

“Aaah?! You are…?!”

Jung-ah’s appearance was so distinctive that it was harder to forget her once you saw her, so it was natural for the girl to recognize her.

Jung-ah also recognized the girl and smiled.

“Ah! You’re the swordswoman who lent me the gauntlets back then. I owe you a lot from that time.”

Jung-ah had received the gauntlets from the girl and had used them well in the battle with the head.

“Oh, no. You saved us when we were trapped in the formation back then, so we should be the ones thanking you.”

The two, who had met in the final battle with the Black Bone Faction in the past, were reunited like this.

“…But were you a member of the House of Compassion? Your attire back then didn’t seem like you belonged to the House of Compassion at all.”

At the girl’s words, Jung-ah covered her mouth and smiled.

“No. I am Jung-ah, the Chief Maidservant who serves the Eldest Young Master of the Luoyang Sword House.”

“What?! The Chief Maidservant of the Eldest Young Master?! Then why were you in such a place back then?!”

The girl, surprised by her identity, asked with rabbit-like eyes.

“The Mistress of the Crescent Moon Pavilion, Se-ah, is my older sister.”

At those words, the girl understood.

“Ah, that’s how it was…! You were looking for your older sister, the Mistress of the Crescent Moon Pavilion, back then.”

The girl, who had been nodding her head, realized that she hadn’t introduced herself and had only been asking questions.

“Ah! My apologies. Let me introduce ourselves…”

The girl was about to clasp her hands together to greet her, but feeling her business partner being too quiet, she looked to the side.

“…”

The girl let out a small sigh at the stupid face of the man who was staring at Jung-ah as if enchanted with a blank gaze.

Another strong kick to the shin.

“We are Su-ran and…”

Enduring the pain rising from his shin, the man greeted,

“Guard Ho-wi, who have come to see the Eldest Young Master.”

Jung-ah received their greetings with utmost elegance.

“The reputation of you two, known as the grievance solvers of the slums and the last hope for the common people, is famous even in the main family.”

Jung-ah took a step back and pointed outside.

“Now, let’s go. My master, the Eldest Young Master, has welcomed your visit.”

The grievance solvers who listened to the grievances of the poor.

The two eccentric individuals belonging to the Spring of Luoyang followed behind Jung-ah.

‘Come to think of it…’

The girl, Su-ran, thought.

Meeting Jung-ah, she couldn’t help but recall that day, the final battle with the Black Bone Faction.

And when she thought of that day, she naturally remembered the unforgettable existence, even if she tried to forget.

‘The Sovereign of Dark Heavens.’

The indescribable being who brought the night and held a banquet of blood and slaughter.

The being who seemed to have come out of myths or legends, who carried out divine punishment on earth in place of the indifferent heavens.

‘If such a being were to be on our side, it would be incredibly reassuring…’

She couldn’t even imagine that the Sovereign of Dark Heavens and the Eldest Young Master they were going to meet now were the same person.

‘No, no. According to my intuition, the Eldest Young Master is definitely a jackpot too.’

Guided by Jung-ah, they walked without hesitation through the passage leading down to the Great Underground Waterway.