The Ruler of Darkness

Book 6: Chapter 2

Luoyang Sword House.

Special-grade closed-door training hall.

A warrior entered the entrance of the closed-door training hall, trembling.

For a brief moment, the interior looked dark due to the dazzling afternoon sunlight.

However, as befitting a martial artist born with the talent to control qi, the interior came into clear view in the blink of an eye.

“This is the closed-door training hall…?”

In his memory, the closed-door training hall of a sect was just a fancy term for a cave in the mountains.

It definitely did not refer to a five-story pavilion tightly packed between two cliff faces.

“Incredible….”

At his muttered voice with an astonished expression, the woman guiding him smiled and said.

“This is a special-grade closed-door training hall, after all.”

“Ah…!”

“But the closed-door training halls used by regular warriors always receive high user ratings as well.”

“Ah, yes. I see….”

The two walked further inside along a corridor made of gleaming rocks.

“Hoho. It seems you haven’t gotten used to the main house yet.”

Even with the woman’s subtly condescending tone, the warrior, overwhelmed by the facility, could only nod his head.

“I only recently joined the Sword House, no, the main house after operating in the northern part of Gansu Province….”

It still felt unfamiliar to refer to the Sword House as the main house.

“Hoho. That’s right. You should call it the main house. The Kongtong Sect is also a part of our Luoyang Sword House.”

The warrior smiled bitterly.

“That’s right. The Kongtong Sect is now a part of the Sword House….”

“Not a part, but a family.”

“Yes, a family.”

He gave that answer, but it still felt unfamiliar to consider them as family or members.

The Kongtong Sect was nothing more than a subordinate sect of the Luoyang Sword House.

He felt embarrassed by the worn-out grip of his old sword for no reason.

It had been over a decade since the Kongtong Sect had been absorbed and dissolved by the Luoyang Sword House.

He had wandered around Gansu like a dandelion seed with only his master.

However, for them, who had no place to rely on and were unfamiliar with the ways of the world, making a living through “proper means” was never an easy task.

In the end, after his master’s passing, he chose to head to the Luoyang Sword House like the other members of the Kongtong Sect.

“Then, is this your first mission at the main house?”

The warrior, whose attention had been captivated by the sight of martial scholars leisurely sitting by the sunny window and having a dignified discussion, nodded his head.

“Yes. It’s my first mission.”

The woman, who had followed his gaze, smiled and explained.

“The closed-door training halls of the main house are staffed by martial scholars affiliated with the main house’s martial arts institute. They assist users in modifying martial arts to suit them.”

She shrugged her shoulders.

“Of course, since this is a special-grade facility, even more and better martial scholars are assigned here.”

The warrior’s steps unconsciously came to a halt.

“Did you say they tailor martial arts to the user…?”

From master to disciple.

And from that disciple to the next disciple.

The old righteous faction, which had staked its life on properly learning the form and meaning passed down through dozens of generations of martial arts, pouring everything into it.

That was the sacred tradition.

“Of course. How many people would be completely compatible with a martial art other than the one who created it?”

The woman scoffed at the tradition of the old righteous faction.

“For those with outstanding talent to be buried in the bad practices of the past….”

Her eyes flashed.

“The main house absolutely does not tolerate that.”

After showing a fierce smile, she turned around and walked along the corridor.

The shocked warrior followed the woman without saying a word.

“Remember.”

The woman opened the huge door in front of them.

“To those with outstanding talent, the main house generously provides unlimited resources.”

The financial power for that.

The political power for that.

The military power for that.

That was the Luoyang Sword House.

As the door opened and sunlight poured in, a wide open space between the cliffs was revealed.

It was a training ground.

“…!”

The warrior could first smell a clear fragrance.

The fragrance of spirit medicine was so pure that just smelling it made one’s energy stir.

Pharmacists wearing the famous Yao Xian Sect’s nameplate were carefully adjusting the equipment with serious expressions.

Beside them, doctors who seemed to be deployed in case of unexpected accidents were reading medical texts.

Along the edges of the training ground, individuals who had received the ‘same mission’ as the warrior himself were sitting with practice swords, taking a break.

And in the center.

The woman pointed to the center of the training ground.

“All of this exists for that person.”

A young woman engaged in a heated discussion with martial scholars.

A physique that could match an adult male in height and contained explosive and fierce energy that could be felt just by looking at her for a moment.

A presence that seemed to overwhelm and captivate those present with just the energy flowing faintly from her eyes.

The warrior swallowed his saliva at the unmistakable presence of one who had crossed the threshold.

“That person….”

The woman who had guided him smiled at the warrior’s words, having received his first mission as the sparring partner of that master.

“Yes. That person is none other than Yeon Seo-rin, the heaven’s seamless clothes, renowned throughout the Central Plains, 2nd Young Miss and pride of the Luoyang Sword House.”

***

A short while later, mealtime.

Sword Maiden Yeon Seo-rin was having a meal with her dedicated maids.

“Ugh…, spirit medicine food. Tasteless. So tasteless.”

As if revealing her straightforward personality, she was sitting in the most comfortable posture and eating rice.

Of course, it was a behavior possible because it was a place where others could not enter.

One of the dedicated maids said with a smile.

“Don’t sneakily spill it, chew it all thoroughly without leaving anything behind.”

Another dedicated maid also said with a smile.

“If you deliberately spill it, we’ll collect everything that falls on the floor and make you eat it again.”

“We won’t go easy on you just because it gets mixed with dust.”

2nd Young Miss looked at the maids with a displeased expression, feeling the strong bitterness that rose with each chew.

“Don’t go around saying you’ve been with me for a lifetime, serving me.”

“Rather than that….”

The dedicated maids ignored her words cleanly with their usual smiles.

“What did you think of that new warrior who just entered?”

“He said he had experienced real battles in the martial world for a long time, and his aura was quite fierce, right?”

2nd Young Miss forcibly swallowed the food and answered.

“Ah, that swordsman from the Kongtong Sect?”

Then she soon shook her head.

“I called him thinking he might have learned the Gongdong’s secret techniques since he had started from nothing and survived for a long time in the harsh northern Gansu….”

She smacked her lips.

“But he was nothing special.”

At her words, the dedicated maids smiled wryly.

“To call a human hunter who killed several demon heads in Gansu nothing special.”

“He was a skilled fighter who lived on bounties alone for over a decade after the Kongtong Sect was practically dissolved.”

2nd Young Miss shrugged her shoulders.

“Nothing special is nothing special.”

The Gongdong swordsman had shown a dumbfounded expression after the sparring, but the one who was more disappointed was actually her.

“…Well, his sense seemed quite useful though. Rather than the Gongdong’s martial arts, it seemed better for him to learn the modified Wuxiang Sword Form of Mount Heng. No, if we consider his constitution, it might be better for him to learn the main house’s Sword Heart Sword Sound….”

Seeing 2nd Young Miss immersed in her own martial arts world as usual, the maids exchanged glances and let out small sighs.

“A martial arts idiot as always….”

“Is she now taking care of other people’s training instead of her own?”

When 2nd Young Miss seemed to have no intention of returning from her own world for a while, the dedicated maids began to chat among themselves.

“Come to think of it, did you hear?”

“Are you talking about those people who are scheduled to visit the main house soon?”

The two looked at each other with meaningful expressions and shouted in unison.

“Daseollang!”

They giggled and kicked their feet while sitting in their chairs.

“Maybe a Daseollang branch will open in Luoyang!”

“Then maybe Daseollang’s accessories will be supplied to the main house too…?!”

“Then maybe we, as 2nd Young Miss’s dedicated maids, can get at least one…?!”

Amidst the commotion, 2nd Young Miss came to her senses and looked at them.

“What’s Daseollang…?”

There was no way 2nd Young Miss, who only knew martial arts and simply went along with what others prepared for her, would know about Daseollang.

“How…?”

But at that question, the dedicated maids looked at their master with disbelieving eyes.

“You don’t know about Daseollang right now…?”

And a storm of explanations and praises about Daseollang was relentlessly poured onto 2nd Young Miss.

“I get it! I said I get it!”

Unable to endure it any longer, 2nd Young Miss covered her ears and shouted.

“I was wrong! I said I was wrong!”

The two dedicated maids scolded her for a long time before letting her go.

They left the dazed Sword Maiden alone and continued chatting among themselves.

“Come to think of it, I heard Daseollang has been showing interest in the art field these days.”

“That’s right. Those who have elevated the world of accessories to the realm of art by discovering unknown artisans are now showing interest in real art!”

“Ooh. I wonder what kind of new trend they will bring to the art world…!”

“That’s why they accepted the invitation from the young master, who is one of the most famous artists not only in Luoyang but in the entire Central Plains…!”

It was a slip of the tongue.

Even though the other dedicated maid hurriedly covered her mouth, the words that had already slipped out had reached Princess[[Actually the word Princess here comes from 공녀 (gong-nyeo) which means, if by historically, a term referring to tribute princess sent to other nations as means of strengthening diplomatic relations.][] Lee’s ears.

“What did you say…?”

The dedicated maid who had covered the other maid’s mouth answered, breaking out in a cold sweat.

“No, no. No, it’s not. It was just a simple slip of the tongue. I meant to say the 4th Young Master, but I misspoke.”

As soon as she removed her hand covering the other maid’s mouth, the maid who had misspoken also hurriedly nodded.

“That’s right. I meant to say the 4th Young Master. The 4th Young Master invited Daseollang.”

“Do I look like a fool to you?”

Veins bulged on 2nd Young Miss’s hand.

“Yeon-bi. That guy just fiddles with poisons, he’s not the most famous artist in the Central Plains.”

The untouched table began to shake as if an earthquake had struck, and teacups toppled over.

“Tell me.”

The dedicated maids had no choice but to nod.

***

“So-hyun, that child ended his seclusion?!”

The dedicated maids lowered their heads, unable to say a word.

“Are you saying no one told me about it?!”

2nd Young Miss, who had been pacing around the room, picked up her practice sword.

“I need to go see him, even if it’s now.”

Then the two dedicated maids hurriedly stood up and stopped her.

“No, you can’t, Young Mistress!”

“If you break your seclusion and leave, the Guardian Commander will issue a reprimand!”

2nd Young Miss’s steps came to a halt.

“Master will…?”

The dedicated maids tried their best to dissuade her.

“He ordered everyone in this closed-door training hall to never let the Young Mistress out!”

2nd Young Miss spoke with her back turned.

“…And he must have also ordered not to let any news of my younger brother reach my ears.”

The dedicated maids couldn’t answer.

“This time, I will disobey Master’s order.”