The Ruler of Darkness

Book 8: Chapter 13

A middle-aged woman exhaled smoke and raised her hand holding a cigarette to Yeon So-hyeon.

“Young Master. Before we begin, I have a question.”

Yeon So-hyeon, seated at the head, extended his hand to her.

“Go ahead.”

“Everyone here is a representative of different businesses, but we have one thing in common – we’re all related to the trade route connecting Jiangnan and Luoyang.”

That’s why they were interested in acquiring the Lee family’s business, Yeongwa Trading Company.

She glanced around as she spoke.

“While none of us here have direct relations with Eight Heavenly Kings yet, and haven’t joined hands with the Second Young Master of the Sword House…”

“To begin with, none of you here belong to families based in Luoyang.”

Her eyes narrowed.

“Depending on circumstances, these are people who could ally with the Second Young Master and turn their blades on you at any time. Moreover, you can’t operate Yeongwa Trading Company yourself.”

The middle-aged woman took a drag from her cigarette, then slowly exhaled the smoke as she spoke.

“In that case…”

Her snake-like gaze didn’t waver from Yeon So-hyeon for a moment.

“Rather than paying an enormous sum to acquire Yeongwa Trading Company from you, wouldn’t it be better to ally with the Second Young Master instead, and seize the territories and trade routes held by Yeongwa Trading Company with his permission?”

The Lee family no longer had any power anyway.

It was obvious that the Second Young Master would allow new forces joining in place of the Lee family to devour Yeongwa Trading Company.

“And one more thing.”

The middle-aged woman’s tongue briefly traced her lips, stained with deep red rouge.

“If the problem is concerns about getting involved in the Sword House’s succession struggle…”

She raised her hand to indicate those around her.

“We could simply join forces among our businesses here, without going through either you or the Second Young Master, and take Yeongwa Trading Company’s territories and trade routes for ourselves.”

It was uncomfortable, but true.

“…Ahem.”

The representatives avoided Yeon So-hyeon’s eyes.

Some cleared their throats, some slowly nodded, others stroked their beards.

Having snatched prey from a wolf’s mouth, now the snakes were slithering in.

As expected of those who each had a foot in Eight Heavenly Kings’s territory, their thoughts were no different from vipers and scorpions.

“Indeed, an interesting story.”

Yeon So-hyeon nodded with an impassive face.

“If you were to do that, it would certainly be possible to snatch Yeongwa Trading Company from my hands and divide it among yourselves.”

Someone raised their hand slightly and interjected.

“…So if you could adjust the price more reasonably, I believe we could have a peaceful transaction.”

At those words, everyone shared cunning smiles inwardly.

That had been their aim from the start.

Not to ally with the Second Young Master and get involved in the Luoyang Sword House’s succession struggle, nor to pay full price to buy Yeongwa Trading Company from the Eldest Young Master.

Forming an alliance to oppose the Eldest Young Master was also tricky, as it was uncertain who might stab them in the back.

If they could devour Yeongwa Trading Company cheaply, that would be the best option.

“That would be somewhat difficult.”

Yeon So-hyeon shook his head.

“There’s no need for the Eldest Young Master to insist on protecting Yeongwa Trading Company, going so far as to oppose us in this situation-“

Yeon So-hyeon cut off those words.

“I don’t need to oppose you. If you join forces, you’ll eventually take everything anyway.”

“Then why-“

“But I guarantee you this.”

Yeon So-hyeon crossed his legs and sank deep into his chair.

“The family of whoever makes the first move to target Yeongwa Trading Company in my possession…”

He raised his chin and looked at the audience with an aloof gaze.

“I will personally reduce that family to the same state as the Lee family.”

“…….”

The smoke drifting through the room seemed to freeze in place.

Yeon So-hyeon didn’t display even a hint of artificial pressure or killing intent.

He didn’t need to show any pressure or killing intent.

“When that happens, at the next meeting like this, along with Yeongwa Trading Company, the trading company of the family I’ve crushed will also be up for sale.”

He simply met the gaze of each person in the audience calmly and arrogantly.

None of them dared to properly meet Yeon So-hyeon’s eyes.

“Would anyone like to try crossing blades with me?”

Everyone remained silent.

“…….”

Certainly, until yesterday, such words would not have worked on these representatives of powerful families.

But today, everything had changed.

When Yeon So-hyeon moved, the magistrates of the Cheong family, who cared only for honor, moved.

Though still unbelievable, it was becoming clear that the entire Gong family, one of the Sixteen Families of the Imperial Capital, stood behind the Eldest Young Master.

The Lee family, which had flaunted its power by fearlessly challenging the Eldest Young Master of the Luoyang Sword House, was shattered overnight.

The Yeongwa Trading Company they were now aiming to purchase was no different from the still-warm corpse of the Lee family.

“…Ouch!”

Someone hastily shook their hand.

They hadn’t realized their cigarette had completely burned down between their fingers.

With that single cry, the air in the room, which had been frozen like a million-year-old glacier, began to flow again.

Murmurs started.

“…The Eldest Young Master has certainly demonstrated his abilities this time.”

“Even if we united, no one would dare bare their fangs at the Eldest Young Master first after hearing such words.”

“To begin with, would any family even try to form a united front after hearing that?”

Yeon So-hyeon only opened his mouth after giving them sufficient time to exchange opinions.

“If one family swallows Yeongwa Trading Company whole, they might incur the resentment of that Second Young Master bastard.”

The whispered conversations ceased, and naturally, everyone’s attention turned to Yeon So-hyeon.

“It’s obvious things would become troublesome if Eight Heavenly Kings, at his request, blocked the trade routes they had gone to the trouble of acquiring.”

Yeon So-hyeon smiled as he looked at the audience.

“That’s why I’m selling Yeongwa Trading Company divided by region.”

While it might be possible to block one family, it would be impossible to block all the trade routes of multiple families that had partially purchased Yeongwa Trading Company.

Those trade routes were like arteries bringing wealth from the north to Eight Heavenly Kings as well.

As everyone nodded at the Eldest Young Master’s strategy, the middle-aged woman who had asked the first question spoke up.

“Young Master.”

She stubbed out her cigarette and said,

“Please state your price.”

***

The family’s main house had been stripped bare.

The elders were detained, the family head had vanished, members in official positions had disappeared, and the trading company that was like the family’s roots was being sold off in pieces.

Originally, the term “destruction of the family” referred to a calamity where all members of a household were massacred.

Most members of the Lee family were still alive, but they were not truly living.

Having lost everything, only the resentment and hatred accumulated over long years remained as their family fortune.

Those who were mere small fry or had survived by sheer luck were hurriedly hiding and leaving Luoyang.

They would never again reveal their family name anywhere.

In the political streets of Luoyang, the following words began to circulate:

“The Lee family suffered destruction at the hands of the Sword House’s Young Master in less than half a day.”

The power players of Luoyang were all on high alert regarding the current situation.

***

And at the time when Young Master Yeon So-hyeon was dividing and disposing of Yeongwa Trading Company.

There were those running around as if their feet were on fire.

They were the powerful families who had allied with the Second Young Master of the Luoyang Sword House early on.

“Family Head! Family Head!”

At a powerful family’s main house in Luoyang.

An official in government robes appeared in the courtyard, calling for the family head with his lungs about to burst.

The elderly family head ran down to the courtyard himself to meet the man who came running in breathlessly, his official hat clutched in his hand.

“Y-yes! What is it? Is that rumor true?!”

It was hard to believe this was the same family head who usually valued propriety above all else.

“Yes, yes! The Lee family officials who should be preparing to leave their offices right now are nowhere to be seen!”

At those words, the family head with the surname Wang jumped up.

“Is that really true?! Not a single one was seen?!”

“How dare I lie to you, sir!”

The current official belonging to the Wang family nodded frantically.

“Not only are the Lee family’s current officials not visible, but no one will even talk about them! It’s as if they’re acting like they don’t know such people!”

“Th-this is…!”

The Wang family head clutched his forehead.

“Family Head! Family Head!”

Next, family members who had been sent out to gather information came running into the courtyard.

“It seems the Gong family did indeed make their move! Judging by the scale and speed of the operation, there’s no doubt the entire family was involved!”

“That Gong family, one of the Sixteen Families of the Imperial Capital!”

The Wang family head shouted angrily.

“Who doesn’t know the Gong family is one of the Sixteen Families?! That’s not the point, what’s important is why on earth they sided with the Eldest Young Master?! Didn’t the previous family heads of Northern Mang Mountain have different intentions from the main house in the capital?!”

Blood vessels stood out on the elderly family head’s neck, and spittle flew from his mouth.

“And what in the world did those Cheong family bastards eat to make them act like the Eldest Young Master’s hunting dogs?! Are you telling me you couldn’t find out a single thing properly?!”

As he raged, the family members bowed their heads, flustered.

Usually, they might curse inwardly, but the current situation wasn’t just the family head’s problem, so even they were at their wits’ end.

“What are you all doing?! Go back out and bring me proper information!”

The members ran back out of the courtyard without even catching their breath.

Watching them hurriedly board their carriages and leave through the main gate, the Wang family head’s gaze trembled with anxiety.

It felt like the Eldest Young Master’s iron fortress might break through that massive main gate at any moment.

“…….”

The fall of the Lee family had been too swift.

The other families allied with the Second Young Master hadn’t even had time to help.

That Young Master had disposed of a powerful family as quickly as roasting beans over a lightning fire.

They couldn’t just sit back and do nothing.

“…Prepare to depart! I must meet with the family head of the Jang family immediately!”

It was time to meet with their allies.

***

“Wh-what is this…?”

The Jang family was a powerful family allied with the Second Young Master’s faction, just like his Wang family. In front of the Jang family’s main gate, the Wang family head wore a bewildered expression.

The area in front of the Jang family’s main gate was bustling with people who looked like they were packing up their belongings to leave.

It was like watching a procession of refugees fleeing from an advancing enemy army.

“I’ll go find out what’s happening!”

The stewards who got out of the carriage first ran into the Jang family’s main house.

“Y-you there!”

The Wang family head spotted a familiar face through the carriage window and pointed, shouting.

“Aren’t you the one in charge of the Jang family’s large farm?!”

The expression of the person who turned at that shout immediately filled with embarrassment.

“Don’t pretend you don’t know me! Come here right now!”

The Jang family member sighed and approached the Wang family head.

To the Wang family head who demanded to know what was going on, he replied while glancing around cautiously.

“…It’s as you see. Everyone is packing up to leave Luoyang.”

“What about the Jang family head?! Where are the family’s senior members now?!”

“I don’t know. But they’re certainly not in the main house.”

His gaze turned to those carrying away the family’s assets carelessly.

The implication was clear – if the family head or senior members were present, would these people be able to act like this?

‘…Have they already left Luoyang?!’

Judging by the situation, it was clear they had disappeared as soon as they confirmed the Lee family’s destruction.

“Family Head! The Jang family head’s bedroom and office are already empty! There’s no one there!”

“None of the family head’s close aides can be seen anywhere!”

As he heard the stewards running back to report, the Wang family head leaned his head back.

‘…Is the battle line crumbling?’

One powerful family that should have been biting and tearing at Young Master Yeon So-hyeon mercilessly had deserted the front lines.

‘Is it time for me to make a decision too? Like the Jang family head…?’

He suddenly recalled the escape plan he had prepared for emergencies, but then shook his head roughly.

‘No!’

The war hadn’t even properly begun yet, and his family was still intact.

To choose flight without even fighting properly, abandoning all the reputation, wealth, and power built up until now…

‘Those foolish Jang bastards!’

It was unthinkable.

He shouted to his close aide sitting in the driver’s seat.

“Go to the Sword House immediately! To the Second Young Master’s camp!”

And at that moment.

Not just the Wang family’s carriage, but carriages carrying the heads of other families were also heading towards the Second Young Master’s camp.