The Ruler of Darkness

Book 8: Chapter 7

The Lee family was originally a prominent clan in Luoyang that began to rise to power with the founding of the current Central Plains Kingdom.

In the past, during the previous dynasty, their family was registered in Jiangxi Province and had long maintained good relations with the Four Heavenly Kings.

Thus, their family accumulated capital based on land-based commerce with the Jiangnan region (south of the Yangtze River), and produced numerous officials, mainly in local Luoyang government positions.

It was only natural that they formed an alliance with Young Master Lee, who was backed by that Four Heavenly Kings.

Showcasing the might of a powerful Luoyang family, the Lee clan’s meeting pavilion was built over a pond and was extravagantly opulent.

And members of the Lee clan were gathering in that pavilion moment by moment.

“So, how are those brats doing?”

As it was the middle of the workday, most of those occupying the meeting seats were retired elders of the family.

“According to the physician, both of their lives are not in danger.”

The “brats” referred to by the elders puffing on long pipes were the district chief of Cheonghak District and his security captain.

It was a form of address only possible for elders.

“That is…”

As the young family member trailed off, the elders clicked their tongues.

They only expressed regret at the loss of influential figures in the family, showing no sympathy for the district chief and security captain as individuals.

“This is actually for the best.”

When one of the Lee clan elders spoke while tapping the ash from his pipe, everyone nodded in agreement.

“With this, our Lee family has gained a justification to properly attack that Eldest Young Master before any other family.”

“By now, other families associated with Young Master Lee must be envying our family.”

“I wish I could see the faces of those On clan bastards right now, what a shame.”

“The On bastards must be shitting themselves now.”

They cackled, bringing up the On clan, who were similarly aligned with Young Master Lee and were their competitors.

“But that Eldest Young Master is unbelievable. No matter how angry he was, to assault a high-ranking official and attack government troops?”

“This is all because that Eldest Young Master brat is young.”

“His blood must have rushed to his head because the orphanage he cherishes was attacked, right?”

“Ahem.”

The more cautious elders immediately voiced their opinions, refuting the optimistic view.

“But we must not underestimate that fellow. Don’t forget that for whatever reason, he was roaming around North Mang Mountain yesterday.”

“Didn’t Young Master Lee’s side give several warnings?”

“I heard that even within the political circles of the sword families, the rumors about that fellow were very ominous. We must not let our guard down.”

“I heard that several influential families also helped at the fire scene in the Valley of Sin last night.”

At these words, even those who had been gleefully rejoicing at gaining justification quickly sobered their expressions.

Their accumulated experience was not insignificant enough for them to continue underestimating their opponent even after hearing cautionary arguments.

“Whatever we say, in the end, what we can do is to cling to our justification until the very end.”

“As long as we don’t let our guard down and slack off in our offensive, it should be enough to at least disrupt that Eldest Young Master brat’s movements.”

They continued their discussion on which families to cooperate with and how to pressure the Eldest Young Master.

As they had lived their entire lives in political machinations, all sorts of methods to utilize their justification soon poured out.

“Head of the family. Why are you staying so silent?”

While everyone was puffing on their pipes and plotting schemes against the Eldest Young Master, one elder asked the family head.

It was because the Lee family head, who had also retired from active duty like them, had been quiet all this time.

“…Something feels suspicious.”

As the family head opened his mouth, everyone’s gazes focused on him.

“What feels suspicious?”

“the Eldest Young Master.”

He was about to continue speaking.

“In my opinion, for that sword family’s Young Master to give up justification this easily-“

At that moment, a thunderous boom and vibration rang out as if a thunderbolt had struck.

****

The main gate of the Lee family’s mansion disappeared.

The gate, shattered into pieces and scattered, raised a cloud of dust like smoke, and through that dust cloud, an iron-clad carriage revealed itself.

“——!!”

Two spirit beasts let out long howls as if boasting about the scene of destruction they had created.

The sight seemed to prove what the head maid Hyang had said last night in the Valley of Sin: “With an iron fortress, it’s possible to break through buildings blocking the way.”

“What in the world is going on?! What on earth is that thing?!”

The elders, forgetting their age, ran to the main gate in one breath and shouted at the top of their lungs, pointing at the iron fortress with its empty driver’s seat.

“What are you all doing?! Subdue those hideous beasts immediately!”

“Whoever is riding in it, drag them out!”

As soon as the gate was destroyed, a state of emergency was declared in the Lee family’s mansion, and the warriors and armed servants who were always on standby began to surround the iron fortress.

“No, that’s…!”

One of the elders who joined late suddenly recalled an old memory upon seeing the iron fortress.

“Is that what the Medicine Fairy used to ride in the past…?!”

At that moment, amidst the commotion, a clear voice infused with inner energy was heard.

“Rushing in with weapons drawn right away.”

A figure that looked like a boy appeared, cutting through the dust cloud.

“It’s hard to believe this is the hospitality of the renowned Lee family, given how terribly you treat your guests.”

No separate introduction was necessary.

The boy had the massive flag of the Eldest Young Master of the Luoyang Sword House draped over his shoulder.

“E-Eldest Young Master?!”

Skin so pale it seemed almost white, an arrogant smile, a black coat fluttering that could be called a treasure without exaggeration.

Anyone who saw him, even if they had never met him directly before, could instantly recognize who he was.

“Yes, I am Eldest Young Master Yeon So-hyeon.”

The Lee family elders’ expressions immediately turned fierce at his condescending gaze and blatant disrespect.

“You thundering little brat…!”

“What makes you think you can act so arrogantly?!”

Pointing fingers and angry shouts flew at him.

One of the elders stepped forward and spoke to Yeon So-hyeon.

“Do you know that forcibly invading another family in Luoyang is a serious crime that even the Eldest Young Master of the Luoyang Sword House cannot escape punishment for?”

Yeon So-hyeon nodded clearly.

“Of course I know.”

At those words, the eyes of the elder who had stepped forward gleamed coldly.

“Then you must also know that for what you’ve just done, you’ll be severely punished by both the Luoyang Sword House’s judiciary and the Luoyang Central Court?”

At those words, Yeon So-hyeon burst into laughter.

“Why are you so earnestly rattling off things I already know? It would be harder to bring up legal clauses that I don’t know.”

The elder who had stepped forward bared his teeth.

“If you’re so great, then you must also know about the ‘right of self-defense’ that allows one to protect oneself and one’s property against those who violate private property.”

Even as he was speaking, armed servants of the Lee family continued to gather endlessly, and warriors raised or employed by the Lee family also kept appearing.

Even renowned martial artists staying as guests of the family also revealed themselves, weapons in hand, to earn their keep.

It seemed as if they would fill the entire vast courtyard inside the Lee family’s main gate with troops.

When sufficient forces had gathered, the elder spoke to Yeon So-hyeon.

“The Lee family will apprehend you and escort you directly to the Central Court.”

At his words, Yeon So-hyeon burst into laughter.

The clear sound of mockery echoed across the vast courtyard.

The eyes of the gathered forces grew fiercer, and their grips on their weapons tightened.

“What’s so funny that you laugh like that?”

Yeon So-hyeon stopped his deliberately exaggerated laughter and said:

“No. What you just said is exactly what I wanted to say.”

“…What?”

Yeon So-hyeon leaped high and stood atop the carriage.

“From now on, I will personally apprehend you all and escort you to the Central Court!”

At those words, the corners of the elders’ mouths twisted.

Some even burst into open laughter.

“By what authority do you, who don’t even have judicial power, dare to say such things?”

Yeon So-hyeon shrugged.

“That’s why I brought people who do have legal authority.”

Before the elders could fully comprehend Yeon So-hyeon’s words, an old man’s voice was heard.

“Bribery, smuggling, tax evasion, human trafficking, incitement to murder, unlawful confinement, abuse of authority, blackmail…”

The owner of the voice appeared through the collapsed gate, listing off the charges against the Lee family one after another.

“My, there are too many charges against the Lee family to enumerate them all.”

He was wearing silk clothes rather than a judge’s robe, as he was retired.

But there wasn’t a single person among the proper members of Luoyang’s influential families who wouldn’t recognize his face.

“I-Isn’t that Judge Cheong?!”

The Lee family elder who had reflexively used an honorific title at first screamed as if in terror.

“The head of the Cheong family in person?! Why?!”

A figure once called the Illustrious Judge, whose name was known not only in Luoyang but even in the Imperial Capital.

The dignified Elder Cheong, whose bearing belied his age, smiled amidst the gazes of those present.

He was none other than the head of the Cheong family who had come to the temporary command post last night, leading servants to help with fire suppression.

“I am now retired from being a judge, so I cannot enforce the law or pass judgment myself, so I borrowed the power of my family.”

No sooner had his words ended than members of the Cheong family wearing judges’ robes entered behind him.

They were all active judges.

The Cheong family, which had produced a long line of illustrious judges for generations and still had numerous active judges, was displaying its power.

‘Even one judge is burdensome enough to deal with…!’

Yet here was a whole group of such judges appearing together.

The expressions of the Lee family elders grew more and more distorted at the sight.

“Elder Cheong! What is the meaning of this?! For what reason is the Cheong family declaring war on our Lee family?!”

“What grudge does the Cheong family have against our Lee family to do such a thing?!”

It was an incomprehensible situation.

They had heard information that the Cheong family had helped extinguish the fire in the Valley of Sin last night, but that was merely fire suppression.

However, what they were showing now was on a completely different level.

This was no different from declaring all-out war between families, intending to see it through to the end.

“Don’t pretend to be wronged. It was your Lee family who first touched my ‘allied forces’, the Eldest Young Master.”

“Allied forces…?!”

The deliberate use of the term “allied forces” was so blatant that there was no Lee family elder who failed to understand Elder Cheong’s intention.

It meant that the Cheong family had decided to take the Eldest Young Master’s side and participate in this war.

The arrogant smile on Yeon So-hyeon’s lips, who had been watching their verbal exchange, deepened further.

‘The best moment to reveal one’s hand is when you can sever the enemy’s neck in one stroke.’

The enemies would never have imagined that he could mobilize the entire Cheong family for war.

“Let’s begin.”

As Elder Cheong gestured, the Cheong family judges commanded:

“Investigators, prepare to execute the search and seizure!”

At their orders, the investigators led by each judge suddenly appeared on top of the walls.

Their fully armed appearance was no different from the Grim Reaper to those who had committed wrongdoings.

Killing intent glinted in the eyes of the Lee family elders who had grasped the situation.

“Do you think our Lee family will submit so easily?!”

One of the elders at the front retreated while shouting:

“The Lee family now invokes the right of self-defense to prevent unreasonable enforcement based on unfounded charges!”

At his cry, the Lee family forces gritted their teeth and raised their weapons high.

“We obey!”

Their united voices rang out thunderously.

Using the flimsy claim of self-defense to block the judicial enforcement of the judges was a last resort.

But with the search and seizure about to begin, they were all about to be arrested anyway, so there was no reason to worry about the aftermath.

“Oh my…”

Seeing this, the head of the Cheong family, Elder Cheong, shook his head as if he had no choice.

“It seems that influential families abusing the right of self-defense to obstruct judicial enforcement remains unchanged even as time passes.”

The eyes of the investigators who had to carry out the enforcement showed not even a hint of wavering.

As Elder Cheong said, violent clashes occurred like clockwork every time judicial enforcement was carried out against influential families.

As they raised their hands to signal, judicial enforcement troops began pouring in through the collapsed main gate.

“Form ranks!”

“Suppression formation!”

The judicial enforcement troops moved in perfect unison following the shouts of their squad leaders.

Their appearance, armed with heavy armor, large shields, and short spears, looked like an elite army unit heading to the battlefield.

A Lee family elder who had retreated far back shouted:

“Proud members of the Lee family, for the glory of our family until the very end-“

He who was about to order the start of battle couldn’t finish his sentence.

This was because he was struck by the Hundred Step Spirit Fist, sent flying far away, and crashed into a massive pillar of the hall, breaking his back.

“Too noisy.”

Yeon So-hyeon, who had withdrawn his fist, controlled his breath and shouted:

“Charge!”

Despite it being an order from Yeon So-hyeon, who had no command authority, the judicial enforcement troops all began to charge at once.

His voice carried an authority that mere soldiers dared not resist.

“S-Stop them!”

Of course, at the very front of that charging formation was Yeon So-hyeon, carrying his own banner.