The Ruler of Darkness

Book 6: Chapter 24

“Of course, it’s the opportunity for the former clan heads present here to regain the position of clan head and stand by His Majesty the Emperor’s side.”

At those words, all the former clan heads fell silent.

Yeon So-hyeon saw the remnants left by the gently spreading ripples of emotion on their previously expressionless faces.

‘Indeed, this alone is slightly insufficient.’

Their lust for power was stimulated, and there was certainly anticipation for the opportunity Yeon So-hyeon would propose.

But they still hadn’t fully let go of their wariness, like snakes hissing and guarding their prey even when it was right before their eyes.

“…In that case.”

The former clan head of the Chunyu Clan spoke in a deep bass voice.

“I’d like to hear more details.”

“Of course. But before that…”

He raised his hand and pointed behind them.

“It seems welcoming the guests I invited comes first.”

At Yeon So-hyeon’s words, everyone turned around.

“Ho-ho, has everyone been well?”

“There are some faces I haven’t seen in a long time.”

Surprise and shock appeared on their faces as they recognized those approaching from the opposite side of the garden.

“…Are you saying this many people entered, and no one informed me?!”

As Gongsun Nakang, the owner of the mansion, flew into a rage, one of those who reached the table waved his hand.

“No, weren’t you the one who said no one should enter this garden in the first place? If they couldn’t stop us, that would be their sin.”

Who would dare stop these people?

The former clan heads of the Capital’s Sixteen Clans, the owners of this North Mang Mountain.

“Thank you all for waiting. Now, over here…”

Following Yeon So-hyeon’s guidance, they sat in a long row facing him.

It was everyone except the former clan head of the Kong Clan, who had been unable to attend due to mobility issues.

“What brings you all here?”

At Gongsun Nakang’s displeased tone, the newly joined former clan heads smiled.

“We’ve also come to hear the details about the ‘opportunity.'”

He raised his mushroom-spotted hand and pointed at Yeon So-hyeon.

“The Eldest Young Master here said everyone had to gather for the conversation to proceed, so we were waiting.”

“But we didn’t expect him to actually gather everyone.”

One of them shook his head at Yeon So-hyeon.

“He said he was confident he could persuade all the remaining clan heads, so we waited and see.”

“To actually gather all of us.”

The former clan heads of the clans Yeon So-hyeon had visited before coming to the Gongsun Clan clicked their tongues.

At those words, one former clan head cackled.

“It was rare for all of us to gather even when we were in the Capital.”

“You could count the occasions on one hand.”

The last time they had gathered in one place was when a resolution on the Northern War was made in the Imperial Palace.

To gather all of them in one place by an individual’s power, not for a major national event…

It was an achievement that could be called a great feat in itself, but Yeon So-hyeon had a calm expression as if it were nothing.

No, he felt it was still insufficient.

Yeon So-hyeon examined each former clan head as they vented their grudges in their own way and relieved their pent-up feelings.

The fabricated emotional expressions had disappeared, but they still didn’t outwardly express their lust for power.

It was a state of ‘expressionlessness.’

‘They’re not showing their expressions.’

Fifteen snakes gathered in one place.

Those snakes were sneaking glances at Yeon So-hyeon with cunning eyes while ‘pretending’ to converse among themselves.

There were different ‘degrees’ in those gazes.

Some were still wary, some were merely curious, and some had emotions of a different level.

Amidst those varying thoughts, calculations, and judgments, they were waiting for Yeon So-hyeon to speak first.

‘I shouldn’t be the first to make a proposal at this point.’

It was insufficient for now.

He had to tie their respective emotional lines into one.

He had to tie the heads of the fifteen snakes together.

Only by tying their heads together like that could he deal with a single emotional line, not heads with different emotions.

‘To make that happen, I have to shatter their expressionlessness.’

To do that…

‘I have to make them spill out the desire boiling inside them.’

He had to make them rush at him frantically, without exception.

‘The only thing that can shake them even more is power, only power!’

Yeon So-hyeon deliberately took off the black satin overcoat he was wearing with a grand gesture to draw their attention.

“Now then, let’s have a proper conversation.”

Yeon So-hyeon said that, but the former clan heads’ gazes weren’t directed at him.

“…”

“…”

Their gazes were all fixed on the black satin overcoat Yeon So-hyeon had taken off and hung on the chair.

Those gazes were so intense that it seemed they could burn the black satin overcoat with just their blazing eyes.

“…Hmm?”

Yeon So-hyeon ‘pretended’ to follow their gazes.

“Ah! You mean this?”

Yeon So-hyeon picked up the ornate scroll protruding between the folds of the overcoat.

As he held up the scroll, the gazes of all the former clan heads followed its movement.

Yeon So-hyeon smiled, holding up the scroll.

“Come to think of it, this must be a very familiar object to those present here.”

It was from the day Yeon So-hyeon had ended his seclusion and begun receiving guests.

The imperial edict he had received from the Emperor of the Central Plains that day.

“…”

There was no reaction from the former clan heads at Yeon So-hyeon’s words.

Some with slightly open mouths, some with tightly closed mouths, only their gazes squirmed alive in the silence, staring at the imperial edict.

“Eldest Young Master, perhaps…”

One of them extended a trembling hand to Yeon So-hyeon.

“Could you show us that imperial edict?”

At those words, Yeon So-hyeon tilted his head.

“Are you perhaps curious about the contents? There’s nothing much even if you look at the contents.”

Yeon So-hyeon unfolded the imperial edict.

It merely stated that the Eldest Young Master of the Luoyang Sword House was now emerging into the world, and the Emperor hoped he would do many good deeds for the Central Plains and the Imperial Household in the future.

It was remarkable enough that the Emperor personally sent an imperial edict to someone who had just ended his seclusion.

But it wasn’t all that surprising, considering he was the Eldest Young Master of the Luoyang Sword House, called the foremost clan in the world.

“No, that’s not it…!”

“Hurry…!”

Without exception, their outstretched hands trembled across the table.

As if people withering in a desert had discovered someone holding a waterskin.

But to describe it that way, the sight of the old men wailing, their distorted faces, and dozens of hands flailing and approaching was spine-chillingly eerie.

“I have no choice. Please handle it with care.”

Yeon So-hyeon smiled and passed the imperial edict to one of them.

He thought someone might rush to snatch the imperial edict.

But they treated the imperial edict as if it were the most precious and delicate thing in the world.

“Ooh…!”

Their eyes moved as if licking the imperial edict.

The contents didn’t even register in their eyes.

“The golden silk made only in the Imperial Palace of the Central Plains…”

Someone carefully touched the outer silk of the imperial edict with trembling hands.

“The yellow dragon and jade dragon embroidered by the Imperial Palace’s needlework department!”

Someone caressed the paper inside.

“Ah, the texture of this paper made in the Imperial Palace’s Nanju Pavilion…”

Someone flared his nostrils toward the imperial edict.

“The profound scent of the Water Dragon Kangmo ink favored by His Majesty still lingers!”

Vitality began to return to their eyes, which had been dulled by old age.

Their faces, filled with liver spots and wrinkles, looking like the hide of a dead pig, were flushed to the point of appearing as if new flesh was rising.

Their hunched backs straightened as if by magic, and strength returned to their scrawny legs that had trembled from brief movement.

Even the medicinal ingredients said to be good for a myriad ailments and the diagnoses of renowned physicians were all useless in the face of old age.

A single scroll symbolizing the pinnacle of power in the Central Plains.

That single scroll was infusing the old monsters’ decrepit bodies with will and vitality.

They thought.

‘Ah! This is it!’

It was the touch of power, the scent of power, the taste of power, the color of power, the joy of power, the wistfulness of power, the happiness of power…!

As vitality returned to their bodies, the will to live returned.

But at the same time, they realized.

That they no longer possessed the brilliant wit and flashing ideas of their youth.

They still had unrivaled experience and senses sharpened with age.

But that wasn’t enough.

That deficiency, that loss, struck them painfully.

“If you’ve admired it sufficiently, let’s…”

A white and beautiful hand reached out and retrieved the imperial edict from them.

Their gazes passed over the imperial edict, up the arm, and to Yeon So-hyeon’s face.

Yeon So-hyeon’s softly arched eyes met the old monsters’ faces.

The absurdly blatant desire revealed on their faces.

Those expressions were showing raw, vivid emotions that could never be feigned.

Expressions as if they would tie Yeon So-hyeon to the table, open his skull, scoop out his fresh brain, and devour it raw at any moment.

Emotions they had tried to suppress until the last moment to weigh profit and loss with thorough calculation.

Down to the last shred of those emotions.

They were revealing them all without reserve.

‘Yes, that’s the expression.’

There was no more expressionlessness.

Yeon So-hyeon smiled with satisfaction.

The snakes’ heads were tied together.

The initiative had completely shifted to Yeon So-hyeon.

“Eldest Young Master. Shouldn’t we start having a proper conversation?”

“Indeed. A lot of time has already passed.”

They began to urge Yeon So-hyeon.

Their voices were subtle and soft-spoken, but in Yeon So-hyeon’s judgment, it was different.

“As you know, we may be old men in the back room, but we’re not people with endless leisure.”

“Ahem.”

Their voices were interpreted entirely differently by Yeon So-hyeon, sounding like a massive shout.

Tell us what that opportunity is right now!

Having built up sufficient anticipation, Yeon So-hyeon opened his mouth.

“Of course, I will tell you.”

Everyone closed their mouths and stared only at Yeon So-hyeon’s lips.

“The business operator selection rights for the Chongqing city development project and the Yangtze River waterway expansion and maintenance project.”

Yeon So-hyeon’s lips fluttered.

“I’ll give you each one of the business operator selection rights for those two major projects.”

“…!”

The group stirred.

“The business operator selection rights for those two projects?”

“Securing influence over those two projects is a challenging aspect even for the current clan heads of our Sixteen Clans…”

“Indeed. If we just take the business operator selection rights, we can easily overturn the power dynamics within the clan…”

The Chongqing city development project and the Yangtze River waterway expansion and maintenance project were very far from the Capital.

For the Sixteen Clans, who had the Capital as the center of their power, it was difficult to exert influence as easily as they did in the Capital.

That was why the current clan heads were also putting in a lot of effort, but they weren’t reaping results commensurate with the resources they invested.

But what if the former clan heads here, who could project the most formidable influence, took the business operator selection rights back to their clans?

Their own return to their positions would also come within reach in one fell swoop.

“But…”

Everyone’s gazes turned to Yeon So-hyeon with questions.

“Saying you’ll give us the business operator selection rights…”

“Doesn’t that mean the Eldest Young Master possesses the business operator selection rights that even the Sixteen Clans haven’t obtained yet?”

“And not just one, but enough to give to all of us?”

Yeon So-hyeon grinned.

“It wasn’t all that difficult.”

He added briefly.

“Because currently, I, Yeon So-hyeon, am protecting Daseollang.”

At those words, strong doubt colored the faces of all the former clan heads.

“What do those kids, engaged in child’s play-level business, have to do with the business operator selection rights?”