The Ruler of Darkness

Book 3: Chapter 1

The boy looked visibly tense.

With his fair skin, large and gentle eyes, and a rosy, adorable face, the boy was Yeon Bi¹, one of the Four Young Masters of the Luoyang Sword House.

“Eldest brother will be here soon.”

He shuffled his feet nervously.

Smiles filled the faces of the surrounding maids as they observed the endearing young boy.

“The preparation! Is everything ready?” 

His chief maid bent her knees to his level, locked eyes with him and smiled.

“Yes, of course.”

The chief maid, who appeared to be in her early thirties, had an expression that seemed to say she would love to spoil her master rotten.

“Six types of top-grade teas from different regions, various accessories procured from tea establishments, and fresh fruits…”

The young master interrupted her by clapping his hands.

“Skip the common fruits. There should be plenty of freshly harvested fruits at Wongak Pavilion.”

“Sure, no worries. I’ve prepared only rare fruits from the southern regions. Also…”

The boy clapped his hands again to interrupt her.

“What if Eldest brother’s legs hurt from walking? He doesn’t have any internal energy. Palanquin. Is the palanquin ready?”

“Of course.”

Upon her gesture, the maids stepped aside to reveal the bearers and the palanquin.

“The palanquin is crafted from the finest materials by the best artisans.”

Nodding his head, the boy clapped once more.

“Ah! What if Big Brother feels burdened by the public gaze? There are many people who point fingers at him. Don’t we have a palanquin with walls and a ceiling?”

Feeling overwhelmed, the chief maid could only sigh.

“We haven’t prepared that kind of palanquin, but our guards will provide tight security. No one would dare to even look at the Grand Young Master.”

“What if Eldest brother dislikes the guards…?!”

The chief maid then grabbed his shoulders.

“Well, let’s relax and take deep breaths. Follow me: one, two. One, two.”

The boy began to take deep breaths, mimicking the chief maid.

“Young master already knows what the Grand Young Master is like, right? He is definitely not a fussy person. In fact, he might feel burdened if you prepare too much.”

Thanks to the 4th Young Master’s affection for his Eldest Brother, the chief maid had acquired near-expert knowledge of a Grand Young Master she didn’t even serve.

“You’re right. Chief maid make a good point. I think I got too anxious.”

He then hugged the chief maid tightly.

The chief maid chuckled and hugged him back.

“Wow! I’m so jealous of the chief maid!”

“Me too, hug us!”

The surrounding maids rushed in and they all shared a group hug.

Such a scene was familiar within the young master’s camp, so the nearby guards paid it no attention.

“But those people are still at it.”

The young master finally managed to set his feet on the ground.

At the end of his gaze, a group of young scholars was engaged in a heated discussion, almost reaching the point of verbal warfare.

No, some were actually embroiled in a verbal battle.

For them, it was an all-too-common scene.

“Because, they’re very serious people, you see.” The chief maid corrected the 4th Young Master’s disheveled posture and spoke, “Remember, they are also doing their jobs diligently. Try not to resent them too much.”

The 4th Young Master scoffed.

“I don’t resent them. I just see them as fledglings. At the end of the day, they are just desk jockeys who know nothing about reality, playing their own games.”

His eyes had a mysterious wisdom that didn’t match his age.

“Even though they boast about being strategists or advisers, they are ultimately just ordinary people.”

His closest associates were busy fulfilling their respective duties and couldn’t be with him.

Instead, they brought along young executives who were pivotal in the current project.

Deep inside, he felt a bit regretful.

“My closest associates should be the one to meet you, Eldest brother…”

The chief maid cautiously addressed him,

“Master.”

The young master she served had the face of an innocent child but the mind of an extraordinary genius.

“They, towards the Grand Young Master, already know how remarkable he is.”

She had been astonished many times while studying about the Grand Young Master, who was often underestimated for being a Swordless One.

“Just knowing and actually seeing are different things.”

The boy sighed quietly.

His gaze was still fixed on the group engrossed in heated discussions.

“And those people don’t know anything about Eldest brother.”

He clicked his tongue and said to the chief maid, “Chief maid. Shall I tell you in advance what they’ll say to me?”

“Yes, please do tell me.”

The chief maid knelt and listened closely.

A few moments later, the young scholars who had finished their discussions approached and said, “We are not convinced about the Grand young master’s involvement in this project.”

At that moment, the chief maid burst into unintentional laughter.

Feeling the eyes on her, she lightly apologized and stepped back.

A scholar who had cleared his throat a few times finally spoke, “The biggest concern is, of course, how the Supreme Lord or the or the top management committee would react to the Grand Young Master, who is in seclusion, being externally active…”

The boy clapped once.

“That is none of your concern.”

“My apologies.”

Faced with a reaction that felt like a cold, whirling wind, the scholar quickly moved on.

“If I may only speak strictly within the scope of the business plan, there are details that can certainly be agreed upon. But, looking at it holistically,”

The 4th Young Master clapped again, interrupting him.

“Ultimately, you want to say that just by participating as an advisor, my Eldest brother is taking too large of a share, don’t you?”

Upon that, the scholar who had his words taken away from him dropped his head.

“Yes. That’s correct. Of course, we do not believe you, our Master has ever made a decision that is emotionally driven.”

They had already grown accustomed to the boy’s wisdom and exceptional intelligence.

“Simply from a business perspective, since the Grand Young Master is not the one making a financial investment, taking such a large share makes other investors think…”

The sound of the boy’s clap echoed again.

“I understand your point.”

As the boy stepped forward with his arms crossed, everyone adopted a posture of attentiveness to his words.

“From now on, I will tell you what you all have been missing.”

This showed just how significant a figure this young ‘4th Young Master’ was among them.

“First and foremost, my Eldest brother is…”

Just then, a maid waiting on the outskirts shouted loudly.

“The Grand Young Master of the main house has arrived!”

The boy immediately turned around and ran.

“Big brother!”

His eyes were sparkling.

***

“Well, look who is this!”

Yeon So-Hyeon lifted his adorable younger sibling, who was running towards him, high into the air.

And then twirled him around.

“Ahaha! Please stop, Big brother! I’m not a little kid anymore!”

Said 4th Young Master, clearly delighted yet unsure how to handle himself.

“Haha, that’s how it is. Then I must treat you like the grown-up you are now!”

Yeon So-Hyeon tossed the 4th Young Master up high and began to catch him.

“Big brother! This is what it’s like to be treated like an adult! It’s a whole new world! It’s fun!”

“Is it?”

4th Young Master let out gleeful squeals each time he was lifted into the air.

The maids watched them with warm smiles.

The two brothers shared a moment of warmth.

‘This guy….’

For Yeon So-Hyeon, it was an incredibly,

Incredibly long-awaited reunion with a dear family member.

***

“So, Big brother, I’ve finally read your entire ‘The True Book of Acupoints’

“Oh, you did? But why did you read a medical book?”

“Because I want to be just like you, Big Brother!”

Seated in the tent, they enjoyed tea and refreshments while exchanging casual conversations.

“I even got praised by grandfather ‘Medicine King’ during his visit! He said I could even open a clinic right now!”

“Haha, really? What do you think about opening one with your big brother?”

“Oh, it would be an honor. If I am with you, the best physician in the world, we would surely become the best clinic in the Central Kingdom! Speaking of which, what about inviting grandfather Medicine King to join us?!”

“Haha, that old man would be useless.”

Yeon So-Hyeon continuously patted his adorable younger sibling’s head.

The boy clinging to his side relentlessly spilled a torrent of stories, speaking in an unrestrained manner.

Seeing Yeon So-Hyeon continuing to listen to the stories, it was finally the chief maid who had to intervene with a cough.

“Ahem. Grand Young Master and Master, it’s said that the preparations for the business plan presentation are complete.”

At this, Yeon So-Hyeon nodded his head.

“Very well, good. How about we save the remaining stories for after the work is done?”

“Ooh! Can we really do that?”

“Yes. Let’s have dinner together at Wongak Pavilion tonight.”

“Waa!”

The 4th Young Master abruptly stood up, stretched out his arms, and began to dance merrily.

Yeon So-Hyeon clapped his hands in delight at the adorable spectacle.

After entertaining his older brother for a while, the 4th Young Master spoke to his chief maid.

“Did you hear? Cancel all plans for after today.”

Though inwardly sighing at the mountain of tasks ahead, she couldn’t help but smile outwardly.

“Of course.”

She stepped back and greeted Yeon So-Hyeon and his chief maid in a soft voice.

“Given the circumstances, it seems we owe you one for today. We’re in your hands.”

“No, there’s no debt to speak of. Aren’t we all family of the Sword House?”

Unable to hold back admiration, the 4th Young Master’s chief maid was awed by the radiant beauty of the smiling Grand Young Master’s attendant.

“Then shall we delve into the details then? First, the number of visitors will be…”

Without taking their eyes off their respective masters, the two started to coordinate plans.

“Well, then!”

The 4th Young Master clapped his hands.

“Let’s get started!”

And with that, the room fell silent.

The young civil officer serving as the moderator took the makeshift podium, greeting the audience with a bow.

Upon receiving applause, he cleared his throat a few times and began speaking.

“Firstly, I would like to extend our gratitude to our esteemed guest, the Grand Young Master of Luoyang Sword House, for gracing us with his presence today as we commence this business presentation.”

Applause erupted from the audience towards Yeon So-Hyeon.

Leaning back casually, Yeon So-Hyeon acknowledged the applause by raising his hand.

The applause swelled momentarily before naturally fading away.

Seeing Yeon So-Hyeon’s composed demeanor, several intellectuals in the audience murmured amongst themselves.

“The Grand Young Master is quite different than what I’ve heard. Maybe rumors are just that—rumors.”

“Did you feel that too? Hmm. It’s hard to put into words, but just from the way he carries himself in front of a crowd, I think we can forget about all the rumors we’ve heard.”

The ladies-in-waiting from the 4th Young Master’s side also whispered.

“What would you call that? Confidence?”

“Yes. When I saw the Grand Young Master from afar once before, I only felt that he was gentle.”

Seeing the positive reaction from the audience, Jung-ah, who was waiting behind Yeon So-Hyeon, secretly smiled.

And at the same time, she felt hopeful.

After all, this shift in first impressions was just the beginning.

“Before explaining the purpose of this business plan, I would like to talk about the background behind it.”

At that moment, the 4th Young Master clapped his hands.

All eyes turned to him.

“Why does the agenda have so many unnecessary things? Is there anyone here who doesn’t know the background of this project?”

He abruptly stood up.

“Is there anyone here who doesn’t know about the Dragon and Phoenix Conference?”

1. His name ‘Bi’ or 翡 means green jade[↩]