The Ruler of Darkness Book 3: Chapter 25

The main building of the Inner Court,

Temporary Joint Investigation Headquarters, Command Center.

The Chief of the Six Departnts of Law Enforcent walked in, smoking a cigarette, holding a bundle of docunts.

“I’ve not been a Chief for many months, but was this position always so busy?”

The Chief of the First Departnt of Law Enforcent, stamping approval seals on docunts, chuckled.

“We have to get directly involved in investigations pushed by the higher-ups to achieve the desired speed.”

The Chief of the Six Departnts sighed, placed the bundle of docunts on his temporary desk, and sat down.

“The Central Inspection Departnt has completely withdrawn. I’ve received all relevant docunts.”

The Chief of the First Departnt, stamping seals, spoke.

“Do you rember the person from the Inspection Bureau who started the investigation?”

The Chief of the Six Departnts took out a cigarette and rubbed his forehead.

“…It was Kang sothing, that low-ranking investigator, right?”

“The Inspector Kang Ho. Rember that na.”

“Why should I rember such a low-ranking individual? But fine, I’ll keep it in mind.”

“And we’ve received a ssage from the Execution Court.”

The Chief of the First Departnt handed over a docunt he had just received.

“They’ve scheduled a public trial for this morning.”

The Chief of the Six Departnts’ mouth dropped open.

“…This morning?”

It was unusually fast.

He browsed through the docunts stamped with the Execution Court’s emblem and frowned.

“We haven’t even finished external investigations or follow-up inquiries, have we?”

He slamd the docunts down.

“Does this an they want to sweep this under the rug?”

He imdiately contradicted himself.

“No, that can’t be it. If so, they wouldn’t push for a public trial. Then…?”

The Chief of the First Departnt nodded.

“It ans they plan to severely punish everyone who turns out dirty in the aftermath.”

The Chief of the Six Departnts’ expression turned grave.

“…Was this really such a big case?”

The Chief of the First Departnt’s eyes narrowed.

“The Execution Court interprets it as the collapse of the main family’s discipline.”

The Chief of the Six Departnts, forgetting to light his cigarette, swallowed.

“…I laughed it off when I heard the rumors about the cost.”

He shivered as he recalled last night’s covert ssage about the Inner Court Supervisor and the Grand Young Master.

Just then, a mber of the Law Enforcent Court knocked and entered to report.

“The Grand Young Master is leaving. And…”

He hesitated montarily.

“There’s going to be so kind of opening ceremony in the Inner Court.”

* * *

Instead of going down to greet the Grand Young Master, the Chief of the First Departnt opened the window.

Brilliant sunlight from the sunrise and a cold breeze swept in.

“Aren’t you going down?”

Instead of answering, the Chief of the First Departnt gestured towards the outside, and the Chief of the Six Departnts approached the window.

The temporary command center was located on the third floor corner of the main building, giving them a clear view of the Inner Court’s courtyard.

“…It’s better not to go down.”

The courtyard was filled with protocol stewards and maidservants to send off the Grand Young Master, a direct descendant.

Their orderly appearance with flags and instrunts was quite convincing, but that wasn’t the issue.

“…Inner Court Personnel Secretary, Inner Court Administrative Secretary, Inner Court Security Secretary, Inner Court Foreign Affairs Secretary…”

The Chief of the First Departnt listed the titles as he looked down, causing the Chief of the Six Departnts to gulp.

“…The front row is Seventh Rank, the back row is Sixth Rank. These are the highest echelons of the Inner Court.”

Particularly those of the Seventh Rank in the Inner Court, while they might not receive elder status due to the nature of their work, were essentially considered elders.

The Chief of the First Departnt chuckled wryly.

“Currently, they are treated as elders, but when the Supre Family Head was active, their will was as good as the Family Head’s.”

The Chief of the Six Departnts, ensuring he was out of sight from outside, spoke while hiding his body appropriately.

“Now the Supre Family Head supports the highest operations council. Once the Supre Family Head steps down, they’ll return to their original positions.”

“…Right.”

The Chief of the First Departnt didn’t believe that the ‘unconscious’ Supre Family Head would rise again, but he humored the idea.

It was a truth that could never be revealed to the Six Departnts Chief, who had just begun to delve into the deepest parts of the Luoyang Sword House.

Just how deep the darkness of the Luoyang Sword House was, sothing he had only begun to understand after becoming an elder.

Even the First Departnt Chief was sotis startled by it.

“…The Grand Young Master is remarkable indeed.”

“Yes.”

The Grand Young Master was casually exchanging greetings with the highest echelons of the Inner Court, accompanied by his maidservants.

Occasionally, laughter that seed to stem from jokes he made could be heard all the way to the temporary command center.

“…It seems that the Inner Court’s highest echelons are not in their right minds to accept the Grand Young Master’s jokes so calmly.”

Even they, who had investigated the Inner Court, felt uncomfortable descending below due to the awkwardness.

Especially the highest echelons, who were the main parties accused by the Grand Young Master, should have felt more uneasy.

Yet, none of them showed signs of surprise, fear, or anger.

“…After such a sudden inspection and investigation, so many of their subordinates were cut off.”

The Chief of the Six Departnts, experienced and toughened by long years of investigation, was certain.

On the faces and gestures of those highest echelons of the Inner Court, there were no negative emotions.

A sense of unease weighed down on him.

“This is a rare scene, so keep watching.”

The Chief of the First Departnt whispered excitedly.

“What you see now clearly shows the true nature of the Inner Court, the most secretive organization of the main family.”

“I only feel unease, though…?”

The Chief of the First Departnt narrowed his eyes.

“That unease you’re feeling now is the real face of the Inner Court. Those we investigated are just shaless riffraff unworthy of the na of the Inner Court.”

“…Are you saying they’ve disguised their emotions so well that it causes unease?”

“No.”

The Chief of the First Departnt calmly explained.

“They truly do not care.”

“…They don’t care even if their subordinates are cut off? Isn’t that a characteristic of the powerful?”

The Chief of the First Departnt snorted softly.

“They wouldn’t care even if their fellow top echelon colleagues were beheaded right now. The sa goes for their own heads.”

“What do you an?”

“The highest echelons of the Inner Court consider themselves re parts of the whole. Parts of the organization called the Inner Court. Always ready to be replaced or sacrificed.”

It was a mindset completely different from what typical powerful individuals would have.

“No, how can they be so insane…”

The Chief of the First Departnt looked at the Six Departnts Chief.

“Has he forgotten what lies behind the main building of the Inner Court?”

* * *

Behind the main building of the Inner Court, a small hall.

In a space as vast as a temple’s main hall, an extrely aged individual sat cross-legged.

Half-closed, his deep eyes contained depth and madness beyond the comprehension of ordinary mortals.

A middle-aged man with seven gold-threaded tassels at his waist appeared as the side door opened.

“…Inner Court Supervisor. The lockdown has ended.”

At the voice of the Inner Court Personnel Secretary, the old man’s eyes fully opened.

“Is the Grand Young Master leaving?”

“Yes. As per procedure, we are currently conducting the opening ceremony.”

The Inner Court Supervisor, referred to as the old monster by Yeon So-hyeon, stood up.

“With the Grand Duke starting to move, everything will change from now on.”

“…Everyone here is ready to sacrifice their lives at any mont, like a stray dog.”

The Inner Court Supervisor slowly nodded.

“That’s right. Even if the scissors break, as long as the hand is unhard and the bonsai is undamaged, that’s all that matters.”

The Inner Court Supervisor murmured softly.

“Even I am just a pair of scissors…”

His reference to ‘the hand and the bonsai’ was not about himself.

Then, a voice ca from outside the hall.

“The dicine King has co for today’s consultation.”

Upon the Inner Court Supervisor’s nod, the Inner Court Supervisor Secretary spoke outwards.

“The Supervisor has granted permission, please let him in.”

“Yes.”

Shortly after, the side door opened, and a shabby-looking old man with a bundle entered.

It was the dicine King.

The Inner Court Supervisor bowed his head towards him.

“Elder, I am in your hands again today.”

The Inner Court Supervisor Secretary also bowed deeply.

The dicine King clicked his tongue softly.

“You too have it tough at your age.”

The Inner Court Supervisor smiled.

“There’s no ti I envy your endless vigor more than these days.”

“…Now that ‘he’ has started to move, does it drain your strength?”

Watching the Inner Court Supervisor simply smirk, the dicine King sighed softly.

“Well, I’ll prepare so restorative dicine for you later. Take care of yourself.”

The Inner Court Supervisor bowed his head.

“Now it’s not who needs it but…”

“I know without you saying it.”

The dicine King passed by the Inner Court Supervisor and entered a long corridor inside.

“The one you value more than your life, I will protect them with my na on it. Don’t worry.”

The Inner Court physicians followed the dicine King into the corridor.

The Inner Court Supervisor, looking in the direction of the corridor, spoke.

“…Everything for the Family Head.”

The Inner Court Supervisor Secretary bowed.

“Everything for the Family Head.”

Their location, behind the main building of the Inner Court, was the deepest part of the Luoyang Sword Sect.

A domain dedicated solely to the Luoyang Sword Sect’s patriarch.

* * *

The Chief of the First Departnt, facing the cold wind, looked at the Inner Court’s courtyard.

“…Everything they do is solely for the Luoyang Sword Sect’s Family Head. To put it bluntly, they are ‘extre loyalists to the Family Head’, aren’t they?”

The Chief of the Six Departnts swallowed dryly.

“…The more I learn about the Luoyang Sword House, the more absurd it seems.”

The Chief of the First Departnt chuckled lightly.

The Six Departnts Chief, rubbing the goosebumps on his arm, asked.

“So, do they all have sothing to do with… what’s it called…”

“‘Brainwashing’?”

“Yes, that. Are they all related to brainwashing? I heard the main family has ‘specialists’ for that…”

The Chief of the First Departnt shook his head.

“I’ve heard that the left-path techniques can only elicit loyalty towards ‘specific targets.’ It has clear limitations.”

The Chief of the Six Departnts nodded.

“…Then the gap would be too great when the Family Head changes.”

“Exactly. With a change in the Family Head, all those who should be limbs and organs will beco like puppets with their strings cut.”

The clan had to keep functioning, no matter what happened.

“…Then it’s even more terrifying. Everyone with such great power willingly ready to throw their lives away?”

The Chief of the First Departnt smiled.

“…Think of the warriors of the main family.”

“…Hmm.”

A sigh escaped the Six Departnts Chief.

Assassins fanatically dedicated to loyalty and devotion, ready to sacrifice everything for their clan or lord.

“…I now understand why the successors fight so fiercely to beco the minor Family Head.”

“Yes. But there’s sothing I’m still not sure about.”

“What is that?”

The Chief of the First Departnt stroked his beard.

“Them. The highest echelons of the Inner Court. Why are they all out here since dawn, seeing off the Grand Young Master?”

The Six Departnts Chief’s eyes widened.

“…Are you saying they didn’t co out just for that opening ceremony?”

“As far as I know, the opening ceremony is just a standard procedure.”

Doubt lingered in the Chief of the First Departnt’s eyes.

“There’s no need for the highest echelons to pour out like this just for an opening ceremony.”

Dark Heavens Scripture – Volu 3

END