The Ruler Of Darkness - Chapter 614



Only Noblemtl

Episode 614

Part 14 Perfection and Completion

“… … .”

At the very beginning.

The guests in the VIP seat began to watch the direction Yeon So-hyeon was heading with curiosity.

They were well-versed in the current complex internal and external circumstances of Luoyang.

That is why they could not help but be interested in whether the meeting between Yeon So-hyeon and the King of Swords, Namgung-je, who had no crown, would come to fruition.

“Nice to meet you, Your Highness.”

“It’s been a while.”

As Yeon So-hyeon greeted the guests at the VIP table, she gradually moved towards the direction where King Namgung Je was.

They leaned in blatantly and followed Yeon So-hyeon’s back.

“If the Namgung family chooses to be with the sixteen imperial families… ”

“…No matter how the internal affairs of the Sword Family are resolved, the Grand Duke will be in considerable trouble from now on.”

But, within.

Those who followed Yeon So-hyeon’s appearance gradually expanded to the audience seats.

Many of the audience members were wealthy people who could afford to travel to Luoyang, and they were naturally paying close attention to the situation at Luoyang Jianjia.

But it’s not just them.

Gradually, all the spectators in the huge main stadium began to focus on Yeon Soo-hyun’s movements.

There was one reason.

“Really, who is stronger…?”

“Even if the Grand Duke has reached the highest level as rumored, can he be stronger than the Sword King…?”

“… but you can’t lie about your age.”

“Even so, the overwhelming difference in experience doesn’t go away…!”

The performers of the troupe deliberately played their instruments louder and faster to get the audience’s attention back to themselves.

Boom, boom boom boom…!

but.

Rather than returning the audience’s attention to the troupe’s skills,

It played a role in increasing the anticipation and tension of people who were looking forward to the meeting between the two giants, Yeon So-hyeon and Geumwang Namgung-je.

“… … .”

“… … .”

Within, the audience.

Rather than watching the troupe’s performance, I followed Yeon So-hyeon’s figure with bated breath.

Even one or two people got up from their seats to see the sight.

Even the other audience members started to rise from their seats one after another.

The sight was reminiscent of the stands at the time of the final match of the Yongbongjihoe.

Doo doo doo dung doo doo doo doo doo doo doo!

As the sound of the drums grew faster and louder, Yeon So-hyeon also started heading towards the end of the VIP seats.

Beyond that was the special seat where King Namgungje of Geomwang was.

And at that time, Yeon So-hyeon was greeting the last person in the VIP section.

Ta-da…!

The performance that no one was watching ended, and the performance also ended.

“Phew… . Phew… .”

“… … .”

The members of the troupe that had put on a wonderful performance were out of breath and looked regretful.

We put in countless hours of effort to prepare for our performance at Yongbong Branch, but unfortunately, it was not possible.

In the end, I ended up not receiving even a single applause.

But, at that time.

Clap, clap clap clap.

Yeon So-hyeon, standing at the end of the VIP seats, seemed to be expressing her regret to them.

They began to applaud gracefully towards the troupe.

And when Yeon So-hyeon, who everyone was paying attention to, clapped first,

Clap clap clap, clap clap clap clap… !

Following Yeon So-hyeon, the audience also began to applaud reflexively.

As they recalled their memories of the first half of the performance they had seen, the entire stadium soon erupted in applause.

“thank you…!”

“Thank you, everyone…!”

And when the members of the troupe finished greeting the audience with grateful hearts and looked for Yeon So-hyeon,

already.

Yeon So-hyeon then went into the special seat where King Namgung Je of the Sword was.

* * *

“Your Highness.”

Namgung Bukwi, the current head of the Namgung Se family, who exchanged greetings with Yeon So-hyeon, pointed to the young man next to him.

“This is my son.”

Namgung Rok, who resembled his father and grandfather, Geomwang, with a tall stature and handsome appearance, bowed his head slightly to Yeon So-hyeon.

“This is Namgung Rok.”

Gaju Namgung Bukwi continued introducing his son with a faint smile.

“I am currently competing in the Yongbongjihoe youth division. I am embarrassed to say this, but I am also a strong candidate for the ‘Dragon’ position in this competition.”

“Is that so?”

Yeon So-hyeon felt Namgung Rok’s gaze staring at her.

“… … .”

It was a complex gaze mixed with the typical twenties’ competitive spirit and jealousy toward Yeon So-hyeon, who was widely known.

Yeon So-hyeon seemed displeased that, despite being a participant in the Yongbong branch, she was getting more attention from her father and grandfather than herself.

“indeed….”

Yeon So-hyeon smiled faintly and patted Namgung Rok on the shoulder.

“Rumor has it that he is the grandson who inherited the strongest blood of the Sword King. He must have been born with great spirit. I look forward to the future.”

completely.

Namgung Rok’s face crumpled inwardly at the way he treated her, as if he was treating her like a child, but what could he do?

The opponent is that Yeonseonhyeon.

“…thank you.”

When he gritted his teeth and expressed his gratitude, Yeon Soo-hyun smiled at him openly as if she found him cute.

“It’s a good time.”

“… … !”

Ugh.

Namgung Rok became furious, but his father, Namgung Bukwi, quickly intervened.

“Your Highness. We too cannot help but feel a little embarrassed by your sudden visit. If only you had told us in advance-.”

Yeon So-hyeon ignored the head of the household, Namgung Buk-wi, and asked Namgung Rok.

“Do you have any practical experience?”

“…there is.”

“Did you participate in the Second Northern War?”

“…I didn’t have the chance to do that.”

“So, what about your experience in large-scale combat?”

Namgung Rok’s expression gradually became crumpled.

“… What does Your Highness want to say?”

“Ugh… .”

Yeon So-hyeon clicked her tongue.

“No matter how great your talents are, if you just cherish and protect them without fear of them getting scratched or broken, even a famous sword will lose its luster.”

He shook his head.

“What good is a lump of iron, no matter how excellent, that has not yet been properly heated or hammered?”

“Archangel…!”

Gaju Namgung Bukwi’s face hardened.

It was because the Archduke’s words seemed to be criticizing him.

“Even though you have achieved amazing accomplishments and status at such a young age, it is up to me, the head of the household, to decide how to raise the children of the family!”

“-That’s about it.”

A voice from behind interrupted Namgung Bukwi’s speech.

Namgung Bukwi couldn’t help but look embarrassed.

“father…?!”

That was because the owner of that voice was his father, King Namgung Je of the Sword.

As Namgung Bukwi and Namgung Rok turned around in a hurry, the figure of King Namgung Je, who was sitting cross-legged on a large, wide chair in the special seat, was revealed.

“In the first place, the Archduke did not say those words to you.”

“yes…?”

Namgung Bukwi, the head of the household who had been wearing a blank expression, realized something and his expression distorted.

“then…!”

“okay.”

King Namgungje turned his head and looked at his son and said.

“The Archduke was rebuking me for the way I raised you.”

“… … ?!”

Gaju Namgung Bukwi’s mind turned white and he froze in place.

“Uh, uh, I’ll go. Well, I have to prepare for the next game… .”

Namgung Rok suddenly appeared.

Realizing that this was not the place for him, he quickly made up some excuse and hurriedly left.

Of course, no one caught him.

“… Your Highness.”

King Namgungje, who had not even glanced at his grandson, looked at Yeonseohyun with emotionless eyes and asked.

“Is it my fault that my son is not yet able to properly fulfill his role as the head of the Namgung family?”

Those emotionless eyes were so cold that even the astonished Namgung Bukwi got goosebumps.

“Of course, I can’t give you a definitive answer to that.”

but.

Yeon So-hyeon approached King Namgung Je of the Sword King with a nonchalant smile and spoke.

“But one thing is certain.”

Yeon So-hyeon stopped close enough to touch King Namgung Je, looked straight at him, and spoke.

“Because of his own upbringing, the King of Swords is still tied to that position.”

The Sword King’s eyes narrowed.

“Self-binding, self-destructing?”

Yeon So-hyeon smiled.

“Don’t you know better?”

“I…?”

“Isn’t it?”

“… … .”

The back of Namgung Bukwi, the head of the household who was listening to the conversation from the side, was already soaked with cold sweat.

He couldn’t believe it.

He had never seen his father, the King of Swords, listen to others so attentively.

I have never seen it.

Moreover, wasn’t the opponent younger than his grandson Namgung Rok?

“… Once something is broken, there are things that cannot be undone, Your Highness.”

“Some things only come to light after they are broken, as they were part of a process that led to their completion.”

King Namgung Je of the Sword Kingdom showed an expression of displeasure at Yeon Sohyeon’s answer.

“That’s a pun.”

“Maybe so. But….”

Yeon So-hyeon continued speaking calmly.

“Perfection is different from completion.”

“hmm…?”

As metaphysical words that seemed to come out of a martial arts book of the upper class came out, King Namgung Je’s gaze became distracted.

But Yeon So-hyeon’s voice continued to flow like water.

“Perfection is something that takes time and effort to create and achieve, but perfection is completeness. It is something that cannot be found in reality. And… .”

moment.

Yeon So-hyeon’s eyes deepened as she looked at King Namgung Je.

“Your Majesty, you have maintained your life as a seeker of the Way, hoping to achieve the perfection that you could never achieve until now.”

“… … .”

King Namgungje of Geomwang kept his mouth shut, but Yeonseonhyeon continued to speak.

“His endless dedication to martial arts is admirable as a martial artist, but it is not a standard to apply to one’s own son. Of course…”

Yeon So-hyeon said in a heavy tone.

“Your sword is the same.”

“Completion and perfection….”

King Namgungje sighed and muttered as he asked.

“…Does that mean my sword can never be perfect in the future?”

“Your Majesty the Sword King.”

Yeon So-hyeon asked in return.

“Even though you have witnessed that there is a way up, do you still want to climb up?”

“… … !”

A path that can be climbed.

King Namgungje’s eyes widened for a moment as he looked at Yeonseonhyeon, and then…

It got so deep that I couldn’t even fathom its depth.

“… … .”

And he closed his eyes.

For a while.

There was a long silence in the special seats.

“… … .”

Gaju Namgung Bukwi swallowed dry saliva.

What started out as a story about Namgung Bukwi and himself soon became a conversation between supreme beings who exist in far-off realms.

And it dares.

Namgung Bukwi, even though he is the head of a family.

It was not an area that could be broken or invaded.

“… … .”

instead.

Gaju Namgung Bukwi kept his mouth shut and looked at Yeon Sohyeon with complicated feelings.

This young man, who had not even reached the terms, just…

He stood upright with his back to the ground, looking down at the stadium where the clean-up after the performance was in full swing with a calm gaze.

The appearance of the beautiful prince was so picturesque that it was enough to make one exclaim in awe, but at the same time, the head of the household, Namgung Bukwi, smiled bitterly.

‘You look but don’t see, you listen but don’t hear… .’

If it weren’t for the way his father, King Namgung Je, treated him.

should.

If he had not seen for himself how the undefeated Empress of the Hwangbo family would have reacted.

Still myself-.

‘You wouldn’t have known it even though you were meeting the Archduke right in front of you…’

I felt utterly bewildered.

But on the other hand.

There was also the image of myself with a clear head and a refreshed mind.

‘There was someone who dared to criticize the world’s greatest swordsman about discipline…!’

He laughed heartily inside.

And then I fell into thought with a much lighter heart.

‘Perfection and completion…’

In Yeon So-hyeon’s words, he did not gain any kind of martial arts enlightenment like his father, Geomwang.

So far, it has been enough to make you feel something and think deeply about your actions and future.

And that’s why.

“… Your Highness.”

Before I knew it.

Father Sword King opens his eyes.

Namgung Je wasn’t particularly surprised when he said this to Yeon So-hyeon.

“I would like to experience your sword firsthand. Is that possible?”

but.

I couldn’t help but be surprised at Yeon So-hyeon’s nonchalant response to the Sword King’s request.

“Yes, that’s right.”