The Ruler Of Darkness - Chapter 649



Only Noblemtl

Episode 649

Part 24: The Feather

Kwak…!

“Ugh…!”

The sacrifice’s heart was pierced and its breath stopped.

However, Zhuge Nanjun (諸葛藍?) did not have time to wait for the offering to be finished.

“Bring me more! Sacrifices! The next sacrifice…!”

Everyone in the family called themselves geniuses since they were young.

He expressed humility every time.

But in the end, he became the head of the Zhuge family through his own abilities.

perhaps.

Maybe it’s time to consider yourself a genius.

Day after day, people with heavy names came from all over the Central Plains to borrow wisdom.

Arrogance was beginning to sprout within him.

of course.

“Is this really the thinking of a child not even ten years old…?!”

“Haha, I have nothing more to teach this child…!”

His own son.

This was the story before Zhuge Liangxian rose to prominence.

“Father, this family is too small for me.”

Before I knew it.

Even when his son, who had grown up quickly, said he would leave the family instead of continuing the family line.

“… If that is what you want, then do so.”

Leaving all those emotions behind, it was clear that what was deep inside his heart was there.

It was a feeling of relief.

A deep sense of relief that you won’t be eaten by your children.

and.

Shame that comes from a father’s pettiness that is not befitting a father.

“Where are you going?”

“Youngja, I will go to the Luoyang Swordsmanship, the best swordsmanship in the world, and fulfill my great ambitions.”

indeed.

Not long after, I heard my son’s new name, ‘Great Military Master Zhuge Liang’.

There he felt it once again.

‘I am not a genius.’

That’s right.

His own son, Zhuge Shanghuan.

A person who shares the same name with the great general of the Sima family, who was famous for a long time, is a genius.

That’s what I thought.

Earlier this year.

Until we heard a new name.

“Have you all seen it? The report on the Grand Duke of Luoyang Sword Family.”

“It seems that the rumors that were rampant when I was young weren’t completely false.”

“Haha, I wonder if that Grand Duke is really capable of competing with our General Zhuge Liang…!”

At first, everyone had fun.

While I was wondering just how great the Archduke really was, deep down.

Everyone was convinced that he would not be able to surpass the great general Zhuge Liang.

however.

“The successor structure of the Luoyang Sword Family is becoming strange.”

In just a few months-.

“A report has come in that the Grand Duke has achieved a great victory over the Second Prince, Yeonjacheong…!”

“It seems that the Three Princes cannot rest easy either…! A request has come to dispatch more military officers…!”

Without even having time to do anything properly-.

“Next is the North, the North…! In the North, we must not lose the strategic strongholds-!”

It’s over.

“…My lord.”

That day was like this.

“The death of Lord Sang-Hyeon has been virtually confirmed.”

It was one day when heavy rain was pouring down.

“what…?”

And then he realized.

A feeling of loss, as if a bottomless hole had been ripped open in the middle of my chest.

And through that loss, I realized.

‘ah….’

Himself.

He had lost the most perfect being he had ever achieved in his life.

and.

That profound sense of loss and belated realization turned into a terrible anger.

“Yeon So-Hyeon, I will definitely kill that bastard in the North…! Even if I have to sacrifice everything! Even if I have to offer up my entire family to the King of Fear!”

but.

Even that was impossible.

“You’re offering up your entire family?! Are you crazy, head of the family…?!”

“If you go that far, it’s clear treason, you bastard…!”

“It won’t be too late to board once the King’s opportunity for victory has become more certain…!”

The Jegal family is not the exclusive property of just one head of the family.

This was especially true for the Zhuge Liang family, which relied on the individual abilities of its members who were active throughout the Central Plains.

furthermore.

“…I didn’t even have time to properly help the King.”

“The war ended too soon…! Damn it! Yeon So-hyeon, that guy is crazy…! A complete lunatic…!”

* * *

“…maniac.”

Phew…!

Another sacrifice was offered.

“Yeah, I guess I’m crazy… .”

Phew…!

“me too….”

Phew…!

Another sacrifice was offered.

“I may not be perfect like him, but I have to be a complete lunatic… .”

Towering.

“… … .”

The ceremonial dagger that had been striking ceaselessly stopped.

From some point on.

Because living sacrifices were no longer adequately supplied.

“…a sacrifice.”

Even his own voice, which had become hoarse, felt unfamiliar.

“Bring more offerings.”

“Ha, but my lord…!”

His closest confidant and the person in charge of providing the offerings was sweating profusely and showing his reluctance.

“No more, no more sacrifices left nearby…! Now, stop it-!”

Krrrrrrrr…!

The resurrected being, reacting to Jegal Nam-gun’s emotions, bared his ugly teeth and threatened his closest aides.

“I, really…! There’s no one left…!”

Those eyes are telling the truth.

Jegal Nam-gun thought.

“… Then. Bring the rest of the loyalists who were dispatched here.”

He laughed.

“They’re the ones who just chirp noisily next to me, so I should use them as a sacrifice.”

They are such strong-headed people, even the Great Black Buddha Mother will be satisfied.

“Go, my lord. That is….”

The closest aide pointed down at Jegal Nam-gun with a trembling hand.

“He, already, the Lord has killed them all.”

“… … .”

Jegal Nam-gun’s yellow eyes rolled and looked down.

“…ah.”

At his feet lay the corpse of an old man with his heart pierced through.

“… Your words are becoming increasingly incomprehensible, Master. As a long-time friend of mine, I thought I understood your sense of loss.”

His old friend and the pillar of the family, the elder, was lying there.

“… … .”

Jegal Nam-gun, who was looking at the wide-open eyes of his close friend who had been looking up at him until the end, opened his mouth without any change in expression.

“… The Great Black Barren Lord is not satisfied yet.”

“My lord…!”

He thought, letting the voice of his closest aide go in one ear.

What should I do now?

How can we satisfy the Great Black Barren?

anyone.

I needed someone to guide me.

Squeak-.

“Who, who-, huh… ?!”

dump.

Jegal Nam-gun’s closest aide collapsed on the spot, clutching his chest.

How dare you talk about a mere insignificant thing.

It was because I saw something I couldn’t handle.

“You’re lost again, just like last time.”

Yeah, that’s right.

Then as now.

‘He’ had come to me personally to guide me when I was lost.

“… Leader.”

Jegal Nam-gun immediately knelt down on the spot.

It was still too much for him to directly look at the truth held by Mother Black Barren, a being that infinitely resembled the form of the earth.

“Do you have nothing more to offer?”

The voice was like a giant bell ringing in my head.

“… I’m sorry, Your Majesty. My sincerity is so lacking…”

I was embarrassed.

He nodded his head further.

“no.”

So kindly.

The leader himself came up to him and touched his shoulder with what seemed to be a clammy, twisted hand.

Ah, that feeling of relief.

“There is still more to offer for your ascension.”

The stench of all things rotting and festering wafted past Jegal Nam-gun’s ears.

It was the breath of the leader.

“Offer your family to your mother.”

“… … ?!”

Jegal Nam-gun, who was bowing his head to the floor, had his yellow eyes wide open as if they were going to burst.

but.

His mind was brightened by realization, and the words that came to his lips were.

“I will give it all…!”

It was a true joy.

He threw off all his delusions and hit his forehead on the floor.

“I will give you everything, everything, nothing…!”

The leader laughed.

It was a satisfying and loving smile.

“Your mother’s children will gladly take away your last veil.”

“Thank you… ! Thank you… ! Thank you… ! Thank you… ! Thank you… !”

Under the black rags.

“This is an infinitely joyful thing.”

The leader smiled and spoke with another mouth.

“Besides you, there is another one. Just a little while ago, there was a child whose mother had truly decided to return to faith. She too will now reveal her true self to the world without shame.”

* * *

“I am reporting…!”

This second generation disciple of the Hwasan sect ran through the pouring rain and reported to the Sword Lord.

“Securing the safety of the three information bases of the Luoyang Swordsmanship…!”

Despite running nonstop in this crazy downpour, the great disciple’s expression was bright.

“The defense support and recapture of the remaining information bases are also proceeding smoothly…! The cooperation of the unmanned forces with their numbers at the forefront is a great help…!”

“That went well.”

The Hwasanpa swordsman sighed in relief and patted the great disciple on the shoulder to congratulate him.

“Please keep up the good work.”

“Yes, Your Majesty…!”

As he watched the figure of the great disciple of the Hwasanpa disappear into the distance, the shaman Taecheong Jinin spoke in a slightly trembling voice.

“… It’s good that things are going well, but.”

He lifted his hat and looked up at the sky.

still.

There, the sky was so pitch black that it seemed as if there was a hole in it that it was impossible to tell day from night.

It was pouring down a torrential downpour.

“The Grand Duke’s message was the same….”

The Volcano Sword Master nodded, checking his heavy sword in its scabbard.

“exactly.”

He put into words the message that Yeon So-hyeon had delivered through Se-ah, the owner of Hyeonwolgakju.

“The moment it’s completely over, everyone will know it’s over, so don’t let your guard down until the very end. That’s what I said.”

“Hmm….”

Taecheongjin also did not take his hand off his sword, but raised his other hand and pointed to the sky.

“Wherever you look, this sky looks like the work isn’t over yet-.”

Was it thanks to Yeon So-hyeon’s message?

Or, was it thanks to the skill of Namgung Je, the Sword King of Yeonseo-hyeon and the Emperor without a Crown?

Or, the Sword Army and the Taecheongjin.

Was it because of the experience the two men had accumulated on the battlefield their entire lives?

“… … ?!”

“… … ?!”

Perhaps the two people were dodging that one sword that had no sound to either side.

It might have been fate.

“surprise attack…?!”

“but…!”

The two of them controlled their heavy breathing with the method of the mind, and before they knew it, they were guarding both sides with their drawn swords.

but.

They found no one.

“…no.”

Did that blow just graze you?

Feeling his own shattered hat slipping down from his head, the shaman’s Taecheongjinin ground his teeth.

“This isn’t some kind of ghost or something-?”

His words were left unfinished.

Kirrrrrrrr…!

Could this be the sound of the earth twisting?

“… … ?!”

“… … ?!”

The two men looked back and saw that the buildings behind them were split vertically at the same time due to the enemy’s first strike.

Kukukukukukukukukukukukung…!

Buildings collapsed with a huge shaking, spewing out huge amounts of dust.

“… … .”

“… … .”

The two men, Geomgun and Taecheongjin, held their swords upright even as flying fragments struck their foreheads.

All of his senses were aroused, and he didn’t blink an eye.

Kukukukukukuku…!

A blessing in disguise.

Thanks to the crazy pouring rain.

The dust cleared quickly and did not obstruct their vision any further.

but.

Thud, thud, thud.

Taecheongjinin’s mouth opened involuntarily as he confirmed the appearance of his opponent beyond the quickly settling dust cloud.

“…O Primordial Heavenly Lord.”

Six arms.

Six swords.

Three eyes.

and.

A cursed prophecy that flows out of two mouths, crossing each other endlessly.

“The seven thousand five hundred teachings of Mount Hua are all false. The enlightenment that twelve immortals gave from Mount Yeonhwa twelve thousand years ago is nothing but a fake.”

“From the depths of Luoyang, resentment and injustice reached the false heavens, and in one month, the cursed royal lineage was cut off, and in two months, the dynasty was overturned. This is-.”

however.

The two people could not help but recognize that face.

“The Hwangbo family’s-!”

“Empress-?!”

One of the true and supreme rulers of the Central Plains.

After finishing the worst of the fables, he appeared in Luoyang.