Chapter 45: The Source of Blood (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 45: The Source of Blood (2)
Heading north after leaving Anhui Province leads to Xinye.
About twenty li northeast of Xinye lies a small village called Yabuk County. In a manor situated in the northern part of the village, a red-haired woman sat in the seat of honor in a private room, her pale legs propped up on a table as she fanned herself.
She was Baek Hye-hyang, one of the candidates for the leadership of the Blood Cult.
To her right, the First Blood Star, Thunder Blood Sword Jang Ryong, was pointing at a map of the Central Plains spread across the table, diligently explaining something. Baek Hye-hyang listened while fanning herself with a look of utter boredom.
Knock, knock!
Someone tapped on the door of the private room.
"Who is it?" Jang Ryong asked.
A voice answered from outside. "It is Na Sim-hyeong, leader of the White Blood Unit."
"Enter."
The door opened, and Na Sim-hyeong stepped inside, bowing respectfully to Baek Hye-hyang. As she waved her hand dismissively, Na Sim-hyeong reported in a troubled voice.
"A problem has arisen."
"A problem?"
"The carrier pigeon that should have arrived from the Yangtze River has stopped coming."
Baek Hye-hyang, who had been listening half-heartedly, stopped fanning herself. She looked at Na Sim-hyeong.
"The Yangtze? You mean the pier near Honghu City?"
"Yes. That is where Mun Yul, leader of the Blood Breaking Unit, was assigned. Only the pigeons from that location have failed to arrive. It may be too early to jump to conclusions, but I felt I should report it..."
At those words, Jang Ryong muttered, "How coincidental."
A carrier pigeon failing to arrive even once could only mean two things: either something happened to the bird mid-flight, or something happened to the sender. That was why Na Sim-hyeong had said it was too early to be certain.
"Is that all?"
"No. The Martial Alliance has announced the names of those who died during the Grand Martial Assembly... and the Chief Strategist is among them."
"!?"
Jang Ryong asked back in shock, "The Chief Strategist? You mean Zhuge Won-myeong is dead? Is that true?"
"There is no mistake."
"My Lady?"
Jang Ryong turned his head to see Baek Hye-hyang’s expression frozen in a terrifying scowl. Jang Ryong turned back to Na Sim-hyeong.
"Is there any other news?"
"High-ranking officials, Elder-level and above from various sects, are gathering at the Martial Alliance headquarters."
"...Has there been any public announcement regarding our Cult?"
"None."
"......Understood. You may leave."
"Loyalty!"
Na Sim-hyeong performed a fist-and-palm salute and exited the room. Once his presence had completely faded, Jang Ryong spoke.
"My Lady. Our fears have become reality."
"......So Zhuge Won-myeong was murdered."
This wasn't their doing. However, they had already heard through spies within the Martial Alliance that Chief Strategist Zhuge Won-myeong’s whereabouts were unknown. At the time, Jang Ryong had expressed his concerns, proposing the hypothesis that if Zhuge Won-myeong had been killed, the real Blood Demon Sword might have been seized by Baek Ryeonha’s side.
"The situation at the pier and this news fit together perfectly. It seems we must prepare."
If the real Blood Demon Sword fell into Baek Ryeonha’s hands, the situation would become unpredictable. Among the Venerables and the Blood Stars, there were those who prioritized the Statutes above all else. They would likely move to support whoever held the Divine Object.
"Interesting. Things are turning out quite interesting."
Despite the gravity of the situation, Baek Hye-hyang remained calm. This was precisely why Jang Ryong followed her.
Baek Hye-hyang pointed at the map with her fan. "Who are the ones likely to defect?"
"There is a sixty percent chance it will be the Seventh Blood Star. He prioritizes the Statutes more than anyone."
"Those damn Statutes. Hmph! Can the others be trusted?"
Jang Ryong smiled at her question.
"If they were going to defect, they would have supported Lady Baek Ryeonha from the start, as she is closer to legitimacy. The current Cult wants a stronger Blood Demon."
Baek Ryeonha’s martial prowess did not compare to Baek Hye-hyang’s. Even if she obtained the Blood Demon Sword and the secret martial arts hidden within it, the gap in their growth rate and talent was too vast for her to catch up.
If it’s my Lady, it’s possible. She can reach the heights of the Eight Great Masters and the Four Great Villains.
Even the First Venerable, who was approaching the Realm of Superhumans, had acknowledged her innate martial talent.
Baek Hye-hyang stared intently at the map before pointing to two locations.
"The key will be the Three Venerables and the Second Blood Star."
"Indeed."
Third Venerable Blood King Gu Je-yang and the Second Blood Star, Su-ra-do Yu Baek.
Gu Je-yang’s reputation was well-known, and Yu Baek also possessed martial skills so outstanding they were said to rival the Venerables. The problem was what the two had proposed.
Third Venerable Gu Je-yang had stated he would serve whoever held the Divine Object, while Second Blood Star Yu Baek said he would follow the one who proved themselves worthy. If those two joined Baek Ryeonha’s faction, the tide of the war would turn in an instant. It would mean seven out of the eleven Revered Stars would be siding with Baek Ryeonha.
"The plan?"
"There are two options."
"Speak."
"First, we can seize the sword before it reaches Lady Baek Ryeonha’s hands. The Fourth Blood Star should be nearby, so we can mobilize him. However, seizing it will be difficult since the Bizarre Monster is guarding them."
In truth, Jang Ryong had one more idea in mind. If they killed the Fourth Venerable Haeakcheon and So Woon-hwi by any means necessary, they could take the Blood Demon Sword. However, even when he had sent the Mad Demon Unit Leader and the Blood Breaking Unit Leader, she had ordered them to be captured alive.
Baek Hye-hyang’s only flaw.
......Desire.
Her obsession with things she wanted was extraordinary. Since she had already tried to kill So Woon-hwi once, Jang Ryong knew that defying her again would invite her wrath.
She spoke up. "Is seizing the sword the best course of action?"
"......It is."
"Fine. Then take it. Use any means necessary. However, bring So Woon-hwi back alive."
"Pardon?"
"I said, keep that one person alive."
Stunned by the unexpected command, Jang Ryong quickly replied before she could change her mind.
"I shall follow your command."
Capturing everyone alive would be difficult no matter how they approached it. But bringing back only one person, So Woon-hwi, was a different story.
Baek Hye-hyang continued. "The Three Venerables are in Luochuan, Shaanxi Province, right?"
"Yes."
"It’s close. Good. I’ll settle things with Gu Je-yang myself."
"You will go personally, My Lady?"
"Do you expect me to just let him join that girl’s side?"
".......You are absolutely right!"
Jang Ryong felt a sense of pride at her decision to take action. Even if the Blood King had made such a proposal, the situation might change if a candidate for the Cult Leader visited him in person.
"Did you say the Second Blood Star’s base is in Anhui Province?"
"I will personally go to Anhui."
"You’re quick on the uptake."
Jang Ryong replied with a grin. "Of course."
The best plan was to seize the sword, but if that failed, they could still maintain their lead if they could somehow persuade the Three Venerables and the Second Blood Star.
Baek Hye-hyang stood up and said in a sharp voice, "If the tasks are set, move."
"Jang Ryong accepts your comm—"
BOOM!
"Aaargh!"
Before he could finish his sentence, a massive explosion and a scream erupted from outside. As a series of loud noises followed, both of them rushed out of the room without hesitation.
Stepping outside, Baek Hye-hyang furrowed her elegant brows.
"How could this..."
Jang Ryong could not hide his bewilderment at the scene before them. The cultists who had been guarding the room were all collapsed in pools of blood, and Na Sim-hyeong, the White Blood Unit Leader, was being held up by the throat by a mysterious figure.
Na Sim-hyeong struggled to speak. "Gack... I... I told you... I don't know..."
"You don't know?"
Crunch!
"AAAAAAARGH!"
Na Sim-hyeong’s left arm was ripped clean off, as if someone were plucking a radish from the earth. It happened the moment he finished speaking.
"Who the hell are you!"
Without a second thought, Jang Ryong lunged toward the mysterious monster. The figure, draped in a black robe, tossed Na Sim-hyeong to the ground and reached out toward the incoming Jang Ryong, who was drawing his sword.
Fool! I’ll cut you down right where you stand.
Jang Ryong intended to sever the man's arm in a single stroke. In that instant, something unbelievable happened.
Ting!
The moment the sword touched the intruder's hand, it bent and was deflected away.
"Ugh!"
Jang Ryong felt a searing pain as the skin of his palm tore.
This internal power is nonsensical.
Though deeply shocked, Jang Ryong calmly executed a kicking technique toward the intruder's head. His kicks blurred, creating afterimages. However, the intruder caught his foot as if it were nothing.
Thud!
'What?'
"You have many petty tricks."
Before he knew it, the intruder’s sword-finger was pressed against his chest. A sharp killing intent pierced through the vital points of his torso.
Stab-stab-stab!
Jang Ryong desperately used his Body Lightening Method to avoid the piercing fingers, but the intruder’s form stuck to him like a shadow.
How can such a monster exist?
Jang Ryong was a master close to the peak of the Supreme Peak Realm. Yet, this opponent was handling him like a child.
Slash!
At that moment, a crimson arc of light cut between them.
My Lady!
Baek Hye-hyang had intervened. The intruder came to a halt, allowing Jang Ryong to escape the immediate danger.
"Expel that killing intent."
"Y-yes, My Lady."
The sharp energy was trying to tear his internal organs apart; he had to focus all his efforts on circulating his energy to drive it out.
"Who are you?" Baek Hye-hyang asked, pointing her crimson-stained imitation Blood Demon Sword at the intruder.
The man wore a black robe pulled over his head, leaving only the area below his nose faintly visible, but the aura he radiated was extraordinary.
The intruder spoke. "To think a descendant of the Blood Demon was still alive."
At those words, a murderous light flickered in Baek Hye-hyang’s red eyes. Her hand moved like lightning, her sword tracing a complex trajectory that enveloped the intruder.
In response, the intruder moved his feet while keeping his hands behind his back.
This is impossible!
Jang Ryong, watching from the side, was struck with horror. The intruder was leisurely dodging every one of Baek Hye-hyang’s sword strikes by moving his feet within a mere five-pace radius. He was using the absolute minimum amount of movement.
C-could it be...
There weren't many people in the world who could display such martial prowess against Baek Hye-hyang or himself. Only the twelve monsters said to have entered the Realm of Superhumans were capable of such divine feats.
Who is he?
It was hard to tell his identity since his face was hidden. The intruder spoke as he dodged Baek Hye-hyang’s blade.
"You possess incredible talent. To reach the peak at such an age."
To say such things while dodging her sword so easily was a direct provocation.
"I'll kill you!"
The red glow in Baek Hye-hyang’s eyes intensified. In that instant, her sword began to move far faster than before.
The intruder finally unclasped one of the hands he had held behind his back. He used the hem of his fluttering black robe to entangle Baek Hye-hyang’s swinging sword.
Snap!
As the sword was bound, the intruder grabbed her wrist with lightning speed. Baek Hye-hyang scowled. No matter how much internal power she exerted, she couldn't move her hand.
His internal power is stronger than mine?
She couldn't believe it. She possessed a monstrous level of internal energy that even the First Venerable had acknowledged. Yet, she was being overpowered in a contest of raw strength.
"If you are the descendant of the Blood Demon, you must be the leader here. Then you should know well."
"......What nonsense are you babbling!"
Baek Hye-hyang let go of her sword and unleashed a finger technique. The index finger of her left hand lunged toward the intruder’s brow with the intensity of a thrown spear. It was a distance nearly impossible to dodge, yet—
Clap!
Her finger was caught between the intruder’s index and middle fingers.
"Your brashness and belligerence resemble someone I know."
The intruder shook his head and twisted his fingers. Her body was sent spinning through the air before slamming into the ground. As Baek Hye-hyang staggered, trying to push herself up—
Thwack!
The intruder struck the side of her neck with the edge of his hand. She collapsed to the floor like a doll with its strings cut.
"You have grit. You didn't even scream."
The intruder clicked his tongue and placed his foot over her head.
"NOOOOOO!"
Jang Ryong, who hadn't fully expelled the hostile energy from his system, abandoned his meditation and lunged forward to save her.
"You’d best stop."
"!?"
He was forced to halt when he saw the intruder’s foot press down harder on Baek Hye-hyang’s head.
"Guh!"
Jang Ryong coughed up a mouthful of blood. Forcing his internal power while the sharp energy was still inside him had wreaked havoc on his internals.
Jang Ryong spoke with great difficulty. "......Stop. Who are you, and why are you doing this?"
"That is none of your concern."
With that, the intruder pulled a piece of paper from his robe. When he unfolded it, it revealed a drawing of a very handsome man. Surprisingly, it was the face of Sama Yeong’s human skin mask.
Jang Ryong frowned. Who is that?
It was a face he had never seen before.
"I followed this person's trail to a place filled with mountain peaks between Guangdong and Guangxi, only to find that the sects of the Martial Alliance had raided it."
A raid? Could it be...
Jang Ryong searched his mind and remembered Six Blood Valley. Recently, that was the only place where their Cult had clashed with the Martial Alliance.
"Do you know this face? Or not?"
"I do not."
Unfortunately, he had never seen that face. Had he been at the Deungjeong Inn, he might have guessed, but he had only heard that Baek Hye-hyang had taken a liking to some girl, making it even harder to deduce.
"Who are you that you would go this far..."
"I tracked the traces you people left behind until I reached this place. The cipher for your carrier pigeons was simpler than I expected."
Ha!
Jang Ryong was speechless. That meant this man had intercepted their pigeons, decoded the messages, and tracked them down. He was a man of immense intellect to match his monstrous martial arts.
'!!!'
Suddenly, two names flashed through his mind. Among the Eight Great Masters and the Four Great Villains, there were two known for their exceptional brilliance.
Man Bak-ja Du Gong and Moon Evil Sword Sama Chak.
Among them, the one who used a sword was undoubtedly the latter.
M-Moon Evil Sword?
Jang Ryong became certain that this man was Moon Evil Sword Sama Chak. Along with the Zhuge Family, the Sama Family’s intellect was hailed as one of the two wonders of the martial world.
One of the Four Great Villains...
This was the worst-case scenario. Who in the martial world didn't know of Sama Chak’s infamy and his cruel methods? It was absurd that a monster who had disappeared from the world for so long would suddenly appear here.
Did the youth in that drawing earn the Moon Evil Sword’s wrath?
Otherwise, there was no way this notorious monster would pursue them so relentlessly. The black-robed intruder looked down at his foot.
"You want this girl to live, don't you? Then find out where he is."
Jang Ryong’s mind went blank. Being told to find a face he had never seen was suffocating. He felt a surge of frustration. He didn't know who that person was, but to think they had provoked one of the Four Great Villains and then hidden within the Cult, causing this mess—he felt like finding the person himself just to punish them.
Ah!
In that moment, a brilliant idea struck Jang Ryong.
If they headed to Six Blood Valley, they’re already over there.
He just had to tell the truth. With one small addition, of course.
"If you insist on hiding it, I have no choice. I am an impatient man."
"Wait! Hold on. I believe there has been a misunderstanding."
"A misunderstanding?"
"The Cult split into factions long ago, after the Great Orthodox-Evil War."
"Split into factions?"
"If you found that person's trail at Six Blood Valley, then they are not with our faction."
"Do not play games with me."
The intruder’s foot began to apply pressure again. Jang Ryong shouted desperately.
"It’s the truth! If you wish, I can tell you their location. They must be the ones hiding the person you seek."
"......And why should I believe that?"
"My Lord’s life is at stake; why would I lie? I can provide as much proof as you need."
The intruder stroked his chin as if considering the offer. "Where are they?"
Hearing those words, Jang Ryong cheered inwardly. This was the definition of a blessing in disguise.
I can get rid of them without even lifting a finger.
*
On a boat on the Yangtze River, shrouded in thick fog.
When I entered the cabin, Haeakcheon was sitting alone, pouring himself a drink and waiting for me. Considering how much he had suffered from the Energy Dispersal Poison, it was almost impressive that he was drinking again.
"Heh heh, please sit."
Ugh...
For some reason, his tone felt incredibly uncomfortable. It had felt awkward when he spoke formally to Baek Ryeonha, but it was even worse when he did it to me.
As I sat across from him, Haeakcheon spoke.
"Thinking back on everything, I believe I have been quite rude to you."
"........"
In an instant, memories of him hanging me upside down from a cliff, the beatings, and various other hellish days flashed through my mind.
Pay him back for what? Was I supposed to demand to know why he did those things back then? I still didn't even know for sure if I truly carried the Blood Demon’s blood; saying something like that was beyond my wildest dreams.
"......Master. Please, just treat me normally."
Haeakcheon waved his large hand dismissively.
"How could I commit such an error against the Blood Demon? Please do not feel uncomfortable."
I felt extremely uncomfortable. And extremely awkward.
"When it's just the two of us, please treat me comfortably. I think that would be better."
Since I still considered him my master, I figured it was right to insist one more time.
Haeakcheon grinned and said, "Heh heh, I understand, you brat."
Ha!
How could he accept that without a moment's hesitation? It was absurd, but then again, it was exactly what I expected from this crazy old man.
Haeakcheon poured a drink into the cup in front of me and spoke.
"I won't beat around the bush; I'll ask you directly. Are your grandfather or mother related to the Flying Moon Hero Sect of Peerless Fortress?"
"!!!"
In that moment, I was left speechless.