Chapter 46: Master of the Sword (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 46: Master of the Sword (2)
The cultists on the other ship were in an uproar.
One look at the way they were staring at me was enough to tell how much I had changed.
Hair turned the color of blood, a crimson glow in my eyes, and the blade of the Blood Demon Sword stained a vivid scarlet.
-It really is quite a sight.
It’s for show.
This was a performance.
Isn't showing them once more effective than explaining a hundred times?
Baek Ryeonha spoke, her voice trembling.
"......The Blood Heaven Great Achievement Art!"
It was the unique divine art of the Blood Demon, the founder and progenitor of the Blood Cult. Due to its peculiar energy circulation method, reaching a certain stage of mastery affects the physical body, dyeing the pupils and all body hair a deep crimson.
Even my eyebrows had likely turned red.
"How... how did the Young Master learn the Blood Heaven Great Achievement Art?"
Han Baek-ha, the Blood Hand Witch, spoke to me as if she couldn't believe her eyes.
I told her the truth.
"I learned it from the Blood Demon Sword."
"From the sword?"
There was no lie in my words.
Of course, to be more precise, I had also absorbed the Blood Demon's spirit fragment, and it was partly due to the power of Heavenly Authority. However, this answer alone was enough to sow confusion.
Looking at the trembling throats of Han Baek-ha and Seo Gal-ma, it was clear they were frantically exchanging secret sound transmissions.
Hae Ak-cheon stepped forward and addressed them.
"Do you still not believe your own eyes? The divine object has chosen its master."
According to the statutes of the Blood Cult:
Among the successors, the one chosen by the divine object, the Blood Demon Sword, is the Blood Demon of that generation.
Hae Ak-cheon was driving that point home.
"This is impossible. Is the Young Master not the scion of the Yikyang So Family? How could he be chosen by the divine object, the Blood Demon Sword?"
At Han Baek-ha's words, Hae Ak-cheon looked at me.
He seemed to be asking whether he should speak or if I would explain it myself.
I opened my mouth to speak.
"I only found out myself after going to the Yikyang So Family on a mission."
"Found out what?"
"......The head of the Yikyang So Family was not my biological father."
'!?'
Han Baek-ha furrowed her brows.
"What do you mean? Are you saying you were adopted?"
"My mother entered the Yikyang So Family as a concubine while she was already pregnant with me. This jade token is a memento she left behind."
"What on earth is that...?"
"The Blood Demon was of the lineage of the Flying Moon Hero Sect."
Hae Ak-cheon cut Han Baek-ha off.
Upon hearing those words, Seo Gal-ma, the Raging Demon Lord, stared at me with wide eyes. From his expression, it seemed he also knew what the Flying Moon Hero Sect was.
"......Brother Hae. Is that truly the case?"
"Hmph. It is."
Sensing Hae Ak-cheon's intent as he looked at me, I pulled the Flying Crane Moon Token from my robes.
As soon as he saw the token, a gasp escaped Seo Gal-ma's lips.
"How can this be...?"
"Second Venerable. What is that token that makes you react this way?"
"It is the Flying Crane Moon Token."
Just as Hae Ak-cheon had said, it was a fact known only to a few within the Blood Cult. Han Baek-ha, the Blood Hand Witch, seemed unaware of the roots of the Flying Moon Hero Sect.
"The Flying Crane Moon Token?"
"That jade token is passed down to the successor of the Flying Moon Hero Sect."
"But even if he is from the Flying Moon Hero Sect, how does that..."
Baek Ryeonha interrupted Han Baek-ha.
"The Flying Moon Hero Sect is the lineage that carries the direct blood of the Progenitor."
Han Baek-ha's eyes widened at those words.
As the only child of the previous Cult Leader, Baek Ryeonha also knew the truth. To carry the blood of the Blood Demon meant having the right of succession.
"My Lady......"
Seo Gal-ma called out to her in a troubled voice.
Knowing that I was not only chosen by the Blood Demon Sword but also carried the blood of the Flying Moon Hero Sect, he seemed to be wavering. However, unlike Hae Ak-cheon, he was in a position where he couldn't easily switch sides, as the one he had sworn loyalty to was standing right before him.
-This has become quite complicated. What if a fight breaks out?
That would be the worst-case scenario.
It would mean a bloody internal feud erupting right on the decks of ships in the middle of the Yangtze River.
I looked straight at Baek Ryeonha.
Everything depended on her choice.
If Baek Ryeonha cleanly acknowledged me as the Blood Demon, everything would be settled without internal strife. If she refused to accept it until the end, a war would begin.
"Wait, everyone, please listen to me."
Han Baek-ha stepped forward, looking at Hae Ak-cheon and the Fourth Blood Star.
"The Flying Moon Hero Sect was destroyed due to internal strife within Peerless Fortress during the Great Orthodox-Evil War."
Internal strife?
This was a story I had heard at the Black Pavilion in Mangok Village, the headquarters of the Haomen Sect. In truth, I was also curious about what had happened at Peerless Fortress. That was why I had made the request for information.
"Do the Revered Stars gathered here not all know? The fact that everyone associated with the Flying Moon Hero Sect died back then?"
Do Jang-ho, the Fourth Blood Star, spoke with narrowed eyes.
"Is the Sixth Blood Star suggesting she cannot trust the choice of the Blood Demon Sword or the jade token?"
"That is not what I mean."
Han Baek-ha turned her gaze toward me and asked.
"Does the Young Master know if it was your father or your mother who carried the blood of the Flying Moon Hero Sect?"
"I do not know."
Han Baek-ha curled her lips into a smirk.
"Then that means you do not even know if you are of the direct line of the Flying Moon Hero Sect or not."
At this, Hae Ak-cheon rebuked her with a fierce expression.
"Are you doubting him even though the Blood Demon Sword has chosen him?"
"It is not doubt. If we go by that logic, Lady Baek Hye-hyang also carries the blood. Is it not a fact known to all that she is also not of the direct line?"
"Then what is the problem?"
"The reason we swore loyalty to Lady Baek Ryeonha is because she possesses legitimacy. She is the only one who carries the blood of the previous Cult Leader. Fourth Blood Star, why did you choose Lady Baek Hye-hyang?"
Do Jang-ho answered without hesitation.
"Because of her talent as a Blood Demon."
The talent Baek Hye-hyang possessed as a Blood Demon. It was said to be so innate that even Hae Ak-cheon acknowledged it. Despite Baek Ryeonha possessing legitimacy, Baek Hye-hyang had a demonic growth rate that made all the Revered Stars agonize over their choice.
The Blood Cult values bloodlines, but they value strength just as much. This is because the one who symbolizes the revived Blood Cult must be the Blood Demon of the era.
"Blood Hand Witch. Are you trying to say that this lad—no, the current Blood Demon—is inferior in talent compared to Lady Baek Hye-hyang?"
"That is only a minor reason."
"What!"
An intense aura erupted from Hae Ak-cheon. He looked ready to strike at any moment. As if responding to his momentum, Han Baek-ha’s hands turned crimson with the Blood Jade Hand.
"You truly want to do this!"
"I am not finished yet."
"Not finished?"
"If we interpret the statutes literally, the Venerable One is correct. However, who could have imagined such a case? This is a situation even the Progenitor could not have predicted."
"What?"
"The criteria by which he created the statutes were likely to minimize conflict among successors. He did not account for the Flying Moon Hero Sect, which left the Cult to become part of Peerless Fortress."
What she was saying was that, before even acknowledging me as the Blood Demon, they could not recognize the Flying Moon Hero Sect itself as a direct branch of the Blood Demon's lineage.
Thud!
Hae Ak-cheon stomped his foot heavily.
"Enough with the nonsense. In the end, you're saying the Flying Moon Hero Sect has no right to the title of Blood Demon..."
"Brother Hae. The Sixth Blood Star has a point."
The Raging Demon Lord, Seo Gal-ma, intervened.
"What?"
"Back in the days of the persecution of the martial world, the Cult helped the Flying Moon Hero Sect when they were driven out by the Imperial Court. But have you forgotten their choice? They abandoned the Cult and joined Peerless Fortress."
Hae Ak-cheon frowned. He probably hadn't expected them to push back like this.
Han Baek-ha added weight to Seo Gal-ma's words.
"Then it is certain. If the previous Cult Leader and the Venerable Ones had recognized them as being of the same bloodline, they would have helped long ago when signs of internal strife appeared in Peerless Fortress."
"Ha!"
Hae Ak-cheon was flabbergasted.
Han Baek-ha drove the final nail in.
"This is not a matter to be handled emotionally. Is the Venerable One going to arbitrarily recognize something that even the previous Cult Leader did not?"
She looked at Hae Ak-cheon with a meaningful gaze. I knew she was clever, but she truly lived up to her reputation. By pushing him this way, she was making it so that Hae Ak-cheon would be disregarding the will of the previous Cult Leader.
-She's desperate.
She has to stop this somehow.
According to the statutes, Baek Ryeonha is at an absolute disadvantage since I was chosen by the Blood Demon Sword. That’s why she’s nitpicking the interpretation of the statutes and bringing up the previous Cult Leader.
Han Baek-ha said to me, "It is a pity. If the Cult's relationship with the Flying Moon Hero Sect had been even slightly better back then, your kinsmen might still be safe today."
I felt a chill in my chest at her words.
-She's playing games, isn't she?
Exactly.
I could see it now. To overcome their disadvantage, she was using her head to spark internal conflict on our side. The meaning behind her words was this:
She was indirectly asking how I could intend to become the leader of the Blood Cult, which had failed to help the destroyed Flying Moon Hero Sect.
-She's trying to drive a wedge between you.
Yeah.
It was a blatant attempt at manipulation, but it wasn't entirely ineffective. For a moment, it made me imagine: If the Blood Cult had helped the Flying Moon Hero Sect, would they have been safe in Peerless Fortress?
If that had happened, I might not have lived such a miserable life under my biological father or mother as I did in my previous life.
-You're not actually falling for that, are you?
Do you think I'm an idiot?
There was something Han Baek-ha didn't know. Having lived a long life as a spy before my regression, I never take anyone's words at face value. I don't trust easily.
I gave Han Baek-ha a thin smile and spoke.
"That would have been nice, but as far as I know, when trouble arose within Peerless Fortress, was the Cult not also fighting the Great Orthodox-Evil War against the Martial Alliance? They were busy enough dealing with them; what spare strength would they have had to help the Flying Moon Hero Sect?"
"That is......"
"And I also find it questionable what capability the Flying Moon Hero Sect, who could barely preserve their own lives during the persecution, would have had to turn their backs on the Blood Cult and join Peerless Fortress."
"Did the Second Venerable not just say so? That they abandoned the Cult..."
"Sixth Blood Star. Even now, as soon as I claim to carry the blood of the Flying Moon Hero Sect, you bring up legitimacy and refuse to recognize me as a successor. What would it have been like back then? If another direct descendant carrying his blood had returned to the Cult, could you have accepted them?"
My words left Han Baek-ha speechless. On the other hand, Hae Ak-cheon’s lips curled up in a look of immense pride.
Then, Do Jang-ho, the Fourth Blood Star, spoke up.
"Sixth Blood Star, you asked me earlier why I followed Lady Baek Hye-hyang, didn't you?"
"......I did."
"The reason I serve the Young Master as the Blood Demon is the same."
"What?"
Do Jang-ho gestured toward me and said, "Do you think I changed my mind simply because of the statutes? It is because the talent of the current Blood Demon far surpasses that of Lady Baek Hye-hyang."
"His talent surpasses hers?"
She stared with narrowed eyes.
Do Jang-ho laughed and said, "With a body that lacked a Dantian, he attained a level of power that exceeds mine in just over a year. How can such innate talent be considered inferior to Lady Baek Hye-hyang's?"
At those words, not only Han Baek-ha but even Seo Gal-ma questioned him in disbelief.
"That's impossible! The lad has only just entered the Peak Realm; how could he surpass you, a master of the Supreme Peak Realm?"
"It has only been a month since he truly reached the Peak Realm."
I understood why they reacted this way. Since I had hidden my strength—the power of my Middle Dantian and Innate True Qi—they couldn't have known my true rate of growth.
Furthermore, through my experiences at the Yikyang So Family and my battles with Falcon Warrior Na Yuk-hyeong, Alliance Leader Baek Hyang-muk, and Bukyeong Doseong Gwak Hyeong-jik, I had gained various realizations and fortuitous encounters, growing even further.
Even without the power of the Blood Demon's spirit absorbed through Heavenly Authority, my martial prowess had increased enough that I could hold my own against the Blood Stars.
Hae Ak-cheon gave his characteristic laugh and said to the two of them, "Heh heh, if you find it so hard to believe, why not test it yourselves?"
"Test it?"
"Blood Hand Witch, why don't you try him yourself?"
Hae Ak-cheon's words seemed to prick Han Baek-ha's pride, as her expression turned icy. She was about to step forward when someone blocked her with a hand.
"My Lady?"
It was Baek Ryeonha.
Having stopped Han Baek-ha, she spoke.
"I will do it."
"My Lady! How can you...?"
"In a place where the Blood Demon is being decided, how could I let someone else stand in my place?"
Baek Ryeonha walked forward. With agile movements, she performed a somersault and crossed over to our ship.
Baek Ryeonha said to me, "Our fates truly seem deep and persistent, Young Master. I never dreamed we would face each other like this."
"I am sorry."
I felt a sense of guilt toward her. For the sake of my own path, I was standing directly in the way of her dream. But I, too, now had too much resting on my shoulders.
"Let us settle this here, once and for all."
"Settle what?"
"Who will become the Blood Demon."
"Through a duel between us?"
"......I do not want this to escalate into a war between our two sides. Do you not feel the same, Young Master?"
"I feel the same."
"Then let this duel decide it. If you win, I, the Sixth Blood Star, the Second Venerable, and even the Third Blood Star who is not here, will all come under your command."
"And if I lose, it will be the opposite."
"It is a clean method that avoids casualties on either side. Do you agree?"
"I agree."
As soon as I finished speaking, Baek Ryeonha shouted so that everyone around could hear.
"You all heard, didn't you? Everything will be decided by this duel. I will not forgive anyone who objects!"
"LOYALTY!!!"
All the cultists on Baek Ryeonha's ship shouted in unison. She truly possessed the dignity of a great leader.
I also raised the Blood Demon Sword high and shouted.
"If I lose, we will come under Lady Baek Ryeonha's command. No objections are necessary."
"LOYALTY!!!"
Our side also shouted back thunderously.
"Do the four of you also agree?"
At my question, Fourth Blood Star Do Jang-ho, Sixth Blood Star Han Baek-ha, Second Venerable Seo Gal-ma, and Venerable Hae Ak-cheon all nodded in agreement.
And so, the two of us stood facing each other. To decide who would become the true Blood Demon.
She took a starting stance for her finger technique.
Then she said to me, "Do your best. It will be different from when we sparred without internal energy."
It was a warning. She intended to show her true strength.
I nodded silently.
In the center, Fourth Blood Star Do Jang-ho raised his hand. Then, bringing it down, he shouted:
"BEGIN!"
The moment the word left his lips, she lunged toward me, unleashing a brilliant display of finger techniques.
I slowly moved my sword into a drawing stance. Gathering energy in my Yongcheon point, I shot forward.
My form streaked ahead like a falcon.
'!?'
A look of surprise flashed in Baek Ryeonha's eyes. This was the Body Lightening Method she had taught me. Because she knew the technique, she tried to initiate a change in her finger technique to counter it.
But this was not its true, completed form. This Body Lightening Method was designed for this specific sword move.
Blood Net Sword Sky.
-SHRAAAAAAK!
In that instant, a large red circular trajectory enveloped Baek Ryeonha's body. It pierced through her finger technique in a single breath and then soared upward.
Dismay appeared in her eyes.
But it was too late. Her body was thrust into the air in an instant, regardless of her will.
-Thud!
As she fell to the deck and tried to regain her balance, I placed the tip of my sword against her throat.
A heavy silence fell over the crowd at the unexpected result. The duel had been decided in a single move.
"How...?"
I spoke to her as she stared at the sword's tip with trembling eyes.
"Now, I am the Blood Demon."