Chapter 61: The Vanished Main Cult (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 61: The Vanished Main Cult (2)
Gi Jo-yang, the Vice Leader of the Blood Wolf Unit, widened his eyes, unable to hide his bewilderment.
Seeing him like this brought back a flood of memories.
In truth, he was one of the faces I had truly wanted to see again after my regression. Though he always acted gruff, he had looked after me just as much as the Great Leader had. To think he had followed Great Leader No Seong-gu back to his hometown.
"A high-ranking official? What on earth do you mean...?"
It was only natural that he found it strange for me to know him.
Since Great Leader No Seong-gu had gone into hiding immediately after rescuing his sister, he wouldn't know that I had become the disciple of a Venerable, let alone the Blood Demon.
No, he definitely wouldn't know about me becoming the Blood Demon. I had completely blocked that information from leaking to prevent any security risks.
Still suspicious, Vice Leader Gi Jo-yang spoke up.
"…It has been quite some time since I left the Cult, but I have never heard of someone like you holding a high position."
"That’s only natural. I’m currently hiding my face with a human skin mask."
"What?"
Before leaving Bokan County, I had received several human skin masks from my father-in-law, Moon Evil Sword Sama Chak. Since my original face was known in the martial world as one of the Twin Heroes, I had no choice but to mask my features to avoid being easily tracked.
Gi Jo-yang bit his lip and asked, "I have one question. Are you affiliated with the Hwayue Merchant Group?"
The Hwayue Merchant Group.
The reason he asked was simple. He wanted to know if I was connected to the First Blood Star, Jang Ryong. It seemed there was a reason why these outsiders had been so wary of us from the moment we arrived.
I gave him a thin smile.
"I am the one who told Great Leader No Seong-gu where his sister was. You can set aside your suspicions."
"You’re the one who told the Great Leader?"
"The Hwayue Merchant Group branch in Jinhai County, Zhejiang Province. Is that enough?"
"That is information the Hwayue Merchant Group would also know."
He wasn't easily convinced.
"I believe all doubts will be cleared once I meet Great Leader No Seong-gu in person."
"Who’s to say you won't become the Great Leader’s assassin if I lead you there recklessly?"
"Then what must I do to earn your trust?"
At my question, Vice Leader Gi Jo-yang spoke cautiously.
"There is information that even the Hwayue Merchant Group wouldn't know. Tell me where and from whom our Great Leader heard that information."
That was easy.
"Six Blood Valley. Intermediate training disciple. So Woon-hwi."
"!?"
Upon hearing those words, Vice Leader Gi Jo-yang let out a sigh of relief. He must have been incredibly tense, fearing that the First Blood Star had sent someone to eliminate him and the Great Leader.
Having caught his breath, Gi Jo-yang said to me, "Follow me."
Guided by Gi Jo-yang, we ventured deeper into the mountain valley. Contrary to my expectation that they would be living in the village, it seemed they had established a residence in a much more secluded location.
After about fifteen minutes of walking, a small, inconspicuous hut appeared.
The Lesser Conversation Sword whispered to me.
'Two presences.'
One was the presence of an ordinary person. The light, trembling footsteps suggested it was a woman. The other presence, however, was unexpected.
'He’s stronger than I thought.'
I had assumed that as a Great Leader, he would be among the elite of the first-rate masters. However, the sensation coming from inside suggested he had reached at least the beginning stages of the Supreme Peak Realm. Since it had been well over a year since we last met, it was possible he had grown stronger in the interim.
"Big brother!"
At Gi Jo-yang's shout, one of the presences inside the hut moved.
The door opened, revealing a man in his late thirties with a mustache and an eyepatch. It was the Blood Wolf Great Leader, No Seong-gu.
'He has more scars.'
His face was now covered with traces of minor wounds. It seemed he had suffered greatly while trying to help his sister escape.
Upon spotting me behind Gi Jo-yang, No Seong-gu drew the blade from the scabbard at his waist.
"Why have you brought these people here!"
Great Leader No Seong-gu rebuked Gi Jo-yang in a voice thick with rage.
Gi Jo-yang gestured toward me and said, "They are not dangerous people."
"What do you mean, not dangerous?"
A master of his caliber would have noticed that he couldn't gauge the martial prowess of myself or Sama Yeong through his Qi sense. It was only natural for him to be on guard.
I reached for the skin near my ear and carefully peeled off the human skin mask.
The moment he saw my face, No Seong-gu’s eyes narrowed.
"So Woon-hwi?"
I considered correcting him on my name, but since there was no need yet, I simply spoke.
"It has been a long time, Great Leader."
I wondered if he would accept the greeting, but after staring at me intensely, he suddenly lunged toward me.
Whoosh!
No Seong-gu unleashed a blade technique at me. I wasn't sure why, but it seemed he hadn't let go of his suspicions yet.
I thrust my hand through the gaps in his swinging blade technique and slapped the flat of the blade as if striking someone's cheek.
Clang!
"Ugh!"
The blade flew out of his hand, landing and embedding itself in the ground several yards away.
No Seong-gu’s eyes widened as he stared at the vibrating blade. In the past, I would have been suppressed by a single move of his, but now the situation was completely reversed.
"Who... who on earth are you?"
"I am So Woon-hwi."
"Nonsense! That boy’s Dantian was destroyed; he was someone who could never learn martial arts. You’re telling me such a person reached this level in less than two years?"
Even I had to admit it was a monumental leap. In fact, it was growth that was hard to believe. If I were in his shoes, I wouldn't find it easy to believe either.
"You should remember me using this dagger when the training disciples were being graded, right?"
I subtly showed him the Lesser Conversation Sword. The moment he saw the hilt, No Seong-gu’s pupils shook. Even though over a year had passed, he recognized it.
He looked back and forth between the sword and my face, speaking as if he couldn't comprehend it.
"How can this be..."
"Well, I suppose it would be hard for even me to believe."
"How did you fix your Dantian?"
"With my master's help, I was treated by the Divine Healer of Ten Thousand Ailments."
"The Divine Healer of Ten Thousand Ailments?"
He frowned at the mention of the Divine Healer. Then, he asked in bewilderment, "Who is your master that they could arrange a meeting with the Divine Healer and allow you to gain such martial prowess in such a short time?"
I smiled thinly and answered nonchalantly.
"It is Bizarre Hae Ak-cheon."
"What?"
No Seong-gu, who had only shown wariness until now, was finally overcome with shock. As a member of the Blood Cult, there was no way he wouldn't know the Fourth Venerable, Bizarre Hae Ak-cheon.
Staring at me with bewildered eyes, No Seong-gu performed a fist-and-palm salute and bowed his head.
"Former Blood Wolf Great Leader No Seong-gu greets the disciple of the Venerable."
"Former Blood Wolf Vice Leader Gi Jo-yang greets the disciple of the Venerable."
Gi Jo-yang, also shocked by the revelation, followed suit and showed his respect. Finally, it seemed a proper conversation could take place.
No Seong-gu asked me in a trembling voice, "Why has the disciple of the Venerable come looking for me?"
"Do you remember the promise you made to me?"
The Lesser Conversation Sword seemed to remember as well. Great Leader No Seong-gu had promised me that if he could save his sister, he would serve me as his lifelong benefactor.
At my question, No Seong-gu frowned, then his eyes widened as the memory returned. As I watched him silently, he bit his lip and spoke.
"I remember."
"Then I assume you are willing to keep that promise."
"…Though I have become a fugitive, how could a man go back on his word?"
It was exactly the kind of answer I expected from the man I remembered. Blood Wolf Great Leader No Seong-gu was a spirited man who always kept his word.
"However."
"However?"
"Even if you are the disciple of a Venerable, I have no choice but to be at odds with the First Blood Star, which is why I turned my back on the Cult and returned to my hometown. I wonder what kind of help someone like me could possibly be to you, Young Master..."
I think I understood why he hesitated before answering. He was afraid of the First Blood Star, who had built a power base rivaling that of the Four Venerables. He had likely given up on even avenging his father and returned home just to protect his sister.
"Your family has held the position of Blood Wolf Great Leader for generations, so no one has a stronger bond with the Blood Wolf Unit than you."
"……."
He didn't deny my words. Even after he left the Blood Wolf Unit, his reputation was so great that the Vice Leader followed him. Naturally, he could contact the Blood Wolf Unit whenever he put his mind to it.
Since the Blood Wolf Unit had been incorporated under Baek Ryeonha after clashing with the First Blood Star, No Seong-gu was my gateway to returning to the fold.
I asked him, "If you could settle things with the First Blood Star, return to the Cult with honor, and protect your sister, would you be willing to follow me?"
"…Settle things with the First Blood Star?"
His pupils wavered. Being offered a chance to settle scores with the mastermind who killed his father—there was no way he wouldn't be interested.
"But behind the First Blood Star stands Lady Baek Hye-hyang, who will one day become the Blood Demon."
He wasn't just afraid of the First Blood Star. He also feared Baek Hye-hyang, the successor to the position of Cult Leader.
Sama Yeong looked at me with a playful smile and glanced toward my waist. I chuckled and drew the Blood Demon Sword.
Shring!
As I suddenly drew the sword, he looked at me with questioning eyes. Even though he held the rank of Great Leader, he had likely never seen the Blood Demon Sword, so he didn't recognize it immediately.
I opened my Upper Dantian and stirred my Mental Focus.
In that instant—
Ssssh!
The blade of the Blood Demon Sword began to be dyed a vivid crimson.
'!!!'
Great Leader No Seong-gu was struck with horror, not just by the sword, but by the transformation occurring in my very being. His mouth hung open, unable to utter a word.
Even if he didn't recognize the Blood Demon Sword, there was no way he wouldn't recognize the state of Demon Path Awakening.
"Th-this, how can this be..."
Even Vice Leader Gi Jo-yang was struck dumb with amazement. Looking at them, I spoke.
"No Seong-gu. Gi Jo-yang."
At my call, the stunned No Seong-gu dropped to both knees and slammed his forehead against the ground. It was the highest form of etiquette one could show in the Blood Cult.
Thud! Thud!
"Th-this humble cultist reverently greets the Blood Demon!"
Gi Jo-yang, caught up in the moment, also prostrated himself and slammed his forehead against the ground.
"Reverently greeting the Blood Demon."
They, too, were well aware of the Cult's laws. The master of the Blood Demon Sword is the Blood Demon.
"As the Blood Demon, I command you. I permit your return as the Great Leader and Vice Leader of the Blood Wolf Unit."
At my command, the shoulders of both men trembled. No Seong-gu and Gi Jo-yang, still prostrate, tried to shout in unison.
"We accept your comm—!"
"I'm not finished."
I stopped them and added to their confusion.
"As of this moment, I appoint the Blood Wolf Unit as the personal guard of the Blood Demon."
As soon as those words fell, the two of them looked up in shock. They seemed incredibly startled by the order to become my personal guard.
"Why is there no answer?"
At my words, their expressions turned to ones of deep emotion, and they shouted.
"We reverently accept the Blood Demon’s command!"
What member of the Blood Cult wouldn't consider it an honor to become the direct personal guard of the Blood Demon?
Watching this scene, the Lesser Conversation Sword snickered and muttered.
-
Fifteen days later.
Spirit Mountain, located in the southern part of Guangxi Province.
This place was once known as the holy land of the Blood Cult. After their defeat in the Great Orthodox-Evil War twenty years ago, the remaining members of the Blood Cult no longer gathered at Spirit Mountain, the place where the Blood Demon was said to have been born.
However, a massive crowd was now flocking to Spirit Mountain. They were members of the Blood Cult who had been scattered in secret cells across the Central Plains. The number of people gathered so far was nearly ten thousand. Even so, the line continued, and the numbers kept growing.
At the entrance to Spirit Mountain stood an ancient, long-abandoned fortress. In the center of the fortress was a massive plaza capable of holding tens of thousands of people.
On a stone throne atop a platform in the middle of the plaza sat a woman with hair as red as blood. At a glance, she might have been mistaken for Baek Hye-hyang, but she was Baek Ryeonha.
To the left, below the platform, sat the Second Venerable Raging Demon Lord Seo Gal-ma, the Third Venerable Blood King Gu Je-yang, and the Fourth Venerable Bizarre Hae Ak-cheon.
To the right sat the Third Blood Star Blood Killing Demon Yang Jeon, the Fourth Blood Star Do Jang-ho, and the Sixth Blood Star Blood Hand Witch Han Baek-ha.
As Baek Ryeonha sat on the stone throne with her eyes closed, a shout reached her ears.
"Who gave you permission to sit on that throne?"
She opened her eyes.
The massive crowd of cultists surrounding the center of the plaza parted, and a woman with red hair wearing a black military uniform appeared, walking forward accompanied by several extraordinary masters.
It was Baek Hye-hyang.