Chapter 64: Sect Opening Ceremony (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 64: Sect Opening Ceremony (2)
Clop! Clop! Clop!
Near the southeastern outskirts of Ryuseong, in the north-central region of Hunan Province.
A massive group of about three thousand riders was galloping across the plains.
A blue flag emblazoned with the name of the Martial Alliance fluttered at the front, while the smaller hand-flags tucked into the saddles bore the symbols of Hunan Province.
At the head of the column was a middle-aged man clad in yellow armor—Wi Ji-sang, the "Armed Blade" and leader of the Hunan Province Branch of the Martial Alliance.
Beside him rode a man of noble bearing with a finely groomed beard. This was Baek Wi-hyang, the Third Strategist of the Martial Alliance and a member of the Elder Council.
They were currently rushing south following reports that the remnants of the Blood Cult had gathered.
As they rode, several small groups of riders approached them from various directions.
"Do not stop!"
"Understood!"
Since time was of the essence, the warriors of the Hunan Branch did not slow down, continuing to urge their horses forward even as the messengers drew near.
One of the riders managed to pull up alongside the leaders and offered a fist-and-palm salute.
"A messenger from the Guizhou Province Branch!"
Others followed suit, announcing themselves one by one.
"A messenger from the Jiangxi Province Branch!"
"A messenger from the Guangdong Province Branch!"
They were messengers dispatched from the various provincial branches of the Martial Alliance.
Baek Wi-hyang, the Third Strategist, asked, "What are their positions?"
"The Guizhou Branch has just passed Uiju."
"The Jiangxi Branch has reached Haju."
"Our Guangdong Branch is near Jamgye."
Upon hearing their reports, Elder Baek Wi-hyang shook his head with a look of dissatisfaction.
Seeing this, Wi Ji-sang, the Hunan Branch Leader, asked, "Is it because of the Yunnan Branch?"
"They need to arrive on time, but if even their messenger is this late, it seems they will be behind the other branches."
"Strategist Baek, do not worry too much. The strength of our four branches alone exceeds the Blood Cult in numbers. Perhaps the Yunnan Branch could even serve as a hidden trump card?"
"It would be well if that were the case. However, the Blood Cult is not to be underestimated. If we are to pull them out by the roots this time, we must crush them with overwhelming force."
True to his role as a strategist, he was not one to leave things to chance.
Just then, a brown hawk descended from the sky and perched on Elder Baek Wi-hyang’s wrist.
Baek Wi-hyang retrieved a message from the tube attached to the hawk’s leg. As he unrolled the paper and read it, his brow furrowed.
"Has something happened?"
"It seems we have failed to mobilize the government troops."
"Does that mean the Blood Cultists gave up the fight and retreated? If so, we must cast a Heaven’s Net to catch the scattering remnants..."
"No. They did not retreat."
Wi Ji-sang looked puzzled. "What do you mean? They didn't retreat even though they didn't have to face the government troops?"
"I don't know what trickery the Blood Cult used, but the government troops withdrew, leaving the Guangxi Branch to fight alone."
"How could... Ah..."
Wi Ji-sang let out a heavy sigh.
He had heard that the Blood Cult’s numbers exceeded ten thousand. If the Guangxi Branch had fought them alone, the outcome was obvious.
Wi Ji-sang spoke with a voice full of rage. "We must pay back the lives of our brothers with the blood of those monsters!"
He vowed revenge.
"However, there is a small problem," Baek Wi-hyang added.
"A problem?"
"It seems they have taken a significant number of the Guangxi Branch warriors as prisoners."
"Prisoners? The Blood Cult?"
Wi Ji-sang couldn't understand it. The Blood Cult he knew was a group that didn't take prisoners. They were cold-blooded killers who slaughtered anyone who didn't surrender and convert to their doctrine.
"Ha! Those cunning bastards are actually using their heads."
He figured that since they were remnants with weakened power compared to the past, such a tactic made sense. Regardless, if they had taken hostages, their next move was obvious. It was a troublesome situation.
"Strategist. Our original plan has been heavily disrupted. If the warriors of the Guangxi Branch are being held hostage, a hasty attack might..."
"You need not worry about that."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Even if they have been taken hostage, those warriors volunteered to sacrifice themselves for the Alliance and the Orthodox Martial World. How could we allow their noble sacrifice to be insulted by the enemy's schemes?"
"Are you saying you won't negotiate?"
"There will be no negotiation."
Elder Baek Wi-hyang stated his position firmly. His words implied that he didn't care whether the prisoners lived or died.
"But they are also members of our Alliance..."
"Branch Leader Wi, you know as well as I do. The Blood Cult will never keep their word. Did we not learn that twenty years ago? Even if we get past this immediate crisis, they won't release the prisoners; they will surely kill them one way or another."
Wi Ji-sang’s face hardened. Elder Baek Wi-hyang was right. They would never let the hostages go.
"...You are correct. My heart wavered for a moment, and I almost fell for their ploy."
"It is fine. Anyone would waver when the lives of their brothers are at stake. However, this noble sacrifice will serve to sever the root of future calamities."
As he spoke, Elder Baek Wi-hyang’s eyes flashed with a cold, sharp light.
"Waaaaaaaah!"
The main square of the Guangxi Branch of the Martial Alliance was filled with thunderous cheers. The morale of the cult members was soaring.
In contrast to the celebration, the surroundings were a gruesome mess.
—Wow. They really turned this place into a sea of blood. How is it even worse than the battlefield over there?
I could understand why the Lesser Conversation Sword was clicking its tongue. This place seemed to have seen more violent combat than the battle I fought on the plains.
More than half of the corpses were mangled beyond recognition—crushed, dismembered, or left in states too horrific to look at. It was a literal scene from hell.
Is this the true face of the Blood Cult?
It was a feast of blood created by the Blood Cult’s top masters—the Venerables and the Blood Stars. The captured warriors of the Guangxi Branch were pale with terror, unable to utter a word at the sight of their blood-soaked captors.
—Can you really keep those guys under control?
At the Lesser Conversation Sword’s question, I looked at the Revered Stars one by one. These nine individuals were masters so powerful that each could easily take on a thousand martial artists.
I have to.
Depending on how I handled this massive Blood Cult, I could change the course of history and break the cycle of blood they were trapped in.
—If it's you, Un-hwi, you can do it. My former master used to say that while a sword is a weapon made to kill, it can also be used to protect.
Right. The Namcheon Iron Sword was correct. Everything depended on me.
By the way, I had ordered them to spare as many as possible, excluding the leaders and those who resisted violently. I wondered how many had survived.
—It looks like roughly three hundred, Un-hwi.
So, if I added them to the prisoners we already had, that made about fifteen hundred. The Guangxi Branch had a total strength of three thousand, so we had managed to capture half of them alive.
[How did that matter go?]
Hae Ak-cheon’s voice echoed in my ears via Sound Transmission. I saw him standing majestically on the stairs leading up to the main building. Perhaps because he had tasted blood for the first time in a while, my master seemed visibly excited.
[There won't be any trouble with the government for the time being.]
[You succeeded. Heh heh. Good work.]
My master, Hae Ak-cheon, grinned and praised me. It was well-deserved. If we had gotten entangled with the government here, the Blood Cult would have been forced to remain an underground organization even after the sect opening, just like before my regression.
Hmm.
However, I needed to revise the plan.
—What plan?
Originally, I thought about reclaiming this place and using it as the Blood Cult’s base. But with the place so thoroughly soaked in blood, could anyone really sleep soundly here?
—Why? Afraid the vengeful spirits will come after you?
It’s just unpleasant. Blood is hard to wash away completely.
—Tsk, tsk. Look at you being all sensitive.
Don't be snide, Blood Demon Sword. You were the one throwing a tantrum after getting beaten by my father-in-law, saying you didn't even want to look at him.
—Ahem.
The Blood Demon Sword cleared its throat and shut up. At least it had the grace to feel embarrassed.
Anyway, aside from the unpleasantness, our numbers far exceeded the capacity of this Martial Alliance branch headquarters. We would have to build a proper Blood Cult headquarters one way or another.
...It needs to be in the form of a fortress, like the Martial Alliance.
That would make it easier to defend against enemy invasions.
—Look over there.
Someone walked out of the main building's doors. It was Baek Hye-hyang. Like the other Revered Stars, she was stained with blood, and in her hand, she held a middle-aged man by his hair.
"Heh heh heh. O Ja-seo, it's been a long time."
Hae Ak-cheon, who was guarding the entrance, recognized him. O Ja-seo was the leader of this Martial Alliance branch. He was known as the greatest swordsman in Guangxi, a master who had lived through the same era as the Namcheon Sword Guest, the former hegemon of Yunnan.
To see such a man dragged out so humiliatingly by Baek Hye-hyang... he probably wished he were dead.
[Good work.]
[Oh? You're speaking informally to me quite naturally now.]
Despite her words, Baek Hye-hyang didn't seem offended; she gave me a smirk. She was probably the only woman in the world who looked good smiling while covered in blood.
Just then, someone poked me in the ribs. It was Sama Yeong.
[Don't go giving eye-smiles to other women. Hmph.]
...Did I give her an eye-smile?
—Be careful. Unless you want to be sliced up by your father-in-law.
I flinched involuntarily at the Lesser Conversation Sword’s warning.
—Sliced up? Nonsense. As the Blood Demon of the Great Blood Cult, he needs at least three wives and four concubines to maintain his dignity.
—Then Un-hwi will be carved up six times by that crazy father-in-law.
Please, stop saying such terrifying things.
In the meantime, Baek Hye-hyang dragged O Ja-seo by the hair to the front of me and forced him to his knees. O Ja-seo’s eyes trembled as his head was forced up to look at me. The effect of the Evil Ghost Mask was quite potent. They say humans fear the unknown most of all.
Tap-tap-tap!
As Baek Hye-hyang struck O Ja-seo’s pressure points, his lips began to move. It seemed she had used a technique to mute him earlier.
O Ja-seo spoke to me in a trembling voice. "Are you... the new Blood Demon?"
I deepened my voice slightly and replied, "I am."
He glared at me, then lifted his chin with a look of resolve. "Do not inflict further shame upon me. Kill me."
He had quite the backbone, considering he didn't fear death. Then again, as the number one martial artist of Guangxi, his world had crumbled; it was no wonder he had no lingering attachment to life.
"That won't be happening. You are a precious pawn who will serve as my shield."
O Ja-seo’s eyes narrowed at my words. "...Are you truly the Blood Demon?"
Was he doubting me because I hadn't opened my Upper Dantian? It would be a hassle to open it just to prove myself to him.
As I was wondering, he spoke again. "...It doesn't matter. Whether you are the Blood Demon or not, taking us hostage won't serve as a shield. You won't be able to achieve anything."
"You're quick to jump to conclusions."
"If you leave a small spark alone, it will eventually burn down the thatched house. The Alliance will not repeat the mistakes of the past. Even if you take us hostage, nothing will change."
"Are you saying they are prepared to sacrifice you?"
"If our sacrifice can quell all the calamities to come, it is a price well worth paying!"
He’s coming on strong. This is both the strength and the glaring weakness of the Orthodox faction—packaging even sacrifice as something noble under the names of justice or chivalry.
"Truly admirable."
O Ja-seo snorted at my remark. I gestured toward the prisoners behind him.
"I wonder if the Alliance warriors back there feel their deaths are as noble as you do?"
"Do not insult the proud warriors of the Alliance! They, like me, are prepared to accept death for the sake of justice..."
"If that were true, they would have taken their own lives the moment they were defeated."
O Ja-seo frowned and looked back at the prisoners. Some of the Alliance warriors burst into tears, sobbing apologies.
O Ja-seo turned back to me, his voice thick with rage. "What have you done to them?"
I gave him a thin smile. "I haven't done anything. I simply reminded them of the grief their families will feel after they are gone."
"Reminded them of grief?"
I put my hands behind my back and spoke in a voice tinged with melancholy. "Do you think the families left behind will live in peace just because you call it a 'sacrifice'? A child who loses a father, a wife who hears of her husband's death, a mother and father who lose their son..."
The anger on O Ja-seo’s face faded into a daze. Had he expected me to threaten their families? I don't use such simple tactics.
I bent my knees slightly to meet his eyes and spoke as if I were genuinely pained. "O Ja-seo. Isn't it the same for you?"
"If you think shaking my emotions like this will—"
"Shaking your emotions? No. I am simply reminding you of reality."
"Reminding me of reality?"
"The wife waiting for you will clutch your blood-stained clothes and wail. Whether it's a son or a daughter, that child will grieve for their father until their tears run dry and their heart turns cold."
He bit his lip hard, trying to suppress the emotional turmoil. I continued.
"I, the Blood Demon, know that sorrow well. That is why I wish to end this cycle of hatred by eliminating unnecessary sacrifice. Is there anything more tragic than your remaining family living every day in sorrow and rage?"
"You... using this kind of..."
Something welled up inside him, and O Ja-seo’s eyes grew slightly red. I leaned in and whispered softly into his ear, like a devil’s temptation.
"Forget about shame or justice. All you need to do is say one word: that you want to live. If you do, you can spend the rest of your days with your family."
Baek Hye-hyang watched me, looking utterly dumbfounded. Was this her first time seeing a non-coercive method? If acting is a basic skill for a spy, then moving an opponent's emotions to extract information or cause confusion is an advanced technique.
The First Venerable, Blood Breaking Sword Emperor Dan Wi-gang, wore an expression as stunned as Baek Hye-hyang’s. He had served not only the current Blood Demon but also the previous and the one before that, yet he had never seen anyone like this.
If it had been the previous Blood Demon or even Baek Hye-hyang, they wouldn't have bothered with such tedious work. They would have simply notified the enemy that they had hostages and told them not to move.
...I don't understand him at all.
What did he hope to achieve by instilling the desire to live in those people?
Dan Wi-gang sent a Sound Transmission to Hae Ak-cheon.
[Bizarre... You... what on earth did you teach the Blood Demon?]
Everyone knew that Hae Ak-cheon was his master. At the question, Hae Ak-cheon shrugged and replied via Sound Transmission.
[How should I know?]
[Does it make sense for a master not to know his own disciple?]
At those words, Hae Ak-cheon recalled the first time he met Jin Un-hwi in the Six Blood Valley. Most people would have been too intimidated to speak, yet the boy had the audacity to try and negotiate with him.
Hae Ak-cheon chuckled and sent another message.
[Heh heh. I can tell you this much.]
[What is it?]
[Even before he became my disciple, he had quite the silver tongue.]
[!?]
Three days had passed since then.
The various branches of the Martial Alliance that had set out from their respective provinces were drawing closer. The forces of each branch were now only a day and a half away from Ryongjongha, where the Guangxi Branch was located.
Elder Baek Wi-hyang, the Third Strategist of the Martial Alliance, had dispatched people to the areas surrounding Ryongjongha and Spirit Mountain to manipulate public opinion in advance.
They were to spread rumors justifying the subjugation of the Blood Cult. The narrative was that the various branches of the Alliance, at the request of the captured Guangxi Branch, were bravely fighting the wicked Blood Cult with tears in their eyes, prepared for a tragic battle.
If that happened, the people of the Central Plains and the martial world would weep for the sacrifice of the Guangxi Branch and praise the Alliance branches for fighting on despite the noble sacrifice of their brothers.
Clop! Clop! Clop!
As they were riding, the public opinion manipulators he had sent out appeared from various directions.
What?
Elder Baek Wi-hyang could not hide his confusion. They were returning only a few hours after being sent out. It should have taken much longer to spread rumors through all the nearby counties, prefectures, and villages.
"Strategist!"
The first one to arrive reported with a grave face.
"Why have you returned so soon?"
"T-There is a problem!"
"What kind of problem?"
Wi Ji-sang, the Hunan Branch Leader, also asked out of curiosity. The man who had returned from his mission spoke.
"In every village, county, and prefecture, a rumor has already spread like wildfire that the Martial Alliance is coming to negotiate with the Blood Cult to save the surviving prisoners of the Guangxi Branch!"
"What?!"