Chapter 5: Entering on My Own Two Feet
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 5: Entering on My Own Two Feet
I slowly raised my head.
Among those kneeling and showing respect, the Great Leader was staring at me with an expression that said he couldn't understand what was happening.
And for good reason—I had recognized a presence that even they hadn't noticed.
The Four Venerables and the Seven Blood Stars.
These were the eleven executives who led the Blood Cult.
The Fourth Blood Star was the fourth-ranked individual among the Seven Blood Stars.
Even for someone of the Great Leader's rank, a Blood Star was a being they would rarely have the chance to have an audience with unless it was a matter of grave importance. It was only natural for him to react this way when one suddenly appeared.
In truth, I was just as bewildered as he was.
‘This is insane.’
I had acted on a whim, a "what if," and it really turned out to be the Fourth Blood Star.
What have I done?
I did it to save my life, but I had essentially offered the formal salute reserved for Blood Cult executives to a man I was supposed to be seeing for the first time today.
‘Idiot.’
What would they think?
I had just performed an action that was practically begging to be suspected.
Regardless, this was the first time I had ever seen the Fourth Blood Star this close.
The Fourth Blood Star, Do Jang-ho.
He was a master of the Supreme Peak Realm, famous not only within the Blood Cult but throughout the entire Evil Faction.
“To what do we owe the honor of the Fourth Blood Star’s presence in such a humble place?” the Great Leader asked, lifting his head to address him.
“Great Leader Oh.”
“Yes. Please speak—”
Great Leader Oh couldn't finish his sentence; his face turned deathly pale.
With a face contorted like someone crushed by sheer terror, he slowly lowered his head.
Then, he stammered, “I—I am deeply sorry.”
“Just focus on your mission.”
With those words, the Fourth Blood Star, Do Jang-ho, walked toward where I was.
With every step he took, the pressure made it feel as if my breath was being choked out of me.
‘It’s suffocating.’
To be honest, I was terrified.
In my past life, even standing before someone of the Great Leader rank made me nervous and my heart race. Having one of the highest-ranking executives of the Blood Cult right in front of me was on an entirely different level.
“Young Brother So.”
“Ye-Yes!”
I quickly bowed my head and answered.
Instinctively, I knew that my life or death would be decided by how I answered here.
“How did you recognize this seat?”
Do Jang-ho showed interest in me for having realized his identity.
Suppressing my trembling as much as possible, I spoke.
“It was the sword.”
“The sword?”
“I saw the bundle of white leather attached to the Fourth Blood Star’s sword hilt.”
“Ho. You have a sharp eye.”
The Fourth Blood Star, Do Jang-ho, was a horse lover who adored his steeds.
After his cherished precious horse, Baek-hyang, died, he carried an ornament made from Baek-hyang’s hide on his sword hilt to commemorate it.
It was a fairly famous anecdote among the members of the Blood Cult.
“Interesting. I’m becoming more and more curious about your secrets.”
Thump! Thump! Thump!
My heart was pounding like crazy.
“Who are you?”
As he got to the point, I found myself at a loss for words.
As I hesitated, one of the masked men shouted, “Answer immediately, or—”
However, he couldn't finish his sentence.
Do Jang-ho raised his hand, signaling him not to interfere.
“The discipline of the Demon Tiger Unit has grown lax. Since when did you gain the audacity to interrupt a Blood Star when he is speaking?”
At the dignified voice, the masked man trembled violently.
It showed just how much fear and awe the Blood Stars commanded among the cult members.
Do Jang-ho asked me again.
“Young Brother So. Do not feel pressured. Speak.”
‘Phew...’
There was no choice now.
If things went wrong here, I would either die or be kidnapped by the Blood Cult.
If it was going to happen anyway, it was better to smooth the situation out by my own hand.
I slowly raised my head, opening my mouth with a face full of resolve.
“I carry the blood of the Blood Cult.”
“The Blood Cult?”
At my words, Do Jang-ho’s eyes narrowed.
It was a gaze clearly filled with suspicion.
“Ha!”
Great Leader Oh of the Demon Tiger Unit glared at me with an expression of utter disbelief.
If I flinched here, I was dead.
I had over seven years of experience as a spy.
I had told enough lies to make me sick; I was confident that even my gaze wouldn't waver.
“The Yikyang So family is supposed to be a prestigious family of the Orthodox Faction.”
“They are indeed prestigious. However, my maternal grandfather was a Low-Rank Warrior of the Blood Wolf Unit.”
“The Blood Wolf Unit?”
Do Jang-ho showed interest.
It made sense, as the Blood Wolf Unit was indeed one of the martial units existing within the Blood Cult.
Great Leader Oh looked like he couldn't believe it.
“I heard that my grandfather served under Great Leader No Jo-man of the Blood Wolf Unit.”
At the name No Jo-man, the reaction of the masked men changed.
It was because that was the name of the previous Blood Wolf Great Leader.
‘To think this would help me here.’
The unit I had been kidnapped into and trained by in my past life was the Blood Wolf Unit.
I remembered it because the Blood Wolf Great Leader at that time would constantly bring up stories about his father, who had died during the Great Orthodox-Evil War.
Do Jang-ho smiled faintly and said, “Information like that could be known by your father, who participated in the Great Orthodox-Evil War.”
Of course.
I didn't expect him to be fooled by just that much.
The trump card was this.
“I heard that Great Leader No Jo-man was very strict with his children’s education, so his son, No Seong-gu, also participated in the Blood Wolf Unit’s training from a young age.”
At the name No Seong-gu, the masked men glanced at each other.
At this point in time, the Blood Cult had not yet revealed itself to the martial world.
It was only natural for them to react this way when the name of the current Blood Wolf Great Leader came out of my mouth.
As for Do Jang-ho, his thoughts were hard to read.
With an expressionless face, he asked me, “Then how did you end up in the Yikyang So family?”
“My grandfather, who barely survived the Great Orthodox-Evil War, wandered aimlessly with his only blood relative, my mother, with a desperate will to live. They eventually reached Yulrang County.”
“Hmm.”
“My grandfather became very weak due to the internal injuries he suffered during the war. At that time, my mother entered the Yikyang So family as a servant to earn money for his medicine.”
It was a story I made up on the fly, but it was plausible.
It was a publicly known fact that I, So Woon-hwi, the third son of the Yikyang So family, was the child of a servant.
Do Jang-ho asked, seemingly curious, “Is your grandfather still well?”
I lowered my head and spoke in the most sorrowful voice possible.
“How much could one earn as a servant? My grandfather did not live a long life.”
“I see. That is unfortunate.”
He offered words of consolation, but his face didn't look unfortunate at all.
It felt as if he was trying to find a hole in my story.
“Even in the moment of his passing, my grandfather could not forget the Blood Cult.”
One of the most effective ways to lie was to appeal to emotion.
Some of the masked men seemed to have fallen for it, as they were looking at me with pitying eyes.
However, Do Jang-ho, who held my life in his hands, was still staring at me with an expressionless face.
That made me uneasy.
“The descendant of a loyal member of our Cult was hiding under the shadow of the Yikyang So family.”
He seemed half-convinced.
I hesitated, wondering if I should show him some basic Blood Cult fist and kick arts I had learned to firmly drive the point home.
Then, Do Jang-ho, who had been staring at me intently, burst into a loud laugh.
“Hahahahahaha!”
‘Did he catch on?’
As I was feeling anxious, he spoke.
“If your grandfather was a man of our Cult, then Young Brother So is no different from our brother.”
“Haa...”
A sigh of relief escaped my lips, which had been tense enough to break into a cold sweat.
It had been a gamble.
“Revealing your roots like this... does it mean you intend to return?”
“Y-Yes, that is correct.”
‘Ah...’
Instead of being kidnapped, it looked like I was going to enter the Blood Cult on my own two feet.
I had saved my life, but things were getting increasingly complicated.
Regardless, I had to stay alive to change the things that would happen in the future.
“Release him.”
At Do Jang-ho’s command, the masked man who had been about to slit my throat ran over and untied the ropes.
As soon as I was freed, I pressed my forehead to the ground and shouted.
“Blood Tax! Blood Tax! Blood-Blood Tax!”
Do Jang-ho spoke in a satisfied voice.
“Welcome back. Since the descendant of a wolf who left the pack has reconnected with the Cult, is there anything you wish to ask of this seat?”
The masked men were shocked by those words coming from Do Jang-ho’s mouth.
It was only natural to be envious, as a Blood Star—a high-ranking executive of the Blood Cult—had made an unexpected offer.
But this was absolutely nothing to be envious of.
‘...He’s testing me.’
Though I was meeting him for the first time, I had heard that Do Jang-ho was a fickle man.
His treatment of others changed completely depending on his mood.
If I accepted an offer from such a man at face value, there was no telling what disaster might strike.
“No, sir. How could a lowly person like myself ask for anything from a Blood Star?”
“Hahahaha. I am in a good mood, so do not worry and speak.”
The second offer.
If I refused here, his good mood would surely sour.
“Then... may I receive the keepsake my mother gave me?”
“A keepsake?”
I carefully raised my head and pointed to the dagger Great Leader Oh was holding.
Great Leader Oh couldn't hide his displeasure at the request for the dagger that had killed two of his subordinates.
Do Jang-ho reached out his hand.
“Fourth Blood Star. Even so, giving him a weapon already is...”
“Do not make me say it twice, Great Leader Oh.”
“Ch-Chung!”
Left with no choice, Great Leader Oh presented the dagger to Do Jang-ho.
Shring!
Do Jang-ho pulled the dagger from its scabbard, checked the rusted blade, and wore an unreadable smile.
Then, he pinched the tip of the dagger between his index and middle fingers.
‘Huh?’
Snap!
The tip of the dagger broke off.
The blade was already rusted, and by breaking the piercing tip like that, the dagger’s utility was bound to drop.
Do Jang-ho smiled faintly and said, “This is the price for staining this dagger with the blood of our cult members. Keep your precious keepsake well.”
Thud!
With a light flick of his finger, the dagger stabbed into the ground right in front of my head.
The hilt of the dagger vibrated with a ting sound from the lingering impact.
It was incredible internal power.
Shiver!
Goosebumps broke out all over my body.
It wasn't because the internal power was amazing, but because it felt like he was giving me a warning.
He was a truly terrifying man.
*
The place where all the masked men had withdrawn.
Do Jang-ho left Great Leader Oh of the Demon Tiger Unit behind and gave a separate order.
“Send someone to Yulrang County in Yikyang City to investigate So Woon-hwi’s maternal family, and keep a close eye on the boy.”
“Chung!”
The corners of Great Leader Oh’s mouth, which had been dissatisfied with Do Jang-ho’s decision, curled up into a cruel smirk.
*
It was just as I expected.
The Blood Cult wasn't such a stupid organization that they would trust my words unconditionally.
‘They’re suspicious.’
The eyes of the masked men were full of distrust.
Perhaps that was why they were watching me so closely.
“That’s the carriage.”
The carriage I was to board was a freight wagon carrying the boys and girls the Blood Cult had kidnapped.
It looked like an ordinary freight wagon on the outside, but the interior was blocked with iron bars to prevent escape.
Even if I entered voluntarily, the end result wasn't much different.
‘I suppose I should just be glad I’m alive for now.’
“Get in, quickly.”
A masked man urged me to board the wagon.
“Don’t try anything stupid and stay quiet.”
I nodded silently.
Compared to my past life, this was practically a promotion.
At least I wasn't tied up with ropes and tossed in like a piece of luggage like the kids inside.
“Mmph! Mmph!”
What a persistent fate.
Inside the wagon, Song Jwa-baek and Song Woo-hyeon—the self-proclaimed Hunan Twin Swords—were tied up and groaning.
Their mouths weren't covered, but the reason they couldn't speak was because their Mute Points had been struck.
Once the Mute Point is struck, one becomes unable to speak.
“Mmph! Mmph!”
The two brothers, spotting me boarding the carriage, made noises with wide eyes.
They seemed puzzled as to why I was boarding the carriage without any restraints, unlike them.
“Ha. These punks are still acting up even with their Mute Points struck.”
The masked man, annoyed, entered the wagon and struck the brothers’ Stun Points.
When the Stun Point is struck, one loses consciousness.
Only after they fell unconscious and became quiet did the masked man leave, satisfied.
As soon as the door was locked from the outside, the carriage started moving.
Clatter! Clatter!
Sitting in a corner of the wagon, I let out a deep sigh.
Besides the unconscious twins, the other kidnapped boys and girls were shivering with fear.
In this situation, it would be weirder to be calm.
Slide.
I pulled out the dagger I had wrapped in cloth from my robe.
At least I managed to keep my mother’s keepsake through all this.
As soon as I unwrapped the cloth and unsheathed the dagger, a ear-piercing scream erupted, just as I expected.
—KYAAAAAAAH!
‘Ugh!’
This was why I had kept it wrapped in cloth.
The screaming Lesser Conversation Sword shouted in a fit of rage.
—My head! Give me back my head!
It was throwing this tantrum because the tip of the blade had been broken.
I understood, but it was too loud.
‘Please, just be quiet. At least it wasn't broken completely.’
At my words, the Lesser Conversation Sword spoke with a dead-serious tone.
—Would you say that if I shaved off every single hair on your head?