Chapter 28: To the Yikyang So Family (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 28: To the Yikyang So Family (2)
Song Jwa-baek, Song Woo-hyeon, and I offered a fist-and-palm salute.
Snap!
“Did you call for us?”
“Welcome, you three.”
As we entered the room in the main headquarters, we saw Baek Ryeonha, Bizarre Hae Ak-cheon, Raging Demon Lord Seo Gal-ma, Blood Hand Witch Han Baek-ha, and Escort Unit Leader Jang Mun-woong sitting around a long table.
The atmosphere in the room was incredibly solemn.
A map of the Central Plains was spread across the table, surrounded by various carrier pigeon messages and letters. They were likely reports sent by our informants.
“……”
Song Jwa-baek seemed to have picked up on the mood as well, his expression turning heavy.
Just what was going on?
“Unit Leader Jang.”
“Yes, My Lady.”
At Baek Ryeonha’s call, Escort Unit Leader Jang Mun-woong spoke up.
“A task has arisen for the young masters to undertake.”
“A task… you say?”
Song Jwa-baek’s voice sounded slightly excited at the mention of a mission.
Aside from the nine days it took to travel here, we had done nothing but focus on training at the manor. He must have been feeling stifled, so the prospect of a mission seemed to thrill him.
A mission, huh…
But I felt differently.
Before my regression, I was terrified every time a mission was handed down. My only thought was whether I would be able to survive it. Now, I simply didn't know what kind of mission it would be.
‘Of course.’
Most missions from the Blood Cult were dangerous, differing only in the degree of peril. I was merely curious about what kind of mission would be given to someone of a Deputy Unit Leader’s rank and a disciple of a Venerable One.
Jang Mun-woong held up two of the letters and spoke.
“This letter was sent by the Third Venerable.”
The Third Venerable?
That meant Blood King Gu Je-yang. It seemed the reply to the personal letter sent to him had finally arrived.
“And this letter is from the Second Blood Star.”
The Second Blood Star, Asura Blade Yu Baek.
Along with Raging Demon Lord Seo Gal-ma, he was considered one of the greatest blade masters in the Blood Cult. From what I knew, the martial prowess of the First and Second Blood Stars was said to be comparable to that of the Venerable Ones. That was why their support was essential to securing a definitive advantage.
The mood had certainly been one of resignation. Seo Gal-ma had said Gu Je-yang was already leaning toward Baek Hye-hyang’s side. I understood that they had sent the letter with half-hearted expectations, just in case.
“The contents of the letters differ, but coincidentally, both of them have made similar demands.”
Huh?
Did we actually achieve something? Making demands meant there was a possibility of recruitment. But the fact that their demands were similar was what bothered me.
“What are they?”
“The Second Blood Star stated he cannot follow anyone who lacks the proper qualifications, and the Third Venerable said he would only recognize the one who inherits the Blood Demon Sword as the Cult Leader.”
“!?”
The Blood Demon Sword?
Are you kidding me?
I was momentarily speechless. Inferring from what I’d heard so far… was the mission to steal the Blood Demon Sword?
‘…If my guess is right, it’s absolutely impossible.’
It couldn't be done.
The Blood Demon Sword.
It was the divine object of the Blood Cult and the sword that symbolized the Cult Leader. I had heard it was a notorious demon sword that constantly called for blood. Twenty years ago, during the Great Orthodox-Evil War, the sword fell into the hands of the Martial Alliance when the Blood Demon of that era died.
Even the Lesser Conversation Sword was shocked now.
The Blood Demon Sword wasn't just anywhere; it was kept in the very heart of the Martial Alliance’s headquarters. Even before my regression, the Blood Cult had sent countless spies to reclaim the sword, but not a single one succeeded; they all met their ends.
And it wasn't just a simple death. They died after being subjected to torture so brutal they would beg for death.
‘Then why is a Jade Seal important?’
It was about symbolism and legitimacy. The title of "divine object" wasn't just for show. Just as the Green Jade Buddha Staff of Shaolin, the Dog Beating Staff of the Beggar’s Sect, and the Taiji Black Sword of Wudang were treasures representing their respective sects, they were synonymous with honor.
By losing such a divine object to the Martial Alliance, the Blood Cult had lost its symbol. That was why, even before my regression, they had sacrificed so many spies in an attempt to reclaim it.
“So, is our mission to find the Blood Demon Sword?”
Knowing nothing, Song Jwa-baek showed his enthusiasm. Jang Mun-woong shook his head at him.
“The location of the Blood Demon Sword is well known. It is in the headquarters of the Martial Alliance.”
“Then are we to reclaim it?”
Jwa-baek, my friend. You’re being too eager. You’re going to die young at this rate.
I couldn't bring myself to speak because of a looming sense of dread. Hae Ak-cheon clicked his tongue and spoke up.
“You brat. If it were that easy, we would have taken it back ages ago.”
Song Jwa-baek shut his mouth, looking like he’d eaten a mute's honey.
Thanks to that, I learned something good. Fortunately, it didn't seem like the mission was to reclaim the Blood Demon Sword directly.
Hae Ak-cheon turned his gaze toward me and asked, “What do you think?”
“What do you mean…?”
“Why do you think these two made such demands?”
At Hae Ak-cheon’s question, everyone’s eyes fell on me. Judging by the atmosphere, it felt like a test to see if I could uncover the true intentions hidden behind these letters. However, there wasn't much I could deduce from this alone.
“Do you not know?”
“……Your disciple is not clever enough to fully grasp the intentions of the two Revered Stars. However, I have three conjectures.”
“Three?”
Song Jwa-baek let his thoughts slip out loud without realizing it. I ignored him and continued.
“First, it could be seen as a roundabout rejection by making an impossible demand.”
Out of courtesy for Baek Ryeonha, who carried the blood of the Blood Demon.
At my words, Seo Gal-ma and Han Baek-ha nodded silently. It seemed these two had reached the same conclusion.
Baek Ryeonha asked, “And the second?”
“……They are giving Your Ladyship a chance. They’ve left a sliver of possibility open.”
Song Jwa-baek nodded at that. He seemed to be approaching it from a simple perspective.
“Do you really think so?”
I shook my head at Baek Ryeonha’s question.
“In fact, that is the least likely possibility. The Third Venerable already expressed his intentions to the Second Venerable here. His mind wouldn't change so easily just because of a single letter.”
At my words, Hae Ak-cheon leaned back in his chair and gave a slight smirk. Did that mean I was close to the right answer?
Baek Ryeonha asked, “Both points are valid. Then what is the last one?”
“……It could be a trap.”
At that, Song Jwa-baek looked at me with an expression that said, What on earth are you talking about? Since it was a completely different take from the previous two, his reaction was natural.
The high-ranking officials, however, were different. They looked intrigued by the suggestion that it could be a trap.
“Why do you think it’s a trap, Young Master?”
This time, Blood Hand Witch Han Baek-ha questioned me.
I had approached the last point from a different angle. When I was a spy for the Martial Alliance before my regression, a certain damn person had told me something.
[To look one move ahead is to guess how the opponent will act from your own perspective. To look two moves ahead is to guess how the opponent will act toward you from their perspective.]
He might have stabbed me in the back in the end, but he did give me quite a bit of helpful advice.
Yes, it was advice from that damn bastard.
The Martial Alliance’s Fourth Elder, Baek Wi-hyang. As one of the Alliance’s three strategists, he was a man well-versed in schemes.
I took a breath and spoke.
“Because we cannot rule out the possibility that the two Revered Stars have already been recruited by Lady Baek Hye-hyang’s side.”
“Recruited?”
“If I were on Baek Hye-hyang’s side, I would use this to set a trap. For instance, it could be a scheme to disperse our strength on a useless endeavor.”
It was entirely possible. If we tried to recover the Blood Demon Sword at all costs to gain the upper hand in the power struggle, our forces would inevitably be whittled down. Well, this wasn't certain either. It would have been easier to guess if I had read the letters myself, but this was the limit of what I could deduce from a summary.
A faint smile played on Han Baek-ha’s expressionless face.
“The Young Master’s insight is indeed remarkable.”
“?”
As I looked on in confusion, Han Baek-ha glanced at the others. The officials nodded in unison.
Jang Mun-woong spoke up.
“You are brilliant, Young Master. I didn't expect you to deduce that much from the information provided. Without other information, we would have thought the same regarding your last point.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“There is one more letter here.”
This time, he handed it over for me to read directly. Song Jwa-baek poked his head in to read along. His younger brother, Song Woo-hyeon… I left him alone, as just listening was likely overwhelming enough for him.
As Song Jwa-baek and I read through the letter, we couldn't help but frown.
“This is?”
“It’s a letter Brother Gu sent to this old man.”
Seo Gal-ma spoke. I could tell from the greeting at the beginning of the letter. It was a separate letter sent by Blood King Gu Je-yang to Seo Gal-ma, stating that he would remain neutral until the Mid-Autumn Festival.
The Mid-Autumn Festival was three months away. If it had only contained that, it would have been hard to trust, but it also stated that if Baek Hye-hyang were to take the Blood Demon Sword, he could no longer remain neutral.
“Then does that mean Baek Hye-hyang is also after the Blood Demon Sword?”
I couldn't understand it at all. Did she have some secret plan to penetrate the heart of the Martial Alliance?
While I was wondering, Han Baek-ha said, “Just as Lady Baek Hye-hyang’s side planted spies among us, we have also planted spies on her side.”
I already knew this. Since Baek Hye-hyang’s faction was so much larger than Baek Ryeonha’s, planting spies wasn't difficult. However, because the enemy’s counter-intelligence was also formidable, they couldn't plant spies in the core leadership, so the quality of information was bound to be lower.
“But why are you so certain of this?”
Baek Ryeonha answered my question.
“It’s because my sister postponed the Sect Opening Ceremony.”
The Sect Opening Ceremony was an event to officially announce the resurrection of the Blood Cult to the martial world.
Ah…
Come to think of it, even before my regression, not long after the Martial Alliance and Peerless Fortress broke their alliance, the Blood Cult held an official Sect Opening Ceremony for its resurrection.
It had definitely changed. From the Blood Cult’s perspective, they couldn't miss this opportunity. Yet, I couldn't understand how Baek Hye-hyang’s decision to postpone the ceremony for three months was linked to obtaining the Blood Demon Sword.
‘Perhaps… Ah!’
Why didn't I think of this? If I thought about it, the breaking of the alliance wasn't the only thing that had changed from before my regression.
‘The power structure within the Blood Cult.’
Before my regression, I didn't even know if Baek Ryeonha was alive. But if my gut was right, the Baek Ryeonha of the previous life was likely pushed aside and eliminated early on.
It was as the Lesser Conversation Sword said. By becoming his disciple, Hae Ak-cheon had sought out the Divine Healer of Ten Thousand Ailments to treat my dantian. Because of that, he reconnected with Baek Ryeonha and, unlike before my regression, shifted toward supporting her. Consequently, Seo Gal-ma also came under Baek Ryeonha’s banner.
Because of this, even Baek Hye-hyang couldn't easily touch her.
‘No. She’ll avoid that.’
No matter how reckless Baek Hye-hyang might be, that was too much. She couldn't afford to waste this golden opportunity provided by the split between the Martial Alliance and Peerless Fortress on an internal war. She would avoid self-destruction at all costs.
I see.
Before my regression, Baek Ryeonha had already been eliminated, so there would have been no trouble consolidating the cult’s power even without the Blood Demon Sword. Even if her legitimacy was questioned, she was the only remaining blood relative of the Blood Demon.
In the end, I was the cause.
Everything had changed because of me.
Baek Ryeonha looked at me with a serious expression and said, “My sister and I are bound to clash. But there is only one way to avoid that and unite all the power of our cult.”
“……The Blood Demon Sword.”
“Correct. With the cult’s divine object, all the Revered Stars will have no choice but to follow.”
“That would apply to our side as well, wouldn't it?”
At my question, Baek Ryeonha wore a bitter expression. It was the same for the other Revered Stars. If the Blood Demon Sword fell into her hands, they would have to follow the cult’s highest law.
The one who possesses the divine object becomes the new Blood Demon.
“But how on earth do you plan to get your hands on the Blood Demon Sword?”
“Look at this.”
Jang Mun-woong unfurled a large, folded piece of paper. On the right side, in large letters, it read: Grand Martial Assembly to be Held.
It was a public notice. Now that I thought about it, after the alliance was broken and the Blood Cult’s base was exposed by several spies, the Martial Alliance had held a Grand Martial Assembly to bolster their strength.
“Why this?”
Song Jwa-baek asked with a bewildered face. The Grand Martial Assembly was, literally, a unity rally for the Orthodox factions.
Then, something written in the announcement caught my eye.
“……Are you perhaps referring to this?”
I pointed to a specific section. Jang Mun-woong nodded and spoke.
“The three of you are to participate in the Successor's Martial Discussion at the Grand Martial Assembly, and one of you must win, no matter what.”
Ah…
So this was the source of that strange foreboding I’d been feeling.
It was stated that the winner of the Successor's Martial Discussion would be appointed to the newly established position of Azure Dragon Hall Master and would be granted any weapon from the Martial Alliance’s armory as a victory prize.
It seemed so. This was insane.
Of course there was.
The Lesser Conversation Sword pointed this out sharply. To be honest, I didn't know if the Blood Cult had tried to reclaim the sword back then. However, even if they had tried, they would have failed.
Because it was a tournament where the winner was practically predetermined.
To boost the morale of the Orthodox factions, which had plummeted due to the broken alliance, the Martial Alliance would field a monster that no one could defeat.
‘A monster indeed. He is the joint successor of two of the Central Plains' Eight Great Masters.’
The Lesser Conversation Sword was astonished. Even he reacted this way; the problem was that only the core leadership of the Martial Alliance and I knew that this monster would be competing.