Chapter 7: Six Blood Valley (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 7: Six Blood Valley (3)
“A deal? Ha!”
No Seong-gu, the Blood Wolf Great Leader, looked at me with utter disbelief.
It made sense. He was the one holding all the cards, so me suddenly suggesting a deal must have seemed pathetic to him.
“You’ve lost your mind.”
“I’m perfectly sane.”
Actually, I was about half-insane.
If No Seong-gu applied just a little more pressure to his hand, my head would be saying goodbye to my torso. In a situation like this, what wouldn't I say?
“I’m speaking with total sincerity.”
Thud!
“Urgh!”
No Seong-gu stomped on my chest. He was truly merciless, a man of the Blood Cult through and through. He stepped on me so hard that the metallic taste of blood rose in my throat.
“Killing a wretch like you is nothing to me.”
“...I’m sure it is.”
“If you want to prolong your life even a second longer, you’d better explain why you approached the Cult using my father’s name.”
Crunch!
No Seong-gu increased the pressure of his foot. It felt like my ribs were about to shatter. I shouted out in desperation.
“Noh Se-hwa.”
“...What?”
The strength left the foot pressing down on my chest. No Seong-gu’s face froze.
“You... how do you know that name?”
The reason for his reaction was simple. Noh Se-hwa was No Seong-gu’s younger sister. More accurately, she was the sister who had gone missing about fifteen years ago.
“Speak! How do you know that name?!”
No Seong-gu pressed me for an answer. I was terrified, but I couldn't reveal all my cards just yet.
“...Are you going to keep stepping on me? Or are you going to make a deal?”
“You bastard!”
No Seong-gu glared at me before finally removing his foot from my chest. However, his saber remained pressed against my throat.
“Do you really think I would strike a deal with the likes of you?”
“I know you to be a man who takes responsibility for his words until the very end.”
The Blood Wolf Great Leader No Seong-gu I knew was different from other Cult members; he was a man of integrity who was generous to his subordinates. He was also a man who never went back on his word.
‘She’s the sister he’s been desperately searching for.’
Normally, No Seong-gu was ruthless toward anyone he deemed an enemy. But since I had mentioned the name of his only living relative—the one he had been searching for day and night—his iron heart couldn't help but waver.
‘What’s your move, Blood Wolf Great Leader?’
I stared straight into his eyes without flinching. Finally, No Seong-gu spoke.
“What do you want? Do you want me to keep quiet about your identity?”
Of course I wanted that. But it felt like a waste to ask for only that when such a rare opportunity had presented itself.
“That seems like a losing trade for me.”
“You really don't value your life at all, do you?”
“If I die, you’ll never find your sister for the rest of your life.”
This was a lie, of course. No Seong-gu would eventually manage to find his sister on his own. Though that discovery would mark the beginning of the greatest tragedy of his life.
Grit!
No Seong-gu ground his teeth and asked, “What else do you want?”
“Become my strength when I need it.”
“Ha! Are you telling me to become your subordinate? You really want to die—”
“That’s not it. I’m just asking that if I ever find myself in a difficult situation, you provide assistance within your power.”
No Seong-gu was a man who would soon become a master of the Supreme Peak Realm. If I could secure his help, it was anything but a losing trade.
“Nonsense! Not only am I supposed to turn a blind eye to someone who might be a detriment to the Cult, but I’m also supposed to help you? I almost let myself be deluded by your—”
“A man who works for the Cult only to repay the debt of his father’s life shouldn't be lecturing me on loyalty, don't you think?”
“Wh-What? How do you know that?!”
No Seong-gu couldn't hide his shock. Only the highest echelons of the Blood Cult knew this fact. Most Cult members believed he had simply followed in his father’s footsteps to become the Blood Wolf Great Leader.
But the reality was different.
“Didn't you take command of the Blood Wolf Unit in exchange for finding the culprit who killed the former Great Leader, No Jo-man?”
These were all things I had heard directly from him in my past life.
“...Just who the hell are you?”
I’d be curious too if I were him. But I couldn't exactly say, ‘I’ve returned from ten years in the future.’ I had to pivot his focus.
“Let’s do this. I won't just tell you your sister’s whereabouts; I’ll tell you the culprit who murdered your father and the person who did that to your eye.”
“You...”
He was wavering at the extraordinary terms. It didn't cost me anything to tell him, since I had heard it all from No Seong-gu himself in the future anyway. This was information that could only be used on him.
“How do I know you aren't just spinning lies to escape this situation?”
“There’s the Blood Drum, and if I’m lying, you can kill me at any time, can’t you?”
My words seemed to convince him, and No Seong-gu’s expression softened significantly. With the Blood Drum in play, there was no way for me to run away. After hesitating for a long moment, No Seong-gu finally made up his mind.
Sheathe!
He pulled the saber away from my throat.
“Haaa...”
A sigh of relief escaped my lips involuntarily. The gamble, whose outcome I couldn't have predicted, had finally paid off.
“If you’re lying, you die.”
“Of course.”
“Who is the culprit who killed my father?”
It seemed he was more curious about that than his sister’s whereabouts. Knowing the reaction he would have once he found out, I hesitated for a moment. But soon, I spoke cautiously.
“...It was the First Blood Star.”
At the unexpected name, No Seong-gu’s expression turned cold. At this point in time, he believed that the people who killed his father and kidnapped his sister were from the Martial Alliance. That was why he had joined the Blood Cult, gritting his teeth and vowing revenge.
So, when I pointed to the First Blood Star—one of the highest-ranking officials in the Blood Cult—as the culprit, he found it hard to accept.
“Are you playing with me right now?”
“Playing with you? Not at all. Let me clarify. To be precise, it was carried out by the Moon Lake Unit Leader under the orders of the First Blood Star. When they killed your father, they left wounds using Orthodox sword techniques to—”
Thud!
“Ack!”
No Seong-gu kicked my chest violently. Though he tried not to show it, his face had turned a terrifying shade of red; he was deeply shaken. Despite the pain, I drove the final nail in.
“Y-You can just ask your sister yourself.”
“Ask my sister?”
“Your sister knows the truth as well.”
“...My sister knows?”
“She is at the branch of the Hwayue Merchant Group in Jinhai County, Zhejiang Province. If you move personally, she might be silenced, so send someone you can trust.”
The Hwayue Merchant Group was a merchant group managed by the First Blood Star. In my previous life, No Seong-gu had met his dying sister and heard the truth from her. Unable to contain his rage, he had confronted the First Blood Star, which led to the disbandment of the Blood Wolf Unit and the absorption of its members.
“You... just what...”
No Seong-gu stared at me, his mouth agape as if he had lost his words.
‘I bet.’
He had just learned everything he had been dying to know all at once. I only hoped things wouldn't turn out like they did in my previous life. Even though he was a Cult member, his innate character was better than most Orthodox martial artists, so I respected him. As long as his sister didn't die, he wouldn't lose his self-control and make the mistake of challenging the First Blood Star recklessly, even if he knew the truth.
“........”
After staring at me for a long time, No Seong-gu regained his composure. He took his foot off my chest and extended a hand. It was a gesture for me to take it.
Grip!
When I took his hand, he pulled me up to my feet. No Seong-gu spoke to me with a grim face.
“I’ll trust your words just this once.”
“Ah!”
“Don't get too comfortable. If this is a lie, I’ll cut your throat myself, Blood Drum or no Blood Drum.”
“Of course.”
“But if it’s true... I will consider you my lifelong benefactor.”
“...You won't go back on those words, will you?”
“I’ve decided to trust you, yet you cannot trust me?”
I grinned and replied, “No. I trust you.”
He was a man of integrity who never went back on his word. There was no reason not to trust him. It was just that I had been stabbed in the back so many times in my past life that I asked out of habit. It’s easier to trust a beast than a human.
“Then the deal is struck.”
No Seong-gu nodded at my words. Ah, I felt like I could cry now that the crisis had finally passed. As I was celebrating internally, No Seong-gu spoke.
“But I can’t tell if you’re brilliant or just clumsy.”
“Pardon?”
“You never even mentioned your maternal grandfather’s name, but the moment I pressured you a little, you spilled everything.”
“!?”
Hearing that, I felt like I’d been hit in the back of the head with a hammer. As No Seong-gu said, I hadn't mentioned my grandfather’s name. I had simply assumed they would investigate and got scared into talking.
‘What’s that supposed to mean?!’
The Lesser Conversation Sword seemed to thoroughly enjoy my embarrassment. But thinking about it, there wasn't much I could have done. Even if I hadn't mentioned the name, if No Seong-gu had been determined to ask, I wouldn't have been able to deceive a man who knew the names of every single member.
“...You got me there.”
I admitted it, partly to save his pride. No Seong-gu’s expression softened as if he felt better. Now, all that was left was to receive the identity token.
“Since the deal is settled, may I receive the token I want?”
I wanted at least a Middle (中) or High (上) rank. However, a High rank required exceptional talent, so if I—someone who couldn't even gather internal energy due to a damaged dantian—received one, it would only arouse suspicion.
But No Seong-gu’s expression was strange.
“That is that, and this is this.”
“Pardon?”
“I’ll keep my mouth shut, but I haven't even confirmed my sister’s whereabouts yet. You’re asking for too much too soon.”
“Wait, you could at least do this much for me.”
“Don't be ridiculous. If you want it, prove your talent.”
“Haaa...”
This was driving me crazy. I felt like I was back at square one.
When I served under him, I thought he was a simple, honest man who didn't have a devious bone in his body, but I guess I hadn't seen every side of him.
“...How do you want me to prove it?”
The method varied from leader to leader, so I had to ask. No Seong-gu beckoned me with his hand.
“I heard you have a body that can’t learn internal energy due to Qi Deviation. I’ll face you barehanded, without using internal energy myself.”
Oh! Surprisingly, he was being fair.
“Are you serious?” I asked.
“Even without internal energy, don't mistake that for there being no gap between us. If you can land even a single hit on me, I’ll give you the token you want.”
He was right. Even for a first-rate master, their external martial arts were no joke. Since his body was already physically tempered, I was at an overwhelming disadvantage.
However...
“Can I use a dagger?”
“Do as you please. Do you really think a brat who doesn't even know martial arts can change anything with a mere dagger?”
At those words, the corners of my mouth curled up.
‘Did you hear that?’
The Lesser Conversation Sword spoke with a voice full of fighting spirit.
*
On the other side of the cave.
All the training disciples except for one had received their Low, Middle, or High rank identity tokens. As it was taking much longer than with the other disciples, Bloody Unit Leader Gu Sang-ung’s expression was gradually hardening.
Watching this, Great Leader Oh’s face was filling with delight.
‘I told him to test the boy thoroughly, and he fell right into the trap. I said I’d be watching you. Huhuhu.’
It had been worth the effort to bring in the Blood Wolf Great Leader No Seong-gu. Rather than waiting to send someone all the way to Yul Rang-hyeon to investigate, it was much less trouble to bring in the person involved and test him directly.
It seemed it was time to push the atmosphere and get rid of the kid.
“Unit Leader, it seems my suspicions were—”
Just then, the Bloody Unit Leader raised his hand, signaling him to be quiet.
Oh wondered what was happening, then saw someone emerging from the center cave.
It was So Woon-hwi.
‘Wait?’
So Woon-hwi walked out of the cave confidently, holding something up for them to see. It was the identity token indicating his rank.
[Middle (中)]
It wasn't Low, but Middle.
Seeing this, Great Leader Oh’s face contorted as if he had just swallowed a pile of filth.