Chapter 387
Chapter 387
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 387
Chapter Title: True Blood Corps (4)
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A hush fell over Muryong Valley for a moment after I declared that it was time to choose.
One of the Blood Cultists broke the silence with a question.
"...What choice do you mean?"
"Every action you take from this point on will shape the course of your lives. First, the questioner must choose if they're prepared to hear the answer. If you want to hear this old man's reply, start by telling us who you are."
The questioner's deliberation didn't last long.
He soon clasped his hands in a formal salute and introduced himself.
"Son Cheon-jeong of Quanzhou Prefecture. In the jianghu, I'm known as the Bare-Handed Scholar."
Bare-Handed Scholar.
It was a title that rang a faint bell from the endless stream of jianghu intelligence reports I'd received daily.
'The title is one thing, but...'
In a gathering of hundreds of cultists, each with their own agendas, it took real courage to reveal one's identity. That alone deserved praise.
I committed the three characters of Son Cheon-jeong's name to memory and spoke again.
"Called a 'scholar,' it seems you wielded a brush in your youth?"
"There was a time when I was glued to the imperial exams."
"Yet you can't grasp this simple truth? This old man thwarted the Blood Wind Corps' ritual, and you lot just stood by and watched. What choices do we have left?"
I wasn't one of the Blood Cult.
Thus, I had multiple paths open to me.
But for the cultists gathered here, there were only two: confront the cult head-on or await the death that would eventually come.
When I reminded them of that, Son Cheon-jeong clasped his hands again and spoke.
"What this one asked wasn't about the trees, but the forest. I'm inquiring about the full picture you're painting, elder."
I mulled over Son Cheon-jeong's words, pausing for a beat.
"In that case... it was quite a shrewd question from the scholar."
Silence descended once more upon the assembly.
"The secret society I lead is called the True Blood Corps. From the name alone, you might already sense it... It's the organization I mentioned earlier, pursuing the true Blood Flame Dominion."
I spread my sleeves toward my siblings standing at the rear and the troops atop the valley.
"However, as of today, the True Blood Corps reveals itself to the world. Son Cheon-jeong. Why would a secret society choose to show its face?"
"...Well, it could mean you need us enough to abandon secrecy. Though since we're strangers, I can't be certain. If there's more... perhaps you've judged the time is ripe?"
"Correct. The time is ripe, so we've emerged. And now that we have, we won't stop until the will and aspirations of our members are realized. We'll head straight for the main headquarters."
"...There will be those who stand in your way."
"Weren't No Byeong-o and his subordinates already such obstacles? We'll sweep aside anyone who blocks the path, so yes, you could say we need you."
As our conversation reached that point,
whispers began to leak from among the seated cultists.
"...So he's saying we'll go head-to-head with the cult? Is that even possible?"
"With those atop the valley, plus the South Sea Archbishop's forces and our own subordinates, it'd be an unprecedented scale... but taking on the Cult Protector Kings and the Blood Wind Corps' main force? I'm not sure."
"Possible or not, for us marked for purge by headquarters, our only choices are to fight or die, right?"
"Fighting is just marching to our deaths! What about the Blood Art's madness side effects?"
Sa Gyeom, who had been watching silently, finally spoke.
"Quiet!"
He stomped the ground, restoring silence to the gathering.
Boom!!
It was then that Son Cheon-jeong spoke again.
"That path ends with the Cult Protector Kings. Will they simply accept your will, elder?"
"If not, we'll remove them. We'll clear out those old fools and seek an audience with the Cult Leader. That's the purpose of this journey from the start."
"...Is that feasible?"
Son Cheon-jeong's question sounded less like mere curiosity and more like probing whether we had the forces or a contingency plan.
But at this stage, there was no reason to reveal my plans to him or the other cultists.
"Why show the full picture to someone who's only given their name and title? If you resolve to follow the True Blood Corps, you'll learn in due time."
"......"
"However, one thing I can promise: this old man can cure the madness induced by the Reverse Blood Asura Grand Law."
At those words,
an uproar filled the assembly hall once more.
"...He can cure the madness?"
"Does that mean he can make the antidote himself?"
"His tone suggests a complete cure."
Sa Gyeom stomped again.
Boom!!!
"Silence! And I vouch for those words myself. I've confirmed that even the lowliest under Ghost-Faced Elder suffered no side effects or aftereffects from the divine art."
At Sa Gyeom's timely intervention, I smirked behind my mask.
Then I spoke again.
"This too is a choice. Those who are curious or desperate, step forward even if you think you might be fooled. The skeptical can refuse."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ While Eon Yong-un poured his heart into swallowing up the Blood Cult's organization,
Murim Alliance Leader Gongson Mugeol, Grand Strategist Jeon Gal-hye, and Fragrant Orchid Pavilion's Chancellor Chang Ryang
were among a procession heading toward the western edge of the Central Plains, their carriage in tow.
The group had wrapped up establishing a liaison office for the Eastern Conference in Shaanxi Province and was now bound for Kunlun.
Jeon Gal-hye grumbled, recalling the arduous negotiations.
"Zhongnan never makes anything easy."
Chang Ryang responded with a serious expression.
"When the Demonic Cult rears its head, Kunlun bleeds first, and Zhongnan second. They held the line in the last Orthodox-Demonic War, but at great cost. They have to be cautious."
"Zhongnan's disciples seemed to resent the Chancellor quite a bit, yet here you are defending them?"
"Not defending—it's the truth. Our Mount Hua and Zhongnan have a dog-and-monkey relationship after clashing in Shaanxi. But public is public, private is private."
"That's exactly why I'm annoyed."
It was then that Gongson Mugeol spoke up.
"Still, they ultimately approved this time. That's huge progress in my book. Speaking of which, Yong-un's plan to make contact with the Blood Cult should be kicking off soon. I wonder if the boy's safe..."
Mid-sentence, Gongson Mugeol recalled a forgotten memory and shot Jeon Gal-hye a sharp glance.
"Grand Strategist."
"Yes?"
"I put off discussing Zhongnan for later due to urgency and forgot... You can't hide major secrets like that. How could you keep Yong-un's plan to devour the Blood Cult from me?"
"...Ahaha."
"Yong-un's hot-blooded, so I let it slide. But you hiding it?"
"...Borrowing your words a bit, isn't it progress that Yong-un at least confided in me?"
As Jeon Gal-hye offered an awkward excuse with a strained smile,
Chang Ryang let out a dry chuckle and spoke.
"And you're one to talk, Alliance Leader. Aren't you the one who let Yong-un run wild, shaking the world without fear? Ever since you openly doted on him, the reins are completely off."
"Ahem. Well, the boy has sharp ideas and executes them brilliantly. That's why everyone's calling him the top young hero for good reason..."
"The better the talent, the more you must cherish it. What if the pillar supporting the orthodox Murim in the future snaps?"
"Ahem."
The conversation, which began that way,
ended on Chang Ryang's sharp rebuke.
Crack! Boom!!
Neighhh!!!
No sooner had that happened than a roar erupted from the carriage ahead of the trio's own.
"Charge!!!"
A band of ruffians burst from a thicket, attacking Gongson Mugeol's procession.
"Enemy ambush!"
The three promptly assumed their roles and exited the carriage.
"I'll take the left."
"I'll handle the right."
"I'll command the center."
With the Nine Ruined Sword, Mount Hua's White Plum, and Left-Eye Thousand-Li,
the two sword masters who shook the jianghu and the Grand Strategist's command joined forces.
Slash!
Slaaash!!
The ambush advantage proved meaningless as the attack was swiftly repelled.
Yet the three who handled it effortlessly furrowed their brows.
Gongson Mugeol spoke first.
"...Grand Strategist. While their main force hit us, others slipped away over the hill. Did you see?"
"Yes. Classic probe. If you were the target, those who fled would've rejoined. Their clean retreat means they're aiming elsewhere..."
Chang Ryang added his piece.
"At this point, if not you, Alliance Leader... then Yong-un and the kids?"
"This Gongson, head of the orthodox Murim... feeling more threatened by Yong-un's side. Ha, time to step up."
As Gongson Mugeol gave a wry smile,
"You should."
Jeon Gal-hye flashed a thin smile, gestured to her aides managing messenger birds, and continued.
"Anyway. We need to warn via the Eastern Conference and Beggar Clan that the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult seems to be moving."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ To test the antidote on cultists eager to shed their madness, a suitable space was needed.
Thus, I left crowd control to Sa Gyeom
and settled into the tent my siblings had set up.
Thud. Thud.
Namgung Yeong paused while preparing a bedding area and stared at Duggo Cheol.
"......"
Duggo Cheol tilted his head.
"...Something wrong?"
But Namgung Yeong addressed me, not him.
"Not sure if I should say this, but I trust Cheol. But... those other cultists outside? Can we really work with them?"
With Namgung Yeong opening the topic,
Jeonghyeon and Master chimed in one after another.
"Some seem to have pledged to the Blood Cult swept up by the tide, as Young Master Eon said. But there were clear villains and those reeking of ghostly auras. Can the latter truly be allies?"
-Indeed. Some had the stench of blood clinging to their souls.
U So-ryeong and Yin Ha-seong added their thoughts.
"Right. Plenty with snake-like faces, rolling their shifty eyes everywhere."
"Brother. Do we really need all those guys under us? Why not wait for Duggo Family folks and Professor No Sam, then sweep them ourselves? The Blood Wind Corps didn't seem like much."
I first scolded Yin Ha-seong sternly.
"Yin Ha-seong."
"...Just beat 'em up. You're scariest when you lower your voice like that."
"Don't mistake No Byeong-o's Blood Wind Corps for their true strength. If that notion lingers, you'll die the next time you face real ones."
At my words, Yin Ha-yeon nodded vigorously in agreement.
"Exactly, you'd be in big trouble. This was an easy win because Young Master Eon laid inescapable groundwork. I was sweating bullets behind my calm facade—were you thinking that?"
"...Just saying."
Judging by Yin Ha-seong's demeanor, it seemed less a firm belief and more a casual suggestion of handling it ourselves.
"I get why you'd say that. And superficially, you're right. None of them seem driven by any grand ideals."
Seeing my other siblings shared similar thoughts,
I withdrew my glare from Yin Ha-seong and continued.
"Some might seek to ride this wave amid shifting hierarchies in the Blood Cult. Others plan to flee once the Blood Art's side effects are cured. Some will just play along to survive, pledging to the True Blood Corps."
I scanned my listening siblings one by one and pressed on.
"Keep it simple for now. They don't trust us anyway—they see us as tools. So until trust is earned, we suspect and use them."
My siblings nodded in unison.
Among them, Dang Ok-gi asked,
"So, what's next? I get going to Sungjwa Stronghold with Bandit King Uncle and Professor No Sam. Then? How do we reach the Blood Heaven Asura Palace?"
"I'll send a frank report via Sa Gyeom."
"Frank report?"
"Yeah. The Blood Wind Corps tried to frame us, so we had no choice but to spill blood. We'll seek atonement."
As Yin Ha-yeon clapped her hands,
"Ah, that should provoke some reaction."
"Plus, if we leak that info to the outsiders in varied ways... we'll see who we can trust."