Declaration of War
"Are you telling me... the Fire Tiger Sword Sect has been wiped out?"
"Yeah. When I got there, every last one of them was already dead. Looks like the bastards from the Demon Blood Divine Cult did it to make an example out of them."
"Those dog-faced sons of bitches!"
Crash!
Gwi Hujin slammed his fist onto the table in uncontrollable fury. Though they had known each other only briefly, Gwi Hujin and Ho Jihwan had grown close enough to swear brotherhood. Over drunken confessions of the heart, they had come to respect one another and pledged to be each other's steadfast pillar of support. Yet not long after, not only Ho Jihwan, but the Fire Tiger Sword Sect itself had been entirely annihilated.
Gwi Hujin's rage showed no sign of subsiding. Had the messenger been anyone other than Ryeong, he might have lashed out right then and there.
"You said the Demon Blood Divine Cult? I'll go right now and—!"
"Sit down. If this were something you could solve alone, the Fire Tiger Sword Sect wouldn't have been slaughtered in the first place."
"Stay out of this, Daoist! From here on, this is business of the Unorthodox Factions—"
"I treat you with a little patience and you think you own the world? Shut your mouth and sit your ass down, you little punk."
When Ryeong glared at him, Gwi Hujin instantly shrank into a meek lamb. He had looked visibly disappointed upon learning she hailed from Mount Jongnam. With his emotions frayed, that underlying thought slipped out into the open. Though Ryeong was an ordained Daoist, to Gwi Hujin she seemed far more like a terrifying assassin—much like the chilling gaze she was leveling at him right now.
"I cannot understand why a great hero like you remains with Jongnam. Forgive my boldness, but your eyes..."
"I know. I don't belong in the Orthodox Sects."
"Then why do you stay tied to Jongnam?"
"I suppose one particular brat just keeps catching my eye."
When Ryeong had first set foot on Mount Jongnam, her only intention had been to exploit them. Having lost the Myriad Poison Ring, she needed the pretext of being a disciple of Jongnam to get close to the Red Cloud Divine Sword. But as time went by, her feelings shifted. The people of Jongnam gradually began to feel like family, and Jinyeong—the disciple she had taken beneath her wing—had become a fixture she simply couldn't cut away.
Was it because teasing him was so entertaining? Or because he kept following her despite knowing who she truly was? Perhaps it was his sheer stubbornness in speaking up even when he knew she wouldn't listen, or the desperate earnestness with which he absorbed every lesson she gave him.
At some point, Jinyeong's every movement had etched itself crystal-clear in Ryeong's mind. And it wasn't just him; every bond she had forged on Mount Jongnam had grown precious. Though her values aligned far more with the Unorthodox Factions, the people of Jongnam were practically kin to her. Unless they pulled some madness like betraying her en masse, she was willing to stand with them to the very end.
"I can't say exactly when, but a full-scale battle against the Demon Blood Divine Cult will break out soon. Until then, keep yourself in peak condition. Don't go doing anything reckless."
"Can I trust your word?"
"My temper's flaring up a bit too, you see. When someone flips over a feast that was laid out for me... the only proper response is to wring their neck."
As Ryeong gripped her teacup, the cold tea inside suddenly began to boil and bubble. Gwi Hujin realized at once that the roiling tea was a mirror of her inner wrath.
At the same time, he blamed himself. They shared the same fury, yet Ryeong was swallowing hers and biding her time—waiting until her target was caught tight in the noose.
She was truly an extraordinary person. A young swordsman from the First Sword Sect of Shaanxi who had already attained the Transcendent Realm. A personality that anyone could see belonged squarely in the Unorthodox Factions, yet stubbornly clinging to her affiliation with Jongnam.
Her very existence was a web of riddles. Yet she treasured relationships between people, and showed a raw, human fury at the thought of the dead.
This is the timber of a true leader.
A whirlwind of complex emotions welled in Gwi Hujin's eyes. Never in his life had he felt this way. Throughout his years leading Doguibang, there had always been an empty corner in his heart—and since meeting Ryeong, that void seemed to have been filled. And today, at long last, Gwi Hujin decided to acknowledge it.
"May I speak freely?"
"What is it?"
"I wish to serve you as my lord. Please grant me your permission."
Thud.
Gwi Hujin rose and dropped to one knee before Ryeong.
For the leader of a faction to submit himself under an individual was no small matter. Because of that, Ryeong's gaze instantly frosted over like the bitter cold of the North Sea.
"What's your angle all of a sudden? What did you see in me?"
"You are worthy of leading. I have felt it throughout my time running Doguibang. If you—no, if Lady Ryeong would lead Doguibang—"
"I'm of Mount Jongnam. I cannot take an unorthodox faction under my wing."
"I will leave the Unorthodox Factions behind. Furthermore, I wish to serve as your personal subordinate. It is not just me; the elders of the faction feel the same."
Ryeong narrowed her eyes, searching Gwi Hujin's true intentions. To her surprise, there wasn't a trace of deceit in him. He genuinely wished to enter her service. Even knowing what a thorny path lay ahead, his eyes burned with the resolve never to regret this choice.
"I'm not that good of a person. You know what my temper is like."
"It is precisely because I know your character that I am asking. You possess more than enough virtue to lead us."
Gwi Hujin still remembered that day vividly. When everyone had been backed into a corner at Gongsong Inn, Ryeong's sudden appearance had overturned the entire board. Her divine might had made her seem like a being descended from the heavens. Perhaps it was from that very moment that Gwi Hujin had dreamed of serving beneath her.
"I will become your subordinate. Even if the whole world points their fingers in scorn, I shall serve only you."
"...Fine. Then I'll give you a mission."
Whoosh.
Ryeong tossed a crimson bead to Gwi Hujin. It was the bead she had retrieved from the breast of Blood Red Unit Leader Mu Uiseong after killing him.
Though she wasn't entirely sure of its purpose, she had also recovered identical beads after killing that supposed right-hand man of the Five Blood Kings and subduing the Blood Wolf Unit Leader. Given that these beads were distributed only to top-tier experts, they were likely rare substances within the Demon Blood Divine Cult—and very probably still in the research phase.
Since she had several on hand anyway, tossing one over for him to investigate cost her nothing, especially after confirming it posed no immediate danger.
Gwi Hujin's eyes lit up as he caught the bead. Though he had no clue what it was or what it was used for, unraveling its secret meant he would be accepted into Ryeong's fold.
"The first mission bestowed by my lord. I will accomplish it without fail."
"Don't call me lord just yet. Uncover what that is, and then I'll accept you."
"I swear to uncover its true nature, by any and all means necessary."
"We'll talk again soon. For now, there's someone I need to track down."
Leaving only those words behind, Ryeong vanished into thin air once more. In the art of lightness, she was practically peerless under the heavens.
After a moment of awe, Gwi Hujin's face hardened with resolve.
"General Manager! Send word to the Hubei branch head of Haomun at once! Tell him we must meet immediately!"
He moved swiftly to execute the task Ryeong had entrusted to him.
About three days passed in this manner.
"Lord Five Blood King. The Blood Wolf Unit Leader has returned. However, his condition is... somewhat strange."
"Send him in."
At the subordinate's report, the Five Blood King seated in the grand chair opened his eyes. He had been in an exceptionally foul mood lately, so his expression was far from pleasant.
The Blood Wolf Unit Leader who soon dragged himself into view was in a wretched state. Blood oozed from every part of his body, and he could barely keep his balance on his own. His breathing was ragged beyond measure, as if reaching this place had taken every ounce of life he had left.
The Five Blood King came to a swift decision: this beast was of no further use.
"L-Lord Blood King..."
"Is that the Blood Wolf Unit Leader? He has already outlived his usefulness. Clear him from my sight."
"There is s-something... I m-must tell you...!"
"Something you must say? Very well, let us hear it."
The slurred, clumsy speech of the Blood Wolf Unit Leader was barely intelligible. Paying it little heed, the Five Blood King gave a dismissive flick of his hand, granting permission to speak.
At that, the Blood Wolf Unit Leader, Gi Uhyeon, froze in place—like a clockwork mechanism that had suddenly ground to a halt.
A strange glint flashed in the Five Blood King's eyes. Only now did he realize that the Blood Wolf Unit Leader before him was merely an empty husk housing something entirely different.
"Someone has tampered with him. Our hideout has been compromised."
"M-M-M-Ma-ma-ma-ma—!"
BOOM!
Gi Uhyeon, struggling to force out words, detonated where he stood. The Five Blood King's brow furrowed.
This was the Delayed Acupoint Striking—a technique where pressure points were sealed in advance to trigger after a set period of time. It was an ancient, forbidden art, and one governed by a single ironclad condition: whoever was struck by it was doomed to die.
Yet the fact that the Blood Wolf Unit Leader had fallen victim to this technique meant only one thing: his death was meant to deliver a message.
With a flick of telekinesis, the Five Blood King swept aside the mangled remains. There on the floor, the splattered blood had pooled into written characters.
"Wash your neck clean. I will kill you without fail."
The corners of the Five Blood King's mouth twitched upward.
"Wash your neck clean, is it? 'I will kill you without fail'... Pfft, hahah! Hahahahaha!"
The Five Blood King erupted into uproarious laughter. Whoever was behind this, what a brazen declaration of war!
A dark crimson killing intent swirled within his pupils.
"Splendid! Splendid, indeed! I know not who you are, but come at me all you like. I shall personally entertain you!"
And just as the Five Blood King's laughter echoed throughout his dwelling...
"Found it."
Ryeong, who had tracked the Blood Wolf Unit Leader's trail from an immense distance away, finally laid eyes upon the enemy's stronghold.