The Sura Blood Cult
Ju Tae-sung followed the subordinate’s lead without hesitation. Yet no matter how far they walked, the path showed no sign of ending.
“Are you certain this is the right way?”
“Yes, my lord. Just a little farther…”
That was when it happened.
Ju Tae-sung drew his sword in a blur and drove it straight toward the subordinate’s back. He had sensed the wrongness.
The blade sliced through empty air.
The subordinate had dodged the thrust with impossible speed, tumbling through the void before landing lightly on the ground.
A heavy silence fell.
The subordinate broke it first.
“How did you know?”
“We’ve been circling the same spot. Who are you?”
Ju Tae-sung sheathed his sword with deliberate calm.
“Did you lure me here?”
“I merely wished to talk.”
The subordinate rubbed his face several times. The skin peeled away like a discarded mask, revealing the man Ju Woo-jin had encountered before.
An oppressive, suffocating demonic energy flooded the space.
Ju Tae-sung’s expression hardened before he could stop it. The aura radiating from the stranger was formidable.
“Calm yourself. I have no intention of killing you.”
“Kill me?” Ju Tae-sung’s voice dropped to a dangerous register. “You dare speak of killing me?”
“Dare?”
The man’s face twisted with genuine rage for a moment.
“Heh heh heh.”
He smoothed his expression and continued.
“I called you out to talk. So open your ears and listen well.”
The Sword Sovereign paused. Enemy or not, he would at least hear what the man had to say.
“Speak.”
“Let us destroy the Demon Cult together. An alliance—or something close to it. That is what I propose.”
A cold sneer curved Ju Tae-sung’s lips.
“You actually believed I would accept such an offer?”
“It costs you nothing. Once those Demon Cult dogs are gone, you can fight without watching your back. Am I wrong?”
The statement contained a glaring flaw.
“Does that not apply to you as well? If we engage the Demon Cult, you could sit back and reap the benefits without lifting a finger.”
“True enough.”
The man nodded.
“So you have another goal in mind.”
Now it was clear.
The Blood Cult had crawled back into the open world. Moreover, they feared the Demon Cult as much as anyone. Everything Woo-jin had said was true.
“The Demon Cult must terrify you.”
“Terrify?” The man threw his head back and roared with laughter. “Me? Afraid of the Demon Cult?”
“If not, you would have no reason to extend your hand to an enemy.”
“Mm. You make a fair point.”
The man’s face grew serious as he stared at the Sword Sovereign.
“What remains of the Ju family now? With that cursed old man gone… what do you truly have left?”
Ju Tae-sung’s expression brightened with understanding. The man had just laid his own intentions bare.
“I see.”
“……”
“You’re after my son.”
“What?”
“You deliberately spoke my father’s name—unprompted—and reached out to my family. The reason is obvious.”
Ju Woo-jin.
It was because of his youngest son.
“Is he special to you?” Ju Tae-sung asked. “Or does he frighten you so much that you wish to cut him down before he fully blooms?”
“Tsk tsk.”
The man shook his head.
“Even your father couldn’t achieve it. What makes you think your son will be any different?”
Those words revealed his true heart. By answering, he had confirmed that Woo-jin was the true target.
Everything was clear now.
The sound of steel leaving its sheath rang out.
“I’m afraid I must decline. I have no intention of handing my son over to anyone.”
“You misunderstand something.”
The man melted back into the shadows, his voice low and cold.
“Your son is already… complete.”
He had simply wanted to use that fact as leverage. He had also confirmed the depth of their grudge against the Demon Cult. If they could turn the completed vessel into a blade against the Demon Cult, that was all he desired.
The Ju family’s historical enmity with the Blood Cult had never entered his calculations.
“It seems negotiations have failed.”
With a soft hiss, the man’s form dissolved into mist.
Ju Tae-sung thrust his sword forward, but it cut only empty air. The stranger had already vanished.
“The Sura Blood Cult…”
Indeed, the martial world had enjoyed far too much peace. From now on, they would prepare for war.
I remained at the Mong Family Villa for four more days.
The cost of operating demonic arts with nothing but theoretical knowledge had been steeper than expected.
“I must take my leave, Lord.”
“Go safely.”
Mong Yu-baek returned Ju Tae-sung’s formal farewell with a warm smile. I bowed deeply to him before following my father.
This was a first—traveling any distance alone with my father.
The moment I climbed into the carriage, I froze in surprise.
“Huh?”
“Hello.”
An unexpected passenger sat inside.
“Young lady… why are you here?”
“The Ju Family Head gave his permission. I will be staying with your family for the time being.”
She spoke so naturally that I nearly nodded as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world.
“Wait—why?”
“I don’t know the full details. I simply do as the adults instruct.”
I could guess the reason easily enough.
Mong Yu-baek must have asked my father for this favor. Both Yeo-rin and I had been exposed to the Blood Cult. The only place truly safe from them was the Ju family estate.
Moreover, after speaking with my father, it had been decided that the existence of the Blood Cult would remain hidden from the world for now. Both sides agreed it was wiser to prepare in secret and build strength first.
The same secrecy applied to the Demon Cult situation. Only my father, my youngest uncle, and I would know the full truth.
The reason was simple: traitors likely lurked within the various clans and sects. We could not afford to let them realize we were already on guard.
The carriage rolled forward.
After nearly twenty days away, I was finally going home.
Home felt good.
I slept deeply for the first time in weeks and even skipped training for a day. My body still hadn’t fully recovered.
While I was lazily sprawled across my bed, a knock sounded at the door.
“Young master, you have a visitor.”
It was Dan-hee.
“Who?”
“It’s me.”
Mong Yeo-rin’s voice.
When I opened the door she stepped inside. She had traded her usual elegant outer robe for practical martial attire.
“What brings you here?”
“I thought we might train together.”
“Ah… training.”
I smiled awkwardly and shook my head.
“I’m sorry, but today won’t work. My body still isn’t…”
“Oh! I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize…”
She looked genuinely flustered. She must not have noticed how badly I was still injured.
“It’s all right. Actually, this is perfect timing.”
I had been planning to visit Insujeon to see Yakseon anyway. Bringing her along would solve two problems at once.
I hadn’t received a full explanation of her constitution from Mong Yu-baek, but Yakseon would know.
“Would you come with me for a moment?”
I led her straight to Insujeon.
Yakseon had essentially taken up permanent residence there. The hall’s nominal master, Heo Su-gyeong, was running around like an errand boy trying to assist him. Despite his title, his status meant nothing to Yakseon.
“What do you want now?” Yakseon grumbled the moment he saw me.
Then his gaze shifted past me to Mong Yeo-rin.
“Wait… you are…”
“Elder Yakseon, it’s been a long time.”
They clearly knew each other. Yeo-rin offered a polite bow. Yakseon’s wrinkled face broke into a warm smile as he gently patted her head.
“You’ve grown so much. Hehe, the child who was nearly dead has become this healthy.”
“It’s all thanks to you, Elder. I never imagined I would see you here.”
“I’m imposing for a little while. Hehe.”
The two seemed quite fond of each other.
“Hm. But what happened to you? Looks like you were in a proper brawl.”
Yakseon clicked his tongue and handed me a dose of medicine mixed with several herbs.
“Eat. It will straighten out your twisted meridians.”
“Thank you.”
He had diagnosed my condition with a single glance.
“By the way, I’m curious about the young lady’s constitution,” I said while chewing the pill.
Yeo-rin answered lightly.
“Have you heard of the Hyeoneum-jiche?”
“Hyeoneum… what?”
Yakseon answered for her.
“The Yin-attuning constitution is a body extremely sensitive to energy, vibration, and sound waves. It absorbs qi far more delicately and efficiently than ordinary people—more than twice as much, in fact.”
My mouth fell open.
A body sensitive to energy? That sounded remarkably similar to my own condition.
“It isn’t entirely a blessing,” Yakseon continued. “The body absorbs energy whether its owner wishes it or not.”
So she couldn’t control it.
“I used medicine to block her meridians and acupoints, forcibly sealing the flow. Do you understand how much raw power is currently pent up inside that child?”
I nodded.
The moment I first saw her, I had sensed the enormous internal energy hidden within her body. In terms of pure volume, it rivaled the Arhat monks of Shaolin. For a girl my age to possess such power was unheard of anywhere in the martial world.
“And none of it came from elixirs. She absorbed it naturally from the world itself.”
Blessing or curse?
What was certain was that the Blood Cult would covet such a body. Depending on how they used it, they could create a monster beyond imagination.
Only now did I understand why she had suffered so many assassination attempts since childhood.
“She spent her early years playing alone with no friends. Take good care of her.”
Despite that, she spoke well and didn’t seem particularly shy. I nodded and turned to her.
Learning she had lived such a lonely life made my chest feel strangely tight.
“Is this your first time in Gangseo?”
She nodded.
“Then would you like to look around with me? Poyang Lake in Nanchang is quite famous.”
“Wow! Poyang Lake? Of course I’ve heard of it! Let’s go! I want to see it!”
She bounced with excitement, eyes sparkling. Having never left the Mong Family Villa before, this outing was an extraordinary event for her.
The view of Poyang Lake never failed to be beautiful.
It offered fresh inspiration every single time. That was why so many artists came here.
Yet today, the eyes of every man who had come to admire the lake were fixed on a single point.
A slender waist wrapped in silver silk, accented by a purple sash. Black hair fluttering gently in the breeze. When she lifted her head, her eyes resembled blue orchids carved upon cold ice jade.
For a moment, the entire area fell silent. The sound of men swallowing hard could be heard everywhere.
A seasoned escort stopped mid-stride, openly staring. An eighty-year-old elder nearly dropped his cane.
I rubbed my throbbing temple and sighed.
It was as if time itself had frozen at Poyang Lake. Everyone had stopped to steal glances at her.
Her beauty truly deserved to be called nation-toppling.
“This is going to be annoying.”
From experience, situations like this never ended well. Whether I gave her a face veil or a mask, that radiant countenance needed to be hidden somehow.