Chapter 101
Chapter 101
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 101
Chapter Title: The Blood Cult Falls into the Trap
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In pitch-black darkness, a pair of blood-red lights flickered.
At the same time, a rough, turbid voice cut through the silence.
"Branch Leader."
A figure emerged from the gloom.
Though shrouded in shadow, its form was too grotesque to pass for human.
"High Priest."
"How go the preparations to offer more blood for our great cult's cause?"
The grotesque figure, addressed as the Branch Leader, dropped to one knee.
"We've traced the rumors to their source and exterminated them, then spread false information using our followers. No one will approach Baek Su Mountain now."
The pair of blood lights narrowed. It almost looked like a smirk.
"Over a thousand souls trapped in the tomb, was it?"
"Yes."
"Heh heh heh. Excellent."
The lights blinked, as if closing and opening eyes.
"All for our cult... the great Blood God Blood Cult."
The Blood God Blood Cult—one of the three demonic sects that would later ignite the Demonic War.
The Sixth High Priest, Blood Eyes Luo, felt a rare surge of satisfaction.
The cult possessed forbidden arts that strengthened followers' spirit power through human blood, flesh, and souls.
Sacrificing the thousand-plus captives in the tomb would bring them one step closer to their grand ambition.
And not only that...
'The Blood God will favor this lowly body even more.'
Just imagining it sent shivers of ecstasy rivaling carnal pleasure through his veins.
'If only He would permit this wretch to lick His feet.'
A thousand sacrifices. All trained martial artists.
Their souls would become evil spirits, their blood essence would fatten his dantian, and the remains would craft jiangshi.
All offered to Him.
"Branch Leader. Give me the exact date."
"Yes. Your Holiness need only arrive in about seven days and nights."
The time for the sacrifices to exhaust their rations, wasting away from hunger until their strength failed.
Considering everything, seven days and nights was perfect.
"In my view, for safety's sake, we should allow a bit more leeway..."
"Do that, and the sacrifices' quality will plummet."
"Indeed."
At times like this, he missed the vanished Ghost Slave from years ago.
With that one's innate talent for commanding evil spirits freely, things could have wrapped up far quicker.
"Very well. Proceed with caution. No lapses in surveillance."
"Understood. We've monitored constantly, save for the brief absence to handle the rumors."
Blood Eyes Luo slowly closed his eyes and interlaced his fingers.
His nails, inhumanly long and sharp, scratched his skin.
The slow seep of blood droplets.
One droplet suddenly floated up, drifting to his tongue.
"Mmm."
Blood after so long. Soon, he could drink his fill.
'Our cult... has waited far too long.'
He dared not presume to guess the Blood God's will, but the wait had been endless.
So long that he'd dared act alone, twisting that will to suit himself.
So long he hadn't noticed his own self-rationalization that everything was for Him.
Savoring the single drop, Blood Eyes Luo drifted back to sleep.
And so, seven days and nights later.
"High Priest."
The Sixth High Priest, Blood Eyes Luo, opened his eyes—not to the Branch Leader's voice, but to the blood energy within it stirring his body.
"Has the time come already?"
"Yes."
His eyes opened, blood lights flashing.
Blood Eyes Luo exhaled slowly.
Oddly, his breath glowed crimson even in the darkness.
"Rise, my servants."
His red breath rippled through the shadows, spreading outward.
Each time, eyes gleamed, and breathing echoed in the once-silent space.
"Let us go."
"We obey."
Blood Eyes Luo rose.
His first venture out in thirty years by the calendar.
He stepped forward.
His blood-red silk robes billowing.
His ten nails, each over a foot long, glinting.
"......"
"......"
A hundred warriors followed.
Or could they be called warriors?
Their faces were corpse-pale, eyes dead black.
Some bore wounds that should have been fatal, yet no blood flowed—only black ooze crusted over like scabs.
"High Priest. We're nearly there."
From the Blood God Blood Cult's Sixth Branch lair to the Baek Su Mountain tomb was not far.
In truth, that proximity had enabled today's ritual.
"Hrm. So that's the place."
His rough, turbid voice boomed, and the followers halted in unison.
Responding to the spiritual command in his tone.
Blood Eyes Luo gazed into the perfectly round pit, its depths invisible.
"The scent of blood... how fragrant."
Down there, the sacrifices awaited.
Exhausted, ripe for devouring without preparation.
"Come, let us descend."
"As you command!"
Led by the Branch Leader, every cultist leaped into the pit without hesitation.
Blood Eyes Luo followed, floating down leisurely.
Whoosh!
The ground rushed up with the wind's howl.
In that instant, Blood Eyes Luo sensed something amiss.
"High Priest! Something's wrong!"
He didn't need the Branch Leader's cry.
His eyes could see the truth inside.
"What? It was real?"
"Good thing we believed the letter."
"Thought they'd starve to death, but someone tossed them food—had to trust it."
"These demonic bastards are the ones who trapped us, right?"
Blood Eyes Luo landed lightly, his long red silk robes fluttering. His blood-glowing eyes swept the surroundings.
The sacrifices weren't huddled in hunger, weak and ready to eat.
They were hale, forming a encirclement.
"......"
Blood Eyes Luo's lips twisted upward.
"Interesting."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Demonic cults were demonic cults, but Yang-hui couldn't pass up screwing over the Namgung Clan brats.
So he stuck to the original plan.
Which meant shitting all over the Namgung Clan and Wudang's scheme.
"Food falling from the sky!"
"You idiot! It's the ceiling, not the sky!"
"Rain of jerky instead of water!"
"Is starvation making us hallucinate...?"
"No! I can taste it!"
The righteous sects waited for the underworld factions to starve and weaken.
The underworld, in turn, planned to strike before their strength fully drained, seizing the food for themselves.
As the standoff reached its breaking point, Yang-hui dumped the stockpiled jerky and rations from above.
'Kekekeke! You waited for the underworld scum to wear themselves out, but it’s all meaningless now! Kekekeke! What fools!'
He could picture the Namgung Clan pups, especially Namgung Cheon-hu's panicked face.
A shame he couldn't see it up close.
"Chui-dal. Isn't it hilarious just imagining it? Keep dumping food to prolong the standoff, and meanwhile, we snag the Sword King Tomb's treasures."
"Sounds fun, sure. But it's pointless now, right?"
"Still gets my blood pumping thinking of pissing off the Namgung bastards."
"Bro really hates the Namgung Clan suspiciously much."
You'd know too if you'd been beheaded in your past life, punk.
No, wait—your head was the one lopped off.
"Anyway. Time to mix letters in with the food drops."
The letters briefly explained the situation:
[Demonic forces baited with fake Sword King Tomb info to set a trap.]
[Once the trapped warriors weaken from hunger, the demons will slaughter them all.]
[Out of righteousness, I risked my life to deliver food—don't fight each other; ambush the demons when they come.]
More or less.
"Figured they wouldn't buy it."
"They won't."
"Yet there's no fuss, and they're behaving awfully well."
"They can reason it out. Look—they're digging away."
Now aware of the third force, they knew infighting would hurt them all.
So they dug for escape—or, despite the fake info, greed for the tomb's treasures drove them.
'Tang bro's still hung up on it, though.'
Yang-hui approached Tang Jun.
"Tang bro."
"Ah, Hui bro."
"Still think we should've shown ourselves and warned them strongly about the demons?"
"...Yeah. Feels like the righteous path."
But that would've spelled doom for both the Tang and Baek clans.
'Not sure which of the three cults, but their hidden power can squash local rumors instantly.'
Meaning exposure meant becoming a target.
They had to maneuver in secret for max gain, max benefit.
Righteousness mattered, but Yang-hui's top priority was always his clan.
"Sorry. But I need you to yield on this one, Tang bro."
"I know your judgment's right. Just... weighs on me."
Chui-dal stared at Yang-hui in surprise.
'The great bro of the world... apologizing over something this minor?'
Just as he suspiciously loathed the Namgung Clan, he showed unusual softness toward Tang Jun.
"Anyway, little bro. Judging by their digging direction, they'll hit the passage soon."
"Yeah. Time we resumed Sword King Tomb exploration."
To prepare for contingencies, they'd left one behind to watch the cave instead of moving as a full group.
A-du was, of course, excluded from guard duty.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
They climbed down the shaft and landed in the passage.
Instead of heading west to the Iron Poison Fluttering Wings, they went east.
Their vigilance paid off—they spotted the trap immediately.
"A poison corridor, sort of."
A hallway slightly wider than the passage, crawling with snakes and bugs—all venomous.
Tang Jun and Tang Yeon each grabbed a live specimen for testing.
"Hm. Excellent condition."
"Big brother, I wanna take 'em all back home. Centuries of breeding and cannibalism made their venom insane."
Yang-hui eyed the corridor.
Given the numbers and length, passing without a single bite seemed impossible.
"Tang bro. Can you antidote bites if they happen?"
"Ask Yeon about that. Her poison arts are beyond mine."
Tang Yeon beamed confidently.
"What do you take Tang Clan antidotes for? With my dantian's poison core, poison arts, and the herbs I brought, it's doable. Given enough time, of course."
She pulled antidotes from her pouch and began mixing.
Good enough.
So, first gate from the cave: Iron Poison Fluttering Wings.
Second: Poison Corridor.
What's the meaning?
He pondered briefly.
Plink, plink, plop.
A distant pebble drop—the signal from left-behind Chui-dal.
"Back first!"
They all leaped toward him.
Moments later, the six peeked from rock crevices side by side.
"Ma...!"
A-du's ugly grimace cracked the narrow gap as his bulk forced through—rocks splintering loudly.
"Hey, hey!"
"Quiet! Stay still."
"Ma...!"
"Got it. I'll let you beat 'em all later. Just hold it in now."
"For real?"
"Obviously. I love pounding demons too."
Finally calming A-du, they refocused below.
Blood-red silk robes trailing long.
Nails like crimson spikes—not human.
Spotting the grotesque Branch Leader beside him clinched it for Yang-hui.
'Blood Eyes Luo.'
The bastard leading the Blood God Blood Cult's sixth pack of blood-mad beasts.
"Hahaha."
"Little bro. Why laugh?"
"Ah, nothing."
Truth was, he had a reason.
Just couldn't say it outright.
Simple reason.
'Came crawling back to die again, huh, you punk.'
Because.
The Blood God Blood Cult's sixth branch followers, led by Blood Eyes Luo, had already died once by Yang-hui's hand in his previous life.