The masked people who hadn’t knelt were shocked, though this was the expected reaction.
The words of the Fourth Blood Star meant he would remove the root of the problem by killing them all.
It was absurd, seeing an ally turn into an enemy in an instant. However, this situation itself was already a mess from the beginning.
‘… to hand over the right to live and die.’
There were more than forty masked people that were still standing. If I gave him permission, then they would all die.
-Is he going to pretend to be nice by killing them with his own hands?
The Blood Demon Sword asked in a sarcastic tone.
Look here. I didn’t enjoy killing, either.
I did it only when necessary, but I’d never killed without reason.
-Isn’t this exactly that situation? They denied your identity.
‘Since they rejected me, I should kill them?’
-This is the fate of those who walk the path of blood.
Tone it down a notch.
This privilege was something that should only be exercised up to an extent. They were just being loyal. Even if they did violate the laws, they were only siding with the one they had sworn an oath to. I didn’t see that kind of loyalty as something worthy of killing.
-Stupid guy. So you will continue to watch?
-Wonhwi will make his own choice, Blood Demon Sword. It isn’t something you can force onto him. Also, do you think killing those who don’t want to be loyal is the quality of a wise leader?
Iron Sword, silent until now, came to my defense. He was someone who valued righteousness, after all.
“Give me the order.”
Do Jong-ho asked again as he knelt.
His eyes were on me.
‘Those eyes…’
His eyes were unfathomable. It was as if he was trying to test me as the Blood Demon. Does he want me to show my determination in taking on this role as the Blood Demon?
‘… and that was the reason behind his words.’
I chuckled as he asked again.
“Blood Demon.”
I left him puzzled as I walked toward those who were not kneeling.
“I sincerely salute your loyalty.”
“…!?”
Their eyes shone at my words. Looking at their reactions, I could only guess how Baek Hye-hyang treated them.
“I highly appreciate your loyalty, and that is why you will be given another chance.”
Not only the masked men who kept their loyalty but even those who obeyed me were agitated.
“What is…”
Do Jong-ho was also quite shocked.
This must have been different from his expectation, but I was not Baek Hye-hyang.
Nor was I Baek Ryeon-ha.
“I will ask you.”
I pointed to one of the standing masked men.
“Are you a member of the sect? Or are you a henchman of Lady Baek Hye-hyang?”
His eyes trembled at my question. My fingers were deliberately pointed at one person because I felt he was being forcibly dragged around.
Hesitating for a moment, he struggled and responded.
“… a member of the sect.”
“And you attend to the lady because she is part of the sect.”
“… yes.”
“Then why are you asserting your loyalty to one individual?”
“That…”
“It must be because you want to serve a person as the leader, right?”
The masked man didn’t answer, but the others nodded.
“Then what is the Blood Demon?”
“T-that…”
“According to the law of the sect, isn’t the Blood Demon the Blood Sect?”
“… yes.”
“Now that the Blood Demon Sword, the most treasured item of the sect, is in my hands, I am the Blood Demon, and according to the law, I am the sect itself. Then, do I have to give up on you? Who chose another one to follow?”
“How can that be!”
Those words would mean that the sect was abandoning them.
They had lived their whole lives as part of the sect, and now their very existence was being denied? At their level, the pride of being a member of the sect was very high.
-Are you provoking them?
‘What is wrong with that? I have to do this.’
I made eye contact with those that didn’t kneel and asked.
“Are you all going to give up being a member of the sect and choose death?”
I could see them trembling as they struggled. I knew they were loyal to the sect, so I continued my words.
“If members of the same sect rejected one another because of a disagreement, would the sect still have anyone left? Will you end each other’s lives just to maintain your loyalty to the young lady? You, the ones that have gathered here together, are the ones that make up the Blood Sect.”
“We… together?”
A whisper spread among the group.
There must have been no leader within the sect that had ever talked to them like this. After all, this wasn’t intimidation.
In the eyes of the leaders, these masked men were mere sacrificial lambs. I knew better than anyone how much anxiety those at the low levels possessed.
The pressure of becoming a victim at any time. That kind of suffering.
“Just like you, I started at the bottom. To me, you are all members of the sect.”
-Ha!
The Blood Demon Sword seemed to be taken aback.
-Speaking skills… Well, your skill is shocking enough that your tongue feels like a snake.
-That is one of Wonhwi’s unique skills.
What unique skill? This was something I learned after being a spy for a long time.
The right timing for using words was when the other side was shaken and unsure.
“I do not care who you serve. With your help, the Blood Sect will be revived again. I want to do it together with you!”
I spoke those last lines strongly.
I said it that way to give off the aura of a hero. Shortly after I said it, the rest of the masked men knelt.
“Blood Demon… I swear my allegiance!”
The atmosphere was hard to ignore.
Thud!
From that impetus, the rest of the masked men knelt one after another.
“I swear my allegiance.”
“Allegiance…”
Only seven people were left standing.
“I will give you a chance to defend your honor.”
My words implied for them to commit suicide. I knew these could not be brought into the fold.
If I sent them away, they would only pass on the information to Baek Hye-hyang.
“… thank you.”
The seven of them killed themselves on the spot. For them, Baek Hye-hyang was the ultimate leader.
No matter how cruel she was, for those following her, she must have been the ultimate role model.
“Even if we have different opinions, we are all members of the sect. Please take care of their bodies.”
“Yes!”
The eyes of the masked men had at some point changed as they looked at me. These eyes were full of trust and good feelings.
I turned to approach Do Jong-ho and said.
“This is my way.”
He smiled a strange smile as he heard my words. I didn’t like it, so I warned him.
“If you intend to serve the Blood Demon, stop trying to test me.”
After saying that, I went inside the house to ensure Sima Young was alright.
“Don’t leave any traces.”
“Yes!”
Do Jong-ho ordered the men to handle the surrounding area as Hae Ack-chun approached him.
“Oh. Do Jong-ho.”
“Elder. It has been so long…”
But he could not finish as Hae Ack-chun’s fist made contact with his face, sending him rolling on the ground.
Do Jong-ho touched his face.
“You still use your hands first. Getting hit by the Elder still puts me in danger.”
“Shut up! Before being the Blood Demon, he was a disciple of the sect and myself! Who allowed you to test him on your own accord?”
Hearing Hae Ack-chun’s question, Do Jong-ho smiled and got up while dusting off his clothes.
“I apologize if you didn’t like it.”
“Do not mess with me.”
“Would I ever? However, if it is about being swept away by the atmosphere of him turning into the Blood Demon, shouldn’t I at least check?”
Hae Ack-chun frowned.
“Did you think I didn’t know? If he had aspirations of becoming the Blood Demon, he would have revealed his identity from the start. He didn’t seem surprised, nor did he display a desire.”
“Your insides are tainted as usual.”
“Just tell me that I have a deep insight.”
“Huh!”
Hae Ack-chun snorted at those words and asked.
“And the result of the test?”
Do Jong-ho looked at the safe house as he concluded.
“It was quite unexpected for me. I tried to decide whether or not to answer the question, but I didn’t think he would convince them like that.”
“That guy has reached the level he is in with his mouth and head.”
Hae Ack-chun smiled.
He was curious how Wonhwi would act and wondered if he would make the same decision as the two sisters.
Their method of ending the internal conflict was purging the opposing side.
If it were either of those two, they would have ordered everyone who disobeyed to be killed immediately.
“I do agree with that.”
They would have been trapped in the same circle if he had killed them all. Wonhwi, however, had made a different choice and let those, who didn’t want to surrender, end their lives with their own hands. It was a favor for those that belonged to the sect.
It was not known yet if this was his true nature or if it was an intentional act to deceive.
‘If it was intended…’
Then this might be the birth of a Blood Demon who was completely different from all who had come before.
‘… a man with a heart.’
However, Do Jong-ho stayed silent as he felt he needed to observe him more.
I stared into the fog while sitting on the ship. Nothing was visible.
-What? Does it look like your future?
‘…’
I didn’t even have the energy to respond to Short Sword’s words.
“Sigh…”
A sigh came from nowhere. Life didn’t always move how we wanted it to, but this was too much.
Now even I couldn’t guess where my future would lead me to.
-Be honored. Everything happened because I chose you.
I felt annoyed at Blood Demon Sword’s words. Did I ask you to choose me?!
-You don’t even know grace.
‘Grace? What grace? Thanks to you, my future is set on a dark path!’
-You are a funny one. What are you planning?
‘You don’t have to know.’
-Right, you don’t need to know!
Short Sword added.
-This little thing with the temper, tch.
-What now!
And now, back to this.
If they could just stop fighting, then maybe I could fly?
Anyways, the original plan to make Baek Ryeon-ha the leader and gain power under her was a thing of the past.
He had even tried to get into the good graces of Baek Ryeon-ha for that, but all of that hard work was now wasted.
Now he had two enemies.
‘I am going insane!’
The fact that I had to use my wits to survive only to get caught by the ankle, was clear. Just as I became even more worried about my future…
Someone approached and sat down next to me.
“Miss Sima?”
The person who sat next to me was Sima Young.
Unlike me, she had a bright expression, as if she was in a good mood.
“… you seem to be in a good mood, miss.”
She smiled broadly at my question.
“Yes. Hehe. It feels like I unintentionally gained monopoly over something I want.”
‘…!?’
