Ki Jo-yang, sub-leader of the Blood Wolf troops, couldn’t hide the shock in his eyes. Seeing him like this made me feel nice.
Actually, he was one of the faces I desperately wanted to see. Although he was always blunt in speech, the man was caring. I thought that he would have likely followed Noh Song-gu back here.
“Someone from a high position? How…”
It would be strange if he knew of me.
Since Captain Noh had gone into hiding immediately to get his sister back, there was no way they would know of me becoming Hae Ack-chun’s disciple, much less my becoming the Blood Demon.
No. I’m not even wondering if they maybe knew about this. That was because the information had been completely blocked to prevent leakage.
Ki Jo-yang opened his mouth in puzzlement.
“… it has been a while since I left the sect, but I’ve never heard of anyone like you holding a high position.”
“Of course, you didn’t. My face right now is covered by a mask.”
“What?”
I had received a mask from my father-in-law, Sima Chak, the Wicked Moon Sword, before I left Fu’an County.
Since my original face was known as a new star of the Murim Alliance, I had no choice but to cover it with a mask. If people found out about me, this location would also become compromised.
The man bit his lip.
“Can I ask one thing? Do you have something to do with the Flower Merchants?”
The Flower Merchants. The reason for asking this was simple.
It was because they were related to the First Blood Star, Jang Ryong.
As expected, this must have been why everyone was cautious about the presence of an outsider. I just smiled and said.
“Since I was the one who told Captain Noh about his sister’s location, then no, I’m not part of them.”
“You are the one who told the captain?”
“A branch of the Huayue Merchant Group in Jinhai County, Zhejiang. Will that be enough?”
“That is something you could have been told at the Flower Merchants Union.”
He didn’t seem to want to believe me.
“If Captain Noh meets with me, all his doubts will be cleared.”
“Who knows if he might face a hasty death if I guide you there in haste?”
“Then what should I do for you to believe me?”
He cautiously replied,
“There is information that even the Flower Merchant Union wouldn’t know. Please tell me where and from whom he got this information.”
Well, that was simple.
“Six Blood Valley. Among the trainees, So Wonwhi.”
‘…?!’
The man sighed in relief after hearing my words. It looked like he had been very nervous as he feared that the First Blood Star might have sent someone to deal with the two of them.
Ki Jo-yang took a deep breath and then told me.
“Follow me.”
We went further into the valley with him as my guide. Despite the village we saw, it seemed like they had prepared a shelter in a more secure location.
A short distance away from the village was a small cabin.
-There is a blade in there
Short Sword told me.
‘Two presences.’
One of the two was a normal person. It was a woman who had light steps. The other one was strong.
‘Stronger than I thought.’
If we used warriors as a reference, then it seemed he was equal to a first-class warrior now.
However, the sensation I felt from inside was closer to the beginning of someone reaching the master level. It had been a year, plus a couple of months, since I had last met him. It was unsurprising that he had gotten stronger.
“Hyung!”
Someone in the cabin moved after hearing Ki Jo-yang’s cry.
A man in his late thirties with a mustache and eyepatch appeared as he opened the door.
It was Noh Song-gu, captain of the Blood Wolf Troops.
‘He got more scars.’
His face was full of new, deep wounds since I last saw him. It seemed like he had gone through a lot to rescue his sister.
Noh Song-gu, who spotted me behind Ki Jo-yang, pulled out his blade from its sheath.
“Why did you bring them here!”
He asked Ki Jo-yang with anger evident in his voice. Ki Jo-yang responded by pointing at me and saying,
“They are not dangerous.”
“They aren’t dangerous?”
A warrior at his level should have noticed that he couldn’t feel our own level of internal qi, which would make him wary.
I grabbed the skin under my ears and carefully removed the mask. The moment he saw my face, Noh Song-gu frowned.
“So Wonhwi?”
I would correct my name but chose not to do it now.
“Captain, it has been quite a while.”
I wondered if he would even speak to me, but he simply stared before suddenly rushing to me.
Pat!
I don’t know why he moved to attack, but it seemed like he had doubts.
He abruptly aimed at my hand using the blade technique he was unleashing and tried to cut it down.
Chang!
“Kuak!”
His blade slipped from his grasp and landed on the ground. His eyes widened as he saw this happen.
One movement from him had been enough to overpower me in the past. Now, however, the situation has changed.
“W-who are you?”
“So Wonhwi.”
“Nonsense! That boy was unable to learn martial arts with that broken dantian! A person in that state cannot become this strong in just two years!”
Even I agreed that this development was amazing for a single person. Nay, it was a truly stupendous growth.
Well, even if I told him, it was difficult to believe.
“You remembered that I used a dagger when being evaluated as a trainee, right?”
I showed him Small Sword, and his eyes shook the moment he saw it. It had been over a year, but he still recognized it.
He looked at Short Sword and me with a look of incomprehension.
“How can this…”
“Well, it’s hard for even me to believe.”
“What about your dantian?”
“I was able to meet with the Great Doctor with my teacher’s help.”
“Great Doctor?’
He frowned at the mention of that person and then asked in puzzlement.
“Who is your teacher that you were able to meet the Great Doctor? And how could you grow this strong in such a short time.”
I smiled as I said,
“The Ghastly Monster, Hae Ack-chun.”
“What?”
Noh Song-gyu, who had been on alert until now, was genuinely surprised.
Since he was a member of the sect, there was no way he didn’t know of Hae Ack-chun. He then looked at me in shock and lowered his head.
“Former Blood Wolf Troops captain, Noh Song-gu, greets the Fourth Elder’s disciple.”
“Former Blood Wolf Troops member, Ki Jo-yang, greets the Fourth Elder’s disciple.”
Ki Jo-yang was also shocked at this and followed suit. Now it felt like the conversation would flow easier.
Captain Noh asked me in confusion.
“How did you come to find me?”
“Do you remember the promise we made?”
-Ah! you are talking about that time!
It seemed like Short Sword also remembered. He had promised me that if he could find his sister, he would serve me for life.
He frowned momentarily at my question but then was shocked as he remembered it.
He stared at me and said.
“I remember.”
“Then, you must be willing to keep it.”
“… even though I am being pursued, how can I say two things with the same mouth?”
It was the same answer that I remembered.
This man always kept his word, even within the Blood Sect.
“But.”
“But?”
“You said that you are the Fourth Elder’s disciple. I, however, had no choice but to escape from the First Blood Star and live in this small house with my back turned from the sect. How could I be of any help to…”
I think I understand his hesitation now. He was still afraid of the First Blood Star, who had more strength than he.
Perhaps it was also because he had given up on avenging his father and only decided to protect his sister.
“You have been in charge of the Blood Wolf Troop for generations. It is a family role; no one has a stronger bond with the troops than you.”
“….”
He didn’t deny my statement. Despite having left the troops, he could still inspire certain feelings among his former subordinates. He could still mobilize people from the Blood Wolf troops if he wanted to.
Since the Blood Wolf troops were transferred to Baek Ryeon-ha after going against the First Blood Star, he could always return.
So I asked him.
“If you can change your decision and settle things with the First Blood Star, would you honorably return to the sect while protecting your sister and become mine?”
“… will the First Blood Star understand?”
His eyes twitched.
It was a chance to settle a bad past against the man who killed his father. There was no way anyone would let this chance go.
“Baek Hye-hyang is the power behind the First Blood Star. She could potentially become the Blood Demon in the future.”
He wasn’t just afraid of the First Blood Star. He was also afraid of the successor to the Blood Demon. Sima Young then smiled at me and looked at my waist.
Seeing this, I sighed and pulled the Blood Demon Sword from my waist.
Srrng!
As I drew the sword, Captain Noh looked puzzled.
Although he was once a captain, he never had the chance to see the Blood Demon Sword. It was clear that he didn’t recognize it.
So I opened the top dantian.
At that moment, the Blood Demon Sword began to turn red.
Srrrr!
‘…!!’
Captain Noh was shocked at the transformation happening to the sword and myself.
His mouth was open while being unable to speak. Even if one didn’t recognize the Blood Demon Sword, one had to recognize the Blood Demon.
“H-How is this…”
Ki Jo-yang was shocked. I looked at them and said,
“Noh Song-gu, Ki Jo-yang.”
Shocked to alertness at my address, Captain Noh fell to his knees and smacked his forehead hard against the ground. It was an expression of respect to the Blood Demon.
Thud! Thud!
“T-this lowly sect member greets the Blood Demon!”
Ki Jo-yang, too unconsciously followed him and fell down to the ground.
“We greet the Blood Demon.”
They, too, were aware of the Blood Sect’s law.
The one who held the Blood Demon Sword was the Blood Demon.
“As the Blood Demon, I command you two to return to the Blood Wolf troops as captain and vice-captain.”
At my words, both of them trembled.
They both wanted to answer at the same time.
“We receive….!”
“Not done yet.”
I added to my words.
“As of this moment, I am ordering the escort duties to the Blood Demon to be handled by the Blood Wolf Troops.”
As soon as I said this, the two of them looked shocked. Their shock came from being suddenly pushed to becoming escorts of the sect’s highest authority.
“Why aren’t you answering?”
At my question, their expression became thrilled as they shouted.
“We obey the command of the Blood Demon!”
Who in the Blood Sect would be stupid enough to not consider the duty of escorting the Blood Demon as an honor?
Short Sword giggled as she saw this.
-All this thanks to how they treated you before you regressed.
-This is why my previous owner said people could never know how things would work. Therefore, treat everyone with kindness.
-You never get tired of talking about your former owner. Tsk tsk.
The night after.
At Spirit Mountain to the south of Guangxi.
This was considered the holiest place of the Blood Sect in the past. Twenty years ago, after their defeat during the war, all of the survivors of the Blood Sect had gathered here at the place called the Blood Demon’s birthplace.
However, numerous people were flocking toward it now. The scattered members of the Blood Sect were gathering in.
Their numbers were close to 10,000, and more were coming.
There was a castle at the site that had been long abandoned at the mountain’s entrance. At the castle’s center was a large plaza that could accommodate thousands of people.
A woman with red hair was sitting in the center of it.
At first glance, people would have thought that it was Baek Hye-hyang, but it was instead Baek Ryeon-ha.
On her left were Seo Kalma, Gu Jae-yang, Do Jang-ho, Han Baekha, and Hae Ack-chun. The elders stood to the left while the Blood Stars stood on the right.
Baek Ryeon-ha was sitting in the chair with her eyes closed before she opened her eyes.
“Who gave you permission to sit there?”
She opened her eyes.
The crowd parted, and a person was suddenly visible. It was another woman with red hair and a black bow accompanied by a group of warriors.
Baek Hye-hyang.
