Jang Ryong, who could not control his expression after being told that Sima Chak of the Four Evils was coming for his life, gave us the clues we needed.
It was likely a very serious matter for him. Still, since everyone’s focus was on him, all of us saw the obvious changes.
The gathered crowd was thrown into a frenzy.
Whisper!
“The daughter of one of the Four Evils?”
“Wicked Moon Sword’s daughter?”
Every member of the sect was shocked at her true identity. Most of them were those on Baek Hye-hyang’s side.
Since those under Baek Ryeon-ha already knew about it, they seemed more curious about what happened over the past 2 months instead.
-Wonhwi, they would definitely be shocked if they knew that you’re now the Wicked Moon Sword’s son-in-law.
Definitely.
However, now wasn’t the right time to speak about that. This was a time when the sect needed to acknowledge a new Blood Demon.
Baek Hye-hyang opened her mouth with an expressionless face.
“Jang Ryong.”
“Lady….”
“I told you not to choose the wrong means and methods. Didn’t I tell you to report everything you do to me?”
“However, it was that woman….”
He clearly wanted to say that he didn’t know Sima Young’s real identity. However, he could not speak carelessly about her now since he knew whose daughter she was.
“You seem to be looking down on me.”
“No, my lady. How can…”
But then something shocking happened.
Clak!
Baek Hye-hyang’s red sword brushed past Jang Ryong’s left arm.
‘…!?’
Tuk!
And his arm fell to the ground.
“Kuaaak!”
And then came the scream of pain.
He wasn’t able to respond to this sudden dismemberment. Actually, since this was a place where so many members of the sect had gathered, Jang Ryong wouldn’t have been able to predict this kind of treatment.
But Baek Hye-hyang simply cut down his arm without a second thought.
-So bold.
Blood Demon Sword said this to Short Sword, who stuck out her tongue in response.
-What do you mean by bold? This is just the right act. Hiding something from their superior, regardless of reason, is not loyalty but disrespect. In the long run, it is natural to have discipline. That girl truly inherited the blood of the Blood Demon. I like her quite a bit.
It was an act worthy of someone of the Blood Demon’s blood.
Baek Hye-hyang’s methods, though, are too bloody. No matter how much she trusted other people, if one who had sworn loyalty to her acted deceitfully, her punishments would be bold and brutal.
And none of the others objected to it.
It had to be because they considered her actions right, even if they were surprised by her reaction.
-Quite fierce.
This was the Blood Sect.
A completely different place from the Murim Alliance.
Holding onto his severed hand, Jang Ryong looked at Baek Hye-hyang, who addressed Sima Young.
“I see that one of the Four Great Evils is behind you. Tell your father clearly. If he wants this man’s life, he must deal with me.”
‘Haa.’
Her words were said quite well. Punishment and life were two different things.
She didn’t step back even in the face of one of the Four Great Evils. She even warned that if one of her people was touched, she wouldn’t forgive them.
It was a statement worthy of someone who planned to lead a sect.
‘… So cool.’
Even if she would never forget how he deceived her, she was still responsible for her people until the end.
Regardless of gender, she definitely had the qualities of a leader.
The First Elder and the others who followed her must have approved of this as they looked on proudly.
-It seems the people aren’t following her just because of her talent, Wonhwi.
Iron Sword commented.
She, indeed, was someone well suited to being the sect leader. Well, Baek Hye-hyang managed to save the morale of her faction in her own way, even when pushed into a crisis.
If left alone, she would inevitably draw more people to her side. However, it seemed like I wasn’t the only one who noticed this.
Thud!
I heard something hit the ground, and everyone turned their heads toward it.
“I think the main topic was pushed aside. Isn’t it important to resolve which of the two swords is the real sacred weapon of the Blood Sect?”
Those were the words of an old-looking man with gray hair standing to the right of Seo Kalma. He was also holding a staff with a skull on it. Judging from his unique presence, he was Gu Jae-yang.
-Is that man the Blood Lord?
I am not sure yet. We still didn’t know what kind of tricks were being done under his alliance with the golden-eyed man.
Even if he was a Blood Star, I couldn’t let down my guard against Yu Baek either. At that moment, Baek Ryeon-ha, who had been watching everything, spoke up.
“There is a simple way.”
All eyes turned to her.
Baek Ryeon-ha looked alternatively between the swords that Baek Hye-hyang and I held.
“The Blood Demon Sword is a sacred item from our sect. It is a spirit sword. It is impossible to hold it unless one is chosen by the sword.”
She was thinking about the same method that I was. If Baek Hye-hyang were to hold it, the Blood Demon Sword would reject it.
-Huh. I guess I should give her permission to hold me.
Then you can enjoy talking to yourself. Blood Demon Sword could only grumble after hearing this from me.
In any case, as long as I can give her the Blood Demon Sword, everything could be solved without further struggle.
Perhaps knowing this, Baek Ryeon-ha was asking for the same thing.
-How will Baek Hye-hyang respond now?
She had never held the sword, so she shouldn’t know what would happen. Knowing that hers was a fake, she could also try to dare and touch the Blood Demon Sword. After all, she might consider there being a chance of her being chosen like I did.
“Huh!”
Baek Hye-hyang snorted.
She then walked forward and stabbed her sword into the ground in front of the Blood Demon Sword.
Puak!
“Fine. Accept it.”
She gladly accepted the offer. I didn’t think she would miss this chance. She then pointed to both swords and said.
“Who goes first?”
“Before that, let us make a rule.”
“Uh?”
“The one chosen by the sword is the Blood Demon of the sect according to law. If we cannot agree to that, everyone here will shed blood.”
I decided to take a strong stance on purpose. She wouldn’t care about the means if her only goal was to be the Blood Demon. However, if she also thought of the sect, she should understand my offer’s meaning.
She smiled at my words.
“You have turned quite manly.”
I thought she would have changed after knowing my identity, but her eyes were still on me.
This wasn’t just pure greed anymore.
At that moment, Baek Hye-hyang spoke loudly to all the sect members around us.
“According to the law, the one chosen by the sacred weapon is the Blood Demon of the sect. Everyone will have to follow the Blood Demon!”
She proclaimed while looking at me to see if this was enough.
‘This is good.’
I nodded and grabbed the two swords at the same time.
“I will do it.”
I then drew both swords from the ground.
As I let the will of the Blood Demon flow, both the real and fake swords in my hand were dyed red. As I raised both swords, my escorts cheered.
“Washhhhhhh!”
Some of the cult members next to them were shocked by the sight. As I was now chosen by the Blood Demon Sword, I could just let her hold both, and things would be settled.
Puak!
I placed the two back, and Baek Hye-hyang laughed as she approached.
It was then.
“I will go first.”
Baek Ryeon-ha spoke up.
Baek Hye-hyang looked shocked.
-What’s she planning to do?
I had no idea, either. She had already held the sword once on the river in the past, and it had rejected her then.
That was why she had been ready to help me.
“Lady….”
“I also have his blood within. Am I not qualified to hold it?”
What was she thinking?
I couldn’t figure out her plan. Holding the sword now and having it fail to turn red would only show that she was not selected in front of so many people.
“You don’t seem to know your limits. You can go next.”
But of course, Baek Hye-hyang wouldn’t yield.
As soon as she said this, she grabbed both swords and pulled them out. She held the real Blood Demon Sword in her right hand.
‘Blood Demon Sword.’
-I like this woman! Huh!
The Blood Demon Sword answered as the veins on the back of her hand began to bulge and turn black.
It was a symptom of her blood going out of control.
“This…”
Baek Hye-hyang’s faction noticed this, and their faces stiffened. It was at that moment.
Goooo!
An explosive force flowed from Baek Hye-hyang’s body. It became a visibly swirling red haze.
This was quite different from the Blood Heaven Sura technique.
‘Could it be the reverse blood technique?’
Suddenly I recalled what Baek Hye-hyang had said to me in the Dual Martial Troops’ castle.
She had mentioned that a technique could be reversed and used. She seemed to be trying to subdue the sword’s spirit by forcibly exerting her control.
The nobles in her faction looked at her, desperately wanting her to win.
‘… is she trying to subdue him by force?’
It wasn’t impossible since Sima Chak had done it. However, there was a difference between her and Sima Chak.
“Kuak!”
She groaned, and the veins became more visibly bulged on her hand.
-Just because I am seeing her with kind eyes, this girl is trying to subdue me! This fucking monstrous woman!
The Blood Demon Sword was angry, and he was making her blood run out of control.
Once the bulging began to pass her wrist into her hand, Baek Hye-hyang had to stop her attempt to subdue it and let the sword go.
Clack!
“This….”
“Sigh….”
Sighs escaped from her faction as everyone witnessed that she wasn’t chosen by the Blood Demon Sword.
This was an expected result.
Sima Chak was a man who had crossed that wall a long time ago. He could subdue the sword with his will because he had gone past using a weapon with his mind.
“Is this sword the real Blood Demon Sword?”
Thanks to this, even the identity of the real sword was exposed. Everyone’s gaze turned towards the Blood Demon Sword that had fallen.
Baek Hye-hyang, whose face had become white and covered in sweat, had tried to forcibly endure this pain.
Was it because her hopes and dreams were shattered in an instant.
Baek Hye-hyang, who had been staring blankly at the sword for a long time, finally said.
“I….”
“Wait.”
Baek Hye-hyang frowned and looked at Baek Ryeon-ha, who stopped her. She then approached the Blood Demon Sword and said,
“It isn’t over yet.”
“Lady!”
Seo Kalma, clearly concerned, called out to her. He had already seen that she couldn’t hold the sword.
Even if she held the sword now, it would only end up like Baek Hye-hyang. I tried to stop her as well.
[You don’t need to push yourself any further.]
I said this to her, but she looked at me with strange eyes and reached for the sword.
-Why isn’t she speaking?
Baek Hye-hyang also didn’t say anything. Stopping now would only cause confusion. Besides…
-What is that?
No. I need to watch to know.
Baek Ryeon-ha calmed her breathing and grabbed the sword.
‘…?!’
A strange thing was happening.
The blood vessels, which should have been running out of control due to the Blood Demon Sword, only made her hand tremble.
“How did this happen?”
“Lady!”
Her followers were shocked. This was like a miracle as she raised the sword like I did.
“Wachhhh!”
Han Baekha looked shocked.
“This child… is also chosen?”
On the other hand, Baek Hye-hyang couldn’t take her eyes off the sword with trembling eyes. She must be feeling conflicted.
The nobles on Baek Hye-hyang’s side closed their eyes. The candidate they had chosen had not been chosen by the sword.
“Ahem. I had no idea about this.”
Hae Ack-chun looked flustered. She hadn’t been able to touch it just two months ago.
Who could have thought of this?
At this, Gu Jae-yang, who was watching, stepped forward.
“If that is the case, the two of you will be chosen by the Blood Demon Sword.”
Everyone looked at him. Just as he said, there had been two that had been selected by the sword.
However, it was impossible for there to be two Blood Demons. He then smiled.
“This is what I think. If the result is like this, it is a matter of legitimacy.”
“Legitimacy?”
“Am I wrong? I do not see any reason to admit one from the Flying Moon Order who entered the Dual Martial Troops to return to the sect as Blood Demon.”
The gathered members were agitated. The reason he had been watching everything that happened was to snap in like a snake.
Han Baekha shouted as well.
“The elder is right. The young lady is the one who inherited the lineage of the previous sect leader. To allow that person who holds the blood of another, one who left the sect, to become the Blood Demon…”
“Shut up!”
Baek Hye-hyang shouted and interrupted Han Baekha.
She looked like her usual uncaring self and looked like she had recovered from the effects of her blood running wild.
“What is the importance of the blood? The importance is the ability to revive the sect!”
She had anger in her voice but also resentment. Han Baekha then hesitated.
As a result, Gu Jae-yang stepped in.
“If that was the case, anyone could be the Blood Demon. As those of the Royal Family and those among the Wudang, one who let their blood exit the family and maternal line…”
Chak!
Before he could finish those words.
A sharp feeling emanated from the Iron Sword in my hands, causing Gu Jae-yang to step back and frown.
“What are you doing?”
I smiled.
“You should have done your full research. Blood Lord.”
‘…!?’
Gu Jae-yang’s face became stiff once I addressed him as Blood Lord.
