Free Web NovelNo matter how thin the sheet of ice, walking on it seemed like it would be more peaceful than staying in Geumeunsan.
Uneasy energy filled Baekgak (White Pavilion).
It would have been nice if some good news came to ease Blood Demon’s mood, but unfortunately, the stories that had arrived one after another seemed to be testing the Cult Master’s patience.
Not long after the news that the Northern Sea Ice Palace had been lost arrived, a report came in that the Sun Palace had fallen. The Crimson Blood Hall Lord had gone to the Great Desert and started a rebellion.
Blood Demon kept silent, as if lost in thought.
It was no secret that the Crimson Blood Hall Lord harbored treacherous intent toward Blood Demon. It was an open fact, and even so, Blood Demon had not yet killed the Crimson Blood Hall Lord.
No, rather, because Min Hae-rak fully contained the yang energy of the Sun Palace, Blood Demon had found him commendable.
After all, Blood Demon considered frameworks not as humans but as vermin, so it would have been strange for him to be disappointed just because one of them harbored murderous intent.
No ignorant master would behead a calf simply because it bit the master’s hand.
Raise it and make it plow the fields, and after driving it hard for a long time and slaughtering it, the amount of meat doubled; killing an un-fattened calf meant a great loss.
But it seemed capturing the Sun Palace was a different story.
Even when the Crimson Blood Hall Lord had snuck into the bedchamber and tried to assassinate him, Blood Demon had laughed it off, yet now he had shut his doors and stayed silent for days.
Step.
Honin (Guardian), who was guarding Baekgak, walked down the quiet corridor, arranging their thoughts.
There was something in the Crimson Blood Hall Lord’s bizarre actions that even Honin could not understand.
If the Crimson Blood Hall Lord took over the Sun Palace’s lineage and publicly announced that fact to the world, in the end Blood Demon’s existence would also have no choice but to be revealed to the world.
Revealing Blood Demon’s existence was the strongest injunction of all.
So even if some descendant of the Sun Palace luckily reclaimed the Sun Palace, it would be but a fleeting instant. He could not claim the roots of the Sun Palace, and whenever Blood Demon set his mind to it, that person could be retrieved.
The Crimson Blood Hall Lord was someone bright with petty schemes. Honin could not understand why someone like that would stake their life on something that could only fail.
‘What a pathetic fellow.’
Honin had thought the Crimson Blood Hall Lord was biding his time, enduring as he waited for an opportunity, and had not expected him to use his final move so hastily.
Clicking their tongue inwardly, Honin spotted their superior standing before the main gate and bowed their head. Honin’s captain, with an expressionless face, was staring at the tightly closed door.
Honin asked their superior,
“What brings you here?”
The captain answered in a low voice,
“Someone passed the test.”
Wrinkles formed on Honin’s pale white face.
To enter the pavilions of Geumeunsan, one had to pass Honin’s test. Even within the Blood Cult, the people who could pass Honin’s test were limited.
Ssshhhhh.
Suddenly the sound of wind came from beyond the door.
At last, the intruder had reached the front of Baekgak. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
As the disturbed formation returned to its place, the wind died down.
Creak.
When the pavilion doors opened, white light poured inside. Cutting through that light, a shadow appeared with two hands clasped.
It was a Blue Blood Hall cultist who had left for the Central Plains a few years ago. As the situation had changed, Honin knew the cultist had been left alone in the Central Plains and suffered.
Honin soon recalled one more rumor about that person.
This was the quick-footed one who had informed the Crimson Blood Hall Lord in advance that Tang Sohwa was going to the Northern Sea.
The cultist’s shoes seemed to be completely worn out, for they were standing on swollen feet. Their appearance was bizarre as well. Like someone who had fled in a hurry, their skin was dried out and their face had gone chalk white.
“What brings you here?”
Honin’s captain, as if not recognizing the visitor, addressed the cultist with respect. But since a subordinate like Honin recognized the cultist, there was no way the captain did not.
The cultist spoke in a hurried voice.
“I have an urgent report for Blood Demon.”
“You cannot have an audience with him. Seek out the Blue Blood Hall Lord or the Crimson Blood Hall Lord and pass your words on.”
There was procedure. Blood Demon had not summoned the cultist; this person had brazenly demanded a private audience, skipping over Honin’s superior.
It was the very moment Honin’s captain, who had issued the expulsion order, was about to close the door.
“Tang Sohwa has made a medicine that removes Blood Demon’s blood.”
Creak.
The closing door stopped with a gap left open. The cultist, who had belonged to Blue Blood Hall, quickly continued.
“Including the Vice Unit Leader, Blue Blood Hall has been wiped out by that woman. Now Blood Demon’s blood no longer strengthens the cultists; it has become a weakness. Damn it, if I hadn’t been chased by Martial Alliance bastards, I’d have come running here right away, but right now in the Central Plains the Martial Alliance is running around with its eyes lit up, so it’s hard for cultists to even move.”
The cultist must truly have reached their limit; their body swayed. As their legs gave out, the cultist forgot shame and sat down on the floor, continuing to speak.
“......But, you know.”
The cultist pressed a hand to their forehead, as if dizzy.
“Has no one passed this on to Blood Demon yet?”
When the two Honin kept silent, the cultist let out a hollow laugh.
“It’s been quite a while since the antidote appeared in the Martial Alliance...... this is a real mess.”
The cultist’s dry lips split and blood seeped out. They wet their mouth with their tongue. Watching this, Honin’s captain spoke in a calm voice. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
“We will report to Blood Demon, so wash up and wet your throat in the meantime.”
“Thank you.”
The cultist gathered strength in their trembling legs and stood up.
At the captain’s command, Honin led the cultist to the room where guests waited.
In that time, Honin’s captain went up to Blood Demon’s bedchamber.
It had been so long since they had last given Blood Demon a word of notice that even the captain could not guess Blood Demon’s response.
Would he grant an audience, or would he behead the cultist who had ignored procedure?
No, in truth Honin’s captain believed Blood Demon would grant the audience.
Because the matter was so grave, no matter how disturbed his mood was, it did not seem likely that he would simply cut off the cultist’s head. The Blood Demon the captain knew was like that.
After listening to the report, Blood Demon pondered in silence for a long time, then opened his mouth.
“Bring the cultist.”
“Yes.”
It °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° was the moment Honin’s captain was about to withdraw.
“No.”
Blood Demon rescinded his permission.
Boom.
Soon the door burst open roughly and the stench of blood rushed into the corridor.
With an impassive face, Honin faced Blood Demon.
Rising from the golden bed, Blood Demon walked forward, dragging hair that hung all the way down to the floor. The absolute of the cult, who approached with light steps as if walking on clouds, asked,
“Where is that bastard now?”
“Because the appearance is wretched, preparations are being made so he can present himself, my lord.”
“I’m not going to take that bastard in my arms, so what’s the point of making him presentable?”
Blood Demon smiled as he joked. His mood had not improved.
Honin’s captain endured the choking pressure.
“So how long did he say it has been since they discovered that antidote?”
“Because I came straight up to report, I have not yet asked for the exact number of days.”
“I see. At least there’s one bastard who isn’t slow; that’s a relief.”
Little by little, Honin could breathe again. Without making a sound, the captain drew in the lacking breath deeply.
“Now my question has been answered. It seems Hae-rak has taken that woman’s medicine.”
“......”
“How did those two look to you together?”
Honin was a little surprised.
Blood Demon had lowered the Crimson Blood Hall Lord, who was above Honin in rank, in his way of referring to him, and then was actually asking about the relationship of two people who, to anyone’s eyes, had clearly formed an alliance. It was speech unbefitting Blood Demon. So Honin, tense, gave an honest answer.
“I do not have a deep eye for human bonds, so it is difficult to give a proper answer, but as this lowly one saw it, the two of them seem to have formed an alliance.”
“An alliance.”
Blood Demon sneered as he passed Honin.
“That is not what I asked.”
As he went down the stairs, Blood Demon spoke.
“That crafty Min Hae-rak is not stupid enough to sacrifice his final move for something as paltry as an alliance, and Tang Sohwa is not some gentle woman who would freely set loose a force that will someday become a threat to me.”
Blood Demon laughed as he descended toward the room where the guest was staying.
“How did those sly bastards come to trust each other so much?”
Honin realized Blood Demon was sorting out his thoughts.
Living in Geumeunsan, isolated like an island, there was no way Honin could understand the complex relationships between people. So with head quietly bowed, Honin simply obeyed Blood Demon’s command.
Fortunately, words soon came that Honin could understand.
“No matter how broad my mercy, I cannot let something like this slide. I must give them a very great punishment, and that is the problem.”
In a voice full of laughter, unlike someone who was angry, he muttered,
“For most people, the thing most precious to them is their life, so I would like to take their lives, but unfortunately both of them are people I need, so it is difficult to kill them.”
He clicked his tongue once.
“Then I must take something from them that is as important as their lives and use it as punishment...... Tang Sohwa seems to have deep pride in the Tang Clan.”
Step.
Descending one more floor, Blood Demon spoke in a level tone.
“Send the Demonic Ones to the Tang Clan. We will annihilate the Tang Clan.”
“Yes, I will pass down the order so they can depart at once.”
The Demonic Ones were a bloodline that inherited the blood of the Demonic Sect’s Cult Master and nobles. They were a martial force that cultivated demonic arts, and a military group Blood Demon had raised to use when removing unnecessary blood within the Central Plains.
Honin was startled, having never expected they would be used this quickly, but hid that feeling.
“What should I take from Hae-rak? That bastard doesn’t get hurt by anything ordinary. Hm.”
Though his words sounded vexed, Blood Demon’s voice seemed cheerful.
“I should take this opportunity to try using Tang Sohwa once. Who knows. That bastard is a man, after all, so he might value a woman.”
“......”
“I sincerely hope that is the case. I’ve been wanting to make that bastard’s framework, and with this opportunity I might be able to obtain Hae-rak’s framework. Then I can gladly forgive those two bastards.”
Blood Demon spoke in a somewhat excited voice. Thinking of a way to lure Tang Sohwa to the Great Desert, Honin answered,
“Yes, I will prepare that as well.”
“Good.”
Before they knew it, they had arrived in front of the guest room. Blood Demon turned back to Honin with a face full of smiles.
“I’m in a good mood for the first time in a while.”
He meant it.
Honin instinctively felt that Blood Demon must not be disappointed. So Honin spoke the sort of words that Blood Demon might like.
“I will make preparations so the Demonic Ones cross into Sichuan before the day is over.”
Instead of answering, Blood Demon stretched his lips all the way to his cheeks, then entered the room.
