Before the ship crossed the Yangtze river.
Baek Ryeon-ha and Han Baek-ha, the Bloody Hand Witch, were nervously looking at the approaching ship.
It was due to the fog around them that they couldn’t infer whether this was a regular merchant ship or one that belonged to a pirate.
“This is bad. If we are outnumbered, reaching Hongho County will be delayed.”
“Do not worry. My lady. At least two or three ships can move at the same time in the canal. And if it is just one ship, it has to be of a merchant.”
Han Baek-ha tried to calm the worries of her lady, who was concerned.
The reason they rushed to the pier here was because they had heard about the incident in the Murim Alliance castle through the messenger pigeon.
And to make matters worse, they were in such a hurry because they had came across a piece of information that Baek Hye-hyang was also at the pier safe house where the retreat was planned.
Swish!
Just as they were concerned, they heard the sound of drums beating.
“Ahh!”
“See.”
The sound of drums was an indication to make way and not bump into another. And this reassured them.
“Thank god. If we don’t hurry, the young master and Fourth Elder will be in danger.”
No matter how excellent Fourth Elder was in his martial arts, if caught into a trap, then they would be rendered useless.
Of course, there was also the probability of them not entering a trap, but after getting information that Baek Hye-hyang was up to something, they were convinced that Hae Ack-chun and So Wonhwi had succeeded with their mission.
And so, they led their large scale troop to make sure they didn’t lose the Blood Demon Sword.
“Lean to starboard.”
At the command of the captain, the ships with Baek Ryeon-ha started moving to the right and it was the time when the opposite ship was about to cross, that Han Baek-ha frowned.
“What is it?”
“My lady… Over there.”
She walked to the side of the deck to get a better view and she looked at a shaggy person with a physique that was much bigger than a normal one.
“Uncle Hae?”
At the distance they were, she was able to see clearly and with that Han Baek-ha shouted.
“Fourth Elder!
A booming voice surged over the silent river and they noticed a large man at the ship which was moving.
As they saw someone walking next to him, Baek Ryeon-ha shouted, feeling thrilled.
“Young master So!”
The man next to the giant man had to be So Wonhwi, his disciple.
“Sigh…”
She let out a sigh of relief at the sight of them.
She was worried that things had happened or they had been caught by the trap laid, but who would have expected them to run into one another?
“Sixth Blood Star…?!”
Baek Ryeon-ha looked at Han Baek-ha who had a puzzled face. It was because she was looking elsewhere.
And she looked shocked.
“…Fourth Blood Star?”
There was an unexpected presence on the ship. The Fourth Blood Star, Do Jang-ho who was known to be under Baek Hye-hyang, was on the ship?
Could it be that they had arrived too late? All kinds of thoughts ran through their minds.
“My lady, something seems strange. Everyone on that ship seems to be holding weapons.”
As Han Baek-ha mentioned, everyone on the other side was holding weapons. This was no normal ship crew but more like armed troops.
“They… are not our people?”
Hae Ack-chun had infiltrated the Murim Alliance with minimum people, so having so many warriors with them was impossible.
“It looks like something has gone wrong.”
“We need to seize the ship. Inform the other ships and call for Uncle Seo.”
“Yes. Seize that ship! Everyone be prepared for battle!”
“Yes!”
At Han Baek-ha’s cry, all the members unsheathed their weapons.
“Ah…”
The ones who suddenly swore with the surprised expression were now preparing for battle. Do Jang-ho arrived next to me as he said.
“I think it was because of me.”
I was thinking the same.
Even when they saw me and Hae Ack-chun, they had a happy face, but when they turned to where Do Jang-ho was, their expressions changed.
It seemed like this because they didn’t know that he had sworn his allegiance to me.
‘This is insane.’
It was quite pathetic.
Who would have known that we would cross paths on a river and in a situation where I didn’t even have any measures prepared to counter Baek Ryeon-ha?
“Teacher?”
I looked at Hae Ack-chun in confusion. If he made up his mind then he could surely lay a common ground for us, but he seemed concerned now.
“Fourth Elder. Should we prepare for the worst?”
Hae Ack-chun nodded at the words of Do Jang-ho and told me.
“We were in a situation where we had to collide at some point of time. This is just happening faster.”
“We might have to fight.”
At Do Jang-ho’s words, Hae Ack-chun turned to look at me and added, “Right now, Blood Demon is our leader.”
What Hae Ack-chun meant couldn’t have been more clear. It was just that everything that was happening here had to be on me and not him.
At this, Do Jang-ho bowed his head and apologized.
“I was rude. Blood Demon, please decide.”
Letting the decisions onto me, the results would definitely change.
‘…shit.’
The weight of holding responsibility was always different. Being able to make a choice for everything that would happen.
Kiiik!
The ship which was about to turn sharply moved, making us get closer.
After colliding, it seemed like the anchor was dropped for the sake of fighting and I could see Baek Ryeon-ha’s ship emerging.
“I have come to the decision.”
The moment I drew the sword, the most unfavorable fight would unfold. And the ship was getting closer.
“Teacher. Fourth Blood Star. Do you believe in me?”
At my question, both of them looked a bit blank as they nodded.
I looked at the members of the sect behind them.
I looked at Sima Young, Cho Sung-won, and the twins. From now, I would be leading them.
Kiik!
As the ship arrived closer, it was 5 miles now and I could see Baek Ryeon-ha, Han Baek-ha and Seo Kalma.
‘From the moment I touched the sword I was destined to go against her.’
I firmed up my heart and extended my hand as I shouted.
“Prepare for battle!”
“Yes!”
Sring!
At my cry, the members of the sect on my ship pulled their weapons out and the faces of those on the opposing side looked more shocked.
Kwak!
When the ships touched each other, they violently rocked from the resultant collision.
And just like that both ships were stuck to each other in the middle of the Yangtze river.
Baek Ryeon-ha asked.
“Young master… What do you mean by this?”
It seemed like she was surprised that I, and not the Fourth Blood Star, had been the one to shout.
I greeted her.
“So Wonhwi greets the lady.”
And following me, Hae Ack-chun and Do Jang-ho bowed, but this only made them more confused
Baek Ryeon-ha glanced at Do Jang-ho and Hae Ack-chun.
“Uncle Hae. What is all this? Could you explain why the Fourth Blood Star is with you?”
Hae Ack-chun lowered his head and answered to her.
“I apologize for not being able to live up to the lady’s expression.”
“Ha!”
Baek Ryeon-ha looked stunned as if she didn’t get it. And to his words, Seo Kalma shouted.
“Hae hyung! What is this! Are you saying that you abandoned your loyalty and swore to lady Baek Hye-hyang?”
At those words, Hae Ack-chun shook his head.
“No.”
“What? Then how should we look at this situation?”
As Seo Kalma looked in rage, Han Baek-ha stepped in.
“Fourth Elder. If no, then why is this happening?”
Han Baek-ha wasn’t sure either. It seemed like even for someone as cool headed as her, this situation was confusing.
She glared at Fourth Blood Star and continued.
“What did you do! Fourth Blood Star!”
She directed an arrow at him to which he smiled and explained.
“I am just following the law of the sect.”
“Law?”
Hae Ack-chun then winked at me and said.
“According to the law, we decided to serve the Blood Demon.”
‘…?!’
Everyone turned to me. Baek Ryeon-ha spoke in a confused tone.
“Blood Demon? What is that supposed to mean?”
Seeing her puzzled I unsheathed the sword wrapped in cloth and opened it.
“Ah!”
Within it lay the sword that was known as the Blood Demon Sword.
And the eyes of those who saw it trembled at the sight of me holding it.
“Why is the sword?”
Han Baek-ha, who saw me holding the sword, was shocked.
Even Seo Kalma spoke to me in a trembling tone.
“Is that sword the Blood Demon Sword?”
“Yes, Elder.”
“Then how can you, a kid…”
“Kal!”
Before he could finish, Hae Ack-chun shouted and proclaimed.
“Seo Kalma! This is the Blood Demon! How dare you speak rudely!”
“Blood Demon? Hae Ack-chun have you gone mad?”
“You are the one who forgot the laws of our sect! Do you not know that the person chosen by the Blood Demon Sword is the Blood Demon!”
“…”
At the word, law of the sect, Seo Kalma went silent.
As one of the Elders who were the highest position holders in the sect, he was aware of this.
To this, Han Baek-ha added.
“There is a loophole in the words of the Elder. That is only something when it belongs to a person of the same bloodline. How do we know if this is real or not?”
“Ha! Real or not?”
“We have received information about the fake swords from the Murim Alliance. Now that sword would be fake too.”
Hae Ack-chun smirked.
“Hehe, you call this fake?”
At those words, Han Baek-ha’s eyes look bitter.
“I will know once I check it!”
Phat!
And she rushed for me
“How dare you!”
“It is fine!”
Both the Elder and Fourth Blood Star wanted to stop her, but I stopped them.
“Young master. You have turned arrogant in the few days we haven’t seen you.”
She shouted to me in a cold voice and tried to steal the sword with her blood stained fingers.
“Have this if you want.”
“What?”
I willingly handed the sword which she was trying to take by force and she caught it.
After that, she immediately moved to the ship of her own
[How can you give the sword! What are you doing?]
Hae Ack-chun shouted at me.
[I have done so that they can check.]
[How can you give it when the lady is right there on the ship!]
Baek Ryeoon-ha too held the blood of Blood Demon so she too should be able to hold it.
Hae Ack-chun was concerned about it.
[Trust me.]
[Yah. If the sword falls into the lady’s hand then our reason for doing this will die. Are you sure about us fighting then?]
He was right, but I had a plan.
At that moment Han Baek-ha who held the sword groaned.
“Ack!”
Her veins were swelling up.
“Sixth Blood Star!”
Baek Ryeon-ha was shocked.
“M-My lady…”
She was trying to endure it, but it had already affected her hand and she couldn’t hold the sword.
Pak!
Han Baek-ha removed the sword from her hand. It was all because she was a blood star, if this was someone else, they would have just died holding it.
Her face was pale and she turned her head.
“This is the real Blood Demon Sword, miss.”
Only after holding it did she realize it.
“The real sword?”
Srng!
Seo Kalma walked out and spoke to Baek Ryeon-ha.
“Lady. Grab the sword!”
“Oh.”
Hae Ack-chun clicked his tongue and turned to me.
Didn’t I warn you? Was what those eyes were telling me but I didn’t care and told her.
“It is fine to hold the sword.”
“What?”
Hae Ack-chun glared as he looked at me and Baek Ryeon-ha who had moved to hold the fallen sword.
“Ah!”
As she held it, a shout escaped from her mouth.
It felt like she could feel the bonding with the sword. And Seo Kalma said.
“As I thought my lady the sword…”
It was then.
“Ack!”
Veins began to bulge out from the hand and this made them all shocked.
She had the blood of Blood Demon and even she was unable to hold the sword?
“How is this?”
Hae Ack-chun was shocked as he didn’t expect this. He thought that the sword would simply accept her.
“Let go of the sword!
“Lady!”
Han Baek-ha next to her helped remove the sword and Baek Ryeon-ha just looked at the sword on the ground.
“W-… why?”
She didn’t know why the sword rejected her and I stretched out my hand.
Swish!
The silver string wrapped itself around the Blood Demon Sword and–
“Ah!”
Noticing this Han Baek-ha tried to catch it but I was fast. The string wrapped itself and I pulled the sword back.
And with that I heard the Blood Demon Sword
-Huh a pity. I like that kid too, but if I allowed her to accept me I would be separated from you, right?
‘You can go if you want to.’
-The I will be bored. Right. Thanks to that unique ability you have, Human.
The ability to speak with swords.
Blood Demon Sword didn’t want to separate from me due to that and hurt Baek Ryeon-ha.
Baek Ryeon-ha mumbled, unable to understand why the sword didn’t let her touch it.
“Why?”
“The sword doesn’t want you as its Master.”
“Uh?”
This wasn’t a lie.
I pointed the tip of the sword downwards and concentrated as I began to activate the big dipper constellation on the hand.
And the one dot which turned red changed my appearance.
“…the hair?”
Turned red
The faces of Baek Ryeon-ha, Han Baek-ha and Seo Kalma turned sour with shock.
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