“What position can you give me?”
Baek Hye-hyang’s words left me dumbfounded.
Given her warlike nature and pride, she couldn’t accept a person above her. So what was this?
“Why? Do you think I am up to something?”
“Honestly… I don’t understand.”
She had been so obsessed with becoming the sect leader. That this woman, who was honest with her selfishness, would accept me as her sect leader?
I had no choice but to doubt it.
“Didn’t you want to be the sect leader?”
I asked her directly. Given her personality, it didn’t seem like she would talk about it.
She smiled at my question and said.
“I want to be. Then will you yield and die here?”
-… as expected, this one is dangerous, Wonhwi. She is a fox, I am telling you.
Short Sword clicked her tongue. I then replied to her with a smile.
“… that is a bit tough.”
Baek Hye-hyang laughed at my words and replied with a serious face.
“Stop with the idea of conceding in good faith. If there was a situation where I could change the position on the board, then I would have done it. However, if I have to fight you and break the laws of the sect, then I wouldn’t.”
I was surprised.
This woman was selfish, arrogant, and war-loving. However, it was no exaggeration to say she had amazing leadership qualities.
As she said, if she continued to fight now, she would be ignoring the law of the sect. The outcome of that would be unknown.
Even if she won, she would lose on two counts.
-What is that?
First, since she broke the law herself, it would be natural for her power base to be shaken. Secondly, any power she won would be split due to civil war in the sect.
In conclusion, she had abandoned her greed for the sake of the sect.
‘… the more I know her…’
-Seems like you will fall for her?
What are you talking about?
If water had been in my mouth, I would have spat it out after hearing Blood Demon Sword.
-What upset you so much? Human?
I was trying to say that she would fit the role of a sect leader well.
-So you will yield?
This one was skiing the same question as well. I firmly reply.
‘No.’
I wouldn’t do that.
Even if she became the sect leader, I was pretty sure what would happen. She wasn’t much different from previous leaders of the sect and would follow the same path. In the end, the Blood Sect would be walking a lonely path.
She got close and whispered into my ear.
“If you really want to concede, you can sometimes lose at night.”
“… I don’t see any reason to make any more concessions.”
She was toying with me.
When it came to using words, trying to deal with her subtly would be tough.
“Then say it. If I am the only one who wants to bring a big man to his knees, it is only right that I am given something in return.”
She was right.
Once Baek Hye-hyang entered my fold, the sect members who worked under her would also come under me. There were a few positions that I could think of.
However, unlike the others, she had been a candidate for sect leader. It wasn’t a decision I could make right away.
Baek Hye-hyang sent a message to me.
[I am saying this just in case, but if you talk nonsense about wife positions, I will walk forward immediately to take you down.]
‘Uh?’
I never thought of offering that to her, but it felt strange. Didn’t she say countless things that hinted at that?
She didn’t mean it, then?
[I am not kneeling down to you to be a wife. That is a useless position to the sect leader.]
‘…what was it about being a wife to the sect leader?’
Her words actually reminded me of our time in the Dual Martial Forces. When I met her in the basement, she called me mother.
If she had called a parent, there should have been affection, but her voice had only held hatred and sadness.
‘Looking at it from the side, this was a woman who had been trying to kill me! Imagine if she sat next to the person who had everything you coveted.’
Baek Hye-hyang’s eyes were quite serious.
Perhaps the real purpose in her life was something other than the position of the sect leader. She seemed to have her own story, of which I knew nothing about.
-Make your decision.
At Short Sword’s swords, I looked around at all the sect members waiting for my answer.
My eyes turned to Baek Ryeon-ha and her supporters.
“Phew.”
“Did you decide?”
I nodded at Baek Hye-hyang’s question.
“I promise you a higher position than a respected man.”
“Higher than that of a respected man?”
I could promise something at least around that level. Regardless of her position or blood, everyone here must respect her. However, I couldn’t make that decision alone.
She asked after hearing my words.
“You decided on the position of guardian right away. It seems like you are worried about giving me a position?”
“It isn’t a matter that can be decided right now and isn’t an immediate concern.”
I pointed over to where Baek Ryeon-ha was.
They seemed pretty relieved at my decision.
Baek Hye-hyang glanced at this and smiled.
“You really don’t like trouble.”
“Because I need to handle everything in the end.”
The guardian was meant to protect me, but the other positions weren’t like that. Even if one was a Blood Star, they would be given the power to work independently in the sect.
Besides, giving Baek Hye-hyang a position would mean that Baek Ryeon-ha would also want one. Seeing her current condition, I wasn’t quite sure what would happen.
Hae Ack-chun sent me a message at that moment.
[Hehe, you did well. It was a wise move; it was the best choice to avoid any immediate mess until you completely control the sect.]
Hae Ack-chun seemed to share my thoughts. If I had recklessly given Baek Hye-hyang power, then Baek Ryeon-ha’s faction wouldn’t trust me.
Baek Hye-hyang stared at me with a frown.
“Fine. I cannot wait to see what decision you will make.”
After that, she got down on one knee.
‘….!!’
As she knelt, the face of Jang Ryong, the First Blood Star, contorted. It was clear that he didn’t like it.
Well, whether he liked it or not, Baek Hye-hyang had placed her hands together and shouted.
“I greet the Blood Demon.”
And with those words, she acknowledged me as the Blood Demon. The position wasn’t guaranteed, but there was no reason for her not to do it. Truly a woman with skills.
Pak
“We greet the Blood Demon!”
Hae Ack-chun knelt and clasped his hands as he shouted.
As if that had been a signal, Seo Kalma and the other Blood Stars also knelt down in unison to give their greeting.
Thud! Thud!
All of the sect members began to kneel as if they were a human wave. Their shouts then rang into the sky.
“We greet the Blood Demon!!”
‘Ahh….’
Being the lone person standing in this place, I could feel my body tingle. In my previous life, I had died as a third-rate spy of the Blood Sect.
This current life, however, was so different. I had ascended to the Blood Demon position at the sect’s peak.
-You had finally gotten out. You did well. Even when you were abducted by the Blood Sect again, you had so many tears.
Who cried again?
I had only felt a little bad, that was all.
-Right, right.
-You actually did that?
-Hehe. Come to think of it, you people didn’t see it. Want to know how much I comforted him?
Stop playing around. Anyway, I would also get a chance to make fun of this one. At the moment when the emotions began to change…
Tatatat!
It was the sound of someone running.
I wasn’t sure who, but it seemed to be a sect member.
“They appeared!”
The sect member who ran forward shouted this.
‘They?’
Hearing this, all the kneeling sect members stood up, and Baek Hye-hyang, who was in front of me, smiled.
‘She’s smiling?’
All of the sect officials also had heightened emotions, as if they had been waiting for this. Looking at the sect member who came running, had enemies appeared?
But what was this reaction?
Hae Ack-chun asked the sect member who had come running.
“Is it the Murim Alliance?”
“Yes. They’re still far away, so we can’t make it out, but we spotted the flag of the Murim Alliance. Judging by the patterns on the side, it seems like they’re the Guangxi branch.”
As expected, it was the Murim Alliance. After all, it wasn’t a small number, but ten thousand members of the Blood Sect had gathered in the daylight.
It would be more unusual if the Murim Alliance didn’t notice this. Baek Hye-hyang then looked at me and said,
“The time has finally come.”
“You mean?”
“We start the Blood Ceremony.”
The Blood Ceremony!
To hear her say this.
-What is it?
The Blood Sect’s initiation ceremony differed from other sects. The Blood Sect had waited and trained in disgrace after the Great War 20 years ago.
The initiation happened at the same time as the blood of our enemies was washed.
The reason why this large-scale force had openly gathered in the first place was to lure the enemies.
By annihilating them, we would announce the rise of the Blood Sect once more. The same thing happened in my previous life.
But there was one serious problem here that no one knew about. Baek Hye-hyang then told me.
“Your order… no. Blood Demon, please present your order to our members.”
She used a high tone that didn’t suit her and immediately sent me a message as I looked at her curiously.
[In public, discipline, and power are the law. Don’t look so surprised by that, eh?]
She smiled, and, for the first time, I thought she was cute.
Wait! What am I even thinking?
Was I thinking that this scary woman was cute? She then continued.
[Do not get me wrong. It is because you are in public.]
Then what about in a private place?
She seemed to want to act the same way as the teacher. Well, as long as she knew her position in public, I didn’t care.
[Right.]
She quietly added.
[…and now that you have become the Blood Demon, you can call me by name.]
[Uh?]
[It gives you the right to call me by my name.]
… hmmm.
Was that right?
Well, since no one could ever treat her like that, it seemed like calling her name was a luxury.
“Yes, sure. Hae-hyang…”
“Someone took part of my name off…”
“Didn’t you want me to call you?”
Baek Hye-hyang tried to say something but then snorted and went silent. At first glance, it looked like she was enjoying it.
I wondered how such a woman could appear so strong and prideful?
Thud! Thud!
My teacher, Hae Ack-chun, came to my side and was ready to fight.
“Blood Demon. Give us the order.”
Was he asking me to give the order?
All of the members were already holding weapons. Waiting any more would just cause morale to fall.
Tatata!
At that moment, another cult member came running, his face more serious than the previous courier’s.
“W-we are in trouble!”
“Trouble?”
“In addition to the Murim Alliance, there seemed to be a number of official detachments moving here too!”
“Official detachments?”
“Just at a glance, their numbers exceed 45,000.”
‘…!!!’
The sect members, who had been ready to fight, were now panicking. This meant that it wasn’t just the Murim Alliance. The government was moving as well.
Things were happening much faster than before, so even I was lost in thought. Things were unfolding the same way as they had before.
“Why them?”
“What in the damned name is this?”
Fifth Blood Star shouted.
“Huh! it doesn’t matter. They were all together with the Murim Alliance 20 years ago. They would have a price to pay if they want to intervene.”
“I agree. You have to set an example by dragging the officials into this.”
The Third Blood Star, Yang Jeon-do, shouted this. Some of the others agreed, too, as if they were of the same opinion.
At this, I looked at him and said,
“Silence!”
“Euk!”
Those who were trying to speak went silent at my shout. All of the members turned to look at me.
“Are you all to fall for tricks the enemy had laid out!”
Those struggling to boost their morale fell silent at my cry. This included the Blood Stars.
Regardless of who was the cause, the enemy would not be the Murim Alliance alone if they could not fight for death.
Even before his turn, the Blood Sect had no choice but to form an organization without a central office due to the ceremony.
“That is what idiots drowning in thoughts of revenge think.”
“Ahem.”
Baek Hye-hyang’s two Blood Stars cleared their throats as the First Elder spoke.
“Nobody here doesn’t recognize that. But it would be evident that our ceremony would be ridiculed if we chose to retreat instead of fight. What kind of opinion does the Blood Demon have?”
Just as Dan Wei-kang said, this was a matter that involved the Blood Sect’s honor. The best thing to do was to avoid a fight.
However, since there was evidence of officials arriving here, the Murim Alliance would spread itself across the land.
I could hear Baek Hye-hyang’s voice.
[This is your first challenge after becoming a Blood Demon. If you choose to retreat, then the sect would lose honor. Or you could honor the sect and pretend to engage the officials.]
This was a situation where neither option looked good.
Baek Hye-hyang looked at me, and I said to her with a smile.
[Do you think it is just two options?]
[What?]
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