“…You deceived me.”
“I-it wasn’t a lie. Military head. Trust me!”
Baek Wei-hyang was enraged at the man lying on the ground, pleading his innocence. Whether he saw it or not, the prisoners were clearly still alive.
The Guangxi Branch’s head, Oh Jaso, and his sub-head, Kwak Cheol, who both volunteered to kill themselves, were still alive.
‘Just what happened?’
This situation was impossible to understand.
Considering the reaction of the man he had sent as a spy, it didn’t seem like he had colluded with the Blood Sect. Instead, he seemed to have also been deceived and tried to explain himself even as his face reddened.
‘Could it be that the Guangxi branch helped the Blood Sect?’
No matter what kind of possibility he thought of, it was impossible to consider 1,500 people just pretending to kill themselves. Whatever it was, this had become problematic to push through for a battle.
“Military head! This…”
“Be quiet.”
Elder Baek Wei-hyang gave him a soft command. Saying anything else in the open would not do them any good.
If he could, he would have cut down the man he had sent as a spy, but he could not do it now because many people were watching.
‘Are there any useful people from the branches? Tsk.’
The plan to shake the Blood Sect’s position through misinformation and spy warfare was now useless. On the contrary, their presence here felt embarrassing now.
They had confidently announced that the prisoners were dead to boost their morale, so what kind of disgrace was this?
‘… it is one of the two.’
There were two choices right now.
They either needed to respond to the Blood Sect’s offer for negotiations to ensure the safety of their brothers from the same Alliance.
Or alternatively, they do everything they can and fight. However, the second option was difficult since too many eyes, including the government, were looking.
‘It is nothing.’
Firstly, one had to create the picture by responding to the overtures for negotiations. Baek Wei-hyang changed his expression to a happy one and shouted.
“We are happy. The brothers of our Alliance are alive! As a loyal soldier, I will definitely get them back somehow!”
Hypocrisy at its peak.
Wei Jisang sent a concerned message in silence.
[Military leader. Are you willing to negotiate?]
Baek Wei-hyang then smiled slyly.
[As long as we can recover the prisoners, the terms of the negotiations can be changed.]
-Yah, how are you feeling?
I didn’t know how to answer Short Sword’s question. This was the first time in my life that I was riding on a palanquin carried by four people, something that only high-ranking people did.
The palanquin was carried on two shoulders in the front and two shoulders in the back.
Unlike normal palanquins, the top was open so the rider could see around them as if riding atop a horse.
-It is a symbol of success.
It felt burdensome.
I tried to ride it properly once but was told not to step on the palanquin, so I simply sat now and felt all the attention was on me.
I never thought a simple goblin mask would be this useful.
-Kuak. I just want to live well.
I don’t know why you are so happy.
-You talk like a woman who’s seeing her successful husband, little kid.
-What!
Short Sword rose to Blood Demon Sword’s provocation and yelled.
I just wanted a few quiet days, but here they were, fighting again. In the end, I just chose to block off their voices.
‘There’s a lot of them.’
I thought that many times when the sect members had gathered, but seeing 20,000 warriors from the Murim Alliance was a bit much.
More than that, I saw one person in particular.
‘Elder Baek Wei-hyang!’
I didn’t expect him to be here.
He did hold the position of one of the military heads, so his coming here was natural in a way. After Zhuge Won-myung’s death, he would also have been promoted.
Thud! Thud!
My heart pounded.
Seeing one of the men who killed me to hide their own secrets before my regression caused my heart to jump to my throat.
I didn’t feel the same things I felt when I saw Moyong Soo.
-Keep your cool, Wonhwi.
Iron Sword said to me.
I know.
I am not so stupid that I would screw things up just because of anger.
‘The time isn’t far anymore, Baek Wei-hyang.’
When that time comes, I will make sure to give him the miserable death he deserves.
I also saw several familiar faces behind him.
They were the branch leaders of each province. Still, the two from Guizhou and Guangdong were later promoted to elders in the central Alliance. As we reached the midway point, my palanquin was lowered.
All of the elders turned their eyes to me.
Moreover.
Seeing just one soldier of the Murim Alliance, more so the branch leaders, in front of them, would there be any Blood Sect member who didn’t feel the urge to kill them?
The atmosphere from both sides was so cold that it would be stranger to not having a fight. Baek Wei-hyang opened his mouth first.
“I won’t comment on the fact that greeting each other is meaningless now.”
“Huh! This side feels the same.”
Those words were answered by my teacher, Hae Ack-cheon.
“Ghastly Monster. You are still alive.”
“Would I go first and leave you all in peace? Hehehe.”
“I still regret that I couldn’t kill you then.”
“You speak so well with that thin head that I can break with a single clench.”
“….”
Baek Wei-hyang’s words trembled at the insult. This was one of the times when I loved my teacher’s way of speaking.
Seeing Baek Wei-hyang try so hard to control his composure made me feel a unique sense of pride. Nothing had changed on that side since my return.
Baek Wei-hyang then turned to me, who was sitting on the open palanquin, and asked.
“… you are the Blood Demon?”
I hadn’t opened my upper dantian, but he called me the Blood Demon because of where I was sitting.
“That is right.”
I changed my voice and responded, causing him to smile.
“I guess I know why now.”
“What do you mean?’
“The reason why you are engaging in negotiations against your sect’s nature.”
All of the Blood Sect executives and nobles went cold upon hearing his words. This was already a successful provocation.
Baek Wei-hyang shrugged and said,
“If you were the inhuman Blood Demon of the past, you would have walked into a war without another thought, ignoring the sea of blood as well as any negotiations. Seeing you, that seems like a thing of the past.”
[A deliberate provocation.]
The Fourth Blood Star, Do Jang-ho, told me this silently.
I realized it as well.
This was a man from the Justice Faction who wore the mask of a hypocrite. Since they were in a situation where the hostages stopped their hand, they tried to goad us into attacking first.
It was quite cunning.
Baek Wei-hyang smiled and said,
“I am asking because I am curious, but why are you wearing that mask? Is it because the bloodline of the Blood Demon has faded? Or is it a lack of courage to show your face…”
He then stopped and looked at someone in surprise.
It was the First Elder, Dan Wei-kang.
As he released his aura, the air around us became heavy and suppressive.
‘….!!’
The head of each alliance branch looked at Dan Wei-kang in surprise and nervousness. They clearly realized what it meant for him to show his strength.
Dan Wei-kang had reached the peak realm of humanity.
“Military Leader Baek. The old man is also asking you. If I draw my sword, how many seconds would it take for me to kill all of you?”
Baek Wei-hyang and his comrades’ faces became stiff at the question’s implication. Seconds rather than techniques.
The words were arrogant, but after feeling his power, they realized it might be possible.
Baek Wei-hyang, who stopped his provocation and held his silence, then said,
“… there is a hidden card, I see.”
“You didn’t think that the sect would reappear without having a leader, did you?”
Baek Wei-hyang groaned at this and then said.
“Tell us what you want in exchange for the prisoners’ freedom.”
Although he was a sly fox, he quickly judged the situation.
Knowing that many on this side had reached the realm of a superhuman, he must have realized that provoking a battle here wouldn’t guarantee him a win.
I then proceed to clarify something.
“Disperse your gathered forces and retreat.”
This request didn’t make him change his expression. This level of request must have been considered already.
Pretending to be concerned, he nodded and exchanged glances with the branch leaders.
“If the prisoners are returned safely, that can be done.”
“And one more thing.”
“One more thing? I think this concession should be enough to free our people.”
“That is what you think.”
He frowned at my words.
And with that face, he spoke,
“I will listen to that demand, and I will decide whether or not to comply. Please speak.”
“Now, in the name of the Murim Alliance, I want you to acknowledge that our sect is the ruler of the Guangxi province and announce that we are celebrating our initiation ceremony.”
‘…!!!’
Upon hearing those words, Baek Wei-hyang and the branch leaders all frowned.
And it wasn’t just that.
If that announcement was made, it would be the same as the Murim Alliance acknowledging the Blood Sect officially. Naturally, they would have strong feelings about that.
“Just because we keep letting you talk!”
“Do you want to end this right here!”
The branch leaders, who had been cowed by Dan Wei-kang’s force, were now slowly speaking up. In response, Hae Ack-chun provoked them by striking his fists together.
Thud!
“This body of mine is ready to fight right now. Hehe. I mean, at this point, I will break your necks. Ah! Of course, it doesn’t matter what happens to the prisoners. Huahahaha!”
He was truly a villainous warrior.
After all, weren’t we the evil of the world, and aren’t the Murim Alliance representing justice?
Baek Wei-hyang then spoke in a low voice.
“You are crossing a line, Blood Demon.”
“No one will be returned unless you agree.”
“… Aren’t you considering that our alliance would give up the captives and attack?”
Baek Wei-hyang came out with a strong position, so I simply smiled and said.
“You sent spies to tell the captives to commit suicide, so you must already be ready to throw them away at any time.”
“I don’t know what you are talking about.”
Baek Wei-hyang was openly taking a chance. He would end up in more trouble if he admitted what he did, so he denied it instead.
“But what shall we do? The captives are all here and saw the spies you sent them. What if we ask them to point them out and tell it to the world?”
Hearing this, his face became stiff. He then took a deep breath and said in a low voice.
“Phew, as I thought, I cannot speak with you people.”
He was now showing his true colors.
The other side would show their nature if things didn’t go their way.
He then laughed.
“Blood Demon. Even if what you are saying is true, it would be enough for us to deal with you after saying that the captives had defected and joined the Blood Sect?”
“All the surviving captives? Those aren’t words that should be said by someone from the Alliance.”
“I guess you are a foolish person who believes in what people say they are. A man with such brightness is speaking such ridiculous words. Hahaha.”
He laughed like a madman and then said,
“Do you think the people of Murim would believe your words? You, who they hate? Without those captives, what do you even have?”
He turned towards Dan Wei-kang and asked,
“Sword Emperor? No matter how strong you are after crossing the wall, can you kill 20,000 people?”
He shook his head, turned to me, and spoke.
“Blood Demon. I, the military head, have been fighting against people like you for 20 years. Did you think you could do something to the Alliance when they still have me? You have just one option. You will return us our people, and enjoy this short life we grant you. Get it…”
“Hahahaaha!”
Before he could say anything further, I laughed at his words, causing him to frown in suspicion.
I stopped laughing and told him.
“They say that birds listen during the day and mice listen at night, but I guess this was not a spectacle.”
“What?”
I looked behind me and said,
“Did you hear him?”
At that moment, a man wearing a black robe and a bamboo hat walked up from among the nobles.
The man then pulled at his skin from below the ear and revealed his true face.
“A human skin face mask?”
One of the branch leaders couldn’t hide his shock at the sight of the man’s real face. He was the head of the Guangdong branch.
Baek Wei-hyang was off-balance enough to be at a loss for words. The branch leader then bowed.
“Why is the Public Order official in such a place?”
I thought that no one would recognize him since branch leaders would have difficulty meeting with such a person. Yet the Guangdong branch leader seemed familiar with him.
“Public Order? Public Order!”
Baek Wei-hyang’s eyes widened as if they were about to rip apart. The man’s identity was Lee Seok.
Who would have expected a government official to be hiding among us?
“W-why is Public Order official here?”
The Murim Alliance was the one with friendly relations with the government. Baek Wei-hyang was so flustered that he was stammering.
Lee Seok came to my side and said,
“The Blood Demon here urgently requested my presence and chose to follow him. Still, I am quite disappointed in the Murim Alliance.”
“Sir, there is some misunderstanding. This is just a bit of exaggeration for the sake of negotiating…”
“I heard that the Murim Alliance was a place on the side of justice. Yet when I hear your ‘exaggerated’ words, it doesn’t seem to be so.”
Baek Wei-hyang was speechless at Lee Seok’s cold words.
Was it because he was afraid of the government?
He seemed to be quite embarrassed how someone from the government who should be a third party was now present.
“I think the Public Order official should step away from that man. You never know what he might do.”
Lee Seok passed by me and mouthed something.
‘The debt is paid.’
I had saved his life because of what happened yesterday. He had done this for me in exchange for that debt. I had made this request since his presence was a game-changing move.
I then said to Baek Wei-hyang sarcastically.
“It seems that using your head for 20 years didn’t bring the right answer.”
“You!”
Baek Wei-hyang glared at me angrily after hearing my words. He must be resenting the fact that I brought a government official.
So, did he want to cross the line?
“Didn’t you just say that we could do nothing other than hand over the captives?”
I released my upper dantian and used the Blood Heaven Sura Arts. At this, Baek Wei-hyang could not take his eyes off me.
“His hair….”
Their expressions became stiff as redness flowed out from my body.
He must have thought the Blood Demon was identifiable because of his red hair. The energy that flowed around him was comparable to that of the Eight Great Warriors and must be shocking.
Baek Wei-hyang, who had been angry moments ago, gulped as I spoke.
“You say that you aren’t interested in the lives and deaths of the captives, so how about we see which side is the one that gets wiped out?”
The nobles behind me, who were waiting for this, released their suppressed Qi. This show of force made it feel as if a battle could break out at any moment, sending the branch leaders to their weapons.
An immediate change in the situation.
At that moment, Baek Wei-hyang opened his mouth with a twisted expression.
“… We congratulate the sect’s opening ritual.”
He said this in a muffled voice, causing me to burst into laughter.
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