Chapter 179
After a series of twists and turns, the five members of the Blood Sect expedition finally set out.
Of course, before departure, Bisa-yeong and Hong Hae-ah Jeungchil kept changing their tactics and had to spar several more times. Each time, Bisa-yeong narrowly edged out Jeungchil.
Because of that, Bisa-yeong was now calling Jeungchil “Sasuk,” meaning the younger disciple of their master’s younger brother.
“Sa-mae! Show some respect! This is the legendary supreme expert, Hong Hae-ah Jeungchil, the younger brother of our master! You should call him ‘Sasuk’ too.”
“…”
“Sasuk! Your new techniques are impressive! Just as expected from our master’s brother!”
“Sasuk…!”
“Ah, stop calling me that! Damn it!”
Bisa-yeong didn’t stop teasing Jeungchil the entire way.
At first, Jeungchil ignored it, but he couldn’t hold back forever and finally exploded in irritation.
Still, Bisa-yeong was relentless, continuing to needle him without pause.
Sunwoo Jin couldn’t help but feel a pang of despair, realizing this ragtag group was the first Blood Sect expedition team since the Blood War.
But on the bright side, any awkwardness between them had vanished before it could even form.
Swish!
Ya Unhyang’s black river blade extended nearly three spans, sweeping in a wide arc ahead.
The dozens of Gan-gwi demons rushing like a pack had their waists sliced clean in two, falling apart instantly.
“Kyaaaah!”
“Kyaaaak!”
Shiiik!
Sunwoo Jin and Bisa-yeong’s divine forms streaked like a gale over the treetops.
Hidden behind the trees, the Hyo-gwi and Ju-gwi demons were cleaved in half, spurting blood and dropping like ripe fruit.
Bang! Bang! Bang-bang!
Seolpung took on the Iron Demons.
Like a wild beast, he charged and swung his limbs, smashing the heads of four Iron Demons like watermelons.
Meanwhile, Jeungchil sat off to the side, sipping from a gourd of honey wine called Sobongju—a rare, treasured liquor he savored sparingly—while guarding Dakam.
“Hoh, so these are the demons.”
Watching the others fight with interest, Jeungchil suddenly asked Seolpung to send one Iron Demon his way.
He then threw a kunai at it, testing the demon’s skin toughness.
Bang!
“Hoh! It didn’t pierce even at that strength? How about this?”
Thud!
“Grrr!”
“Oh! The belly’s a bit softer than the head. Then at this strength?”
Pew!
“Oh! At this level, the arm would be torn off!”
He looked like a child delightedly tearing dragonfly wings.
From behind, Dakam frowned and said, “Cheo Kwe-mul, you’re too reckless! Young master, please!”
Sunwoo Jin sighed softly, watching Jeungchil’s childlike fascination, then glanced around at their surroundings, which were nearly cleared.
As expected, the closer they got to Aenoe Mountain, the denser the demon population became.
It seemed their guess was right—demons were emerging from there.
Sunwoo Jin thought of the comrades likely trapped inside.
“Cheong-yeon Sojeo, Na Sojeo, Brother Sak.”
He had no idea what condition they were in.
He could only hope they were still alive, but maybe it was already too late.
Or perhaps not yet, but time was running out.
“Hoo…”
Taking a deep breath, Sunwoo Jin forced himself to calm the growing impatience.
In missions like this, impatience was the enemy.
Speed and impatience were not the same.
A moment’s rashness could endanger not only the trapped comrades but the entire team.
He had to keep his mind steady and composed at all times.
After gathering himself, Sunwoo Jin asked Dakam, “How much farther to Aenoe Mountain?”
“Well, at this pace, we should be able to see it by the time we reach Panna Iron.”
Sunwoo Jin nodded and told the group, “From now on, we’ll slow down and move stealthily. Stealth takes priority over speed. Unless absolutely necessary, ignore the demons and pass by quietly.”
Everyone nodded without objection.
Jeungchil, looking intrigued, said, “It’s strange—not only that beasts like that and idiots like you four with ridiculous skills at your age are gathered here, but that you all listen so well to one another. Usually, young and talented ones try to outshine others by any means.”
Bisa-yeong chuckled and replied, “Here, survival matters more than looking superior. To increase your chances of living even a little, you have to listen to the smartest person.”
Seolpung smiled in agreement and nodded.
Sunwoo Jin averted his gaze, feeling a bit embarrassed.
Then Jeungchil suddenly looked at Ya Unhyang and asked, “Hey, sleepy-eyed girl. You just arrived at the front lines, right? What makes you trust that parasite’s orders?”
Despite formal introductions, Jeungchil never called them by their real names.
He always used his own nicknames: Seolpung was “Beast,” Bisa-yeong “Idiot,” Sunwoo Jin “Parasite Brother,” Ya Unhyang “Sleepy-eyed Girl,” and Dakam “Slowpoke.”
The group guessed this was a subtle revenge for Bisa-yeong teasing Jeungchil by calling him “Sasuk.”
Ya Unhyang answered drowsily, “Because the big brother trusts him.”
Jeungchil let out a low whistle.
“Hoh, a Sapa-born girl with manners and loyalty.”
But the one truly moved wasn’t Jeungchil.
Bisa-yeong felt a lump in his chest.
When he first decided to come to the front lines, he had essentially given up on his sect.
He thought rebuilding Bijongmun was impossible and came here seeking revenge.
But somehow, he had become a supreme expert, and the sect he left was no longer struggling financially.
Moreover, the junior disciple who suddenly appeared, determined to revive Bijongmun, trusted and followed him.
It felt like proof that Bijongmun was rising again.
He was deeply moved.
To hide his swelling emotions, Bisa-yeong turned his flushed face toward the distant forest.
Noticing this, Sunwoo Jin smiled warmly, patted his shoulder, and continued.
“Also, from now on, we’ll avoid speaking aloud and communicate only through telepathy. Since Dakam can’t use telepathy, I’ll carry him and relay messages. If you have something to say, whisper it to me.”
“Yes, understood.”
Jeungchil’s face twisted in objection.
“No, telepathy can only send messages to one person at a time. How are we supposed to have a conversation? Should I send telepathy to all five of you every time I say something?”
He looked at the others, who didn’t question the order, and asked, “Don’t you find this strange? No matter how much you trust him, you’re really going to follow that?”
Bisa-yeong sighed and replied, “Just wait, Sasuk. That smart guy will figure out a solution.”
“Huh?”
All eyes turned to Sunwoo Jin, who smiled and explained.
“As Jeungchil said, telepathy can only send to one person at a time, so it’s inconvenient. That’s why we’ll set an order for passing messages. If you have opinions, send them to me via telepathy.”
He looked at Seolpung.
“When I give orders, I’ll send telepathy first to Squad Leader Seolpung, then Bisa-yeong, then Dakam. Seolpung, you’ll immediately pass it to Jeungchil, and Bisa-yeong to Ya Sojeo. Those who receive messages should confirm by raising a thumb or send me telepathy if they have other opinions.”
In other words, when Sunwoo Jin sends three telepathic messages, the others relay them to the rest, so all six members receive the information.
Jeungchil mulled this over and nodded unconsciously.
Indeed, setting up a relay system like this would be much faster than sending telepathy to five people individually.
Still, unwilling to admit it outright, Jeungchil kept a stern expression and challenged, “But it’ll still be much slower than talking directly.”
Sunwoo Jin smiled and nodded.
“Of course. But as I said, stealth is more important than speed now. If something urgent happens, feel free to speak out loud. If that happens, I’ll be the first to shout.”
Jeungchil couldn’t argue further and grudgingly nodded.
But inside, he thought Sunwoo Jin was a clever guy.
Many leaders can give reasonable orders, but smoothly managing people without friction during the process is no easy feat.
Throughout his life, Jeungchil had seen many leaders of various groups, but few had led people as smoothly and without causing discomfort as this guy did.
It was clear that he wasn’t just a formidable martial artist—he was also an exceptional leader with remarkable qualities.
As Jeungchil mulled over these thoughts, Sun Woojin finished speaking.
“If there are no more questions, we will move out now.”
And in the next moment, Jeungchil was stunned once again.
Sun Woojin, carrying Dakam on his back, expertly slipped into the shadows, vanishing without a trace.
To be able to vanish like that while carrying someone who wasn’t even a martial artist—that was stealth on par with the highest-level assassins.
Jeungchil couldn’t help but marvel at how someone like him remained so unknown.
“I cannot tolerate anyone defying the Sovereign’s orders.”
“No, I’m not defying the Sovereign! The Sovereign himself said there was no choice but to let those guys come back to rescue the Sword Saint’s daughter! I only stopped them from returning this time!”
The loud voices reached Nasa Yu’s ears as she slowly opened her eyes.
She realized she was lying in an unfamiliar place.
‘Where am I? I can’t move. They must have sealed my acupoints.’
The room was brightly lit, and the walls and ceiling were all made of massive stone blocks—it was no ordinary building.
“Don’t lie, Dudang. I know you disobeyed the Sovereign’s command and brought them here.”
Dudang.
Hearing that name, Nasa Yu immediately recalled what had happened to her and Sak Muheun before she lost consciousness.
‘Black Blood Demon Dudang. That’s right. We were at his mercy…’
Then she heard Dudang’s voice from before she passed out.
“Ha, I’m telling the truth. I caught them just as they were trying to come back! And honestly, don’t you admit you need those guys? They’re peak warriors in their twenties or thirties—perfect material for the Blood Demon! How could you just let them go?!”
Blood Demon?
Material?
She didn’t understand the words, but she knew one thing for sure: whatever they were talking about, it wasn’t good news for her.
After a brief pause, the quiet man spoke again.
“No matter what, disobeying the Sovereign’s orders is unacceptable. I will report this to him.”
“Ha! Go ahead and report it! Like I said, I was watching them closely and caught them the moment they tried to come back! If I hadn’t, I would’ve caught them earlier—why wait until now?!”
“…I’m going out.”
No further sounds followed, so the man must have left the room.
Dudang grumbled.
“Such a stubborn, narrow-minded bastard. And here I am, stuck with him. I should’ve learned how to make jiangshi by now…”
Then, his voice brightened suddenly.
“Oh! You’re awake!”
Apparently, Dudang had noticed Nasa Yu opening her eyes.
He approached her side.
Nasa Yu looked up at the short, shabby middle-aged man with wary eyes.
Dudang spoke again.
“Yeah, yeah. It must be frustrating not being able to speak, huh? I’ll release the acupoint seal now. But don’t scream or anything—there’s no one around to save you, and your cries will only attract beasts.”
Chuckling darkly, Dudang loosened the seal on Nasa Yu’s acupoints.
Now able to speak, Nasa Yu asked him with trembling eyes.
“The Blood Demon promised to let us go safely. You’re one of his subordinates—are you really going to disobey his orders?”
Dudang scowled and replied.
“You say that, but like I told Gu Woojeol earlier, I caught you because you were trying to come back. So I’m not disobeying the Sovereign’s orders.”
Gu Woojeol.
The man from before was apparently Gu Woojeol, a member of the Blood Sect’s Five Demons.
Nasa Yu swallowed hard and desperately argued.
“That’s nonsense! We only talked—we never tried to come back!”
But as she spoke, she caught the sinister smile on Dudang’s face and suddenly had a chilling realization.
“Could it be…?”
Dudang spoke again.
“I’m telling you, you did come back. Even if you don’t remember it.”
Nasa Yu opened her mouth but couldn’t say another word.
She understood what he must have done.