Chapter 191

Je Gal Ji-gang, seated inside a four-person palanquin, frowned deeply as he muttered to himself.

“Every time I come here, I can’t help but feel this place’s air is utterly unwelcoming.”

The stifling, humid atmosphere of Yunnan Province seemed to irritate anyone simply by its presence.

And for Je Gal Ji-gang, who had come to the front lines of Yunnan feeling as if he were being exiled, his mood was understandably sour.

He fought the urge to unleash his frustration on everything around him and instead began organizing his next moves.

First, he surveyed the elite three hundred or so warriors guarding him—the Black Tiger, Black Wolf, and Black Dragon squads.

“The first order of business is to identify who among them are truly loyal to me. I need to figure out exactly where the allegiance to the Alliance Leader, Mo Yong-gum, begins and ends.”

If he couldn’t pick out those he could trust completely, no matter how much time passed, he would remain nothing more than a pawn under Mo Yong-gum’s control.

He vowed to stake his very life on this task.

“After that, I’ll have to erase all traces of the Sword Saint’s remnants on the front lines. Especially the Flying Dragon Thirteen, where his daughter was involved—I need to clean that up thoroughly.”

Je Gal Ji-gang planned to wipe out not only the infamous Seol Poong, but also the seven members who had operated alongside Hae Cheong-yeon within the Flying Dragon Thirteen.

Since they had even worked together under the name “Five Eagles Siblings” in Guizhou Province, there was no doubt they shared many secrets.

Come to think of it, wasn’t it Hae Cheong-yeon who had set all this in motion, cornering him like this?

So, driven by vengeance, he couldn’t afford to leave anything related to her alive.

But just as he arrived at the Flying Dragon headquarters, Je Gal Ji-gang received an unexpected report.

“Seol Poong, leader of the seventh squad of the Flying Dragon Thirteen, is dead?”

The acting Flying Dragon commander, Gwan Gu-bung, who had been managing the headquarters after the Sword Saint’s death, answered with a grim expression.

“More precisely, Seol Poong, along with the seventh squad members Bi Sa-young, Ya Woon-hyang, and the third squad’s deputy leader Sun Woo-jin, ventured into the jungle to rescue a missing comrade.”

Je Gal Ji-gang frowned and asked, “So they’re not confirmed dead yet?”

Gwan Gu-bung sighed. “At the front lines, anyone who doesn’t return from the jungle after two days is presumed dead. There’s never been a case of someone coming back after that long. But it’s already been five days since they went in. So, it’s practically certain they’re dead…”

At that moment, Je Gal Ji-gang’s daughter, Je Gal Seo-yul, standing beside him and listening to the report, suddenly turned pale and staggered.

Elder Je Gal Ji-yong, standing next to her, was startled and quickly supported her.

“Seo-yul! Are you alright? What’s wrong?”

With a pale face, Seo-yul replied dazedly, “I’m fine. It’s nothing… I just…”

Seo-yul had come down to the front lines with her father this time.

She had begged him to let her gain real combat experience here, saying that her defeat by the successor of the warrior family Sun Woo-se was due to lack of practical experience.

But, of course, that wasn’t the real reason.

After hearing Sun Woo-jin’s apology, she had fallen into complete confusion.

When she had a clear purpose—to hate and destroy him—everything had been straightforward. But after hearing his side of the story, even that resolve crumbled.

And she realized something.

“I wasn’t truly hating him.”

Indeed, Je Gal Seo-yul had never really hated Sun Woo-jin.

She had only convinced herself she did because she wanted him so badly.

Only after shedding her hatred did she come to understand this.

What he told her that day was something she could fully comprehend.

Moreover, his apology had been sincere and respectful.

She had to admit that, given his circumstances, his actions were understandable.

So her hatred had become meaningless.

But something strange was happening.

“What… what is this? Why am I feeling this way?”

Seo-yul was bewildered.

Even though her hatred had vanished, his face wouldn’t leave her mind.

His gentle support as he steadied her.

His cold, sharp gaze when he rebuked her.

The breathtaking sword technique he muttered was beautiful, even while fighting her.

And his final, honest voice…

All of it kept replaying endlessly in her head.

After struggling to erase him from her thoughts for a long time, Seo-yul finally had to admit the truth.

She had fallen for him.

It was her first love.

So there was no other reason she had come to the front lines.

“I want to see him. If only once more…”

That was the only reason.

But the first news she heard upon arriving was that Sun Woo-jin was dead…

The shock was too great; she couldn’t compose herself.

Yet her father, Je Gal Ji-gang, unaware of this, simply clicked his tongue and said,

“Didn’t I tell you the front lines aren’t a place to take lightly? If you’re not feeling well, go back to your quarters and rest.”

Seo-yul forced herself to steady her mind and replied,

“No, Father. It was just a momentary dizziness. I’m fine. I want to hear the rest of the report.”

She barely held back tears.

No matter what, she couldn’t leave now. She had to hear everything about him.

Only Elder Je Gal Ji-yong, who had been watching her and roughly understood her feelings, sighed quietly with a dark expression.

Je Gal Ji-gang frowned briefly at his daughter’s inexplicable stubbornness.

But unwilling to scold her in front of outsiders, he turned back to Gwan Gu-bung and asked,

“Then the other seven squad members are still with the Thirteen, right?”

“Yes, sir. Except for the missing deputy leader Na Seo-yu, there are about three left, as far as we know.”

Je Gal Ji-gang smiled faintly.

“I see. Bring them to the Flying Dragon headquarters. I want to hear the full situation.”

“Yes, sir.”

In truth, Je Gal Ji-gang remembered the names of the remaining seven squad members.

“Cheol Shin-yu-seong, Bae Jong-gwan, and the swift blade Miao Lang, Cheon Ju-eun, right? The last one must be a new recruit. Of all squads, assigned to the seventh… tsk.”

Bae Jong-gwan and Cheon Ju-eun, who had acted alongside Hae Cheong-yeon as part of the Five Eagles Siblings, couldn’t be spared.

He planned to have them killed either on their way to the headquarters or on their return.

As for the new recruit, it was unfortunate, but what could be done?

That was their fate.

With that thought, Je Gal Ji-gang gave a faint smile and began asking about the Sword Saint’s activities on the front lines.

To erase the Sword Saint’s traces, he needed to know exactly what he had done.

Meanwhile, Seo-yul, still listening nearby, was forced to stagger back to her quarters, unable to bear the absence of any news about Sun Woo-jin.

Before even reaching her room, she finally broke down in tears.

“Ugh… Sun Woo Gongja!”

Her heart felt as if it was shattering.

---

Mount Jeomchang, Yunnan Province.

Blood Demon suddenly received a report from Ji Gi-eum.

“Supreme One, Shima Guujeol from the Martial Emperor Corps has come to see you.”

Blood Demon smiled faintly, as if he had expected this, and asked,

“Did that bastard Du-dang come to report that he disobeyed my orders?”

Ji Gi-eum was momentarily taken aback.

Blood Demon’s words were uncannily accurate.

White-faced Shima Guujeol had come to report that Black Blood Phantom Du-dang had defied Blood Demon’s orders by capturing two of Hae Cheong-yeon’s comrades—a man and a woman.

That Blood Demon had guessed this so precisely was remarkable, even for the Supreme One he served.

But after a brief moment of surprise, Ji Gi-eum realized something.

He asked, “…Supreme One, did you already anticipate Du-dang would act this way?”

Blood Demon smiled again.

“I even assumed they’d come back, so of course Du-dang wouldn’t just sit still. Naturally, he would have used soul binding to force their return.”

Ji Gi-eum couldn’t help but admire him.

Truly, the wisdom of the master he served was extraordinary.

He bowed deeply and said,

“I am in awe of the Supreme One’s wisdom.”

Blood Demon laughed.

“Hahaha! If you were to criticize me for petty cowardice, that’d be one thing. But to flatter me like this? You’re too much. How can I trust your words now?”

But Ji Gi-eum only bowed even lower and replied,

“You kept your promise with her while preventing any information leaks. How could that not be wise? And honestly, what importance do promises with the righteous sect hold? I am simply amazed by your brilliance.”

Blood Demon smiled with satisfaction.

His respect for the Sword Saint had been genuine.

But to him, that was no longer the most important thing. He was now the leader of the Blood Sect.

Promises with the righteous sect were mere trifles, kept only when it suited his mood.

Besides, how could he easily let go of talented individuals who could be valuable ingredients for the Blood Sect?

Everything was unfolding exactly as he desired.

“Just tell that stubborn Wujeol that I will personally punish Dudang later. For now, focusing on creating the Blood Demons is far more important.”

“Understood, Supreme One.”

With those words, Gu Yuumma Jigi-eum melted into the shadows and slipped outside.

But even the wise Blood Demon, Jeon Muhgwang, who was said to possess the cunning of a serpent, never expected Baekmyeon Sima Gu Ujeol—who had returned to Aenoe Mountain—to come rushing back so soon.

Nor did he anticipate the shocking news Gu Ujeol brought.

A little while later, the Blood Demon’s eyes snapped open, blazing with fury.

“What?! What did you just say?! Muhwangchong has fallen?!”

His rage surged out like a violent storm.

Whoooosh!

Under that overwhelming pressure, Baekmyeon Sima Gu Ujeol and his three subordinates collapsed flat against the ground, groaning in pain.

“Ugh!”

“Grrr!”

“Su-Supreme One, please…”

Except for Gu Ujeol, the other demon leaders barely managed to breathe, as if death was imminent.

Seeing their state, the Blood Demon forced himself to calm down and demanded again, “Say it again. Why exactly did Muhwangchong fall?!”

Gu Ujeol, never one with many words, could only shake his head. He had only heard the story from his fleeing subordinates who escaped the collapse.

So, the demon leaders cowering behind him stammered out the details.

“W-Well…”

After a moment, the Blood Demon, exercising superhuman patience, listened quietly to their account and muttered to himself.

“A young man radiating crimson energy, wielding iron chains, and another young man with violet energy, carrying a sword engraved with a black wolf?”

“Yes! That’s right, Supreme One! The one with the iron chains saved his group and escaped first! We all tried to stop them, but they broke through. Then, shortly after, the one with the wolf-engraved sword slipped away. Muhwangchong collapsed immediately after!”

At that moment, Gu Yuumma Jigi-eum, responsible for intelligence within the Blood Sect, hurriedly spoke up.

“If it’s the young man with the iron chains, I’ve seen him before when we captured Haecheongyeon. He must be Seolpung, the leader of the Seventh Division of the Thirteen Dragons. I knew he was exceptional for his age, but I never thought he could take down all the forces of Muhwangchong… And the one with the wolf-engraved sword must be Sun Woojin, also from the Seventh Division.”

The Blood Demon muttered through burning eyes, “Seolpung and Sun Woojin…”

Then he turned back to the demon leaders.

“What happened to Dudang? And the demon army?”

“We don’t know much about Hwanma, Supreme One… but the Blood Demon Army couldn’t even hold out for a few seconds against the one with the iron chains. Judging by that, the others probably fared no better. Of all the people inside Muhwangchong, only the three of us escaped before it collapsed.”

Whoooosh!

The Blood Demon’s fury erupted again like a tempest.

“Ugh!”

“Supreme One!”

He could no longer contain his rage.

The Black Blood Hwanma Dudang was not only one of the Thirty-Six Stars of the World and a Blood Sect Demon, but also played a crucial role alongside Baekmyeon Sima Gu Ujeol in producing demons.

And Muhwangchong’s value was even greater.

It was essentially the hub where everything needed to create demons was gathered.

Especially the materials, facilities, and resources for making Blood Demons were all stored there…

Unable to hold back, the Blood Demon roared in fury.

“Arrrgh!”

At that moment, the three demon leaders cowering behind Gu Ujeol were crushed utterly.

Thud, thud, thud!

“Guhhh!”

“Supreme One!”

“Ahhh!”

They floated helplessly in the air, as if invisible giant hands had smashed them into pulp.

Seeing this, Baekmyeon Sima Gu Ujeol trembled violently and pressed himself even flatter to the ground.

After venting his rage, the Blood Demon closed his eyes and slowly regained his composure.

Some time passed.

In the suffocating silence, as Gu Ujeol continued to tremble, the Blood Demon opened his eyes calmly once more.

Then he spoke.

“Come to think of it, in the long history of the Blood Sect, there’s never been a time when everything went so smoothly. Yes, perhaps it’s time for a trial. Still, it’s a blessing that we managed to copy all the research materials and bring them here.”

Hearing the Blood Demon’s optimistic words, Gu Ujeol finally exhaled in relief.

Jigi-eum and Gu Ujeol bowed deeply, almost unable to lower their heads further, and cried out, “Supreme One! Please punish the incompetence of your subordinates!”

But the Blood Demon, now calm, smiled gently and replied, “Ujeol, if I punish you too, how will we make Blood Demons? At least it’s fortunate that Dudang was the one who fell. I can take over Dudang’s role, but your role would have been difficult even for me.”

Moved by the Blood Demon’s kindness, Gu Ujeol shouted, “Supreme One!”

The Blood Demon lifted him up with an invisible force and said, “Now, let’s make Blood Demons together. Can you do it?”

“I will devote my life to it!”

“Hahaha! From now on, you shouldn’t offer your life so easily. By the way, Ujeol, I don’t think I’ve ever heard you speak this much before.”

“My apologies, Supreme One!”

The Blood Demon was truly grateful that Gu Ujeol was still alive.

With him, it would take time, but they could definitely recreate the Blood Demons.

Moreover, the corpses of the top masters to be turned into Blood Demons had been moved here, not to Muhwangchong.

Especially the bodies of Ma Wonwoong, former leader of the Jeomchang faction, and Gyeolheo, the former leader of the Ami faction’s Satae—this was an immense relief.

Smiling at the thought, the Blood Demon suddenly turned to Gu Yuumma Jigi-eum and said, “Jigi-eum, go to Muhwangchong and investigate. Find out what happened and whether we can retrieve anything from inside. Also, keep an eye on those two—Seolpung and Sun Woojin.”

“As you command!”

“Oh, and don’t approach recklessly. If those two really killed Dudang, you could be in danger too.”

“Understood, Supreme One.”

With that, Jigi-eum vanished like a ghost.

Finally, the Blood Demon frowned and said, “Ujeol, build facilities here to create Blood Demons. And before you leave, clean up that mess.”

“Yes! Understood, Supreme One!”

The mess he referred to was the crushed bodies of the demon leaders.

The Blood Demon was endlessly kind to those useful to him, but the corpses of those without value were nothing more than trash.

Once Baekmyeon Sima Gu Ujeol left the room, the Blood Demon closed his eyes briefly to steady his mind.

The fall of Muhwangchong was a critical loss, but after countless trials in his long life, it was nothing he couldn’t handle.

After a moment, he opened his eyes and glanced toward where Haecheongyeon was staying, smiling softly as he murmured, “Yes, it’s time to deliver some good news.”