At that very moment, Blood Cultists who had lived in disguise as ordinary villagers in Yeongcheon Village began moving toward the Wudang Sect. Today was the promised day.
“Today, the Blood Cult’s history begins anew.”
At their leader’s words, they struck their chests with their right fists and shouted in unison.
“Blood Cult Under Heaven! Truth of the Chaotic World!”
The Blood Cult deliberately sowed chaos, believing their desired world would only emerge from an age of turmoil. Their martial arts centered around blood, earning them their derogatory name—though the cultists embraced it as a perfect representation of their identity.
“All we wanted was the world that would come after chaos. But the world rejected us and drove us into hiding. Now our persecution ends, for he who once led us shall lead us again.”
Years of endurance and suffering flashed before their eyes like fragments of a broken mirror. But the time of hiding was over.
From the distance came the sound of beating drums—the promised signal. They raced toward the Wudang Sect to welcome their leader’s return to power.
I jolted awake from my doze in the guest hall lodging. That nauseating scent of blood… the Blood Cultists had made their move.
I burst through the door. Escort Guard Seo Wu, stationed outside, immediately noticed my urgency.
“What’s wrong?”
“We need to get in there, now.”
Without hesitation, the four Escort Guards and Palgap followed as we rushed to the pavilion bound with iron chains and sacred ropes where the Blood Cultist was sealed.
A vicious battle was already raging.
“Don’t retreat!”
“For the Blood Cult’s glory!”
Clang—!
The deafening clash of steel rang through the air as weapons met in deadly combat.
“What should we do?”
At Escort Guard Yeo Eung-am’s question, I hesitated. A chaotic melee was underway, with significant risk of death from stray blades. I couldn’t easily order the Escort Guards into such danger.
Escort Guard Seo Wu spoke up.
“We are our lord’s protectors. In this situation, your safety takes priority.”
Everyone nodded in agreement, and I held back from advancing.
“Let’s observe for a moment.”
“Understood.”
I suggested waiting because the battle’s tide was turning in Wudang’s favor as elders who hadn’t departed for the tournament joined the fray. More importantly, I needed to identify the Murim Alliance’s accomplice.
“…!”
Then it happened.
“Damn it! How long must I wait!”
Someone who appeared to be a Wudang elder suddenly turned and cut down his own ally.
‘What?’
‘The Murim Alliance’s accomplice was a Wudang elder?’
‘That’s why I couldn’t identify him.’
Everyone stared in shock at this unprecedented betrayal. Elder Jin Jeong, whom I’d met before, roared at the traitor.
“Elder Jin Gu! Have you lost your mind?”
“I won’t make excuses for my actions. You wouldn’t understand even if I explained.”
“Why do something so incomprehensible!”
Instead of answering, Elder Jin Gu raised his sword toward the pavilion.
Crash—!
His sword qi destroyed the structure in a single strike.
“What have you done! That place contains—!”
Rather than respond, Elder Jin Gu addressed the Blood Cultists with obvious irritation.
“Go retrieve your leader!”
“Thank you for your cooperation!”
The Blood Cultists seized the opportunity. Some descended into the underground chamber while others held back the Wudang disciples.
Soon they emerged carrying a man of gruesome appearance.
“Leader! Stay conscious!”
“You must absorb the elixir’s energy!”
Their words shocked me. The sealed prisoner was actually the Blood Cult Leader himself.
“Keu-eung, keu-euk…”
But something was wrong with his condition.
“What’s the matter, Leader?”
“My…”
“What?”
“My stomach—it burns like fire! Keu-eu-euk!”
Seeing this, I had a strong suspicion. When we’d visited Yeongcheon Village, Geumryeong had secretly stolen the Divine Spirit Restoration Fruit. Since something so crucial had vanished, I’d expected chaos and quickly hidden it in my secret vault.
Yet when we left the village, there’d been no signs of alarm whatsoever. Only one explanation made sense—they didn’t know the fruit was missing.
But why not? Geumryeong must have replaced it with something that wouldn’t be easily detected.
What could it have substituted? During my herb gathering for Palgap, I’d discovered something—a golden fruit so similar to the Divine Spirit Restoration Fruit that they were nearly indistinguishable.
It looked like a delicious fruit or valuable elixir, but was actually the fruit of a poisonous plant called the Golden Burning Poison Fruit. Consuming it caused excruciating abdominal pain that could render someone unconscious—pain like having one’s insides seared with fire.
If the so-called Blood Cult Leader had eaten that instead…
‘Judging by how he’s writhing, he definitely consumed it.’
At this sight, the Blood Cultists began shouting hysterically.
“You deceived us!”
“What have you done to our leader?”
“What have I done? I merely provided the elixir you gave me.”
Their gazes turned toward a man among their ranks.
“Then you gave us a fake elixir!”
“What? I provided the real one!”
The situation was spiraling in an unexpected direction—Wudang Sect versus Blood Cult versus the Murim Alliance’s accomplice. A three-way battle had emerged.
Palgap let out a hollow laugh.
“What kind of insane situation is this?”
“You took the words right out of my mouth.”
Who could have predicted that Geumryeong’s theft would lead to this chaos? Anyway, the person who could resolve this mess should arrive soon—I’d had Geumryeong deliver a letter on our way here.
The three forces maintained a tense standoff, like walking a tightrope. With unclear allegiances, no one dared make the first move.
Then Elder Jin Gu approached the Blood Cultists.
“There’s no other way. My original plan was to let the leader rampage, then kill him at the opportune moment.”
“What did you say?”
The one who reacted wasn’t the Blood Cultists, but Elder Jin Jeong.
“You’ve truly gone mad! Don’t you understand what it means for the Blood Cult Leader’s blood to be spilled?”
“Of course I know. The Blood Cult Leader’s blood is cursed by the Blood Evil Art. If his blood touches this land upon his death, the pillars supporting each sect will be shaken.”
‘Pillars?’
I didn’t understand the full meaning, but I could see why Wudang had sealed rather than killed the Blood Cult Leader.
Escort Guard Jin Yu spoke up.
“I’ve heard of the Blood Cult’s Blood Evil Art before.”
“What?”
“The Blood Cult’s goal is world chaos. This requires a living sacrifice—the Blood Cult Leader himself.”
Jin Yu continued quietly.
“The Blood Evil Art’s completion, which only the leader can master, transforms him into that living sacrifice. Based on Elder Jin Gu’s words, it seems the leader has mastered this art and approaches its completion.”
Now I recalled that in my previous life, after the Murim Alliance had concluded the Blood Cult Leader’s rampage, the established major sects had mysteriously begun to decline.
I understood the purpose of this bloodbath. Give the Blood Cult Leader an elixir to restore his body, and his rage would naturally target those who imprisoned him. He’d devastate the Wudang Sect, then spread chaos through massacres in surrounding areas.
At the right moment, the Murim Alliance would step in to subdue him, raising their reputation. Simultaneously, spilling the leader’s blood on this land would shake each sect’s pillars and weaken their power.
But something seemed off. The Murim Alliance was supposedly an orthodox alliance—if their member sects weakened, wouldn’t the alliance itself weaken? Wasn’t this self-destructive?
Another thought struck me. Most Murim Alliance accomplices I’d encountered carried the aura of unorthodox sects.
‘Could the Murim Alliance itself be an unorthodox sect?’
I’d considered this before but dismissed it as too extreme. I shook my head to clear my thoughts. Meanwhile, the situation had escalated further.
“Knowing this, how could you do such a thing!”
At Elder Jin Jeong’s shout, Elder Jin Gu grinned.
“Shaking the pillars that protect each sect means a new order can be created.”
“…”
“Our Wudang Sect has sacrificed too much despite being one of orthodox martial arts’ two great pillars. Why should we bear this burden? We could rule, yet we only sacrifice?”
“That is the duty of those who shoulder the orthodox path’s responsibility…”
“No! I refuse to accept that! I’ll show those who demand only sacrifice from us that Wudang Sect is this martial world’s true hegemon!”
I understood Elder Jin Gu’s true intentions. He likely planned to build his and Wudang’s reputation by cutting down the rampaging Blood Cult Leader. In my previous life, this man must have been the Murim Alliance’s accomplice.
But rather than defeating the Blood Cult Leader, he’d been brutally killed instead. In the end, he was merely a tool used by the Murim Alliance.
Elder Jin Gu addressed the other Wudang disciples.
“If you agree with me, fight alongside me.”
His words began swaying their resolve—they sounded so reasonable.
Slash—!
Elder Jin Gu’s sword moved, and those sympathetic to his cause began following suit.
Elder Jin Jeong tried to stop them.
“Come to your senses! Wudang doesn’t exist to rule!”
But his words no longer reached them. He leaped into combat to stop Elder Jin Gu personally.
Clang—!
The melee resumed with renewed fury.
‘If I’m right, he should arrive soon…’
“Gal!”
A powerful shout suddenly rang out, momentarily halting the fighting.
Thump, thump, thump.
Striding confidently forward was Jin Seon, the Wudang Sect Leader.
‘Geumryeong delivered my letter properly.’
Elder Jin Gu was visibly flustered by the Sect Leader’s unexpected appearance.
“H-how did you get here?”
“Strange words. Have I come somewhere I shouldn’t be?”
“…”
“I had a bad feeling, and look what’s happened!”
He approached Elder Jin Gu and punched him squarely in the face.
Pow—!
Everyone was stunned. No one had imagined the Sect Leader would strike an elder with his bare fists.
I was equally surprised.
‘The Sect Leader is more hot-tempered than I thought.’
“Foolish bastard! Are you a Daoist who still doesn’t understand the Dao?”
“What Dao requires our Wudang Sect to sacrifice?”
“The Dao is like nature itself. It doesn’t assert dominance, yet we know it’s always beside us. That is the Dao! A Dao that seeks to rule is no Dao at all!”
The Sect Leader continued his rebuke.
“Your sin is unforgivable! By my authority as Sect Leader, I sentence you to spend your remaining days in the Repentance Cave!”
“I cannot accept this!”
Jin Gu ground his teeth, raised his sword, and charged.
“I’ll kill you and become Sect Leader myself!”
I sighed at his words, once again witnessing the stubborn power of human ego.
‘Time for me to intervene.’
“Excuse me… I have a question.”
“Who are you?”
At Elder Jin Gu’s blunt inquiry, I responded with my own question.
“For the Blood Cult Leader’s blood to affect anything upon his death, wouldn’t he need to be alive first?”
“…”
“The fact that he was sealed suggests that if he dies by means other than blood-spilling, there’s no problem, correct?”
“…”
“So once he’s already dead, whether his blood spills or not won’t affect these ‘pillars’ at all, will it?”
“What are you getting at?”
“Since my merchant group’s main business involves medicinal herbs, I believe I know what that man consumed.”
“…?”
“I heard mention of an elixir earlier, but seeing his severe abdominal pain, he likely ate a poisonous plant that could be mistaken for an elixir.”
“…?”
“And I believe he’s already dead.”
At my words, everyone turned to look at the Blood Cult Leader, who had indeed become a cold corpse.
–TL Notes–
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Lookin’ real dumb right now…