Chapter 38 The Blood Pact Summit – Part 1

Chapter 38: The Blood Pact Summit – Part 1

“Damn it…”

Hearing Mayugyeom’s low mutter, as if it had boiled up from the depths of his chest, I barely managed to hold back a sigh myself.

It seemed I had been mistaken about far too many things all this time.

***

It was earlier, when I was giving my all in sparring with Young Lady Cheongyeon.

She suddenly said to me.

‘Master Ma seems rather unusual today.’

“…Huh?”

Startled by her sudden remark, I asked in confusion, but she countered with a question of her own.

“I mean Ma Yugyeom. You’ve been concerned about them for a while now, haven’t you? About Ma Yugyeom and Mae Yeokyeong.”

“Huh? Well, yes, that’s true, but how could he…?”

I was flustered.

I had been concerned about Mayugyeom for a while, but I’d never told anyone about it. How did she know?

‘I just knew when I saw it. By the way, do I really not have to follow them?’

‘Huh? Ah, but I’m in the middle of sparring with the young master right now…’

‘I’m fine, go ahead.’

As I was practically pushed to chase after Mayu-gyeom, I realized one more thing.

While I was giving my all in sparring with her, she had been calmly observing Mayu-gyeom all along…

It seemed I’d need much more time to defeat her.

And by secretly following behind Mayu-gyeom, I could overhear both her conversation with Sagun-il and her conversation with Mae Yeo-gyeong.

It was thanks to the stealth techniques I’d learned in my father’s library.

Hidden in the shadow of a tree near Mayu-gyeom’s residence, I watched his back as he moved with heavy steps beneath the darkening sky.

Ma Ye-gyeong’s low sobs flowed softly in my ears.

It was a profoundly sorrowful scene.

Suddenly, I compared the facts I already knew with the new information I had just learned.

In my past life, no, all of us in the Thirteenth Generation had believed that the fundamental reason Mayu Gyeom later turned to the Blood Cult was because of Mayu Gyeong’s death.

That he loved Mae Yeok-gyeong so deeply he couldn’t bear her death.

‘But… that wasn’t the case, was it?’

Judging solely by what I heard today, it seems we were completely mistaken back then.

If what I heard today is true, doesn’t that mean Mayu Gyeom had already broken up with her when Mae Yeo-gyeong died?

And the woman he truly loved was Dang Yeo-eun.

‘What the hell? What’s going on here?’

My head was spinning.

No, if that’s the case, then why did Ma Yu-gyeom, who ended up with his true love, Dang Yeo-eun, end up so broken?

Why did he treat Dang Ye-eun so carelessly?

Back then, when Ma Yugyeom started dating Dang Yeo-eun, he practically toyed with her like a plaything.

The image of Mayu Gyeom, drunk, groping her chest in front of people, and Dang Yeo-eun, her face filled with shame, unable even to resist, still remained shockingly etched in my mind.

But what if none of that was because of Mae Ye-gyeong’s death…

A whirlwind of thoughts surged through my mind.

‘Could it be because of Sagunil’s refusal? So his dream of reviving the Jianchang Sect was shattered?’

What Mayu-gyeom valued most now was undoubtedly the revival of the Jomchangpa.

I was genuinely shocked when that proud man bowed his head to Sagunil and declared he would relinquish the position of headmaster.

But to think his dream was shattered just because Sagunil refused seemed like a bit of a leap.

The man I know as Mayu Gyeom wasn’t the type to give up just because Sagunil rejected him once.

If anything, he’d try every trick in the book to win Sa Gun-il over, or find some other way to make it work.

I didn’t like him, but I fully acknowledged he was a man of immense mental fortitude.

That’s why I couldn’t understand his darkening any more.

It was just frustrating.

***

Amidst the various questions still swirling in my head, the day of the Blood Pledge Ceremony finally arrived.

I kept watching Mayu-gyeom afterward, but nothing unusual happened.

Compared to Mae Yeo-gyeong, who grew gaunt day by day, Ma Yu-gyeom seemed to be doing just fine, as if nothing had happened at all.

It seemed neither his parting with Mae Yeo-gyeong nor Saguunil’s rejection had truly shaken him.

“The Lord of the Alliance will arrive shortly.”

The messenger who had rushed ahead on the thirteenth horse delivered the news.

This caused Commander Heon Yeong-bo, who was already running around frantically with a haggard, sleep-deprived face, to lose his temper.

“What are you doing?! I said clean over there! You lot, hurry up and sweep over there! Quickly! There’s no time! Ugh, move aside! I’ll do it myself!”

As he hounded every visible member, fixated on cleaning and tidying the surroundings, Bisea-yeong sidled away and remarked.

“He’s really going all out. Seems a bit crazy, actually. At this rate, won’t he end up following the Lord after this meeting?”

“Hmm. Probably not.”

Knowing full well that all that effort was pointless, I could only feel pity and sorrow for him.

Before noon, all thirteen members were lined up beside the entrance.

Though the talks were scheduled for the afternoon, the leader and his party were expected to arrive just before noon.

And shortly after, their figures approached along the road, coming into view.

The current Martial Alliance leader, Prince Murong Jian, the Chief Military Commander, Zhuge Zhijiang, the leader’s personal guard, the Divine Sword Corps, and even the Heavenly Dragon Corps, the Alliance’s strongest fighting force—all together, they numbered over one hundred and fifty.

Even without the presence of the Imperial Guard, every member appeared tense and stiff, yet somehow, I alone felt reassured.

The fact that both the arrival time and the number of people matched my memories from my past life somehow gave me a sense of stability.

All thirteen members lined up orderly beside the entrance to greet them.

The leader standing at the front, Feng Yang, saluted with precision and raised his voice.

“We greet the Alliance Leader!”

Following him, we too saluted with precision and echoed in unison.

“We greet the Alliance Leader!”

The Alliance Leader, Prince Murong Jian, smiled warmly as he accepted our greeting.

“It is a pleasure to meet you all! I, Murong Mo, am deeply moved to finally meet you, who guard the front lines day and night, protecting the righteous martial world. I am well aware that our peaceful lives are entirely due to your hard work. I apologize for only meeting you in person now, using busyness as an excuse. I am sorry. And I thank you sincerely.”

Though he didn’t speak very loudly, his voice boomed, ringing in their ears.

The inner strength carried in his voice, the natural aura of authority he exuded—it was indeed the presence befitting one of the absolute masters of the current martial world.

His presence alone felt more imposing than even the Divine Sword Guard or the Celestial Dragon Guard escorting him.

As the leader finished speaking and turned toward us, Xian Yingbo raised his voice as if he had been waiting for this moment.

“How could we call it toil to block the Blood Sect’s provocations and safeguard the world’s peace?! All of us from the Thirteenth Generation consider it an honor to offer even the slightest assistance to the Alliance Leader! Please withdraw such words!”

Moyong Geom then burst into a hearty laugh, seemingly pleased.

“Hahahahaha! Is that so? Truly the mindset befitting heroes of the righteous martial world! Hahahahaha!”

Moyong Geom’s cheerful reaction made Xian Yingbo’s face light up.

He then hurriedly added.

“Heroes? That’s too kind! How could we dare to accept such a title in the presence of the true hero of the righteous martial world, the Lord of the Alliance?!”

“Huh? Hahahahaha!”

When Lord Murong Jian burst into laughter again at Xian Yingbo’s flattery, the delighted Xian Yingbo tried to continue speaking.

“This one, Heon Yeong-bo, Lord…!”

But the military officer standing beside him, Cheon Nyeo Jegal Jigang, cut him off with an expressionless face.

“Lord, perhaps we should enter now. Shouldn’t we let the young warriors rest a bit?”

“Huh? Ah, you’re right. Shall we go inside then?”

Seeing this, Hyeon Yeong-bo, who had been wearing a disappointed expression at not having fully demonstrated his flattery skills, urgently called out.

“I, I will guide you! Follow me!”

As the leader and his soldiers followed Hyeon Yeong-bo into the meeting hall, and the Shin Geom-dae and Cheon Ryong-dae surrounded them in overlapping layers, the Grand Leader, Pung Yang, finally turned to us and said.

“Everyone, disperse for now. You must reassemble when the Blood Sect people arrive this afternoon, so don’t wander too far.”

Only then could we disperse and rest.

I suddenly asked Squad Leader Seolpung,

“What did you think of the Alliance Leader, Captain?”

At my question, the squad leader let out a low hum and paused to think.

“Hmm, well…”

Mou Yongjian, who had inherited both the title of Prince of the Alliance and the position of Martial Alliance Leader from the late Prince of the Alliance, Tian Qigang, was the Supreme Patriarch of the Mou Yong Clan, one of the Five Great Clans of the martial world. He was also the absolute ruler of the martial world, holding the rank of Prince of the Alliance among the Three Sages: the Supreme Patriarch, the Prince of the Alliance, and the Prince of the Sun.

In other words, he was among the top three martial artists in the current martial world.

But my impression upon seeing him in person was somewhat peculiar.

He certainly looked incredibly powerful…

When I saw him in my past life, he seemed so distant and unapproachable that I couldn’t sense anything about him.

This time, though, I felt I could glimpse his power, even if only a little.

Of course, that was because he wasn’t hiding his presence at all.

The squad leader paused briefly before answering.

“He was like a mountain so high it seemed impossibly distant.”

It was a statement acknowledging the leader’s strength.

But he added softly afterward.

“But it didn’t seem to reach above the clouds.”

Of course…

I nodded in agreement with the squad leader’s words.

Because I understood who those clouds represented.

The warlord, the allied king Murong Jian, certainly radiated a terrifyingly powerful presence.

But compared to Son Eun-sang, the Demon of the Sky, whom I had seen not long ago…

It was exactly as the squad leader had described.

Compared to Sun Enxiang, whose height was utterly unfathomable like a cloud, the leader felt like a mountain—tall, yet somehow his height could be gauged.

Of course, I couldn’t guarantee this was accurate; it might just have been our illusion.

But the fact remained that his earlier perfunctory greeting, devoid of sincerity, coupled with his apparent delight at Hyeonyeongbo’s flattery, somehow disappointed me—despite his status as the pinnacle of the righteous martial world.

And this disappointment only deepened when the Blood Sect’s leader, the Demon of Blood, Zhen Muguang, arrived at the Thirteenth Sect that afternoon.

Zhen Wugang walked into the Thirteenth Division accompanied only by four black-clad figures with hoods pulled deep over their heads.

But we couldn’t even breathe properly.

The sheer presence radiating naturally from those five individuals weighed down on us far more heavily than the hundred and fifty who had come with the Alliance Leader earlier.

Bisea-yeong muttered behind me.

“Unbelievable. It really feels like being crushed by a boulder. How come just five of them feel like more than a hundred and fifty?”

I agreed.

Especially the presence of Xue Ma Zhenwuguang, standing at the very front, matched the overwhelming sense of helplessness I had felt last time from Ye Ling Saema Son Eunsang.

It was overwhelming.

Blood Demon smiled faintly as he looked around at us and said.

“I’ve heard much about the Biyong Thirteen. They say there are many exceptionally talented young men among you. It’s an honor to meet you all in person.”

His appearance was remarkably refined.

Were it not for the blood-red character engraved on his splendid red robe and his intense gaze, he could easily have been mistaken for a righteous hero of the orthodox factions.

‘Well, that makes sense.’

Come to think of it, he was originally the head of a righteous sect family.

Recalling the story of his past that Old Seok Gyeong-dal had told him, he felt a complex mix of emotions.

Grand Master Feng Yang bowed deeply to him in greeting.

“It is an honor to meet the leader of the Blood Sect. I am Feng Yang, Grand Master of the Biyong Thirteen Sect. The Alliance Leader awaits you.”

At that, the four standing behind the Blood Demon immediately flinched.

Then, the largest-built man among them, a man in black robes, suddenly radiated a fierce killing intent and shouted.

“How dare you speak to His Majesty like that?!”

Whoosh!

“Gah!”

The sudden onslaught of overwhelming killing intent forced us to summon our inner strength to avoid being pushed back.

Even those who managed to stay their ground—martial artists ranked above first-rate but below second-rate—staggered and stumbled backward.

The Zhilipin had overwhelmed this multitude of warriors with nothing but the sheer force of his aura.

He possessed immense power.

Then, Blood Demon raised one hand lightly and spoke.

“Enough, Chekgang.”

In that instant, the killing intent that had been pressing down on us vanished as if washed away.

The Blood Demon’s lightly raised hand had blocked the killing intent that had been spreading in all directions.

Realizing what this meant, our faces instantly turned pale.

And that he was none other than Cheokgang…

Cheokgang was one of the Blood Cult’s Five Demons, known as the Iron-Skin Demon, and one of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Stars, reputed to be among the closest to the fifteen absolute rulers of the world.

His name alone finally made sense of the immense killing intent he had just unleashed.

Yet, compared to the move the Blood Demon had just displayed, even his name paled in comparison.

While Cheokgang unleashing such a violent torrent of intangible energy was unimaginable, blocking it was an entirely different matter.

The ability to perfectly control the energy he projected outward at will meant that, if he desired, he could manipulate that intangible energy as easily as his own limbs.

It meant he could move objects or even kill people with energy alone—truly the power befitting the absolute ruler of this era.

The Blood Demon spoke to Cheokgang with a gentle expression.

“If the Dragon Lord of the Martial Alliance doesn’t call me the leader of the Blood Sect, what else should he call me? Surely he wouldn’t dare call me the Supreme Being? Then you’d have to call the leader of the Martial Alliance the Supreme Being too.”

At his words, Cheokgang bowed his head, his voice flustered.

“Wh-what… how could I address such a wretch…”

At that, Blood Demon deliberately spoke in a stern voice.

“Chek Kang! We came here for negotiations, and negotiations cannot proceed without mutual respect! Are you seriously trying to disrupt this meeting I personally arranged?!”

At those words, Cheokgang immediately dropped to his knees and begged for forgiveness.

“Forgive me, Your Highness! This foolish fool failed to understand Your Highness’s intentions and made a mistake! Please punish me!”

Watching this scene unfold, we couldn’t help but look disgusted.

Chek Kang, one of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Generals who feared nothing under heaven, famously fierce and arrogant, kneeling so easily.

And before mere young upstarts from the righteous faction, no less.

It was a scene that clearly demonstrated just how absolute the Blood Demon’s status was within the Blood Sect.

“Rise, Cheokgang. Your punishment will be decided after you return to the sect.”

“Yes! Supreme Master!”

After admonishing Chek Kang, the Blood Demon turned back to us and spoke softly.

“We’ve made quite a spectacle before the righteous sect’s divine dragons. Being the depraved offspring of the wicked demonic path, we likely appear lacking in many ways to the pillars of the righteous sect. I beg your understanding.”

The Blood Demon spoke thus and smiled gently, but we who watched him could not smile at all.

His demeanor now seemed entirely different from the wicked demonic cultivator we had known.

It was undeniably an aura of supreme detachment, coupled with a sense of composure befitting a great elder of the martial world.

Blood Demon surveyed us all and said.

“Before coming, I learned a bit about the Biyong Thirteenth Generation. Among the Biyong Generations, the Thirteenth has an unusually large number of young, rising dragons.”

Then, starting with the first squad leader, Han Gyoseong, he scanned us all with his eyes as he continued.

“Young Master Han Gyoseong, the Qingfeng Sword Dragon, hailed as a prodigy even within the venerable Qingcheng Sect…”

At those words, Squad Leader Han Gyoseong silently saluted.

His eyes, usually sleepy, now gleamed like a sharp blade.

“Young Master Sa Gun-il, the Pointing Sword Dragon, said to be the most outstanding among the disciples of the Pointing Sword Sect.”

At his words, Sagunil silently glared at him.

It seemed he couldn’t bow to the very man who had destroyed his sect.

Not drawing his sword was probably the best he could manage.

“And… Hoo, truly a beauty as legendary as the tales describe. You must be Tang Yueyun, the young lady of the Tang Sword Peak? Your beauty alone is astonishing enough, but to possess such talent as well… I can scarcely imagine how proud your parents must be. I can only envy them.”

It was clearly flattering praise, yet it seemed to grate on Lady Dang.

Her body trembled violently. She clenched her teeth tightly and forced herself to maintain her composure.

But the Blood Demon seemed not to notice, shifting his gaze to the next person.

It was to Mayu Gyeom, who had been glaring at him as if wanting to kill him since just moments ago.

Blood Demon smiled softly and said.

“So you must be Mayu Gyeom of the Pointed Spear Sword. You’re the son of the late Grand Master Ma Won-il of the Pointed Spear Sect, correct? You don’t much resemble your father, though.”

Hearing this, Mayu Gyeom’s face twisted horribly.

For the Blood Demon, the very man who had directly caused the death of his father, Grandmaster Ma Won-il, to utter that name… even I could see that expecting Ma Yu-gyeom to endure this was unreasonable.

He couldn’t hold back any longer and reached for his sword.

“You dare?!”