Chapter 184: Opening Ceremony (1)

“How is this happening!?”

Kwak Cheol, an aide to the Murim Alliance branch in Guangxi, was shocked.

Their reactions were expected, however.

Who could have predicted that the large-scale gathering of 10,000 Blood Sect members would have been a decoy to allow the strongest people in the Blood Sect to head to the Murim Alliance branch?

At that moment, Woo Jiksoo spoke.

“Sub leader! This is all lies. Even if the strongest members of the Sect went there, the strength of the branch alone is close to 1,000 warriors. Besides, the branch head, the strongest of the province, stayed behind with the warriors to guard it.”

Hearing his words, Kwak Cheol’s expression returned to normal.

“Thank you. I almost fell for the tricks of the enemy.”

“A trick?”

“They are using the Show The East to Hit The West stratagem. Such skillful maneuvering, Blood Demon.”

This was a stratagem where you would make a loud noise in the east while striking the enemy from the west. Kwak Cheol then spoke in a heavy voice to us.

“You don’t seem to think this was a ploy to make our forces withdraw and strike after them?”

“A ploy?”

I wanted to laugh at his speculation. I didn’t even intend such deep planning, but his thinking of the strategy went beyond our own thoughts.

Well, they would have fought in countless battles alongside each other on various battlefields. It was inevitable that they would use their heads.

Kwak Cheol pointed his sword at me and said,

“Blood Demon. There is something you overlooked as well. If we kill you, the leader of this sect, their whole spirit will die with you.”

That statement wasn’t wrong.

If I was killed here, that would be the end of it.

“I will die with you for the sake of a bright future, Blood Demon.”

Woo Jiksoo spoke to me with a voice full of determination.

“I will be with you. You will never be able to get out of here today...”

Puak!

“Kuak!”

“Leader Woo!”

At that moment, a sword pierced through Woo Jiksoo’s chest.

He couldn’t hide his shock as he looked at his chest. Clearly, he hadn’t been expecting this.

Sima Young was coming back from a throwing stance around 10 steps away.

She waved at me with a bright face when I looked at her.

“I really do not like the man.”

Noh Seong-gu, my head of the guard, gave her a toothy grin.

I was grateful since I didn’t need to keep listening to these justice-loving people spewing out their ideas of justice.

“Blood DEMONNNNN!”

Kwak Cheol, the sub-leader of the Murim Alliance, was clearly angry and yelled loudly as he rushed at me. Seeing that he was gathering his Qi, it seemed like he was making his move.

Pat!

I glided to him like a falcon, drawing the Blood Demon Sword in a half-moon path. I unleashed the Blood Heavenly Sura Sword.

Chachachang!

“Huh!”

Chang!

The man lost his blade, so he couldn’t even survive a single exchange.

The pressure of blood all over his body was heightened by my sword technique, leading to his collapse.

“Kuak!”

He was by no means weak.

He had strong enough martial arts to rise to the rank of sub-leader, but my martial arts, which had reached a higher level, could easily deal with him.

This man was not capable of even being my match.

“T-this monster.”

The man lashed out after seeing my skills. This man, who could no longer even move, seemed to still have the energy to talk.

“... kill me.”

Perhaps he realized there was nothing else he could do with his body in that state. He was asking me to kill him.

I looked at him and said,

“No.”

“What?”

“I will show you something nice.”

“What are....”

Leaving him behind, I gave my order to the sect.

“Let the ceremony begin!”

“WOAHHHH!!!”

As soon as my order was heard, the sect let loose with their cheers and advanced to the Murim Alliance warriors.

“Look there.”

“W-wait, Blood Demon! Are you asking me to look at the sight of all this death until the end?”

They had no chance of winning in the first place. After all, they had brought 2,000 people here not for victory but to seek death.

I said to him in a cold voice.

“You led your subordinates here with your own body and thoughts for that purpose. You should have been prepared for that.”

I rushed towards the Murim Alliance warriors after saying that. Kwak Cheol screamed from behind me, but I paid him no care.

-That is a good choice.

Blood Demon Sword also approved.

On the fourth floor of the Murim Alliance branch of Guangxi.

The interior of the building was covered in blood and had become a mess. Baek Hye-hyang was holding her imitation Blood Demon Sword that was covered in red and let out a rough breath.

“Haa... haa...”

Even if it was her, it was only natural to become tired after fighting against the hundreds of warriors that had barred their path here.

She wiped at the blood that soaked her face and mumbled.

“The moment I acknowledged him as the Blood Demon, he made use of me right away.”

Even as she said this, her lips were curved into a smile. She could hear the sound of clashing swords and roars of fighting nearby.

The Nine Nobles of the Blood Sect were still dealing with numerous warriors.

She had originally planned to rid them all at the same time, but she had become impatient and went in first.

“Even the old man is a monster.”

She looked out the window and saw them fighting outside.

Pain coursed through him as his wrist was separated. Yet, knowing that stopping here would only lead to further suffering, he hurriedly kicked at her wrist.

Pak!

Her sword was lifted slightly, creating a gap. As he changed the path of his kick towards her chest to widen the distance, Baek Hye-hyang’s fingers dug into three places in his calf.

Puak!

He had tried to deal with the pain from his severed wrist, but this pain was insane. She could not miss this chance.

Puapuak!

Baek Hye-hyang stepped forward and launched shots of Qi into his chest.

Oh Jaso ended up coughing out blood as his internal wounds became apparent.

Thud!

He soon fell to the ground. Baek Hye-hyang then pointed her sword at his neck and said,

“Hey, that was quite nice.”

‘Nice?’

He was stunned.

For a man who had been called the best in Guangxi to end like this, even with two escorts, was a disgrace.

Oh Jaso struggled and spoke.

“Cough... foolish one... do you think the Blood Sect can be brought back again?”

“This is the start.”

“Cough... you are so foolish. By attacking not only us but also the government, you can never be safe.”

“The government? Hahahaha.”

At his words, Baek Hye-hyang laughed.

She then held onto his hair and spoke.

“We didn’t even touch them, so why would they fight us?”

“What?”

Oh Jaso was in a state of utter confusion. Although he had fallen victim to her ploy just now, there was no way the government would leave the Blood Sect alone.

So what was this?

“You don’t think that only you people can bribe the officials, do you?”

Oh Jaso’s eyes fluttered as he heard this.

This was different from the Blood Sect of 20 years ago.

Unlike the Murim Alliance, which maintained good relations with the government, the Blood Sect had not done this and rejected everything.

‘They had settled it with the government?’

If that was the case, the first of the three military plans had already collapsed. If there was no conflict with the government, it would not be possible to take down the Blood Sect.

Oh Jaso bit his lip.

Since this had happened, he had no choice but to feel that the second plan would become necessary.

‘Keep laughing now. The provinces of Yunnan, Guizhou, Hunan, and Guangdong are coming here.’

Their victory would be temporary.

The Murim Alliance’s purpose in the first place wasn’t to utilize the government. Their true purpose was to eliminate the Blood Sect before it could fully revive.

Even if they were sacrificed, they would never be allowed to return.

Oh Jaso smiled.

“Hehehehe.... Even if that is the case, nothing will change. Enjoy it all now. Cough... soon your smiles will vanish.”

“Will our smiles vanish?”

“I will leave and wait for you to come to join me. Kill me.”

Oh Jaso closed his eyes as he said this.

He never thought about surviving against the Blood Sect. It was clear that they would massacre him and everyone else. He had studied them for the past 20 years, after all.

However, she then spoke unexpected words.

“I would if it was my way, but the current Blood Demon wants to keep you alive.”

“What?”

Oh Jaso opened his eyes, unable to understand.

Then, from somewhere, came the sound of drums and a shout.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

“WOAHHHHH!!!”

“What is this...”

“Looks like they are here.”

Clench!

“Kuak!”

Baek Hye-hyang grabbed him by the hair and pushed him to the window.

“Ah! I have missed a lot.”

Baek Hye-hyang, who glanced outside, clicked her tongue.

She grabbed Oh Jaso’s hair and pulled him up.

His expression froze. An unknown person who wore a demon’s mask was entering the yard like a general, escorted by an army of Blood Sect members, each holding a flag with the characters of Blood upon them.

This wasn’t what surprised him.

“You people....”

He could see more than a thousand alliance warriors being dragged as captives of the Blood Sect.

It was as if he, too, was now a prisoner.

“Why let them live?”

Baek Hye-hyang lightly answered his question.

“I heard they would be good shields for negotiations?”

‘...?!’

Negotiations?

He was at a loss for words.

Wasn’t the Blood Sect one that ran like madmen and left nothing but corpses and didn’t accept surrender?

Yet they were saying they were keeping prisoners alive?

‘What is...’

An unpleasant feeling gripped his heart. Of course, using prisoners to negotiate was a common tactic in war.

It wasn’t because this was special that left him speechless. Baek Hye-hyang looked at someone holding a spear outside, sighed, and then laughed.

“It looks like things will be different from the old sect from now on.”

‘..!!’

Truly, a frustrating feeling.