Have you ever been asked such a question right before a life-or-death battle?

“Which direction do you prefer among east, west, south, and north?”

‘This is psychological warfare.’

Of course, Ha Gyeol thought Geom Mugeuk’s question was a trick meant to confuse him. If so? He’d answer calmly.

“I like the west.”

Then another incomprehensible remark came from Geom Mugeuk’s mouth.

“Oh my. Why the west of all places? There are handsome ones, clever ones, even mysterious ones.”

What on earth was he talking about?

Ha Gyeol couldn’t understand and just scoffed.

“Little Pill Master, cut the nonsense. It won’t work on me.”

Though he pretended to be at ease, he was tense. Killing seven underlings in the blink of an eye wasn’t just talk. The moment he got distracted by those words, the sword would pierce his heart.

‘What exactly is he planning?’

Geom Mugeuk was attempting something he’d never tried before.

Using the Nine Flames Martial Arts’ extinction technique to summon only the western evil spirits. He didn’t intend to kill Ha Gyeol right away. He wanted to keep him alive to find out where the Blood King was ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ hiding.

‘Is that possible?’

With the rise of his mastery, Geom Mugeuk could now control evil spirits fairly freely, so he tried. But then he sheathed his sword.

“My mind has changed.”

His instinct regarding martial arts warned him. Summoning only one evil spirit was possible, but not killing the opponent wasn’t what the evil spirits desired.

Right, summoning evil spirits without killing the enemy was rude.

Geom Mugeuk realized anew.

‘I’m starting to feel a bond with them.’

When he trained in Wind Valley and summoned them, they didn’t vanish immediately but looked at each other. At that moment, he sensed they had emotions.

One of the clever ones even showed regret at parting before disappearing.

“I was reckless. Sorry.”

Ha Gyeol thought this was directed at him, but Geom Mugeuk was apologizing to the evil spirits.

No matter what Geom Mugeuk said, Ha Gyeol stirred his deeply sleeping nature. It was the nature buried while guarding Yang Seok of Bukhyeolmun.

He was a rough and ruthless man. Implanting self-destructive qi in his subordinates, unleashing it mercilessly on those who lacked skill during training, brainwashing survivors with fear. He was someone who achieved his goals by any means.

“You should have killed me when you had the chance!”

Ha Gyeol lunged at Geom Mugeuk, ready to make him pay for underestimating him.

Their swords clashed in midair.

Beyond the crossing blades, Geom Mugeuk’s eyes showed no emotion. The Little Pill Master who had spoken nonsense and joked, now had a changed gaze when the fight began.

The black demon sword emitted overwhelming demonic energy that choked the air. Resisting it, Ha Gyeol’s sword radiated even stronger blood qi.

Their swords collided repeatedly, sparking flames.

Ha Gyeol was fast and strong. His martial art combined swordsmanship and blood techniques, but even without blood techniques, his swordsmanship alone was impressive.

“Die! You demon sect bastard!”

His eyes narrowed, radiating killing intent. Responding to the demonic energy, his emotions flared fiercely. Immense blood qi poured toward Geom Mugeuk.

But sadly for him, the boundless blood qi was blocked by the perfected Celestial Demon’s Protective Art. Geom Mugeuk’s swordsmanship also had the upper hand.

Ha Gyeol increased his attack speed, but no matter how fast he swung, Geom Mugeuk blocked everything.

Each strike contained powerful internal energy, and the more their swords clashed, the more Ha Gyeol felt his arms about to fall off. The internal energy gap was clear as the battle went on.

Unable to endure further, Ha Gyeol retreated abruptly. Instead of chasing fast, Geom Mugeuk calmly asked,

“I asked to meet the person you serve. If you die here, who will protect that person?”

Hearing this, Ha Gyeol’s eyes trembled slightly.

‘He’s no ordinary leader.’

Blood relative or master.

The blood qi radiating from Ha Gyeol became rougher. As the fight continued, his blood boiled fiercely.

Shaaak!

Blood qi burst forth from Ha Gyeol’s sword.

Geom Mugeuk didn’t evade and released sword energy in response.

Bang!

The collision of sword energy and blood qi raised dust.

Ha Gyeol unleashed his blood qi madly.

Clash after clash.

“Die!”

Ha Gyeol shouted fiercely, pouring out blood qi.

The ground trembled and the earth threatened to overturn, but Geom Mugeuk stood firm, blocking all attacks.

Ha Gyeol stopped his assault and panted heavily. Geom Mugeuk approached calmly.

Ha Gyeol allowed Geom Mugeuk this close for a reason. Suddenly, behind Geom Mugeuk, a silent red aura spread like wings.

Whoooosh.

That red aura enveloped Geom Mugeuk instantly like it was seizing prey.

It was Ha Gyeol’s secret blood technique, the Binding Blood Membrane of the Ten Thousand Evils Blood Skill.

‘Caught!’

Once trapped inside the membrane, the opponent would suffocate to death. No technique could tear through it.

Like an egg shell, Geom Mugeuk struggled inside the blood membrane.

“Die right there! Little Pill Master!”

He was half-controlled by blood qi. More than the goal to find the Extreme Vessel or the backlash of killing the Demon Sect’s Little Pill Master, he was overwhelmed by the desire to kill.

Ha Gyeol looked at Yang Seok with bloodthirsty eyes.

“Spare me! I was wrong!”

This was no time for pride. Ha Gyeol’s eyes looked as if he might charge and kill him immediately.

At that moment—

Blue light flashed inside the membrane.

Peww.

The blue light tore through the membrane. It was the black demon sword shining with sword energy.

The membrane ripped sideways as Geom Mugeuk thrust his sword.

Screeeeech.

Ha Gyeol screamed as the membrane writhed like it was alive.

Through the torn membrane, Geom Mugeuk poked his head out.

“I hate feeling trapped.”

He roughly tore the ripped membrane apart with both hands. Once torn, even his hands tore the blood membrane further.

When Ha Gyeol’s scream peaked—

Thunk—the Binding Blood Membrane disappeared. Ha Gyeol asked in pain,

“How? Even sword energy couldn’t tear this.”

“When you teach that martial art, be sure to tell them it won’t work on the Demon Sect Little Pill Master.”

At those words, Ha Gyeol’s body emitted a stronger blood scent, and his eyes filled with blood. It wasn’t just red aura but actual blood.

Now blood qi was consuming him. He realized he couldn’t defeat Geom Mugeuk without becoming a perfect Bloodman.

Blood orbs began to rise from his palms. Scores of them floated and shaped into small throwing knives.

Shkshkshkshkshk!

Another secret technique.

Flying Blood Rain Blades.

Dozens of hidden blades poured toward Geom Mugeuk. Geom Mugeuk began to run.

Papapapapapak!

Among the raining blood blades, Geom Mugeuk displayed astonishing agility.

Watching, Yang Seok’s eyes widened.

How could he dodge that? The thought only came after Geom Mugeuk had already dodged.

Dodging the raining blades was almost beautiful.

After avoiding all the blades and landing, a new secret technique awaited. The Flying Blood Rain Blades were just a setup.

Shhaak! Thud! Shhaak! Shhaaaak.

Red lines appeared all around Geom Mugeuk. The blood lines trapped him like a spiderweb, enclosing him. It was like being imprisoned in a blood prison.

The Divided Body Blood Net.

“Don’t move. Touch the blood lines and you’ll die.”

“Can I still move my mouth?”

Yang Seok almost chuckled. A joke even in this situation?

Meanwhile, the blood in Ha Gyeol’s eyes became even redder.

SsSsSsS!

The blood lines tightened around Geom Mugeuk.

“I’ll cut you into so many pieces that no one will find your corpse!”

The blood lines approached to sever Geom Mugeuk.

Even in this desperate moment, Geom Mugeuk was calm. He poured internal energy into his black demon sword, which glowed with blue sword energy.

“You don’t think your martial art can beat my internal energy and black demon sword.”

That was the confidence from absolute self-belief.

Papapapapapak!

The black demon sword sliced through all directions.

Chichichichik! Snap! Crack!

The blood lines began to be cut.

At this unbelievable moment, Ha Gyeol used his final secret technique, which required half his innate energy.

Blood droplets rose from his hand and transformed into butterflies that flew.

Before Geom Mugeuk, cutting the blood lines.

Pop.

The butterflies exploded.

Flying Butterfly Blood Poison.

His master had said it was a poison equal in power to the Formless Poison. No one could stop it, but it required half the innate energy.

As the blood butterflies exploded, Geom Mugeuk was completely surrounded by red smoke.

Ha Gyeol was certain the Little Pill Master wouldn’t hold out any longer. Only then did his gaze turn to Yang Seok.

“Because of you, the Demon Sect Little Pill Master is dead.”

Yang Seok was resentful. Why blame him when he was the one who killed? But he dared not reply. Ha Gyeol’s eyes were still filled with blood.

“Now the demons will swarm and wipe out Bukhyeolmun.”

At that moment, Yang Seok’s expression changed in surprise.

“Did you really not expect this when you did this?”

But Yang Seok wasn’t surprised by Ha Gyeol’s words.

From the red smoke behind Ha Gyeol, Geom Mugeuk was walking out.

Ha Gyeol was horrified when he saw him.

“Surviving the blood poison? How?”

Every absolute truth his master had taught him was collapsing today.

He had never felt so helpless.

He was ashamed for worrying about Geom Mugeuk’s death even briefly. The Geom Mugeuk standing before him felt like an immense wall.

Then suddenly, a thought came to him.

“You know I won’t speak.”

“Yes.”

“You could have killed me earlier.”

“Yes.”

“Then why risk it?”

It dawned on him that Geom Mugeuk hadn’t kept him alive just to ask about the master’s whereabouts. There was a reason for dragging this fight out.

“To get used to blood techniques. Your backers probably use the same martial art.”

“!”

At once, Ha Gyeol’s expression hardened completely. Joking and speaking nonsense, making him forget how meticulous and terrifying this guy really was.

“I lost.”

Ha Gyeol hung his head in resignation. His tone became polite.

“If you spare me, I’ll tell you who’s behind it and where they are now.”

“You should have said that sooner.”

Geom Mugeuk slowly approached him.

When he took five steps forward, Ha Gyeol’s expression changed.

“You fool! Did you think I’d tell you so easily?”

A satisfied smile spread on Ha Gyeol’s face.

“In this distance, you can’t avoid my self-destructive qi.”

He was sure he could kill Geom Mugeuk.

Yet Geom Mugeuk wasn’t very surprised. It was as if he had expected this.

“Did you think I would believe your words so easily?”

“What? Then why did you come closer?”

“Why? Still practicing. Whoever your backers are, they’ll pull tricks like this too.”

“You bastard! Let’s see if you can stay so calm even while dying!”

Ha Gyeol’s face instantly flushed as he used self-destructive qi. It was faster than his other subordinates and surely far stronger.

At that moment—

Geom Mugeuk vanished before his eyes.

Shocked, Ha Gyeol stopped his self-destructive qi, choking on blood as his qi tangled from forcibly halting it.

Then Geom Mugeuk reappeared, having opened a space-time swapping technique and vanished instantly before.

The two martial arts clashed like polar opposites.

“No matter how fast you use self-destructive qi, you won’t be faster than me.”

Ha Gyeol’s face reddened again, trying to use self-destructive qi even faster.

But by the time he finished the last incantation, Geom Mugeuk had already disappeared.

“What the hell are you...”

Unable to finish his words, Ha Gyeol spat blood again. Forcibly stopping self-destructive qi caused him to vomit more blood than before.

Still, he couldn’t die alone meaninglessly. The martial art that caused him the greatest injury was self-destructive qi.

“Arghhh!”

Ha Gyeol screamed fiercely.

Suddenly Geom Mugeuk reappeared in front of him.

“When a martial artist loses, they should just die. How dirty and pathetic is that?”

Geom Mugeuk looked into Ha Gyeol’s blood-filled eyes. His own face reflected there. Peering into that abyss, Geom Mugeuk calmly said,

“Do you know why you’re looking for your backers? Because I don’t like you. You refuse to accept defeat and drag others down like a ghost. I don’t like that.”

Who could stop those who recklessly use self-destructive qi in this world? They’re dirty, pathetic, and terrifying, so people avoid them. Who would chase them down with such desperation?

Those who make people fear for their own gain. They are also evil. They must be crushed under the name of the Demon Sect.

“…If you spare me, I might find my backers.”

Trying to keep talking, Ha Gyeol sought a chance. But his opponent was Geom Mugeuk.

“You have no intention of telling me, do you? I’ll find out myself.”

Geom Mugeuk stopped the conversation.

“You said you like the west?”

At the moment those words ended,

Ha Gyeol felt a chilling murderous intent nearby.

And he saw it. The most terrifying thing he had ever seen in his life. The terrifying blade that swung without hesitation.

Shiiik!

Screech!

Ha Gyeol’s severed head flew through the air.

In his blood-filled eyes, many images reflected: the sky, Geom Mugeuk’s cold gaze, Yang Seok’s shocked face, the terrifying evil spirit disappearing.

Then the ground, grass, and sky blurred past quickly, slowed down, and darkness came.