424 Chapter - Nothing Is Inevitable.
424 Chapter - Nothing Is Inevitable.
The door fully opened, and the Blood King stepped out.
He had just emerged from a blood-filled tank, completely naked, with blood dripping steadily from his body.
The stench of blood was so overwhelming that Yang Seok wanted to bolt outside. It was the thickest scent of blood he had ever experienced.
If alcohol had a scent, this was like the scent of blood essence.
Meanwhile, the head of Bukhyeolmun paid no heed to the smell and stared intently at the Blood King.
He was younger than expected.
Handsome face, long limbs, and a sculpted perfect physique.
On top of that, striking red hair that drew the eye.
His first impression was the most intense of any martial artist the head had ever seen.
‘A maddeningly powerful man.’
Even though the Blood King hadn’t revealed his energy, just that first impression gave the thought.
In contrast, Yang Seok was overwhelmed by the blood smell and could not properly assess the Blood King. But one thing was certain.
‘This is the mastermind.’
The fact that he had been hiding in the secret room behind the Sect Master’s chamber was shocking.
‘To keep such a secret from his own son... He should have told me.’
Even now, Yang Seok’s heart was filled with resentment toward his father.
Clack clack clack clack!
Dozens of martial artists suddenly sprang from the left and right doors, blocking the head of Bukhyeolmun. They also grimaced at the foul smell.
Usually, when the head entered through the secret door, he ordered his men to stay behind. But today, unaware the man inside the secret room would come out, he had not done so.
The Blood King looked down at the martial artists with indifferent eyes.
From those eyes, the head sensed many feelings. It was not the cold, emotionless gaze of a monster. It was hot as blood, sticky as blood, chilling as blood.
There was another feeling. It seemed order and logic would not apply; this man lived by instinct, drawn by the call of blood.
Yet the head knew that was not all. If he only obeyed instinct, he wouldn’t have survived so long in the secret room. He possessed a relentless patience that overwhelmed all—his most terrifying trait.
At that moment, the Blood King slowly extended both hands forward.
Shhaaaak!
From his outstretched fingers, ten red lines shot out simultaneously.
Thunk thunk thunk thunk thunk!
Each line pierced a martial artist’s forehead.
They were not skills that should kill so easily, yet the martial artists collapsed and died instantly.
The head of Bukhyeolmun had never seen such martial arts. It wasn’t a wind technique, nor did weapons fly.
The Blood King slowly walked toward the great hall, blood dripping continuously from his body.
Naked, he sat down on the throne.
His aura and presence were immense—along with the suffocating smell of blood.
The Blood King closed his eyes and murmured incantations, extending his hand sideways. Though he didn’t touch a wound, blood trickled from his palm.
Drip.
From the blood on the floor, red smoke began to rise.
Bang!
The Blood King struck a blow, shattering the ceiling.
The red smoke rose through the broken roof, like sending a signal to someone.
Murmurs sounded outside in response.
The head of Bukhyeolmun filled with internal energy shouted,
“Everyone, fall back!”
The noise outside soon died down, and silence settled.
The Blood King sitting on the throne silently looked down at the head.
The head knelt and bowed.
“My lord!”
Since becoming sect leader, and even since birth, the head had never knelt to anyone other than his parents or master—until now.
But instinct told him that if he didn’t kneel now, he would die by this man’s hand.
Yang Seok, standing awkwardly, quickly dropped to his knees as well.
He was truly astonished. He felt the naked man was strong but never imagined his father would kneel—especially without a word spoken.
‘My lord?’
The words from his father’s mouth felt utterly unfamiliar.
Then the Blood King spoke, his voice low and resonant.
“How did Ha Gyeol die?”
Had he overheard the conversation from the secret room? Or was he connected by blood? He knew Ha Gyeol had died.
“We do not know yet. We just received the news,” the head replied respectfully.
The Blood King rose from the throne and stepped forward.
With each step, the hearts of the head and Yang Seok pounded violently. Even the seasoned sect leader felt fear.
This man wielded a presence incomparable to Ha Gyeol.
The Blood King approached Yang Seok.
Up close, his eyes were terrifying; the thick blood scent made Yang Seok feel like suffocating.
“You were with Ha Gyeol when he died, weren’t you?”
Not a question but an accusation.
Yang Seok’s vision darkened. Fear seized him, but he desperately denied, knowing that honesty might mean a painful death.
“No.”
But the Blood King was not just testing him.
“I smell Ha Gyeol’s blood on you.”
“!”
Yang Seok’s heart dropped. Perhaps a few drops of blood had splattered on him during the fight.
But could he really smell that blood?
The Blood King glared coldly at Yang Seok.
“Who killed Ha Gyeol? Was it you?”
He should have said he didn’t know, but the Blood King’s gaze was too terrifying. Yang Seok squeezed his eyes shut and shouted,
“No, no! I did not kill him.”
“Then who?”
Without hesitation, Yang Seok confessed truthfully.
“The Demon Sect’s Little Pill Master.”
The Blood King’s subtle blood aura radiated as he placed his hand on Yang Seok’s head. When his hand touched Yang Seok’s crown, Yang Seok pleaded.
“Please! Spare me!”
He felt strange energy enter his body from the crown. He couldn’t resist. His whole body trembled as if the energy might burst inside his head.
“Please!”
The head of Bukhyeolmun did not move to help his son. Even if he did, it would not stop the Blood King.
More importantly, he was furious at Yang Seok. He had lied blatantly even while present where Ha Gyeol died and even faked surprise at the news.
The Blood King withdrew his hand from Yang Seok’s crown.
“Haa, haa.”
Yang Seok, unsure what the energy was, breathed heavily in relief, feeling alive for now.
“What happened to the one with the Extreme Vessel?”
The Blood King asked again, and Yang Seok answered without hesitation.
“Chimma took him.”
The Blood King’s eyes slit wide, turning red. When Seo Nak died, he vowed in the blood tank to kill Chimma. Now Chimma stood before him again.
Having lost both his right hand and the Extreme Vessel, the Blood King was relentless.
“Tell the Little Pill Master I want to meet him.”
His red eyes between narrow slits were terrifying.
“In the meantime, kill Chimma and retrieve the Extreme Vessel.”
“He’ll target my brother.”
Chimma, who had been staring out the window, turned his head.
“Elder Seo is dead and the Extreme Vessel is gone. He’ll surely seek revenge on my brother.”
“That’s what I hope.”
Chimma was not afraid. He had the skill to back it.
Only the Blood King’s self-destructive qi was frightening. Chimma’s own pulse couldn’t block that technique.
“I have one favor.”
“What favor?”
“You must grant it.”
“No. I refuse.”
Geom Mugeuk said nothing.
“What is it?”
“You said you refused? Ah! You really are my brother. Refusing this favor.”
Chimma couldn’t help but ask out of curiosity.
“Just hear me out.”
Filling the cup before him, Chimma said,
“Just don’t tell me to quit drinking. I realized while quitting that life loses its joy without alcohol.”
“That’s all?”
“Yes, everything else.”
“No coming to me last after you’ve been exiled. And also…”
Even now, he was relaxed. Geom Mugeuk smiled and drew his black demon sword from its sheath.
“It’s not a difficult favor…”
Reluctantly, Chimma loudly said,
“I don’t know what it is, but no! I refuse!”
Watching Geom Mugeuk walking toward him from afar, Yang Seok’s heart pounded as if about to explode.
—Hold him as long as possible. If you # Nоvеlight # fail, you die.
The image of the Blood King’s cold warning flashed in his mind.
‘He really will kill me.’
The Blood King was different from Geom Mugeuk. He would kill without the slightest hesitation.
And his father wouldn’t help him either, judging from the look in his eyes when the Blood King gave orders.
By then, Geom Mugeuk had reached him.
“You have arrived?”
Yang Seok bowed deeply. His attitude toward Geom Mugeuk had completely changed.
“Sorry for the sudden summons.”
“Why did you want to meet?”
“I have information about the mastermind.”
“What information?”
“Let’s walk for a bit.”
Yang Seok walked with Geom Mugeuk to a secluded field near Bukhyeolmun.
Breaking the silence, Yang Seok cautiously said,
“I visited my father. As you said, I was honest. I told him I want to help. Then he told me—he didn’t expect honesty to be so powerful.”
“Where is the mastermind?”
“He said the mastermind is at Binggeommun.”
Binggeommun was one of the three great powers of the Northern Sea, along with Northern Sea Binggung and Bukhyeolmun.
‘Even if things go wrong later, I can pin everything on my father.’
The Blood King was terrifying, but this opponent was the Demon Sect’s Little Pill Master. He needed an escape route.
Looking quietly at Yang Seok, Geom Mugeuk suddenly asked,
“Do you think the mastermind is really at Binggeommun? Or did he tell you to say that?”
Yang Seok calmly asked,
“What do you mean?”
Yang Seok couldn’t tell if Geom Mugeuk was probing or if he saw through his lie.
“Of course, Binggeommun is the place to buy time. That means the mastermind has revealed himself before you.”
No matter how hard he tried not to be surprised, Geom Mugeuk always shocked him.
“You fooled me once; now you try to fool me again.”
Feeling he couldn’t hide the truth any longer, Yang Seok decided to side with the Blood King out of fear.
But looking again at Geom Mugeuk, he realized a different kind of fear existed. A man who could see into his soul. In front of Geom Mugeuk, he was naked.
“I was wrong. Please spare me!”
Yang Seok prostrated himself on the spot.
‘You sly bastard! No matter what, I will survive!’
Kneeling to one side, then the other, kneeling again until his knees would no longer bend—he would survive no matter what.
“How did you know I lied?”
“When you suggested we walk together.”
“Why?”
“If you had found the information, you’d brag the moment you saw me. But asking me to walk together? Strange.”
Geom Mugeuk knew exactly what kind of person Yang Seok was.
“I had no choice. He forced me.”
“There’s no such thing as ‘no choice.’ Only bad choices. And today is one of those days. You met me and this is what happened. You could have been honest.”
Yang Seok had no excuse.
“What else did he say?”
“He only told me to meet the Little Pill Master.”
Geom Mugeuk stared into his eyes and suddenly said,
“You said you were stalling to kill Chimma?”
In Yang Seok’s eyes, Geom Mugeuk saw undeniable agitation.
“So you were stalling to kill Chimma.”
Surprised, Yang Seok waved his hands.
“No.”
“Or?”
“I was just…”
He tried to explain but his words caught in his throat. Geom Mugeuk was no one who would accept excuses.
Yang Seok knelt again.
“Please forgive me. When you see him, you’ll understand. He is not human!”
Though bowed deeply, Yang Seok’s true thoughts were far from a desperate plea.
‘Forgive me. You proud ones get pleasure from forgiveness, don’t you?’
He thought this because he didn’t know the look Geom Mugeuk gave him. His crimes were too great, death was certain—only a matter of time.
“Hurry and go. Shouldn’t you help Chimma right now?”
Geom Mugeuk didn’t worry at all about Chimma.
“Why worry about Chimma? The only one qualified to worry about the Demon is Cheonma.”
This was to uphold Chimma’s pride and to show his faith in Chimma.
Of course, Geom Mugeuk’s confidence wasn’t only because of Chimma’s skill. The opponent was simply too strong.
The supreme heavenly silkworm wrapped around the black demon sword in Geom Mugeuk’s hand was no longer visible.
Geom Mugeuk’s request was to wrap that supreme heavenly silkworm around Chimma’s body.
Chimma had refused to let it be wrapped but finally allowed it. Multiple wraps around his heart and vital points. Because the battle with the Blood King was unpredictable.
One more thing to trust—
There was the quick return technique to come back without delay.
“Get up now.”
Yang Seok rose and tried hard to please Geom Mugeuk.
“I believe it. The Little Pill Master will eliminate him. He will do it cleanly.”
“I can’t watch.”
Geom Mugeuk vanished instantly.
Yang Seok, confused, didn’t realize his face and body had instantly reddened.
Kraaaang!
He exploded with self-destructive qi. The blood qi swept forward with immense power, but Geom Mugeuk was already inside the space-time swapping technique.
Geom Mugeuk reappeared.
Yang Seok lay dead with a huge hole in his chest.
The Demon Sect’s Little Pill Master had mercilessly used the sect leader of Bukhyeolmun as a tool for self-destructive qi. And that sect leader was his opponent.
Geom Mugeuk finally realized the Blood King had truly emerged.
He probably didn’t expect Yang Seok to kill him, since Ha Gyeol hadn’t.
If so, this was the Blood King’s greeting.
Looking down at the pierced hole, Geom Mugeuk said quietly,
“Yes, nice to meet you, madman.”