Chapter 42: At the Ak Sword Family (2)
Commander Chung Yang of the Iron Sword Corps entered the Ak Sword Family with the martial artists of the Iron Sword Corps.
The Ak Sword Family’s martial artists were lined up throughout the estate, and the atmosphere was extremely gloomy.
The one who greeted Chung Yang was Ak Dogwang, the eldest son of Martial Alliance Leader Ak Sogun. The second son, Ak Seopyeong, assisted his father at the Martial Alliance, while the eldest managed the family.
“Welcome.”
“It has been a long time.”
The two exchanged respectful greetings with cupped fists. Neither of them was in a position to treat the other carelessly.
“I heard there was an intruder?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
The intruder had truly been bold.
This was the Martial Alliance Leader’s ancestral home. There was no need to explain how impenetrable its security was. Even if someone possessed the ability to infiltrate it, did they really think the Ak Sword Family or the Martial Alliance would simply let them go after causing trouble here? They would surely stop at nothing to capture them. Yet the intruder had dared to break in anyway.
“Did you catch him?”
“No. We couldn’t find any trace of him. We couldn’t even find any signs of the intrusion.”
“Were any members of the family killed or injured?”
“Fortunately, no.”
“Was anything stolen?”
“No.”
Chung Yang found himself puzzled.
No one had been killed or injured, and nothing had been stolen?
‘Then why did they call us?’
The Ak Sword Family had a considerable number of experts. Ak Dogwang alone had already reached the Peak Realm. Even if there had been an intruder, unless it was an exceptionally serious matter, they were not the sort to seek the Martial Alliance’s assistance.
“Come with me. There’s something you must see.”
Ak Dogwang led only Chung Yang and Hwang Ilbi somewhere.
The farther they walked, the stronger the smell of blood became.
‘He said no one was killed or injured.’
Chung Yang and Hwang Ilbi exchanged uneasy glances.
Preparing for anything that might happen, the two secretly circulated their Internal Energy while keeping their surroundings under careful watch.
Eventually, when they reached the deepest part of the Ak Sword Family’s rear garden, both Chung Yang and Hwang Ilbi were stunned.
“What is this?”
The courtyard, the walls of the buildings—blood had been splattered everywhere.
“I thought you said no one had died?”
“That’s correct. It isn’t the blood of anyone from our family.”
“What? Then whose blood is it?”
“We don’t know. The intruder scattered it here before leaving.”
“What did you say?”
Chung Yang looked around again.
This wasn’t the amount of blood that would come from one or two corpses.
At the very least, it had come from more than a dozen people.
Only then did Chung Yang understand why they had called them.
A bizarre incident, the kind that might happen only once in a lifetime, had occurred.
“Please give us a moment.”
“Very well.”
After Ak Dogwang stepped away, leaving only the two of them, Chung Yang spoke in disbelief.
“This bastard’s completely insane.”
“He is. But he’s no ordinary expert. He managed to bring all this blood into the rear garden of the Ak Sword Family.”
“Could he have brought living people here, killed them, then buried the bodies somewhere?”
“Wouldn’t that have been even more difficult?”
“I suppose so. Then how did he bring this much blood? In containers?”
“I can’t even begin to guess.”
At that moment, a voice came from behind them.
“I think I know.”
Both men spun around in shock.
One person was walking toward them.
It was Baek Socheon.
“How did you get here?”
“Didn’t you hear? I have greater authority over classified matters than you do.”
Of course, Chung Yang knew that.
On top of that, Baek Socheon possessed independent operational authority and immunity.
In other words, Chung Yang had no authority to stop him from coming here.
Chung Yang had even been considering using this matter to pressure Jegal Hyeon.
In any case, to Chung Yang, Baek Socheon was the very embodiment of “those who come mean no good,” an unwelcome guest, so his tone naturally became confrontational.
“Why are you here?”
“Do you think I came to sightsee? I came to help you.”
“I don’t need your help.”
“Very well.”
Without the slightest hesitation, Baek Socheon turned around to leave.
After he had taken a few steps, Chung Yang called out.
“Wait!”
“What is it?”
“You said earlier you knew what happened here?”
“I did.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I mean I know who did this.”
“What?”
Not only Chung Yang, but even Hwang Ilbi beside him was startled.
What had Baek Socheon discovered in this place covered entirely in blood?
He had only just arrived.
“Who did it?”
“Didn’t you just say you didn’t need my help? A true man shouldn’t speak with a forked tongue.”
Chung Yang bit his lip tightly.
‘Endure. Just endure.’
If he acted according to his temper, he’d tell Baek Socheon to get lost.
But this incident had occurred in the Martial Alliance Leader’s own home.
Since he had personally come to investigate it, he had to produce results somehow.
Hwang Ilbi quietly stepped forward.
“Our Commander spoke carelessly for a moment. Please forgive him and enlighten us.”
Hearing that, Chung Yang felt irritated.
He disliked the description that he had merely spoken carelessly, and he disliked even more that Hwang Ilbi had asked Baek Socheon for guidance.
Under different circumstances, he would have exploded at Hwang Ilbi for talking nonsense.
But he forced himself to pretend he hadn’t heard it.
Baek Socheon looked at Chung Yang.
“Well, your Commander has always had a habit of speaking carelessly.”
He had poured oil onto the fire, yet Chung Yang endured once more.
That was how badly he wanted to make a good impression on the Alliance Leader.
Staring directly at him, Baek Socheon said,
“You’ve become much more patient.”
“I’ve always been patient.”
“Then why couldn’t you be patient back then?”
“That was…!”
Back then, he had desperately wanted to take the authority that had gathered around Baek Socheon and make it his own.
Even if he had to trample him to do it.
Of course, things hadn’t gone as he’d hoped.
“Stop provoking me.”
“Isn’t your position one where you have to endure being provoked?”
“What?”
“Then endure it. If you develop a little more patience, you won’t be such a bad person.”
Since it was neither something he could get angry about nor something he could be pleased about, Chung Yang found himself speechless.
Baek Socheon lightly leaped up and caught the edge of the roof before pulling himself onto it.
“Come up here.”
The two used their movement techniques and followed him onto the roof.
The moment they looked down from above, both Chung Yang and Hwang Ilbi were astonished.
From below, it had looked like blood had simply been splashed everywhere.
But from above, it formed two characters.
Because it had been written in cursive and spread across both the ground and the walls in enormous strokes, it couldn’t be recognized from below.
Kill Heaven.
They had no idea why those words had been written.
But at the very least, they knew it was a message directed at the Martial Alliance Leader.
“It may be a warning that they intend to kill the Alliance Leader.”
At Hwang Ilbi’s words, Chung Yang nodded.
In the Martial World of the Righteous Faction, the sky was the Martial Alliance Leader.
‘Heaven’ undoubtedly referred to Ak Sogun.
Moreover, the words had been written at the Martial Alliance Leader’s own family estate.
“You said you know who did this?”
Baek Socheon nodded.
“That blood isn’t ordinary blood.”
“What do you mean?”
“It was created by Blood Heaven Technique, the unique martial art of Myeolsaeng, the Cult Leader of the Blood Sect beyond the frontier.”
At the mention of the Blood Sect, both Chung Yang and Hwang Ilbi were shocked.
Over the past three hundred years, the Blood Sect had produced its greatest genius.
That person was its current Cult Leader, Myeolsaeng.
Blood Heaven Technique was his unique martial art, an extremely sinister demonic art that manipulated blood.
He could spray blood from his own body to attack his enemies or forcibly draw the blood from their bodies.
Imagine it.
Simply standing there while your opponent extracted every drop of blood from every opening in your body.
Furthermore, it was said that if blood from Myeolsaeng’s own body touched someone, their flesh would melt.
“How did you know that was the Blood Sect Leader’s martial art?”
“Take a careful smell of the blood.”
Chung Yang and Hwang Ilbi sniffed the air.
“It seems to smell of cinnamon.”
At Hwang Ilbi’s words, Chung Yang nodded.
“That’s true.”
There was another distinctive characteristic.
“Blood created by Blood Heaven Technique looks red up close, but when viewed from a distance like this, it carries a deep bluish tint.”
Just as Baek Socheon had said, the blood was tinged with blue.
“How do you know something like this as well?”
“I read it in a book. If you go to the Ten Thousand Books Repository, there’s a book called Comprehensive Records of Martial Arts Beyond the Frontier. It’s in a place you also have access to. Instead of spending all your free time drinking, you should study once in a while.”
Faced with Baek Socheon’s rebuke, Chung Yang had nothing to say.
It was true that he drank too much.
It was also true that he had neglected books.
‘Annoying bastard! He really does know a lot.’
Even though they were enemies, Chung Yang couldn’t help but be impressed.
Baek Socheon’s knowledge did not end there.
“The fact that Blood Heaven Technique left these words behind without damaging the walls or the ground means Myeolsaeng has likely reached Great Mastery in Blood Heaven Technique.”
“Good heavens!”
Both Chung Yang and Hwang Ilbi were stunned.
A legend had long been passed down within the Blood Sect beyond the frontier.
It said that anyone who achieved Great Mastery in Blood Heaven Technique would become an invincible master.
During the previous war, the Blood Sect had not actively participated.
Rumours at the time claimed that Myeolsaeng had entered closed-door training to attain Great Mastery in Blood Heaven Technique, though no one knew whether it was true.
Now there was intelligence that the Black Heaven Alliance intended to join forces with the Blood Sect beyond the frontier.
If it was true that the Blood Sect Leader had indeed achieved Great Mastery in Blood Heaven Technique, then an even greater danger had emerged in a war that was already precarious.
“But why would the Blood Sect Leader leave a message like this?”
“I don’t know either. This case falls under your jurisdiction, so handle it yourself and submit your report. I’ll act as though I was never here.”
Baek Socheon lightly jumped down from the roof.
Standing atop the roof, Chung Yang called after him.
“I don’t like you.”
“I know.”
“If I get the chance, I’ll drive you out again.”
“I know that too.”
“Then why are you helping me? What scheme are you plotting?”
Baek Socheon stopped walking and looked up toward the roof.
“The Blood Sect Leader and the Black Heaven Alliance Leader have joined forces. Do you think they did that because they’re friends? They joined forces to swallow the Central Plains. If even they can work together, what makes us so special that we can’t? If it means protecting the Martial World, I can tolerate someone like you. So you should tolerate me as well.”
“……!”
It was the first time Chung Yang had ever had such a conversation with Baek Socheon.
He had never imagined Baek Socheon held such beliefs.
Watching Baek Socheon walk away into the distance, Chung Yang said to Hwang Ilbi,
“I know you’re on his side.”
“As I always say, you’ve misunderstood.”
Chung Yang accused him of the same thing every time they met.
If he truly found him so suspicious, one would think he would no longer keep him close.
Yet Chung Yang wanted Hwang Ilbi as his right-hand man.
Hwang Ilbi himself couldn’t understand that psychology.
There were plenty of talented people in the Iron Sword Corps, so it wasn’t simply because Chung Yang valued his abilities.
Yet neither could it merely be jealousy toward Baek Socheon, because Chung Yang treated him exceptionally well.
“Report to headquarters that this was the work of the Blood Sect Leader. Say I was the one who figured it out.”
“Yes, Commander.”
“Listen, Leader Hwang. I’ll never take Baek Socheon’s side. No, I’ll definitely drive him out of the Alliance. Remember that.”
“I understand you, Commander.”
“Why do you only understand me instead of saying you’ll help?”
“I’ll do everything I can to help.”
“See? You’re still on his side.”
Chung Yang leaped down first.
“It’s a misunderstanding!”
Hwang Ilbi quickly followed after him.
After even they had left, a short while later, someone else descended onto the scene.
Wrapped from head to toe in a black Blood Wind Garment, wearing a face mask and even a bamboo hat pulled low over the face, it was impossible to tell whether the figure was male or female, young or old.
Only one thing was clear.
The movement technique used to land on the roof had reached the pinnacle of mastery.
The figure stood there silently for a long time, staring at the words written below.
Kill Heaven.
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