“What is this…”
My father, Jin Song-baek, was shocked at the sight of me using my upper dantian to change my appearance to that of the Blood Demon. He seemed speechless at the sight.
-Didn’t you say there would be no more surprises?
Short Sword asked.
But not being surprised would be even more shocking in this situation.
It was my father, someone who said he was proud of being known as a righteous person of the Justice Faction.
However, I transformed into the Blood Demon of the Blood Sect in an instant. I transformed into something that can be said was the peak of the Evil Faction.
The shock was evident on his face. Jin Song-baek, who seemed shocked, cleared his throat. I then felt someone coming near.
Knock!
There was a knock at the door as someone said.
“Lord. The Martial Heavenly order sent someone.”
It was the voice of Yu Pajang, who was one of the leaders of the eight floors.
“If you let them in…”
At that time, my father, who came to his senses, said,
“Do not let anyone in!”
“Uh?”
“Tell them to wait.”
“I understand.”
I think I knew why he said this. It seemed like he was not ready to have someone come in and see me in this state.
As the presence of the man began to disappear, my father said.
“What is all this?”
His voice was quite serious. In response, I released my upper dantian and returned to normal.
“You said you wouldn’t be surprised?”
“… if you were the father, would you not be surprised?”
It was hard to deny that.
“I don’t have words. The appearance just before was of the Blood Demon…”
“This is something which manifests itself when the body learns the Blood Heavenly Authority.”
“Sigh…”
A sigh flowed from his mouth. It seemed like the shock didn’t disappear.
My grandfather, too, would be horrified when he learned of this, but my father was also no less shocked.
My father, Jin Song-baek, who had sighed too many times, then asked,
“… can you tell me just how this happened?”
“I don’t know where to start.”
And so I told him the same things I have experienced since my regression, just like I did to my grandfather.
I started with how my dantian was destroyed and how I was treated as worthless and was kicked out of the Ikyang So family. Hearing this, Jin Song-baek’s expression turned sour.
He didn’t yell like my grandfather did, but I was sure he would be ready to destroy the Ikyang So family if they were in front of him.
“That is how I exited the So family…”
And then I talked about what happened after…
I told him about being kidnapped by the Blood Sect and the Six Blood Valley. I told him about becoming a disciple of Hae Ack-chun and the other things that happened. Hearing this eventful story, my father sighed.
I was talking about this for the second time, but even as I thought of the things I had gone through, just surviving felt nice.
He might faint if I told him about what happened to me before my regression.
But that wasn’t something I could tell my grandfather or father about. I wondered if they would even believe it.
“So you got chosen by the Blood Demon Sword… sigh. How can this…”
Father, who was listening silently until then, spoke up for the first time. It was after hearing that I was chosen by the sword.
“This must mean that blood doesn’t lie.”
He meant the blood of the First Demon passed through to me. For that reason alone, my mother’s family had suffered greatly.
If just the results were being considered, it wasn’t the wrong choice for the Murim Alliance to try to eliminate my mother’s family.
If they hadn’t lost sight of my mother, there was no way that I, the Blood Demon, would have been born.
-Wouldn’t one become lacking in desire if such things continue to happen?
I thought so too. All of the tragedies that had happened were because of blood ties.
As the person who experienced this, my father might hate it even more than my grandfather. At that moment, my father looked at me.
And he then spoke in a serious voice.
“…. It is said that you formed a deep connection with Blood Sect, so I don’t think this father can be ignorant after knowing that. Now I want to ask just one thing.”
“What do you mean?”
“Did the circumstances make this happen? Did you try to become the Blood Demon yourself?”
If I had been asked this question when I was first chosen, I wouldn’t have been able to answer him. But it was different now.
I decided to become the Blood Demon. And it wasn’t to gain power.
“The latter.”
“The latter….”
“I didn’t choose this path to walk. I want to become the head of Blood Sect and walk on my own path.”
“Your own path?”
“It is said that throwing away the sword means to be Buddha. I think the title of Blood Demon and Blood Sword change depending on what I do. No, I will do it.”
“Huh.”
My father closed his eyes with a soft sigh at my words.
“Your stubbornness… your thoughts… as so similar to her.”
Was he thinking of mother?
Father took a deep breath and sighed. When he opened his eyes, they were no longer shaking.
“If your decision is that, as a father, I will respect it.”
“Father…’
“Do not talk about this anymore. Just remember this thing. You now have a father. I couldn’t protect your mother, but I will protect you now.”
My heart clenched. Honestly, I thought he would try to convince me to change.
What was the meaning of the head of the Blood Sect, who was also now the young lord of father’s Order?
But he didn’t object.
He didn’t say a single word, but when I looked into his eyes, I could see his determination to do everything that he couldn’t do for me before.
“… thank you for trusting me.”
Hearing my words, he smiled. This made me smile as well. It’s not because he liked doing this but because he was doing it for me.
“But is it fine? Even if not now, someday, father, you might be in trouble because of…”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“How can I not?”
“Where is a parent who would block the patch their children wanted to take?”
“It is against filial piety for a child to become a trouble to the parents.”
“A man who knows that well proudly tells his father that he is the Blood Demon.”
This blunt person was even joking to make his son comfortable.
“As long as the father exists, nothing will hold you back from this side. No, I will make sure of it.”
There was clear determination in those words. And they weren’t just words.
The things happening in the Dual Martial Forces were completely different compared to my previous life. Now, it seemed that it was all in my father’s hands.
“Ah!”
There was a break in the middle of the conversation, so I couldn’t say much. I was thinking of speaking about Sima Chak and the fall into the valley of water. Still, I instead immediately went to the point.
“There is one more thing to say.”
“More?”
Father seemed puzzled.
“I hope you will not be surprised now.”
“Anything more shocking than you being the Blood Demon?”
“Grandfather is alive.”
“What!”
As soon as I said it, he jumped up in shock. He seemed more surprised than when I said I was the Blood Demon.
After all, what could be more amazing than seeing someone who he thought was already dead?
-He is so surprised that now, what of the left eye?
Actually, I thought that someone with the reputation and status of my father might know something about the golden eyes. I wanted to talk to him about that.
But right now, that seemed to be difficult.
“E-elder is alright?”
“Yes, he is not well now, though. He is receiving treatment.”
“Ahh.”
Father’s eyes turned red. He raised his head and looked up while mumbling my mother’s name.
“Ha-ryung… Ha-ryung… did you protect everyone even in your death?”
Something changed because of those words. If I thought about it, if my mother had been here, then everything would have been normal. That saddened both of us.
My father asked after calming his emotions.
“Where is your grandfather?”
“At a clinic in Fu’an.”
Now that my father had the power to protect him, he was ready to leave to go see him. At that moment, someone knocked on the door again.
“Lord!”
This reminded us both of what slipped our minds.
There was a visitor for him that we had forgotten about.
But that wasn’t all. The person seemed in so much hurry as if the lord of the order was here.
“I think we need to head to the prison.”
“What is it now?”
“It looks like an intruder has entered the underground prison. The condition of the warrior Mu Ack in there is critical.”
“Intruders?”
There wasn’t anything to think about. This meant someone in the Dual Martial Forces was linked with Mu Ack.
After thinking about it for a while, my father said.
“I guess I need to head over there.”
“Since grandfather is receiving treatment at the clinic, I think it would be better to solve urgent matters first.”
“I understand. Rest here.”
After those words, father rushed out of the room.
I thought he would ask me to come with him, but seeing that we couldn’t talk outside, allowing him to concentrate on the dangerous situation was better.
Was he worried about his son?
There were many things that I was feeling for the first time. Since it was like staying in my father’s office, I placed the mask back on and went out. Outside I saw a warrior of the Martial Heavenly Order standing at a distance.
I waited until things were at a lull before stepping out.
I then approached him and said.
“My father…”
“Young lord!”
Pak!
The warrior bowed to me. This was surprising for him to do, considering I wasn’t even recognized until very recently.
Besides, wasn’t he the same as the ones who fought against us just a couple of hours ago in a sense?
I was a bit surprised, but he then said something unexpected.
“Our lord wants to see the young lord for a bit.”
“Me?”
Me and not my father? I was puzzled as he said.
“The young lord is no different from the benefactor to our lord. It seems that the lord regrets not being able to express his gratitude as he was in a hurry at that time.”
So it was because of that.
I hadn’t seen him since I handed him over to Wang Cheo-il.
-Go and see. We will know how good his gratitude is.
Fine.
But I didn’t have to know as well.
-You are hungry.
Since he asked to see me without malice, there was no reason to refuse. I had a thing to ask him as well.
I then said to the warrior.
“Let’s go.”
We arrived at a three-story building at the northeast corner of the castle walls. This was a clinic that was run internally by this place.
I thought we would have headed to the Order’s tower, but it seemed he had been moved here for treatment.
Actually, the entire castle was covered in blood. It would have been uncomfortable in many ways to recuperate in such a disorderly place.
The real Chun Mu-seong was on the third floor of the clinic. The man was waiting for me there, lying on a bed with his upper body slightly raised.
Since we already knew each other, we greeted each other comfortably.
“I greet the Lord.”
“Welcome.”
Perhaps it was because of the treatment, but he seemed much more comfortable.
As I approached, he blinked at me, and the warriors around the third floor began descending.
Looking at me, he smiled.
“You seem to be misunderstanding it. I sent them down because I wanted it to be just us.”
“Right. When the person with the same face as you had locked me up, I was a bit taken aback without realizing it.”
“Hahaha. Why would I do that?”
The real Chun Mu-seong had a different personality from the fake one. He looked more like a kind grandfather.
When I arrived near his bed, he moved his uncomfortable body and grabbed me.
“You don’t have to do this.”
“How can I not do this for my benefactor? This old man would have never gotten out of there if it hadn’t been for you.”
Chung Mu-seong took hold of my hands and lowered his head. It was as if he genuinely was thankful to me.
I bowed to him, and he smiled
“Actually, I felt ashamed to see you.”
“Why?”
“I am also one of those who supposed the Murim Alliance and their decisions. Even if you resent me, I will not blame you.”
The atmosphere changed
“… resent.”
To that, I couldn’t answer back. Actually, most of the people in the Dual Martial Forces were the culprits who destroyed my mother’s family.
No matter what excuse was made, that was a fact that wouldn’t change.
“With what face can I even ask forgiveness from you?”
“Let’s end it here. I do not want to talk with the Lord about that.”
I admitted the truth, but thinking about this only made me feel bad.
Chun Mu-seong went silent at my cold words.
So I asked,
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
“No matter how much I thought about it, there was one thing I couldn’t understand.”
“What do you mean?”
“If this incident hadn’t been for the fake Chung Mu-seong, no, Mu Ack, then this situation wouldn’t have happened.”
At those words, his face darkened.
I bet he didn’t expect me to be this straightforward. There had to be something others didn’t know of.
“Why take a risk to keep you alive?”
“… even I didn’t know why.”
Chung Mu-seong pretended not to know. What was he hiding?
I didn’t know what he was hiding, but if Mu Ack played the fake and tried to keep the real one alive, his helpers might be aiming for something else here.
I tried to push further.
-How?
Like this.
“Did you hear about what happened in the prison?”
“Prison?”
He seemed a bit puzzled. He really didn’t know.
Apparently, this information didn’t seem to have come out because of the issue of the fake.
This was better.
I continued to speak.
“I guess you didn’t know. Someone infiltrated the prison and aimed for the guards outside Mu Ack’s cell.”
Chun Mu-seong’s face stiffened at that. It seemed like he realized that the tension had returned. Seeing him shaken, I then said.
“Even though there was such a mess today, it wouldn’t be strange if something else happened. As long as they are bold, anything can be targeted.”
“… huh.”
Chun Mu-seong sighed. He knew what this meant.
“Ahem.”
He groaned like he was in pain, and his anxiousness was clear.
He was imprisoned for a long time, and his dantian must be in ruins. He was nothing more than a frail old man here.
And to him, I said…
“If it is a secret you do not want to tell, I will not ask. I will consider it as a question that I shouldn’t have asked. Then, I need to leave.”
And I turned….
“Wait!”
He took the bait without showing anything.
Chun Mu-seong opened his mouth with a bitter face.
“You are right. This old man was being stupid. To think of hiding out of greed despite going through all that…”
With that, he pulled something out of his chest. It was an old piece of paper that was folded in half.
“What is this?”
“This is why Mu Ack kept this old man alive.”
“Why?”
“Any swordsman with a sword will have no choice but to be interested in this.”
What the hell was this man saying?
Chun Mu-seong continued to speak to my puzzled self.
“A treasure left by the swordsman called the Immortal Sword.”
Immortal Sword!!
