Chapter 424: Nothing Is Inevitable

TL: FoodieMonster007

The door opened fully, and the Blood King stepped out. He had just emerged from a blood-filled tank, naked and dripping with blood.

The overwhelming stench of blood made Yang Seok want to bolt outside. He had never encountered such a potent blood scent. If alcohol had an essence, this would be it: the essence of blood, a scent that could only come from "blood essence."

In contrast, the Northern Blood Sect Leader stared at the Blood King, completely unfazed by the smell. He was younger than anticipated. He was handsome, and his long limbs and perfectly sculpted physique looked as if they were carved from stone. Adding to his striking appearance were his intense red locks that immediately drew the eye.

The first impression he exuded was more powerful than any martial artist the Northern Blood Sect Leader had ever seen.

He's insanely powerful.

Even though the Blood King hadn't revealed his aura, that thought arose from his mere first impression.

Yang Seok, however, was so overwhelmed by the blood stench that he couldn't properly assess the Blood King. Still, one fact became undeniably clear.

This is the mastermind.

The fact that he had been hiding in the secret chamber behind the Sect Leader's hall was shocking.

To hide such a secret… He should have told me, his own son.

Even at this moment, resentment towards his father filled him.

THUMP, THUMP, THUMP!

A dozen or so martial artists rushed out from the left and right doors, blocking the Northern Blood Sect Leader's path. They, too, grimaced at the horrific stench.

Normally, when the Northern Blood Sect Leader entered the secret door, he dismissed his subordinates beforehand. Today, however, he hadn't anticipated that the man in the secret chamber would emerge, so he hadn't sent them away.

The Blood King gazed down at the martial artists with indifferent eyes.

The Northern Blood Sect Leader perceived various sensations from that gaze. It wasn't a cold, emotionless stare. It was as hot, viscous, and terrifying as blood.

There was another sensation, a sense that order and logic did not apply to him, that he lived purely by instinct… or rather, by the allure of blood.

The Northern Blood Sect Leader knew, however, that this wasn't the full truth. If this man were merely a creature of instinct, he wouldn't have survived so long in the secret chamber. He possessed a terrifying patience that overshadowed everything else. That was the most frightening aspect.

The Blood King slowly extended both hands forward.

WHOOSH!

Ten crimson lines shot forth simultaneously from his outstretched fingers.

THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!

Ten lines, one from each finger, pierced the martial artists' foreheads. They were not so weak as to die so futilely, yet with that single move, the martial artists collapsed and died simultaneously.

The Northern Blood Sect Leader had never seen such a martial art. It wasn't a finger qi bullet, nor was it a flying weapon.

The Blood King slowly advanced toward the sect leader's throne and sat down. As he walked, blood continued to drip from his body, revealing that he was stark naked. The immense aura and presence he exuded was compounded by the suffocating stench of blood.

The Blood King closed his eyes tightly, chanted something, and then extended his hand to the side. Blood flowed from his palm despite the absence of a wound.

DRIP.

Crimson smoke began to rise from the blood that fell to the floor.

CRASH!

The Blood King unleashed a palm strike, shattering the ceiling. The crimson smoke continued to ascend through the shattered ceiling. It looked as if he were sending a signal to someone.

Hearing the commotion, murmurs could be heard from outside. The Northern Blood Sect Leader roared, imbuing his voice with inner arts.

"Everyone, retreat!"

Soon, the commotion outside subsided, and silence fell.

Seated on the grand chair, the Blood King silently gazed down at the Northern Blood Sect Leader. The Northern Blood Sect Leader knelt on the spot and bowed.

"Greetings, Liege!"

Since becoming Sect Leader, no, since birth, this was the first time the Northern Blood Sect Leader had ever knelt before anyone other than his parents or Master. However, he knew instinctively that if he didn't kneel now, he would die by the Blood King's hand.

Yang Seok, who had been standing awkwardly, quickly knelt alongside him. He was astonished. He had sensed the naked man's power, but he never expected his father to kneel. Moreover, they hadn't exchanged a single word.

Liege?

That word, uttered by his father, sounded utterly foreign.

Only then did the Blood King finally speak, his voice low yet profoundly resonant. "How did Ha Jyeol die?"

Did he overhear the conversation from the secret chamber? Or is he connected to Ha Jyeol by blood? He knows that Ha Jyeol is dead.

"We don't know yet. We just received the news," the Northern Blood Sect Leader answered respectfully.

The Blood King rose from his throne and stepped forward.

With each step he took, the hearts of both the Northern Blood Sect Leader and Yang Seok pounded. Even the Northern Blood Sect Leader, who had weathered countless trials, felt fear. This man's aura was incomparable to Ha Jyeol's. He had never imagined that such a terrifying individual was in the secret chamber.

The Blood King approached Yang Seok. Up close, the Blood King's eyes were even more terrifying, and the intensified blood stench made Yang Seok feel like he was going to suffocate.

"You were present when Ha Jyeol died, weren't you?"

It wasn't a question, but an accusation. Yang Seok's vision blurred. Terror gripped him, but he desperately denied it. He feared that if he told the truth, he would be killed in excruciating pain.

"No, I wasn't."

However, the Blood King wasn't merely probing.

"I smell Ha Jyeol's blood on you."

"!?" Yang Seok's heart sank. He had watched the fight, so it was possible that a few drops of Ha Jyeol's blood had splattered onto him. But to smell it? Was that even possible?

The Blood King glared at Yang Seok coldly. "Who killed Ha Jyeol? Was it you?"

Yang Seok should have said he didn't know, but the Blood King's gaze was so terrifying that he squeezed his eyes shut and cried out.

"No, no! I didn't kill him!"

"Then who was it?"

Yang Seok didn't hesitate to confess the truth. "It was the Young Cult Leader."

The Blood King exuded a subtle blood aura from his body and placed a hand on Yang Seok's head.

As his hand touched Yang Seok's crown, Yang Seok begged, "Please! Spare me!"

He felt a strange energy enter his body from the crown of his head. He couldn't resist it. His entire body trembled like an aspen leaf, fearing that the energy might burst inside his head.

"Please!"

The Northern Blood Sect Leader did not step forward to help his son. He knew that even if he did, the Blood King wouldn't stop.

More than anything, he was furious with Yang Seok. Yang Seok had been present when Ha Jyeol died, yet he had brazenly lied to him. He had even feigned surprise at Ha Jyeol's death.

The Blood King removed his hand from Yang Seok's crown.

"Haa, haa…" Yang Seok didn't know what that energy was, but the thought that he had survived for now made him breathe heavily in relief.

"What happened to the one with the Extreme Cold Body Constitution?" the Blood King asked again.

Yang Seok answered without hesitation, "The Drunken Demon took him."

At the mention of the Drunken Demon, the Blood King's eyes narrowed into slits, and his pupils turned crimson. When Seo Nak died, he had resolved in the tank that he would definitely kill the Drunken Demon. Now, the Drunken Demon had once again stood in his path.

Having lost both his subordinate and the Extreme Cold Body Constitution, the Blood King was uninhibited.

"Tell the Young Cult Leader I want to meet him."

Between his narrowed eyes, his crimson pupils were terrifying beyond measure.

"In the meantime, I will kill the Drunken Demon and retrieve the Extreme Cold Body Constitution."

"He'll target you, Hyung-nim," Geom Mugeuk said.

The Drunken Demon, who had been looking out the window, turned his head.

Geom Mugeuk repeated, "You killed Elder Seo and kidnapped the one with the Extreme Cold Body Constitution. He'll definitely seek revenge on you, Hyung-nim."

"That's what I want."

The Drunken Demon showed no fear at all. He possessed the skill to back up such confidence. Still, he had to fear the Blood King's Self Destruction Art. His barrier qi wasn't quite enough to block it.

"I have a favor to ask," Geom Mugeuk said.

"What favor?"

"You must grant it."

"No. I refuse."

"……" Geom Mugeuk said nothing.

"…What is it?"

"Didn't you just refuse? Ah! You're truly something, Hyung-nim. To refuse this favor…"

Ultimately, the Drunken Demon couldn't contain his curiosity.

"Just tell me what you want first," he said, refilling the wine cups. "Oh, but don't tell me to quit drinking. I realized it when I quit this time. Without alcohol, the joy of life disappears."

"Anything but that, right?"

"And don't come looking for me last whenever you return to the Cult. And also…"

Such composure, even in this situation.

Geom Mugeuk chuckled and drew the Black Demon Sword from its sheath at his waist. "It's not a difficult favor…"

Feeling inexplicably disinclined, the Drunken Demon loudly declared, "I don't know what it is, but no! I refuse!"

Watching Geom Mugeuk approach from afar, Yang Seok's heart pounded as if it would burst.

"You must hold him back for as long as possible. If you fail, you will die."

The Blood King's cold warning echoed in his mind.

He'll really kill me.

The Blood King was different from Geom Mugeuk. He would truly kill him without an ounce of hesitation. If the look in his father's eyes when the Blood King gave his command was anything to go by, his father wouldn't help him either.

Meanwhile, Geom Mugeuk arrived before him.

"You've arrived?" Yang Seok bowed deeply. His attitude towards Geom Mugeuk had completely changed from before. "I apologize for contacting you so urgently."

"Why did you want to see me?"

"I've uncovered information about the mastermind."

"What information?"

"Shall we walk for a bit?"

Yang Seok walked alongside Geom Mugeuk. The place they met was a secluded field a short distance from the Northern Blood Sect.

Yang Seok, who had been walking in silence, spoke cautiously. "I went to see my father. As you advised, I spoke honestly. I told him I wanted to be helpful. Then my father told me… I truly didn't realize that speaking honestly could be so effective."

"Where is the mastermind?"

"He said the person is at the Ice Sword Sect."

The Ice Sword Sect was one of the three great powers of the North Sea, alongside the North Sea Ice Palace and the Northern Blood Sect.

Even if things go wrong later, I can just pin everything on my father.

The Blood King was truly terrifying, but this opponent here was the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult. Yang Seok needed to dig an escape route.

Geom Mugeuk, who had been quietly observing Yang Seok, suddenly asked, "Is the mastermind being at the Ice Sword Sect your idea, Young Lord Yang? Or did that person instruct you to say so?"

Yang Seok feigned composure and countered, "What do you mean?"

Yang Seok couldn't tell if Geom Mugeuk was merely probing or if he had truly seen through his lie.

"Indeed. Only the Ice Sword Sect would buy him enough time. That means the mastermind has revealed himself to you."

Even when he tried not to be surprised, being with Geom Mugeuk made it impossible not to be.

"Deceiving me once was enough, but you're trying to deceive me again."

Feeling he could no longer hide it, Yang Seok had decided to side with the Blood King because he was too terrifying. However, facing Geom Mugeuk again, he realized there was another kind of terror.

Before Geom Mugeuk, a man who seemed to peer into one's very soul, Yang Seok felt utterly exposed.

"I was wrong. Please spare me!" Yang Seok prostrated himself on the spot.

Damn quick-witted bastard! No matter what, I will survive!

He would kneel to this side, or kneel to that side. He would kneel again and again until his knees could no longer bend, just to survive.

"But when did you know I was lying?"

"When you suggested we walk together."

"Why that?"

"If you had truly uncovered information, you would have been eager to show it off the moment you saw me. But you suggested we take a walk? That's strange, isn't it?"

Geom Mugeuk had a precise understanding of Yang Seok's character.

"He forced me, I had no choice."

"Is there such a thing as having 'no choice'? There are only good choices and bad choices. It's the same today. The situation became like this the moment you met me. You could have just told me the truth, couldn't you?"

"……" Yang Seok had no excuse.

"What else did he say?"

"He just told me to meet the Young Cult Leader."

Geom Mugeuk quietly looked into his eyes and suddenly stated, "He said he would kill the Drunken Demon while you stalled for time, didn't he?"

"……"

Geom Mugeuk saw the undeniable turmoil in Yang Seok's eyes. "So, your job is to distract me while he goes to kill the Drunken Demon."

Startled, Yang Seok waved his hands in denial. "No!"

"Then what?"

"I merely…" Yang Seok tried to offer an excuse, but his words caught in his throat. This was not someone who would accept excuses. He knelt again. "Please forgive me. If you saw him, you would understand me. He's not human!"

His true thoughts, as he bowed his head deeply, were far from a desperate plea.

Forgive me. You arrogant bastards get pleasure from granting forgiveness, don't you?

He thought this because he didn't know how Geom Mugeuk was looking at him. His sins were already too great. His death was certain. It was merely a matter of timing.

"Go quickly. Shouldn't you go and help the Drunken Demon right now?"

However, Geom Mugeuk wasn't worried about the Drunken Demon at all.

"Why should I worry about a Demon Supreme? In this murim, only the Heavenly Demon is qualified to worry about the Demon Supremes."

It was a statement that upheld the Demon Supremes' pride, and it meant he trusted the Drunken Demon that much. Of course, Geom Mugeuk's composure and trust weren't solely due to his belief in the Drunken Demon's skill. The opponent was simply too powerful for that.

The Top-Quality Heavenly Silk wrapped around the Black Demon Sword that Geom Mugeuk held was no longer visible. The favor he had asked for was precisely to wrap that Top-Quality Heavenly Silk around the Drunken Demon's body.

The Drunken Demon had sworn he wouldn't wrap it, but Geom Mugeuk had ultimately made him wrap it completely not only around his heart, but also around his waist and other vital points multiple times. The fight with the Blood King was one where anything could explode at any time, anywhere.

And there was one more thing he trusted. He possessed the Swift Step, which allowed him to return without delay.

"Get up."

Yang Seok, who had risen, tried his best to appease Geom Mugeuk. "I believe you will eliminate him, Young Cult Leader. Thoroughly and satisfyingly."

"You won't see it."

Geom Mugeuk vanished from his sight in an instant.

Yang Seok, wearing a puzzled expression, didn't realize that his face and entire body had instantly turned crimson.

BOOM!

He exploded due to the Self Destruction Art. A terrifyingly powerful blood qi swept forward, but Geom Mugeuk had already entered the Spacetime Manipulation Technique.

Geom Mugeuk reappeared. Yang Seok lay dead, a large hole in his chest. The Blood King had mercilessly used the Northern Blood Sect's Young Lord as a sacrifice to target him, the Young Cult Leader.

He finally realized that the Blood King had truly emerged into the world. That bastard wouldn't have expected Yang Seok to kill him when even Ha Jyeol couldn't. This, then, was his greeting.

Geom Mugeuk looked down at the gaping hole and murmured, "Yes, I'm glad to see you too, you madman."