I was shaken by Baekmae for a while, and that night, I received a late letter from Jeok-un.

It was a short message delivered by Ilma’s handwriting and the blood raven she handles.

[I sent a person.]

The moment I read that, a voice came from behind.

“Jeok-un. It’s been a while.”

The maid who always brought stories of the Heavenly Demon.

I bowed my head to her.

“It’s been a while. Your arrival means… this time too?”

“Exactly. Knowing that, I’ve cut down on the explanation. You need to move now to match the timing.”

“Timing, you say…”

“The Master has designated you. As a bodyguard for this event.”

“…What?”

“Follow me.”

Being almost forcefully kidnapped, I entered the secret entrance of the market as always.

A quiet room, as ever. Inside, a familiar face lay sprawled out.

“Ugh… I’m dying.”

“Master.”

“Come here, my puppy.”

I moved to her side as her hands knocked on something. The Heavenly Demon grabbed my hand while resting something on her face.

“Your brilliance is now making me wonder if you’re a genius or a hard worker.”

“I’ve worked hard.”

“Who would doubt your efforts? At least those who know you understand how weighty the word ‘effort’ that comes from your mouth is. And that’s the same for me too. I now know that you will work hard without saying it. However, the genius I’m talking about is not that kind. Perhaps across the whole academy…”

The Heavenly Demon chuckled.

“The one closest to death would be you. That’s why I say it. If I were to compare you to a genius, you could be called a genius of death.”

“That’s flattery.”

“Flattery, my foot. Come here. Let me touch your face.”

The Heavenly Demon peeled away the cloth resting on her face and groped my features.

“Uh-huh. You had a somewhat presentable appearance, but now it’s definitely improved. There’s no impurity in your body. Huaxing. It’s not just because of that level. It’s thanks to the Cheongeop inside you.”

“Thank you for your help.”

“It was possible for the Cheongeop to help because you were able to endure. And now, let’s see… We can go straight to the Reverse Heaven Blood Flow Technique. You’ve passed two stages, so you can jump straight to the fourth stage.”

“The fourth stage…?”

“Oh. This time, it won’t hurt. No need to worry. The Cheongeop has already adapted perfectly to your body.”

She brought out a massive acupuncture needle and infused vital energy into my body one by one.

It didn’t hurt, just as she said. Instead, something felt odd.

Seventy-two gigantic needles were embedded in my entire body. And because of that, there was an unfamiliar sensation inside me.

“I’ll be working on you for a total of four times over two days. Bear with the discomfort. Moving won’t be difficult, so make sure to attend to nature calls in between pulling out the needles. Or, well, I can take care of that separately.”

“…I’ll manage.”

“Don’t forget you need to stay here for two days. If you want something, call the maid. Understood?”

“Understood.”

“But I’ll stay with you at night. Of course, since your body is like that, we can’t engage in vigorous activities.”

“…Master…”

“What’s with that expression? Adorable little one.”

The Heavenly Demon leaned against the bed beside me.

Suddenly recalling something, I asked her.

“Master. May I ask something?”

“Go ahead.”

“Do you know about the Thousand Ara Blood Back Death Formation? And what about the Nine Heavens Blood Demon Sword…?”

“I know. How could I not? The Reverse Heaven Blood Flow Technique I’m demonstrating now has its origins from there.”

“…Really?”

“You have a curious look on your face. So let me answer your questions one by one. The sword you wield, the Blood Demon Sword, was originally a technique of the Blood Sect. Decades ago, the previous Heavenly Demon defeated the Blood Demon, and that technique came to our academy. Out of curiosity, I also learned it once.”

Her fingertips flickered with blood energy. The lightly raised aura easily surpassed anything I had ever cultivated.

“It was a rough and beastly technique. That’s why I took some and improved it, but it seemed to be quite flawed, so I just ground it all down and completely remade it from scratch. That’s the Nine Heavens Blood Demon Sword, but… even that, I stopped making halfway through.”

“Why…?”

“Blood energy is far more vicious than demonic energy. Its essence is based on human blood; how could its nature be light? More than that, the return on investment isn’t worth it.”

“…….”

“It only becomes stronger when treading along the edge of death. Only when approaching death does that technique significantly rise. Of course, initially, it wouldn’t lack compared to divine techniques, but later on, you’d have to repeat death dozens or hundreds of times just to maintain efficiency close to rising martial arts. Isn’t it quite funny? The entry is easy, but seeing it through is tough. And death, well… it’s a word I’m not fond of either. I can easily gain many things without necessarily dying, so why bother with such research?”

“…….”

“That’s not all. There’s the matter of demonic energy and the risk of demonic possession, but… anyway, those who have learned it all either died or went mad from the blood energy. No one has ever fully mastered it to the end, which is why I didn’t bother to make it.”

The Heavenly Demon poked my cheek.

“But someone like you appeared before me. Someone who can return from death countless times because of the Cheongeop and has the mental strength to endure that. When I first saw you, I wondered if maybe—. As time passed, I became sure. You are rare. A rare breed, and among those rare kinds, you’re a king of oddities. That’s why I’m helping Ilma, who’s trying to complete the Nine Heavens Blood Demon Sword. It can be said to be a martial art with two absolute masters attached.”

“……”

“Let’s leave that topic for now… And did you ask about the Thousand Ara Blood Back Death Formation?”

“Yes.”

“It’s simple. That’s a remnant of the Blood Sect that tried to forge the Cheongeop through human hands. So… what was it called? True Blood? That one can be said to be a failed product of the Cheongeop.”

“Failed product of the Cheongeop…?”

“Right. It’s a failure. The root of the Cheongeop is… um…”

The Heavenly Demon, who was speaking, suddenly smirked.

“Let’s move on.”

“Yes?”

“Let’s move on. My puppy. If I start babbling about this lineage, I have to go way back. All the way to the first Heavenly Demon. I’d hate to wear my mouth out for that. I’ll tell you later. You only need to know one thing: there were places that tried to create the Cheongeop, and they all failed. True Blood is also that failed product. The Blood Sect’s little master, Guqcheong, right? If it were that important, the master would have used it, not just the little master. The choice to put forward the little master was likely due to knowing its dangers.”

“…So Guqcheong was a scapegoat?”

“Perhaps. There’s no certainty. More than anything…”

The Heavenly Demon patted my head.

“What I want to ask is: did Guqcheong tell you? That there’s something behind the Blood Sect?”

“Yes. That’s correct.”

“What do you think?”

“It didn’t sound like it was just the Blood Sect. If there’s a bigger organization behind it…”

I thought deeply. Suddenly, it hit me.

“The Four Major Clans might be behind it…”

“The Four Major Clans, huh. Do you think they would do such a bold thing, locking their doors and staying inside?”

“…The Martial Alliance…”

“Well, that’s a candidate, but I’m not sure. The Blood Sect has always been ambitious. No matter how large their opponent, they’d first declare themselves stronger. If they expressed the higher ground, it means the difference is overwhelming.”

“The Sado Clan?”

“They’re filthy in numbers. But still… simple numbers don’t equate to strength…”

“It seems you already have a guess.”

“True.”

The Heavenly Demon smiled slyly.

“I already have a guess, but I don’t want to poke the hornet’s nest, so I’m turning a blind eye.”

“Why…?”

“Our sect is strong. We could probably unify the martial world if we stepped outside. Of course, we would lack in numbers, but… as for the strength of our current sect, it could be considered the strongest in all of history.”

“…….”

“But even so, I am not moving towards the martial world. There are simple numbers issues, but other problems as well.”

“What problems… do you mean to say?”

“History flows like a great river. However, there are those who try to forcibly steer that current. Only I know it, those who know only me.”

“…….”

“My puppy, do you understand why I’m telling you all this?”

“I… don’t really understand.”

“This is a story I couldn’t tell to Ilma. But if it’s my pet, it’s different. It’s the duty of a hunting dog to listen to their owner’s grumbles, isn’t it?”

“…….”

“That’s why I confided in you. I am, after all, a woman. A woman who is infinitely fragile. If the wind blows too strongly, I might fall.”

“……”

“Look at that expression. Tsk tsk. But still, despite that, I have family. There’s a saying that rank makes a person. I have ruled as the Heavenly Demon, and because of that, I consider the entire sect as family. So then… if someone harms my family, wouldn’t I have to do something about it? If the head doesn’t move, the root will be pulled up.”

“But even though I know that, I can’t move. That’s the current situation. If I step up… I would likely lose.”

“Is the enemy that formidable?”

“It’s like an unseen enemy. To call it visible yet invisible would be right. So my puppy, bury all that I’ve said here. It’s not that I want you to solve the situation for me. It’s just that I want to vent. But instead…”

The Heavenly Demon took my hand and placed it on her head.

“Give me some comfort.”

“……”

I awkwardly stroked her head a few times. The Heavenly Demon, quietly being petted, suddenly burst into laughter.

“It feels strange to be petted by someone else.”

“……”

“Well, that’s enough. It’s sufficient. Hmm. Our puppy has become Huaxing and can also handle one of the Ear Swords, so it’s like we’re all set.”

“…Set for what…?”

“I will call for you again soon. Prepare for travel. It wouldn’t be bad to say farewell to acquaintances you’ve made during this time. It’s time to deal with the reason I originally took you in.”

“…That means…?”

“Prepare to go to the Martial Alliance. You will need to pay for the damage caused when you infiltrated and rummaged through my home.”

The Heavenly Demon grinned.

“Don’t want to?”

“…To me, the Master is like a benefactor. If dear ones are threatened, it’s natural to take action…”

I shook my head.

“I will not hesitate with the sword.”

“Ahaha! Our puppy! I’ve raised a hunting dog well! Should I raise a few more?”

“…Isn’t one enough?”

“What? Aha! This adorable little one. Hmm. Right. One hunting dog is enough. If I raise too many, managing them would just be a hassle. Come here. I’ll munch on your cheeks.”

“Ugh.”

I was really bitten.

The Heavenly Demon licked her lips.

“Delicious. I should munch on you more often.”

“…Master…”

“Oh. What is this feeling… feels a bit different from taking Ilma’s…”

Grinning, she promptly fell asleep on the bed beside me. I never expected to sleep in the same place as the Heavenly Demon, but since I couldn’t move because of the acupuncture, I merely stared at the ceiling.

What could this be? Even she, a Heavenly Demon, was driven to vent about the ‘invisible yet visible enemy’.

What’s really lurking behind the Blood Sect?

. . .

The technique was all finished. However, there were no unusual changes in my body.

The only thing that felt slightly different was the strange discomfort that had slightly been felt between the Cheongeop and me seemed to have completely disappeared.

The Cheongeop was soon to be me.

I was soon to be the Cheongeop.

“The fourth stage of the Reverse Heaven Blood Flow Technique is about increasing the harmony with the Cheongeop.”

“Does that mean…?”

“I made you and the Cheongeop within you get along better, so your capabilities have increased. Take your time to check later. The first thing you can feel now is… the discomfort has disappeared. Isn’t that good enough?”

“That’s good.”

“Uh-huh. Adorable one. And during this banquet, since you’re my bodyguard, follow the maid and prepare.”

I froze at her unexpected words.

The Heavenly Demon’s bodyguard…?

“How can I…?”

“How? You don’t need to worry about manners or such things. Just quietly guard my side. You just need to keep your mouth shut. Once the event has progressed a bit, and I exit, you are free to act. Of course, I’ll provide a mask to cover your face. It’ll match Ilma’s.”

“Do I just need to keep my mouth shut?”

“Yes. And enjoy the attention.”

“Attention…?”

“Since I took the official position of Master, I haven’t had a single bodyguard by my side. It’s as if a warrior is sitting in a chair that has always been empty. So what does that mean?”

“…Attention…”

“That’s right. Attention. As long as you’re beside me, every warrior in that position, as well as the heads of each sect, will pay attention to you.”

“That’s a lot of pressure.”

“That’s what I like the most. Hehehe.”

…She just wants to play with me.

I sighed. But it was an order, so I had no choice but to obey.

Together with her, I also became a special management target. Even if my face was hidden, the exterior had to be perfect, so I underwent all kinds of grooming, starting with bathing.

Applying makeup to my face for the mask was just the beginning. When I asked why, the maid, almost my exclusive attendant, nodded her head.

“What if the mask falls off?”

“If it falls off, that’s already a failed situation…”

“Even if it fails, if the face revealed is shabby, it would be far worse than a mere failure. I can’t allow that.”

“…Right.”

Having finished preparations, I waited in front of her room. A few maids came in and out multiple times, decked out for the occasion.

I quietly waited, wearing the mask. A few times more hours passed compared to the time I took to prepare.

Finally, it seemed the Heavenly Demon’s preparations were complete, as she called me from beyond the door.

“Come in, my puppy.”

I stood up.

 

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