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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 102
Chapter Title: The Deception
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Soruju's entry into Namgung had all been a ploy to bring down the Namgung Sega. Only then did everything make sense.
After all, if Soruju had truly betrayed them, there was no way that blood-crazed Lord would have just left her alone.
“So, who were you trying to contact? That’s a Baekrihyangsin-tan, isn’t it?”
Seolhwa’s throwing knife pointed to the Baekrihyangsin-tan lying on the floor, broken in two.
The Baekrihyangsin-tan was an item created by the Hyeolgyo. It was used for secretly sending and receiving signals without being detected.
Seolhwa had used it many times in her previous life, so there was no way she wouldn't recognize it.
“Ah, I was going to send it to my Lord, who is nearby.”
“Is Yuk Hyeolju here?”
Yuk Hyeolju… nearby?
“Yes. I was instructed to observe the situation and then send a signal for him to attack Gwiyoungchae.”
“To strike when they are weakest, I presume.”
“You are indeed worthy of being Soruju-nim.”
Ma Jongui bowed, grinning widely.
If Soruju's betrayal was a ruse, then Seolhwa was someone Ma Jongui needed to impress as much as possible.
Seeing Seolhwa hesitate after hearing that Yuk Hyeolju was nearby, he quickly added,
“Ah, now that I understand Soruju-nim’s intentions, I will not call for my Lord.”
“?”
“How could someone like me dare to interfere with Soruju-nim’s plans?”
He smiled, his eyes subtly observing Seolhwa’s reaction.
Seolhwa let out a chuckle, watching Ma Jongui try so hard to appease her.
‘What a fox.’
“That’s right. The matter isn’t concluded yet, so we can’t have it go awry here.”
“Yes, yes.”
“So, about Gwiyoungchae Leader, you were able to sway him by promising to cure his son’s illness, weren't you?”
“Yes, that’s right…”
“Tell me about it.”
“…Yes?”
A flicker of distrust crossed Ma Jongui’s eyes.
Seolhwa offered a relaxed smile, watching his unease.
“The cure. Tell me.”
That relaxed smile and gaze instantly transformed. Like a predator zeroing in on its prey.
“Because I need to make use of it.”
Seolhwa’s eyes gleamed as she looked at Ma Jongui. Even without actively raising her killing intent, the pressure was enough to make his knees buckle.
‘I heard Soruju’s martial prowess was high for her age, but…’
That killing intent from earlier, and now this gaze. She was indeed not someone to be underestimated just because she was young.
‘I must not cross her.’
“Th-Then, of course! I’ll tell you! But…”
“?”
“It’s not a perfect cure, but would that be alright…?”
“Not a perfect cure?”
“What we were going to tell the Gwiyoungchae Leader was the Sucking Blood Technique (Heup-hyeol-gi-sul).”
“Sucking Blood Technique?”
Seolhwa frowned.
The Sucking Blood Technique (Heup-hyeol-gi-sul). As the name implied, it was about absorbing blood qi.
Whether human or beast, anything with flowing blood possesses life force, or Blood Qi. In terms of life force, it was similar to Innate Qi, and in terms of its connection to acupoints, it was akin to Acquired Qi.
However, it differed from Innate Qi in that it wasn’t a vital energy one was born with, and it differed from Acquired Qi in that it wasn’t something acquired through special cultivation methods.
Blood Qi was, quite literally, the energy generated from the very force of blood circulating throughout the body. The vitality itself, produced by the beating heart.
Thus, everyone possessed Blood Qi, whether they practiced martial arts or not, and even non-human beings possessed it.
The Sucking Blood Technique was a blood art that absorbed this Blood Qi to gain power.
“You can save Gwiyoungchae Leader’s son with that?”
“We can save him, yes.”
“Don’t beat around the bush. I’m starting to feel like killing you.”
Ma Jongui, who had been grinning, startled and quickly continued.
“By using the Sucking Blood Technique to absorb Blood Qi, the twisted qi and blood can be temporarily suppressed. However, it’s only temporary.”
“So, it just postpones the moment when the qi and blood twist.”
“Yes. As you know, Severed Meridian Syndrome cannot be cured. While using the Sucking Blood Technique will allow him to live longer than he would otherwise, as time passes, the seizures and twisting of qi and blood will become more frequent…”
“And he’ll need more Blood Qi, won’t he?”
“Precisely.”
Ma Jongui curled his lips into a truly wicked smile.
‘So that’s why Jin Soyak became a Blood Demon in my previous life.’
He would have had to commit murder just to survive.
As time passed, he would have craved more and stronger Blood Qi, and Maeng Deungho, for his son’s sake, would have readily participated in murder.
Such heinous acts could only have been perpetrated by the Hyeolgyo.
‘Interesting.’
It was intriguing to realize how these causalities, which she had known about in her previous life but never bothered to explore, were intertwined.
And she also understood that this could be used to divert forces that had not yet fallen under the Hyeolgyo’s sway.
“Did you hear that?”
“…?”
Ma Jongui looked at her with a puzzled expression.
“I told you. The Hyeolsachae Leader wouldn’t tell you the proper method.”
“Soruju-nim? What do you mean…?”
Seolhwa smirked, looking behind him.
Following her gaze, Ma Jongui turned his head and instantly gasped.
High up in a tree. Hidden by the shadows of the leaves, a black panther sat.
The black panther’s eyes blazed with fury.
“G-Gwiyoungchae Leader…!”
*Whoosh—Thud!*
Gwiyoungchae Leader Maeng Deungho landed on the ground. The earth vibrated, and a cloud of dust billowed up.
He strode purposefully towards Seolhwa and Ma Jongui.
“If it weren’t for me, Soyak would have lived a life worse than death.”
Maeng Deungho glanced at Seolhwa.
“Thank you. I’ll keep my promise.”
Seolhwa shrugged and took a step back.
She had been hiding with the Gwiyoungchae Leader, and now approached Namgung Cheongun, who had revealed himself when the Gwiyoungchae Leader leaped down.
Cheongun grabbed Seolhwa’s shoulder.
“You did well.”
“Yes.”
Cheongun and Seolhwa looked towards the Gwiyoungchae Leader.
*Thump. Thump.*
As the Gwiyoungchae Leader’s steps drew closer, Ma Jongui’s body visibly trembled.
“G-Gwiyoungchae Leader-nim. Th-That’s not it…”
“What’s not it?”
Maeng Deungho’s eyes flared with killing intent.
“You blabbed it all yourself, and now you’re going to deny it?”
Unlike Seolhwa’s chilling killing intent, Maeng Deungho’s colossal, oppressive bloodlust overwhelmed Ma Jongui, making him unable to think straight.
Just as Maeng Deungho had said, Ma Jongui had spilled everything, thinking he needed to impress Soruju.
There was no way anyone would believe him if he denied it now.
“You dared to exploit my son.”
*Grab.*
Maeng Deungho’s large hand seized Ma Jongui’s head. It was a hand so big it could cup his entire face.
“Ch-Chief, Chief…! (L-Leader, Leader!)”
Ma Jongui struggled to pull away the large hand covering his face, but it was impossible to escape the grip imbued with internal energy.
Maeng Deungho’s hand crunched, pressing against Ma Jongui’s face.
“Ugh, ugh…! P-Please…! (S-Save me…!)”
“Shall I kill him?”
Maeng Deungho asked.
Seolhwa shrugged and replied,
“I’m done here. I’ll head back to the camp first.”
“Seolhwa…”
Cheongun, true to being a Namgung young master, seemed uncomfortable with the idea of easily taking a life.
Seolhwa took Cheongun’s hand and pulled him along.
“He’s someone who will kill if not killed. Don’t think of it as killing, think of it as saving. It might make you feel a little better.”
Cheongun furrowed his brow.
It was strangely convincing…? Though it didn’t exactly make him feel better.
“That’s a strange logic. But… I understand what you mean.”
“Let’s go.”
“Alright.”
As the two walked hand in hand back to the camp, a scream of *Aaaargh!* echoed from behind them.
Then, with a *Crunch!* the scream died down.
***
“Seolhwa.”
On the way back to the camp from the forest.
Cheongun suddenly stopped, opening his arms towards Seolhwa.
After momentarily looking back and forth between Cheongun and his outstretched arms, Seolhwa awkwardly stepped into his embrace.
Cheongun hugged his child tightly.
“…”
Seolhwa was a little surprised. His body was trembling faintly.
“…Dad?”
“I… I thought I was going to lose you again.”
Cheongun recalled the moment he received Ryeon’s report.
‘Young Miss…! Young Miss Seolhwa…!’
His mind went blank, and his vision clouded. It felt as if the abyss he had momentarily forgotten had returned.
From that moment on, he didn't know how he had even gotten here.
He had intended to follow his child without hesitation, but Ryeon had barely managed to hold him back, making him rendezvous with the Cheongsan couple at Chao Lake, and then he immediately departed leading the Hwangryongdae.
There was no need to search for traces of his child. Only the iron beads he had heard about from Ryeon caught Cheongun’s eye.
“Without you, my life has no meaning. I asked you to become the Family Head for your sake, didn’t I? Then you must stay by my side.”
“…”
“If you die… how am I supposed to live?”
Cheongun bowed his head deeply. His body was still trembling.
That slight tremor revealed how much he had suffered from the fear of potentially losing his daughter again.
Seolhwa gently hugged Cheongun.
“…I’m sorry.”
As she chased after Hwarin, her greatest concern had been her father, Cheongun.
A life entirely dedicated to his daughter. She knew better than anyone how far he would go for his daughter.
“I’ll be careful. And…”
Seolhwa promised Cheongun.
“I will never die. I will never die and leave you alone, Dad.”
