Chapter 158
The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Trading Company Chapter 158
Chapter 158. The Purpose of the Blood Cult (2)
At that moment, the members of the Blood Cult, who had been living in Yeoncheon Village disguised as ordinary villagers, moved toward the Wudang Sect.
Today was the promised day.
“Finally, today, the history of the Blood Cult will begin again.”
At the words of their leader, they struck their hearts with their right fists and shouted.
“Blood Cult rules the world! The truth is chaos!”
Only when chaos reigns will the world they desire come to pass, and it is the Blood Cult who deliberately create chaos.
Their martial arts were associated with blood, which is why they were called the Blood Cult.
It was a kind of derogatory name, but the members of the Blood Cult liked it.
It was a name that clearly showed their identity.
“All we wanted was the world that would come after the chaos. But the world did not want us and persecuted us. But now, our life of persecution and hiding is over. The one who led us will lead us again.”
The years of patience and endurance flashed before their eyes like a galloping horse.
But now, the time for patience was over.
In the distance, they could hear the sound of drums. The appointed time had come.
They rushed to the Wudang Sect to welcome their cult leader, who had recovered.
* *
I had fallen asleep in the guest room, but I suddenly woke up.
This disgusting smell of blood... The Blood Cult members were on the move.
As soon as I opened the door, the warrior Seo Woo, who was guarding the door, asked me.
“What is it?”
“I think we need to go inside right now.”
At my words, the four bodyguards and Pal-gap immediately followed me, and soon we arrived at the pavilion where the Blood Cult members were imprisoned, bound by chains and ropes.
A fierce battle was already underway.
“Don't back down!”
“For the glory of the Blood Cult!”
Clang!
Ka-ga-gang!
Kang!
The sound of cold weapons clashing was deafening.
“What should we do?”
I hesitated slightly at the question from the female warrior.
A fierce battle was already underway, and if we made a wrong move, we could easily lose our lives to a stray sword.
That's why I hesitated to tell the escort warriors to join the battle.
Then, Seo Woo said,
“We are the Liege's escorts. In this situation, I think our top priority is to protect the Liege.”
Everyone nodded in agreement, and I did not act immediately.
“Let's watch the situation for a moment.”
“Yes, sir.”
I asked them to watch the situation for a moment because the Elders who did not participate in the friendly duel joined the battle, and the Wudang Sect began to gain the upper hand.
We also had to find the Martial Alliance's ally.
“...!”
Then, it happened.
“Eing! How long do you expect us to wait!”
Someone who appeared to be an elder of the Wudang Sect shouted and slashed his allies.
What?
The Martial Alliance's ally was an elder of the Wudang Sect?
Damn it, that's why I didn't notice him.
Everyone was shocked by this unprecedented situation and looked at the elder, and Jin-Jeong, whom I had met before, yelled at him.
“Elder Jin-Gu! Are you crazy?”
“I have no intention of explaining my actions. You wouldn't understand even if I explained.”
“Then why are you doing something so incomprehensible?”
In response to that question, Jin-gu, the elder, raised his sword and swung it toward the pavilion.
Kwaang!
At the same time, the sword qi flew and destroyed the pavilion.
“What are you doing! There's someone in there!”
Instead of answering, Jin-gu said to the Blood Cult members with an annoyed look on his face.
“Go and bring your cult leader here!”
“Thank you for your cooperation!”
The Blood Cult members did not miss their chance.
Some of them entered the basement of the pavilion, while the rest blocked the Wudang Sect masters.
Soon, they brought a man in a terrible state to the ground floor.
“Cult Leader! Come to your senses!”
“You must accept the power of the elixir!”
I was shocked to hear that.
It meant that the imprisoned Blood Cult member was the leader of the Blood Cult.
“Ugh, ugh...”
But something was strange.
“What's wrong, Cult Leader?”
“My...”
“What?”
“My stomach hurts so much! Ugh!”
Something about his appearance gave me a clue.
When I went to Yeoncheon Village, Geum-ryeong secretly brought the Shining Spirit Room with her.
I thought there would be an uproar because something important to them was missing, so I quickly hid it in a secret storage room.
However, even after I left Yeoncheon Village, there was no sign of unrest among them.
Then there was only one answer.
They didn't know that the Shining Spirit Fruit was missing.
Then why didn't they know?
Geum-ryeong must have replaced it with something that wouldn't be noticed.
Then what did she replace it with?
I found something while gathering herbs for Pal-gap.
It was a golden fruit that looked so similar to the Shining Spirit Fruit that it was difficult to tell them apart.
It looks like a delicious fruit or a magical potion, but it is actually a poisonous plant.
It is called the Golden Poison Fruit.
If you eat it, you will suffer from extreme stomach pains that will cause you to faint.
I heard that the pain is like your stomach is being burned with fire.
If that is what the Blood Cult Leader ate...
Hmm, judging by the way he's rolling around, it seems certain that he ate it.
Seeing this, the Blood Cult members cried out in a frenzy.
“How dare you deceive us!”
“What did you do to our cult leader?”
“What do you mean? I only gave him the elixir you gave me.”
At those words, their eyes turned to a man who was with them.
“Then you gave him fake medicine!”
“What? I gave him real medicine!”
Something was... going in a strange direction.
The Wudang Sect, the Blood Cult, and the Martial Alliance's ally.
It had turned into a three-way battle.
Seeing this, Pal-gap laughed hollowly.
“What kind of ridiculous situation is this?”
“That's what I wanted to say.”
Who would have thought that Kim-ryung's slight touch of the Shining Spirit Room would have such an effect?
Anyway, the person who can end this situation is on his way here. I asked him to deliver a letter to Kim-ryung when he came here.
The three forces continued to face each other in a tense standoff.
Since it was unclear who was friend or foe, they were unable to make a move.
Then,
“Huh! Is there no other way?”
Elder Jin-gu approached the Blood Cult members and said.
“Actually, my plan was to let the Cult Leader cause a commotion and then take his life at the right moment.”
“What?”
It was not the Blood Cult members who reacted to this, but Elder Jin.
“You are truly insane! Do you not understand what it means for the Blood Cult Leader's blood to be spilled?”
“Of course I know. The Blood Cult Leader's blood is cursed by the Blood Evil Technique. When he dies and his blood is spilled on this land, the pillars of each sect will be shaken.”
Pillars?
I didn't know what that meant, but I understood why the Wudang Sect had imprisoned the Blood Cult Leader instead of killing him.
Then, Jin Yu said, “I've heard of the Blood Cult's Blood Assassin before.”
“I have heard of the Blood Cult's Blood Cult before.”
“What?”
“The goal of the Blood Cult is to bring chaos to this world. To achieve that goal, they need a human sacrifice, and that sacrifice is the Blood Cult Leader.”
Jin-yu Musha continued quietly.
“The only way to master the Blood Cult Leader's technique is for the Blood Cult Leader to become a human sacrifice. According to Elder Jingu, it seems that the Blood Cult Leader is on the verge of complete mastery.”
Come to think of it, ever since the Blood Cult Leader was defeated by the Martial Alliance in my previous life, the major sects had begun to waver strangely.
I thought I knew the purpose of this bloodshed.
If they gave the Blood Cult Leader the elixir and restored his body, his anger would naturally turn toward those who imprisoned him.
This would cause tremendous damage to the Wudang Sect, and they would carry out massacres in the surrounding areas to bring about the chaos they desired.
And if the Martial Alliance stepped in at the right moment to defeat him, their reputation would rise.
At the same time, by spilling the Blood Cult Leader's blood on this land, they would shake the pillars of each sect and weaken their power.
But... there was something puzzling.
The Martial Alliance was a union of orthodox sects, which meant that if their power weakened, so would the Martial Alliance.
Wouldn't that be undermining their own power?
At the same time, another thought crossed my mind.
Most of the Martial Alliance's allies that I had encountered or discovered so far had the aura of the Black Dao.
Could it be... the Martial Alliance is the Black Dao?
I had thought this before, but even I thought it was too far-fetched.
I shook my head to dispel the thought. Meanwhile, the situation escalated.
“How could you do that knowing that!”
Elder Jin-gu smiled at Elder Jin's cry.
“The pillars that protect each sect are shaking, which means that a new order can be created.”
“...”
“Even though our Wudang Sect is one of the two pillars of the orthodox sects, we have sacrificed too much. Why should we do that? We can rule, so why should we sacrifice ourselves?”
“That is the responsibility of those who bear the burden of the orthodox sects...”
“No! I cannot accept that! We must make it clear to those who force us to sacrifice ourselves that the true losers of the martial arts world are the Wudang Sect!”
I thought I understood Elder Jingu's intentions.
He wanted to raise the reputation of the Wudang Sect by beheading the Blood Cult Leader when he was rampaging.
In his previous life, he must have been an ally of the Martial Alliance.
However, instead of beheading the Blood Cult Leader, he was killed by him.
In the end, he was just a pawn of the Martial Alliance.
Elder Jingu looked at the other disciples of the Wudang Sect and said,
“If you agree with me, fight with me.”
At his words, the disciples' eyes began to waver. His words sounded very reasonable.
Ta-!
Elder Jingu's sword moved.
Those who agreed with him began to follow him.
Elder Jin-jin shouted at them.
“Come to your senses! This martial arts school does not exist to rule over others!”
However, Elder Jin-gu's words fell on deaf ears, and he eventually jumped into the fight to stop Jin-gu.
Clang!
Ka-ga-gang!
Chae-chang!
The brawl began again.
If my calculations are correct, it should be about time for him to arrive...
“Katsu!”
At that moment, someone shouted, and the fight stopped.
The footsteps grew closer.
The person walking confidently toward them was Jin-Seon, the Sect Leader of the Wudang Sect.
Geum-Ryung must have delivered my letter.
The sudden appearance of the Sect Leader made Jin-Gu Elder visibly flustered.
“No, how did the Sect Leader get here?”
“What are you talking about? Is there somewhere I shouldn't be?”
“...”
“I had a bad feeling about this, and now look what's happened!”
He approached Elder Jingu and punched him in the face.
Smack!
Everyone was taken aback by this turn of events.
No one expected the Sect Leader to punch the Elder.
I was also surprised.
The Sect Leader is more passionate than I thought.
“You fool! Are you a Taoist and still don't understand the Tao?”
“Ugh... What is this Tao that requires the sacrifice of our Wudang Sect?”
“Taoism is like nature. It does not put itself forward, but you know it is always there. That is Taoism! Taoism that reigns supreme is not Taoism!”
The Sect Leader shouted at him.
“Your sin is unforgivable! Therefore, by the authority of the Sect Leader, I order you to spend the rest of your life in the Penitential Hall!”
“No! I cannot accept that!”
He gritted his teeth, raised his sword, and rushed toward the Sect Leader.
“I will kill you and become the Sect Leader!”
Hearing those words, I sighed.
Once again, I realized how stubborn human stubbornness can be.
It was time for me to step in.
“Excuse me... I have a question.”
“Who are you?”
Instead of answering Elder Jingu's blunt question, I asked him a question in return.
“I thought that in order for the Blood Cult Leader's blood to be sprinkled, he must first be alive, is that correct?”
“....”
“If he is imprisoned, it means that it is acceptable for him to die in a way other than having his blood sprinkled, right?”
“....”
“Then, once he is dead, whether his blood is spilled or not, it will have no effect on the ‘pillar,’ right?”
“What are you trying to say?”
“The main product of the Trading Company I work for is medicine, so I think I know what the author ate.”
“...?”
“Earlier, you mentioned a magic potion, but judging from the way the perpetrator is complaining of stomach pains, it seems that he ate a poisonous herb that could be mistaken for a magic potion.”
“...?”
“And it seems that he is already dead, doesn't he?”
At that moment, everyone's eyes turned to the Blood Cult Leader, who was already dead and had become a cold corpse.