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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Cyno
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The thought, “What should I do now?” briefly crossed Namgoong Bin’s mind.
But the contemplation didn’t last long.
‘Nothing changes.’
After all, his goal had never been to win Yu So-eun’s heart.
Even if he had lost his manhood, he hadn’t lost his Blood Arts. His body would recover as his mastery of the Blood Heaven Divine Art grew, and in the end, he would still achieve his ultimate goal—stealing Yu So-eun’s heart.
Namgoong Bin chose to believe that. No, he had to believe it—if only to justify the four years of effort he had already poured into this.
“Blood Demon, take a look at this.”
Entering the underground chamber, Namgoong Bin presented the severed piece of his ear—the one sliced off by Sal-Seong—to the Blood Demon, who was still leaning against the wall.
The Blood Demon examined it closely before speaking.
“You’ve been castrated.”
“…! H-How did you—?!”
“Tsk, tsk. It’s obvious at a glance.”
“Haa…”
“Don’t worry. I know the sorrow of losing one’s manhood. I won’t mock you for this.”
“How gracious of you.”
Perhaps because his mood was already foul, Namgoong Bin responded sarcastically before shifting the topic. There was something else that had caught his attention since entering the chamber.
“That Cheonggwang Sword—did you move it?”
He pointed at the sword, still hanging on the wall.
“Yes. I did.”
“Hmm… Anyone who touches that sword loses their head. How is yours still attached?”
“A mere trinket like that is nothing before me.”
“…You don’t even have hands.”
“I grabbed it with my teeth.”
“……”
Namgoong Bin sensed that the Blood Demon was hiding something but chose not to press further. Torture wouldn’t work on her, and besides, it wasn’t worth antagonizing her over something trivial.
“Fine, then. There’s something else I wanted to ask.”
“What is it?”
“The Blood Cult’s Vice-Leader… The more I think about it, the more uneasy I feel.”
“Uneasy about what?”
Namgoong Bin’s blue eyes flickered, glowing ominously in the dark chamber.
“What kind of person is he?”
“The Vice-Leader?”
“Yes.”
The Blood Demon smirked—an inscrutable expression.
“A formidable one. No, a formidable woman. Putting aside her martial arts, which nearly rival mine, her mastery of curses and dark arts is unmatched in the cult.”
“I know a thing or two about curses myself.”
“You’re not even comparable. She was a master of death arts. Beyond curses, she excelled in poisons and demonic energy. Unlike me, who devoted my life solely to martial arts, she was… different.”
“A master of death arts on par with your martial arts? That is surprising.”
“That’s why I sealed her away. Even I couldn’t control her.”
Though he kept his expression neutral, Namgoong Bin was inwardly stunned. The Blood Demon was the third strongest being he knew. If even she couldn’t control this Vice-Leader, then he stood no chance.
“Are you afraid?”
“Frankly, yes.”
“Why not join forces with her? It’s not like you’re some self-righteous hero like the Sword Saint.”
“Don’t spout nonsense. Evil has its factions. I have no intention of allying with someone I don’t even know.”
“Is that so?”
The Blood Demon recalled Namgoong Bin’s actions during the Great Blood War.
To the Blood Cult, he had been a top-priority target—on par with the Divine Monk and the Sword Saint. In some ways, he had been even more dangerous than the Martial Alliance Leader.
The reason was simple: he was a headache. Every scheme he devised pierced right through the cult’s intentions, making him the most irritating adversary they had ever faced.
The problem was, Namgoong Bin never kept unknown variables around him. Nor did he associate with those of dubious reputation or long absences.
“The Divine Monk always kept Shaolin monks around him, making assassination difficult. The Sword Saint wandered alone, making assassination impossible.”
“Is that so?”
“But you… You didn’t even give us an opening. The cult sent over a hundred assassins after you, and every single one failed.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
His reluctance to get close to the current Blood Demon was likely another facet of that cautious nature.
“You don’t need to worry too much about the current cult leader.”
“…What do you mean? You just said she’s far more formidable than me.”
“Remember the martial arts embedded in your dantian. You’ve mastered the root of the Blood Arts—why fear some upstart?”
Beneath her taunting tone, Namgoong Bin sensed she had a point to make. This time, he saw no reason to feign ignorance.
“Explain.”
“Last time, I mentioned the Jiangshi hidden in the caves of the Central Plains, didn’t I?”
“You did.”
“Jiangshi are nothing more than corpses reanimated by Blood Arts—slaves to the will of their master. So tell me, why would they not obey the one who wields the most orthodox Blood Arts in the martial world?”
Namgoong Bin’s expression darkened as he listened. The Blood Demon continued smoothly.
“No matter what that woman is plotting, it’s only because she doesn’t know you exist. Every soldier she creates will ultimately become yours. That is the power of the Blood Heaven Divine Art.”
“I had no idea the Blood Heaven Divine Art had such an ability.”
“Indeed. So stop worrying needlessly.”
Namgoong Bin nodded, his eyes burning with unconcealed ambition.
His primary goal was to spite the Heaven, but his desires didn’t end there. Though his lust had been extinguished, his thirst for power remained. Otherwise, why would he have built so many hidden factions?
“Thanks for the information. Ah, one more thing.”
“What now?”
“About Cheol-bin—the Sword Saint. I have a question.”
Namgoong Bin licked his lips—a sign he was deep in thought.
“You once claimed to have reached the pinnacle of martial arts.”
“Correct. The supreme realm of Transcendence. A height you could never dream of.”
“Then what realm does the Sword Saint occupy, if he subdued you in a single move?”
It was a roundabout way of asking: “Just how many regressions has Cheol-bin undergone?”
To this, the Blood Demon replied:
“The apex of martial arts… and beyond.”
“……?”
“I can’t explain further. Because even I don’t know.”
Her answer was vague, almost cryptic.
“……”
There was nothing more to glean.
Resigned, Namgoong Bin left the underground chamber. The Blood Demon called after him, demanding he read more of the Sword Saint’s journal, but he ignored her.
As he stepped out, he was greeted by the long, dark, and gloomy corridors of the Namgoong estate.
Clack, clack—
‘Sigh… Should I bring tea to Yu So-eun again today? If I can just win her over, everything else will fall into place…’
Even as a eunuch, he refused to wallow in despair. He was already planning his next move when something—no, someone—blocked his path.
“……? Sister-in-law?”
It was Yu So-eun, wandering the halls in the dead of night.
Perfect timing.
Namgoong Bin stepped aside politely, hoping to salvage whatever goodwill he still had with her.
But then—the unimaginable happened.
Ssshh—
“……!”
“Namgoong Bin.”
Yu So-eun’s gaze was murderous, as if she wanted to tear him apart on the spot.
Her voice was terrifyingly low, sharp enough to cut through anything. To an outsider, she might have seemed a master of Sound Arts.
“You will face divine retribution.”
“S-Sister-in-law?”
Without another word, she walked past him without so much as a glance. Namgoong Bin stared blankly at her retreating figure.
Just yesterday, she hadn’t been this hostile. What in the world had happened?
He was utterly bewildered.
“You’ve come again.”
“Yes.”
“Here to see the Cheonggwang Sword first, as usual?”
“Yes.”
After passing Namgoong Bin and hesitating briefly, Yu So-eun entered the underground chamber. The Blood Demon greeted her with a sly remark.
Yu So-eun’s eyes were dim—and not just because of the chamber’s darkness.
“C-Can’t we look at it together? I’m curious too.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Tsk.”
Ignoring the Blood Demon’s click of disapproval, Yu So-eun drew the Cheonggwang Sword from its sheath.
The sword’s resonance echoed in her mind.
— “Have you come to see your lord again?”
“Yes. I know it’s presumptuous, but please grant me this again today.”
— “Annoying.”
Though it grumbled, the sword complied. Its feelings toward Yu So-eun weren’t pure hatred—they were a mix of resentment and twisted affection.
“Huu… Huuu…”
Gripping the sword, Yu So-eun took a deep breath.
Soon, Lightning’s figure would appear on the blade. Since reading his journal, she had grown somewhat accustomed to this ritual.
Thump, thump—
Her heart pounded with tension. Swallowing hard to steady herself, she opened her eyes.
Just as the image of the white-haired man was about to appear on the blade—
Drip—
“…Huh?”
A crimson thread of blood trickled from the corner of her lips. Plip, plip, plip. The droplets slid down her delicate jawline, hitting the floor with soft, rhythmic taps.
It took her a moment to process what was happening.
“W-What…?”
A searing pain spread through her abdomen, sharp and paralyzing. At the same time, her head spun violently. Her vision swayed as if the world itself were tilting.
Suddenly, she remembered Lightning’s warning about the Heaven’s Mandate.
‘Ah…’
Staggering briefly, she collapsed as if her limbs had turned to lead. All strength drained from her body.
‘So this is what it was…’
Then, darkness swallowed her. Thick, suffocating smoke filled her mind as she lost consciousness.
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