So, the Young Master’s infiltration of Namgoong was all a ruse to bring the Namgoong Clan to ruin.

Now, everything made sense.

After all, if the Young Master had truly betrayed them, there was no way the bloodthirsty Master would have let it slide.

“So, who were you planning to contact? That’s a Hundred Li Incense Bomb, isn’t it?”

Seolhwa pointed at the split incense bomb lying on the ground, the one she had sliced in two with her throwing knife.

The Hundred Li Incense Bomb was an item crafted by the Blood Demon Cult, a tool meant for secret communication across vast distances without being easily detected.

She had used it countless times in her previous life; there was no way Seolhwa wouldn’t recognize it.

“Ah, I was going to send it to my lord nearby,” Ma Jong-ui said, feigning nonchalance.

“The Crimson Ogre is nearby?”

The Sixth Blood Lord... was close?

“Yes. He was planning to attack Guiyeong Stronghold once I gave the signal.”

“To strike when they’re at their weakest.”

“As expected of the Young Master.”

Ma Jong-ui chuckled, bowing obsequiously.

If the Young Master’s betrayal was staged, then Ma Jong-ui needed to align himself with Seolhwa as best he could.

Seolhwa appeared to be lost in thought, contemplating the Sixth Blood Lord’s proximity. Ma Jong-ui quickly added,

“Ah, now that I know the Young Master’s intentions, I won’t call for my lord.”

“?”

“How could a lowly one like me dare to interfere with the Young Master’s grand plan?”

He flashed a sycophantic grin, his eyes flitting nervously to gauge her reaction.

Watching Ma Jong-ui grovel, Seolhwa let out a derisive snort.

‘What a cunning fox.’

“You’re right. The plan isn’t over yet, and I can’t let it fall apart here.”

“Yes, yes.”

“So, let me guess. You managed to get Guiyeong Stronghold’s lord to cooperate by promising to cure his son’s ailment, right?”

“Yes... that’s correct.”

“Tell me.”

“...Pardon?”

There was a flicker of distrust in Ma Jong-ui’s eyes.

Noticing his hesitation, Seolhwa’s smile remained calm and leisurely.

“The cure. Tell me.”

That easygoing smile and relaxed gaze abruptly darkened, as if a predator had just spotted its prey.

“I need it for my own purposes.”

The look in Seolhwa’s eyes was chilling. Even without releasing her killing intent, the pressure was suffocating.

‘I’ve heard that the Young Master’s martial prowess was unusually high for her age....’

The killing intent she had displayed earlier, the piercing gaze she held now—she was definitely not someone to be underestimated, no matter how young.

‘I can’t afford to provoke her.’

“O-Of course! I’ll tell you! But....”

“?”

“Well, it’s not a perfect cure. Would that still be acceptable...?”

“What do you mean, not a perfect cure?”

“What we were going to tell the Stronghold Lord was the Blood Absorption Technique.”

“Blood Absorption Technique?”

Seolhwa’s brows furrowed.

The Blood Absorption Technique—just as its name suggested, it was a technique for absorbing blood energy.

Whether it was a human or a beast, as long as blood flowed through it, that blood contained life force, or blood energy.

In terms of vitality, it was similar to innate energy. And in terms of blood circulation, it was akin to acquired energy.

However, unlike innate energy, it was not a power one was born with. And unlike acquired energy, it could not be gained through traditional cultivation techniques.

Blood energy was purely the force generated from the circulation of blood throughout the body, the very essence of life force itself.

Thus, everyone possessed it, regardless of whether they practiced martial arts or not. Even non-human entities had blood energy.

The Blood Absorption Technique was a demonic art that allowed one to draw that energy in and convert it into power.

“And you were planning to save the Stronghold Lord’s son with that?”

“Well, it could keep him alive.”

“Don’t beat around ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) the bush. You’re making me want to kill you.”

Ma Jong-ui flinched and hurriedly continued.

“By absorbing blood energy using the Blood Absorption Technique, the twisted meridians can be temporarily stabilized. But it’s only temporary.”

“So, it only delays the symptoms of the meridian disorder.”

“Yes. As you know, Yin-Yang Great Meridian Severance isn’t something that can be cured. The Blood Absorption Technique would allow him to live longer than he would otherwise, but as time goes on, the convulsions and meridian disruptions will occur more frequently, and....”

“And he’ll need more and more blood energy to survive.”

“Exactly.”

Ma Jong-ui’s lips twisted into a wicked grin. It was a vile, insidious smile.

‘So that’s why Jin Soyak became a bloodthirsty monster in my previous life.’

To stay alive, he would have had to kill and absorb more and more blood.

As time passed, his thirst for stronger and purer blood would have only grown. And Meng Deungho, desperate to keep his son alive, would have certainly participated in the slaughter.

All of this had been orchestrated by the Blood Demon Cult.

‘Interesting.’

In her past life, Seolhwa hadn’t bothered to look into the details. But now, she could see how everything was connected.

And more importantly, she now had a way to steal this power before it fell under the Blood Demon Cult’s control.

“You heard that, didn’t you?”

“...?”

Ma Jong-ui blinked, bewildered.

Seolhwa’s gaze shifted behind him.

Following her line of sight, Ma Jong-ui turned around—and his breath caught in his throat.

Perched atop a high tree branch, hidden in the shadows of the leaves, was a black panther.

Its eyes blazed with uncontained fury.

“G-Guiyeong Stronghold Lord...!”

Whoosh—THUD!

Meng Deungho leapt from the branch and landed with a heavy impact, sending a cloud of dust into the air.

With every step, the ground trembled as he strode toward Seolhwa and Ma Jong-ui.

“If it weren’t for her, Soyak would have lived a life worse than death,” Meng Deungho said, his gaze briefly shifting to Seolhwa.

“Thank you. I’ll keep my promise,” he said, his voice cold and firm.

Seolhwa shrugged and took a step back, as if she had no further business with them.

She moved toward Namgoong Cheongun, who had been hiding in the shadows alongside Meng Deungho and had only revealed himself when Meng Deungho made his move.

Cheongun placed a hand on Seolhwa’s shoulder.

“You did well,” he said.

“Yes,” Seolhwa replied, her expression as composed as ever.

Cheongun and Seolhwa looked toward the Guiyeong Stronghold Lord.

Thud. Thud.

With each step Meng Deungho took, Ma Jong-ui’s body visibly trembled.

“G-Guiyeong Stronghold Lord... Th-that’s not...!”

“What’s not?”

Meng Deungho’s eyes gleamed with murderous intent.

“You were so eager to run your mouth, and now you’re going to pretend otherwise?”

Unlike Seolhwa’s chilling, sharp killing intent, Meng Deungho’s was heavy and overwhelming, crushing down like a boulder.

Ma Jong-ui couldn’t gather his thoughts.

Driven by the urge to curry favor with the Young Master, he had spilled everything.

There was no way Meng Deungho would believe him now, even if he tried to deny it.

“You really made good use of my son, didn’t you?”

Grab.

Meng Deungho’s large hand clamped down on Ma Jong-ui’s head. His hand was big enough to cover Ma Jong-ui’s entire face.

“Agh... ahhh...! L-Lord... L-Lord...!”

Ma Jong-ui struggled desperately to pry off the hand crushing his face, but it was impossible to escape the grip infused with internal energy.

Meng Deungho’s fingers tightened, the sound of bones creaking echoing ominously.

“Kuh... ugh...! S-Save... me...!”

“Can I kill him?”

Meng Deungho asked, looking toward Seolhwa.

Seolhwa shrugged indifferently.

“I’m done here. I’ll head back to the base camp first.”

“Seolhwa....”

Cheongun’s expression tensed. As expected of a Namgoong scion, he seemed uncomfortable with the idea of killing someone so easily.

Seolhwa reached out and grasped Cheongun’s hand, pulling him along.

“If he doesn’t die, he’ll kill someone else. Don’t think of it as killing him. Think of it as saving others. It’ll make you feel a little better.”

Cheongun frowned slightly.

Somehow, her reasoning seemed oddly convincing. Not that it actually made him feel better....

“That’s some twisted logic. But I get what you’re saying.”

“Let’s go.”

“Alright.”

Hand in hand, the two walked away toward the base camp.

Behind them, a blood-curdling scream echoed through the forest.

Following that, the sickening sound of something being crushed, then silence.

****

“Seolhwa.”

On the path back to the base camp, emerging from the forest, Cheongun suddenly stopped.

He opened his arms wide.

Seolhwa hesitated, glancing between Cheongun and his outstretched arms, before finally stepping forward and allowing herself to be embraced.

Cheongun held her tightly.

“....”

Seolhwa was momentarily startled. His body was trembling.

“...Father?”

“I... I thought I was going to lose you again.”

Cheongun’s mind replayed the moment he received Ryeong’s report.

‘Young Miss...! It’s the Young Miss...!’

His mind had gone blank. The ground had seemed to disappear beneath his feet.

From that moment until now, he couldn’t remember how he’d made it here.

Ryeong had desperately held him back, preventing him from running off aimlessly and instead leading him to reunite with Cheongsan and his wife in Soho.

From there, he had immediately set out with the Huanglong Division.

He hadn’t needed to search for Seolhwa’s trail. The iron beads Ryeong had told him about were the only thing he’d focused on.

“If you’re not here... there’s no reason for me to keep living. They asked me to become the Clan Lord for your sake. But for that to happen... you have to stay by my side.”

“....”

“If you die... how am I supposed to live?”

Cheongun lowered his head, his shoulders still trembling.

How close he’d come to losing his daughter again, how close he’d been to falling into that abyss once more—it was all painfully evident in that faint, involuntary shudder.

Seolhwa gently wrapped her arms around her father.

“...I’m sorry.”

Chasing after Hwarin, the person she’d been most worried about was her father, Cheongun.

A man who had devoted his entire life to his daughter.

And no one understood better than Seolhwa just how far he was willing to go for her.

“I’ll be careful. And...”

Seolhwa made a solemn promise to him.

“I won’t die. I’ll never leave you behind, Father. I promise.”