While the Blood Cult man chattered noisily, Sohwa took in the Blood Demon’s residence that had appeared before her eyes.A pavilion soared so high it seemed to touch the night sky.It was a very familiar shape.It was identical to Baekgeumgak on Wuhan Street.Staring at the snow-white pavilion, the Blue Blood Hall Lord muttered a curse.“Every time I look at it, it makes my blood boil. An unbeliever with nothing but high tastes.”He kept spouting curses as he walked, then turned back with a tense face.“Ah, the Blood Demon may be sleeping, so from here on we must be quiet.”“……”He was the one who had been making noise nonstop. She hadn’t raised her voice once.Just then, a queasy voice came from ahead.“But that’s odd. Was Oseoksan’s efficacy always this long?”“……”“Tsk, do Central Plains folk take medicine that well?”“……”“Whatever it is, good news. Heh heh, we’re almost there—hold on a little longer.”The Blue Blood Hall Lord was not a man of complicated thoughts. Sohwa could see why Hae-rak had said the fellow’s nature was dull.As they drew near the building that resembled Baekgeumgak, two structures hidden behind it came into view.They were similar in form to Baekgeumgak, but the pavilion directly behind was red, and the one behind that was black.Set between black and white, the red one was the most ornate.Like a golden dragon climbing the red pillars, gold bound the building tight.Strength gathered of its own accord in Sohwa’s hand.Because the Alliance Leader’s words came to mind.The splendid pavilion the Blood Cult men had staked their lives to guard.He had said an old woman had been imprisoned inside. But now it would be empty. In this lifetime, that sorcerer had taken her own life early.Recognizing the Blue Blood Hall Lord, the pavilion doors opened of their own accord.Creak.Beyond the open doors lay a red interior. It looked like a white serpent baring its jaws. The way the red inner flesh was exposed was hair-raising.The Blue Blood Hall Lord glanced at Sohwa and clicked his tongue.“Click, an outsider enters Geumeunsan and stays so calm—how dull. The drug should wear off before you meet the Blood Demon.”Boom.At the sound of a door shutting behind them, people emerged from the pavilion.They were the first Blood Cult members she had seen since entering Geumeunsan.Dressed in immaculate snow-white, they looked like attendants, but they weren’t. The flow of qi said so. Though they tried hard to hide it, the unpleasant blood-scent let her gauge their level.A pallid-faced cultist bowed and spoke.“We pay respects to the Blue Blood Hall Lord.”“Right. We happened to arrive a day earlier than planned. Something unexpected came up… Ah, is the Blood Demon within?”At his question, the cultist shook his head.“He has gone briefly to Jipseoldang.”“Jipseoldang? Why did he go to Jipseoldang?”The cultist’s gaze flicked backward. At the glance toward Sohwa, the Blue Blood Hall Lord let out a laugh.“It’s fine. I fed her Oseoksan—she’s not in her right mind. Even if she heard, we can feed her Oseoksan again later and erase the memory, so don’t worry.”Though he said so, the cultist kept a blank face and stayed silent. Perhaps used to that attitude, the Blue Blood Hall Lord sighed.“Ugh, what a stuffy lot. Well, can’t hurt to be careful. So where shall we wait?”“Please relieve your travel fatigue first. We have prepared bathwater and a meal.”It sounded like consideration, yet the Blue Blood Hall Lord frowned as if insulted.“We came only one day early and you suspect us without end. Didn’t I say there were circumstances? The Martial Alliance Leader suddenly tried to bring Tang Sohwa into my quarters, so I hurriedly spirited her out.”“Yes.”The man answered dryly.The Blue Blood Hall Lord planted his hands on his waist and aired his grievance.“Ha, didn’t I also pass your test?”“Even so, the one who broke schedule is none other than the Blue Blood Hall Lord, so it can’t be helped.”“…You leave me nothing to say.”Though he frowned, he did not press further. Since Blood Cult members could easily change their faces, they seemed to receive even more suspicion.Sohwa listened closely to their exchange.She felt she could see their ranks and relations.The Blood Cultists in matching white were not high in rank.The Blue Blood Hall Lord spoke down to them; they spoke up to him.But the man used a peremptory tone. And the Blue Blood Hall Lord did not defy his intent.His martial presence didn’t seem overwhelming, yet he could do his job without needing deference to hierarchy.In martial houses there were posts that rated such an attitude highly.Guards and gatekeepers.There was no way a warrior guarding the Blood Demon would be that feeble—so these men were likely gatekeepers.'Was “honin (gatekeeper)” referring to these people?'Fixing the honin in her eyes, Sohwa cast her gaze behind.'So this is the real entrance.'This pavilion seemed to be a true building, not an illusion.She saw a cascade of red steps pouring down like a waterfall.Sohwa recalled the highest floor of Baekgeumgak.Hae-rak’s room, from which all of Wuhan Street lay below.If Hubei’s Baekgeumgak had been modeled on the Blood Demon’s residence, then the Blood Demon’s bedchamber would also be on the top floor.After confirming the stairs, Sohwa slowly lowered her gaze—and met the gatekeeper’s eyes.It was a fleeting instant, but the honin’s eyes narrowed.He was about to speak, as if he had sensed something.Tap-tap-tap.Footsteps sounded, someone coming down the stairs.“Honin.”He approached the gatekeeper who had been speaking with the Blue Blood Hall Lord and whispered something. Hearing the whisper, the honin turned his head toward the Blue Blood Hall Lord.“The Blood Demon grants an audience.”Without a change of expression, he reversed what he’d said.“Please go up at once.”The Blue Blood Hall Lord smiled and sneered.“You said he’d gone to Jipseoldang.”“Yes.”“Went, or were you lying?”“Whether he has already returned or changed his mind, I do not know. I only convey his permission.”The Blue Blood Hall Lord mocked the wooden gatekeeper as a blockhead, but the honin did not respond.He merely stepped aside to clear the way up the stairs.The Blue Blood Hall Lord glanced at Sohwa.“Let’s go up. Seeing as he granted it right away, it seems he wants to see you quickly. There’s no time to waste.”He ended the wordplay and moved in haste.As he passed the honin, he patted the man’s shoulder.“Well done. Don’t relax your suspicion—keep it like this.”Perhaps he had been deliberately needling them; the Blue Blood Hall Lord’s tone had changed.But there was no reply from the honin. Sohwa couldn’t feel even a trace of presence.Unwittingly, Sohwa looked back.The corridor was already empty.Her brows drew together.A body-movement art? Does such a body-movement exist in this world?Unreasonable phenomena unfolded in succession. Steeling herself, she climbed the stairs.The higher she climbed, the harder it became to breathe.Because the stench of blood grew thicker. Not the scent of freshly drawn blood, but a very unpleasant odor of something long pooled and rotting.When at last she reached the highest place, Sohwa’s eyes darkened.Everywhere was black-red.If Hae-rak’s Baekgeumgak had all the windows flung open, here every side was blocked by black-red walls.Soon she realized the red walls were cloth soaked in blood.Nausea surged.Golden curtains hung, luxurious ornaments abounded, but they didn’t register, hidden behind the blood-colored hangings.All that filled her body was the disgusted desire to leave this room at once.Thud.Suddenly the Blue Blood Hall Lord dropped to his knees. He kept silent, eyes fixed on the floor. Turning her gaze in the direction of his salute, Sohwa flinched.A huge man stood beside a black pillar. His black long robe and hair trailing to the floor were like the pillar’s shadow—no wonder she hadn’t noticed at a glance.He made no discernible presence. She couldn’t feel his inner energy, either.Perhaps reading her expression, the man suddenly stretched the black-red line of his lips.“Geumso left something amusing.”At the incomprehensible words, Sohwa’s eyes narrowed.Red pupils moved slowly, taking Sohwa in. Etching her features into his pupils, the Blood ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ Demon spoke.“Blood is truly wondrous. How can it leave something so identical? What is contained that it can reproduce both shell and essence just the same? It is a marvel, the way it reveals its essence honestly even after time has passed.”At some point, he was standing right before her.“Though impurities of the Tang Clan have been mixed in, you have absorbed the Tang Clan’s trifling arts, so that degree of turbidity is no loss.”The Blood Demon stroked Sohwa’s cheek.“I don’t know how much of me is contained in there, but it was a very long time ago, so not that much. Still, it should connect. For you, very fortunate.”His fingers, sliding up as they stroked her cheek, pressed Sohwa’s lower lip.The Blood Demon pried open her closed mouth and pushed his thumb inside.A tingling sensation spread across her tongue. From the taste of blood, it seemed he had nicked her tongue with his nail.Moving his finger slowly, he brushed along Sohwa’s teeth.She tried to watch what he was doing, but could not endure it and drew her body back. A nauseating ripple had surged inside her mouth.“Ptew.”Spitting blood, Sohwa flinched.Black insects were twitching helplessly in the spittle.Her gaze rose.From the Blood Demon’s fingertips, black droplets of blood fell one by one.“How strange.”The Blood Demon fixed his eyes on the dokgo on the floor. He seemed unconcerned with the wound on his own finger.“If even a single drop had gotten inside, it should have settled in place.”His gaze, thick with suspicion, rose to Sohwa.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.