Chapter 109. The Blood Demon's Secret Vault

The room the Blood Demon had given her was on the first floor. He had said it was the best room, and it seemed to be.

So-hwa walked toward the window.

It was a large window overlooking the garden. If she put her mind to it, she could escape through it.

The Blood Demon's confidence, that she would not be able to leave Jin Yin Mountain without his permission, was evident.

So-hwa reached her hand toward the window where the early dawn light spilled in. Soft petals brushed her fingertips. It was the sanung flower, said to bloom in the sandy dunes of the Great Desert.

She cast her gaze a bit farther out.

At the center of the garden was a black pond, surrounded by wild grass that grew in wetlands.

The Blood Demon's garden was bizarre in structure—plants with vastly different native environments grew side by side.

There was dry sand in front of the pavilion, and wetlands near the pond.

But a plant's growing conditions aren't determined by soil alone.

Wind, sunlight—all these elements must come together to nurture vegetation, and yet this environment made no sense.

As if pieces of different spaces had been carved out and transplanted.

'Is this also dark arts?'

So-hwa's eyes darkened.

The Blood Sect was more complex and grotesque than she had imagined.

She pressed her temple and flinched. The scent of the tracking incense from her wrist still lingered strongly.

"I did something useless..."

She had created the incense in hopes that, if she died, it would at least reveal the base of the Blood Sect to the Central Plains.

Fearing spies might detect it, she altered the formula and handed the incense only to the Clan Head.

But to those who could mix up entire spaces, such a method was meaningless.

Without knowing how to bypass the formation spells, it was useless.

Rather, they could trap the pursuers within the formation.

She felt the weight of her misstep but soon set aside her anxiety.

'No, the Blue Blood Hall Lord said she had created a double of me, so they likely don't know I've disappeared.'

The incense would last at most ten days.

The Alliance Leader had requested her and the Divine Physician for ten days, so during that time, it would be difficult for outsiders to notice her disappearance.

Moreover, even if the Alliance Leader realized she was gone, he would not come looking.

'He'd rather I die at the hands of the Blood Demon for the sake of his peace.'

Perhaps, in a way, it was fortunate for her, too.

So-hwa hoped the Alliance Leader would conceal her disappearance.

If her father realized she had vanished and came looking, it would only put the Tang Clan in danger.

If someone were to notice her disappearance, she hoped it would be after the incense had faded and they could no longer come here.

Knowing it was meaningless now, Tang So-hwa still rubbed her wrist with her sleeve.

Just then, a mocking voice rang out from behind her.

"You kept saying I was crazy, but now it's you who's lost it."

So-hwa turned her head. At the same time, her eyes furrowed.

"... What's with your face?"

Standing by the door, Haerak had his face turned away, one hand covering it.

"Don't mind it."

She thought there would be no trouble since he had easily subdued the Blue Blood Hall Lord, but Haerak's face and clothes were drenched in blood and in ruins.

Whatever had happened, So-hwa didn't ask further.

Since he avoided her gaze, he clearly didn't want to talk about it.

Instead, So-hwa asked something else.

"Where's the Medical Hall?"

Haerak, who had been avoiding her eyes, looked back at her.

"Haven't you ever heard of Blood Arts?"

"Why would I bother hearing about that kind of thing?"

Typical of Tang So-hwa, Haerak chuckled.

"Every Central Plains folk I've seen either exaggerates stories about the Blood Sect or takes it overly seriously—none treat it like nothing. But you're really something else. Don't they say the Blood Sect feeds on the blood of martial artists and forges their own flesh and bone from it?"

So-hwa, too, had heard grotesque rumors about the Blood Sect.

Blood-Siphoning Art, or Qi-absorbing techniques—they say it could draw blood from a man and rob him of his internal energy. Such tales have echoed through the ages like legend.

That those who feed on the lives of others gain regenerative abilities incomparable even to the orthodox sects.

It seemed those weren't mere rumors.

Haerak added with a laugh.

"If someone's allowed to live here in Jin Yin Mountain, they must be one of the Blood Demon's favorites. So what's the point of keeping a Medical Hall? Just drag out a few martial artists and feed on them—easy."

Haerak said it like it was nothing, but So-hwa wasn't a fool.

She looked at Haerak and opened her mouth to speak.

"You never learned Blood Arts."

So-hwa's eyes narrowed.

"But it's strange. You seem to hold a high rank, and you helped the Blood Demon hide the Blood Sect from the Central Plains. So why weren't you taught the Blood Arts? I see no reason why the Blood Demon wouldn't raise you."

"Is there any reason to favor me? You've seen the way I talk to him."

"That's strange, too. You hate the Blood Demon, so why did you become a member of the Blood Sect?"

Instead of answering, Haerak merely curled his lips.

So-hwa stared at that evasive expression and spoke. The suspicion she'd long held slipped out.

"Are you a descendant of the Great Desert Solar Palace?"

A moment of silence passed.

"Are the Outer Regions' descendants under the control of the Blood Sect?"

She watched Haerak's expression, continuing not to get answers from his mouth, but from his reactions.

"Then why did the Blood Demon bother preserving the lineage of the Outer Regions? If he wanted complete domination, wouldn't it be better to erase them entirely? There's a chance the Outer Regions could be rebuilt."

A faint smile played on Haerak's face—as if to say, keep going.

So-hwa continued her questioning while keeping her eyes on him.

"You defeated both the Red Blood and Blue Blood Hall Lords, who supposedly inherited the Blood Arts. Doesn't that mean the martial arts of the Outer Regions surpass Blood Arts? If it were me, I'd have wiped out everything but Blood Arts to prevent this from ever happening."

Haerak let out a short laugh.

"So-hwa."

He spoke lightly.

"If you can understand a madman's thoughts, then you're not dealing with a madman."

Haerak twirled his index finger slightly.

"If you try to understand him by your standards, of course, it won't make sense. So try shifting your frame of thinking just a little."

He lowered the other hand that had been covering his face. So-hwa grimaced at the ghastly sight, but Haerak didn't care and added.

"If you do that, you'll find your answer without needing to read my expression."

So-hwa stared at him silently, then finally opened her mouth again after a long pause.

"Do you have to stay like that?"

"It's fine. It just takes time. I'll be alright once I wash and rest."

As if to change the subject, Haerak continued.

"The Blood Demon told the gatekeeper to guide you to the secret vault. You'll be going in soon."

Saying that, Haerak stepped closer to So-hwa. He took something out from his robe and fastened it to her wrist.

"What's this?"

It was a bracelet. The beads were strung like prayer beads, and a few had lost their golden coating, revealing a reddish hue.

"If you wear this, no one in the secret vault will dare treat you carelessly. If anyone acts without fear, just show them this."

"Is it like your identification token?"

Haerak chuckled lightly.

"Not quite... but close. Let's call it a tiger's claw that helps you borrow the tiger's power."

He pulled down So-hwa's sleeve to cover her wrist, then removed his hand.

"When do you plan to come out of the secret vault?"

"Why?"

"So I can wash and get some sleep before you show up."

So-hwa turned her gaze toward the door. A gatekeeper she hadn't noticed before was quietly standing there, watching them.

The gatekeeper turned around and began walking down the corridor, as if to tell her to follow.

"When you wake up, come by my room."

"Oh? I didn't think you'd be the one to ask first."

So-hwa didn't respond to Haerak's words and simply followed the gatekeeper.

"Take care."

With those final words, no further sound was heard.

The gatekeeper walked down the corridor and descended the stairs.

As she followed him down the stairs, a wall came into view. The gatekeeper turned around and looked at So-hwa.

"The Blood Demon ordered that you be allowed to explore the secret vault freely. You may leave whenever you wish."

When So-hwa nodded, the gatekeeper opened the door.

She stepped into the secret vault.

Clang.

The sound of the door closing echoed behind her.

So-hwa was disappointed by the scene before her.

Perhaps her expectations had been too high due to the strange nature of the Blood Demon's fortress. The secret vault was merely a library lined with bookshelves. Luminous pearls were installed here and there, but it wasn't very bright.

So-hwa pulled out a book from a nearby shelf and frowned.

It was written in an incomprehensible script.

With a sigh, she began looking for texts written in the Central Plains' language. But even after searching over twenty bookshelves, she couldn't find any manuals in the language she understood.

Fortunately, when she went down to the lower level, she finally found a record she could read.

Someone had translated it into the language of the Central Plains.

Many of the words were familiar. It couldn't quite be called a medical manual, but it listed medicinal herbs and their effects.

So-hwa quickly realized which region the record came from.

Nanman.

Most of the herbs listed were native to Yunnan, and rare insects were also occasionally mentioned.

So-hwa skimmed through a few more volumes and was certain.

The Blood Demon was translating Outer Regions medical texts into the language of the Central Plains.

The problem was, there were only six volumes in total.

And even those didn't include the records she had read in her previous life.

Had the texts Namgung Hyun brought not yet been translated?

Just then, a cracked voice called out from behind her.

"Who are you?"

So-hwa turned around.

A strange man stood there.

With red hair and red eyebrows, he seemed like a master of Blood Arts, but his clothes, soaked in blood, were rotting and had holes in several places.

And as if he hadn't bathed in a long while, his blood-matted hair had hardened and hung down in twisted, clumped strands.

He looked more suited to a dungeon than the secret vault.

"I asked who you are."

Though his gaze was fierce, possibly mistaking her for an intruder, he didn't raise his internal energy.

He seemed afraid that the manuals and relics might be damaged.

'Is he the one managing the secret vault?'

His appearance didn't fit a manager, but So-hwa asked, just in case.

"I received permission from the Blood Demon to look around the vault."

"Y-you were sent by the Blood Demon?"

So-hwa nodded.

"... What is it you're searching for?"

The man seemed nervous and spoke with difficulty.

"I'm looking for medical texts first. I need to restore the Blood Jade. But are these all the texts written in the language of the Central Plains?"

"Central Plains?"

The man suddenly glared.

He had shown no surprise at the mention of the Blood Demon, but now his voice was filled with agitation.

"You can understand texts written in the Central Plains' language? Wait. Now that I think about it, you speak it fluently too—almost like someone born there."

His tone shifted.

So-hwa, not oblivious to the shift, chose not to answer.

Yet the man, seemingly having confirmed something, brightened his eyes and stepped forward.

"And your face looks familiar..."

Just as he approached, he suddenly disappeared behind a bookshelf.

He returned with a book in hand—a large volume that looked like an illustrated record rather than an ordinary text.

So-hwa lowered her gaze and saw what he had opened: a facial composite.

Above the name Tang So-hwa, her face was drawn.

A voice, as if biting down on its own tongue in fury, came through.

"So the merciful Blood Demon has sent you to me."

So-hwa lifted her gaze and met his eyes.

The Blood Sect member let out a twisted laugh as he muttered,

"Heh heh... to think I'd meet you before I die."

He seemed to know her well, but So-hwa didn't know who he was.

"You seem to have a deep grudge against me, yet I don't know you. Why is that?"

"Because you've never seen me."

The man glared like he was about to lunge at her, but didn't move recklessly—perhaps worried he might damage the book he held. He carefully returned it to the shelf before coming back.

Reappearing before her, he gathered his matted hair with one hand and said,

"If not for the Black Sky Demon, I would've torn your limbs apart and buried you at Emei Mountain that day. Heh... how lucky I am to meet you again in my domain."

Black Sky Demon. Emei Mountain. Blood Sect.

She still didn't know who he was, but she now remembered when they had met.

"You're the Blood Sect member who fled from Emei Mountain three years ago?"

"Yes. You remember now."

So-hwa recalled that day and answered calmly.

"I do remember. I couldn't forget the laughable sight of you abandoning your subordinates and running away."

"Uaaaargh! You wench! It's all your fault! Because of you! I'll tear your limbs apart and kill you!"

Already frenzied, the man roared and charged at her.

As he neared, So-hwa—without moving—pulled a book from the shelf and threw it.

Smack.

"Uwaaah! You crazy wench! Don't throw that! Do you even know what that is?!"

The man recoiled in terror and backed away. He looked at the fallen book on the ground, completely at a loss for what to do.

He was extremely sensitive about damage to the items in the secret vault.

So-hwa kept throwing whatever she could get her hands on.

"Ugh! You insane wench! Stay still!"

"I might consider it if you stay still."

The exchange was childish, but the conversation didn't last.

Unable to suppress his rage, the man dashed to the side of the bookshelf and lunged at her from behind.

Crash!

"I'll kill you!"

The Blood Sect member flew at her, claws bared, aiming for the back of her neck. So-hwa didn't dodge. Instead, she picked up a vase from the corridor and blocked him with it.

The man jerked back in horror, retreating quickly.

So-hwa, seeing his reaction, hurled the vase at him. As if facing an arrow, the man panicked and caught it in both hands with utmost care.

"Aaack! Do you have any idea how precious this is, you insane wench?!"

Seething with anger, the Blood Sect member kept approaching, catching each relic So-hwa threw with trembling reverence.

Still, she had bought herself some time.

So-hwa finally reached the floor with the entrance. She sprinted toward the door—but suddenly, everything went quiet.

It was then—

"Hah... still full of petty tricks, aren't you?"

The man had somehow appeared at the entrance, eyes gleaming with agitation.

The exit was blocked.

So-hwa turned her body toward the bookshelves—and felt her back suddenly pinned to the wall. Her arm shot up above her head.

The man had restrained her hand first to stop her from throwing anything else.

With a lowered voice, the Blood Sect member spoke.

"There's a disgraceful way to die... and a painful way. Want to try both?"

So-hwa didn't answer.

She simply moved her free hand. Just as she reached for a scroll hanging on the wall, the man burst into laughter.

"So you think I'm a joke."

He grabbed her other arm as well. His grip was light, like holding a feather. A twisted smile spread across his lips.

Both her arms were now pinned above her head in his grasp.

"Just wait... I'll show you a pain worse than death—"

Suddenly, the man stopped speaking.

His red eyes were locked on So-hwa's wrist.

He began to tremble violently.

"Wh-why do you have that...?"

Thud.

As if his strength had left him, the man collapsed to the floor, scrambling backward. Choking on his own breath, he hid behind the railing, shaking as he asked,

"D-did the The Blood Demon... give you a divine artifact ...?"

So-hwa looked down at her own wrist.

The bracelet Haerak had put on her came into view.

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