“Say it again.”
A solemn and dignified woman’s voice echoed throughout the Blood Politics hall.
“Say it again,” the woman repeated.
The man prostrated on the ground, forehead pressed against the floor, trembled as he replied, “T-the mourning news from the Four Demon Lords has… still not arrived.”
Kwang-!
The woman slammed the armrest of the chair she was sitting in.
A tremendous shockwave spread throughout the hall.
Overwhelmed by the oppressive aura, the man couldn’t even squeak as he bowed his head further.
“So, it’s been several months since the Four Demon Lords entered the Wuchien Valley, and there’s still no word?”
Dr-r-r.
The air currents around the woman began to rise.
Her crimson hair billowed upward toward the ceiling.
With an evident tone of anger, the woman spoke, “Are you saying the Four Demon Lords have dared to defy my orders and have fled?”
“T-that’s not it, my lady…”
“Or are you implying the Four Demon Lords met calamity in Wuchien Valley? The four of them are among the greatest experts under heaven.”
“A-ah…”
“Whichever it is, it reflects poorly on our situation. It either shows disdain for me or failure in our plans. My mood is extremely unsettled because of this.”
The man prostrated grew panic-stricken with the words.
When his master said “My mood is unsettled,” it meant…
“Then whose fault is this? Shall I settle it with you?”
It signaled impending bloodshed.
The horrifying bloodbath fitting for the moniker ‘Blood Demon.’
“How unfortunate.”
“Lord of the Cult! Please, just one more chance!”
“Since when has the discipline of our cult become this loose? When given an order, one must fulfill it even at the cost of their life. Isn’t that what the Blood Cult stands for?”
‘You were the Deputy Cult Leader once and fell afoul with the previous Lord of the Cult, and you were sealed…!’
The man swallowed his silent resentment.
Were it not for his fear of instantly becoming pulp, he would have liked to let out his grievances in one go.
“Have you located the Four Demon Lords? If they’ve fled, there should be some trace.”
“T-that…”
“You failed to find them.”
Of course, it wasn’t a safe situation for him right now.
“Four supreme experts could defeat the combined force of two or three sects from the Nine Sects or Eighteen Factions. There’s no way you don’t know that.”
“Cult Lord…”
“How is it that you don’t know if they’re dead or alive, if they’ve fled or survived? What exactly are you good for?”
“I’m sorry! This will never happen again!”
“No, no, that’s not it.”
The Blood Cult Lord lifted her intriguing finger.
The tip of that long finger was precisely aimed at the man’s forehead.
“At a time like this, you should promise this won’t happen again from your next life.”
With a cold voice, delivering a death sentence, the Blood Cult Lord spoke.
The man, looking at the extended finger, trembled with fear.
“Cult Lord! Cult Lord! Cult Lord!”
“It was the responsibility of the High Priest in charge of the operation to bear this.”
“Cult Lord! Cult Lord! Cult Lord…”
Phit.
The sound of air escaping was heard.
It was a cruel and eerie sound.
A small hole pierced through the forehead of the man called the High Priest.
Just a hole the size of a human finger.
“Please, be a bit more competent in your next life.”
There was no response.
Hwal-jjak.
The Blood Cult Lord casually licked the blood on her fingertips.
The acrid taste of blood stimulated her taste buds.
For the Blood Cult Lord, who had mastered the Blood Arts and had a refined taste for blood, it was a truly sweet sensation.
As the Blood Cult Lord struggled with the bitterness of the failed mission and the sweetness of fresh blood.
Dugun.
“…Cough!”
Suddenly, a mouthful of blood burst out between the Blood Cult Lord’s red lips.
Moreover, it seemed that wasn’t enough as the blood kept gushing out.
Seeing the trails of red flowing down the edges of her mouth, the Blood Cult Lord’s face contorted.
Familiar pain enveloped her abdomen.
“Damn, damn, damn! Curse it!!”
The Blood Cult Lord erupted with intense anger. Fiery curses flowed from her lips into the world.
“This wretched internal injury! When in the world will it heal!”
Unable to rise though she wished to, her knees trembled.
The dead body before her, bleeding profusely from a pierced forehead, couldn’t even be dealt with.
Indeed, killing was as easy as pie, but she couldn’t possibly handle the aftermath alone.
It was a truly pitiful and absurd predicament.
“Damn… If only it wasn’t for the Sword Sage… No, if I hadn’t sustained this internal injury in the first place…”
Kulkuk-
Even while speaking, blood kept gushing out as if a pus-filled sore was bursting.
The Blood Cult Lord furrowed her brows.
Her trembling body reminded her eerily of the pitiful High Priest she had just killed.
“Hm… Those Four Demon Lords! Just where have they run off to?”
No, it would’ve been better if they had fled.
For she could hunt them down and flail them one day.
The worst-case scenario would be if they were trapped somewhere in the Wuchien Valley for some reason, or even if they had died.
There were hardly any experts in the current Blood Cult who surpassed the Four Demon Lords. Not only would losing such valuable forces make it impossible to even step a foot into the Wuchien Valley.
And with her current physical state, entering it directly was also out of the question.
“Damn, it feels like having my limbs severed.”
In fact, when the Blood Cult Lord was freed from the seal of the previous Blood Demon and ascended to the position of Cult Lord, she had many grand schemes in mind.
For instance, the second invasion of Middle Earth. Though it sounded absurd considering the near extinction of the current Blood Cult, the Blood Cult Lord saw it as entirely possible with her own strength alone.
Moreover, there were hidden ‘Jiangshi’ scattered throughout the caves of Middle Earth. With both the current Sword Sages in decline and the Holy Monks secluded, the potential was overflowing.
But all this was from the times before she would spit blood from using the Tan Chi Gong even once.
“The aftermath of the duel with the Sword Sage has somewhat recovered, but when in the world will this internal injury subside?”
The Blood Cult Lord sighed as she looked up.
Instead of a crimson sky, there was an elegant and strange ceiling pattern.
The old world charm of the Blood Cult’s ceiling seemed to mock her feebleness.
The moment she felt her already troubled mood growing even more melancholic, a sound was heard from the main gate of the Blood Politics Hall.
“Cult, Cult Lord! F-finally completed!”
A man abruptly burst in, roughly opening the doors.
In his grip was an unusually unique wooden box.
“Hmm?”
The Blood Cult Lord coolly glanced at the man who had rushed in.
It appeared to be urgent, but her energy was so depleted that she could only look on.
“The Pharmacy has finally succeeded in its production!”
As if completely ignoring the state of the Blood Cult Lord, the man ecstatically shouted.
“What?”
“Xijiao (Rhinoceros Horn) as a material, Niuhuang Qingxin Pill!”
“…”
The Blood Cult Lord, who had been half-asleep, suddenly snapped awake.
Xijiao, renowned for its ability to strengthen primordial energy and reduce fever, was extremely rare and hard to obtain in Middle Earth.
Let alone its rarity, but this Niuhuang Qingxin Pill made from Xijiao might even be able to heal her internal injuries. It might not be on par with the legendary Eternal Life Pill, but it was worth a shot.
“Made at the Pharmacy?”
“Yes! The Pharmacy Master has worked tirelessly for ninety-nine nights straight.”
“Oh, bring it here quickly! No, slowly! Carefully bring it here!”
On the contrary, the excited Blood Cult Lord snatched the wooden box from her subordinate’s hand.
She opened the lid with a gentle click, revealing a single, yellowish luminous bead.
The moment she saw it, the Blood Cult Lord’s red heart began to race.
A sharp ambition ignited in her crimson eyes.
Her lips slowly curved upward in a thin curve.
*
“Vihwa Master.”
“…”
“Vihwa Master.”
“What? What is it?”
To the voice calling her, So So Namgung abruptly lifted her head.
There, an already familiar stern gaze met her eyes.
“Seonseung?”
“Master.”
The voices of Nam So So and Seonseung crossed paths.
Whereas Nam So So’s was filled with naivety, Seonseung’s was laden with gravity.
Nam So So was lying on a quilt that was neatly folded.
Seonseung sat carefully next to her, as if tending to her bedside.
It had been quite some time since the day when Seonseung found Nam So So in the woods near Shaolin Temple, wearing a mask of the Wulin Alliance Lord.
During that time, they’ve talked about various things and shared their circumstances.
“Did you know?”
“What do you mean?”
“I was quite surprised when you first fell in front of me.”
“I understand. Anyone would be shocked to see the leader of the Wulin Alliance appear all battered with a hole in their abdomen.”
“I was also surprised when I realized you were inside that disguise.”
“Haha…”
“Also, I was immensely startled when I heard about Jianlong Namgung Bin, a military advisor of the Wulin Alliance, from you, although I didn’t show it.”
As if reminiscing about the past memories, Seonseung recalled the short days spent with Nam So So.
Nam So So bitterly smiled. She felt she understood the hidden meanings in his actions and words.
It was nothing but regret for various things.
“I’m worried if I might have caused you trouble as you live peacefully, Seonseung.”
“Dismiss such worries. I was cultivating my practice neither more and less lonely, so it was quite the opposite.”
“Surely, people will be stunned if they hear the great Seonseung talks about loneliness.”
“They say rumors are exaggerated. Most of the rumors about this old monk are overstated.”
“But, aren’t I witnessing the truth from you right now?”
Nam So So lifted her head to gaze directly at Seonseung.
It was a righteous gaze. Though, considerably weakened.
“How kind and insightful Seonseung is.”
“…”
“However, I have a piece of advice for you.”
“Speak your thoughts, Master.”
“Later. But first, may I ask you something?”
Nam So So’s voice was quite raspy.
Seonseung scanned her with a gaze filled with worry.
Nam So So asked,
“Seonseung, how much time do I have left?”
“Master…”
“For all my life, I’ve lived foolishly, but I’m not so dull as to not understand my condition. My innate strength is long gone, and the life force that was sustaining me has also run out. I probably don’t have much time left.”
“…”
“Even if I did, it wouldn’t have been possible if Seonseung hadn’t infused his vital energy into me and taken care of me during the past few weeks.”
Nam So So spoke as if accepting her fate.
Seonseung helplessly bowed his head.
To a Buddhist who believes in the cycle of birth and death, death is not entirely a sad matter, but…
“Then tell me. How much time do I have left?”
Still, it was not something to be happy about.
“…Tonight.”
“Ah…”
“You won’t see morning tonight.”
It was a gloomy verdict.
