Chapter 424 : There's No Such Thing as an Inevitable Situation

Chapter 424: There's No Such Thing as an Inevitable Situation

As the door fully opened, the Blood King stepped out.

He had just emerged from a tank full of blood, and he was completely naked, blood dripping from his body.

The stench of blood was so overwhelming that Yang Seok wanted to dash outside. He had never experienced such a dense scent of blood in his life.

If alcohol had its essence,̱ then this must be the scent of blood essence, or so it seemed to him.

In contrast, the Northern Blood Gate Master stared at the Blood King, unaffected by the smell.

He looked younger than he had expected.

Handsome face, long limbs, and a perfectly sculpted physique.

And on top of that, striking red hair that instantly drew the eye.

His first impression was more intense than any warrior he had ever encountered.

‘A madly powerful man.’

Even though the Blood King hadn’t released any internal energy, such a thought occurred to him from just the initial impression.

Yang Seok, on the other hand, couldn’t properly assess the Blood King, overwhelmed as he was by the stench of blood. But there was one thing he could clearly discern.

‘He’s the one behind it all.’

The revelation that he had been hiding in the secret chamber behind the Gate Master’s Hall was shocking.

‘To keep such a secret... You should have told me, your own son.’

Even at this moment, he was filled with resentment toward his father.

Chak chak chak chak!

From the doors on both sides, more than a dozen martial artists sprang out and formed a blockade in front of the Northern Blood Gate Master. They too wrinkled their noses at the unbearable stench.

Usually, when the Northern Blood Gate Master entered through the secret door, he dismissed his subordinates beforehand. But today, he hadn’t expected the man in the secret chamber to come out, so he had not been able to sent them away in advance.

The Blood King looked down at the martial artists with indifferent eyes.

The Northern Blood Gate Master felt several impressions from that gaze. It wasn’t a cold, emotionless stare. It was a gaze as hot as blood, as sticky as blood, as eerie as blood.

There was another impression. It felt like order or logic wouldn’t apply. That he would live by instinct—no, by the pull of blood itself.

But the Northern Blood Gate Master knew. That wasn’t the whole truth. If he were truly driven by instinct alone, he wouldn’t have endured all that time in a hidden chamber. He possessed a terrifying endurance that overwhelmed all else. That was the most frightening thing about him.

Right at that moment.

The Blood King slowly extended both hands forward.

Chwaaaarrrrk!

From his outstretched fingers, red lines shot out in unison.

Puk puk puk puk puk!

A single line from each finger—ten in total—pierced through the foreheads of the martial artists.

They were not so weak as to die this meaninglessly. Yet, with that one move, all of them collapsed and died at once.

Even the Northern Blood Gate Master had never seen such martial arts before. It wasn’t a ground-based technique, nor had any weapon flown.

The Blood King began to walk slowly toward the Throne Mat. Even as he walked, blood continued to drip from his body.

Naked, the Blood King sat upon the Throne Mat.

The aura and presence he radiated were overwhelming. And that suffocating stench of blood only intensified it.

The Blood King closed his eyes gently and recited some sort of incantation. Then, without making a cut, he held his hand to the side—and blood began to flow from his palm.

Jureureuk.

From the blood that dripped onto the floor, a red mist began to rise.

Kkwaaang!

With a single palm strike, the Blood King blasted open the ceiling.

The red mist rising from the floor ascended through the shattered ceiling, as if signaling someone above.

Hearing the commotion, murmurs began outside.

The Northern Blood Gate Master imbued his voice with inner power and shouted,

“All of you, fall back!”

Soon the noise outside subsided, and silence returned.

Seated on the Throne Mat, the Blood King silently looked down at the Northern Blood Gate Master.

The Northern Blood Gate Master dropped to his knees and bowed deeply.

“I pay my respects to my lord!”

Since becoming the Gate Master—or rather, since the day he was born—this was the first time he had ever knelt to someone who was neither his parent nor his teacher.

Yet he instinctively understood. If he didn’t kneel now, he would surely die by that man’s hand.

Yang Seok, who had been hesitating awkwardly, quickly dropped to his knees as well.

He was truly shocked. He could feel that the naked man was strong, but he never imagined his own father would kneel before him. And they hadn’t even exchanged a single word.

‘My lord?’

That word from his father’s mouth sounded utterly foreign to him.

Only then did the Blood King finally speak. His voice was low, yet carried a profound resonance.

“How did Ha Gyeol die?”

Had he heard the conversation from the secret chamber? Or was it because he was bound by blood to Ha Gyeol? He already knew Ha Gyeol was dead.

“We don’t know yet. We just received the news.”

The Northern Blood Gate Master answered respectfully.

The Blood King rose from the Throne Mat and began to walk forward.

With each step he took, the hearts of both the Northern Blood Gate Master and Yang Seok pounded violently. Even the Northern Blood Gate Master, who had weathered countless life-and-death battles, felt fear.

This man possessed a presence incomparable even to that of the late Ha Gyeol. That someone so terrifying had been in the secret chamber—he couldn’t have imagined it.

The person the Blood King approached was Yang Seok.

Up close, the Blood King’s eyes looked even more terrifying, and the intensified stench of blood made Yang Seok feel as if he might suffocate.

“You were there when Ha Gyeol died, weren’t you?”

It wasn’t a question. It was an accusation.

Yang Seok’s vision darkened. Fear surged through him, but he desperately denied it. He felt that if he told the truth, the Blood King might truly kill him in a painful way.

“No, I wasn’t.”

But the Blood King wasn’t merely testing him.

“You reek of Ha Gyeol’s blood.”

“!”

Yang Seok’s heart sank. Since he had watched the fight, maybe a few drops of Ha Gyeol’s blood had splattered on him.

But to smell that blood? Was that even possible?

The Blood King glared at Yang Seok with cold eyes.

“Who killed Ha Gyeol? Was it you?”

He should have claimed ignorance, but the Blood King’s gaze was so terrifying that Yang Seok tightly shut his eyes and shouted,

“No, no! It wasn’t me!”

“Then who was it?”

Without hesitation, Yang Seok confessed the truth.

“It was the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult.”

A faint blood energy exuded from the Blood King's body as he placed his hand on Yang Seok’s head. The moment that hand touched the crown of his head, Yang Seok cried out, pleading,

“Please! Spare me!”

He felt a strange energy entering his body through the top of his head. But he couldn’t resist. His entire body trembled like a leaf, terrified that the energy might explode inside his skull.

“Please!”

The Northern Blood Gate Master didn’t step in to help his son. Stepping in would’ve changed nothing anyway.

More importantly, he was furious at Yang Seok. His son had been at the scene of Ha Gyeol’s death and yet had blatantly lied to him. He had even put on an act, pretending to be shocked at the news.

The Blood King withdrew his hand from Yang Seok’s crown.

“Haa, haa...”

Yang Seok didn’t know what that energy was, but for now, he was alive—and with that thought, he gasped for breath in deep relief.

“What happened to the one with the Extreme Cold Constitution?”

When the Blood King asked again, Yang Seok replied without hesitation.

“The Drunken Demon took them.”

At the mention of the Drunken Demon, the Blood King's eyes narrowed sharply and his pupils turned red. When Seo Nak died, he had made up his mind from within the blood tank. That he would definitely kill the Drunken Demon. And now, that same Drunken Demon had once again stood in his way.

Having lost both his subordinate and the Extreme Cold Constitution, the Blood King showed no restraint.

“Tell the Young Cult Leader I want to meet.”

The red pupils between his torn eyes were terrifying beyond compare.

“In the meantime, I will kill the Drunken Demon and retrieve the Extreme Cold Constitution.”

*         *         *

“He’ll come for you.”

At Geom Mugeuk’s words, the Drunken Demon, who had been staring out the window, turned his head.

“You killed Elder Seo, and took the Extreme Cold Constitution. He’ll definitely come seeking revenge against you.”

“That’s exactly what I want.”

The Drunken Demon showed no fear at all. He had the skills to back it up.

But the Blood King’s Self-Destruction Art—that one, he had to fear. The Drunken Demon’s Liquor Qi wouldn’t be able to block that one.

“I have a favor to ask.”

“What kind of favor?”

“You have to promise you’ll do it.”

“No. I refuse.”

At that, Geom Mugeuk said nothing.

“What is it?”

“You already refused, didn’t you? Ah! You’re still the same. Just like always. To think you’d reject this kind of request.”

In the end, curiosity got the better of the Drunken Demon.

“Fine, let’s hear it first.”

He refilled the cup in front of him as he spoke.

“Just don’t ask me to quit drinking. I realized something when I tried quitting this time. Without alcohol, life loses all its joy.”

“Anything else is fine?”

“When I return after leaving the sect, don’t come looking for me last. And also…”

To be so relaxed even in this situation. Geom Mugeuk chuckled and drew the Black Demon Sword, still sheathed, from his waist.

“It’s not a difficult request…”

Feeling an irrational reluctance, the Drunken Demon shouted loudly,

“Whatever it is, no! I refuse!”

*         *         *

Watching Geom Mugeuk walk toward him from afar, Yang Seok’s heart pounded like it would burst.

—You must delay him as long as possible. If you fail, you die.

The cold warning from the Blood King echoed in his mind.

‘He really will kill me.’

The Blood King was not like Geom Mugeuk. He would truly kill him without a shred of hesitation.

And his father wouldn’t help him either. Thinking back to the look in his father’s eyes when the Blood King issued his command…

In that moment, Geom Mugeuk reached him.

“You’ve arrived?”

Yang Seok bowed as he greeted him. His attitude toward Geom Mugeuk had completely changed from before.

“My apologies for contacting you so urgently.”

“Why did you ask to meet?”

“I’ve uncovered some information about the one behind it all.”

“What kind of information?”

“Would you walk with me for a moment?”

Yang Seok began walking with Geom Mugeuk.

The place they met was a secluded field, some distance away from the Northern Blood Gate, where few people ever passed.

As they walked in silence, Yang Seok cautiously spoke.

“I went to see my father. I told him everything honestly, just as you advised. I said I wanted to help him. And then… he told me. I had no idea speaking honestly could wield such power.”

“Where is the one behind it all?”

“He said the person is in the Ice Sword Gate.”

The Ice Sword Gate was one of the three great northern powers, alongside the Northern Sea Ice Palace and the Northern Blood Gate.

‘Even if things go wrong later, I can just pin everything on Father.’

The Blood King was truly terrifying, but this opponent here was the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult. He needed a way to escape if things went south.

Geom Mugeuk, staring quietly at Yang Seok, suddenly asked,

“So, is the Ice Sword Gate part your idea? Or did he tell you to say that?”

Yang Seok tried to remain composed and deflected the question.

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

He couldn’t tell if Geom Mugeuk was simply testing him or had genuinely seen through his lie.

“Well, I suppose the Ice Sword Gate would buy some time. That means the one behind it all revealed himself to you, didn’t he.”

No matter how much he tried not to be surprised, it was impossible not to be shocked in front of Geom Mugeuk.

“One lie was enough, but you’re trying to deceive me again.”

He realized he couldn’t hide it anymore. Yang Seok decided he had to side with the Blood King—he was just too frightening.

But now that he faced Geom Mugeuk again, he understood that there was another kind of fear. A man who seemed to peer straight into your soul—standing in front of Geom Mugeuk felt like being completely exposed.

“I was wrong. Please spare me!”

Yang Seok prostrated himself on the spot.

‘You sharp-eyed bastard! No matter what, I’m going to survive!’

Kneeling here, kneeling there. He would kneel and kneel again until his knees no longer bent—whatever it took to survive.

“But… how did you know I was lying?”

“When you asked me to walk with you.”

“Why’s that?”

“If you really had found something out, you’d have been eager to boast about it the moment you saw me. But instead, you asked to take a walk? That’s suspicious, isn’t it?”

Geom Mugeuk had a precise grasp of what kind of person Yang Seok was.

“He forced me. I had no choice.”

“There’s no such thing as ‘no choice’ in this world. There’s only making the wrong choice. Just like today. As soon as you met me, things turned out like this. If you’d just told the truth from the start, it would’ve been fine.”

Yang Seok couldn’t find anything to say in his defense.

“What else did he say?”

“He only told me to ask you to meet him.”

Geom Mugeuk calmly looked into his eyes and suddenly spoke.

“He said he’d kill the Drunken Demon while you stalled for time, didn’t he?”

In Yang Seok’s eyes, he saw a flicker of panic that couldn’t be hidden.

“So in the end, this whole delay was just to get the Drunken Demon killed.”

Startled, Yang Seok waved his hands frantically.

“No, that’s not it!”

“Then what?”

“I only meant…”

He tried to explain, but the words caught in his throat. This was not someone you could deceive with excuses.

Yang Seok dropped to his knees once more.

“Please forgive me. Once you see that man, you’ll understand. He’s not human!”

But the thoughts in his bowed head had little to do with the pleading that came out of his mouth.

‘Go ahead and forgive me. You self-righteous types always find pleasure in forgiving, don’t you?’

That thought only came because he had no idea how Geom Mugeuk was looking down at him. The sins he had already committed were too great—death was inevitable. It was just a matter of when.

“You should go now. You have to help the Drunken Demon, don’t you?”

But Geom Mugeuk showed no concern for the Drunken Demon.

“Why would you worry about the Demon Supreme? In this entire world of martial arts, the only one qualified to worry about him is the Heavenly Demon himself.”

It was a remark meant to uphold the Demon Supreme’s pride—and a statement of just how much he trusted the Drunken Demon.

Of course, Geom Mugeuk’s composure and confidence didn’t stem solely from his belief in the Drunken Demon’s skill. The opponent was simply too strong for that.

The supreme-quality Thousand Silkworm Thread that had once wrapped around the Black Demon Sword Geom Mugeuk was holding—was nowhere to be seen.

Geom Mugeuk’s request had been for the supreme-quality Thousand Silkworm Thread to be wrapped around the Drunken Demon’s body.

The Drunken Demon had sworn he would never wear it—but in the end, it had been wrapped around him completely. Around his heart, and again and again around every vital pressure point. A battle with the Blood King could explode at any moment, in any way.

And there was one more thing to rely on.

He had the Star Light Step, allowing him to return just in time.

“Get up now.”

Yang Seok stood up and did his best to please Geom Mugeuk.

“I believe in you. Young Cult Leader, you’ll take him down. You’ll destroy him completely.”

“You won’t get to see it.”

Geom Mugeuk vanished before his eyes in an instant.

Wearing a puzzled expression, Yang Seok had no idea—his face and entire body had turned bright red in a flash.

Kwaaaaaang!

He exploded through the Self-Destruction Art. A massive surge of blood energy swept forward with terrifying force, but Geom Mugeuk was already inside the Temporal and Spatial Transference Technique.

When Geom Mugeuk reappeared—

Yang Seok was already dead, a large hole torn through his chest.

The Blood King had mercilessly used the Northern Blood Gate’s heir as a tool for the Self-Destruction Art. And the target was the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult, no less.

Now Geom Mugeuk was sure—the Blood King had returned to the world.

He hadn’t expected Yang Seok to kill him anyway, especially when Ha Gyeol couldn’t. Which meant this was the Blood King’s way of sending a message.

Looking down at the gaping hole, Geom Mugeuk spoke quietly.

“Yeah, good to see you too, you lunatic.”