In a dark room, a middle-aged man, his eyes covered by a blindfold, slowly walked out, supported on both sides by his attendants.
From his clothing, it was evident that he was a physician.
Once the doors closed, the attendants removed the blindfold from the physician's eyes.
"Whew…"
At that moment, someone with a towering figure, seemingly twice his size, approached the physician.
The man was so massive and muscular that it was intimidating just to be near him.
"No sign of recovery?"
"...Forgive me, but the bleeding hasn't stopped."
"Then shouldn't you be stopping it?"
"I don't know how. In my 30 years as a physician, I've never seen a wound where the bleeding won't stop. At this rate, she won't survive the next few days."
— Crash!
The giant man couldn't contain his anger and stomped his foot.
Cracks formed on the stone floor.
"Eek!"
The physician turned pale at the sight and was filled with fear.
"That's enough, Brother Hae. The physician has done nothing wrong to deserve such threats."
Someone restrained the hulking man.
It was an elderly man with a large saber strapped to his back.
The massive, muscular man was Hae Akcheon, one of the Four Elders of the Blood Sect. The one who stopped him was Seo Galma, the Second Elder known as Nanmadoje.
Despite Seo Galma's intervention, Hae Akcheon grabbed the physician by the collar and lifted him off the ground.
"If you're a physician, shouldn't you be saving lives?"
"With my skills, it's impossible. You should seek out Mansashinui instead."
"That bastard is missing, so even a guy like you..."
— Smack!
Seo Galma grabbed Hae Akcheon's wrist.
He shook his head with a look of pity.
His eyes conveyed the message: there's no point in threatening the physician.
Hae Akcheon, frustrated, threw the man aside roughly.
— Thud!
"Oof."
As the physician landed hard on his backside, Hae Akcheon snapped at him.
"Get lost immediately. If I see you anywhere in the sect within half a si-jin (one hour), I'll tear you apart."
Terrified, the pale physician fled the room.
As he ran away, Seo Galma subtly gestured toward a certain direction.
In response, a shadow moved silently along the floor, following the path of the fleeing physician.
Hae Akcheon, whose face had just been burning with rage, now looked displeased and addressed Seo Galma.
"Hmph! I'm always stuck playing the role of the emotional fool."
"It suits you, Brother Hae."
"Don't joke with me."
"In any case, let's go inside."
Hae Akcheon shook his head in irritation and knocked on the closed door.
A faint voice responded from within.
He opened the door and entered alongside Seo Galma.
Inside the dimly lit room, a red-haired woman sat on a bed in a half-lotus position, dressed in a light martial uniform.
She was Baek Hyeyang.
"Oh dear."
The two men quickly turned their heads.
Baek Hyeyang had been unwrapping her top and was now binding her chest with a bandage.
It could've been an embarrassing moment for a woman, but she didn't seem to care at all.
"You put someone on his tail, right?"
Ignoring the awkwardness, she immediately questioned the two Elders.
Seo Galma responded.
"Yes. He's likely a spy planted by the Murim Alliance."
They were already convinced the physician who had just left was a spy.
It was the only plausible way the Murim Alliance could have sent someone in so naturally.
"So they must be confident that I'll die in a few days."
"...That's likely the case."
Seo Galma replied bitterly.
Baek Hyeyang sneered as she looked at him.
"You're looking at me like I'm about to die, Elder."
"...Please, don't push yourself. Even if Brother Hae's Jin Hyeol Geumche Qi Technique can control blood flow, it can't stop this kind of bleeding, can it?"
Baek Hyeyang bit her lip at Seo Galma's words.
— Throb!
She had just changed her bandages, but the area around her back was already growing damp.
Even though she was constantly circulating her internal energy with the Jin Hyeol Geumche technique, the bleeding hadn't stopped.
"Damn that Fearkill Sword…"
It was all because of that cursed sword.
She had been slashed on her back by the Fearkill Sword wielded by Salhyung Jeolsim.
And the wound caused by that sword wouldn't stop bleeding.
'Once slashed, one won't survive a month. Twice slashed, a week. Thrice, not even a day.'
That was the legend of the demonic blade, Fearkill Sword.
She had only been slashed once on her back — and truly, the bleeding hadn't stopped.
Yet she had managed to survive for over a month.
Without the Jin Hyeol Geumche technique, she might have bled to death long ago.
"Have you found Mansashinui?"
"...Not yet."
All information from north of the Yangtze River had been blocked, and even the Hao Clan had been mobilized, but there was still no word.
She was slowly wasting away.
Just looking at her pale face, anyone could tell she couldn't last much longer.
Baek Hyeyang spoke to the grim-faced Hae Akcheon.
"Third Elder—no, Samjon. I will take part in tomorrow's ambush operation as planned."
"You can't!"
Hae Akcheon scowled and protested firmly.
Just maintaining her life by circulating her energy was already difficult enough in her current condition.
If she pushed herself and the bleeding worsened, the consequences would be fatal.
Seo Galma also tried to dissuade her, albeit more gently.
"You mustn't. The Cult Leader is already missing. If something were to happen to you, the Vice Leader…"
He couldn't finish the sentence.
The Blood Sect was in crisis.
More than ever, their leader needed to survive.
"Damn it!"
Hae Akcheon couldn't hold back his rage.
If only Salhyung Jeolsim hadn't suddenly intervened, none of this would've happened.
In fact, they would've taken full control of the southern Yangtze region after killing Jongseon Jin-in, the Taiji Sword Master of the Wudang Sect.
To the two Elders, Baek Hyeyang said,
"What if the Murim Alliance's vanguard includes Musangdo, the Alliance Leader himself?"
"Then..."
The two of them fell silent.
It was only a hypothetical — but if Musangdo joined the vanguard alone, the strength of the advance party would double.
Their combat ability would skyrocket — and so would their morale.
"This is a war between orthodoxy and evil. With our Leader gone, if I don't show up, who will lift our sect's morale? You, Second Elder? Or you, Third Elder?"
"…"
They couldn't deny it.
Baek Hyeyang firmly tightened her bandages and rose from her seat.
"They think I'm on the verge of death. In this situation, if I show that I'm alive and strong, it'll lift our allies' spirits and crush the enemy's morale."
"Vice Leader…"
— Whoosh! Thud!
She stretched out her hand and summoned her Imitation Blood Demon Sword through telekinesis, then declared with resolve:
"Tomorrow, I will fight."
***
The Day of Final Battle — Early Dawn.
Baek Hye-hyang, who had been lying face-down, turned over onto her back.
She had been avoiding lying down due to the bleeding, but her heart was pounding too violently for her to stay face-down.
No matter how bold she was, extreme tension was inevitable.
The weight pressing down on her shoulders was overwhelming.
"...Damn it."
A curse slipped out of her mouth.
Tomorrow, the battlefield could become her grave.
To be honest, she wasn't afraid of death at all.
— Die! You're completely useless! Just die already!
— You're a woman; no one expects anything from you anyway.
The words of dead phantoms echoed in her mind, bothering her.
They were words that had bound her all her life.
Shut up.
She could potentially preserve her life by sacrificing countless followers.
But if she did that, everything she tried to prove would collapse.
The years she had endured while grinding her teeth...
All of it would become meaningless.
Dying without doing anything... that would be more disgraceful.
To that woman who had strangled her all her life.
To that man who never considered her his child.
She didn't want to give them that satisfaction.
Staring at the ceiling, Baek Hye-hyang stretched out her hand.
This bed is not my grave.
She clenched her fist tightly.
The pain from the wound on her back throbbed, but she didn't care.
If things go wrong, the worst that could happen was death.
As she firmed up her resolve, a certain figure flashed through her mind.
That bastard.
She even gave up her spot for him, yet he vanished, leaving her annoyed.
It was a feeling she had never experienced before—
The feeling of wanting to see someone.
It might be completely useless now, though.
If I get to see him after I die, it wouldn't be such a loss.
The corners of Baek Hye-hyang's lips curled up.
---
Past Hwenghyeon, the forces of the five regional branches of the Murim Alliance, nearly seven thousand strong, were advancing.
The Blood Sect's main base was in Yeongsan, surrounded by natural fortresses of mountain ranges.
Despite the difficult terrain, countless orthodox martial artists were pushing through the mountains.
It would have been easier to go through lower mountain paths, but due to the risk of ambush, they had chosen the harder routes.
Leading them at the front was Moo Sang-do Jeongcheon, the current leader of the Murim Alliance.
The morale of the martial artists was soaring.
The leader of the Blood Sect was critically wounded, and even Iljon the Blood-rupturing Sword Emperor had died.
Meanwhile, they were being led by Moo Sang-do, known as one of the top five superhumans.
Victory belonged to the righteous.
"Hm."
Moo Sang-do Jeongcheon, whose long beard reminded one of Guan Yu, gazed at the mist-covered mountains ahead.
While they had crossed other areas with difficulty, the mountain range they were now facing was steep and high, making it hard for those with weaker martial skills to climb.
It must be there.
Jeongcheon was convinced.
That was where the Blood Sect's forces were hiding in ambush.
He raised his hand and ordered:
"Raise your shields. Archers, prepare for counterattack."
Though they were martial artists, the battle's setup was similar to that of a traditional army before combat began.
At his command, the orthodox martial artists quietly raised their shields.
Those with bows moved beside the shield bearers.
"Advance slowly."
As they moved forward, Jeongcheon flew toward the left mountain ridge.
He wanted to prevent at least one side from being ambushed with his own hands.
As I thought.
As he got closer, he sensed countless presences.
This place would mark the beginning of the second great war between orthodoxy and heresy in over twenty years.
And he intended to end the war here.
—Papapapapap!
As he climbed the ridge, he stepped into the air.
It was Heogong Dapbo—the pinnacle of light footwork.
Ascending far beyond anyone's expectations, Moo Sang-do Jeongcheon could see the Blood Sect members hiding in ambush.
"Haaah!"
Having spotted the enemy, there was no hesitation.
He drew his sword, Mu-il-do, and summoned his full strength.
He was about to unleash a strike that distorted the very air—
At that moment—
"Keuk! Moo Sang-do!"
A sharp voice rang out as someone charged at him, sword cloaked in energy.
It was Hae Akcheon, a giant man in tiger-striped robes.
His entire body glowed red and emitted steam like a demon emerging from hell.
"Gigigwige?"
For a moment, Jeongcheon was confused.
The Gigigwige he knew was already a master of transcendence, but judging by this momentum, he had now broken into the realm of superhuman power.
He hid his strength.
Jeongcheon had expected a hidden trump card.
But it didn't matter.
Even if Hae Akcheon had just stepped into superhuman territory, the gap between them was like heaven and earth.
"Let's see who's stronger!"
Ridiculous. I'll cut him down in one blow—Mu-sang Paedo!
Just as he prepared to unleash his supreme technique—
Another presence rushed at him from the left.
A demonic mask. A sword soaked in red.
Blood Demon?
Unexpected.
According to spies, the Blood Demon was on the brink of death.
Yet here she was, defying expectations.
Jeongcheon, about to attack Hae Akcheon, twisted his body mid-air.
—Whirrrrr!
In mid-air, this was the only way to deal with both opponents.
—Chachachachang!
Three martial artists clashed in the sky above the mountains.
Their ultimate techniques collided, sending shockwaves in every direction.
Hae Akcheon's body was as hard as steel thanks to the forbidden technique Jeokhyeol Geumshin, but each strike from Jeongcheon's sword made his skin heat up.
Sharp...
It was fitting that Jeongcheon was hailed as the greatest swordmaster of his era.
Each sword movement carried a razor-like edge.
—Papapapak! Chachang!
After exchanging over ten moves in mid-air, they landed on the peak.
Their time in the air far exceeded ordinary masters.
The Blood Sect members opened a ring around them, ready to join the fight if needed.
Seeing this, Jeongcheon laughed calmly.
"You've prepared well, Blood Cult Leader."
Baek Hye-hyang, wearing her demonic mask, smirked and replied in a disguised voice.
"Reckless of you, charging alone into enemy lines."
"This much is nothing for the leader of the alliance."
Arrogant words—but no one took them lightly.
He was one of the top five superhumans, a swordmaster at the peak of his art.
Even the weaker cultists felt their hearts tremble under his pressure.
Jeongcheon pointed his sword at Baek Hye-hyang and said:
"Blood Cult Leader, you're overexerting yourself."
"Overexerting?"
"I already know you're a woman, and I know you haven't recovered from your injuries."
"Hmph!"
Baek Hye-hyang scoffed.
The false information had been intentionally spread, and she had expected her gender would be discovered through pulse reading.
Whether the cult leader was a man or a woman didn't matter to her.
She removed her demonic mask.
As her red hair fluttered, her face was revealed.
"…Surprising. Such a young woman."
Jeongcheon let out a small exclamation.
He hadn't imagined the Blood Sect's leader would be such a young and beautiful woman.
Her eyes look fierce, though.
That was the end of his thoughts.
Regardless of gender, she was the leader of the Blood Sect.
Killing her here would mark victory for the orthodox factions.
...Her wounds haven't healed.
He was sure—her martial arts were weaker than the rumors.
Barely touching the superhuman threshold.
Still elite among martial artists, but manageable even two-on-one.
"No need for words. Both of you—come."
Jeongcheon signaled with one hand, beckoning them.
Baek Hye-hyang smirked.
"Sorry, but we're not in a position to worry about appearances."
From among the Blood Sect members, formidable figures stepped out—
The remaining Zonjas and Blood Saints.
Although the Murim Alliance had powerful warriors, if they could kill Jeongcheon—the strongest—they had a chance at victory.
Jeongcheon muttered as he watched them approach:
"Same for us."
Killing the Blood Sect leader and top officials would end this.
And if he started by killing the leader, it would break their morale.
No need to drag it out.
Mucheon Dogyeong!
His proudest technique—the pinnacle of his swordsmanship.
—Pop!
He vanished in an instant.
No one could track his movements.
Before anyone could react, his sword was already reaching Baek Hye-hyang.
Only one person saw it.
"You bastard!!"
Hae Akcheon barely intercepted, throwing a punch.
But Jeongcheon slipped past with footwork and slashed toward Baek Hye-hyang's neck.
"Urgh!"
Thanks to Hae Akcheon, the angle twisted slightly—just enough for her to notice.
She responded with Gyeongwon Muhyeol, the third move of Blood Heaven Grand Demon Sword.
She gathered energy at the tip of her sword and used penetrating force to deflect Jeongcheon's sword.
But—
—Chachang!
Their blades clashed—
Ah!
Her Blood Demon Sword broke instantly.
Though it was a replica, it was still a fine sword—yet it shattered so easily.
There was no time to be shocked.
Jeongcheon's sword, having crushed her blade, was now slicing toward her neck.
I can dodge this.
The sword's speed had slowed from the clash.
Baek Hye-hyang tried to twist her body—
Gasp!
But the pain in her back flared.
The internal force from the earlier clash had reopened her wound.
Is this the end?
Time seemed to slow in that instant.
Facing death, countless thoughts rushed in.
She wasn't afraid.
She had accepted it—and Jeongcheon's skill was beyond her imagination.
But something felt unresolved.
Would she really see him after death?
And then—
—Chaaaaaang!
Jeongcheon's sword, flying toward her neck, was blocked by a crimson blade.
—Chrrrraaaak!
Jeongcheon was pushed back five steps.
!!!
Baek Hye-hyang's eyes trembled.
Reflected in crimson pupils—red hair fluttering like her own.
As she stared in disbelief, something welled up inside her and she screamed:
"Where the hell have you been until now?!"