Bloodline is Everything - Chapter 192

—————

This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

—————

【Bloodline is a Thug Chapter 192】

192. Persuasion (2)

Not a single person emerged. Instead, the hunters began holding their breath, afraid of drawing Kwon Myung-woo’s attention.
“Thank you all for understanding my sincerity.”
Kwon Myung-woo withdrew his aura with a satisfied expression. The icy, menacing atmosphere dissipated in an instant.
Kwon Myung-woo gestured to his group. Everyone moved toward him.
“Well? How was my method of persuasion?”
Kwon Myung-woo asked with a grin, turning to Kwon Han-ul, who responded with an awkward smile.
“That… was certainly effective.”
Even if I died and came back to life, I couldn’t call it persuasion in any sense I knew.

* * *

Once the situation settled, Kwon Myung-woo and the Heukcheon forces entered the Treasure Vault.
Kwon Han-ul and the Black Darkness Corps, along with Kwon Myung-woo and the Heukcheon Team, Gu Eon and the Gangtaedae—all ventured inside.
The only one who didn’t enter was Kwon So-ri. She was tasked with preventing other hunters from entering the Treasure Vault from outside.
“So this is the Mei Family Vault…”
Kwon Han-ul looked around the interior with curiosity.
I had wondered what the inside of a spatial transfer artifact would look like.
The Treasure Vault itself was unremarkable. The ceiling was extraordinarily high, and the corridor and floor were constructed from premium hardwood—nothing more.
Then something blood-soaked caught my eye.
A sturdy young man lay dead, leaning against the wall.
“Grandfather, that is…?”
“Hmm, it seems quite a few visitors arrived before us.”
Kwon Myung-woo gestured toward Gu Eon, who began examining the corpse.
“Poison Sorcerer Kadir Ergeci. He was ranked 87th in the world rankings and served as the master of the Goral Guild.”
A hunter of considerable skill and significant standing.
Yet such a man lay dead here at the entrance, alone and desolate—not even deep within the Treasure Vault.
Kwon Myung-woo stroked his chin and asked Gu Eon.
“The cause of death?”
“There are numerous external wounds, but the true cause appears to be poisoning.”
“Poison?”
Gu Eon pulled back Kadir Ergeci’s clothing. Dozens of tiny holes, each the size of a millet grain, riddled his chest.
“Multiple poison needles penetrated his body. He likely fell victim to a trap.”
“A trap potent enough to pierce the body of a Double-digit ranked hunter… quite formidable indeed.”
Kwon Myung-woo gazed down the corridor. The spacious hallway contained no decorations whatsoever.
“There might be traps here too… Should we just destroy everything and push through?”
Kwon Myung-woo spoke up suddenly. With his power, he could demolish any trap and pass through.
That would be true if this were an ordinary place.
“Director, if you use force recklessly in a dimensional space….”
“I know. If the dimensional space collapses, we all die.”
Kwon Myung-woo replied with an annoyed expression.
“Can’t be helped then. We’ll just have to force our way through with our bodies.”
Kwon Myung-woo took the lead.
The instant his foot touched the ground, the ceiling and walls suddenly opened, unleashing hundreds of poisoned needles.
Not just Kwon Myung-woo, but the entire party was caught in the needles’ range.
However, the poisoned needles never reached the group.
Dragon energy erupted from beneath Kwon Myung-woo’s feet. It spread like wildfire, completely engulfing the ceiling and walls.
The poisoned needles dissolved the moment they were fired, melting into the dragon energy. Not a single one pierced through.
“…Wow.”
Kwon Han-ul found himself uttering a single word involuntarily. It was a sight that naturally inspired awe.
I could have annihilated the poisoned needles using mana myself.
But covering such a vast area in such a short time was no easy feat.
“Come on, let’s go.”
Kwon Myung-woo resumed walking. The party followed in his footsteps.

* * *

After that, no other traps appeared.
Instead, a different obstacle blocked the group’s path forward.
The corridor split into four directions.
“Mei Hong, you said you’ve been inside the Treasure Vault before. Do you know which path leads to the Central Chamber from here?”
Kwon Myung-woo asked Mei Hong. She fidgeted as she spoke.
“That’s… when I came in, there was no path like this.”
“What do you mean?”
“Originally, the Treasure Vault only had rooms with treasures classified by category once you reached the center. There were never any branching paths like this in the middle.”
“Then you’re saying this path was created recently?”
“That’s what I believe.”
Kwon Myung-woo fell silent in thought.
Kwon Myung-woo stopped walking and sank into contemplation.
“Modifying a spatial transfer artifact wouldn’t be easy.”
Spatial transfer artifacts possessed remarkable capabilities, but they were equally difficult to handle.
Even constructing a small chamber within the space required experts to dedicate considerable time.
“This is getting increasingly suspicious.”
Kwon Myung-woo stroked his chin as he gazed at the four branching paths.
“There’s no choice. We’ll have to split up.”
Gu Eon raised an objection to Kwon Myung-woo’s decision.
“Director, if we do that, we can’t avoid weakening our overall strength. If the Mei Family launches an attack…”
“It would be dangerous, certainly. But cowering in fear of the Mei Family while moving in a herd doesn’t align with Heukcheon’s way.”
Kwon Myung-woo spoke calmly.
“Besides, we have myself, the Heukcheon Team, and Gangtaedae here. With this much power, if we hesitate out of fear of enemy attacks, what will others think of us?”
The Heukcheon Team and Gangtaedae alone possessed enough strength to account for thirty percent of Heukcheon Group’s total military force.
On top of that, we had Kwon Myung-woo, the First Master of Heukcheon, and Gu Eon.
“We are Heukcheon. No matter what schemes our enemies devise, crushing them head-on is the Heukcheon way.”
Kwon Myung-woo began dividing the personnel.
First, he mixed the Heukcheon Team and Gangtaedae, dividing them into three units.
Kwon Myung-woo and Gu Eon took command of two of them, while the remaining unit was entrusted to the captain of the Heukcheon Team.
“Han-ul, you’ll need to take charge of one of the four paths.”
Kwon Myung-woo issued an order to Kwon Han-ul.
In a sense, it was an order that could be seen as disappointing.
This was enemy territory where remnants of the Mei Family lurked. Yet despite this, he was entrusting Kwon Han-ul with such a dangerous mission.
“Understood.”
However, Kwon Han-ul accepted without hesitation. It could even be called an honor.
Kwon Myung-woo had just acknowledged Kwon Han-ul as a fighting force.
“This guy.”
Pleased by Kwon Han-ul’s response, Kwon Myung-woo smiled slightly.
“I’ll send a few people as backup in case something goes wrong.”
Kwon Myung-woo gestured toward the Heukcheon Team and Gangtaedae.
A member of the Heukcheon Team and a member of the Gangtaedae stepped forward, one from each side.
“I am Im Myung-soo. It is an honor to serve under Kwon Han-ul.”
The man with a benevolent expression bowed his head. Despite his gentle appearance, the magical power emanating from his entire body was remarkably tyrannical.
“He’s the one who insists on being the third-in-command of the Heukcheon Team.”
“Captain, it’s not an insistence. We’ve held proper sparring matches among ourselves….”
“The bastard’s got more bluster than skill, so don’t put too much faith in him.”
Kwon Myung-woo spoke bluntly.
“As for that one… well, you already know him, so there’s no need for introductions.”
Kwon Myung-woo pointed to the Gangtaedae member. A face far too familiar to Kwon Han-ul came into view.
Bae Cheol-min.
A direct bloodline of the Bae Family.
“I’ll do my best.”
Bae Cheol-min spoke with a bright expression. It seemed like a lie that he had been angry with Kwon Han-ul on the restaurant’s outdoor terrace—his demeanor was cheerful.
“He’s suspicious, but his skills are solid. Handle him well.”
Thus, the temporary team was formed.
Kwon Myung-woo and Gu Eon, the vice-captain of the Heukcheon Team, led their respective members and moved forward.
“Let’s move as well.”
Kwon Han-ul also led the Black Darkness Corps and the Gangtaedae members inside.

* * *

A featureless corridor stretched on endlessly.
After walking for some time, the corridor suddenly ended. Instead, a space as vast as a sports field appeared.
Kwon Han-ul and his group came to a halt. Such a wide open space laid bare like this felt suspicious.
But there was a more certain reason.
“Ugh, ugh-ugh-ugh, ugh-guh-guh-guh.”
Some man was making bizarre groaning sounds, foam at his mouth.
Dozens of corpses lay scattered around the man.
“Th-th-th, ugh-ugh-ugh.”
Then the man’s head twisted grotesquely. His bloodshot eyes found Kwon Han-ul.
“You, you-you, you all….”
Surprisingly, a coherent voice flowed from the man’s mouth.
“I, I-I-I, I found the tre-tre-treasure, you came to st-steal it, didn’t you.”
“Treasure?”
“Th-th-th, that’s right! Tre-tre-treasure! I, I-I-I, I discovered it… tre-tre-treasure!”
Saying so, the man raised the longsword he held in his hand high.
It was a blade crafted with the hilt and blade as a single integrated piece, with no guard.
Kwon Han-ul narrowed his eyes and stared at the longsword. The magical power emanating from it felt deeply ominous.
“Huh?”
At that moment, Mei Hong showed a reaction. She pointed at the longsword and spoke.
“That sword… it was in the Treasure Vault. I heard the Mei Family collected it long ago—a cursed blade.”
“A cursed blade?”
Not all artifacts benefit humanity. Some of them inflict harm instead.
Cursed blades, cursed spears, cursed armor—artifacts bearing the mark of curse were notorious for this.
Cursed artifacts possessed formidable power, yet they clouded the owner’s judgment and corrupted their spirit.
But…
“Is that cursed blade truly so remarkable? Powerful enough to dominate a hunter of that caliber?”
The hunter wielding the cursed blade was no weakling. Yet the power emanating from the blade felt feeble by comparison. By any measure, it seemed impossible for the cursed blade to dominate such a hunter.
“That can’t be right… that cursed blade shouldn’t be powerful enough for this.”
Mei Hong shook her head. Something was unfolding in a strange way.
“S-st-stop!”
The hunter gripping the cursed blade screamed. He leveled the blade at the two of them, radiating killing intent.
“Y-you’re t-t-trying to t-take my blade from me! I w-w-won’t allow it! N-never!”
The man kicked off the ground and charged at Kwon Han-ul. He gripped the cursed blade with both hands and swung it wildly.
“D-d-die!”
A torrent of aura erupted from the cursed blade. Following its trajectory, the aura began destroying walls and ceiling indiscriminately.
“Kwon Han-ul, I’ll handle this.”
Im Myung-soo, the self-proclaimed third-in-command of the Heukcheon Team, stepped forward. As he extended his hands, two massive shields materialized in his grasp.
“Gaaaah!”
The torrent of aura surged toward Im Myung-soo. He raised the shield in his left hand to intercept the flow.
The shield turned black as it absorbed the entire torrent. The deafening noise vanished in an instant.
“Haaah!”
Im Myung-soo thrust his other shield forward. It flashed brilliantly, expelling the aura torrent it had just absorbed.
“G-g-gahhh!”
The aura swept across the man’s body. He drove the cursed blade into the ground, bracing against the torrent.
His clothes tore to shreds. Flesh was ripped from his entire body. Blood drenched him.
“G-uh, uh-uh-uh…”
The man could barely manage a groan. Even as he was dying, he refused to release the cursed blade from his grip.
“Tenacious.”
Im Myung-soo muttered briefly and moved to finish it.
In that instant, Kwon Han-ul’s instincts screamed a warning.
“…Fall back!”
The moment Kwon Han-ul shouted, the man pulled the cursed blade free and drove it into his own chest.
An explosion erupted.
Im Myung-soo, standing closest, couldn’t escape in time. He was engulfed by the blast, his body reduced to fragments in an instant.
Even after consuming Im Myung-soo, the explosion didn’t stop—it spread throughout the entire chamber.
“Joo Ha-yeon!”
“Yes!”
Joo Ha-yeon summoned her mana to shield the group. But it didn’t seem sufficient.
Kwon Han-ul unleashed his dragon horse energy. Simultaneously, he slammed both palms against the ground.
Mysterious Dragon Ascension Art, Superior Form (玄龍昇天功 上乘形)
Qi Resonance Pattern, Cloud Mist Bloom (氣格式 雲霧華)
Dragon horse qi surged from the ground, forming a wall. The shockwave from the incoming explosion collided with it.
The wall trembled as if it would shatter. I poured even more mana into it.
But in doing so, I failed to prepare for something.
The ground beneath Kwon Han-ul and my companions suddenly gave way.
“…What?”
Even I hadn’t anticipated this turn of events. Kwon Han-ul and the Black Darkness Corps plummeted into the darkness below.

* * *

As I fell through the darkness, I heightened my perception and surveyed my surroundings. But all I could see was blackness.
“Ha-yeon! Hudon!”
I called out to the members of the Black Darkness Corps. But no one answered.
“Mei Hong! Gael!”
The remaining two didn’t respond either.
“Bae Cheol-min!”
Even when I called his name, there was no reply.
The ground appeared. I landed softly on the floor.
“This place is…”
I looked around.
It was far larger than the chamber I’d seen before. Strangely, when I looked up, I could see a ceiling.
“A ceiling?”
I’d fallen from above, yet a ceiling existed.
“What are the Mei Family scheming?”
As I muttered this, it happened.
“So we finally meet.”
An unfamiliar voice reached my ears. I turned my head.
A man with black hair stood before me.
There was no need to ask who he was. The familiar aura emanating from him and the pair of swords hanging from his back revealed his identity.
“Are you of the Mei Family bloodline?”
“I am Mei Zifeng, the Water-Flow Swordsman. Though I am but a humble servant, I hold one of the seven positions among the Plum Blossom Seven Swordsmen.”
Plum Blossom Seven Swordsmen (梅花七檢)
A title bestowed only upon the seven most exceptional swordsmen among the Mei Family bloodline.
When I attacked the Mei Family in the past, all seven of the Plum Blossom Swordsmen were absent from the Main House, so I never encountered them.
I never expected to meet one of them here like this.
“You are far more formidable than I anticipated. What business do you have with me?”
“Don’t dance around it. We both know what the other wants.”
Mei Zifeng made a throat-cutting gesture with his thumb.
“Kwon Han-ul. You must die here.”
Kwon Han-ul tilted his head at those words, genuinely confused.
“You alone will kill me?”
It wasn’t mockery—pure incomprehension. Mei Zifeng’s lips twitched at the response.
“Such arrogance for a brat. True to the Heukcheon Bloodline, you certainly know how to provoke people.”
“I asked first. Are you truly saying you’ll kill me alone?”
“Ha! A wretch like you is more than enough for me alone! But this place isn’t for that.”
“What do you mean?”
“This is where we settle the grudges of our bloodline!”
Mei Zifeng snapped his fingers. Dozens of swordsmen poured out from the door behind him.
“Remember this. Each of you gets one blade thrust. If you stab more than that, he’ll die before everyone settles their grudge.”
The swordsmen nodded with bloodlust etched across their faces.
“Now form the formation.”
The swordsmen drew their blades and encircled Kwon Han-ul, moving ceaselessly rather than standing still.
Though it appeared chaotic, their movements were actually systematic and perfectly coordinated.
Kwon Han-ul watched them with intrigue.
“Ah, I remember now.”
I’d heard the Mei Family possessed a special strategy for the weak to kill the strong.
If they could construct a formation called the Inspection, they could supposedly kill enemies several times stronger than themselves.
“You’re doing something interesting.”
My lips twisted. To think they’d try to kill me with something like this. My pride couldn’t help but be wounded.
Though I saw the Inspection for the first time today, its structure was already vividly mapped in my mind—thanks to the Genius Blood and Asura Blood.
All that remained was to dismantle it.
Then something interesting caught my eye.
A longsword lay abandoned on the nearby ground.
It was the magic blade wielded by the hunter who’d caused the explosion earlier.
It must have fallen here along with me after the blast.
“…Hmm.”
I grasped the magic blade. The moment it touched my hand, the blade’s magic tried to dominate me.
But I easily shook off its control. I didn’t even need to use the Genius Blood. My SS-rank mental fortitude made it possible.
“…What are you doing?”
Mei Zifeng stared at me in bewilderment. I, a swordmaster, casually swung the blade as I spoke.
“I thought I’d face you with this.”
“A member of the Heukcheon Bloodline… fighting with a sword…? And against the Mei Family…?”
Mei Zifeng spoke as if it were absurd. I replied nonchalantly.
“There’s nothing wrong with that.”
Crack.
The sound of grinding teeth. Veins reddened across Mei Zifeng’s face.
“…What are you all doing! Silence that bastard at once!”
With a resounding cry, the Mei Family swordsmen began pressing their assault on Kwon Han-ul.
Watching them, I murmured a single phrase.
“Asura King.”

The power of ‘Phantom Beast Blood’ activates.
‘Asura Blood’ and ‘Phantom Beast Blood’ resonate with each other.
The power of ‘Phantom Beast Blood’ transforms!
The force of ‘Asura King’ manifests in this place!
A semi-incarnate form materializes!

In that instant, the world drenched itself in crimson.

—————

This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

—————