Bloodline is Everything - Chapter 194
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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【Bloodline is a Thug Chapter 194】
194. Persuasion (4)
“Successor?”
Mei Hong’s brow furrowed.
“Did you take the wrong medicine or something? Or did you forget to take your usual medication? The madwoman’s lost even more of her mind.”
At those words, Mei Xiao burst into laughter. But the Assassination Unit members standing behind her could not.
“How dare you speak like that, you traitor who sold out the family!”
“Say something like that one more time and I’ll cut off your fingers one by one!”
The Assassination Unit members hurled murderous words at Mei Hong.
“Enough.”
Mei Xiao spoke. Instantly, as if by magic, the Assassination Unit members fell silent.
“I’m having a conversation with Mei Hong right now. Don’t interrupt—everyone be quiet!”
Mei Xiao wore a playful expression as she brought her index finger to her lips.
“Mei Hong, I actually hold you in very high regard. Your talent isn’t something you see every day. You might even surpass me.”
It was an unexpected assessment.
Long ago, Gu Eon, the leader of Gangtaedae, had also recognized Mei Hong’s talent and deemed her dangerous.
“Right now, when we must fight Heukcheon, someone with talent like yours is incredibly precious. That’s why I’m proposing this—wouldn’t you consider becoming my successor?”
“You’re talking nonsense.”
Mei Hong spoke again in a frigid tone.
“There’s no way you’d keep alive someone like me who destroyed the family. Yet you want to make me your successor?”
“Ah, so that’s what you were worried about. Well, you’re not entirely wrong.”
Suddenly, the smile vanished from Mei Xiao’s face. She stared at Mei Hong with a doll-like, expressionless countenance.
“My master died because of you. How could I possibly forgive you?”
“Finally, you’re revealing your true feelings.”
“Listen to what I’m saying. That’s why I’ve devised my own solution. It would be easy to simply kill you like this… but that would be such a waste.”
Mei Xiao clapped her hands. The bloodkin standing behind her parted to the left and right.
“I’ve recently made some very interesting friends. You’ve probably heard of them—friends who go by the name ‘Aion’.”
A man draped in a black robe walked forward, carrying something.
In his arms was a longsword that gleamed with a sapphire-blue radiance.
“Aion possesses quite remarkable knowledge. Among it was the ability to amplify the power of cursed blades.”
Mei Xiao ran her hand across the surface of the longsword.
“When you amplify a cursed blade’s power, not only does its destructive force increase, but its mental interference ability grows stronger as well. Hunters who entered the Dungeon unknowingly grasped the cursed blade and went mad on the spot.”
Mei Xiao extended the hilt of the longsword toward Mei Hong.
“Mei Hong, if you grasp this blade, everything you’ve been until now will vanish without a trace. Then you’ll have the qualifications to become my successor.”
Mei Hong whispered softly.
“Go on, accept the cursed blade.”
“What if you refuse?”
The Assassination Unit pressed their blades flush against Mei Hong’s and Joo Ha-yeon’s skin.
“Then we’ll strip away your flesh piece by piece until you agree to accept it. Don’t you think it’s better to comply willingly before you experience such agony?”
“And if you still refuse?”
“I’m curious what gives you such confidence. Ah, could it be that you’re relying on your impressive commander?”
Mei Xiao clapped her hands together.
“I’m afraid that won’t work. By now, he’s probably half a corpse.”
At those words, Joo Ha-yeon’s body flinched.
“What have you done to Kwon Han-ul?”
“I sent three Sword Squads proficient in sword formations.”
Mei Xiao spoke while extending three fingers.
“The Witch of Heukcheon—you’ve heard of her, haven’t you? How ruthless the Mei Family’s sword formations are.”
Joo Ha-yeon’s face hardened.
How could she not know? The sword formation was another weapon that symbolized the Mei Family.
“The Sword Squad we sent to Kwon Han-ul now is the main force of our Mei Family. They even have experience annihilating the famous Heukcheon Squad in a previous engagement.”
* * *
【The Gate of Hell opens.】
A blood-red puddle began spreading from beneath Kwon Han-ul’s feet. The puddle rapidly consumed the entire floor.
“W-what is this…”
“It’s so sticky, isn’t it?”
The Mei Family’s swordsmen stared downward in panic. Then the puddle began to bubble violently.
Suddenly, a rusted spear erupted from the puddle. The spear pierced through a swordsman’s heart.
“Kugh!”
The swordsman couldn’t even scream properly before he fell.
It was only the beginning.
Skeletal soldiers burst forth from the red puddle in rapid succession.
“W-what is this!”
“Ahhhhh!”
The soldiers began slaughtering the Mei Family’s swordsmen. Fresh blood scattered everywhere.
“Stay calm! From their movements, they’re nothing special!”
“Don’t retreat—attack!”
The swordsmen didn’t yield easily. They quickly regained their composure and launched a counterattack.
However, the swordsmen couldn’t cut through the bodies of the dead. Their blades merely passed through as if slicing through heat shimmer.
“W-what is this… Krraaagh!”
The slaughter that had momentarily paused resumed once more.
The soldiers wielded their weapons with no thought of defense, driven solely by the purpose of killing.
“This… what is…”
Mei Zifeng’s face was painted with bewilderment.
But there was no time to panic. Saving the bloodkin being slaughtered before my eyes took priority.
“Fall back!”
With a thunderous shout, Mei Zifeng drew his twin blades.
“Haaah!”
He soared high into the sky before plummeting to the ground. Simultaneously, he drove both swords into the earth.
Aura rippled across the ground like waves. Soon the aura erupted, sweeping the soldiers away.
The soldiers who had withstood the blades of the Assassination Unit shattered and scattered under Mei Zifeng’s aura.
“Retreat with the wounded! I’ll handle things from here!”
Mei Zifeng shouted toward the Assassination Unit. Only then did they regain their senses and begin gathering the wounded.
“Grraaahhh!”
Once the Assassination Unit had fully withdrawn, Mei Zifeng turned his gaze toward Kwon Han-ul with evident hostility.
“Yes, now it comes back to me. The Ancestor said he summoned terrible malevolent spirits to face his enemies! That you used such power means…!”
Mei Zifeng gnashed his teeth, glaring at Kwon Han-ul.
“You cunning bastard! Stealing the Asura King on top of the Shura Bloodline!”
Kwon Han-ul pulled the blade embedded in his chest free. Remarkably, not a single wound remained on his chest.
-If you knew that, shouldn’t you be prostrating before me right now? I don’t even possess the True Bloodline or wield the Asura King.
“Stop spouting nonsense! You’re nothing but a thief who stole the Mei Family’s power!”
Mei Zifeng gripped his twin blades tighter. A heavy killing intent shot toward Kwon Han-ul.
“I’ll kill you here and reclaim the family’s power!”
-What an impressive ambition.
That was when it happened.
The extra arms on Kwon Han-ul’s back vanished. His body, dyed crimson, returned to its original state.
Mei Zifeng furrowed his brow at the sight and asked.
“What…? Why did you deactivate the power?”
“It consumes far more stamina than it looks.”
Kwon Han-ul rolled his shoulders as he spoke.
“I’ve already achieved my objective. There’s no need to maintain it.”
“Objective?”
Suddenly, black smoke began swirling violently through the air.
The black smoke coalesced into clusters that flew about in all directions.
One cluster was absorbed into the body of an Assassination Unit member tending to the wounded.
“Ugh, ugh-ugh-ugh!”
The member made grotesque sounds with the whites of his eyes showing. A nearby comrade, startled, shook him.
“Hey, what’s suddenly wrong with you…? Gack!”
Abruptly, the member who had absorbed the black smoke drew his longsword and slashed his comrade’s throat.
“Y-you crazy bastard!”
“Why, why is he doing that!”
The Assassination Unit members recoiled in horror. In that instant, all the black smoke in the air rushed toward them.
“Gack! Krraaagh!”
“Kyaaaaaahhh!”
The Assassination Unit members began swinging their blades at one another. Screams erupted once more.
“Why, why are you doing this…!”
“S-stop!”
Those who had maintained their sanity were slaughtered, bewildered by their comrades’ betrayal.
“S-stop, I said!”
Some of them refused to go down without a fight. They wielded their blades in turn, killing their comrades.
But the moment they slew their maddened ally, that member’s eyes rolled back as well, and they turned their blade upon another.
“What in the name of—stop this at once!”
Mei Zifeng roared, but the chaos remained unabated. The maddened members paid no heed to his words and continued slaughtering one another.
In moments, every member of the Assassination Unit lay dead. Mei Zifeng stared at them with a vacant expression.
“The malevolent spirits released from Hell are remarkably persistent.”
Kwon Han-ul spoke toward the stunned Mei Zifeng.
“Even if their temporary physical form is destroyed, the evil spirits remain alive and target the living. You should have aimed for me instead of those soldiers.”
Mei Zifeng slowly turned to face Kwon Han-ul. Rage gradually kindled in his previously hollow eyes.
“…You bastard. Do you know what kind of children those were that you killed? They were the elite members of the Assassination Unit that Mei Xiao and I cultivated with utmost care for the future of the Mei Family!”
“Is that so?”
“To send them to such a pathetic death! How do you intend to repay this debt!”
“If they were so precious, you should have treasured them better.”
Kwon Han-ul rested his blade across his shoulder as he replied.
“You underestimated me and threw those greenhorns at me—this is what happens.”
Murderous intent blazed in Mei Zifeng’s eyes. He drew his twin blades across his own forearms once each.
Blood from his forearms stained the blades. The pristine steel turned crimson.
“Fine! It was all my mistake! So I shall carve away your flesh piece by piece and atone for my error!”
Mei Zifeng kicked off the ground. His twin blades became a flash of light, slashing across Kwon Han-ul’s body.
* * *
“Ah, I didn’t send only the Assassination Unit.”
Mei Xiao quickly added, as if she’d nearly forgotten.
“I also sent Mei Zifeng, the Flowing Water Swordmaster. You’ve heard of both of them, haven’t you?”
Mei Zifeng, the Flowing Water Swordmaster.
He was particularly renowned among the Seven Plum Blossoms who represented the Mei Family.
In his youth, Mei Zifeng had beheaded twenty high-ranking Hunters who insulted the family right where they stood.
The reason he remained unscathed despite committing such atrocities was not because of his bloodline to the Mei Family, but because his personal martial prowess was that exceptional.
Every Hunter who came seeking revenge against Mei Zifeng afterward lost their life to him without exception.
“I do feel some regret toward Kwon Han-ul. After all, I declared I would kill him myself, yet I sent someone else instead.”
Mei Xiao exhaled softly.
“But what can I do? Kwon Han-ul is an uninvited guest, and I don’t have time to face him personally.”
Mei Xiao leaned back in her chair as she continued.
“However, once Mei Zifeng brings me his head… I intend to return the corpse to the Kwon Family in pristine condition.”
* * *
When the battle began, Mei Zifeng’s mind was filled with nothing but certainty of victory.
Even after confirming that Kwon Han-ul possessed the Asura King, that conviction remained unchanged.
Kwon Han-ul was undoubtedly strong.
He possessed not only the Asura King but countless bloodlines. Perhaps in a few years, no one would exist capable of facing Kwon Han-ul.
But not now.
The current Kwon Han-ul was merely a young sapling that had not yet fully matured.
And what of Mei Zifeng himself?
He had long since ascended to the seat of an absolute being recognized by the world. As one of the Seven Plum Blossoms, he had slaughtered countless enemies.
No matter how strong Kwon Han-ul was, he could never reach his level.
Mei Zifeng was certain of this.
…Until just moments ago.
‘…What is this?’
After exchanging more than a hundred strikes, Mei Zifeng sensed something amiss.
‘How is he still standing?’
By Mei Zifeng’s calculations, Kwon Han-ul’s head should have fallen to the ground before reaching a hundred exchanges.
Yet Kwon Han-ul still lived. Not only that—he was blocking every single one of Mei Zifeng’s attacks.
‘How is he enduring this?’
He wielded dual blades as his primary weapons and excelled in swift sword techniques. Among all those he had fought, none had ever been faster than him.
So what was happening now?
He could not break through.
A single sword.
He could not cut down.
A martial artist who had only ever used his fists.
“This bastard?”
Bewilderment flickered across Mei Zifeng’s face. That emotion swiftly transformed into fury.
“How dare a mere swordmaster block my blades!”
Mei Zifeng’s twin swords moved with even greater speed. His swordsmanship intensified like a river swollen by monsoon rains, surging with violent force.
Kwon Han-ul’s hands moved with equal urgency.
The longsword and twin blades clashed ceaselessly in the air, sparks erupting with each collision.
With every exchange, Mei Zifeng’s eyes widened further.
Still impenetrable.
Kwon Han-ul’s sword. His swordsmanship.
“This… this can’t be…”
This was no ordinary situation. No genius could achieve such a thing.
Mei Zifeng had devoted his entire life to the blade. For a mere swordmaster to block his strikes was impossible.
“Such absurdity…”
In that moment, Mei Zifeng understood.
“Could this also be… the power of the Asura King!”
“You could say that.”
Kwon Han-ul replied without ceasing his sword strikes.
“Ever since I obtained the Asura bloodline, I’ve been able to see others’ movements more clearly… but when fighting you all, it becomes even clearer.”
Mei Zifeng stared into Kwon Han-ul’s eyes. They were unfathomable.
“I see everything. As if you’re revealing it all to me yourself.”
Kwon Han-ul’s movements shifted. He not only deflected every one of Mei Zifeng’s strikes but created vital points across his opponent’s body with his Asura energy.
“…Damn it!”
Mei Zifeng cursed involuntarily.
“You vicious bastard…! Using the power you stole from the Mei Family…! Against me…!”
The Asura King was no mere force. It was the very source of the Asura bloodline.
The Asura energy dwelling within the bloodline was said to be nothing less than a fragment of the Asura King itself.
This was likely why Kwon Han-ul could read every one of Mei Zifeng’s movements.
The Asura bloodline that Mei Zifeng possessed was revealing everything to the Asura King.
In other words, Kwon Han-ul had become the natural predator of the Mei Family.
“I cannot accept this… I will never accept this!”
Mei Zifeng drew upon his mana reserves. The cursed blades embedded in his twin swords absorbed every ounce of it.
“Even if I must die… I will take you with me…!”
Mei Zifeng crossed his twin swords. In that instant, characters materialized on their surfaces.
Cursed Blade – Gate of Phantom Emergence
Mei Zifeng swung his twin swords in a frenzy.
Crescent-shaped blade auras poured forth relentlessly, all converging upon Kwon Han-ul alone.
Kwon Han-ul did not block the barrage of auras. Instead, he kept his sword lowered and shifted his footwork.
His body swayed like a drunken man. Each time, the blade auras passed through empty space where he had been.
Mei Zifeng’s eyes widened in disbelief at the sight.
“This bastard…!”
He was evading them.
Neither blocking nor fleeing—he advanced while evading the blade energy.
“How dare you! How dare you strike at my sword!”
A crack formed in Mei Zifeng’s pride. Consumed by a single obsession to kill Kwon Han-ul, he wielded his twin blades with savage fury.
Yet no matter how ferocious his assault, he could not even graze a thread of Kwon Han-ul’s garment.
“Please! Just die already!”
Mei Zifeng’s cry was almost a plea. But by then, Kwon Han-ul had already closed the distance to arm’s length.
“Arghhhh!”
Mei Zifeng thrust his blade directly at Kwon Han-ul’s throat.
But before he could complete the motion, Kwon Han-ul’s horizontal slash severed Mei Zifeng’s neck.
Mei Zifeng’s head fell limply to the ground. As I watched the lifeless body, I muttered softly.
“I told you—I could see it all.”
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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