Bloodline is Everything - Chapter 56

—————

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 56】

Chapter 56: Bringing in Fresh Blood (4)

“You want to join my team?”
“Yes!”
Mei Hong answered with enthusiasm. Kwon Han-ul asked with an incredulous tone.
“Then why did you run away earlier? It would’ve been better if you’d accepted right there.”
“Then why did you run away back then? It would have been better if you had accepted it right there.”
“I couldn’t possibly meet my future superior covered in blood, could I? So I hurried back after washing up.”
It was a reason that was barely convincing.
“Why specifically do you want to join my team?”
Moreover, Mei Hong had accepted the recruitment offer without even hearing the conditions Kwon Han-ul had laid out.
It meant there was a specific reason it had to be Kwon Han-ul.
“I fell for you.”
A coughing sound came from beside me. Joo Ha-yeon was coughing as if she’d choked on something.
“I haven’t forgotten for a single moment how you fought against the Mei Family’s swordsmen that day! So I made my decision. I absolutely must serve under Kwon Han-ul…”
“That’s a lie.”
Kwon Han-ul cut her off flatly. There was no point in listening further.
A woman ruthless enough to betray her own family wouldn’t choose Kwon Han-ul over mere infatuation.
“…”
Mei Hong fell silent for a moment. Then her tightly sealed lips slowly began to open.
“I can’t tell you here. If we could go somewhere quiet…”
That was when it happened.
“Are you in your right mind?”
Kwon Mi suddenly spoke up. Her already sharp expression had become even more venomous.
“Listen here! This blade is your father’s sword!”
“I’m aware.”
Mei Hong replied in a respectful but curt tone.
“I recognized it from the very beginning. How could I not know my father’s blade?”
“And yet you’d choose Kwon Han-ul? Think carefully. If you really go under that bastard, I’ll melt this sword down!”
At Kwon Mi’s warning, Mei Hong’s eyebrows twitched.
“I apologize.”
But she didn’t change her decision.
Kwon Mi glared at Mei Hong for a long moment. Then she suddenly turned her head and glared at Kwon Han-ul.
“…Lucky bastard.”
With those words, Kwon Mi strode into the building.
Kwon Hu-don was just coming out of the building.
“Oh, Mom? Why are you coming out so suddenly…”
“Let’s go inside. We’ll just say hello and leave.”
“Huh? Wait, what about Mei Hong?”
“I said let’s go!”
Kwon Mi grabbed Kwon Hu-don’s arm and dragged him away before he could protest.
“Well, the obstacles have cleared out nicely now.”
The moment the two of them disappeared, Mei Hong spoke to Kwon Han-ul.

The place where May Hong took Kwon Won-ul and Joo Ha-yeon was to the visiting room in the camp. Since we didn’t have a suitable place, we rented this place.
Mei Hong led Kwon Han-ul and Joo Ha-yeon to the Meeting Room in the Camp. Since there was nowhere else suitable, she borrowed this space.
“You must have a lot of questions.”
Mei Hong set down drinks in front of Kwon Han-ul and Joo Ha-yeon, who had already taken their seats.
“Actually, I have plenty I want to say too.”
Kwon Han-ul didn’t even touch the drink as he asked her directly.
“Then tell me quickly. Why did you choose my team?”
“Because I fell for you.”
Kwon Han-ul looked at Mei Hong with contempt. Her expression turned hurt.
“I’m serious…”
“If you keep saying strange things like that, I’m just leaving.”
“Understood. I’ll speak seriously.”
Mei Hong took a deep breath. Her expression gradually became more serious.
“There are two reasons. The first reason is that I already have a team assigned to me.”
This was news to both Kwon Han-ul and Joo Ha-yeon.
“You wouldn’t know this. I only got the notification yesterday myself. The Gangtaedae sent word that they’re taking me.”
At the mention of Gangtaedae, both Kwon Han-ul and Joo Ha-yeon’s faces went rigid.
Gangtaedae
A punishment unit within the Heukcheon Group that apprehends and reforms criminals or dangerous individuals.
Unlike the guardian unit that maintains law and order, it existed solely for punishment, earning it a particularly notorious reputation.
“What kind of trouble did you cause…”
“What trouble?! Do I look like that kind of person to you?”
“There’s no other reason the Gangtaedae would step in.”
Mei Hong let out a long sigh.
“How would I know the details? Anyway, I have no desire to enter such a vicious place at my age. Besides, I’ve never committed any crime against Heukcheon.”
That was true.
Who would willingly accept being sent to a punishment unit when they hadn’t even committed a crime?
“You’re a true bloodline of Heukcheon, Kwon Han-ul. A true bloodline in this day and age—I still can’t believe it even saying it myself. Do you know how shocked I was when I first heard that fact? No wonder you’re so incredibly strong.”
Mei Hong spoke frantically, her words tumbling out. Kwon Han-ul, growing impatient, cut her off.
“Yes, and?”
“I thought someone in your position would have more than enough power to stop the Gangtaedae.”
At those words, Kwon Han-ul’s expression grew clouded.
While it was true that Kwon Han-ul possessed the True Blood, he wielded virtually no influence within the family.
“Well, I suppose that’s fair enough.”
Since the question was difficult to answer directly, I decided to brush past it for now.
“What’s the second reason?”
“Do you know why I betrayed the Mei Family?”
“I understand it was to avenge your parents.”
After our victory in the war against the Mei Family, the Heukcheon Group’s intelligence division had interrogated Mei Hong.
Though we’d received her assistance, we couldn’t blindly trust a woman who’d betrayed her own family. At minimum, we needed to understand her motives.
The reason for her betrayal that she revealed was horrifying.
“That’s right. It was to avenge my parents.”
Mei Hong’s Father was a figure of considerable prominence both within and outside the family.
Not only was he exceptionally skilled, but he also enjoyed widespread respect, so many followed him.
Even the Heukcheon Group’s intelligence division kept close watch on him.
But talent that exceptional inevitably breeds envy and jealousy.
“The Mei Family Head—though he wasn’t the head back then, just the deputy head—anyway, that man never cared much for my father.”
Their temperaments were far too different.
Unlike the Mei Family Head, who prioritized results even at the cost of sacrifice, Mei Hong’s Father always looked after his blood relatives first.
They clashed constantly, and once even came dangerously close to a fatal confrontation.
The problem was that the Mei Family Head wasn’t the type to leave his enemies alone.
“The Mei Family Head fabricated charges against my father. He was executed without even being given a chance to defend himself.”
Mei Hong’s Father was undoubtedly a remarkable man. But he was weak when it came to political maneuvering.
That weakness made him an easy prey to the Mei Family Head’s schemes.
“And the one who helped orchestrate it all was Maejung First Sword.”
“So he was already the head’s trusted subordinate by then.”
There was no other way he would have participated so actively in such a plan.
But something seemed off about Mei Hong’s expression. It looked as though she might cry, yet she was forcibly holding it back.
“…No, Maejung First Sword participated in the plan to turn my father into a vengeful spirit.”
“A vengeful spirit?”
“It’s one of the powers of the Asura Blood. You kill someone and enslave their soul, turning them into a ghost to command.”
Kwon Han-ul’s brow furrowed.
Manipulating human souls was treated as taboo in the hunter industry.
And they’d committed such an act against a blood relative of their own family?
“The performance of a vengeful spirit varies greatly depending on the quality of the soul. Among them, the highest grade is a blood relative.”
Mei Hong’s Father wasn’t just a possessor of the Asura Blood, but a master so formidable that the family head felt threatened by him. There could be no finer soul to turn into a vengeful spirit.
“The Mei Family only permits vengeful spirit transformation for those convicted of treason. My father fell into that category…and Maejung First Sword personally carried out the execution, transforming my father’s soul into a vengeful spirit.”
My words grew heavy. I couldn’t find any words of comfort that seemed adequate.
Mei Hong’s Father hadn’t merely died unjustly—his very soul was condemned to eternal servitude, unable to find peace.
What must Mei Hong have felt, witnessing all of it?
“I understand. But those two are already dead, are they not?”
By that point, Mei Hong’s revenge would have been complete. But she shook her head.
“There’s one more person left.”
“Who?”
“Mei Xiao, the Blood Flame Sword.”
It was a name Kwon Han-ul had never heard before. But Joo Ha-yeon’s reaction was different.
“…You mean the commander of the Assassination Unit?”
Even if I didn’t know much about Mei Xiao the Blood Flame Sword, I at least knew of the Assassination Unit.
The shadow blades of the Mei Family.
They answered only to the Family Head’s orders and were tasked with eliminating threats both within and outside the family.
“When my father was captured, my mother fled with me. But the Family Head had already sent Mei Xiao… and we were caught immediately.”
Mei Hong’s fists clenched so tightly they trembled, her knuckles turning deathly pale.
“My mother was killed on the spot. Do you know what Mei Xiao said then? That my mother was too weak, too useless—not even worth making into a Noble Sword.”
Fierce anger blazed across Mei Hong’s face.
“After that, I was dragged before the Mei Family Head. He didn’t kill me. Do you know why? Because I was still young—he thought he could raise me and put me to use.”
Mei Hong pulled down her collar. As the fabric stretched, her nape became fully exposed.
A crimson brand was seared into her porcelain skin—so vivid that anyone would involuntarily swallow at the sight.
“It’s a brand carved using a Legendary-grade item. Because of this mark, I couldn’t resist even once—I had no choice but to obey the Mei Family Head’s every command.”
Contempt flickered across Mei Hong’s expression.
Though she didn’t say it outright, I could guess why the Mei Family Head had made such a decision.
Given Mei Hong’s talent, it would have been far too wasteful to simply kill her.
“Now that the Mei Family Head is dead, I’ve heard that the Mei bloodline is rallying around Mei Xiao.”
Joo Ha-yeon nodded. Heukcheon’s intelligence operatives had already tracked their movements.
“The Blood Flame Sword will definitely come to kill you. When she does, I want to take my revenge on that woman.”
“Why are you so certain she’s targeting me? There were more than one or two people at that gathering.”
“Because you killed the Maejung First Sword.”
Kwon Han-ul frowned. What was she talking about?
“The Blood Flame Sword is the Maejung First Sword’s disciple. Mei Xiao reveres her master with an almost fanatical devotion. She became the commander of the Assassination Unit for her master’s sake.”
“For the Maejung First Sword’s sake?”
“The Blood Flame Sword surpassed her master even as a disciple. If she had revealed her true strength, the title of Maejung First Sword would have gone to her.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. But the Blood Flame Sword didn’t act that way for her master’s honor. Instead, she abandoned everything and became the commander of the Assassination Unit.”
Kwon Han-ul fell silent in thought.
If that was true, then Mei Xiao the Blood Flame Sword was the true strongest of the Mei Family.
“Did you tell the investigator about this?”
“I did. But he didn’t seem to think it was a problem. He said Heukcheon doesn’t scare easily over such things.”
“Why didn’t he even ask the person involved…?”
Kwon Han-ul resented the faceless investigator.
“I’ve said all I need to say.”
Mei Hong looked at Kwon Han-ul with resolute eyes.
“The choice is yours. But I can say this with confidence: if you accept me, you won’t regret it.”
Mei Hong descended from her chair and knelt before me. I was momentarily taken aback.
“I will obey any command you give. If you tell me to become a dog, I’ll become one. If you tell me to die, I will. As long as I can kill Mei Xiao… I will give you everything.”
I didn’t make an immediate decision. I paused to consider.
That’s when it happened.
“This is far too dangerous.”
Joo Ha-yeon stepped forward and spoke.
“If we’re going to take Mei Hong with us, we’ll inevitably clash with Gangtaedae. Fighting them within the Kwon Family would be foolish.”
That wasn’t the only reason.
“According to what she said, the Blood Flame Sword is already targeting you. If we accept Mei Hong on top of that, the danger multiplies.”
From the Blood Flame Sword’s perspective, her lover’s enemy and her family’s enemy were gathering in one place.
How violently she would act was as predictable as fire.
“Right now, we shouldn’t be accepting Mei Hong. We need to prepare for the Blood Flame Sword.”
“You make a fair point, Ha-yeon.”
At those words, Mei Hong bit her lip slightly.
“I’ve heard plenty about Gangtaedae’s reputation. But you don’t stop making kimchi just because you’re afraid of maggots.”
It was an unexpected answer. Both women’s eyes widened.
“The Blood Flame Sword will attack me anyway. Whether it’s one person or two, it probably won’t make much difference.”
I extended my hand to her.
“Mei Hong, I’m counting on you going forward.”
Mei Hong stared at my hand for a moment. Then she extended hers in kind.
“Yes!”
Then she thrust her fist high into the air with a cheer. At her spirited reaction, both I and Joo Ha-yeon exchanged bewildered glances.
“I look forward to working with you!”

“So I’m the honorable first team member?”
“Then I’m the glorious first team member?”
The three of us exited the meeting room and walked down the corridor. Mei Hong seemed delighted by the fact that she was number one.
“Are you really that happy about it?”
“It means I’m first, doesn’t it? Everything feels better when you’re the first at something!”
I found it oddly difficult to keep up with Mei Hong’s train of thought.
“Ahem.”
Just then, Joo Ha-yeon, who was walking a few steps behind, let out a dry cough.
“You are first, but not the very first.”
“Pardon?”
Mei Hong looked at Joo Ha-yeon as if she’d said something nonsensical.
“I assisted Kwon Han-ul first, after all.”
“Oh! Then I’m not the first! That’s unfortunate, but I can’t help it. I’ll yield to you, sister!”
“I’m glad you understand… Wait, did you just call me sister?”
“Yes, sister.”
Joo Ha-yeon’s face stiffened. She was flustered in a way unlike herself.
“By the way, Kwon Han-ul. Since you’ve accepted me, I’d like to give you a gift.”
“That’s not necessary.”
Kwon Han-ul declined. Accepting a gift from Mei Hong, who hadn’t yet established herself within the Kwon Family, felt worse than squeezing blood from a stone.
“Not necessary?”
“No.”
“Are you absolutely sure? I was going to tell you about the Mei Family Head’s hidden personal warehouse.”
“I’m absolutely sure… What did you just say?”
Kwon Han-ul spoke in surprise.
“I found out while helping the Mei Family Head. He has quite a few hidden warehouses.”
“I’m afraid those have already been recovered by Mei Xiao.”
Joo Ha-yeon spoke up. Mei Hong wagged her index finger left and right as if to say that wasn’t the case.
“There’s exactly one warehouse that no one knows about. It’s small, but it contains only the Mei Family Head’s treasures.”
“…Is that truly so?”
It was information that naturally piqued interest. When Kwon Han-ul showed concern, Mei Hong smiled knowingly.
“I told you, didn’t I? If you choose me, you won’t regret it. There are many listening ears here, so I’ll tell you later…”
That was when we exited the building.
A harsh wind sound came from above. When I looked up, I could see several military helicopters approaching.
Kwon Han-ul paid it no mind. However, Joo Ha-yeon’s reaction was different. She muttered while staring at the emblem on the helicopter.
“Gangtaedae? They’ve arrived already?”
Suddenly, the helicopter door opened. Five or six people jumped out from within.
“What?”
Kwon Han-ul felt a bad premonition. Sure enough, the direction they were jumping toward was where Kwon Han-ul stood.
“Step back!”
Kwon Han-ul shielded the two women and spoke. In that instant, those who fell from the sky struck the ground with force.
A series of thunderous booms echoed out. Sand and smoke engulfed the surroundings.
“Haah…”
A man stepped forward. Kwon Han-ul’s face tensed as he glared at him.
No hair. No eyebrows. Instead, scars covered his entire body in dense patterns.
“I would have preferred to handle this more gracefully.”
The man’s voice resonated low and broad. Kwon Han-ul felt a bead of cold sweat roll down his face.
The man’s presence bore down on Kwon Han-ul like a crushing weight. It was as if the very air had transformed into mud, clinging to his body.
This oppressive aura—it was identical to what he’d felt from Kwon Seon-woo and Kwon Myung-woo.
“But I cannot simply stand by and watch a dangerous element flee.”
The man’s gaze turned toward Mei Hong. Mei Hong couldn’t even swallow properly.

—————

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

—————