Reincarnation of the Blood Demon - Chapter 14

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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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Blood Demon Reincarnation
Chapter 14
Harmony in the Home, All Things Prosper
Creak—
Rusted hinges ground together, and the door swung open with a sound that made the skin crawl.
Light flooded into the dim room, and fear spread across the faces of the children huddled there, trembling.
It was a door that opened at regular intervals.
Every time it did, men would enter, and several people would be dragged out by brutal hands.
Not a single one of those taken had ever returned.
“Eek!”
“M-Mother…!”
The room held captives of all ages and genders, though children made up the majority—yet none were in any position to comfort the frightened young ones.
Or rather, none could afford to. Even adults would struggle to look after themselves in such circumstances.
Though not everyone was like that.
“Hush now. Close your eyes. Everything will be all right.”
A sharp-featured woman who moved with practiced ease, shielding the children from the sight of the doorway.
Like everyone else here, she too wore a shackle around her ankle.
Unlike the others, whose clothes were relatively neat, her body was marked all over with bruises and welts—dark blues and purples that stood out starkly against her skin.
They spoke of a pattern repeated many times over.
Hong Yeon.
The pampered jewel of the Hong Clan Sword Hall, a prominent house in Jinchang County, Gansu Province—and she too had been seized and brought here by the Black Moon Gate.
‘Vile, despicable tricks…!’
She had helped an elderly woman who’d lost her way, and when the woman offered recompense, Hong Yeon had waved it off and merely asked for a cup of water. That small act of kindness had been her undoing.
She’d lost consciousness and awoke to find herself in this place.
Shackled at the ankle and her inner power sealed, escape seemed impossible.
Yet from the distinctive blood qi emanating from the men and fragments of their conversation, she’d pieced together that this was Blood Sect territory and these were Blood Sect members.
‘Of all the cursed luck…’
Despair was complete. In Gansu Province, the Blood Sect’s name alone could silence crying children—it inspired that much dread.
Rumors abounded that those taken by them never escaped alive, and there were indeed many victims whose fate confirmed it.
Having resisted these men so fiercely for this long, Hong Yeon was clearly no ordinary woman.
“How much longer will you filthy dogs keep this up before you’ve had your fill?”
She spat the words and braced herself for the violence to come, but surprisingly, her captors fell silent.
“…?”
A figure appeared through the haze of her vision.
Her eyes, accustomed to darkness, stung as they met the sunlight, and squinting through the pain, she made out the silhouette—a sickly-looking youth, unfamiliar to her, with an odd smile on his face.
“Who…?”
Then her gaze dropped, and her expression froze.
In his grip was a blade, blood dripping steadily from its edge.
Shwick!
Before Hong Yeon could even react, the Straight Blade was swung.
“Ah…!”
In the moment she thought death was certain, her mind went blank with terror.
Cling! Clatter!
With her eyes squeezed shut, she suddenly felt her ankle grow light.
Cautiously opening them, the sight before her was stunning.
“How is this…?”
The blade had cut with surgical precision, severing only the shackle around her ankle and nothing more.
Hong Yeon lifted her head again, studying the boy.
The sunlight streaming from behind him created the illusion of a halo radiating from his frame.
“Your ordeal is over. You have nothing more to fear.”
At the sound of his plain yet strangely warm voice, Hong Yeon felt her legs give way and she collapsed to the ground.
Without will or warning, hot tears spilled down her cheeks.
“The children… take care of the children first…”
Even as she spoke the words, her eyes closed and darkness claimed her.
After four days and nights without sleep, maintaining constant vigilance, the moment her guard dropped, consciousness abandoned her.
Looking down at the collapsed woman, the boy—Jeo Un-hui—spoke softly to himself.
“You have nothing to fear. Not anymore. Never again.”
* * *
“Mmm…”
Unfamiliar warmth and a pleasant fragrance enveloped her senses.
Hong Yeon’s eyes fluttered open naturally, and she realized that the exhaustion and pain which had tormented her so relentlessly had vanished entirely.
The hard floor had been replaced by a soft bed, and a warm quilted blanket enveloped her completely.
“Gasp!”
The moment she noticed this, she started violently and bolted upright.
‘Could they have sold me while I was asleep?’
From the kidnappers’ conversation, she had learned they were engaged in human trafficking, which is why she had jumped to that conclusion.
Something had happened before she lost consciousness, though the details eluded her now.
‘Where on earth am I?’
As she braced herself, a voice came from beside her.
“Finally awake. You were the last one.”
A young man stood with his arms crossed, accompanied by what appeared to be a bodyguard.
“You are…”
The moment she saw his face, all her memories came rushing back.
This boy had saved her and the other victims, and she had lost consciousness immediately afterward—and now she was waking up here.
She did not know it yet, but she was now in Jeo Myeongung Palace.
‘He must be the son of a prominent martial family.’
The skill to sever the shackles that had bound her in a single strike, and the wealth to afford such luxurious surroundings.
Moreover, his appearance clearly bore the mark of nobility.
It was a natural conclusion to draw, and not an entirely incorrect one.
Hong Yeon bowed hurriedly, her expression startled.
“Ah! My benefactor! I was in such disarray back then that I couldn’t even thank you properly.”
“It was nothing worth mentioning. Please spare me such excessive courtesy.”
“Nothing? You saved my life! May I ask your name? I swear by the Hong Clan Sword Hall that I will repay this debt.”
The boy fell silent for a moment, then answered.
“Jeo Un-hui.”
“Ah, Young Master Jeo. My name is Hong Yeon.”
Hong Yeon hesitated slightly.
The surname Jeo itself was uncommon.
And more than that…
‘I’ve heard the Blood Sect Master shares the Jeo surname.’
But then she shook her head, dismissing the thought.
While the Jeo surname was rare, it was not unheard of.
Besides, the very idea that the Blood Sect’s young lord would personally rescue them was absurd to begin with.
‘What a ridiculous suspicion—imagining he’s the son of some deranged heretical cult.’
What kind of disrespect was this toward her savior?
Hong Yeon chided herself and asked the boy a question.
“Is there an organization you belong to? I have nothing to offer you now, but I’d like to repay you through them.”
“Compensation is not necessary.”
“That won’t do. Receiving a favor and then wiping one’s mouth goes against my family’s principles. And my pride won’t allow it either.”
“…”
The boy, Jeo Un-hui, had no ready answer and closed his mouth with an uncomfortable expression.
He could not claim it was his fault, yet the situation pricked his conscience sharply.
At last, Jeo Un-hui answered reluctantly.
“If you insist, send someone to the Blood Heaven Divine Sect. Tell them you have business with the Third Young Master, and they will grant you an audience.”
“…I’m sorry?”
She went blank for a moment and asked him to repeat himself. She wondered if she had misheard.
But Jeo Un-hui looked at her calmly and spoke again.
“Third Young Master of the Blood Heaven Divine Sect—Jeo Un-hui.”
“…?”
“Our vermin committed terrible atrocities against you. As the one responsible for controlling this territory, I apologize on behalf of our sect.”
“…!”
Her blood seemed to freeze. Hong Yeon’s eyes widened.
She shook her head, trying hard to deny it.
“…Even as my benefactor, that’s not a funny joke.”
“Believe it or not—that is your choice.”
Jeo Un-hui tilted his head slightly, as if to say she should make up her own mind.
Paradoxically, his very indifference convinced her.
“There would be no reason to tell such a lie…”
Only then did Hong Yeon step back, her entire body tensing with caution.
“…You really are the Blood Sect’s Third Young Master.”
A far cry from the gentle gaze moments before—now her eyes blazed with fierce intensity.
Jeo Un-hui clicked his tongue and simply nodded.
“What do you want? Where did the others go? The children?”
“They’ve returned home. There are quite a few children whose identities we haven’t yet established, but they’ll be going back as well.”
“You expect me to believe that now? You didn’t sell them off somewhere else because they weren’t worth using as sacrifices?”
“You’re free not to believe me, but it won’t change anything…….”
As he spoke, Jeo Un-hui flicked his fingers.
Immediately, a group of men streamed into the room.
The intellectual-looking man at the front was holding a small wooden box.
“What—what are you doing……!”
Hong Yeon startled at the sight of them, and it was Ma Hyeol-jin, the man who’d entered first, who opened the box.
It was packed solid with silver coins.
Jeo Un-hui tilted his head slightly.
“Your share. If you wish, I can give you more from my own purse.”
“What is this?”
“A form of victim compensation, let’s call it. Everyone else has already received theirs.”
The compensation was, of course, gathered from the Black Moon Gate leader’s personal wealth.
Even after so many people had taken their shares, a great deal remained.
These remaining funds were meant to be distributed someday to the other victims who had been sold elsewhere.
Hong Yeon’s eyes narrowed with suspicion.
“When you forcibly dragged us here—when was that? And now what’s this?”
“The ones who kidnapped you belonged to a faction called the Black Moon Gate. We destroyed them yesterday. This money is theirs as well.”
Of course, Hong Yeon’s wariness didn’t ease.
“Aren’t they affiliated with the Blood Sect?”
She looked like a porcupine with its quills bristling—all hostility and caution.
‘Not surprising.’
This was precisely the standard response whenever the Blood Sect was mentioned.
Jeo Un-hui felt a fresh wave of helplessness, yet there was nothing he could say.
Objectively speaking, his guilt was real.
Even if he hadn’t participated in this, the simple fact of belonging to the Blood Sect organization made him a culprit.
Jeo Un-hui sighed and began to explain.
“Those creatures twisted the sect’s teachings,”
“Teachings? Wasn’t using the weak as prey and building strength your sect’s doctrine?”
Hong Yeon’s expression remained coldly mocking.
She seemed to be saying that she would sooner die than bow to demonic ways.
Jeo Un-hui answered in a quiet voice.
“Respect the Strong—stacking achievement upon achievement until one reaches the heavens, proving oneself through honest struggle. That is the true Blood Sect.”
“……!”
“Worms like the Black Moon Gate, abducting and slaughtering helpless commoners—that’s not the work of Blood Sect disciples, but rather the vile deeds of sickening madmen.”
“But the Blood Sect clearly…….”
“I know. Our sect now is a rotted septic tank. From top to bottom, corrupted fools obsessed with Demonic Arts, a dumping ground for human refuse.”
In that moment, fire blazed to life in Jeo Un-hui’s eyes as he faced her.
“But we will restore proper order soon enough.”
“How can you be so certain of that?”
“Because I will make it so.”
He would set right everything that had gone wrong, and thus restore his Blood Heaven Divine Sect to what it once was.
“……!”
His gaze was so intense that even Hong Yeon, meeting it directly, found herself swallowing hard.
Then she let out a long, slow breath.
“……So there are people like you in the Blood Sect too.”
Hong Yeon lowered her guard and bowed her head with a bitter smile.
“I’m sorry. For doubting your kindness.”
“You believe me then?”
“There’s no reason for you to deceive me. A third-rank disciple of the Blood Sect wouldn’t put on this kind of performance just to seduce one person. And besides…….”
Hong Yeon gestured to her eyes and gave a slight smirk.
“I have some skill at reading people.”
“…….”
Jeo Un-hui thought that if she’d been quite that perceptive, she wouldn’t have been dragged off in the first place, but he kept the remark to himself. It wasn’t the moment to say such things.
“Then I’m relieved. Please take your share.”
“I don’t need it. But I do have a request.”
“A favor?”
“There are so many others who were dragged away before us. Please use this money to help rescue them too.”
“I’ve already set aside funds for them separately. There’s no need.”
Yet Hong Yeon merely smiled.
“With this additional money, they could receive better treatment.”
“……You mean that sincerely?”
“My family has considerable wealth as well. Not as much as yours, I imagine, but we do.”
“Mm.”
Jeo Un-hui nodded as though impressed.
He did not dislike such people.
He’d sensed it when she stood against him for the women’s sake yesterday—a true spirit of compassion in her. A woman of genuine virtue.
“In that case.”
Jeo Un-hui flicked a Silver Coin toward her.
She caught it, her expression bewildered, and he laughed quietly.
“That’s a bribe.”
“A bribe?”
“Later, should I have occasion to speak of the sect, I’d be grateful if you put in a good word.”
She let out a small laugh, as if she understood perfectly.
“Bribe received—crystal clear.”
“These men here are my subordinates. They’ll see you safely home.”
Normally she would have refused, but given the state of her body, Hong Yeon accepted their escort with thanks.
“Then I’ll trouble you for a while.”
As Hong Yeon left the room under the escort of Jeo Un-hui’s men, she paused and turned back to look at him.
“By the way, how old are you, Lord Jeo? You don’t look that old.”
Jeo Un-hui seemed to consider the question for a moment before answering.
“A hundred…… No, I’m fifteen now. Yes, fifteen.”
“‘Fifteen now’—what do you mean by that?”
“There are circumstances.”
“In any case, I’m older than you. I’m seventeen. So next time we meet, call me older sister.”
“……?”
Jeo Un-hui’s face went blank for a moment.
He couldn’t quite remember the last time he’d heard someone call him that—older sister.
‘Everyone older than me is dead.’
While Jeo Un-hui stood there bewildered and lost for words, Hong Yeon slipped gracefully from the room.
In her final moment, she spoke with a bright, gentle smile.
“I hope you can change the Blood Sect. It would benefit everyone, wouldn’t it?”
“……Travel safely.”
She vanished with Jeo Un-hui’s men, and he sat alone with his closest subordinates, letting out a dry laugh.
“Young people these days are quite bold.”
“Yes, indeed. Quite so.”
Ju Yi-gyeom was nodding naturally when something made him wonder if he’d heard wrong, and he looked at Jeo Un-hui again.
‘You’re the youngest one here.’
Ju Yi-gyeom’s eyes narrowed as if to say he couldn’t believe what he was hearing, but Jeo Un-hui turned his head sharply as though he had eyes in the back of his skull.
“You bastard. What are you thinking about?”
“Nothing, sir.”
Faced with that searing gaze, Ju Yi-gyeom simply turned his eyes away with a show of innocence.
Soon Jeo Un-hui clicked his tongue and turned to Ma Hyeol-jin with a question.
“Which factions still remain?”
“Three major organizations: Nam Ho Gate, Bi Ryu Bo, and Cheon Ryu Society. However, we’ve received intelligence that Nam Ho Gate recently hired a large contingent of ronin.”
“Among those, who’s dealt with the Black Moon Gate?”
“Bi Ryu Bo conducted five transactions, and Nam Ho Gate conducted one. The ronin contingent has not yet been confirmed. Aside from them, lesser factions and external forces outside the sect also employed them periodically.”
“External forces, you mean?”
“The Heungryong Mountain Fortress of the Green Forest—the largest such group in the region. We maintain a precarious relationship with them, walking a careful line.”
The Green Forest—a gathering of bandits.
This venerable organization, which had existed before the Blood Sect was even born, had somehow endured even five hundred years hence.
Jeo Un-hui exhaled a sigh and clicked his tongue.
“Discipline has grown slack if even those mountain dogs dare act out.”
Such a thing would have been unthinkable during his reign.
“If you need people, you acquire them directly. What’s all this dealing and nonsense about?”
Kidnapping and human trafficking had been the Green Forest’s monopoly from the start, hadn’t it?
Something unpleasant coiled in his chest. There seemed to be hidden depths to this affair.
Before long, Jeo Un-hui muttered with a darkened expression.
“This makes the next objective all the more certain.”
“Objective?”
At Ju Yi-gyeom’s question, Jeo Un-hui nodded and replied.
“Harmony in the Home, All Things Prosper. First, I need to put my own house in order.”
Whether it was those Green Forest thugs making trouble outside, or the Six Elders who dared commission his assassination—
they were all targets that could only be dealt with once his foundation was secure.
If that was the case, then what he needed to do was clear enough…….
“I’ve changed my mind. I think I need to accelerate things.”
Jeo Un-hui’s eyes glinted coldly as he issued his command.
“Nam Ho Gate and Bi Ryu Bo…… and what was it called, Cheon Ryu Society? In any case, all of them. Bring them before me.”
Ma Hyeol-jin swallowed hard, tension running through him.
“So they understand perfectly who the master is…….”
Jeo Un-hui continued, his smile turning savage.
“I’ll deal with them all at once.”

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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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