Reincarnation of the Blood Demon - Chapter 15

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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 Rebirth
Chapter 15
A Rat in a Trap
“To handle them all at once, you say…….”
Ju Yi-gyeom’s voice trailed off as he narrowed his eyes.
“Setting aside whether that’s even possible, would they actually gather just because we called?”
These faction leaders were preoccupied with their own affairs.
For a mere young master with no real power base in the district to summon them would be met with nothing but scorn—if he was lucky.
Jeok Un-hui, aware of this truth himself, furrowed his brow.
“Hmm, there’s nothing like that? Some emergency assembly authority or anything? Or maybe a right to execute summary judgment?”
“If something like that existed, people like the Red Method Faction Leader or the Hukwol Faction Leader wouldn’t be so brazen.”
“So we’ve got nothing, then.”
Even though Namhwa District was nominally his domain.
“I hate all this tedious circling around.”
It was just as Jeok Un-hui was clicking his tongue in frustration.
That Ma Hyeol-jin, who had been listening quietly, spoke up.
“There…… is a way, actually.”
“A way?”
“Yes. We can summon them under the Red Method Faction Leader’s name. There’s a communication network among the Namhwa District leaders.”
“A communication network?”
“It’s something like a pact. It was originally established as a safeguard in case external forces invaded. It’s fallen into disuse now, but they should still respond if called upon.”
Likely the Hukwol Faction Leader had never gotten the chance to use it—he’d been overwhelmed before he could even reach out.
Jeok Un-hui nodded with satisfaction.
“That’s our Ma—truly excellent.”
“Thank you.”
“I wish our Yi-gyeom would learn even half of that tactical thinking.”
Jeok Un-hui shot a sidelong glance as he spoke, but Ju Yi-gyeom answered without a trace of hurt pride.
“Each of us has our own domain, sir. As always, I serve as your shadow and dedicate myself to your protection.”
“……Never mind. I spoke out of turn. Anyway, Ma, activate that network. Can you do it?”
“Of course I can, but…… are you certain?”
Ma Hyeol-jin regarded Jeok Un-hui with a troubled gaze.
There was no need to explain further what he meant.
No one here would fail to understand.
‘Even for a young master, if he’s facing all the faction leaders at once…….’
By any reasonable measure, it should have been impossible.
Yes, the young master had already defeated masters like the Red Method Faction Leader, the Hukwol Faction Leader, and Nang Ah-geom, but those had all been one-on-one fights.
‘Currently, the major forces remaining in Namhwa District number three. And with Namho Faction having hired a band of rogue wanderers on top of that, we’re essentially looking at four.’
Naturally, each faction’s leader was no weakling compared to the Red Method Faction Leader.
And the Cheonryu Master, who held the title of strongest in Namhwa District, was at least several steps above them all.
‘Whether as a show of force or a life-or-death match, both scenarios are absurd.’
Even if one could defeat them piecemeal, how could a single person possibly do anything against all of them gathered in one place?
By Ma Hyeol-jin’s logic, at least, it was impossible—and that logic was undeniably sound.
Of course, the man standing before him was not someone bound by such sound logic.
Jeok Un-hui gave a short laugh and answered.
“What’s all this fussing about training some greenhorns?”
“…….”
Calling masters who were many times his senior mere “greenhorns”—such preposterous words.
It was enough to make one laugh at the absurdity, and yet the more troubling matter was why Ma Hyeol-jin felt oddly reassured despite hearing something so patently ridiculous.
‘This shouldn’t work…….’
If something went wrong in this venture, it would be Ma Hyeol-jin himself, now the Red Method Faction Leader, who would bear the consequences.
Such reckless, dangerous choices ran counter to his own nature.
And yet knowing all this, why did this gaunt boy seem so trustworthy?
“You can do it, right? Hyeol-jin?”
The young master spoke as though he believed it utterly, and Ma Hyeol-jin found himself with no choice but to nod.
“……Yes, I’ll see to it.”
And then he added one more thing.
“I’ll gather them no matter what it takes.”
* * *
Several days later. The finest private chamber of Huihong Pavilion.
A long table placed in the center of the elegantly appointed room.
Elegant chairs of considerable quality were arranged in neat rows on either side, each keeping its proper distance.
A scattered few sat upon them.
A broad-shouldered martial artist seated on one side fixed a serpentine-faced man who had entered late with a hard stare. “It’s been a while. So you’re the last to arrive.”
“It’s been a while. So you’re the last to arrive.”
The man returned his gaze with equal intensity and gave a curt nod.
“Ah, you came as well. How pleasant.”
The two exchanged greetings devoid of any genuine warmth—the Namho Faction Leader and the Biryu Faction Leader.
The Biryu Faction Leader, having arrived late, surveyed the table and settled into a moderately empty seat. “Cheonryu Master, why don’t you take the place of honor?”
“Cheonryu Master, why don’t you take the place of honor?”
A man answered in a low, measured voice: “I’m no leader of yours. What meaning would the place of honor hold?”
The speaker was the Cheonryu Master.
Acknowledged as the supreme expert among them, he had arrived late yet deliberately taken the most obscure seat—one wholly unbecoming his rank and prowess.
Yet this choice did not mark him as anti-authoritarian or humble by nature.
‘Damn cunning old fox. He means to observe from the shadows, where the knife falls least visibly.’
Should trouble arise, attention would naturally fix upon those seated nearer the place of honor.
The faction leaders, having chosen their seats without deliberation, now found them burdensome—yet to shift now would invite awkward comment, so they remained in place.
The Biryu Faction Leader furrowed his brow and muttered aloud.
“Why this place, of all locations? It’s inauspicious.”
The Huihong Pavilion, where they had gathered, had been the regular haunt of Wi Jung-yun, the late Red Method Faction Master.
Though unease settled over them, the leaders cast furtive glances around the room.
‘An unexpected alliance, truly.’
The Namho Faction Leader, the Biryu Faction Leader, the Cheonryu Master.
Along with the Hukrang Mercenary Leader and his band of rogue wanderers, whom the Namho Faction Leader had hired, and the masters of various smaller factions besides.
In short, every power broker who held dominion over Namhwa District had gathered in one place.
The atmosphere, however, was decidedly poor. In fact, it was fortunate that blades had not yet been drawn.
“Set aside the others, but you—Hukrang Mercenary Leader. What business have you here? When did rogue wanderers become agents of the Blood Heavenly Divine Religion?”
The Biryu Faction Leader had barely settled before taunting them. The Hukrang Mercenary Leader gripped his bandage-wrapped sword in response. “You summoned us. Is pointing out our presence now some sort of slight? Must I prove my qualifications?”
“You summoned us. Is pointing out our presence now some sort of slight? Must I prove my qualifications?”
“That would be interesting.”
The tension rose as if violence might erupt any moment.
The Namho Faction Leader sighed and moved to mediate. “The one who summoned us hasn’t even arrived yet. This is no time for us to quarrel among ourselves. And Biryu Faction Leader—the Hukrang Band are our guests, standing on equal footing with the Namho Faction. Do not dismiss them.”
“The one who summoned us hasn’t even arrived yet. This is no time for us to quarrel among ourselves. And Biryu Faction Leader—the Hukrang Band are our guests, standing on equal footing with the Namho Faction. Do not dismiss them.”
The Biryu Faction Leader offered no response, merely scoffed and turned his gaze elsewhere.
It was hardly a gesture the Namho Faction Leader approved of, yet since the disturbance had ended, he saw no point in pressing further and changed the subject. “In any case, Master. Where is Ma Hyeol-jin? Why hasn’t he shown his face until now? When that letter came from the Red Method Faction, I thought the dead Wi Jung-yun had come back to life.”
“When that letter came from the Red Method Faction, I thought the dead Wi Jung-yun had come back to life.”
“They say the Sub-Master has become the new Master? I always took him for a cunning wretch, but his manner of action is beyond all propriety. Summoning his seniors here and there as if they were servants?”
Once one man broached Ma Hyeol-jin’s name, the others added their own grievances to the chorus.
“The language in that letter was arrogant as well. Didn’t he threaten to deem us cowards if we didn’t attend?”
“The man wouldn’t even meet Wi Jung-yun’s eyes when he was alive, and now—”
A minor faction leader, sensing the discord, intervened respectfully. “Surely we shouldn’t speak thus. We’re here to discuss Namhwa District’s future, are we not? Now that Jeok Un-hui has emerged as an unexpected variable, it would be wise to at least hear what is said.”
“Didn’t Jeok Un-hui go under that man? So what future is there to discuss?”
“Perhaps the matter concerns Jeok Un-hui himself.”
“Even so, this is hardly—”
The faction leaders continued to grumble, visibly displeased, yet they did not relax their vigilance for a moment.
Each feigned indifference while radiating their ki sense, taking measure of the others’ forces arrayed throughout the hall.
‘How many have each of them brought? Should I have summoned more myself?’
The letter had not specified any limit on numbers, so each leader had arrived with a reasonable contingent of troops.
Space within the pavilion being limited, some forces had been positioned outside to wait—and it was now apparent that each faction had brought a considerable number, leaving all somewhat unsettled.
‘If combat were to break out here…’
It would surely not end cleanly.
As the faction leaders turned their schemes over in their minds, the Biryu Faction Leader spoke, glancing at an empty seat. “By the way, hasn’t the Hukwol Faction Leader arrived yet? It’s past the appointed hour.”
“By the way, hasn’t the Hukwol Faction Leader arrived yet? It’s past the appointed hour.”
“The Hukwol Faction Leader is dead.”
“…What did you say?”
The unexpected declaration drew every eye in the pavilion to a single point.
The speaker was a minor faction leader whose territory bordered the Hukwol Faction’s lands. He explained in a subdued tone.
“My subordinates confirmed that the Hukwol Faction has been razed. The bodies of the Hukwol Faction Leader and his bodyguard, Nang Ah-geom, were found among the ruins. I only learned of it myself yesterday, so I suspect none of you are aware.”
“That’s…”
“The Hukwol Faction Leader dead? And Nang Ah-geom as well?”
Cries of disbelief erupted from all corners of the hall.
And no wonder — the Hukwol Faction Leader was known throughout Namhwa District as one of the wealthiest men around, thanks to his peculiar human trafficking enterprise.
The Hukwol Faction Leader himself was a master, and Nang Ah-geom, whom he’d hired with his wealth, was no less formidable than any of the faction leaders gathered here.
Yet these two had fallen without a sound?
“Who on earth could it be…….”
“Surely not the Third Young Master? They said he’d brought down the Red Method Faction Leader as well.”
“Still, the Hukwol Faction Leader? That seems beyond his reach, doesn’t it? They said he even had an escort.”
“Unless it was an outside force…….”
A different kind of dread settled over the faction leaders’ faces as they exchanged glances and murmured among themselves.
They were all beginning to sense it, slowly but surely.
‘This doesn’t feel right. I have a bad feeling about this.’
The instincts of a warrior who had spent a lifetime in the Blood Heavenly Divine Religion seemed to vibrate with warning.
“Ahem, it seems the organizer has no intention of coming. I’ll be taking my leave——”
Just as one of the more timid faction leaders, unable to endure the unease any longer, began to rise from his seat.
Creak.
The tightly closed door suddenly swung open.
The leader who had been about to stand froze in an awkward half-crouch, and every eye snapped toward the entrance.
The figure who stepped through was Ma Hyeol-jin, his expression rigidly composed.
“……Quite the swift entrance.”
Since the newcomer’s reputation was not particularly imposing, the tense atmosphere eased somewhat.
Soon, irritation began to replace the tension on the faction leaders’ faces.
“Now you show yourself. You summon all these people and for what?”
“The Hukwol Faction Leader is dead, they say. Did you know? Is that why you called us here?”
“So what’s this discussion supposed to be about? Speak.”
Sharp questions and accusations flew from every direction.
But Ma Hyeol-jin answered none of them, simply walking with measured steps toward the high seat at the far end.
“This madman…….”
“Has he lost his mind?”
The faction leaders’ faces twisted with insult and anger at this unexpected response.
But those expressions did not last long.
For Ma Hyeol-jin, having reached the high seat, came to an abrupt halt on the left side, standing with utmost deference.
“What in the——”
Before anyone could even finish speaking, another figure appeared through the door Ma Hyeol-jin had opened.
A man with languid eyes yet a decisive gait, his hand resting on the sword scabbard at his waist, ready to draw at any moment.
Ignoring the faction leaders entirely as though they were beneath notice, Ju Yi-gyeom proceeded to the right side of the high seat and stood.
“This man, surely……”
“Isn’t he the Third Young Master’s escort?”
The high seat remained vacant still.
By now, the faction leaders could hardly doubt who would appear next.
And indeed, there came:
“Ah, good. Everyone’s here.”
A pale complexion and sharp, wary eyes.
Features more youthful than anyone else in the room.
“……The Third Young Master!”
Jeok Un-hui, the Third Young Master of the Blood Heavenly Divine Religion, closed the door behind him and walked in slowly.
“Why would the Third Young Master……”
As the faction leader faltered at this unexpected appearance, Jeok Un-hui sat upon the high seat with casual certainty and leaned back into it as though sinking into the earth itself.
The entire sequence of movements was perfectly natural.
With Ma Hyeol-jin and Ju Yi-gyeom standing guard on either side, silent and watchful, an atmosphere settled over the room as though a king long accustomed to rule had finally taken his throne.
“…….”
Caught so thoroughly off guard, no one dared speak.
“Yes. You rats gnawing away at my Namhwa District.”
Jeok Un-hui straightened in his seat and nodded as he surveyed the faction leaders.
“Quite a sight, seeing you all in one place. Uselessly numerous, aren’t you?”
“……!”
At this utterly unexpected insult, the faction leaders’ faces went blank.
“Ju Yi-gyeom.”
“Yes.”
At a glance from Jeok Un-hui, Ju Yi-gyeom nodded and took his place before the door, blocking it.
His hand remained on his sword scabbard, making it clear that no one would be leaving.
“What is the meaning of this……”
Astonishment and wariness flickered across the faction leaders’ faces in equal measure.
They had become rats trapped in a jar with no escape—utterly cornered.
“If I may, Third Young Master. What exactly──”
One of the leaders, unable to bear it any longer, stepped forward to protest.
Crack!
A blade sang free from its sheath, severing not only his words but the wooden floorboards beneath them with brutal finality.
“I won’t belabor the point. From this moment, you have two choices.”
Every eye snapped rigid, fixed upon Jeok Un-hui, who continued in an even voice.
“Challenge me. Or simply submit.”
……
The leaders’ blank stares twisted into confusion, then flushed crimson as rage kindled behind their eyes.
Denial, doubt, fury—the three stages of a man confronted with unbearable words.
“Well then……”
Jeok Un-hui smiled crimson and tilted his head.
“Choose.”

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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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