Reincarnation of the Blood Demon - Chapter 2

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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’s Rebirth
Chapter 2
To clean up
Jeok Un-hui’s footsteps halted abruptly as he was about to leave the cave.
……
Something felt wrong. He sensed gazes pressing in from all around.
This wasn’t the kind of warning born from martial mastery or any clear, rational cause—it sprang from a primal instinct that defied words.
Yet a master who had survived countless trials would never dismiss such an instinctive alarm lightly.
The moment he turned his head toward the source of that wrongness,
Jeok Un-hui caught sight of a shadowy form dissolving into the mist.
And at that exact instant, all the other uncanny presences he’d felt vanished without trace.
“What was that……”
Surely not a ghost—whoever it was, they were flesh and blood.
‘An assassin?’
He considered it, then dismissed the thought.
There was no reason an assassin would be hunting the Third Prince out of nowhere, and besides, he’d felt none of that distinctive killing intent assassins carried.
Of course, a truly exceptional assassin might conceal even that faint, unconscious trace of malice, but assassins of that caliber were rare enough that the whole realm could count them on its fingers.
So then.
‘A watcher. Or perhaps…… a guardian.’
Could it be that the Third Prince had been assigned a covert guardian or shadow escort?
Yet Jeok Un-hui’s expression remained enigmatic.
According to the Third Prince’s own memories, no such arrangement had ever existed.
“Well, actually…… there was one, wasn’t there.”
Muttering to himself, Jeok Un-hui’s gaze shifted once more.
Down the mountainside, someone was whistling as they climbed toward him.
With each step up the slope, the figure grew clearer,
and soon it revealed itself to be a young man with a rather unfortunate air about him.
He looked to be barely past thirty, and absurdly, he had a piece of candy wedged between his teeth.
“Are you finished with your business? I got bored waiting, so I came up. Besides, if something goes wrong while I’m not around, that wouldn’t do.”
Jeok Un-hui regarded him quietly, lost in thought.
‘Ah, so that’s it—he’s the Third Prince’s guardian.’
Since he’d just been pondering the matter, the answer came to him at once.
The man’s name was Ju Yi-gyeom.
He was one of the few people the Third Prince could truly call his own, serving alongside the attendants who managed the Separate Palace,
and one of the handful with whom the Third Prince maintained anything resembling genuine intimacy.
Though Jeok Un-hui hardly counted him as trustworthy.
‘A drunkard who does nothing but guzzle wine and idle about, or so I’ve heard.’
Looking at that rakish face, he certainly cut the figure of a wastrel.
Still, because Ju Yi-gyeom had made a habit of lingering close by, the Third Prince had left him on standby below while attending the ritual alone, ostensibly entrusting him with the watch.
‘Yet the fool got bored and wandered up anyway? Unbelievable.’
Unaware of Jeok Un-hui’s thoughts, Ju Yi-gyeom frowned as he took in the other man’s appearance.
“What’s wrong with how you look? There’s blood around your mouth and all over your clothes…… Did you cough up blood again?”
That was precisely the case.
From the excessive exertion of his power just moments before, Jeok Un-hui’s complexion had drained to a deathly pallor, and flecks of blood spattered across his face and robes.
Though most of it wasn’t his own blood—only the traces at his lips were—Ju Yi-gyeom, ignorant of this, saw only signs of hemoptysis.
He spoke with deliberate solemnity, as though offering comfort.
“It seems things didn’t go well this time either. Don’t stay cooped up here—come with me. Let’s get you a change of scenery, and my treat.”
Ju Yi-gyeom rambled on with practiced ease.
It seemed he assumed this was merely another of the Third Prince’s many desperate struggles, just one among many.
‘But something’s…… off.’
Again, that wrongness gnawed at him. Jeok Un-hui’s brow knitted as he shook his head slightly.
“Never mind treating me. Not necessary.”
“Don’t say that. I found us a great restaurant.”
“Forget it. Just bring some people.”
The aftermath of what had just transpired required hands to clean it up.
He had no intention of dealing with that mess himself, nor the strength for it.
“People? What’s happened? How serious is it?”
“You’ll see when you get there—it’s a disaster. They overstepped. But why did you abandon your post and wander off? And what’s with the candy in your mouth? Have you lost your mind?”
“Your safety is my foremost concern, sir. As for the candy…… I apologize.”
Ju Yi-gyeom bowed his head in contrition.
But safety and such seemed less plausible than his earlier claim that boredom had driven him up the mountain.
After all, Jeok Un-hui had shattered any faith in that candy of his.
While Jeok Un-hui regarded him with undisguised displeasure, Ju Yi-gyeom tilted his head slightly and asked.
“But what were you doing this time? I noticed quite a few people heading up the mountain.”
“I can’t tell you that.”
“Ah, I see.”
“That’s right.”
Jeok Un-hui’s eyes suddenly narrowed at Ju Yi-gyeom, struck by an unexpected discomfort.
Even as they conversed, something felt off—like playing along with a staged performance.
The source of that unease lay in the other man’s gaze.
‘Oddly calm, isn’t it.’
While Ju Yi-gyeom presented himself as somewhat loose and casual, that settled, unwavering stare never once faltered in its scrutiny of him.
…….
…….
And it seemed the other man felt the same way.
As if by agreement, the two fell silent mid-conversation and simply looked at each other.
A brief hush stretched between them, and it was Ju Yi-gyeom who broke it first.
“……Your Highness.”
He asked Jeok Un-hui in a voice that had grown subtly cold.
“Is it all finished?”
That chilled tone, that altered gaze.
Nothing like before—nothing like the Ju Yi-gyeom Jeok Un-hui remembered from the Third Prince’s memories.
The original Third Prince might have missed it, but this version of Jeok Un-hui would not.
‘He already knew the Human Sacrifice Ritual would take place.’
Questions crowded in at once, yet Jeok Un-hui simply nodded.
“Why do you ask?”
Ju Yi-gyeom did not answer. He merely gazed at Jeok Un-hui in silence.
And Jeok Un-hui detected a subtle, almost imperceptible shift in Ju Yi-gyeom’s expression.
‘Disappointment…….’
Ju Yi-gyeom’s reaction grew steadily more intriguing.
It seemed this escort carried facets quite different from what the Third Prince’s memories had shown.
‘He’s hiding quite a lot, it would seem.’
What in the world was this situation?
Jeok Un-hui let out a faint chuckle and stepped aside at the cave entrance.
“If you’re curious, go see for yourself.”
Ju Yi-gyeom squinted but advanced slowly into the cave.
Moving with the caution of a seasoned martial artist, he surveyed the interior carefully—though the candy still lodged between his teeth rather undermined the gravity of the moment.
And what greeted him was…….
“……What is this?”
The grotesquely slain bodies of Red Killing Squad warriors, and children huddled in terror and trembling.
Ju Yi-gyeom’s jaw went slack, candy still caught between his teeth.
“What on earth…….”
Jeok Un-hui replied in an offhand tone.
“It’s all finished, like I said.”
“No, but this…….”
Ju Yi-gyeom was genuinely flustered.
He had every right to be. Those who should have perished in the Human Sacrifice Ritual were alive, while those who should have lived were dead.
“……Was there perhaps someone else inside?”
“That makes no sense.”
“Ah, yes. Of course not.”
As Ju Yi-gyeom stood there dumbfounded, eyes darting about, Jeok Un-hui finished what he’d meant to say.
“In any case, bring the people in. We need to clean this up. While you’re at it, find the homes for those brats over there.”
“……Yes, understood.”
Even in his confusion, Ju Yi-gyeom nodded and withdrew, returning shortly after with several strong men in tow.
The Third Prince’s standing might be in the gutter, but he clearly still had enough resources to mobilize for a task like this…….
“Whew, this’ll take forever to clean up. You’d better pay us well for it.”
“You’ve made quite a mess of things.”
“Understood. Let’s just get to it, shall we?”
It wasn’t so.
They were laborers Ju Yi-gyeom had hired with money from somewhere.
Jeok Un-hui clicked his tongue at the grim reality, yet watched in silence as the captured children made their departure.
“Go well.”
Some of the sturdy men Ju Yi-gyeom had brought along seemed to have taken on a protective role, though the children shuffled forward trembling like sickly chickens.
Even though it was supposedly over, the situation remained too much for the children to bear—a natural response.
Just then, one boy turned back and locked eyes with Jeok Un-hui.
…….
For a child who’d endured such horrors, his clear gaze and composed expression were striking; he bowed his head toward Jeok Un-hui before moving on.
“Ha.”line>
Jeok Un-hui’s brief smile faded quickly, his expression hardening once more.

After watching the procession of children for some time, Jeok Un-hui turned to Ju Yi-gyeom, who stood nearby.
“Where did you bring these children from? They didn’t seem to know who I am.”
“Most were likely born in the Slums. It’s the pattern, after all.”
An answer that naturally implied such incidents happened with alarming regularity.
Taking children from the Slums made sense—there were no complications, no loose ends to worry about.
As for how Ju Yi-gyeom had come to know of the Human Sacrifice Ritual’s existence, Jeok Un-hui could venture a reasonable guess.
‘If one thinks about it, one would predict it. Forbidden or not, such things happen frequently enough.’
Jeok Un-hui furrowed his brow, while Ju Yi-gyeom sorted through the gathered corpses.
“Vital points struck once. Clean technique…….”
Yet something seemed to bother him; his eyes narrowed.
“……There’s no master swordsman here, though.”
He appeared to have something to say but couldn’t quite voice it. Jeok Un-hui spoke first.
“Say what’s on your mind.”
Ju Yi-gyeom exhaled and turned his gaze away.
“Yes. Though I scarcely dare believe it, I must ask—surely this wasn’t done by you, young master?”
“Then who? Those children?”
“Hm…….”
At Jeok Un-hui’s indifferent answer, Ju Yi-gyeom scratched his head irritably.
“……They’re incompetent enough, but not nearly capable of handling this in their current state. And suddenly that tone of yours…… Ha.”
Muttering in bewilderment, Ju Yi-gyeom pressed further.
“Still—is it acceptable to end matters here? What of your condition, young master?”
“What?”
Jeok Un-hui studied Ju Yi-gyeom, uncertain if he was serious; yet his expression remained impassive as ever.
Of course, Jeok Un-hui was not one to miss such undertones.
‘This bastard…… testing me?’
It was almost laughable, but worth addressing nonetheless.
Jeok Un-hui’s expression turned grave as he held Ju Yi-gyeom’s gaze.
“Yi-gyeom.”
“Yes.”
“I told you I’d crossed the line.”
……!
His voice had dropped to an impossibly low register.
As Ju Yi-gyeom froze, unable to respond immediately, Jeok Un-hui gripped his shoulder firmly.
“There exists such a thing as a line in this world. Don’t take refuge in pathetic pretexts like Demonic Path or whatever else. Wrong is wrong.”
The Blood Cult as it now stood had long since abandoned that ‘line’.
To transform the Blood Cult, he first needed to transform those closest to him.
And fortunately, Ju Yi-gyeom still seemed to stand on the right side of that line.
“……I will remember this.”
Ju Yi-gyeom swallowed hard and bowed his head.
Jeok Un-hui released his grip and gave the man’s shoulder a light pat.
“Let’s do well.”
“Yes.”
The atmosphere settled once more.
Ju Yi-gyeom soon exhaled quietly and scratched the back of his head.
“Having killed so many, the cleanup will be a nuisance. I’ll investigate the puppet master separately.”
His tone remained listless and loose, yet Jeok Un-hui didn’t miss it.
When he’d mentioned the puppet master, a brief flicker of cold killing intent had flashed across Ju Yi-gyeom’s face—so fleeting it was almost invisible.
—Sharp!
His senses had grown keen enough to catch even that momentary display of emotion.
Ju Yi-gyeom likely believed himself perfectly concealed, but one upheld by Blood Heaven could not be deceived so easily.
‘He’s no common man, then.’
A faint smile crept across Jeok Un-hui’s lips.
“You pass.”
He meant it as a judgment of Ju Yi-gyeom’s bearing as a guard—not his prowess in combat.
Had Ju Yi-gyeom been nothing but the pathetic wretch the Third Prince remembered, Jeok Un-hui would have disposed of him without hesitation, hidden motives or otherwise. But the man had a certain competence to him, at least.
“Pardon? I pass, you say?”
Jeok Un-hui pressed his shoulder, speaking to the bewildered Ju Yi-gyeom.
“Don’t bother investigating the ringleaders. Just clean up that mess over there. If plague spreads, it’ll be nothing but a nuisance.”
“But that’s work for the people there to do…….”
“If you help, it’ll finish faster, won’t it? You’ve had nothing but free time while I’ve been away. Good timing—earn your wages for once.”
“My wages come from the Cult Master, though?”
“Then you’d better work all the harder for it, you fool.”
The more he spoke, the more he felt himself sinking into something.
Ju Yi-gyeom fell silent for a moment, then asked again.
“Where are you going, then?”
Jeok Un-hui’s answer was terse.
“Cleaning.”
“Cleaning, sir……?”
Ju Yi-gyeom’s expression turned incredulous. Not without reason—this Cave alone had more than enough mess to occupy him.
But he quickly gathered himself, nodding in agreement.
“I’ll come with you. I am your guard, after all.”
Lingering here in the Cave, mop in hand, simply didn’t sit right with him.
He was about to follow naturally, shoulders rolled back, when Jeok Un-hui turned and spoke.
“Stay and clean.”
“……!”
The tone was casual, yet it carried an irresistible weight of pressure.
The instant their eyes met, Ju Yi-gyeom felt ice crawl down his spine.
‘……Is this really the Third Prince?’
The thought was impossible to suppress, given that look in his eyes.
Throughout their entire conversation, Ju Yi-gyeom had been struck by the same uncanny feeling.
The usual diffidence was gone entirely, replaced by an unsettling certainty.
Worse still—he’d killed a man and hadn’t so much as blinked. It wasn’t merely unfamiliar; it was alien.
‘Can a person really change like this?’
Ju Yi-gyeom stared at Jeok Un-hui for a moment, troubled, then bowed his head in submission.
“……Yes, I understand.”
“I’m going.”
As Jeok Un-hui walked away with a soft chuckle, Ju Yi-gyeom suddenly called after him.
“By the way, are you truly not eating? I’ve found a place that makes excellent chicken congee—I thought you might enjoy it.”
It seemed that casual mention of the restaurant hadn’t been idle chatter.
But the belly ought to stay empty for what lay ahead.
He had a snake’s head to claim, after all.
Jeok Un-hui answered without turning back.
“Eat plenty yourself.”

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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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