Chapter 141
“Before concluding tonight’s sermon, I have just one thing to say. Please give me your full attention.”
Tian Ryuyeon in his red bishop’s robes.
As he stood on the pulpit in the main hall and raised his voice, the congregants filling the hall held their breath and listened intently.
“Those of you who have received the Blood Lord’s grace this time, would you please raise your hands?”
At Tian Ryuyeon’s words, the congregants hesitated, then began raising their hands one by one.
Before long, more than half the people in the main hall had their hands raised.
“Now, look around you. Men, women, children, and the elderly. Aren’t they all different? As you can see, the Blood Lord does not look at anyone’s background, status, or talent. Faith in Her alone! If you possess that one thing, She will gladly grant you power!”
“Ah……!”
Heat rose in the congregants’ eyes.
Tian Ryuyeon skillfully drew out their emotions and brought the sermon to a close.
“For the Blood Cult! For our merciful Blood Lord!”
Clap, clap, clap, clap!
Thunderous applause poured forth.
“Long live the Blood Lord! Long live the Blood Cult!”
“Blood Demon descends! Ten thousand demons bow! Blood rules the world!”
“Shed blood to punish evil! Peace for future generations!”
“Long live our eternally youthful Blood Demon Lord!”
Passionate shouts filled the hall.
The sermon, too, ended successfully.
The congregants filed out of the main hall one after another, their faces brimming with emotion.
“The bishop’s words really struck a chord today.”
“For the Blood Demon Lord’s sake, I should work even harder in the fields tomorrow.”
“Absolutely. You’re right.”
A short while later.
Once everyone had left, the noisy main hall fell silent.
Only three people remained in the spacious hall: Tian Ryuyeon and the two Blood Cult elders, Mad Blood Demon Craftsman and Red Blood Sword Ghost.
“Snooore…….”
Mad Blood Demon Craftsman was slumped halfway out of her chair, nodding off.
The blood-red puppy toy in her hand swayed precariously, seeming about to fall to the floor.
Just then, Red Blood Sword Ghost, who had been in the corner, carefully approached and shook her shoulder.
“Lady Mad Blood Demon Craftsman…. The sermon’s over now. You can get up….”
“Mmm… Is it over?”
Mad Blood Demon Craftsman yawned loudly—yaaaawn~—and rubbed her eyes.
Clear tears had gathered in little droplets at the corners of her eyes.
When she met Tian Ryuyeon’s gaze, she pouted and whined.
“Bishop~! Sermons are too hard~ Sniff….”
“……”
“Lili wanted to listen until the end too, but she keeps getting sleepy. Is Lili a bad servant?”
Tian Ryuyeon smiled gently and shook his head.
“Does Lady Mad Blood Demon Craftsman not love the Blood Demon Lord dearly and regard Her as a strong and excellent person?”
“Right! Master is super strong, super cool, and super nice! I really, really love Her!”
Mad Blood Demon Craftsman cried out innocently.
“That is what faith means. The other congregants listen to sermons in order to gain that faith, while Lady Mad Blood Demon Craftsman is already brimming with faith, so there is no need for you to listen.”
“Is that how it is? Bishop, you’re so kind!”
Only then did Mad Blood Demon Craftsman smile brightly in relief and resume fiddling with her toy.
Watching her, Tian Ryuyeon quietly felt around inside his robes.
At times like this, she looked exactly like a little sister, but she was a master craftsman of astounding skill, one who far surpassed the common sense of the murim.
One only had to look at the divine artifact she had placed in his hands to know.
What Tian Ryuyeon’s fingertips touched was a small Blood Jade Plaque (血玉牌).
It was something the Blood Demon Lord had given him to use if a crisis arose while She was away.
He had used it only once.
The blood-red thorns that burst from that little jade plaque had pierced the enemies through in an instant.
Needless to say, the number of congregants had exploded that day.
This time, he looked toward the Sword Ghost.
Red Blood Sword Ghost had once again settled in the corner and was quietly polishing the blade of her sword with a cloth.
He had heard that this blood-drinking demon sword, too, had been made personally by Mad Blood Demon Craftsman.
“…….”
As though sensing his gaze fall upon her, the Sword Ghost flinched and looked up.
Soon, she gave an awkward smile and bowed slightly toward Tian Ryuyeon.
Tian Ryuyeon bowed back.
Normally, she was so shy and docile, but… he clearly remembered the appearance she had shown the last time he led soldiers to attack the Blood Cult under the pretext of a raid at the Namyang government office.
“I hear your Blood Cult worships someone called the Blood Lord like an emperor! Isn’t shouting ‘Long live’ an act of treason?”
When the military commander threatened them and tried to turn the main hall upside down.
“That is a misunderstanding! Please, let us discuss this.”
Tian Ryuyeon tried to placate him, but the other side stubbornly drew their weapons.
But then, the Sword Ghost timidly stepped forward from behind.
“P-please, wait a moment… Excuse me, everyone….”
With the sword she was holding, she drew a long line across the floor.
Then she muttered in a timid voice.
“I-if you cross this line… I’ll cut you….”
“……!!!”
Her voice was quiet.
But the killing intent was immense.
The soldiers who had drawn their swords did not dare move even a single step.
Even now, remembering that moment made his knees go weak.
The terrified soldiers never came anywhere near the Blood Cult again after that day.
Of course, it also helped that Tian Ryuyeon had separately slipped a generous bribe to the government office, and that the Blood Cult had been helping care for the people and paying its taxes punctually from the outset, so the matter was quietly brushed aside.
But the decisive reason was still the Sword Ghost.
The same went without saying for Red Moon Blood Princess and Dark Shadow Assassin.
As for the Blood Demon Lord herself, he had never seen Her use Her full strength yet, but judging by how such powerful subordinates pledged their loyalty to Her, She must clearly be unimaginably strong.
But even so.
‘She went to the Namgung Family with only two protectors…… will She be all right?’
Worry flashed through Tian Ryuyeon’s mind.
After all, Her opponent was the Namgung Family, the orthodox faction’s foremost prestigious clan and one of the murim’s great powers.
That was when it happened.
Vwoooong—!
A purplish-black rift opened in midair.
And the Blood Demon Lord stepped out of it with an unhurried gait.
“B-Blood Demon Lord?!”
Just as Tian Ryuyeon was about to drop prostrate in surprise, a figure following behind the Blood Demon Lord entered his field of vision.
‘The Namgung Family’s Sword Flower…!’
Seeing Namgung Yeonhee, supposedly placed under house arrest, standing obediently behind the Blood Demon Lord, Tian Ryuyeon was shocked for the second time.
But the Blood Demon Lord calmly spoke as though nothing unusual had happened.
“I have returned after forming an agreement with the Namgung Family.”
“…Pardon? You formed an agreement with the Namgung Family?”
Tian Ryuyeon asked again as though he could not believe it.
The Blood Demon Lord briefly explained what had happened at the Namgung Family.
“I broke down the gate a little, and some fools attacked me, so I subdued them. Then I spoke with the Namgung Family Head and brought Yeonhee back with me.”
“……!”
“The Namgung Family has agreed to secretly spread favorable stories about the Blood Cult throughout the murim from behind the scenes, so bear that in mind.”
The Blood Demon Lord spoke as though She were merely describing an ordinary day, but Tian Ryuyeon’s mouth fell open.
She broke down the gate, defeated their martial artists, spoke with the Family Head, and brought back his successor?
And if the orthodox faction’s foremost prestigious family was going to sway public opinion from behind the scenes…
Was this not effectively the Namgung Family bowing its head to the Blood Cult?
‘How on earth….’
It was truly astonishing military might and political skill.
‘As expected of the Blood Demon Lord.’
Tian Ryuyeon’s awe and loyalty toward the Blood Demon Lord grew even stronger.
Yet before he could even digest that shocking fact,
the Blood Demon Lord casually added,
“Ah. And Yeonhee has decided to join the main cult now as well, so bear that in mind.”
“I look forward to serving under you, Bishop.”
“……”
Seeing the orthodox faction’s influential young successor, the Sword Flower, politely greeting him,
Tian Ryuyeon was left speechless.
***
‘Hehe. He’s really surprised.’
I stifled a laugh as I looked at Tian Ryuyeon’s dumbfounded face.
Well, it was understandable.
An orthodox successor joining the Blood Cult? It was a truly absurd development.
In any case, leaving the dazed Tian Ryuyeon behind, I took Namgung Yeonhee and headed to my personal quarters.
The Cult Master’s room. It had been given the grandiose name Blood Demon Venerable Pavilion (血魔尊閣).
Once we went inside and settled down, I explained to Namgung Yeonhee what would happen from here on.
“To receive the Blood Demon Divine Art, your body will have to change significantly.”
Just as I had when accepting Sera as a servant, I informed her of the side effects and benefits of becoming a vampire.
Minor restrictions, such as feeling dizzy in sunlight and being unable to eat garlic.
And the fact that her physical abilities would rise dramatically and her body would stop aging, among other things.
The prospect of her body changing so drastically might have frightened her somewhat, since she had lived her entire life as an orthodox martial artist.
“Ah…! So it is something like the Rebirth from Bone and Marrow that exists only in murim legends!”
Unexpectedly, Namgung Yeonhee’s eyes sparkled.
“Uh… I suppose you could look at it that way?”
Rebirth from Bone and Marrow.
It was not entirely inaccurate; becoming a servant meant transforming into an entirely different species, a vampire.
Her positive reaction made things easier for me.
Without delay, I began the ritual.
I quickly bit the back of her neck and drank her blood, then activated the Embrace skill that shared my blood with her.
This was already the third time I had turned a human into a servant, after Siyeon and Sera.
By now, I could do it with great skill.
‘It still tastes awful!’
There was no helping the medicinal-herb taste in her blood, though.
“Ah…….”
Before long, Namgung Yeonhee opened her eyes.
By then, her eyes had changed into vivid red irises.
Namgung Yeonhee closed her eyes for a moment and concentrated,
as though inspecting her own qi.
Then, a moment later,
she opened her eyes, rose from her seat, and suddenly knelt before me.
“Blood Demon Lord. In accordance with Namgung etiquette, may I perform the Master-Disciple Rite (拜師之禮)?”
The Master-Disciple Rite.
I knew roughly what it was from wuxia web novels.
A formal rite performed when receiving instruction from a master and entering into a master-disciple relationship.
Well, she wanted to show proper respect. There was no reason to refuse, right?
I gave my permission without much thought.
Namgung Yeonhee then continued in an exceedingly serious expression.
“Normally, etiquette dictates that I bow three times to the founding patriarch, three times to the ancestral master, and three times to the master who personally imparts the teachings…….”
She looked me straight in the eye.
“Since you are both the one who grants me the Blood Demon Divine Art and the one who established its very source, I shall offer all nine bows to you, Blood Demon Lord.”
‘……Huh? It works that way?’
Namgung Yeonhee soon folded her hands neatly and began bowing respectfully.
Once.
Twice.
Three times…….
‘Ugh. Having someone bow to me nine times is way too much pressure….’
I had no choice but to sit there motionless and accept her bows for that long.
‘Should I do something else while I wait?’
Feeling awkward, I decided to sneak a look at Namgung Yeonhee’s status window.
Servants like Sera and Auntie Suyeon had the [Blessing of Blood], which was granted to them by default immediately after the Embrace ritual.
Since Yeonhee had S-rank potential too, maybe she would have something special as well.
But then.
‘Huh???’
As I scanned the translucent system window floating in midair, I doubted my own eyes.
[Mystery - Blood Demon Divine Art (血魔神功) (Beginner)]
The Blood Demon Divine Art.
I stared blankly at those words.
Why does this actually exist…?