Chapter 144
When I used ‘Blood Demon’s Sincere Rebuke—喝!,’ Tian Ryuyeon flinched and bowed his head.
“S-sorry, Blood Demon Lord…!”
Seeing him bow his head without knowing why, I felt a little sorry.
After all, Tian Ryuyeon was a man of the murim.
He naturally had no idea that this symbol was extremely dangerous.
Besides, it was indeed a symbol that had originally been used with a positive meaning in Buddhism.
I gave a fake cough, then lowered my voice and said,
“Ahem. This One was not angry with the bishop. It simply displeased This One.”
“Ah… Yes. Understood.”
Only then did Tian Ryuyeon relax and nod.
However, he soon looked a little dejected and muttered,
“It was the symbol I liked the most, though….”
‘Tsk…. Tian Ryuyeon, Tian Ryuyeon. You’re good at speeches and gathering people, but…. You’re kind of suspicious, aren’t you? Huh?!’
In any case, that was absolutely out of the question.
I did my best to keep my expression under control and asked about the next candidate.
“You said there were other designs too. Tell This One about the next one.”
“Yes. This time, I used a white background to represent the Main Cult’s will to embrace all people.”
‘Oh, a white background this time?’
This one seemed safe.
“And at the center, I placed a red circle symbolizing the Main Cult. To represent our spirit reaching out toward heaven and earth, lines extend from that red circle in all directions….”
“That one is forbidden too—!”
. . .
A short while later. The Blood Cult’s main hall.
‘After the swastika, the Rising Sun flag was really not okay either.’
I sat with my arms folded, swallowing a sigh,
while Tian Ryuyeon stood before me looking even more dejected than before.
It was understandable, considering the ambitious designs he had prepared had been rejected one after another.
Seeing his drooping shoulders, I softened once more and decided to explain a little.
“Bishop. In truth, those symbols were used with horrific meanings long ago. That is why.”
“Ah…! So that was the reason…! I was too foolish to realize it. I apologize.”
Tian Ryuyeon seemed to think that the reason I had become angry was his fault, and began blaming himself.
“There is no need to apologize. How could that be the bishop’s fault? The symbols themselves were bad.”
I comforted him kindly.
In truth, Tian Ryuyeon really had every right to feel wronged.
He had probably made them simply because they looked good from a design standpoint, and had merely happened to hit the two worst symbols in succession.
“And you did an excellent job, Bishop. Did you not take wonderful care of the Blood Cult even while This One was away?”
“Blood Demon Lord…….”
“Therefore, to commend you for your service, This One shall double the bishop’s pay!”
“Blood Demon Lord……!!”
Tian Ryuyeon gazed up at me with completely moved eyes.
[Tian Ryuyeon]
[Loyalty: Very High]
‘Huh? His loyalty went up?’
The loyalty value displayed for Tian Ryuyeon in the system window had changed from ‘High’ to ‘Very High’ before I knew it.
As expected, money really was the best, Vam-ha-ha.
I asked with satisfaction,
“Very well. Then what is the third symbol?”
“You mean the third symbol?”
Tian Ryuyeon hesitated, taking an extremely cautious attitude.
After being severely scolded twice in a row, it was only natural that he would be nervous.
‘Surely… this time he didn’t overlap a sickle and hammer on a red background, did he?’
Since my weapon was a sickle and Lili’s equipment was a hammer, was he going to say he had combined the two for that reason?
I waited somewhat tensely for his next words.
“This time, it is the symbol of the Blood Moon (血月), with a red crescent drawn on a black background.”
‘Oh?’
A red crescent.
The symbol used by the Ottoman Empire long ago did come to mind, but judging by Tian Ryuyeon’s description, this one was reversed from left to right. The background was black, too.
This was not a particularly dangerous symbol, and it had a certain Blood Cult flair to it.
Most importantly,
“I originally intended to draw a sun, but since Blood Demon Lord seems to dislike sunlight, I changed it to a moon.”
‘Huh? He even took that into consideration?!’
It was a design that had carefully considered even the fact that I disliked sunlight and preferred the dark of night.
Just how capable was this guy, anyway?
I did not regret doubling his pay in the slightest.
“Excellent. From now on, the symbol of our Blood Cult shall be the Blood Moon!”
Creating the Blood Cult emblem, complete!
***
After creating the Blood Cult’s emblem as well,
at last, the Demonic Cult’s press corps—the people of “Eun (隱)”—visited the Blood Cult.
I did not go out to greet them from the start.
That was to preserve the dignity of the Blood Cult’s leader, the Blood Demon.
It was absolutely not because I found meeting strangers outside bothersome.
‘All right. Let’s take a look.’
I lay facedown on the bed in the Blood Demon Venerable Pavilion and watched the situation outside through the eyes of my mosquito familiars.
Dressed neatly in red bishop’s robes, Tian Ryuyeon went to the main gate to greet them.
“Welcome. We are pleased to have you at the Main Cult.”
“A pleasure to meet you.”
There were three visitors, all men dressed in ordinary clothes.
Except for the long scar across the face of the man who appeared to be their leader, they looked like perfectly ordinary middle-aged men.
The two men behind him were identical twins. They kept their mouths firmly shut, giving the impression of taciturn personalities.
I used [Emotion Eye] on them.
[Head of the Demonic Cult’s assassination organization, Eun (隱), Ha Mudan]
[Lv. 51]
[Top-tier martial artist affiliated with Eun]
[Lv. 47]
[Top-tier martial artist affiliated with Eun]
[Lv. 47]
‘As expected.’
Unlike their ordinary appearances, the levels I confirmed were quite high.
At that level, they would be treated as first-rate masters in this murim world.
It seemed they had brought the most outstanding elite forces from Eun.
“I am Ha Mudan, head of Eun. I have come to learn about the Blood Cult. I hope that Eun and your organization can establish a good relationship.”
“Of course. Please come inside. The doors of the Main Cult are always open.”
Tian Ryuyeon smiled kindly and naturally accepted their greetings.
He led the people of Eun around in turn, showing them the Blood Moon Banner, the Blood Cult’s main hall, and its various facilities.
“Oh?”
The people of Eun looked around with considerable interest at the Blood Cult’s excellently organized facilities.
And at last,
“This is the training ground where the members of the Main Cult train themselves.”
they finally headed toward the long-awaited training ground.
I sensed that the time had come and activated telepathy.
‘My familiars. Everyone, get ready!’
***
Ha Mudan, head of Eun.
He followed behind the bishop, organizing his impressions of the Blood Cult.
‘The rumors and what I’ve seen with my own eyes…. It may be called the Blood Cult, but it seems like an entirely different group.’
A Blood Cult that concerned itself with aiding the common people.
Even the orthodox sects would not devote this much care to them.
It was a scene that almost drew a hollow laugh from him.
‘Of course, appearances may not be everything.’
Even so, the fact that it had a symbol representing the cult, a system for managing its wealth, and an organized division and deployment of personnel proved that it was no ragtag group.
It was at the level where it could fairly be called a proper martial sect.
However, such things were not particularly important to Ha Mudan.
The most important thing was their martial strength.
He had heard that they were strong enough to subdue and make obedient all the numerous underworld factions near Namyang.
Rumors about their leader, the Blood Demon, were widespread as well, saying that the Blood Demon was an old master who had returned to youth.
‘Could all those rumors really be true?’
If their martial power was useful, and they were a card that could benefit the Demonic Cult,
‘The Heavens may rejoice.’
The great heaven of the Demonic Cult—the Heavenly Demon.
He would be able to deliver a favorable report to that great being.
With such thoughts in mind, Ha Mudan entered the spacious training ground under Tian Ryuyeon’s guidance.
But then, an unbelievable sight entered his field of vision.
Crack—! Kraaang—!
Lightning.
It was unmistakably lightning.
Red lightning was raining down through the empty air.
“Aaaaargh!”
“Kgh!”
The Blood Cult members were rolling across the ground covered in dust, desperately training to evade the lightning while barely batting it away with their swords.
‘Lightning out of a clear sky…!’
Ha Mudan flinched.
But on closer inspection, it was not actual lightning falling from the sky.
A red-eyed woman stood in the center of the training ground.
Blood-colored qi force poured endlessly from her hands.
‘Blood Arts……!’
Gulp.
The throats of Ha Mudan and his twin guards bobbed heavily.
She could unleash such overwhelming qi force without pause, and against so many opponents at once.
“Ah. That is our Main Cult’s Grand Protector, Lady Red Moon Blood Princess.”
Tian Ryuyeon continued his calm introduction.
‘Is that the signature technique of this Red Moon Blood Princess? Impressive.’
Just as Ha Mudan was thinking that,
Red Moon Blood Princess shouted at the members.
“It is basic Blood Arts, you brats!”
“Hah, hah…!”
“It is merely a shallow technique that cannot even compare to the Blood Demon Lord’s Blood Demon Divine Art. And if you cannot evade even this, can you call yourselves members of the Blood Cult?!”
‘What…?!’
Ha Mudan was left utterly stunned.
That technique was nothing more than basic Blood Arts?
If so, what level had the Blood Demon’s martial arts reached?
As Ha Mudan stared blankly at the training,
his spine suddenly turned ice-cold.
‘……!’
At the same time, he felt something sharp stabbing toward the side of his neck.
In the instant before he could notice anything at all,
a black-clad woman who had somehow gotten behind him was swiftly swinging something pointed toward a vital spot!
In that moment, Ha Mudan sensed death.
Just as the twin guards standing on either side of him hurriedly reached for their waists to draw hidden weapons—
“Tanghulu.”
“……?”
Ha Mudan blinked.
“Eat.”
What the black-clad woman held and pressed toward the side of his neck was
not a hidden weapon, but a tanghulu skewer.
Tap, tap, tap—.
Before he knew it, Ha Mudan himself and each of the twin subordinates at his sides were holding a tanghulu skewer.
There were hawthorn, tangerine, and dragon fruit varieties. The flavors were diverse, too.
“……???”
“The Blood Demon Lord said they were gifts for the guests who came to the Main Cult.”
Tian Ryuyeon explained.
“This is our Main Cult’s Right Protector, Lady Dark Shadow Assassin.”
With a slight nod, Dark Shadow Assassin greeted them with a glance.
Ha Mudan stared blankly at Dark Shadow Assassin, then looked down at the tanghulu in his hand.
‘If that had been a real attack…….’
He still felt a chill run through his insides.
***
“Ahem. Siyeon. When handing someone tanghulu, you must not point it at their neck. You should politely offer it handle-first.”
- …! Sorry, Master. It was out of habit.
“It is all right. You did not know, so you can learn from now on!”