Chapter 127: A Reversal Move (3)

Why is Cheon Yujeong here?

And what exactly is this situation?

Yet even in this strange and gruesome scene, my mind remained remarkably clear and aware of reality.

“Lady Cheon Yujeong.”

Even amidst this blood-drenched carnage, Cheon Yujeong responded to my words with calm grace.

“It feels like it’s been a while. Have you been well?”

“Our relationship, and the current situation, are both far from appropriate for such greetings.”

“That’s true.”

Cheon Yujeong nodded without resistance.

Even as we exchanged words, my mind and eyes were desperately trying to assess the situation.

It was then that Ma Chulsoo, who had been inspecting the corpses, gritted his teeth and shouted.

“These bastards… it’s the Blood Flow Sword Squad!”

“Blood Flow Sword Squad?”

“They’re the personal assassins of Elder Ma Ga-woon. Their level rivals the Thirty-Four Demon Squads.”

“Elder Ma Ga-woon…?”

I had vaguely heard the name before.

“Yeah. He’s one of the elders of the Ma Clan and one of Ma Jeongcheon’s most fervent supporters.”

I felt my mind beginning to tangle with complications.

Even if Ma Ga-woon was an elder of the clan, meddling like this would be hard to cover up afterward.

‘Ma Jeongcheon’s crossed the line.’

But that wasn’t the real issue.

‘Is this Ma Jeongcheon’s will, or the Clan Head’s will?’

Depending on which it was, the difficulty ahead could differ immensely.

As the thoughts crowded my head, I lightly shook it with a faint sigh.

“If they had just been waiting here from the beginning, the situation would’ve been clearer.”

I lifted my head and stared directly at Cheon Yujeong.

“Is this… your doing, Lady?”

“……”

Cheon Yujeong didn’t answer right away.

Even as I asked, I internally believed she wasn’t the culprit.

‘She has no reason to help me. If anything, she might’ve come to kill Ma Chulsoo.’

Once the elders of the Cheon Clan got involved, it was safe to assume Cheon Yujeong and Ma Jeongcheon were on the same side.

After a brief silence, Cheon Yujeong slowly opened her mouth.

“Would you believe me, no matter what I say?”

“……?”

I wasn’t sure why she suddenly asked such a thing, but I answered honestly.

“Yes. I would.”

“…Why?”

“Because someone who seeks the position of Young Cult Leader wouldn’t try to deceive me with a shallow lie.”

“……!”

You are someone who wants to contend with Cheon Yura. Therefore, I trust in the dignity you uphold as a rival.

In truth, it was a statement that would be ridiculed politically.

But it was how I truly felt, and I was confident this would resonate with Cheon Yujeong.

“You really are an interesting man.”

Cheon Yujeong gave a light chuckle and shook her head.

“It wasn’t my doing. I, too, arrived a step too late.”

“May I ask why you are here, then?”

I hadn’t expected much from the question.

Surprisingly, she answered.

And it was an answer that could very well be fatal.

“I was planning to subdue Ma Jinyoon and hand him over to the Clan Head of the Ma Clan. That way, the Blood Dragon Demonic Clan would fully take my side.”

“……?!”

“W-What did you say?!”

Ma Chulsoo growled with rage beside me, but I didn’t care.

I needed to confirm what I just heard.

“Not Ma Chulsoo, but Ma Jinyoon?”

“That’s right.”

What was this? Was Ma Jinyoon more valuable than I thought?

So much so that Cheon Yujeong was certain about it?

As I stood frozen, Cheon Yujeong, noticing my expression, curled her lips into a faint smile.

“You look like you want to ask why.”

“If I ask, will you tell me?”

“Who knows?”

The sly way she avoided the question made her feel similar to Cheon Yura… and yet still different.

I quickly turned to Ma Chulsoo beside me.

“Ma Chulsoo.”

“……”

“Don’t waste time. Tell me—does Ma Jinyoon have something I don’t know about?”

Ma Chulsoo slowly shook his head.

“I… don’t know either.”

So Cheon Yujeong, who wasn’t even of the Ma Clan, knew a secret that direct bloodline member Ma Chulsoo didn’t?

How could that make any sense?

‘If that’s true, then this secret must be something beyond imagination—something worth killing everyone who knows.’

What could it be?

What kind of value did Ma Jinyoon hold that I didn’t know?

‘Whatever Ma Jinyoon’s secret is, it’s not something Cheon Yujeong uncovered herself. One of the elders of the Cheon Clan… perhaps even the Cult Leader himself might’ve told her.’

Cheon Yujeong looked at me with curious eyes as I sank into thought.

As if testing me, as if daring me to guess.

‘Is there some secret in his bloodline? Or… has he mastered some forbidden demonic technique?’

But that wouldn’t be enough. Besides, the fact that Ma Jinyoon learned a forbidden demonic technique like the Qi Explosion Technique from Cheon Jumyeong was a secret that had already trickled out within the Ma Clan.

Wait a moment—

“Forbidden demonic technique?”

In an instant, one thought linked to another.

‘Why did Cheon Jumyeong pass something like the Qi Explosion Technique onto Ma Jinyoon? The Ma Clan would never have allowed it. And yet, the technique was successfully passed on—that must mean there’s some hidden truth.’

Cheon Jumyeong… No. There must be some hidden truth between the Cheon and Ma Clans.

“……”

At some point, everyone present had gone silent, staring at me.

With corpses lying everywhere, the mood was undoubtedly grotesque, but I had no room to care.

‘Ma Jinseong once said that Ma Jinyoon’s temperament changed at some point. But… what if that temperament was actually the original one he had all along?’

Instinctively, my gaze turned to the corpses strewn across the ground before me.

Even while staring at the dead, my thoughts continued.

“Ma Jinyoon broke through the encirclement of the Cheon Clan’s high-ranking elders? If he used the Qi Explosion Technique to forcefully ignite his latent energy, then even if he survived, his martial career should have ended right there. But this carnage before my eyes… and Cheon Yujeong says it wasn’t her doing.”

By the process of elimination, unless a third party intervened, the only conclusion was that Ma Jinyoon was the perpetrator of this massacre.

“Is that even possible? Normally, no. It would be impossible without infinite internal energy, an extraordinary innate constitution, or a condition like severed meridians.”

Disposition, constitution, severed meridians.

And yet something that must absolutely be hidden from the public…

A forbidden demonic technique? No. What if it was a type of mental cultivation technique meant to awaken one’s true nature and potential?

If so, then ultimately…

The tangled clues began connecting to a single outcome.

My lips parted slightly as I reached a conclusion.

“…No way. The Heaven-Slaying Star?”

The moment those words left my mouth—

“That’s correct.”

Cheon Yujeong’s expression grew even heavier.

***

The Heaven-Slaying Star.

Broadly speaking, it resembled the Severed Meridian Syndrome, but unlike that condition, there was very little known about the Heaven-Slaying Star constitution in medical terms.

But more than anything else, what made it a serious issue within the Heavenly Demon Cult was…

“Jinyoon… is a Heaven-Slaying Star?”

Ma Chulsoo’s eyes filled with shock.

“The Heaven-Slaying Star… Isn’t that an immediate execution-level threat in the cult?”

Baek Sang-ah also stared at me in disbelief.

Yeah, this kind of reaction was expected.

The Heaven-Slaying Star was famous even in the Central Plains, but within the Heavenly Demon Cult, it was absolutely not tolerated.

“Wasn’t it hundreds of years ago? The legend of a martial artist born with the Heaven-Slaying Star killing the cult leader of that era…”

Cheon Yujeong nodded, having overheard Baek Sang-ah’s muttering.

“It’s true. Ever since then, those born with the Heaven-Slaying Star have been absolutely rejected by the cult.”

I shook my head and continued.

“On the surface, that is.”

There was no such thing as absolute in this world.

Especially not among the special classes like the Six Great Demonic Clans or the Cheon Clan—they always made exceptions.

“But what’s the connection between Ma Jinyoon being a Heaven-Slaying Star and gaining the support of the Blood Dragon Demonic Clan?”

Baek Sang-ah’s question was something I could answer.

“The Blood Demon Dragon Trampling Sword Formula.”

“Oh? You knew about that?”

It was knowledge I’d picked up during my time as Inner Administrator.

“It’s one of the Ma Clan’s greatest desires. It’s said that only someone born with the Heaven-Slaying Star can master that sword formula.”

The Blood Dragon Demonic Clan’s signature sword technique was the Blood Dragon Heaven-Slaying Sword Art.

But the true pinnacle of the Ma Clan was this Blood Demon Dragon Trampling Sword Formula.

Only those born with the Heaven-Slaying Star could learn it, and it was considered the only secret art in the cult capable of rivaling the Heaven-Slaying Demonic Sword.

As I realized the truth, I trailed off in disbelief.

“Yeah… to the Clan Head of the Blood Dragon Demonic Clan, Ma Jeongcheon or Ma Chulsoo didn’t matter at all.”

Looking at the situation, it seemed like they’d lent Ma Jeongcheon more support… but it likely didn’t matter much to them.

‘No matter who ascends as Clan Head, if someone capable of mastering that sword formula appears in their generation, they’ll automatically claim leadership of the Six Great Demonic Clans.’

It was even said that someone who perfected the Blood Demon Dragon Trampling Sword Formula could contend with the Heavenly Demon himself.

“Even if he was born with the Heaven-Slaying Star, the Blood Dragon Demonic Clan would’ve had the means to hide that presence deep in the forest.”

But… someone in the Cheon Clan knew about it.

“The reason the Cheon Clan elders intervened so directly was probably because they knew about the Heaven-Slaying Star and counted on the Ma Clan being hesitant to act recklessly.”

“Brilliant.”

Clap, clap, clap!

Cheon Yujeong applauded me, praising my insight into the truth.

“Within the Ma Clan, there are fewer than five people who knew of this generation’s Heaven-Slaying Star. I only found out myself very recently.”

Now that all the threads had unraveled, I felt an overwhelming surge of rage.

For one reason only.

Crunch!

Through Jeolyeong, the deputy captain of the Ghost Command Unit, I’d been given advice from Heavenly Thunder Pavilion Lord Cheon Jumyeong:

“Just bring back Ma Jinyoon’s head.”

That bastard had to have known Ma Jinyoon was the Heaven-Slaying Star, and still he gave me that advice.

If I brought back the head of Ma Jinyoon—who had violated the Blood Law—I could surely reach the Ma Clan Head.

But what would happen after that?

‘You really toy with me until the end, Cheon Jumyeong.’

From deep within my chest, fury and killing intent surged violently.

I didn’t know where his true intentions lay, but I was now sure of one thing—he enjoyed deceiving and toying with people.

‘I was planning on it anyway, but now it’s set in stone—Cheon Jumyeong, the Heavenly Thunder Corps, and you… I’ll get rid of them all.’

And then—

“Well, well… seems we’ve got a lot of uninvited guests here.”

Sssssk!

Suddenly, dozens of blood-soaked martial artists revealed themselves around us.

They wore the same uniforms as the corpses scattered nearby.

Ma Chulsoo broke into a cold sweat and shouted.

“The Blood Flow Sword Squad—the main force!”

The surrounding blood warriors had encircled us completely.

Among them, the man who appeared to be the leader had already reached right in front of Ma Chulsoo.

“So this is where our proud Second Son has been hiding.”

A voice thick with mockery.

Clang!

Ma Chulsoo hurriedly drew his sword.

“Blood Flow Squad Leader! What is the meaning of this?!”

Even a direct bloodline member of the Blood Dragon Demonic Clan received only a cold response.

“The Great Young Master has given the order. Bring the heads of Ma Chulsoo and Ma Jinyoon—and leave no witnesses.”

“Kgh…! That bastard Ma Jeongcheon, in the end…!”

Those words unmistakably foretold open and bloody civil war.

Ma Chulsoo urgently turned toward me and shouted.

“Jin Yeomyung! We have to escape! We can’t stop the Blood Flow Sword Squad with our current strength!”

“……”

“Jin Yeomyung!”

Just as Ma Chulsoo was about to explode from the tension of not receiving a response in such a dire situation—

“I’ve made up my mind.”

“What?”

Squelch!

“…Huh?”

“I’ve figured out how to draw out the Clan Head of the Ma Clan.”

Ma Chulsoo blinked in confusion.

That temporary ally had suddenly come up beside him and spoke with chilling calm.

In that ally’s hand was a sword.

And the tip of that sword had already pierced through the chest of the Blood Flow Squad Leader!

Tremble…!

Having struck a fatal blow in one move, I coldly declared to the stunned crowd:

“I’ll slaughter every last bastard of the Ma Clan who crawls in here and turn this place into a bloodbath.”

Given Ma Jeongcheon’s indecisive nature, he’d likely continue sending troops in piecemeal.

If I killed them all, even the sluggish Clan Head would have no choice but to show up in person.

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