Yeong Unseong’s eyes flashed.

“What do you mean?”

“Outwardly, it is said that Gugyeolgae Hyejeongsan was impressed by me and gave me an opportunity.”

Unhwi paused briefly, then continued.

“But the truth is different.”

“……”

“That meeting was me rebuking Hyejeongsan.”

Yeong Unseong drew a sharp breath.

“I asked him what had become of Gaebang’s spirit, and whether he truly understood the weight of the Gugyeolgae seat.”

“You… rebuked Hyejeongsan?”

“Yes. And I preserved his dignity.”

Unhwi pointed to his own brow.

“This scar was not carved by Hyejeongsan.”

“Then…”

“I carved it myself. With my own dagger.”

Yeong Unseong was completely lost for words.

“A scar had to exist. And once that scar became known, Hyejeongsan’s prestige was restored.”

“…Good grief…”

“And at that meeting, I declared Jin Muhyeok’s expulsion. That Gaebang would rot the moment it tried to carry him forward into its future—that was what I said.”

“…So you destroyed my plan to swallow Gaebang whole.”

The seat of Grand Elder is not something just anyone takes.

Yeong Unseong was certainly intelligent. A vein stood at his temple, whether from irritation or something else, and Unhwi spoke while watching him.

“I do not think it appropriate to apologize. Instead, I have told you a truth unknown to the world. I hope that is enough to ease your anger.”

Yeong Unseong stared at him in silence for a long time.

Then suddenly burst into hearty laughter.

“Hahahahaha! You lunatic. Truly, you are mad.”

The words that followed would have made anyone listening widen their eyes.

Yeong Unseong slapped his knee and exclaimed:

“I like you!”

“You overpraise me.”

“It is not praise!”

Yeong Unseong raised his cup.

“The spirit of a martial man—and the strength to support that spirit. It is rare to find someone with both.”

Unhwi raised his cup as well.

Yeong Unseong spoke with genuine sincerity:

“I truly hope that one day you will come to the Original Blood Cult.”

Their cups clinked.

Ting—

A clear note echoed through the night air.

Yeong Unseong drank and thought:

A truly interesting one.

Even that old monster Hyejeongsan bowed his head.

He now understood exactly why that old man resorted to such complicated maneuvering.

He has no intention of taking Unhwi with him.

No — the thought of walking together never existed to begin with.

What a thoroughly foolish old man.

He was truly curious how far Unhwi would rise from here.

Unhwi also drank, and thought:

As expected of Yeong Unseong.

Not a single thing has changed.

And somehow, that was comforting.

Thirty years of intertwined fate in his previous life felt suddenly close again.

There had been good moments and bad, but fate is not something easily formed — nor easily erased.

Yeong Unseong was undeniably a son of the Original Blood Cult.

Blood to his core.

But he also possessed the temperament of a man.

Yeong Unseong asked:

“What do you plan to do now?”

“I intend to resolve the problems in front of me, one by one.”

“Problems, hmm…”

A faint, knowing smile appeared on Yeong Unseong’s lips.

“They seem considerable.”

Unhwi shrugged. As Yeong Unseong said, there was more than one.

“A new Alliance Lord has taken seat in the Heavenly Alliance, and the Heavenly Arbiter has been established — yet neither the Martial Alliance nor the Four Heavens Alliance sent a single representative.”

This was fact.

Though members of the Eight Seats of Celestial Men had attended, that was due to personal ties. And there were many among those with ties who still did not come.

This meant only one thing.

“Three of the Five Sword Sects and one of the Four Evil Outer Sects have taken a side.”

“Yes.”

“And the Gaebang Sect Leader finds you troublesome. After today, he will certainly prepare countermeasures. Do you have a way to reverse all /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ of this?”

“I am considering it.”

Yeong Unseong gave a short laugh.

“Considering, you say… You sly serpent. You already have something in mind. Do you not?”

Unhwi also gave a faint laugh.

“There are two methods.”

“Two, hm… quite a number. Do either involve me?”

“No.”

“Then discard them.”

“…What?”

Yeong Unseong rose to his feet.

“I will handle Gaebang.”

Moonlight caught Yeong Unseong’s eyes — they reflected red.

“I have no justification to move against the Martial Alliance or the Four Heavens Alliance. But Gaebang is a different matter. The justification exists, and face must also be maintained. Even if I carry out executions, no one will complain.”

He was speaking in earnest.

“I will sever three of Hyejeongsan’s four limbs. That should keep him from laying a single finger on you for two or three years.”

This did not mean literally severing arms and legs.

Gaebang currently was consolidating around Hyejeongsan again — but any such consolidation required pillars.

The Seven Gugyeolgae, the Supreme Elders — those sorts.

Normally, four limbs meant four pillars.

Removing three meant eliminating over half.

This was the wording Yeong Unseong often used, even in Unhwi’s previous life.

Unhwi rose as well.

“There is no need to go that far.”

Yeong Unseong shook his head.

“This is not to place you in my debt.”

“……”

“I do not intend to use this to draw you into the Original Blood Cult. I am not as petty as that — though you may not realize it.”

“I do realize it.”

“Then try to guess why I intend to help you.”

It was too simple.

“So that I do not stand against the Original Blood Cult — and if conflict should someday arise, that I remember this moment and step back once.”

Yeong Unseong smiled brightly.

“You really do please me. Yes. Exactly.”

“……”

“The reason the Sovereign is watching you is not necessarily the same reason I am. But he is watching.”

Yeong Unseong was not as wicked as one might think.

His loyalty to the Original Blood Cult needed no explanation. To put it bluntly, even in their previous life, the reason he blocked Unhwi at the end was that loyalty.

He placed loyalty to his sect above personal bonds.

That was both his flaw — and his virtue.

“We will meet again.”

As he turned, a red aura rippled around him.

“Lord Yeong.”

Yeong Unseong stopped and looked back.

Unhwi bowed with a formal clasped fist.

“Travel safely — and do not overexert yourself.”

Yeong Unseong smirked lightly and answered:

“Very well.”

And he was gone.

Whether this would begin a renewed bond, as in the past life—

—or a renewed enmity—

was unknown.

But the beginning was not bad.

***

Left alone, Unhwi ran a hand through his hair.

The intoxication rose, and the Man-Snake Wandering Soul Powder coursed through his blood vessels.

He drew up his inner power and burned through as much of it as he could.

Only then did his mind clear.

He turned his head.

“A truly rare experience.”

It was Mae Wuidong, now the Alliance Lord of the Heavenly Alliance.

“I did not expect the ceremony to be peaceful, but having Jin Muhyeok, former Vice Leader of Gaebang, appear — and then Grand Elder Yeong Unseong of the Original Blood Cult… That, I truly did not imagine.”

Mae Wuidong sat where Yeong Unseong had been sitting moments earlier, gesturing for Unhwi to sit.

Unhwi sat silently and asked:

“Have the guests departed?”

While Unhwi met privately with Yeong Unseong, Mae Wuidong had been hosting the Eight Seats and the gathered martial guests in the Heavenly Hall.

Mae Wuidong smiled faintly.

“Yes. All have left. I greeted them as Alliance Lord, while the Heavenly Arbiter received the Grand Elder of the Original Blood Cult — it seems we have already begun dividing roles.”

Unhwi poured him a drink.

“Thank you.”

Whether this courtesy came from Mae Wuidong’s temperament or from cultivated political polish, Unhwi did not concern himself with it.

Mae Wuidong drained the cup and grimaced hard.

“…I had only heard rumors, but to think there really are people who drink bamboo-leaf liquor laced with poison.”

“If it does not suit your taste, I will bring something else.”

“Haha… it’s fine.”

Setting down his cup, Mae Wuidong spoke with a small laugh.

“The guests have departed, and the Heavenly Alliance’s warriors have returned to their duties — so let us now speak of the affairs of the Alliance.”

For now, there had been celebration — but everyone knew.

This was simply silence before the storm.

Because of the problems Yeong Unseong had mentioned.

In truth, there was no avoiding it.

After the former Alliance Lord Ye Wonje’s death, the Heavenly Alliance had requested aid from the Five Sword Sects and the Four Evil Outer Sects under the pretext of revival. Seven sects sent envoys.

Including the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Palace, that made eight.

And four of those envoys had perished.

Whatever the process had been, from the perspective of those sects: they had helped sincerely, and yet their envoys had died uselessly — and the Heavenly Alliance had not even sent formal replies, but instead held an Alliance Lord ceremony and a Heavenly Arbiter inauguration.

The Martial Alliance sided with the Five Sword Sects.

The Four Heavens Alliance sided with the Four Evil Outer Sects.

“In the case of the Four Heavens Alliance, I understand it is due to your personal acquaintance with Kang Cheonwoo.”

It had been Kang Cheonwoo who gave Unhwi the Heavenshaking Spiritblade.

It would be more strange not to acknowledge the connection.

“Unfortunately, this is not a situation where personal ties can be invoked.”

The Martial Alliance and Four Heavens Alliance had never been on good terms with the Heavenly Alliance.

The Four Heavens Alliance walked the path of tyranny over orthodoxy, leaning closer to the Four Evil Outer Sects — therefore their alliance was natural.

Even if Kang Cheonwoo had a personal friendship with Unhwi, as a leader of an alliance he had to maintain the dignity of the side closest to him.

He had no choice — and Unhwi understood that.

“As for the Martial Alliance, relations with you are strained… so unfortunately I see no ready solution.”

Unhwi listened quietly.

“Furthermore, the Five Sword Sects and Four Evil Outer Sects have clearly communicated among themselves — all have declared they will distance themselves from the Heavenly Alliance.”

At that, Unhwi raised his hand slightly.

“My apologies for interrupting, but you said all?”

“Yes. Even the Gods-Slaying Sword Sect and the Heart-Demon Dao Gate, who did not respond to the aid request.”

“The Black Heaven Demon Beast Palace, the Suncheon Sword Sect, and the Soul Demon Flame Palace each have representatives appointed to the Heavenly Alliance headquarters. Are they included as well?”

Mae Wuidong, wearing a complicated expression, nodded.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep