“Yes, that’s right. He’s incredibly skilled, so there’s no need to worry.”
“I’m not worried. He’s so capable, I’m sure he’ll bring the right people. I’ll bring it up to the Grand Commander.”
“Thank you.”
Unhwi never recruited many people. That hadn’t changed even after he beca a regional lord.
He never planned to gather many subordinates to begin with, and from his perspective, there wasn’t much reason to.
He had people who had already sworn their loyalty, and their factions weren’t exactly small.
Unhwi had no intention of micromanaging a region. He believed that as long as he held steady at the top, the subordinates could handle the everyday matters themselves—and those who understood the weight of his na did, in fact, take care of things on their own.
But the dicine bureau was a different matter.
The volu of dicinal ingredients pouring in was staggering.
No joke—Yi Myeonghwa hadn’t had a proper night’s sleep since arriving. That’s how brutally overworked she was.
She wanted to finish this assignnt and bolt.
Everyone praised Seol Unhwi these days, but in Yi Myeonghwa’s eyes, he was exploitation incarnate.
Even the pay was a pittance. That damn scumbag.
Brushing away her thoughts, Yi Myeonghwa gently pushed her teacup forward.
“This tea is called Bluecloud Jade Dew. The fragrance is quite nice, isn’t it? It’s a rare tea made from leaves that grow only on the summit of Bluecloud Mountain, tucked in the southern corner of Yunnan. They say the leaves can only be harvested during ten mornings a year, when they’re soaked in dawn dew. This tea is considered a luxury even among the Imperial family—drinking it is said to purify your ridians, clear your qi, and calm your mind and body.”
Unhwi, after his match against Kang Cheonwoo, still hadn’t been able to rise.
Now was her chance.
Ju Soa took the tea without suspicion and sipped.
“Mm...? This is good. The aroma’s nice too.”
“You’re probably slling Spirit Lotus Fragrance.”
“Oh... Right. Spirit Lotus—did you brew it with added lotus petals?”
“Yes. That’s right. It adds a clearer ntal effect to the usual properties of Bluecloud Jade Dew. The scent improves as well, so it’s pleasant to drink. Feel free to finish it.”
There was no need to say more.
Ju Soa sipped at the tea, then downed over half in a few quick gulps.
“Haah... That’s nice...”
Slowly.
Ever so slowly, Ju Soa’s eyes dulled. The effects of the Dream-Soul Pill that Yi Myeonghwa had added were imdiate.
Once ingested, it left the person seemingly normal for half a quarter-hour—but in truth, they were nearly unconscious.
In that state, no matter what questions were asked or what was done to them, they accepted it without suspicion. After half a quarter-hour, the person would rember none of it.
As a side effect, it purified the ridians and aided circulation, so most people wouldn’t suspect anything.
And this wasn’t just anyone—it was a pill crafted by Yi Myeonghwa, one of the disciples of Viper Valley’s Thousand Serpent Yin.
Yi Myeonghwa’s eyes narrowed.
“Ju Soa.”
“...Yes...?”
“About a month ago, you entered a secret realm that appeared in Yangryeong. What did you see?”
“...Ah... back then...? Uh... I saw a person.”
“What kind of person?”
“There were a lot... a Drunken Swordsman... a Ghost-Masked Killer...”
“Not them. Who was the man who stole the treasure from the realm?”
“Ah... That guy... Eyes slanted wide... looked kind of average overall...”
“What was his na?”
“...Naless... I think? But why are you asking...?”
“Do you know what treasure that Naless stole?”
“...Sothing about... the Heavenly Demon’s... martial arts, I think...”
“What was in it?”
“...I don’t know... He knocked out imdiately...”
“Any distinctive features?”
“...Ah... He was handso.”
Yi Myeonghwa’s brow twitched.
This crazy bitch, seriously—
Wait.
“...Didn’t you just say he looked average?”
“I did...”
“And now he’s... handso?”
“Yes... I like average-looking guys.”
Tch. She clicked her tongue.
“‘Naless’ is probably an alias. Do you know his real na?”
“...No...”
“You don’t...? Fine. Next question. You’re the Lord of the Killing Sword Sect. Did you see the Ghost-Eyed Boy?”
“...Ah... I did...”
“What happened to him?”
“...I don’t know.”
“You don’t know...? How can you not?”
“...If I don’t know, I don’t know. How can I say I know when I don’t?”
“He was supposed to secure the treasure. And you just watched?”
“...I had no choice...”
“Why?”
“He betrayed .”
“...”
“One of the Killing Sword Sect’s... protectors... betrayed ... that crazy bastard...”
She let out a sigh.
She had gotten what she ca for.
Ju Soa didn’t know anything about the man called Naless.
Jeong Muheun, the Ghost-Eyed Boy, was dead.
And the Heavenly Demon’s secret manual was in Naless’s hands.
Naless.
After a few more questions about him, Yi Myeonghwa stood up.
Ti to send this to Viper Valley.
She imdiately began writing a letter, then retrieved the hidden carrier pigeon from the dicine bureau.
This wasn’t an ordinary pigeon—it was a top-grade one.
She’d knocked it out with herbs and stashed it away. Now it was ti to use it.
She tied the letter to its leg and sent it flying.
“Hoo...”
It was finally over.
A reply would arrive soon. An order to withdraw.
And then she’d leave.
At long last, she’d be free of this miserable place.
She turned her head—and froze.
She had left Ju Soa’s room door open when coming to the dicine storage.
From here, she should be able to see into that room... but Ju Soa was nowhere in sight.
She was about to step forward when—
Scrrrape, scrrrape.
The sound of sothing—like a sword scabbard—dragging across the floor.
Goosebumps shot up her spine.
She turned her head. A man was walking into the dicine bureau. A massive longsword trailed from his waist, dragging behind him.
She swallowed hard.
“What a sha. I could’ve gotten more use out of you.”
The mont she heard his voice, she knew sothing was wrong.
“If only you’d co a bit later. Do you know what she said to ?”
Ju Soa’s voice rang out from the corner of the dicine storage.
“She said I was pretty. If I’d had just a little more ti, that bastard would’ve been all over . Hmph. At least he had the taste to recognize beauty.”
It made no sense.
“...It wasn’t a regular Dream-Soul Pill... I made that pill myself... how...?”
“Oh, that. Our Grand Commander said you’d be the one to make a move while she was away. That you, in particular, would try to feed a Dream-Soul Pill... Can’t believe you actually did it.”
When Unhwi left for Saryang with Han Murin, he’d used Reverse Form Technique to alter Ju Soa’s appearance.
He could’ve left her in Namgung Wonyang’s hands, like he’d done many tis before—but this ti, he’d intervened personally, because of Yi Myeonghwa.
Unhwi had been confident he could conceal his absence from everyone—including Yi Myeonghwa—but the visit from Cha Seollin and Bing Seollyeong had caught even him off guard.
That’s when he made the decision.
Yi Myeonghwa had to go.
He just needed the right mont—and Kang Cheonwoo had given him one. When unexpected variables arise, few know how to take full advantage.
Unhwi was one of those rare few.
But Yi Myeonghwa knew none of that.
She hadn’t noticed a thing—not Unhwi’s Reverse Form Technique, not the setup.
Only one question troubled her.
The Dream-Soul Pill.
To her, this touched directly on her skills—and nothing mattered more.
“...Why are you still lucid?”
“Damn, you really are a blood cult bastard, huh? That pretentious tone gave it away. I blocked a few ridian points ahead of ti. Guess you didn’t catch that? And really, you’re still in the mood to ask questions?”
She turned to look.
Unhwi had drawn the Heavenshaking Spiritblade, scabbard and all, from his waist.
“...I... I’m still useful.”
“So?”
“I sent a letter... and a reply will co... It’ll be written in code only internal Blood Sect mbers can understand... You won’t be able to decipher it unless—unless I...”
“Don’t need it.”
“Ah...”
“Still... You did help by drawing Yu Cheong’s eyes away. I’ll send you off painlessly.”
“Please...”
She tried to beg, but Unhwi had already made up his mind.
CRACK-BOOM—!
Thunder bood as his sword sliced through the air.
And then—
Slish—!
Yi Myeonghwa’s head flew into the sky.
***
Ju Soa stared blankly at the head rolling across the floor, then slowly lifted her gaze.
She saw Unhwi sheathing the Heavenshaking Spiritblade and hooking it to his waist.
“What will you do now?”
Yi Myeonghwa hadn’t been wrong.
The ssage she sent had been in code. A reply would co soon.
That reply, too, would be encrypted—decipherable only by soone deeply embedded in the main Blood Sect.
“...You... You do have a plan, right?”
Her voice trembled with worry. Unhwi responded flatly.
“You okay?”
“...Since when do you ask that? Doesn’t suit you. I’m Ju Soa. Of course I’m fine.”
“Then that’s enough.”
Ju Soa shook her head sharply and spoke again.
“...No, it’s not. Yi Myeonghwa’s dead now—this is gonna get big. Just disguise like last ti. I know a bit about dicine, I can pretend for a few days. In the anti, we can quietly look for soone who can decode Blood Sect ssages. Maybe—”
“Worried?”
“Do I not look like it?”
Unhwi chuckled faintly.
“I’ve got a plan. No need to pretend. Stop fussing and go fetch Han Seokhyeon.”
“You an that guy from the Chungha Trade Union? Should I bring him right now?”
“Right now.”
“Got it.”
Ju Soa turned without another word and headed toward the Chungha Trade Union.
Unhwi slowly walked to the edge of the eaves and sank down with a thud.
As if waiting for him, Commander Seong approached and handed him water.
“...I told you not to push yourself... You never listen, Young Lord.”
“It had to ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) be done.”
Commander Seong scratched his head.
“I overheard what you told Ju Soa... Young Lord, I think this is going to spiral out of control... What will you do?”
Unhwi smiled.
“What do you think I’ll do, Commander Seong?”
“...Who knows?”
“Then just watch.”
Hadn’t he always shown them?
Unhwi never let anything slide.
If he was wronged, he always, always retaliated.
Retribution.
That was the most important thing.
This wouldn’t end with just Yi Myeonghwa.
Facing the main Blood Sect directly was madness—but dealing with a few of its offshoots? That was no problem.
Thunder Demon Cult, Viper Valley.
Even the Soul Phantom Sect.
Unhwi’s revenge had only just begun.
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