The rough sound of footsteps grew fainter down the hallway.
'He's gone.'
That must an his words had hit the mark.
Still, he had thought that if he beca the leader of the Martial Alliance, he would respond a little differently, but it seed he was still the sa in not being able to control his anger.
Haa—.
Just then, a deep sigh was heard from behind.
"I expected it to so extent, but... you really have no backup."
"I'd appreciate it if you'd just say I'm honest."
"...I didn't expect that honesty to be the sa even to the Martial Alliance Leader."
"Thank you for the complint."
"..."
Namgung Il was still calm.
It wasn't so rare for Paeng Jeong-nam to get angry, but it had been a really long ti since he had seen his face turn that red.
And to get so angry at a child who was much younger than him.
Paeng Jeong-nam, as the leader of the Martial Alliance, would have tried to endure it as much as possible, but the fact that he couldn't ant that Namgung Il's words had touched a nerve.
"Will you be alright?"
"What do you an?"
"He's not just anyone, he's the leader of the Martial Alliance. It wouldn't be good to get on his bad side for no reason."
"I just said what I had to say. If I hadn't said that just now, my own life would have been shortened by frustration."
The situation itself was certainly very serious.
But perhaps because of Namgung Il's reaction, Seo Shin-won let out a slight laugh upon hearing those words.
"In the end, why did the Alliance Leader want to see ?"
Just then, Namgung Il asked abruptly.
At those words, Seo Shin-won wiped the smile from his lips and returned to his original expression.
"Only he himself would know what his intentions are."
"..."
"But if I were to guess a little, the Martial Alliance might be aiming for you."
"? Why would they aim for , as if I were so kind of prey?"
"To be precise, it wouldn't be you, but what's inside you."
Seo Shin-won said and pointed to Namgung Il's stomach with his finger.
Accordingly, Namgung Il's head slowly lowered.
As if he had realized what those words ant, Namgung Il raised his head again.
"...Are you talking about the Blood Spot Grass?"
"That's right."
"No, I can't take out what I've already swallowed, so why on earth would they..."
Namgung Il stopped talking and swallowed his words.
In the past, he had heard sothing similar to this.
And very recently... Of course, the situation then and now was completely different, but the gist was very similar.
'There was a crazy guy who said he would take my blood instead of the Blood Spot Grass.'
When he had swallowed the Blood Spot Grass in front of his eyes, Gok I-hyeon had tried to do so.
Since the Blood Dragon Cult guys were all crazy, he had thought it was just nonsense, but now it was bothering him quite a bit.
"...I've decided."
"...!"
"I can't do anything about the Blood Spot Grass you've swallowed. So... I'll take your blood instead."
Could it be that Paeng Jeong-nam was thinking the sa thing as Gok I-hyeon?
That if he drew his blood, it could be used in place of the Blood Spot Grass... The words 'aiming for him' could only be heard in that sense.
"The Blood Spot Grass is still an unknown existence with little known about it."
"..."
"But you, a living person, swallowed it. So, from the Martial Alliance's perspective, they want to keep you by their side and observe you."
"...Observe?"
At those words, Namgung Il ca to his senses.
"Then they won't draw my blood or anything like that, right?"
"Draw your blood? Why?"
"Well, since I swallowed the Blood Spot Grass, my blood might have a similar effect."
"Well... it's a plausible story, but I don't think the Alliance Leader would do such a thing to you."
Thank goodness.
Namgung Il let out a sigh of relief without realizing it.
'Yes, no matter how bad his personality is, he wouldn't do sothing so outrageous.'
Whatever the case, Paeng Jeong-nam was the leader of the Martial Alliance.
No matter how bad their relationship had been since long ago, wouldn't he observe a certain degree of decency?
Perhaps because of Gok I-hyeon's influence, Namgung Il had temporarily forgotten that obvious fact.
"Still, you never know."
"...?"
"Since you got on the Alliance Leader's nerves like that earlier, he might really try to draw your blood as you said."
Seo Shin-won said suddenly.
At that mont, Namgung Il's expression hardened slightly.
Seo Shin-won chuckled at that sight.
"It's a joke, so relax your face."
"...?"
"No matter what, the Alliance Leader is not that kind of person. Of course, he has a bit of a twisted personality, but in the distant past, he was soone who risked his life to save the Central Plains."
This guy... he's really grown up. All grown up.
To dare to joke with him like that, in the past, Seo Shin-won would have already been lying on the floor.
"Are you perhaps sulking?"
"...No."
Anyone could see that Namgung Il was sulking.
Seeing Namgung Il even turn his head away, Seo Shin-won laughed once more, but then he wiped the smile from his face and said.
"Still, it would be better to be careful."
"What kind of joke are you going to make this ti?"
"This is not a joke."
"..."
At the firm answer, Namgung Il looked at Seo Shin-won again.
That expression and tone. Namgung Il instinctively knew that there was no hint of a joke this ti.
"The ones aiming for you might not be just the Martial Alliance."
"...Are you talking about the Blood Dragon Cult?"
"Yes. They will try to not give up on the Blood Spot Grass no matter what."
"..."
"The Blood Dragon Cult is that kind of place."
Namgung Il imdiately agreed with those words.
A place where a bunch of guys who would unhesitatingly throw away their own lives for the Blood Demon were gathered.
In the Blood Dragon Cult, there would be plenty of guys like Gok I-hyeon... no, even worse.
"The fact that you swallowed the Blood Spot Grass is known only to the two people here. And the Alliance Leader."
"..."
"So the Blood Dragon Cult will still act thinking that the Blood Spot Grass is there... but if by any chance they find out the truth, the one they will be aiming for will probably be you."
Namgung Il was thinking that it was not 'probably' but 'definitely'.
In fact, Gok I-hyeon had co for his blood.
Seo Shin-won probably thought the sa, but Namgung Il knew that he had said it that way out of consideration for him.
"That's good."
"...?"
"If the Blood Dragon Cult guys appear before my eyes for that reason, I will kill them all."
Anyway, he had been planning to wipe out all the remnants of the Blood Dragon Cult from this world soday.
But if they ca to him on their own, there would be nothing more convenient.
Of course, that would be after he had beco strong enough to easily defeat several guys like Gok I-hyeon even if they ca.
"..."
Seo Shin-won remained silent and looked at Namgung Il.
Normally, one would be afraid to hear such a story, but Namgung Il showed no such sign.
Rather, to say it was a good thing and that he would kill them all... Even if he were in the sa situation, he wouldn't be able to say that.
"...Namgung Il."
"Yes?"
"Why do you hate the Blood Dragon Cult so much?"
"..."
"Normally, one wouldn't be able to say that. But... you truly hate the Blood Dragon Cult and are trying to destroy it."
It even felt like they were the enemies of his parents.
No, in reality, it might not be hatred.
But what was certain was that Namgung Il was trying to wipe the Blood Dragon Cult from this world for so reason.
Seo Shin-won had felt that intention in Namgung Il's tone for a while, so he was asking now.
"Why is that?"
"..."
"Answer ."
Namgung Il did not answer imdiately and remained silent.
And.
After a brief silence, Namgung Il slowly opened his mouth.
"Why should we let the guys who threaten the peace of the Central Plains live?"
"...What?"
"That is my answer."
"..."
It was a completely unexpected answer.
Seo Shin-won was about to ask another question at those words, but he swallowed his words.
"...Still, promise one thing."
"..."
"Never act in a way that puts yourself in danger."
What on earth does Seo Shin-won think of ?
Of course, Namgung Il had no such intention, so he answered without hesitation.
"I understand."
"...Then I will also make a promise."
"...?"
"You are my student. So... this ti, I will protect you no matter what."
If Seo Shin-won were to protect him, there would be no more reliable ally.
Namgung Il imdiately drew a line on his lips and said to Seo Shin-won.
"That's reassuring."
"..."
"I'll be counting on you then."
Of course, by then, he would have already graduated.
Still, Namgung Il felt very reassured by just that one sentence.
***
In a dark room, an old man stood before a wall, moving his brush.
On the wall was a painting of an unknown figure, and the man, as if to complete the painting no matter what, did not take his eyes off the wall for a mont.
"I have a report."
Just then, a voice was heard from behind.
The man was kneeling respectfully as he spoke, but the old man continued to paint without any reaction.
"Gok I-hyeon is dead."
Flinch—.
At that mont, the old man's hand finally stopped.
"The Blood Spot Grass?"
The old man's first question was that.
A tone that showed no interest in Gok I-hyeon's life or death.
His gaze was still on the painting.
"We failed to secure it."
"..."
At those words, the old man finally put the brush he was holding down on the desk.
And his head slowly turned.
The man bowed his head even further, as if he would never et the old man's eyes.
"...So where is the Blood Spot Grass now?"
"The Cult is currently searching for it desperately."
"..."
The old man said nothing for a while.
Swoosh—.
Just then, the sound of sothing falling to the floor was heard from the front.
The man could tell by a glance that it was the clothes the old man had been wearing, and he had no interest whatsoever in why the old man had suddenly taken off his clothes.
"As expected, it was a mistake to entrust it to such a fellow."
"..."
"Raise your head."
Just then, the old man commanded the man.
There was no need for any questions, nor should there be.
Swoosh—.
The man carefully raised his head.
Since it had been impossible to look at the old man's face so directly until now, it seed this was the first ti the man was properly seeing the old man's face.
'...That person is the Blood Head, Shi Ma-yeon.'
The old man's eyes seed to be looking at him, but it was a gaze that showed no interest in him whatsoever.
Emptiness itself.
No emotion whatsoever was felt in Shi Ma-yeon's two eyes.
"Do you know what is drawn on that wall?"
At that mont, Shi Ma-yeon asked the man.
He didn't know why he was being asked such a thing, but the reason was not particularly important.
The man instinctively knew that he had to give the right answer to that question to live.
"...The great leader of the Blood Dragon Cult and the only god existing in this world! It is the Blood Demon!"
Fortunately, the man knew the correct answer.
Of course, the man did not know how similar the painting there was to the Blood Demon.
Because the man had never seen the Blood Demon in person.
Even if it was completely different from the real person, the man had no choice but to say that that painting was the Blood Demon.
"I paint like this every day so as not to forget Him for a mont."
"..."
"But my painting will never be completed. Do you know why?"
Another question.
A question he didn't know the answer to this ti.
Since there was not much ti given, the man ca up with a plausible answer as quickly as possible.
"Because a re painting cannot contain all of His greatness!"
"..."
Is that... the right answer?
As the man swallowed dryly in tension, the man's figure suddenly floated up from the floor.
"...!"
Shi Ma-yeon was grabbing the man's head with one hand.
A truly terrifying grip.
With a strength that was hard to believe for an old man, Shi Ma-yeon was lifting the man.
"Wrong."
"...!"
"Because there is no ink."
That... was the right answer?
The man could barely confirm the brush placed on the desk, and there was indeed not a single drop of ink on it.
"You're lucky. To be able to beco one with Him even through a painting."
"...!"
"What color is your blood?"
"F-forgive ..."
An unpleasant sound echoed through the room.
Things of unknown shape and blood were scattered about in a disorderly manner, and soon, a headless corpse fell to the floor.
Swoosh—.
Shi Ma-yeon silently looked at his right hand, which was stained with blood.
"...This color is not it either."
Shi Ma-yeon muttered in a dry tone.
And his head turned back to the wall.
As if nothing had happened, Shi Ma-yeon picked up the brush placed on the desk and began to paint again.
"..."
Every ti Shi Ma-yeon moved his brush, a dragon writhed.
Belying the title of Blood Head, the blood dragon drawn on Shi Ma-yeon's back had no head.
(End of Chapter)
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