I found myself in a completely unexpected situation.
I had anticipated that the Shengsu Faction would be hiding something, but I never even considered the possibility that they’d team up with the Blood Sect.
“You seem quite flustered. It’s quite a sight to behold, isn’t it?”
The Blood Person sneered at me.
Looking at the Blood Person’s presence, I realized his level was at the Peak Stage.
However, his level didn’t matter much at this moment.
The real problem was the gigantic rat next to him.
The huge rat, which was similar in size to a Bicheongmacha, was covered in a solid and shiny black fur that looked as tough as steel, and its front claws were reminiscent of metal.
Unlike ordinary rats, its heavy tail resting on the ground caught my attention.
Anyone could guess it was an Entity or a Monster.
That rat was the problem.
An Entity.
An Entity is something that is nearly impossible for a single Martial Artist to defeat.
Entities are different from regular animals; they can use Qi.
In a broader context, Entities can also be said to wield martial arts.
Regardless of the martial arts they’ve acquired or their level, there’s a massive gap between the physical abilities and Qi amounts of an Entity and a human.
Even if I somehow managed to withstand all attacks from that rat and successfully countered, it was clear that my stamina and Qi would deplete before I could inflict a critical injury on it.
The Blood Person, fully aware of that fact, was remaining calm even in front of me, who was undoubtedly an Expert.
Should I escape?
“Chuckling, are you thinking of running away? Go ahead and try.”
I clicked my tongue as I assumed a fighting stance.
If I entered the long tunnel that the rat had presumably dug, there would be no way to escape the incoming rat attacks.
It was best to fight in this spacious area rather than in close quarters.
If the rat’s movements were slow, I could always bolt.
I decided to ask the Blood Person a question, hoping to gain a hint to escape this situation.
“You seem to be a part of the Blood Sect, but what exactly are you doing here?”
“What does it matter to you? You just have to die here. The Iron Blood Rat was already short on food, and now we have a nutritious meal!”
As I listened to the Blood Person’s mocking words, I thought to myself.
Stay calm, Ho Cheon-an.
The Blood Person seemed quite agitated.
Why was he agitated?
Perhaps my presence in this situation was a great delight for him.
It was clear that he had been hiding here, as I could see sleeping bags, a campfire, and other supplies in the corner.
He was probably so red-eyed that he couldn’t wander around easily, and the only people he met were the senior members or a very small number of Moyong Clan members.
From the Blood Person’s perspective, my appearance was like a stimulant in his dull daily life.
So, I decided to toy with him a bit more.
Specifically, I would refer to this feeling of superiority.
I immediately twisted my mouth into a smirk.
“Just talking big, are we?”
“What did you say?”
“It’s obvious you’ve learned the martial arts of the Blood Sect, which anyone with a bit of common sense in the Martial World could figure out. Yet, I’ve never heard of any secret techniques for handling Entities from the Blood Sect.”
I continued to act in a confident manner.
“In that case, it’s pretty obvious. You’re merely groveling and managing a weak symbiotic relationship, right? If I ignore the rat and just attack you, you wouldn’t have a clue how that rat would react, would you? So, you’re just flapping your gums!”
“Haha!”
The Blood Person burst into laughter.
“What’s so funny?”
I had a hunch things might be going awry, yet I put on a face that insisted I wasn’t worried.
“Haha! Then come at me!”
Oh Blood Person, why on earth are you already calling for a showdown?
Those who’ve never mingled with others don’t understand social contracts.
When someone says, “There’s no way that’s possible!” you’re supposed to come back with, “Ah, this technique is called so-and-so, it allows dealing with monsters,” and then they’d say something like “That’s absurd!” and then you’d boast about your sect’s might!
It’s basic etiquette, right?
But this Blood Person seemed completely oblivious to the norms, and I was annoyed, but what could I do? I was in a situation where I was the one at a disadvantage.
To steer the conversation back to where I wanted it to go, I had no choice but to take risks.
“C-Come on… Do you think I can’t do it?”
I hesitated, stepping forward.
Seeing a devilish grin spread across the Blood Person’s face, I focused on the Iron Blood Rat’s reaction.
Based on the Blood Person’s reactions, it didn’t seem like the Iron Blood Rat would charge in right away, but I couldn’t let my guard down.
Once we began fighting, I wouldn’t be able to escape with just a nice result.
I continued to approach the Iron Blood Rat while preparing to retreat at any moment.
If it showed a threatening posture, I would back off and feign surprise, “I-I can’t believe this is happening!”
That would make the Blood Person mock me, giving me some clue.
Squeak!
To my surprise, the Iron Blood Rat was just sniffing around, not showing a shred of hostility towards me.
Is it too close now…
Well, I can’t go back now, so I had to keep going.
I started to close the gap, which was about five paces away initially. I kept my guard up as I went slowly closer.
Four paces. Three paces… Then two.
By the time I was two paces away, sweat was dripping from me due to the Iron Blood Rat’s non-response.
Getting to one pace was dangerously close.
Just stretching out its body could put me within its attack range.
At this point, I thought perhaps it would be better to subdue the Blood Person first, but realizing I had gotten too close to the Iron Blood Rat, the Blood Person stuck close to it.
Coming at this situation was clearly risky.
I had expected the Entity to be vicious, but it was surprisingly docile, which caught me off guard, but I couldn’t expect one that was presented with a threat right in front of it to let down its guard.
There was no helping it.
After all, I’d already taken a risk.
Once the sword was drawn, one must start slicing.
I stepped forward, entering the danger zone.
And that was when the Iron Blood Rat stirred.
My body was in a hyper-tense stance, ready to react while transferring my weight entirely back.
Then the Iron Blood Rat moved.
“….?”
It retreated.
My brain momentarily froze.
What’s going on? Why is it backing away suddenly?
But the Iron Blood Rat remained calm, stepping back an additional two to three paces and merely continuing to sniff around.
“I… What is happening…”
The Blood Person’s confusion bubbled over, and our gazes met instinctively.
“Cough!”
My judgment was slightly slower than the Blood Person’s instincts.
In a flash, the Blood Person rushed closer to the retreating Iron Blood Rat.
“Ah…!”
I groaned in frustration over the missed opportunity to strike. With its weight center all shifted back and only prepared to back away, I was slow to react.
“Om… Huh.. Abiya… Ta!”
I bit my lip, seeing the Blood Person chant a spell.
“Shiiiiiink!”
“Arashi… Raccoon… Tuum!”
Ferocity shone in the Iron Blood Rat’s eyes.
“Phew… Phew… Enough with the games! Now die!”
Having truly sensed danger, the Blood Person’s composure completely vanished. He extended his hand toward me, fully preparing the Iron Blood Rat for an attack.
This time, I was prepared for a clash and focused all my Qi in my body, preparing to counter the Iron Blood Rat.
Beating that rat right here was impossible.
So, I had to aim to dodge and make an exchange with the goal of retreating.
The rat seemed inherently docile, so if I showed it I was a formidable opponent, it might run away, leaving me only to confront the Blood Person.
I prepared the Seven Thunder Defense Technique as I gazed at the Iron Blood Rat.
“…?”
To my surprise, it only stared at me, showing no interest in charging.
“What are you doing? Move!”
The Blood Person repeatedly pointed at me, but the Iron Blood Rat was just observing me with its ferocious eyes.
No…
It felt like it was looking behind me, as though it had concluded I was not an enemy.
“Phew…”
I stepped closer, knowing the iron-clad truth that the Iron Blood Rat didn’t see me as a threat.
Even if it considered me neutral now, if I attacked the Blood Person, it could change its perception, or it might sense a real threat if I seriously used my Qi.
But if the Blood Person began using another control method, the situation could shift unexpectedly.
This moment was my chance.
As I approached, the Iron Blood Rat backed off without hesitation.
“Damn it!”
In that moment, the Blood Person waved his hand back.
It seemed he had cut himself with something attached to his thumb, sending four lines of blood splattering into the air.
I gaped at the sight of this Blood Sect technique I had never seen before.
Should I call it blood or Qi, or a mere fake of Gang-hwan?
Whether it was blood-mediated or not, the four streams of blood coming toward me soaked with strong Qi.
Is this a technique that uses blood as a medium?
Though weak in power, it was a threatening martial art, capable of launching from a distance.
But.
Vroom!!
No matter how threatening the martial art might be, there was no way a Peak Stage Expert could escape from the grasp of Hwa-gyeong while in a rush.
The Seven Thunder Defense Technique was unleashed.
“Grrr!”
The Blood Person flailed around, spraying blood in every direction, but—
It was nothing more than a wild thrashing.
Among the flying blood streams, I could clearly see a path.
One Mind, One Body unfolded to strike with powerful intent.
And as I transformed into the Gathering of Three Yuans, I was already before him.
“AAHHHH!”
In a desperate act, he thrust forward with claws made of blood, but I didn’t shy away from that attack, reaching out.
What extended toward the Blood Person was not a sleek sword but the sturdy grip of a weapon.
Yet that grip was enveloped in solid Qi.
CRUNCH!
The grip of my Qi shattered his blood attack.
WHAM!
I smashed into his right shoulder.
“GRAAAAH!”
Blood gushed from the Blood Person’s mouth, the proof that my Qi thoroughly ransacked his insides.
THUD!
After he collapsed, I immediately glanced behind me.
The Iron Blood Rat.
That thing could launch an attack on its owner in crisis. I looked back and saw the Iron Blood Rat still in its place.
Squeak squeak!
It seemed even more excited, letting out stronger squeaks.
“Phew…”
Even though the Iron Blood Rat watching me from a distance made me feel uneasy, I was assured it no longer had any intention of attacking.
As I relaxed, the situation settled into my mind.
The Moyong Clan and the Shengsu Faction were preparing their trump card.
That card was partnering with the Blood Sect to learn its martial arts.
Perhaps they intended to gain strength based on the martial arts provided by the Blood Sect and emerge as an independent force in the Martial World.
“This is quite a dilemma…”
Partnering with the Blood Sect takes a lot of guts.
If the world finds out, the Moyong Clan would definitely suffer enormously, and it was enough to warrant harsh penalties for all members of the Shengsu Faction.
Even those uninvolved, like Moyong Mo, could get dragged into this huge mess.
“Phew…”
The only chance for a smooth resolution would be… Changes from today’s mine inspection.
Would the Branch Clans and Martial Artists move as I expect?
The odds seemed low, but that was all I had left.
I turned my head toward where the mine was presumed to be.
Believing that witnessing the mining situation would make the Branch Clans reconsider their actions, I had no choice but to cling to Moyong Mo’s faith.
