“Cute little one.”

The angular chin touching her crown hurts, so she tilts her head, and as if waiting for this moment, lips land on her temple.

The man, seemingly enamored, sits Na Rin on his lap and buries his nose in her hair, muttering like he’s sniffing a puppy.

To think that this undignified man is the leader of the Demon Cult, the Heavenly Demon Dokgo Cheon.

“People will criticize you.”

“Who would dare criticize the Lord of Ten Thousand Demons? And his beloved daughter too.”

Dokgo Cheon gently brushed back her stray hair and chuckled softly.

At that, his amethyst-like purple eyes crinkled beautifully, exuding a uniquely decadent aura.

Not just as the Demon Cult leader, but as a man, his beauty was enough to make countless women swoon.

Everyone loves beautiful things, so seeing that face would make anyone’s heart melt like tofu, but…

‘Even so, hugging your daughter during a court meeting is a bit…’

Forget decorum, I’m too embarrassed to stand it.

Na Rin wriggled her body to create some space, then slid down and dropped to the floor under the chair with a thud.

Good. Freedom!

Just as she thought that, someone’s hands grabbed her body and lifted her up.

It was Oh Hyeon Hak, the Seventh Elder among the Twelve Elders of the Demon Cult.

“What is it?”

“The next petition is mine.”

Oh Hyeon Hak nodded towards the stack of petitions in front of Dokgo Cheon and solemnly continued.

“Stay still and be held. For the peace of the Demon Cult.”

“The Seventh Elder is right, Young Miss of the Demon Cult.”

“Do not separate from His Eminence. At least until the meeting is over.”

What? What are you talking about?

Whether Na Rin made a dumbfounded expression or not, the officials who had submitted reports showed no signs of backing down.

It was understandable, as the approval rate for petitions when Na Rin was sitting on his lap versus when she wasn’t differed by about twice as much.

But what did that have to do with Na Rin? She wasn’t getting any benefits from it.

“Empty-handed?”

“…”

As Na Rin frowned and glared at Oh Hyeon Hak, he cleared his throat with a “Ahem!”

As if that was a signal, a maid appeared with hurried steps, carrying a plate of tanghulu skewers, and knelt before Na Rin.

“It’s tanghulu made with candied hawthorn berries. Will this do?”

“How many?”

Na Rin quickly reached out her small hand and grabbed a round, red, glossy hawthorn tanghulu.

Chomp.

Munch munch munch.

The sweet exterior and tart interior of the hawthorn berry rolled around in Na Rin’s mouth, puffing up her cheeks.

Oh Hyeon Hak, looking visibly relieved, handed Na Rin back to Dokgo Cheon.

“Your Eminence.”

“Mm.”

Dokgo Cheon’s expression, which had been as cold as the ice walls of the North Sea, melted like fresh snow meeting the morning sun the moment he took Na Rin.

“My precious, beautiful daughter has come.”

“…Yes.”

Na Rin, sitting once again on Dokgo Cheon’s lap and leaning her head against his chest, thought to herself.

To think that Dokgo Cheon, the ruthless Heavenly Demon, was officially a doting father in the Demon Cult.

‘Well. You live and learn.’

How it had come to this was a complete mystery.

Na Rin closed her eyes gently and recalled the day that started it all.

The last day of her tenth life, full of hardship and struggle.

[This is the timeline separator]

The War Against the Demon Cult.

This is what the masters of the righteous sects call this brutal war.

The righteous sect members, who rose up indignantly against the Demon Cult’s invasion, formed the Alliance of Righteous Sects and sacrificed their young lives in the war against the Demon Cult.

Na Rin was one of them.

That must have been true, and yet.

“Why…”

Her whites were bloodshot.

Too sorrowful to be anger, yet too fierce to be sadness.

A complex yet unmistakable emotion made Na Rin’s body tremble like an aspen tree.

“Why on earth!!”

No one opened their mouths despite Na Rin’s accusatory question.

It wasn’t that they had nothing to say.

They were overwhelmed by the enormous and strange killing intent emanating from the being before them.

“I never once disobeyed. Not even once. When told to kill, I killed. When told to burn, I burned. So why!”

As Na Rin took a step forward, the hundred masters surrounding her took two steps back.

“Are you suddenly afraid because the blade in your hands is too sharp?”

“Shut up! Blood Plum Blossom!”

The Taoist master Cheong Heo of the Wudang sect raised his voice as if for everyone to hear.

“Do you think I don’t know that you have the same white hair as the Demon Cult leader? If you’re connected to the Demon Cult in any way, Wudang will never−”

“They say if we hand over the Blood Plum Blossom, the Demon Cult will retreat.”

The abbot of Shaolin, Hye Wan, interrupted Cheong Heo’s words.

“Me?”

“Even the Demon Cult members no longer wish to see blood. It is only Na Rin who seems to have no intention of stopping this bloodshed.”

Laughter spilled from Na Rin’s lips. So the Demon Cult is asking for my head as a condition for peace, is that it?

‘I did kill many of their members.’

At first it was ten, then a hundred.

After that, I stopped counting, but it must be well over a thousand by now. Perhaps it’s reached ten thousand by now.

But not a single one died without guilt.

“I cut off the arm of the Four Great Guardians, so I took his head. They hung my comrade’s corpse on a tree, so I piled up a mountain with their bodies. Is that a crime?”

“Na Rin!”

“If so, then I must be the Heavenly Demon.”

At those sinister words, the swords of the martial artists trembled and resonated, fear gripping them.

And for good reason, for their opponent was a disaster incarnate.

The Blood Plum Blossom, Ju Na Rin.

“There’s one thing I’m curious about.”

Shing!

At last, Na Rin’s plum blossom sword left its sheath.

The gleaming blade was whiter than the snow on a mountain.

“Will you be able to take my head?”

“Those who can create sword formations, come forward and form a shield! Wait patiently until the Blood Plum Blossom shows an opening−”

Before Cheong Heo could finish speaking, Na Rin’s face suddenly appeared before his eyes.

And with a smile like a plum blossom, she said:

“Is that possible?”

“Aaargh!”

Cheong Heo swung his sword widely across to shake off the Na Rin before his eyes.

By the time Na Rin, who had leapt up to avoid the sword, landed back on the ground, several more masters had spat blood.

“My arm! My arm!”

“Kuhek! Urk!”

Who she cut, what sword technique her opponent used. Na Rin wasn’t curious about any of it.

Like plum blossom petals scattered by the wind, she was simply sending out sword energy in directions unknown even to herself.

Until someone’s voice was heard.

“Na Rin!”

The blood storm came to an abrupt halt.

A new-looking plum blossom sword, clumsily held in both hands, was trembling violently.

An old man with white hair, holding only the sword without even raising his head.

It was Hyeon Baek, an elder of the Huashan sect and Na Rin’s master.

“…You’ve come, Master.”

Hyeon Baek was not a person suited for such a place.

He was closer to a Taoist than a martial artist, and closer to a benevolent person than a Taoist.

“Go back, Master. These people can’t beat me.”

“Ah, I know. But…”

“The sect leader…”

Na Rin’s gaze fell on Hyeon Un, the leader of the Huashan sect.

“This will be your last day.”

“…!”

“Master, you should lead the next generation of Huashan.”

“What nonsense are you speaking!”

Na Rin smiled slightly as she saw Hyeon Un’s face turn red.

A petty man thinking only of self-preservation even in this situation.

It was absurd to see such a scoundrel calling himself a Taoist master and pretending to be a true person.

Watching Na Rin and Hyeon Un confront each other, sorrow and pain filled Hyeon Baek’s eyes.

‘How did it come to this?’

It was heartbreaking that he could no longer look in the same direction as his disciple, who was like his own flesh and blood.

“…Won’t you die for us?”

“What did you say?”

A smile tinged with anticipation of victory appeared on the lips of Hyeon Un, the leader of Huashan.

Hyeon Baek spoke urgently, as if someone was chasing him from behind.

“Your head alone can drive back the Demon Cult. You’ve always been prepared to die, so there’s nothing to regret now, is there?”

“Master.”

“And if everyone here dies, who will protect the peace of the martial world that you so desired? These people must−”

“Master!”

At Na Rin’s exclamation, Hyeon Baek seemed to realize what he was saying and abruptly closed his mouth.

“Are you serious? Do you think the sect leader would leave you alone if I’m gone?”

“I know. I will soon follow.”

“…”

“Na Rin.”

Hyeon Baek forcibly suppressed his trembling voice and continued with difficulty.

“You’ve killed too many people.”

“…”

“Even this old man finds life so precious. How must it have been for others?”

“Everyone finds their own life precious.”

“No. You don’t understand.”

Hyeon Baek stretched out his arms towards the surroundings, as if to show Na Rin.

The blood of lost lives and dying lives was soaking the ground.

“I can no longer bear to see the unpayable blood debt growing with each moment.”

Seeing her master’s anguished, sobbing appearance, Na Rin sighed.

She couldn’t unconditionally agree with Hyeon Baek’s words, who knew nothing of war, but they weren’t entirely wrong either.

The statement that the people here were needed for the peace of the martial world.

At least that much was true.

“If you have my head.”

Everyone listened intently to Na Rin’s words.

“Will the Demon Cult really retreat?”

To Na Rin’s question, which had lost some of its hostility, the abbot of Shaolin, Hye Wan, answered.

“It’s a proposal I heard directly from the Demon Cult’s Guardian Envoy.”

Guardian Envoy.

It referred to the four executives who were close to the cult leader and had directly led the invasion of the Central Plains.

Na Rin asked again.

“Which Guardian Envoy?”

“Vaisravana Jeok Gun Ak.”

“Hmm. He would have reason to want my head.”

Na Rin swung her plum blossom sword once to shake off the blood droplets, then sheathed it back.

“I have conditions.”

“Speak.”

“Have Hyeon Baek of Huashan take my head, and let the Alliance protect his safety. No suicide, no accidental death. You must keep him close until he’s soiling the walls.”

“Na Rin!”

“Elder Hyeon Baek’s fate is Huashan’s business!”

Both Hyeon Baek, who had intended to die with Na Rin, and Hyeon Un, who had wanted to kill Hyeon Baek, raised their voices, but no one paid attention to them.

They understood that if they didn’t accept these conditions now, they would all die anyway.

“We accept the conditions.”

“Abbot!”

“Then, Master.”

The plum blossom sword in Hyeon Baek’s hand was unusually clean.

Na Rin grasped Hyeon Baek’s hand holding the plum blossom sword and smiled.

It was amusing to think that her head would be cut off by this new-looking iron sword that had never been stained with blood.

“Take care.”

“No! How can I live after killing you? Na Rin! Na Rin!”

Blood dripped from the sword tip that had severed the neck in one stroke.

You’ll have bad dreams too, Master.

‘More importantly…’

Na Rin slowly closed her eyes as she watched Hyeon Baek’s face as he was dragged away, gagged to prevent suicide.

‘It should be about time to appear.’

[LIFE OVER] [*You achieved fame as a martial artist but met a miserable death betrayed by your sect. Would you like to live again?…(Yes/No)]

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