The depths of the Blood Demon Palace.

A woman clad entirely in red silk clothing took off her golden armor and set it down beside her.

During the ritual, one’s hands must be bare.

‘I didn’t expect to see it again so soon.’

Yang Ga Ho of the Blood Demon Sect did not like looking into the Blood Mirror.

Blood is life force.

It was only natural that looking into blood also required life force.

She had already sacrificed much of her life to the blood mirror, named treasure.

“Phew.”

But this matter was too important.

The Blood Demon took out a white cloth from the neck guard she had brought.

It was an item belonging to Na Rin, obtained through a maid.

It was the bandage used to treat the wound received during the confrontation with Dokgo Cheon.

‘With this, I will know everything about that child.’

When dropping the blood of the dead into the Blood Mirror, one could only glimpse fragments of memories that were strongly recalled just before death, but with the living, there was no such restriction.

If one could pay a sufficient price, one could look into the entire life of the blood’s owner as if it were one’s own.

As long as the price was sufficient.

‘It’s just the memories of a young child who has lived for only a few years at most. It shouldn’t be difficult.’

The Blood Demon closed her eyes tightly with a confident expression and began chanting a spell.

In the old language used by the Blood Sect before it was absorbed into the Demonic Sect.

The moment the spell ended, the long white cloth stained with red from the Blood Demon’s hand was sucked into the Blood Mirror like a water snake.

Splash!

The water in the Blood Mirror instantly turned red.

“……!”

At the same time, the Blood Demon’s body swayed greatly.

It was due to the Blood Mirror boiling violently, enough to be mistaken for an earthquake, and the life force being drained at a terrifying speed.

“Aah!”

The Blood Demon screamed in horror upon seeing her own hand rapidly aging and shriveling.

There was no way that peering into the memories of a young child who had lived for less than 5 years would require this much life force.

Something was going wrong.

“I must stop immediately……!”

The Blood Demon reached out her hand, thrust it into the Blood Mirror, and stirred it roughly.

Peering into memories was already pushed aside. Even during this, the Blood Demon’s face was aging.

‘Found it!’

Only after barely touching the bandage with her fingertips and throwing it out of the Blood Mirror did the aging finally stop.

The thought that she might have died if she had been a little later chilled her to the bone.

“Haa…… Haa……”

Why did this happen?

The Blood Demon could not even guess.

That Na Rin’s memories, which seemed to span no more than 5 years at most, were as vast as pouring in an entire person’s lifespan.

Right then.

The Blood Mirror projected a scene onto the red surface.

It was unintentionally triggered during the process of retrieving the bandage with bare hands.

‘What…… on earth?’

The Blood Demon’s eyes shook violently.

In Na Rin’s memories, all the living people were screaming.

The sight of them running away to survive, like rats fleeing from fire, reminded one of a painting of hell.

Na Rin’s memories reflected in the Blood Mirror.

It was the incident where Na Rin first faced death, the “Seoan Blood Calamity”.

‘What are they running from?’

The Blood Demon focused her attention on the memories reflected in the Blood Mirror.

Looking across in the opposite direction of the flow of fleeing people.

Who is standing there?

‘Impossible!’

The Blood Demon’s hand tightly gripped the edge of the Blood Mirror.

A giant leading a large army in armor, rampaging through Seoan.

A brutal man on a black-furred horse, charging like the north wind, indiscriminately cutting down even women and children.

In the man’s hand was a huge moon-bladed sword, large enough that several grown men could barely lift it, and his red hair fluttered wildly like a candle in the wind.

“It can’t be…… It just can’t be.”

But could there be two men with such an appearance?

The Blood Demon’s hesitant eyes caught sight of the Black Tortoise emblem on the fluttering flag.

An undeniable truth was there.

“……!”

The owner of the Black Tortoise Brigade, known as the strongest army of the Demonic Sect, and the nemesis of Bloodstained Plum Blossom Ju Na Rin.

The Guardian of the Law of the North.

The Wicked King of War, Jeok Gun Ak.

As his face scattered, the water in the Blood Mirror turned transparent.

The Blood Demon trembled as if having a seizure, unable to hide her confused state.

‘The Black Tortoise Brigade invaded the Central Plains?’

When?

And how?

And by what means does Na Rin possess such memories?

There was only one way to find out.

The Blood Demon led her aged body to the mirror in front of the door.

An old body with the shadow of death approaching was reflected in the mirror.

She took out a white porcelain bottle from the drawer and poured the red liquid inside down her throat.

The Blood Demon’s fingers, dry and wrinkled like the branches of a dead tree, slowly tightened, and with a clinking sound, when she set the bottle back down, the old woman was gone.

A beautiful woman who suited the color red was reflected in the mirror.

“Is anyone outside?”

−Yes, Lady Blood Demon.

The Blood Demon said while elegantly arranging her disheveled hair with a graceful gesture.

“Prepare quickly. We are going to the Northern Sky Palace.”

“Bongmadong?”

“Yes. Have you heard of it?”

Na Rin shook her head.

Gong Son Wu nodded as if he expected that.

“The type of martial arts that can be learned by each Sect member is determined according to their status. If you want to learn advanced martial arts, you need to prove your talent.”

“I see.”

Na Rin readily agreed.

Even in the Hwasan Sect, there was a distinction between the martial arts learned by the main disciples and the outer disciples.

‘I also had to diligently practice only the Six Harmony Sword Technique at first.’

Na Rin smiled slightly as she suddenly recalled her days in the Hwasan Sect.

When Jang Mun-in said that one could not learn the Plum Blossom Sword Technique without proving their talent, she had diligently beaten up her senior brothers. By steadily taking them down from the lower ranks, she had defeated most of the Hwasan Sect disciples.

There was no reason she couldn’t do it again.

Na Rin clenched her fists as hard as gravel with an enthusiastic expression and said,

“Sure. How many should I beat up?”

“What?”

“Ah, is quality more important than quantity? Then who should I take down……”

“Take down! Na Rin!”

Gong Son Wu jumped up.

If she tried to prove her talent in such a violent way, the ordinary disciples would all die.

‘Tsk. Pretending to be gentle despite being from the Demonic Sect.’

Na Rin sulked with her chin resting on her hand, feeling deflated. They keep saying the strong are respected, but it’s just empty words.

“If I can’t even hit them, how can I prove that I’m good at fighting?”

When Na Rin openly showed a dissatisfied expression, Gong Son Wu explained again from the beginning, step by step.

“Listen calmly. Ordinary disciples who wish to become warriors in the future enter the Martial Arts Institute or the Sword King Hall for basic training and are called trainees. Do you know that?”

Na Rin nodded.

She couldn’t not know, as the kids from Bongrim Village had entered the Sword King Hall like that.

“When those trainees reach a certain level, they go to Bongmadong to take a test, and if they pass, they can be recognized as low-level warriors. From then on, they formally serve a master and learn advanced martial arts.”

“I see.”

“It’s not just ‘I see’, you also have to go to Bongmadong and take the test.”

Na Rin placed her hand on her chest as if asking, ‘Me?’

“But I already have a master.”

“Even a master cannot teach martial arts as they please, that is the law of the Sect. So first become a low-level warrior. In the meantime, I will prepare a Poison Sect martial art suitable for you.”

Poison Sect martial art!

Na Rin’s eyes sparkled.

How powerful would the Poison Sect martial art of the Guardian of the Law, the second-in-command of the Demonic Sect, be?

Gong Son Wu confirmed that Na Rin had gained motivation and said with a satisfied smile.

“Do you want to see a demonstration?”

“Yes!”

Gong Son Wu gestured with his eyes for Na Rin to follow, then opened the door and went out, standing diagonally toward the empty training ground, and said,

“It’s called the first stance of the Heavenly Dragon Sword Technique. Heavenly Dragon Extending Claws.”

And he unleashed his sword in a lightning-fast speed in front of Na Rin.

Clang!

A blue sword energy reaching one zhang in length shot across, scratching the green stone floor.

The sound that spread, tearing through the wall, was eerie, like the resentful cry of a dragon denied ascension to the heavens.

“Does it seem useful?”

“……!”

Na Rin touched the sword mark as if mesmerized.

A wriggling trail resembling a snake’s path was deeply engraved on the floor and wall.

The Poison Sect martial art of the Earth God King. The Heavenly Dragon Sword Technique.

‘It’s definitely not inferior to the Plum Blossom Sword Technique.’

Perhaps it could even be said to compensate for the weaknesses of the Plum Blossom Sword Technique.

The advantage of the Plum Blossom Sword Technique, which splendidly blooms by shattering sword energy, is that its sword path is unpredictable due to its rapid changes.

Therefore, the Plum Blossom Sword Technique shines greatly in one-against-many battles.

On the other hand, the Heavenly Dragon Sword Technique, which seems to tenaciously stick to the opponent, is truly……

‘A sword technique specialized for one-on-one battles against absolute masters.’

A thrilling electric current ran down Na Rin’s spine.

I want to learn it.

By any means necessary.

“…… So I just need to crush all the kids in Bongmadong and rank first?”

Seeing Na Rin’s changed gaze after witnessing the Heavenly Dragon Sword Technique, Gong Son Wu crossed his arms as if troubled.

It’s good that she gained motivation, but this is a bit excessive.

‘At this rate, we might have to hold funerals.’

To discipline Na Rin, Gong Son Wu spoke in a deliberately strict tone.

“Don’t try to solve everything with force right away. I don’t want to hear that the chief disciple of the Eastern Sky Palace beat an ordinary disciple to death.”

“Eh, Master. People don’t die that easily. I’ll hit them gently.”

“You think you can control your strength?”

Na Rin’s eyes widened.

‘Can’t I?’

Come to think of it, it hadn’t been long since she became a 4th-grade warrior.

Internal energy manipulation was Na Rin’s specialty, but that was only based on the assessment of her 2nd-grade internal energy during her time as Bloodstained Plum Blossom. Now, Na Rin’s internal energy was double that, at the 4th grade.

Moreover, when passing through the Zhongdantian, an internal energy amplifier, the output would increase not by addition but by multiplication. Assuming a rough doubling of amplification……

‘Huh? 8th grade……?’

With what confidence did she say she would hit them gently?

It wouldn’t be surprising if their bones were completely shattered and they died from a slightly exaggerated pat on the shoulder for encouragement.

“Do you understand now?”

Gong Son Wu said to Na Rin, who was nodding her head with a look of finally grasping the situation.

“Repeat after me. I will not hit the trainees. I will not take them down. I will not crush them.”

“I will not hit the trainees! I will not take them down! I will not crush them!”

“Louder!”

“I will not hit them! I will not take them down!! I will not crush them!!”

The master and disciple pair did not have the slightest thought that Na Rin might fail the test, even by the slimmest chance.