‘So that was why.’

Because he was worried.

Because he was afraid that I might get caught up in something dangerous, get hurt, suffer, die.

Because he was so worried about all of that. Because he was anxious.

Your gaze had always been turned toward me.

At first, not knowing the reason, I had simply teased the heart that kept chasing after me.

I had easily brushed aside his constant words telling me to be careful.

‘How anxious must you have been at those times.’

How much must you have wanted to step in front of me.

How much must you have wanted to tell me not to go.

A name that meant snow and plum blossoms: Seolmae.

In the previous life, the man who had longed only for plum blossoms was, before she knew it, longing for her.

The man who had willingly laid down his life for his fellow disciples was waiting for the moment he had to die for her.

‘And I never gave you any answer.’

That I liked you too.

Even though I could have said it, I did not.

Simply out of my own selfishness, even though I knew it would make you happy....

“Any way you can, no matter what it takes... please... save him.... Please....”

Strength entered Seolhwa’s hands as she clutched the Immortal Physician’s hand.

That slender woman, pleading with trembling hands, was not the Namgoong Seolhwa the Immortal Physician had originally known.

‘Just how precious is this person to her....’

A woman who had only ever shown a strong and wise face.

A young girl whose strength could rival that of adults, with the wisdom to coolly judge any situation.

Yet in this moment, that very girl was afraid of someone’s death.

She was shedding heartrending tears.

The one who had seemed so solid, as if she could bear up under everything alone, was in truth also a young, fragile woman.

Someone capable of grieving this deeply....

How, then, could she speak the reality aloud.

“...I will do what I can.”

In the end, the Immortal Physician told a lie.

She had always thought that saying she would save a patient with no hope was the most foolish thing a doctor could do, but this was the first time she spoke such a lie.

“Hhhk....”

Leaning against that hand, Seolhwa sobbed, shoulders shaking, trying to hold her breath.

The Immortal Physician drew her into an embrace, patted her back, and let out a long sigh.

****

Yunnan Province. Kunming.

In the room, dark red qi churned so viciously it felt as if it might slice a throat at any moment.

Blood Demon, seated on the upper seat, slowly let his gaze travel over the six chairs arranged in a row.

Of the six chairs, a mere three were actually bearing a master.

Blood Demon’s eyes flashed with a red gleam as he surveyed the three masked Blood Lords who were doing their best to avoid his gaze.

“Only three.”

At the oppressive force carried in that low, cracking voice, Fourth Blood Lord flinched and shuddered before he realized it.

First Blood Lord, who had been staring straight ahead, did not so much as twitch. Second Blood Lord also kept his posture, but his Adam’s apple bobbed.

Seeing their reactions, Blood Demon’s lips twisted in a fishy smile.

SSEU-SSEU-SSEU-SSEU—

The ferocious aura of a predator swept through the room in an instant.

In that moment, the masks covering the faces of the three Blood Lords split with a CRRRACK, then shattered apart along the fissures and fell away.

Princess of North Sea Ice Palace.

Young Lord of Tang Clan in Sichuan.

Palace Lord of Southern Wilds Beast Palace.

It was the moment the true identities of the three were laid completely bare.

First Blood Lord and Fourth Blood Lord looked at one another as if on cue.

But First Blood Lord’s gaze soon slipped away.

Fourth Blood Lord snorted softly through his nose, and then both their gazes turned toward Second Blood Lord.

“....”

First Blood Lord’s brow faintly creased.

‘...Who?’

The two of them did not recognize Tang Hojin.

Since Tang Hojin had only recently shown himself in the martial world as Young Lord of Tang Clan, it was natural.

At their faintly flustered reaction, a thin sneer spread across Tang Hojin’s lips.

“First Blood Lord.”

The princess of North Sea Ice Palace tilted her head slightly toward Blood Demon.

Blood Demon looked down at her.

“Why did you turn back?”

THUD—

In that moment, First Blood Lord felt a crushing sense of pressure, as if a gigantic eye were fixed upon her.

She unconsciously curled the hand resting on the arm of her chair into a fist and opened her mouth.

“I had no... choice.... What the Sword Emperor presented... was our palace lord’s token.... I could not go against... that....”

“Your vessel is small.”

“....”

First Blood Lord lifted her gaze to look at Blood Demon.

Blood Demon’s lips curled into a broad grin.

“Was it your wish to live as nothing more than someone’s lackey? Was your reason for trying to seize Central Plains to offer it up to that person?”

The princess’s eyes quivered finely.

By nature, she was a greedy woman.

She could not stand having her own things taken from her, and she could not feel any meaning in life unless she was snatching away what belonged to others.

Even in the North Sea, she was notorious for being cruel and avaricious, and it was on the back of that greed that she had stepped out to conquer Central Plains.

Blood Demon’s words were more than enough to strike her reverse scale.

“To think you would offer up even your life for someone else’s sake like this. Truly, a tear-jerkingly loyal hound.”

“...!”

The princess’s clenched fist trembled minutely.

Her once emotionless gaze was now filling with a dense heat.

Watching that sight with satisfaction, Blood Demon turned his gaze to her opposite side.

“Second Blood Lord.”

“Have I not fulfilled my role well enough?”

Wearing a smile full of confidence, Tang Hojin met Blood Demon’s eyes straight on.

He had brought down Tang Clan in Sichuan and dragged its martial artists off as his own underlings.

Not only that.

He had also taken the Demon-Slaying Corps of Martial Alliance and the Kunlun Sect martial artists of Qinghai into his hands, and because of that, Martial Alliance and Kunlun had both taken heavy blows.

“I have more than done my part. You should punish those who have been idling around all this time.”

“Excessive arrogance only hastens death.”

RRRRRUMBLE....

“!”

In that instant, Second Blood Lord felt the same crushing pressure First Blood Lord had.

No, this time, it was not just a gaze.

“Ugh....”

All at once, an immense force pressed down on his entire body, and every muscle in Second Blood Lord’s frame tensed.

It was a pressure so overwhelming that the veins on his forehead and his hands and feet bulged.

“If I ordered you right now to engage in a Life-and-Death Duel, do you think you could walk out of this place alive?”

“!”

Second Blood Lord’s eyes flew wide.

He had been raised to the position of Second Blood Lord in recognition of his comprehensive knowledge of poisons, which formed the backbone of Great Blood Cult, and his meticulous cunning—but in pure physical power, he was the weakest among all the dead Blood Lords.

Until now, only Blood Demon and Second Blood Lord himself had known that.

‘...Damn it....’

Enduring the pressure, Second Blood Lord glanced sideways at First and Fourth Blood Lord.

Their lips were faintly curled, and the gleam in their eyes flashed like predators that had found prey.

WHOOSH—

The force that had been crushing down on Second Blood Lord vanished in an instant.

He clutched at his neck, coughing as the pent-up breath burst out.

“While O Blood Lord was striking Mount Hua, if you had also struck Central Plains, we could have brought down one or two more pillars of Martial Alliance.”

Shadowless Demon God had been dealing with Southern Wilds, Ouyang Do was in recuperation, and the Sword Emperor was handling the North Sea.

If Second Blood Lord had attacked Central Plains at the same time as O Blood Lord, one or two sects or clans would surely have been unable to respond in time and ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) would have fallen.

“Do not indulge yourself in self-satisfaction.”

“...I will bear it in mind.”

Next, Blood Demon’s gaze moved to Fourth Blood Lord, seated beside Second Blood Lord.

Feeling it, Fourth Blood Lord flinched again.

Blood Demon’s eyes, fixed on him, sank to a chill.

“Why did you withdraw.”

The question was the same as with First Blood Lord, but Blood Demon’s tone was even colder.

It was the voice of someone who already knew the answer.

“...It was....”

Fourth Blood Lord swallowed a curse.

‘Shadowless Demon God....’

He had withdrawn on the agreement that both sides would profit from the conflict between North Sea and Martial Alliance.

But North Sea and Martial Alliance had not ended up clashing.

And all for the very petty reason that one party insisted the agreement had to be honored.

‘He must have already known.’

He had surely sent him back knowing that the two forces would not fight.

He must have judged that the martial world of Central Plains was not yet ready to carry out a full battle.

‘To think they dared deceive me....’

GRIND—

Just as Fourth Blood Lord was once again chewing over his fury at having been deceived by Shadowless Demon God—

“That is not why you withdrew.”

“...?”

At Blood Demon’s words, which sounded as if he had peered straight into his mind, Fourth Blood Lord turned to him with a puzzled look.

Blood Demon, chin propped in one hand, was looking at him sidelong with a crooked gaze and a sneer.

“Was it not fear that made you retreat.”

“...!”

Blood Demon let out a short laugh as he looked at him.

Under the piercing gaze that seemed to see right through him, the fear hidden beneath Fourth Blood Lord’s shocked face was exposed.

The fear of losing to Shadowless Demon God.

The fear of being utterly broken in front of his subordinates.

The fear of death.

“One who claims to rule over death kneels before it and then tries to deceive himself. That is why you are merely Fourth Blood Lord.”

Fourth Blood Lord’s eyes went wide.

Palace Lord of Southern Wilds Beast Palace and Princess of North Sea Ice Palace.

Even as it was, he could not stand the thought that he, a palace lord, was being pushed down in rank by a mere princess.

Because North Sea Ice Palace was larger than Southern Wilds Beast Palace.

Because the princess of North Sea Ice Palace had joined hands with Blood Demon before he had.

He had consoled himself with such paltry excuses, telling himself there was no particular reason for the order in which they were seated.

But Fourth Blood Lord had already known.

That the Blood Lord who had joined last had surpassed the others and become Second Blood Lord.

That Sixth Blood Lord, who had been the first to die, had been so weak that all the other Blood Lords had scorned him.

He had already dimly realized that this order was the ranking of strength in Blood Demon’s eyes.

“Does it gall you.”

“....”

Fourth Blood Lord glared at Blood Demon.

That gaze was met by the same fishy smile still lingering at the corners of Blood Demon’s mouth.