Absolute Sword Sense novel - Chapter 7
Due to some copyright issues. I changed some word such god= supreme-ruler. /diviné= supreme. And some Chinese words etc, all of this to avoid copyright *.*
The points resembling the Big Dipper on the back of my hand were formed by blue flames.
I am sure that these points somehow are related to the Sword Immortal. Come to think of it, even when Moyong Soo tried to kill me with his sword, the blue flames were what shot up from my body and made me regress back 10 years.
What secrets did it have for this to happen? At this time, no one would have been able to find the Sword Immortal, so if there is a chance, I need to look for it.
It has already been an entire month since I’ve been stuck in this moving wagon. Typically, we should have arrived in less than a week, but there was a delay along the way. From the sounds outside the wagon, it was probably bandits.
At first glance, it seems like the unit is arriving late back to the Blood Sect.
Clack!
The wagon door opens. A subtle light flows inside, making me close my eyes.
All the boys and girls who are tied up begin to tremble in fear.
Shhh!
The light that came into the wagon is covered by a person’s shadow. It was Leader Oh. He has a scary face to look at.
‘He seems to be hurt.’
It seems like I am in for a ride. But it doesn’t matter. After all, from here on out, Leader Oh isn’t the one in charge.
-Have we arrived? I don’t see anything.
The Small Short Sword in my arms begs for me to take it out.
‘No.’
-It’s stuffy here.
‘Endure it.’
Taking the sword out will only bring more suspicion to me. This would obviously be a very awkward thing to happen to me.
Leader Oh glances at the others inside the carriage and shouts.
“Come out right now.’
The boys and girls inside begin to crawl out at his strong words. I am the first one to get out. As I leave the wagon, I can see a space that is surrounded by large mountain peaks outside.
‘I am here again after such a long time.’
The moment I see this place, the sight of which is firmly seared in my mind, I can feel a chill run down my spine. Memories of the truly hellish time I had here come rushing back.
This place is a hiding place for the Blood Sect known as the Six Blood Valley. A new home for the Blood Sect after the war.
After being defeated by the Murim Alliance in the war, members of the Blood Sect had scattered all over the central plains.
It is safe to say that they are operating as an information organization.
“Uh. So Wonhwi.”
Leader Oh calls me.
“Salute!”
I bow my head to not bring in too much attention, and a low voice warns me.
“I will keep watching you.”
He is really suspicious of me.
Meanwhile, the other girls and boys are dragged out of the wagon by force. Among them are Song Jwa-baek and Song Woo-hyun.
The twins, still stunned from having their blood points sealed, look angry.
-Grrr!
In addition to the wagon we rode in, there were two more wagons with children inside. Among them, one face catches my eye.
‘Ah!’
The face is still young and beautiful, but it is someone I knew well.
That girl has distinct concave facial features and is white as a sheet. No one would think that she, Dam Yehwa, would be the disciple of the infamous Blood Witch…
The Blood Witch is the Sixth among the Seven Blood Stars. Dam Yehwa possesses an innately cold body and is destined to become the Blood Witch’s disciple.
‘I am lucky.’
Someone like me ended up being a third-rate spy. It is hard to decide if I am lucky or not. Even being selected as a disciple happens without considering the disciple’s will.
“See that?”
Leader Oh points his hand somewhere. There is a podium at where he is pointing to with a man in grey robes standing with his back to us.
“I will give you 5 seconds. Run there.”
Everyone is hesitant at the sudden command to run and unsure what to do. But upon hearing the command, I immediately ran there.
“W-what?”
The twins who see me run also begin to run after me. I begin to move faster, knowing what is coming.
“If you don’t want to die, run!”
A loud voice shouts this from behind. Knowing that this would happen, I ran.
Grrrr!
The others, too, begin to run behind me. I arrive at the podium first and kneel down on one knee.
“Oh.”
The man with his back to us seems a bit curious at my reaction. In fact, this is part of the basic things which are taught to people after being brought here.
“Shit. What is this!”
“Right. What are you doing here?”
The twins stand in stunned confusion for a moment before kneeling down like me. What I am doing is being followed by the others since I arrived first, and this is the right choice for them.
The other children rushing in look at me and then do the same thing.
“It is the first time I am seeing this.”
The man on the podium mumbles. I know who he is.
‘Gu Sang-woong, the Tyrannical Blood group commander.’
He is a man who stands above the group leaders and has the head position here. A single commander leads five leaders.
Gu Sang-woong is tasked with the role of selecting new members for the sect.
-Tat!
Four men and women appear next to the podium. The kids around me feel intimidated by their appearance as they all seem like high-ranking people.
The woman smiles and says,
“Well, this is a first. Someone is taking the proper greeting form before teaching has even begun.”
Thank me for that! I made them do this before you by setting an example for the rest of these kids.
-Are you so proud of this?
Short Sword laughs at me.
‘I just did what I had to do.’
-Yeah, right.
Right. This isn’t something to be proud of.
In the middle of my short argument with Short Sword, people of the Blood Sect surround us. It is to prevent us from escaping.
“What do we do?”
“They might kill us.”
The kids are all anxious as they whisper among themselves.
“Quiet!”
Everyone covers their ears at Gu Sang-woong’s shout. It is so loud that even my ears are in pain. When we all turn silent, Gu Sang-woong smiles proudly and says,
“Rejoice, children. You have been chosen.”
Chosen my ass! Since when did kidnapping turn into being chosen?!
“The will of the great Blood Demon has led you all into the Blood Sect.”
“B-Blood Sect!”
Whisper!
As soon as the name of the Blood Sect emerges, it becomes noisy, and the kids forget the warning to be silent. Even if this wasn’t Murim, no one does not know the name and cruelty of the Blood Sect.
-Puak!
“Kuak!”
The group falls into silence at the sound of someone screaming. It is from a boy who reacted the most out of everyone.
“I think I told you all to be silent.”
Leader Oh just simply killed the boy. He smiles bitterly as he pulls the sword from the dead boy’s neck, causing everyone’s minds to race.
-What? Did someone die?
Even though it can’t see, the short sword still notices when someone dies.
‘As an example.’
-Wow. That is brutal. Who kills a person to set an example?
This is the way of the Blood Sect. They aim to select a few useful jade stones and abandon the others.
Of course, most of them will be made to pledge loyalty to the Blood Sect.
-How did you last in such a place for 10 years?
‘You just need to obey them like a dog.’
-… Ah. As if being called trash wasn’t enough, you turned into a dog. A piece of dog shit.
‘You are taking a shortcut to make me break you.’
This is insane. This sword’s ability to use words in strange and harsh ways is evolving daily. At the same time, people of the Blood Sect approach with wooden boxes and set them in front of the podium.
Thud!
Ah, this too has to come. Everyone must be wondering what the boxes are for.
When Gu Sang-woong gestures, one sect member opens the boxes’ lid. As soon as they are opened, something red immediately crawls out.
“Eik!”
“W-worm?”
The disgusting red worms inside the wooden box are bloodworms. The Blood Sect uses them as a means to control its members.
I frowned at the sight of the bloodworms I had seen for the first time 10 years ago in a different past. I had that thing inside of me for 10 years.
“Uhh. There. Right, you.”
Gu Sang-woong, the commander, calls for me. He grins and asks.
“What do you think this is?’
“… A bloodworm.”
“Oh! Truly a descendant of a member of the Blood Sect.”
At his words of praise, everyone’s attention turns to me. With a single word, the seed I sowed sprouts and I become a member of the sect. The ripples caused by his words are significant.
All the other children look at me like I am an evil person.
“What do we do with this child?”
Song Jwa-baek, next to me, mumbles those words after hearing Gu Sang-woong’s statement. What else can be done since this has already happened?
If this is of any benefit, they too should start using this. Gu Sang-woong looks at everyone and says,
“You chosen children, listen to me. If you want to truly become a member of the Blood Sect, come and accept the bloodworm of your own will.”
The children begin to turn anxious as what they have feared becomes a reality with his words. They can’t run nor scream. I know what they are feeling a lot better than anyone else here. Then someone raises their hand.
‘Ah…’
I sigh.
Just like what happened 10 years ago, if there are a lot of people, there are bound to be those who can’t understand their situation.
“W-what if we refuse?”
Again, it happened. As soon as he asks the question, a nearby sect member slams his sword down on his head. The effect is immediate. No one can refuse, not unless they want to die.
If you don’t want to die, then don’t speak.
-They will kill everyone here if they think killing is the right way to set an example.
‘… They are doing this because there are many left here.’
Two people have died, but around 50 are still left. It is brutal but still an effective way to subdue the rest of them. Killing two wasn’t a loss when compared to that.
-It is amazing that you endured like this.
‘This is just the start.’
A blood parasite is a means to control the new recruit. The Blood Sect places the bloodworm into the body before pushing the children into a hell-like training. They are then gradually transformed into loyal members of the sect.
“Now. Who will accept this first?”
Gu Sang-woong points to the wooden box. Everyone hesitates, even though they are scared. No one would willingly step up to touch that poisonous worm.
‘Ha.’
Not knowing anything else, I know there is no way to skip this event. I move first, deciding that I should get something out of this. Again, everyone looks at me.
“I want that glory.”
“Ah! As expected.”
When I walk up first, Gu Sang-woong shows a satisfied expression.
On the other hand, Leader Oh clearly still dislikes me. He is still doubting me. Does he see any gaps in my acting?
Shh!
I get up and pick up the blood parasite on my own with chopsticks and bring it to my face. The worm is wriggling between the chopsticks.
“Eat it.”
“With water, it would be easi-…”
“Down it.”
I hate this!
-shh!
The wriggling feeling inside my mouth. I hate this fucking sensation so much that I even asked for water.
Gulp!
As if the parasite is waiting, it moves down my throat and into my stomach. I want to frown at this foreign feeling of something sliding down my throat, but I try to stay as calm as possible and raise my fist.
“Indeed from the descendant who inherited the blood of the sect. See that… Uh?”
Gu Sang-woon praises me or tries to as he looks at me with strange eyes. It’s not just him. Anyone who has an affiliation with the Blood Sect looks at me.
“Why are you looking at… uh!”
A sharp pain right in my chest.
Something wrong seems to be happening within my body. As I am in a strange state, the woman who stood next to the podium rushes to me.
“Why is his face this blue? Did the worm become pinched by the chopsticks?”
“N-No. He ate it down like normal…”
What they are saying is only throwing me into despair. Did I take the wrong blood parasite? The pain in my chest is making it hard for me to breathe.
“Huk… huk…”
It is burning inside.
“Shit!”
The female woman hastily places her hands on my back. It seems like she is injecting qi into my body to prevent the poison from spreading. Warm energy radiates from where her hands are.
“Kuak!”
But something feels strange. The burning pain I feel in my chest is slowly going down. Down to the stomach. This… no….
“What is it? Is that side hurting?”
“Ugh… miss! Wait for…”
Without even listening, she continues to infuse qi into me, and I try to hold on but,
Pung!
“Huh!”
The woman infusing qi into me hurriedly takes off her hands and covers her nose.
-Puaaaah!
And my short sword laughs like it would pass out.
“You!”
How unpleasant it must have been for this female leader. Her face turns red as she stares at me in disgust. I can say nothing as I had just farted right in front of her.
Ah… I am done.
‘Uh?’
But after the fart escapes me, the pain in my stomach subsides, and my stomach feels comfortable.
Instead, I feel energized.
‘What is this?’