Chapter 148
Blood Wolf Sect Leader’s intention to provoke Doyul was evident.
Grinding his teeth, Doyul momentarily glared at the Blood Wolf Sect Leader.
Then, he took a couple of steps back.
“No, I won’t be having a direct conversation with you.”
“…What do you mean?”
“I’ll let my wife handle this.”
“…The Madam?”
Blood Wolf Sect Leader glanced briefly at Yerin with a disdainful look.
A clear expression of displeasure crossed his face.
“Why would I waste time talking to some girl who hasn’t even seen blood yet?”
“Why did you run the Hongyeon Tea House?”
However, Yerin did not even blink as she asked the question.
‘Hongyeon Tea House?’
Doyul’s face briefly showed confusion.
There were more pressing matters, like the poisoning of the Murim Alliance Leader or the events in the Dang Clan.
“Would you like me to be more specific?”
Yerin tilted her head slightly.
“Why did you set up Hongyeon Tea House and openly sell a tea with addictive effects?”
“….”
Suddenly, the Blood Wolf Sect Leader had a surprised look on his face.
“It’s strange when I think about it.”
Yerin had a cold and composed expression as if a needle wouldn’t even fit between her brows.
“At first, you might have thought you could get away with it. But selling a tea with addictive effects, the Murim Alliance couldn’t have just overlooked it.”
“….”
“Rumors spread like wildfire, and people were lining up for hours to buy the tea.”
Blood Wolf Sect Leader remained silent, clenching his jaw tightly.
Yerin continued, closely watching his expression.
“The vice-leader of the Blood Sect isn’t someone who would be caught off guard by such things. He was meticulous, cunning.”
“….”
“So, it stands to reason that this chaos was part of a larger plan. Isn’t it?”
Doyul looked at Yerin with sharp eyes.
‘What my wife says is true.’
Up until now, he had been too happy that the Murim Alliance Leader had recovered to focus on the finer details.
But Yerin’s argument had undeniable merit.
“How dare a righteous sect’s maggot speak of Vice-leader?”
Blood Wolf Sect Leader suddenly raised his voice, trying to regain control of the conversation.
Yerin smirked, watching his reaction.
“Why get so upset? You’re making it seem like you’re hiding something with all this fuss.”
“Stop spouting nonsense!”
Bowing slightly, Yerin locked eyes with the Blood Wolf Sect Leader.
“Are you really hiding nothing?”
“….”
“….”
They held that intense gaze for a while.
“This is unexpected,” Blood Wolf Sect Leader finally broke the silence, laughing hollowly.
“Answer the question.”
“You’re going too far. Even though my body is crippled, let me at least speak freely.”
Blood Wolf Sect Leader sneered at Doyul, glancing briefly with a sidelong look.
“I really wanted to see that rigid Alliance Leader’s face shatter.”
Then, in an instant—
Clang!!
The sharp sound of metal colliding rang out.
“Argh!”
Blood Wolf Sect Leader gasped desperately for breath.
The tip of a blade pressed firmly against his throat through the iron bars.
But the most chilling realization wasn’t the immediate danger.
‘That girl didn’t even react to pulling her sword.’
Blood Wolf Sect Leader’s eyes widened.
That meant—
‘In a real death match… my head would’ve already been cut off.’
Yerin spoke softly, her voice calm and controlled.
“Listen, Blood Wolf Sect Leader.”
“….”
“Do I look like I’m playing around?”
Suddenly, Blood Wolf Sect Leader felt his spine go cold, a chill spreading through his body.
It was sheer intent to kill.
‘That girl… she just came of age this year.’
His mouth went dry.
‘At her age, how can she radiate such killing intent?’
Even the most seasoned warriors of the Blood Sect rarely exhibited such a presence.
And yet here was Blood Wolf Sect Leader, standing at the pinnacle of power within the sect.
And still…
‘Where did such a girl come from?’
Yerin remained expressionless as she continued speaking.
“You’re beneath my husband, so watching you spew such filth isn’t something I tolerate. It’s better to end your life right here.”
The blade remained steady, poised at Blood Wolf Sect Leader’s throat.
The intent was clear—she would strike at any moment.
Seeing this, the Blood Wolf Sect Leader realized something.
‘She’s serious.’
Yerin was truly prepared to take his life.
“Alright, alright,” Blood Wolf Sect Leader whispered, his voice trembling slightly.
“Let’s talk, but put the sword down.”
After staring coldly at the Blood Wolf Sect Leader for a moment longer, Yerin finally withdrew her blade.
In that instant, the Blood Wolf Sect Leader was overwhelmed by deep self-loathing.
‘I… just begged for my life from that small girl?’
Despite enduring countless brutal tortures and patiently waiting for the right moment, he believed he had prepared himself for death.
And yet, after all that preparation…
‘Here I am, cowering before a little girl’s killing intent?!’
Blood Wolf Sect Leader stiffened his shoulders momentarily before a bitter sound escaped his lips.
“Pfft.”
At the same time, laughter burst forth uncontrollably.
“Haha, haha… hahaha!”
Blood Wolf Sect Leader couldn’t contain his amusement, unable to resist the irony of begging for his life while his very existence had become worthless.
He laughed for a long time, unable to stop.
“…Hah, ridiculous.”
With that soft muttering, Blood Wolf Sect Leader straightened his back.
Then, he turned the tables, posing a question to Yerin.
“If the Alliance Leader of the Martial League dies from poisoning within the League, and no one can determine clearly who assassinated the Alliance Leader…”
“….”
“Then what happens?”
Yerin furrowed her brows slightly, pondering the question.
It wasn’t a straightforward query, as it returned more questions than answers, but…
‘It’s a valid point.’
At least the Blood Wolf Sect Leader didn’t seem inclined to provoke Yerin and Doyul any further.
Thus,
“First, they’ll look for an external cause, and if the reason remains unclear, they’ll suspect the internal factions of the Martial League.”
“Correct. The suspicion will spread between each faction. That’s the first step.”
Indeed, it was a likely scenario.
Had Yerin not exposed the poison pill, and had the Thousand-Year Immortality Herb not shown its effects on the Alliance Leader…
‘The Alliance Leader wouldn’t have survived until the arrival of the Thousand-Year Immortality Herb.’
The aftermath would have been inevitable.
The factions and clans within the Martial League would have been torn apart, filled with suspicion and chaos.
For Blood Sect, dismantling them would have been child’s play.
“But the Alliance Leader managed to survive despite his condition,” Blood Wolf Sect Leader sneered, clicking his tongue.
“Perhaps it’s thanks to that potent old man’s poison.”
“….”
Yerin’s eyes narrowed as she stared coldly at the Blood Wolf Sect Leader.
“Regardless, let’s assume the Alliance Leader fell.”
Blood Wolf Sect Leader shrugged his shoulders, speaking again.
“Now, imagine the emergence of poisoned individuals across Hangzhou. Could the Martial League handle them?”
“No, it would be difficult.”
Yerin frowned deeply.
Blood Wolf Sect Leader continued, appearing magnanimous.
“Indeed. In the midst of the already chaotic Martial League, their focus would shift entirely to the poisoned individuals. For a while, the Martial League would be paralyzed.”
“….”
Watching the Blood Wolf Sect Leader speak, Yerin began to feel uneasy.
‘His actions are inconsistent.’
Until now, Blood Wolf Sect Leader had sharpened his words, mocking the people of the Martial League mercilessly.
Yet, now he was freely revealing everything he knew.
‘Why is that?’
Then, the Blood Wolf Sect Leader, with an amused tone, called out to Yerin.
“Hey, Madam, are you wondering why I’m being so honest?”
“….”
“You can’t seem to grasp why I’m spilling all the details of our Sect’s plan,” Blood Wolf Sect Leader said with eager anticipation, his eyes gleaming like a child waiting for something amusing.
“It’s because my mission has already been successfully completed.”
“Mission?”
“Yes. My mission is…”
Blood Wolf Sect Leader nodded emphatically.
Then, he grinned broadly, his lips pulling back in a wolf-like smile.
“Merely the bait and the starting point.”
In an instant, Yerin’s eyes widened.
The fragmented pieces suddenly clicked together.
The poisoning of the Martial League’s Alliance Leader, the poisoned individuals in Hangzhou.
And the one captured now…
‘Blood Wolf Sect Leader.’
The officer-in-charge who helped oversee the majority of Blood Sect’s operations under the Vice Sect Leader.
One of the highest-ranking officials in Blood Sect.
Now captured by the Martial League, the Blood Wolf Sect Leader was being relentlessly interrogated for information.
Even now, Yerin and Doyul had Blood Wolf Sect Leader firmly in their grasp.
‘…If all of this were to serve Blood Sect’s *true purpose* to obscure the eyes of the Martial League?’
That thought crossed Yerin’s mind as she felt a chill run down her spine.
‘Didn’t Blood Wolf Sect Leader just call it a *starting point*? For what exactly?’
Suddenly, the Blood Wolf Sect Leader fell strangely silent.
“Blood Wolf Sect Leader!”
Yerin suddenly rushed toward the Blood Wolf Sect Leader.
At the same time—
“Cough!”
Blood Wolf Sect Leader spat out a mouthful of blood.
