Chapter 116: The Blood Cult''s Modus Operandi (1)
TL: FoodieMonster007
The next day, a guest arrived at White Dragon Manor.
“Sangwoong!”
Geo Sangwoong, who was immersed in his martial arts practice, looked up at the mention of his name. When he saw the visitor, his face lit up as he eximed, “Senior Yang! You’re here?”
At the sight of Geo Sangwoong’s expression, which was the brightest he’d seen in years, Yang Jin, whom Geo Sangwoong usually addressed as Senior Yang, flinched and took a step back, bewildered.
“I heard you had a seizure at the inn… Are you okay?” Yang Jin asked hesitantly.
Patting his slightly smaller paunch, Geo Sangwoong burst outughing, “Hahaha! That was a few days ago. I’m fine now. You needn’t have bothereding all this way to see me.”
“…How could I not? I came running as soon as your father told me what happened to you. Here, take this,” Yang Jin handed over a get-well gift, smiling awkwardly.
It was a snack that Geo Sangwoong usually enjoyed. This time, however, Geo Sangwoong didn’t even look at it. “Never mind. Come in. I’ll show you to the lounge.” He said, beckoning Yang Jin to follow him.“Huh? Oh, okay.”
Shortly after, they sat facing each other in the lounge.
Still dumbstruck, Yang Jin stared closely at Geo Sangwoong. The young man’s once bby cheeks were now a bit slimmer, and he wore a well-fitted ck martial arts uniform instead of his usual baggy clothes. Most notably, his demeanor had changed. The person who always wore a fake, sly smile was now genuinely happy and talkative.
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<em>This guy… how has he changed so much in only a few days?</em> he wondered.
Sensing Yang Jin’s difort, Geo Sangwoong started the conversation, asking, “How have you been, Senior Yang? Still hooked on gambling?”
“…Yeah, I guess so,” Yang Jin replied sheepishly, catching a glimpse of his own reflection in a mirror. Compared to the vibrant and dapper Geo Sangwoong before him, his scruffy goatee and hunched shoulders made him look shabby.
<em>Damn it…</em> Yang Jin gritted his teeth inwardly, upset that for a brief moment, he seriously felt that he was inferior to Geo Sangwoong. However, he didn’t show it, instead pretending to be concerned.
“I saw you training earlier. Are you sure that’s okay? You might have another seizure…”
“I’m fully recovered.”
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“…What?”
“Hahaha! I said I’m fully recovered!”
Yang Jin’s face turned pale, as if he had seen a ghost. Although he’d graduated now, two years ago, he was one of the students who had snuck out with Geo Sangwoong and gotten thrashed by the Heavenly Martial Academy.
“What do you mean, fully recovered? You don’t have nightmares anymore?” he pressed.
“Yup. Not only do I no longer have nightmares, I also don’t feel the urge to binge eat or gamble anymore.”
“How…?” Yang Jin’s jaw dropped. <em>No, this can’t be happening!</em>
Geo Sangwoong smiled warmly. “It’s all thanks to Master Baek Suryong.”
“Who?” Yang Jin bbed involuntarily. He wasn’t asking about Baek Suryong because he didn’t know of him, he just hadn’t expected that person to be mentioned out of the blue.
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<em>Baek Suryong cured Geo Sangwoong’s seizures? That’s impossible!</em>
Baek Suryong was the most talked about person in the citytely, and even the organization Yang Jin belonged to had discussed whether there was a need to eliminate him several times…
“I heard we have a guest?” someone suddenly asked.
Both men immediately turned toward the lounge door. The voice hade from outside.
Geo Sangwoong quickly stood up and opened the door. “Pleasee in, Mr. Baek,” he greeted.
Standing at the doorway, Baek Suryong peeked into the lounge and met Yang Jin’s gaze briefly before entering. Turning back to Geo Sangwoong, he asked, “Is he a friend of yours?”
“Yes! He is an alumnus of the Azure Dragon Academy.”
“Is that so?”
Following Geo Sangwoong’s lead, Yang Jin stood up and sped his hands in greeting. “Hello, Mr. Baek. My name is Yang Jin. I’ve heard a lot about you from Sangwoong.”
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“……” Baek Suryong looked at Yang Jin for a moment, then smiled faintly.
Suddenly, Yang Jin feltpletely exposed. He swallowed dryly, trying his best not to crumble beneath the pressure of Baek Suryong’s gaze.
“Feel free to stay and rx. You’re also wee to join us for dinner,” Baek Suryong said casually.
“…Thank you, but I have to leave soon. I have another appointment…”
“What appointment? You’re always at the gambling den,” Geo Sangwoong interjected.
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“…I really have something urgent to do today,” Yang Jin replied anxiously, feeling cold sweat running down his back.
Baek Suryong chuckled and patted him on the shoulder. “My apologies, I seem to have interrupted your get-together. Go ahead and enjoy your time together.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Baek Suryong turned and walked away.
Even after he left, the two continued to chat about various things, but Yang Jin no longer heard what Geo Sangwoong was saying.
“…I should get going,” he said absentmindedly.
“So soon? At least stay for dinner.”
“I really am pressed for time,” Yang Jin insisted, standing up to leave.
Geo Sangwoong looked at him with disappointment. “Well, if you must… Anyway, I’ll be staying here for a while, so visit me whenever you can.”
“…What about the gambling den?”
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“I won’t be going there anymore.”
Yang Jin’s expression hardened.
Seeing this, Geo Sangwoong smiled bitterly. “Senior, it’s thanks to Mr. Baek that I am able to practice martial arts again. It feels like I’m finally alive again. ording to Mr. Baek… I’ve been suffering from qi deviation all this time.”
<em>What nonsense! You never had qi deviation!</em> Yang Jin wanted to shout, but he knew better.
Seeing Yang Jin’s obvious panic, Geo Sangwoong looked at him worriedly. “Senior, are you still having nightmares? If necessary, you should get yourself examined by Mr. Baek. I can set up a time for you.”
“No, no, I’m fine. My symptoms aren’t as severe as yours. I’ve forgotten all about what happened back then,” Yang Jin replied, shaking his head vigorously.
Two years ago, both he and Geo Sangwoong had been victims of the same incident at the Heavenly Martial Academy. However, their paths diverged drastically afterward.
While Geo Sangwoong struggled to ovee the trauma, Yang Jin quickly epted his fate. That’s why, when the organization extended a hand, he didn’t hesitate. He felt no guilt when they gave him orders.<blockquote>
“Ruin Geo Sangwoong. Gambling, drinking, whatever it takes. Break his spirit.”</blockquote>
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The n had been proceeding smoothly until now…
“Senior?”
Geo Sangwoong’s voice brought Yang Jin back to reality.
“…I really have to go. Let’s meet again soon.”
Having said that, Yang Jin hurriedly left the White Dragon Manor, biting his lip in distress.
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<em>This is going horribly wrong. Geo Sangwoong has been cured!</em>
Yang Jin shivered nervously as he made his way to his regr gambling den. However, he wasn’t going there to gamble. He had to report to his organization, the Blood Cult, at once.
A short whileter, Baek Suryong quietly appeared where Yang Jin had stood.
“So, it was him.”
A cold smile formed on Baek Suryong’s lips.
A short, stout man frowned. “Geo Sangwoong is practicing martial arts again? Is that true?” he asked.
The man’s tone was polite, yet Yang Jin, kneeling before him, trembled like prey before a predator. To most, this man was merely the owner of the shabby inn that transformed into a gambling den at night. However, he had another, more sinister identity—he was the captain of the Ghost Blood Unit, one of the Blood Cult’s scouting squads.
Most importantly, he was the Smiling Grim Reaper, a mass murderer renowned for always killing people with a joyful smile on his face.
Yang Jin stammered, “Y-Yes, it definitely seems that Geo Sangwoong has ovee his fears. He looked healthy and even refused the food I brought.”
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“That’s odd. This doesn’t make any sense,” the Smiling Grim Reaper muttered. “As far as I know, Geo Sangwoong’s condition isn’t curable.”
“I was under the same impression,” another man sitting opposite the Smiling Grim Reaper agreed.
Unlike Yang Jin, who only had a rough idea, these two knew exactly what Geo Sangwoong had been subjected to.
<em>Those affected by the Soul Reaping Demonic Art ultimately lose their sanity. It’s just a matter of when, not if. Geo Sangwoong hadsted longer than expected…but he was supposed to be aplete wreck within a year or two.</em>
The n was to turn Geo Sangwoong into a puppet after his mind broke down, allowing the Blood Cult to take over the Golden Dragon Trading Company.
“Haha… Didn’t you say the n was going smoothly until recently?”
The idea that years of meticulous nning could be ruined in just a few days brought a smile to the Smiling Reaper’s lips. True to his nickname, the more his bloodlust grew, the wider his smile became, and once it did, he wouldn’t stop killing until he was drenched in blood.
Terrified, Yang Jin repeatedly banged his head on the floor, begging for mercy. “I’m sorry! I really am! Please spare my life!”
“Apology epted. Now, tell me everything in detail.”
Trembling, Yang Jin reported what he had seen. “Baek Suryong, an instructor at Azure Dragon Academy, is responsible for all of this! Earlier, I found Geo Sangwoong practicing martial arts at his ce, and the boy told me that Baek Suryong cured his qi deviation…”
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“…Baek Suryong. That name has beening up oftentely. Haven’t I already warned you before? He’s no ordinary man.” the man opposite the Smiling Grim Reaper remarked, sipping his tea.
“……” The Smiling Grim Reaper fell silent, deep in thought. Baek Suryong, a new instructor at the Azure Dragon Academy, had been causing quite a stir. While his name hadn’t reached the Blood Cult’s main headquarters yet, the Nanchang branch at least was beginning to take notice of him.
The Smiling Grim Reaper looked at the cunning man across from him.
<em>I intended to stay out of this, but if Baek Suryong is involved with Geo Sangwoong, the situation changes.</em>
Geo Sangwoong, or rather the Golden Dragon Trading Company, was a crucial target for the Blood Cult’s grand n. They had spent two years breaking down Geo Sangwoong’s spirit and recruiting those around him. The n was to have Geo Sangwoong be the legitimate heir of the Golden Dragon Trading Company, then eliminate the current master and use Geo Sangwoong as a puppet.
<em>But now a new instructor shows up and ruins everything? Uneptable.</em>
The Smiling Grim Reaper made his decision. “If Baek Surying bes an obstacle to our Cult’s activities…we must eliminate him soon,” he dered.
“Wise choice, Captain. Let me pour you a drink,” the man said, filling the Smiling Reaper’s ss with a fine, aromatic wine that felt out of ce in the shabby inn. Then, after taking another sip from his cup, he continued, “Captain, may I make one request?”
“Speak.”
The man, Pung Jinho, emptied his ss in one gulp and smiled wickedly, his eyes glinting like a snake’s. “Please allow me to ruin Baek Suryong before you kill him. No… please allow me to kill him personally as well.”