The return of the granddaughter of the Namgoong family

Fwoosh—

A black energy surrounded the sword, and it pierced Ilhwa’s heart.

Caught off guard by the unexpected attack, not a moment’s preparation, blood gushed from Ilhwa’s mouth.

“W-Why…?”

Ilhwa looked at the person who had thrust the sword into her heart with a confused expression.

It was her teacher, the one who had raised her since childhood and taught her martial arts, the leader of the Blood Sect, and the one who achieved the grand goal of uniting the martial world—Blood Demon.

The sword that pierced Ilhwa’s heart was his.

“Disciple, do you remember what I wanted to achieve through you?”

From her childhood, Ilhwa had heard one thing repeatedly from him.

“Destroy Namgoong. You must break Namgoong’s sword with your own hands!”

She never knew why her teacher wanted to destroy Namgoong, but for 25 years, Ilhwa had lived only to fulfill that command.

Her whole life was dedicated to breaking Namgoong’s sword. Because of this, she was called the “Heaven Destroying Sword” within the Blood Sect.

As a result, today, Namgoong was completely destroyed—by Ilhwa’s hands.

Ilhwa gazed at Namgoong’s last sword, Namgoong Cheongun, lying dead on the ground.

“I have fulfilled your wish, Master.”

“Yes. At last, it will be achieved.”

“But… why…?”

The moment Namgoong Cheongun’s life ended, the sword of the Blood Demon pierced her heart.

In the instant she thought everything had been accomplished after a long battle, Blood Demon struck her heart.

“Why is this happening…?”

“Now, in the entire world, only you remain of Namgoong. Only when your life is extinguished will my will be fulfilled. What can you do?”

Ilhwa stared at him, her expression hardening.

“Are you looking at me with eyes that ask what this insane master is saying?”

Chuckling, her teacher once again seemed to see through her, as though he knew everything, as if he could pierce her mind.

“Do you know who lies at your feet?”

Ilhwa’s gaze returned to Namgoong Cheongun, whose neck had been partially sliced by the sword she had wielded.

“Your father.”

“…!”

“He was a pathetic fool who gave up his position as the head of the Namgoong family and ran around trying to find you.”

Ilhwa was stunned.

Her teacher, the Blood Demon, was inherently cruel and wicked. He would often kill people just for fun, to fill his own energy reserves, so not all of his words could be trusted.

However…

‘Looking back, it was strange.’

The man who treated human life as though it were no more valuable than that of a fly had raised her for a long time, calling her his disciple.

Even when stronger individuals pledged their loyalty, the master never abandoned her. He had relentlessly forced her to oppose Namgoong until she brought Namgoong to ruin.

But why?

Cough.

Blood-red vomit spilled from her mouth. Despite using her internal energy to prevent the wound from worsening, it was no longer enough.

“Hahaha! How does it feel? How does it feel to kill your own father with your own hands?!”

Blood Demon’s laughter echoed in her ears.

“When I told you that you were my daughter, you withdrew your energy. Truly pathetic, isn’t it?”

“…!”

Ilhwa recalled the desperate gaze of Namgoong Cheongun, who had looked at her just before his death.

The battle had clearly been in her favor. After a long struggle, Namgoong Cheongun had prepared a powerful strike, and Ilhwa had sensed her defeat. But just as he was about to strike, he suddenly stopped.

With a confused look, he stared at her, and in that fleeting moment, Ilhwa swiftly severed his neck.

Namgoong Cheongun knelt, blood spurting from his neck. Despite the blood loss, his gaze remained fixed on Ilhwa.

‘Seol…hwa…’

Recalling the last words he had spoken, a single tear fell from Ilhwa’s eye.

She couldn’t understand why the tears came.

Her emotions were entirely destroyed by the accumulated rage and side effects of her life. Yet, her eyes still wept.

“Hehe, don’t feel so wronged. You must have enjoyed it too, didn’t you?”

As she looked at Namgoong Cheongun’s corpse, her vision slowly became blurry.

As Blood Demon raised his energy, the sword that pierced Ilhwa’s heart began to hum ominously.

“I raised you for this moment. To destroy the arrogant Namgoong, to witness the end of Namgoong’s lineage by my hands! Hahahaha!”

His laughter vibrated through the heavens and earth, pressing down on the space around them. Blood Demon was genuinely delighted.

Ilhwa let go of the internal energy that had been holding her wound closed.

Cough—

Blood-red blood poured from her mouth.

Her entire body went limp, and she no longer had the strength to raise her arms. Her breath, which had barely clung to life, began to fade rapidly.

“Please… stop… this is… no longer fun…”

At that moment, Blood Demon’s laughter abruptly stopped.

His cold, indifferent gaze bore into her, and a black energy swirled around his sword.

“I’m already bored with this.”

A chilling aura erupted from the sword, sweeping through the air.

In that moment, Blood Demon’s sword sliced through her body.

Starting from her heart, the sword cut across her shoulder, and as it withdrew, Ilhwa vomited blood and collapsed to the ground.

“It was fun, disciple.”

Thus, the Namgoong family was no more.

Blood Demon’s laughter slowly faded into the air.

Leaving her to die, his back turned with a light and carefree step.

Cough…

As Ilhwa gazed at the retreating figure of Blood Demon, crimson tears flowed from her eyes.

“Foolish.”

What a foolish life.

To have followed him, thinking of him as a master, not even realizing she was being deceived and used.

Why had she lived such a foolish life?

What had she believed in, following someone who only knew bloodshed?

Her entire life was spent for Blood Demon, to bring down Namgoong, and in the end, all she had received was the laughter of the one she trusted.

The only thing left was a miserable death.

What remained was only blood.

The scent of the blood of the Namgoong she had killed lingered around her, like a vengeful spirit.

In that scent of blood, there too would be Ilhwa, her death.

With a thud.

Ilhwa’s body fell, having lost all strength.

The Heavenly Destroying Sword, Ilhwa, who was Blood Demon’s pawn, and the sub-master of the Blood Sect, had met her end, manipulated by the one she trusted.