A diplomatic delegation from Jeokan, dressed in splendid ceremonial attire, arrived in Yangryeong.

A group of over fifty people—at a glance, it gave off the appearance of a delegation assembled for a sincere negotiation.

It had to be.

Among the One Gate Three Families Two Manors, the heads of two factions had come.

The patriarch of the Heuk Clan and the sect master of the Flame Demon Hall.

Heuk Yeonggweol, patriarch of the Heuk Clan, and So Yeomhyeon, master of the Flame Demon Hall.

Their cultivation: Harmonization Stage and Ogijo Level, respectively.

Naturally, the higher-ranked Heuk Yeonggweol was leading the delegation, and Seol Unwi, who had been waiting at the front of Yangryeong branch’s main hall, smiled lightly and gave a martial salute.

“You’ve endured a long journey.”

“Hoho... Not at all. Though it was about twenty li, the importance of the matter made the road feel short indeed.”

His mouth smiled, but not his eyes.

It made sense.

No matter how peaceful the negotiation may seem, the majority of the warriors who had died were from Jeokan.

Martial artists from the Heuk Clan, the Flame Demon Hall, and even others included in this very delegation.

There was no way they could hold good feelings toward Yangryeong.

But whose order was this?

Lee Jagyeom had declared he would make peace.

Unwi seemed to want the same, so for now, they would go along with it.

That was the right move.

“Your expression doesn’t look so good.”

“...Is that so?”

“Yes. It seems we’ll need to have a drink.”

At those words, Heuk Yeonggweol’s eyes gleamed—as if he had been waiting.

“Let’s do that. In fact, this gentleman requested that I convey his desire for peace to Young Lord Seol—and he even sent a gift.”

As he spoke, he gave a signal to the attendant beside him. The man carefully opened a small box.

Inside was a jade bottle with a faint red glow.

“This is Blood Plum Heaven-Heart Wine, personally brewed by the gentleman. It’s a rare liquor, aged for ten years using petals of the blood plum that only grows in Jeokan. He wishes to share this with Young Lord Seol himself.”

Unwi’s eyes glinted faintly.

“Wine, hm. Wonderful. We’ve prepared some as well, but compared to the Blood Plum Heaven-Heart Wine, it may as well be water. I’ll refrain.”

As Unwi smiled while saying this, Heuk Yeonggweol’s lips curled upward.

Playing in his head was the memory of that moment when Lee Jagyeom had summoned him in secret.

He had said this:

—Keep this in mind. This wine has Ten Thousand Serpents Wandering-Soul Powder mixed into it. The moment Seol Unwi drinks it, the plan will have succeeded.

Unwi led Heuk Yeonggweol into the main hall.

The other members of the delegation were asked to wait outside. He suggested they speak quietly inside—and there was no reason to refuse.

The two sat face to face.

With a faint smile, Heuk Yeonggweol poured the wine.

As the red liquor filled the cup, the scent of plum blossoms gently spread.

“With the will of peace from our Jeokan, I offer the first glass to you, Young Lord.”

“You’re in quite a rush.”

At Unwi’s words, Heuk Yeonggweol shook his head.

“To speak well, we must first calm our hearts with a drink, no?”

There were no eyes watching.

It was just the two of them.

Lee Jagyeom had added this as well:

—Do not let your guard down. It’s been some time—no doubt the Harmonization-stage master Seong Yangho has regained his strength. As ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) a former member of the White Snow Spirit Pill Regiment, he may not be visible, but he will certainly be nearby. You must loosen his vigilance until the wine is consumed.

It was common sense.

Capturing Unwi was by no means easy.

But what makes the impossible possible... is strategy.

Lee Jagyeom believed this to be a divine move. Heuk Yeonggweol believed it too.

Sitting across from him, Unwi lifted the cup without the slightest hesitation.

Gulp.

As the wine slid down his throat, Heuk Yeonggweol’s eyes gleamed with the light of victory.

“It has a fine taste.”

At the sound of Unwi’s voice, Heuk Yeonggweol bit his lip to suppress the laughter from breaking out.

Then Unwi’s expression contorted slightly. Beads of sweat formed on his brow, and his hand began to tremble faintly.

Heuk Yeonggweol couldn’t hold back any longer and burst out laughing.

“Ha... hahahaha... Hahahaha...!”

He had to laugh.

As expected of Lee Jagyeom.

Indeed, not just anyone could be the master of Jeokan.

“Young Lord Seol—no, you damn bastard of a concubine-born—your fate is now in our han—”

“Ten Thousand Serpents Wandering-Soul Powder, is it?”

“...Huh?”

Unwi wiped the sweat from his forehead.

“It’s been a while, but for a poison, it certainly has a fine aroma and flavor.”

“...What are you talking about...?”

“You must not know. There’s a man in this world who drinks Ten Thousand Serpents Wandering-Soul Powder mixed with bamboo liquor. He drinks it about once every four days.”

“...There’s a lunatic like that?”

“He’s a bald old man who serves as Grand Elder of the Original Blood Sect. Thanks to him, I’ve had it often enough. Though it’s the first time drinking it at this age, the aroma and flavor are a bit different. Still—not bad.”

Heuk Yeonggweol swallowed hard.

Something was wrong.

But it was fine. He had ingested the poison.

“...Listen. The antidote is in this gentleman’s possession. If you don’t take it within four hours, you’ll die.”

“Sounds about right.”

“...This gentleman also gave a message to deliver. Listen well.”

Unwi smiled, poured himself another drink, and downed it.

“Yes. I’m all ears.”

...Is this bastard insane?

“...If the Harmonization-stage martial artist Seong Yangho carries you at full speed, you could arrive within four hours. Come with him and kneel. Do that, and you’ll live, Seol Unwi.”

Unwi, upon hearing that, responded in an unexpected way.

He poured yet another drink—and downed it in one shot.

That made three glasses of poisoned wine.

He wasn’t unaware. He drank them knowing.

Even as cold sweat continued to pour down his forehead, he showed no hesitation.

This was...

He didn’t understand. What kind of monster is this?

“Heuk Clan Patriarch.”

“...Speak.”

“There’s a thread of fate no one can escape even in death. A heavy chain that binds the vitality and destiny of a clan. When a person’s body reaches its end, that vitality returns to heaven and earth. That blood soaks into the ground and reenters the cycle. We are born receiving that energy, and in returning it, we follow the law of heaven and earth.”

“...What are you talking about?”

“It’s simple. That thread connecting all karmic ties and destinies of heaven and earth—what do you think it is?”

“...”

“Bloodline.”

Unwi smiled.

“To Lee Jagyeom, capturing me alive is the goal by any means. If he does, it’ll be easy to bring Yangryeong, Bongrae, and even Saryang to their knees.”

“...”

“He can also block intervention from Everlasting Snow Palace completely. From the moment he read my letter, he must’ve had one thought.”

Unwi poured again and gestured as if asking whether Heuk Yeonggweol wanted a drink—but he only swallowed nervously, unable to respond.

An ominous feeling crept in.

“Kidnapping. If he sends a delegation and abducts me, everything will proceed smoothly. There’s no way Lee Jagyeom could ignore such a plan. Given his situation, he had to produce results. Refusing it would be suicide.”

He brought the cup to his lips.

Gulp.

He emptied it cleanly and set it down.

“But there was one major problem. Chief Seong, the branch enforcers of Yangryeong, and even the sects of Bongrae. If the delegation tried to kidnap me, would they stay quiet?”

“...”

“There was only one method. Poison me, then make them carry me. And if they had to bring along Chief Seong, their biggest obstacle, that would be a perfect victory. After all, the distance from Yangryeong to Jeokan is shorter than you think.”

“...”

“If Chief Seong, at Harmonization Stage, carried me, we’d arrive within four hours. Of course, he’d be exhausted and his internal energy drained... but that doesn’t matter. Lee Jagyeom would just sever his head on the spot and proceed with the negotiation using me as leverage.”

“...”

“The plan isn’t bad. If things had gone that way, Lee Clan’s dominance would have begun. Worth trying, indeed.”

Heuk Yeonggweol couldn’t say a word.

Was it because of the screams of the delegation being slaughtered outside?

No.

Was it the sounds of necks and limbs being severed?

Not that either.

Was it the dagger at his throat from Chief Seong?

No. Not even that.

It was because of Seol Unwi—this man before him.

Everything had been seen through. No—everything had been intended.

Lee Jagyeom, one way or another, had danced in the palm of this seventeen-year-old youth.

Words like courage didn’t fit.

Nor did boldness.

It could only be described as...

Weight.

The weight Seol Unwi now revealed—was the kind possessed only by those who had reigned at the peak of Murim for decades.

A man far beyond the measure of one like Heuk Yeonggweol.

There was no doubt.

Unwi raised his right hand.

“Have you ever heard of the martial art called Bloodline Reversal Technique?”

“...What is that?”

“A technique that extracts poison by reversing the blood channels.”

Unwi immediately focused his internal energy into his left hand and made a small cut on the index finger of his right.

With a slicing sound, two black droplets fell.

Drip. Drip.

Exactly two drops.

“Poison is, in the end, a force that obstructs the body's qi. If one can control and distinguish the flow of qi completely, it’s not difficult to isolate and extract it.”

It was over.

Unwi had drunk the poison on purpose.

“...Was it... to train?”

“You saw correctly. I don’t get many chances to drink poison. This is a precious opportunity.”

“...You insane bastard...”

Heuk Yeonggweol was in shock.

Not because Unwi had consumed poison on purpose—

But because he had seen through every piece of the plan.

“From the beginning... you meant to wipe out the delegation?”

Unwi replied with a smile.

“Yes.”

“...”

“Why so surprised? I care for my people.”

“You... mad son of a—”

He couldn’t finish the sentence.

Shhk—

Chief Seong’s dagger pressed slightly into his neck.

A silent warning not to spew profanities any further.

Unwi continued, slowly.

“There may be times when my people must draw their swords—but it is my responsibility to make the fight as favorable as possible.”

“...”

“The numbers are different. The martial artists on each side are different. What else can I do but reduce them as much as I can before we begin?”

“...You... you—!”