From the Northern Sea bloodline’s side, it seemed they could not see what Sohwa was doing, and they paid it no mind.
“It’s fine. We’ve had our fill of water—no need to trouble yourselves.”
Hearing the man’s words, Sohwa set the kettle down.
As if to let it cool, she cracked the window slightly open, then faced the visitors with the side table at her back.
“We’ve explained why we returned to the dispensary, and you, great hero, have frankly said you still suspect us. Is the conversation over, then?”
“I heard you possessed Unhae’s headband.”
“Yes, I handed it over to the great hero.”
“I also hear Unhae left you some words.”
Instead of answering, Sohwa drew a sheet of paper from her sleeve.
For the first time, the man who had kept his distance stepped closer to her. He read what Sohwa handed over. His face hardened.
“Great Hero Baek Unhae said this is the family genealogy—an ordered chart listing the bloodline’s names by generation.”
The warrior’s gaze rose to Sohwa.
“I know not the circumstances, but it must be delivered to the Clan Head, the one and only thing only the Clan Head of the Baek family knows. It is a crucial record to restore the Baek family’s broken genealogy register—the record that organizes a lineage’s blood relations, encompassing the family tree and other ancestral documents.”
Sohwa felt the man waver.
The chill that had subsided raked across his whole body like a snowstorm.
Sohwa handed over one sheet of the genealogy she had smuggled out of the Blood Demon’s Bigo. It was the page with the late Great Hero Baek Unhae’s name on the upper line. Given the similar age, there was a high chance this man’s name would fall in that same generational row.
In a low voice, the man asked,
“...Where are the rest of the pages?”
Sohwa shook her head.
“I’ve hidden them. I cannot hand them to just anyone.”
“Tell me where they’re hidden. I am the master of the Baek family.”
Sohwa, before she knew it, was staring at him with a cold gaze.
He was playing at being the bloodline’s master at an equivocal level.
“You said you would apologize later if you become convinced of us, since you still doubt us. I am the same. I cannot believe, as of now, that you are the master qualified to receive these papers. If I am wrong, I will apologize later.”
“Is there a way to make you believe me?”
It was a taunt—as if to say, You people of the Central Plains, can you even tell who the Baek family’s master is?
Sohwa found it grating that he brazenly mimicked a decision-maker.
To draw out the Northern Sea bloodline’s full strength, she had skipped many steps and thrown a risky move. Yet he made no attempt to persuade her and merely demanded the entire genealogy.
'Does he think it’s merely Baek Unhae’s keepsake? Why whine like a child?'
He did not seem to understand the value of the genealogy register.
'If you cannot grasp the value of the register, how can you attempt negotiations without even thinking to go back and confer? I cannot understand it.'
A grim thought followed.
Perhaps, right now, meeting the bloodline’s true decision-maker was impossible.
Sohwa studied the Northern Sea bloodline before her for a long while, but could glean nothing.
Since coming to the Northern Sea, the only thing she had confirmed was the bloodline’s miserable state.
Tang Sohwa, with no other choice, pushed a little further.
“Great Hero Baek Unhae said there is something only the Clan Head of the Baek family knows—and told me to test that.”
At last, she spoke the Blood Demon’s name.
“Great Hero Baek Unhae said the Blood Demon can rule a person’s body and mind with blood.”
The cadence of the silence twisted.
Not only the man before her, but the thirty young warriors lined up behind him raised their auras. Namgung Jin slid his thumb to bare his sword a fraction.
Through that rough vigilance, Tang Sohwa continued.
“The master of the genealogy knows how to remove the Blood Demon’s blood.”
At Sohwa’s words, expression drained from the man’s face. She poured out lies designed to shake the Northern Sea bloodline.
“Before shedding blood and passing away, Great Hero Baek Unhae told us this: there are countless agents the Blood Demon has sent into the Central Plains. However, most of them are bound against their will by the Blood Demon’s blood. If those pitiable people can free themselves from their shackles, the Blood Cult will fall to pieces. So we were to deliver the genealogy to the Baek family’s master and obtain, in exchange, the method to strip away the Blood Demon’s blood.”
Though still acting the gentle physician of the Yeonjuda troupe, her voice could not fully hide its cold nature.
“We came to the Northern Sea to grant Great Hero Baek Unhae’s request, but in truth, our greatest purpose is to protect the Central Plains from the Blood Cult.”
Ignoring the chill that cut her flesh like a knife, she made her offer.
“If you tell us how to remove the Blood Demon’s dokgo, we will believe you are the Baek family’s master and hand over the entire genealogy.”
***
The face stayed warm, yet, strangely, a chill could be felt—as if an unfeeling nature were being masked with a smile.
Baek Unhyeon did not trust the person claiming to be a physician of the Yeonjuda troupe.
The Blood Cult’s rampage in the Central Plains was now widely known, so it was no surprise these people spoke of the Blood Cult.
Second Seat Baek Unhyeon did not attach great importance to the molds’ genealogy. In truth, did not even know such a thing existed.
There was no guessing how Baek Unhae had obtained it—or smuggled it out.
But hearing that it was the thing the sibling had guarded until the very end gave pause.
Even though there was no guarantee this woman spoke the truth.
Baek Unhyeon’s gaze fell to the paper.
Seeing a genealogy filled with the names of siblings who no longer existed in this world made rational judgment impossible.
At length, Baek Unhyeon broke the silence and asked,
“How much do you know about the Blood Demon’s blood?”
“If the Blood Demon’s blood is put into the body, one cannot defy the Blood Demon’s will.”
She knew precisely about the Blood Demon’s dokgo.
Baek Unhyeon stared at Sohwa for a long time, then asked,
“Where have you hidden the other parts of the genealogy?”
“As I said, since there is no guarantee you are the Baek family’s master, I cannot tell you.”
“I owe you a debt and do not wish to harm you. So please—help me not to harm you.”
The woman gave a small laugh.
“If you harm me, will you be able to find the answer?”
With a cold sneer, she said,
“If you think that is a good method, then do not trouble yourself over any debt and go ahead and harm me.”
Though the woman before him spoke bluffs, Baek Unhyeon could not muster any reaction.
There was no intent to harm her—and, rather, if this woman died, the remaining genealogy might be lost forever.
Baek Unhyeon swallowed a silent groan.
'It should have been the Fourth Seat here, not me.'
That person would know the answer.
Whether this Central Plains person spoke truth—and whether, for the sake of the genealogy, it was permissible to speak of the Blood Demon’s dokgo.
The only reason those who had nothing had survived three years while being chased by the Blood Cult was thanks to the Fourth Seat.
Because of the Second Seat’s curse, people could not stay long in the gorge; it was the Fourth Seat who proposed they build their base there, and the Fourth Seat who had them carry soil into the heated caverns to cultivate crops. Thanks to that, the Northern Sea bloodline settled in the gorge for a time and broke the pursuit.
The Fourth Seat was not content with survival. So the bloodline would not lose hope, the Fourth Seat carefully taught the structure and martial arts of the Ice Palace remembered from before.
Realizing the desire to lean on the Fourth Seat, Baek Unhyeon let out a hollow laugh.
'That one trusted us and left for training, and yet we’ve already hit our limit—how pathetic.'
Just then—
Boom.
From far away came the sound of something breaking, tearing through the air.
Tang Sohwa and Namgung Jin’s gazes slid to the window.
But none of the Northern Sea bloodline reacted.
Sohwa knit her brows at that indifference.
Boom.
The strange sound came again, yet still they paid it no mind.
The Northern Sea bloodline kept their eyes only on the cart piled with food and on the genealogy.
'How can they stare at food when the earth itself sounds like it’s breaking?'
Disappointed in the Northern Sea bloodline, Sohwa wanted to toss everything aside—but held back and spoke.
“...Didn’t you hear something just now?”
Only then did Baek Unhyeon look up.
“It’s nothing of note. It’s the sound of breaking the Northern Sea’s ice.”
“Breaking the ice?”
“When the ice grows thicker, it’s hard to break. So they circle the island by boat several times a day, cracking the thin ice. Usually it doesn’t sound this loud, but today the ice must have formed too thickly—they’re working hard.”
“Why go to the trouble of breaking the Northern Sea’s ice?”
“To keep anyone from crossing from the mainland to the island.”
Sohwa frowned.
“The island isn’t that far from the mainland. If one were determined, couldn’t one just swim across? I don’t understand why you go to such lengths.”
At that, the man let out a small laugh.
“Those who hope they won’t come cannot swim to the island.”
“Why?”
“They fear that seawater.”
When Sohwa asked with her eyes for the reason, Baek Unhyeon cut the conversation off.
“You are very curious. Outsiders need only know that much—do not seek to learn more.”
“You cannot tell me how to remove the Blood Demon’s blood, nor who fears that seawater—so it makes me afraid to ask questions.”
For a moment, Tang Sohwa failed to hide her temper and arched her brows sharply.
“I can’t tell whether you don’t know, or you’re simply afraid.”
Namgung Jin tapped her arm. Reluctantly, Tang Sohwa formed something like a smile.
Baek Unhyeon gave a small laugh.
“At least I can tell you that you don’t need to hide your nature. I, for one, prefer a forthright person of the Central Plains to a quiet one.”
Whatever thought came, Baek Unhyeon smiled bitterly and looked back.
“Each of you, take one sack.”
It seemed they had decided to trust the food enough to try it.
The young warriors sprang forward as if they had been waiting and each took a portion of the provisions. Baek Unhyeon pressed both fists together to fist-salute Tang Sohwa and Namgung Jin.
“For today, we will treat you as guests and benefactors and take our leave. However, we will return soon, so please, remain here.”
Then, in a suddenly cold voice, came the addendum.
“If, when we return, you are not here, we will consider you outsiders—and enemies.”
Sohwa wanted to ask whether, being so suspicious, they could even bring themselves to eat the food they were taking—but Namgung Jin again tapped her arm, so she smoothed the wrinkle from her brow and smiled.
Baek Unhyeon’s lips tilted at a slant.
“Thank you—in many ways.”
Paradoxically, while saying thanks, Baek Unhyeon drew a sword.
Slash.
With a sweep of sword wind, every lamp in the room went out.
“Do your best to hold your breath until sunrise.”
The tearing-through-air sounds were drawing closer.
Understanding, Sohwa nodded in the dark.
Before long, the Northern Sea bloodline streamed out like a receding tide. They seemed intent on leaving before the boat came toward this side.
Sohwa checked the shoreline through the crack in the window. But since they were a fair distance from the coast, the sea was hidden by buildings; nothing could be seen.
Only the eerie tearing sound echoing through the darkness reached them.
Thud.
At the sound of the door closing, Sohwa looked at Namgung Jin. The brazier’s red glow lit his expression.
For whatever reason, he looked angry.
Soon, Namgung Jin himself supplied the reason.
“Don’t tell me—you actually released the Summer Poison?”
Before Sohwa could answer, Namgung Jin stepped in and cleared away the cup on the side table.
With the holed cup gone, the piping hidden in the side table was revealed.
