Chapter 9: A Brother’s Deception

“…What?”

Jin Seo-a was taken aback but continued to press the blade closer, demanding an explanation.

Or rather, she projected that intention.

Before she could speak, Myeong began to narrate his fabricated story.
“…I don’t understand why are you interested in this martial arts.”

He sighed briefly, then spoke in a calm voice.

“I never knew my father.”

At this point, Myeong feigned sadness, pausing for effect.

“My mother told me he died before I was born. These martial arts are the only thing he left behind.”

As Myeong finished, Jin Seo-a’s thoughts raced, forming an unsettling hypothesis.

The resemblance to her father.
Similar age.
The knowledge of Blood Cult martial arts.

And finally, the mention of a deceased father. Her suspicion was solidifying into certainty.

‘Could it be? No, it can’t be.’

Despite the mounting evidence, she couldn’t bring herself to fully believe it.

The idea was too preposterous.

Why would her father, the Blood Demon, have a secret child and hide his existence?

Logically, it made no sense. But emotionally, she was deeply disturbed.

The possibility of having a living relative, perhaps her only one, paralyzed her.

Seeing her hesitation, Myeong’s eyes flashed.

“…Now, it’s my turn.”

In a swift motion, Myeong dodged the blade and kicked her in the abdomen.

Thump-

“Oof…”

‘…I was careless.’

As Jin Seo-a, reeling from the surprise attack, grasped for her sword,

“Drop the sword.”

Myeong was upon her, his sword pressed against her throat. The tables had turned. He now held the advantage.

“…”

Jin Seo-a glared at him for a long moment, then finally released her grip on the sword.

Clang-

“Now, just as you’ve seen my face, I need to see yours. …Take off the mask.”

Grit-

Though obscured by the mask, Jin Seo-a’s face was clearly contorted with rage.

Yet, surprisingly, she complied, removing the mask to reveal her face.

“…Satisfied?”

Jin Seo-a’s face was breathtakingly beautiful.

Her features were striking, with a hint of alluring decadence.

Her eyes, though languid, held a captivating spark of venom.

Despite her youth, she possessed a beauty that could topple nations.

And she looked strikingly similar to Myeong.

Anyone seeing them together would undoubtedly mistake them for siblings.

Myeong feigned astonishment.

“Who… who are you?” He acted as though he was surprised by the resemblance, and by her young age.

He met her gaze with a look of confusion, which she mirrored back at him.

“…”

Unable to reveal her true identity, Jin Seo-a remained silent, waiting for Myeong’s reaction.

She expected anger, accusations, anything.

But instead, after a moment of contemplation, Myeong lowered his sword.

He sheathed his weapon and replaced his mask.

Then, he picked up her fallen mask and gently placed it in her hand.

“I don’t know who you are, but it’s best you stay out of my business.”

Despite the gentle gesture, his words were cold. He turned to leave.

“Jin Seo-a.”

Just as Myeong passed her, she spoke.

“…That’s my name.”

Myeong paused, then continued walking, the distance between them growing.

As a strange sense of disappointment washed over Jin Seo-a,

—Jin Seo-hwi.

Myeong’s voice, transmitted directly into her mind, reached her ears.

“…Jin Seo-hwi.”

Even their family names were the same.

He had told her to stay away, but she couldn’t. How could she, when he might be her half-brother?

The next day.

The mid-ranking warrior continued to lead the group of low-ranking warriors towards the Demonic Cult. But something had changed.

Jin Seo-a, the only woman in the group, was now constantly by the side of a masked man.

The man, Myeong, seemed oblivious to the envious glares of the other men.

He paid no attention to Jin Seo-a’s actions. Or rather, he pretended not to care, much to her frustration.

‘I can’t reveal my identity yet.’

Jin Seo-a was 90% certain that Jin Seo-hwi was her half-brother, but she held onto the remaining 10% doubt.

There was a minuscule chance that it was all a coincidence.

Though highly unlikely, the possibility lingered in the back of her mind.

Years had passed since the Blood Cult’s destruction. The world Jin Seo-a experienced during that time was far from kind.

Stripped of her title as Young Cult Leader, those who approached her now sought only to exploit her, mostly driven by lust for her beauty.

Her striking appearance was a constant source of danger, attracting unwanted attention and attacks from both righteous and demonic factions.

One day, a righteous warrior saved her from a demonic ambush, only to demand her body as payment the next.

After that, Jin Seo-a always wore a mask, concealing her face and the painful memories it attracted.

Unable to show her true face or reveal her past, she had endured years of profound loneliness.

There was no one in the current martial world who could understand or accept her history.

She had spent the last few years in solitude, clinging to the few martial arts techniques her father had taught her, fueled by a burning desire for revenge against his killer.

Perhaps the only person who could understand her…

Lost in thought, Jin Seo-a was startled by a voice beside her.

“…Will you stop that?”

It was Jin Seo-hwi, the man who occupied her every thought.

‘…He’s finally reacting to me.’

“Didn’t I tell you yesterday? Stay out of my business.”

“But…” Jin Seo-a faltered, unsure how to respond.

She wrestled with the decision to reveal her suspicions about their possible connection.

Myeong sighed, exasperated by her hesitation.

“You were the one who attacked me first. You were the one who questioned my past.”

“So, shouldn’t you apologize first before trying to talk to me?”

“You keep staring and watching me, it’s making me uncomfortable.”

It was an obvious point, but Jin Seo-a, consumed by the possibility of their shared blood, hadn’t considered it.

“…I’m sorry.”

“Good. Now we can talk.”

The floodgates had opened.

Getting close to Jin Seo-a by pretending to be her half-brother was easier than expected.

First, disguise myself as the Blood Demon using transformation techniques.

Then, adopt the surname “Jin” and a fake name. Finally, master the Blood Demon’s martial arts.

Easy enough for me, but it required immense internal energy to maintain the disguise, a glimpse of the Blood Demon’s face, and mastery of his unique techniques.

A difficult, almost impossible, feat for anyone without the system.

Even the deceased Blood Demon would rise from his grave if he saw what I was doing.

But thankfully, that wasn’t possible, making my deception flawless.

In a way, I was fulfilling his dying wish by raising his daughter, so shouldn’t he be thanking me?

Initially, I planned to approach her as a surviving member, or a hidden master, of the Blood Cult.

However, her immediate suspicion forced me to improvise.

The half-sibling trope, a classic from childhood stories and novels, seemed like a viable option.

Fortunately, my plan seemed to work.

Yesterday, as I pretended to leave, I observed her closely.

Her expression, though hidden by the mask, was a mixture of excitement and curiosity.

Despite the manufactured similarities, she still seemed hesitant to fully embrace the idea.

Understandable, since I hadn’t yet revealed my knowledge of the Blood Demon’s martial arts.

“I’m an orphan. Ever since I was young…”

As we talked, she began to spin a fabricated tale of her own past, replacing her history as the Blood Cult’s Young Leader with a story of an orphan struggling in the back alleys.

The level of detail surprised me, but I knew it was all a lie.

After a while, I asked her the question that had been on my mind.

“So, why did you come to the Demonic Cult?”

“…To become stronger. So strong that no one can threaten me.”

The Demonic Cult was a harsh environment, where the strong thrived and the weak perished. A perfect example of survival of the fittest.

What could be the reason for her desperate desire for strength?

“Is there a reason you want to be so strong?”

Jin Seo-a hesitated for a moment, then answered with venom in her eyes.

“…To avenge my father.”

Even behind the mask, I could sense the pain in her expression.

‘To avenge her father…’

The path to strength is paved with trials and tribulations.

Having a clear goal fuels growth and strengthens resolve.

Her desire for revenge would make her unwavering in her pursuit of power.

‘As a teacher, this is excellent…’

The problem is, I’m the one she wants revenge on.