Terror gripped Emperor Yeon Seo-han's trembling hands. His lips quivered as he whispered to himself.
"What… should I do?"
The grand doors of the imperial hall suddenly burst open.
"Announcing the arrival of Master Danghak of the Poison Demon Sect!"
A loud, arrogant voice echoed across the chamber. Though today was the day of the Imperial Council—where punctuality was law—Danghak had not only arrived late but made sure the entire palace knew of it. It was a brazen display of power, one that announced the true order of authority within the Blood Empire.
And yet, the emperor—who should have raged at such insolence—greeted him instead with a strained smile.
"Oh, welcome! I've been waiting for you, Master Danghak."
It was a pitiful sight, but a natural one. For Yeon Seo-han was not the true ruler of the Blood Empire. His crown was nothing more than an ornament placed upon his head by Tang Xue—the master of the Poison Demon Sect, and the real power behind the throne.
Tang Xue had been the one to slay Emperor Chu Gon and purge his loyalists. He had only crowned Yeon Seo-han to avoid being branded a traitor by the people. The emperor was merely a puppet.
"I apologize for my lateness," Tang Xue said casually, walking down the scarlet carpet known as the Emperor's Road. His crimson robes gleamed under the light, and behind him marched a line of officials—more numerous and grand than even the emperor's own retinue.
As Tang Xue entered, every minister in the hall bowed their heads—not to their emperor, but to him. It was a procession fit for a true sovereign.
"Your Majesty," Tang Xue began, not kneeling but standing tall before the throne, "I have come to offer counsel regarding the chaos sweeping the continent."
Yeon Seo-han forced a smile, bowing slightly despite his position. "Please, Master Danghak. Your wisdom is invaluable."
He had no power to protest. Tang Xue's presence in court was a humiliation, but one Yeon Seo-han had long grown accustomed to enduring.
After all, without Tang Xue, he would never have ascended the throne.
'As long as I can survive this…' the emperor thought bitterly.
"The Blood Emperor," Tang Xue said, his tone sharp, "is not the being we once knew."
Yeon Seo-han blinked. "What do you mean?"
"The man who appeared in Sochang Castle is not the same Blood Emperor who conquered the continent and crushed the Demon Kings. Think—if it were truly him, do you believe we'd still be alive right now?"
A chill ran through the hall.
Tang Xue smiled faintly. "No. This one is a shadow—a descendant, perhaps, or an imitator. But a true Blood Emperor? Impossible."
The ministers exchanged glances. Hope flickered in their eyes.
"Then," Yeon Seo-han asked eagerly, "is there a way to defeat him?"
"There is," Tang Xue replied. "But first, we must correct a critical problem within the empire."
"Name it," Yeon Seo-han said at once. "If it means victory, I will do anything."
Tang Xue's eyes turned cold. "Then, step down from your throne."
"…What?"
For a long moment, the emperor thought he had misheard.
Tang Xue repeated, slower this time, "You must abdicate, Your Majesty."
Color drained from Yeon Seo-han's face. Then anger surged in its place.
"How dare you—!"
His shout shook the hall, but Tang Xue's expression remained calm, even mocking.
"Have you truly not realized it? You were never meant to sit there."
"Guards!" Yeon Seo-han screamed. "Seize him! Arrest Tang Xue for treason!"
But no one moved. The guards stood frozen, eyes lowered, unwilling to meet his gaze. Against Tang Xue, even a thousand men would be powerless.
Tang Xue sighed softly. "I offered you a chance to die with dignity."
He raised a hand. "Now, disappear."
"W–wait! Forgive—!"
His plea was cut short by a wet, sizzling sound.
Chiiiii—ik!
Yeon Seo-han's body collapsed, flesh melting away under Tang Xue's venomous energy. The stench of decay filled the hall.
Tang Xue stepped over the corpse without pause, walking calmly up the Emperor's Road.
When he reached the golden throne, the ministers held their breath.
Would Tang Xue now take the throne himself?
But instead, he lifted the golden crown from Yeon Seo-han's remains and set it aside.
'I have no need for the burden of kingship,' he thought. 'Power is best used from the shadows.'
Then, as his voice echoed through the chamber, a man cloaked in black entered the hall. His robe was embroidered with the image of a golden dragon, and his face was hidden beneath a bamboo hat.
He ascended the hundred steps of the dais without haste and seated himself upon the throne as if it were his rightful place from the beginning.
Tang Xue bowed deeply and presented the crown.
The man caught it with one hand and placed it upon his own head.
Tang Xue's voice boomed across the chamber.
"We pay homage to the new Emperor of the Blood Empire!"
"Long live the Emperor!" the ministers echoed, bowing as one.
But the man on the throne smiled faintly, his expression unreadable.
"There will be no more Blood Empire," he said coldly.
The hall fell silent.
Tang Xue blinked. "Then… shall we revive the Blood Cult?"
The man shook his head. "No. From this day forth, I declare the rise of the Heavenly Demon Sect."
The words fell like thunder.
"As the ruler of this continent," he continued, "I command that from this day forward, the Heavenly Continent shall be ruled by power alone. The strong will reign. The weak will submit. Strength shall be law."
The sound of his declaration rolled through the palace like an earthquake—and spread, within hours, across the entire continent.
When the news reached Sochang Castle, Lee Seong-jun frowned in disbelief.
"That… was unexpected."
He had assumed Tang Xue would flee upon hearing of the Blood Emperor's return. Instead, the man had seized the throne and crowned a new emperor—a self-proclaimed Heavenly Demon.
"If Danghak is moving so boldly, he must have some kind of assurance," Lee Seong-jun murmured.
At first, he wondered if Tang Xue had achieved some profound enlightenment, transcending the limits of martial power—but he quickly dismissed the thought. Tang Xue's talents had always been middling at best, his ambition drowned by luxury and arrogance.
No, this wasn't Tang Xue's doing. The power now ruling the capital came from someone—or somewhere—else.
"The Heavenly Demon…" Lee Seong-jun whispered. "Who are you?"
Before he could ponder further, Song Cheon-baek spoke in a grave voice.
"According to the latest reports, the new emperor—this Heavenly Demon—isn't of our world."
Lee Seong-jun's expression hardened.
"…Another world, then."
He exhaled slowly, a bitter smile curling his lips.
"How familiar."