Do not die… If you die… do not die on me. If you do die, I will take down this entire Dual Martial Forces.—Baek Hye-Hyang, to Jin Woon-Hwi
Baek Hye-Hyang is the Young Lady and succession candidate of Blood Cult in the "Absolute Sword Sense" Novel and Webtoon.
Personality and history[]
Selfish, cunning, and vicious - Baek Hye-Hyang moves through life with unshakable confidence that no peer could ever defeat her. A woman of ruthless ambition, she initially saw Woon-Hwi as nothing more than a potential Guardian... until his extraordinary talent ignited darker desires. Now obsessed, she vows to claim him as her husband by any means necessary. What Baek Hye-Hyang marks as hers, she takes - consequences be damned.
I thought you would make a good guardian or something, but no. You are not inferior to being my husband either.—Baek Hye-Hyang, to Jin Woon-Hwi
During their escape from Mu Ak, she even sacrificed herself, taking on the role of bait after hiding the wounded Jin Woon-Hwi to save his life. Despite the risk of losing her own life, she did it out of pure desire for Woon-Hwi.
Her competitive spirit and hunger for growth drive her to progress in martial arts faster than most people. After fighting against much stronger enemies, such as Sima Chak, even in defeat, she does not feel hopeless. Instead, she strives to improve further and overcome this obstacle. Her goal is always to win and be the first in everything.
As a leader, Baek Hye-Hyang’s methods are too bloody. No matter how much she trusted others, if someone who had sworn loyalty to her acted deceitfully, her punishments would be bold and brutal. She didn’t back down even in the face of one of the Four Great Evils and warned that if any of her people were harmed, she wouldn’t forgive the perpetrator, no matter who they were. Though she would never forget incompetence, she still took responsibility for her people until the end. Despite being bloody and brutal, even Jin Woon-Hwi acknowledged her as a good leader.
Regardless of gender, she definitely had the qualities of a leader.
An ambitious and proud woman who dreamed of standing on the top, she was able to relinquish her dream of the Blood Demon position for the greater good of the Blood Cult, avoiding an internal war. She even knelt before Jin Woon-Hwi, recognizing him as the new leader. Unexpectedly, this act led to her becoming a sub-sect leader—but what made her happiest was that her worth was finally recognized not as a woman, but as a skilled individual.
I just thought that considering your level, status, and skills, the most suitable position for you was the sub-sect leader.—Jin Woon-Hwi, to Baek Hye-Hyang
She is an extremely loyal person. Later, despite having the opportunity to kill Woon-Hwi and seize power for herself as a sub-leader, she never attempted it, remaining obedient to his orders. She even pretended to be him in front of Blood Cult enemies by wearing his demon mask, fighting with all her might against stronger foes until the very end - even with a fatal wound in her back inflicted by the Plundering-Killing Sword. On the brink of death, her only wish was to see Woon-Hwi one last time.
Will I ever be able to see him when I die?—Baek Hye-Hyang inner thoughts
Clinically dead, she was revived thanks to the Blood Demon Sword’s power, which circulated her blood like a temporary heart. But that alone wasn’t enough. Jin Woon-Hwi then administered the strongest and purest elixir in the entire Central Plains - a trophy taken from the Shaolin Temple - saving her life. She awakened, coughing up black blood. Having lingered between life and death, she transcended to a higher martial realm, shattering her previous limits.
Terrified that Baek Hye-Hyang might die, Jin Woon-Hwi finally stopped suppressing his feelings. He admitted he had fallen for her and accepted her as his wife - even though he was already married to Sima Young.
Whether we split it in half or share the same bed is a matter between her and me, so you’re out.—Baek Hye-Hyang about sharing Woon-Hwi with Sima Young
After her heroic performance in the Inyo War, the Central Plains hailed her as the new Supreme Warrior. Public opinion placed her among the Four Great Evils, dubbing her the Witch of Black Blood.
Yet Baek Hye-Hyang later revealed an unexpected side: shy and tender when embracing her role as a woman rather than a warrior. She went out of her way to impress her father-in-law, Jin Song-Baek, seeking his approval as his second daughter-in-law.
Father! Give me your son!—Baek Hye-Hyang, to Jin Song-Baek
After the events of Absolute Sword Sense, she founded a family with Jin Woon-Hwi while simultaneously maintaining her position as the leader of the Blood Cult. She stabilized the sect, further solidifying its power, and decades later, left her descendants and followers behind in the mortal world. Alongside her husband and his other wives, she departed permanently for Dohwaseon.
Ironically, although the Orthodox Faction universally regarded her as the embodiment of evil that must be eliminated at all costs - even if it meant sacrificing one's own life - she not only survived but ultimately transformed into a near-immortal being. She came to dwell in the paradise of the ancient immortal taoists, considered the pinnacle of the orthodox path.
Background[]
She is the illegitimate daughter of the 15th Blood Demon Baek Moo-Young and the elder half-sister of Baek Ryeon-Ha. Despite having less legitimacy than Baek Ryeon-ha, most of the Blood Stars and the first Elder Dan Wei-Kang supported her due to her outstanding martial art skill and growth.
She was the Blood Demon in the original timeline. Through guerrilla warfare, she fought simultaneously against both the Orthodox Murim Alliance and the Imperial Palace for years, never allowing them to break her forces.
In the second timeline, while Jin Woon-Hwi had many partners, among all of them only Baek Hye-Hyang saved his life. Remarkably, she did this twice, at a time when they were not even officially in a relationship.
Appearance[]
For Jin Woon-Hwi she is cute like a Sima Young but in different way.
Baek Hye-hyang looked at me and smiled. She was the only one who could look good with blood on her.
Martial Arts[]
She is a very talented martial artist. She surpassed the first Blood Star a couple months after the start of the story. By the time of the Blood Demon Ceremony, only the First and Fourth Elder, and Jin Woon-Hwi could defeat her. She would eventually crossed the wall and became a Supreme Warrior. By the end of the story, no one in the Blood Cult except Jin Woon-Hwi could win against her.
Her martial arts were strong enough that only the First Elder and my teacher would be able to deal with her. Of course, other variables could come into play, but none of them would deny it.
Martial arts techniques that she knows:[]
- Ghost Resting Technique that block airways to appear as a corpse.
- Reverse Blood Cultivation (Mentioned but not shown in the manhwa)
—Jin Woon-Hwi inner thoughts novel 158
Myst,Might,Mayhem[]
Her unfazed will and determination caused to make her second strongest Blood Demon in history and with help of her husband also one of the strongest martial artist in entire universe. She showed that in the chapter 457 of ''Myst,Might,Mayhem'' where with a bloody radiance, a burst of blood demon qi exploded, severing the arm of one of the Mok Gan avatars wielding a Invisible Sword. The being that cut off the avatar’s arm grabbed the back of its head, smashed its face into the ground, and dragged it forward, grinding its face. Baek Hye-Hyang shook off the brain matter that had been ground into paste from her hand.
When did such monstrous beings appear?
+800 years after events of ''Myst,Might,Mayhem'' (end of the side story), Baek Hye-Hyang became even more powerful. Especially considering words of Jin Woon-Hwi.
You and the wives will be able to transcend the natural order before long.—Jin Woon-Hwi, to Sima Young
He said this in context of entering Beyond the border realm. This means one of two possible things:
- Baek Hye-Hyang and other wives are close to reaching Willful Master realm.
- Baek Hye-Hyang and other wives are close to reaching complete mastery of Taoist Magic at level of Eight Taoists.
There is much higher possibility for the second option. Especially considering her affiliation to Dohwaseon. It doesn't matter which option is true, in both cases Baek Hye-Hyang became one of the strongest characters in entire universe.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Her mother was prostitute from red light district. In the past her own mother tried to kill Baek Hye-Hyang when she was still a child.
- Baek Hye-Hyang is distantly related to Woon-Hwi because her ancestor, Baek Ji-woong was the younger brother of Woon-Hwi's ancestor, Baek Chun-kang. However, both bloodlines were separated for over 15 generations; hence, marriage between their descendants was acceptable.
- Her biggest rival is Seolbaek, both of them fight for the position of 2nd wife.
- She likes both genders, Sima Young especially suits her tastes as a woman.
- Her cooking skills are horrible.
- She is quite proud upon learning that Woonhwi became the new Murim Alliance Leader, but annoyed that he is hailed as the best swordsman in the world as the hero of the righteous faction, not as the Blood Demon.