Return Of The Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1021

Yang Kun, the head of the Black Demon Fortress’s Hangzhou branch, turned his head slightly. He thought, ‘Did I just hear something?’ He thought he heard distant thunder, but dismissed it. He had more important things to focus on.

“This is a headache,” he muttered.

The Four Seas Alliance controlled the Yangtze River. This was a problem for the Black Demon Fortress. They knew they would have to make a decision soon. Depending on what their leader decided, they would either have to give in to the Myriad Manifestations Sect, which had taken over the river, or risk everything in a fight.

‘No, that’s not right,’ he thought.

Life rarely goes to extremes. Maybe they could stay separate but friendly, keeping the Four Seas Alliance in name only. Maybe that was the most likely outcome.

“The more I think about it, the worse my headache gets,” Yang Kun sighed.

He didn’t really care about the big issues affecting the martial world (‘Jianghu’). He just wanted to manage Hangzhou and occasionally hunt down any Hao Moon Sect members trying to take back the city. That was enough to keep him busy.

Yang Kun knew that being content with what you have is the key to success. But as part of an organization, he didn’t have a choice.

“I wonder what the Great Lord will decide,” Yang Kun wondered, smacking his lips.

The affairs of the martial world might not matter so much. What mattered to Grand Lord Mangeum was whatever choice would benefit the Black Demon Fortress the most.

Yang Kun couldn’t guess which path would bring more wealth to the Black Demon Fortress.

“Hoo.”

He shook his head. Whatever the choice, he hoped it wouldn’t lead to a bloodbath. He was old and didn’t want to die a violent death on the battlefield.

As he was about to stamp a document, the door burst open.

A man rushed in, his face as white as bone.

“C-Chief!”

“What is it?” Yang Kun spoke to him coldly.

“S-Some guys have appeared in downtown Hangzhou! T-These madmen are killing everyone, no matter who they are!”

“What?” Yang Kun jumped up.

Even though they were part of the Black Demon Fortress, they couldn’t allow such violence in their territory.

Grand Lord Mangeum knew that people were money. If people were dying in Hangzhou, which the Black Demon Fortress controlled, Yang Kun would be held responsible.

“Which madmen dare to do this in Hangzhou!” Flames sparked in Yang Kun’s eyes.

Experienced martial artists wouldn’t cause trouble in Hangzhou. Attacking the Black Demon Fortress’s territory meant making them an enemy.

But sometimes, young and reckless people didn’t understand the rules and did such things.

“Gather all the men.”

“Huh? A-All of them?”

“Yes,” Yang Kun replied coldly.

“Things have been too relaxed around here lately. Time to get everyone back in line.”

“A-Alright!”

“Move out!”

“Yes!”

As the man ran out, Yang Kun sighed.

“Tsk.” He scratched his head, looking tired, unlike his earlier attitude.

“Which youngsters are at it again?”

He wasn’t really angry, despite his show. Hangzhou’s nightlife attracted young people who thought they were strong. It happened often. He just had to clean up the mess, as usual.

But he couldn’t show his true feelings to his men. He was good at hiding his inner thoughts.

“Time to enforce some discipline.” With that, Yang Kun left his office, feeling calm.

“…Chief.”

“…”

“…C-Chief. What on earth is this…” Yang Kun stared in shock at what was in front of him.

He had suspected something was wrong when he saw people running away in terror.

Hangzhou was a city of fun. Small incidents happened all the time. A street fight with a few deaths was normal.

But since becoming the head of the branch, Yang Kun had never seen the people of Hangzhou so scared.

Slightly surprised, he prepared himself. He wouldn’t be shocked, no matter what he saw. He would stay calm.

But that resolve disappeared when he saw the scene in Hangzhou.

“…This is… Wh-What…” Yang Kun’s hands trembled.

Everything was destroyed. The trees, the buildings, the ground, and the people inside them.

Among the broken buildings were body parts, as if a terrible storm had swept through. People had been torn apart along with the buildings.

“Ugh!” Someone retched.

They were part of the Black Demon Fortress and were used to killing. Yang Kun had killed many people to get where he was.

But what he had done was ‘murder.’

When Yang Kun killed someone, he knew he was killing a ‘human being.’

But what was this scene?

Could this scene, where walls, roofs, pillars, and dirt were mixed with what had once been alive, really be called ‘murder’?

‘No…’

This was a disaster. Only something without feelings could destroy living and non-living things alike.

Drip. Drip. Dark red blood fell from the fingers of a corpse sticking out of the wreckage. Yang Kun closed his mouth, feeling sick.

Hangzhou, the City That Never Sleeps. If you looked from above, one corner of the lights would be black, as if a beast had bitten it off.

Yang Kun thought that the difference between beasts and humans was light. No beast could create light like humans.

Darkness was heavy here. This meant that humans no longer existed here.

“Which madmen…” Yang Kun snapped out of it when he heard someone moan.

Right. Someone had done this. The one who had created this scene was nearby.

He felt goosebumps all over his body.

‘What should I do?’

Should he run? Or attack?

He should attack. He was the head of the Black Demon Fortress in Hangzhou.

But faced with this destruction, he hesitated. Could a human really do this? A person wearing a human mask?

If he attacked such a being…

“Chief!” Someone called to Yang Kun urgently.

“T-There…”

Yang Kun saw it. A world of gray. At the end of that space, someone in a blood-red robe was walking slowly towards them.

Yang Kun knew. That was the one. That was the one who had done all of this.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Yang Kun stared at the man in the red robe and took a step back. He bumped into the person behind him.

It was shameful to retreat in fear. But Yang Kun didn’t care about saving face.

His face turned white.

He had survived many crises, but he didn’t know what to do now.

He used the only weapon he had left: the name of the Black Demon Fortress.

“D-Do you know you’re doing this in the territory of the Black Demon Fortress!”

The man stopped and slowly raised his head. When Yang Kun saw his bloodshot eyes, his heart ached.

“…Black Demon Fortress?” the man said quietly.

“Was there such a place…”

“…Y-You…”

“It doesn’t matter,” the man interrupted.

“What group you belong to, what gender, what age… None of that matters. All that matters is that you are alive now.”

“…” Yang Kun was speechless. The man said in a flat voice,

“You seem to be well-known, which is good.”

Someone screamed, “C-Chief!”

Startled, Yang Kun looked around. People in black had appeared and were surrounding them.

‘When did they…?’

“Kill them all.” As soon as the man said this, a terrible killing intent came from all directions. It was like the raw hunger of beasts.

The group, filled with dark energy, rushed towards Yang Kun and his men like a black wave.

“Aaaargh!”

The man in the red robe watched them being swept away and then turned around.

A horrible figure in black knelt before him, head bowed, as if afraid to look him in the eye.

“Your Excellency, the Bishop.”

“…What is it?” The Bishop looked coldly at the back of the kneeling man’s head.

“If you have any complaints, leave now. I won’t kill you.”

“How could I have complaints? I follow the Bishop. But… the message says we should hide and wait for His resurrection…”

“Are you repeating the same old words from the elders of the Order?”

“I am merely…”

“Nonsense,” the Bishop replied coldly.

“If He is all-powerful and can find us even if we hide, why did He die at the hands of our enemies?”

“That is…” The man couldn’t answer.

Any answer would break their rules. He wasn’t important enough to avoid being called a heretic.

“Do not doubt!” The Bishop’s eyes glowed red.

“If you are truly His servant, you must make our presence known to Him!”

“…”

“Kill everyone you see, and kill again. Let the world know we are here. The blood of those you kill will be a beacon for Him. Only then will we see His resurrection.”

“I will follow.”

The Bishop turned, his robe fluttering.

The Order just waited. Those who lived died, and those who were born grew old, and they just waited.

He couldn’t wait any longer.

‘If He has truly come back, He will hear us.’

Surely. Because that was the duty of ‘God.’