Chapter 123
“Ahhh—”
“Devil.”
“This woman is the devil incarnate!”
Agonized, horror-stricken screams echoed throughout the land, reverberating across heaven and earth.
It was a terrifying sight, one that made even the bravest draw cold, shuddering breaths.
Gang Reyong advanced, and in his wake, every village was cleansed.
Jian Ruxue moved with frightening precision. Though she dealt with people one by one, that was precisely what made her so terrifying.
Each of her steps felt like the devil’s summons to those she approached.
However, because of this methodical approach, they had been significantly delayed. By now, the elders had already reached the Shadow Faction’s branch.
When the guards saw them and recognized their faces, they immediately saluted and rushed to open the gates.
As the three elders entered, they were met by disciples wearing flattering smiles.
“Call the branch head. Immediately,” one of the elders ordered, his expression dark and grim.
“Eh?” The disciple froze for a moment, stunned. But sensing the weight of the situation, they quickly turned around and ran off.
Soon, an old man appeared, his hair streaked with grey, his presence feeble, barely a Second-Stage Martial Artist.
“What’s happened, Elders?” he asked, bowing hastily, panic written all over his face.
“Contact headquarters. Now.”
“Yes, right away!” The old man turned and hurried off, driven by urgency or perhaps by the fear that failure would mean death.
The three elders exchanged weary glances with dread.
“Do you think he’s followed us all the way here?”
“This is Shadow Faction territory. What are we afraid of, Fifth Elder?” the Sixth Elder muttered. “You should have more confidence in yourself.”
“Yeah… confidence is key.” Despite his words, the Fifth Elder’s legs trembled violently, and his left eye twitched with a deep, ominous premonition.
Before long, a guide appeared: tall, imposing, and cloaked in black robes.
“Follow me,” he said in a rough, gravelly voice before turning around and leading the way.
The three elders followed in silence.
They were led to the center of the branch castle, where a surprisingly serene garden lay in full bloom.
The figure stepped into the center of the garden and pressed his hand to the ground. Instantly, a black haze enveloped the area and in the blink of an eye, they vanished.
When the three elders opened their eyes again, they found themselves in an eerie underground chamber.
“It still baffles me how the Doorkeeper manages to teleport us all the way here,” the Fifth Elder muttered with a sigh of relief.
Perhaps they no longer needed to fear Gang Reyong… or did they?
***
“Hmm, so you’re telling me that this castle is just a branch, and even you don’t know its true location.”
Gang Reyong muttered in an icy voice while looking at the giant castle in front of him, heavily guarded to every inch of the place.
It would be very difficult for him to even enter this place without anyone knowing; however, Gang Reyong didn’t plan to be sneaky anyway.
“Go,” he said to Jin Hyuk, and Jin Hyuk immediately followed his orders and walked steadily down the road, gradually appearing right in front of the castle doors.
The guards were immediately alert, but when they saw the clear face of Jin Hyuk, they heaved a sigh of relief.
Just as they were about to open the gates for him, Jin Hyuk moved fast, severing their heads one by one using his Will.
In an instant, blood formed a pool beneath the grassy ground, and it was a brutal and unsightly sight to watch.
With the massacre, Jin Hyuk destroyed the gates and casually walked into the place.
Soon after, shouts and screams resounded throughout the place, dying after some time.
Gang Reyong calmly walked forward, watching the aftermath of the massacre.
It was a gruesome and bloody sight.
Then he walked up to the remaining people of this unfolded massacre: the old man, who was barely a Second-stage Martial Artist, and four other people who wore gold and jewellery.
“You seem to be the highest person in charge of this place,” Gang Reyong calmly muttered, walking up to the old man. “Tell me, where did the three old bastards go?”
“You, what are you…?” the old man gasped out, with horror reflecting in his eyes.
Gang Reyong was silent. His hand moved, and he ripped out one of his fingernails.
“Ahhh!”
The old man cried out loud with pain, his eyes dripping with tears and snots. He looked at Gang Reyong with pure terror, like he was the devil.
“Tell me.”
“I don’t know,” he gasped out.
“Really?” Gang Reyong became silent for a moment, then he pointed his fingers right to his forehead and spoke again: “Are you sure about that?”
Feeling the touch, the old man felt his life flash before his eyes, but still, he didn’t speak:
“I really don’t know, please trust me.”
“…I see,” Gang Reyong muttered calmly, then walked up to another person. “Do you know?”
“I don’t know,” the man hurriedly shook his head.
“Too bad, then.”
Gang Reyong signaled to Jin Hyuk, and Jin Hyuk immediately moved.
Soon, an atrocious and gruesome sight played out in front of them. The man screamed to the extreme until his lungs exploded, and his soul seemed to have left his body, even though he was still alive.
Gang Reyong walked up to another person and looked straight at him with his boundless blue pupils:
“Die.”
“Eh, I will tell you, no, wait, I tell you…”
The person’s voice was filled with horror as he was brutally tortured by Jin Hyuk until his soul left his body.
Then Gang Reyong walked up to another person.
This time, too, he begged for mercy, but he wasn’t granted it; instead, he was tortured violently.
The next person fell to his knees and begged profusely to tell.
“Alright, tell me.” Gang Reyong looked at the old man and pushed him into another room.
The old man’s spine shivered:
‘I have already asked for back-up from the headquarters, please come soon.’ Even though he looked terrified, he was still calm in his heart.
After some time, Gang Reyong appeared in front of him.
“I will tell the truth.” He immediately bowed.
“Very well. However, if your words don’t match the words that the man spoke, then you will suffer the same fate.”
The old man gulped in nervousness. “Yes.”