Chapter 287: He Has Returned (1)

In Hubei Province, there exist many orthodox sects like the Murim Alliance, the Wudang Sect, and countless other righteous factions, making this region notoriously difficult for unorthodox or criminal factions to operate in.

But that didn't mean it was completely free of them.

The southwestern county of Songzi in Hubei Province bordered Hunan and lay south of the Yangtze River, making it a relatively free zone from the influence of righteous forces.

In this Songzi County was the only branch of the Blood Cult located in Hubei.

Of course, it wasn't an openly declared branch — it operated under the guise of a tavern.

"—Don't people think you're dead?"

Who knows.

Seven months is a long time.

I hadn't contacted the main sect even once during that period, so it wouldn't be surprising if they assumed as much.

On top of that, the cult leader's personal guards and the Left Guardian also disappeared after heading into the Green Forest, so my death might've been taken as fact.

'Well… at least there's Baek Hye-hyang.'

Vice-leader Baek Hye-hyang.

With her leadership and natural talent, she was more than capable of leading the Blood Cult.

In the original timeline, she was fated to become the cult leader, which is why I had entrusted her with that role.

At any rate, I had to go to the Songzi branch to grasp the current situation.

I needed to know what had happened between the Murim Alliance and the Blood Cult during my absence.

Eastern entrance of Songzi.

The branch was located slightly outside the village.

Disguised with the face of an ordinary soldier I had seen at the tomb of King Pyeong, there was no one who could recognize me.

Of all the techniques I had learned from Dohwaseon, none were as convenient as the Body Transformation Art.

'Hmm…'

But why is it so deserted around here?

It was early evening — the tavern should've been lively, yet the area was eerily quiet.

And then I understood why.

"What the? It's completely abandoned!"

Just like Sodam Sword said, the tavern, which should have been bustling with people and lit up, was now a wreck.

The building looked like it had been smashed up after a big fight.

What the hell had happened?

"Didn't you tell that servant of yours, Asong or whatever, to stay here?"

I did.

But I couldn't sense his presence.

Asong, being a half-zombie who had become a jiangshi while still alive, had a distinct aura from normal people.

And yet, within the ruins of the tavern, I sensed the presence of someone trained in martial arts.

Judging by the energy, they had learned orthodox martial arts.

Also, about twenty people were lying in ambush in the nearby bushes.

'…Something definitely happened.'

It seemed clear the branch had been discovered.

In such a case, retreating would be the right move — but Asong's whereabouts were a concern.

If he had been here, he would've inevitably run into those lying in wait, possibly fought them.

'Even if it's a trap… maybe I should walk into it.'

There was no choice.

I slowly walked into the ruined tavern.

The interior was even more of a mess.

Bloodstains, seemingly left on purpose, and chaos everywhere.

Sigh.

I looked up at the second-floor railing of the tavern.

Someone was sitting there in the shadows, looking down at me.

'A beggar?'

Judging by his appearance, he was a middle-aged beggar.

He wore a robe with five knots — a symbol of a high-ranking member of the Beggars' Union, someone on the level of a branch leader.

—Why is a Beggars' Union member here?

Beats me.

But at the very least, they should know why the Songzi branch ended up like this.

—Isn't Jo Sung-won the current leader of the Beggars' Union?

That's what confuses me.

If he's the union leader, why are Beggars' Union members guarding the Blood Cult's branch?

Of course, these beggars probably don't know that their leader is one of my subordinates.

Still, I thought that at least under his influence, something like this wouldn't happen.

Then, the middle-aged beggar sitting on the railing spoke down to me.

"This really must be a Blood Cult branch. Everyone keeps showing up here on their own."

Peep!

He whistled sharply through his lips.

Immediately, the men lying in ambush in the bushes and trees rushed out.

They all wore the three-knot belts, meaning they were elite-level beggars — division heads.

Judging by their strength, they were all top-tier martial artists.

"Rear formation — Wall Stance! Front formation — Dog Fang Formation, Open!"

At his command, ten beggars at the entrance crossed their arms and formed a human wall.

The front line brandished clubs and surrounded me.

Tap!

The five-knot beggar jumped down from the railing and aimed his iron club at me.

"Blood Cultist. Surrender, and I'll spare your life."

"…Just for entering this place, you label me a Blood Cultist?"

At my response, the beggar burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha! If you're not a cultist, then why would you come to this abandoned place?"

"Fair logic, I suppose."

No normal person would enter such ruins.

I asked him a question.

"Who turned this place into such a mess?"

At that, the beggar smirked and replied.

"You think our alliance couldn't locate your cult's base? Stop spouting nonsense and surrender. Once your main base falls, the Blood Cult is finished anyway. Even if you surrender then, you won't be spared."

"What?"

I scowled at his words.

Once the main base falls? What does that mean?

"Repeat what you just said."

"Don't you understand your situation? You chose this punishment yourself. Seize him, now!"

"Charge!"

At his command, ten beggars began to launch their formation against me.

I had kept my energy completely hidden — so these fools couldn't grasp my true power and dared to attack.

I lightly snapped my fingers.

Snap!

Thud! Thud!

The beggars who had charged suddenly collapsed, eyes rolled back.

Even the ones forming the wall stance fell unconscious.

Without even lifting a hand.

"Wh-what is this…?"

The five-knot beggar was visibly shaken.

I could have knocked him out too, but I left him conscious on purpose.

As I approached, he stumbled backward.

"Y-you're not an ordinary cultist, are you?"

—Calling the cult leader a mere cultist?

Sodam Sword chuckled.

No point in explaining that now.

"Damn you!"

Whoosh!

As he tried to flee, I used my energy to perform Air Grasp, pulling him back.

Even a branch leader couldn't resist my energy.

The beggar, who had tried to escape through the broken window, suddenly stopped midair and was dragged back toward me.

Thud!

"Ugh!"

He landed hard, falling on his butt, and looked up at me with a pale face.

He had thought I was just some minor cultist, but realizing I could use Air Grasp — a high-level technique — had terrified him.

"Say that again. What about the Blood Cult's main base?"

He averted his eyes, clearly looking for an escape route.

If he wouldn't talk, I'd make him.

As I raised my hand, he panicked and shouted,

"If you touch me, the union leader himself won't forgive you!"

Ha!

If he knew that their union leader was my subordinate, I wonder what kind of face he'd make.

What the hell had Jo Sung-won been doing to let his people lead an attack against the Blood Cult?

…Did he sever ties with us because he thought I was dead?

—You think he betrayed you?

If that's the case, this is going to be a pain.

Jo Sung-won's nature isn't so shallow that he'd betray me lightly.

But only if he believed I was still alive.

—So maybe he thinks you're dead?

Possibly.

He was supposed to meet me in Wuhan after officially becoming the union leader.

But I had vanished for seven months.

More than enough time to assume I'd died.

He had sworn loyalty to the Blood Cult because I existed.

—If you're dead, then there's no reason for him to stay loyal.

Originally, he had joined the cult to gain achievements and secure his position within the Beggars' Union.

Now, he had achieved his goal and become its leader.

No wonder he might have had a change of heart.

While I was silently staring and thinking, the beggar must have thought his threat worked, because he sneered.

"The union leader is not far from here. If you want to live, you should run while you still can."

At that, I curled my lips into a smirk and asked,

"The union leader is nearby?"

A deserted house in the middle of Song Jahyeon village.

Dozens of beggars were occupying it.

At a glance, it was clear they were not ordinary beggars, but members of the Beggars' Union (Gaebang).

A young beggar approached someone sitting on the wooden floor.

The one sitting alone in a chair, with a pouch of contribution tokens slung over his shoulder, was none other than Jo Seong-won.

Just seven months ago, he had been immaculately clean, but after becoming the Head (Bangju) of the Beggars' Union, he had become much more beggar-like.

'Hmm.'

Jo Seong-won was reading a carrier pigeon letter.

It contained very important information.

'So they've reached Hyeongsan?'

Hyeongsan was the home of the Hyeongsan Sect, the greatest martial sect in Honam Province.

They were likely regrouping there with military provisions before heading south.

'Then the Hyeongsan Sect has joined as well?'

As far as he knew, the Hyeongsan Sect was affiliated with So Yeong-yeong, the younger sister of Jin Un-hwi, the leader of the Blood Sect.

Even within the Blood Sect, there were some who knew of this connection. The situation was becoming rather complicated.

What brought a sliver of relief was that So Yeong-yeong was currently involved with the Murim Alliance through the Phoenix Party.

However, if the Hyeongsan Sect were to suffer great losses in this war, how she would then perceive the Blood Sect remained uncertain.

"Where did they say they reached, Bangju?"

Elder Ui Gu-saeng, who had been sitting to his left, asked out of curiosity.

Jo Seong-won replied quietly.

"Hyeongsan."

"Ohh! So even the Hyeongsan Sect has joined, then."

"It seems so."

"Bangju, shouldn't we join in as well to support the alliance's punitive forces?"

Elder Yang Mun-saeng, who had a bald head and a white beard, spoke from the right.

He had trouble understanding why the Beggars' Union hadn't joined the grand campaign of the Murim Alliance to suppress the Blood Sect.

Jo Seong-won shook his head.

"We lost many of our talented members in the Yangtze River incident seven months ago."

"Still…"

"I will decide this matter by my authority as the head. Our Beggars' Union will not participate in this suppression campaign."

"Hrmm."

Elder Yang Mun-saeng cleared his throat, clearly displeased.

In truth, many other elders and hall masters were also unhappy with the decision.

But for Jo Seong-won, joining the war was out of the question.

Not out of loyalty to the Blood Sect.

'If we were to participate and the Blood Sect revealed that I once swore allegiance to them…'

The position he had barely secured would end in utter disaster.

Though Jin Un-hwi, the Blood Sect's leader, had died and he was now free, he could not rest easy until the sect was completely destroyed.

Thus, he had to avoid openly siding with either faction.

It was frustrating that he couldn't confide in anyone, but this was the fate he had to bear.

"Bangju."

At that moment, the young member who had gone up to the wooden floor called him.

Jo Seong-won turned his gaze toward him.

"Well? Has he spoken yet?"

"No, sir."

"You haven't let him sleep, right?"

"Not a wink. Not even a sip of water or bite of food. Yet his lips are tightly sealed. He doesn't seem human."

"Hmm."

Just two days ago, a man had been captured.

When he infiltrated a branch of the Blood Sect, the Beggars' Union tried to subdue him — but he fought back, seemingly unfazed by pain, and beat them down instead.

It took the intervention of several hall masters and Elder Yang Mun-saeng to finally capture him.

'With skills like that, he must be at least deputy-level or higher within the Blood Sect. But I've never seen his face.'

Jo Seong-won knew the faces of all high-ranking members of the Blood Sect.

And yet, he had no clue who this person was.

What was even more bizarre was that the man didn't seem human at all.

'His pulse barely moves, and he shows no biological signs. He's perfectly fine without sleep. Is he truly not human?'

It reminded him of a jiangshi — a Chinese hopping vampire.

The young member awaiting orders asked,

"Should we just torture him?"

"He can't feel pain. How do you propose to torture him?"

"Still… if we cut off his arms or legs, maybe he'll open his mouth. Who knows?"

Jo Seong-won fell into deep thought.

He had forbidden direct torture just in case the man was truly a Blood Sect member. But if he continued forbidding it, suspicion among the Beggars' Union might grow.

Just then—

Someone burst into the house, panting heavily.

It was Ha Hae-pyeong, a hall master who was on duty today.

His pale face prompted Elder Ui Gu-saeng to ask with concern,

"Master Ha, what is it?"

Gasping for breath, Ha Hae-pyeong stammered urgently,

"Haah… haah… Bangju, elders… It's terrible. A monster of a man has…"

"What are you talking about? Calm down and explain."

"Whew… whew… A monster appeared out of nowhere and knocked out all the members instantly."

"What?!"

The Beggars' Union members in the courtyard all rose to their feet at the news.

If such a powerful martial artist had appeared, it was no trivial matter.

Elder Yang Mun-saeng asked,

"What happened to our members?"

"They… they seem to be alive. But still over there…"

Yang Mun-saeng rebuked him sternly,

"You fool! Did you leave them and run away alone?"

"I just thought I had to inform you right away…"

"Bangju! I'll go with the hall masters to assess the situation."

Given the urgency, Jo Seong-won quickly nodded.

"Take the hall masters and go!"

"Yes, sir!"

Elder Yang Mun-saeng left the wooden floor and led about a dozen hall masters with him.

They were his direct subordinates — elite martial artists who had helped capture the mysterious man two days ago.

As they rushed out, Jo Seong-won asked Ha Hae-pyeong,

"Tell me more about that person."

If the enemy was truly powerful, Elder Yang Mun-saeng alone might not be enough.

He needed more details to decide whether to send reinforcements.

After catching his breath, Ha Hae-pyeong replied gravely,

"He only snapped his fingers… and all our members collapsed instantly."

"What?!"

Jo Seong-won sprang to his feet in shock.

For a moment, a certain person's image flashed through his mind.

Elder Ui Gu-saeng murmured in disbelief,

"What nonsense is this? How could someone collapse an entire group just by snapping fingers—?"

Before he could finish his sentence—

A lookout on the rooftop of the house shouted,

"L-Look over there!"

He was pointing to the east — the direction Elder Yang Mun-saeng had gone with the hall masters.

Jo Seong-won and Elder Ui Gu-saeng rushed out, leaping onto the roof with light footwork.

From the rooftop, they followed the pointing finger and were stunned by what they saw.

It was early evening, so Song Jahyeon Village was still bright.

But in the east, along the main road, lights were disappearing one by one.

"What is this… ah!"

Amid the fading lights, a dark silhouette was visible on the road.

Elder Yang Mun-saeng and the hall masters were seen shouting and running toward it.

But their voices vanished as they entered the darkness.

As if they had been swallowed in an instant.

"Elder Yang Mun-saeng…?"

No one could make sense of what was happening.

And then, they saw a dark figure walking forward from within the dimming lights.

With every step that figure took, the village lights continued to go out — a phenomenon that defied understanding.

The eastern side of the village was being consumed by darkness.

"Damn it!"

Sensing something ominous, Elder Ui Gu-saeng shouted urgently to the members below:

"Something is coming! Everyone to the eastern road!"

"Yes, sir!"

The members all dashed out into the street.

Jo Seong-won remained on the rooftop, his face growing pale as he stared at the approaching darkness.

"Bangju?"

Elder Ui Gu-saeng called him.

But Jo Seong-won heard nothing.

His mind had gone completely black.

'It's him. He's returned.'