Chapter 264 - Gate Organization, Blade Demon, Garoro
There was no mistake. This was undoubtedly Third Senior Brother.
Cassius vividly remembered the first time he met Third Senior Brother Lance and Fourth Senior Brother Moses. It was at the banquet celebrating First Senior Brother's return from his training in East Sea County. Fourth Senior Brother was a rugged man with a single eye, full of personality, while Third Senior Brother was an exquisitely handsome individual. Although the two were always bickering like rivals, their relationship was still good.
After Cassius became their junior brother, both Lance and Moses took care of him. In contrast, First Senior Brother, due to his status and busy schedule, was rarely around. Second Senior Sister was in seclusion for most of the time, and Cassius had only interacted with her during the exchange competition in Beiliu County.
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In the time-travel series surrounding the Wind Elephant Tusk Pendant, four people had left the deepest impression on Cassius: Instructor Lisa, his sister Li Chu, Fourth Senior Brother Moses, and Third Senior Brother Lance.
He had spent a while in the second time-travel period, and Cassius had frequent interactions with both Moses and Lance. They were no longer just senior and junior brothers; they had become friends. Unfortunately, during the ruthless battle that led to the sect's destruction, Cassius had only managed to save Instructor Lisa. The rest of the sect, including Third and Fourth Senior Brothers, all perished.
As memories flashed through his mind like a movie, Cassius's once clouded gaze quickly turned cold and filled with rage. He was now face-to-face with his Third Senior Brother Lance, whom he thought had died many years ago. The only explanation he could think of was that his body had been overtaken by the Dead Blood.
The Dead Blood's invasion of the Wind Elephant Sect had likely been for that very reason. The bodies of Covert Martial Artists, who had broken through human limits, were the perfect vessels for the Dead Blood. Ordinary human bodies were simply incomparable to theirs. Every Covert Martial Artist who had reached the pugilist level was an ideal container for the Dead Blood.
Thus, even after the sect's ruthless annihilation, Third Senior Brother Lance's body had not gone to waste. It had been stitched together and used for over a decade, until now! This also meant that other members of the sect, including his senior brothers, elders, and even the sect master, had likely been taken as well. They were walking the earth in powerful, hollow shells, controlled by the filthy, dark forces of the Dead Blood.
The defilement of the bodies of Covert Martial Artists was the ultimate insult!
Cassius's brow involuntarily twitched as the blood in the shallow cross-shaped scar beneath his golden hair began to creep into his eyes. His pupils turned as bright and clear as crimson gemstones. Blood vessels spider-webbed out from the corners of his eyes, creating a bizarre red shadow around them.
Not far away, Feng Liusi immediately sensed something was wrong. He shouted, "Cassius, be careful not to lose control of your fist techniques! What's happening with you?" He ripped apart the enemies around him and lunged toward Cassius, clearing out the surrounding foes and creating space around him.
"I'm fine. I can control my fist techniques."
Cassius stared unblinkingly at the shell of his Third Senior Brother. His voice was low and raspy, his face emotionless, as if he was indeed controlling himself. But Feng Liusi could tell at a glance that this was merely the calm before the storm. The Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist Qi within Cassius was already surging uncontrollably. The more he tried to suppress it, the more it reflected his growing rage.
"..." Feng Liusi remained silent, then sighed.
After two months together in Death Canyon, he had come to understand Cassius's personality well. In this situation, Cassius's determination to kill meant there was no turning back. He had felt this same resolve during Cassius's initial challenge.
Knowing any attempts to dissuade him would be futile, Feng Liusi quickly asked, "Tell me what you need me to do or if there's anything specific you need my help with."
"I'm going to wipe out all the Dead Blood in Grimm District, especially those black-robed ones. Not a single one can escape! Gather every Dead Blood in this Blood Nest for me, especially the black-robed ones."
Cassius closed his eyes, his nostrils flaring as hot breath slowly escaped. When he opened them again, the Red Falcon Fist Qi had fully enveloped him, floating within his aura. This marked the true start of battle mode.
Feng Liusi nodded slowly, casually crushing a Blood Spirit Society member who had rushed toward him. Before leaving, he reminded Cassius one more time, "Don't lose yourself to the bloodlust. Killing is like drinking—don't overindulge."
Feng Liusi then quickly retreated. He joined Saint Feinan, and the two of them sprinted out of the passage, knocking aside a few enemies that were closing in.
Nearby, the butler's eyes lit up. He immediately grabbed Young Master You An and followed suit, rushing through the gap that had been opened and following close behind them.
Thus, only the Blood Spirit Society members and Cassius remained in the casino.
The black-robed figure asked, "Do you know me?"
The black-robed figure whose hood had been torn slowly retreated into the crowd, where he was joined by two other black-robed figures. A stiff smile appeared on his pale but beautiful face.
"No, you don't know me. But it looks like this body's original owner did. It seems there were some survivors from that sect extermination all those years ago." The Dead Blood controlling Lance's body spoke with a flat, emotionless affect, like a puppet devoid of any feelings. " I've been using this body for more than a decade and it's held up quite well. It’s much more durable than an ordinary one. It even has muscle memory for martial arts techniques. Wasn't his name Lance? Well, I'm Xilan now.
"Unfortunately, no matter how well-maintained a machine is, its parts will inevitably wear out. Stitching it back together can only stave off its collapse for so long." Xilan's eyes gleamed as he gazed at Cassius and the dozens of Blood Spirit Society corpses scattered throughout the casino.
"I think your body looks quite promising. Strong enough, I'd say. Why not become my servant? I can grant you greater physical prowess, faster reflexes, and a longer lifespan!"
He stared hungrily at Cassius's body, licking his lips with his crimson tongue, as though savoring the hidden power within. His seductive gaze hid a cunning and treacherous intent.
But Cassius was unmoved. His expression remained icy as he coldly replied, "Did you hear what I just said?"
"What?" Xilan frowned.
"I said, none of the black-robed ones will be spared!"
Before Xilan could react, Cassius vanished. In the next instant, the vast, empty casino echoed with the cry of a raptor! The brilliant crystal chandeliers above rattled violently.
Meanwhile, Feng Liusi and Saint Feinan were rapidly advancing through the underground passageways. The Grimm District wasn't just composed of the buildings on the street; it also had numerous underground venues like fighting arenas and casinos. These underground areas were interconnected by a maze of passageways, some of which led directly to the surface.
The two were traveling along the main route, the fastest and most direct path, but there were still numerous small squads of Blood Spirit Society members converging on them, as well as some human gunmen who worked as security for the underground venues.
Of course, they weren’t a match for the two combat artists. Feng Liusi was an unstoppable force as he crushed his enemies in head-on confrontations. A squad of five members from the Blood Spirit Society would die within five seconds of encountering Feng Liusi. In other words, he was killing at a rate of one person per second.
This was the terrifying power of Death's Fang against those with regenerative abilities. Even someone like Saint Feinan couldn't pull this off. While he could also take down a five-man Blood Spirit Society squad with ease, it would take him significantly more time. He couldn't match Feng Liusi's relentless pace.
The butler and You An were following them closely. At this point, the butler wasn't just regretful—he was practically consumed by regret. Bringing the Young Master into the center of this supernatural disaster was definitely not the conduct of a competent butler. All he wanted now was to get the Young Master back home safely!
A delicate flower from a greenhouse only needed a little blood to thrive, not a river of it. Too much and it would either drown or suffocate the flower. Simply put, the butler had been overconfident. He had placed too much trust in both his and the Young Master's supernatural abilities and held himself in too high a regard.
As a result, they had plunged into an overwhelming supernatural event, leaving them at the mercy of their adversaries. The butler estimated that if multiple enemies in black surrounded them, he and the Young Master would be in real danger. The bodies of these regenerating foes were too resilient. It would all too easy to get entangled in a drawn-out battle until exhaustion claimed them.
However, the three people he had initially mistaken for gangsters seemed to have slaughtered over a hundred of these regenerating creatures with ease. They were clearly unbothered by their enemies.
It was obvious that there was a vast difference in power.
The butler thought back to their first encounter, right after leaving the train station. He had pegged those three as gangsters, and now he shook his head at himself in self-mockery. Luckily, he hadn't acted too haughty back then. Otherwise, he, the Young Master, and Young Miss might all have ended up lying in that alley as well as a neat little row of corpses.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Sudden explosions echoed from the corridor up ahead, causing the entire passage to tremble. It sounded like the detonation of flesh. The butler took a deep breath, holding onto his Young Master tightly with his left hand. He swiftly darted into the next section of the passage.
Blood, twisted limbs, organs, filth...
A few words were enough to describe the grotesque scene. Even though he had tried to keep his head down, You An had already fainted from fear. His stomach had long since emptied its contents.
The butler steadied his emotions and pressed forward through the gore.
He couldn't help but feel grateful that the two powerhouses ahead of them were clearing the path. Every intruder had been dealt with, paving the way for them. The butler knew he wouldn't have made it out without them, and the outcome would have been all too predictable.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two blood-soaked figures rushed out of the passage under the thin veil of moonlight, quickly making their way toward several outposts of the temporary Blood Nest.
Fifteen seconds later, another figure emerged, breathing a heavy sigh as he gazed at the empty street. He looked down at the unconscious You An and muttered, "I'm not sure if this experience was a blessing or a curse. The shock was just too great... I just hope this doesn't leave a lasting scar on the Young Master's mind..."
***
Grimm District, on the edge of a quiet villa.
On the third floor, a man in a black silk robe stood on a white half-moon balcony, quietly gazing into the distance by the light of the moon.
In the distance, lights flickered amidst what seemed to be chaos. A figure hurried through the villa's main entrance.
Raising his head, the figure spoke, "Vice President, there's been a commotion in Grimm District. Strong enemies have attacked places frequented by members of the Society, such as the underground fight club at White Ocean, George's Poker Casino, and the Headlights Strip Club. Should we mobilize the attendants recuperating in the Blood Nest, as well as the dormant fully-formed ones? The Blood Nest currently holds eighty Decay-Rank and six Undying-Rank members."
The terms "Decay-Rank" and "Undying-Rank" referred to internal classifications within the Dead Blood ranks. Ordinary members of the Blood Spirit Society, those who hadn't fully matured, were considered Decay-Rank, while the fully formed Dead Blood were classified as Undying-Rank. The President and Vice President of the Blood Spirit Society were on the level of Indestructible-Rank.
These ranks corresponded to the nature of their healing ability: indestructibility. The more difficult it was to destroy a body, the more terrifying and powerful Dead Blood became. All Blood Spirit Society members stationed in East Sea County resided in Grimm District, with about two-thirds hunting nightly in various clubs and underground venues. The remaining third stayed at the Blood Nest, digesting and resting to maintain their combat readiness.
There was a bright moon in the sky, but it was tinged with a faint red hue. A cold night wind rustled the leaves as the man in black robes remained silent for a moment before bowing his head. "Take half the men and round up our scattered brothers in the district. Eliminate any trouble makers. I have an important guest tonight."
"Yes!" The subordinate immediately vanished into the night.
"Is something the matter? If you need to handle it, I can wait here, Dino." A voice rang out. Moonlight streamed through the open balcony doors into the dimly lit third-floor living room, where a figure was draped in shadow on the sofa.
"It's nothing, just a minor issue. My men will take care of it quickly." Dino, the Vice President of the Blood Spirit Society, held a wine glass in his hand, filled with a thick red liquid. It looked less like wine and more like blood. "Let's not talk about that. We should focus on the Tulip Antique Exhibition. We probed them once, and it's clear that the forces behind the exhibition are formidable. For certain reasons, the Black Ops Agency has also taken an interest in the event, which complicates things."
"There's no need for ambiguity. It's because of us that the Black Ops Agency is watching. But it doesn't matter. They won't stop us from achieving our goal. All you need is the Kupan Demon Box, correct? Let's make sure everything is clear before the operation. There's no need to turn on each other afterward. It's pointless."
The figure in the shadows spoke without moving, as rigid as a statue. The upper half of his body stayed shrouded in darkness.
"Of course. All other antiques can go to your Gate organization... We only want the Kupan Demon Box." The man in the black robe downed the blood in one gulp. "To a successful partnership, Garoro."
The man stood up from the sofa and walked to the moonlit balcony. A swordsman with delicate, feminine features gazed into the distance as he was bathed in moonlight. His right eye was blind, and his left arm was missing, leaving only a slender right arm. Three iron-cutting swords, each about half the length of a person, hung at his waist.
"To a successful partnership," said the Gate Organization's Blade Demon.