Chapter 51 – Mad Demonic King (1)

The demon moved his hand, and the man’s body slowly floated up and into the hole. The demon waved his hand again, sealing the hole completely, leaving only an opening large enough to breathe.

Then, the demon slowly set up a formation around the sealed hole to gather demonic energy.

“In about ten years, you will be reborn as a demonic being greater than a Vice-Lord of my cult. However, you will be sealed off from all desires, forced to live as a monster that feels only the urge to kill. If this is fate, then so be it. I, the Heavenly Demon, bestow upon you the name Mad Demonic King.”

The place they were in was completely devoid of human presence, so there was no risk of the great ritual being interrupted. And since the man had been consumed by the overwhelming demonic energy and become an inhuman being, he no longer needed to eat or drink. The man only needed to absorb demonic energy.

“The fifth Vice-Lord of my cult, Mad Demonic King. Fulfill your desires and kill everything.”

With those words, the Heavenly Demon vanished from the spot. However, contrary to the Heavenly Demon’s prediction of ten years, one day, six years later, people living as slash-and-burn farmers in the mountains saw black lightning strike, and a few days later, they heard a roar as if the mountain itself was collapsing.

* * *

Cheonmuja. A man whose name was lost, leaving only his title. He had hidden the Primordial Chaos Divine Arts—the very source of his being—in a secret location.

He had planned to retrieve it after traveling the martial world for some time, but he ultimately lost his life in the Central Plains without ever recovering the hidden Primordial Chaos Divine Arts.

Since no one knew of this martial art’s existence, it seemed destined to disappear. But there was one person who knew more about the Primordial Chaos Divine Arts than anyone else: Kang Yu-jin.

“I know where it is, but it’s pretty far. Such a pain to go get it.”

The Primordial Chaos Divine Arts was located in the Sichuan Province, ruled by the Sichuan Tang Clan. Yu-jin’s group was currently at the northern edge of Hebei Province.

They had to cross more than half of the Central Plains, so it was only natural for Yu-jin to find it bothersome. Though he grumbled about the distance, he was the one who needed it, so he had no choice but to go.

“We can save time by using lightness techniques, can’t we?”

At Eun Seol-rin’s words, Yu-jin nodded. Martial artists possessed the blessed ability of lightness techniques, and Yu-jin’s group had the skill to shorten the journey immensely.

As if to prove it, they arrived in just two short months, a journey that would have taken an ordinary person half a year, or perhaps even longer.

“The atmosphere isn’t very good.”

Chengdu, the heart of Sichuan, was a large city, but the streets were deserted, and the mood was somber. It was undoubtedly related to the strict procedures they had to go through before entering the city.

“Huh? It doesn’t seem completely dead, though?”

Eun Seol-rin was right. Large crowds had gathered in front of the escort agencies and martial arts halls.

Something had clearly happened. Judging by the variety of clothes people were wearing, their social statuses were all different.

But every one of their faces was etched with desperation. Only those trained in martial arts scanned their surroundings with sharp eyes.

*What’s going on?*

“I’ll go ask.”

Eun Seol-rin said this and approached a man who looked like a warrior, flashing him a captivating smile. Overwhelmed by her stunning beauty, the warrior stared blankly.

“What’s happening right now? Why are so many people gathered at the martial arts halls and escort agencies?”

“Ah… ah… there’s a series of murders happening. Everyone is asking for help from bodyguards or warriors from the martial arts halls.”

For so many people to be seeking out martial artists was no ordinary matter.

“Could you tell me exactly what happened?”

“Seeing as you don’t know, you must not be from around here. Lately, there have been murders happening in Sichuan. But what’s more terrifying is that the dead don’t leave behind intact corpses. Some have their heads torn off, others their limbs twisted. One body even had its heart ripped out. They’ve all been killed in bizarre ways.”

Hearing this, Eun Seol-rin knew immediately that a martial artist was involved in these murders. It was impossible for anyone but a martial artist to dismember a person with their bare hands.

The people knew this as well, which was why they were seeking out bodyguards trained in martial arts or warriors from the martial arts halls.

The wealthy hired personal bodyguards, while the less fortunate pooled their money by village to ask warriors from the halls to protect them. Given the situation, no one refused their requests.

“To think something like that is happening… Do you know how many murders there have been?”

“Try not to be shocked. It’s been a while since the count passed one hundred. The culprit is truly insane. Wiping out entire families is just the beginning; they’ve also attacked passing merchant caravans and even annihilated small villages. So, young lady, please be careful.”

If there were over a hundred murders, this was no longer a common occurrence. She didn’t know what kind of martial artist it was, but it was clear they were extremely dangerous.

“The only silver lining is that the Sichuan Tang Clan, the Emei Sect, and the Qingcheng Sect have taken action. No matter how skilled the culprit is, they will surely be caught soon.”

The Sichuan Tang Clan, the hegemon of Sichuan, and the traditionally prestigious Emei and Qingcheng Sects. If they were involved, any martial artist, no matter who, would surely be apprehended.

Eun Seol-rin thanked the warrior and quickly returned to Yu-jin. Seeing his face completely hardened, she couldn’t help but be taken aback.

No matter how formidable the culprit was, she believed they were nothing before Yu-jin, so she couldn’t easily understand his reaction.

“Master?”

“Yu-jin?”

Eun Seol-rin and Na Ye-jin asked one after another, but Yu-jin couldn’t answer.

*It’s happened a few times before, but for history to change so overtly like this… Why is the Mad Demonic King here now!*

Why is an event that was supposed to happen four years from now happening today?

As far as Yu-jin knew, there was only one person who could commit such atrocities.

The Mad Demonic King, the worst demon lord created by the Heavenly Demon for his amusement. His martial arts surpassed those of the Demonic Cult’s Vice-Lords, but he lacked reason and was a vile creature possessed only by vengeance.

In the original story, the one who dealt with the Mad Demonic King was Kang Yong-hoon, who would inherit the Martial Emperor’s techniques four years later.

But now, the one who had inherited the Martial Emperor’s techniques was Yu-jin himself.

“I have no choice but to step in.”

“The Sichuan Tang Clan, the Emei Sect, and the Qingcheng Sect are on the move. Is there really a need for you to get involved, Yu-jin?”

Hearing Yu-jin’s words, Na Ye-jin asked with a look of incomprehension.

Those three factions could sweep through Sichuan on their own. But Yu-jin knew it wasn’t enough. In the original story, before the Mad Demonic King was defeated, eight sects were annihilated, and twenty sects sealed their gates. Among those that sealed their gates were the Emei and Qingcheng Sects.

“If I don’t step in, they’ll all die. He must be caught.”

The Primordial Chaos Divine Arts was important, but correcting this distortion was more crucial to him. The difficulty of dealing with a known future versus an unknown one was like the difference between heaven and earth.

* * *

The stronghold of the Crimson Tiger Bandits, who plundered while avoiding the eyes of Yunnan’s Poison King’s Forest and the Diancang Sect, was peaceful, contrary to their notoriety.

People were farming nearby, and those who seemed to be bandits were guarding the palisade to protect the stronghold.

However, today, the leader of the Crimson Tiger Bandits, Red Tiger, was holding a grand feast, so the number of guards on duty was greatly reduced.

“Ah, what bad luck.”

Normally, the bandit Ung-sam would have been patrolling with a fearsome gaze, but today, having lost the draw and missed the feast, he was completely dejected.

“What can you do? At least the chief himself said he’d save our share, so we should be thankful for that.”

At Ah-jin’s words, Ung-sam frowned but nodded and sighed.

If not for Red Tiger, the leader of the Crimson Tiger Bandits who cared for his men, the gluttonous Ung-sam would surely have been crushed today.

As he let out a sigh of relief, Ung-sam’s eyes caught sight of a strange figure.

“Huh? Someone’s coming. Doesn’t look like one of ours.”

“Don’t you know the basic rule? If they’re not from the stronghold, you kill them. Go kill him now.”

Hearing Ah-jin, Ung-sam nodded and lifted his giant axe from where it was stuck in the ground. Then, he slowly approached the strange figure.

“Whether it was a mistake or not, you’ll regret stepping into our territory.”

Ung-sam said this and swung his axe. And those last words became his final ones.

*Kwaang!*

With a huge explosion, Ung-sam’s body was blown to pieces.

Watching this, a startled Ah-jin grabbed his own axe.

“You son of a bitch!”

Ah-jin charged forward at high speed, leaped high into the air, and brought his axe down. But as the strange figure looked at him, a dense demonic energy erupted and enveloped Ah-jin.

*Kwang!*

Like Ung-sam, Ah-jin was instantly obliterated, disappearing without a trace.

The strange figure, who had killed Ah-jin and Ung-sam in the blink of an eye, glanced at the pool of blood for a moment before slowly ascending towards the Crimson Tiger Stronghold.

“Hm?”

Red Tiger, the leader of the Crimson Tiger Bandits, was a master who had reached the peak realm, a rarity among bandits. It was because of this strength that he was able to survive after breaking away from the Seventy-Two Fortresses of the Greenwood.

As such a master, he could feel the explosive sound from outside the palisade. A very powerful explosion, at that.

But even hearing the explosion, Red Tiger remained calm. Whether they were masters or not, there were always groups of martial artists who challenged the Crimson Tiger Bandits, seeking fame.

Among them were masters who surpassed Red Tiger, but he had always emerged victorious.

“Another fool who doesn’t know the difference between a fight among martial artists and our kind of battle. Everyone, get up! We have a guest! It’s time for some fun to liven up the feast.”

Despite the late hour, everyone grinned at Red Tiger’s words. For them, nothing was more enjoyable than plundering and killing enemies.

The bandits began to move. There were two hundred of them, a formidable force of warriors ranging between first and second-rate. The other three hundred bandits were away on an expedition and not currently at the stronghold.

“Aaargh!”

At the sudden, desperate scream, the expressions of Red Tiger and his bandits twisted.