Return of the Mount Hua

What did you just say? (4)

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The smoke-filled room was thick with tension.

“Open up.”

“Darn it, we’ve been cleaned out again.”

The tiles kept turning ceaselessly.

Even the onlookers, who had realized that an enormous sum was at stake, crowded around to witness the scene. Yet, an odd silence hung over the table where the tiles were being shuffled back and forth.

“Three.”

“I’ve got a three too.”

“Ugh, I’ve got a four. I’m the winner this time.”

People were playing for amounts of silver yuanbao that most would never touch in their lifetime, and the sight of it swiftly shifting back and forth was like a spectacle. The onlookers’ eyes, too, began to redden with greed.

“I’ve lost.”

The man in the red robe tossed the set of tiles he held onto the table. He had lost three silver yuanbao at once, but his demeanor showed no signs of regret or anger.

‘What a fool.’

Chae Gyu barely managed to suppress a laugh that was about to surface.

Outwardly nonchalant, it was likely that the mercenary in the red robe was currently experiencing a dry mouth and a parched throat. Regardless of the players’ social status, the emotions they felt when losing a significant amount of money were generally the same in this gambling den.

One had to admit that he did well in not showing his restlessness. In another gambling den, he might have been able to win some money with the right amount of care. However, at the Pleasure Pavilion, pretending to be nonchalant was not enough to escape. Slowly but surely. This place was like a swamp that gradually gnawed away at people’s money.

“This!”

“Five.”

“It’s six.”

“Darn it, why is there a six?”

“I thought I was going to win no matter what, damn!”

“Wow, you’re lucky, mister. How much will you take in a single round?”

In front of the red-robed man who won a large round, silver yuanbao piled up. He had recovered about half of the money he had lost in a flash. However, Chae Gyu’s hidden feelings were different, and there was a simple reason for that. This was the game he intentionally allowed himself to lose.

Unless you’re a fool, you wouldn’t miss the fact that your stake is diminishing. Some bold people might keep trying for a comeback until their last stake runs out, but most would lose some of their money, get scared, and leave.

‘No way.’

So you had to give them a taste now and then. If your tiles played well just once, you could quickly make up for the lost money. He couldn’t afford to let them lose hope too soon. Chae Gyu’s mouth quirked up slightly.

Gambling was about the thrill of winning money, but it was also an undeniable pleasure to watch a person’s descent into ruin. From that perspective, today’s roundtable was indeed a perfect game.

“I’m in.”

“One.”

“Four. Hehehe, how do I apologize for this?”

As the tiles kept changing hands, the pile of silver yuanbao in front of the red-robed mercenary dwindled once more. Losing such an immense amount of money was no easy feat, but when he regained his senses, it was almost all gone. It was a situation that would drive an ordinary person insane, even when gone.

But the mercenary maintained his indifferent gaze on the roundtable, seemingly unfazed.

Finally, Chae Gyu triumphantly swept the remaining stake from the table, and a tower of silver yuanbao stood before him and his comrades. However, there was no more silver yuanbao to be found in front of the red-robed man.

“Oh my. It seems like the stake is all gone.”

“How do I apologize for this?”

The three men chuckled, seemingly nonchalant.

“Do you happen to have any money left? If not, it seems like it’s time for you to leave.”

The mercenary lowered his gaze to the spot where his stake had been, then slowly raised his head.

“No money left.”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. It seems luck wasn’t on your side today. Let’s meet again next time.”

“Those days happen. Take this, at least.”

The men each picked up one of the Eunwonbo placed in front of them and slid it over to the man in the red robe.

Three Eunwonbo.

To an ordinary person, it might have been an enormous sum of money, but considering the money this man lost today, it couldn’t really be called money.

The mercenary’s mouth curled up slightly as he stared at the three silver bills.

“…I don’t have money. But I have something to wager.”

“If you don’t have money, we won’t take it.”

“You’ll take it eventually.”

“…Huh?”

Chae Gyu furrowed his brow slightly, looking at the man.

“Tsk, tsk. It might have been better to just lose the money.”

It was when Chae Gyu reached down under the table and discreetly grasped the hilt of his sword at his hip.

“Before that… let me ask something.”

“…What is it?”

The man in red slowly leaned back in his chair, tilting his head back.

A shiver ran down Chae Gyu’s spine.

‘What is it?’

He couldn’t understand the changes in himself, and it left him bewildered. He wasn’t particularly afraid of the man in front of him, so why was his body reacting like this?

At that moment, the man’s voice pierced through his ears.

“Are you happy?”

“…”

Chae Gyu, who had been on edge, narrowed his eyes.

“What are you talking about?”

“Exactly what it sounds like.”

His head slowly returned to its original position. The red robed man’s long and unkempt bangs still covered his eyes, making it impossible for Chae Gyu to know what kind of gaze he was receiving.

“Are you enjoying this?”

“You crazy…”

Chae Gyu exchanged glances with the people seated around him, just in case he needed to react to any sudden actions.

The man continued,

“The bet, that’s what it is. Yes, I don’t have any money left. But there’s still something I can wager.”

“What is it?”

“A life.”

The mercenary’s dark lips curled up sinisterly.

“Damn it! We don’t accept anything other than money here!”

“What are you doing? Drag this guy out!”

At that moment, the man lightly extended his hand. The red robe fluttered.

“It seems there’s a misunderstanding. I’m not talking about my own life.”

“What?”

“It’s not mine but yours.”

“You’re insane.”

“No, not just yours, but the lives of everyone in this place. Perhaps even the lives of everyone in Hangzhou. It might extend to the lives of all those in the Central Plains.”

Chae Gyu suddenly realized that this situation was extremely peculiar.

He wasn’t the type to listen to such nonsense. How many people had he encountered here who lost their bets and caused a ruckus? In his normal state, he would have already drawn his sword and either cut off one of this guy’s arms or sliced his throat, or just thrown him out.

But now…

‘Why am I silently listening to this bullshit?’

“I’ll ask you.”

The man in red slowly opened his mouth.

“What’s the price of your lives?”

“…”

“It’s because you have those lives that you can enjoy life to the fullest, even in the face of hardship, isn’t it? So, I’m asking. How much is the price of those lives? That’s the only way to claim that money.”

Gwigyeonsu [귀견수(鬼見愁) – Sorrowful Demon Yum Ho [염호(廉昊)], who was sitting next to Chae Gyu, couldn’t contain himself any longer and let out a gasp.

“The hell is this guy thinking? Where does he get off talking about the price of my life! Why would you be the one to take it…”

And right at that moment, the man raised his hand lightly. Then, Yum Ho, who had been shouting, was suddenly thrown onto the table as if he was being dragged away by something, as if he was bound and being pulled.

‘What?’

That sudden and unnatural spectacle froze Chae Gyu for a moment.

Kudungtangtang!

The mahjong tiles and silver plates scattered in all directions from the table.

Although the money he had carefully set aside was scattered in all directions, Chae Gyu’s gaze didn’t turn towards it. No, it couldn’t. The man’s hand was gripping Yum Ho’s face, who had been flipped over onto the table.

“How, how…?”

Sweat trickled down Chae Gyu’s back.

‘Telekinesis? [gyeokgongseobmul – 격공섭물 – 隔空攝物]’

That’s the only explanation for this bizarre sight.

But that interpretation doesn’t make sense either.

It’s one thing to use energy to pull an object from a distance, but it’s impossible to explain how a person can be pulled using energy, especially someone like Yum Ho!

Chae Gyu, who was bewildered by the situation unfolding before him. He watched as the man dressed in a red robe pulling Yum Ho, who was firmly gripped by his face, closer to him with a slow gesture.

“Why should I be the one to take it?”

A mischievous smile played on the man’s black lips.

“The reason is quite simple. Right now, your lives are just collateral. The only reason everyone in the Central Plains can continue to live is because the Church still permits your existence.”

“Sh-shut up…”

“But… it’s a pity. No matter how you look at it, it seems your lives won’t be worth a penny. Such cheap and useless lives.”

“Sh-shut up! Aaaah!”

Blue veins began to rise across Yum Ho’s entire body. He convulsed in agony as if countless needles were piercing him.

And in that moment, Chae Gyu clearly saw it.

Yum Ho’s body, exposed beyond his clothing, seemed to wither and twist like a drought-stricken rice paddy, cracking and breaking.

“Hmm…”

Meanwhile, even in the midst of this, the man calmly brushed aside his bangs with one hand.

“Ugh…”

Chae Gyu unknowingly took a step back.

The man’s two eyes, visible after moving his bangs, were an eerie shade of red. It wasn’t just a tinge of red; his eyes seemed as if they were filled with blood.

His black lips, pale skin, and bloodshot eyes exuded a sinister aura that Chae Gyu had never felt before.

“Aaaah…”

Yum Ho, who had been trembling and convulsing, finally collapsed.

Thud.

Yum Ho’s body, which had shriveled and dried like a mummy, lay lifeless on the table. Instead of the money and mahjong tiles that had been there, there was now a chilling, pitiful corpse.

“Ah…”

“You, insignificant beings.”

The red robed man’s demeanor changed in an instant.

Chilling energy emanated from him as he slowly rose to his feet. Just facing him was suffocating, and his presence felt like a surge of blood running in reverse throughout the body.

“W-who…?”

Chae Gyu asked, trembling and struggling to speak.

To fight back? To resist?

These concepts were far from his mind.

It wasn’t even a matter of discussing differences in power. The incomprehensible difference in strength left him frozen in fear, like a mouse before a venomous snake.

“Who am I?”

The man in the red robe slowly raised his head.

“It’s difficult to answer. I am a nameless one.”

“…”

He sneered, his lips curling slightly.

“When you get down to it, all of this might have been nothing more than an effort to gain a name.”

At the same time, red blood flow down from his eyes.

Chae Gyu didn’t understand his words at all, but there was no need to. After all, people don’t need to worry about what happens after they die.

Chae Gyu’s body was drawn towards the man’s hand.

“Grrr!”

The man, who had gripped Chae Gyu’s throat in an instant, stared directly into his eyes.

“Such a glorious death, compared to that insignificant price of your life, isn’t it?”

“Ma… mad…”

Crack!

Chae Gyu’s bones twisted and crumbled as he let out a pitiful groan.

“Sh… aaah… aargh…”

Without even a final breath, Chae Gyu’s lifeless body fell to the ground. His twisted and mangled corpse was a gruesome sight.

Astonishment, disbelief, and, above all, immense fear overwhelmed the gambling den.

The man, who stared coldly at the paralyzed individuals, finally spoke.

“Building mountains with corpses…”

“…”

“Creating a sea with blood, killing and killing again…”

Step by step, he moved forward.

“The entire world will come to know of the events unfolding in this place. Yes, the entire world.”

“Uhh…”

Someone’s fearful whimper escaped into the tense atmosphere of the gambling den.

With bloodshot eyes, the man raised one hand high.

Geeeeeng!

The dark energy emanating from his hand pierced through the ceiling of the gambling den like an obsidian blade.

“Second Coming of the Heavenly Demon! Ten Thousand Demons Pay Homage!”*

The man’s eerie cry resonated as if it would burst.

“Your insignificant lives will become our proclamation. Your cries will be sent to The One reborn somewhere in this world!”

Kwaaaaaaaang!

All the hidden alleyways of Hangzhou were filled with the screams. It was the fanatical evil echo that had resounded in the world for the first time in a hundred years.

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*Within the world of Mado (demons, demonic cultists), there exists a legend, the ‘Heavenly Demon’s Covenant’ [천마지약(天魔之約)].

Beyond all time and space, the supreme ruler of the ten thousand demons[만마] shall arrive.

It is the solemn covenant of the Heavenly Demon’s return, represented by the eight characters:

‘Ten Thousand Demons Pay Homage’ [만마앙복(萬魔仰伏)];

‘Everlasting Demon Swarm’ [군마영세(群魔永世)].

This was the eternal legend passed down through the world of Mado cultists.