The Novel’s Villain

42. Return (2)

This uproar was all because of Jin-woo and Maze. Since the Sword Demon was currently S- Rank, no one in the East World besides the Heavenly Demon Supreme could beat him. Although it was unexpected, Jin-woo wasn’t confused. He had experienced too many things going wrong to be embarrassed by this.

He listened with an almost Buddha-like mentality.

“Can I see the list of casualties?”

“Yes, I will prepare it right away.”

What bothered him the most were the innocent victims. It was so uncomfortable for him to see people who did nothing wrong dying. He expected that there would be quite a few victims because the Huashan Sect, the Wudang Sect, and the Shaolin Temple suffered great damage. Zhuge Mi-xian produced a list of the casualties reported so far. Miraculously, no one died, so only those who became vampires and were wounded were listed.

Jin-woo looked at the list in detail with a growing twinkle in his eyes.

‘Great Monk Zhen-de, District Prosecutor Cang-tian, Yi-long of Henan, Wudang’s God Sword…’

It was quite a number. The names stood out, most of them being ones Jin-woo remembered. They were the spies of the Demon Sect who killed the protagonist’s teacher, maimed their great senior, defiled their sister-in-law, and massacred their own students.

Nangong Hui and Nangong Xiao-yan approached with uneasy expressions.

“They belong to the White Path… they were our spiritual support and hope. But to be this horribly…”

“It’s too evil to even use their bodies. The Demon Sect must have given up on being human.”

Nangong Xiao-yan was furious.

‘Umm…’

Of course, they must be enraged. Great Monk Zhen-de appeared as a very kind high monk in the beginning. He was well-known, and he performed countless good deeds, so he had a well-regarded reputation. However, he killed the Chief Monk in a decisive moment and almost wiped out the Shaolin. He also was in an annoying scene where he collected the Blood Demon Pills planted in the monks of Shaolin Temple and politely offered them to the Heavenly Demon Supreme.

In the case of Wudang’s God Sword, he had stabbed many people in the back. He poisoned the protagonist while treating him like a brother and made him lose his qi.

‘Most of them are cancerous characters.’

Jin-woo’s goal was to drive out the tragedy of the East World, so he would make them all martyrs. Anyway, he only had to blame it on the Demon Sect. Who would have predicted that his forgetfulness would turn into anger towards the Demon Sect? Anyway, there were too many for Jin-woo to visit and kill one by one, but miraculously they all turned into vampires.

Jin-woo should have looked into it more closely, but it seemed that the Sword Demon was responding to demon energy.

‘If so… isn’t that perfect?’

The Blood Demon Pill was somehow solved with the grace of chicken, but not the spies. Jin-woo looked to Zhuge Mi-xian.

“What’s the current situation?”

“According to the information, the vampires are coming towards the Martial Arts League.”

“Then, all the leaders of the factions must have gathered there.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Jin-woo and Zhuge Mi-xian looked at each other and smiled softly. To the others, it looked like a beautiful painting, but their insides were dark. Jin-woo was planning to use the vampires to eliminate all the spies permeating the factions. Meanwhile, Zhuge Mi-xian and the M-Dragon Association were full of thoughts about being beaten by the vampire. They were more active than anyone else, and those around them admired them as the Blue Dragon Association.

Jin-woo looked around the Martial Arts League with the M-Dragon Association. Rumors about Jin-woo had already spread. Famous martial artists welcomed Jin-woo warmly after hearing Zhuge Mi-xian’s praise.

It was said that most of the Shaolin Temple, Wudang Sect, and Huashan Sect buildings were burned. Thanks to the vampires wandering around, but Jin-woo donated a huge amount of money to them. It was only compensation prompted by his conscience, but they were moved by his generosity. Who could come up with such funds?

Jin-woo’s status rose even further. He entered the White Path Great Hall, where even the Blue Dragon Association could not enter, and he was able to see the Leader of the Martial Arts League and the other main figures. The Leader of the Martial Arts League welcomed Jin-woo with his arms wide open.

“Welcome, Young Master Jin.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“You’ve provided great help for White Path. We will never forget your kindness.”

“I’m flattered. I just did what I had to do. I heard that the Martial Arts League also suffered damage. I will do anything I can to help. Of course, financially as well.”

The Leader of Martial Arts League held Jin-woo’s hand tightly. He wasn’t a bad person, but he was incompetent, set to be assassinated after giving up his position to the Demon Sect’s spy with full faith.

“Hahahaha! I want to visit Jin-hu. I was going to go to Jin-hu after retirement. I didn’t know the situation would be like this…”

“Come and visit us when things are settled.”

After offering a few light words, the Leader of Martial Arts Association completely fell for Jin-woo. Leaders of each faction gathered in the White Path Great Hall.

‘Rather, the incompetent Martial Arts League Leader was much better.’

Judging with the Magic Eye of Information, more than 30 percent of them were Demon Sect spies. The White Path had already lost even before the Great War started.

“Hmm, it looks like you’re trying to win our favor with money, but you’re better not to.”

The person who said that was Elder Guo Da-yun, the One-Pointed Heavenly Sword of the Dianchang Sect. He was a Profound Master of Ten Thousand Martial Arts and was supported by many people for his humble attitude. However, he was a member of the Demon Sect who had mastered the sexual martial arts. Guo Da-yun offered Jin-woo some gentle advice.

Jin-woo thought he had to take care of him first. He glanced around, confirming the spies. They were contacting the Demon Sect, trying to find out what happened, but there was no way to know because even the Demon Sect had no clue.

‘Then, since this is happening….’

Let’s get moving now. They didn’t have anything solid as a plan, but the operation name had already been decided. It was ‘Return.’ The items that had been left to the White Path for a long time would be well packaged and sent back with interest. The Masters of the Martial Arts League was set up in battle formation in the vicinity of Xinmi to Zhengzhou. It was a spectacular gathering of masters, the likes of which never seen before.

Flags representing each faction were placed in all directions, and a large flag representing the Martial Arts League was placed in the center.

Jin-woo was in the back with Lilith.

‘They’re coming from there.’

The vampires appeared from afar. The vampire was a creature that frequently appeared in eastern fantasy, but it felt strange to see them like this. When Jin-woo checked with the Magic Eye of Information, he could see they were all former Demon Sect spies.

“As expected, it’s because of the demon energy.”

Jin-woo’s prediction was right. It was also understandable why the Sword Demon and the vampires marched madly toward the Martial Arts League. Most of the spies with demon energy were gathered here. The Demon Sword belonged to Maze, and the vampires following him had been changed by the Sword Demon, so they also belonged to Maze. Following that, what was owned by Maze belonged to Jin-woo, so he was able to fully exercise his influence.

[The Great Emperor of Gold blesses the Sword Demon and the vampires.]

[The ranks of the vampires rise by one level.]

The Sword Demon and the vampires ran frantically towards the spies. There were spies in each faction, so they appeared to attack indiscriminately.

“Let’s show them the power of the White Path!”

“Stop them!”

“They must not be allowed to enter Zhengzhou!”

Jin-woo watched from behind until Lilith was ready.

‘That’s cool.’

It was amazing to see the martial artists forming together and sprinting forward. It was good enough to be used as a movie trailer. Jin-woo was preparing an eastern fantasy theme in the Maze: New World, so he thought it would be good to use this as a promotional video. The vampire was perfect as a mob monster, too.

‘Even the composition is good!’

Every time the Sword Demon moved, people were thrown back in all directions. Even the leader of the Huashan Sect was sent flying by the Sword Demon. The master of life and death became a vampire, so he went up one level, and with Jin-woo’s blessing, he ranked up again. No one could match him now.

Some moved to protect the leader of the Huashan Sect: it was Zhuge Mi-xian and the M-Dragon Association.

“Fufu! As expected of a vampire!”

“Oh-ooh!”

Those who blocked the vampires with their bodies placed recklessly in danger were no less than heroes. The moaning was strange, but the martial artists around them didn’t have time to notice or care about it.

“Keaaarggh!”

A young spy in the Nine Schools & One Sect was bitten by the vampires while the relatively famous and older people only pretended to fight and stepped back. It was the same with the Elder Guo Da-yun, the One-Point Heavenly Sword of the Dianchang Sect.

“Master, I am ready.”

As Jin-woo nodded, Lilith began to activate her powers. Jin-woo’s appearance blurred and grew transparent, his presence vanishing. Lilith was the only one who could see Jin-woo in this area. She also created illusions between Jin-woo and the line of martial artists, making it appear that he was fighting them, vampires, back.

‘Shall I start?’

What would you do if you were an invisible person? Jin-woo looked toward the spies and smirked. The first was Guo Da-Yun. Guo Da-yun was drawn towards the Leader of the Martial Arts League. He was with the spies, trying to figure out the situation. Jin-woo approached Guo Da-yun from behind. No one could feel Jin-woo moving unless they were ranked higher than Lilith.

Jin-woo looked at Guo Da-yun and poked him.

“Ugh?!”

“W-what’s going on?”

“Nothing. Suddenly, I felt a chill…”

As expected, it was perfect. Jin-woo grabbed the hand of another spy. It was The One Sword of the Universe from the Qingxian Sect. Jin-woo took his hand and brought it to Guo Da-yun’s buttocks.

“Hu-huh? W-what are you doing?”

“Huh? W-what’s wrong with me? I-it isn’t me!”

The One Sword of the Universe tried to pull away from his hand, but he could not defeat Jin-woo’s power. Jin-woo grabbed his other hand and made it stroke Guo Da-yun’s chest. Guo Da-yun freaked out and stepped back. The One Sword of the Universe’s hand that stroked Guo Da-yun’s ass approached his face.

“S-sniff! Sniff! Hmm!”

Guo Da-yun’s complexion turned pale blue as the One Sword of the Universe took a deep breath, drawing the attention of those around them. Jin-woo grabbed his sword sheath off the floor and stabbed Guo Da-yun in the ass.

“Kugh?!”

Guo Da-yun’s waist bent like a bow and bounced forward.

“It’s the One-Point Heavenly Sword of the Dianchang!”

“Bending Leap Shadow Technique?!”

“What an amazing technique!”

“As expected of Elder Guo! It’s advanced.”

The Leader of the Martial Arts League nodded in admiration. Given Guo Da-yun’s character, he would not have been able to watch the younger martial artists sacrifice themselves any further. The Leader of the Martial Arts League thought so.

Guo Da-yun cut through the air and stretched out to where the Sword Demon and his vampires were. Even so, he was a master, so he landed firmly. The Sword Demon and the vampires turned to look at Guo Da-yun in unison. He began to sweat, instinctively sensing that he was no match to them. In particular, the drooling Sword Demon was too scary.

“I also… am on the s-same side… Keaaaaargh!”

The Sword Demon grabbed Guo Da-yun and drained his demon energy. It was the vain end to Guo Da-yun, the One-Pointed Heavenly Sword. When Guo Da-yun was drained, the spies began to panic. Still, they were high-ranked personnel with a guaranteed position when they returned to the Demon Sect. But they didn’t know what to do when their leader was so horribly beaten.

Thinking it was the Demon Sect’s plan, they stood by for a while, but their own lives appeared to be in danger. But they didn’t have to worry as Jin-woo would solve everything.

“This time, it’s three people.”

He approached the spies who were hesitating around the Martial Arts League Leader. He slapped their backs with his full strength.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Their bodies were shot forward quickly into the fray. Jin-woo went around and threw all the spies into the vampires. The Sword Demon ate the food calmly without hurting anyone else when his prey came in flying.

‘They fly well.’

Jin-woo thought he seemed to have a talent for baseball. It was quite beautiful to see the Masters soaring through the air. They deserved to be examples for all martial artists. However, the results weren’t good. Jin-woo thoroughly searched for all the spies until they were all turned into vampires.

‘I have to finish it soon.’

Jin-woo used Lilith’s hallucinations to deceive people’s eyes and put the Sword Demon and his vampires into a subspace. Now that everything was well packed, it was time to send them back. The destination was, of course, the Demon Sect.

The battle against the vampires ended with the White Path’s victory.

There were many sacrifices. Many Masters and several rising stars lost their lives. They were now running around taking care of the aftermath while the Leader of the Martial Arts League was suffering the busiest days of his tenure. Everyone suggested that his retirement be delayed by ten years, and some had said he was working to the point of weeping blood.

Jin-woo handed the subspace with the Sword Demon and the vampires to a demon with the fastest feet. It was meant to be returned neatly. He knew the location of the Demon Sect headquarters because the members of Blood Wind Squad told him all he wanted to know.

The delivery man, receiving Jin-woo’s order, crossed the portals and ran directly to the Hundred Thousands Great Mountains. Only members of the Demon Sect could pass over the mountain road and reach the main gate of the Demon Sect without difficulty. Because of this, the Demon Sect hadn’t been invaded once in several hundred years. That was why the main gate’s defenses were a little sloppy.

The delivery man was the fastest demon in the Demon Realm. It was impossible to block his steps with only a few traps. Gatekeepers were blocking the door when the delivery man approached. They were startled when they saw him. No matter how they looked at the delivery man, he wasn’t a member of the Demon Sect.

“Who the hell are you?!”

“Are you an intruder?”

The gatekeepers reacted violently, but the delivery man approached them calmly. He was so calm that the gatekeepers let their guard down.

“This is the Demon Sect, isn’t it?”

“Right! The hell are you…”

“Ah! I made it here in good time.”

The delivery man wore a nice smile. Then, he produced something from his pocket. It was a piece of paper on which was written ‘Demon Realm’s Delivery Service.’

“It’s a package that has been sent back to the Heavenly Demon Supreme. You sent the wrong package. From now on, please make sure to double-check before you send something.”

“Package?”

“Yes, you can receive it as his representative. Please sign here.”

The gatekeeper tried to remain vigilant but was caught up in the delivery man’s pace.

“Ah! It could be a tribute to the Heavenly Demon Supreme… didn’t we get the news like last time?”

“Indeed, who is going to invade the Demon Sect? The last time those people went all out, they were smashed completely.”

After looking at each other, they grabbed the brush that the delivery man held out and signed for it. The delivery man checked the signature, nodded, and looked at them again.

“Ah! You have to pay a return fee.”

“Uh, um…”

The gatekeepers looked at each other. Then they patted their pockets while glancing around. Eventually, one of them found a few pennies in their pocket and handed them to the delivery man.

“Thank you.”

The delivery man stepped back. There was a large open space in front of the main gate. It seemed like everything could be taken out here.

“Then, I will leave it here.”

When the delivery man looked at the gatekeepers, they tilted their heads but nodded. The delivery man opened the subspace and took out all the packages.

“Huh?”

“T-that…?”

The gatekeepers were startled. Suddenly, the space in front of the gate distorted, and people appeared from thin air. They stood still, as if frozen, and all of them had blue skin. A red string was wrapped around each of their chins, with a flower-shaped ribbon adorning their forehead.

“Have a nice day!”

The delivery man left those words and disappeared. The gatekeepers still didn’t understand the situation. They slowly approached the motionless people. They reached out and waved their hands in front of their faces but received no response. Poking them, they found their skin was cold as ice. It was like touching a dead body. The most up-to-date novels are published on lightno­velpub.c‎om.

“H-how did they suddenly appear?”

As one gatekeeper turned away, the other’s eyes began to widen.

“T-that…”

“Huh?”

All vampires opened their eyes as one. Their hands stretched out in a straight line to pierce the gatekeeper’s chest. Both of them quickly became prey for the undead.

Drool!

The Sword Demon began to drool at the enormous wave of demon energy exuding from beyond the main gate.

Bang!

The main gate that had stood for hundreds of years collapsed as finely packaged and returned vampires rushed the main gate. A long day for the Demon Sect day had just begun.