Chapter 1021: What Did You Just Say? (Part 6)

Who is the richest person in the world?

Some may immediately think of the emperor. After all, there's no one in the world richer than the emperor.

However, for those who believe that true wealth lies in the freedom to use it, the emperor's wealth is only significant within the imperial palace.

Someone else might recall the golden kings (黃金王) Seok Dae-rip (石大立) and Seok No-ya (石老爺), the leaders of the Central Plains battlefield. [since they're not even mentioned in the wiki, I'm pretty sure they're irrelevant]

In the Central Plains, the largest battlefield in the world, an unimaginable amount of cash and promissory notes changes hands on any given day.

And the owner of this battlefield, Seok Dae-rip, who also owns a part of the Central Plains's top ten sects, is considered the true king of the Central Plains.

Yet, there are those who will shake their heads even at this. In the world, hidden wealth often surpasses visible wealth.

Those who truly manipulate money operate in the shadows, not in the bright world. Illegitimate activities like extortion, gambling, and human trafficking, are all managed by the Black Ghost Castle, and their leader, the Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold, is truly the person who holds the most money in the world.

Even if this statement is exaggerated, there is no one who can deny that the Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold, the leader of the Black Ghost Castle, is one of the richest people in the world.

The Black Ghost Castle's main hall, where the Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold resides, was surprisingly modest. Or rather than modest, it was barren. An old, stained desk, a rickety chair, and shelves filled with books and ledgers were all the items in the room.

In the dim and desolate room, people had gathered. Every one of them had serious expressions.

Kiiiiing!

The rickety chair upon which the Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold sat creaked. The hand that used to rattle the abacus incessantly stopped and had fallen to the table. This hand that could never stop moving. At least while sitting at this desk, it rolled the abacus out of habit when receiving reports or writing documents.

It was the hand that did not stop even when the Namgung Family entered Plum Blossom Island, and when Jang Ilso traveled to the Yangtze River to confront Shaolin. However, this hand had come to a standstill at this moment.

"Where did you say?"

The Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold's lips formed a frigid voice.

One of the men in front of him spoke with a stern face.

"There are people carrying out a massacre in Hangzhou. According to the information we've confirmed so far, they appear to be the practitioners of that Demonic Sect."

"Magyo?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"...It's difficult to say that we've completely confirmed it. However, that's what survivors from the Hangzhou branch have reported."

"There are survivors?"

The Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold's eyes narrowed.

"If they confirmed the enemy as a demonic sect to the point where they could immediately leave after seeing them, then it's unlikely. They survived against a demonic sect?"

"They were spared."

"That's strange."

The Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold leaned back in his chair.

"Even then, the Demonic Sect wouldn't do things that way. If the stories about the past Demonic Sect we've heard are true, that is. You wouldn't have missed something like this. But there must be a reason why you decided they were from the Demonic Sect?"

"...One of the survivors said so."

"Is that your answer..."

"More accurately, it wasn't a survivor who said it, but someone who used to be a survivor. The practitioner said there was no need to speak in words. All that needed to be done was to tear the skin off their faces, gouge out their eyes, cut off their arms, and drill holes all over their bodies. If they wanted to live, they should run forward from now on."

"..."

Even the Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold, the wealthiest in the world, was momentarily at a loss for words.

"When the rear guard found that survivor, they were already completely out of their minds. It's the Demonic Sect. They kept repeating that the Demonic Sect had come until they passed out and died from exhaustion."

"...Seems to be the case."

A sigh escaped the Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold's lips. Cruelty, even when it came to the Evil Sect, wasn't usually considered a vice. In fact, it was sometimes akin to courage. But this had crossed the line. No Evil Sect member killed people in such a manner. Only those who didn't see people as people could commit such acts.

"The Demonic Sect... In Hangzhou..."

The Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold's finger rose to the abacus. However, despite twitching several times, it couldn't quite move.

"They really messed up this time."

A wistful chuckle escaped his lips.

"This timing... why now?"

At that moment, Wijung cautiously spoke.

"Boss, I'm not sure if this is overstepping my bounds, but..."

"Skip the unnecessary chit-chat. Get to the point."

"Yes, Boss. Even though the times have changed, dealing with the Demonic Cult has always been the job of the entire Central Plains. Instead of bothering with scraps, shouldn't we announce the rise of the Demonic Cult and receive support without making a fuss?"

"That's what we should do."

"Huh? Then..."

"It's just that the timing isn't right."

The Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold spoke in an emotionless tone.

"In the past, it would have been a given. Or, there would have been no need to go through the trouble. By simply letting them know that the Demonic Sect had appeared, the sects from Gangbuk would have rushed over to deal with them."

After all, wasn't it the righteous sect members who stopped the Heavenly Demon in the end?

"But not now."

"How do you mean... Oh, the Gangnam fire!" [idk]

The Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold nodded.

"Even that is a reason. But the bigger issue is that currently, Shaolin, which can be considered the center of the sects, is in a standoff with Myriad Man Manor in the Yangtze River. Will these two suddenly change their stance just because they see the Demonic Sect, which they had been fighting against, appear?"

"..."

"If that were possible, then they wouldn't be people; they'd be Buddhas or immortals. It would take quite some time at the very least."

The Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold gave a light glance at his face.

'The timing is just terrible.'

Jang Ilso's strategy to resist and create cracks among everyone stationed in the Yangtze had unexpectedly led to the worst possible outcome.

But who could blame Jang Ilso?

Was there a single person in the world who predicted that the remnants of the Demonic Sect, who had not shown themselves for over a hundred years, would appear in Hangzhou at this very moment?

'If this situation in the Yangtze remains unresolved, and if they don't move their forces, it's the worst scenario.'

But it's also a possibility. Given the current circumstances, both Myriad Man Manor and Shaolin will find it hard to withdraw. If not a single one of them bends, then they'll have to hold their positions until the swords strike from behind.

That means they'll have to face them with only Black Ghost Castle.

The Demonic Sect.

The Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold quickly flicked the abacus.

"The Demonic Sect couldn't have preserved its strength as it did in the past. At best, they won't reach thirty percent of its past power. So you can consider that their practical power doesn't even reach ten percent."

The reason he made this judgment was simple. The Demonic Sect that had drenched the Central Plains in blood in the past, and most of its power stemmed from the existence of 'Heavenly Demon.'

The Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold, naturally, thought that the existence of 'Heavenly Demon' was exaggerated. If all the stories handed down were true, then he would not be human, but something more.

But even excluding those ridiculous legends, the 'Heavenly Demon' was similarly great. Now that 'Heavenly Demon' no longer exists, the Demonic Sect revealed today couldn't possibly be the Demonic Sect they once knew.

It shouldn't be. No, it mustn't be.

The Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold's hand quickly flicked the abacus.

"...Boss."

Thock!

Finally, the Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold's hand opened the abacus wide with determination. The ice-cold expression settled on his face as if he had made up his mind.

"...Wichung (尉充)."

"Yes, Boss."

"Gather capable individuals."

Drururuk.

The abacus beads made a chilling, grinding sound.

The Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold asked with a coldly sinking face.

"They mentioned that they let the survivor go, didn't they?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"That means they wanted to make it known that they're the Demonic Sect."

"Indeed... it seems that way."

The Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold lightly pressed the corner of his eye.

"To make themselves known suggests they have some ulterior motive. If they intended to achieve it through strength alone, they wouldn't bother with such a complicated method. They have the will to communicate."

Wichung nodded his head.

The Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold was right. They had some hidden agenda and intentions to fulfill. If it were merely a matter of killing, they wouldn't go through the trouble of making themselves known.

"So, what's your plan?"

"For now..."

The Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold nodded decisively.

"We should confirm what they want first. You can't wager without knowing the cards they're holding."

Wichung looked at the Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold with a new admiration. While it might seem like an obvious conclusion, assessing the situation calmly after hearing that the Demonic Sect was committing a massacre in Hangzhou was far from easy.

"I'll go then."

"No."

In response to Wichung's words, the Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold firmly shook his head.

"I will go."

"Boss! It's too dangerous."

The Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold replied with an unchanged expression, coldly and resolutely.

"There's no need to be afraid."

The dark eyes of the Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold stared at Wichung.

"The Demonic Sect is ultimately made up of flesh and blood, just like any other human. They aren't mute beasts but humans capable of dialogue, and there's plenty of room for negotiation."

The Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold, after finishing his words, fell into thought for a moment. Facing the Demonic Sect alone is only a losing proposition, whether the Demonic Sect is stronger than he expected or has now lost its past glory.

'If, by any chance, the Black Ghost Castle suffers great losses while confronting the Demonic Sect...'

'The sharp edge of Jang Ilso will be directed towards us.'

The most fearful thing for a wounded tiger is not a predator that might appear somewhere, but the pack that was hunting together just a moment ago. And Jang Ilso is a tiger who never misses the scent of blood.

So, the conclusion is clear.

"Get ready."

"Yes, Boss. We will proceed."

The prepared individuals quickly rushed out like the wind. It was a martial art characteristic of the Black Ghost Castle, who regarded time as gold.

The Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold didn't even give them a second look.

Thak! Thak. Thak.

The sound of the abacus beads moving gradually subsided. At the same time, the Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold's breathing became thinner and thinner.

'He's probably not a three-headed, six-stomached monster, so he's still human.'

Humans cannot escape from their desires. Or, more accurately, there is no group that is free from greed.

So, he can always lift them up to the negotiating table. Isn't that the way of the Black Ghost Castle?

But the Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold didn't know.

He didn't know that in the world, there are those for whom common sense doesn't apply at all. And how big a mistake it is to interpret them within his own frame of reference.

The world had forgotten the Demonic Sect.

But... it was soon to be etched into their memories once again.