Conflict 2

The crowd watched on in slight panic, as arguably their leader started to make his way towards the visiting group, with his sword still drawn. Gu Erin in everyone's mind was thought highly of. Not because he was a phenomenal leader or of his management method, which was more of a hands-off approach, making more than a few of them to have a tougher time adjusting. No, it was because he gave them the necessary tools and information for them to come out ahead.

Although some didn't have the natural drive to strive for power and self-improvement, most if not nearly all of the members of Gu Erin's camp were striving for power longer than he was alive. So, to have a resource in this fresh world that put them heads and shoulders above their peers, gave him a special importance in most of their minds. They were more than willing to keep following as long as they kept getting benefits, and their potential risk of death or suffering was minimized.

Because, most if not all had already seen some of the harsher truths this world had to offer just from their short time in Haymire. Even now that it was night, cultivators still worked around the camp, almost all of them were exhausted, but nobody dared complain or even wished to.

Gu Erin himself, was not aware of how his group viewed him, and truthfully he only gave it a cursory thought. He was aware of his own value, and refused to let public image harm his own growth. He had the Blood Jackets who would not care about his image. Although they made up a small fraction of the total people in the camp. They were firmly under his control, as long as he kept providing opportunities to get stronger.

So, when most started growing panicked, a few more sharper individuals nodded and approved of Gu Erin's decisiveness.

With another light step Gu Erin gracefully vaulted the fence as if hopping over a four-foot barricade was effortless. To a good majority of his group this would be normal, but the opposing side this spectacle was nothing but a shock. Some of them still hadn't learned the purpose of them being here, so naturally concepts like cultivation was just a fantasy.

Thoroughly panicked now, one of the men called out to Gu Erin who still had his sword drawn. "W-what do you think you're doing!?"

Another shouted, "put that thing away!"

Invigorated by the voices, people from the opposing group continued to try and verbally rebuke Gu Erin into submission, spouting about morals and ethics. Morals and ethics that Gu Erin had already severed himself from. He would even be willing to become a murder hobo if it meant achieving his goals. This groups constant yapping about things he didn't care about didn't even make him flinch away from his purpose.

He did not even stop walking forward when some of his own people started to call out in agreement with the opposing group, earning harsh looks from their own fellow cultivators. While some had opened their eyes and accepted this world for what it was. Most still clung onto old world standards.

With Gu Erin's each step he came ever closer, those steps grew faster and faster till he closed the short distance remaining between them in a blink of an eye, swinging his sword. The sword hum and song filled the air as a blood lotus bloomed. Silence fell for a split second, then madness broke out.

The screaming invoked mass panic, however, one thing kept happening at a frightening speed, as the shocked faces of each side slowly grew into terror. However, some members of Gu Erin's camp had already reacted, bringing up their own arms and weapons. The primary contributor of this group being the ruthless Blood Jackets.

Gu Erin weaved through the crowd with nightmare inducing grace, his cold expression and visage both handsome and heart palpitatingly fearsome. Gu Erin kept swinging his sword like a farmer just cutting down tall weeds, as some of those who started to run away soon found their vision spiraling.

It wasn't till their vision landed upon their own still standing corpse below them that even a fragment of understanding crossed their minds, until eternal darkness took away their last bit of consciousness. The sound of blood curdling screams covered up Gu Erin's sword hum, as by the time he was joined by his own group to take part in the massacre, he was already done slaughtering half of the opposing mortals.

Some of the conflicting group members still hadn't moved, their brain not able to comprehend the scene that played out before them. Those who had reacted were Gu Erin's primary targets as he wanted nobody to escape, it would be even worse in that case if news spread about this matter.

Lucy was the first to join in on Gu Erin's massacre, followed suit by the nearest blood Jackets. Next although with a noticeably reluctant expression, Lee Shio Ming and Nu Bin joined the one-sided battle.

In less than three minutes about fifty people from Earth had died, for seemingly no reason. However, contrary to this thought Gu Erin knew that massacres had been performed for even worse reasons. So, this mass killing although seemingly ruthless in the eyes of others was necessary in his own. Hopefully more of them would wake up and see this world for what it truly was.

It was a catalyst of suffering, meant to pound the harshness of reality into the inhabitants of a world spared of the rule of personal strength. In their past world, the thought of one person turning over a nation would have been impossible. In the world of cultivation however, that was all too possible if you offend the wrong person.

In this case they should not have made trouble at Gu Erin's door, if this was a sect and they had made trouble at their front gate it would have been a huge slap to the face. Most if not all sects would have immediately tried to kill you to regain that bit of face. Unless of course you had the power to back up your arrogance.

Now, before Gu Erin and his small group laid about fifty corpses, however most of the bodies were still slightly twitching in their death throws. As most were missing heads, less than half had non-lethal wounds before being quickly finished off.

Truthfully Gu Erin was slightly impressed with the group who stepped up, being able to overcome the hurdle of killing fellow humans was a huge step, most of them had overcome this hurdle beforehand on Earth. However, Gu Erin knew for a fact, that there were members of the group that this was their first time killing their fellow man.

They could be easily picked out by either their pale or sickly green complexion, two of them were even puking. However, surprisingly enough these people had gained the respect of some of the Blood Jackets, who were either giving their silent support, or helping those whom were vomiting calm down.

Killing wasn't easy, and it truly never got easy, if it ever did you were most likely more attuned to walk the path of a demonic cultivator. Such people were often hated and persecuted because of their complete indifference to life. And their all to willing attitude to kill any and all to gain more power.

Gu Erin himself felt that he was walking a fine line between the two, and even at this moment he could feel the slight forming of a heart devil, he knew eventually his Dao Heart would undergo a trial, but hopefully during that trial his Dao heart would improve and ascend to a higher state of enlightenment.

Gu Erin stood still among the crowd of dead bodies, his fourth robe now ruined, as it was covered in so much blood one would never have been able to guess that it was originally off white. His hair and face also covered in blood; he looked like a true devil.

Lucy who saw this sight felt her heart thumping faster for some reason, she did not know why, but the sight of Gu Erin's cold face while he slaughtered the group made her heart flutter each time she thought about it. Not willing to give him the tiniest hint of this, she made sure to keep her distance like the rest.

Most were just staring blankly at the scene and Gu Erin, either in a daze, in apprehension, or in fear. There was near perfect silence. The only things that disturbed it was the whistling wind of the night, and a small group of women comforting a few who were too young to have witnessed such a scene.

Gu Erin looked around slightly, observing the tense atmosphere of the camp, he knew that this was going to be a long night. He knew all too well that things could not be left like this. Negativity would fester, and he needed these people firmly behind him. So, he understood that he was going to have to endure another sleepless night. Unfortunately, this night wouldn't be spent progressing his cultivation, of which he finally had the ability to progress as fast as he could.

No, this night would most likely have to be spent in a meeting with the people of his group. Although most of them were mortals and needed sleep far more than cultivators. They would no doubt stay up for answers so he was resigning himself to being asked questions for quite some time.

He held in his sigh of annoyance as he faced his group with the same indifference he wore during his slaughter, causing more than a few of them to reflexively flinch.

"There will be a meeting in a few minutes in the center of camp. I will both explain, and answer questions there. However, you should all know this coming into the meeting. What happened tonight was unfortunately necessary. Also…" Gu Erin paused, looking throughout the crowd, meeting as many gazes as he could. "There will be a time where we aren't the ones taking the initiative to attack. Nothing is stopping the criminals of Earth from forming a large group as well."

With that skin crawling thought, Gu Erin left them to go wash off most of the coagulated blood in the stream.

***

In a different campsite outside Haymire-

A man breathing heavily and sweating profusely like he had just ran a marathon knelt before a young man, who was sitting imperiously on a wooden chair in a canvas tent.

Although the youth looked like he despised the accommodations, it was still rather lavish compared to those who resided in the camp as well. In fact, the living quality of the average person in the camp was quite poor. Only those who showed promise would be able to improve their living standards by becoming cultivators. This group was rather large, and they were positioned between two streams.

One of them being the stream that Gu Erin's group had managed to take over the source of, leading this youthful leader to send out one of his men, to force a smaller camp that they knew of to act as pawns. To scout out the mid-sized camp that was polluting the stream.

However, the youth was not expecting his spy to come back in this state, he had seen this man's strength, a mere run would not be able to put him in this state. And, with every additional detail he heard from his subordinate his frown grew deeper.

An unconscious aura of domineering superiority that was cultivated from a true belief in one's confidence, formed a Dao Heart. Allowing this youth to gain far more power easily as his very aura made those around him want to serve. Until he met that annoying officer he thought his word was law, not having someone beg to follow him irked him more than he thought possible.

Now he had another group that could potentially be a thorn in his side.

"Young master what should we do?" Asked the grunt.

The young master huffed, his face grimacing in annoyance, honestly he was more upset about not having his own subordinates here, they were far more capable than this common trash.

"Spread word first that there was a massacre, we'll let the rumors take over, and slowly add more information. It will be hard for them to mingle with the others if they are under suspicion." The youth said slowly and thoughtfully.

The grunt nodded repeatedly, "yes, of course. Young master is as insightful as always."

The youth grinned; he would have to account for this new player in his plans. This other youth that almost single handedly slaughtered nearly fifty people would be quite the threat.