Reborn As A Ghost: Time To Build My Undead Army!-Chapter 1708: What’s Left Behind

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"And over there..." Yoomyung pointed to corpses burned almost to ashes. "This fire incinerates in an instant—the Sunlight Mountain Sect was involved as well."

Lastly, he walked toward the altar at the center of the large room, where disciples and elders once performed ceremonies to the constellations and heavens, praying for good fortune as they cultivated.

There lay a frozen solid corpse, hurled from afar and landing on the altar, destroying and freezing it at the same time.

"Glacial Mountain Sect," he said.

"F-Four sects came here to eliminate our people?!" Kim Hua asked in disbelief. "That can’t be possible! Why go so far?!"

"They were preparing to go against us," Wu Lieng said. "But we weren’t even here to save them..."

"But why go so far if you wouldn’t be a match for them with your crippled cultivation?" Yoomyung asked. "Perhaps... they thought you had grown stronger through your dealings with Yggdrasil?"

"Those were private deals. They shouldn’t have been known outside the sect," Wu Lieng muttered. "Wait..."

"There was a spy!" Kim Hua shouted angrily. "Quickly, we must check every corpse and see who’s missing!"

The four disciples nodded, running through the building and identifying each body, painful as it was. They examined clothes, emblems, and even small personal items—anything that could help.

At last, with Wu Lieng’s help, they discovered the truth.

There was indeed a traitor among them. Someone who had either betrayed them or infiltrated the sect as a spy.

And that was...

"Y-Young Mu Ningxue is the only one missing...?!" Wu Lieng asked. "But she was... she was just a young member! She was growing stronger, yes, but... even then..."

"She was very talented," Kim Hua said angrily. "And among the rare few Dhampirs in this world."

"Dhampirs?" Maria asked.

"Children of a human and a vampire visitor," Wu Lieng explained. "Ever since the Vampires of the Crimson Order began visiting our world and forging alliances, hybrid children between those from the Tower and our world have been born sporadically. They are brilliant and strong, but inhumane, cold, strangely calculative. They age very slowly too... Damn it, is this why we couldn’t tell? She may have been much older than she appeared!"

"Dhampirs usually carry the name given by their vampire parent," Kim Hua added. "Her name, Mu Ningxue, was probably fake."

"And to think we did it all out of goodwill."

"We thought that girl had nothing."

"We pitied her, and this is how our kindness is repaid."

"...Damn it!" Wu Lieng groaned, striking the floor. "This is so frustrating. Being unable to do anything, unable to change my fate—or the fate of those who followed me... This is my fault; it’s all my fault. If I hadn’t created this sect, if I hadn’t chased pointless dreams for my father... these children... these children wouldn’t have...!"

"That’s enough, Wu Lieng," Maria said, walking toward him and patting his shoulders. "Time and time again, you repeat the same things. You can’t blame yourself for everything, and it won’t solve anything."

"Maria..." Wu Lieng wept.

"She’s right, old friend," Yoomyung sighed, patting his other shoulder. "Stand up. You are not alone anymore... These children, were they all orphans?"

"Orphans living in poverty... some were found near the mountains, starving," Kim Hua explained. "Our sect became a place where children without parents or homes found shelter. It was almost like an orphanage, despite the intimidating name."

"I couldn’t leave them when I saw them," Wu Lieng sighed. "I pitied those abandoned children because I saw myself in them... what I went through, they were enduring too. While other sects are places of competition, fighting for resources, and usurping opportunities in this dog-eat-dog world... my sect became different, even though I never intended it."

"We were a demonic sect, and yet... all we truly did was teach orphans how to fight and survive this harsh world," Kim Hua said. "Without realizing it, we became a family."

"We taught the children kindness and respect, even if my disciples didn’t always show it..." Wu Lieng sighed, hugging the three disciples who mourned silently. "I was simply following my father’s footsteps, his teachings."

"He was called Heavenly Demon, and yet he was like... a saint of sorts," Jonathan said.

"A saint, you say?" Wu Lieng laughed bitterly. "My father was fierce, feared by many. Cruel to his enemies... but there was another side the world never saw—the immense kindness in his heart, the love he showed his people, anyone who needed help. As long as you weren’t worthless, he would help you if you asked."

"This place... was a refuge for the unfortunate," Lucifer said. "I see... I judged you wrongly, Wu Lieng. You are a great man in my eyes."

"Hahah... thank you, but you are mistaken," Wu Lieng said, shedding another tear. "I am nothing but a failure... I couldn’t protect my family."

"..." Lucifer remained silent. He too had suffered the same fate, unable to protect his family, losing everything.

Maria walked around, inspecting the corpses more closely. Her powers fully activated, her eyes glowing with blue phantasmal flames.

As she searched for any trace of lingering souls, she noticed something.

"Traces of phantom energy...? And..."

"Meow..."

"...!"

Maria heard the meowing of a cat. Scanning the building, she saw no living beings aside from them.

She dug through the rubble and uncovered something heartbreaking.

A black cat’s body, crushed beneath the debris.

And besides it, it’s small soul.

"Meow? Prrr..."

The cat’s soul meowed softly, rubbing its face against Maria’s hand.

"You poor little thing..." she sighed. "Wu Lieng, did your sect have a cat?"

"Ah!" Wu Lieng, Kim Hua, and the disciples gasped as they saw Maria reveal the soul. "Little Black!"

They rushed toward the cat’s spirit, feeling astonished that it remained when everyone else was gone.

"Meow! Mau..."

The cat seemed happy, leaping toward them, but realized it could not touch them as it could Maria, passing through their bodies in confusion.

It had died so suddenly it did not realize it was dead.

"Y-You stayed here with your owners?" Wu Lieng sighed, crying harder. "You foolish cat... You should have run away, not shared their fate."

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