Reborn As A Ghost: Time To Build My Undead Army!-Chapter 1710: The Respected Demon Beast Of The Blood Demon Sect

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Whenever one of the kids hit Feng Xian, Little Black would hiss and slash at their hands, making them run away crying.

He was almost like a dog, always protecting his owner.

Eventually, even the children who feared him learned to respect that cat.

The "Respected Demon Beast" of the Blood Demon Sect...

"Look! I got some fish for you!"

"Mereow!"

Sometimes, the two of them would sneak into the kitchen and steal fish to share.

Then they would be reprimanded by Elder Wu Lieng.

"If you wanted to eat, you should've waited until lunch! Patience! You lack patience, Feng Xian!"

"I'm sorry..."

"Meow..."

Whenever visitors from other sects arrived, Little Black would hiss at them, sometimes even biting their legs, leaving them annoyed and feeling disrespected.

"Agh! Damned cat! Control your pests, Wu Lieng!"

One day, a cultivator kicked the kitten away, which made Wu Lieng furious. Even though the man was a respected martial artist from another sect, Wu Lieng retaliated by kicking him out.

"And don't ever come back again!"

Little Black brought joy to these people, and in return, they made him very happy.

He was considered an honorary inner disciple.

And then...

"Aaaagh!"

"Wait, don't do it!"

"You would harm even the children?!"

"Stop!"

While carrying a large bird he had hunted to share with his owner, Little Black smelled burning wood.

He heard the screams of the disciples.

He dropped the bird, ran inside, and leapt through the window.

There, he saw the horror.

Disciples lay scattered on the floor, bleeding, many already dead.

The elders fought powerful martial artists and cultivators from other sects.

They bled as they formed a barrier with their Auras to protect dozens of children behind them.

The entire building was in flames. There was no way out; a barrier had been erected. Little Black had managed to enter only because he was an ordinary animal with no cultivation.

In that moment, any other cat would have run away.

And yet...

"Mereow! Hiss!"

Little Black leapt into the flames, pouncing on the head of one enemy, biting and slashing at their eyes.

"Aaaagh!"

Then he leapt onto another, clawing their nose, then another, biting their neck.

He fought bravely, however he could...

Because he was a member of the Blood Demon Sect.

"What the hell is this damn cat?!"

"It's not even a Demon Beast—kill that thing!"

They punched and kicked him away, but Little Black stood up again, bleeding, one leg broken.

He saw his owner behind the elders.

"Little Black...! Run! Run away!" Feng Xian cried.

But...

"Mereow!"

Little Black couldn't abandon his owner.

He rushed toward him, trying to reach him.

Amidst the chaos, the kitten saw something.

A tall woman with short white hair laughing.

Beside her stood a little girl with white hair.

One of the children he recognized—part of his family.

The girl with red eyes looked sad as the woman laughed.

"Well done, my dear. You've done very well in finding the way inside their formation! Haha, to think they were using an artifact from the Heavenly Demon to stay protected... not anymore!"

The woman laughed, holding a golden statue of a dragon with red horns.

She raised a crystal ball, and the souls of the dying began to be extracted.

"No, Mommy! You promised you wouldn't hurt my friends!"

The girl cried, clutching her mother's dress.

"Shut up!"

The woman slapped the girl aside and continued her wicked ritual.

"Ahhh, they will make a wonderful offering."

Little Black didn't fully understand what was happening, but as he saw the children crying while their souls were torn away, he ran toward his owner.

And...

BOOOM!

A pillar collapsed on him, ending his life.

And yet, trapped beneath that pillar, the kitten remained.

Even as only a soul, he meowed, trying to escape...

"I see..." Maria opened her eyes, wiping her tears as she kissed the cat's forehead. "You're a wonderful kitten, Little Black... the bravest I've ever known."

"Meow?"

"I can offer you two paths now," Maria said, revealing a bright sphere of light and one of darkness. "You can pass away peacefully, your reward for living an honorable life as the sect's guardian... or you can choose to stay, become a true Demon Beast, and avenge your family."

The kitten gazed at both spheres.

Somehow, even though he didn't truly understand human speech,

he could comprehend Maria's words, for she spoke through her very soul.

"Little Black... you don't have to stay," Wu Lieng said with a faint smile. "Go on, you rascal. Rest in peace. You deserve it."

"..."

The kitten slowly walked toward his choice.

As he touched the sphere, a powerful, radiant energy enveloped his soul.

FLASH!

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While events unfolded inside the building, the rest of the group remained outside, not wanting to cause a disturbance in such an old place filled with so many spirits.

"Whew, they're surely taking a while," Partner yawned. "It's been an hour already. What's taking so long?"

"Is everyone really dead inside?" Nyx wondered, sighing. "I can't sense a single wandering soul in the area... It's strange. I'm a little worried. I've made some friends along the way, though."

Nyx smiled as dozens of animal and beast souls appeared beside her—wandering spirits of creatures that had died in recent days, still clinging to small attachments.

For animals to have lingering attachments is rare. Most accept death, or lack the concept of attachment altogether.

But animals that form strong bonds with one another, or with humans, sometimes remain waiting for years before finally passing away.

Or they become specters, zombies, skeletons, and so on.

"I hope... someone survived," Celes said softly. "It wasn't completely wiped out, right? That... that would be so cruel."

"Let's hope for the best, dear," Nia said, caressing her son's head.

"It's really sad what happened here," Ferleen added. "I had no idea Murim had such a cruel side..."

"We were here for a while, and even then, we never truly learned the face of the Murim Alliance. This is awful... What's so different between them and the Crimson Order invading our world anyway?" Melianna asked. "They're all the same—cruel, horrible people abusing innocents for their own selfish gains."

"People?" Arthur said coldly. "That's where you're wrong, Melianna."

"Huh?" Melianna looked at him. "W-What do you mean?"

"They aren't 'people' anymore," Arthur said, his eyes glowing with ruthlessness. "They are monsters we must slay to save actual people from their claws. Aberrant beasts."

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