Outside of Wushuang City, a group of men in red carried a palanquin. They stopped when they saw the city’s devastated walls. The curtain slowly lifted to reveal a woman with a red shawl covering her face. She was one of the two emissaries of the Profound Netherworld Cult: the Yin Emissary, the Scarlet Ghost Matriarch.

Her position in the cult was second only to the cult leader, on par with the Yang Emissary. The old man that Han Wu had killed before was a minor member with only enough status to carry her shoes—that was, if she didn’t disdain him.

“What happened to Wushuang City?” she asked. “The walls have crumbled!”

The one leading the way quickly kneeled. “Matriarch, apparently, a powerful expert came seeking revenge. Both the team leader of Wushuang City and even the city lord himself were slain.

“That half-and-half bastard was killed? Good. Now no one can stop me.” She chuckled, letting the curtain fall back into place. “Move out!”

As they approached Wushuang City, the guards noticed that the group was all in red and assumed it was a marriage procession. They planned to stop them in hopes of receiving some money to buy alcohol.

However, as the procession neared, the guards caught sight of their banner. Chills ran down their spines. This group was from the Profound Netherworld Cult!

Still, something didn’t seem right. The Profound Netherworld Cult was known for donning either black or white clothes, not red. Unsure of what to do, the guards decided to send someone to call for the general on duty.

After Han Wu’s calamitous arrival, the nobles of Wushuang City were all scared into submission. They felt as though they would be the next on the chopping block if they made any misstep.

The general on duty was a family member of the previous Wushuang City city lord and was already treading on thin ice. He was not only worried about the other noble families taking the assets of their house, but also feared Han Wu would come knocking if they didn’t treat him right.

At first, the general didn’t pay much attention to his underling’s report. Although the Profound Netherworld Cult was powerful, they dared not do anything to the four strongest cities.

Then, he belatedly realized that the city lord was gone. The Profound Netherworld Cult could actually seize this opportunity to take over the city. Thus, he decided to head out and greet them in hopes of expanding his network a little.

When he reached the gate and saw the procession in red, he immediately whipped the guard who had called him.

“Since when does the Profound Netherworld Cult wear red and sit in a palanquin?” he scolded, whip lashing fiercely at the guard. “Do you think they have marriages for the dead? If this is really the Profound Netherworld Cult, I will eat that palanquin!”

The general was using this as an outlet to vent his frustration from the stress. Walking out of the city to check the procession, he saw that they were indeed holding the banner of the Profound Netherworld Cult and assumed that they were faking their way into the city using the cult’s name.

“Are you really from the Profound Netherworld Cult?” he asked, a note of mockery in his tone as he toyed with his whip. “Your disguise is terrible. Even children know that the Profound Netherworld Cult only wears black or white. Do you think you can fool me with your red clothes?”

The person leading the procession tried to stop the general from closing in, but the general whipped a bloody wound on their face. The guards in red were going to attack when the Scarlet Ghost Matriarch’s delicate voice echoed from the palanquin.

“Let him come,” she gently commanded.

Even just her voice alone seemed to conjure up the image of a beauty in the general’s mind. Lust gripped his heart as he approached. I wonder whose bride is this? I should have a taste first.

Ignoring the ashen faces of the guards in red, he opened the door to the palanquin.

Inside was a bride in red. A red shawl hid her undoubtedly exquisite face from view, but her body certainly didn’t disappoint. The general audibly gulped. This was more exciting than his first time.

He slowly lifted the shawl, only to see a ghostly face covered in maggots. Her sagging flesh had a black-green hue.

“General, am I pretty?”

The general’s legs turned to jelly, and his throat felt as though it had been stuffed with cotton. He could neither run nor scream, only watch as a mummified arm dragged him into the palanquin.

“Move on,” shouted the leader of the procession.

The procession continued. When the guards tried to stop them, the general popped his head out of the window and ordered them to give way. It wasn’t until the procession had passed through the gates that one of the guards noticed a strange liquid leaking from the palanquin. Touching the liquid, he realized it was blood!

Immediately after entering the city, the general was tossed out. His body was mummified, and while he was still breathing, he had lost his mind.

The procession moved swiftly until it reached a large estate. According to the estate sign, it was the Hu family estate.

One of the guards in red knocked on the door. The guards within the estate checked the peephole and saw a pair of red eyes. As if hypnotized, the guard opened the door for them to enter.

The procession attracted the attention of those in the estate. Some even ran back to report to the patriarch. When the patriarch heard about the banner of the Profound Netherworld Cult, he immediately knew who they were looking for: his son-in-law, Guan Nan.

The Scarlet Ghost Matriarch’s sultry voice echoed through their estate. “Those from the Guan family, as long as you can give us what the Profound Netherworld Cult is looking for, we will not disturb you again.”

Her voice was met with silence. Sighing, she uttered a single command, “Kill.”

Her guards exploded into action. The servants in the estate fell one after another. Blood splattered onto the guards’ clothes, turning them ever redder.

Unwilling to let his family suffer this horrendous fate, the Hu family patriarch grabbed his Divine Weapon to attack, but was pinned down before ever even nearing the palanquin.

“Where is Guan Nan?” asked the Scarlet Ghost Matriarch.

The Hu patriarch remained silent, so her guards started executing the Hu family one by one before him.

“Wait, stop killing!” the Hu patriarch shouted. “I’ll talk! Guan Nan is visiting a friend with his family. They are at the city lord's mansion. If you don’t believe me, I can send someone to fetch them.”

The Hu patriarch hoped that his son-in-law hadn’t been exaggerating about knowing the person who had killed the city lord. If not, the Hu family line would end today.

“I’ll give you fifteen minutes. If he doesn’t arrive by then, I’ll kill you and your family.”