Chapter Fifty-Eight: The Faction and the Exposure of the Rebirth Devil
Volume One: The Nature of the Devil Does Not Change
Arc: The Great Gang War
Scarlet King thought to himself:
(I need to move to the Second Dimension as soon as possible.
The First Dimension is infamous for its lack of spiritual pills—
no pill refinement, no holographic stones containing secret techniques,
no powerful technique scrolls, no dense qi, no strong weapons,
and no beasts worth controlling…
all the beasts here are weak.)
Meanwhile, Scarlet King continued accepting and rejecting disciples who wished to join the Inky Rebirth Dark Faction.
The number of applicants had reached 1,263.
Accepted so far: 67.
Rejected: 22.
Those who were accepted were filled with joy, while those who were rejected fell into despair.
The remaining applicants stood tense and anxious, awaiting their turn.
Scarlet King's mind remained calm as he waited for the next applicant.
His gaze was cold and sharp as he observed the bustling sect market, crowded with cultivators of all levels.
The market was vast and lively, with shops lining both sides of a long road.
This location gave Scarlet King the perfect opportunity to attract attention to the faction.
Vendors shouted prices loudly, their voices blending with the chatter of the crowd.
The air was filled with the scents of weapons, food, clothing, and countless other goods.
Scarlet King had deliberately chosen the market as the faction's starting point—it was densely populated, increasing the chance of attracting stronger disciples.
He sat calmly on a chair.
Before him was a table holding a sheet of paper listing each applicant's name, cultivation level, roots, talent, age, and whether they were accepted or rejected.
At that moment, Scarlet King noticed a woman with white hair and green eyes, graceful curves, and an allure reminiscent of fragrant green musk.
She wore a white robe over a green inner garment, held a fan in her hand, and had a small mole beside her right eye.
Scarlet King thought to himself:
(Wait… this appearance feels very familiar…
Isn't this Wei Shi Mo?
What does this freak want now?)
Wei Shi Mo stopped in front of Scarlet King and spoke in a seductive voice.
Many people in the market immediately lined up to join the faction, hoping to get a closer look at her beauty.
"I want to join your faction, Lord Gu Yue."
Scarlet King looked at her with an icy, almost glacial gaze and asked:
"What is your cultivation level, your roots, your talent, and your age?"
Wei Shi Mo replied with a charming smile:
"My cultivation is at the fifth level of the Qi Condensation Realm.
My talent is violet, and my roots are Cloud-grade, tenth tier."
Scarlet King thought to himself:
(…She's far stronger than me.
She could crush me with a single strike.
Should I reject her?)
He paused, remaining silent for a moment, then finally said:
"Accepted."
He watched Wei Shi Mo's smile calmly and thought:
(I accepted her to see what she's planning…)
Suddenly, Wei Shi Mo grabbed Scarlet King by the hand and dragged him into a secluded corner.
She wrapped her arms tightly around him and inhaled deeply at his neck before whispering mysteriously:
"Hmm… your scent isn't human.
It's the scent of death and darkness.
You're not human."
"Confess… you're not human.
Let me guess… you're the Rebirth Devil, aren't you?"
Scarlet King shoved her away forcefully, his expression showing mild shock.
"Damn it, what are you doing?
I have no inclinations—don't you ever get that close to me again, you freak!"
Wei Shi Mo chuckled softly, then repeated her question as she released an extremely powerful aura that slammed Scarlet King violently to the ground, nearly dislocating his shoulder.
"Answer me now…
are you the Rebirth Devil?"
Scarlet King replied coldly:
"If I were the Rebirth Devil, the sect would already be destroyed,
and all of existence would be hunting me down.
Besides, the Rebirth Devil has only been dead for a few hundred years at most.
He was likely reborn long ago and is now in one of the higher dimensions."
Wei Shi Mo withdrew her aura, placed her hands behind her back, and said with a mocking smile:
"You convinced me…
but your behavior, appearance, intelligence, and strength don't match your age at all.
Remember—I've been watching you for some time."
She turned around and left.
Scarlet King forcibly reset his dislocated shoulder, pushing his arm back into place.
He returned to the table and noticed Wei Shi Mo watching him from afar.
He ignored her and continued accepting and rejecting applicants.
[Several Hours Later]
Night fell, and the moon illuminated the sect.
Darkness blanketed the area, broken only by the faint lights of roads, residences, and palaces outlining the sect's silhouette.
Scarlet King sat in his chair, sweating slightly, and said:
"I'm finally done enrolling members into the Inky Rebirth Dark Faction."
"Seven hundred and eighty people have been accepted.
The rest were rejected."
He thought to himself as he looked toward Liu Zai Hang's distant palace:
(I need to raise my cultivation level as fast as possible.
I have one year before it's discovered that I have no talent or roots.
I must build loyal followers, reach a high cultivation level,
and secure a very powerful ally.
There's no one better than Liu Zai Hang.)
Scarlet King rose and flew rapidly toward Liu Zai Hang's palace.
[One Hour Later]
Scarlet King arrived at Liu Zai Hang's palace and knocked on the door.
After a few seconds, the lock clicked open, and Liu Zai Hang appeared, speaking with calm enthusiasm:
"Huh? What have you been up to, you troublesome disciple?"
Scarlet King replied coldly:
"I built a faction.
Seven hundred and eighty people joined."
Liu Zai Hang was slightly impressed.
He stepped aside and walked inside, stroking his chin as he spoke:
"Seven hundred and eighty?
Hmm… a decent number for a start, but small compared to an average faction.
In the sect, small gangs have over two thousand members,
medium ones over ten thousand,
and major gangs exceed one hundred thousand."
"As for the four great gangs?
Each has between one and ten million members."
Scarlet King followed him inside.
The palace was simple, containing a medium-sized table, a balcony overlooking the sky and the sect, and several rooms.
Scarlet King spoke calmly:
"Liu Zai Hang…
what do you think about joining me and becoming one of my followers?
I am the Rebirth Devil."
Liu Zai Hang froze for a moment—then burst into loud laughter.
"I like that…
but let's discuss it first.
After that, I'll decide whether I join you—or remain with the sect."