Chapter 82.2: The Demonic Martial Artist Reveals Himself; Nanyang in Peril! (II)

Afterward, Old Wang answered many more questions.

On the surface, there seemed to be no contradictions or gaps in his story, but for some reason, there was something strange about his bearing. Old Wang remained calm throughout the entire interrogation—far too calm for someone surrounded by officials and martial artists. Even the most shrewd and experienced individuals would betray some nerves in such a situation.

Regardless of his suspicions, Constable Liu had no grounds to accuse Old Wang of anything. At present, everything he had was mere conjecture.

He glanced toward the coffin hall and said in a low voice, “Open them up. We need to examine the corpses inside.”

That was the first time Old Wang’s gaze shifted. “My apologies, Master Constable, but we have a duty to honor the dead. These were all pitiful souls who died alone, far from home, with no one to claim their bodies. Master Constable, I hope that you will not disturb them any further.”

There was a hint of defiance in Old Wang’s voice.

“We are the authorities, and we are investigating a serious matter. You think you can stand in our way?” Constable Liu snorted. “Move aside at once, or you will face the consequences.”

To drive his warning home, Constable Liu also drew his large saber. However, Old Wang remained in place, as though he had not heard a single word.

At that, Constable Liu’s gaze grew darker. The night watchman could not bear the tension anymore. “Old Wang, please step aside now!” he pleaded. “You’re the only caretaker here. Those corpses have nothing to do with you. Please, you do not want to get in the constable’s way.”

Old Wang glanced at the night watchman, then at the many fierce-looking officers and constables.

“Why trouble yourselves?” He sighed wearily. “Why come here only to die? I am only one batch away from Perfection. Why did you have to come seeking death now, of all times?”

Shing!

Everyone drew their sabers and stared at Old Wang with a taut expression. The watchman ducked behind the others at once. He was not stupid; he could tell something was terribly wrong.

Constable Liu frowned. “Just who the hell are you?”

Old Wang stood barefoot. His clothes were ragged, his teeth yellow, and he exuded a rancid stench. And yet, despite his dishevelled appearance, everyone looked at him as though at a deadly foe.

As he looked up, his lips curled into a smile. “Who am I? The one you have been looking for this whole time, Constable.”

With that, he slowly spread his hands. Black insects crawled out from his palms, then from his ears, then his nostrils. Soon, insects swarmed out from his entire body.

The sight sent a shock through the crowd. There was no mistake about it. He was the demonic martial artist!

“Feast.” Old Wang’s entire body trembled, and he flung both hands forward.

Buzzzzz…

Countless black insects scattered in all directions. Those standing closest felt them latch onto their bodies at once.

“Aaaahhh!”

Many broke into screams as the insects burrowed into their flesh.

“Get off me! What are these things?”

“Someone do something! Ghah! I can feel them gnawing at my organs!”

“Fire, use fire! Scorch them already!”

In mere seconds, more than half of the hundred martial artists—several of them at the Organ Refinement Stage—had collapsed. They were utterly helpless, squirming and writhing on the ground as the terrifying realization hit them.

Once those insects burrowed into your body, death was certain!

Someone lit a torch and attempted to drive the insects back, but to no avail. The flames did not seem to scare the insects.

Old Wang gazed at the crowd, an eerie smile on his face. Some of the martial artists had already died, their corpses shriveling unbelievably fast. It wasn’t long before the black insects crawled out of the husks and scuttled toward Old Wang, burrowing into his flesh again. He made no effort to resist them, as if savouring the sensation.

“Evil arts!”

Rage surged through Constable Liu, his eyes nearly burning red at the sight. As an Organ Refinement martial artist, he could tell these black insects were bound to Old Wang, that the man cultivated his strength through them. There were too many of the insects to fight, and Old Wang was by himself. He was the head of the insects. If Old Wang died, the swarm would naturally perish with him.

“Die!”

Liu’s blood qi flared as he swung his saber at Old Wang with tremendous speed. He poured everything he had into that single strike. The arc of saber light flashed and reached Old Wang in the blink of an eye. However…

Clang!

A deafening metalling clang rang out. Constable Liu stared at Old Wang with wide eyes.

Claws?!

He could not tell when Old Wang’s hands had transformed into those sharp, hard claws. They gleamed as they gripped the saber effortlessly.

Crach!

Old Wang clenched his claws, and Liu’s saber snapped, several pieces clattering to the ground.

“Almost there. Once I drain every single one of you, my demonic transformation might be complete. I only sought a little blood from ordinary people, but then you had to poke your nose…”

As he spoke, Old Wang’s features twisted into something hideous. Thin black lines surfaced beneath his skin.

“DIEEEEE!”

Constable Liu hurled aside the broken saber and hurled his fist straight at Old Wang’s chest.

Splurt!

However, before his punch could land, his whole body went rigid. He lowered his head to look at his chest. Old Wang’s claws had already punched through his ribcage, piercing his heart.

Thud!

Constable Liu collapsed to the ground, his body limp. Just like that, a dignified Organ Refinement martial artist had fallen to a single strike from Old Wang. The gap between them had clearly been too great.

Having witnessed Liu’s death, the remaining martial artists felt the urge to flee, but that was no longer an option. More of those insects swarmed out of the coffin hall, their numbers quickly growing into the hundreds of thousands. Regardless of their cultivation level, none of the martial artists could escape the black flood of death. They were helplessly devoured from the inside out.

The murderous insects did not stop at draining those poor martial artists. They spread in all directions, crawling into the nearby homes. Before long, the night rang with horrified screams, which felt like music to Old Wang’s ears. His eyes had turned completely blood red.

“You fools… I was going to sit quietly in the coffin hall and occasionally drain some unlucky souls, just enough to complete my demonic transformation. Why could you not grant me that small favor? You force me to do this. You forged me to slaughter so many innocent people. Now that it’s come to this, I shall have the whole of Nanyang City merge with me! HAHAHAHAHA!

Old Wang seemed lost to madness as more and more insects crawled out of his body. These murderous creatures even began to lay eggs.

Inside their master’s body, they could reproduce rapidly, nourished by his blood as they matured at a frightening speed. As long as Old Wang drew breath, their numbers would grow without end.

Before long, the black insects would devour everyone on Nanyang City, leaving the city a desolate ruin.

Some martial artists had managed to flee, their terrified screams mixing with the wails of the innocent people being slaughtered. The black swarms were trailing behind them in the distance.

“We’re done for! What the hell was that?!”

“So this is a demonic martial artist? Rumours had it that once they emerged, a whole region would be plunged into chaos. To think it was all true…”

“The whole of Nanyang City is finished…”

Their hearts sank into despair. The swarms were coming from every direction; there was nowhere left to run. They could merely accept their fate and say their goodbyes with the little time they had left.

The situation was all but hopeless. After all, who could save Nanyang City from a demonic martial artist? Only a Divine Strength martial artist might stand a chance.

“Huh?”

At that moment, they heard the faint rhythm of footsteps. Their heads snapped up, eyes fixed on the street ahead. A towering figure was approaching them. He was dressed in black and had a shortsword at his side. Blood qi surged around him, condensing into a massive crimson cloud above him.

“That red cloud… Don’t tell me…”

“Great Hero Zhuang is here!”

“The destroyer of evil!”

Zhuang Shisan’s sudden appearance had rekindled their hope. Recently, no one had risen more swiftly or shone more brightly than he. Zhuang Shisan loathed evil, upheld righteousness, and had a will as strong as steel. This man had annihilated the Thirteen Riders of the Great Desert and crushed the Blood Fiend Sect, and according to some other rumours, he had even journeyed to Yan City and destroyed a stronghold of the Myriad Poison Cult. Indeed, Zhuang Shisan was formidable, and his chivalrous fame echoed across the land.

With Zhuang Shisan here, perhaps they still had a chance. Yet could he truly withstand that demonic martial artist and his murderous insects? The black tide of death was closing in fast, surging straight toward the lone hero.

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