Chapter 432 - Humanist Brotherhood (1/2)
Four mutant champions; two dead and two maimed.
For all Wu Kejin’s confidence and cool, Chu Xun had shredded his plan in its infantile stage.
The ashen-pale face of the Ninth Presbyter of the Winged race illustrated his devastating despair at once again being at the Devil’s mercy.
The Winged race had been so glorious when it first emerged.
But since the Devil’s advent into the fold, the Wingeds had suffered nothing but a string of unfortunate events: he took their Reality Painting and the Suan Ni True Blood, their Legion was utterly decimated with only a paltry few of their number barely surviving, and now, he was once again soundly defeated with his Fan of Cosmos now seized by him, and he would never escape unscathed this time, by the looks of it.
“We Peacocks have no quarrel with you, Devil! You cannot kill me!” cried Kong Tengfei, who could not come to terms with his own imminent death. He had been magnificent since the Peacock made their appearance to the world and had always been so and he wished that one day, he could dominate like a king. Dying here was certainly the last thing he ever wanted.
Even so, things don’t always go as planned.
“No quarrel?” Chu Xun smirked, “You think I don’t know about your plans?”
He had no more patience for banter; he expeditiously executed the last two champions and beheaded them.
Chu Xun never gave his enemies any chance to bite him back and even though these two champions were as good as completely infirmed, he would only sleep better knowing they were dead.
Too many battles have been lost because the victors gloated too much and too soon, giving their opponents the chance to rebound and Chu Xun never intended to make that mistake.
The morning sun was well off the faraway horizon by now.
Chu Xun destroyed the carcasses before slipping back to a nearby town.
The day passed quickly.
Later that night, Chu Xun watched in the direction of Nether Mountain. Tomorrow would be the eve of the Ghost Festival.
Chu Xun never met Wu Kejin before and he knew better than to underestimate him.
First things first, he did not even know why was Wu Kejin rounding up the Lost Races into an alliance against him anyway, and that he plotted to attack his family showed how ruthless and brutal a person he could be.
Long and hard he raked his mind, and still, to remember Wu Kejin had ever appeared in his life and he was certain he never knew him before.
“Whoever you are, Wu Kejin,” growled Chu Xun quietly to himself, “Your doom is at hand.”
This was a man who harbored malicious if not murderous intent about him and that was enough for Chu Xun to eliminate him.
The night drifted silently.
And the peace gave Chu Xun the chance to recover to his top form.
Chu Xun could have not been any more careful with an enemy that he hardly knew anything about except that he could be as devious and vicious as a snake.
He had his fair share about broken plans and backstabbing after three thousand years in the alien world.
And if he had learned anything there, that would be to never underestimate any opponents.
The following day came.
It was the eve of the Ghost Festival, the fourteenth day of the seventh lunar month.
Only this year, the atmosphere was a stark contrast from before.
For this year’s Ghost Festival coincided with the much-hyped Crusade Against Evil
Eyes from all over the world were locked on this affair.
To slay Evil, or be slain by this so-called Evil; that was the crux of the furor.
This alliance of the Lost Races might be formidable and strong to behold, but no one could dare bet against the Devil.
With the finest champions of the Lost Races sent to deal with Chu Xun’s loved ones, the rest of the lesser alien mutants were now at Wu Kejin’s disposal.
A Peacock soared in the daybreak sky, flying over the quiet little borough.
Chu Xun recognized her. That was Kong Ying.
Kong Ying hovered proudly in the air, peering down at the human townsfolk under her feet like insects.
“By leave of Master Wu, everyone is cordially invited to come uphill to bear witness to this Crusade!”
There was quite a stir in the town. The message injected adrenaline into the otherwise peaceful little town.
“The Lost Races inviting humans to watch the Crusade?! Is this real or is something nefarious afoot?!”
“Rest assured that none of you will be harmed no matter what the outcome is. This I so swear, upon the honor of my race as Peacocks!”
That seemed to have done the trick; the townsfolk huddling to listen to her stirred with anticipation and excitement to watch what could be the most incredible battle they would ever watch.
“Is that for real?” asked a warrior.
Irate that she had to repeat herself, Kong Yi burst out, “As if I would make a joke over the honor of my race! In fact, the event tonight will be broadcasted live to the whole world.”
She flapped her wings and flew away, puffing.
The townsfolk and warriors chattered all day long with mounting enthusiasm.
“I don’t like that tone. She’s speaking as if the Devil is certain to lose.”
“I’m going. I’m going to cheer for Chu Xun. He’s fighting for us humans and we need to have his back or the alien mutants will think we’re pushovers.”
“Amen to that! The Devil fights for our side and he has whooped their backsides so much that they’re so afraid, so they come up with this farce. I’m coming too. We need to show these beasts that we humans are not to be trifled with. We need to cheer for the Devil!”
“Count me in. I’m coming too.”
The discussion was joined by more cries of solidarity as even more people pledged to join the throng to come.
Chu Xun saw his chance and he slipped into their midst.
The bog marshlands turned out to be an obstacle.
Many warriors had to stop there.
The mob numbered almost four to five hundred warriors, each of them with various strengths and powers.
Those below the ranks of Human King found it hard to traverse the treacherous swamplands and they had to stop.
The obstacle bogged down nearly half the number, with only a little more than two hundred Human Kings making it over.
And halfway through the quagmire, the mob came under attack by wild beasts and mutated insects. That brought the number further down to barely more than a hundred.
SPLASH!
Mud sprayed into the air and a three-meter-long giant alligator burst out of the swamp and attacked a lesser Human King right beside Chu Xun.
Chu Xun instinctively swatted at the raging beast with a bolt that easily blasted the poor animal into bits.
“Luo Yuan of the Brotherhood of Gusty Gales. Thank you so much, my friend,” gasped the man in gratitude.
Chu Xun waved off the gesture easily.
“Well done, young friend. We humans should stick together and show those alien races that we’re not weaklings,” said an elderly Seventh-grade Human King up ahead.
Chu Xun smiled. Now in his guise as a common-looking young man, no one knew that the main event of the Crusade was lurking here unseen.
“Are you here to cheer for the Devil, friend?” Luo Yuan tried to strike up a conversation, eager to build rapport with the savior who had just saved him.