Like a Demon

"Wait a moment!"

Hong San's fierce shout pierced the sky, startling everyone.

A commotion broke out in the crowd. Many were surprised, but many others panicked. In an instant, nearly half of the people lowered their heads or turned away.

Hong San rushed over and grabbed the shoulder of the person he had noticed.

Turn your head around.

His voice was surprisingly calm.

But it sent a chill down one's spine.

The man whose shoulders were being held trembled slightly, then deliberately shouted in a shrill voice, "Let me go! What do you want! Help! Kang De's lackey is beating me..."

"... Bruken-Rother."

Hong San said in a low voice, "What are you doing here?"

The man's face showed panic as he struggled, saying, "What did you say? I don't know you! You've mistaken me for someone else! Let me go!"

Hong San's voice was soft and calm. "I know you, Bruken-Rother. You lived in Noss Town, became a refugee because of the war, and joined us on the second-to-last day before our group arrived in Valentan..."

Bruken retorted in a panic, "No! You've mistaken me for someone else! It's not me!"

"You think you're a recent addition, and that you're with a bunch of ragged refugees, so I don't remember you? But you're wrong, I know that."

"Your family consists of seven people: two children, Andy and Qiya, one seven years old and the other five; your wife Mandia, whose arm was injured by an elven arrow; and your parents, Old Noss and old lady Kaliga, the former an alcoholic and the latter a knitterer with beautiful knitting skills..."

Hong San took a deep breath, his eyes slowly reddening. "I remember the names of every single one of you who joined my ranks."

His tone remained eerily calm. "Now tell me, why did you come here?"

"I'm sure you wouldn't have the guts, nor the initiative to act on your own."

He gripped the middle-aged man's shoulders, looking directly into his eyes. "Tell me."

Upon hearing these words and meeting Hong San's gaze, the man felt a lump in his throat for some reason, and couldn't utter any words of defense or denial. His teeth chattered, and his eyes were filled with fear.

Hong San's face contorted into a ferocious expression, like a vengeful ghost, as he roared, "--Speak!"

The furious questioning and distorted face made Hong San extremely terrifying, but this terrifying pressure could not only destroy a person's defenses, but also drive the fearful to hysteria.

The man, who looked timid and cowardly, like a peasant, suddenly let out a loud, guttural shout.

Bruken's face was contorted in pain as he roared, "Why did I come here? Because I wanted to live! You've clung to Kang De's coattails and now you're abandoning us? You promised to keep us safe! You promised! Why didn't you do it! Why couldn't you do it!"

"You're not going to take care of us anymore, so we'll have to figure it out ourselves! Is that not allowed?!"

"I just want to live, I want my family to live! I don't care about anything else! Isn't that Kang De the princess's husband? Isn't he a big shot? Isn't he a hero? He's enjoyed so much more than we have in his life! Isn't that enough? He gave his life to save the lives of everyone in the city, and we'll be grateful to him for the rest of our lives! Why should we be the only ones sitting here waiting to die!"

He stared wide-eyed at Hong San: "You've become Kang De's servant, haven't you? He'll take you away, won't he? Don't go! You're not allowed to go! None of you are allowed to go!"

The force of that roar was truly overwhelming.

They can even make shameless and immoral statements sound righteous and awe-inspiring.

The crowd fell silent for a moment, then burst into small murmurs of agreement. Even those from the Heaven and Earth Society who had instinctively avoided Hong San raised their heads and slowly became more assertive.

You promised.

We must protect us.

You promised us!

Let's all survive!

"Lord Hong! Lord Hong! Save us!"

The man looked at Hong San, then suddenly revealed a fawning expression, saying repeatedly, "Kang De, Kang De is right there! The elves only want him! You're so capable, go and ambush him! Capture him! Tie him up! Give him to the elves! The elves will let us go and even appoint you to an official position, and we'll all benefit! Okay? Okay!"

The mob echoed, "Yes! Yes! Yes!"

"Please save us!"

Please help us!

"Protect us!"

"This is doing a good deed!"

Everyone will be grateful to you!

Those pairs of eyes shifted from guilt to entitlement, and from entitlement to expectation and encouragement.

Seamless switching.

To rely on and count on someone wholeheartedly, to hide behind them, and to hope for a good outcome.

It has always been this way.

Hong San stared blankly at the people in front of him, some he didn't recognize, and many others he did, people whose names he could recall—people from his own group.

These people's eyes gleam with expectation, yet unconsciously radiate evil. The root of all this lies in their desire to survive; they are willing to do anything to stay alive.

Morality, loyalty, right and wrong, shame—they can disregard everything.

All of this... is so familiar.

Hong San suddenly grinned and burst into laughter.

The man he had been holding was forcefully pushed away, knocking several people down.

Hong San was laughing wildly.

He pointed at each person, bent over, slapped his thigh, and laughed wildly.

Then tears streamed down my face.

"That's disgusting."

He laughed and laughed, then began to gag, coughing and crying at the same time, snot, tears, and saliva mingling together and staining his entire cheeks.

The people before us, who are willing to do anything to survive, disregarding dignity, morality, and beliefs, unconsciously reveal their evil and ugliness...

--That is, his life up to this point.

Hong San cried and laughed at the same time.

"That's disgusting..."

He looked at his hand, at the DV camera he was holding, its small screen reflecting his image.

"--Am I really such a disgusting person?"

"That's unbelievable."

"Me in the past..."

He laughed wildly, slapping his own face.

"--Is this the kind of beast that's worse than an animal?"

The crowd stared in disbelief at the laughing Cathayan, feeling a chill and a sense of dread. Even those who didn't know Hong San could tell that he was different from before.

Hong San laughed wildly, pointing at everyone with a face full of mockery and ridicule. "Do people who are worse than animals deserve to live? No! People like us should die as dust, so as not to defile this world! How disgusting! Disgusting! The thought that you are still alive in this city that His Highness Kang De risked his life to protect for you makes me feel utterly disgusted! Disgusting!"

"I tell you, your plans... are wishful thinking!"

"Did you all hear that?! Did you all hear that?! Not just you! Those surnamed Song! Those surnamed Chen! Those surnamed Huang! Could these dogs possibly come up with such logic and ambition? I know you taught them! I also know that with your meager abilities, you wouldn't dare to do such a thing! Unless someone instigated you!"

"I also know who instigated you! No wonder these people could swagger around at night! No wonder the patrol forces never intervened! You're all bastards! Animals! Beasts!"

"You're dreaming!"

"You're all dead! I'm telling you! You're all dead! From now on, no one will come to save you! No one will! This is your fate! Just wait to die!"

The roars and rebukes were like a storm. At first, people were intimidated by Hong San's imposing presence, but he was, after all, alone. Eventually, the commotion and discontent among the crowd continued to escalate.

"Brother Hong San!"

Someone appeared from the back of the crowd. Since the truth had already been revealed, there was no point in hiding it. Several leaders of the Heaven and Earth Society stepped forward from the crowd, and Song Baoyi knelt down on one knee and clasped his hands in greeting.

"Forgive me for my rudeness, brother. My purpose in coming here is to save everyone's lives. It's all about protecting everyone's lives. In the end, His Highness Kang De is just one person, while so many lives in this city are at stake. It's clear which is more important. Of course, I fully understand that this is a very difficult matter. I am willing to shoulder this responsibility myself. I will spend my life burning incense and praying for His Highness Kang De every day, revering him as a god. If you still feel it's not enough, then once this matter is settled, I will repay him with my life!"

Hong San chuckled, speechless. "A life for a life? You think you're worthy! I'll say it again, wishful thinking!"

Song Baoyi gritted his teeth and said, "Brother, there's still some bond between us brothers, and we really don't want to fight you. Please think it over... If you remain obstinate, we'll have no choice but to offend you!"

Hong San chuckled coldly.

Looking at these "brothers," a cold glint appeared in his eyes.

He was no longer disappointed.

"I studied under my master since childhood and was taught many things by him. The skills my master taught me are very useful. I use them to read people's expressions, to understand their hearts, to defend myself, and to fight in battles. But I have never used the skills my master taught me to do anything bad or harm anyone."

Hong San tilted his head back, stretched his neck, and said with a sinister smile, "Would you like to see for yourselves?"

That smile was sinister and mad, like a demon's.

The leaders and the members of the Heaven and Earth Society gasped for breath. It was because they had seen Hong San's gentle, polite, kind and peaceful demeanor that they felt a deep-seated fear and unease upon seeing this smile.

Hong San smiled coldly, turned around and walked towards the Vidal Chamber of Commerce, leaving his back to these people.

For a moment, no one spoke.

When Hong San returned to the Chamber of Commerce and found Kang De had already grabbed Nick by the neck, pinned him against the wall, and was holding an axe in his right hand.

Hearing the noise, the two turned their heads at the same time. Hong San was standing there, and there was something else in his smile.

"Sir, this commotion was instigated by Nick through the Heaven and Earth Society, which then dragged in many people in the city, mostly those whose families had perished in the city battle. Only he, as the mayor, has a list."

Kang De gave him a deep look. "You seem to need some psychological counseling."

Hong San responded with a smile, "You don't need it, and I don't need it either."

Kang De turned around and looked at Nick in his hand. "How does it feel?"

Hong San walked over. "It's as if the whole world has changed, as if I can do anything."

Kang De said calmly, "So, it's what your master taught you: to do what you please?"

Upon hearing this, a hint of unease and confusion flashed in Hong San's eyes. "I'm afraid not."

"But it doesn't matter anymore," he chuckled softly. "Master is already utterly disappointed anyway."

"Then let's continue our previous topic, Mr. Mayor. You seem to have misunderstood something. You think I care a lot about Goth, and your opinion stems from my identity— Tina's husband, Goth's son-in-law, as Princess Tina has acknowledged. Is that correct?"

Kang De picked up the axe, the cold blade rubbing against Nick's cheek. "I'm afraid I have to tell you, actually, no. I never slept with her, I never kissed her, never confessed my feelings to her, nothing at all. So when I suddenly heard her claim to be my widow, I was quite surprised, even thinking it was a tactic of hers, to declare her lifelong vow of celibacy, to prevent some random princes and nobles from having ulterior motives and trying to get close to her... Of course, that's the truth, but that's not important."

Do you understand what I mean?

"This means that I don't care what the Goth People think of me."

"I have a home, I can go back anytime, and my family will never know what I've done or how many people I've killed. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"What exactly are you threatening me with? Try threatening me again and see what happens!"

Kang De said softly, "Why do you think you can morally blackmail me with meaningless fame and these lives? Actually, I don't care how many people from your Goth died. Do you understand now?"

Nick's face turned red from being choked, he had difficulty breathing, and he even became somewhat delirious.

Upon hearing this, he subconsciously murmured, "No, you care."

Kang De's eyes sharpened, and he tightened his grip.

Nick's expression changed, and he immediately regained his senses, finding it increasingly difficult to breathe.

Hong San came to Kang De's side and patted Kang De's arm.

Kang De loosened his grip slightly, allowing Nick to catch his breath. Hong San's voice rang out. "No matter what, you're finished, Mr. Mayor. All the good and bad people in this city will die if you continue to cling to this delusional fantasy..."

"Please remember, the reason you are still alive, the reason those scoundrels outside haven't all been killed, and the reason this city hasn't descended into chaos is simply because His Highness Kang De didn't want to dirty his hands. But if circumstances force him to, then he can't care about anything else."

"And you..."

Hong San reached out and straightened the disheveled parts of Nick's clothes.

The skill of understanding people's hearts can not only guess the master's current intentions, but also see through the opponent's most vulnerable weaknesses; it's just a matter of the user's mindset.

He said softly, "You always have fewer cards to play than us, and we always have more initiative than you. You think you've already risked everything and aren't afraid of death, right? But there are many things in this world that are worse than death, such as the reputation of your family, or the honor and disgrace after death. Besides, you might not even die."

Hong San turned on the DV camera and played back the footage. In a very short time after Kang De gave him this thing, Hong San realized the many uses of this tool.

"We can record everything, not to prove His Highness Kang De's innocence, but to send you to hell. We can even take you with us, making you watch helplessly as you lose everything, even your family. What family do you still cherish? What do you still care about? We will keep you alive, and then find those things one by one and destroy them for you to see."

Nick's expression changed.

Even though it was well concealed, both Hong San and Kang De noticed the fleeting fear and sorrow.

In their eyes, this was proof of wavering.

As long as there is fear, there is a weakness; and as long as there is a weakness, there is a way to overcome it.

Hong San chuckled softly.

"Or, you have another path. You can live, and many people in this city can live. You can surrender, lie, do things to the elves that you wouldn't dare do, without worrying about the stigma and contempt your family will suffer, because Prince Kang De will testify for you. He can even give you this magical device that can record videos to preserve evidence and this agreement."

"Even if you die, His Highness Kang De will do his best to do something for your family, to ensure that the glory and legacy of Valentan are not lost... as long as you cooperate with us."

Hong San turned his head, looked at Kang De, and smiled, "Sir, right?"

From an angle unseen by Nick, the eyes of the Cathayan revealed a chilling evil.

Kang De met his gaze, then smiled, "Yes."

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PS1:... Why is writing male-centric stories so enjoyable? (Questioning the meaning of life)

PS2: This story will probably end within a week. Feel free to guess. (smiles)