Death's Hand

Huo Yuhao was dumbfounded. Shrek not making you a core disciple was getting off easy—why didn't they just beat you to death?

Huo Yuhao and the other two released their martial souls at the same time, glaring hostilely at Wen Tianren.

"You'd better hope that 'evil soul master' was just a label Shrek slapped on you. Otherwise, I'll send you to meet... uh, meet Bibi Dong. Since we're both transmigrators, I could send you to meet Qian Renxue instead."

"Aren't those two the same... Wait, wait, wait, hear me out."

Wen Tianren looked at the Dragon God's Claw in Huo Yuhao's hand. Though he could not recognize what soul skill it was, its chilling aura alone proved how powerful it was.

When had he become so strong?

"Explain yourself in three sentences, or I'll stuff you full of a Martial Soul Fusion Skill!" Huo Yuhao waved the Dragon God's Claw.

"Ahem. First, Shrek really did deny me core disciple status because my martial soul's aura was too cold and sinister, and they thought I resembled an evil soul master."

"Second, I really was once the Holy Spirit Cult's Holy Son... Let me finish! Let me finish!" Seeing the Dragon God's Claw draw closer, Wen Tianren broke out in a cold sweat. "I came to Shrek to borrow Elder Yi's and Shrek's strength to rescue my... younger sister from the Holy Spirit Cult."

"I see." Huo Yuhao nodded. "You get three more sentences. Continue from the part about rescuing her."

"I told Shrek's elders about the Holy Spirit Cult, but none of them were willing to believe me. They thought I had merely heard of the Shrek Inspection Corps' reputation from some informed senior and wanted to use that to enter the Inner Court. The Shrek Inspection Corps isn't exactly a secret." Wen Tianren gave a bitter smile.

"Besides, coming from someone with such a cold and sinister martial soul aura, my words weren't worth trusting to them."

"Now I understand." Huo Yuhao grunted. "But part of the story is still missing."

"How did you become the Holy Spirit Cult's Holy Son? Your martial soul doesn't look like an evil martial soul."

Huo Yuhao stared straight into Wen Tianren's eyes. He did not suspect Wen Tianren of lying. Otherwise, there would have been no need for him to reveal that he had been the Holy Spirit Cult's Holy Son.

"Because my martial soul isn't the Yin Wind Sword. It's the Hades Sword." Wen Tianren paused. "The martial soul of the Hades Douluo from Douluo III."

Hades Douluo Ha Luosa possessed the Netherworld Rebirth Domain. The Netherworld Rebirth Domain could summon countless undead creatures. Ten thousand years later, he would become one of the Holy Spirit Cult's top experts.

"So Shrek didn't exactly wrong you either..."

"Ahem, don't fuss over such details. Right now, I need your help. I want to wipe out the Death's Hand bandit group." Wen Tianren tapped the table.

"Fine, as long as safety is guaranteed. When do we move?" Huo Yuhao agreed without hesitation.

"As long as you help me, I'll... Uh, aren't you going to hear my reward before deciding?"

"There's a reward too? Even better." Huo Yuhao leaned back in his chair. "Tell us your plan."

"There are at least three Soul Kings and quite a few low-level soul masters. Their leader, the Death God's Envoy, also has Corpse Explosion, which lets him challenge opponents above his rank," Wen Tianren could not help saying. "Shouldn't you think it over first? Even if you have Di Tian's possessed power, using it must come at a price, right?"

"You're trying to talk me out of it now? Didn't you ask me?" Huo Yuhao rolled his eyes at him. "What is there to think about when it comes to wiping out Death's Hand? If it weren't so dangerous, I'd have tried to take them out even if you hadn't asked."

"Why?"

Wen Tianren could not understand. Death's Hand had not provoked him, they were powerful, and they could even disgust Shrek when it arrived later. Why had Huo Yuhao agreed so readily?

"That's why I can't stand sanctimonious people. Why ask why when you're killing a few evil soul master bandits who have done every kind of atrocity?" Huo Yuhao sighed. "Because I'm the Great Western King of Douluo Continent, all right?"

Wen Tianren stared at Huo Yuhao for a while before speaking. "I'll handle the Death God's Envoy and his corpse slaves. You only need to use the soul skill you used in the Soul Arena District to hold them off for a while. Then I can seize control of those corpse slaves, and the rest will be easy."

"Anyone chosen by Elder Yi is trustworthy." Huo Yuhao stood up. "Let's move."

"Can that guy really be trusted?" Wang Dong'er asked Huo Yuhao in a low voice.

"Right. We have no way of confirming whether that really is Electrolux on him." Wang Qiu'er warily glanced at Wen Tianren.

"What are you afraid of? At worst, we activate the Di Tian Armament and slap the bastard to death." Huo Yuhao spoke carelessly. Before leaving, Di Tian had warned him not to use Di Tian's power casually, or his current body would not be able to bear it. He had only survived that time because the healing-type ferocious beast Bi Ji had been present. But if it truly came to a critical moment, he would still have to use it.

"What's the point of whispering when I'm right next to you?" Wen Tianren rubbed his temples. Who discussed how to kill someone right in front of them? "We found the Warm Mist Tree. There are also signs of logging ahead, so they should be nearby. I'll make preparations."

"Fine. We'll follow the plan."

A huge iron cage hung in the center of the hall. Inside were the merchants and travelers captured by Death's Hand, more than twenty of them in all. The expressions of those in the cage varied. One woman had disheveled hair and trembled all over in terror. A slumped young man wore a numb expression, having accepted his fate. A middle-aged merchant prayed madly, begging the gods to change his destiny.

Anyone who dared resist had been killed. Those left behind were either numb or terrified. There were children as well. One little girl, whose eyes were full of fear, was quite strong. Trembling, she comforted her younger brother while constantly praying in her heart, begging for someone to come save them.

"Drink up, boys! Lord Death God's Envoy showed his might today and robbed another merchant caravan! That's enough for the brothers to enjoy themselves for days! Hahahaha!"

A tall man with a blue-faced, fanged, vicious-corpse appearance laughed loudly. Six arms grew from his body, and before him lay a soul master whose belly had been torn open, yet who somehow still seemed alive. The six-armed man drank great gulps of wine along with freshly cut entrails.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Look at these human skins. Such fine material." A sharp-featured man gazed obsessively at the freshly flayed skin and licked his lips.

"What's so good about human skin? How tasteless. Sixth Master's hobby suits this concubine much better. I'm not greedy—I only want women's hearts." The speaker was a woman with spider legs extending from her back. In her hand was a freshly bitten, still-living heart, and she let out a chilling cackle.

The Death God's Envoy sat in the seat of honor atop the platform, eating a Warm Mist Tree heart as he watched his three Soul King subordinates. The Soul King resembling a Six-Armed Heavenly Corpse was second only to him in strength. He loved human flesh and blood, but his martial soul was restrained by the Death God's Envoy, and his mind was simple. He was Death's Hand's second-in-command.

The sharp-featured man's martial soul was the Human-Skin Drum. He was the weakest, but human skins covered the entire stronghold as defenses. If he fought here, countless human skins could dance about, allowing him to even match the Six-Armed Heavenly Corpse Soul King. Though he was the third-in-command, his ambitions were far from small, and he coveted the leader's position.

Last was the spider-legged woman, Death's Hand's fourth-in-command. She ate women's hearts to nurture a mouthful of deadly poison. Among the three, she was the most troublesome, and she often stirred up conflict in hopes of gaining some benefit.

As for the low-level soul masters eating, drinking, and toying with mortal women, the Death God's Envoy had no interest in paying them attention. They were too weak, mere errand runners. If they died, he could simply recruit more.

In truth, not only did he not care about those low-level soul masters, he would not care even if the three Soul Kings below died. As long as he remained alive, Death's Hand would not disappear.

The little girl looked despairingly at the hellish scene before her. At last, she reached her breaking point and began to cry.

Whoosh—

Suddenly, a sinister wind swept through the hall, turning every candle flame into eerie blue ghostfire. The low-level soul masters went pale with fright. Even the people in the cage who remained conscious were drawn to the disturbance, and the little girl stopped crying.

"Lord Death God's Envoy, this humble one has long admired your great reputation and has come to seek a chief's seat."

Huo Yuhao's voice emerged from the sinister wind. Leading the way into the hall were skeletons and zombies stained with gray light, followed by undead knights riding skeletal horses. Then came a dragon carriage borne by all manner of undead creatures. Seated atop it was a beautiful, delicate young girl, utterly out of place amid the terrifying undead. Illusory Dragon Butterfly Wings spread from her back. Surrounded by undead creatures, she looked like a princess of the netherworld.

"What does Lord Death God's Envoy think?"