Chapter 361 - Restarting Black Rain Manor

The newcomer wore a large black robe that completely concealed his figure, blending seamlessly with the surrounding darkness of the night. The cloak covered his head and face, with only a few strands of long red hair hanging down from the edges and clustering around his pale chin like flames.

"Eye Devil..." Simone murmured to himself. This was the nickname of the black-robed man before him, a title he had told Simone during their last meeting.

"

Heh heh...

" The Eye Devil chuckled ambiguously, and from the dark shadows of his cloak, it seemed a sharp gaze was scrutinizing Simone. After a moment, he slowly asked, "How's the atmosphere of this Eastern Martial Arts Exchange Tournament? Is it the same old routine?"

"The atmosphere is great. Evil Eye Fist has invested heavily in hosting this Eastern Martial Arts Exchange Tournament. Whether it's the venue, accommodation, food, or performances, everything has been arranged quite thoroughly." Simone answered the question, thinking that the Eye Devil might be trying to obtain some inside information about the Eastern Martial Arts Exchange Tournament through him. However, the Eye Devil didn't ask further. After hearing Simone's reply, he just nodded and uttered a "

hmm

."

"Wait a minute, same old routine... Have you participated in the Eastern Martial Arts Exchange Tournament before?" Simone suddenly asked, realizing something.

"That was a long time ago, many years back..." The Eye Devil's voice was very clear and pure, not hoarse or deep at all. Yet, there was an inexplicable sense of weariness in his tone, a stark contrast to his youthful voice.

Simone scrutinized the Eye Devil, feeling that he wasn't pretending. In their previous meetings, when they talked about the Eastern Covert Martial Arts community, the Eye Devil seemed very familiar with its internal rules and conventions. It was as if he had once been a disciple of a sect but later joined a mysterious organization.

He hid within the Covert Martial Arts community, walking in even deeper darkness.

"No need to look at me like that. I'm not going to deceive you in such matters to gain your favor. Although I quite admire your comprehension and talent, it's not to the point where I must have you," the Eye Devil stepped forward slowly. "Moreover, I think I should make things clear. You need to recognize your own position..."

"It's not that our Gate organization desperately needs you. Rather, you desperately need our Gate organization. I just can't bear to see a genius who might grow in the future unable to continue advancing in martial arts because of a deformed body—that's somewhat regrettable. As for you, it's painful to have the ability but not dare to cross that threshold, isn't it? It's even more tragic than not having the ability to cross it at all. Heaven gave you unparalleled talent, yet confines you in a deformed and useless body. Are you really willing to remain like this forever?"

The Eye Devil walked step by step to stand before Simone until they were only one meter apart, the closest the two had ever been. The dim light from the distant park's streetlamp hazily cast over most of the Eye Devil's cloak. Simone suddenly noticed that over the Eye Devil's eyes on the bridge of his nose was a wide black cloth band completely covering his eye sockets. Judging by the thickness of the fabric, vision couldn't possibly pass through it. Was the Eye Devil blind?

Then where did that sharp gaze he felt earlier come from?

"You... you're blind?!" Simone said, frowning.

"

Heh heh...

" The Eye Devil suddenly laughed. "No, I can see, even clearer than you can. Although I've lost my two physical eyes, I still have two brighter ones."

He extended a pale, slender hand and lightly tapped his left chest. "One eye is here, and another is here." His fingers finally rested at his side, placed on the hilt of a metal longsword, gently rubbing it for a while.

When the Eye Devil withdrew his arm and the cloak draped down, Simone glanced at his longsword. The blade was sheathed. Only the cross-shaped metal spiral hilt was exposed, with tree-branch-like bronze protrusions on both sides. At the end, a spherical ornament used for balance was carved into a bizarre eyeball shape.

He didn't know if it was an illusion or if the streetlamp's light was a bit hazy. He saw that eyeball-shaped metal sphere seem to light up, flashing a red gleam. Like a human eyeball, it rotated and cast a cold gaze, meeting Simone's eyes.

A feeling of discomfort rose in Simone's heart, which he suppressed after a few seconds. Calming himself, he thought for a moment before speaking.

"Of course I know that I need you, but I don't even know what kind of organization the Gate organization is. You need to at least give me a detailed introduction. Also, regarding how to solve the issues with my body, I need an effective plan." Simone said.

The Eye Devil "looked" at Simone and nodded slightly.

Next, the two had a detailed conversation near the white stone fountain in the square. It was apparent that the Eye Devil quite appreciated Simone. Therefore, he patiently and thoroughly answered each of Simone's questions.

"There's actually such an organization in the world... Every core member is at least at the level of a combat artist... How come I've never heard of it before," Simone thought secretly, feeling awe towards the Gate organization—a vast power spread across the world.

According to the Eye Devil, besides the leader Xiadu, no one knows how terrifying the combined forces of the Gate organization worldwide truly are. However, from the Eye Devil's decades of personal experience, there are at least more than a dozen core members throughout the entire Hongli Federation. Usually scattered across the Federation, they either live in seclusion, explore ruins, or develop their own secondary forces.

They are relatively low-key, and most of the time their movements do not overlap with the local Covert Martial Arts community, so they aren't well-known.

Time passed bit by bit as Simone listened and pondered.

Gurgle, gurgle...

Clear water flowed down from the top of the white stone fountain, falling into the circular stone basin like scattered flowers from a celestial maiden. The Eye Devil extended a hand, wiping a falling stream of water with a handkerchief. Then he reached to his waist, cleaning the sword hilt.

He carefully rubbed, polishing the metal eyeball until it was smooth and shiny.

"So, after hearing all this, what is your choice?" He lowered his head, turned slightly away from Simone, as if seriously inspecting his sword, not seeming to pay much attention.

"Of course I'll join. Do I have any other choice? When I asked for detailed information about the Gate organization, I no longer had a second path. You're cleaning that sword, planning to kill me instantly if I refuse, right?"

Simone looked directly at the Eye Devil and spoke calmly. His mind was clear; he wasn't the naive type to be led by others. Simone understood the situation and knew his limits.

"

Hahaha...

" Upon hearing this, the Eye Devil laughed. He revealed faintly white teeth, very neat, but somewhat strange in shape—like a row of sharp, pointed shark teeth.

In short, no matter how you looked at it, they didn't resemble human teeth.

"Simone, you're very smart. That's also what I appreciate about you besides your talent and understanding. You're not wrong, but there's still a point that's off. If it were other Gate organization members, what you said would be correct. But my personality is a bit more domineering. In other words, from the moment you came to meet me and took the first step into Saka Park, you had no choice. Either join us... or die."

The Eye Devil raised his head again; the wide hem of his cloak covered the cross-shaped sword, revealing only the slight protrusion of the hilt.

Simone neither agreed nor disagreed with that statement. "I can join, but a bit later. After I win the Eastern Martial Arts Exchange Tournament and settle matters with the Cloud Dog Fist, I'll go with you." He gazed at the splashing fountain water.

"Alright." The Eye Devil nodded. "Also, let me inform you of some good news. It's the perfect time for you to join us now. There's a major event happening soon that can allow you to quickly gain core member status. You won't have to painstakingly wander around searching for fragments..."

"Oh?" Simone hesitated for a moment. "I wonder..."

He was about to speak when the Eye Devil already understood his thoughts. "No harm in telling you. It's just an important piece of news. Whether you can obtain it depends on whether your own strength is sufficient when the time comes. Of course, I'll try my best to help you."

After a brief pause, he continued.

"In East Sea County's Anta Mountains at the coastal city of Anta,the Black Rain Manor that disappeared forty years ago is about to be reactivated!"

"It's a good place with good things inside," the Eye Devil remarked with a faint smile, his tone seemingly hiding a trace of greed. He didn't elaborate, but he had already piqued Simone's strong interest. After all, something that a powerful combat artist like the Eye Devil desired must be extremely precious.

Simone opened his mouth, wanting to say something more.

However, suddenly, a series of footsteps came from the darkness of the distant woods. The Eye Devil tilted his head slightly, as if sensing something. He waved to Simone, "I have some matters to attend to here. You go back first. I'll contact you if anything comes up."

"Alright." Simone glanced subtly toward the woods, then turned and quickly walked back the way he came.

Tap tap tap...

In the darkness, the frequency of the footsteps was somewhat chaotic and disordered.

Two seconds later, a man with disheveled clothes and a face stained with blood appeared under the streetlamp. Upon seeing the Eye Devil, he immediately ran over, panting heavily and out of breath.

"What's going on?" The Eye Devil frowned, glancing at the bloodstains on the man's clothes. It was obvious that something unexpected had happened.

"S-Sir! The Black Ops Agency found our base in Mia City and gathered a lot of forces! Our people suffered heavy losses. It's... it's possible that only I am left!" The man spoke with a somewhat panicked expression, and as he continued, the Eye Devil's face grew darker. Finally, his brows furrowed deeply.

"You're saying that only you are left of our people in Mia City, correct?" He turned slightly, looking at the panicked man.

"S-Supposedly, yes."

"Fool!" The Eye Devil's mouth curled into a cold arc. With a

swish

, his right hand sliced through the air, leaving a residual image. Two fingers that were as sharp as sword points directly cut open the man's throat.

"S-Sir...

gurgle

..." The man's eyes widened as he clutched his throat. Leaking sounds came from his mouth as blood seeped uncontrollably through his fingers.

𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"You didn't even realize you were being followed all the way. Truly useless!" The Eye Devil's arm dropped, and he dipped his fingertips into the fountain's pool to clean them. Then, he used a soft handkerchief to wipe his nails.

"To think you let those mad dogs from the Black Ops Agency find my location—you deserve to die." He faced forward coldly. The man's chest was soaked entirely with blood, and he weakly collapsed to the ground. Life was slipping away bit by bit.

The moonlight was cold like frost, draping everything in Saka Park with a layer of white—The grid-patterned tiles, the layers of tree leaves, the white stone fountain, the circular pathways. Only that spot of red on the ground was so strikingly vivid, gradually spreading outward.

Hoo... gurgle, gurgle...

The autumn wind blew as leaves rustled. The hem of the Eye Devil's wide coat lifted, revealing a metal cross-shaped sword at his side and his pale hand gripping the hilt. He faced the woods from which the man had come.

"Since you don't want to show yourself, I'll force you out!"

Zing!!!

The cross-shaped longsword was unsheathed in an instant, and a terrifying screech resounded in midair as a violent gust of wind surged forward. Following the gale was a massive black flaming chainsaw-like sword light.

The black light glided like a wave, engulfing the moonlight.

Bang bang bang... bang bang bang...

A dozen or so trees were cut down by the deadly blade, each falling diagonally, forming a crescent-shaped open area.

Ding!

The unstoppable black light intended to expand further but was blocked midair by a dense metal net. After a series of intense vibrations and collisions, it settled into a calm.

Beside the fountain, the Eye Devil suddenly looked up. He seemed to lock eyes with a figure hovering midair. Instantly, a surging and powerful aura radiated from his body in all directions.

The black robe on his body billowed wildly like a mass of dark clouds.

"What a rare sight. The old butler of the Black Ops Agency has time to visit Wenxia County. Speaking of which, this is our first meeting. I've long wanted to experience the Reaper's reputation..." The Eye Devil slowly raised the longsword in his hand. Blood seemed to flow on the cross-shaped blade.

Boom!

The sword's body became bright and dazzling. A flame-like black silhouette rolled and extended on the steel blade, increasing the sword's length from 1.2 meters to 1.8 meters.

"The Spiral-Eye Sword. It's actually in your hands..." The voice recited the name of the combat treasure. Under the moonlight, the figure surrounded by dense metal threads hovered midair.

The Mist Threads, expanding like a spider's web and anchored in various corners of the park, supported Amos's body.

Swoosh!

The two powerful auras clashed in the air, causing wave-like air currents that manifested as visible white mist. A fierce wind swept back over half the park, sweeping away the fallen leaves on the ground.

In a dark corner, Simone, who had clearly just left, watched everything intently. Even though he suppressed his aura and presence to the lowest, his heart was still pounding like a drum in his chest, causing his limbs to feel slightly numb. Simone forcibly calmed his rapid breathing, his Adam's apple moving slightly.

The Eye Devil seemed about to fight another powerful figure!