Chapter 567 - Fleeting Years

In the office, Cassius faced the Chief Mechanist and Deleshart's gazes and smiled without speaking. He walked to the sofa and sat down slowly. He set the white porcelain cup, still half-filled with warm black tea, gently on the table.

"Don't be so surprised. The Gate Organization is indeed formidable and one of the world's absolute pinnacles. But that doesn't mean no other force can oppose them."

Cassius lifted his head, met the Chief Mechanist's eyes, and showed not the least trace of falsehood. "Nor do you need to doubt that I'm lying. The Gate Organization's influence is vast and everywhere. Send people to scout a little and you'll find their strength shrinking fast, and members flailing like headless flies..." Cassius spoke the facts with an impassive face.

"If you have hands that are free now, you may even want to bite a huge chunk out of them and feast well."

Ten minutes later, the Chief Mechanist sat by the hardwood desk, fingers tapping the top with soft clacks. Beside him, the Hunters' Association president Deleshart looked unsettled.

If Cassius's account was true, the Gate Organization had truly suffered an unprecedented blow. It could even be called a devastating strike.

The organization's two strongest members, the deputy leader Holy Fist Demon Phoenix and the First General King, had been killed by Cassius. Moreover, Holy Fist Demon Phoenix was the Gate Organization's real controller. Its mysterious leader Xiadu had only been a dragon who showed its head but not its tail. With Holy Fist Demon Phoenix gone, the supreme commander was lost!

Then, the Seven General Kings, ranking just below the leader and deputy leader, lay dead or fled. Chaos within the Gate Organization was inevitable. Many core members had likewise been slain by combat artists of the Covert Martial Arts world.

The huge organization had suffered unbearable losses from top to bottom. It looked like a pattern of imminent collapse...

Still, nothing was certain. Their enigmatic leader Xiadu remained; if he acted in time, he might yet turn the tide.

While their thoughts churned, the Shadow Hunters present deepened their understanding of the Covert Martial Arts world. It was undeniably a vast and mighty collective.It wielded game-changing power at any moment. They also attached significance to cooperation and exchange with that world.

Turns out, the best way to earn respect was the fist. If one's fist was hard enough, no one could ignore them!

Knock, knock, knock...

A soft knock suddenly came from outside the door.

"Come in," the Chief Mechanist said, looking up.

The door opened with a

creak

and assistant Thomas walked in. He then took in the office scene and froze mid-step. Strands of formidable yet indistinct Qi twined and clashed, one aura pressing upon another. They formed an oppressive atmosphere that seemed to congeal the air.

The Shadow Hunters and elders had not done it intentionally. In fact, they had done their best to restrain their Qi. However, even the slight leakage filling a cramped space was unbearable to an ordinary man. Luckily the windows were open and fresh air blew in to ease the tension.

Thomas walked stiffly past everyone. He bent beside the Chief Mechanist and whispered. Apparently the Dark Hunter Organization's workshop had produced new weapons.

"

Hmm

, give me half an hour. I'll come over then." The Chief Mechanist tapped the desk, issuing the order.

"Understood." Thomas turned and left without lingering.

As he closed the door, his back felt icy with sweat. Evidently he had sweated enough to soak his waistband.

Thomas recalled that all the Shadow Hunters had gathered in the office, along with the Radiant Hunter and the Chief Mechanist. Opposite them was a five-person group by the window. The four elders wore either long robes or practice garb. Their eyes were hawklike, sharp and fierce.

Even a casual glance from behind made Thomas feel needles on his back. That was when the cold sweat had sprung up.

"Right! The Treatment Ward Director, the new Number Two Shadow Hunter Cassius, why was he sitting with those four elders? And those four seemed to regard him as their head? I must say, that director is quite the odd one..." Thomas shook his head and drew several breaths of fresh air.

His mind cleared a good deal. Only then did he remember he had forgotten a few trifles besides the workshop report.

For instance, rumors from the Treatment Ward about an interrogation team called the Ghetto Four. Supposedly, each interrogator was a prodigy gifted at grilling same-sex prisoners. No captive lasted three rounds under their hands!

Descriptions of their methods were enough to make a man’s scalp tingle and legs tremble. The Ghetto Four made grown men shudder at night. Because of such ill rumours, Thomas meant to advise the Chief Mechanist to rein the Treatment Ward in.

Additionally, the illusionist group inside the Hunters' Association seemed to be undergoing change. A White Dazzling Hunter named Rose had innovatively developed a "muscle style" illusion art. It strove to turn illusionists from frail support into front-line brawlers, thus allowing an illusionist to run missions solo.

They would drop foes into an illusion space and then pummel them wildly. It was a fresh direction for the craft. At first, the new path had advanced poorly because the illusionists' talent in arcane energy lay in spirit, which was illusionary. Even training the body to boost one's spirit gave too little return for effort. They lacked bodily gifts, so their strength remained limited even with training.

However, dozens of days ago, some illusionists joined the Treatment Ward. From then on, a new world opened up. Now illusionists were eager to enter the Treatment Ward and explore muscles plus illusion, even though the Treatment Ward housed a band of vicious felons. Such a shift in an association faction surely deserved a word to the Chief Mechanist.

Alas, the office aura had been too intense and Thomas had forgotten those small matters. Well, mentioning them in a few days would not be late.

Half an hour later, the office talks temporarily concluded. The Dark Hunter Organization and Covert Martial Arts forces had reached preliminary accord. Their exchange might begin in a few months.

Why not sooner? The Dark Hunter Organization wished to verify Cassius's claim and see if the Gate Organization truly was reversing course on all fronts. If so, they might reap some benefits.

𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

At the very least, dark creatures within the Hongli Empire would be less active. Dark creature hordes had wrought growing harm in recent years. It had seemed like a hidden hand was driving the whole affair. Perhaps that hidden hand was the Gate Organization itself.

During the discussion, Cassius did not mention his connection with Black Rain Manor's Hellsings. The current Dark Hunter Organization and Black Rain Manor were faintly hostile. Besides, Black Rain Manor was not yet of one voice.

Besides Tyrant Black Dragon and Ripple Master, two equally powerful individuals remained. Cassius likely needed to back Tyrant Black Dragon and Master Ripple in killing those two and unifying the schism. Only then could dialogue between Black Rain Manor and the Dark Hunter Organization proceed.

At the moment, his tasks for the next two years were clear.

First, purge the dark creature hordes within the Hongli Empire. That included the Totem Temple, which embodied the Totem King's will, the surviving Ripple Practitioners once active in the southeast, the Eclipse Society worshipping Moon God, and so on. Any that dared show themselves would be hunted down and suppressed.

Second, expand the Golem Sect's influence in the empire's Covert Martial Arts community. Without doubt, that force would prove decisive when disruptive events occurred.

Third, unite Black Rain Manor, the Covert Martial Arts world, and the Dark Hunter Organization. When a grand tide descended, only another grand tide could oppose it.

Cassius wished to test whether uniting most of the empire's supernatural powers could stem the coming cataclysm. At least, it might hold out longer.

It would make the enemy reveal more cards and tricks. That was the benefit of a time-travel; it would let Cassius glimpse grand events of the past and thereby divine the unknown. Only thus could he survey the whole board and choose his future moves.

Last, hone the Southern Dipper Waterbird Fist and raise his opened acupoints from sixty to a full sixty-six, attaining perfection!

At this moment, Cassius's Heart of the Dominator Fist had begun to beat. The three temperings of his Qi had been completed with Flaming Sun Holy Fist's help. When his acupoints were perfected, the day of breaking through to Dominator Fist would dawn. The remaining six would be the hardest, requiring patient grinding work.

Fortunately, Cassius had time in abundance. With patience, all good things would blossom before his eyes.

***

It was the year 969, September 7 in the Hongli Empire.

Cassius returned to Florence, bringing four elders of the Covert Martial Arts world with him.

After some discussion, the empire's Covert Martial Arts realm and the Dark Hunter Organization reached an initial cooperation. It marked a rather meaningful first step of a whole ice-breaking journey.

On October 10, following Cassius's advice, the Dark Hunter Organization kept probing the Gate Organization to gauge its situation. A month later, they struck. Within merely three days, they uprooted four of the Gate Organization's bases in the north. They found the Gate Organization offered no retaliation and even shrank back. Thus, the Dark Hunter Organization confirmed the intelligence was true!

On December 5, Cassius broke through the sixty-first acupoint of the Southern Dipper Covert Martial Inheritance. He spent a few months re-familiarising himself with the Southern Dipper Waterbird Fist and began crafting ultimate moves. Meanwhile, branch forms of the Waterbird Fist were penned into the Southern Dipper Covert Martial Inheritance and etched with Qi.

On December 15, Cassius led the Treatment Ward out of Florence to the empire's southeast. He reorganized the Golem Sect, expounded on fist techniques, and attracted scores of Covert Martial Arts Practitioners.

At the same time, Cassius moved against the Totem Temple, intending to rip out the Totem King's influence in the surface world. The Totem King struck again, trying to lend the temple strength to resist but failed, as it was apparently blocked by Blood Vulture Dominator Fist!

With its three Great Shamans fallen, the Totem Temple was no match for Cassius's Golem Sect. The temple was destroyed and left in ruins!

On February 9 in the year 970, many knight-level Hellsings at Black Rain Manor joined Cassius and formed a group. They advanced and retreated together, planning to unite the Manor's factions into one. They set out especially to encircle and slay the two equivalents of Tyrant Black Dragon and Ripple Master! Tyrant Black Dragon and Master Ripple also took part in the foray.

That same February, the Dark Hunter Organization finished clearing nearly all Gate Organization strongholds within the empire. Now free of internal problems from one source, they planned to tackle the dark creature hordes. On the fifteenth, they launched the grand hunt!

On June 10, the Golem Sect's influence continued to grow in the Covert Martial Arts community. Its fame spread from the east to west and north to south. Numerous practitioners journeyed to witness Sect Master Cassius expound on fist techniques.

On July 15, Cassius led the Treatment Ward into action again. For the first time, the Treatment Ward, the Golem Sect, and the Dark Hunter Organization cooperated to wipe out the wandering Ripple Practitioners in the southeast. During the campaign, they also struck hard at the dark creature hordes. Many hordes were annihilated completely, leaving mere stragglers remaining.

On August 22, Black Rain Manor launched a purge planned for months, initiating a grand reckoning within. Tyrant Black Dragon and Master Ripple were joined by many combat artists from Golem Sect as they struck.

Cassius and the Chief Mechanist watched from afar as anchors of stability. The battle raged for days, rivers of blood flowing.

Many top-tier knight-level Hellsings surrendered or died in combat. The two equivalents of Tyrant Black Dragon and Ripple Master were slain on the spot, and their heads used to intimidate others into yielding. Thus, Black Rain Manor ended its schism and emerged as a united force.