(MC POV)
"Ummm… I understand that I'm still new to this but… Where are we, Master?"
"Death Pass Town, I've heard some rather disturbing news the other day from Sect Master Qing so I'm here to investigate. And what better way to bond with my new disciple than to bring him along with me, eh?"
Brendan seemed content with my explanation and followed me into the town without much complaint.
I was going to visit the town hall to look for someone of importance, but I stopped when I felt something amiss in the building that I was passing by.
"You feel that?" I asked without turning back.
Brendan looked around him, "Feel what? The misery and sadness all over the town? Hard to miss something like that, Master."
I shook my head and pointed to the building located right beside what I assume to be the town's dump, "No, I meant the really dark atmosphere coming from that building."
Brendan followed my gaze, "I'm not sure Master… It feels just like every other building here."
"Let's go take a look then," I gestured, stepping towards the building.
Brendan stepped forward to open the door for me, revealing the scene of what can only be described as something from nightmares.
There was blood everywhere, the floor, the furniture, the pillars and even on the ceiling. I estimated there to be at least five corpses though I'm not sure how five corpses could have so much blood..
Estimated, because the body parts were strewn everywhere and most of them looked like it had been diced or cut into pieces.
"Is this a new form of art?" Brendan asked beside me, marvelling at the scene with genuine curiosity.
"I think this is what we call a murder scene, Brendan."
"Oh… Oh, of course."
I stepped into the room, ignoring the sticky feeling at the bottom of my sole as I walked. Brendan followed after me a short distance behind, taking more care of where he placed his feet than I did.
There were several limbs scattered around and a head stuck to a pillar with a sword embedded through its skull and mouth, its body nowhere in sight.
Another body lay on the opposite end, though I'm not sure you can call it a body anymore with how it was crushed into what is basically meat paste.
There might be another two bodies, though it's hard to tell when all I see are cubes and slices of body parts scattered around the ground.
I strolled up to the only body that was still kind of intact, though this one had both his arms cut off and stabbed through his chest while his throat was sliced open.
"Well… At least this one didn't lose his head," Brendan chuckled, probably trying to lighten the mood.
I glanced at each of the bodies, "Bodies seem new… No more than a few days old at least. This looks like it's done by multiple people… That one is basically bashed in; those were done with clean, precise cuts; that one was dealt with efficiency in mind and this poor sap got tortured to death."
Brendan tilted his head slightly, "Could it be the same person using different methods to kill?"
"Possible, but not likely. The way someone handles their sword is very hard to change mid-battle even for a veteran swordsman, especially during a life or death battle. Unless this particular swordsman has some sort of special circumstances and is especially strong for being able to handle a number disadvantage too."
"As expected of Master, to discern so much from just a simple glance… But still, why did this happen here?"
I noted the insignia stained with blood on the side of the dead man's robes, "These guys seem to belong to a Sect of some sort, perhaps we would find out more if we go to their main house."
Brendan leaned over to get a closer look, "Revenant Daemon Sect? Never heard of them…"
I shrugged, "Neither have I, but with a name like that, I don't expect anything good either. Let's go ask around, this killing might be linked to what I'm searching for."
Both of us exited the building that we had no idea what was the purpose of, closing the door shut behind us.
We didn't need to walk far to find a rather scruffy old man sitting by the side of the road, watching us with interest.
"Good day strangers, goin' to Dong?"
I shook my head, "Not today, we're looking for the Revenant Daemon Sect, do you know where they are?"
He smirked, "Why I might, though me memory needs a little bit of a joggin' to know for sure, if ya get me meaning."
Brendan frowned and stepped forward, "Do you know who you're speaking to? I would–"
I placed my hand on his shoulder, stopping him mid-sentence. I will most definitely not allow a 'young master' template to happen here, especially not on me, thank you very much.
"Here, would this do?" I handed him a silver coin.
The man's face lit up and quickly snatched it away, "Thankee very much. You be wanting the building beside the mountain path, largest building 'round here. Can't miss it. Although… You might be wanting to know sumthin' 'bout them… But me age ain't what it used to be…"
I felt Brendan tense up though he made no other movements.
I flicked another silver coin at him.
"Hehehe, thankee kind stranger," the old man chuckled, snatching the coin out of the air with a hand. "Ya won't be finding any peeps there, whole place gutted and slaughtered like a bunch of animals they were. Best watch yer back if ya plan to go in there, hehehe."
I shared a glance with Brendan, this did not sound good.
"And no one cares?" Brendan asked, bewildered.
The man chuckled, "Yer in Death Pass Town boy! People die around here almost every other day! Whether yer be a newcomer from the Death Mountains or yer be some poor sap that got on someone's nerves. Hehehe. Those Daemon Sect guys got what's comin' I reckon, always the bullying ones. I'd have liked to gut one myself if I could."
Brendan scratched his chin, "Huh… Interesting…"
There should be at least something there I guess. Sect Master Qing told me about the Dong people trying to tunnel their way through here. The locals here should at least know about some rumors floating around and the fact that this killing happened just as we got the news should be no coincidence.
We made our way to the directions given briskly, finding the aforementioned building easily enough.
The outside seemed normal enough, but when we reached the main hall, it was a similar scene like what we saw back at the first building.
Just piles and piles of bodies strewn about the entire place with either detached limbs, decapitated heads or just a mound of crushed and mangled flesh.
"Must have really pissed someone off… They didn't even spare the rat…" Brendan muttered, pointing at a decapitated rat in the corner.
Well damn it, better start looking for some clues on what led to this massacre then, something tells me this group of people are linked to the Dong people somehow. For an entire Sect to be wiped, even if they were a Minor one, shouldn't be a simple matter.
Just as I was going to start searching, a whole group of people showed up at the entrance, blocking the way out.
"Ha! I knew the perpetrator would return! Give it up! We have this place surrounded! Come along quietly or else!"
…
I thought nobody cared, what the hell?!
