Scarlet Descent

Shi Lian Club.

Although Scrap Iron City was not large, its mines and trade attracted representatives from large consortiums and local wealthy bosses. In the deepest part of the city, one could always find stylish clubs and entertainment venues. Shi Lian Club was one of them. It looked very low-key from the outside, featuring only a tasteful black facade. After all, it did not need to attract customers with dazzling neon lights and colorful lamps like other clubs or bars. Its patrons came by reputation, and without its shockingly strict membership card, no matter how rich you were, you would not be admitted. Naturally, people who passed by without the urge to enter rarely noticed. Behind its understated sign, a small emblem was hidden—only found if deliberately sought out: a black goat with ferocious horns.

"…Our plan has failed."

On this night, the Shi Lian Club was very quiet. Not only were there no guests being entertained, but even the service staff were absent. In the club's main hall, however, a group of special guests had gathered. About seven or eight people sat on both sides of a long table. Their attire varied—some in ordinary work clothes, some in neat suits, and some in slippers and tank tops. What united them was the distorted death god masks they all wore.

Sitting in the middle was a tall man completely wrapped in a black robe, his voice somewhat hoarse. He observed those around him and calmly began:

"Until now, I am not clear about the reason for the failure. The chosen person successfully escaped to the farm, and there was definitely no one following. According to our understanding, the Guard Office and the Scrap Iron City Supernatural Security Officer Squad could not possibly react so quickly, so he had enough time to start the sacrifice and activate the summoning array."

"Who messed it up?"

At the lower end of the table, a man with a crew cut—clearly hot-tempered—slammed the table. "Damn it, we prepared for so long. I soaked those dead crows one by one myself, and I couldn’t even let my subordinates do it. Do you know how much effort I put in?"

"Unclear," the man in the black robe replied calmly. "But post-event investigation revealed that a flock of death crows rose and circled over the farm, and people around felt a bone-chilling cold. This indicates the summoning was nearly successful, but judging from the number of crows and the burst of mysterious power, it fell far short of our worshipped master."

"This means that even if successful, what we summoned was only some kind of evil spirit, not our Lord."

"…"

Hearing this, everyone was shocked. "Then what should we do?"

"Our goal is to summon the Black Goat God recorded in the Book of the Dead. Anything else is a failure," the man in the black robe said softly. "This was only our first attempt; a failure is not the end."

"I have called you all here to discuss which step of the summoning ritual we must adjust. In theory, the runes we prepared fully complied with the records in the Book of Death. Or perhaps the sacrifice we prepared was really too low-grade…"

"…The sacrifice wasn’t enough?"

Faced with surprise from the others, the man in the black robe continued, "A newborn infant might not be enough to attract the great Black Goat. Instead, some evil spirits struggling to return may target it. To increase our success rate, I propose we choose the second-level sacrifice recorded in the Book of the Dead: thirteen virgins who are not yet of age and have not experienced the world…"

Someone was slightly shocked: "Thirteen?"

Whispers of surprise arose.

"It's only thirteen," the man in the black robe laughed coldly. "Divided among us, it is not much."

"But…"

Someone hesitated and objected, "This incident must have already attracted the attention of the Guard Office and the supernatural security officers. If we act again soon, we are likely to be watched—or even have our location pinpointed."

"So what if they find us?" the hot-tempered young man suddenly slammed the table and said, "They are only a few; how much ability can they have?"

"If, if we can successfully summon the Black Goat…" As he spoke, the eyes under his mask shone brightly: "That is a high-ranking deity in the death totem. If we succeed, it will not only free us from the troubles of demonic whispers but also grant us powerful, controllable strength. It will make us the family closest to the core of death in the Third City Defense Line for decades—not just in Scrap Iron City."

"At that time, each of us will receive the blessing of the Black Goat and become demon instructors."

"That's right…" Responding to the hot-tempered man's excitement, the man in the black robe added softly, "Since dreaming of the mysterious Black Goat, I received enlightenment and formed this family. You are all chosen by me and believers of the Black Goat. Our purpose is to summon its descent. For this, we have sworn never to regret, never to hesitate—everything is for our worshipped Lord."

"One failure means nothing to us. This was merely our initial practice. No god can be summoned in one go; failure only reveals the deity’s greatness. So, go prepare…"

"If second-level sacrifices are not enough, we can prepare third-level, fourth-level…"

"Those so-called security officers—heh—they are just a bunch of people who stole the power of gods and then tried to betray them. They’re not worth mentioning. When we successfully summon the Black Goat, let alone the mere Scrap Iron City security officers, even those from the Second City Defense, or the First City Defense, what can they do? Even the legendary Xing Tian Squad—what can they do? We will have the power to control life and death."

"We will become the knights of death, even the agents of gods walking in the world."

"…"

"May the Black Goat descend upon the world soon, to cleanse impure souls…"

At these words, the others stood up one after another, pressing their fists to their chests and speaking in low, devout voices. In this family, the leader’s words were sacred, and members dared not contradict. With the leader’s decision made, they could only prepare the second sacrifice as agreed.

"Bang bang bang…"

Just as this heavy and frenzied discussion ended and everyone prepared to leave the club as planned, a heavy knocking sound suddenly echoed at the door. The hall fell silent, and under their masks, everyone exchanged uneasy glances. For this gathering, the service staff had been evacuated in advance, so no one moved to open the door. Moreover, who would knock on the door of a club that had hung a "Closed" sign so late at night?

"Bang!"

As they hesitated, a loud gunshot rang from outside, breaking the lock. The door was forcefully pushed open, and the misty, cold rain that had begun outside rushed into the room. A man in a raincoat entered, completely wrapped and seemingly shrinking his neck against the cold. As soon as he entered, he immediately closed the door behind him, though the broken latch could not be fastened, so he propped it shut with a chair from the side.

"The Black Goat Family, right?"

The man in the raincoat turned around with a smile, then removed his coat to reveal a young, cheerful face. In the hall, the masked figures froze. This was a secret gathering—mysterious people who, even though they belonged to the same family, always wore masks during meetings. We possess supernatural powers, we command the gods. We hold the life and death of ordinary people in our hands, and we walk on the edge of hell. We were discussing how to summon the great Black Goat to descend upon the world, striving for an eternal goal… and then some guy just walked in asking if we were the Black Goat? Is something wrong here?

"Who are you?"

Suddenly, a crew-cut, hot-tempered man among the masked group stood out. His eyes under the mask coldly fixed on the young man at the door as he asked in a low voice, his pupils contracting to nearly a pinpoint—like a white expanse with only a tiny black hole. At the same moment, the intruder’s body stiffened slightly under that penetrating gaze. The young man felt an unusual coldness spreading over him—like the temperature of a corpse. Even without contact, he could feel the chill emanating from it. Now, he was contaminated by this cold aura, which began to spread throughout his body.

Death Order First State Ability: Temperature of the Deceased

(Transmitting the body temperature of a corpse to a living person, making them feel the coldness of the dead and the stiffness of the body.)

Taking a deep breath, the vigorous life force like warm water helped him dispel the coldness. He turned naturally, then pulled out a gun from behind—a rugged, black short gun reminiscent of a tough guy’s style. He smiled and said, "Looks like I've come to the right place. Are you ready to come back with me and turn yourselves in?"

"…"

Once again, deathly silence filled the hall. The tall man in the black robe, standing at the very back, suddenly commanded, "Kill him." As he issued the order, he quickly turned and walked toward the back door.

"…"

At the door, Wei Wei suddenly smiled very happily upon hearing this: "You guys really leave me no choice…"