“That dream again.”
The heavenly demon muttered. He was lying on the flowery plains of the heavenly demonic mountain, enjoying a peaceful rest. But that dream had interrupted him once again.
He squinted his eyes from the blinding rays of the sun and raised his arm to shield himself.
“Sigh…”
He massaged his temple and lay down on the ground once again, his dry lips begged for water, and his eyes for sleep.
His state was pathetic, unbefitting of his stature. But what did it matter?
No one was alive in his world to respect him anyway. What did it matter? He did not have to abide by the customs of Murim when Murim itself had rotted away.
“…”
‘How long has it been?’ .𝒎
He thought as he stared at Murim once again, at the blackened lands that were once fields of wheat, a land of gold.
[You seem tired.]
“Tch.”
The Heavenly demon, Ma Cheon clicked his tongue when the voice of the tower rang in his ears.
“What do you want…what now?”
Asked the heavenly demon, wanting to get rid of this nuance as soon as possible.
[How harsh, I just came to check on my friend.]
“HAHAHA!”
The heavenly demon erupted into laughter when he heard the word ‘friend’.
“Friend…How diabolical.”
[Shān Méng Hǎi Shì, Mountain vows, and sea oaths…did we not make an oath, dear ‘friend.]
Argued the tower, reciting an idiom. Although it was not well-versed in the history of Murim, it at least tried to study some of it.
“Bullshit.”
But the Heavenly demon was not amused.
“You possess the head of a tiger, the tail of a snake, and the mouth of a vixen.”
[…]
The tower fell silent. The heavenly demon drank an entire bowl of wine and massaged his head.
[How long?]
Asked the tower, in a mocking voice. The heavenly demon’s expression turned hostile.
“Those who pry often meet disastrous ends…”
The tower let out a laugh. It was as if the mere meaning the statement provided was nothing to it.
[How long…you know you can’t hide it…]
It continued, with each word the Heavenly demon’s face contorted.
[120 years for Tang, 112 for Kongtong, The beggar sect was 143. Mount Hua took a century and a half…]
It calmly listed the number of years of solitude it took the leaders of the great sects to be devoured by the shadow, losing their minds.
…
…
…
The heavenly demon was obviously not pleased. Even though they were weaker than him, they had all earned his respect because of their teachings, strength, and their character.
“Quiet.”
He ordered, but who was he to order the tower? Who had housed his realm?
The tower would not listen, it was only eager to infuriate him further.
[300 years for the Wudang…and how many for the Sword emperor…?]
“Quiet!
The heavenly demon roared, his demonic qi surged up but soon after he coughed up blood.
[400 for the Sword emperor…and it seems your time is near as well.]
Mocked the tower.
“…”
[Your time…has it been five hundred and fifty-five years..?]
The tower counted the years the Heavenly demon had spent in his solitude, excluding the time it came to visit.
“You vile…”
The heavenly demon could not continue his sentence.
[The period of solitude has taken its toll on you…Your mind, body, and cultivation all…have rotted away.]
“They have not.”
Argued the Heavenly demon. The tower was lying, it was only trying to lower his morale.
He had not lost it. He was the heavenly demon! He still remembered all of Murim’s art!
“I will not fall…not to solitude.”
To anything but solitude, he would not fall. He had spent training all this time but his cultivation had stopped long ago. When the Sword Emperor fell to the shadow and solitude.
Without a rival, it was hard to surpass your limits.
Although the Sword Emperor could barely be called that, no doubt he was the strongest besides the heavenly demon…but he was barely enough to meet Ma Cheon’s standards.
“Sigh…”
The heavenly demon wiped the blood off his face with his sleeve and lay down, enjoying the embrace of the sun. The tower however was still not done.
[…So, How long?]
It asked the same question again. It seemed that it would not give up. It would continue harassing Ma Cheon until it got its answer. .𝒎
It truly was persistent, and annoying.
“Why do you care…?”
Asked the Heavenly demon again. Just why did it care so much.
[Because then there will be no fun watching a corpse.]
“…”
It stated the harsh truth, Ma Cheon relented and finally answered.
“When the wish of Murim is fulfilled…then.”
Although the answer of the Heavenly demon was not fulfilling enough, the tower changed the subject.
[The wish of Murim…or ‘your’ wish?]
The demonic qi of the Heavenly Demon surged once again, enraged.
********
“Heavenly demon!”
Only the voice of the Sword Emperor resounded in the heavy downpour that had trapped the Heavenly Mountain.
“Heavenly demon!”
He called out again, lightning dulled the sound of his voice.
“Stop hiding!”
He fought against the sharp winds with his aura and cut down the lightning that appeared with his blade.
The Sword Emperor was enraged, his body was slowly being consumed by rot and the power of shadow…
“Even Wudang has fallen! How long you bastard?!”
Finally, he resorted to the usage of words not befitting his status. He, like Ma Cheon, simply did not care.
“How long I ask! How much more will you stay cooped up in that abode of yours? In the heavenly demonic mountain…How long?!”
He caught the lightning that fell from the heavens and threw it at the Heavenly Demonic mountain as if to strike the demon living on it.
He looked at the figure of the Heavenly demon, which was illuminated by the lightning bolt for only a fraction of a second. Enraged, he called.
“So you were there! Heavenly demon!”
However, In the endless downpour, Ma Cheon remained quiet.
And this was the final straw…
The Sword Emperor is now aware of the position of Ma Cheon. Launched at him.
“Heavenly demon!”
He caught lightning yet again and threw it at the Heavenly demon, shocking the heavens.
.