After it was all over, Ming summoned a dark flame from the depths of his shadow. He hurled it at the scattered corpses, watching as the fire devoured them. His heart was silent—no thoughts, no tears. Only a crushing sadness lingered in his eyes.
He walked to Wen's lifeless body, now aged and frail. Gently, he lifted him onto his back and began walking away. He glanced one last time at his parents, at the members of the Jwan family... at everything he had lost.
He muttered, "I'll never forget... what they did will never be erased. And when my brother awakens... the vengeance against the Jwan family will begin."
Then he looked to the sky and whispered:
"I must change my location immediately… but…"
As he remembered Wang and Mina, tears began falling from his eyes.
"Even if I become evil... there are still things that can make me cry. There is still pain."
He wiped his tears away, his face returning to its cold, emotionless state. Then, he raised his head toward the heavens and spoke:
"Wait for me, stars of this world…"
Suddenly, his tone shifted. He let out a hollow laugh and said, as if to someone else:
"What now, Ming? Is the story over? I'm tired... Why? Do you know how painful it is to have thousands of views and not a single encouraging comment?"
He shouted into the air:
"Shut up! Get back to work! Ahahaha, damn you!"
Then, like flipping a switch, he calmed down and muttered:
"Alright… where were we? Ah yes…"
With dead, lifeless eyes, he carried Wen's body and continued toward the mountains.
---
He climbed into the highlands, spending nine days in complete silence and reflection. Finally, he reached an ancient cave.
He looked at its entrance and said:
"Eight years ago… this was the den of the Demon Sect. Now it's just ruins. Perfect."
Turning to the unconscious Wen, Ming murmured:
"Strange... Nine days, and he still hasn't woken up. I hope my hunch is wrong…"
He examined him and sighed:
"So I was right… His foundation cracked from the trauma. He never opened the Gate of Knowledge. If he had… stopping his power would've been impossible."
"The foundation is like a seed. The gate is the soil. Without it, the seed can't grow."
He sat quietly, meditating. Suddenly, a voice echoed in his mind:
"You're still the same, Ming of the past."
He chuckled.
"Is that you… my former self? Looks like you're stuck in a dilemma."
The voice replied:
"What will you do now, little devil?"
Ming smirked:
"First, I'll go to the tavern."
The voice gasped:
"Even now, at only eight years old? Are you trying to destroy the narrative?!"
He laughed.
"No… I just want to get food… and watch what unfolds."
---
He descended to a tavern at the base of the mountain. Inside were young nobles laughing and boasting loudly.
Ming walked in with confidence and sat. A waitress approached.
"Do you have money?" she asked.
He replied calmly:
"What's the problem? The more money you have… the more you care."
"Do you?"
"Yes."
She began preparing food. A pompous young noble approached and said:
"Hello there, I'm Roben."
He extended his hand, but Ming ignored him completely.
"You're a strange one," Roben said with a smirk.
Ming shot him a glance filled with disdain:
"Step aside… I don't deal with filth."
Roben's face changed.
"Do you know who I am? My uncle is the royal minister of the Jwan family!"
Ming burst out laughing:
"Hahahaha! Really? You're just more trash."
Roben drew his dagger.
"What are you planning to do?"
Ming smiled coldly:
"Haven't you recognized me yet?"
"Who are you?"
"I am Ming… son of Wang."
Roben froze. Then he forced a smile:
"Yang will reward me greatly for capturing you!"
Ming replied:
"Reward yourself with a drink first… it'll be your last."
He poured a barrel of wine over Roben, then ignited it with his black flame. The place turned into a hellish furnace.
Roben scoffed:
"That won't work on me!"
But the flames exploded, and screams filled the room.
Ming unleashed his wrath, slaughtering them one by one using his first technique:
"Dark Seal."
He killed 29 men in just seven moves.
Only Roben, the waitress, and Ming remained.
Ming poured a second barrel over Roben while the waitress trembled in fear.
He brought the black flame closer. They screamed, begging for mercy, but Ming was laughing, dancing in their agony.
He shouted:
"This is pleasure! I wanted to rid the world of you… and now, you're burning!"
As they turned to ash, he whispered:
"What a shame… the game's over. I hope you enjoyed my humble hell."
Just before leaving, he noticed a glowing hole in the wall.
A strange light was radiating from within.
He stared in awe:
"That's… knowledge… What is this thing…?"
To be continued...