Chapter 30: Darkness

Deep into the Hundred Beast Forest, far beyond the border separating the outer periphery from the treacherous inner section, a disheveled figure staggered through the dense foliage. Their unsteady steps barely kept their stature from tumbling over.

“Damn you, bastards.”

Venomous curses spilled out of Li Kai’s bleeding, cracked lips. His red, almost bloodshot, eyes appeared unfocused as he supported his battered body with a stick.

The past few days had been literal hell for him. First, he was betrayed by the very people he called brothers. They were together for decades, went through countless life-and-death struggles during their hunts, and endured thick and thin together. They were supposed to be his sworn brothers. Yet they believed the lie someone maliciously spread and turned on him for non-existent benefits.

“To think they are such backstabbing rats,” Li Kai fumed, his voice hoarse and brittle from days without proper hydration. He angrily kicked a stray bush out of his path, his frustration mounting. Hunger gnawed at his stomach, and the fatigue of not having eaten a proper meal in days weighed heavily on him, each step a reflection of his dwindling strength.

But he couldn’t stop. The village and the outer periphery of the Hundred Beast Forest were no longer safe. Not only his so-called brothers were after his life, but the greedy ‘fellow’ hunters and some shady figures had also gotten involved. It was those men in black cloaks who made him flee the village.

He didn’t know their identities, but they were nonnatives—that much he was more than certain of. Five Fragrance Village was not that big. At its peak, less than five hundred people lived there. He could recognize a local’s demeanor even if he didn’t know them personally. Those people didn’t exhibit such habits.

He couldn’t even escape to the town; the roads were blocked by the hunters.

The only place that could be considered ‘safe’ now was the edge inner section of the forest. Catastrophic demon beasts rarely ventured toward its borders, while weaker creatures wouldn't dare to tread beyond the line that marked the end of the outer periphery. In this twisted balance, the inner section became a paradoxical refuge—dangerous by design, yet relatively secure.

Every hunter in the village knew of this so-called ‘heaven.’ Yet, even if they discovered his presence here, none would dare to pursue him. The delicate equilibrium of this buffer zone was not something they had the courage—or recklessness—to disrupt.

“That damned brat! It’s all his fault. I bet he was behind that illogical rumor,” He growled like a wounded beast. Li Kai was no fool. It became clear as the day why he was spared that evening. “I underestimated that brat. Shit!”

He ground his teeth, the muscles in his jaw tightening as Luo Ling's cold, indifferent face flashed through his mind. The memory of those tender eyes, so devoid of mercy, sent a shiver coursing down his spine. That evening, he'd been paralyzed—not just by the boy's strength, but also by the sheer disregard for life emanating from his youthful gaze. The image haunted him, a blend of confusion and fear gnawing at his thoughts.

How could a child, barely out of his formative years, wield such an aura? That glare—unyielding and deathly calm—both puzzled and horrified Li Kai. It wasn't just skill; it was something far more primal, far more terrifying. It was as if he had stared into the void itself.

What a weakling. Spooked by a mere child. Such a pathetic mortal.

A disembodied voice that seemed to come from both a male and female echoed in his ears. Li Kai stiffened as a shiver rushed down his spine. He gritted his teeth as the voice broke into mocking laughter, sparing no effort to demean him.

“Shut up! Silence! Get out of my head. Get out!” Li Kai swiped his right hand before him as if to push away the imaginary person obstructing his path. He yanked out a rusty, chipped knife with a zagged blade from his waist and glared at it angrily. Its scarlet-colored blade had intricate patterns adorning the entirety of its surface.

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“From the day I picked you up, my life has gotten upside down. Even my brothers want to kill me.” Li Kai’s grip on the chipped knife tightened. With anger evident, he was all but ready to throw this cursed thing away. “You claim to be an immortal artifact yet you can’t even kill a few mortals.”

How typical of a foolish human, blaming others for their failures.

The disembodied voice thundered in his ears, reverberating through his skull like the pounding of a war drum. The sheer force of it sent a sharp, stabbing pain through his head, as though his very spirit had been seized and shaken. His knees buckled, and he tumbled forward, crashing into the earth. A mouthful of damp, gritty soil filled his mouth as he landed, its taste bitter and metallic against his tongue.

Li Kai coughed violently, spitting out clumps of dirt as his trembling hands clawed at the ground. His body felt weak as if the voice had drained him of his will to stand.

“I am sorry. I apologize!! Don’t shout. It hurts. Arrghh!” His voice cracked like a dry twig as he barely conjured enough strength to plead the voice to stop. His body lay limp against the damp forest floor, sprawled out like a discarded marionette with its strings cut. The cold, unyielding earth beneath him offered no solace. Two thin streaks of tears carved paths down his grime-covered cheeks, glinting faintly in the dim light filtering through the canopy above.

I’ll repeat it once again. If you wish to wield my powers, you’ll have to unseal me first. Only your heart blood can do it since you don’t have Essence Qi in your body.

Only the lulling whispers of a voice whose gender couldn’t be discerned, carrying both male and female tones, accompanied Li Kai’s fading consciousness.

Darkness welcomed him to its calming embrace.

-~X~-

The next day, as the sun began its steady ascent into the heavens, its golden rays spilled across the sky, painting the horizon with hues of amber and rose. The lingering chill of the night gave way to the gentle warmth of dawn, and the ever-present darkness retreated, vanquished by the light's triumphant arrival.

Luo Ling stood quietly amidst it all, his eyes half-closed as he welcomed the tender embrace of the morning sun. A soft smile graced his face, serene and genuine, as though the light carried with it a promise of renewal—a fresh start, free from the shadows of yesterday.

In the recesses of Luo Ling’s mind, eleven drops of inner breath floated in perfect stillness, like stars suspended in the void. Overnight, without any effort on his part, an additional drop had appeared, quietly enhancing his reserves. The blessing granted by the Records of Toil was already proving its worth.

Opening his eyes, Luo Ling exhaled softly, the cool morning air filling his lungs. With a subtle nudge of his toe, the stick lying by his foot sprang upward, caught deftly in his hand. Though it was nothing more than a crude piece of wood, its surface was polished smooth and bore a shape reminiscent of the saber he once wielded in the Murim World.

Grasping the wooden sword in his left hand, Luo Ling positioned it near his waist, its tip angled slightly downward. His left foot slid behind him, grounding his stance, while his right foot stepped forward, balancing his weight. His right hand rested lightly on the hilt portion of the wooden replica, fingers curling in a loose grip.

The stance was precise, honed through countless repetitions in his past life—a perfect execution of a sword-drawing stance.

The Sword Practice chapter of the Lightwheel Swordsmanship had three sections: Sword Drawing, Lightspeed Movements, and Cyclic Execution. As a sword art that primarily revolved around the concept of speed, all its forms were divergences of fast executions.

The Sword Drawing section focussed on the lightning-fast unsheathing of the sword to dispatch a target, leaving it no room to put up a fight. This form was designed for one-on-one battles.

Lightspeed Movements was an amalgam of lightness skill and adaptive combat, focusing on quick counters and escapes. This form was best suited for duels that didn’t involve life-and-death battles and escapes during crucial times.

The final section, Cyclic Execution, was the combination of Sword Drawing and Lightspeed Movements, designed exclusively to combat a group. It had the quickness of Sword Drawing and unpredictability of Lightspeed Movements. At its core, this section enabled a free switch between the two forms without loss of momentum.

Luo Ling started with the Sword Drawing section. There was no particular order of priority between the first and second sections, but he chose Sword Drawing over Lightspeed Movements because his close combat was sorely lacking.

The Lightspeed Movements section was renowned for its emphasis on agility and unpredictability, traits that granted overwhelming superiority in close combat. However, Luo Ling couldn't help but scoff inwardly at its practicality in his current state. He was, after all, a mere nine-year-old child. What use was unparalleled speed when his strikes lacked the force? His punches, no matter how precise or swift, carried the impact of a feather brushing against a wall.

At this stage, what he needed most wasn’t agility or the ability to outmaneuver his enemies. It was raw, unbridled destructiveness. Without the power to crush his foes, no amount of footwork or clever techniques would bridge the gap between his potential and the dangers that lurked in the world.

Power before finesse, strength before speed—these priorities would shape the foundation of his training.

Luo Ling exhaled slowly, his grip on the wooden sword tightening. Destruction was the goal, and every swing would carry that intent.

And then, he drew his sword.