Chapter 19: Demon Empire

"First, I have to tell you about our race." The girl became slightly hesitant.

"We only have several hours before you go to sleep, so it will take the whole first lesson. Don't think of that as a waste of time; you can't know a plant without knowing its roots."

Xin could only nod. Anyway, he was also interested in the so-called Demon Empire. But, does he really have to go to bed so early?

"Then I think I might join." Suddenly, a voice rang from the woods. Ying Zheng with his hands in his pockets jumped from above trees.

"Do you have a habit of spying?" Asked Maha.

"Yes, I actually do; Imagine!" He sat down before the formation and crossed his legs. Abruptly, a stone hit his head.

"…I see your point, sorry." He said while rubbing his forehead.

"You don't have to apologize, I had my revenge." The girl seemed to be in a better mood now. She coughed and looked at the moon. Xin noticed how her pupils gained a trace of silver.

"I will speak from the time of creation." Her voice was slow and deep.

"Many ages ago the world was hollow and silent. There was no life; only stones and mountains. It was a motionless world. But at some point, God appeared out of nowhere."

"God was a supreme being, and his desires were the laws of the world. First, he spilled his blood, and the earth became alive. Trees and plants started to grow."

"Then he shed tears, and his tears became the ocean, and many rivers of blood still flowing through the world joined the ocean, and so fish was born."

"But God was still unsatisfied. He went to the greatest mountain, spanning beyond the sky itself, and hit it, and the mountain was broken into countless stones, and each stone was a gem, and each gem gained life. So Demons were born."

"So you are a stone?" Asked Ying Zheng. Xin had the same question, but he wasn't rude.

Maha, unfazed of him breaking her narration, continued to speak.

"Each jewel from the great mountain have a different color, there are thousands of them, and so there are thousands of kinds of Demons. Everyone is unique, but all from God."

"Then, as the time went on, we started to crave for a form. Strong strived and achieved the form of God. They named themselves Perfect. Weak were trying to do the same but ended up deformed. They were named Lost."

"Strong became rulers, weak became slaves."

"After countless years of wars, the first Empire was founded by the first Demon Emperor."

...

After telling all that Maha became silent. The legendary part of the story has ended, next should be more down to earth history. Xin decided to use that intermission to ask a question:

"What happened to God?"

Maha's eyes shined at him, she said:

"Some say that he died, some say that he went to the sky. After achieving the Rank of Immortal one gains a strange growing desire to go beyond heavens. It is called the Call of God, who invites them to his domain. As of now, no one has returned to confirm that.

"Immortal? Like the legendary Immortal Realm?"

Xin's voice was excited. That legend, that note at the end of "Basics of Martial Arts", the realm achieved by no one, it actually exists…

"Don't be so surprised, kid."

"The story of the Immortal Realm is actually their legend. We have it from the time when demons ruled over humans. Otherwise, how could it just appear out of nowhere? The more interesting thing, is that a real immortality?

"I don't know." Said the girl.

"The longest recorded lifespan belongs to Seventh Demon Emperor who had been living for Ten Thousand years before ascending to heaven."

"All Immortals ascended?" Asked Ying Zheng.

"Yes, no one could resist the Call of God. And never there was more than one Immortal at a time. Also, you ask a lot of questions. I thought you knew a lot." The girl smirked at Ying Zheng.

"I never said it, I know only bits from around the world. I know that your Empire is huge, at least hundred times bigger than the Mainland plus New Lands. I know that there are several types of Demons, that you cultivate something called Demonic Light. With that, somehow, you can make people into slaves. Your Empire depended on them largely, both beasts and humans. Not sure if humans were any different from them back then, though. Oh, and you are ruthless bloody monsters. And don't give me that look. Not much remained after Nine Thousand years, but bones rot hard. Also and at some point, you had just left. The reason? That I'd like to know."

"Is that true?" Xin was in doubts after listening to him. If the Demons really once controlled the territory of Han Empire, how come nothing remains from them?

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"Yes, there is evidence. They just kept hidden. For example, the white pyramid on the north. Only government and some clans from the region know of it."

"You too?" Thinking about it now, Xin actually doesn't know anything about Ying Zheng. Even his cultivation realm.

"I have a habit of spying." He said with a slight smile.

"Now is your turn." He turned to Maha. "Where am I wrong?"

"You are almost correct, surprisingly." Her brows furrowed, making them even more clear on the pure-white face.

"Slavery … is still there. The technique you were talking about is named Guiding Light. The Demonic Light is used to suppress Inner Soul Light of a being, forcing it to obey. I'm not proud of it, many don't, but it takes a lot of time to go from that system. Spirit Beasts, how you call them, are sometimes intelligent, but their power is much higher than that of normal animals…"

Xin felt it was a painful topic for her. The girl was speaking slowly and there were some distinct undercurrents in her tone. He couldn't distinguish them, though.

"Relax, we also had been using serfs up to recently."

Said Ying Zheng.

"Don't compare us…"

"I don't want to be compared…"

He and Maha spoke simultaneously. Then Ying Zheng grinned and pointed a finger at her. The girl was visibly annoyed, she said:

"We are trying to abolish the system."

"And that's why abandoned human's land?" Asked Ying Zheng.

"No… I will have to speak from the beginning. Everything started Nine Thousand Years ago when the Great Emperor Samprati governed the Empire. He was an Immortal and his reign lasted for seven thousand years of peace and prosperity. After he ascended his most talented descendant, Vasudeva, inherited the throne. He was an arbitrary and tyrannical ruler. He was absorbing the resources of the Empire, sacrificing people, all to archive the Rank of Immortal. In turn, a rebellion arose. It was led by three sworn brothers whose talent was just slightly lower than that of Vasudeva. The war lasted for more than hundred devastating years, after which the battle of Fire Mountain put an end to Vasudeva. The brothers, then, divided the realm into three kingdoms. Of south, of north, and of east. They were truly united, but sadly, none of them managed to achieve Immortality. After their deaths, a period of internal strife arose. Their descendants were more concerned with conquering each other's territory then growing in peace. Many lands were lost at that time. The Peninsula of Turtle Back, the current home of humans, was one of them."

"But you consider yourself as someone from Demon Empire, now some lesser state. Have there been some more recent developments?" Inquired Ying Zheng.

"Yes, recently, only three hundred years ago, a great hero from Northern Demon Kingdom created a new faction and started unification of Empire. His name was Ashoka, the Lord of Freezing Wasteland. First, he became the king of Northern Demon Kingdom, then, after a long civil war of the whole Empire. He was a great leader, a peerless genius but…"

Mana's voice now had a hint of sadness.

"He was ill, gravely. Maybe he could achieve Immortality, but fate was cruel. He died after two hundred and fifty years of rule. His worthless daughter took the empire."

"Little hedonistic princess, not even once has she tried to rule, wasting decades in the pаlасе instead, sleeping! What a disgrace for her father."

Xin could swear he saw angered expression on her face, his goosebumps were the proof, but then she closed her eyes, and when they opened he could see only calmness in them.

"That was the most basic history. Enough for today." She stood up and walked closer to the hill.

"Enough then enough." Ying Zheng drew a circle on the formation. The light shivered and lost some of its brightness.

"Have a fun sleep, kid." He said and closed his eyes. Immediately a dark-green light covered his body. A sign of strong Qi attraction.

Wei Xin was confused. Was it an hour already? He laid down and started to think about everything he has heard. The legend of God, Demon Empire… What should he believe? Well, at least the last could be confirmed. He started thinking about the Civil War, about three brothers that started the uprising. They had noble intentions, but what did they lead to? Years of civil war, devastation. But also the liberation of humans.

Too complicated, he felt the grasp of sleep with many pictures before his eye when…

The boy's eyes opened. He had a terrible guess.

He looked at Maha. She was sitting with her eye closed. For a second he wanted to ask her, but couldn't brave himself to disturb the silence. There's always tomorrow, he thought and tried to force all thoughts away.