Martial King's Retired Life

Hua Qing reacted as if he came from another dimension when he regained self-awareness. While the energy coursing through his body resembled the energy he previously absorbed from the relic, its potency and volume was a lake versus an ocean. “Where am I?”

“Hua Gezi, stop wasting time on pointless thoughts. Repeat after me.”

What does he want me to repeat? Well, I can’t go wrong trusting my brother.

“Baldy, I shall spare your pitiful life… The next time this young master sees you, he’ll starch you. Every time he catches you, he’ll stomp you until you mistake a mantou for your dad out of your swollen eyes. You fodder down there, you hear me? From now on, you’re my servants,” Hua Qing repeated. “What the flip?!”

Hua Qing’s distraction resulted in him losing his levitation ability. He should’ve crash landed onto the lotus platform, but the true qi inside him surged up, correcting his posture so that he’d land on both feet without embarrassment.

Those below heaped praise onto Hua Qing. When he looked to his friends for an explanation, they just covered their mouths and giggled – save for Ming Feizhen, who hurled him down into the ground.

Whether or deliberate or not, Ming Feizhen got in Miguo’s way and, in a muffled voice, asked, “You sure are generous. You really going to give up all the power you worked so hard for?”

In spite of Miguo’s toughness, going against nature and gifting Hua Qing all of his fruits to Hua Qing resulted in his black hair and beard turning white. The energy in his eyes faded similarly to his youthful skin. Even so, he was all smiles. “One ought to toil for what one wishes to have. Rather than waste the energy, it would be better to entrust it to the future of the just.”

“You think Hua Gezi will go on to become a just hero?”

“I don’t know. Howbeit, he will become someone a hero who can face his conscience.”

“That, I agree with it.” Ming Feizhen turned to leave.

“You’re leaving?”

“Being the centre of attention isn’t my sort of thing, and I don’t crave adulation.”

“Not going to bid your friends goodbye?”

“I was getting to that.” Like a tendril of smoke through the air, Ming Feizhen shouted through his cupped hands, “Hero Zhuo, Miss Su, Mr. Shen, Hua Gezi, see you around!”

By the time they heard him call out to them, all that was left in the firmament was the sun.

Nobody knew the impact that the event would have on the world in the future, but there were several things that were known.

While the purpose of three unorthodox factions showing up at Shennong was left unanswered, it was a fact that Demon Sect’s Great Guardian stayed for three years after the event for reasons unknown.

Lotus Cult lost two leaders at the same time but found replacements. As for the two erstwhile leaders, they were said to have stayed in the Central Plain somewhere.

Thanks to Shen Wuzheng’s efforts, peace was perennially restored to the martial arts community in Three Gorge’s, and Liu Shan Men added yet another merit to their name.

Zhuo Fengru officially retired and moved away with his family, leaving behind an inspiring legacy.

A young maiden on Mount Daluo received a glazed pearl as a gift, but the giver didn’t show up, grinding her gears. In retaliation, she threw it off the mountain, effectively erasing its existence in the pugilistic world.

A new wealthy adept was born. People considered him a criminal as well as a hero at the same time. Some said he robbed the rich to help the poor, punished evil and rewarded the kind. He was said to possess incredible skill and looks that had women swooning over him. Some claimed he was a heinous criminal, the enemy of men and women, the idol of perverts, the rapist of rapists. According to rumours, he first scored Zhuo Fengru’s daughter in his debut fight and spent a year with her in an unknown location. Someone apparently visited Zhuo Fengru’s family to ask for clarification, and his daughter replied, “Yeah, I spent a year with Brother Hua.”

Word on the streets was that he bloodied Xin Buyi’s f-, butt. An insider divulged, “100% true. All the blood was pouring like pfft, pss, fwah. The herbs I tried to apply wouldn’t even stick. Don’t tell anyone I told you this. This dragon still needs to spend two years here.” The insider was later reassigned to Qilin Guards for unstated reasons.

The only verified facts pertaining to him was that he later got married, joined a sect, went on to become one of the ten Supreme Ten Saints and had the nickname Wulang Hua Feihua. On the day he brought down Miguo and established himself as a force to be reckoned with, the first thing his subordinates heard was, “Brother, wait up!”

***

Unless they were an expert, they never would’ve found the cavern’s entrance amongst the boulders, rocks and stones at Shennong. Even if they did, they weren’t likely to try trespassing if they recognised the six people seated on either side of the long table inside. Light couldn’t enter the cavern, but the ultimate defenders of light were gathered within.

To the left, there was Yan Shisan, Emei’s matriarch, Abbess Bai Lou and Canghai Yimin, Huang Yuzao. To the right, there was Clear Mirror Palace’s leader, Tang Mian, Kunlun’s patriarch Lord Dong – also known as Glacial Water Death Sword Empress, Wen Yiyi, and Beggars Sect’s Chief Hong Ba.

Sitting at the end of the long table was an old daoist who looked no different to the friendly neighbourhood grandpa. He was the current leader of the martial alliance, a man said to be unequalled with or without a sword – Wudang’s patriarch, Daoist Shenfa.

“Does this count as a success or failure?”

Nobody answered for they knew the question was reserved for the man sitting at the opposite end of the table.

“Well, Patriarch Ming?”

Glossary

Martial Alliance – A term for an association where orthodox sects come together.