Martial King's Retired Life

Luo Ming faded… No, he disappeared, whisking away as tendrils of green smoke.

“There’s no way there’s such a technique or qinggong in existence,” Abels thought.

Abels retrieved his energy from Sea Deer Hunter and protected himself using Evil Eminence Powerfield, ensuring nothing inside his field could escape him or harm him. No matter how long he waited, though, Luo Ming was as good as gone.

“Come out, coward! Come out!”

Abels still had his fists if he lost Sea Deer Hunter. Livid and having lost his composure, he rammed a white wall, yet he barely left a mark or blew off any dust.

“Coward, and you call yourself a respected master?! Come out!”

Why do I hear water?

Abels looked down to discover water rising fast; it was already past his knees, although not cold enough to cool him down.

Did he prepare a trap?

As a thief, Abels had to be a bank of knowledge when it came to mechanisms and traps. As an elite martial artist, he had keener senses than the average man, yet he didn’t hear any trap activate or notice where the water came from.

Is there a trap that can hide the direction water is flowing to and fro?

There was no time to worry about that as the water soon went over Abels head. Though breathing underwater was an easy task for Abels, Luo Ming grew up around water, while Abels grew up in the desert. When Abels wanted to head back up, the ceiling he tore down was blocked.

Upon spotting Luo Ming shoot for his shoulder, Abels swam forward as fast as he could and splintered the sword with his fist. Alas, Luo Ming’s advantage in water showed as he propelled himself back and then advanced on Abels again. Despite the disadvantage, Abels advanced and unleashed a seven-hit combo.

“Is that all you’ve got?” Abels stopped to ask.

Luo Ming expected to have a lopsided advantage, not to discover Abels could speak in water. Simply put, Abels generated his blue sphere to keep barricade the water outside it. Abels had reversed bad situations into victories time and time again, so giving up when things were heading south was the last thing he’d do.

Abels transformed the water into a broadsword and enveloped it in blue energy. Just as Evil Eminence Powerfield could alter the wall around to stay away from him he could manipulate the water into weapons. In other words, he was in an armoury.

“Catch this!”

Luo Ming stabbed and stabbed to break down Abels’ flurry of flying blades. Abels edged closer with each attack and then, once in range, blasted Luo Ming in the chest with his fist to start, then drove another punch at Luo Ming’s face.

“Luo Ming, the only way you can pay for what you did is with your life!” Abels let loose on Luo Ming’s face, roaring as he laid into Luo Ming.

“It’s pointless.”

Again.

Abels should’ve had the senses to detect the direction of Luo Ming’s voice, yet he couldn’t.

Meandering with Sea Deer Hunter in hand, Luo Ming continued, “Regardless of how mighty or intelligent you may be, none of it holds any weight here.”

Abels seemingly couldn’t see Luo Ming or hear him. Perhaps Abels was so invested in shouting and punching that he didn’t notice. When Abels finally stopped to catch his breath, “Luo Ming” was as bloody as he was. “Ha, ha, hahaha, you’re dead! Hahahaha, you’re finally dead! Hahahaha!”

There was no jubilance in Abels’ laugh. To the contrary, he kept laughing and laughing as though the morose feelings caught up to him and needed liberation. After a while of this odd behaviour, he slumped onto the ground and then started sobbing in addition to howling. No matter how many tears he shed, sadly, he couldn’t banish the sorrow welling up inside.

Abels didn’t know what to do now that he avenged his brethren and lover. Where was he supposed to employ his skills next?

Luo Ming lifted his hand and moulded qi.

“I… I…”

“Abels… Abels… Can you see me?”

Abels’ head jerked up upon hearing the voice he’d been yearning to hear in forever. There she was behind him, as bright and beautiful as he remembered.

“A-Lan! You’re okay! You’re okay!” Abels checked to see she had a body temperature and her signature scent in his embrace.

“I’m okay. We’re all okay…”

“A-Lan… A-Lan…”

Fatigue melted his nerves and quelled his anger. Just like there’s a limit to one’s wealth, there’s a limit to one’s energy. No matter how determined one may be, an overdraft will take its toll if not paid. The constant fighting, training, assassinations and emotional turmoil relied on an energy loan to keep Abels afloat; those fumes he was running on had also run out. His eyelids fell, and his awareness of his surroundings shut down with them.

They were still in the same chamber. Luo Ming was still Luo Ming and not a mush of blood as Abels saw. Nothing had changed.

“Sleep, young, unyielding, angry Evil Eminence…” As he strolled deeper into the chamber, Luo Ming continued, “When you wake, you will drown in madness and bellow. Your destructive craving for vengeance against this cruel world will disappear. You will pretend you’re okay and face the light, coming up with every excuse under the sun to convince yourself that there is salvation for this world. That’s cruelty and a fate that can’t be altered.” This calm speech was what he had spent almost a decade crying out. That sunlight he walked away from was the one that he believed couldn’t serve him pragmatically. “This world’s peace is still repulsive.”