After taking the storage ring off Ximen Hong and whatever else I could take I turn towards the Ximen Clan.
My heart racing fast.
"I’m coming Ximen Lao." I say as I take my first step sprinting towards the clan.
From over seven hundred meters, I had reached the clan under a second.
That is not the speed of an Early Peak martial expert.
Arriving at the clan I quickly move over to Ximen Lao’s courtyard.
As I arrive I see it is heavily guarded.
Four Late Peak martial experts and eight Early Peak martial experts.
The news had probably spread that an assassin had targeted the second son.
"Hmmmm, I haven’t fully condensed my realm but I should be able to take them all out." I say with a smile creeping up my face.
I was getting excited at the challenge of killing all this guards as an Early Peak martial expert.
Again of course I enter through the main entrance.
" It wouldn’t be as interesting if I snuck in." I say to myself with a smile.
I suddenly realized that I had no mask on as I open the gates.
But it was too late, I had already opened the gate.
"Well, the more reason to kill them all." I say to myself as I rush at them.
STABBING, dodging, SLASHING, jumping, SLASHING,
sliding, STABBING, STABBING, SLASHING, dodging, STABBING, dodging, SLASHING, sliding, SLASHING and STABBING.
I had killed them in one hit each.
Now it remained only two, one Early Peak and one Late Peak.
There was blood everywhere.
On the ground, on the gate and on the walls.
My body was soaked in blood.
Though I had received some minor cuts, the blood I was soaked in wasn’t mine.
Even the remaining two guards were covered with the blood of their comrades.
I was sooo excited, by blood rushing like a dam that had just been opened after being held back for a year.
"W...why are you doing this?" The Earl Peak stammers, his legs and arms shaking as he grips his sword tight.
Looking at him and hearing his words my heart sunk for a moment.
They were all just doing their jobs.
"Did they really deserve this?" I question myself as I look around.
Thinking to myself the same guard who had asked me that question lunges at me, stabbing me in the abdomen.
I look at him with pity as I shake my head.
I can’t believe I began feeling pity as an assassin.
"Have you yet to kill these petty emotions David?" I question myself.
I heave a sigh as I look down at the guard with his sword still in my abdomen.
He looks up at me and tears began rolling down his eyes.
"Pl... please I...I have a family, a wife and a little daughter waiting for me at ho..."
I slash his neck before he could finish crying.
"What does that have to do with me?" I ask him as he drops to the ground holding his neck that was bleeding out.
Though I had said that, my heart felt heavy.
I was down, but I had a mission.
I immediately rush at the Late Peak stabbing him in the chest.
I didn’t wait for him to fully die before I began walking up to Lao’s door.
Why?? Why do I feel this way? When I was Sangdaejong I didn’t feel such, so why now?
"Why do I feel bad? why do I feel sad? why do I feel down?" I question myself as I stand before the door.
I open the door, walking into his room there he was cramped up on his bed, horror written all over his face, now even more shocked that I was the one causing the commotion as he sees my face.
He tries to engage in a conversation trying to beg for his life as he gets on his knees." But he couldn’t speak because I had hit his mute pressure points earlier.
I nonchalantly slice his head of his neck.
It falls to the ground and rolls to my feet.
Looking at his head I felt a bitter aftertaste.
I just got my revenge for Lara.
"So why do I feel this way." I ask myself as I look at my shaking hands.
I quickly dash out of the courtyard to mine.
Take a bath, lay down and try to sleep.
I close my eyes trying to sleep for thirty minutes, but I couldn’t get any sleep.
I just need to meditate and practice to get my mind clear.
I sit in a lotus position and began meditating.
But I couldn’t concentrate, I kept thinking of the guards I had killed.
The guard who said he had a wife and a little daughter at home.
My heart was not settled.
Maybe if I had worn a mask I could’ve let him go?
Maybe if I was so strong that I wouldn’t fear any repercussions? maybe I’d have let him go?
Wait, since when did I start feeling bad for my targets.
Life is a straight line.
The beginning is birth and the end is death.
Between it are the things that lead to your death.
I need to get revenge on the Heavenly Demon Cult.
To do that I can’t be feeling this petty emotions, just because he said he had a family?
"If only Diana were here, just her presence was enough to strengthen my resolve for whatever I wanted to do."
"If only...huh? what’s this?" I ask myself as I feel something rolling down my right cheek.
I open my eyes trying to feel it with my hand.
It was tears, my heart was so heavy, I didn’t realize when I had started crying.
"The fuck? am I crying right now? I? the great San...Sangdaejong?" I ask myself l, my voice shaking.
I cover my face with both hands.
"It must be this stupid body of a child" I say with my face still in my hands.
I began sobbing quietly, I couldn’t control it.
I wasn’t sure the reason why but I cried for the remainder of that night till I slept off.