Last Disciple
A titanic lightning descended, and a thundering draconic roar followed. Its target was a lone summit piercing the clouds, with a lone courtyard seemingly unaffected by its rage.
Another lightning flashed, and it caught a glimpse of an old man—with eyes as fierce as a viper—staring blankly as he sat at a lone mat.
The thunder follows, but it can't mask the voice of a voice as soft as a feather yet far more grating than thunder.
"Old freak, my time is limited. Get it over with."
The woman is seemingly patient, yet her sharp brows would twitch every now and again. By the time she was about to grab her sword with her calloused hands to threaten the old man to speak, he suddenly spoke.
"Just a bit now… this is crucial for the future of the sect Jingxia. And if you can't even wait, your dreams of becoming the sect master would be fleeting—"
Jingxia unsheathed her jade sword, and a bright light flashed. When everything receded, a sword inlaid with intricate patterns of a dragon and a phoenix, with a razor-sharp tip—pointing at the throat of the old man—yet his gaze is still as sharp yet empty as ever.
"Just like the sect's fate."
His eyes then suddenly gained a ferocious light. Jingxia became wary, but before she could move, he uttered.
"But.." the old man stood while he delicately used his finger to the tip of the sword and flung it without spilling a drop of blood.
Jingxia stepped back which made the old man direct a stern gaze at her that made her heart skip a beat.
The old man raised his hand towards her and then pointed, "You, no… someone could change it for you."
Jingxia's eyes lightly trembled while clenching her fist. She couldn't fathom it, her depending on someone?
"His name…"
The old man froze, his pupils dilated, and he spurted a mouthful of blood; knees buckling to the ground, he mindlessly murmured.
"An Empe—"
He turned ashen and cold sweat beaded down his head; slowly, his vision turned blank, and his breaths turned rugged as he fell down the floor; then suddenly, Jingxia caught her gracefully, avoiding his head being slammed down the floor.
His eyes fluttered, and its light slowly flickered into the void; he tried to utter a word but couldn't, but he didn't give up.
The once-dying eyes suddenly lit up into flames, and his body turned red. Jingxia saw the resolve and didn't do anything to stop him as he suddenly pointed toward her glabella.
A transparent light flew from his fingertips into her mind—a message from the old freak. Simple words, yet she could barely perceive them.
Ripper.
End.
Fool.
Jingxia's heart fluttered. She couldn't comprehend these words but could only form vague assumptions—
"Go to where your heart tells you to..."
She looked down and saw the old man's eyes slowly lose their glimmer—his lips slowly forming a light smile, knowing he had succeeded.
A tear streaked down her head without her knowledge as the old freak took in his last breath.
Before she knew it, shocking news spread to every part of the Heavens Equal Sect. The master of the piercing summit died under the clutches of his sole disciple.
Her bounty constantly fluctuates with every failed assassination attempt.
.
.
.
The booming thunders never ceased, and the rain kept weeping; descending from the gloomy heavens to the earthly mountains, a man running for his life slipped down the mud.
The man struggled to get up, his face covered with mud, yet his eyes couldn't be covered as endless determination filled them.
Hurried footsteps followed, and voices rang out.
"There he is!"
"This time we will get him!"
With swords in their hand and amusement on their faces, they leaped without hesitation towards the man rising from the mud.
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