Martial King's Retired Life

“Born with nine special abilities and strength that could flatten cities,” Sky Palace often heard similar legends surrounding Pangu. The victory against Pangu a millennium ago came about as a group effort, proving that nobody alone could defeat Pangu. One thing was consistent in all tales starring Pangu: Pangu was the physical manifestation of invincibility.

Prior to Shadow Lady’s departure from headquarters, Sky Palace’s master provided plans for multiple possible scenarios in Nieyao. Save for Ming Suwen’s ascension, everything played out as Shadow Lady’s master predicted, including the strategy Ming Feizhen had the Divine Realm adepts follow and the outcomes on each battlefront. Her master even predicted Ming Suwen would have bodyguards, which was why she was told to avoid a confrontation with Ming Suwen. There were no deviations from the blueprints, except for one thing – Pangu’s eyes closing.

“Sky Palace’s predictions pertaining to me have gone awry, correct?”

Shadow Lady’s body softly jerked.

“Your plan has gone off the cliff now that the dragon is dead. I’m assuming… those girls are the shamans who are supposed to tame the dragon? Props to you for finding out how to tame a dragon.”

Ming Feizhen tucked his chin into his clavicle. The shadow his hidden face cast was akin to a black hole that was trying to suck onlookers in. Shadow Lady wasn’t undefeated, but she had never come across anything so menacing. It took everything she had to survive the atmosphere; her ability to sustain rationality took every ounce of energy she had. The shamans had already passed out just being in his presence.

Shadow Lady had to fight Purple Forbidden Enclosure Dragon Slayer’s rebellion whilst resisting the torment of Ming Feizhen’s red eyes. In fact, her sole source of suffering was those eyes. They certainly were the Fengpeng eyes of legends, but the aura they emitted were different. Gazing into his eyes was comparable to peering inside from the entrance to an abyss, deterring you from taking a single step closer.

“… How did you know I was coming?”

“Don’t ask such stupid questions.” Ming Feizhen raised his head to yawn. “Pangu’s roar was a tool to prevent me from contacting Mount Daluo for reinforcements. The fact that Pangu growled meant that somebody woke it. Dragons are lazy by nature. Their slumbers are calculated in centuries. It’s only been twenty years since it destroyed Morcher; even a moron would realise somebody deliberately woke it. I only know of two or three factions that know how to wake the dragon, but only your faction sent Autumn Water Sword Sect to Nanjiang. If you’re going to claim it had nothing to do with you when you spent many years planting seeds here, you can save your breath. You want me to join the board? Fine. You want me to leave? Not happening.”

“You…”

“You Shili is self-presumptuous. You Shili knows Ming Feizhen, true. Few can read Ming Feizhen’s mind. Conversely, the only one who knows You Shili this well is Ming Feizhen.”

“Why… did you walk into the trap when you know it’s a trap?”

“… For the sake of one person. For the sake of one answer.” A sense of loneliness emanated from his eyes despite his voice and posture remaining intimidating. “I have someone I want to find, and only You Shili knows where I must go. I spent over ten years trying to find Sky Palace’s headquarters to no avail. Unfortunately, I’ll have to abandon my plan of razing it to the ground and conflagrating it.”

Scoffing at the ludicrous threat should’ve been the normal reaction, but Shadow Lady was convinced he could really do it.

“That’s why I need you to pass on a message,” continued Ming Feizhen.

Shadow Lady could swear a hand apparition was locking its grip around her heart; her vision grew hazy, heightening her hearing.

“Tell your master: if I can’t find Xue, I’ll sabotage every design Sky Palace has. Pangu is the first. I’ll soon sabotage a second. Stay tucked away in your shells. Otherwise, none of your plans for your so-called ambition will bear fruit. I’m a man of my word.” Ming Feizhen raised his head. “Get out of my sight.”

Shadow Lady woke the shamans trapped in nightmares and departed in less than five minutes. Had Ming Feizhen not needed messengers, none of them had any chance of leaving the underground palace – at least that was what they believed.

Ming Feizhen kept his eyes locked no the entrance long after the group left, sitting there as though he was a statue. What felt comparable to ages later, Pangu raised its head to flip it to the other side, seemingly changing its sleeping posture. As a result, Ming Feizhen free fell down to the ground, waking him up.

Ming Feizhen lied on the ground for a good while before he could sit up with the support of his weapon. He looked back at the sleeping dragon, then heaved a heavy breath as he cracked a smile.

Ming Feizhen didn’t spare Shadow Lady and her cohorts. He just did the only thing he could. Lifting a finger was extremely taxing for him in his current state, let alone fighting anyone. Shadow Lady’s second mistake was believing that Pangu had died.

In reality, Pangu hadn’t even suffered any debilitating damage. That being said, there were unstable patterns slowly but surely spreading across its body. The day that the patterns covered its whole body, the liquid-like layer would gradually harden to become an egg.

During the dragon’s slumber, it reverted into its egg form for centuries, during which it would be painfully difficult to wake. Pangu needed to expend over 90% of its energy to return to sleep to replenish its energy.

At long last, Ming Feizhen smiled. “… Glad I’ll be able to return alive.”