Euphoria: The Soul Transcended Through Space and Time

Chapter 6: Demonic Immortal Emperor

After contemplating for awhile, Wang Nianzhen heaved a deep breath before roaming his gaze in the hut. He stroked his chin while the exhaustion was coming after him, yet he doesn’t feel safe despite of the help he received. Wang Nianzhen experienced many things that made him lose his trust even to the genuine type of affection and kindness. After heaving another heavy breath, he whispered to himself: “What should I do?”

“Are you the one that called the flashy thingy?” Wang Nianzhen jolted upon hearing the voice of a child, he whipped to his left and saw a child peeking from behind the table. Just like the villagers and other people in this place, he’s wearing a red themed robe as if its their life pledged tradition. Wang Nianzhen also noticed the glass-like bracelet on the child’s wrist; it took awhile before he realized they were translucent marbles with something inside.

He stared at the child for awhile, before he uttered: “I came from that lightning.” The child’s eyebrows raised in amusement before hesitantly moving closer; the child was pale and skinny— it wasn’t because he’s malnourished, but it seems as though he has an illness. This thought shove Wang Nianzhen’s uncertainties as he remained gazing at the weak looking child.

The child was gazing at him purely, and in that single gaze he remembered the children before the war escalated—the earnest children who wants to learn martial arts from his master but was rejected repeatedly due to the fact that the arts were dangerous for them. He sighed before scratching his cheek lightly, and then he uttered: “Why are you here, kid? Your mother might be looking for you.”

The child suddenly froze and fidgets, he shook his head before clasping his hands together. “I, I, I don’t have anything now.. my parents were slain by the ghosts around here.” Wang Nianzhen’s forehead creased upon hearing the statement. He properly faced the child as he let down his feet upon the ground.

“There are ghosts here?” He asked quite amused, the child lowly nodded before speaking slowly: “Yes... they’ve been stealing from us and slaying our kin for years.” What confused Wang Nianzhen the most was the chosen words of the child, he gazed at the hut once again and stared at each of the normal looking sigils in the wall.

After making up his mind, he asked the child in a gentle manner: “Why do you mean slaying?” The seven-year-old child gazed at Wang Nianzhen before turning his head upon the open door and the curtains. He approached him slightly before whispering: “Our people are traumatized by the word ‘kill’— they immediately go insane and tremble.” This child amused Wang Nianzhen; even though he’s young and wimpy looking, he is quite mature for his age.

He immediately stood up and patted the child by the head, “Shall we go check on your people?” He asked. The child beamed a bright vibrant smile causing for Wang Nianzhen to curve his lips aswell. When he held the child’s hand, his skin touched the bracelet which jolted the child. Upon noticing this, he immediately uttered: “I, I’m sorry—” Before he could even finish a sentence, his head immediately became light.

Wang Nianzhen held his head, everything suddenly became blurry as if he’s experiencing vertigo. He can see the child calling out to him and crying as he fell down. The healer opened the curtains in hurry upon the child’s call, and they started panicking with worried expressions. It was a commotion— but he cannot hear anything but only silence. As his eyes became wearily heavy, Wang Nianzhen blinked three times.

Upon blinking the third time, standing in front of him was a man with a shadowed face. Even though he’s still dizzy, he knew that the man who was standing is taller than him and he’s a full-grown man. He was holding a guqin that was hued in the essence of blood, and there were carvings of the fire-bird in the instrument. Wang Nianzhen struggled to get himself together and gazed above, there he saw ghostly strands of silver hair and pale-white skin. This man was wearing a red robe with golden patterns and engravings, but the strap of golden silk in the middle of his robe caught Wang Nianzhen’s attention where there are written writings.

‘Demonic Immortal Emperor’

These simple words made Wang Nianzhen become pale as terror found the right passageway toward his heart. He knew that such existence is in its prime in this period, but why would the demonic emperor appear before him? He roamed his blurry gaze and learned there were no one else aside from them; he was still in the ground and struggling to balance himself to stand up or crawl away from the being.

The young man ended up biting his lowerlip due to the helplessness he feels, what’s more nerve-wracking was that the being in front of him aren’t saying anything and was just standing there. Until he heard the sound of the tassel attached on the side of the stringed instrument.

“You are disappointingly weak.” The sonorous voice made Wang Nianzhen’s hair throughout his body rise, terror encompassed him when he heard the statements of the being. Through the tone of the being, the statement sounded as if it was no insult but a judgment. The being uttered coldly in disdain: “You will not achieve anything in such state, surrender just like what you always does.” This confused Wang Nianzhen and when he felt his strength was coming back, he slowly used his elbow to rise and support his upper body.

“Wh-What do you mean?” Upon asking this question, the being only scoffed: “Pathetic.” When the being uttered this word—his entirety dispersed as black smoke that scattered throughout the vicinity.

This smoke made Wang Nianzhen gasp as he deemed it was toxic, everything became foggy once again. Until a slap landed on the side of his face, followed by a sonorous shout: “WANG NIANZHEN!”