The seer descended the stairs with the Hao Clan matriarch by his side, her face concealed by the fan she delicately held. She wore an exquisite silk jade green gown adorned with golden threads, a sight that pleased the seer's aesthetic sensibilities.
As the seer engaged in conversation with the patriarchs, their interest in talking waned, replaced by their eagerness to resume their feuding.
"He better not find it at one of your places," the An family patriarch taunted, his eyes locked onto his rival.
"Likewise, he better not find it at one of yours," the other patriarch retorted, the tension between them palpable.
Though they fought each other fiercely, they shared an uncanny resemblance, like two sides of the same coin. Rather than seeing themselves as enemies, they regarded each other as threats to their own existence. It was like a clone war where there can only be one.
The patriarchs left, their eyes fixed on each other, waiting for the seer's command before launching back into battle. Surprisingly, they were amicable and relatively easy to deal with, a rare trait among the denizens of this realm.
The seer had devised a plan based on the information he had gathered. This theft had the prints of an "under earth" organization.
They are secretive groups, and cults that operated in the shadows with diverse goals, ranging from seeking peace and freedom to reviving demons or conquering the Murim.
*wham*
"Where are you cao tang? Come fight fight me. You will not see the end of this day."
A sudden crash interrupted their discussion as a challenge echoed from the lower floors. Someone held a grudge against cao tang.
And the seer couldn't afford to be distracted from his plan.
The seer and cao tang descended the stairs, their curiosity piqued.
Neon didn't bother asking about the guy's problem; Not only could he not care less as a member of the Murim, he knew the grievances would be aired anyway.
"Oh, it's the guy whose girlfriend I seduced to obtain the Eight Devil Lotus Pill from him, only to cripple his cultivation so he couldn't retaliate," Cao Tang informed the seer with a nonchalant tone, unaware of the consequences of his actions.
"What? What the fuck? Why would you do that? That is so wrong" the seer asked in a frightened and worried tone.
"c'mon, the guy was an asshole anyway. deserved it"Cao Tang defended his actions.
The seer could only move along with the man's demands.
"Jeez, I forgot you were a complete asshole before you met us.." the seer sighed.
The man had involved the alliance in this brawl and thankfully due to the low level of this dispute only a referee was sent to oversee the match between the two.
The situation escalated into a 2v2 confrontation as reinforcements arrived for the grudge holder, ensuring the odds were evened. They found themselves on a platform constructed in a square, attracting a growing crowd of spectators.
On the platform stood the seer, reluctantly dragged into yet another unnecessary conflict, and his opponent.
The referee signaled the start, but neither combatant moved. They stared each other down, attempting to penetrate the mystery concealed beneath the black straw hat.
"Is he trying to impersonate the seer by wearing that hat?" the Hao Clan matriarch whispered to Liu, perplexed by the peculiar choice of attire worn by the new stranger that the seer faced off against.
The entire gang including the patriarch and matriarch came to see the match as they were curious about the seer and his assistant's martial prowess.
They cared little for the discussion they were in prior to this as they were doing nothing productive and fighting in it anyway.
"I am the man of the night. None defy me. I am everywhere, I am a shadow. Surrender now or die," the figure, not the seer, declared, attempting to mimic his enigmatic persona.
"Hey, guys, I don't sound like that, do I?" the seer interjected, looking off the stage, seeking validation from his comrades.
"Attention on me!" the imposter proclaimed once more, determined to maintain the illusion.
The shadowy figure vanished, leaving nothing in its wake. the source of the voice had nothing there anymore.
"I am already behind you," Neon's nemesis stated.
Neon leaped backward, swiftly repositioning himself. He retreated a few steps, readying for the impending clash.
"I am the child of the night, where I drink blood and make friends with pain," the shadowy figure proclaimed, attempting to maintain the mysterious allure.
"Damn it, fight already! What's wrong with you?" the referee interjected, a mix of annoyance and bewilderment evident in his voice.
"Dude, stop saying random shit, okay? I feel your pain, I really do. Getting hit by a truck can do that to someone. Just stop!" the seer exclaimed, his patience wearing thin.
The seer could recognize this behavior anywhere. A cringlord from earth no doubt.And what better way to travel between worlds than trucks? It's always the trucks that send true cringlords. But this was a cringlord with hope. For he sounded goth.
"You know of my origins?" the imposter spoke, his voice reverberating with a husky spectral tone.
"Yes, brother, how about you hide in the shadows until I summon you once again, and we can discuss our role in this chaotic and lawless world," the seer proposed, his voice carrying an air of intrigue and mystique.
It was a goth guy with 8th-grader syndrome.
The seer knew that the spectral figure was too strong for him to beat. Much stronger than his gat or grenades. But when all fails so long the opponent is human you can always make use of the beautiful ninja technique called "talk-no-jutsu".
The seer was a master of this craft as well, some might even say he was a divine being who had descended into the mortal realm, given his expertise in practically everything.
He excelled with guns and swords, possessed a knack for stitching and knitting, and demonstrated impressive athletic prowess and acrobatic finesse. It made one wonder if there was anything he wasn't good at.
"I shall do as you say, friend..." were the spectral figure's final words before vanishing into the ground.
"The seer wins by default," the referee declared in a lackluster tone, his enthusiasm dampened by the anticlimactic outcome.
"Aw, man, hell no!"
"Screw this!"
Hin jing was furious as his ki flared up with the bullshit development that had taken place.
Disappointment resonated among the spectators, mirrored by the referee's own dissatisfaction. The denizens of the Murim craved battles and thrilling confrontations.
Fortunately for them, another battle was about to unfold, promising to satiate their hunger for action.
Cao Tang and Hin Jing faced each other, their eyes locked in a fierce gaze.
"lightning barrage"
With swift and calculated movements, Cao Tang unleashed a barrage of strikes upon Hin Jing, his fists and feet flying like lightning. His technique was precise, his strikes landing with pinpoint accuracy. It seemed as though victory was within Cao Tang's grasp.
But his opponent was unrelenting. For a person who had his cultivation crippled not even months ago, he had regained his martial prowess as he tanked all those pinpoint attacks.
"The lightning technique has a flaw," Hin Jing spoke as if he was its creator. "It may be fast and accurate, but the strikes are weak and shallow." Not something you hear from a person who is going to lose.
As soon as he said that, his left arm mutated into a draconic and scaly limb.
And it was at this moment that Cao Tang started to get his cheeks clapped.
"Dragonic spik palm"
"Flaming dragon fist"
The atmosphere shifted as Hin Jing tapped into the newfound strength granted by his dragon arm. He unleashed a devastating counterattack, his strikes infused with a raw and primal force. With every blow, the ground trembled beneath their feet, and the air crackled with energy.
Cao Tang, caught off guard by Hin Jing's sudden transformation, found himself on the defensive. He desperately sought to regain his advantage, dodging and parrying with all his might. But Hin Jing's dragon arm granted him an unprecedented level of power and resilience, making him an unstoppable force.
"What... What the fuck?!" Cao Tang screamed as he barely blocked the attacks.
"Why are you so surprised, brother? Of course, he casually grew a dragonic arm with which to clap your cheeks."
The clash between Cao Tang and Hin Jing intensified, each exchange pushing its limits. The spectators were held captive by the sheer spectacle of the battle, gasping in awe and anticipation with every twist and turn.
There exists a lot of unnatural and absurd phenomena in Murim, and the people in Murim call them demonic.
However, the Seer, being otherworldly and scientific, calls it bullshit power. An absurd form of power granted only to a chosen few.
People think getting wronged by having your lover and treasure stolen and being crippled is a bad thing, but in reality, it's the best thing that can happen to a person. That's what gives them random bullshit powers.
"What the fuck is with this demonic arm?" Cao Tang continued to bitch about it.
"Oh, no, please wrong more people in such ways, why don't you?" the Seer continued to taunt him. "Won't do it again, I promise!"
Their battle became a spectacle of contrasting styles. Cao Tang, relying on his speed, agility, and honed technique, sought to outmaneuver his opponent. Meanwhile, Hin Jing, fueled by the primal might of his dragonic arm, unleashed devastating strikes that shook the very foundations of the arena.
In an instant, amidst the battle, Hin Jing's head blew off...
"Ha, lucky bastard. You only lived because he pushed himself too much," the Seer yelled.
"Oh, that's what must have happened. Yes, yes," people discussed the epic battle.
The Seer and his party knew that it was the Seer who pulled some underhanded bullshit to save Tang's arse.