AIR Chapter 185

Chapter 185

Tai Lui looked at the man known as Bill. His new group, while having given him some confidence, seemed to have fallen to pieces almost immediately. 

Wolf, the man who had scared Tai Lui the most with his accuracy and prowess, had been killed first. 

He had died a violent death, but then he watched again as the man known as the Owl was finished off right after him. 

He looked towards the man named Bill. His face was sad, disappointed even. 

Tai Lui rushed towards him, telling himself that it was only a coincidence, that the others had gotten lucky and that if he could only kill this man that he would find escape. 

But he was met with a familiar strength. It didn’t make sense. 

Tai Lui had reached immortality. He had touched the heavens and refused their chains. He should at least feel this man’s strength. He should at least see the outlines of his opponent. 

But each of his blows that landed seemed to have no impact and the man named Bill seemed to not strike at him. He held firm, taking the attacks with so much as blinking.

But the gap between them was just as large, if not larger. Each one of his sword swings felt straws slamming against a boulder. This was not easier. 

Gai Jin felt as if the gap between them had actually grown.

What had happened?

“Do you remember when we first fought?” the man called Bill asked. 

“Do you remember when you first sent Cai running out into the desert and he came back with that cup? I made a mistake then, believe it or not. I don’t make them anymore, at least not on that level. But I did make a mistake, do you know what it is?”

What?

Tai looked around. The air was still moving, but the people below them held still. He looked for Bear and saw him frozen, mid swing with a look of uncertainty about his face.

What was happening?

He flew down towards Bear at the fastest pace he could. He burst through air and space and moved fast enough to break the very air that held him. 

And yet he couldn’t get any closer. The man called Bill who hadn’t shown a single attempt at pursuit, seemed to be right behind him.

“Come on, guess,” the man replied. “I know you didn’t tell Owl because if he had heard it, he would have never taken the chance to come here.”

Suddenly Bill was in front of him. 

“What was my mistake? I made it twice, once when I first met Cai and again when I fought you.”

Tai Lui punched, but the man dodged this time and then he,

Breathed. An exhale so strong and true it threatened to blow away the world. An action with so little effort that it was involuntary done by a being so strong that it seemed to blow away the laws of nature and man. 

Tai Lui flew up to the sky. He sailed by countless stars and saw the edge of the realm, but when he looked around, he found that he hadn’t moved. 

He could feel it, the law of wind and movement, the law of air, the dao of freedom, all things contained within this single man’s breath.

“What was my mistake?” The man repeated. 

“I-- I do not know,” he replied. “An illusion, yes! You must be an illusion master, a King of Liars!”

Bill smiled. 

“The Flowering Sword technique is an immortal rank technique, made by an old immortal of these very lands. At its height it was something of immense ability, but then I, a man of the immortal rank, understood it and duplicated it with a mere glance? Does that make sense to you, Tai?”

Tai Lui froze. He had seen immortal techniques recently. The three brothers had demonstrated those things to him. He knew how they worked and he knew how complex they were. 

No mere immortal could see and mimic another immortal’s techniques with such perfection after only the slightest of demonstrations.

“It can’t be…” he mumbled. 

“I’ll admit, the first time was an accident, the second time it was a warning. I spelled it out for you.”

“No!” 

“Why didn’t you just tell him that I copied your technique? That guy would have known in an instant. He would have told you to avoid this place and save your vengeance until your strength could match mine.”

“No!!!” Tai Lui screamed.

But it was too late. 

He saw the man in front of him. He saw the whole of his being and he had never felt so small.

“Pride can blind you, Tai Lui. If you step on the ants, then be weary of the giants.”

Strangely enough, even in the moment of his death, he found no pain. 

He looked up at the man, though his divine senses looked around. He felt as if he had taken into another realm, one that Bill ruled entirely. 

And he found that within this realm, he could not panic. His death was coming. His end was soon, but he could not fear it. 

Peace filled him and he went away with calmness in his heart. 

********

I killed Tai Lui. It was quick and peaceful. He didn’t feel a thing and my dao had helped with that. 

I could have changed him, rewritten him in my image like Wukong had almost done to me, but I chose not to. There was no real difference between that and death. 

Time moved forward and Tai Lui's corpse was cut down by my hand. He would look alive to everyone else, but he was nothing more than a piece of decaying meat. 

Gai Jin was continuing with his fight and it went on for a decent while before Gai Jin, bloodied and bleeding, stood victorious over his opponent. Even with his swollen eyes you could see the pity. 

Rin Wi held a new sword, and Yai Mien held her spear by her side. She had cleaned it and there was new resolution in her eyes. 

“What a long day,” I muttered. “Now, Master Whe, would you like to come inside?”