The Martial Master - 34 Hey, take me to your family.

“I’ll finish what I started…”

Gazing at the dirt patch on the hill, Su Min stood still for a while as he immersed himself in the distasteful silence. He, looking at the grave, spoke a final whisper.

“Lets… Find them… Shall we?”

Swaying his axe back and forth, Su Min’s face lit up with a smile as he turned around and walked away. It wasn’t a friendly smile, to say the least…

…

…

A whooshing sound rang past three men as they flew through the air on metal plates. The surroundings raced by at a quick pace, rivalling a speeding car.

One of the men in the back, with interest, asked.

“Sir, how do you know where he is?”

Li Tao frowned in response, but after a while, he spoke as his locked on to something in the distance.

“Lets first go to the corpse. Then, all we need to do is wait.”

So, calculating in his mind, Li Tao swivelled to the side and rushed forward at an even greater velocity. The air boomed as the other two did so as well, following Li Tao.

Minutes passed, and just as Li Tao was about to reach his destination, a dot revealed itself in the horizon. He spotted it, and with squinting eyes, continued and tried to make it out.

“Hey, let’s take a look down here.”

Li Tao made up his mind, and with a swerve, darted towards the dot out of curiosity. It didn’t take long for it to take the shape of a human, and this made Li Tao excited.

“Quick! That could be the fucker!”

Not thinking too much, Li Tao pushed the metal plate to its absolute limit and rushed to the figure, however, as he got close, his face frowned.

A figure, standing still, looked at the three of them as they halted to a stop. Li Tao scowled as he jumped off the metal plate, staring at the youth who didn’t seem at all frightened. He spoke, though he didn’t really have any hope as his eyes narrowed.

“Are you Su Min?”

Li Tao, taking a closer look, still had the same expression as he analysed the youth. The youth seemed ordinary, although he gave him a weird feeling, it wasn’t much nor did it scare him. He also found no martial energy in the youth, which either meant that the youth had none, or that he was too injured to cultivate.

‘Godammit, I thought he was Su Min…’

Su Min remained placid as he got glared by the three. He looked around for a while and, ignoring Li Tao, asked a question.

“Who are you?”

Li Tao’s expression stirred as he frowned at the casualness of the youth. It especially angered him when he saw the still eyes, they were eyes that didn’t fear him at all. Even if this person wasn’t Su Min, he felt compelled to teach him a lesson.

‘Hmph. This must be a newbie! Ignorant!’

He guessed that this person must be an idiot, because why wouldn’t he be scared right now? So, seething with pride, Li Tao replied with arrogance

“Are you blind?! I am from the Li Family. One of the three families that form the Martial union! THAT Martial Union, the one you mortals fear!”

Grinning, he awaited the shocked reaction. Nevertheless, Su Min, still standing there, remained unfazed as he continued to stare into space. Nonetheless, just as Li Tao was about to explode, Su Min, with a sudden turn, grinned right back at him and spoke.

“That’s good.”

It was a grin that fumed with a crimson killing intent, exuding a danger that shrouded the air with blood red. His jacket, in turn, fluttered beneath the wind and surrounded Su Min in a beautiful whirlpool of illusionary red.

Li Tao felt his mind shiver, and by instinct, he gripped his fists and went into a defensive movement. Though, Su Min didn’t seem care as he strode towards him, swinging an axe head to toe.

“I’ve been waiting for a while… So I need you to guide me back to that prestigious family of yours…”

His grin was like that of how a beast studies its prey. It disregarded any notion of the prey being able to fight back; comparatively, the beast is so strong that it’d never even need to think of that…

Li Tao felt this, and it made all the hairs on his body stand up. He, thinking back to what the elder said, couldn’t help but break into a sweat.

“S-Stand back!! ANT!”

Stepping back, Li Tao acted like a rat being cornered by a cat, yet Su Min didn’t seem to listen as he continued onward.

“Hold still, or it’d hurt…”

Gazing down at Li Tao’s legs, Su Min spoke with the same grin. Then, with a blur, darted right towards Li Tao. Li Tao froze as he attempted to dodge, but with a speed that’d make anyone dizzy, Su Min materialised right in front of him. He, staring at him, lifted his axe and slashed, rupturing the air with a glowing gold.

An air blade, as instantaneous as the slash, formed and thrashed towards Li Tao with a sonic boom. Li Tao didn’t even see it coming as a gruesome blade of white embedded itself in his kneecaps.

*SPLATTER* “AGHHHH!!”

His face went a pale white as he felt his legs halve. He looked down, and with an expression of despair, saw both his legs roll off of him.

*THUD*

His body tumbled to the ground as what remained of his calves fumbled up and down. Rolling on the floor, his mouth tasted sweet as he coughed up a gurgling stream of blood.

Su Min, standing in front of him, watched it all with the same grin. Though, he turned expressionless as he kneeled down and pulled Li Tao into the air by his hair. Li Tao dangled, and his mind blurred due to the endless gushing of blood coming out from two gaping wounds on his legs.

“You can’t die on me now.”

Su Min’s eyes stared right into the man’s being as he lifted up his palm. Then, with a mumble, he spoke.

“Fist. Second Form. Golden Eclypse…”

A sizzling glow exploded from his fist, making the air seer with fright as an ancient aura billowed outwards. Li Tao shook with terror as his blood halted and his lungs constricted.

It was like the world had darkened, and that a desolate being had taken form. A being that originated to the source of his bloodline, to the source of his everything.

“Wh-who the fuck are you…”

He stuttered out as he swung up and down from his dangling hair, though, Su Min ignored him and, waving his fist a bit, grabbed what remained of Li Tao’s leg. He looked at it for a second, then, with a swift thrust, shoved his fist right into the gaping wound.

*WHOOSH* *SSSSSSSSSSS*

“FAAAAAAAH!!”

A sizzling muffled pop ensued with a crisp crackle. Li Tao flailed, but he couldn’t escape Su Min’s grasp. An agonising few seconds passed, and seeing that the wound had scabbed over, Su Min nodded and grabbed the other leg, shoving his fist right into it as well.

*WHOOSH* *SZZZZZZZZ* PSS-SST* “GHAHAAAH#!~!”

After a few more seconds his glowing fist died down and the ancient aura shrouding him dissipated in the wind, letting the two men watching this whole ordeal to breathe.

“W-wha…”

In fact, they still couldn’t breathe after what they saw. It made their scalps tingle and their minds despair at the thought of it happening to them.

Su Min rubbed his chin as he grabbed the listless Li Tao, looking at the two remaining.

“Hey, take me to your family or whatever.”

…

…

…

“Where’s Li Tao?!”

A man, roaring at a servant kneeling before him, frowned as he sat in his throne. He didn’t know why, but he felt like something disastrous was about to happen.

“Sir, we’re trying our best…”

*THUD*

With a dense bang, the robed man sent the servant out and stared into space. However, just as he was about to move, numerous gasps could be heard outside.

A group of servants, halting with gaped breath, stared at the sky with wide eyes. They could see a silhouette plunging towards them at a rapid speed, growing from a dot to a figure that, with a booming pace, tore through the atmosphere, and with a bang, thrashed the area like a mace.

*BANG* *SSSSS*

A corpse, missing its legs, smashed face first onto the dirt in front of them, then with a painful slide, drove through such dirt and onto the servant’s foot.

“What the fuck?!”

The servant jumped back as he swore out loud with an incredulous expression, staring at the sizzling corpse beneath him. Everyone else gathered around and looked at it.

“It can’t be…”

Everyone held their breath as they stared at the broken body. This lasted for a few seconds until one brave servant, with a quick movement, broke the silence and pushed the corpse over.

*Slide*

“It’s him!”

A listless face shone in everyone’s eyes as they stared at the familiar yet unfamiliar expression of the man, deep in despair. However, as the servants revelled in their shock, not too far away,three silhouettes emerged from the horizon.

Two in front, one behind. The two leading were shivering, shivering at the person behind them. That person, in fact, was Su Min. Who, stretching his arms, frowned.

“I missed…”