The garden of the Palace of Six Smell is decorated with foreign flower.
The Demon King recognizes some of these exotic plantations:
The Corpse Flower from Nusantara, he didn't know how she came to possession of it and why is she content on keeping it since it reeks even worse than a week-old corpse.
The Wilp Bloom from the deepest part of the Nether. Again, he didn't know how or where she procures it.
And finally, a flower that is the Demon Kings favorite, Ageless Rose.
A flower from Ardina, a nation beyond the Great Dessert. Its bright scarlet color and complexion is a stark contrast to the black desert of that nation.
It's not out of material value did he come to love this flower, even when it cost quite a hefty price if One wished to obtain them.
It's just that… A certain someone, really like this flower, someone… from long ago.
The Demon King scoff, finding the notion of remembering him, quite troublesome, he really wanted to move on, but whenever he sees that flower, a certain memory rise… A painful one.
"…"
Yet his painful recollection was interrupted fortunately.
"Akiri!!"
A certain deep voice permeates from the chamber where the Lord of Bloom was supposedly being treated.
By the deep voice and its angry intonation, it's obvious that Akiri has become healthy enough to cause trouble.
"I just wanted to smell the corpse flower, please Physician"
He could hear her faint voice, so weak yet it is still lively.
"Smell a what? No means no! Your sense of smell hasn't return yet anyway!"
The door then burst open.
Revealing Akiri in a white robe, she is wrinkled now.
The illness has really ravaged her body, since female cultivators naturally becomes younger due to their abundance of energy, seeing her real age showing on her face signals how much energy she has lost.
Even though her beauty persists, the effect of her illness still marred her body and face.
Her ashen hair once so luscious was matted and damp, stiffly swinging from side to side as her legs being so weak they couldn't even support her body.
Her eyes, clouded? Was she blinded by the illness?
"Ah…"
She exclaimed, while the Divine Physician behind her scrambled to support her.
Before she falls first onto the floor, she yelps at the accident.
"…My King is that you?"
She said as the Divine Physician tried to make her stand up, even though Akiri could notice the Demon King is there, she is looking at nothing.
Not even at him, her eyeballs were unmoving despite her expressive face showing multiple emotions of shame, happiness and joy.
"…I do not permit you to go out from your bed until you are healthy"
The Demon King said.
"Hehe, I couldn't help it. It's been so long since I last breath a fresh air"
"Akiri, I told you not to stand up so fast you damn idiot!"
The Divine Physician said.
Even when she wears a veil to cover all her face, the Demon King can still vividly remember it.
Once so beautiful, it was burned by some heartbroken bastard who couldn't accept her rejecting his confession.
"How have you been, Yuna"
"Your majesty, my humble self, greets you…"
She said while bowing her head, but her hands still tried to stabilize the trembling Akiri.
Yuna, a woman from Nippon who was chased out for her burned face resembling an Oni, seek shelter to Hazhui before becoming friend with Akiri.
"I am healthy as of now… Akiri, be careful when you stand!"
Yuna ends her pleasantry and focuses back on Akiri who is giggling.
"Hihihi, you become so strong Yuna. I was so moved"
She said as she rubbed her hands all over Yuna who tried her hardest not to flinch.
"Oh? You grow here too yea?"
Akiri said as she rubs around Yuna breast, causing her to literally throw Akiri into the bed.
"You fucking idiot!!!!!!"
Yuna said, even though her face is completely covered, it didn't hide her flustered expression.
"Ah! I'm so sorry"
She immediately realized what she had done and immediately went to check on Akiri.
"Ehem"
The Demon King lightly cough to make sure that both of this woman realized that he is still in the same room.
It's not even a day since she woke up, and someone has already become a victim of her action.
…
"I'm going out to get some pills; make sure you stay put Akiri"
Yuna said after 15 minutes of covering her with bandage.
"Okayy"
Akiri replied, before she whips her head around to face the Demon King, at least tried to since she is looking at a wall currently.
"I'm sorry my King, I was still ill all this time and couldn't help you with the war"
"Uhm, I am here Lord of Bloom"
"Ohh, my apology"
She quickly corrected herself by looking at the Demon King for real now, but she is currently looking at a potted plant.
"…No need to concern yourself with propriety in your current condition"
"Ah"
Yet Akiri still tried to directly face the Demon King.
This time, she extends her hands out to try and feel where the Demon King is.
Looking at this, the Demon King purposely sat closer to her so she could finally face him.
Her weak hands finally touch his mask.
She immediately smiles very brightly the moment she finally felt his presence.
"Ah here you are! Oh, you still wear that mask?"
She let go of her hands off his mask.
"My apology for my curtly display and brazen attitude my King"
"I don't mind"
"…"
The silence then dominates both.
The Demon King, now looking straight into Akiri face, can finally see just how close to dying she is.
Severing of the Heart is a ravenous illness that activates the dormant energy inside the Central Core of a being.
Normally it caused minimal damage to someone who didn't cultivate since they barely have any Energy.
But for someone in the Peak-Internal Realm like Akiri, this illness is practically a death sentence.
Since Human, cannot use the energy inside their Central Core because of their physical heart. When that energy is activated, it could rupture and burn the heart.
"You must be wondering, my situation right now that is…"
Akiri said, her eyes are still unblinking, the once crimson iris is replaced with pale white.
"…Yes"
"I' m not safe to put it lightly…"
She said, while her face is still bright, her voice is anything but.
"My heart has stopped beating, I can move like this due to the Plasmatic Heart Yuna implanted inside me, but it's just a temporary method"
"…I see, and your eyes?"
"Ah this?"
She pointed at her eyes.
"My eyes just, sort of gave up. Thinking that my body is no longer alive it ceased to function"
She suddenly smiles.
"But hey! I am still alive, that's good in my book…"
"But you can no longer go out"
"That's fine, my time to flap my wings freely has to reach an end sometimes"
"…"
The Demon King observed her face.
It was etched not with sadness, sorrow or even fear, just a quiet acceptance and a strange liberation.
'Unrestrained Until Dead… huh?'
The Demon King remembered Nanming's words about Birds.
Akiri is like that, she didn't care about the happening of the world, all she cares about is to enjoy its beauty even when the real world is nothing, but ash covered hellscape.
Even then she finds her purpose, and she lived her life fully.
"I just want to meet with my old friend now; I should visit Va Tua first…"
Akiri said.
The Demon King instantly flinched at the mention of her name, the cold ash of her expired body lingers like a Ghost in his mind.
And it seems that Akiri felt his sorrowful mood and her bright face immediately changed.
"…Va Tua is dead?"
"What?"
The Demon King tried to hide the fact, not only is she dead, but he is the one who killed her.
Akiri blind eyes swelled up with tear, before it burst into a storm.
Her weeps and sniff, hurt the Demon… Wu Raijoo hearts again.
"…Va Tua you idiot…"
She silently cursed, yet there was no hatred behind those words, and Wu Raijoo wanted to tell her the truth.
'I killed her…'
Yet it never leaves his mouth, tangled in an unspoken wall as it remains lodged in his throat.
.
.
.
"Huff huff huff"
In the courtyard of the second semester, Nanming is busy practicing his fist.
Repeatedly attacking the doll with varying degrees of intensity.
Meanwhile a crowd formed around him, a mix of both Semester 1 and Semester 2 students of the Academy.
They didn't want to get closer though, in fact they are so far away that they could barely see Nanming form.
The reason for this is simple, Nanming beauty is a well-known fact, but after the story of how he massacred 100, 200 or even 300 children's goes around no one is brave enough to approach him.
"He's been at it for 5 hours; don't he get tired?"
A second semester student said.
"He's a Wu clan alright, it's a given he will be a maniac at something"
"Shushh, if Wu Yuen hears that she's going to maim you!"
"Isn't he adopted tho?"
The rumor, story and assumption circles around, all gravitating towards Nanming.
It's not like he was interesting, the reason why the students care so much about him is because he is mysterious and is very quiet, leading to all sorts of wild theory and assumption like how he is possessed by a Spirit.
Or that he is secretly a Vessel that houses million of vengeful ghost and he is doing his hardest to keep them at bay.
But it's just a mere hearsay with no truth to back them up.
"Oh, did you hear? Wu Lixian has returned from her Seven Birds Descend Trial!"
"Really? Did she know that her followers all convert to Wu Yincang?"
"Maybe no, damn she's gonna be so pissed…"
"5 silvers she is going to burn Wu Yincang's dorm!"
"Nah, she is not that crazy, 5 silvers she is going to kill every traitor tho"
Their chatter didn't die down; it instead switches to a different topic altogether.
Nanming, who is secretly capable of hearing them, couldn't help but feel bothered, especially when they are that loud.
Nanming decided to pick the heavy doll up with one hand and goes to a different courtyard. Fortunately, the crowd of students were too interested in conversing about her older sister to notice him leaving.
Throughout the way, many students of the first and second semester pass by him, yet they keep at least a sizeable distance away from him.
Some of them tried to be discreet about being scared, but some openly yelp and scream when they saw him.
"…"
Nanming tried his hardest to not pay attention.
Until he finally arrives in a very quiet and empty courtyard.
No one used this place even though it was so large and clean, Nanming didn't know the reason as to why, but he decided to train here knowing that he wouldn't be bothered.
He trains there undisturbed for another 5 hours, repeating the same movement, the same principle as it slowly takes shape to be increasingly powerful.
For Nanming, it's not enough that his fist has become a lot more powerful, it needs to be fast and efficient too. Hence why he repeats the same move, a thousand times over.
Because in a book he reads, there is an old saying that goes 'Repeat the same movement a thousand times and it shall sunder even Heaven'
And so, he trains, and train and train.
But even he needed a rest sometimes, for his fist could only handle so many abuse.
Bruises marred his fist as it paints its once pale skin in dark purple and bright red while blood seeps out.
Nanming decided to stop, he left the doll there knowing nobody was strong enough to carry it by themselves.
It was already Night, thankfully he didn't need to be wary of both the Dim Hours and Dark Hours, for this Academy is under the protection of the Sect Array of the Demonic Sect that prevents incorporeal beings to trespass.
But those whose anguish is as thick as oil, managed to somehow find a crack in the defense and manifest their sound.
Heellpp mee
Brother, how dare you…
Mercy! Mercy!
Gotta water the flower bed…
Milk… someone, give me milk… my poor baby is dying…
Ghostly sound of ages past permeates the empty courtyard as Nanming finds his way back to his dorm, but before he goes inside, he went to check on a peculiar Ghost who somehow managed to manifest its form and even communicate with him.
"Ah… Nanming…"
The Ghost said, he is that of a boy with red eyes and jet-black hair.
"Hello…"
Nanming greets the ghost, he saw at Nanming's bleeding fist and frowned his face.
"Did you train hard? Like, very hard again?"
"It's not hard enough"
At Nanming's response, the Ghost grow even more restless
"Shelter your life, you don't get another chance at it"
"…This too, is a form of sheltering my life"
"How so?"
The Ghost approaches Nanming, its Anguish pools over at his feet and freezes the surrounding air and the floor below him.
"Training martial arts can strengthen my mental power, so that I don't lose control once more"
"But if you are strong doesn't that mean if you lose control you'll become harder to subdue?"
"…I will not let that happen"
Nanming said as he sits down to converse with the Ghost, the Ghost did the same.
This peculiar encounter has been going on for about a week, and Nanming didn't find the Ghost scary or hostile even when his entire presence exudes madness and agony.
Nanming even wonders if he was even a Ghost.
"Hey Nanming! Can you bring me an Ageless Rose over at the Palace of Six Smell?"
"Ageless Rose?"
Nanming ask.
"Yeah! It's my favorite flower; I wanted to bring it for my father since he also loves that flower"
"…I am not allowed to go out"
"Is that so?"
The Ghost cast his gaze downward, feeling dejected.
"…But I can sneak out, I haven't broken any rule yet so I might be able to bring you that flower"
"Really!"
"Yeah, you can come over too if you want"
The Ghost was surprised at Nanming's invitation, covering his mouth in disbelief.
"But… I'm a Ghost, I cannot go during the day"
"Who said we're going during the day? How about right now?"
"What?"
"Come on"
'But you are a Human, you cannot touch m—'
Nanming grabs his hand, contrary to the Ghost beliefs, Nanming can touch and even drag him.
The peculiarness of the situation caused the Ghost to become flustered and unable to respond.
And before he knew it, Nanming had already jumped through the wall of the academy.
"W-Wait, slow down!"