The Immortal Fire

Chapter 27: Old Man Zheng Tian

Silent, dark, and hot, Liu Ying found himself in an empty-clothed place. There never was a place like this anywhere in this part of the world, so empty as no air at all.

Liu Ying walked around the place, it seemed like the place he was on was indeed endless.

"Is anyone here?!"

'Is there anyone here?!'

Liu Ying tried to shout looking for signs of life, but was only followed by the echo of his own voice.

Liu Ying surrounded the four, neither light nor air blowing. Liu Ying's panic the more the vacuum stepped on the more oxygen he inhaled.

"Someone, answer me!" try Liu Ying somehow the other time.

'Someone, answer me!'

"Please!"

'Please!'

"Whoever, listen to me!!!"

'Anybody, listen to me!!!'

Not a single creature and voice echoed his howl except the echo of his own voice, Liu Ying found no way out nor back.

The atmosphere became sultry, like there were dozens of pairs of eyes surrounding Liu Ying he became confused, his head ached.

Confused, angry, hateful, sad, all gathered together and inhaled into the lungs. Liu Ying was like being confined to a dead-end and misleading illusionary space.

"Huo Ying," a voice shriveled Liu Ying in shock.

The voice was loud, yet softly calming, "Huo Ying, come here."

Liu Ying circulated his gaze, something reddish and bright suddenly appeared in the darkness.

It initially looked dim and small, then slowly enlarged to the size of Liu Ying's body.

Flames.

That fire, there's someone in it.

"Huo Ying." said someone there.

Liu Ying inched closer, there was no heat, but a coldness that pierced to the bone. The face of a person is unclear.

But just as Liu Ying was about to grab it, Liu Ying seemed to be pulled backwards. It felt as if he had fallen from an endless abyss, Liu Ying came to a realization as he touched the bottom of the abyss.

***

Liu Ying waited for the pain to come through his body, but never arrived. Finally Liu Ying ventured to open his eyes.

"You've woken up, young man?" said a hoarse foreign voice and sounded heavy.

Liu Ying adjusted his eyes to the incoming light, faintly seeing the old man sitting behind him.

Where is he?

"When you wake up, get up from there. I hate slackers," the circus guy still won't turn around.

Liu Ying then sat down from his bed, "Where is this?"

"In hell," Liu Ying frowned, while the man laughed loosely.

"Of course it's in my house, stupid boy."

Liu Ying was anxious to hit that person on the head, how could he joke while Liu Ying was being so-so serious.

That person then stood up and walked over to Liu Ying, an old face filled with wrinkles and a mustache and beard that was half-whitened. The man was bald, but Liu Ying wasn't sure he was a monk given his annoying manner of speaking.

The old man grabbed Liu Ying's wrist, stuck his two fingers together with his other hand, checking the girl's pulse.

Liu Ying roughly pulled out his hand, "What do you mean?!"

"Aiyoo, very disrespectful. Is this how you behave toward your parents?"

"You're not my parents." Liu Ying me sizzled, why does he always meet people like this?

The old man rubbed his nose with his index finger, "Let me be an old man, is it not proper to be called an old man?"

"Look, Boy. I was very interested in your body condition, so I brought you here to be an experiment."

The old man spoke very casually, as if there was no burden or guilt.

"You're wrong, Old Tortoise. I can send you ten years faster to the god," Liu Ying raised his chin.

But the man instead chuckled mockingly, "If counted from generations, you are my grandson. And even if it counts from greatness, you should call me ancestor."

"Cihh! It's nonsense. You've smelled the ground, why are you still so arrogant?"

"Ohh, let me show you who will kiss the ground first," the old man pulled a hammer from behind his back.

Seeing that, Liu Ying reflexively drew his sword and pointed it at the old man. As fearless as it was, that fellow puffed out his arrogant chest instead.

"My name is Zheng Tian, the master of the Earth Nail mountain. No one does not bow before the Sky-breaking Hammer."

Liu Ying stared fixedly at the person before him. He had heard those words, but nowhere.

Foolishly, Liu Ying instantly thrust his sword towards right into the heart of the man, yet a shocking thing happened. The sword did touch the old man's skin, but it did not scratch his skin at all.

"Hahaha, I forgot to say that such cheap iron will not be able to penetrate my skin."

The man slammed his hammer back into Liu Ying's sword, breaking it into two pieces.

Now that Liu Ying had no weapons, the two swords of Feng Yao and Zhuo Li were left behind in the restaurant. Now Liu Ying could only rely on the ability to fight with his bare hands.

Liu Ying fused his knuckles together, leaping backwards, in a twisting motion until he reached behind the man.

Deftly, Liu Ying delivered a punch that was thrust right at the man's bald head. At the seventh blow, Liu Ying was unable to move his body anymore.

"Eits, I'm a step faster." the man had actually suppressed Liu Ying's acupuncture point making him unable to move like a statue.

"What are you doing, Old Monkey. Release me!!"

"City, aiyyo. Girls should have a sweet mouth, but it doesn't seem to apply to you" said the man who claimed to be Zheng Tian.

"You should be thankful I didn't send you to God, I appreciate your youth. Tell me, where are you from?"

Liu Ying threw a face away, "What is your business?"

"Forget it, I know you're even layman about it." Liu Ying's gaze flashed as if saying 'You mean?'

But Zheng Tian immediately understood and said softly, "You yourself don't know where you're from."

Liu Ying wanted to protest, but was preceded by Zheng Tian who then let go of Liu Ying.

"Your words will not accept, but deep down, you justify my words. Young man, am I right?"

Aye!

Liu Ying realized something, whether it was a memory somewhere very different, feeling that he was not really a person from the lotus valley. Some of Liu Ying refused, but others admitted something else.

"Do you need me to expose the veil? For example, you may not know about your past. Or the... Your parents?" zheng Tian continued while grinning.

"You-you!! How do you know that?"

Zheng Tian patted Liu Ying on the shoulder, "It's easy. You have common martial arts, but your inner soul and energy aren't common."

...Nihao! Always vote and share this story to your friends, yes. Don't forget to comment a lot, I always read your comments. ...