It had been a week since the weapon had been delivered, yet they were still stuck in the cave. Xuě Lù didn't necessarily see it as a problem, it gave him time to properly say goodbye to everyone.

The man on the other hand seemed stressed. He acted like a caged beast planning an outbreak. Muttering in himself and constantly rearranging his belongings, taking swords and laying them back down.

It scared Xuě Lù.

Why was the man so afraid? What did he fear, that Xuě Lù had no knowledge about?

-

"I'm afraid they won't let me leave."

The admission came completely out of the blue for Xuě Lù. What did the man mean, they won't let me leave? Wasn't he an immortal with unimaginable powers.

"How-"

"I'm afraid my work was too good. If I'm here no one else can benefit from my expertise. A war is going on among the gods, securing my knowledge can change the tide of the predictable universe."

Xuě Lù tried to understand everything he was told, but was unable to fully understand it all.

What Xuě Lù didn't know, was that Lǔ Bān hadn't told him the complete truth. The man, rightfully so, feared now that his job was done, that his master would let someone dispose of the evidence.

Lǔ Bān was many things, but a war god wasn't one of them. And deep in his heart he already knew who would be sent.

After all, a god wasn't easily disposed of, even a physically weak one like him.

For days he had been trying to come up with an excuse as to why Tiāndì hadn't lifted the wards yet. He had been unable to come up with any convincing motive, apart from the obvious one.

The next few days he had been trying to come up with a plan to prevent his death. Yet he had been unable to think of anything.

Technically they had never killed a god, but Lǔ Bān didn't question their ability to do so. The dragon that was sent to the next world had been able to greatly wound a war god and was even able to look the ruler of Heaven in the eyes without flinching.

His would-be killer was now only called celestial slayer, but it wouldn't take long for that name to change to Slayer of gods.

-

Xuě Lù laid asleep on the floor when Lǔ Bān sensed the presence of another being.

He watched the entrance in grim anticipation without bothering to wake Xuě Lù up.

A form became visible in the dying light of the sun. The small shadow of a humanoid creature coming his way.

He didn't bother to get his weapons or other personal belongings. It would be futile and his plan had already been put into motion. No one would be able to stop the inevitable.

"You're not even going to say anything? How much was my life worth?"

They didn't react, nor did they unsheathe the broadsword on their back.

They wouldn't need it to destroy Lǔ Bān.

In one fluent move they loomed over Lǔ Bān and crushed his mortal body.

The following explosion shattered Xuě Lù's dreamworld as he was jolted out of his sleep.

The scene he stumbled upon was one out of his nightmares. An unknown individual wielding a giant sword standing over the bloodied body of his friend.

He stumbled upright to do something, anything. But was stopped by the sudden revival of the man.

His body glowed and lost all traces of his former humanity.

When he stood upright, he towered over the figure in front of him, almost hitting the ceiling.

"That was your plan, really?"

A punch to his gut, stole the next sentence out of his mouth.

Xuě Lù was unable to follow the ensuing battle with his eyes, as they moved too fast. The flashes of the sword created such big sparks he momentarily lost his eyesight.

A scream shattered the vague hope Xuě Lù still harboured that everything would turn out alright.

The man he had come to see as family was pierced by the sword. Golden liquid trickled down the sword on the ground.

Only the sword kept him upright and when the unknown person withdrew it, he fell to his knees.

"Did you really think it would be this easy? I finished it, and he won't be afraid to use it on you. Not in revenge for me, but why would I care how it happened as long as you've finally lost the battle with death."

The man didn't look at Xuě Lù's direction once, he was completely transfixed on the third being in the room.

"I should curse you, and let death be your only companion. But you have made that choice without my input already."

He brought one of his hands to his wound to touch the golden liquid. And for the first time since Xuě Lù had seen them enter the cave did they hesitate.

"Know that you won't be able to save him, nor anyone else."

With that his body exploded in a million microscopic pieces, the force of the destruction slammed Xuě Lù against the cave wall.

The world turned dark, and when Xuě Lù woke up again some time must have passed as the light of the moon illuminated the destruction that was left behind.

A shadow stepped between him and the light, and Xuě Lù tried to focus his eyes on the figure in front of him. The figure stepped even closer and Xuě Lù recognized them as the unknown individual who killed the man. He tried to move away, but found his body unable to move.

The dark shadow crouched down in front of him and touched his chest with careful cold fingers. Xuě Lù saw it happening but couldn't feel their ghost-like touch. They immediately retracted their fingers and gazed down on them for several long moments.

Then they stood up and towered over Xuě Lù's powerless body, he had never felt this small before. The sword that had been resting on their back was once again in their hands. Xuě Lù, feeling what would come, tried to lift his arms up in a last futile attempt to protect himself.

"Please..."

The voice that left his body didn't seem to belong to him, but made the person in front of him halt in their actions.

When he couldn't produce any more sounds, did they lift their weapon up once again.

In the light of the moon it lit up scarlet as it came down on Xuě Lù's body.

The last thing he saw before his mortal eyes closed forever were the obsidian ones of Láng Wényì.

-

December 23, 2022