Chapter 67 Reflection of the Heart
"You have disappointed me, Han Li." said a voice from behind him, filled with a profound loathing. Making Han Li's scalp tingle. He swiftly turned around like a blur and glanced at the man standing behind him. His heart immediately started beating heavily.
It was a man wearing a black martial robe, his hair a long fall of white, his skin a pale caramel and his hands bloody. His eyes, as red as crimson blood.
"Surprised?" The man asked, his voice barely suppressing his fury, "Were the 500 years of grueling training just so you could be surprised at a disaster you called out yourself?"
Han Li's eyes trembled slightly. The man in front of him was familiar to him. His robes which were once white but had turned black due to the tremendous amount of blood he had washed the lands with were nothing new to him — it was he himself.
The him just after the Transcendance War. The Red-Eyed Demon, Han Li. He frowned and looked at the black-robed version of himself. "So the mirror directly reflects my own self-image? Is this my heart?"
The man looked at him with dead fish eyes. Not replying to such worthless questions.
"Let me tell you another of the mirror's attributes instead. One that is not as widespread as the other details. If you fail in this reflection, you will have at least 10 times the difficulty in raising Cultivation Stages." The man chuckled, his overbearing voice making the birds scatter.
Han Li only stared coldly at him. Himself or whoever, no one was allowed to barr his path.
"Look at that face." The man walked closer and Han Li didn't try to walk away. "Those cold eyes, I know those. Determined, and faithful to the hard path you have to tread. Those are my eyes but they no longer fit you, Deep down, you know it too right?"
Han Li's eyes never left the man's gaze. The reflection continued, "The man I was is not you. I am not one to accumulate a bunch of trash and burdens that will only make my path harder." The gaze burned into him.
"You're growing mellow Han Li, you are growing away from what you are meant to be. We're Demons, people who will kill their own parents to achieve their goals. Don't you remember the days when I — ah not I — YOU! Don't you remember the days you killed little kids, barely at the age to talk, in cold blood to reach your goals?"
Han Li didn't even blink. He had killed innocents before and he would still kill if they were harmful to him. It was the basic law of survival, there was no place for emotions there.
"Do you think true strength comes without sacrifices?" The reflection snarled.
How naive was he? Had he not seen the world at its core? Han Li chuckled. "I am a Demon, what do you think true demons are supposed to do?"
The reflection turned silent. That was true, he himself couldn't call the himself of his past life a 'true' demon.
"Speechless?" Han Li chuckled. "Yes, true demons follow their heart and do what it so desires."
The man looked at him, profoundly stunned. "Do you have that much belief in yourself?"
"Just as much belief as you have in yourself."
The reflection started fading away and the man looked at him deeply. The path of a true demon... "So you — No, I — chose this path this time. It will be much harder." With a sigh, the reflection vanished along the snowflakes in the clearing.
Path of a Demon was easy. Path of a true demon? It was harsh.
A Demon can be ruthless to all to achieve his goals. But a true demon will always have burdens in his heart that will only accumulate over time.
In the true world of reality, such burdens will be used by your enemies against you. They will be your fatal weakness.
Nevertheless, to willingly take it on and believe in oneself to be the final winner — that was a True Demon.
Han Li ignored the vanishing reflection and frowningly looked to the west. Footsteps grew closer and closer, and his face fell as a man came into his vision.
His heart dropped as the man noticed him.