"Have you heard?He is coming today."
"What?! Really?? Why would He come to the Grand Palace all of a sudden?"
"When I was appointed in the conference room, I heard Master Wen discuss something about his promotion to become the Territory Guardian of a far away place."
"Far away place? What could it be?"
The two guards of the Grand Palace gossiped about trivial matters of the world while guarding the Palace Door.
The Grand Palace was an immortal palace invisible to the human eye. It was concealed from them, hidden in an unknown place surrounded by smoke clouds.
No, it was not heaven. Rather, it was a world between human life and death itself. A world where humans get a "second chance" at life to serve immortally and make up for their sins.
As the two guards continued to gossip, a figure appeared from the shadows. They squinted their eyes through their golden helmet to see who was approaching. As soon as the smoke cleared and the figure became more distinct, one of the guards bit their tongue.
The conversation came to a halt in an instant. Though they had never seen that person before, they still knew who it was.
The figure was a towering man with broad, imposing shoulders. His black, fitted top clung to his muscular frame, highlighting every contour of his chest and abs. The V-line of his hips was sharply visible, torn open by vicious claws that had shredded his clothing. His black pants were streaked along the sides with blood and inflamed skin, telling the story of a brutal fight. A red, tattered cape hung from his shoulders, attached to his top, crafted entirely from the blood of battle. It was as if he had just emerged from a savage clash with a beast. His face, however, remained hidden due to his hair cascading to obscure his eyes, dust and rust coating the visible parts of his skin, leaving him as much a mystery as a menace.
As soon as the man approached, the guards shrunk as if they were about to be stabbed. They were completely covered from his shadow.
Reluctantly, one if the guards spoke up.
"M-May we...know y-your name?"
"Wang Lei." A deep voice spoke.
"D-Do you h-have... any b-b-businesss here..?"
"Master Wen has summoned me." The man slowly lifted his head up, his once drooping face was clearly visible now. The shadow that covered his eyes revealed a red light directly coming from his eyes.
The guards were so frightened they almost pissed their pants. Without further questioning, they immediately opened the gates. They knew if they had asked more, it would be the death of them regardless of being immortal.
The golden gates opened and the insides shone brightly. The man, unfazed, entered the gates and closed behind immediately. The guard who has spoken to the man let out a deep sigh, as if he had just remembered to breathe.
"That was quite intimidating." He turned towards his partner who stood stunned.
"Bro, are you okay?" He leaned forward and heard a faint chanting. Suddenly, he felt a wetness on his feet. He looked down and screamed, "BRO?!"
.....
As Wang Lei approached the main hall, the guards made way for him. He smelled of blood and dust which was quite disgusting to make such an entrance at the Grand Palace. However, none of the guards dared to mention anything.
The sword that hung around the man's hip was enough to keep their mouths shut. It was made of unique imperial jade with a hilt of distinguished rare silver. The sword in itself was terrifying to look at but what made it worse was the shade of red blood at the tip of the sword which was left uncleaned.
Wang Lei stopped right infront of the conference room. He hesitated to knock and decided to wait and look around first. It seemed like he wanted some guidance.
The Grand Palace was an extravagant palace which looked nothing less like a human king's castle. It was more grand as all the interiors were made of unique metals.
His eyes naturally fell at one of them maidens who worked there. She tried as hard as she could to avoid his gaze but the more he stared at her, the more uncomfortable she got. Reluctantly, she turned and approached him, leaving behind the dishes she was preparing.
"Can I help you?"
"...."
Wang Lei stared at her for quite a long time before he broke the awkward silence.
"I came to speak with Master Wen."
"Lord Wen is in a meeting with a General. If you would like to wait, I can take you to the waiting room." The woman spoke carefully in order to make sure none of her words offended him.
Wang Lei did not respond to that. The woman continued, "I-If you don't mind, I can also take you...to the restroom..."
She stopped to look at his expression, again, making sure she did not offend him. Then, she continued, "You see, Master Wen would like it more if he saw you in your best appearance."
She had a point. Wang Lei looked like absolute mess and the stench that came from himself was not very welcoming. Afterall, he was here to see his Saviour after a century of his rebirth. It would put a bad impression if Master Wen saw him in this state.
"Then...I want to go to the restroom first."
The woman exhaled internally. She was afraid of the offence this man would take. Smiling, she lead the way to the restroom.
On the way, Wang Lei heard many things. Others may not know it but he was able to use super hearing.
"Did you see him? He is here to see Lord Wen after a century."
"So for a century, he's been on a killing spree."
"Exactly. I'm glad Lord Wen has finally decided to give him a rest. This could be his retirement."
"Hey but that means we will have more difficult work. It is said that Wang Lei alone was able to take a 100 kg Revenant Beast that was formed of pure wrath. "
"Oh yes, I heard that too. My friend was also on the mission to assist. However, Wang Lei prefers to work alone."
"Sometimes, I wonder if he really is an exorcist like the rest of us. What if he himself was a Revenant. "
"That's where his nickname comes from. Though he is an exorcist, he is nothing like us. He doesn't even remember his past life as a human. He has no human heart that's why he is called The Ruthless Immortal. "
"Hasn't it been a century already? He ought to remember it by now."
"They say if the death is too painful, it takes time for the immortal to remember it. The stronger the pain, the longer it takes to remember."
"Haa...I wonder how he died as a human. Only Lord Wen has the answers to it. "
"Well, it is because Wang Lei has no human affection, he is able to kill all these Revenants with no mercy. They say some Revenants take refuge just by sensing his presence from miles away."
".... Isn't it a bad thing? If Revenants can sense his presence, it means his heart is slowly being corrupted by them."
"I guess Lord Wen has realized it too, so he's retiring Wang Lei to a Territory Guardian."
The woman opened the door and led Wang Lei out. The area was outdoors and had hot spring which was surrounded by stones. The grass was fresh and the flowers that grew around added to the fragrance.
"You can take a bath here," the woman turned, "I will prepare for your clothes."
Wang Lei slightly bowed and replied, "Thank You. "
Slowly, he undressed himself. His muscular physique shone brightly and his pale glassed skin glistened with sweat. As he dipped his feet into the hotspring, he felt a sense of relaxation.
The woman who had reportedly left, stayed behind doors and took a little peak as to see how the man looked in his bath. As she saw, his wet fingers ran across his sleek black hair. His facade was more clear now. His wounds had healed already and his fox like eyes stared at the distance as he exhaled.
She hadn't realized it but her face was already red. Realising that she almost broke a rule, she immediately stepped back and went to prepare his clothes.
"All happens for the best."
It was the final sentence Wang Lei heard after he disabled his super hearing, as if he did not want to hear anymore.