As our eyes met, time seemed to stand still. I steadied my breath, hiding the unease coursing through my body.
âWhy?â
Why is that here?
The figure waved lightly, as if to greet me. Violet-tinged hair shimmered under the sunlight, complemented by brighter, luminous eyes. Her striking appearance reminded me of someone else entirely.
It was the same image I had seen before heading to the Northern Sea.
If this was no illusionâ¦
âWhy is she here?â
Why is she in this place?
I had to find out.
âI was already looking for her.â
Cheonma (Heavenly Demon).
I knew she was in Henan. I had already encountered her once and had instructed others to gather more information about her.
This was the second task I had entrusted to Pildu-ma.
But.
âThere wasnât much information.â
The intelligence Pildu-ma provided had been of poor quality.
Of course, I wasnât relying solely on himâI had others digging as well.
Even so.
âIt wasnât any different.â
The information on Cheonma in Henan was frustratingly sparse.
Had she gone into hiding, aware that someone was trailing her? Or perhaps she had already left Henan altogether?
Even with the Shadow Kingâs network in motion, the lack of details led me to believe one of these scenarios was true.
But nowâ¦
âSheâs been here all along, out in the open.â
Cheonma hadnât left Henan.
Nor had she gone into hiding.
Had she left and returned? Possible, but unlikely. The Cheonma I knew wasnât the type to flee.
So, whatâs most important now?
âCan I kill her?â
Can I kill Cheonma here and now?
When I first encountered her in that quiet noodle shop, I couldnât.
What about now?
I had regained the peak of my past lifeâs power.