The Night's Symphony: Smoke and Mirages
On the rooftop of a high-rise building at midnight, the stars were shimmering, and the streets below pulsed with life. There sat the Night Virtuoso and the Patriarch of the Tang Clan.
Yun Hai: "You're weird. Your body won't even feel the effect of something this weak. Why are you even doing this?"
Jin was leaning back, his hands folded behind his head, casually smoking.
Jin glanced at him, thought for a moment, and then replied: "Hmm, I don't know honestly. There is no logical reason."
Yun Hai sighed: "Then why smoke? It's not even that common on this planet."
Jin went silent for a few seconds, looking up at the sky:
"You know? These cigarettes are utter nonsense. In a certain country in the Middle East back in 2025, the estimated spending on smoking was ten billion dollars, with an average daily consumption of 20 cigarettes."
Yun Hai narrowed his eyes: "What is that even supposed to mean?"
Jin exhaled a cloud of smoke: "Scientifically, there are over 600 chemical elements used in making a cigarette. Upon ignition, they transform into nearly 7,000 compounds, about 70 of which cause cancer."
Yun Hai: "And?"
Jin: "...Five minutes after finishing a cigarette, the dopamine stops and the effect wears off. Honestly... there's something I don't understand. It makes sense for someone to smoke a premium cigar or a cigarette as a form of entertainment or a side to their favorite drink. It makes sense for a sad person to get deceived and become an addict. And sometimes, there's a nihilistic person who doesn't even know why they smoke, like me."
He paused, his gaze darkening: "But the class of people who desperately chase the smoke... they truly make me feel sad. Imagine having a monthly salary of 150 dollars and spending 30 to 50 of it on smoking. It's pure nonsense—a destruction of both wealth and health."
Yun Hai looked at him with a gaze of pity: "Kid, you're talking to me about numbers and chemistry from Planet Earth. How do you expect me to understand any of this?"
Jin went silent again, then continued: "Hmm, let's put it this way: say you earn ten silver ounces. You have a family, or maybe you're just a fifteen-year-old kid taking allowance from your mama. Anyway, you take four out of those ten just to..."
He put the cigarette back in his mouth and took another drag.
"...Just to perform a..."
Yun Hai interrupted him, looking at him with genuine pity: "Please, stop. You're lecturing me about its harms while you're smoking. Anyway, I feel like you've changed a bit lately. And what's up with that hairstyle?"
Jin looked at the night sky, pondering: "My hair? I used to look like this before I came to this 'Land of Slaughters.' But you know what? I've realized I'm just a bug on this planet. I even found two people my age who are stronger than me. The amazing part is that one is a Saint Knight and the other acts like a literal Demon. Damn, what kind of nonsense is this?"
Yun Hai laughed. He didn't expect Jin to be this "trashy" in his way of talking despite knowing him for a while.
"Isn't it great? A Saint Knight seeking justice, whom people think is an angel. And a Heavenly Demon heir whose aura and combat are like a true devil. And in the middle of them, a Black Dragon struggling between both paths. Hahaha! This is a legendary trio. Should I find a team of girls for you three to marry?"
Jin gave him a bombastic side eye: "Huh? No thanks. I already have two wives."
Yun Hai: "You little brat! Did you get married when you left last time?"
Jin smiled slightly, but with genuine sincerity: "Honestly... when this nonsense in the Murim is over, or at least when I achieve my goal... I will return to Earth and marry them."
Yun Hai laughed and told him with a smile: "Your imagination is truly peaceful. It seems you're still a child after all."
Jin: "By the way, what are those creatures with white wings and light magic? When I toured the Temple of Light a while ago, I found some paintings of them. Are they really angels?"
Yun Hai sighed: "Haaa, that's an old story. There are creatures that inhabit this planet with those exact traits. They are called the Sky Race. Because of their appearance, people believe they are angels. But as I told you, it's an old tale. Whether it's true or not, the answer lies only with the World Leaders. But generally, the legend says they are the Sky Race—ordinary creatures, yet exceptionally unique and powerful, just like Dragons and Demons. But they are not angels."
Jin muttered to himself, thinking: "The Sky Race? Now that is interesting."