The Dawn of the New World

"So...all you know is that he is a guy who is somewhere between the ages of like 12 to what, 90?"

Mr. Hyde became a little agitated listening to Hao Xuan's ridiculous words, "Yes, but it doesn't matter what his physical appearance is like. You would remember him if you ever met him. He has such a presence about him that even when he tries to lay low you would be able to pick him out from across a crowded room."

Hao Xuan shrugged, "I'm pretty sure that's only true for you since you both are close. I'll need something more to-"

"Okay okay," Mr. Hyde cut him off, thinking about any other points for a couple of seconds before something clicked in his head, "He...hums too."

"Hums?"

"Yes, a tune. I don't think even he realizes it but he hums this strange tune whenever he is bored or is doing something important or thinking about something else. To your ears, it would just sound like an ordinary tune."

Hao Xuan had a 'Are you fucking kidding me' look on his face but chose not to vocalize it.

"Anything else? At all? Tell me some of the names he goes by, maybe I know one of them."

Mr. Hyde shook his head, "He doesn't choose the names or the titles, they are given to him by the people that witness his handiwork. In the greater world alone he has more titles than I care to remember. And I'm not even thinking about the ones from the smaller planes scattered across the ten worlds."

Hao Xuan frowned, "Wait, the greater world? What do you mean?"

"Oh, it refers to the main section of the deep space where all the major powers congregate. Gods, Devils, Humans and all other species can be found there fighting for survival."

Hao Xuan let out a yielding sigh. Mr. Hyde really wasn't giving him much to work with so he decided to mention the one name he thought would most probably be 'the one'.

"Is "Meng" one of the names he goes by?" Hao Xuan looked at him expectantly but the continuously deepening frown on Mr. Hyde's face said otherwise.

"Meng? I have never heard that one before. Tell me more about this character."

"I don't know much myself. I only met him once when I thought I was dying. We were on top of a black ocean, in a small boat at the edge of the 'universe'. He told me a bunch of stuff and asked me for a favor in return."

"A favor? A black ocean?" Mr. Hyde leaned forward, repeating in a low voice. His eyes darting back forth as he tried to connect them to what he knew of the 'Emperor'.

"Yeah. And one of his 'students' came to me before I arrived on this planet. He wanted me to kill one of the princes that came over from the Beast Worl-"

"Wait, one of his students?" Mr. Hyde cut in, "Here?" he looked at Hao Xuan for confirmation who nodded back.

"Yeah, he even brought this huge beast with him when he stopped us on the way over."

Mr. Hyde leaned back into the sofa with a defeated look.

"No, it is not him then."

"What? Why do you think that?"

"He doesn't operate like that. In the three thousand years that I have known my father, not once has he done anything so significant and so out in the open in the greater world."

Mr. Hyde sighed.

"His modus operandi is much different. For one, he doesn't usually use others, at least not directly. And he as no students, he is very strict about that. He does things in person, by himself."

"Ordinarily, he will appear as a mortal man. There is nothing 'remarkable' about his appearance and from what I know, he has never actually shown his real appearance to anyone, not even to his so-called beloved 'sons'."

"I know that he can navigate the river of time quite accurately. I also know for a fact that he is only a few tens of thousands of years old but there are mentions of someone like him going as far back as the Archaic Era, if not older."

"Sometimes he is a lonely swordsman carving a bloody path through some of the more historic battlefields. Sometimes he appears as a trusty advisor to a few of the great Kings and Queens throughout the ages, guiding them through the shadows."

"Although I do not have proof of this, I sincerely believe that he has been involved in or at least been present during every significant moment in history for the last few hundred million years, if not even farther back. But during all that time, I don't think he has ever directly clashed with any major power from the greater world which is why no one even knows he exists."

"He is a nameless ghost. He has been setting a plan in motion for eons, through multiple eras.. To most, he is just a helpful stranger they meet during their journeys but I know he doesn't make a single move without a reason."