Chapter 196: Loyalty to the Enemy (1)
Chu Hengkong immediately realized Qingxia's method.
"You used the One Heart Ritual."
"Correct~" Qing Xia nodded repeatedly, "Just like the legend of Prometheus who fought eagles for three thousand years and successfully stole the sacred fire after only having one heart left. As long as our hearts are united, there will be no contradiction~"
Forget about that modified version of Greek mythology for now, don’t imagine the devil-hearted warrior Prometheus, and focus on Qingxia’s thoughts.
The One Heart Ritual is a method for combating external forces at the level of the ethereal body. By annihilating and erasing the externalized self, one achieves self-unification. If one is not contaminated by external forces but actively uses this ritual...
"Is this just a disguised form of surrendering the inner demon?" Chu Hengkong muttered to himself, "This will cause schizophrenia."
"So we can't kill each other." Qingxia said, "We must learn to compromise!"
“…Huh?”
"All desires originate from the heart. External influences can amplify certain thoughts within, but the root cause is always one's own thoughts. If you don't acknowledge that they are yourself, you will drift further and further away from yourself." Qingxia imitated her grandfather's tone, "So, little Qingxia, if you can't defeat yourself no matter what, you'll have to find a clever way. Fighting is just a means to an end; the true meaning of the ritual is to reconcile with yourself."
Chu Hengkong's expression was quite subtle: "What nonsense are you talking about?"
“For example, you may not have an appetite for the people around you, but when you do eat, you may eat more nutritious foods.
For example, you shouldn’t do anything that would make others sad, but it’s okay to be a little more relaxed with your words.
For example, I won’t attack the weak around me, but it’s okay to torture the enemy…”
Qingxia counted on her fingers, "Just negotiate the conditions with yourself one by one. In the end, everyone agrees, 'That's fine!' The ritual is complete. Life will be much easier from then on."
"You're talking nonsense." Chu Hengkong groaned, "I won't talk to those people!"
Qingxia didn't say anything, just looked at him quietly, and the concentration in her eyes made Chu Hengkong feel a little creepy.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm trying to remember Chu Hengkong No. 1's temperament so I can distinguish him when No. 2345 shows up." Qingxia dragged out the words, hinting at something. "It would be troublesome if there were a sudden change on the battlefield..."
This sentence touched Chu Hengkong's soft spot, casting a shadow over his eyes. This was what he was most worried about: if he went berserk due to his external power during the next life-or-death battle, all his companions would be in danger.
"Teach me how to do it," he said reluctantly. "Please."
"It's not difficult. First, add a period of 'visualization' before entering the ceremony..." Qingxia explained, "Then combine it with a specific breathing method. Like this..."
She grabbed Chu Hengkong's right hand and pressed it against his snow-white skin. The vibrations of their hearts were felt as they made contact, and the presence of their heart blood caused their hearts to beat at the same frequency.
"Suppress yourself appropriately... and shrink yourself..."
Boom... Boom... The sound of his heartbeat faded away along with Qingxia's words. Chu Hengkong closed his eyes and was once again pulled into himself.
The 49th Yixin Ceremony has begun.
·
The sun is shining outside the old room.
The house was old and had no air conditioning. Crudely printed pirated comics piled on the desk, and the cracked wall above it was covered with posters of martial arts stars. A Peking opera was playing in the yard, the actors singing the old man's favorite song, "The Lost Sky Slash."
This is a room in the Chu family compound, where he spent the happiest years of his childhood.
The fallen girl was lying on the bed, reading Dragon Ball, a book she had borrowed from the bookstore. Chu Hengkong closed the door, pulled out the chair that seemed too small for him now, and sat down.
"Let's talk," he said.
"I don't want to talk to you," the fallen girl said gloomily. "You don't want to repay my kindness, and you want to hurt me anyway."
"You didn't help me much either."
"Without me supporting you, you'd be dead the moment that evil wrist lifted!" the Fallen Girl said angrily. "Ever since we arrived in the Despair Wilderness, you've been relying on me for everything. I've worked myself to death to power your weapons, and I haven't complained a single time... and what's the result? You wanted to upgrade, but you wanted to kill me!"
"Don't try to clear yourself so cleanly." Chu Hengkong pointed out, "You originally wanted to convert me into a Fallen One, but I'm trying to save myself."
"You should have been like me." The Fallen girl reacted fiercely, "I am you. I am also Chu Hengkong! You want to talk now? It's too late. I'm not going to let you go yet!"
She turned into a pile of mud, holding her sister's head in a bluff, like a small animal with its fur standing on end. Chu Hengkong wanted to laugh when he saw it, but after changing his mindset, his mentality became calmer. He couldn't help but sigh that he had been defeated by this thing 48 times before.
He pressed the head of the fallen girl with one hand to prevent her flailing fists from hitting him: "I'm ready to negotiate, what else are you dissatisfied with?"
"I'm not satisfied with the sea anymore!" the fallen girl yelled, "I ask you, Chu Hengkong, when can I have a home?"
"What do you want?" Chu Hengkong was stunned.
"Home. I want a family. I want elders who can shelter me from the wind and rain, I want relatives who can help each other, and I want other people to care for me and love me!" the fallen girl shouted.
Chu Hengkong was almost mad with anger. He pushed the other person away and said, "Have some ambition!"
The fallen girl fell on the bed and cried loudly: "I have been an orphan since I was a child. What's wrong with me wanting a family?
I lived with Mr. Chu for a few years, but he passed away! I finally lived with my boss, but he’s gone too! I’ve always slept alone since I was a kid, and I’ve always been the one to shelter others from the wind and rain. Who has ever helped me? Woohoo…”
She hugged the quilt and cried more and more sadly. Her black tears flowed down the bed and became a stream that flooded the room.
In just a few seconds, the water level reached Chu Hengkong's waist. He became alert and shouted, "Stop crying! Crying is useless!"
"You're always like this!" the girl continued to cry. "Just keep yelling at yourself! If you die alone outside, no one will even build you a grave!"
The water level surged, almost reaching Chu Hengkong's neck in a blink of an eye. He pinched his brows tightly and spoke reluctantly.
"……you're right."
The sobbing stopped immediately. The fallen girl leaned against the headboard, staring at him in astonishment. Chu Hengkong lowered his hands and sighed deeply.
"I don't know if you're a heretic borrowing my memories, or the ghost of my childhood," he said, "but you're right. I'm a loner by nature. I have no home."
"You can have it!" The fallen girl said eagerly, "We can find new parents. A father as loving as an old man, a mother as gentle as a jade girl..."
"No." Chu Hengkong said, "You are 22 years old. You have long ago stopped relying on the protection of your elders. Whether you like it or not, you are the umbrella of protection for those around you."
These words were like an invisible bullet piercing the mud, causing the fallen girl to instantly disintegrate. The limp mass of mud reorganized itself into a thin, gloomy woman with long black hair.
"I don't accept it," she said. "I don't want to live my whole life alone. If I had known, I wouldn't have practiced martial arts. I should have stayed in the orphanage peacefully, waiting for a good person to take me in and start my life..."
"You know that's a dream." Chu Hengkong tried to convince her, or rather, to convince his younger self, "You can't pin your future on the choices of others."
"Then what are you going to do?" The woman's eyes were cloudy.
"What are you going to do?"
"I don't want to go far away. Once the boss is resurrected, I will stay in Huilong City for the rest of my life." The fallen woman said, "Until then, I want Sister Huaisu to sleep with me every day."
Chu Hengkong drew his sword with a sullen expression, his face filled with murderous intent. The woman, terrified, clutched her pillow tightly, "Don't be like that! Let's talk it over nicely!"
"No need to talk, I'll kill you."
"After resurrecting the boss, I'll start a family in Huilong City. That should be fine, right?"
"The latter one has been deleted!"
"No!" The Fallen Woman shook her head desperately. "I like sleeping with other people... I don't feel at ease sleeping alone. The more I sleep, the colder I feel. You can sleep with someone else you like, but I will never give in to this, absolutely."
Chu Hengkong slumped back in his chair, deeply considering the feasibility of the assassination. Seeing the negotiations about to collapse, the Fallen Woman quickly conceded: "Once every three days is fine..."
"Half a year."
"Five days!"
"I've been saying this for half a year."
"Once every two weeks!" The Fallen Woman pulled out a black knife from her body. "This is the bottom line. If we can't reach an agreement, we'll fight!"
Chu Hengkong sighed deeply.
"make a deal."
The fallen woman jumped out of bed and took his hand pitifully.
"Please don't regret it, okay? Otherwise I will be really sad."
Chu Hengkong didn't say anything.
"You know how much you want to have a home." The Fallen One said softly.
The killer sighed and nodded. The black-haired woman smiled, transforming into a turbid stream flowing into his arm. He suddenly felt a sense of self-fulfillment, his blood coursing joyfully, his palms brimming with strength. But he also felt a sense of laziness, indolence, and weakness—positive and negative always coexisting, a self without strength.
The familiarity of the old house began to fade. Chu Hengkong closed his eyes, hoping to listen to some Peking opera. But just as the Empty City Strategy was over, the radio was turned off. The old man always listened to opera only halfway through, liking the great military strategist who played the piano to repel the enemy, and disliking the old prime minister who shed tears while beheading his generals.
Even at his age, he still acts like a child.
Chu Hengkong smiled and suddenly felt relieved. He opened the door and left his childhood memories.
He walked into a rented room. The cramped room was filled with smoke, and crushed beer bottles were scattered on the floor. A game console lay charging on a dirty table. A woman in a red evening gown sat on the bed, puffing on a cigarette.
"You're here, General." The woman in red smiled. "I was planning to talk, huh?"
Chu Hengkong waved away the smoke: "What do you want?"
"I want a straw man," said the woman.
(Due to the author's back injury, the publication will be on hiatus tomorrow.
Ah, my waist, my waist... How could this happen, how could this happen...)
(End of this chapter)
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