Chapter 70 VS. the Weird Guy 1 (Please subscribe!)
When I first awakened my superpowers, I also fantasized about my powers being exposed, and then being arrested by the authorities on trumped-up charges, becoming a guinea pig in a research facility.
Rationally speaking, I think this possibility is low. First, using precious superhumans as experimental subjects violates basic scientific research principles; second, official forces have a responsibility to act ethically. Morality is not just a facade for external scrutiny, but also an indispensable banner for uniting people internally.
But what if "superpowered individuals" aren't as rare as we imagine in this world? What if the organization that intends to attack me isn't a morally upright one?
That terrifying scene was merely a fantasy to me, but for Lu Youxun it was a real event.
“Eight months later, Lu Chan escaped from the underground organization's research facility on his own. However, due to the unimaginable cruelty he experienced, he lost most of his power as a Wuchang (a type of spirit in Chinese mythology), and could only serve as a ranger providing support for us from the rear.” Zhu Shi sighed, “Zhuang Cheng, you asked me before if I disliked Lu Chan, didn't you? Actually, I don't dislike him. On the contrary, I used to respect him very much. He used to be a kind Wuchang who was determined to wield his sword for all living beings, and he was my role model.”
"In Luoshan, the 'Cheng' level of Wuchang is also called 'National First-Class Demon Hunter'. Demon hunters of this level usually do not consider themselves to be under the jurisdiction of secular governments. However, Lu Chan in the past was proud of this title."
"Even though his personality has changed drastically and he now believes that witchers should enslave mortals, I can't rebuke him. I understand the principle of 'don't advise others to be good if you haven't suffered yourself.' The torture he endured in that research facility is unimaginable for ordinary people. If I had gone through the same things as him, I might have become the person I am now."
"It's simply a matter of perspective; I can't connect with him now, that's all."
I nodded in understanding, while thinking of Lu Youxun's humble and friendly face.
It's truly hard to imagine that someone as emotionally stable as him could have had such a chilling experience. As a fellow "superpowered person," I can't help but feel a sense of sympathy for him. I imagine Zhu Shi felt this emotion even more than I did.
"Lu Youxun seems to have already sensed my level of power," I asked. "You said you hoped I would conceal my power to prevent me from being recruited by various factions in Luoshan too early. Is it no longer possible for me to do so now?"
“Lu Chan’s faction will definitely try to win you over, but things haven’t gotten to the worst point yet,” Zhu Shi said after thinking for a moment. “At least you haven’t shown your elemental transformation in front of him. There’s a world of difference between a fire ability user and one who can transform into an elementalist. Right now, his evaluation of you has probably gone from ‘very strong’ to ‘incredibly strong.’”
"He should be able to deduce from your defeat of Agent Kong that your other 'shortcomings' are not particularly severe, but not to the point of relating them to the elementalization level."
"I see..." I nodded at first, then suddenly remembered something.
I should have asked Zhu Shi about this matter sooner, but I've been busy searching for Ma Zao lately, and there were so many other things after meeting with Zhu Shi, so I've only now finally picked it up from my heart.
“Zhu Shi, have you ever heard of ‘Divine Seal’?” I asked.
"Divine Seal?" Zhu Shi was taken aback. "What is that? Is its name 'Divine Seal'?"
"I think so?"
Hearing her question, I realized I had asked a vague one. In mysticism, the word "seal" is not exactly common, but it's certainly not rare. Even adding the word "god" before it doesn't make it a precise search term.
I added, "I've forgotten where I learned this, but it seems there's something in this world called a divine seal that can grant any wish."
"A divine seal that can grant any wish..." Now she seemed to react a little. "I think I vaguely remember... Sorry, I can't remember right now. I'll look it up for you later. But why did you suddenly ask this?"
"We were just chatting to pass the time. We're on our way, aren't we?" I said. "So... what about 'Xuanming'? Have you heard of him?"
Within the misty dreamscape, both Number One and Number Two reacted to the name Number Four uttered. Number One reacted with apprehension, while Number Two reacted with fear.
If I'm not mistaken, Number One should be a person living in the modern world, just like me. However, the fact that he and Number Two, who live in the post-apocalyptic era, both have a reflexive emotion towards this name is enough to prove that "Xuanming" is a very famous person.
As expected, Zhu Shi also reacted to the name.
Her expression immediately turned very serious.
"Zhuang Cheng, where did you hear this name from?"
“It was Detective Kong who told me,” I passed the buck to the dead man, “but he only mentioned it briefly and didn’t go into details.”
"Why would he mention Xuanming to you?" she asked, puzzled at first, then suddenly realized, "Oh, I see... it's because you're a fire ability user, isn't it?"
"Is this Xuanming really related to Qi—the fire god Ebo—from the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors period?" I asked.
"Hmm...where should I begin..." she said after thinking for a moment. "I've told you before, haven't I? In the myths and legends that have been passed down to this day, the prototypes of some gods are actually the Great Impermanence who once brought calamity to the earth or brought blessings to a region."
“You mean…” I suddenly realized the truth.
“That’s right, Xuanming was once one of the Great Impermanences of Luoshan,” she said.
Number Four Xuanming is actually Luo Shan's Great Impermanence? I was surprised, but then it dawned on me. No wonder even in the misty dream world where superpowers couldn't be used, Number Four Xuanming could still give off an incredibly strong sense of presence and an incredibly distinct sense of danger.
Moreover, if it is someone like Da Wuchang, who can even control natural disasters, it would not be surprising if his fame were to spread into the end times.
I immediately realized what you meant: "You said 'used to be'?"
"About half a year ago, Xuanming betrayed Luoshan," Zhu Shi said. "I don't know the details, but I do know that one day he suddenly went mad and burned another Great Impermanence 'Fu Hongchen' to death in front of everyone. He also defeated and severely injured the Great Impermanence 'Mingzhuo' in a head-on battle. After that, he left Luoshan."
"The Great Impermanence is the ruler of Mount Luo. Generally speaking, no matter what the Great Impermanence does, it cannot be regarded as a betrayal of Mount Luo, just as a subject cannot accuse the emperor of treason. There is only one exception, which is when the Great Impermanence turn against each other."
"Xuanming was labeled a traitor to Luoshan after that, and his whereabouts remain unknown to this day."
Number Four Xuanming actually did that kind of thing...
Another Great Impermanence was burned to death, and another Great Impermanence was severely injured. Could it be that he was not only a Great Impermanence, but also one of the best among them?
I spoke with Xuanming, number four, and judging from his speech and behavior, he didn't seem like a madman. I find it hard to believe he attacked his fellow members out of madness. He most likely had some other reason for attacking the other Great Impermanences.
I recalled his furious questioning of the giant in the misty dream. In his eyes, the giant seemed to be the mastermind behind the world's near destruction, and that was the only time he lost his temper... Could his mad attack on the other Great Impermanences also be related to this?
“Xuanming is a great impermanent being who is proficient in the power of fire. That’s probably why Agent Kong mentioned Xuanming to you.” Zhu Shi gave his explanation to himself, then suddenly stopped moving forward.
She raised her right hand, lowered her voice, and said, "Target spotted."
Upon hearing this, I felt a chill run down my spine, held my breath, and looked ahead.
We had now moved to the sports park in the old town. There was a desolate playground, with a red running track surrounding a weed-covered soccer field. We crept along the outside of the track. I had been here before; occasionally, people would come to jog or exercise. I'd heard it used to be very popular, but it had gradually declined and become the desolate place it is now.
On the other edge of the playground, I saw a strange figure. It was clearly not a jogger or dieter, but a monster with a sheep's head, walking on two legs, nearly three meters tall, and covered in muscles, like a demon.
“Strange person…” Zhu Shi stared intently at the other person, then pulled me to hide behind some bushes nearby.
The strange man didn't seem to notice us; he appeared to be merely passing through, or perhaps he considered this his hunting grounds. If he intended to attack ordinary people and devour their souls, this secluded yet not entirely deserted place would be the perfect dining hall. We just needed to wait here for a while, and food would be delivered to our door.
Although the thought of "wanting to ask him about his mindset when he did evil" had crossed my mind before, this was clearly not the right situation now.
I'm thinking about what I should do next.
First, let's rule out "directly killing" him. Although Lu Youxun recommended that I kill the monster directly, in order to obtain clues about Mazao, it would undoubtedly be the worst decision to kill the monster so hastily.
However, I was also unable to capture the monster alive. According to the information provided by Lu Youxun, all attempts to capture the monster alive in Luoshan ended in failure. The monster had a self-destruct mechanism, and I couldn't even persuade it not to self-destruct. That self-destruct mechanism was beyond the monster's own control.
I can't kill him, I can't capture him, it seems I can only choose to follow the strange man until the "strange man" attracts "Mazao, who is suspected of investigating the strange man".
However, choosing the path of "tailing" means that when the strange man kills, I can only watch silently.
Or could I stop his murders each time, while forcibly implanting thermal markers into his body, like a zoologist implanting signal transmitters into a wild animal, making him completely under my surveillance? This approach seems plausible. Even if he later teleports, he won't escape my sight.
The problem is that I don't know if the maximum distance at which he can remotely manipulate shadow power to kill is beyond my perception. Moreover, I have no way of knowing whether there are other demons he summons from the shadows elsewhere that are active and killing people.
Ignoring these unknowns is gambling with the lives of innocent bystanders, and Zhu Shi would definitely advocate killing this strange man immediately.
This is the decision that prioritizes the safety of others, but it is also the decision that most contradicts my own interests.
what do I do?
(End of this chapter)
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