Chapter 245 Exploring Non-Humanity
Being accused of not being human is something most people rarely experience, or have never experienced in their lives. While I don't know if Dongche feels the same way, I doubt he'd readily admit it. He's consistently spoken to us from a human perspective; if he were to admit it the moment I asked, it would be a waste of all his efforts.
I observed his facial expressions very closely, and sure enough, his eyes revealed a vivid sense of confusion, even tinged with bewilderment and grievance. It makes sense; in everyday life, being told "you're not human" usually means being accused of moral depravity. This reaction is perfectly reasonable.
He seemed to be pondering whether he had offended me in any way. After a moment, as if trembling with fear and feeling somewhat wronged, he asked, "Um... why do you say that?"
“It’s a feeling,” I said. “Like you know, I recently came into contact with Silvermoon, and you give me a similar feeling to Silvermoon. Neither of you seems human.”
"So, Senior Zhuang Cheng, I haven't done anything to upset you?" he cautiously probed.
"I guarantee not," I said.
He breathed a long sigh of relief, while Fu Feng chimed in, "Could it be that your standards for judging humans are different from ours?"
"How so?" I asked.
He explained: "Purely in terms of biological power, humans cannot break steel with their flesh and blood, nor can they run faster than a train, much less fly in the sky... However, these are all things that a high-level Witcher like Wintercart can easily do."
"Most high-ranking demon hunters also exhibit superhuman traits in certain aspects. While the freaks of the Humanitarian Division often transform into demonic forms using unknown powers, they are still classified as demon hunters in Luo Shan's hierarchy. In fact, many demon hunters possess similar spells that allow them to transform into monsters, and even without transformation, their bodies show signs of being modified by magic. Some demon hunter lineages may even cause certain changes to their genetic makeup."
"If ordinary people who know nothing about witchers knew, they might think we are a completely different species from humans. However, for us in Luoshan, the most important criteria for judgment are not biological evidence, but the subject's cognition, thinking, and spirit... As long as the soul still belongs to the human realm, then it is still human."
Dongche nodded repeatedly, then added as if gathering his courage: "And... let me make it clear beforehand, Senior Zhuang Cheng, I don't mean any harm by saying this. It's just that when it comes to being inhuman, there's probably no one here who's less than human than you."
“Me?” I asked.
“Yes, you’re not even made of flesh and blood anymore, but rather a life form created from condensed flames,” he said.
As the saying goes, the hardest thing for a person to see is themselves. I have always taken it for granted that I am a human being, but now, when this boy in front of me, who is not quite human, says that "you are the least human being," I can't find any words to refute him.
After hearing their words, I couldn't help but reflect on my own doubts. However, I still couldn't let go of them.
Because Wintercar's otherworldly aura is different from those of the Witchers. For example, while Dragon and Spear are so powerful they seem inhuman, I've never doubted they aren't human. What I sense from Wintercar isn't his superior strength, but rather a rebellious and otherworldly quality that contrasts sharply with his obedient and cute appearance.
However, each witcher's power lineage is different. Although everyone uses magic, that's merely a general term. According to Zhu Shi, some witchers' magic may not even originate from their soul; it could be refined life force or mysterious energy drawn from the outside world. This inconsistency results in a diverse and highly individualized witcher community.
I haven't actually seen many Witchers of the highest level or above. One of them suddenly appeared and seemed quite special to me, but that's not enough to prove that he wasn't human.
Furthermore, if Fuyuki's attention to Asahisa stemmed from his own being a supernatural being, why didn't he pay attention to her in the first place, but instead focused so much on me personally? That doesn't seem to make sense. It can't be that he's a fan of mine, and his fan spirit overcame the jinx's attraction to supernatural beings.
After much thought, I still find the human composition of the Winter Train highly suspicious. There's not much reasoning or logic involved; I simply prefer to trust my increasingly evolved intuition.
I figured I couldn't press him any further, so I could only apologize to Dongche and soothe his feelings of being wrongly accused. He seemed to quickly recover and even flashed an innocent smile. Could that smile also be an act? I wondered.
It seemed that Dongche still had daily practice to do. After finishing his meal, he said goodbye to us and went back to his room.
Fu Feng then led Ma Zao and me away from the canteen to continue our tour of other parts of the base.
On the way, he suddenly asked me, "Do you really think Dongche isn't human?"
After thinking for a moment, I replied, "Really."
"My perception is quite good for someone at the Grandmaster level, but I didn't find anything particularly unusual on Dongche..." he pondered. "In other words, all demon hunters have a tendency towards mysticism. After all, we study the power of the mystical realm, and we always have a bit of a suspicious aura about us. As the saying goes, 'hidden among the leaves in the forest,' it's actually quite difficult to find anything particularly suspicious about us."
"However, you are a being with the qualifications of the Great Impermanence, so perhaps you really can detect the parts that I cannot perceive..."
"What are you planning to do to the winter train?" I asked.
"How could that be? Even if Dongche really isn't human, that's a problem for the Divination Master to worry about. He's a disciple of the Great Impermanence, and I wouldn't lay a hand on him without a special reason."
He said that, but he seemed to have other ideas about Fuyusha. Perhaps he really was a traitor secretly colluding with the Humanitarian Affairs Bureau, looking for an opportunity to assassinate Fuyusha who suspected him. But if that were the case, he might also need to deal with me and Asahi, otherwise there would inevitably be future troubles. I don't think his motives were strong enough to make him my enemy.
If he's not thinking about assassination right now, what is he thinking about? Does he have a deeper consideration regarding the question of whether "Tomonoru might not be human"? I tried to think from his perspective, and slowly, other doubts emerged.
If that Winter Cart wasn't human, then ultimately, it's questionable whether that Winter Cart was even Winter Cart himself. After all, their conversation suggests that, in general understanding, Winter Cart should undoubtedly be human.
Could it be that the real winter car has already been killed by the strange creature, and what appears before us now is a strange creature disguised as the victimized boy?
Fu Feng shook his head slightly, then glanced at Ma Zao, and looked at me again, suddenly saying curiously, "Speaking of which, Zhuang Cheng, you said before that you two were in a romantic relationship..."
"Is there a problem with this?" I asked, trying to sound calm.
Perhaps Fufeng also thought Mazao was still too young, so my claim wasn't very credible to him. Or maybe he thought I had a penchant for petite girls and had some reservations about it. He paused for a moment, as if considering how to talk to me, or perhaps he realized he shouldn't have brought up the topic after he spoke. Then, he seemed to have figured something out on his own, and a look of sudden realization crossed his face.
“I see, it’s to facilitate joint operations, right?” he said.
That's not entirely true... at least not entirely for me. But that's probably just what Asahi thought.
Although she had acknowledged the term "couple" in front of Dongche and Fufeng, it's unknown what her true understanding of the word "couple" was, given that she grew up in the post-apocalyptic era. Perhaps this was the first time she encountered the concept after arriving in modern society. Or perhaps she knew perfectly well that she didn't have any romantic feelings for me and was just putting on an act for others.
After Fufeng, he didn't bring up the topic again, but instead focused on being our guide, leading us around the entire base.
After some time, we finally arrived at the last area, which was the medical area.
For Fufeng Base, providing medical services to witchers returning wounded from missions is also a very important function. In addition to witcher patients, it also accepts ordinary people injured by strange events.
If ordinary people harmed by strange entities suffer only ordinary injuries, they can be treated at outside hospitals afterward. However, if they suffer from curses or damage on a spiritual level, it is necessary to treat them in the manner of a witcher. Supernaturalists might let those injured mortals fend for themselves, while those who advocate for social order, since they claim to integrate into ordinary society, should naturally shoulder corresponding social responsibilities.
If we're talking about the most widespread and bizarre phenomenon in society today, it's the Soul Loss Syndrome. Therefore, the Fufeng Base also houses a considerable number of Soul Loss sufferers. The three of us moved through a corridor that resembled a hospital passageway. Unlike the relatively lively area for treating Witch Hunters, the area specifically for Soul Loss patients was deathly silent, like a morgue. It was filled with Soul Loss patients sleeping like corpses, and a few silent caregivers working alongside them.
"The authorities plan to announce the existence of the Soul Loss Syndrome to the public tomorrow," Fu Feng said.
(End of this chapter)
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