Chapter 48 The Unpredictability of Heretics 2
The Great Impermanence can single-handedly destroy an entire country.
Forgive my disbelief upon hearing this. To hear these words from Zhu Shi's mouth, in my past worldview, was like a government official publicly admitting that "the five permanent members of the Security Council are actually puppets of the Rothschild family"—a nonsensical, low-brow literary plot.
Then I came to my senses.
"What size country are you referring to when you say 'the whole country'? A small African nation? Or an ancient country before the development of industrial civilization?"
“This is the country we are in right now,” Zhu Shi said, pointing to the ground.
"Are you serious?" I questioned.
“I’m serious.” She thought for a moment and then added, “I haven’t actually seen Da Wuchang fight seriously, but based on what I’ve learned in the past, Da Wuchang is capable of doing such a thing.”
"The great vicissitudes of history can summon tsunamis and floods, trigger earthquakes and droughts, as well as various other natural disasters such as typhoons. When they get serious, the scale of their disasters can be so enormous that they are recorded in history."
"Even concentrated nuclear bombardment cannot kill the Great Impermanence, because they either possess defensive capabilities that transcend the laws of the world, or they have the immortality to make a comeback even if their bodies and souls are completely destroyed."
"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."
Capable of triggering tsunamis and earthquakes, floods and droughts...
I don't know if what Zhu Shi said is true or false. Although she certainly wouldn't lie to me, is that kind of record authentic and reliable? I don't know much about natural disasters, but I do know some common sense. For example, a major earthquake that makes it into the historical record must have an energy scale of at least hundreds or thousands of Hiroshima atomic bombs.
The same applies to tsunamis or typhoons. While nuclear weapons are hailed as the ultimate weapon of modern civilization and have become the cornerstone of mutual restraint and peace among major powers, their total energy is still far from sufficient when compared with massive natural disasters.
It's not surprising that a powerful being capable of manipulating such large-scale natural disasters wouldn't be afraid of nuclear weapons.
However, this is very puzzling. Why does the Great Impermanence, who is capable of doing such a thing, still nominally obey the guidance of the state?
Or to put it bluntly—since these people already possess such divine power, why do they need to establish Mount Luo? Why don't they just establish a Heavenly Court?
Why do they remain silent and deal with dangers and strange occurrences in the world beneath the surface, instead of stepping into the limelight to rule the world?
Ultimately, if our country has such figures who are truly remarkable in the literal sense, why are there still such unbearable twists and turns in history?
I threw all my questions at Zhu Shi.
She looked helpless and said, "I can't answer you."
"Is this also a secret of Luoshan?" I asked.
“No, that’s not it… It’s not a secret at all; it’s common knowledge here.” She seemed to be choosing her words carefully. “The reason I’m not answering you isn’t because I don’t want to, but because none of the Witchers I know, including myself, know the answer.”
I became even more confused: "You mean, even Luo Shan doesn't know why he did it?"
“Yes.” She nodded. “Why not make the existence of witchers and monsters public to the secular world, and why not become the ruler of this country… We don’t know the fundamental reason why we haven’t done so.”
"So, if we're not looking at it from the organization's perspective, but from your personal perspective, why do you think you chose to do what you're doing now?" I pressed.
“Because everyone around me did it, I just followed suit,” she answered directly. “After all, I don’t have any desire to control others, nor do I pursue fame or fortune. I just want to protect innocent people.”
"This..." I felt as if I were shrouded in doubt. "At least the core leadership of Luoshan knew why they did what they did. They—the Great Impermanence—hid their true intentions from all of you and forced you to do so. You got used to it over time... Is that right?"
This time, her words plunged me into an even deeper fog: "That's not how it is; even the Great Impermanence don't know the truth."
I countered, "How can you determine whether the Great Impermanences know the truth?"
“Because the Great Impermanence have been clashing over this matter for the past three years,” she said. “Do you remember what I told you the night before last? Luoshan is now in chaos and conflict. Everyone is gradually realizing that what they are doing is not so natural. They can actually reveal their true selves to society, become the ruler of this country, and even try to do more.”
"Your statement is like how all the Witchers in history have been inexplicably hypnotized, and now the hypnosis has somehow been broken," I retorted.
She said noncommittally, "'Hypnosis hypothesis' is also popular in Luoshan, but it's hard to imagine that even all the great impermanence in history and the present could be hypnotized."
I was just saying it offhand, but I didn't expect her to not deny it firmly.
So that's how it is. No wonder she was vague when I asked her last time why Luo Shan wanted to hide the truth about the strange existence from the public; she genuinely didn't know how to explain it.
“Wait a minute, you just said this is the chaos that has been happening for the past three years…” I carefully considered what she had said. “Why has this chaos lasted for three years and is still not over? Can’t the Great Impermanence easily conquer this country?”
It's not just this country; assuming there are no supernatural organizations of similar scale in other countries, those capable of manipulating large-scale natural disasters could easily conquer the world if they wanted to.
Perhaps I asked a very crucial question, because Zhu Shi's eyes immediately became very serious.
"Before answering that question, Zhuang Cheng, I want to ask you a question first—"
Seeing this, I couldn't help but concentrate and take her question seriously.
She deliberately waited until I was mentally prepared before asking her question:
How do you view the world today?
How do you view people with superpowers like yourself, and ordinary people without superpowers?
Do you believe that people with superpowers are a more superior group than ordinary people? Do you feel that you should become the ruler of the world, making the powerless people submit to you and regard you as a supreme god?
Hearing these words, I instantly understood the chaos that was happening inside Luoshan.
What she is raising now is likely a matter of stance.
Currently, there are probably at least two conflicting voices within Luoshan: one, as mentioned before, believes that witchers should be high above, becoming gods among men, and ruling over all living beings; the other believes that witchers should rejoin the existing social system in some relatively peaceful way.
Given Zhu Shi's personality, her thoughts are most likely the latter. Since I intend to join Luoshan through her, I should say things that align with her preferences. In other words, this is a matter of political alignment, which must be taken seriously.
I opened my mouth, about to utter a lie, but for some reason I felt incredibly annoyed by this politically charged question and answer, so I simply ignored everything and told the truth.
"Yes, I believe that superpowered individuals are far superior to ordinary people." I spoke my mind directly.
This is not something I said on the spur of the moment.
Since awakening my superpowers and gradually becoming stronger, I've repeatedly pondered how I should approach my relationship with society if these powers never left me. Specifically, could I then consider myself superior to ordinary people?
The answer is yes. I am a superhuman; I possess violence far exceeding that of ordinary people. I am simply superior to the average person.
In the past, people around me criticized me and sometimes said hurtful things. The reason I didn't use my superpowers to cause them trouble was partly because I genuinely couldn't muster the energy, and perhaps also because "I could kill them anytime, anywhere." Precisely because I held the upper hand in terms of power, I was able to view them with unusual tolerance.
For a time, I even wanted to imitate the powerful figures in fantasy novels who held the power of life and death, putting on an indifferent and detached air and speaking in a calm tone.
It's just that I often forget that I'd previously set that expectation up for myself—that I'd burst out laughing if someone told a joke or did something funny nearby. Over time, I just thought, "Never mind." Even if I truly had the power to bully others, I don't particularly yearn for that kind of life.
On the other hand, while concluding that "superpowered individuals are more outstanding," I couldn't help but have some doubts.
Admittedly, if another superpowered individual appeared before me, claiming superiority over ordinary people solely based on their abilities, I would acknowledge their superiority. Violence is important. Human history is a history of contests of violence, and those who wield the strongest violence have always held sway. No matter how powerful the weapon of criticism may be, it cannot compare to the criticism itself.
To be honest, I always felt that kind of behavior was a bit tasteless.
Or, to use a popular phrase, it lacks sophistication. Violence can certainly force everyone to acknowledge their superiority and eliminate those who refuse to, but that only achieves superficial compliance. I believe a person who is truly noble should possess a certain persuasive power that commands genuine respect. This isn't just about physical excellence; ideally, it should also include intellectual refinement.
I also told Zhu Shi about the latter part.
The more she listened, the more speechless she became, until finally she voiced her thoughts: "...Overall, you still think that superpowered individuals are more outstanding than ordinary people...is that right?"
"That's roughly it," I admitted.
"Then why did you become friends with your brother? Isn't your brother also someone you consider 'a human being of lower status than yourself'?" she asked.
(End of this chapter)
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