Chapter 404 Marrying Zhu Shi?
Zhu Shi contacted Mr. Zhu and informed him of the news of Chang'an's awakening. Not long after, Mr. Zhu arrived.
Lu Chan also came over, bringing some equipment, and was responsible for conducting an in-depth examination of Chang'an's soul.
Chang'an obediently underwent a physical examination, much like a primary school student entering a hospital.
How long has it been since I've seen Chang'an so normal? Realizing this, I felt a surge of emotion.
“I transferred the spirit of ‘myself, who is skilled in exploring and repairing souls’ into myself,” Lu Chan explained regarding his actions.
"You really are incredibly versatile..." Zhu Shi exclaimed.
"Right now, there are fewer things I can't do than things I can do."
Perhaps wanting to impress me, his "boss," Lu Chan added, "Given time, I should be able to reach the Great Completion stage and accomplish even more."
I also asked one more question: "How long exactly is 'given time'?"
"Regarding the issue of breaking through the limits of a demon hunter, I cannot give a specific timeframe. It may be possible to do so soon, or it may be delayed for a long time," Lu Chan said. "However... in fact, I can already summon my 'Great Completion Level Self' right now."
Zhu Shi was shocked: "No... how come your combat power has also increased!"
“What do you mean by ‘power expansion’? Zhu Shi, you may have forgotten that I used to frequently summon my ‘Great Completion Stage self’ a long time ago.” Lu Chan said calmly, “It’s just that back then I still needed the Chenlong to enhance me. After experiencing the ups and downs of life, I have a deeper understanding of my own potential, so now I can do it alone… It’s just that the summoning time cannot be sustained for too long for now, which is not as good as when I had the Chenlong to enhance me in the past.”
"Lu Chan and Chen Long were once a renowned duo in Luoshan. Their mastery of the Great Completion realm was not to be underestimated, and they could even be treated as equals with that arrogant and proud Divine Spear." Old Master Zhu also spoke up for Lu Chan.
Lu Youxun had never demonstrated his fighting prowess in front of me in the past, so even though I knew that Lu Chan was a formidable demon hunter in the past, I found it difficult to naturally regard him as a strong individual.
Considering that Ming Zhuo didn't care at all about the casualties of his high-level demon hunters, yet treated Lu You, who was in a slump, as a trusted confidant, it's possible that even without the "possibility clone" that made Lu Chan so versatile, he himself possessed extremely formidable abilities.
Lu Chan then asked Chang'an to use his magic, which Chang'an did. He used his illusionary powers to transform into different appearances, even imitating Zhu Shi and me. Perhaps because the serious-looking old Mr. Zhu was nearby, Chang'an didn't joke around and transform into Silver Moon this time.
Although I knew that Chang'an had a rather complicated background, in my mind, Chang'an was still a strong ordinary person. But now, seeing him chatting with the people around him while manipulating illusionary powers, I felt very incredible. At the same time, I felt that the vague distance between us seemed to have disappeared.
Previously, I wanted to sever ties with Chang'an in effect because I was worried about the negative consequences of Ma Zao's jinx constitution. If he now possesses the power to protect himself, perhaps there would be no need for me to do that anymore.
Lu Chan concluded all the inspections of Chang'an and then gave the conclusion: "Everything is normal."
"Chang'an, to what extent can your illusion magic reach?" I asked. "Can you turn illusions into reality like Silver Moon did?"
"I'll give it a try."
As Chang'an spoke, he stretched out his right hand, and a fist-sized stone appeared out of thin air in his palm.
This looks exactly like a real stone, even my senses tell me so. And it wasn't summoned from somewhere; it truly appeared out of thin air. Zhu Shi and I both tried touching it, and the texture was perfectly normal. It seems Chang'an really did create a stone using the power to turn illusion into reality.
Soon, the stone disappeared from our sight, just like sugar dissolving in hot water.
“…No.” Chang’an let out a weary sigh. “I can’t make my fantasies exist permanently in the real world like Silver Moon can. I can only make them exist temporarily, and the matter I create seems unable to travel far from me…”
"The scale and precision are also very small. If it were the Silver Moon, it could use its power to distort the flow of time and the state of space of an entire mountain, or it could manipulate atoms and molecules in the microscopic realm; while at present, the most I can influence is only the matter and energy within the range of this room, and I can only exert influence at the macroscopic level."
"Ultimately, I feel that the power of the Silver Moon is not used to influence reality at all; it should be the complete 'power to manipulate illusions'..."
Chang'an's ability to influence reality with illusionary powers is likely simply because he is, in essence, the Silver Moon, yet he cannot truly alter reality as freely as the Silver Moon. This is mostly because his core beliefs differ from the Silver Moon's.
To view reality as a dream or illusion, and then exert influence upon it, is a powerful force, but also a tragic one. Essentially, it is a force unique to a dark mind—a rejection and disregard for reality, a disbelief in anything that exists within it.
“It’s actually a good thing that it’s difficult to use,” said Old Master Zhu. “If one day you suddenly find that this power is easy to use, that would be a terrible thing. Because that would mean that your spirit is moving toward the realm of the Silver Moon.”
"Even if the Silver Moon's cognition becomes fragmented and is suppressed in your unconscious realm and cannot be revived, it is only the destruction of the previous Silver Moon. You yourself may become the next Silver Moon."
"Magic is the manifestation of the soul and consciousness. 'Turning illusions into reality' is the power of the Silver Moon. To advance on this path is to imitate the Silver Moon. For you, this will inevitably come with the risk of eventually becoming the Silver Moon. Therefore, it is best not to use this skill unless absolutely necessary in the future."
"I see..." Chang'an crossed his arms and nodded. "In other words, this is a power that carries the risk of corruption when used..."
As he spoke, he winked at me and said, "Acheng, aren't you envious of this setting?"
"Do you have some strange stereotypes about me?" I asked.
"Speaking of which, brother, what level of power can you unleash right now?" Zhu Shi asked with great interest. "Could it be that even you have experienced a power surge and reached the Great Completion stage...?"
After thinking for a moment, Chang'an said, "I don't really understand how Witchers classify their levels. I'm not sure what level I am at right now."
“Based on my analysis of Zhu Chang’an’s soul, in terms of sheer power, he should be able to unleash a level of strength right now,” Lu Chan said. “And this is just the tip of the iceberg of his true power. Deep within his soul, or rather, in his unconscious realm, lies a magical power that even ordinary Great Completion level Wuchang (a type of magical being) cannot match.”
"If, as Elder Zhu said, he loses control and goes berserk due to overuse of Silver Moon's techniques, this portion of his Great Completion level or higher mana might leak out from his unconscious domain."
Mr. Zhu continued, "This is a risk that cannot be ignored. He must gradually learn how to tame his own power in the future to avoid accidents that could affect those around him."
"Even without considering the hidden power, this kid Chang'an is currently sitting on a level of magical power but has no idea how to use it. It's a complete waste of his talent. Even a well-trained level-one Wuchang might be able to defeat him."
"If he were a natural-born master of the Great Perfection rank, the sheer instinctive exertion of his power might contain profound mysteries that countless demon hunters could only dream of... No, in reality, he is indeed a natural-born master of the Great Perfection rank, but that belongs to the Silver Moon faction. As a human, he still needs to start learning from the very basics."
"Therefore, I suggest that he first enter the academy in Luoshan that trains demon hunters for further study."
Chang'an's mouth dropped open: "Huh? I've already awakened extraordinary powers, and I still have to go to school?"
“Luoshan Academy…” Lu Chan agreed, “It has very rich educational resources. Even many demon hunters from aristocratic families go there for further studies. More than half of the demon hunters in Luoshan graduated from there. I recommended Kong Da to study there before, but unfortunately he lacked the talent… However, Zhu Chang’an will definitely be fine.”
“Don’t worry about it being too boring there. I heard that outstanding students of Luoshan Academy can obtain the qualification of reserve demon hunters in advance during their studies, and carry out practical activities in society under the guise of handling strange events.” Zhu Shi also said, “For example, Dong Che, whom Zhuang Cheng also came into contact with, is said to be a top disciple of the Divination Master, but he is also a fourth-year student of Luoshan Academy, and sometimes he goes out to carry out missions.”
"Also, if you really find it boring, you can try skipping a grade. With your magical power, as long as your grades in the compulsory courses aren't too bad, skipping a grade shouldn't be too difficult."
Chang'an seemed to realize that he needed to learn how to manipulate magic. Then, as if he had thought of something, a look of interest appeared on his face, and his body became restless. He said, "I see... With a fox demon sealed inside me, should I start as a low-level ninja in the world of demon hunters...?"
Zhu Shi reflexively retorted, "What 'genin'?! Where have you been thinking?!"
Mr. Zhu said in a deep voice, "However, in order to prevent the evil magic power in your body from leaking out, we will also set up dozens of sealing spells in your body, and we will also place confidential monitors in your class as your classmates. At the same time, your teachers will also become monitors."
"When you go berserk and lose control, the academy will sound the highest-level disaster alarm, and Luo Shan's secret forces will immediately mobilize to deal with you as an extremely high-risk target for suppression..."
Hearing these threatening remarks, Chang'an's expression became increasingly tempted, as if he were brimming with inexhaustible energy. Zhu Shi, on the other hand, couldn't help but clutch his head and shout, "Grandpa, don't add fuel to the fire! Don't you know that the more you say that, the more excited my brother will become? And Senior Brother Zhuang, don't look at me with that envious expression!"
“…I’m not envious, am I?” I said.
In conclusion, the matter of Chang'an has come to an end.
Considering he was "just recovering from a serious illness," we let him rest in his room for a while before leaving together. It seemed Mr. Zhu and Lu Chan were about to get busy again, but Zhu Shi suddenly called out to Mr. Zhu in the hallway, saying he had a question he wanted to ask. Lu Chan seemed to know what Zhu Shi wanted to ask and stopped, intrigued. I stopped as well.
"What's your problem?" Mr. Zhu asked.
“Grandpa, you’ve been developing your followers’ influence at the Luoshan headquarters in Zhuang Cheng’s name lately… right?” Zhu Shi asked. “Developing followers’ influence helps to strengthen Zhuang Cheng’s anchoring power as the Great Impermanence in the strange world, which is why I’m doing this.”
“That’s right,” Mr. Zhu nodded. “Is there a problem with that?”
Zhu Shi glanced at Lu Chan almost imperceptibly before continuing, "But I've heard that merely developing the power of believers is unreliable in terms of anchoring the Great Impermanence."
"From the perspective of the believers, as long as the Great Impermanence can continue to serve as their faith totem, it is not important whether the Great Impermanence himself exists... After all, in the eyes of ordinary believers, the Great Impermanence is an existence that is unattainable and unseeable."
"Even if Zhuang Cheng becomes the Lost Great Impermanence, it will only become more unattainable. The believers can still exchange their faith for power from the 'Zhuang Cheng' totem. There is no essential difference. This kind of connection is obviously imperfect and needs to be supplemented by other means."
I've heard about this as well, and Mr. Zhu should have known this from the beginning.
Mr. Zhu admitted, "Your understanding is correct."
"Then...Grandpa, is there a way to make up for this?" Zhu Shi asked.
"Yes," Mr. Zhu said, seemingly having already prepared his answer, "and it's very simple."
"What method?" Zhu Shi asked curiously. "Could it be that Zhuang Cheng is to actively participate in the activities of the believers and shorten the social distance between himself and the believers? To be honest, that's the only thing I can think of."
“I think Zhuang Cheng probably doesn’t like that approach…” Lu Chan said.
I agree with that. Rather than participating in various activities like a religious leader, I would rather spend my time on adventure.
Zhu Shi seemed to understand this as well, and asked with great puzzlement, "Then what exactly is the method?"
Mr. Zhu looked intently at his granddaughter, coughed heavily, took a deep breath, and gave an answer that no one had expected.
"As long as you marry Zhuang Cheng, that's all that matters!" he said firmly.
(End of this chapter)
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