This exchange with Gua Tianshi has been highly beneficial to .
Not only did I gain much information about Doomsday, but I also learned about the attitudes of the Great Impermanents towards it, and gained new insights into Extraordinaryism and Governance Ideology.
In the past, whenever I heard about the conflict between Extraordinaryism and Governance Ideology, I would assu it’s re vulgar political strife, which clashed with the enchanted adventure I held in my heart, exuding an air of mundanity. So, while I deed gathering this information necessary, I was reluctant to delve into it deeply.
However, Gua Tianshi offered a new perspective. The view that the Great Impermanents have on civilization is vastly different from that of ordinary demon hunters in Luo Mountain, transcending both spatial scale and temporal scope. While demon hunters and ordinary people still fight for societal power in this era, Gua Tianshi seemingly sees further into the future. Everything might have its phase of qualitative change following quantitative change, and it seems the Great Impermanents have also encountered this phenonon in this regard.
As for Gua Tianshi’s theory of "allowing civilization to make more mistakes while the Great Impermanents still have strength to back it up, for example, letting Extraordinaryism rule society for three or four centuries first," I do not completely agree.
It’s not that I have firm objections, but simply because I lack historical and political insight, so I cannot say if I agree or disagree. I find Gua Tianshi’s propositions self-consistent yet still doubtful; from past experiences, theories that initially seem reasonable are often refuted by other reasonable theories, and in turn, these are supplanted by even newer ones. Hence, I cannot completely trust a theory just because it appears coherent.
Moreover, although I now view the conflict between Extraordinaryism and Governance Ideology with more interest, it still fails to ignite a passion that compares to "adventure." At most, I am less impatient than before.
Mazao and I head toward the sanatorium. Originally, I intended to et Divine Light again, but since Gua Tianshi prophesized I would encounter the Old Fist God upon returning, I planned to return first for a look.
Watching Mazao holding my hand and feeling the warmth of her palm, I recalled the words she had spoken in front of Gua Tianshi.
"I’m sorry, Mazao," I said.
Mazao looked at with puzzlent and asked, "Why the sudden apology?"
"When Gua Tianshi asked if you wanted to remove your Broom Star Physique, I actually didn’t want you to remove it."
Even though she hadn’t asked, I chose to confess my true thoughts. When Mazao declined Gua Tianshi’s suggestion before I could respond, I was honestly relieved. Yet this relief might be seen as despicable, allowing my true feelings to remain hidden was a form of avoidance, sothing I could not permit myself to do.
"I knew that," Mazao said, "because you accepted for this."
More than that, I truly like Mazao. Within , there is a desire to use Mazao, and also a liking for her as a person—both are part of . Yet, since my heart’s balance inclined towards the forr, discussing the latter in front of her could seem insincere. So I kept quiet.
But Mazao seed unfazed, her face radiating genuine joy.
"Zhuang Cheng, I want to help you," she said, "as long as you’re happy, I’m willing to give you anything, do anything for you."
"...And what about you, Mazao?" I asked, "Is there anything you want from ?"
"?" she seed puzzled.
"Yes, anything. Just tell ," I said.
Mazao seed cornered by the question. She pondered, appeared troubled, and after a long while said, "...I can’t think of anything."
I hoped she would make a request, even an unreasonable one, so I could fulfill it. Why did I feel this way? Was it because I sensed that a relationship only where I used her wasn’t healthy, or because I thought that by fulfilling her wishes, I’d ease my conscience in sacrificing her in the future?
After she gave this answer, a hollowness erged in . Regardless of my true intentions, one thing seed certain: just as she perhaps found joy in my demands, I also wanted fulfillnt from hers.
This desire surprised , for I had never wanted to be needed by anyone, nor had I thought I could find satisfaction in being needed.
As I contemplated this, Mazao seed to watch my expression, then continued, "So... can I reserve this for the future?"
"The future?" It felt like a new vitality entered my heart.
"I’m already very, very content now, but..." Mazao seed to gather courage, "maybe I’ll feel insatiable in the future, wanting to ask more from you... so I’ll reserve that request for later."
"Okay, I’ll wait," I said.
"But by then, you might think I’m too greedy," Mazao seed a bit uneasy.
"I absolutely won’t," I stated firmly.
Mazao hesitantly nodded, then asked, "...Zhuang Cheng, do you think the way we are now isn’t okay?"
"Maybe one day I’ll choose adventure over you," I said, "even though such a binary choice seems like a self-tornt, an option like that was just before just now."
"I think, even if I make that choice, I won’t regret it, but that will be the after the choice. The right now feels that doing so might..."
I found it difficult to express to her. The that seeks adventure and the that cherishes relationships are both , but after making a choice, one part of is bound to be damaged. Not only sacrificing Mazao for adventure would be like this, but sacrificing adventure for Mazao would also disrupt my sense of self.
Perhaps this is why many find this dilemma inherently loathso; neither choice seems wholly right, and the more one ponders, the more contradictory it becos.
Mazao, upon hearing this, displayed a look of "is that all it is" on her face.
"Isn’t this problem easy to solve?" she said.
"Easy?" It felt like a challenge, "Then tell , what should I do?"
She gazed directly at .
"I’ll accompany you on your adventures, to the ends of the earth, until you are very, very full... then you can choose ," she said.
This statent struck my mind like thunder. And after saying it, she seed to lose so confidence and added nervously, "...as long as you haven’t grown tired of ."
"...There’s not a single part of you that I could tire of," I tightened my grip on her hand.
-
It wasn’t long before I returned to the sanatorium.
Given that I might encounter the Old Fist God next, and considering his power greatly exceeded mine, and his nature was unknown, I cautiously left Mazao outside and entered alone. I soon arrived at my room, pushed open the door, and entered.
An unexpected guest had already arrived ahead of .
However, in the room were not one, but two people, neither of whom were the Old Fist God.
They were both Void Envoys.
"You finally returned, did you just go see Gua Tianshi?"
Divine Light stood in the middle of the room speaking to . Before I opened the door, he had already sensed my approach, turning to the doorway, and naturally, I had also detected his presence beforehand.
Weichi, anwhile, sat in a chair nearby, seemingly lacking common topics with Divine Light, having been in ditation until I opened the door when he then opened his eyes. At first glance, he seed even more imposing than the Great Impermanence Divine Light beside him, but I felt it was neither because Divine Light was laid-back nor Weichi arrogant, rather that neither had much sense of mundane etiquette. Chairs were simply there for anyone to sit.
For so reason, I had an odd feeling, like I was overlooking sothing, yet I couldn’t recall what.
"Divine Light... did you want to see ?" I asked.
"Yes, it’s sothing very important and secret," Divine Light replied.
As he spoke, that sense of ignoring sothing slipped away, and even if I wanted to pursue it, I could not.
"For the past three days, I’ve been waiting for you to visit. Yet, you remained aloof, even knowing I invited you over, but didn’t co. Was your injury severe? It’s understandable. Anyway, I am free now, so I ca to you," Divine Light continued. "On my way here, I thought Weichi was at headquarters too, so I brought him along."
Weichi let out a soft snort, appearing displeased, yet hesitant to show it openly in front of the Great Impermanence, only managing a slightly awkward display of negative emotion.
Divine Light gave Weichi a sidelong glance and said, "You fancy yourself as one destined to counter the Old Fist God, so feel free to voice any thoughts."
Weichi remained silent.
"You want to discuss things related to the Void Realm, correct?" I said to Divine Light, "What about the other Void Envoys, aren’t they coming?"
"Besides the three of us, the others are either great enemies like Xuanming and Xu Gou of Luo Mountain, people of the future, or one who has never spoken to us from the start... it’d be rather unusual if they showed up."
While speaking, Divine Light made a simple gesture in the air.
The door behind closed automatically. Simultaneously, a complex mana fluctuation enveloped the room, sealing it like a sphere. This seed to prevent information from leaking. From this mont, even the Great Impermanence could not easily eavesdrop on the conversation inside.
With and Divine Light here, even our re desire to keep information contained would automatically render the place a secure Divine Domain. Divine Light’s actions underscored the conversation’s confidentiality.
"Let begin by stating my purpose,"
Divine Light lowered his hand, looked at both Weichi and , then continued, "I intend to kill the Master of the Divine Seal."
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