Book 3, Chapter 22: Stubborn And Obsessive

At 6:30 p.m., Chen Chuan put on his trench coat and picked up the Frost King Saber before leaving his room. Then, he went to the tram station and boarded.

There weren’t many people taking the tram at this hour, because company employees usually had to work until 11 p.m. or 12 a.m.. It was still some time before the after-work rush hour.

He looked at the city through the Realm Pass. The noise, the bright colors, and the brilliant advertisements assaulted his senses. Even though it had been some time since he reached Central City, what he saw was just the tip of the iceberg. He had yet to come into contact with the rest of the glacier, which would take some time.

Lately, he had been talking with Wu Bei and learned that people had to invest resources into the Realm Nodes to display the ribbons of light. The amount they invested determined how brilliant the ribbons would appear to others. Many people competed for the right to have them, since resources were limited everywhere.

The university was no exception to that. For example, when Chen Chuan came to Martial Valor University, it was still the holidays, and he was alone in the university. Since he was a new student as well, he got to enjoy many of its resources alone. But once the new semester started, things would be different.

Martial Valor University had its own active biosentient entity, which meant that even though resources were limited, they would be enough for all students.

Also, when it came to ribbons of light, Hongfu blurred the line between reality and illusion so brilliantly that she had to be using an even more advanced type of resource. Wu Bei couldn’t explain it.

At 7 p.m., Chen Chuan stood at the tram stop. Since Wu Ruo had asked to meet him at a remote place, the tram didn’t lead straight to it. He had to walk for another thirty minutes to reach the place.

While on the way there, he saw almost no residents, not even gang members. The road was in a bad condition, and the potholes were filled with water. The place was covered in weeds and gravel. However, he occasionally saw bonfires by the road with homeless people sitting around them. A few stray dogs wandered past him too.

At 7:30 p.m., Chen Chuan saw the hill on the map, along with the wooden, two-story house. The lights were on, but no one was around it.

Chen Chuan walked up a weed-covered path. Along the way, he saw plenty of demolished and blown-up houses. When he got close, his second self started blurring out.

He noted it but didn’t stop and went up the hill. When he eventually reached the wooden house, the door opened from within.

Wu Ruo stood inside and said with a smile, “Come in, Chen Chuan. I’ve been waiting for you.”

The house was brightly lit and was the only source of warmth and light in the cold, dark area. Wu Ruo’s smile, too, was sincere and gentle.

“Sorry for the wait,” Chen Chuan apologized.

“No, you were really punctual. Perhaps I’m just not good enough to teach someone like you. Anyway, come in,” Wu Ruo lamented before turning to the side.

Chen Chuan nodded and walked in. The house was neat and tidy. A long table was situated at the center, and a pot of tea was placed on it. Five chairs were positioned on both sides.

Wu Ruo shut the door and said, “Take a seat.”

He then picked up the pot of tea and poured a hot cup for Chen Chuan. “I’m sorry for calling you out so late, but the new semester is about to start in a few days, and I don’t want to see so many people. I don’t want to leave with too many regrets, you know?”

Chen Chuan didn’t sit down. Instead, he went to the window and looked outside. The house was located on higher terrain. From this place, he could see the colorful, brilliant night scenery of Central City.

“The scenery here was really beautiful in the past,” Wu Ruo said. “I lived in one of those demolished houses at the foot of the hill years ago. I wonder if you saw them while coming up here.

“Later on, a company came and said that they wanted to develop the area, so they chased everyone out. I remember that the sky was still dark that day, and it was a cold morning. My family was chased out by armed security guards telling us that someone else now owned the land and all the buildings on it. They then gave us one hour to leave the place.

“I was still young, so I asked my father what was going to happen to the place.

“He told me that this place was going to become like the other parts of the city. Many tall and beautiful houses were going to be built on top of the land. Then, I asked him whether we could live in them later, only for my father to hold me tightly.”

At this point, Wu Ruo sighed. “He passed away when I was ten years old, and I only learned later that he was my greatest home.”

Chen Chuan cast a glance at the foot of the hill, but it was swathed in darkness. “Why is there nothing here, then?”

“Because that real estate project was dropped. The company gave up on it for some reason, leading to the area being forgotten, but we were still unable to come back. Isn’t that funny?”

With a mocking sneer, he gestured to the side. “Look. That was their advertisement back then.”

Chen Chuan turned to where Wu Ruo pointed and saw a long advertisement on the wall. It featured a blue sky covered in white clouds, and under it was a series of towering, majestic buildings that had been meticulously arranged. A rainbow passed over them in the sky, right past where the golden ratio was.

It was a beautiful picture that would make people long to move into the buildings, but when Chen Chuan linked it to the reality outside, he found it ironic. At the bottom right corner was a familiar symbol.

It was a blooming black orchid.

Chen Chuan stared at it for a while. Was Black Orchid Co. the one who wanted the land back then?

“Your contact profile picture is still empty, Chen Chuan. You might be a pragmatist, but don’t ignore it.

“A good profile picture can give others a good impression. It can also tell them your likes and personality. It’s best to choose one. When you communicate with people in the future, it will help them form an impression of you.”

Chen Chuan gave Wu Ruo a scrutinizing look. If he hadn’t known that Wu Ruo had lied to him, he might actually think that he was a good lecturer.

But the things he was saying didn’t seem to be lies. Humans were complicated creatures. Wu Ruo might have gone through something, which was why he had chosen to lie to Chen Chuan.

“Thank you for the advice. I will,” he said.

Wu Ruo smiled and asked, “Why aren’t you drinking your tea, Chen Chuan?”

“It’s still a little hot. I’d like to wait for it to cool down a bit more,” Chen Chuan answered.

“You seldom drink tea, do you? If you did, you’d know that tea should be drunk while hot.”

“I’m just used to drinking it while it’s cooler,” Chen Chuan replied.

Wu Ruo gave a melancholic smile. “With you here, I just can’t help but want to talk. It might be a habit I developed from teaching. I have a tendency to nag and talk to the students. It seems like I won’t be able to change it anytime soon.”

“I checked the list of students you sent me. You’ve taught many people before, and they gave you great reviews. It’s clear that you’re an attentive lecturer. Your students love you,” Chen Chuan pointed out.

“That’s all in the past now.” Wu Ruo shook his head with a bitter smile. “I’ve had plenty of students, and I might have taught them well, but what’s the use of it? They have a limited number of paths they can take in life, and they might die in some gang conflict in the future, leaving behind their younger siblings, who need protection. Then, those siblings will walk down the same path.

“They could also break their spines during the tournaments and be forced to sell their organs to stay alive until one day, they sell the last organ keeping them alive.

“If they’re lucky, they might join a security company or become mercenaries. When they’re old, they’ll retire with all sorts of chronic injuries, and because they used the company’s implants, they’ll be told that they owe the company money. At that point, their only worth will come from being test subjects for new implants.”

He sighed and added, “None of them have a chance at a good future.”

“Did you create Void Training to change their futures, then?” Chen Chuan asked.

Wu Ruo had been immersed in some form of lamentation, but at the mention of Void Training, he composed himself, as if those emotions had never come.

He turned around slowly and stared at Chen Chuan. “Yes, but unfortunately, I was unable to complete it. I need talented students to prove that it’s useful.”

“But you’ve taught so many students in the past. Couldn’t they do it?”

“We tried. Most of them were just normal people, though. Talented martial artists are in the minority, and I’ve only met three up to now. Yet all of them ended up running into a wall at the final step. No one has managed to take down that wall and perfect this training method,” Wu Ruo said regretfully.

After hearing this, Chen Chuan said, “I’ve read the information you sent me. Void Training can stimulate the brain and neural system, but it’s difficult for the average person to achieve it.

“Those who aren’t naturally gifted and have unstable foundations will lose their normal physiological functions if they aren’t able to stop the growth of mutated tissue in time. As a lecturer, you should know this, shouldn’t you?”

“Yes. I do know,” Wu Ruo said with a nod.

“What happened to those students?” Chen Chuan asked while staring at him.

A strange look appeared in Wu Ruo’s eyes. He looked behind Chen Chuan and lamented, “They’re in the closet behind you. They’ve been keeping me company ever since. They’re my best students, so I can’t abandon them. They’ll remain by my side and witness the moment I succeed.”

He then shifted his gaze to Chen Chuan. “I can sense that I’m not far away from reaching that final step. I want to teach you, you know? Since you made it to Central City as a civilian student, there’s no doubt that you have outstanding talent. Your foundation seems sturdy too. If you said yes, you could have perfected Void Training.” His smile widened. “So why did you reject my offer?”

“I’m curious. If I refuse to the very end, how are you going to make me help you perfect Void Training?” Chen Chuan asked.

Wu Ruo’s smile grew wider. “Even if you don’t want to, your brain is here, and all I need is your brain. With certain equipment and medicine, I can keep it alive and stimulate it. Then, I can set up simulations to observe and find the correct path.”

“Equipment, huh? So, a company or someone from the university is supporting your project?” Chen Chuan looked him straight in the eye.

Wu Ruo’s gaze turned cold. “That has nothing to do with you. All you need to do is to contribute to the completion of Void Training.”

“I really made the right decision by rejecting you back then. How could I possibly improve my technique if I studied under vermin like you?” Chen Chuan said sincerely.

Wu Ruo’s face muscles twitched, and his expression turned savage. His bones let out cracking sounds, and the floorboards started trembling. The chandelier above his head began swaying and flickering.

Chen Chuan ignored all the warning signals and slowly brought the Frost King Saber up. While staring at Wu Ruo, he said, “I’d like you to give me some tips on how to improve upon my technique.”

He pushed his thumb up, and the sheath flew off the saber. With a thud, it plunged into the wall, and a chilling light shone in the house.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep