"For the sake of survival, creatures struggle over resources. Kill him, bully him, humiliate him, ignite his hatred and anger—who cares? As long as he is weak, he will never complain."
"But who knows? The weak may one day gain strength to avenge himself, or receive the support of a power that can shatter the fangs of the one who destroyed him."
"That is why sayings such as 'uproot the weeds from their roots' are famous. They embody the core of the problem—the endless desires and cravings of mankind."
"Only two dare to act otherwise: one who is absolutely powerful, and one who is an utter fool."
"The one with absolute power can toy with the weak in the palm of his hand. In the end, can an ant ever escape from a discarded candy?"
"As for the fool, he is led by his own vanity and idiocy to spare the weak, satisfying his desire to see the weak suffer. This alone is a sin, a living embodiment of the word 'stupidity.'"
With a wave of a hand, the world shifted instantly. From pitch black, it transformed into a breathtaking scene.
At the foot of a mountain stretched a land without end, reaching the horizon.
The clouds formed a disk around the mountain's midsection, revealing only the sheer height and majesty of the peak that pierced the heavens.
A flock of birds circled and soared upward. At first glance, they seemed to play and frolic.
But in truth, they were fleeing from a formidable predator chasing them—a winged beast capable of erasing them with a single strike.
"Do you see that bird? Its strength deceived it into believing this flock of ants could never threaten it for all eternity."
"But in reality, it was the fool who fell into their trap."
Suddenly, the predator beast was intercepted by another creature. But this time, the guardian that came to defend the flock was far stronger than the attacker.
"Watch closely what will happen now."
Without lifting a claw, the attacking beast faltered, its body trembling in weakness.
The guardian looked at it with disdain, unleashed a terrible roar, and struck it dead in a single instant.
Wearing the features of triumph and majesty, the guardian turned proudly, intending to boast before the flock it had saved.
But what it never expected—was that the flock had already departed… toward its eggs!
Driven to madness, the guardian launched itself at full speed back to its nest.
But alas—it was too late. The lives of its young had long since been devoured, even though it had arrived in but a moment.
The guardian screamed with hatred and vengeance, disturbing the mightier beasts, who in turn slew it.
"Do you see? Two foolish simpletons. The first was blinded by his own strength, forgetting wisdom. The second was blinded by righteousness, forgetting that evil may lie even in the noblest and purest of beings."
"Now… you know which one you were, don't you… Zhang Yu…?"
A finger formed from nothingness, pointing at something unseen.
Suddenly, the world collapsed, hurling Zhang Yu away.
He shot up as if loosed from a bow, crying out, "Wuqing!!"
His eyes were wide with disbelief, utterly stunned.
"Haah… haah… haah…" His breaths came heavy and ragged, eyes stretched open to their limit.
He looked at his hand, touching it with the other. "This feels real… I'm still alive!" he thought.
"Urgh!" As soon as he moved, the pain returned. His chest was wrapped in cloth to cover and seal his wounds.
"So you've awakened?" A man's voice rang out. Despite his attempts, its softness could not be concealed.
Zhang Yu froze, slowly moving his eyes toward the source of the voice.
His pupils shrank, his eyes widening in shock—as if before him stood not a human, but a nightmare.
"Y-You…?!"
"Hahaha! Why do you look like you've seen a demon? We've met before!"
"Though our last meeting ended with me utterly crushing you, I also gave you food, didn't I? Hahaha!"
Zhang Yu tried to speak, but his chest tightened, blood gushed forth, and he coughed violently until he spat a mouthful of crimson into his trembling hand.
"Damn it! Xiao'er, help me bring the medicine or he really will die!" The young man rushed to Zhang Yu, laying him down on the bed.
"Don't speak. I know you have many questions, but save them until after you recover."
After a moment's thought, Zhang Yu calmed down. The young man's words were logical—without life, what meaning had questions?
A little later, a small girl ran in breathless, clutching a wide copper bowl.
"Brother—haah—I brought the medicine, please save Uncle!!"
Clear drops formed at the corners of her eyes, about to spill into tears. But the young man said firmly:
"Don't worry, Xiao'er. This is my fault, and I'll make it right. If I fail to heal him, then don't ever call me brother again!"
"Now leave, Xiao'er. We're both men, and you're a girl. It's not proper for you to be here."
The little girl nodded, leaving behind tiny droplets from the depths of her heart.
In truth, the young man merely wanted to spare her from seeing blood, flesh, and exposed bone.
He looked at Zhang Yu with complexity, sighed, and thought:
"What is this boy's body made of? It's anything but ordinary!"
"Why are there no bones in his chest?!"
"When I bandaged him, I found no trace of bones at all! Yet when I touch his chest from the outside, I feel the gaps of ribs. This makes no sense!"
"Wait a moment… I'm sorry, boy, but consider this for your own good."
He stood, moving to the right side of the room. From the table, he took a sharp knife.
Ba-dump.
Ba-dump.
With each step, his heartbeat grew heavier, his face more grim and twisted.
His hand trembled, yet he gripped the knife tightly.
Reaching Zhang Yu, he knelt, pulling away the cloth.
"This…! Impossible!!"
Clang!
His pupils contracted. The knife fell from his violently shaking hand.
It was as though he had seen something no one ever should. He wanted to scream, to flee.
In his eyes lay Zhang Yu's wound. But it was no longer just a wound from a spear.
It had become… a hole piercing straight through Zhang Yu's body!
And if that were all, he would not have been so terrified.
What horrified him was the sight of blood vessels inside the hole—stretching, latching onto the cavity's walls, rebuilding it anew.
There was no blood. Only veins, and fresh flesh forming.
Stranger still—there was no sound, no trace. When he placed cloth over it, it would soak with blood. But the moment he removed the cloth—there was none at all!
"Th-This… n-no… I won't interfere!!"
With terror twisting his face, he staggered toward the exit. Each step heavier than the last—heavy enough to drive him onto all fours.
"Haah… haah… haah…"
"I'm sorry… honored sir!! I should never—this lowly one—should never have meddled with your exalted self!!"
He bowed his head, begging for mercy. His face was hideous—so much so that had his sister seen him then, she would be haunted by nightmares her entire life.
There was nothing there… and yet, he felt mist gather from the void, utterly silent.
Suddenly, from the mist formed a single foggy finger pointing at him—then his brain exploded into fragments across the room.
This was not a simple instant kill. It was something far beyond that.
If it had been mere death, the sequence of power erupting and the head exploding would have made sense.
But in this case—it was as though time itself had fractured, leaping forward to the moment of his exploded head and scattered brain.
And in the next instant—his head was whole again, as if time had bent, rewinding to the moment before his death.
But his face was gone. In its place—a smooth slab of flesh.
"You… will die. But not now. You still… have use."
Was it a voice? No. Anything but a voice. And yet—there were words.
Later, the little girl returned again, running breathlessly with the copper bowl.
"Brother—haah—I brought the medicine, please save Uncle!!"
Tears welled up once more, but the young man told her:
"Don't worry, Xiao'er. This is my fault, and I'll make it right. If I don't heal him, then I'm no brother of yours!"
"Now leave, Xiao'er. We're both men, and you're a girl. It isn't proper for you to stay."
She nodded, leaving behind droplets from the depths of her heart.
The young man only wished she would not see the horrors of blood and bone.
He lifted the bowl of medicine, raising Zhang Yu's head, and fed it to him. Once Zhang Yu drank, the young man finally sighed in relief.
"He should be able to move again in three days. I won't remove the bandages."
"But… didn't I feel like I lost something important? Or maybe… I've simply forgotten…"
He scratched his head with a bitter laugh. "Ah, who cares. Maybe I'm just worn out from all the training."
With that, he left the room, leaving Zhang Yu alone.
---
"Who are you?! Get me out of here!!! I'm suffering!! Aaaagh!!! Who are you people?!!"
A teenager lay upon a slab of wood. Unable to move, only his senses worked.
And from his expression—it seemed he wished even they did not.
Around him was complete darkness. Only himself, the wooden table, and the faceless figures.
Suddenly, all those faceless beings froze. Footsteps echoed toward him. The faceless ones turned, staring fixedly at the owner of the sound.
The teenager was not merely afraid—he was utterly horrified, shrinking back, lifeless.
Yet these were only feelings within. His body itself did not respond.
As the steps drew closer, a shadowy figure appeared. It had a body, and yet none. It had features, and yet none.
But one thing the teenager knew for certain—the words that entered his mind. Words that heralded the end of his torment in that place:
"Eternal Wisdom is immortal!"