Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
"Do you know a saying, 'If there is love, one grows old; the true path of humanity is filled with hardships...'"
"Uh, Teacher Bai... what exactly are you thinking?"
"Ahem, this might not have much to do with the story, but I just wanted to express some feelings!"
"…"
As Lin coughed, Bai Quexin's gaze gradually became distant. He casually opened a bottle and took a sip before handing it to Lin, beginning to recount a long-buried story...
...
The story takes place thirty years ago when Bai Quexin was in his prime, full of passion and ambition. He had just graduated from the Warrior Academy.
It was an era belonging to Bai Quexin. He graduated with the highest honors from the 2432nd class of Wuyuan Star's First Academy. With great aspirations, he formed the most promising rookie Adventure Group, Emperor Star.
Emperor Star—a name that boldly laid their ambitions bare before everyone.
Under Bai Quexin's leadership, Emperor Star showcased their strength. They indeed possessed abilities beyond anyone's imagination, but along with that came an ever-increasing sense of confidence.
When desire blinded their eyes, all they could see were fantasies of success; they were a group of arrogant fools.
Emperor Star was not satisfied with their status and sought to rapidly expand their reputation. Thus, they began to take on missions from Adventure Groups above their level.
Time and again, good fortune led them to believe in this distorted growth. They only saw the results after significant sacrifices but forgot that each time was a brush with death; it was a castle built on the blood of their companions.
"I remember that time very clearly; I will never forget it. Our Emperor Star reached the pinnacle of our strength during the evaluation of the Seventh Level Adventure Group..."
The Adventure Group is also divided into levels, with a total of ten levels. Once you reach level ten, you enter the Adventure Group leaderboard, earning a name that resonates throughout the Star Domain and gaining the opportunity to compete for rankings against the three major Adventure Groups.
"Hey! We were really arrogant back then, so arrogant that we jumped three levels to take on the most dangerous level ten mission... that was our first level ten mission, and also our last level ten mission..."
Emperor Star took on a mission that even the level ten Adventure Groups at the time were unwilling to accept: to eradicate the Reactionary Organization.
"The Reactionary Organization?"
"Yes, the Reactionary Organization, a dark force hidden behind many factions. They once foolishly dreamed of breaking the power structure of the Three Major Star Domains and re-establishing monarchy... It might be too early for you to learn about this; you just need to know that they are a group of ruthless bandits!"
The mission to eliminate the Reactionary Organization turned out to be surprisingly simple. Emperor Star suffered no losses and easily secured that base at the time.
As usual, they completed the mission and enjoyed the joy of victory.
It was a night of revelry; at the Adventure Group's base, Bai Quexin drank himself into a stupor. The dazed Bai Quexin was quickly overwhelmed by everyone and had only a vague memory of last night's celebration.
When he woke up again, Bai Quexin found himself in a position at the back mountain of the base, with two Vice Captains lying beside him. It seemed that the three had gone wild from drinking and had come to the back mountain to discuss life.
At this point, Bai Quexin fell silent for a moment. His gaze grew deeper, and a hint of sadness spread in his eyes as he sighed—a long sigh.
"You can't imagine what I saw inside the base; it was hell, my personal hell from which I could never escape."
Except for Bai Quexin and the two who had narrowly escaped, the entire Emperor Star base had been slaughtered without leaving a single survivor. The scene resembled that of their eradication of the Reactionary Organization's base.
The Reactionary Organization had returned for revenge!
The reason this level ten mission was abandoned by various Adventure Groups was precisely due to its chain reaction. It stirred up the Reactionary Organization's sub-base, creating enmity with them. This grudge would only be forgotten by the world after one side was completely annihilated.
Bai Quexin pressed his lips together, feeling somewhat uneasy; he was just drinking.
Lin Mili's gaze gradually faded as she pondered, "Next, Teacher Bai, you organized people to take revenge and killed many members of the Reactionary Organization, which is how you earned the title Killer God Bai, right?"
"You're right, but not entirely."
After suffering a significant blow, Bai Quexin disbanded the Emperor Star. It was a disbandment, but in reality, it only involved sending away those two Vice Captains while he himself began a life akin to that of a demon.
Alone with a sword, he wandered through the starry seas. He was a demon, single-handedly eliminating countless members of the Reactionary Organization. He was a lone wolf who quietly moved on to the next location after wiping out a Counter-Revolutionary Base.
Revenge permeated all of Bai Quexin's days before he became a teacher.
"So, what made you stop?"
"What made me stop? Kindness? Or perhaps I was just tired? I don't even know myself."
For the last time, Bai Quexin confirmed the location of the Reactionary Organization's base. He stealthily infiltrated it, preparing for another act of 'justified slaughter,' but after witnessing a certain scene, he turned and left.
"What did you see?"
"A family of three; the mother was feeding her child. I saw maternal love in her eyes. The husband served food to his wife, and there was affection in his gaze. The child smiled genuinely..."
"Even though they are part of the Reactionary Organization resisting the rule of the Star Alliance, they are still emotional and intelligent beings. At that moment, I thought maybe I was wrong."
Bai Quexin did not continue this story; for him, it had already reached its conclusion.
He sought revenge and eliminating the Reactionary Organization was not wrong; it was his sense of justice. But upon reflection, he realized that slaughtering innocent members of the Reactionary Organization was merely a way to vent the pain within him.
In the end, Bai Quexin lost his true self. He didn't know whether he was acting heroically or had already been transformed into a demon by hatred, like the villains in the upper echelons of the Reactionary Organization.
"Looking back, your hands are stained with the blood of innocent people. That's why you became a teacher, choosing to educate others to atone for yourself."
Bai Quexin let out a bitter laugh, glanced at Lin, and raised his Bottle, clinking it against Lin's Bottle, producing a crisp sound.
"Atone? Perhaps. I only know that to be a martial artist, one needs a strong heart to navigate the Starry Sea Jianghu. In the end, I am just a failure."
Both raised their Bottles and gulped down the strong liquor. As the alcohol went down, it intoxicated them and blurred their vision, yet their hearts became increasingly clear.
"The dead are already gone; those of us who are alive must live well. As for how to live, that's your choice. If you want to be a martial artist, you can only let your weakness die and allow your sense of justice to thrive within you."
"My sense of justice? Teacher Bai, what exactly is justice? Slaughtering evildoers and robbing the rich to help the poor?"
"I don't know. That is your own sense of justice; you can only choose for yourself. My sense of justice now is simply to be a good martial arts teacher, helping you seeds of the next generation sprout and grow into strong trees."
"I see. To find my sense of justice, do I first need to eliminate weakness?"
Lin's gaze was hazy, as if something within him had awakened. Bai Quexin looked at Lin deep in thought, smiled, lit a cigarette, and gazed up at the Endless Star Sea.
As they exchanged drinks, both became drunk, thoroughly intoxicated. They looked at each other and laughed foolishly, knowing that when they woke up from this drunkenness, life would no longer be the same...
Comment 0 Comment Count