Chapter 20: I Will Not Be Alone (1/2)
Chapter 20: I Will Not Be Alone
Su Chen locked himself in his room and thought about it for three days.
After three days, he returned to the stone room, where Shi Kaihuang was sitting, cooking a pot of meat.
The pot and flame were formed out of Origin Energy, and only the Vicious Beast meat was real. The meat roasted in midair under the support of the Origin Energy, until it was cooked all the way through.
Seeing Su Chen walking over, Shi Kaihuang asked “Have you thought it through yet?”
“Yes. I’ve thought it through,” Su Chen replied.
“So what’s your answer?”
“Before I give you my answer, I want to tell you about the way that I see things. First, I have to confess, that the words you spoke to me three days ago gave me quite the scare. I was a bit indecisive after I discovered that I was not as selfless as I thought. I said that I wanted to do something for the human race, but not by making that kind of sacrifice. I was unwilling to throw myself into the fire for the sake of saving others. But after contemplating later on, although everything you said may be true, it has yet to occur, right? So in the end, this is all just your speculation.”
“Yes, but I’m not just taking random shots in the dark,” Shi Kaihuang replied.
“I know, but I believe that while there is a dark side to this world, there is also light. Light and darkness always coexist. In other words, while all the negative things you mentioned may exist, this does not mean that only negative things exist by any stretch of the imagination. I trust that there are many wonderful things waiting for us. Even though you didn’t mention them, that doesn’t mean that they don’t exist.”
Shi Kaihuang’s eyes revealed a trace of ridicule. “Is this the reassurance you are giving yourself for walking down this path? Tricking yourself into believing that there is light in this world?”
“If there’s no light, then what are you?” Su Chen countered.
Shi Kaihuang was speechless.
This was the first time that Shi Kaihuang had been refuted by Su Chen to the point of speechlessness.
Su Chen said, “I was once blinded for three years. In those three years, I lived in constant darkness, and it seemed as if my life had no hope. But I never gave up on myself. I continued to strive and fight, which is why I’m alive here today. Back then, many people asked me why I continued to persevere……”
He paused for a moment, then continued, “It was hope. I believed that one day, my eyes would recover. I didn’t want to be completely unprepared when that day came. Because of a little hope, I gritted my teeth and persevered, no matter how many obstacles blocked my path. Senior Shi, believe me, I have already experienced what it’s like to walk in darkness and what it’s like to be surrounded by evil wolves. Everything that you mentioned, I have tried before, but I did not surrender. Right now, the future that you are talking about is just a future that you imagined based on the encounters and experiences that you have had…… There are four critical steps, and you haven’t even taken the second step yet, right? So in these inferences, there are too many other possibilities or changes that might occur, indicating that there is more hope in the future.”
Upon reaching this point, Su Chen’s voice became slightly louder and more passionate. “Even in the darkest period of my life, both literally and figuratively, I was able to grasp onto a tiny bit of hope to continue. So now, what excuse do I have to give up?”
“That’s why I’m here. I still want to take this path.”
“But unfortunately, it’s not because of the reasons that you expected. It’s not from a determination to sacrifice myself for the greater good, and it’s not from a desire to dedicate my entire life to raising the human race to eminence. Rather, it’s because I believe that this world is still full of hope, and because I still have hope for humanity. I believe that in the future there will not only be darkness but also light. After all, I am an expert in finding light within the darkness!”
“I believe that I will not be alone!”
“……”
Silence.
A long silence.
After the time it takes for half a stick of incense to burn, Shi Kaihuang finally spoke. “I am not a very smart person…… on the battlefield, there is no room for small tricks. The entire time, I wanted a student who would fight to live on a field of death, so to speak – one with the resoluteness and audacity to forge onwards no matter what the difficulty was.”
Upon hearing these words, Su Chen’s heart sank.
Shi Kaihuang continued, “But unexpectedly, the student I accepted in the end is someone who is cunning and good at arguments, who possesses elegant, articulate speech and who has his own way of thinking, even becoming disillusioned with my way of thinking. Perhaps this is fate.”
Upon hearing these words, Su Chen’s heart was filled with joy and excitement.
Shi Kaihuang said, “Well, come with me.”
As he spoke, he stood up, heading towards the forest behind him.
Su Chen didn’t know what he was planning on doing. He did not dare to speak carelessly, so he followed silently behind Shi Kaihuang.
The two of them walked in this manner. They passed through the small forest and walked down a long, winding corridor. After walking past numerous pavilions and towers, they arrived in front of a group of towers.