Chapter 8 - Chapter 8 What It Means to Be Human

The young man's face had turned pale by now, fine beads of sweat dotting his forehead, yet he forced himself to stand tall, slowly lifting his head with a smile on his lips. "Thank you for your teachings, Senior. I shall pass them on." With those words, the young man turned and led his men away. The old man's expression remained as cold as ever. He closed his eyes once more, and the scepter dimmed gradually before sinking back into his body. ... A week passed before anyone knew it. Staring at the crystals, now completely drained of energy, Yu Sheng stood up, swept the dust-covered room, and dismantled the traps by the door and windows. He threw open the windows to clear the stale, murky air from the house. Almost at the exact same moment, the phone rang. "Hello, is this Yu Sheng?" Liu Qingfeng's voice came through the receiver. Yu Sheng sank onto the sofa, holding the phone and uttering a soft "Hmm." Seemingly accustomed to Yu Sheng's sparse way of speaking, Liu Qingfeng continued, "Come back to school tomorrow morning." "Because of what happened in Xinhai City, the Mo Pavilion is taking this extremely seriously. It seems to be tied to some higher-up plan—details are above my pay grade." "But tomorrow, people from the Monster Extermination Pavilion will be here to conduct a proficiency assessment for all Novice-rank Awakened." "Outstanding candidates will be allocated resources." "This assessment is crucial. I'd guess only a handful of spots are up for grabs per school." "Win or lose, give it your all." Liu Qingfeng spoke in thorough detail—covering the assessment process, timing, and even potential pitfalls, leaving nothing out. Yu Sheng listened in silence. "Got it." He replied with another single syllable. "Alright, then. Prepare well." "Just one more question—why can't I get through to your father's phone?" Liu Qingfeng asked, confused. Yu Sheng thought earnestly for a moment. "Probably because cell phones aren't allowed in prison." ... Silence fell on the other end of the line. A few seconds later, the call disconnected. There was no denying it—no matter how rational a person was, talking to Yu Sheng for too long left one with a tight, uncomfortable feeling in the chest. As the person who communicated with Yu Sheng the most, Liu Qingfeng understood this all too well. Yu Sheng set the phone down. He stood by the window, staring off into the distant sky, lost in thought. After a moment, he snapped back to his senses, flipped through the calendar hanging on the wall, and murmured, "Still... 312 days left." What this date signified, no one could have known. ... The next day, Yu Sheng returned to school and took his seat. Most of his classmates were buzzing with excitement. Though they'd been disheartened to learn their talent was far less extraordinary than they'd imagined, and that the dream of being a world-saving hero was out of reach, their dejection had quickly given way to the thrill of something new. After all, talent was just the starting point, not the end. The only one of the Mo Pavilion's Ten Elders who operated in the open was said to have awakened only a Five-Pattern Egg back in the day. With such a precedent, they could dare to dream of the future once more, free of doubt. To become a pillar of humanity, to fend off ten thousand monsters alone. It was enough to make any young heart burn with passion. Yu Sheng might as well have belonged to a different world. Seated in the corner, he was a stark outsider among them all. Soon, Liu Qingfeng walked in with a solemn expression, his gaze sweeping the class. "There's a change of plans. I just got word—this time, the provincial delegation includes not only people from the Monster Extermination Pavilion, but also the Guard Department and the Reserve Corps." "And the assessment format has been revised." "Each school will nominate five students for an elimination-style assessment." As Liu Qingfeng's words died away, the classroom erupted into an uproar. It seemed every single student was already imagining themselves as one of the school's five representatives. After all, there were only three junior Awakened schools in the entire Mobei City—which meant just fifteen students would compete in total. Even being eliminated in the first round would put them in the sights of the high command. And that was a one-way ticket to a higher standing. They were young, but not foolish. They all knew just how much was at stake. In an instant, every eye in the room was fixed on Liu Qingfeng. "For our class..." "The principal has personally selected Yu Sheng to take a spot." Liu Qingfeng paused, then spoke, his eyes falling on Yu Sheng with a hint of confusion. Though Yu Sheng was withdrawn, his various performance metrics were solid enough. As his homeroom teacher, he knew that much for certain. But what he couldn't fathom was that Yu Sheng's metrics were merely excellent by school standards—hardly enough to secure one of the five spots, let alone earn the principal's personal attention. Could it be that he had connections... in his family? Liu Qingfeng's mind raced with speculation. Yesterday, on the phone, Yu Sheng had said his father was in prison. Had he misinterpreted? Could his father work in prison? As a senior official, perhaps? But Mobei City was a tiny place—everyone knew everyone else's business. There was no one with the surname Yu among the prison's senior staff. "Why him?!" "Yeah! Who among us isn't better than him?!" "This is rigged!" The students erupted in anger, shouting their protests. At the Novice rank, physical strength was the sole measure of one's power. Yu Sheng's gaunt frame made him look like nothing more than a bystander. Why did he get to go?! For a moment, the classroom was a storm of righteous fury. Liu Qingfeng watched them calmly, waiting for their emotions to ebb before speaking in a cold, steady voice. "You're unhappy? Fine." "Truth be told, I don't know why Yu Sheng was selected either." "But that's no excuse for this outburst." "If Yu Sheng has what it takes, this only proves he's humble and unassuming—and that you're not his equal." "And even if this is rigged, as you claim—so what?" "Remember this: in this world, all power is paid for with the blood and lives of our ancestors!" "Do you think when the monsters attack the city one day, you'll shout 'unfair' at them too?" "If life feels unfair to you, bear it. Hone your strength. Until the day you're strong enough to shatter the rules you resent." "Don't stand here whining like helpless children." Liu Qingfeng's face was grave as he spoke. Gradually, the students fell silent, their heads hanging low. "Yu Sheng, go to the principal's office." "He wants to see you." Liu Qingfeng's voice softened, his eyes on Yu Sheng. "Okay." Yu Sheng nodded, and under the watchful eyes of every student in the class, he stood up, pushed the door open, and left. "Remember this—you have no time for idle daydreams of the future!" "Instead of chasing impossible fantasies, train hard. Even a tiny boost in strength could save your life when the crisis comes!" "You see the high-ranking human officials on the news—do you think their lives are all glory and ease?" "Do you envy them?" "Do you have any idea what lies beneath that glory? A body covered in scars!" "Those scars are a mark of protection!" "If all you see is their power and their prestige, you will never understand what it means to be human!"