Shackles of Humanity

Luo Kai thought Old Huang was walking too slowly, so he hoisted it onto his shoulder. The creature now weighed nearly two hundred kilograms and was just a massive, slippery lump of blubber, making it very difficult to carry.

After leaving Longyang City, they arrived at the Nili Long Riverbank. Upon seeing the water, Old Huang yapped excitedly, slid off Luo Kai’s back, and wriggled its plump body before jumping in. It played happily in the river, barking nonstop at Luo Kai as if asking him to come in and play.

Luo Kai, however, was completely exhausted and had no energy to deal with it. He sat on the riverbank gasping for air, glancing at Big Beard beside him as if he wanted to say something but held back.

Big Beard, just like him, was lying on the bank, panting. He sighed, "I’m getting old. I’m not what I used to be!"

Seeing that Luo Kai wasn’t getting in, Old Huang took a deep dive. When it resurfaced, it had a fat fish in its mouth, which it tossed at Luo Kai’s feet. It dived back into the river and, in no time, had caught over a dozen large, plump fish, throwing them in front of Luo Kai where they flopped and thrashed about.

Luo Kai was a bit hungry himself, so he got up, found some firewood on the bank, and started a bonfire to roast the fish. Smelling the aroma, Old Huang immediately climbed ashore. Just like old times, it circled him, whimpering nonstop.

After the two men and one "dog" had eaten their fill, they all lay on the ground, staring blankly at the surging river before them.

After a long while, Luo Kai was the first to speak. "Big Beard, thank you."

Big Beard turned his head and glared at him, cursing, "The hell you thanking me for? You damn brat, can’t you learn to control that temper of yours? There were plenty of ways to save your dog, but you just had to do it the hard way. Now you’ve dragged me down with you! I can’t even stay in Longyang City anymore."

Luo Kai scratched his head. "Why can’t you stay? You’re so powerful!"

Big Beard said angrily, "Powerful my ass! I’m just a washed-up old man now. I could’ve enjoyed a few more years of freedom, but no. From now on, trouble’s going to be nipping at my heels, and I won’t be able to shake it."

"Then let’s just leave. The world’s a big place; we can always find somewhere to belong."

Big Beard’s mood gradually calmed. He shook his head. "A pity. As vast as this world is, there is no longer a place for a Grand General!"

Luo Kai didn’t know what to say. A man like Big Beard definitely had a lot of stories, but Luo Kai wasn’t the type to pry into other people’s secrets.

After a moment, Big Beard looked at Old Huang, who was lying on its back snoring, and suddenly asked, "Xiaokai, do you know what a Fierce Beast is?"

Luo Kai had read books about Fierce Beasts, so he nodded. "A little."

"But you’ve never truly seen a Fierce Beast, so you don’t understand how terrifying they are. Right now, Old Huang seems the same as ever, but as it slowly advances, its intelligence will grow. It will possess the same abilities to learn and create that humans have. Do you know what that means?"

Seeing Big Beard’s unusually solemn expression, Luo Kai sat up. "What does it mean?"

Big Beard sighed. "Heaven cannot have two suns. This world can only have one ruler. Between humans and Fierce Beasts, it’s destined that only one can survive. It’s an unbreakable deadlock. You saved Old Huang today, but what will you do if, one day, it suddenly goes on a killing spree against humanity?"

Luo Kai’s heart began to THUMP again. A strong premonition surfaced in his mind once more. He couldn’t help but glance at the loudly snoring Old Huang, his heart filling with worry. "Then... can the War Beast method that Su Wenlin mentioned prevent this from happening?"

Big Beard shook his head. "The War Beast method is actually a form of genetic technology. It creates a kind of genetic entanglement between the human and the Fierce Beast, allowing their minds to connect, just like a pair of twins. It’s an artificially created intimacy. But as the Fierce Beast advances, its free will becomes stronger and stronger. Sooner or later, it will break through that genetic bond."

Luo Kai thought for a moment, then asked doubtfully, "Is there no solution, then?"

"There is. You can prevent the War Beast from advancing. But that only treats the symptom, not the root cause—it just buys time. The only true cure is to kill the War Beast before it can advance!"

Luo Kai was silent. After a long pause, he said, a little uncertainly, "Old Huang was a domestic dog before. Even if its intelligence increases, it probably wouldn’t hurt humans, right?"

Hearing its name mentioned repeatedly, Old Huang woke up. It opened its small eyes and looked quizzically at the two men, as if asking, ’You called?’

Big Beard reached out and stroked Old Huang’s thick belly, saying softly, "Perhaps we’re getting ahead of ourselves. It’s far more difficult for a Fierce Beast to advance than for a human Cultivator. This fellow will most likely remain in the Juvenile Stage its entire life. Even if it gets lucky and reaches the Growth Stage, it’s not that big of a deal."

Old Huang knew that this big-bearded human was the good person who had saved it, so it let him stroke its belly, letting out satisfied grunts.

...

Just as Luo Kai was drowsily drifting off to sleep, Big Beard suddenly stood up. "Alright, Xiaokai. Let’s hope our paths cross again."

"You’re leaving?" Luo Kai quickly scrambled to his feet.

"Yeah. I need to find a new place to hide from trouble."

Big Beard glanced at Luo Kai’s pitiful state, pulled a Small Porcelain Bottle from his robes, and tossed it over, his face a mask of pained reluctance. "It’s yours."

"What’s this?" Luo Kai asked, catching it in confusion.

"Inside is a Tiger Bone Divine Pill. It’s made from the bone marrow of a Fierce Beast and should help recover from your injuries a bit. Little guy, don’t you ever use that kind of life-draining Secret Technique again. From the looks of you, you’ve probably only got about ten years left to live. Sigh!"

Luo Kai, of course, knew his own condition, but it had always been beyond his control. He was touched and said sincerely, "Thank you, Big Beard."

Big Beard continued rambling, "You should learn from me more. Enjoying life is the true meaning of existence. Don’t be such a hothead. And hurry up and find yourself a girl! Don’t be like me, waiting until you’re old and unwanted to start regretting it!"

...

Big Beard took a few steps, then suddenly turned back. "Xiaokai, don’t pay too much mind to all that talk of Astrology. It’s the most illusory nonsense. Besides, ’the Great Dao is fifty, but heaven uses forty-nine, leaving one to escape.’ In all things, there is always a sliver of hope hidden in the great unknown!"

’He’s right,’ Luo Kai stood there, stunned. ’So many things only exist if you believe in them. If I keep obsessing over this Astrology nonsense, I might just make it come true. That’s the power of the Spirit. Modern sociology even has the famous Murphy’s Law: if you worry about something happening, it’s more likely to happen.’

The knot that had been tightening in his heart for days began to loosen with Big Beard’s words. His mood lifted, and he shouted at Big Beard’s retreating back, "Big Beard, you still haven’t told me your name!"

Big Beard waved his hand without turning. "Just call me Big Beard!"

"Where are you heading, then?"

A voice drifted back from the distance: "The Land of the Colorful Clouds."

Luo Kai watched wistfully in the direction Big Beard had gone, until Old Huang started licking his pant leg again.

"Old Huang, I can’t take you to see anyone looking like this. You should go back to the ocean. And remember, don’t get caught again!"

Old Huang didn’t understand him. It gripped his pant leg in its mouth and tried to drag him toward the river, clearly wanting Luo Kai to play with it in the water. Back in the Small Fishing Village, the two of them used to go to the sea and compete to see who could catch more fish.

Luo Kai crouched down, rubbed its big head, and gently pushed it away. "Old Huang, you can’t hurt people in the future. If someone tries to hurt you, just run."

His answer was two sharp barks. Seeing that Luo Kai wouldn’t get in the water, Old Huang curled up at his feet and went back to sleep.

Luo Kai sat on the ground and opened the Small Porcelain Bottle Big Beard had given him. Inside was a small, jet-black Medicine Pill that emanated a potent Blood Qi. He hesitated for a moment, then swallowed the pill in one gulp.

The moment the Medicine Pill hit his stomach acid, it exploded. A searing heat surged toward his limbs and organs. Withered tissues were instantly revitalized by the warmth, becoming strong and powerful. A feeling of comfort spread through his entire body. The scabs on his skin rapidly flaked off as new skin began to grow in its place.

Luo Kai was secretly dumbfounded. ’This Medicine Pill is insane! It’s hundreds, even thousands of times more powerful than the Low-Level Gene Potion I took before!’