Shackles of Humanity

Luo Kai stopped in an alleyway. Behind him, a figure in black slowly revealed himself, asking with some surprise, "You still dare to come out?"

Luo Kai turned to look at him and said, "Why wouldn’t I? I’d very much like to know who could make the Grand Commander of the Military Punishment Department act personally."

The man in black was none other than Mushan. This time, he wasn’t masked. A faint smile appeared on his impassive face. "Young man, the skilled are truly bold. Thank you for saving my daughter’s life. I originally didn’t want to make a move, but you’ve provoked a tremendous power. Even I have no choice but to obey their orders."

Luo Kai frowned. "The Tri-Eyed Race?"

Mushan shook his head. "The Tri-Eyed Race doesn’t have the authority to order me around."

Luo Kai was utterly bewildered. Besides that Su Wenlin fellow, had he offended some other power?

Mushan mused for a moment before continuing, "I advise you to leave the Xingma Kingdom as soon as possible. The Body Technique Association’s Heretic Judgment Bureau has already sent people to arrest you. From what I know, they will have at least one Body Master leading the team. The order I received was to keep you here."

A chill went down Luo Kai’s spine. The name gave him the feeling of being in the Middle Ages. He asked, "What is this Heretic Judgment Bureau?"

Mushan sighed and explained, "This organization can be traced back to before the Great Cataclysm. It is said to have existed since the dawn of human civilization. Its duty is to protect human order, and they eliminate anything that becomes uncontrollable. They call these uncontrollable things ’Heresy.’ To this day, no one knows what Heresy truly is. Some speculate that they are beings not of this world, while others say Heresy is born from the human heart, which is why it’s also called a Heart Demon..."

Luo Kai asked in confusion, "What does this have to do with me? I’m no heretic."

"That is a question you must ask yourself. I’ve said all I can. Be careful."

Watching Mushan disappear into the darkness, a sense of foreboding rose in Luo Kai’s heart. This Heretic Judgment Bureau was most likely after him because of the Evil Energy he had stirred up back at Ironwood Castle. *Damn it,* he thought. *I just wanted to live a quiet life, but it looks like that’s impossible now. I’m really going to be a fugitive on the run.*

As he approached the Jinlan Hotel, he sensed several faint, almost nonexistent auras still lurking nearby. Suppressing the killing intent in his heart, he returned to the hotel.

Liu Hou was waiting for him in his room. Seeing him return safely, he finally let out a sigh of relief. "Xiaokai, someone has placed a bounty of thirty million Star Dollars on your head on the Hunter Guild’s dark net. The assassins will likely keep coming. Forget about tomorrow’s competition. You need to leave now! I’ve already arranged a boat to take you directly out of the Xingma Kingdom!"

A warmth spread through Luo Kai’s heart. He said, "It’s fine. I’m not afraid."

Liu Hou spoke earnestly, "Xiaokai, you’re still young. Honestly, in my entire life, I’ve never seen a young person with your talent. In less than ten years, you could definitely advance to Body Master. At that level, no one would dare to touch you. The prerequisite, however, is surviving until that day. Killing four Martial Artists tonight will probably deter some of the assassins, but you are exposed while your enemies are hidden. You should still leave. It’s just a small competition; it’s not that important."

Luo Kai smiled. "Thank you for the praise, Teacher. The truth is, I don’t have any great ambitions. I just want to live a simple life. Once this is over, I’ll naturally disappear and live in anonymity, and I won’t get involved in any more worldly conflicts."

Knowing he couldn’t persuade him, Liu Hou said no more. Instead, he handed over the case by the bed that held a straight-bladed saber and said in a low, heavy voice, "A man must be willing to kill. To kill one is a crime, but to kill ten thousand makes you a hero!"

Luo Kai understood his meaning. Liu Hou was telling him not to be hesitant or overcautious. When he needed to kill, he should kill. That was the only way to deter the petty villains who stalked him.

...

The Fighting Tournament was an annual Body Technique festival for all of humanity. Its most important function was to promote a martial and battle-ready spirit among all people. In this world, if humanity ever lost this spirit, its civilization would be annihilated.

The first-place winner, the champion, would receive a prize of one million Star Dollars and the option to take up a post in the military, starting directly at the rank of Major. The other top ten finishers were also hot commodities, but the most important prize was one of the five temporary enrollment spots at Shangjing University. As the birthplace of Genetic Body Techniques, Shangjing University was a place every Body Technique Cultivator yearned to enter.

Naturally, a tournament like this was also open to the public. The venue was a military training ground outside Jinlan Prefecture, several hundred meters wide. The spectator stands were separated from the field by a chain-link fence. In the center of the field stood five concrete arenas, each four to five meters high.

Early in the morning, the place was already a sea of people. The participants were roughly divided into three groups. The most eye-catching, of course, were the academy faction. They generally practiced gentler forms of Body Techniques, which were highly effective for sculpting the body. Dressed in their fine-looking training uniforms, the men were handsome and the women were beautiful.

Next were the civilian Body Technique Cultivators. The cultivation methods for Body Techniques—Skin Refining, Tendon Refining, and Bone Refining—had long been widespread. The only differences came down to resources and personal endurance. Without the support of resources, civilian Martial Artists had to put in many times more effort and endure years of arduous training. Moreover, they had to find ways to maintain their bodies, because the path of Body Techniques was, in the beginning, a path of self-mutilation.

Finally, there were the military’s Body Technique Cultivators. Almost no one dared to look at them, because a single glance was enough to send a chill to the bone. It was a killing intent honed over long years on the battlefield.

Due to the age limit, Martial Artists rarely appeared in the Fighting Tournament over the years. The cultivation of Body Techniques could not be accomplished overnight; it required years of tempering the body, just as a good blade can only be forged through a hundred refinements. Generally speaking, a normal Body Technique Cultivator who reached the level of a Martial Artist before the age of thirty was already considered an extraordinary elite.

The sole exception was the military’s Body Technique Cultivators. Constant warfare and slaughter allowed them to advance at an extremely fast rate, even surpassing some academy students who frequently used Genetic Potions.

Therefore, the Body Technique Association would usually restrict military Body Technique Cultivators from participating in the competition. This year, however, was an exception.

This involved the body’s transformation by Evil Energy. After killing someone, one would inevitably absorb the vicious Evil Qi of the deceased. As this energy accumulated, a quantitative change would lead to a qualitative one, forcing the body to advance. In other words, every Martial Artist from the military was a master who had killed countless people. By the same token, the Evil Qi would also affect their minds. Some with weaker wills would even lose their sanity and become like Fierce Beasts, driven only by instinct. The military had always tried to prevent this, often making them retire early.

Of course, Luo Kai was different from them. They could only passively absorb Evil Energy, whereas Luo Kai could actively resonate with it. If he so wished, he could even draw upon the Evil Energy to completely transform his body overnight. The question, however, was whether his consciousness would still be there afterward.

Luo Kai stood on the viewing platform designated for the Pan Shi Sports School. For him, this fighting tournament was merely a formality. Even if all five of the military’s Martial Artists came at him at once, they would be no match for him. His only concern was whether the assassins would attack him today. That sniper had thoroughly disgusted him. The man fired from an extreme distance and retreated after a single shot, making it completely impossible to lock onto his aura and counter him.

Just as he was silently surveying his surroundings, a girl walked up beside him. She seemed to hesitate for a moment before shyly reaching out and tugging on the corner of his shirt.

Luo Kai turned and looked at her in surprise. It was the girl named Xiaoxue. Her delicate face was slightly flushed. She extended her small finger, pointed into the distance, and then pointed back at him.

Only then did Luo Kai realize she couldn’t speak. He felt a twinge of regret. Such a delicate-looking girl was actually mute. Not understanding what she was trying to convey, he pointed at the sketchbook she was holding against her chest and said, "Do you have something to tell me? You can write it down."

Xiaoxue’s expression was hesitant, but she shook her head. She continued to point into the distance, then back at Luo Kai.

This left Luo Kai completely confused. He sighed, "Sorry, I don’t understand."

Xiaoxue’s face fell. She crouched down and began to scribble and draw in her sketchbook. A moment later, she had produced a rather shocking sketch. In the drawing, a man had a massive hole torn through his chest. He was engulfed in fierce flames, and countless people were surrounding and attacking him...