Chapter 258 - 256: Inhumanity
Li Jiyan wasted no more time. He led the eight incensed prisoners in pursuit, heading in the direction the black-clothed youth had fled.
Sure enough, it wasn’t long before they reached a relatively secluded clearing in the woods.
There, they happened upon the black-clothed youth, who was busy beating and kicking three other prisoners who had been separated from the group.
"Vile fiend, stop at once!"
Li Jiyan roared and lunged forward.
The two clashed in an instant.
Though Li Jiyan’s Cultivation was already at the Spirit Realm First Level, he suppressed his power to Qi Realm Perfection, making the fight against the black-clothed youth appear to be an even match.
He deliberately revealed several openings, making it look as though he were in constant peril. This only further inflamed the shared hatred of the prisoners behind him.
After a fierce exchange of more than ten moves, Li Jiyan "struggled" to land a palm strike on the youth’s shoulder, sending him flying backward, spitting blood.
"Leave the antidote!"
Li Jiyan shouted harshly.
The black-clothed youth showed no desire to continue the fight. He used the momentum of the blow to leap away, disappearing into the depths of the dense forest.
"After him! Don’t let him get away!"
Without waiting for Li Jiyan’s command, the eight prisoners—and even the three who had just been injured—joined the chase with bloodshot eyes.
Li Jiyan followed close behind, continuously shouting things like, "Be careful!" and "Stay safe!" every bit the picture of a leader.
’So that’s how it is!’
Chen Shouheng, hidden in the shadows, took in the entire scene, and understanding dawned on him.
He was filled with a mixture of surprise and sudden realization, along with a shiver of apprehension.
He had figured out Li Jiyan’s method.
’To put it bluntly, it’s... a setup.’
First, have an accomplice play the villain, planting a seed of hatred in the hearts of these prisoners who were already brimming with resentment.
Then, he appears at the opportune moment in the guise of a "hero," healing their wounds and bestowing kindness. He cleverly uses the prisoners’ hatred for the villain to dispel their hostility toward him, an outsider.
Then he follows up with a promise to avenge them and see justice done.
The prisoners would easily come to see Li Jiyan as their last straw, their only hope, and would thus temporarily submit to his arrangements.
Though this method bordered on deceit, it effectively targeted a weakness of human nature and was remarkably effective at controlling these people in a short amount of time.
Though it was all hatred, their hatred for the black-clothed youth was a visceral, life-or-death enmity, while any hatred for Li Jiyan was far milder.
When the two were compared, it was natural that the prisoners would be more easily swayed by Li Jiyan.
’It’s foreseeable that if Li Jiyan pulls a couple more setups like this, he’ll likely have all eleven of them eating out of the palm of his hand.’
’So, what should I do?’
Chen Shouheng sank into thought.
’If I just copy his method... find someone to cooperate with, I could probably gather a group of prisoners quickly and earn a high evaluation for this trial.’
The idea swirled in his mind for a moment before he forcefully suppressed it.
He felt this method strayed too far from the true meaning of "reformation."
More importantly, there was something about Li Jiyan’s every move that felt strange to him.
’If I rashly imitate him, I’ll probably just invite unnecessary trouble.’
Chen Shouheng’s brow was tightly furrowed. After a long period of contemplation, he made a decision.
’I won’t strive to be first, but I will strive for stability.’
’The Jieyuan title doesn’t have much practical use for me, anyway.’
’It’s just an empty title.’
’With my own strength, and using the Secret Skill A Dream of the South from the Ahan Shouyi Heart Sutra, it shouldn’t be hard to reform a single person.’
’Just passing this trial is enough.’
He wouldn’t compete for first place.
Of course, the subject would also need to be carefully selected.
If the person was the type whose sins were monstrous and whose humanity was extinguished, any effort, no matter how great, would likely be in vain.
His mind made up, Chen Shouheng no longer hesitated.
With a flicker of movement, he melted into the night and began to roam the Prisoner’s Island.
Whenever he found a target, he would perform Concentrating and Calming the Mind, circulate his Heart Method, and quietly cast A Dream of the South.
The target’s eyes would instantly turn dull and vacant, and they would answer any question asked of them.
Chen Shouheng was in no hurry. He approached them one at a time, carefully asking for their name, their crime, and the reason for it.
The first prisoner was guilty of rape.
He had roamed the Seven Prefectures of Jiangzhou, preying on dozens of women from good families with cruel methods.
Upon hearing this, a flash of disgust crossed Chen Shouheng’s eyes. Without hesitation, he retracted his Divine Sense and turned to leave.
The second prisoner was guilty of familial murder.
He’d had an affair with one of his father-in-law’s concubines. When his father-in-law found out, he had viciously slaughtered the man’s entire household.
Chen Shouheng shook his head. ’A man who defies morality and repays kindness with cruelty like this has not a shred of conscience left.’
The third prisoner was guilty of betrayal.
During a famine, he was taken in as a servant by a wealthy household, but he had an affair with his master’s concubine. When they were discovered, he killed people to silence them, turning on his own benefactor.
Chen Shouheng shook his head again. ’An ungrateful wolf you can never tame.’
The fourth, the fifth, the sixth...
Chen Shouheng kept searching, questioning, and rejecting one after another.
The men he met had killed for money, raped and pillaged, or committed acts of treachery. Their crimes were appalling.
Their motives were rooted in greed, lust, and jealousy; he could find almost no reason for sympathy, no one who seemed capable of being reformed.
Casting A Dream of the South repeatedly was extremely draining on his Power of Divine Sense, and waves of exhaustion washed over his spirit.
A dull ache throbbed between his eyebrows, and he had no choice but to sit on a large rock to meditate and rest.
The sky lightened from dark to dawn. A night passed quietly, yet he still had nothing to show for it.
It wasn’t until the afternoon of the second day that he noticed a figure chopping firewood not far away.
It was a man who looked to be in his early thirties.
Unlike the fierce and brutal demeanor of the other prisoners, this man radiated an aura of deathly stillness.
Chen Shouheng’s interest was piqued. He approached stealthily, and A Dream of the South enveloped the man without a sound.
The man’s body stiffened, his movements froze, and his eyes became vacant.
Soon, Chen Shouheng learned that the man’s name was Zhu Shizhao, and he was guilty of a heinous crime.
He had slaughtered seventeen members of Landlord Meng’s family, a fellow townsman, sparing not even the chickens or dogs.
His motive for the killings was revenge.
His father had been forcibly conscripted for labor by the Meng Family in collusion with government constables, and died repairing a river. His mother and younger siblings were also driven to their deaths by the Meng Family’s ruthless rent collection, leading to the utter ruin of his family.
Zhu Shizhao had been fortunate enough to be saved by an Ascetic Monk, and after ten years of training, he returned to take his revenge.
Chen Shouheng withdrew his Divine Abilities, his mind clear.
’Zhu Shizhao’s crime was indeed monstrous, but at its root, it was a blood vengeance born of being driven into a corner.’
’His actions are punishable by death, but his circumstances are pitiable.’
’He’s different from the other prisoners, who committed evil purely for selfish desires.’
’However, two great obsessions still lingered in his heart, unresolved.’
’His killing intent has not been dispelled.’
’He hates the Government Office, hates the world.’
’First, the wicked servant of the Meng Family who directly committed the atrocities had fled.’
’Second, the County Captain who had bent the law for personal gain and delivered an unjust verdict was still at large.’
’If these two do not die, the knot in his heart can never be untied.’
Chen Shouheng retracted A Dream of the South, sat down cross-legged, circulated his Heart Method, and began to restore his Divine Sense.
Zhu Shizhao also snapped out of his daze. Seeing Chen Shouheng meditating not far away, he was first startled, then tightened his grip on the wood-chopping axe in his hand. "Who are you?"
Chen Shouheng looked at him calmly. "Someone who might be able to help you get your revenge."
"Help me get my revenge?"
Zhu Shizhao shook his head. "You must have just gotten here a few days ago, too. I’m of no use to you. Go on."
"Meng Fu. Zhao Zhijing."
Chen Shouheng uttered the two names softly.
Zhu Shizhao’s whole body trembled. An incredulous light burst from his eyes as he stared intently at Chen Shouheng. "You... how do you know? Who in the world are you?!"
"Who I am isn’t important. How I know also isn’t important."
Chen Shouheng shook his head. "I only ask you this: if you kill Meng Fu and Zhao Zhijing, can you let go of your hatred and turn over a new leaf?"
Zhu Shizhao stared at Chen Shouheng, as if trying to judge the truth of his words.
After a long moment, he took a deep breath, a resolute look flashing in his eyes. "If you can really help me kill those two fiends and fulfill the greatest wish of my life, then I, Zhu Shizhao, will give what’s left of my life to you. I will go through fire and water, and never back down!"
"Good."
Chen Shouheng nodded. "Remember your words."
He said no more, simply sitting down cross-legged next to Zhu Shizhao’s crude shelter to continue meditating and prepare for what came next.
He sat like that for another night.
When the morning light of the third day filtered through the gaps in the trees, Chen Shouheng’s Divine Sense was finally fully restored.
He stood up and walked over to Zhu Shizhao, who, out of vigilance and anticipation, had not slept all night.
"Close your eyes. Relax your Heart Spirit."
Chen Shouheng said.
Zhu Shizhao hesitated for a moment, then did as he was told.
Chen Shouheng cast A Dream of the South once more.
In the dream, Zhu Shizhao went through countless hardships and finally found Meng Fu, who was living under a new name. After a fierce struggle, he killed his enemy with his own hands.
The dream scene shifted.
First dream: Slaying the servant.
In the dream, he tracked his quarry for a thousand li, finally finding Meng Fu, who had changed his name, in a small border town.
When the enemies met, their eyes burned with hate. A vicious fight ensued. With a flash of a blade, Meng Fu fell dead on the spot. A debt of blood was paid in blood.
A debt of blood, paid in blood!
Second dream: Slaughtering the official.
Zhu Shizhao became a nighttime assassin and infiltrated the County Captain’s Mansion.
At the man’s birthday banquet, in front of numerous guests, he listed Zhao Zhijing’s crimes before beheading him with a single slash.
Sweet, sweet revenge!
The dream was vividly realistic—the catharsis of his hatred, the exultation of killing his enemy with his own hands, all felt incredibly real.
Zhu Shizhao’s body trembled. He would let out a low growl one moment, then a crazed laugh the next.
Weaving such a detailed dreamscape took a huge toll on his Divine Sense.
After no more than half an hour, Chen Shouheng felt a wave of dizziness.
His face was pale as he once again sat down cross-legged to recover.
Zhu Shizhao’s eyes snapped open. He was drenched in sweat, his chest heaving violently. His eyes were filled with the satisfaction of having achieved his revenge, mingled with a trace of confusion.
He looked at his own hands, then at the familiar surroundings.
For a moment, he couldn’t tell if the incredibly real experience he had just had was a dream or reality.
"How do you feel?"
Chen Shouheng’s voice reached him, laced with unconcealable exhaustion.
Zhu Shizhao whipped his head around to look at Chen Shouheng, his expression incredibly complex. "What... what did you do to me?"
"That was a dream."
Chen Shouheng was blunt. "I let you experience your revenge in a dream. In reality, those two are still alive."
"A dream... it was just a dream?"
As if struck by lightning, Zhu Shizhao staggered back two steps, his face a mask of disappointment and bewilderment.
Though it was only a dream, the sensation of killing his enemies with his own hands had been too real.
The deep-seated blood feud that had festered in his heart for years had been completely vented.
The hard knot of his hatred had quietly loosened the moment the dream ended.
Watching his shifting expression, Chen Shouheng said, "If you can truly let go of your hatred because of this, then on the day your sentence is served, I can take you to find those two. Whether you kill them or spare them will be your own decision."
Zhu Shizhao stood frozen in place, his expression shifting rapidly as a war raged within him.
After a long while.
THUD. He dropped to his knees and kowtowed three heavy times to Chen Shouheng. "From this day forward, my life, Zhu Shizhao’s life, belongs to you, Benefactor! I will obey any command you give!"
Chen Shouheng gave a relieved smile. "Good. Since you’re willing to follow my arrangements, come with me down the mountain."
’I’ve completed the basic reformation.’
’It was only one person, but... my conscience is clear.’
"Yes, Benefactor."
Zhu Shizhao stood up. Much of the numbness and deathly stillness in his eyes had faded, replaced by a spark of life.