by Feng Yue
Just like how Ye Qingxuan loved to gamble unrestrainedly, so did Yuan Changqing, but although it was a gamble, all the same, the two wanted different things. Ye Qingxuan wanted to survive, while Yuan Changqing wanted… his enemy to die!
If one was to let him get within ten steps away from themselves, he would be as dangerous to one as the army of an entire country.
No wonder everyone is afraid of getting into a scrap with the madmen of House Yuan. They are actually best at the style of attack that will cause the enemy to perish along with themselves! In such a friendly match with set rules, he probably couldn’t even use up to half of his power.
Looking at Ye Qingxuan who was deep in thought, Yuan Changqing shook his head, dissatisfied. “Another one who thinks too much.” The old man sighed melancholically and said to himself, “Why are there so many smart people in the world?”
Ye Qingxuan smiled. “By trying to act smart, one can at least lead a slightly easier life.”
Yuan Changqing took a glance at him and completely lost any interest to have another go. He just waved his hand and turned to leave. He only paused in his steps when he walked past Yuan He, glancing at his eldest grandson. “Do you understand what you are weak at?”
Yuan He looked down, his expression one of shame. “I have learned my lesson.”
“You d*mn child, you learn everything fast, and you learn everything well, but from whom have you learned to be so shrewd?” Yuan Changqing finally took a last look at him. “Don’t waste any more time learning sword movements, learn to be a bit dumber first.” As he said so, he withdrew his gaze and left.
A melancholic sigh sounded in the wind. “It’s really… lonely…”
Ye Qingxuan stayed where he was, silently gazing in the direction where the old man’s figure had disappeared, thinking about God knew what. After a long time, he suddenly laughed softly and made a slight obeisance towards the direction of Yuan Changqing left. “Thank you for your guidance, Master Yuan.”
At the moment, he raised his head and looked up at the sky.
Rain clouds gathered silently over the dark sky.
As he reached out, the rain clouds rolled, and everyone saw the sky shaking.
Rising from the ground, a hurricane was stirred up from beneath Ye Qingxuan’s feet, accompanied by a massive amount of aether. It gathered into a violent torrent, forming a column of light, that rose into the sky, tearing the rain clouds apart and breaking the dark, gray sky.
A stream of sunlight spilled down from behind the clouds, falling on the incorporeal crown on his head, and the staff of authority of the King of Yellow strengthened him, together with the New Testament Sword, which emitted a majesty that one dared not daze directly upon.
As if layers of camouflage had been removed, a fierce aura hidden by the seal rose from Ye Qingxuan, causing the earth to freeze, the sky to shatter, and the air to almost solidify.
The phantom image of the Land of Dreams emerged.
A mighty, godly power operated, causing everything to bow.
At the moment, all the musicians in the entire military base—no, in all of Aurora—sensed the terrifying scepter that seemed as if it wanted to reform the whole world. Countless elements operated mightily within the scepter, like stars orbiting in the skies.
The mighty starry sky descended here, forming a terrifying pressure that was almost tangible.
Under the pressure that was almost suffocating, the over-confident musicians who tried to resist immediately vomited blood and fell into a coma.
Alarms sounded in the entire base, one after another. God knew how many musicians woke up in shock. They looked at Ye Qingxuan and saw his figure, but their eyes stung and they didn’t dare to look anymore.
“I’ve had a few meals and fought a few times. So, I shall say farewell now.” Ye Qingxuan smiled at the crowd and flicked his sleeves, then walked out of the base. He did not go and visit Bai Heng, nor did he meet with the rest of the lords and heads of households.
He simply left, just like that.
It was as if he was checking out of a hotel after his stay.
Outside Bai Heng’s tent, the man named Jiu Ying gazed, from a distance, at the figure of Ye Qingxuan who left as if no one else was around. On his indifferent face, an eagerness to try to kill the young man emerged.
Just as he raised his hand, ready to give the order, he heard the voice of Bai Heng beside him.
“Let him go.” Bai Heng looked at his expression as he left, and began laughing softly for some reason unknown. “If he wants to leave, you can’t stop him. Your enemy should not be him, just let him go and cause some trouble for Her Majesty.”
Seeing that Ye Qingxuan leaving with such a high-profile, the lords exchanged looks of confusion.
Soon, in the tent, everyone turned their shocked gaze to Yuan Changqing. “Hey, old man, he thanked you for your guidance. What have you taught him?”
Yuan Changqing’s expression twitched, and he felt like vomiting blood. “I didn’t teach him anything! I was just fronting, but he suddenly gained some random realization out of nowhere! How the heck would I know what he has realized?”
Simply nothing can be more confusing than this.
Is this how true geniuses are like?
Gaining realizations out of nowhere?
What the heck, really.
Yuan Changqing took the flask of wine and gulped down a few mouthfuls, full of disheartenment. Ah! If I had known it, I wouldn’t have fooled around!
…
Others were full of puzzlement regarding what Ye Qingxuan had realized by himself.
But to Ye Qingxuan, it was very simple.
All along, he had made many plans in order to take Bai Xi away from the Aurora, including preparations to negotiate with the Aurora, or with Bai Heng, and even made preparations to start a war. But after coming to the Aurora, the complicated situation of the civil war ruined all his plans.
He stayed up all night coming up with countermeasures targeting the empress and Bai Heng, worrying about Bai Xi’s situation and thinking about how to carry out his plan. He conceived more than a dozen plans and overruled them all.
In the end, he felt confused and lost.
Against the intricate and complicated situation, he was instead completely lost and didn’t know where to begin with.
It was not until he saw Yuan Changqing’s stance that he understood something.
I don’t have to worry that much actually.
The attitude of the emperor? Bai Heng’s thoughts? The situation of the Aurora? The outcome of the civil war? The victories and defeats of the two sides?
What the f*ck does it have to do with me?
Why do I need a complex plan that takes into account what other people think, and why should I waste so many brain cells?
After getting used to trying to be smart, Ye Qingxuan suddenly discovered that he no longer needed to think so much nowadays. He was already capable of living simply, like what he once wanted.
Don’t think too much.
Don’t bother about what the irrelevant people might think.
Live according to my will and wishes.
Such was the only insight he gained.
Alone, walking on the barren battlefield, Ye Qingxuan moved in the direction of the imperial city, straight ahead. Wherever he passed, a horrifying aether wave spread in all directions. He did not hide his own strength at all, nor did he attempt to conceal his existence.
Clouds followed the dragon and wind followed the tiger. [1]
When sages took up the responsibility to govern the world properly, everything would rise to take a look at them.
His own advancement faintly distorted the physical world, causing the power of the Land of Dreams to radiate in all directions, regulating the chaotic aether torrents, and reorganizing everything. He made the dark sky lit up again and filled the barren land with the vigor of life once more.
With the strength and power, he no longer had to worry abo
ut everything.
He had overruled all the complicated speculations and plans, leaving only the simplest two steps: First, find Bai Xi. Then, take Bai Xi away.
Other than that, whoever blocked his way would be his enemy, and whoever stood in front of him, he would knock them down.
It was so simple.
From then on, Ye Qingxuan decided not to hide his power and intention, announcing his arrival to the whole East and Aurora.
At the moment, in the eyes of musicians, the tornado of aether rising high into the sky, as mighty as the scorching sun, was the most straightforward words—I’m here!
[1] The literal translation of a Chinese proverb that means one would want to become close with ambitious persons, and the people would follow the brave and courageous.
764 Understanding
Ye Qingxuan felt as if he was still in a dream when he heard a familiar voice. It was his own voice that was speaking.
“Other than chest tightness and depression, is there anything else?” It seemed to be his own lips that were speaking. His tone was warm and gentle. He could not take it. For some reason, he suddenly thought, If I have always spoken in such a tone, I would probably have been a lot more popular?
He looked around him and found himself in a very clean and white room. There were no sharp corners and there was nothing too exciting or provocative about the bed or table, or even the colors and attire and decorations. It was peaceful and calm. It was almost like heaven.
In the corner was a clock that was hanging on the wall. Its design looked simple but its hands ticked by very smoothly. Ye Qingxuan could not help but imagine what its structure would look like, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not figure it out. Was this really something created by the engineering capabilities that they had right now?
Very soon, after hearing his question, the man that was lying on the bed began to ponder for a moment before answering, “Occasionally, I will cry for no rhyme or reason. My temper is also getting worse.”
“Other than gastric problems, are there any other illnesses present in your family history?”
“My grandfather had cardiac disease but I don’t,” the person replied then hesitated for a while before continuing, “It was all thanks to modulation. You know, doctor, I’m not very…‘natural’.”
“No problem. That’s already very normal in our current times.”
Ye Qingxuan lowered his head and there was a clipboard full of notes in his hands. He was wearing a white outer robe, which looked extremely clean. He was wearing a dark blue shirt inside of the white robe. It was very comfortable, as if it was made from the best silk. As for the buttons, he could not even figure out if they were made from stone or metal. Some of them looked like they were made from amber, but amber should not be so light. Perhaps they were made from resin? For some weird reason, a noun appeared in his head: “Plastic.” Plastic? What was that?
A string of thoughts kept appearing in his head. Plastic was a man-made macromolecule… But what was man-made macromolecule anyway? More and more complicated answers appeared in his head, as if he had always known these answers, yet they were certainly not his memories. Very soon, those obscure and complicated answers disappeared. The conversation between the two men also came to an end.
Ye Qingxuan closed the book in his hands and smiled to the patient. “Don’t worry. This is a typical space syndrome. Your gastric ulcers have triggered your depression. I will prescribe you some medication later. Take these medications on time and your condition will gradually improve. But the most important thing is your attitude towards life. You need to be a bit more positive. Do you have the habit of doing sports?”
“Is cricket counted as a sport?”
“Of course. As Asians, we seem to be pretty talented in cricket. I remember that there is a cricket club on the third floor of the public area. You can go and sign up for it. Doing sports can help your body secrete dopamine. Trust me, you will feel much better after exercise.”
“Thank you, doctor.” The man was grateful and got up to shake his hand. “I will go.” With that, the patient left.
Ye Qingxuan was in a daze as he continued to observe everything, including how his body would move on its own, how his mouth would open and close on their own, how he would speak in an unbearably gentle tone and talk about things that he had never ever heard before.
Space syndrome? What kind of illness is that? Cricket? What sport is that? Asians? Where’s Asia anyway? What’s dopamine? And… who am I?
He watched himself complete the preparations for the case notes before pushing open a door and entering a room full of white tiles. There was a basin, a white toilet bowl, a bathtub, and a curtain printed with green flowers… Everything was unbelievably clean.
On the basin were all sorts of toiletries that he did not recognize. But strangely enough, he could differentiate between the dental floss from the facial mask from cologne… Cologne? Wait, perfume? Why would he need to use perfume?
But when he saw himself in the mirror, realization finally dawned on him. His face looked so familiar. He could see traces of himself and the vague outline of Ye Lanzhou but at the end of the day, he did not look like himself or his father. It was the person from his dream…
He washed his hands and face before wiping them dry with a towel. Ye Qingxuan noticed the card hanging in front of his chest. On the card were characters that spelled out his occupation and name: Psychologist, Ye Xuan.
Psychologist? Is that someone who cures others that are mentally or emotionally hurt? Sounds impressive. And, Ye Xuan… Who is Ye Xuan? Who is he? Why is he appearing in my dreams? And why am I appearing in his dreams?
In that instant, Ye Qingxuan suddenly understood everything at last. This was not him. He was just an invisible spirit in the body of this man, Ye Xuan, in this unknown place. In that case, what was this place? The World of the Dark? Had the World of the Dark been hiding a country like this all this while? The civilization and technology here seemed to be much more advanced than both the east and west. Simply unheard of!
But this time around, there were no more mysterious answers to his questions. He could only take his time and look around on his own.
Very soon, Ye Xuan left the toilet. He did not seem to realize that a spirit, by the name of Ye Qingxuan, was in his body. He returned to his seat and pressed the bell.
“Next, please.” The door began to knock three times, with regular intervals in between. Ye Qingxuan could almost imagine how rigid this person, that was knocking on the door, must be. But very soon, he was completely taken by surprise.
As the door was pushed open, a man with a stiff expression entered. His hair was brown and closely cropped. He seemed to be wearing a military uniform and his strides were regular and neat as they seemed to be carefully measured to millimeters. He sat opposite of Ye Xuan.
“Dr. Ye, I need your help.”
Ye Xuan was silent for a moment. Ye Qingxuan could sense the shock and confusion in his heart. At the same time, he had this nagging feeling that he had seen this visitor somewhere before.
“My apologies, Peter, er… Sir.” Ye Xuan grappled with his words then sighed softly. “If you feel that you need help, you can look for Hermes. I’m afraid there’s nothing much I can do to help you with your problem.”
Hermes? Hermes was here too?
Ye Qingxuan was taken by surprise, but he managed to console himself very quickly. It could just be a duplicated name.
There was a conscientious look on Peter’s face. “In fact, Dr. Ye, it was Hermes who recommended that I seek help from you.”
“…” Ye Xuan frowned. “Mr. Peter, I don’t specialize in mathematics and systems. Pardon me for being blunt, but if you feel that you are facing some problems, perhaps an engineer may be more suitable. I am a psychologist. Dealing with mental problems is my forte, but as for you, no offense, but your model far surpasses humans. Even if you have a soul, you will not develop the mental weaknesses or illnesses
that humans can develop.”
“I’m not sure if I have a soul, doctor.” Peter’s tone was calm, so much so that Ye Qingxuan could not decipher his expression and tell what he was feeling right now. Is this fellow… dead?
“As an autonomous simulation observer sent by the government, indeed, there is nothing wrong with the simulation module of my emotion. Based on the cases in the database, I am able to understand that you are confused and upset. Perhaps you may be thinking that someone is playing a joke on you. But I need you to be clear on this: it was with the help of Hermes and my own calculations from my records that I have chosen this course of action of seeking help from you. Will you listen to what I have to say?”
Ye Xuan was silent for a moment before taking in a deep breath and sitting up straight. “If that’s the case, please go ahead.”
“How should I go about trying to understand humans, Doctor?”
“What do you mean?” Ye Xuan was confused. “Are you unable to understand the crews’ reports or the captain’s orders?”
“No, I have no problems with my functions and executions.” Peter continued to speak monotonously, “The dilemma that I am facing with regards to my program is how I should understand the thoughts of humans. My empathy module allows me to simulate the emotions of men perfectly, even including those crazy emotions, I am able to depend on my model and case to understand them. But at the end of the day, I am still unable to truly interact with humans.”
Peter paused for a while then emphasized again, “In human terms, I guess it’s about achieving ‘understanding’. How should I begin to understand humans? I can eat and sleep, and can even perfectly imitate the acts of excretion and reproduction, but ultimately, I am still different from humans. From a biological standpoint, I am more human than the crew members, where more than 97 percent of their bodies have been mechanized. Yet, I feel like there is a great distance between myself and humans. As a result, I feel that I am unable to complete my observation task properly.”