Shackles of Humanity

”A fighting tournament?” Luo Kai scratched his head. He wasn’t keen on being in the spotlight.

”Yes, the fighting tournament is organized by the Body Technique Research Association. Contestants must be no older than twenty-five, and the top five will get to study at the Body Technique Sacred Land, Shangjing University, for a year!”

The fatty continued frankly, ”I just need you to help me secure a spot. When the time comes, someone else will take your place and go to the Dongyuan Upper Country.

If you agree to this, I’ll take you as my fourth disciple and teach you some powerful Body Techniques. Kid, I know you’ve offended some major powers out there, but as long as you’re my disciple, no one in Longyang City will dare to mess with you. That’s a pretty good deal, isn’t it?”

’There’s really no such thing as a free lunch,’ Luo Kai was a bit speechless. ’He’s asking me to be a ringer.’ He pointed to himself and said, ”Um... the fighting tournament, am I even allowed to participate?”

The fatty laughed heartily. ”Haha, of course you can. To be honest, if I didn’t owe someone a massive favor, I really wouldn’t want to do something like this. Don’t worry. If this succeeds, I can recommend you for a position in the army. You’d be a First Battalion Commander at the very least.”

Luo Kai thought for a moment before nodding. ”I can agree to your terms, but you don’t need to get me any position. I just want to learn some real skills.”

An appreciative look appeared on the fatty’s face. ”Your fist techniques are quite unique. There’s nothing more I need to teach you there. What humans are best at, though, is using weapons. Besides empty-handed combat, the fighting tournament also has a weapons category. What kind of weapon are you skilled with?”

Luo Kai thought for a second. ”Does a gun count?”

”Of course not. Guns and cannons are mechanical weapons, limited by technology. I’m talking about cold weapons.”

Luo Kai shook his head. ”Then I don’t know any.”

”Follow me.” The fatty thought for a moment, then led Luo Kai into the back hall. They walked to the door of a basement. A heavy iron door slowly opened, and a wave of icy air rushed out to meet them.

Inside the basement were rows of weapon racks, filled with all sorts of cold weapons: a rugged Knight’s Greatsword, a nicked Bone Blade Axe, a Sharp Sword glinting with a cold light...

Luo Kai’s gaze was drawn to a peculiar weapon hanging on the wall. It was a long, straight-ruler-shaped blade, nearly two meters in length, with only one sharpened edge. The blade was covered in dense spiral patterns. Just looking at it made him feel slightly dizzy, and he marveled at it silently. ’But how would you even wield a blade of this length?’

”Not bad, kid. You’ve got a good eye. This is a straight blade, also known as a Mo Saber. It’s a true battlefield killer!” the fatty said, quite pleased with himself.

Luo Kai couldn’t help but feel a surge of desire. He asked doubtfully, ”Isn’t this blade too long? How do you even use it?”

The fatty looked at the straight blade with a cherished expression. ”Straight blades are known for their unparalleled Sharpness. When wielded by a powerful Martial Artist, a single slash can cut a steam tank in half. As for how to practice with it, to put it simply, practice makes perfect. Swing it a thousand times a day, and after a year of diligent practice, you might just be able to handle it.”

Roz, who had followed them in, added with a smile, ”Master served in the army in his early years. This very straight blade in his hands has slain countless enemies, including several Martial Artists. Even Fierce Beasts have fallen to it.”

The fatty said with a broad smile, ”Alright, you can pick any weapon here. Consider it a gift from me.”

”Thank you.” Since that was the case, Luo Kai didn’t stand on ceremony. He continued to look at the other weapons. He really liked the straight blade, but it was too big and inconvenient to carry. He was used to acting alone, so it was best to choose a smaller, more portable weapon.

It is said that man is the Spirit of All Things, but in truth, everything in the world possesses a Spirituality. This Spirituality is mysterious and profound, difficult to put into words. It can only be perceived through one’s Sixth Sense.

Somehow, Luo Kai found himself walking to a corner of the basement. There sat a long, narrow, dust-covered box. The lock was so rusted that it broke with a gentle twist. Inside was a thirty-centimeter-long, Three-bladed Military Dagger. The blood grooves still held traces of dark red blood, and its cold gleam was oppressively sharp. A single glance sent an inexplicable chill deep into his heart.

He felt a fondness for it. This kind of weapon was perfect—easy to carry and extremely lethal. Unable to put it down, he made a few practice thrusts. The air filled with a continuous WHOOSH WHOOSH, and an icy chill instantly spread through the room.

The fatty stood in the distance with a strange expression on his face. He spoke up, ”You’re choosing that one?”

Luo Kai turned to look at him and noticed that his expression was a bit off. He scratched his head. ”Is it not okay? I’ll pick another one, then.” He reluctantly placed the Military Dagger back into its box.

”It’s not that you can’t, but... sigh!”

The fatty sighed, a look of reminiscence on his face. ”That Military Dagger nearly took my life back in the day. If I weren’t different from ordinary people—born with two hearts—I’m afraid I would have become another Wandering Soul claimed by its blade.”

Luo Kai jumped in shock, exclaiming, ”You... you’re a Mutant too?”

”Yes. Since you like it, just take it. But let me give you a warning. That Military Dagger has killed too many people. Most of them didn’t die in honorable, head-on combat but were assassinated. The Evil Qi from the dead is extremely heavy. If the wielder’s mind isn’t strong enough, their sanity will likely be affected by the Evil Qi.”

Luo Kai hesitated. The number of people who had died by his hand in the past two years was probably in the double digits. As his strength grew, he had already begun to sense the existence of that mysterious Evil Qi. This mysterious Energy could significantly boost a person’s courage, but it also made them bloodthirsty.

Killing is addictive for any living being. Take apex predators, for example. Sometimes they aren’t hungry, yet they kill for no reason. In reality, they’re just satisfying a psychological urge.

Deep down, he had already developed this urge, which was why he’d had an almost uncontrollable desire to kill in the prison yesterday.

Seeing Luo Kai lost in a daze, the fatty said in a low voice, ”Any weapon is only as good as its wielder. If your will is strong enough, you naturally won’t be affected by a bit of Evil Qi. In fact, you might even be able to control it!”

Luo Kai snapped back to his senses, picked up the box containing the Military Dagger, and bowed sincerely to the fatty. ”You’re right, Master!”

Liu Hou laughed heartily. ”Excellent! What do you want to learn? I taught my Straight Blade Skill to my eldest disciple; he serves in the Government Army. The second one learned my Round Extreme Body Technique and has stayed by my side. The third has a carefree personality and learned a little bit of everything. Who knows where he’s messing around now.”

Liu Hou’s meaning was clear: his greatest strengths were his Straight Blade Skill and Round Extreme Body Technique. If Luo Kai wanted to learn real skills, he had to choose between the two.

Luo Kai hesitated for a moment, then said a little sheepishly, ”Well... um, I want to learn that ability you used earlier, the one that controls people’s heartbeats.”

Liu Hou stared at him in surprise for a long moment, then suddenly laughed. ”Attaboy. You zeroed in on my greatest skill right from the start. But that’s not something that can be taught. You have to comprehend it on your own. When you have time, listen to more music, or rather, listen closely to the frequencies of vibrating objects. If your comprehension is good, you might just grasp it yourself one day.”

Since he couldn’t learn that ability, Luo Kai could only choose the Straight Blade Skill. For Body Refining Body Techniques, he already had the Soft Body Technique and the Mighty Dragon Fist. What he currently lacked were skills with bladed weapons. Whether in ancient times, the present, or the future, the blade has always been one of the most practical weapons. In comparison, apart from the greatsword, most swords were primarily decorative and not suited for actual combat.