Shackles of Humanity

Luo Kai returned to his cabin, closed his eyes, and slowed his heart rate, allowing himself to enter a state of Meditation.

After what felt like a long time, a timid voice came from the doorway. ”Hello, you... can you do me a favor?”

Luo Kai opened his eyes. The young woman stood at the door, her large eyes filled with awe as she looked at him.

”What is it?”

The young woman shyly held up her still-bound hands. ”This rope is made of Flood Dragon Tendon. Ordinary weapons can’t cut it. Can you help me break it?”

”Can’t you untie it?”

The young woman shook her head. ”The Xi Family people used a binding method called the Hundred Knots Technique. If you don’t know the method, you can’t untie it.”

Luo Kai stood up and walked over to take a look. The black rope on her hands was twisted like a braid, looking intricate and complex. It would indeed take some effort to untie.

Staring at the black rope, his mind began to calculate and deduce like a computer. Compared to the infinitely variable frequency code from before, this so-called Hundred Knots Technique was laughably simple. In a matter of moments, he had figured out how to untie it. He stepped forward and undid the knots with his hands.

The young woman rotated her wrists, looking at him in surprise. ”How do you know how to undo the White Hair Technique?”

Luo Kai had no intention of answering and turned to go back.

The young woman’s face flushed. ”The ones on my feet are still tied.”

Luo Kai glanced back. The young woman was wearing a pair of stylish little leather boots, which made her legs look very slender. He bent down and reached for her ankle. It felt very soft in his hand, and he couldn’t help but give it a gentle squeeze.

The young woman’s face grew redder, and her body trembled slightly.

Luo Kai gently untied them for her. He felt a faint ripple disturb the usual stillness of his heart. He returned to his corner and closed his eyes again, calming his somewhat agitated qi and blood.

”Thank you.”

The young woman hesitated, wanting to say more, but seeing Luo Kai’s cold expression, she couldn’t bring herself to speak. She bent down, picked up the rope from the floor, and turned to leave.

On the deck, everyone was washing away the bloodstains. Several of the sailors had been killed, so the passenger ship couldn’t start. It could only remain here and wait for rescue.

The tall man who had acted first was named Bao Bin. He was from the Nanzhao Kingdom and was a Martial Artist on his way to study at Shangjing University. At this moment, he was talking with the one-armed man.

”Brother, if I may ask, why did the people from the Xi Family capture you?”

The one-armed man hesitated for a moment, then sighed. ”To be honest with you, I am Fu Hong, the president of the Thousand Islands Sea branch of the Tongyuan Association. Those aristocratic families can’t tolerate our existence and are hunting down members of the Tongyuan Association everywhere.”

Bao Bin was shocked. ”You mean the Tongyuan Association that represents the common people in their struggle against the aristocratic families?”

The one-armed man nodded. ”Yes. For generations, we of the Human Race on the Eastern Continent have been oppressed by those Farmers, Major Trading Groups, and aristocrats. Now, the aristocratic families have a monopoly on every level of society. They hoard immense resources but spend their days in luxury and pleasure, with no ambition. If this continues, not only will children from the lower classes like us never have a chance to rise, but the entire Human Race will become nothing but food for Fierce Beasts.”

He then added in a deep voice, ”The purpose of the Tongyuan Association is to break the monopoly of the aristocratic families and revitalize humanity!”

Many others were nearby, and after hearing his words, they came forward one by one, saying hatefully, ”That’s right! If we don’t resist, we’ll be exploited for generations to come.”

Bao Bin was also furious. ”Today’s events prove that those aristocratic families don’t care about our lives at all! In their eyes, we’re no better than pigs.”

The young woman walked onto the deck, frowning at the scene. She called out, ”Brother Fu, the wound on your arm hasn’t healed yet. You should go and get some rest.”

Fu Hong pushed aside the people gathered around him and walked over, asking in a low voice, ”Is that man down below?”

”Yes, he is.” For some reason, the young woman’s face suddenly blushed, and she paused for a moment before replying.

Fu Hong was extremely perceptive. He knew that all women had a heart that worshiped heroes. This young woman before him was still of great use, and he couldn’t let her be deceived by someone else. He lowered his voice and said, ”That man is no saint either. He has all that skill, yet he just watched as the Xi Family people went on a killing spree, doing nothing. It’s better if we don’t get involved with him.”

The young woman furrowed her brow. She wanted to argue but didn’t know what to say, so she lowered her head and gave a soft ”mm.” ’Even though I only had a brief encounter with him,’ she thought, ’I had a strange feeling. His expression was certainly cold, but it seemed to hold a hint of faint sorrow. More than that, it was his aura of being detached from the world, as if he were an ethereal being. Our worldly struggles probably don’t even register in his eyes.’

If Luo Kai knew what she was thinking, he would surely be amazed. A woman’s mind was truly that delicate and perceptive.

...

Luo Kai heard the conversation from the deck above and sighed silently in his heart. ’Throughout human history, oppression and resistance have never ceased. But he who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you!’

His mind was restless today. He stood up, left the cabin, and walked to the stern, silently gazing at the calm sea around him. His mind stirred, and specks of light began to gather toward him.

”Luo Xiaoyou, would you care to join us?” An exquisite yacht was approaching from a distance across the sea, and Su Chengbo’s voice rang in his ears.

Luo Kai opened his eyes. He hadn’t expected to meet them again so soon. After a slight hesitation, he stood up and jumped into the sea. Waves quickly gathered beneath his feet, carrying him toward the yacht. He was using the wave-walking technique he had once glimpsed the Sea Race People using, a skill that came to him with a mere flash of his Thoughts.

On the passenger ship, everyone witnessed this incredible scene. The young woman seemed to realize something and exclaimed in surprise, ”He... he’s also a Water Element Master!”

On the other yacht, Xi Jinghui was also stunned. Although Body Masters like them who had undergone Water Energy Infusion could also control water currents, they couldn’t do it as gracefully as the young man in the sea. He could feel the surrounding Water Element become significantly more active, a phenomenon that only occurred when a Water Element Master was emitting their frequency. He asked Tuoba Ye beside him in astonishment, ”This kid is also a Water Element Master?”

Tuoba Ye said, full of envy, ”Yeah. Damn, that’s cool.”

Luo Kai leaped onto the yacht. Seeing the three Body Masters on the deck, he clasped his hands in a fist-and-palm salute. ”Gentlemen.”

Su Chengbo greeted him with a smile. ”Haha, please sit, Luo Xiaoyou. The day before yesterday, I said we’d meet again if fate allowed. I didn’t expect fate to bring us together so quickly.”

Tuoba Ye sat down in front of Luo Kai and unceremoniously poured him a glass of wine. ”Heh heh, I guess you could say we didn’t get to know each other ’til we fought. The least you can do is introduce yourself, kid.”

Luo Kai hadn’t had a drink in a long time and found the aroma of the wine irresistible. He had little desire for food that merely satisfied his appetite, but he sorely missed alcohol and cigarettes. He picked up the glass, drained it in one gulp, and smacked his lips. ”My name is Luo Kai. There’s not much else to say. I’m just an idler from the wilderness.”

Tuoba Ye said, dissatisfied, ”At least you can tell us which generation of Luo Guangyuan’s descendant you are, right?”

Luo Kai asked strangely, ”Who is Luo Guangyuan? What does he have to do with me?”

The other three were astonished. People from aristocratic families like them held extreme reverence for their founding ancestors and would never dare to speak their names so directly.

Xi Jinghui asked doubtfully, ”You’re really not a descendant of the Northern Guardian King’s Luo Family?”

Luo Kai finally understood and said with a smile, ”I’m really not from any Luo Family. My surname just happens to be Luo.”

”Then where did your Fearless Body come from?” Tuoba Ye pressed on.

”What Fearless Body?”

”The Dharma Gate that lets you turn into a giant.”

Luo Kai said helplessly, ”I don’t know why I can turn into a giant either. It might be a physical transformation that happens when I push my Power to its absolute limit.”