Shackles of Humanity

”Xiaokai, if you need anything, just tell the staff here. I have to go to the Body Technique Association. I’m three days late, and Xiaohu and his partner probably can’t handle it anymore. The old man is going to lose his mind.”

After checking into the hotel, Tuoba Ye gave a few quick instructions and rushed off to the Body Technique Association to report for duty, leaving Luo Kai to wander the city alone.

As the capital of the Dongyuan Upper Country, Shangjing was incredibly prosperous, rivaling any first-tier city from his previous life. Elevated highways crisscrossed the urban landscape, and rail cars spiraled skyward. The wide streets bustled with people and traffic in a vibrant, lively scene. Standing in such a flourishing metropolis, one felt no hint of disaster or the smoke of war, nor the pressure of the Fierce Beasts.

The streets and alleys were lined with all sorts of dojos, training halls, and shooting ranges. Many restaurants also had signs advertising Fierce Beast Flesh. Luo Kai was tempted to try some, as he realized he had never eaten it before. But a quick check of his pockets forced him to abandon the idea; he didn’t have much money and had to be frugal.

As he walked past a park, he saw a large group of people practicing a simple yet peculiar form of Body Techniques. It resembled a combination of gymnastics and Tai Chi. It began with various rapid stretching movements, then gradually slowed, all while the latent power in each motion grew stronger.

He stopped to watch for a while, intrigued. In the Dongyuan Upper Country, almost everyone practiced Body Techniques. After the Great Cataclysm, humanity had exhausted every method to enhance their species’ combat strength. During the fight against the Fierce Beasts, the power of ancient, handed-down Combat Daos was gradually unlocked, giving rise to the very first Body Techniques.

However, popularizing Body Techniques was not easy, simply because everyone’s physique and Acquired environment were different. If the intensity was too high, ordinary people couldn’t withstand it; if it was too low, it was useless. It was hard to find a perfect method that suited the majority of people’s cultivation needs.

Later, some great sages finally developed Dharma Gates suitable for the masses. What these people were practicing was a foundational Body Technique, unique in that it could both strengthen the body and provide a degree of combat capability.

The people here were generally a centimeter or two taller than those from the Xingma Kingdom, averaging around 1.8 to 1.9 meters in height. The men were all strong and muscular, and the women were slender and agile. The higher a being’s Evolution Level, the closer their appearance was to the golden ratio.

The same principle applied to technology and industry. The more advanced a piece of equipment, the more aesthetically pleasing it was—in other words, the more it aligned with the ”Dao.”

The most Top-Level Fierce Beasts were undoubtedly beautiful, and the same was true for powerful human experts. Generation after generation, the cultivation of Body Techniques had been imperceptibly changing all of humanity.

One could imagine that as time passed, the human race was bound to grow ever stronger, even without the aid of Genetic Potions. In the not-so-distant future, they might truly enter an age of advanced martial arts for all.

...

Luo Kai wasn’t just wandering aimlessly; he was trying to find the location of Yunluo Manor. Unfortunately, after asking around, it seemed no one had heard of it. ’Looks like I’ll have to ask Tuoba Ye,’ he thought.

After finishing his walk, he returned to the Changyue Hotel. The moment he reached the top floor, he saw two burly men standing guard outside Tuoba Ye’s room. Their bulging muscles strained against their tight-fitting attire, and two pairs of sharp eyes shot a wary glance in his direction.

The door to the room was wide open. Luo Kai was puzzled. ’This is a high-class hotel; its guests are all either rich or powerful. A thief wouldn’t be this brazen, would they?’

Before Luo Kai could speak, one of the large men stared at him and barked, ”What are you doing here?”

Luo Kai shot back, ”And what are *you* doing here?”

Lately, his mysterious Spiritual Power had grown even stronger. Spiritual Power was a nigh-omnipotent force that produced different effects according to his every whim. If he wanted to blend into a crowd, no one would notice him. If he wanted to achieve a certain goal, his every word and action would carry tremendous charisma or oppressive weight.

The two men froze, instinctively about to answer.

Just then, a little girl about eleven or twelve years old rushed out of the doorway. She had fair, delicate skin, big round eyes, and chubby, baby-fat cheeks that made her look like a porcelain doll. She took one look at him, then retreated back into the room, a little disappointed.

’So they’re not thieves. Probably Tuoba Ye’s family or friends,’ Luo Kai concluded. He said nothing more and opened the door to his own room next door.

The two men finally let out a sigh of relief and exchanged a puzzled glance. A moment ago, the young man had seemed perfectly ordinary, but his words had carried an authority that couldn’t be denied. It was utterly bizarre.

Tuoba Ye didn’t return until evening. A moment later, a joyful shout erupted from the room next door. ”Daddy!”

”Whoa, my little treasure! What are you doing here?” Tuoba Ye’s voice was a mix of surprise and delight.

”Waaah... Daddy, if you didn’t come home, Mommy said she was going to disown me and send me to live with you.”

...

A warm feeling spread through Luo Kai’s chest. ’So the little girl really is Tuoba Ye’s daughter.’ Then, a flicker of annoyance. ’That old rascal Tuoba Ye... his daughter is this young, and he’s already scheming to find a son-in-law.’

It was quite late by the time Tuoba Ye saw his daughter off. He came into Luo Kai’s room and said with a helpless sigh, ”Well, that’s that. If I don’t head home soon, my wives are going to divorce me. How are you doing, Xiaokai? Still not planning to visit the Luo Family?”

”I’m not going.” Luo Kai still had doubts about being a descendant of the Luo Family. Even if it were true, he wouldn’t go.

Tuoba Ye didn’t press the issue. ”Alright, stay here for now then. Is there anything else you need to take care of?”

Luo Kai hesitated slightly before replying, ”I actually came to Shangjing to find someone named Yun Ye. I believe she lives somewhere called Yunluo Manor. Do you know where it is?”

Tuoba Ye exclaimed in surprise, ”Of course I do! Yun Ye is our Teacher’s eldest daughter! Hey, kid, how do you know Yun Ye?”

’So she is from the Yun Family,’ Luo Kai thought. He mulled it over before shaking his head. ”I don’t know her. Someone just asked me to deliver something to her.”

Anyone acquainted with Yun Ye couldn’t be an ordinary person. Tuoba Ye wanted to press for more details, but seeing that Luo Kai clearly had no intention of elaborating, he held his tongue.

「The next day.」

Su Chengbo arrived at the hotel. The moment he entered the room, he said, ”We’re in trouble. The Royal Family wants us to sell them some of the Yao Yue Liu materials.”

Tuoba Ye’s voice was cold. ”And what are they prepared to pay?”

”I don’t know. But I imagine it’ll be something trivial.”

”Just great! Those bastards are really pushing it now!” Tuoba Ye shot to his feet, pacing back and forth in a fury.

Su Chengbo sighed. ”Calm down. This was to be expected. I’ve already discussed it with Brother Xi. After setting aside what’s needed to forge an Energy Weapon for Xiaokai, I’ll take forty percent of the remaining Yao Yue Liu materials. Xiaokai gets twenty percent, you and Jing Hui each get ten percent, and the final twenty percent will be offered as tribute to the Royal Family. What do you think?”

Tuoba Ye flopped onto the sofa, deflated. ”Fine, whatever. Dammit! Those shameless old bastards... I’m so pissed off!”

”Xiaokai, what do you think?”

Luo Kai had no objections and nodded in agreement.

”Okay, there’s one more headache. Our Teacher is in seclusion right now, and Shangjing University’s admissions are already closed. If we want to get you a spot, we’ll have to go see those old geezers on the university committee. And those guys will eat you alive and not even spit out the bones. It’ll probably take some time, so you’ll have to wait here for a bit, Xiaokai.”

”Okay.”

Just as Su Chengbo was leaving, he added, ”If you get bored, feel free to come hang out at my place. My little sister has been asking about you.”

Luo Kai smiled. ”Sure. Is Miss Su still poring over her math problems?”

”She is. Lately, she seems to be researching something called an ’Intelligent Brain.’ No matter how I press her, she won’t tell me what it’s for.”

Luo Kai’s expression shifted. ’Can someone develop a programmable computing system without electricity?’ He was genuinely curious to see it, but the thought that Su Wenlin might be there quickly extinguished the notion.