Chapter 39 – The Thirty-Ninth Ray of Light

After his rationality returned, Si Nuocheng entered a state of deep reflection.

He leaned back against three soft pillows, his body sinking deeply into the large bed, his face still somewhat pale. However, his energy and spirit were in peak condition, and his eyes sparkled with an unprecedented brilliance.

Ji Si had said, points and lines belong to one-dimensional space…

A one-dimensional space only has length, with no width or depth. Humans can freely draw lines on a blank sheet of paper, changing their shapes at will, making them long or short, straight or curved, almost with absolute control.

But if you impose a prerequisite on one-dimensional space, such as a math test asking you to “draw parallel lines” or “draw an arc,” the human ability to control one-dimensional space becomes limited. You can only copy the pattern, following the instructions.

As conditions keep stacking, down to something like “draw a 3cm line segment with a 2B pencil,” humans must conform to the standards, following the rules.

At this point, their control over one-dimensional space is at its lowest. Unless they break through the constraints, they cannot act freely.

The same principle applies to two-dimensional space.

A two-dimensional space has length and width, and with clever use of lines, one can even draw a miniature representation of the three-dimensional world on a sheet of paper.

Humans built a two-dimensional world, creating paper figures with lines, giving them identity, abilities, and attributes. They accepted that all the absurdities of these paper figures were rational, acknowledging that all their extraordinary powers were real.

But similarly, as humans continued to impose conditions on these paper figures, shaping them into independent beings, they greatly weakened their control over them. A slight change would inevitably result in criticism, such as “You’re ruining the character’s image.”

However, humans did accomplish something: they truly gave the paper figures their abilities, status, and identity in the two-dimensional world, allowing them to thrive and flourish.

By the same logic — it should apply to three-dimensional space!

In three-dimensional space, things have length, width, and height. Everything becomes three-dimensional and full. Humans are three-dimensional beings, and the rules that apply to the three-dimensional world are “science.”

The rules of “science” are like the prerequisites of a math problem, listing the do’s and don’ts that humans must follow to make the three-dimensional world appear real in their eyes. These rules permeate thinking, life, and everyday activities, shaping everyone’s worldview.

However, while humans are three-dimensional beings, the soul within the human body is a product of a higher-dimensional existence.

Just as humans can grant special abilities to paper figures, the soul can grant humans certain marvelous traits.

It’s as if the soul is an innate cheat code humans carry within themselves. If humans possess the ability to awaken and connect with the super-senses of the subconscious, they can naturally harness “unscientific” powers in the three-dimensional world.

As Ji Si said, the world is an overlay of dimensions. One-dimensional space is free, two-dimensional space flourishes — so why should three-dimensional space be any different?

If we consider “science” as the basic rule — the foundation on which three-dimensional beings exist — then the soul is the key that allows three-dimensional beings to break free from these constraints.

The precondition for holding this key is willpower, temperament, and faith, as well as the synchronization of body, mind, and spirit. The supernatural abilities Si Nuocheng currently possesses stem from the awakening of his soul.

And with the body as the medium, the soul’s power can be fully manifested in the real world. This way, no matter how many invaders appear, humanity would possess the ability to resist them.

Fighting three-dimensional with three-dimensional, responding to higher dimensions with higher dimensions — this way, humanity could remain invincible.

Unfortunately, at present, Si Nuocheng was the only awakened one, while the number of monsters continued to grow by the day…

With these thoughts, Si Nuocheng found it hard to relax any longer.

He endured the soreness in his body, dragging each of his teammates out of their rooms one by one. He spoke rapidly, explaining concepts, elaborating, analyzing, and diving deep, writing and drawing, single-handedly pushing the entire team toward the path of awakening.

“Bro Cheng, I understand the theory, but I just can’t learn it!” Jiang Qining said, his expression numb. “Every time I dream, it’s either about eating, being chased, or desperately looking for a toilet.”

“I still can’t understand, how do you learn in your dreams?”

Si Nuocheng calmly replied, “It’s something that comes naturally; it’s not hard.”

Jiang Qining: “…Is this even human language?”

Laki: “Don’t look at me, I’m just trash. Trash, just lying here waiting for the sorting to be done.”

Everyone: …

Only Qi Xinli’s brain waves connected with Si Nuocheng’s, offering a relatively reasonable suggestion: “Maybe we could try the Buddhist ‘meditation’ method, instead of focusing on sleep-based methods.”

“Meditation?”

“Yes, you can also think of it as ‘meditation’ in yoga, or as a prelude to a psychologist’s hypnosis.” Qi Xinli continued, “It’s a non-sleeping state that allows the body and mind to settle, clears the mind, and activates the subconscious. It feels like a dream, but not quite. As long as you fully immerse yourself in it, without thinking about how long it takes, you’ll feel relaxed after you wake up.”

Si Nuocheng: “We can give it a try…”

He had a feeling that if the “meditation” method worked, his body, mind, and soul would be even more in sync.

Sleep training, soul awakening, meditation stability—unbeknownst to them, they had unknowingly stepped onto the path of ancient cultivation, not realizing how far they would ultimately grow.

At first, they only sought self-preservation, wanted to grow stronger—nothing more. Little did they know that the river of fate would move forward without stopping, and the butterfly’s wings would stir up a storm.

“Sleep-based methods don’t work for everyone,” Qi Xinli said. “Even I can’t guarantee that I can always maintain my sense of self while dreaming. But meditation, I’m better at, and it’s more applicable to the masses.”

“At least sitting meditation is something Jiang Qining should be able to learn, right?”

However, half an hour later—

Jiang Qining was sitting cross-legged on the sofa, his hands resting on his knees, his head tilted to one side. Drool flowed down from the corner of his mouth, and his sleeping face looked incredibly peaceful.

“Roast chicken… heh heh…” He mumbled in his sleep.

Everyone: …He’s probably beyond saving.

…

Ji Si’s prophecy had almost become the refuge compass for Zhongzhou.

After a night of fermenting, Hai Luo Bay’s transportation lines were in full swing. A large number of tourists and residents were moving inland, while the commercial streets and tourism industry near the coast were shut down. Military forces began gathering along the perimeter, with cannons lined up in front of the fortresses, ready to blow any monsters who dared to land to pieces.

Where the bustling city had been filled with people and the sounds of lively nightlife, now, not a single pigeon remained in the square.

Most people knew that it was crucial not to cause trouble at this critical time. With only a few days left, the best thing was to stay at home and not wander around. But there would always be a small group of criminals who attempted to add fuel to the fire, taking advantage of the government’s unpreparedness to commit murder and arson.

At that time, Ji Si was calmly tending to his garden of cabbages, carefully looking after them and patiently answering questions. Afterward, he retreated to the balcony, sipping coffee and resting, leaving space for the meditators to continue their practice.

The sun was warm today, and the positive energy was abundant, perfect for the cabbages to thrive. But Ji Si never expected that, in addition to catching pests in his garden, he would have to watch out for petty thieves trying to steal his crops.

A breeze brushed past his nose, carrying with it a foul, rancid odor. Ji Si frowned and put down his coffee, suddenly losing his appetite.

This was the scent of the soul of someone irredeemable…

A fallen being that breeds demons.

They had lost their humanity, and there was no longer any light in them. Harm and plunder were their instincts, slaughter and bloodshed their passions. They wore human skins, yet their soul’s vibrational frequency was dangerously close to that of a monster, filled with the negative energy of evil. They were like demons, feeding on others’ suffering and finding pleasure in the torture of living beings.

Such heavy karma—how did they manage to survive until now?

Ji Si’s eyes locked onto a direction, his gaze piercing through the buildings to a dark room. He saw, in a cramped old house less than eighty square meters, thirteen foul-smelling scum gathered together.

They were armed with knives and guns, looking like they were up to no good.

“Are you sure you found that son of those two dogs?” The leader, who was missing an eye, shook the long scar on his neck as he spoke. “Is he in this city?”

“Sure,” the second-in-command, showing a row of golden teeth, grinned sinisterly. “That face looks exactly like Qi Zheng’s son. It’s definitely the kid of those two dogs. Even if it’s not, killing one or two similar sheep will be satisfying.”

“Qi Zheng!” The leader gritted his teeth. “Today, I’ll make your son die!”

“Hahaha! Us brothers can’t wait to get our revenge!” The second-in-command laughed. “Once we catch that little brat, let’s cut him open! Send a hand in a few days, then a foot, a few days after that, his intestines, and finally, the head. What a great taste, unforgettable.”

They laughed recklessly, like wolves.

“What kind of people are around that little bastard?”

“A bunch of rich kids, we can tie them up and exchange them for money.”

This was a group of hardcore outlaws. To them, human life was as cheap as chickens and ducks. They could slaughter at will and weigh the bodies by the pound to sell. Anything that could be used to make money was a good thing, and nothing more.

If it weren’t for their failure ten years ago at the hands of the Yanjing team, they would still be living the high life as “big bosses.”

The more they thought about it, the more they hated the Yanjing team! Unfortunately, that team had kept their identities well hidden, otherwise, after lying in wait for more than a decade, they would have come back and taken revenge by using their families as prey.

Ji Si: …

The High Priest quietly observed the old house, without speaking. After a moment, he smiled coldly, took a sip of his coffee, and said calmly, “Let them come.”

His cabbages needed to see what kind of monster wore human skin.

……

The word “human” cannot define the brutal criminals they were. They could kill a passerby for a pack of cigarettes, slit a boss’s throat for a bowl of noodles, or even sell out a close acquaintance for a few hundred bucks.

To them, “humans” were nothing more than piles of currency. They could act in such a hysterical manner over a hundred or so bucks—what about the massive wealth they lost when the police shut down their profitable schemes more than a decade ago?

When you cut off someone’s livelihood, it’s life or death; when you cut off a bandit’s livelihood, you leave none alive.

No matter how well the officers working to clean up the drug dealers or capture murderers hid their identities, there were always some small mistakes, some information leaks. Eventually, the criminals would wipe out their families.

Similar tragedies were countless. As long as there was a single thief or bandit who slipped through the cracks, it would bring endless trouble to the officers’ families.

Like now, the criminals who had fled more than ten years ago were back. They were like maggots, hell-bent on tearing a piece of flesh from others.

Qi Xinli’s parents had cut off their path, and now they wanted Qi Xinli’s life. The moment they learned they could “avenge” themselves, they didn’t bother to think about strategies like kidnapping or escape routes. They just wanted to put a gun to Qi Xinli’s temple and pull the trigger!

For over a decade, they’d been hiding, and if not for helping a corrupt boss with some dirty business and holding a few pieces of dirt on him, they’d have been long gone! The grudge had festered longer than the life of a tortoise, and now, with the news of their enemy’s son, what were they waiting for?

Nothing to wait for!

They grabbed their weapons, got into a van, and drove toward the big hotel as the night fell. Meanwhile, Si Nuocheng and the others were dining in the buffet on the first floor of the hotel, with Ji Si, as usual, not joining them for the meal.

At a southwest corner diagonally from their table, a few plainclothes soldiers sat. Their faces looked familiar, but before anyone could take a closer look, they turned their faces away. Discreet and obedient, cautious and careful.

Si Nuocheng pretended not to notice, taking his plate and sitting at the table. Just as his knife and fork were about to slice into the medium-rare steak, he suddenly froze.

For some reason, a sticky, cold feeling crawled up his spine, winding its way into his mind. The temperature around him dropped significantly. The delicious aroma of food vanished, replaced by a heavy, nauseating stench that made him lose his appetite. He couldn’t eat another bite.

This feeling…

[When an awakened one encounters a negative energy field, they instinctively feel disgust.]

Si Nuocheng’s fingers twitched slightly, and without thinking, he tightened his grip on the knife and fork. Whether it was a gut feeling or some kind of impulse, he instinctively looked up toward the entrance of the buffet. And then, he saw a one-eyed man walking in.

The man tilted his body, and with a powerful swing of his arm, he raised a large gun—directly aiming at him!

In that moment, it felt as though time had frozen. The image in front of him was reflected in his eyes, playing in slow motion in his mind.

He saw the waiter’s expression distort, saw the mouths of the passersby slightly open, and the black muzzle of the gun was aimed directly at the restaurant. A finger pressed into the trigger, about to pull…

In an instant, a thin line connected to the barrel of the gun. Si Nuocheng swiftly raised his hand and threw his dinner knife toward the gun’s muzzle!

Time slowed down as he saw his knife spinning, cutting through a maze of shadows and narrowly slicing between people’s gaps, heading straight for the target. The gun trembled, and metallic ammunition shot out like a spark of fire.

“Clang!”

Time resumed, and the bullet and the knife collided with lightning speed, sparking a burst of fire. At the same moment, screams erupted in the hotel lobby, and the people in the buffet were caught off guard, looking around in confusion.

The one-eyed man was momentarily stunned. But soon, he refocused, locking onto the people in the buffet and pulling the trigger again!

“Get down—!” Si Nuocheng and Shen Yunting’s shouts overlapped.

Si Nuocheng threw the fork again, and Shen Yunting pulled out his own gun. As they blocked the bandit’s attack, Si Nuocheng kicked Jiang Qining, sending him flying under another table.

Jiang Qining hit the floor face-first, spitting out a mouthful of fried noodles, completely stunned.

What’s going on? Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?

Until a burst of “rat-a-tat-tat” gunfire swept through the surroundings, shattering vases, glasses, and piercing through walls and table legs. Another round of gunfire rang out, accompanied by shouts of “Cover!” and “Evacuate!” Jiang Qining instinctively shrank under the table.

However, his location was not far from the door, and when a thick, dark hand lifted the tablecloth, revealing a sinister face holding a gun, Jiang Qining’s mind went completely blank!

Then, driven by his instinctual awakened survival skills, he thrust his fork into the criminal’s nose with remarkable precision—quick, accurate, and deadly!

“Argh!” The criminal screamed, and the gun was aimed at his head.

At that moment, Jiang Qining’s mind had only one thought: Oh crap, I’m pulling a one-for-one trade! Big loss!

But the gun didn’t fire. The bandit’s thick, black arm was suddenly severed, and blood gushed out! Jiang Qining realized that there seemed to be invisible steel wires dancing throughout the restaurant, twisting and wrapping around people, pulling the innocent off the battlefield.

Bro Cheng?

Soon, Qi Xinli’s large hand grabbed him by the back of his neck, forcefully pulling him to “safety.” Jiang Qining stared as Qi Xinli did a quick roll, grabbing a gun, expertly chambering a round, and then effortlessly blowing the criminal’s brains out!

Blown… brains out…

His teammates were getting more ruthless by the second!

Jiang Qining mumbled, “I think… I really only have this ‘one-for-one’ trade left in me.”

“Ura!” The battle spirit of the warrior people was unyielding. Laki picked up a heavy wooden table and slammed it down on a bandit’s skull. After disarming him with ease, he swung the gun from below, smashing the other man’s jaw.

Then, he turned around and grabbed the gun pressed against his back, forcefully twisting it toward the bandit’s face.

“Boom!”

When the bandit fired his gun, it was as good as suicide. Laki immediately discarded the useless piece of trash, kicking the next bandit’s nose bridge into pieces. He drew the bandit’s hatred towards him, and Qi Xinli seized the opportunity to take a cold shot. Si Nuocheng held the situation steady, while Shen Yunting covered the civilians as they ran toward the back door…

Despite having no previous combat coordination experience, they were working more seamlessly than anyone could have imagined at that moment.

The twelve criminals were highly skilled in both gunplay and hand-to-hand combat. But the Qu Kang team wasn’t made up of amateurs. The remaining teammates quickly gathered in the restaurant, and with their combat experience, they took down one criminal with each shot. Within fifty seconds, they rendered the enemies combat-ineffective.

The buffet restaurant was in chaos, and Jiang Qining cautiously peeked his head out from behind a table.

Qi Xinli pressed his head down and said to Si Nuocheng, “Dealing with these criminals will be my responsibility. As for their behavior, it’s like they’ve lost their minds. They simply found a target and killed for the sake of killing…”

Jiang Qining tried to lift his head again, and Si Nuocheng pressed it back down. “I feel the same. The first shot from that one-eyed man was aimed directly at me.” That immediate sense of being locked onto was both nauseating and chilling.

Jiang Qining tried again to peek, but Laki stopped him by pressing his head down. “Let’s head to the police station. Four people are easier to keep track of.”

Although Jiang Qining was the team’s comic relief, they couldn’t afford to leave him unattended in the hotel.

Jiang Qining: “…Can you stop pressing my head?”

The group gave him a deep look before he finally managed to lift his head and see the world beyond the table!

“Ugh—” He would never be able to stomach ketchup again in his life!

…

The police had surrounded the crime scene, taking photos, collecting evidence, and scouring through the area, working well into the night. By the time they finished, Si Nuocheng and his team had returned to their rooms, having scrubbed themselves clean several times, but they still felt as though a layer of stench lingered.

They sat together, and aside from Ji Si, who leisurely sipped his coffee, the others had serious expressions on their faces.

“Relax,” Ji Si put his cup down and said gently, “You’ll encounter more ruthless bandits like this in the future, and they will become even more dangerous.”

The group: …

“I’m not exaggerating, I’m simply stating the facts.” Ji Si continued, “I’ve told you before, human hearts are easy to corrupt. And that corruption is a form of demon.”

“The demons in the hearts of irredeemable people grow quickly when resonating across regions. They corrode the mind, amplify desires, and turn them into thoroughgoing evil.”

“At that point, they are no longer ‘humans,’ but monsters wearing human skin.”

“They won’t realize what’s happening to them. They’ll still think they’re the same as before. And it’s in their nature to hunt those with positive energy, making them natural targets for you.”

Ji Si stood, pulled back the curtains, and opened the window. “Those with positive energy become awakened ones, while those with negative energy become fallen ones. The frequency of vibration from awakened ones causes others to awaken, while the influence of fallen ones leads others to fall.”

“When the division begins, awakened ones and fallen ones become natural enemies.”

“Spilling the blood of fallen ones is a necessary step for awakened ones.” Ji Si turned to face them, smiling, “After this, do not show mercy toward fallen ones.”

The group fell silent, and Jiang Qining’s voice trembled: “But… killing people…”

“They cannot be called ‘humans,’” Ji Si turned his head, “Monsters can truly emerge from the bodies of fallen ones.”

“Humans are the perfect vessel. Using a vessel made of all five elements to nurture a monster, once it matures and breaks out, it will be far more terrifying than the creatures in any devil’s lair. Even before the monster fully forms, the ‘human’ inside has already become bloodthirsty.”

“Just like now…”

Ji Si smiled as he faced them, his back to the ventilated window. A crimson dot appeared on his temple, motionless. Thirteen criminals, twelve caught, and the remaining one not only hadn’t run but had come rushing to attack.

“Bang!” The gunshot rang out.

Si Nuocheng’s pupils constricted: “No—”

Before he could fully process it, Ji Si extended two fingers, elegantly yet swiftly catching a metal bullet. Without even glancing at it, he bent his fingers back and flicked it.

It sliced through the air, piercing the gun barrel and shattering it with unyielding force, then directly piercing the criminal’s throat!

A bead of cold sweat slid down Si Nuocheng’s forehead, and his heart finally settled as the tension left his body.

“Do you understand now? Hunting awakened ones is the instinct of fallen ones.” Ji Si looked at the four of them, “And there are many such evil people in this world.”

Jiang Qining’s teeth chattered as he spoke: “But they all look like humans. How do I distinguish if they are fallen ones?”

“If they haven’t awakened, you can tell by their eyes,” Ji Si advised. “The eyes of fallen ones will turn into vertical slits when they blink.”

“Just like… the eyes of reptiles.”

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

PS:

Yu Mingyang: Why am I not getting any screen time?

Si Nuocheng: Has your plaster been removed?

Yu Mingyang: Farewell…