Thousand-Faced Dragon

Chapter 418 The Four Symbols
The seemingly gentle and lovely little princess is actually quite ruthless.

She was trying to win over loyalists like the old city lord while also making arrangements for his future. And the key pawn was Rean himself.

Perhaps that's why she reacted unusually aggressively when Rean was threatened or even threatened.

She absolutely could not accept the removal of the "knight," or even the complete loss of her life.

Rean felt increasingly uneasy. When they first met, she shouldn't have been like this. Was it the royal upbringing that had nurtured her into a competent politician, or was it her "reconciliation" with her mother that allowed her to start letting loose?

"Neither is it, it's because I might have a younger brother or sister-in-law."

The princess silently watched Rean, watching him feel a chill run down his spine, but ultimately said nothing.

Some things are better left unsaid; revealing them can be awkward for both parties.

Dania had mixed feelings. Reconciling with her mother was a good thing, but after confirming certain things, what should she call the man in front of her?
"Father, you're dreaming! Don't even think about it in this lifetime!"

She took a deep breath and said calmly.

"Knowing that there is a second heir has greatly reduced my pressure. I no longer worry about accidentally dying and causing the entire country to collapse and all its citizens to suffer, nor do I worry about making a serious mistake that could lead to civil war." Because of the lack of pressure, I have become more flexible in my actions.

People cannot be completely free of pressure, otherwise they will easily become lax, but they also cannot be under too much pressure, otherwise not only will their actions be easily distorted, but they will also become hesitant and indecisive.

Dania has shouldered heavy responsibilities since childhood, placed the Kingdom of Education above all else, and been bound by various rules and regulations. The feeling of not being able to live one's own life, and the feeling of voluntarily turning oneself into a tool, has probably caused her a lot of pressure.

When she heard that her mother had a second child, she not only didn't feel threatened, but was actually relieved.

Her own failure didn't seem to be enough to drag everyone down to hell, and she herself had the right to die. This pressure—the inability to relax, the inability to close her eyes, and even the fear of dying—kept the girl teetering on the brink of collapse.

A royal heir is naturally a good thing, but an heir to a kingdom that is about to collapse is a delicate matter.

Even he himself is probably just a bargaining chip and tool to prolong the country's existence.

"Don't touch!"

Despite complaining, she didn't slap away Rean's hand as he tenderly stroked the girl's head.

Rean was also quite moved. There are many kinds of kings. Some make the whole country serve them, while others carry the whole country on their shoulders and are eventually crushed to death. Perhaps if it weren't for the intervention of his group, she would have only ended up being crushed to death. The only difference is when and by whom.

Rean patted the girl's head on behalf of her father, and then wisely withdrew his hand.

She doesn't need pity; her life is far wealthier than most people's. A brief respite is enough.
"Let Hela help you."

"Hmph, her."

Although she complained about her "older sister's" unreliability, she ultimately did not deny it.

She may have already trusted her half-sister.

The little incident passed quickly, and Rean smiled helplessly as he watched the royal carriage leave in a hurry.

Perhaps this hurried arrival and departure is also a form of "support and attention" from the royal family. With all the time and plans arranged, she probably has no life of her own left.

Rean would never say something like "I hope you'll be an ordinary girl," because that's simply impossible. From another perspective, without her status as a princess and heir to the kingdom, she probably wouldn't have a life of her own.

"I just hope that I can have a choice."

Choosing to become a politician, choosing to become God's chosen people, choosing to become an artist, choosing to become a housewife, choosing to become a photographer—although the last one is a bit abstract, the possibility of this "self-choice" is reassuring.

For better or worse, life is your own choice, not something that someone or some organization requires you to do, and there is no possibility of backing down or failing.
"continue."

After seeing off the busy visitors, Rean threw himself into his training.

The path of a martial monk becomes more meaningful the more one cultivates.

To most mortals, monks are closer to powerful assassins and melee fighters—fast and fierce, but lacking armor and defense, with a high potential but rarely exceeding the limits of mortals, and a lower limit even lower than that of ordinary warriors. It was only after Rean himself embarked on this path that he discovered its true depth; it was about "exploring and utilizing the power of one's own body/soul," completely different from other methods that relied on external forces (magic, sorcerers).

This is a purely "selfish" path, always pursuing "self-peace".

Unlike Druids and Paladins who like to interfere in the outside world, Monks spend most of their lives in monasteries, pursuing self-perfection. They rarely leave the world, and even then, it's often just part of their self-cultivation. Ultimately, it's all for their own sake. They have a deep-seated pessimism and indifference towards the development of the world, believing that "what I do/don't do" won't really change anything. In the face of long years and the passage of time, nothing matters.

Of course, not all monks are like this, but at least most monks are this "selfish".

Even if they occasionally intervene in the world, they often end up returning to the monastery.

"Another extreme of order." I only restrain myself and control myself, and I don't care unless the foundation of the world is threatened.

They only need to survive on their own, so they don't need many resources.

Synchronization rate increased by 3%.

This realization was acknowledged by the spirit of the hero, even though he himself was not like that.

In the past two days, Li En has dreamed of Wu's life several times, but unlike other heroic spirits, there is no deeper meaning in his dreams. To be precise, every dream is just killing.

He was not a standard martial monk, but just an ordinary person who had embarked on the path of a martial monk at some unknown time. He was called "Wu Jie" (meaning "without precepts") because he had no scruples or taboos, and even used this power to satisfy his own desires.

This is extremely unqualified for a martial monk.

Even so, nobody cared that the monks fighting in the animation didn't actually happen. Unless you kicked the door open, nobody really paid any attention to you.

Using this power to satisfy one's desires is also an option, but Wu quickly grew tired of it.

A life of luxury and leisure is inherently in conflict with the path of a martial monk. If you rest for one day, you have to make up for it with ten days or a month. This kind of physical and spiritual degeneration is something a true martial monk cannot tolerate.

Cultivation is addictive, and very addictive.

"Looks like we need to choose a branch."

Rean's training was exceptionally smooth, and he quickly completed the basic training, but he had to choose a branch next.

Skilled monks can train through multiple paths, but newcomers must start with one.

"Let's start with the Four Symbols Monks."

The most traditional path for a monk is the free-fighting (combat) path, which is theoretically the least difficult. However, Rean himself has enough magic power and elemental control, so the path of a monk who controls the elements is actually the most convenient.

Rean reached out and held a "seed of air" in his hand.

He is still "energy," so he can be used to exchange for and summon the power of the elements.

However, unlike magic, a monk's ki is actually his life force, and if he uses it carelessly, he will probably die out very quickly.

"There are good and bad aspects." Vitality is always limited, and throwing it around randomly is tantamount to courting death, but as part of "itself," it is also easy to control.

It can even be absorbed into one's own body.

As Rean gradually trained in boxing, flames began to rise around him, but then, inexplicably, they began to recede.

For the first time, the elemental flames turned out to be truly harmless energy.

As the flames transformed into a fiery serpent and spread out, Rean felt a part of himself extend outwards. Perhaps, this elemental power, this serpent dragon formed from the flames, could also be used as his physical body.

"The Four Symbols Monks are far more powerful than I expected. They are also very suitable for me."

(End of this chapter)