Forge a path to success.

Chapter 187 Extraordinary People and Extraordinary Paths
Chu Hengkong loved challenging himself, and Qingye was also interested in ancient techniques, but neither of them wanted to risk their lives on the deadly Old Man's Heart Technique. Therefore, the two decided to directly consult the official Chongming who had passed down the scroll, judging the likelihood of successful cultivation from his response.

“At this moment, I really envy Sister Huaisu…” Qingye said with a frown, “While we Point 2s are busy trying to upgrade and transform, Sister Huaisu is having a headache because she has too much of her family’s heritage.”

Ji Huaisu is currently the member with the most abundant knowledge. The last wave of seniors in Jinye City joined hands to empower her with all kinds of martial arts. When she ascended, she fused with the Dragon Tree Talisman of 3 (7), which made her full of power and spirit. At present, Miss Ji needs to sort out the massive amount of information in her mind and find the parts that are useful to her. Therefore, she decided to stay in her room and cultivate in seclusion. She will come out when she has sorted things out.

Vande volunteered to stay and help his less-than-ideal teammates organize the intelligence, but Chu Hengkong suspected that he was just greedy for the knowledge of the Discipline Knights.

"Your sister Huaisu waited 23 years to find her inheritance, she deserves to enjoy it for a couple of days," Chu Hengkong said. "On the other hand, what's the situation on your end? I think you could have reached level 3 by now."

Qingye puffed out her cheeks, turned her head and said, "There's no rush! I'm not ready yet..."

What's the best way to prepare for heart training? Or is advancing to level 3 for those with a broken heart some kind of crucial milestone...? This path seems to be a fusion of supreme power and unity. Could it be that those with a broken heart will have to choose between water, fire, and dust when they reach level 3? But Qingye doesn't seem like the type to hesitate at times like this.

Seeing that Qingye was unwilling to say more, he asked instead, "The Guangshi family is a famous family on Shura Island, right?"

"Of course. Our patriarch, Lord Guang Shimingwu, is a dignified 'Martial Venerable' with a mass of 7!" Qingye said with a smug look on his face.

She certainly has reason to be proud. A god of rank 7 is capable of ruling a nation like the "Netherworld God" Sakura Dragon, or, in the heterodox camp, a terrifying demon king like the "Nightmare King" Vansalal. If such a person holds the title of patriarch, then the clan he protects is practically royalty...

"Then you should be very familiar with the common sense of the Submerged Realm," Chu Hengkong said. "You're only at Elemental Point 2, how dare you go out alone with a high-level relic?"

Qingye chuckled sheepishly, shrinking her neck: "I hadn't thought it through before running away from home for the first time..."

Chu Hengkong tapped her lightly.

"Okay, I'll confess, I actually have a reason." Qingye's voice was soft. "Let's make a promise, you're not allowed to laugh at me."

"Go ahead."

"Actually, I want to end the internal strife on Shura Island."

This statement was so revealing that even Chu Hengkong was stunned for a moment: "Shura Island, internal strife?"

Throughout the entire world of Shen Dong, few have not heard of Shura Island. As a place of origin for life masters on par with Longquan Township, it belongs to one of the world's top forces, just like the Cradle of Oblivion, the Empire of Truth, and other major bases of heretics.

If an internal conflict were to occur on such a dusty island, the news should spread throughout the world instantly. However, despite the fact that the Dragon City has reopened its shipping routes for a long time, not a single word has been heard. This is clearly contrary to common sense.

"Because the big shots have implemented an information blockade, the relevant intelligence has not yet been leaked. But the internal strife has been going on for quite some time..." Qingye smiled bitterly, "To be precise, it started to show signs after the war."

"Ever since the Lord of the Broken Heart established the Path, we Broken Hearts have been the main force in the struggle against the heretics. Although in the eyes of ordinary people we acted in an extreme way and had strange temperaments, our fundamental allegiance has never wavered. However, after the great war, the Lord of the Broken Heart left the island for a long time and never returned. The major affairs on Shura Island were then decided by the three Martial Venerables."

Qingye held up three fingers and asked seriously, "Mr. Chu, do you think that martial artists like you and me, after advancing to the 7th level of the material, can become wise rulers who govern a country?"

"My leadership skills are more than enough to lead a single assault team," Chu Hengkong said.

“That’s what the patriarch said too, so he didn’t want to be the decision-maker.” Qingye said with a frown. “Another Martial Venerable tried to govern the island himself, but it wasn’t very successful; another Martial Venerable was tired of worldly affairs and went into seclusion. After several failed attempts, the leadership was simply delegated to the ‘Generals’ of the 6th point, allowing the powerful to govern their own land.”

Thus, Shura Island essentially became a union of numerous 'small countries,' but the generals' ambitions were not aligned, leading to friction and a deterioration in security. In recent years, these accumulated conflicts have even escalated to the point where the generals have shown signs of going to war with each other. We, the Remnant Hearts, possess only fame and power, yet we have wasted our abilities on internal strife.”

Qingye smiled bitterly, as if even he himself was ashamed for his hometown: "Back home, I heard my elders discussing every day which family to help and how to balance the other forces... How can the power I've gained through such hard cultivation be used in such a place!"

So I stole the patriarch's sword and, in one fell swoop, sailed away from Shura Island. And so…”

Qingye gripped the hilt of her sword tightly and said earnestly, "As a genius from a prestigious family, and with a high-grade relic by my side, I might just encounter Lord Canxin!"

“……………………”

The anxieties arising from hearing about the current state of Shura Island, the identification with Qingye's resentment, and the curiosity about the reasons for her departure—all these emotions are present.

At that moment, it all transformed into the trembling sound of nerves collapsing.

Chu Hengkong slapped his face shut and asked in despair, "And then?"

"Then I can ask Lord Remnant Heart to return to the island to take charge!" Qingye said expectantly. "In that case, we can once again step onto the front line of the battle against the heretics, and the problem will be perfectly solved! Ouch!"

Chu Hengkong slammed his fist into the head of the idiotic high school girl and spun it wildly, causing her to scream in agony.

He should have realized it sooner. No matter how clearly he understands the situation, no matter how talented he is in cultivation... this guy is still a fool on par with Vande!
The key to being a fool isn't intelligence or comprehension, but rather the fact that they always solve problems using a method they believe to be foolproof but is actually riddled with flaws. Just like Vande who lost his manual to seek a friend back then, just like Qingye who is now searching for a master to save his country.

Chu Hengkong relaxed his grip and spoke in an exceptionally gentle tone: "Qingye, following this line of thought, you have an even better solution. If you happen to encounter the true form of the heretic and kill him, eliminating a great scourge for the Chendong Realm, wouldn't the problem be easily solved?"

Qingye's eyes lit up: "That's right! Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch~"

Chu Hengkong's force increased several degrees: "From now on, think before you speak and act!!" "What's wrong with my thinking?!"

"—If Shura Island really needed the Lord of Fate to take action, Mingwu would have already left the island to ask for help. It wouldn't be your place to worry about such trivial matters."

As they spoke, the two arrived at the training ground. Chongming lay under a large tree, a blade of grass dangling from his mouth, emitting a laugh that infuriated anyone who heard it. Qingye, hearing this, retorted, "Then the patriarch might not be able to find us..."

"If you were carrying an old knife, would you run into it? You'd be more likely to run into another knife," Chongming said lazily. "Be realistic, little girl. The Remnant Heart Secret Technique is unorthodox; everyone who can master it has flaws in their personality. Even someone with your good nature has only managed to twist your bones to the point of death after practicing it, let alone others."

Having escaped the extreme conditions of wartime, expecting the disabled to live in harmony is simply a pipe dream. You know this perfectly well, yet you come out waving a banner you yourself don't even believe in..."

He sat up abruptly, poked Qingye's forehead hard, and sneered, "You're just looking for a good excuse to run away from home!"

Qingye stumbled back two steps, her face pale from the sudden rebuke. Realizing her wavering, she quickly retorted loudly, "No! I'm worried about my hometown—"

“That’s longing, not a goal!” Chongming sneered. “A goal is something you strive for, not some vague outline. You’ll make plans for it, calculate the gains and losses, and toss and turn in worry about not achieving it. It will bring you the fear of failure.”

Are you afraid now? Are you scared? What price will you pay if you can't find the master of your broken heart?

Qingye bit her lip, unable to answer a single word. Chongming chuckled, "No, not really. You seem quite happy, don't you? You met interesting companions, fought against heretics together, and experienced a magnificent adventure. After everything was over, you returned home, returned the knife, apologized to your elders, and said you were sorry and wouldn't do it again. That was the end of it, and you could go back to your life as a young lady of a wealthy family, completely satisfied, right?"

He took off his sunglasses, revealing undisguised contempt and mockery beneath the bandages covering his face.

"—Someone like you dares to call himself a cripple?"

Qingye clenched her fists tightly, tilted her head back, and her bloodless lips trembled as she uttered an exceptionally fierce shout.

"It's not what you think..." Qingye shouted, "No!!"

She turned and ran away, her long scarf billowing behind her like butterfly wings. Chongming put his sunglasses back on, shouting triumphantly, "See! I told you so, didn't I? Idiot!"

"Don't be so harsh on Qingye," Chu Hengkong stopped him. "She's still a..."

“Go tell those words to the Fearbringer,” Chongming sneered. “Say to the outsiders, ‘She’s just a child, please be merciful and let her go.’”

“A person’s growth doesn’t happen overnight,” Chu Hengkong retorted sharply. “Everyone needs time. I wasn’t much smarter than her at my age. Since you consider yourself her superior, you should guide her and mentor her, instead of pointing out problems and causing her to explode.”

“That makes so much sense~” Chongming said sarcastically. “It’s a pity there’s no time for all that on the battlefield. If you can’t grow stronger, then just die. You deserve it.”

Chu Hengkong frowned deeply: "Enough is enough."

"What, do I have to explain this to you?" Chongming tapped his forehead again. "Don't you understand? You're too arrogant. You see Guang Shi Qingye as your follower, and you subconsciously want to protect her."

Chongming always spoke so incisively. Chu Hengkong was surprised to find that the other was right. He accepted this fact without any burden and blocked Chongming's finger.

“Yes, so I’ll take care of her,” he said. “That’s it.”

"Unfortunately, you're too busy taking care of yourself." Chongming pressed on, "Do you even have any goals of your own, you crazy person who just follows the crowd?"

"I have it," Chu Heng thought to himself, "It's none of your business."

But he didn't say it aloud. He left the training ground, completely forgetting his original intention. Chongming lay back down under the tree, spitting out a straw with a cold laugh: "Look at all this trash!"

[You look about 7% like you when you were young.] Shi Zhong wrote. [The only difference is that you're too good-natured; you would have drawn your sword long ago.]

“I wasn’t that stupid when I was young.”

[Really? You're such a fiercely protective person? (laughs) I still remember that afternoon when Duranbai came to visit your camp with a basket of bread and cheese, casually offering a few suggestions about your training methods. You got furious and beat him black in the eye.]

“I fucking…” Chongming said sullenly, “I was fucking young back then…”

This is what I wanted to remind you: everyone has their youthful exuberance, and confusion is an inevitable part of life. You can't expect everyone to be born perfect and unwavering. That's not human; that's a mechanical being.

Chongming placed a stone over the stone and covered Shizhong's writing. Shizhong then began to carve words on the stone.

Okay, one last thing. I think they're still lacking something; it's best not to learn any secret techniques now.

"What are you afraid of? Go train!" Chongming scoffed. "You'd be better off training to death!"

(End of this chapter)