The Law of Heaven

Chapter 15 Instigator, Aihara
Aihara lit a lamp in the yard, and only in the dim light could he make out the twisted corpse in the corner.

It's hard to imagine that Mr. Zhai, who was lively and energetic just ten minutes ago, is now so dead, as if he had been twisted into a rag. His head is tilted at a ninety-degree angle and his body is twisted beyond recognition.

The impact of this death was extremely strong, because it was clear that no human could have done it; it was as if he had been mercilessly crushed by a giant, his body covered in blood.

"Boss, is this the person? You really underestimate me. If he's just an ant like this, he's not worthy of stopping us from meeting. Even if I'm not in the best of shape right now, I'm not going to let some small fry block my way." Ruan Qi sat arrogantly on a small stool in the courtyard, crossing his legs, elegant and composed.

Ten minutes ago, when this girl brought in a corpse, her calm expression was as if she had just slaughtered a chicken at the village entrance when she returned home for the New Year, composed and unhurried.

Aihara couldn't help but lament the vast difference between people; having just become an immortal being, he was still far too weak.

"Boss, what's wrong?"

Ruan Qi rested her chin on her hand and asked curiously.

"fine."

Aihara shook his head, turned around and pulled up a chair to sit down: "I'm just worried you'll get into trouble, after all, the store's principle is to protect the privacy of its customers."

Actually, he noticed that the corpse's pockets were bulging, indicating that it must have been carrying a cell phone and wallet, and maybe some valuable jewelry or something.

He felt embarrassed to lick the bag in front of the guests.

We just have to bear with it.

"The boss is really considerate."

"The customer is king. You look much better. How have you been resting lately?"

"Thanks to the incense you gave me, my mental state has stabilized a lot, and my rationality is gradually returning."

Ruan Qi hesitated before raising her head, most of her face hidden by the brim of her baseball cap, revealing fair skin with fine sequins shimmering beneath: "Um, that..."

Aihara noticed her hesitation: "What's wrong?"

A little embarrassed, Ruan Qi timidly asked, clutching the hem of her clothes, "Do you still have that box of incense here?"

Aihara shook his head and said, "That's a rare item."

Ruan Qi looked disappointed: "Is that so?"

“But I can give it a try; maybe I can replicate it. My old friend was a collector, and he would write down the origin of each item in detail in his diary, which means I have the formula.”

Aihara then changed the subject, leaving himself some leeway: "But I can't be sure I can really perfectly replicate it. Some things are a matter of chance; what's meant to be will be, and what's not meant to be, you can't force."

Ruan Qi's eyes lit up, as if greatly encouraged: "I can also help collect materials or something..."

Aihara shook his head: "No, no, no, the shop's rules don't allow it. We can't give things to customers without them having to do the work, otherwise it's meaningless."

This was something my second uncle had specifically instructed me to do repeatedly: running the Mirage Tower required following the rules, otherwise the feng shui would be ruined and everything would be in vain.

Either don't send it at all.

If you're going to give a gift, it has to be sincere.

Of course, Aihara wanted to help not because he wanted to curry favor with the little girl, but mainly because he saw how pitiful she looked and wanted to show some kindness.

"I see. I believe you can do it."

Ruan Qi clenched her small, fair fist to encourage him.

"Cough cough."

Aihara wondered, "What do you want to calculate today?"

The night air carried a chill, and the dim light illuminated Ruan Qi's profile, making her seem to blend into the darkness. Her voice was deep and unusually mature for her age: "Boss, have you heard of... the Dragon Manifestation Incident in Fog Mountain?"

Aihara's expression also became a little subtle. Of course, he had heard about the dragon's appearance in the misty mountains. He once said that there really were dragons in the world and then ate the computer screen.

"Of course, I saw it on the forum yesterday."

He replied.

"The Tower of Babel Forum?"

Ruan Qi actually knew about that forum too, and gave a soft hum: "That forum is indeed full of hidden talents, and occasionally some true news will be revealed. The fact is indeed as they said, ever since the Mist Mountain Dragon Emergence Incident... the ecological balance of this city has been broken. Those who returned alive from Mist Mountain were contaminated and infected others, which eventually led to many immortal beings turning into dead apostles."

Aihara, who was originally full of confidence, was dumbfounded again. Although Master Zhou's lesson had been sent to his WeChat cloud drive, he hadn't had time to look at it carefully yet.

He could only stare blankly at these technical terms.

But he wasn't completely unable to understand.

According to the girl, the robbers she encountered today were probably infected, forced to become criminals, and eventually died suddenly.

"Because the number of Dead Apostles has increased, the number of Aberrations in this city has also increased exponentially, and the Aberration Index has reached a high-risk level. As you know, if the Aberration Index continues to rise, the principles of Heaven will break free from the shackles of the Aberrations and descend into the real world in the form of mythology."

Ruan Qi rested her chin on her hand and said softly, "The Deep Blue Alliance has been trying to stop the awakening of Heavenly Principle, but they are far too corrupt. Not only are they limited in strength, but they also lack flexibility. Relying on them is futile. The Deep Blue Alliance has no idea that a mysterious force has already begun to act. That group is no ordinary Dead Apostles; they possess technology and a huge secret!"

Aihara fell silent, actually dumbfounded. It sounded like the city was about to face a huge disaster, affecting both immortals and ordinary people, with no one spared.

It's like Godzilla is about to appear in the city.

That's ridiculous.

However, Aihara did keenly grasp one point.

Ruan Qi and Shenlan are not on the same page.

Xiang originally thought she was a member of the Ruan family.

It seems he guessed wrong.

There are many people with the same surname; perhaps it's just a coincidence.

"You seem to want to stop this disaster."

Aihara sized up the girl in front of him.

"Of course I had to stop it."

Ruan Qi spoke matter-of-factly, his tone suddenly turning somewhat vicious: "The reason I've become like this is all thanks to those bastards!"

"Well."

Aihara roughly understood that the girl had most likely suffered some kind of persecution, which led to her mental instability.

Not only that, but the people who persecuted her may have been her close family members, which is truly tragic.

"So what do you want me to help you with?"

Aihara asked tentatively.

“You told me last time not to associate with shady people. I have done that and refused their offers. But without their help, I cannot become stronger.”

Thinking of this, Ruan Qi frowned and said, "I want to know how I can become stronger?"

Aihara could understand what was going on, but this matter was truly beyond his capabilities. His divination was based on observation of people, not on immortal beings.

Faced with immortal beings, he had absolutely no idea how to calculate it.

Aihara was sweating profusely, but then he suddenly realized that his second uncle's fortune-telling skills were actually only half-baked, yet the reputation of Mirage Tower hadn't collapsed because of it. This suggested that Xia Ji's divination might be effective for the extraordinary.

Mirages are a very special phenomenon in themselves.

Desperate, Aihara pulled out a handful of copper coins and scattered them on the ground, deciding to consult the divination results first, regardless of the outcome.

Xia Ji's divination!

The copper coins collided and bounced, producing a crisp sound.

Ruan Qi curiously peeked over to look, her innocent and naive appearance resembling a little girl looking down at ants by the roadside, making one want to reach out and ruffle her hair.

"Ok?"

Aihara glanced at the copper coin, recalling his second uncle's teachings over the years: "The divination indicates that if you want to accomplish this, you will indeed need greater strength and resources. If you want to become stronger quickly, you can kill the goose that lays the golden eggs."

Ruan Qi hesitated for a moment: "I didn't understand."

Aihara sighed: "The key point is killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. Since those shady friends are no longer helping you, they are no longer your friends. Since you need resources, why not just rob them?"

Just like those robbers today.

Aihara's debut battle was against robbers.

So much so that he developed a rather unique sentiment towards robbery.

After all, the channels for making money are all covered by criminal law.

There's no faster way to make money than by robbing someone.

Robbing ordinary people is illegal; robbers are essentially double-crossing criminals.

Since the Dead Apostles are searching everywhere for ancient artifacts to offer as sacrifices to Heaven, they must have some stockpiled items, making them a prime target. Therefore, Aihara believes that with this young girl's abilities, robbing the Dead Apostles would be extremely efficient, contributing to society while simultaneously plundering resources to become stronger.

Kill two birds with one stone!
Ruan Qi's eyes lit up. How could she have forgotten about this? The Dead Apostles also possessed ancient relics. As long as she devoured them, she could obtain a large amount of spiritual energy, enough for her to regain her strength in the mortal world and even manifest a dragon body!
Although forcibly consuming the ancient relics of the Dead Apostles would cause her to completely collapse, the incense given to her by the boss could help stabilize her mind and there would be no immediate consequences.

"Anymore?"

She asked impatiently.

Aihara fiddled with the coins again, looking at the divination he could only understand, and frowned as he said, "If possible, you might as well expand your own power. Teamwork is always better than fighting alone. Although you are young and may not be able to handle it, you will eventually grow up... You should be brave and try."

This young girl is so powerful and generous; it wouldn't be difficult for her to find followers, which would help her avoid risks.

"That's it, I understand."

Ruan Qi had previously hesitated about whether to personally create a group of loyal followers who would only be loyal to her, but there were many risks involved, so she hesitated at first.

Firstly, the Dead Apostles she personally created would be exceptionally powerful, not only attracting the attention of various forces but also easily disrupting the city's ecological balance.

Secondly, although she was somewhat bloodthirsty, deep down she still wanted to live a peaceful life and did not want to become a powerful figure who gathered her followers.

But now that even fate is guiding her to do this, she might as well stop worrying and take a gamble.

“If I start taking action, I might be targeted by people with ulterior motives. You should know that my identity is very sensitive, and many people are looking for me.”

Ruan Qi asked the question that worried her the most, and said quietly, "If those people come to my door, my existence will inevitably be exposed."

Aihara raised an eyebrow slightly and began to manipulate the divination symbols again.

After he understood the meaning of the divination, he shook his head and said, "I only have four words for you: develop stealthily. As long as you develop secretly, what will you have to worry about once you are fully grown? The essence of this world is the survival of the fittest. Why should the strong worry about the covetousness of the weak? Why don't you want to expose yourself to the world? Would a lion mind if the cattle and sheep heard its roar?"

Ruan Qi's hand, which was resting on his knee, jerked as if he had been electrocuted.

The boss's words seemed both persuasive and like the devil's whisper, sending a chill down her spine.

Yes.

Why should the strong care about the covetousness of the weak?

“My sister used to be bullied a lot, but ever since she became brave and learned to fight back, she hasn’t had that problem anymore.”

Aihara glanced at the corpse in the corner: "You need to know who you are, understand your ecological niche, and accept your own existence. When you killed this guy, you didn't have any thoughts in your mind, did you?"

Xiangsi used to be bullied by the girls at school because she was pretty. So she took advantage of the summer vacation to learn free fighting for two months. On the first day of school, she beat up those annoying guys. From then on, her reputation spread among the students, and she had a peaceful three years of junior high school.

Of course, Xiangsi's actions would certainly draw criticism from others, but she herself didn't care at all, because she knew very well that she was living for herself.

Ruan Qi also faces this problem.

She is strong.

She is also very bloodthirsty and doesn't mind fighting.

However, she worried about being rejected by society.

This is human nature.

Xiaosi doesn't have this kind of trouble because she has family and her own support.

But Ruan Qi may no longer have any trustworthy family members. People without emotional support are bound to fall into confusion and inadvertently reveal their vulnerability, which is understandable.

Looking at it this way, Ruan Qi is indeed a young girl. Even with such great power, she still wants a place to stay, or a place that can be called home.

When Aihara told her fortune, he was actually filling a void in her life and becoming a pillar of support for her.

When people feel helpless, they often turn to metaphysics.

This is also the significance of Aihara running the shop.

“Sometimes, when God wants you to be different, it might not be a curse, but a blessing. I can see that you are afraid of your own power. Why be afraid? Your power is also a part of you.” Aihara spread his hands. Since his awakening, he had never been afraid of his own power; on the contrary, he felt great about it.

"You're doing the right thing, so why waste time and energy on internal conflicts?"

He sighed and said, "Benefactor, you are attached to appearances."

It turned out to be the case.

These words touched Ruan Qi's heart. Ever since she gained this power, she had been filled with fear, afraid that one day she might do something irreversible, hurt innocent people, and cause destruction to the world.

But the boss is right.

That power is a part of her.

The boss was telling her the rules of this world.

I'm also trying to tell her about the principles of justice!
She wields immense power and walks her own path, so she has no need to fear anyone's threats.

What do the opinions of the world matter?
"Your beliefs can control your power; you have mastered reason, which is a great start. Only by controlling ourselves can we control our lives and then have everything we want."

Aihara fiddled with the copper coins and said calmly, "If anyone gets in your way, just let them go away."

"Understood, I will no longer hide in hiding."

Ruan Qi felt that her life path had suddenly become clear. Once she had mastered her own power, even the Deep Blue Alliance would not be a threat to her.

If given the chance, she would seize this powerful force to replenish her spiritual essence!
"Boss, you are truly my guiding light."

Ruan Qi raised his bright eyes with satisfaction.

"In the end, can I really do it?"

Ruan Qi stared at the copper coins on the ground and took a deep breath: "Please do one last divination for me."

Aihara finally consulted a fortune teller.

"The best of luck!"

This means that the girl's future will be smooth sailing.

"The best of luck..."

Ruan Qi's eyes grew brighter and brighter, as if reflecting the moonlight, and her mood became increasingly cheerful.

"Then today's divination will end here."

Aihara felt inexplicably tired, and his mind couldn't function.

Calculating this stuff is really tiring.

He needs to translate the hexagrams that were previously only used in practical applications into corresponding extraordinary hexagrams, and then combine them with intelligence analysis.

The CPU overheated.

"I'm very satisfied."

Ruan Qi stood up and bowed slightly, then said awkwardly, "But I must say, I have nothing left to offer. If you were satisfied with the Alaya-vijnana I gave you last time, then I have something to add..."

She was a little embarrassed, hesitated for a moment, and then said softly, "I don't know if you would like it."

Alaya-vijnana?

Aihara was taken aback, then thought of his dragon bone bracelet.

"Yeah, very good."

He said, feigning expertise, "The quality is very good."

Ruan Qi's eyes brightened slightly: "It seems you've already used it on your subordinates? That's an ancient relic of the Heavenly Principle level. Only a very few people with exceptional talent are qualified to fuse with it. I didn't expect you to have such a person among your subordinates."

Aihara remained silent, it seemed the girl hadn't realized he had already merged with the Alaya consciousness and had only awakened it yesterday.

He wasn't surprised by this. The owner of Misty Tower claimed to have the ability to control destiny, so no one would think he was just an ordinary person.

After this conversation, Aihara confirmed one thing.

As a long-lived species, he has excellent talent.

Aihara was secretly pleased.

"The Alaya consciousness has two superimposed abilities. Under normal circumstances, it only manifests as perception. But when it is reversed by the Heavenly Principle Perfection Technique, it will present a completely different form and extend into another ability."

Ruan Qi explained, "What I'm using for the transaction is the Heavenly Principle Perfection Technique, which is paired with the Alaya Consciousness. Although it won't allow your subordinates to better control their abilities for future advancement, it can significantly enhance their combat power."

Aihara's eyes lit up.

Xixi!

　That's all for today. My cervical spondylosis is quite severe. I'll update twice more tomorrow.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)