My wife is the stand-in.

Upon hearing this, He Wanli was so excited that his whole body convulsed, and before he could catch his breath, he lay down again.

Sun Chun wasn't much better off. Despite not having gathered any power, he was spitting out steam with his mouth open, unable to utter a single word.

Amanosaki finally realized what was going on and tentatively asked, "Grandpa Jie, you only mentioned 'Heroes Mountain'... Could it be that you are a national-level martial arts master?"

“It’s the headquarters level.” Seeing that Amanosaki was so clueless, Amber couldn’t help but remind him, “Amanosaki, I noticed you when you awakened your ability in the training ground. After reading the information, I recommended you to Mr. Jie. Mr. Jie could tell at a glance that your ability was different from most abilities in the world today, and he took a liking to your talent. Don’t make a mistake.”

What did I do wrong? I did wrong.

Amanosaki was completely bewildered. He had been in high spirits today, enjoying popcorn and singing songs while watching the game with his wife, when suddenly he was robbed by evil spirits.

He has no idea what's going on!

Scabies-ridden Bin patted Amber-dwelling with his withered hand and scolded in a low voice, "We are chivalrous people, and we value loyalty and righteousness in accepting disciples and making friends. Your aggressive manner is too undignified."

Then, Jie Laobin strolled over to Hinata's side, saying as he walked, "All the superpowers in this world, whether they are special abilities or talismans and spells, were created by naturally gifted people."

"However, most people born with supernatural abilities cannot spread their powers widely and can only be powerful for a time. Only exceptionally talented geniuses can gather the faith and will of the world to pass on their supernatural abilities, forming a path for those without supernatural abilities, so that they can also learn supernatural powers and protect their lives."

“Little girl, although you are a manifestation of supernatural abilities, you were born with a spirit, so you can be considered a natural-born extraordinary person.”

"Do you have the ambition to break free from constraints, become a great figure who can govern the world, and pass on your own lineage?"

This string of words, neither classical nor vernacular, immediately made Amanosaki laugh in exasperation.

So this old man came to snatch someone away.

"I'm sorry, but I won't leave Amanosaki." Hinata bowed first, then refused righteously, "I will stay with him until the very end."

Is this a confession?

This is a confession, isn't it?

Amanosaki's mind suddenly cleared, and the dazed state caused by physical exhaustion instantly returned to normal.

As the saying goes, companionship is the longest confession of love. Hinata's promise to stay with me until the very end is practically a confession of love.

Great!

Scabies Bin seemed to have anticipated Hinata's rejection; he nodded slightly to indicate that he understood, and then said to Amanosaki:

"Young man, what about you? Do you want to learn from this old man?"

Before Amanosaki could answer, Scabies Bin slowly said, "From today onwards, you two are famous. From now on, whether it's a chivalrous hero seeking fame or a wicked demon wanting to do evil, they might all have designs on you. That girl has the ability to protect herself, but what about you? How will you protect yourself? Are you going to rely on women forever?"

These words silenced Amanosaki.

Indeed, the Stand user is the Stand's biggest weakness. No matter how powerful a Stand is, it's all for naught if the Stand user dies.

Especially for Stands like the "Ideal Type" that allow for long-distance use, it is almost inevitable that they will be unable to protect their Stand users.

Even if we don't try to strengthen ourselves, improving our physical fitness is an urgent matter. Hinata only fought for half an hour today, and I had to inject myself with two vials of adrenaline.

If he really wanted a battle that lasted three to five days like in anime, wouldn't he have to suck everyone dry?

Thinking about this, Amanosaki was already inclined to agree. After all, judging from Sun Chun and the others' reactions, this relatively unknown old man had already broken away from the idol star model and no longer needed exposure to maintain his popularity. He had, after all, entered the ranks of veteran actors.

Even provincial-level heroes like Dongfang Shuye Xia can't avoid hype, while Jie Lao Bin has already abandoned superficial fame and truly deserves to be called a national-level figure. Following such a big shot wouldn't be a bad idea.

Most importantly, Hinata shares her Byakugan vision.

That feeling of being the only one who reigns supreme in the realm of energy is truly terrifying.

However... being poached by the old man right in front of him, despite his reason repeatedly telling him to nod, Amanosaki still couldn't get over it.

"Idiot, who told you to agree now?"

A clear thought entered his mind, and Amanosaki immediately realized it was Hinata.

He could even picture Hinata frowning.

"Ask him more questions, try to get more information out of him, and let him show us his skills before deciding whether or not to become his apprentice."

Hinata's thoughts continued.

Amanosaki worriedly thought, "But you can only maintain each identity for one day. If you change identities tomorrow, won't the old man be furious?"

"What's there to be afraid of? After the formal apprenticeship is complete, he can't possibly kill his own disciple, can he? Besides, if I become some kind of deity tomorrow, I'll be the one teaching him then." Hinata's thoughts were filled with a wicked sense of amusement.

Amanosaki was startled, realizing that it made a lot of sense.

So he and Hinata discussed it and came up with a story:

"Words are no proof. If the old gentleman is truly skilled, Amanosaki will naturally become his apprentice."

As he spoke, Jie Laobin laughed and cursed, calling him a "slippery fellow," while leaning on his sword and walking towards the statue-like Crane Taoist.

"Alright, let's treat this first lesson as a public lesson. Those who are interested can learn from it!"

Upon hearing the words "open class," He Wanli, who had been twitching on the ground, stopped smoking, Sun Chun, who was puffing away like a chain smoker, also stopped, and even the Eastern Leaf Knight, who had been perched on the dome, landed on the ground and asked Amber for a pen and paper to take notes.

Chapter Eleven: The Sword and the Swordsman

"Heaven and earth possess righteous energy, which manifests in various forms. Below, it becomes rivers and mountains; above, it becomes the sun and stars. In man, it is called the vast and righteous spirit, which fills the boundless sky."

As he chanted, Jie Laobin's aged voice rose, and he planted his sword in the ground, walking unsteadily.

"Boy, do you know the difference between demons and heretics? Do you know the difference between demons and heretics and chivalrous heroes?"

Amanosaki shook his head blankly.

"In the end, we are all bookworms, bookworms that feed on human fantasies."

As expected of a top-level figure, he never fails to utter shocking remarks. Upon hearing such words, Amanosaki was instantly wide awake.

"A demon is someone who feeds on fear and will do anything to harm others in pursuit of these emotions. Like the octopus worms you killed today. No matter what they were originally, once they gain superpowers and go down the evil path, they are called demons."

As he spoke, Jie Laobin pointed to Amber Gong beside him: "He wasn't originally human either, just a lump of amber sealing the corpse of a primitive man. However, after Amber Gong awakened his true self, he was recruited by [Heroes Mountain] and studied for twenty years before leaving the mountain. He understands the great principles of chivalry and knows right from wrong. He finds joy in the happiness of the people and sorrow in their worries. Therefore, although we share similar origins, he is not a demon, but a naturally gifted individual, and can be called a chivalrous hero."

Scabies Bin still spoke in a mix of classical and vernacular Chinese, and his speech was somewhat disjointed, so Hinata couldn't understand him very well. Amanosaki had to use his classical Chinese skills from his school days and his imagination developed from reading online novels to fill in the gaps in the translation.

In summary, the superpowered individuals in this world are divided into two camps based on the emotions they derive from humans: positive and negative.

Those who awaken supernatural abilities and use negative emotions as bait for growth are demons.

Those who awaken their special abilities and use positive emotions as bait for growth are born with special abilities.

This has nothing to do with race, but with what one does.

"Is that so?" Hinata nodded in agreement after hearing Nozaki's explanation, praising him repeatedly, "Nozaki is amazing!"

“What’s so great about it?” Amanosaki shook his head in denial, but unconsciously straightened his back. “The old man doesn’t speak like a human being. He says things like ‘happiness is happiness’ and ‘sorrow is sorrow.’ Isn’t it just that they take the people’s happiness as their food? They’re naturally happy when they have food to eat, and they’re bound to be sad when they don’t have food to eat?”

"As for the orthodox and heterodox paths, they are all rare, naturally gifted individuals from ancient times who, through their extraordinary abilities and the workings of heaven and earth, spread their own paths to all living beings. They widely disseminate their teachings, benefit the people, and enable even ordinary people and mediocre talents to protect their families."

"Nozaki, keep translating." Hinata supported Amanosaki from behind, her soft breasts pressing against him, sending a jolt of electricity through Amanosaki's back.

But he just said with a bitter face, "His general idea is that talented, naturally gifted individuals can promote their abilities so that those unlucky enough not to awaken their powers can also have superpowers to protect their families. It feels like 'knight-errant' is a catch-all term, encompassing both naturally gifted individuals and those who seek enlightenment later in life. But the problem is..."

"Hey! Old sir! Who understands what you're saying! According to you, aren't the heretics and the orthodox sects all one family? How come heretics are now categorized as bad people?"

When Jie Laobin heard Amanosaki's question, he couldn't help but sigh slightly.

He pointed at the crane-like Taoist, who resembled a catfish spirit, and said, "Kid, what if I told you this guy was originally a genuine human, without any awakened superpowers? Would you believe me?"

"You're kidding me!" Amanosaki shook his head. "I've only ever seen superpowers change a person's appearance, I've never seen meditation, martial arts, or Taoist practices cause mutations."

"Because this fellow is practicing heretical arts!" Jie Laobin's words were like thunder, startling Crane Daoist so much that he stumbled and fell to the ground, sweating as he looked at the old man who was swaying and approaching, looking like he could die at any moment.

Jie Laobin continued rambling on: "In the beginning, the orthodox and heterodox paths were inseparable, and all they sought was peace in one place. But as times have changed, barbaric blood sacrifices, rituals, and faiths that rely on people's fear and awe have all had to give way to civilization. So these things have been labeled as heterodox."

"The term 'heretical' was originally a import from Buddhism, and it refers to anything that is not of Buddhist nature."

"The reason this term was chosen at the time was because the government in the past thought that these heretical sects could still be saved and that all they needed was to be civilized. Otherwise, they would have been condemned as 'deviant sects' and exterminated long ago."

"But some people are unruly and have completely transformed the heretical path into something like demons, a self-degrading bunch that uses negative emotions as bait!"

"nonsense!"

A shrill voice burst forth from Crane Daoist's terrifyingly large mouth. He was terrified, his instincts telling him not to argue or resist, but upon hearing what Jie Laobin was saying about heretics, he couldn't help but scream.

“My master said that you self-proclaimed righteous people are just jealous of our unorthodox paths' quick success! You're jealous of our abilities!”

Only then did Jielabin look at Crane Daoist properly and ask only one question:

"Your heretical methods involve extreme torture, draining people of their negative emotions, and in the end, you even use corpses to forge weapons. Ask yourselves honestly, how are your actions any different from those of demons? You are just more sophisticated in your methods and squeeze them out more thoroughly."

"You dare say your current appearance wasn't orchestrated by your master? A bunch of down-on-their-luck fools who couldn't even adapt to a feudal dynasty dare to bark and howl in modern society?"

Crane Daoist just laughed, looking like a madman: "Interesting, interesting! You only allow people to eat wild beasts and fish, but not animals to eat people. Master is right, you are truly the number one bitch in the world, hypocritical and hypocritical."

Upon hearing this, Jie Laobin remained silent, closed his eyes, and let crystal tears well up from the corners of his eyes as he sighed:

“You have reached the point where you have lost your humanity and sense of identity; you can no longer be called human.”

When he opened his eyes again, his face was more hard than ever before. With his hands empty, he loudly questioned:

"Young man, I've spent my whole life playing with swords, so let me ask you something related to swords."

"With a sword slash, the floating clouds are swept away, and all the feudal lords flock to the west. Is such a sword not formidable?"

"Great!"

Amanosaki, for some reason, also started roaring, as if some older brother had yelled at him, "I can't hear you, I can't hear you at all."

"fart!"

Scabies Bin refuted without hesitation.

"The sword that Qin Shi Huang wore was named Lulu. Even if a sword was truly forged by gods and men and was the best in the world, how could it be qualified to make the feudal lords of the six states submit? A sword is just a sword. Whether its craftsmanship is exquisite or its story is legendary, what does that have to do with it? Is the sword powerful? Is it the sword that people praise?"

"These so-called famous swords are nothing more than a few strands of glory shared by heroes and great men throughout history."

Jie Laobin lamented: "Would Qin Shi Huang's great achievement of unifying the six kingdoms be diminished because he lost a sword? Would Liu Bang's achievements be altered because he held a knife instead of a sword?"

"So the real power never lies in the sword, but in the person wielding it!"

"In this world, people's hearts can change reality. So in the hands of a hero, anything can lead to great achievements. Why be bound by the sword?"

"It's a pity that I only understood this principle in my old age; I was blinded by these objects before."

Hearing this, Dongfang Shuye Xia was extremely excited. He knew that this was Jie Lao Bin sharing his decades of experience and wanted to join in as well.

Even just a simple "666" would be great!

He had barely opened his mouth when he was struck hard in the lower abdomen, the pain making him want to vomit bile.