A Despondent Person (continued)

Jiang Zhengtai used his soft palms to defend, but unexpectedly, the opponent's force was perfectly round and uniform, like a round Golden Core pill, which could not be deflected at all. His defense was instantly smashed open, and a punch landed on his face, sending him flying.

"I'm not the same person I used to be. Even if I can only use half my strength, beating you will be a piece of cake."

Recalling how he had only managed a slight victory with his weapon when he exerted all his strength, and that was only with the opponent holding back, Si Ming couldn't help but sigh, "Time flies!" Now, even if Jiang Zhengtai were given a submachine gun, he could easily take him down.

"Heroes rise and fall with the times, once you enter the world of martial arts, time flies by..."

"Don't hit me in the face! My face is the most valuable thing I have," Jiang Zhengtai said, rubbing his face as he got up. "Your poem was good, wasn't it? Lofty aspirations, soaring spirit, very elegant. What's next?"

Si Ming thought for a moment and said, "Imperial ambitions and great achievements are discussed in jest, nothing surpasses a life of drunken revelry. Sword in hand, riding through a rain of ghosts, white bones piled high, birds startled into flight. Worldly affairs are like tides, people like water, only alas, how many return from the martial world?"

"No, no, it goes back to the same old clichés, becoming decadent. It seems like a profound enlightenment, a complete understanding of the world, but in reality, it's just a setback, a disheartened state, a compromise with society and the world. Are there any poems that don't compromise?"

As a man of male chauvinism, Jiang Zhengtai has always been fighting against society and has never admitted defeat. Therefore, he dislikes the poetic attitude of compromise and resignation, and prefers a positive, striving, and enterprising spirit.

Si Ming immediately said, "Ten years have passed since I honed this One Sword, its frosty edge yet to be tested. Today I present it to you; who has a grievance to redress?"

"Excellent! This poem is so bold and inspiring, it makes one want to try it out. Moreover, the final question has a sense of upholding justice, acting on behalf of Heaven, and helping the weak and oppressed. It's perfect for representing the Mohist Knight Guard. Did you write this poem?"

Jiang Zhengtai didn't ask if the previous poem was written by Si Ming, because the previous poem revealed a negative and reflective thought. The second line even described how, after his ideals and ambitions were shattered, he felt that he should have just enjoyed life from the beginning, that life was a drunken stupor, and that he would have been in a daze and not have to suffer the pain he was in now. This was clearly the sentiment of someone who had suffered a great setback, which was completely different from Si Ming's situation.

In contrast, the second poem is much more fitting. It uses the image of a divine sword to express the poet's extraordinary talent, waiting for the day it is drawn to cut down all the injustices in the world. This is the mindset that young people should have.

People aren't idiots. They won't assume you wrote a poem just because you recited one they've never heard before. If the poem's meaning doesn't match your own experience, their first thought will be that you memorized a poem you've seen somewhere. After all, very few people can memorize all the poems in history, so it's normal that they haven't heard of it. Their second thought will be that you copied the poem, their third will be that you had someone else write it for you, and their fourth will be to suspect some kind of superstitious nonsense. In any case, it couldn't possibly be your writing.

Si Ming naturally wouldn't claim it for himself, saying, "No, it was written by a guy named Anonymous."

Jiang Zhengtai couldn't help but smile, "This anonymous author is amazing. When I used to read magazines, he was the one I admired the most. He wrote a quarter of the articles in a magazine, and his style was versatile. He could write essays, novels, editorials, and emotional pieces. He was simply a god-level writer."

Si Ming had also had the same misunderstanding, but that didn't make him interested in having a long talk with Jiang Zhengtai about the past. After confirming that there was nothing wrong with his body, he hurriedly left with the report.

Halfway there, the sky suddenly became overcast and it started to rain, and the rain quickly intensified. Looking around, he saw that people on the street who didn't have umbrellas were using their lightness skills to run home at a speed that would put Olympic champions on the planet to shame. It was at this moment that Si Ming really felt the difference between the two worlds. Even though they looked similar, the average physical fitness of the residents had reached the level of special forces soldiers.

With Si Ming's constitution, he wouldn't catch a cold even if he was soaked in the rain all day, but he didn't like the feeling of being in the rain, so he released a little bit of his Blazing Sun True Qi from the top of his head to evaporate all the rainwater that was coming at him.

The ability to stay dry even after rain attracted a lot of attention, but with the heavy rain pouring down, people glanced at it and then looked away, continuing their journey home. It was probably like bumping into a PhD on the road – interesting, but not enough to warrant watching in the rain.

Even though he doesn't seem to be moving very fast, no matter how hard you try, you can't catch up. This is a common description in martial arts novels, used to describe a character's unfathomable abilities. Si Ming has now reached this level, but unfortunately, no one has noticed.

There are actually many ways to create this "visual illusion," such as shrinking the distance between feet. The key is to reduce the cadence and increase the stride. This stride does not refer to the distance between your two feet, but rather how far you can move forward in one step. The back foot may appear to be stationary, but in reality, the body is moving forward horizontally.

Therefore, he quickly returned to the Minggui Orphanage and saw a familiar figure at the gate of the compound.

"Isn't that Yu Shuying? You're back? Why are you standing at the door and not going in? Don't you have a key? You could have climbed over into the yard and stood under the eaves to avoid the rain. There's no need to get soaked like this."

When Si Ming walked in, he found that the other person was soaked to the bone, with his bangs sticking tightly to his forehead, looking like a drowned rat. He looked extremely disheveled, and his wet clothes clung to his body, showing off his smooth, waterfall-like figure.

"Laugh at me..."

"Hmm?"

"Are you still going to play dumb? I know everything about your behavior in the Barbarian Continent. Compared to you, I'm just a fool." Yu Shuying said with her head down, her voice filled with despair.

Although Si Ming really wanted to put his hands on his hips, laugh loudly, and say, "That's right, Laozi 'm a genius," the other person's condition was clearly abnormal, and he couldn't continue to provoke him. So, he carefully chose his words and comforted him, saying, "Well, you can only say that circumstances make heroes, and I just happened to be in the right place at the right time, which is why I achieved this result. There was also a lot of luck involved."

"Come and mock me. You always talk so smugly, looking down on others with your superior gaze, as if you know everything and are omnipotent, while everyone else is just a bunch of idiots who drag you down. In the end, you mess up the tasks time and time again. Heh," Yu Shuying laughed bitterly, "Ambitious but incompetent, arrogant, foolish yet wise, self-deceiving. What right do you have to laugh at others, you piece of trash?"

Si Ming broke out in a cold sweat. "Uh, it doesn't have to come to this."

Yu Shuying suddenly looked up and shouted, "That's right, I'm a good-for-nothing, good-for-nothing scoundrel!"

She patted her chest and said, "Come on, laugh at me! Show off your pride as the victor!"

Si Ming was so startled that he took a step back. "Is this... is this the start of a series of character collapses? This isn't your line at all, did you pick up the wrong script?"

"Yes, a lowly character like me, like a maggot, should be like an extra, silently serving as a background character. No lines, no acting skills required, even my presence should be erased. After a scene, I should obediently collect a boxed lunch and leave, then, penniless, wander the streets, competing with stray dogs for food, unable to let go of my ridiculous pride, and finally starve to death in an alley, my body rotting and stinking, to be devoured by a flock of crows."

"The plot is clearly disjointed. One minute he was an extra, the next he's a homeless man. What happened in between? Extras don't pay much, but at least they can make a living. Why didn't he keep going? What if he got spotted by a director, became the second female lead, and then became a nationally famous star because of his outstanding acting skills?"

"It doesn't exist. Such a bright future is not for someone like me. I am only fit to struggle in the abyss of blood and darkness, and endure pain and torment in the hell of hatred and resentment."

Yu Shuying dragged her body, her joints seemingly detached from the whole, presenting a sense of disharmony, like a puppet doll with many broken strings, swaying and stumbling towards the house, using her key to open the door, and walking towards her room.

"Her condition is more serious than Murong Qing described. She seems to be on the verge of a mental breakdown, or has already broken down. Did she suffer any setbacks during this trial mission?"

Si Ming pondered for a moment, then said regretfully, "I should have carried a voice recorder with me and recorded her self-deprecating remarks. That way, when she recovers, I can use it to defend myself against her sharp tongue."

Upon entering the room, one can see a series of wet footprints on the floor, leading crookedly to Yu Shuying's room.

Yao Bilian asked suspiciously, "What happened? Was that Yu Shuying who just came in? She looked like she'd been abandoned by the man she loved. She had no energy or spirit at all. In this state, could she be thinking of taking her own life?"

"That's impossible, even if she was suicidal, it wouldn't be that bad..."

Si Ming paused for a moment, lacking the confidence to continue speaking. Judging from what had just happened, no one could guarantee that Yu Shuying wouldn't do something foolish. If she acted impulsively and made an irreparable mistake, it could happen in the blink of an eye.

"Hey, hey, hey, don't commit suicide! Let's talk this out, don't do anything rash!" Si Ming rushed towards the other person's room in a panic, thankfully the door wasn't locked.

Yao Bilian followed her in and comforted her, "That's right, don't think you've hit rock bottom. Actually, there's still room for you to fall further. Today's failure is temporary; future failures are permanent. Although you feel lost and dark these days, it's okay. There will be even darker days ahead, so you must persevere!"

"Get away from me!"

Si Ming kicked Yao Bilian out, then locked the door to keep the big-breasted, brainless girl out. He then looked at Yu Shuying sitting on the edge of the bed, who was constantly looking down, staring at the raindrops dripping from her hair and gradually spreading across her skin, as if her soul had left her body.

"Um... is there anything I can do to help you?" Si Ming was careful with his words, trying not to provoke the other party.

Can you tell me why I failed so miserably?

Si Ming thought to himself, "What do I know? It's probably because your chest is too small." He made up a random excuse. "It's probably because you don't have any friends."