Showdown

"Since the Adjudication Court was established, A-009 had been sent all over the Eastern Continent for investigation. Zhao Xilai had always wanted to Figure Out what had caused her loss of control... but the Corrosion Ability was too troublesome, making experiments difficult to carry out."

Mr. Shu took a cigarette from his pocket and tried to light it once, but failed.

The wind on the Rooftop was fierce. The flame had barely sparked before it was snuffed out.

Seeing this, Gu Shen thoughtfully moved closer to shield him from the wind. He spread open his coat, and this time, the old man successfully lit his cigarette.

He gently exhaled a cloud of smoke.

The wind swept it away at once.

"As you can see, no shackles can hold A-009. No matter what material is used, it will slowly dissolve... No matter how often her restraints are replaced, dissolution is only a matter of time." Mr. Shu's face was shrouded in drifting smoke. He seemed to smile. "So over the years, Zhao Xilai poured tremendous resources into this experiment, yet never made any progress. The only breakthrough came during observations in a sealed environment. The researchers saw A-009 take out two items: a Bone Scraper and an old newspaper. They believed these were extraordinary Sealed Items not to be underestimated, and most likely the objects that had caused her own loss of control."

Looking at that face beneath the smoke, Gu Shen could not help but speculate.

Why was that powerful figure so obsessed with investigating A-009's loss of control?

The Ancient Text Society... Alan Turing... the old newspaper... a string of key terms flashed through his mind.

Alan Turing, who had developed Deep Sea and, by himself, linked the data of the Five Continents, had been dead for many years.

It was said Alan Turing had died of illness. On the day he passed, the Five Continents lowered the Council flags, and countless citizens took to the streets of their own accord to hold a grand funeral for him. That year, if Gu Shen remembered correctly... he had not even been born yet.

This Deep Sea Godfather had once worked for the "Ancient Text Society" for a time, researching forbidden science... But afterward, no one heard anything about the Ancient Text Society again. With Alan Turing's death, that mysterious organization had vanished from the world as if it had never existed.

No one cared, because without the Ancient Text Society, the world still ran perfectly well.

But clearly—

The truth was not so... Someone still cared about the Ancient Text Society. The powerful figure who had granted the Amnesty Decree had spent more than ten years investigating it and still had not given up.

"Wait, A-009... she's never taken out the ruler in front of outsiders?"

Gu Shen suddenly realized something important.

"That's right..."

"Never!" Mr. Shu revealed a gratified smile. "At least, not in front of them..."

"Then how did you—"

Halfway through, Gu Shen immediately shut his mouth.

He was best at reading the room, and he knew which questions should and should not be asked.

He realized Mr. Shu knew a little too much about A-009... Could it be that the two had known each other before A-009 lost control?

Curiosity killed the cat.

Since Mr. Shu had decided to "cover for" him, the reasons behind it no longer mattered.

"You want to know?" Mr. Shu was as forthright as ever. "I can tell you!"

"No, no, absolutely not."

Gu Shen hurriedly shook his head and covered his ears at once.

He had already experienced this old rogue's methods firsthand.

For someone at his current stage... knowing too much was not a good thing!

Seeing this, Mr. Shu could not help laughing. But as he laughed, the look in his eyes grew complicated.

The old man gazed leisurely into the distance.

This time, he did not force the matter. He truly fell silent.

And so the Rooftop fell quiet for more than ten seconds.

People really were such wretched creatures... The more the other party refused to speak, the more Gu Shen's curiosity gnawed at him.

Seeing the Old Fellow keeping his lips tightly sealed, Gu Shen thought it over and over before finally suppressing all urges to get to the bottom of it.

He cautiously lowered Both Hands from his ears and asked seriously, "So... are you telling me all this because you want to take the ruler back?"

"No."

Mr. Shu shook his head.

"Just keep this ruler. Its name is the Truth Ruler. I imagine you already know how to use it." Zhou Jiren looked at Gu Shen and said seriously, "You handled the extraordinary incident on the Rooftop very well. Battles between extraordinary beings are exceedingly dangerous. You must be ruthless and show no mercy whatsoever. If you had entertained the thought of sparing him back then, the one being chopped into eight pieces on the Rooftop now would have been you."

"But there is one thing you need to watch out for... the Truth Ruler consumes a great deal of Mental Power. Do not use it lightly unless absolutely necessary. Otherwise..."

At this point, he gave a teasing smile.

"The feeling of lying in Da Teng Hospital wasn't pleasant, was it?"

Gu Shen's face went pale. He knew all too well the agony of overdrawing his Mental Power.

"Since you can wield the Truth Ruler, your Mental Power potential isn't nearly as poor as you think. I don't misjudge people... You held something back in your comprehension of the Awakening of Insects Dream Realm, didn't you?" The Old Fellow smiled slyly. "You needn't admit it or deny it. It's enough that you know it yourself. Knowing how to hide your abilities is a good thing, but when necessary, you still need to show your edge."

Gu Shen's heart tightened.

He felt as though this Old Fellow had seen through him inside and out.

What secrets did he still have that the other party did not know? Probably... only his connection with Chu Ling.

"Fine... since everything has been laid bare."

Gu Shen looked toward Mr. Shu and took a deep breath. "Then I have nothing left to hide—"

"I don't understand why you chose me. I don't understand why I'm an 'S.' Since you know everything... then you should know that I'm not the transcendent the Adjudication Court is looking for at all!"

This had been the heavy stone weighing on Gu Shen's heart throughout the special training.

After saying it all in one breath, he felt much better.

Throughout the entire process, Mr. Shu did not say a single word. He merely watched Gu Shen quietly. Contrary to his usual manner, he did not smile, like an audience member listening intently.

After Gu Shen finished, he slowly asked, "Then... do you want to be one?"

Gu Shen was stunned.

What kind of question was that... What did he mean, did he want to be one?!

Scenes flashed through his mind.

Nan Jin could blow his head apart with a single slash from eight hundred meters away. Senior Brother Zhong Wei ran even faster than a cheetah. And there was no need to mention Senior Apprentice Sister Luo... she was practically divine.

Who wouldn't want to become someone like that?

"I heard about what happened at the Training Field from Zhong Wei... After two weeks of special training, you severed a wooden dummy with your own strength." Seeing Gu Shen's embarrassed expression, Mr. Shu spoke seriously. "Don't think that's nothing. It's an incredible achievement! Everything begins as a sapling. At the very least, this is strength that belongs to you alone!"

He paused, then said, "Nan Jin's ability is called 'Gale Cutter.' When she was entrusted to me, Gale Cutter could not even cut through that wooden dummy. It took her ten years to reach where she is today. No one is born a genius whose mortal body stands shoulder to shoulder with gods. Everyone in the Adjudication Court, myself included, began from nothing and grew step by step..."

"So, Gu Shen... I'll only ask you one question..."

The old man gazed seriously at the youth and spoke once more.

"Do you want to be one?"

The winds howled across the Rooftop.

The first time, the youth's voice was not loud. It was swallowed by the wind.

"Yes."

Then he paused for a moment.

The final image lingering in his mind was that moment at the Training Field when Senior Apprentice Sister Luo had looked at him.

Gu Shen raised his head to look at the old man. The second time, his voice rose. "Of course!"