Outer Path Wuchang 3

"I said that superpowered individuals are more outstanding than ordinary people, but that was just my conclusion based on rational thinking," I replied honestly. "It's fine to say that to those who gossip behind my back, but when it comes to Chang'an, or anyone I can communicate with normally, I really can't muster that kind of condescending feeling."

"Then, if your rationality and emotions conflict, which side will you choose?" Zhu Shi continued to ask.

Without thinking, I retorted, "Do I seem like someone who prioritizes reason?"

"...It was indeed a redundant question," she said, speechless.

"I understand why you value my answer so much. You want to confirm my stance, right?" I said. "I can tell you directly now, I won't side with those who believe superpowered individuals should integrate into society, nor will I side with those who believe superpowered individuals are transcendent. I have no interest in your political alignments; the thought of it tires me out.

"But, Zhu Shi, I will stand by your side. Since you are Chang'an's sister, you are also my friend. If anyone becomes your enemy, that person will also be my enemy.

"Now, tell me, what do you want me to do?"

Zhu Shi's mouth opened slightly, and after a moment, she let out a laugh mixed with a sigh. "You saying that is cheating..."

"I'm just speaking my true feelings."

There was actually an element of deliberate performance. Normally, I wouldn't speak so impressively.

But the words were true, and I genuinely intended to act on them.

"True feelings are the most cheating," she replied softly at first, then grumbled, "You might find the topic I brought up earlier annoying, and I actually hate these politically charged topics. What girl my age likes discussing serious political issues? So please don't misunderstand me, I really didn't intend to try and persuade you politically."

"I won't misunderstand you," I promised.

"Alright, then let's get back to your question..." she straightened her expression and continued, "I hope you can conceal your true strength from Luoshan for now."

"If I reveal my true strength, will someone try to harm me?" I asked curiously.

"On the contrary, most factions within Luoshan will be scrambling to get you to join their side. Unless they've lost their minds, they'll definitely do that. You can choose freely among them and gain immense benefits," she said slowly. "And the reason I'm giving you this advice isn't because I want to represent my own faction and keep you all to myself. This is purely a personal request."

"The reason?" I asked.

"I want you to observe clearly," she looked at me earnestly. "Once you reveal yourself, people with all sorts of ulterior motives will approach you, saying flattering words and fabricating their positions. They won't be their true selves. You can lie low for now, observe their true faces, and then decide your own path.

"Even if the path you ultimately choose is different from mine, it's okay. I want you to choose a path that you like."

I wanted to say that I wasn't interested in these things.

Although I wanted to say that, I felt Zhu Shi's sincere goodwill.

Moreover, upon careful consideration, it was indeed not suitable for me to expose myself to the scrutiny of multiple parties at the moment.

I myself didn't mind getting caught up in the so-called "political vortex." If I got caught up, I'd just do my own thing. If anyone tried to force me to do something else, I'd simply ignore them. And if anyone interfered with me, they would be my enemy. Simple and clear.

The problem was Maza.

Luoshan was currently actively hunting Maza, and Maza was by my side. Although I didn't know which factions in Luoshan were doing this, I needed to hide Maza from their sight.

The dark humor was that I wasn't a good person protecting a weak girl from bad guys, but another bad guy.

Before I knew that I and abnormalities repelled each other, it was more important for me to quickly establish a foothold in Luoshan. At that time, I definitely wouldn't have hidden my true strength for Maza's sake. But now, Maza was an indispensable prerequisite in my heart, while Luoshan was secondary.

Seeing that I agreed, Zhu Shi also relaxed.

"Concealing your true strength actually has another benefit: others won't know how to target you correctly," she sighed. "Like Agent Kong's incident this time... If he had known beforehand that you could elementalize, he would have definitely used methods that primarily damage the soul to ambush you."

"Yeah, luckily he's only good at physical attacks," I sighed, then asked, "By the way, you said to hide, but the commotion from my fight with Agent Kong earlier was so big, it can't be hidden, right?"

"I'll find a way to handle that. I'll tell you once the results are out."

"Okay, then, regarding my joining Luoshan..." I brought up the old topic.

"To become a Demon Hunter of Luoshan, you need to pass a test. It's not just a test of strength, but also of knowledge about abnormalities," she said tactfully. "If you've never formally studied related knowledge before, you'll need at least three years of study to pass Luoshan's Demon Hunter test."

"It takes that long?" I was surprised. "But I heard from Agent Kong that you could be my guide... His tone made it sound like I could join Luoshan immediately."

"In Luoshan, the relationship between a guide and the guided is essentially that of a teacher and student," she said with a look of embarrassment. "What he meant was probably that you could become my student, learn by my side for a few years, and then join Luoshan..."

"I see, then, Teacher Zhu Shi."

It was the first time I had called a junior sister "teacher." I said it very seriously, but I also felt a bit embarrassed, with a hint of an indescribable novelty and thrill.

Zhu Shi, on the other hand, was much more flustered. "You actually called me that?"

The one who falters first in such a situation is the awkward one. I continued to try and maintain a poker face. "Is there a problem?"

"Don't you think I'm not qualified? Like my age, my strength..." she asked shyly.

"You know more than I do, and you have more experience. As the saying goes, the knowledgeable is the teacher. Of course, you're qualified," I said truthfully.

She studied my expression carefully, then seemed to give up, as if she couldn't do anything about me. "…Actually, there's another way to become a Demon Hunter besides passing the test."

"I'm eager to hear it," I perked up.

She gave the answer: "That is to become an 'Outer Path Wuchang'."

"What is an 'Outer Path Wuchang'?"

"The Demon Hunters of Luoshan responsible for dealing with abnormalities are called 'Wuchang.' And the so-called 'Outer Path Wuchang' refers to powerful Demon Hunters who are outside the Luoshan system but are recognized by Luoshan," she explained. "You can think of them as Luoshan's united front targets. For Luoshan, most civilian Demon Hunters are less like Demon Hunters and more like potential threats and management targets. For particularly powerful individuals among them, Luoshan will intentionally grant them qualifications equivalent to official Demon Hunters."

I searched my memory for the miscellaneous knowledge I had learned in the past.

Buddhism referred to its own teachings as the "Inner Path" and teachings outside of itself as "Outer Paths," while "Wuchang" was a soul-reaping envoy from Taoism.

Outer Path Wuchang... I savored the term. Regardless of its origin, it felt inexplicably cool and somewhat sinister, fitting my taste.

"How do I gain Luoshan's recognition?"

"Don't worry about that. Even if I can hide your true power in the report, the building you split in half can't be hidden." She said, "Although flame ability users are generally known for their strong offense, if their offense reaches this level, I'm sure Luoshan will have to agree. I'll help you apply for that."

"Then I'll leave it to you," I earnestly requested.

She briefly returned to her "Junior Sister Zhu" persona, smiling and nodding, "Leave it to me, Senior Brother Zhuang!"

Before we parted, I asked Zhu Shi for another favor.

It was about the origin of my superpower.

Zhu Shi could only determine that my superpower did not originate from demonic bloodlines, but a precise examination was needed to find out more. I was very concerned about the source of my superpower. After learning of my needs, she took a few drops of my blood, saying she would take them back for examination.

I didn't go home immediately afterward. Instead, I called Chang'an and asked him to meet me.

Because the Fallen Demon Hunter incident ended ambiguously, the "Fireflies" I left with him had not been withdrawn yet.

And just as Chang'an himself said, he hadn't been going to school lately to avoid implicating those around him when the "mysterious serial killer" came looking for him. Honestly, a normal person in this situation would want to go to crowded places, wouldn't they? His way of thinking seemed a bit different.

The agents who had been secretly monitoring him had all been withdrawn. It seemed Luoshan believed the Fallen Demon Hunter incident was over and no longer needed surveillance. He also seemed to have received this news, appearing much more relaxed. He even sent me a text message last night.

We agreed to meet at a fried chicken restaurant. When he arrived, he was still wearing a set of tacky designer clothes. It's not that I have a stereotype about designer clothes, but he only pursued expensive clothing without any regard for matching.

Zhu Shi, as his sister, also didn't seem to put much thought into matching outfits, but her clothing style was simple and elegant, which didn't show any flaws. Chang'an, on the other hand, was flashy and ostentatious, as if he had too much money and didn't know how to spend it.

However, even his current disastrous fashion sense made me nostalgic.

He walked over, smiling, and spoke loudly, "Ah, I've been so bored these past two days... Why did you suddenly call me out? Are you treating me to a meal? My treat, my treat! Tell me, what do you want to eat?"

He had no idea that I had come to end our friendship.