Vol·10 [Dangerous]

Jiang Xueming and Victor worked together, one pinching the tiger's mouth and the other pressing the philtrum—

—finally freeing A Xing from that trance-like state.

David Victor vowed that he had never again used any evil magic or sorcery. Bu Liuxing's symptoms were entirely due to the young man's passion for reading.

"Teacher Victor, let's go."

Jiang Xueming immediately set off, pulling A Xing along towards the front of the carriage.

Victor immediately called out, "Wait."

Xue Ming stopped at the connecting passage, thinking to himself—this Senior Passenger seemed to have further instructions.

Teacher Victor then divided the more than two hundred passenger logs into three piles, bound them with zip ties and draft paper to make three simple book carriers, and handed one to A Xing and one to Xue Ming.

Jiang Xueming took the log carrier and weighed it in his hands, feeling its considerable heft—

—the waterproof covers and brass clasps of these logs were made of solid materials. Coupled with the weight of the pages, each log weighed around three hundred grams. With over seventy books, the total weight exceeded twenty kilograms.

Not only were the logs themselves heavy, but Teacher Victor's method of bundling these scattered logs was also quite crude. He used only soft draft paper as a base and simply secured them with Velcro and zip ties.

To carry over seventy passenger logs securely, traverse more than twenty carriages, and protect this valuable information under the watchful eyes of other passengers, would likely be extremely difficult.

Jiang Xueming pondered the implications and then asked, "Teacher, are you testing us? I mentioned earlier that I wanted to learn survival and combat experience from you."

Victor snapped his fingers with a crisp sound.

"YES! This is my second knightly duel with you."

Following this, the seemingly malnourished, anorexic writer lifted the twenty-kilogram book carrier with just one arm.

The entire movement was fluid and natural, the effortless and casual body language—it left A Xing dumbfounded.

Victor continued, "If you find it too difficult, you can also refuse this invitation, stay here, guard my treasures, and wait for me to make three trips to transport everything back."

Before Jiang Xueming could reply, A Xing immediately grabbed the book carrier, attempting to mimic Victor's one-armed lift, completely unfazed.

A Xing's biceps and forearms bulged and tightened. Soon, blood rushed to them, almost expanding his spirit suit by a whole size—

—he possessed immense strength. Under Coach Zhou's training, lifting twenty kilograms with one arm was as simple as eating and drinking for him.

However, to keep these logs neatly in the carrier, brute force alone would not suffice.

Jiang Xueming observed A Xing's posture. Holding the book carrier with one arm, let alone walking, A Xing was already struggling to maintain balance just standing still.

"It's not too late to give up now. You can use both hands to hold it; you don't have to pursue an elegant gait like me," Victor said, his stance as steady as a statue. While shouting, he still had the energy to adjust his hairstyle with his other hand.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Bu Liuxing's eyes were fixed on the bouncing, trembling logs in the carrier. "Let me adjust! I'll adapt quickly!"

Victor's eyes showed delight. He swept his curls, which were blocking his vision, behind his head, making him look sharp and determined. "Really?"

"Really! Really, really! My hands and feet, obey me! Help me out!" A fierce fighting spirit appeared in Bu Liuxing's eyes, and the ruby on the golden lock on his chest began to glow again. "Teacher, how did you come up with these interesting ideas?!"

"Art originates from life," Victor murmured. "When I create, I need a quiet, solitary environment. For a long time, I would refuse visitors, sometimes for a week, sometimes for a month. My attendant disliked my slovenliness and complained endlessly while cleaning up my living trash—

—her curses were too vicious, like bullets. I couldn't stand that bastard's verbal abuse.

So, I decided to clean up the trash myself. I needed to run back and forth between the Senior Passenger's private tea room and hotel room, and I disliked how time-consuming this cleaning work was.

I needed to sort, stack, and compress all the trash into boxes that didn't take up extra space. And, ensuring no liquid spilled, no odor escaped, and no trouble was caused to other passengers, I had to transport these things to the garbage station in one go.

These trash boxes also contained my discarded drafts, immature and clumsy works. If anyone saw them, I would be so ashamed I'd hang myself."

"Oh!" Bu Liuxing exclaimed in surprise while maintaining his balance, "Teacher Victor is truly amazing! Just now, when I lifted this box, it was already hard enough to maintain balance and prevent the books from falling!"

"It's not as exaggerated as you say," Victor replied calmly. "It's just that there's still a significant gap in our understanding of the Lumina Stones and our control over our bodies."

"I see. Lumina Stones are amplifiers of emotion? They can affect our neuronal activity? They help us control our bodies better—is this what Teacher Victor is teaching?" Jiang Xueming, following Victor's example, silently lifted the book carrier.

Unlike A Xing, he had no intention of showing off and carefully held his treasure with both hands.

His magic staff also weighed over twenty kilograms; he couldn't handle that weight with one hand.

"It seems you've both made up your minds?" Teacher Victor then announced more conditions for the duel. "If I lose, I'll give you the White Lady coffee from my doctor's bag. You should know what this stuff is for."

The gem on Bu Liuxing's chest glowed brighter. "Yes!"

Jiang Xueming silently put on his steel ring—this was the practical teaching of a Senior Passenger elder. He would never miss such an opportunity and intended to absorb it all.

"To create some psychological pressure for you, I'll add some extra conditions," Victor's tone grew colder. "If you lose even a single log on this journey, even if it just falls to the ground and its pages open for others to see—you lose."

Bu Liuxing felt a flicker of hesitation and glanced at Brother Xue Ming, thinking that if they lost this duel, the spoils Teacher Victor wanted would surely be their own logs.

Jiang Xueming had already answered with his actions. He placed his own logbook on top of the book carrier and then put his phone on it.

"Excellent! Jiang Xueming, you've done excellently!" Victor's expression became exceptionally fervent at that moment. "I can feel the pressure of inspiration you're giving me. As a reward, I'll tell you the secret to victory in advance!"

With that, the writer took out a portable music player from his doctor's bag.

"This is a SONY WALKMAN produced in 1980. It's also my personal amulet, custom-made for me by Lord Old Spirit."

The body had an overall red and black color scheme, and the power button was a dark red Stubborn Fire Stone.

A Xing's eyes lit up upon seeing the stone. "Teacher! So you're also red? A vibrant, passionate red?!"

"How dare you question my creative passion?" Victor lightly tapped the bottom of his doctor's bag with his heel, and a cassette tape immediately popped out. He held the tape with his ring finger and pinky, gripping the small, exquisite Walkman with the remaining three fingers.

"In emergencies, this WALKMAN can record many conversations or ambient noises as writing material. When it starts playing music, I become immersed, feeling as if I've reached a transcendent state of mind-body unity—I can control every muscle in my body, every thought in my brain. I live in the [truth] of every moment."

Jiang Xueming watched as Victor's five fingers seemed to think independently, cooperating to open and close the lid and insert the cassette tape into the Walkman with just one hand.

Xue Ming was incredibly envious of this ability. He thought to himself, If only my hands could perform such nimble and precise movements, I could reload my weapon with just one hand.

Victor's thumb hovered over the Life Protection Brilliance Stone, about to ask the final question: "The two of you, you also underwent a [Metamorphosis] after riding the train, correct?"

Jiang Xueming recalled the abnormalities in his body. "Yes, my five senses, shooting skills, and many, many other abilities have significantly improved. I even tried singing."

"Me too!" Bu Liuxing described. "I went back to the gym, and I used to need to wake up my muscles before starting high-intensity training. It used to take ten minutes of warm-up exercises, but now it only takes twenty seconds for my arms to get pumped. It's like these muscles grew brains and woke up before I even told them to."

With a crisp "click."

The WALKMAN began to work, and from the dark red Stubborn Fire Stone, a scarlet radiance ignited, resembling hellfire.

Drums and cymbals, accompanied by static, served as its intro--

Victor's leather boots tapped a passionate rhythm on the cold train floor, keeping pace with the beat. "The Brilliance Stone can allow you to continue [Metamorphosis]. If you want to become stronger in this competition, try it. Try to keep up with my dance steps."

"You don't mean!" Bu Liuxing's eyes widened in disbelief, his teeth chattering. "You don't mean, Teacher Victor, you're going to dance while carrying this briefcase? Carrying this briefcase?!"

Jiang Xueming's expression changed; he was completely taken aback.

He knew that Senior Passengers were extraordinary and eccentric individuals with strong personalities. But he had never imagined Victor could do something like this.

He took a good look at Victor--this great writer.

He carried over twenty kilograms of scattered books in one arm to another carriage.

In front of the other passengers, he swayed his hips and twisted his waist, his other arm already hooked with the WALKMAN on his belt, carrying his doctor's bag by the elbow. He snapped his fingers to the strong beat, swaying and grooving with the accents.

It was the King of Pop, Michael Jackson's soul-rock anthem--[Dangerous].

His agile ankles and limbs moved as if weighted, with a powerful [inertia] upon starting and stopping. Yet, his movements were incredibly light, as if Teacher Victor's body weight was shifting in and out of existence.

The journals on the briefcase struggled like a ship in a storm, seemingly on the verge of capsizing. But with every turn and straighten of Teacher Victor's chest, every stomp and pose, every suave sway, it was like the roaring cannons of this warship, pulling the hull back from the brink of the abyss to the razor's edge of [hanging by a thread].

--Just as David Victor had said.

Reason and deliberation alone couldn't combat the precarious briefcase; it would only drive one mad with the increasingly complex dynamics and the ever-harder-to-control balance pressure of the books.

The fragile, soft manuscript paper was like human nerve endings, tearing under the repeated scrapes of sharp brass clasps.

Pure defense was useless; dance and music were Teacher Victor's offensive weapons.

A Xing stared blankly. "How can he..."

Jiang Xueming: "Honestly, I didn't expect it either. I thought my nerves were strong enough, but Teacher Victor has truly opened my eyes. This scene is too shocking."

A Xing obediently switched to holding the briefcase with both hands. "How can he..."

Jiang Xueming: "How can he be so flamboyant."

Following the music, David Victor moonwalked his way towards the next carriage.

His expression was fierce, his eyes blazing with brilliance. He pointed his finger like a gun as he sang.

"My two little sailors, my little dance partners! The captain has started singing the sea shanty! What are you waiting for?!"

A Xing looked at Jiang Xueming. "What should we do? Ming Ge, I... I don't have this kind of experience. At least let me practice first, with so many people watching!"

"Life is a live broadcast, there are never rehearsals," Jiang Xueming said, steeling himself and following. He had only charged about ten meters when he felt the contents of the briefcase churning violently, the journals about to collapse. The manuscript paper acting as the box's skin seemed to swell and threaten to burst like a balloon.

Teacher Victor immediately grabbed Xue Ming, a simple push and pull calming the wild, restless journals.

"Master your mind, control your body! Follow me!"

The feeling was incredibly strange--

Xue Ming found it hard to describe. It was like falling into the sea, his clothes torn by shark bites, only to be pulled back onto the deck by Captain Victor.

When the clumsy sailor Bu Liuxing also boarded this "pirate ship"-- the three musketeers were like they had just embarked on an adventure.

Captain Victor held the treasure aloft with one arm, freeing the other to lead the way.

The music from the WALKMAN was his vanguard, his agile and flexible dance moves his signature skill for protection in this complex and dangerous environment.

Behind him followed two little sailors, nervously clutching the treasure with both hands, performing clumsy dance steps according to the captain's instructions.

In just one chorus, A Xing was completely in his element. He was never a shy or reserved person.

After eight beats of the music, amidst Teacher Victor's sexy, alluring exhales during the interlude-- it was like a regular, easy-to-understand gymnastics class. A Xing had completely caught the rhythm.

He could even spare a moment to look at his elder brother Xue Ming, only to be startled by Xue Ming's strange expression.

Ming Ge was like a machine, following Teacher Victor, like Teacher Victor's shadow. Their movements were identical, as if they were twin brothers with telepathic connection.

A Xing hadn't been able to focus earlier. Now, he could even hear Teacher Victor's singing and Ming Ge's echoing harmony.

Jiang Xueming thought to himself.

--This feeling is truly wonderful. The life-protection charm on my hand occasionally flashes with rhythmic lights like a dance hall, following this fervent emotion.

The stone that Old Spirit gave us is truly magical.

That old man seems to have never aged.

Through the music of the WALKMAN and the dance, I can feel Teacher Victor's intense desire for expression, his unstoppable, all-conquering momentum, and his burning passion.

These emotions help me better control my body, harmonize my nervous system, and issue precise commands to every joint, muscle, and ligament.

I just wonder if Victor's teammates would be scared by this "[sudden dancing]" behavior when he's on an investigation mission.

Teacher is right--

--The passengers along the way, the "[unease]" all the way, were nothing in the face of strong courage. The object of courage was this dance, this WALKMAN, and this piece of glowing stone.

Without realizing it--

--They had already danced through half an album, and the A-side of the tape had also finished playing.

But there was no encore. The two little sailors, following the captain, had already transported the treasure to a warm and safe harbor.

Jiang Xueming could still see the passengers behind them whistling and cheering, urging the three dancing men to dance another round from the front to the back of the car.

As soon as Victor entered the carriage, he immediately closed the door. The reason was simple--from outside the closed door, one could still hear a woman banging fiercely.

"Victor! My sweetie! Is that Victor? Let Auntie see you! You danced so beautifully just now! I didn't even recognize you! When will the next issue be updated? You don't have to write if you don't want to, it's too hard to write every day! ~ Auntie has a mine at home! And a big house! Can Auntie touch you! It's okay if I lick you too!"

Jiang Xueming and Bu Liuxing both looked at Victor.

Victor acted as a repeater.

"I told you guys about this, don't spread my whereabouts. Now you understand, right?"

The two little sailors nodded in unison.

Victor then added a crossbar to the door, as if afraid some monster would rush out from inside. As he struggled to lock the door, he explained to the two youngsters.

"We are born with different auras, just like some people are naturally imposing, and some are naturally fierce--it's the same with spiritual pressure."

Jiang Xueming took out his logbook from the bookshelf and continued to record.

Victor took out the spoils of war from the two sailors' medical bag, placing the coffee and White Lady freeze-dried powder on the table. This teacher, worried and exhausted, continued to teach.

"It's like water, if you splash it all out, the passengers will naturally feel the panic of drowning."

Jiang Xueming raised his hand and asked, "So those passengers are afraid of me?"

"Yes," Victor explained, "Can you describe what my spiritual pressure feels like?"

Bu Liuxing immediately raised his hand and answered, "Like a blinding fire! No, it's like wine, burning wine!"

Jiang Xueming pondered, "Teacher's presence is too strong. The first time I met him, I felt offended. Even just making eye contact made me feel uneasy, like I was being spied on."

"Yes, Xue Ming," Victor corrected, "You are the same. You always seem to be calculating something, always thinking about something. This also causes unease in others."

"But just now," Bu Liuxing raised his hand again and asked, "When we were dancing just now, those passengers weren't scared anymore. Why?"

"Because we stopped paying attention to our surroundings and withdrew all our mental energy back into our bodies, only focusing on ourselves--at this time, it's like tightening our core muscles, and our spirits are also ready to face the enemy." Victor explained to the two students in his own unique and abstract way, "It's like concentrating your spirit into a fist, only to achieve one goal. When a beast is hunting, besides the pressure from the prey, the onlookers, if they are not close, also don't feel much pressure."

Jiang Xueming put away the coffee and White Lady freeze-dried powder, planning to study them later.

"Regarding the Dead Puppet Mechanism."

Before he could ask about the main business.

Bu Liuxing collapsed, his mental power exhausted. He lay on the seat, snoring thunderously. Two consecutive matches had drained A Xing completely.

Victor put away the logbooks and gathered them to one side of the carriage.

"We still have sixteen hours before we reach our destination. Let's wait until this little guy wakes up."

Jiang Xueming suddenly remembered something--

"Teacher."

Victor: "Hmm?"

Jiang Xueming asked curiously.

"Teacher, you said just now that art comes from life. Before, in the special tea room for Senior Passengers or in hotels."

Victor: "What is it?"

Jiang Xueming could vaguely see the scene: "You were like this too, with your own background music, shaking your butt and dancing while taking out the trash?"

Victor blinked, looking particularly innocent and nonchalant.

"Otherwise?"