Surprise

Upon hearing "control-type," Bei Bei's eyes narrowed slightly, though the reaction was so subtle that no one noticed. Huo Yuhao also paid no mind to Wang Yi's warning to avoid contact with Bei Bei, as he felt it would be awkward to create a rift with his senior brother over such an ungrounded remark. Besides, Bei Bei didn't seem like that kind of person.

At this moment, Huo Yuhao still did not understand that the world is not strictly black and white; there are many gray areas in between. A person's life is filled with dilemmas, much like the trolley problem—a classic moral quandary. Whether you act or refrain from acting, you must bear the weight of moral pressure, unless you lack such morality entirely, though this problem is not intended for those without a conscience.

A gentleman can be deceived by his own integrity, but this only applies to those who are moral or hold high ethical standards. The most relatable example in life is when two or more girls like you, and you have a good relationship with all of them and don't want to hurt any of them—what do you do? This question doesn't work on a scoundrel; he would simply play them all.

Conversely, if the question is asked again with genders reversed, what happens? Some people can accept polyamory, like a harem; we should accept everyone's choices, but we must also accept the responsibility that comes with them. Huo Yuhao had not yet developed this awareness.

There is certainly no conflict of interest between Bei Bei and Huo Yuhao, but the world is rarely that simple. Everyone has their own position within social relationships, and when problems arise within those relationships, they inevitably affect others. To put it simply, if Tang Ya runs into trouble, how could Bei Bei possibly ignore it? In that situation, where would you, Huo Yuhao, stand?

What if that person is on good terms with you, Huo Yuhao? You would surely find yourself helpless in the end. As the saying goes, even an honest official finds it hard to settle family disputes. Even the simplest emotional problems are difficult to resolve; how would you solve the issues between Xu Sanshi and Jiang Nannan? Whose side would you take in that conflict? Would you favor kin or reason?

Unless the core issue is resolved, they cannot reconcile. How could this group of students possibly have the ability to solve such a fundamental problem? By the same token, Huo Yuhao would certainly lack the ability to resolve this massive ticking time bomb in the future—a bomb he planted himself. Although the issue had always existed, he would undoubtedly blame himself for today's events.

Not to mention the social problems Huo Yuhao would face upon entering society. Although he would encounter a dizzying array of complex contradictions, Huo Yuhao would be unable to see clearly until he identified the core contradiction that runs through all events in social history.

Of course, merely understanding the concept is not enough; one must know how to use it to interpret society, for the purpose of mastery lies entirely in application. Reading the concepts in a math book does not mean you know how to solve the problems. When you truly understand the real world, you will find that the laws governing it are actually quite simple.

You only need to accept one suffocating fact: many people are killing, legally killing, and have been for many years. The number of victims of serial killers doesn't even amount to a fraction of theirs. A murderer has a target of hatred, but when an entire society bears down on you, can you withstand the pressure? You wouldn't even know who to seek revenge against.

Are the people in the Duke White Tiger mansion Huo Yuhao's enemies? Before his revenge, he certainly wanted to kill them all, but why did he stop when he had the chance? Because all those people are lives, and no matter what evil they have done, as a human, you must inherently revere life.

You certainly couldn't bear to kill so many people at once. Some who understand this principle are clever enough not to do it themselves; they let the lower classes kill each other, and they don't have to lift a finger. Huo Yuhao was lost in this very confusion.

This is the oppression of an entire social order; if you resist, the millions who uphold this order will despise you. Then there are your own moral constraints—your morality is taught to you by society, and since society is controlled by a certain group, your morality is exactly what they want you to have.

If Huo Yuhao cannot grasp this, he will inevitably suffer at the hands of Bei Bei, and such losses will continue to occur until he can no longer bear it and is forced to change.

Just like when Huo Yuhao introduced Xiao Xiao, he failed to notice that the atmosphere was different; it wasn't like it usually was. He was too happy and lacked experience, so he overlooked it.

Bei Bei actually wouldn't go so far as to fall out with Huo Yuhao over this. But he couldn't help but think about Xiao Xiao's future thoughts and prospects. What if? Wouldn't all his efforts be in vain?

The one to break the tension was Tang Ya. Before Huo Yuhao even realized the atmosphere was off, even the talkative Xu Sanshi had gone silent. Eventually, the mood finally lightened.

Since there was an extra person, a two-on-two match wasn't feasible, so the seniors took it upon themselves to guide the juniors in their training to improve their performance. This heavy responsibility fell to Xu Sanshi; he was truly the most suitable candidate. It was likely that all similar tasks would be assigned to him in the future.

With Huo Yuhao and Xiao Xiao teaming up against Xu Sanshi, Tang Ya secretly held Bei Bei's hand from the sidelines. The two exchanged a look, and everything was understood without words. Bei Bei's restless heart calmed down. If he became anxious every time someone appeared, there would be even more people trying their luck when it came time to form teams; he couldn't manage them all one by one. He would do his best and leave the rest to fate.

"I won't bully you two; just focus on attacking, and I'll test your offensive power." After saying this, Xu Sanshi remembered something and quickly added, "Huo Yuhao, you are not allowed to use mental attacks. Getting hit by one of those gives me a splitting headache, and I feel awful for the whole day."

Just as he was about to explain his foolproof tactic to Xiao Xiao, he was interrupted. Huo Yuhao felt a bit awkward, having already started his explanation. However, he felt somewhat relieved; after all, using mental attacks took a significant toll on his own body. If he could avoid using them, he would.

The match began.

Right from the start, Xu Sanshi did exactly as he said, setting up his large shield and waiting for the attack. Xiao Xiao was also eager to try; after all, opportunities to face such experts who were nearly her own age were rare. Especially since he was a punching bag that wouldn't fight back.

She used her second soul skill immediately. A continuous, booming sound echoed, making Huo Yuhao feel a bit dizzy. His body was still too weak. Compared to a girl like Xiao Xiao, he couldn't compare to the physical enhancement provided by her martial soul. But was it a bit too much?

When Huo Yuhao saw the situation clearly, he realized that a senior is a senior; he was truly worthy of the title Eternal Defense. He had perfectly withstood the blow. It could only be said that Xiao Xiao had become a bit arrogant from bullying weaker opponents; Huo Yuhao's soul skill enhancement was so great that it gave her the illusion that she could break through a defense-type soul master who could even fight Bei Bei to a draw.

Just as Xiao Xiao's attention drifted, Xu Sanshi let out a strange laugh and charged forward. She was still too young; she hadn't expected how shameless this person could be. As he approached, Huo Yuhao instinctively launched an attack, a mental strike combined with the Purple Demon Eye hitting its mark. This caused Xu Sanshi to falter for a moment, creating a gap in his defense.

Xiao Xiao reacted instantly, and the Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron bypassed the defense and struck. Just like that, the man fell to the ground in defeat.