"No, what I mean is, don't you want to know how I became a Transcendent?"
"Go on."
"Then promise me..."
"Fine, I promise not to kill you," Bai Ye interrupted.
Li You's heart skipped a beat. Hesitating, he said, "You agreed way too quickly. It doesn't make me feel safe at all."
"Then let's do that again."
Li You: "..."
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, then slowly said, "After Fate Roulette lost to you, King Snake flew into a rage and crippled my right hand, leaving me to fend for myself. Magic Hand was a skill I had trained for over ten years, the means by which I made my living. When my right hand was crippled, I wanted to die.
But when I thought of my mother back home, still waiting for me to make something of myself and return in glory, a fire ignited in my heart. I swore that I could not let her down. I had to live.
Then I suddenly felt a stabbing pain in my head, as if something were stirring my brain. After the pain passed, I discovered that my right hand, which had suffered a comminuted fracture, had actually healed somewhat. I still couldn't lift anything heavy, but at least I could move it a little.
And an invisible arm had grown from my right hand!"
"I see." Bai Ye nodded solemnly. "To become a Transcendent, you first need to cripple your right hand."
Li You: "..."
"And you need a mom."
Li You: "..."
He was now absolutely certain that Bai Ye was insane. He had previously heard people speak of Bai Ye's behavior on the battlefield and had been somewhat skeptical. Now, he believed every word.
What the hell was this nonsense?
"Deputy Commander Bai, the key isn't the mother or the right hand. It's a transformation of the mind. Put simply, one suffers a severe shock that causes mental distortion and mutation, thereby awakening as a Transcendent."
Bai Ye nodded. Of course he knew it had nothing to do with mothers or right hands. He had merely made a little joke, but unfortunately, these savages did not understand humor.
He had heard other wasteland hunters say that in the era of the Great Cataclysm, whether people or objects, even if they appeared normal, had all undergone some degree of distortion and mutation.
Ordinary people simply had shallower degrees of mutation, so nothing was visible. But it was like a seed buried deep within everyone's body. Once certain conditions were met, the seed would sprout.
Li You, who had become a Transcendent, was an obvious example.
In other words, during the Civilized Era, no matter how severely your mind was shaken, at most you would become mentally ill. But in the era of the Great Cataclysm, you might become a Transcendent.
Hiss!
The more he thought about it, the more terrifying it became. Did all Transcendents have the potential to become mentally ill?
He suddenly felt that the Great Cataclysm sweeping across the world might not be entirely harmful. It also held opportunity—an opportunity to begin the evolution of all things. Mutated Beasts were more like products of incorrect evolution, while Transcendents were those following the correct evolutionary path.
Wait, perhaps... it was still uncertain whose evolution was more correct.
"Deputy Commander Bai, I've told you everything. Could you put the Spear down first? I'm scared..."
"You're begging me, yet you can't even address me as 'sir.' Is that how you ask someone for a favor?"
My fist had hardened!
Li You gritted his teeth in fury. If the Spear were not pointed at him, he would have loved to smash Bai Ye's mouth with one punch.
"Could you please put the Spear down first?"
"No."
You motherfucker!
"Then can I at least put my right hand down first? It hasn't fully healed yet. I can't keep holding it up."
"No."
"Bai Ye!" Li You sprang to his feet and said angrily, "I told you, we aren't enemies. I came to work with you!
"Haven't you realized your situation yet? King Snake and Tan Jie have no room for you at all. They discussed it long ago: once you drive off the Hyena Pack, they'll join forces and kill you. Then they'll sell your Taboo Object and split the money!"
"So?"
"So working with me is your only chance to survive. I'm a Transcendent, and you have a Taboo Object. If the two of us join forces, we may not lose to them. Besides, King Snake crippled my Magic Hand. I'll definitely get my revenge on him!"
"You came to see me in the middle of the night just to say this?"
"That's right. And I already have a detailed plan. The next time you leave the city, I'll lie in ambush outside beforehand. Once they've fought until they're exhausted, you and I can attack them from both inside and out. We'll take them down in one stroke!
"Once it's done, Gray Soil Town will be yours to rule. I won't interfere in the slightest."
Bai Ye was slightly surprised. "Then what do you want? Revenge?"
Li You shook his head. "Revenge is only one part of it. I need money. Once it's done, Gray Soil Town will be yours, and the money will be mine. The moment I get it, I'll leave.
"To tell you the truth, after becoming a Transcendent, I don't care at all about being the commander of Gray Soil Town. I plan to take the money to Dawn City and find the best physician to heal my right hand. Awakening as a Transcendent greatly improved my physical abilities, allowing my right hand to move with difficulty, but it can't compare to its former flexibility and strength.
"My Transcendent ability is closely tied to my right hand. If it heals, my combat strength will be far greater than it is now. I want to restore Magic Hand to its former glory!
"Once I, Magic Hand Li You, have established myself in Dawn City, I'll bring my mother into the city to enjoy wealth and luxury!"
Li You's words made Bai Ye view him somewhat differently. Say what one would, although Li You was not much of a person, he was at least filial.
Moreover, when he thought about it, the two of them had no enmity at all. On the contrary, they shared common enemies.
With that thought, Bai Ye put away [Breath of Bones].
Hearing the movement, Li You was immediately delighted. "You agree to cooperate?"
"No, I don't." Bai Ye shook his head.
"Why? This would benefit you in every possible way." Li You could hardly believe it, unable to understand why Bai Ye would refuse such a good proposal.
"Alas." Bai Ye sighed, raised his head at a forty-five-degree angle, and gazed deeply at the bright moon. "I could certainly join hands with you to kill King Snake and the others, but have you considered what will happen to the Hyena Pack? What will happen to the people of Gray Soil Town?"
Li You froze. The look in his eyes changed several times. After a moment of silence, he said, "I can help you deal with the Hyena Pack."
Bai Ye shook his head again. "How many people would die? You may be a Transcendent, but your strength is probably still inferior to King Snake and the others. Otherwise, you would not have come to me seeking cooperation.
"Even they cannot deal with the Hyena Pack, much less you. So before the Hyena Pack has been wiped out, I will not work with you."
Li You looked anxious. "But once you finish killing the Hyena Pack, they'll attack you immediately. And with the way you're killing them, you might not even survive long enough for them to make a move."
"Say no more!" Bai Ye flung his sleeve angrily, sending a layer of dust billowing from its patches. "Am I, Bai Ye, the kind of man who fears death? Is one man's life more important, or are the lives of eight hundred people in Gray Soil Town more important?"
That indignant voice was like a heavy hammer striking Li You's heart.
In this damned era, there really was someone like this...
For some reason, standing beside Bai Ye suddenly made him feel ashamed of himself.
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