Chapter 40: The Meaning of Existence
“Resist strictly, confess leniently. You’re doomed, kiddo.
The rooftop is my home turf. You can’t imagine how many things I’ve experienced up here, so I get a home-field advantage.”
The young man was silent for a moment. Just as I was starting to lose patience, he uttered two words.
“What?”
“Is this Curse Speech? Or Mute Mantras? Or perhaps Mind Control?”
“What are you talking about? Never heard of them.”
Are these abilities, which I’ve heard about in many places, actually real? But more importantly, to be able to list three similar abilities instantly means his understanding of the hidden world is far greater than mine.
The man ignored me and began to analyze on his own.
“No, Curse Speech is a curse, it’s continuous. Normally, it would affect daily speech. Mute Mantras can only be used once, and one cannot speak at other times. Mind Control is the most likely, but I didn’t feel any spiritual fluctuations—is his spiritual power stronger than mine? Indeed, I felt a spiritual fluctuation in the lobby earlier, but spiritual power stronger than mine, how could that be?”
He’s rambling endlessly. I’ve got him, but he’s suddenly analyzing. Is this guy truly unflappable in the face of danger, or is he simply an idiot?
However, for some reason, watching him mutter to himself, I suddenly felt a sense of familiarity. No, I don’t know anyone this eccentric. And I don’t recall ever seeing anyone talk to themselves in front of me.
“Ah.”
Suddenly, I thought of it.
No wonder I felt strangely familiar even though I didn’t remember seeing a similar scene—it’s because I can’t see myself.
I know this situation. It’s the ‘unawareness of one’s own murmuring’ situation.
Because when I fall into deep thought, I often ignore my surroundings and unconsciously speak out loud, only to be…
And he’s exactly like me now. I’m increasingly feeling that this person is very similar to me, not just in appearance or personality, but in subtle details, as if we’ve experienced the same things.
“Hey, hey, hey! What are you mumbling about!”
“Oh no—! I spoke out loud. Cough, cough. Sorry, I was just surprised you could control me so easily. Ordinary abilities should be ineffective against me.”
Seeing his idiotic expression, even I felt discouraged. I wasn’t motivated.
I scratched my head and said impatiently.
“Do you even know what the situation is right now? You’re completely under my control. If I wanted to, I could make you jump off right now and die.”
“That’s right, but you haven’t done it. That means you still need me for something, right?”
Hoo, not stupid either. People with strong spiritual power are generally more emotionally stable and can remain calm in various unexpected situations.
Which makes him even more troublesome.
“Only Destiny Power can be used tracelessly and invisibly. So, is this your Destined Ability? To use Destiny Power so easily… Boy, do you know what happens if you overuse Destiny Power?”
“I don’t need you to tell me that. It’s lifespan, isn’t it? I don’t know any less about Destiny Power than you do.”
The young man looked at me with some surprise, as if saying, ‘You know and you still use it? Are you an idiot?’
I didn’t say anything more. The fact that I have too much Destiny Power to even waste it is information that doesn’t need to be leaked.
“What surprises me most is that you can actually use Destiny Power. That means a Calamity has already awakened?”
“So! Tell! Me!”
I put on a very impatient act, imitating those third-rate school bullies at school. The trick is to put on an arrogant, “I’m the boss” face.
“Are you confused or something? You’re the one I’ve captured. You’re the one who needs to answer my questions, not the other way around, got it?”
“Heh, you don’t need to deliberately act fierce. It doesn’t suit you.”
To be seen through so easily. Is my acting really that bad?
“Before taking action, I always investigate. Regarding Juncheng An, frankly speaking, he’s just a normal good person.”
Ah, I used to be an Ordinary person.
I used to be.
“Before coming to this city, the information I received was: ‘The target is just an Ordinary high school student. No F has awakened yet, and he cannot use Destiny Power. However, all F are by his side, posing a high potential threat.’ Based on my judgment, I considered Juncheng An to be just a ‘victim,’ which is why I didn’t make a move on you directly but instead kept the F away. I didn’t expect you to not only be able to use Destiny Power but also not to be ordinary?”
“What did you do to Lianbing? Why does she suddenly hate me?”
“If you want to know, let’s trade information. Tell me your Destined Ability.”
He’s threatening me in return!
Does this guy know that Lianbing is my weakness, and that’s why he’s so confident?
As expected, only those who hold information can control the situation. He’s in the dark, and I’m exposed. This guy has already investigated me, but I know nothing about him, so I’m in a passive position now.
Tsk, although I’m a bit unwilling, there’s no other way.
“I understand. I don’t mind telling you. My ability is called ‘Calamity from the Mouth.’ It uses Destiny Power to alter upcoming events, and it’s more effective when it causes things to develop in a bad direction. However, if there’s enough Destiny Power, directly commanding someone is also possible.”
Hearing my explanation, the man could no longer remain calm.
“An ability that can change the future! To suppress the power of causality and distort phenomena consumes Destiny Power… You’re crazy! You used it three times on me just now! You definitely won’t live past twenty at this rate!”
“What does it have to do with you?”
The man was silent for a moment, but his gaze towards me held a hint of pity.
He must think that with my overuse of Destiny Power, my lifespan is almost exhausted.
What a pity. Anyway, I’m sure I’ll live longer than you.
“Calamity truly is a formidable ability. Compared to my own Destined Ability, yours is much stronger. It allows you to easily command others and achieve things Ordinary people can’t. It’s a power that can truly change the world.”
“I did it. But I only wanted to keep you away from tragedy. You have no idea what it means for a Calamity to awaken.”
I let out a cold laugh of disdain. You don’t know? *You* don’t know.
“First, tell me your name.”
“Indeed. My name is Yang Shifan. I am the Master of Wu Fu. But I have no intention of taking your F. I’m not interested in collecting nine Destined Abilities.”
So, Wu Fu means he’s Yinhua’s Master.
It can be said that Yinhua’s family was able to escape their predicament thanks to this person.
“Hoo? Then why are you doing this?”
Yang Shifan didn’t answer my question. Instead, he abruptly asked me.
“Do you know what a vampire hunter is?”
“What?”
Why is he suddenly talking about vampire hunters?
“Hey, hey, don’t change the subject. I’m telling you, I won’t give you a chance to stall for time, and your ‘talk no jutsu’ won’t work on me.”
“Heh, you misunderstood. I’m not trying to stall for time; I just want to give an example. Some vampires become vampire hunters who hunt other vampires for various reasons. I am the same as them. I am a Master, but for some reason, I am now a Fate Hunter.”
“Fate Hunter?”
“Yes, Fate Hunter. As the name suggests, it’s someone who specifically hunts Masters.”
“There’s such a thing?”
“Of course. If we’re talking about it, the existence of Masters is far more threatening than vampires or anything else. Take you, for example, Juncheng An.
The Destined Abilities on me—four Calamities, three Disasters, two Dilemmas—none of them are easy to deal with.
“Your Destined Ability is four Calamities. Whichever of your F awakens will become a ‘Calamity.'”
“They can control themselves.”
Yang Shifan shook his head.
“I’ve heard many people say the same thing. Later, they all died, killed by their own F.”
If it weren’t for Zi’ai and Zihua, I would already be dead.
“Ji Lianbing. The reason that girl approached you wasn’t because she fell in love with you, but simply due to destiny. As an F, she naturally wanted to return to you, the Master, in order to establish a Destined connection.”
However, I cannot agree.
Seeing my determined gaze, Yang Shifan continued.
“If you don’t believe me, you’ll believe me after hearing my Destined Ability. I can use Destiny Power to amplify a person’s potential emotions. The fact that Ji Lianbing has come to hate you means she truly hates you deep down.”
“How could that be! No, it can’t be! Lianbing!”
I clutched my head, looking incredulous. Seeing Yang Shifan’s lips curl into a smile, he then changed his tone.
“Did you think I would say that?”
“I see. You believe her that much.”
“Well, if she hates me, let her hate me. Just don’t curse me every time we speak, or I might develop a peculiar fetish. Hmm, so I advise you to cancel it obediently, or else…”
Yang Shifan suddenly raised his eyebrows and sneered dismissively, retorting.
“Or else what? What can you do to me? Kill me?”
This guy isn’t afraid of death?
“Or, could you actually kill me?”
I’m not a saint. I’ve killed before. The death of that perverted serial killer was my doing.
But now, I can’t kill him.
To make Lianbing hate me less, killing the person in front of me is something I can’t do.
Besides, even if Lianbing recovers, she might not be grateful to me for it.
And then there’s this person. I don’t want to kill him.
Perhaps it’s because I resonate with him, perhaps it’s because he understands me well, or perhaps our minds work similarly. A worthy friend is worth dying for, and I’m the opposite; I don’t want to kill him just like that.
It might be a similar feeling to Cao Cao’s appreciation for Guan Erye.
“Young man, you are truly too kind.”
“Can’t help it. Who told you I’m a good person?”
“You and I are very similar. We are both played by accursed fate and have lost our original lives.”
“It’s a pity our positions are different. Otherwise, you and I might have become friends.”
“Yes. I’ll say this here: I will not cancel my ability. Furthermore, I will expand its scope. Although my ability isn’t as terrifying as yours, it’s like poison—it will continuously deepen and even ‘infect’ those around you.”
It can even be contagious?
Does that mean others will also come to hate me?
No, Yang Shifan said his ability amplifies a person’s potential emotions. Not everyone else would hate me as much as Lianbing does.
And speaking of why Lianbing hates me, I actually have a clue. It’s because I’m a normal human now, not a corpse.
To put it plainly, that perverted woman Lianbing holds a hateful emotion towards humans.
“Not just Ji Lianbing. Everyone around you will become hysterical and expose their true selves hidden deep within their hearts. By then, can you still bear it?”
“What if I endure it?”
“If you truly endure it and manage to gather all four Calamities, then I will willingly submit to you.”
“I’ll remember your words.”
Alright, after talking for so long, I’ve finally triggered a new mission.
The difficulty is quite high. But it’s better than having no way out.
Seeing my eagerness, Yang Shifan said compassionately.
“…In the end, everyone will leave you.”
“I won’t let that happen.”
I won’t let anyone leave me again.
That’s what I decided the day I lost Zi’ai.
I will find back everything I have lost.
Yes, that is the meaning of my existence.
