Chapter 00236: The Debt of Old Deng is Yet to be Repaid
# The Debt of Old Deng is Yet to be Repaid
Chapter 236
Novel: Above Destiny
Chapter 236: The Debt of Old Deng is Yet to be Repaid
“How many days has it been...”
Ji Jue slumped in his wheelchair, letting out a long sigh: “Why hasn’t the Security Bureau made any moves yet? At least bring some big news…”
Could it be that they really want me to throw myself into the abyss?
On the polished surface, a gaunt and haggard face emerged—a face pale as if it hadn’t seen the sun for many years, so thin that it seemed to be nothing but skin and bones.
Breathing slowly, it would not be surprising if one were to find him lying in the ICU.
Yet, between the strands of increasingly white hair, there was an eerie glimmer in his darkening pupils, whispering of something sinister.
A casual glance and lowered gaze exuded a quiet, smoldering presence.
It was like a ghostly demon residing within a corpse, an oppressive aura surrounding him.
Even if Tong Zhiwu were standing right next to him, he would probably not even recognize Ji Jue now.
How long has it been?
It was impossible to tell…
It felt as if only a few days had passed, yet in his perception, it felt like a month or two had crawled by.
Every day was a relentless cycle of being force-fed knowledge and skills, without a moment's respite.
Even in dreams, he could hardly escape; countless chaotic theories and transformation formulas intertwined, with a barrage of nightmares and past memories flashing through his mind.
Those fragmented, disjointed dreams and the blood-boiling reality alternated, leading Ji Jue to completely lose his grasp of time.
Perhaps this was one of his goals in learning the dual arts.
Or perhaps, the time in the workshop... was already different from the outside world...
Profound theories and techniques were not purely and beautifully tedious like advanced mathematics.
On the contrary, they were filled with inhumane yet convenient methods, including blood sacrifices, tortures, and ways of material acquisition, alongside more subtle contamination...
Even for someone as stubborn as Ji Jue, he was now thoroughly exhausted, both mentally and physically, by this brutal method of teaching.
His mind was flooded with thoughts of taking a break.
Not being allowed holidays was fine; death would suffice.
“Just kill me already, get it over with!”
If one had to say there was even a single good aspect in this miserable life, it was the abundant resources, with no concern for waste.
Even when Ji Jue secretly practiced with materials from the dual arts, Old Deng seemed utterly unconcerned.
The transformation tool, which had originally lagged due to a lack of funds, was making rapid progress.
As for the numerous stagnant techniques and the operations evolved from them, it was embarrassing to admit, but Ji Jue had already become completely proficient!
Not just proficient, but he was making leaps and bounds!
With the matrix fragments from Du Deng and Lian Yun as a foundation, coupled with Old Deng's generous guidance and integration, Ji Jue's progress soared.
In just a few drills, he had already mastered the introductory basics and the subsequent expansions.
He was even on the verge of starting the creation of blessed artifacts.
“Don’t be sad, Yu Jin. It’s all Old Deng forcing me. I don’t want this; my heart only holds you, you have to believe me... I just made a mistake anyone would make! Well, Yu Jin didn’t say it was forbidden, so Ji Jue took it to mean he had tacit approval. But really, how did his beloved Yu Jin suddenly turn into such a shadowy pillar of gloom? What if word got out? His teacher wouldn’t personally wield a knife to clean house, would he? Wait, could this also be a part of the dual arts’ plan? Perhaps one day when he became a craftsman, a master, or even a grandmaster, if he came across the dual arts again, Old Deng would chuckle, pulling out a stack of photos:“Ji Jue, you wouldn’t want others to know…”Ji Jue inhaled sharply. He couldn’t help but feel like stomping his foot and cursing, but unfortunately, even the freedom to stomp his foot was slipping away. His left arm, right shoulder, heart, right leg… Black marks emerged, resembling chains. A slight movement inflicted piercing pain and torture. These were the results of Ji Jue’s reckless resistance or probing over this period. Boom!!! A massive explosion erupted from the self-melting furnace, crimson blood like a tidal wave surged forth, a thick color splashing out and nearly engulfing the gaunt figure in front of the furnace. Ji Jue remained expressionless. In a daze, he casually raised his hand toward the dancing crimson, fishing it out. His fingers tightened.“That's enough.”He said. In an instant, the erupting blood color vanished without a trace, the writhing crimson quickly retracted, and the screams filling the furnace abruptly stopped. As if a monster had its life force pinched. And within Ji Jue's grasp, amidst his five fingers, the object emerging from the furnace trembled violently, rapidly losing its heat, revealing a metallic texture. Yet within the iron-colored cold gleam, strands of crimson flowed, occasionally taking on a flesh-like quality. As it fell into his hands, it craved to consume Ji Jue’s blood and essence. But alas, under the suppression of an inevitable force, like an unworthy little karami, it quickly ceased its fervor. In the end, it laid there quietly, docile as a chick.“Transformation accomplished? Just this? Just this? Just this?”Ji Jue scoffed, carelessly tossing the creation into the box beside his wheelchair, indifferent:“Mediocre.”In just a few days of trying and practicing, he had already discovered the significant difference between modern alchemy and the transformation alchemy altered by the dual arts. If modern alchemy was about elevation, transformation, purification, and integration to endow lifeless objects with spirit, then the dual arts, rich in myriad inspirations, directly birthed malevolent spirits! Compared to just birthed little bunnies, surely the ravenous lions and tigers were far more ferocious and impressive to use, even if the cost was heavy... At its core, it was about how to artificially trigger transformation and induce aberration! In Ji Jue’s view, it felt no different than playing firecrackers on a manhole; the noise would undoubtedly be louder than usual, and while leaving, he would definitely be quicker and more at peace than on a normal day. A short lapse in attention would lead to uncontrollable chaos, and if carelessly, some unknown creature might spring forth from the furnace, and that was no longer something a craftsman could dictate. After mastering the related techniques and theories, one could indeed transcend their own limits and create creations surpassing their own capabilities. Yet the problem lay in the near-absence of controllability. The work was good, yet it rendered the craftsman useless. If attempted unprepared, it was like flooring the gas pedal on a highway during a stormy night—don’t ask where the father went, just go ahead and act; crying was of no use, worst case, you’d go along for the ride! Thus, craftsmen needed more control, adaptability, and talent. Incompetents and worthless individuals were immediately weeded out at this threshold, but if one could step inside, their growth speed would shoot up like a rocket! Because of this, the more Ji Jue learned, the more he felt that something was terribly wrong. Because these theories and skills, he had never seen before in anyone else's work! Even if Du Deng was an irretrievable piece of useless wood, Lian Yun was supposedly his direct disciple. How could he not know even a little? The curriculum he was learning couldn’t possibly have been hastily concocted by that old fellow on a whim, right? Something was off—very off! Ji Jue pondered and soon lifted his gaze towards the shadow beside him:“Where's Old Deng? I want to see Old Deng!”The shadow fell silent for a moment, before quickly raising a finger to point towards a door behind him. The door opened, revealing a corridor.“Thanks.”Ji Jue turned his wheelchair and slowly made his way towards the hallway, ignoring the wreckage behind him. The entire workshop seemed to be in constant flux, even the space beyond the same door looked different every time he observed it. The corridor sometimes led to the resource library, sometimes to Ji Jue's sleeping space, sometimes to a restroom, and now it had transformed into the workspace of the dual arts. Even after countless times, he could still feel the gazes and watchfulness lurking in the shadows. As if every move was under the scrutiny of countless eyes. Click. Not far away, a door slowly closed. A stooped figure bowed and retreated respectfully, closing the door for his master with a flattering smile. However, when he turned around and caught a glimpse of Ji Jue not far away, the smile froze upon his face. Gradually darkening, gradually turning malevolent. Crimson veins gradually appeared in his eyes. Grimacing.“It’s you…”“Oh dear, where in life do we not meet? Isn’t this the Spirit Dweller?”Ji Jue glanced at the stooped, disheveled figure alongside the puppet growing flesh. He clicked his tongue and lamented,“After a few days apart, why have you fallen so far?”Bang! The expression of the transformation craftsman darkened, cartwheeling Ji Jue’s wheelchair, and then, seizing his neck, he lifted him off the ground and slammed him against the wall. Fingers like iron clamps tightened slowly.“Listen, you dog, no matter what methods you used to confuse the master, your good days are numbered!”The Spirit Dweller moved closer, his gaze locked fiercely onto Ji Jue’s face, warning him word by word:“One day, you will fall into my hands, and that will be our accounting time!"From the suffocation, Ji Jue opened his mouth but couldn’t breathe, and darkness rapidly overtook his vision. Only when the Spirit Dweller grew tired of his predicament did his finger slowly loosen just a little. He heard hoarse coughing and gasping, coupled with mocking derision.“Brother, grievances have their causes, debts have their owners.
Your downfall is not my doing; you should think about who it was that acted, right?”Ji Jue breathed harshly, forcing a grin:“If you really had some spirit, why not turn back, kick down that door, and stab that Old Deng with a hundred knives? It could count as repaying your teacher’s kindness and avenging yourself!”The Spirit Dweller's expression contorted, struggling against an involuntary tremor, exploding in rage:“If you dare say another word, I will make you minced meat!”“Really?”Ji Jue tilted his head in curiosity.“I feel like I can say several more words, but you, perhaps, might not be able to… Hmm, perhaps you won't be able to for long.”While his words dripped with self-pity, the hand tightening around his neck was steadily losing its power. Uncontrollably trembling, it finally relaxed its grip. Ji Jue fell to the ground. He leaned against the wall and floor to raise himself up, steadily adjusting his wheelchair back to its place. After expending considerable effort, he finally managed to climb back up. Sweating profusely, he panted heavily. Meanwhile, the Spirit Dweller writhing on the floor had reached a point where he was gasping for air, frothing at the mouth, on the verge of collapse, spasming in vain desperation. But he couldn't break free... From behind him, the puppet, born from flesh, suddenly without warning, grasped his neck, swiftly constricting. Through the ripped skin, thick blood oozed, and before it could flow out, the puppet’s hands eagerly drank it in. Not just the body, but half of his blood, half of the matrix, half of the blessing, and half of his soul all turned savage, viciously attacking, craving to devour him entirely. No matter how he tried to reassure himself, there was no response. Suffocating, icy, and hopelessly struggling. The only sound echoing was a maniacal laughter growing ever clearer. Until amidst the rolling and struggling, he finally caught sight of that smiling face atop the wheelchair, coupled with the cold, black eyes that looked down upon him, and for an instant, realization dawned. The Spirit Dweller's eyes widened in fear, as he crawled forward on all fours, grabbing at Ji Jue's pant leg, trying to plead but unable to make a sound. All he could do was bow in prayer, repeatedly hitting his forehead against the floor, bloodied. Muffled howls of despair. Throughout, Ji Jue remained expressionless. Unmoved. Until the Spirit Dweller fell utterly despairing, with no strength left to struggle, he finally heard a crisp voice. Ji Jue's fingers tapped against the armrest of the wheelchair. In that instant, the puppet’s grip around his neck finally loosened, the cold air flooding into his lungs, bringing life and all the goodness of the world. The Spirit Dweller erupted into a violent cough, sputtering thick blood and tears in torrents. He could no longer move.“See? When you share a similar plight, you can understand each other's difficulties.”In the haze, he only saw the wheelchair moving past him, with a voice rising higher:“We must get along well, Brother Spirit Dweller.”Without stopping, it rolled slowly over him. Finally, bidding farewell with a high-five to the puppet behind him:“Bye, Bro~”The puppet grinned with glee, waving enthusiastically as it watched Ji Jue fade from view. It continued to gaze after him until his figure vanished at the end of the corridor, before turning back towards its struggling host, malice gleaming in its gem-like eyes. The game continues! The door opened in front of Ji Jue. Behind the door, in the workspace, countless parts floated in mid-air, rising and falling like birds, gathering and dispersing endlessly, swirling around an old figure.“Why the commotion?”came the indifferent question from the dual arts.“Perhaps it’s a tradition of passing down from the old to the new?”Ji Jue smiled as if truly believing the elder was unaware, earnestly praising:“The workplace culture of our deep crafts is simply wonderful.
Harmony, camaraderie, working hand in hand… don’t you think there’s something a bit off?”“Yu Jin is cruel, indifferent to the mediocre.
The tyranny of stagnation is even worse.
You are originally competitors; why waste time on meaningless facades?
Letting the essence of things reveal itself in the clearest way is the true core of a craftsman’s path.
If you like dreaming, you should seek mirrors and heart recesses.”The dual arts snapped his fingers, causing the multitude of assembled parts to disperse once more. After a moment, he glanced back, devoid of expression, and asked:“What’s the matter?”“Look, it’s complete.”Ji Jue opened the toolbox on the armrest, lifted up the freshly forged transformation piece, and directly threw it towards the dual arts. A sound of air breaking echoed. In the next moment, a line of silver light halted before the dual arts, revealing its contours and forms. It had a slender handle, a slightly wider yet stubby tip, approximately the length of an ordinary one-handed sword. The handle was straight, but the tip curved slightly, splitting like claws. Its surface shimmered with flowing blood, and just looking at it made one feel a sense of hostility, chilling the heart! Yet the more the dual arts looked, the tighter his brows knitted.“What is this?”“A gift.”Ji Jue replied thoughtfully:“I noticed you've been baring your teeth lately, so it seems your feet are itching yet it’s not convenient to scratch in front of others, so I specially made you a scratcher!”The dual arts’ expression grew darker.“What’s its purpose?”“What else can a scratcher do? Of course, it’s for scratching!”Ji Jue explained excitedly:“However, Master, don’t be fooled by its plain appearance; there’s one thing it’s particularly fantastic at—”He paused, leaving the suspense hanging to pique interest:“—the more you scratch, the itchier it gets!”
(End of Chapter)