【Weak neural signal detected】

  【Awakening...】

  【Neural connection established...】

  Noise, clamor, the wails of people on the verge of death resounded in his ears again.

  The stench of blood rushed to his brain.

  "Haah..."

  Xia Li's chest heaved violently. His breathing rhythm was disrupted, his eyes wide open with slightly unfocused pupils.

  【Releasing sedative...】

  The chaotic world before his eyes gradually grew silent. The noise and blood-stench vanished, leaving only darkness.

  And the darkness quickly receded.

  The modification pod's door opened. Only then did Xia Li realize he'd been sleeping in a modification pod, with Yagyu Chihaya standing beside him.

  Though Yagyu Chihaya wore a concerned expression, Xia Li didn't feel like engaging with her.

  Still, Xia Li sat up without making a fuss. That would be pointless.

  Different paths, no common cause—didn't mean refusing even basic communication. It just meant the relationship would struggle to advance further.

  "How long was I asleep?"

  "Three days. Your neural signals remained abnormally active throughout—you nearly died in your dream."

  "Died in my dream?"

  "In a deep dream, you take everything in the dream as real. If you die in the dream, you'll truly believe you're dead, and you'll die in reality too."

  "You were watching over me?"

  "Yes. I monitored your neural signals the whole time, keeping you calm while preventing you from falling into deep sleep."

  "Thanks. How much for the medical consultation?"

  Xia Li prepared to pay spirit stones. His cooperative relationship with Yagyu Chihaya was over, so her help naturally deserved more direct compensation.

  "Are you really not going to work with me anymore? I think you might have misunderstood something. Have I ever said I was the same kind of person as you?"

  "We just have the same goal. You assumed things on your own and then got disappointed on your own. Don't you think you're being childish?"

  Yagyu Chihaya was younger than Xia Li, yet she was calling him childish for throwing a tantrum.

  Xia Li stayed silent without rushing to retort. A look of reminiscence gradually appeared in his eyes.

  "When I was little... I picked up a stray dog and brought it home. It was timid at first, also a bit ill-tempered."

  "Back then I didn't know how to care for a dog. I'd snatch its things, finding its angry reactions amusing."

  "And when it got angry and ignored me, I'd use food to coax it, then make it angry again."

  "Thinking about it now, perhaps to the powerful, the weak's anger always seems... cute."

  Xia Li took out an old cloth collar from his phase ring and examined it.

  "Since you understand, why did you still do it?"

  "Your mercy was completely unnecessary... no... actually, you sold your mercy for a high price. I didn't expect that."

  Yagyu Chihaya had started by scolding Xia Li for being naive, but by the end she was shocked. Could Xia Li be some kind of business genius?

  Those chosen as challengers for this match—many had done their utmost to display their killing prowess.

  Pursuing elegance, swiftness, unscathed combat.

  At minimum, demonstrating the most direct violence.

  But Xia Li—foolish, disheveled, obstinate—had somehow received the highest acclaim.

  It seemed times were changing. People were breaking free from sensory stimulation, beginning to pursue substance again.

  Xia Li's appearance perfectly filled that gap.

  "You think... I was pitying those people?"

  Xia Li laughed at that.

  If not for that match, anyone who blocked his way to the danger zone would die.

  It was just a performance.

  A performance of not killing.

  If those peasants dared to come after him post-match, he'd kill every one he saw.

  "Then what else? Weren't you sympathizing with them?"

  Yagyu Chihaya scoffed.

  "Yes... I was sympathizing with them. More precisely—sympathizing with those who haven't yet become them, or are about to become them!"

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  "They can choose not to see themselves as human. I cannot choose not to see them as human!"

  Xia Li stood up and grabbed Yagyu Chihaya's hand, pressing her directly against a nearby wall.

  Xia Li greatly disliked Yagyu Chihaya's current attitude.

  What was she being so self-righteously arrogant about? Did she think this corporate-trained cold detachment was correct?

  "The ancients said: when immortals fight, mortals suffer."

  "A mortal asks the immortal before dying: why did you kill us?"

  "The immortal answers: I killed you—what does that have to do with you?"

  "This is no different from my actions!"

  "I didn't kill them—what does that have to do with them?"

  Xia Li knew very clearly what he was doing. Perfectly clear!

  Giving them chances and hope could make the world recognize that someone still wouldn't abandon them, still viewed them as lives, as fellow humans with rights.

  But they chose to abandon themselves—just like those rogue cultivators on the other side!

  Cannot be sought, cannot be saved!

  "Is that so..."

  Yagyu Chihaya looked into Xia Li's eyes, meeting his gaze directly. In his eyes she saw fire.

  "Will you continue sympathizing with them?"

  "Yes. Because I'm human. Because they're human too, just like me."

  After Xia Li finished, Yagyu Chihaya was about to mock his naivety, but Xia Li immediately continued:

  "But—those worthy of my sympathy won't come to attack me."

  "Those who come to attack me aren't human."

  At these words, Yagyu Chihaya was left speechless. Should have just said that from the start.

  "I misunderstood you. You're right—mercy has a price. Raising virtue's price will make more people willing to produce virtue. That's very much in line with market principles."

  "Even if it only produces hypocrites, having more hypocrites is better than true villains running rampant."

  "If those hypocrites are willing to spare the bankrupts, then some among them who can still be saved... may find hope."

  "Is that your goal? Heavens... darling, you're amazing!"

  After thinking through all this, Yagyu Chihaya suddenly found Xia Li radiating irresistible charm from head to toe. She felt somewhat uncontrollably captivated.

  "Who's your darling? Don't call me that randomly. It was just an unintended side effect."

  Xia Li truly hadn't expected this outcome, but that didn't mean he'd failed. Of course, he hadn't succeeded either.

  Everyone was still without virtue, but at least they now possessed false virtue.

  "So, getting back to the point—shall we continue our cooperation?"

  "But you disappointed me..."

  "Then how about compensating in other ways? Want me to sleep with you too?"

  "Forget it. I can't appreciate a body like yours."

  "Scared? The first half is me, the second half is my sister. Don't you find that exciting?"

  "I only find it disgusting. Whoever put you together must have twisted tastes."

  "I'd like to know too."

  Wasn't she working hard to investigate just that?

  "Yagyu Chihaya, we can continue cooperating. But I hope that when you're planning something, you'll tell me. Don't always act like you're teaching me what to do."

  "Then you can teach me what to do. Even teach me how to be human—no problem. My brain isn't like normal people's. I might have some emotional deficiencies, since my left and right brain hemispheres come from different people."

  "You can even teach me what love is."

  "Aren't you same-sex attracted?"

  Xia Li was rather speechless. Was he that handsome? Capable of straightening the curved?

  "But my sister isn't. And I've found my orientation isn't that absolute."

  "I'll pass. I can't appreciate you."

  This was another target requiring immense courage to pursue. Xia Li simply couldn't accept it physiologically.