The so-called Master in the realm of National Arts refers to a practitioner of Dark Strength.
Bright Strength, Dark Strength, and Transformative Strength are the three major realms of external martial arts, with each level representing a leap in combat power.
A practitioner of Bright Strength can unleash a force of two to three hundred kilograms in their limbs during an explosive moment.
An ordinary person facing a Bright Strength master would find that a single punch or kick could take their life.
A practitioner of Dark Strength, on the other hand, can unleash immense power in a confined space.
What appears to be a light and airy palm strike actually contains enough force to explode at seven to eight hundred kilograms.
Thus, when Wu Piwu and the Tiger Claw martial artist merely made contact, the Tiger Claw was directly distorted.
This force is akin to a collision hammer striking their hand; it could easily dent armor and steel, let alone flesh and bone.
The only flaw is that this explosive power cannot be sustained for long.
Currently, due to the enhancement of his physical foundation, Wu Piwu possesses a physique comparable to an all-around Olympic champion, allowing him to unleash his power about ten times in a single battle.
Beyond that, it would harm his foundation, leaving him with numerous internal injuries.
Transformative Strength practitioners are nearly returned to their original state; they do not need to explode their power with each punch or palm strike, as they possess an endless supply of Dark Strength throughout their entire body.
It can be sustained for long periods, and there is even a saying that no mosquito or insect can land on a Transformative Strength practitioner’s skin without being instantly killed by the shockwave.
This overcomes the flaw of Dark Strength's lack of sustainability.
Bright Strength practitioners are martial artists, the experts within the martial arts community, while Dark Strength practitioners are referred to as Masters, often leaders of certain factions.
The Red Flower Twin Sticks are Dark Strength, while Transformative Strength practitioners are like legendary figures, often the top-tier powerhouses of their time, with only four or five such individuals existing in the world.
As for the higher-tier internal martial arts realms, the three stages of Inner Strength—Dan Strength, Gang Qi, and Unbreakable Spirit—belong to the mythic level that transcends mortals.
For instance, the legendary Buddha Shakyamuni is said to be an Unbreakable Spirit existence, a terrestrial immortal that appears only once in many years.
Upon learning that Wu Piwu is a Dark Strength Master, the dozen or so followers, the red-clad woman, and the two half-disabled martial artists, including the previously arrogant young master, all lowered their heads, each answering whatever was asked without daring to conceal anything.
“I come here on my father’s orders to meet with the Master Sister of the Red Lantern Society in Xuanhua Prefecture to discuss the grand plan of supporting the Qing Dynasty and eliminating foreign influence,” the young master Xu Rongyu said, still carrying a hint of pride.
“Support the Qing and eliminate foreign influence,” this was the public slogan of the Boxer Movement, a patriotic sentiment.
For these dark and notorious bandits, it was indeed an opportunity for redemption, especially since the Qing court was currently in a honeymoon phase with the Boxers.
If all went well, they might even be incorporated into the Qing court and receive imperial rations.
Wu Piwu looked down on this notion, sneering, “If it were Lin Heier, I might regard you with a bit more respect. What are you? What is your father? Forget it, there’s no point in talking to you. Now, hand over all the money on you.”
Xu Rongyu’s face turned red.
Usually, he was the one leading people in robbery, but now he was being robbed.
However, under the eaves, he obediently took out all the silver, silver dollars, and a stack of silver notes, along with the small silver pieces from the two martial artists and several red-clad women.
Just from this place, there were probably several hundred taels of silver.
However, Wu Piwu, Yamadai, and Xu Shilan remained indifferent, showing no signs of concern.
After collecting the silver, Wu Piwu lifted Xu Rongyu with one hand and said to the martial artists and red-clad women, “I’ve tied up your person. The ransom must be delivered within five days, a fixed price of ten thousand taels of silver. If the money is not received within five days, I will tear up the ticket.”
Xu Rongyu did not dare to say a word.
The two martial artists hesitated for a moment, and the Tiger-Form martial artist asked, “Where shall we find the Master?”
Wu Piwu thought for a moment and asked Xu Rongyu, “Where do you think would be a good place for your burial?”
Xu Rongyu was both shocked and angry, finally unable to hold back, “You want to extort me!?”
Wu Piwu smiled and shook his head, “No, I just think they probably won’t be willing to part with ten thousand taels of silver, so it’s better to clarify in advance. Now, tell me, where do you want to be buried?”
Xu Rongyu stared hard at Wu Piwu and said to the two martial artists, “Please inform my father that it should be at the charity house beside the official road thirty miles outside the city. If I die, it’s convenient to die there!”
The two martial artists exchanged glances and performed a bow.
The Crane-Form martial artist said to Wu Piwu, “Master, as a dignified Master, you wouldn’t go back on your word. As long as we keep the young master alive, we will definitely convey your words to the big boss.”
After saying this, the two left without looking back.
The dozen or so followers were either injured or maimed, and at this moment, they all knelt down, not daring to speak.
Only the few red-clad women did not display the same intense attitude as Xu Rongyu or the two martial artists, primarily because Wu Piwu had just mentioned that if Lin Heier came, he would regard her with a bit more respect.
One of the red-clad women performed a gesture of respect within the sect and asked, “Master, do you have a past with the Master Sister? Or are you siblings within the sect?”
Wu Piwu waved his hand, “What past do I have with her? I merely admire her heroism and fearlessness in death. Although her path is misguided, such unwavering heroic spirit is truly admirable. If I have the chance, it wouldn’t be bad to meet her. Now, you may leave.”
The few red-clad women did not understand but remembered his words.
The leading red-clad woman said, “We will definitely convey the Master’s words to the Master Sister.”
After saying this, the few red-clad women left, leaving only the dozen or so followers trembling.
Wu Piwu ignored them and continued to carry Xu Rongyu, leading the two newcomers into the city.
The three were already very hungry.
Although it was a prefectural city, in this era, especially under the Qing court’s standards, it was not particularly prosperous.
The three casually found a decent-looking tavern and entered, then sat down in a private room upstairs, waiting for the food to be served.
At this moment, Yamadai asked, “You seem quite familiar with this place?”
Xu Shilan also looked over, and Wu Piwu had nothing to hide.
He directly nodded, “Yes, I am a frozen future person from the twenty-first century. This place is not far from my era, and it’s taught in schools, so I naturally know a lot.”
Yamadai and Xu Shilan were taken aback, their expressions becoming complex.
Wu Piwu’s heart sank; he saw that puzzled expression again.
In the one hundred fifty-six days since his awakening, there were still seven or eight seniors when he first awakened.
When he mentioned being a frozen future person from the twenty-first century, those seniors also displayed the same expression, and his repeated inquiries yielded no results, which had become a source of worry for him.
At that moment, the waiter and several workers from the Nine Floors began to serve the dishes.
Since the three were extremely hungry, especially Wu Piwu and Yamadai, who were both big eaters, the twenty or so dishes served were all large portions of meat and fish.
For this, Wu Piwu even paid three large silver dollars in advance at the counter.
Seeing the dishes arrive, Yamadai chuckled and said, “Let’s eat, we’re all starving.”
Xu Shilan also nodded silently, but Wu Piwu felt increasingly uneasy.
Previously, he faced seniors who had supported him greatly and saved his life several times; otherwise, he would have died in the earlier dream worlds.
Others were unwilling to speak, and he naturally could not force them.
However, these two were newcomers, and now it was he who was protecting their lives.
Wu Piwu’s expression darkened.
He flicked his hand on the table, and a surge of Dark Strength erupted, causing the two to be jolted back as if electrocuted when they reached for their chopsticks.
The meaning was already very clear.
Both sighed.
Xu Shilan looked at Yamadai, and Yamadai nodded, “Alright, but don’t regret it… All the future people from before the Third World War, they all go mad and die within about a year of awakening, without exception… All of them, future people from before the Third World War are like this.”
Wu Piwu’s heart turned cold as he looked at Xu Shilan, who also nodded.
Wu Piwu immediately asked, “Why? On what basis? Didn’t I cure all my ailments? Or did the Unified Human Government implant something in me? Like a miniature bomb or something!?”
Both shook their heads.
Yamadai looked at Wu Piwu with a helpless and sorrowful expression, “It’s madness, not death from illness or explosion… Do you know what the original purpose of the dream network was?”
Wu Piwu replied, “It was because after fifty years in a frozen state, consciousness would initially awaken. Even in a frozen state, it cannot…”
At this point, Wu Piwu suddenly found himself at a loss for words.
Xu Shilan gently poured him a glass of wine while saying, “You already know the answer; you just don’t dare to face it.”
“During the Third World War, technology developed virtual reality methods. Therefore, frozen future people from the Third World War onwards all have their own consciousness in virtual reality. When consciousness awakens, they can continue to sleep in virtual reality without being confined to a small dark room. However, before that… all future people were trapped in small dark rooms for a hundred years, two hundred years, five hundred years, or even like you, seven or eight hundred years. Do you know what that means?”
Wu Piwu silently picked up his wine glass and drank it all.
Xu Shilan gently reached out to serve him food and pour him more wine.
At this moment, Yamadai added, “Ordinary people would probably break down after being locked in a sensory-deprived darkness for just a dozen hours. Even those with strong willpower would go mad after a few days. This is the most terrifying torture.
And you… probably spent several hundred years in it. Do you know? In the era I was born and grew up in, you distant future people were all regarded as dead, or as some ‘things’ wearing human skin, monsters in terms of consciousness, because no one knew how your consciousness had changed over the years.
After several hundred years in a small dark room, it’s possible that you have become some non-biological entity.”
Xu Shilan continued, “In my era, there were thirteen singularity technology companies that thawed twenty-first and twenty-second-century future people. The initial purpose of this experiment was to explore the limits of life consciousness. However, the awakened you seemed just like ordinary people. Some scholars believed this was a self-protective mechanism of the brain, meaning that the indescribable pain was completely forgotten, allowing you to behave like normal people. But… all future people from before the Third World War went mad and died within about a year, without exception. That was when we realized.”
“You, you all have actually gone mad long ago, or your consciousness has died. The current you is merely a facade. You might not even be the original Wu Piwu, but rather a composite of Wu Piwu’s consciousness fragments. The torturous suffering accumulated over those hundreds of years has always been there, merely not yet erupted. But with awakening, these terrifying torments will gradually surface. In one year… after one year, you will be gone.”
“Without exception!”
(End of Chapter)