Start with push-ups to gain experience

Chapter 296 The Ghost-Eating Fang Xiangshi Becomes a Murderer
I recall the scene I witnessed in Misty Mountain.

The White Demon descended from the sky like a god, shattering the Golden Bamba Bottle with a single punch, destroying the formation, and saving everyone.

That figure burning with flames, that earth-shattering power!
Li Dingjian simply couldn't believe that the person was his nephew Fang Cheng, whom he had watched grow up.

But all the signs, especially the incredibly familiar voice, made him suspicious.

Hearing his uncle's question, Fang Cheng was already prepared and replied casually:

"Actually, there's nothing special about it. About a year ago, I had a high fever and was delirious."

"That day I covered my head and slept all night. When I woke up, I found that my body seemed to have undergone some inexplicable changes."

"At first, I was a little scared, so I kept it from you and didn't dare to mention it to anyone."

"Later, one time, I encountered some thugs who tried to extort money from me. I couldn't help but fight back, and I beat them off in no time."

"It was only then that I realized I was much stronger and faster than the average person."

"After that..."

Fang Cheng shrugged, trying to make his expression look as sincere as possible.

"I thought this might be an opportunity given to me by God, so I started to exercise consciously, doing everything I could, like running, push-ups, and pull-ups."

"My physical abilities improved very quickly, and my strength and speed also increased accordingly. Then I mastered the ability to use fire. Anyway, I gradually became stronger and stronger, and that's how I am now."

Fang Cheng fabricated a lie that sounded somewhat bizarre, yet seemed plausible.

Li Dingjian listened with some skepticism, but did not delve into the details.

He was clearly more concerned with another issue:
"And what about your mental health? Have you had any problems?"

Li Dingjian lowered his voice and asked seriously:

"Have you experienced hallucinations? For example, when no one is around, do you hear strange noises of unknown origin, or see things that shouldn't be there? Or do you have particularly bizarre nightmares at night?"

Fang Cheng's heart skipped a beat, and he said, half-jokingly:
“I used to experience hallucinations occasionally, but I enrolled in a meditation training course and learned some techniques for controlling my emotions and concentrating. The situation has improved a lot and it hasn’t affected my normal life yet.”

"That's fine, that's fine..."

Upon hearing this, Li Dingjian visibly breathed a sigh of relief, but his expression remained serious.

He looked at Fang Cheng solemnly and said, word by word, his instructions:
"Acheng, remember what your uncle said. If you feel anything is wrong, especially if you experience any unusual mental symptoms, such as the recurrence of your previous condition or even worsening of it, or if you can't control your emotions, you must tell me immediately!"

"Don't try to tough it out on your own, you know? This is no joke!"

Seeing Li Dingjian's serious attitude, even more so than his own, Fang Cheng's doubts deepened.

"Uncle, I remember you reminded me of something similar at the hotel last time. Did you already know I might end up like this?"

Li Dingjian paused for a moment, then slowly spoke:
"Acheng, do you know what people call us... people whose bodies have abnormalities and who are different from ordinary people?"

Fang Cheng was taken aback.

This problem is so familiar.

Nearly two months ago, the Smiling Devil had mentioned it to himself in almost the same tone.

Li Dingjian continued speaking to himself:
"They would call us monsters, freaks, demons, whatever they could call us, but according to the official terminology, the most formal name is—'Outcast'."

"This title is used to refer to all people who are not from aristocratic families but possess abilities beyond those of ordinary people for various reasons."

He paused, seemingly organizing his thoughts to make it easier for Fang Cheng to understand:

"These abilities did not arise out of thin air. It is said that as early as the primitive tribal period thousands or tens of thousands of years ago, some of our human ancestors accidentally appeared... well, you could say lucky ones, or you could say 'chosen ones'. They gained mysterious powers that were beyond the reach of ordinary people due to various coincidences."

"Because they suddenly gained great power, some people became blinded by greed, lost their true nature, and turned into monsters who wreaked havoc and committed all sorts of evil."

"But some people stay true to themselves and rely on this power to slay demons and protect their people, becoming legendary heroes and demigods in the human world."

"Those mythical heroes, bound by their own bloodlines, formed the earliest clans and tribes, leading humanity toward civilization. Their abilities were also passed down from generation to generation through their bloodlines."

"However, as time goes by, the bloodline gradually becomes thinner, and fewer and fewer people possess extraordinary abilities."

"But even so, under certain special circumstances, ordinary people still have a very small chance of 'reverting to their ancestral nature' and reactivating the power hidden deep in their bloodline genes."

"This process is called 'awakening,' which is a bit like suddenly opening up the Ren and Du meridians in martial arts novels, but it is much more dangerous."

Fang Cheng nodded, understanding the situation.

What her uncle said was roughly the same as what the Smiling Demon had told her.

However, he explained it in greater detail and with more caution.

"Those aristocratic families that have been passed down for hundreds or even thousands of years are able to remain at the top of society not because their bloodline is much more noble than that of ordinary people."

Li Dingjian continued his narration:
"More importantly, each of their families possesses its own inherited 'secret realm' and special cultivation methods, which can help family members effectively eliminate the mental problems caused by their powers and stabilize their minds after they awaken their powers."

"But we 'superhumans' who have no family protection and have awakened by chance face a much more dangerous situation. In addition to being wary of official institutions, we also have to be constantly aware of the problem of our internal power going out of control. If we are not careful, we may play with fire and get burned."

"You've experienced the struggle for the Golden Bamba Bottle, so you should have a deep understanding of the difficult situation we, the extraordinary beings, face."

Fang Cheng nodded slightly, then brought up the key point of the problem again:
"Does our Fang family bloodline also contain similar anomalies?"

Upon hearing this, Li Dingjian paused, his expression becoming somewhat complicated. He sighed.

"The Fang family... don't look down on them now just because they're ordinary people. If you really trace their ancestry back to their ancestors, they were once a prominent family."

He looked up at Fang Cheng, his voice carrying a hint of remoteness.

"The lineage of the Fang family can be traced back to the ancient clan period. Legend has it that there was a general under the Yellow Emperor named Fang Xiangshi. He was extremely ugly, like a demon, but he had the ability to eat demons. Therefore, he was responsible for eliminating demons and monsters and sweeping away plagues and evil spirits."

Historical records state that he wore a bearskin and a four-eyed mask made of gold, holding a halberd in one hand and a shield in the other, leading twelve strange and ferocious beasts to clear the way, making the enemy tremble with fear and avoid him at all costs.

"In later sacrificial rituals, some people even imitated his appearance to drive away evil spirits for the king, and were also called 'Nuo God'. This Fang Xiangshi is the orthodox ancestor of the Fang family."

"Further on, during the Yu Dynasty two thousand years ago, the Fang family was also a powerful and influential clan that produced many remarkable figures. Unfortunately, their prosperity was short-lived, and they gradually declined, fading into the ranks of ordinary people and becoming just another face in the crowd."

"However, even after its decline, the Fang family lineage has continued to produce some extremely famous figures."

Li Dingjian abruptly changed the subject, his previous hint of Burmese sentiment vanishing, replaced by a long sigh:
"But these people... alas, without exception, are all infamous, their hands stained with blood. They are either notorious bandits or warlords in chaotic times... in short, they are all bloodthirsty and vicious bastards."

At this point, Li Dingjian frowned, and his tone became even more somber.

Outsiders think these are just isolated cases, but they don't know that they are all influenced by the power of bloodline, which is manifested through the inheritance of genes.

"While gaining powerful abilities, one must also bear the backlash that comes with those abilities."

Li Dingjian explained in a deep voice:

"Without the protection of a family's secret realm, descendants who awaken their bloodline by chance are easily unable to control the violent and crazy elements hidden in their power, and eventually lose themselves, becoming monsters who only know how to kill, repeating the mistakes of their ancestors in history."

He looked at Fang Cheng, his eyes filled with deep worry:

"So, Acheng, you must remember to maintain your composure and not act recklessly or indulge in killing just because you have power. You must learn to be patient and control your desires, otherwise... the consequences will be unimaginable, and you may even become the target of everyone's hatred!"

As Fang Cheng listened to his uncle's story, his heart was filled with turbulent emotions, like a boulder thrown into a deep pool.

After calmly processing the question for a moment, I finally asked the question that had been bothering me:

"Uncle, how exactly did my dad die back then?"

Upon hearing this, Li Dingjian's body stiffened abruptly, a flicker of pain and struggle flashing in his eyes.

He sat there in silence, seemingly having considered it for a long time, still worried about Fang Cheng's condition.

Finally, he shook his head:
“Acheng, if I had a choice, I would prefer you to live a normal life and live peacefully, because that is also your father’s wish.”

"As for the truth about his death, now is not the time to tell you." Li Dingjian paused, looking at Fang Cheng with utmost seriousness, and emphasized firmly:
"You just need to remember one thing: your father... he was wronged. He was definitely not a murderer!"

The sunlight outside the window was still bright, illuminating the room.

The distant sounds of tourists' laughter and chatter drifted over the lake, like background noise from another world.

The atmosphere in the room became oppressive and heavy because of this conversation.

It was as if even the air around the two of them felt heavy.

Li Dingjian did not want this dull atmosphere to continue.

He then forced a smile, stood up, and mustered his strength.

"Okay, let's not talk about these unhappy things. I just got back and haven't had a chance to catch my breath yet."

"Okay, I've booked a private room at the best restaurant in town, Qilin Pavilion, for tonight. Let's invite your mom and your grandpa, and have a big family gathering to welcome you back and also to celebrate my return."

Upon hearing this, Fang Cheng immediately composed himself and stopped dwelling on the previous issues.

Then he got up and saw his uncle to the door.

Li Dingjian waved goodbye and was just about to open the door to leave.

Fang Cheng suddenly spoke again:

"Uncle, could you please pass on a message to the professor? I'd like to arrange a meeting with him."

Li Dingjian was taken aback: "Professor? What do you want with him?"

His expression immediately turned tense again.

Seeing that he seemed to be overthinking things, Fang Cheng gave a reassuring smile and explained:

"Uncle, don't worry. I just want to ask him some questions about ability control and mental aspects. I won't do anything reckless. After all, he has a lot of experience in this area and should know more than I do."

Li Dingjian pondered for a moment before answering:

"The professor has some personal matters to attend to recently and has not yet returned to Dongdu."

"If you really want to ask me a question, leave it to your uncle. When he gets back, I'll contact him as soon as possible and arrange for you to meet."

Hearing that he would have to wait, a hint of disappointment flashed through Fang Cheng's mind.

After all, he urgently needed to learn more about the Golden Bamba Bottle and spiritual cultivation in order to further enhance his strength.

Fang Cheng didn't show much on his face, he just nodded:

"Ok."

With a soft "click," the door closed.

Li Dingjian's footsteps gradually faded into the distance in the corridor.

Fang Cheng was left alone in the room, and the previous tranquility returned.

He walked to the window and gazed at the bright and warm scenery outside.

That warmth seemed to dispel some of the gloom in my heart.

After a brief moment of contemplation, she turned around, walked to the sofa in the center of the room, and opened the blue shoulder bag that had been lying next to her.

Inside the bag, a pale white mask lay silently.

The mask has a bizarre shape and hideous, grotesque features.

Especially its two red eyes, which gleamed faintly.

It seemed to embody all the malice in the world, looking exactly like a demon crawling out of hell.

Fang Cheng's gaze lingered on the mask for a few seconds before he reached out his hand.

As my fingertips touched the plaster-like material, a familiar cool sensation washed over me.

He picked up the mask and slowly, yet with unwavering determination, placed it over his face.

When I looked up again, everything had changed.

His eyes peered out the window through the two dark red gems embedded in the eye sockets of the mask.

The whole world was instantly stained with an ominous, blood-red filter.

The once bright sunlight now appeared eerie and unsettling.

Everything and everyone in sight has shed its usual warm and affectionate facade.

All that remains is a cold, desolate, cruel, and true essence.

however.

In stark contrast to the eerie horror of this blood-red world.

It was a feeling of absolute peace and calm that welled up from the depths of Fang Cheng's heart.

It was as if the disturbances of the outside world and the anxiety of the heart were isolated and soothed under this blood-red shroud.

Wearing this demon mask, he was no longer just Fang Cheng.

It's like having two faces, carrying two completely different lives.

On one hand, they are ordinary people living in the sunlight, yearning for family and love, and pursuing a peaceful and happy life.

On the other hand, there are the stalkers in the blood-red darkness, cold and ruthless, who live by killing.

Fang Cheng walked to the dressing mirror in the room and stared at the terrifying evil spirit.

The "evil spirit" in the mirror was also looking back at him.

There was not a trace of Fang Cheng's usual gentleness in those blood-red eyes.

Only unfathomable emotions and a burning will.

This is a power hidden beneath an ordinary exterior, roaring within, yearning to break free from its constraints completely.

Although his uncle earnestly advised him to be restrained, patient, and to live a quiet life, trying to stay away from conflict.

but.

Faced with an imminent crisis, the truth about her father's wrongful death, and the family she must protect.

Fang Cheng did not want to, nor was he willing to, passively await the judgment of fate.

"Perhaps I can create an identity specifically for hunting..."

Looking at himself wearing a mask in the mirror, Fang Cheng murmured to himself.

A "demon" roaming in the darkness, a symbol of a murderer that strikes fear into the hearts of all forces.

In this way, it can both deter potential enemies and better hide the other "Fang Cheng" identity behind the scenes, isolating him from danger.

This blood-soaked underworld may be cruel.

But it also allows Fang Cheng to see more clearly and become more focused.

(End of this chapter)