Chapter 25: Spiritual Sacrifice of the Deathwalker
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The fire in the weirdo’s eyes seemed to brighten once again as he asked gently, “Then why are you here this time?”
It seemed like not only an encouragement but also an admonishment.
Han Li felt as if she was standing on the edge of a cliff on a thin layer of ice.
One wrong step and she’d be finished!
Sweating anxiously, she hurriedly bowed and pleaded, “Your Excellency, last time, I was fortunate enough to receive your great love. I have benefited a lot from that scripture you sold me…”
It was true!
Without the Lower Abyss Research Report, how would she have been able to wipe out all those monsters and evil spirits so easily?
The monsters that had once needed a battalion, a regiment, and even a strategic bomber to repel had collapsed as easily as a piece of paper in front of her.
Before they even had time to move, the ravings in her ears had already revealed their weaknesses and abilities to her.
This had made Han Li invincible—no one was able to put up any resistance against her.
All the evil spirits that people had always been helpless against and spent their time trying to avoid were so weak that she had come to regard them like her desserts, something to have after her work was finished.
Nevertheless…
Han Li understood that everything came with a price.
The ravings in her ears and that strange scripture she was carrying in her arms were tormenting her spirit and distorting her thoughts constantly.
She didn’t dare to sleep. She didn’t dare even to take a nap.
She was afraid that once she closed her eyes, she would be overcome by those dreadful ravings and horrible thoughts.
Thinking of this, Han Li plucked up her courage, raised her head, looked at the weirdo, and said, “I have come this time hoping to buy another book from you.”
“I hope to strengthen my will and my spirit.”
******
“Umm…” Ling PingAn gazed at this sincere-looking young girl before him. At last, he couldn’t help but think to himself, “Yup!
“Looks like I was absolutely right. She’s from one of those Old Empire households for sure.”
The Old Empire’s stubbornness and willfulness was something that everyone knew about.
In the Federal Empire, most of the youth suicides and their cases of self-harm came from these families.
For Old Empire parents, if their children wouldn’t study, work, and live according to their wishes, they would simply consider this a betrayal.
The gentler parents would opt for a nagging technique…
While the more extreme parents would deploy all of the family’s relatives to apply pressure on the children.
This would put an enormous amount of stress on their children.
These teenagers would often develop psychological problems.
Look at what this young girl’s parents had turned their child into?
She felt she had to be cautious simply in pursuing a hobby.
Even here, when she was out of the sight of her parents, she still spoke so carefully.
What an evil they had committed!
After some thought, Ling PingAn nodded and said, “If that’s what you want…”
“I can recommend some books for you.”
“Perhaps they can help you.”
******
Han Li’s eyes were full of antic.i.p.ation and anxiety.
The streams of fire in the weirdo’s eyes abruptly got more luminous, flaring up like sunspots on a star.
“If that’s what you want…”
“I can recommend some books for you…”
“Perhaps they can help you.”
As he was speaking, he turned around.
He slowly walked toward the silent abyss ahead.
His footsteps seemed very gentle. He was reluctant to exert any force.
But every time he took a step, Han Li could feel the whole world swaying. Even s.p.a.ce seemed to be getting twisted bit by bit from the sound of his footsteps.
Soon his shadow looked like it was about to vanish within the abyss.
The black cat that had been lying on his shoulders jumped down with a meow. From the looks of it, it seemed that even it wasn’t bold enough to enter the abyss.
After the black cat landed on the ground, it slowly walked toward Han Li with unparalleled graceful steps.
The black cat raised its head. Its amber eyes looked at Han Li playfully.
Han Li quickly lowered her head, showing it her allegiance and respect.
The black cat meowed and leaped onto the counter triumphantly, declaring its sovereignty like a victor.
Han Li once again bowed her head respectfully…
And only after that did the black cat bend over and curled up in the corner of the counter.
Starlight flowed down from the pyramid behind the cat and covered its body like a quilt.
******
Ling PingAn walked between the bookshelves.
He was trying to decide between a few books.
He was thinking about the customer’s request.
“She hopes to strengthen her will and spirit…”
“Well, that’s right!”
“She should totally strengthen herself!”
“That way, she can courageously speak out about what she really wants and, at the same time, regulate her mental health.”
Soon, he reached out and grabbed a brand-new book from the shelf. It seemed as if it had never yet been opened.
He looked at the t.i.tle on the book’s cover and nodded in satisfaction.
Judging from her age, she was at most 18 or 19 years old.
She was probably still a college student with no social experience who lacked the ability to communicate with others.
Not to mention communicating with her conservative and stubborn parents…
This book was almost tailor-made for her.
Youngsters Should Be Brave!
Published by the Imperial Publishing House, it had been written by Professor Yan Liang, Dean of the School of Social Psychology in the Federal Empire’s Central University.
He wasn’t one of those unscrupulous people who tried to sell books and preyed on people’s anxieties or claimed to help people unlock the code to get rich.
Professor Yan Liang was the most respected sociologist in the Federal Empire.
He was also a highly respected Imperial Scholar.
To have been awarded the t.i.tle of Imperial Scholar demonstrated how profound the professor’s impact had been in sociology and psychology.
And this book was the professor’s pride and joy.
Ling PingAn had read this book, and he knew that it would suit this young girl perfectly…
Because this book taught its readers more than just confrontation.
It was more about reasoning and persuasion.
In addition, there were many short stories.
Not only were these stories easy to understand, but also they were written in a humorous mode.
Even if this young lady couldn’t convince her parents to give her some freedom, she could at least relieve some of her inner depression and avoid going astray by learning some lessons from this book.
Ling PingAn took the book and walked back to the waiting girl.
******
Han Li looked at the weirdo as he walked slowly out of the abyss.
He was carrying a book.
Just looking at that book, Han Li could feel gooseb.u.mps rising all over her body.
There seemed to be something extremely dangerous and terrifying hidden in that book.
Shuddering, fear and awe overwhelmed her.
“Miss…” The weirdo walked up to Han Li. The fire in his eyes seemed to overflow and envelop his skull. He said in a tone that seemed peaceful but, in fact, was impossible for her to refuse, “You may look at this book… Maybe it can help with your current situation…”
Han Li hurriedly, but respectfully, took it from him.
The book looked thin but felt as heavy as if she was holding a giant in her hand.
Upon contact with the book, Han Li’s skin felt as if it was touching ice.
She lowered her head and could see a pair of burning eyes on the cover of the book that were looking at her coldly.
At the same time, Han Li could hear a sneer.
“Spirit?”
“Thought?”
“Will?”
“Huh, huh, huh, huh…”
“Mortal, how do you know that your spirit is normal?”
“Mortal, how do you know that your thoughts are your own?”
“Mortal, how do you know that the will you have now is from your very heart?”
“Hee, hee, hee, hee…”
Just listening to this made Han Li’s hair stand straight up, while her spirit felt as if it had almost plunged into madness.
Fortunately, perhaps deterred by the owner of the bookstore, these voices quickly were silenced.
A figure wearing a cloak buried itself into the cover.
Then, one after another, golden words appeared on the cover—Spiritual Sacrifice of the Deathwalker.
This was the name of the book.
On the left side of the cover, there was a line of tiny words that read, “Ignorance and stupidity are not mistakes. Being weak and tiny are!”
There seemed to be some kind of an inscription behind this line of words.
But it was too vague to see what it was.
Han Li could only see a trace of yellow.
She knew that she had gotten her hands on a hot potato.
Perhaps it could truly a.s.sist her in exercising her will and strengthening her soul…
But, unfortunately, perhaps not in the way that she had imagined.
But…
Han Li raised her head and looked at the weirdo.
The fire from his eyes was floating all around them.
Han Li understood that she had no choice.
Even if this was poison, she could only swallow it…
Because she had no choice.
Humans have no choice!