Eldritch Horror Theatre - Ch. 178: Secret War (Part 6)
*Nice swordsmanship. It has improved since we last met.*
Facing Ji Liushuang, who attacked right away, Fu Qian still remained completely still.
He was very certain she wasn't here to kill him.
The sword thrust straight in, and the tip ultimately tapped directly against Fu Qian's glabella.
An invisible ripple rapidly expanded.
The next moment, Fu Qian's mind jolted, and his vision went pitch black.
When his vision returned, Fu Qian found himself in a pure white space, with Ji Liushuang sitting upright opposite him.
"This is the Heart Questioning Sword Prison."
Seeing Fu Qian regain his senses, Ji Liushuang spoke slowly, her tone as flat and unwavering as before.
"The Heart Questioning Sword I just struck allows our divine senses to converge here and communicate as pure conscious entities."
"A pleasure to meet you!"
Without any surprise, Fu Qian greeted "It," who had come in person.
"The special thing about the Heart Questioning Sword Prison is that one cannot lie while inside it. That is why I decided to speak with you here."
Ji Liushuang stared unblinking at Fu Qian.
"And... I have a proposal regarding the current situation. I hope you will consider it carefully."
"Sure. By the way, how should I address you?"
"There's no need for a special title, is there?"
Ji Liushuang shook her head.
"In fact, I came over using this body partly because it's the most effortless, and partly because your resistance to her is lower. Just use the previous name."
"Alright."
Fu Qian wasn't one to nitpick and nodded in agreement.
"You can state your proposal."
"My proposal is simple... become my Blessed One."
"Blessed One... and then?"
"We will cease this meaningless slaughter. You will share my power and receive eternal protection. This connection cannot be severed, even by me. Then, you will be the absolute greatest sword path cultivator throughout all history, facing no obstacles on your path to godhood!"
Ji Liushuang pointed to herself.
"Furthermore, everyone who comprehends Sword Intent will unconsciously center themselves around you. You will be the invisible king of their lives."
"Sounds quite tempting."
Fu Qian stroked his chin with his right hand, feigning deep thought.
"Those are the benefits. What about the drawbacks?"
"There are no drawbacks. If you are asking about the changes... becoming my Blessed One means opening your mind to me, and you will forget my existence."
"But that is not a bad thing. You only need to enjoy the protection, and you can actually avoid your current predicament."
"I pretty much understand."
Fu Qian sighed.
"So, what is your decision?"
Ji Liushuang stared straight at Fu Qian.
"I need a little time to think. Also, before I give you a formal answer, can I ask a few small questions?"
"... Ask away."
"When did you fuse with the Sword Intent?"
"I..."
Seemingly not expecting Fu Qian to ask this, Ji Liushuang hesitated for a moment, unable to answer.
"Just as I thought, you can't say you *are* the Sword Intent in here."
Fu Qian wore an *I-knew-it* expression.
"It seems my guess was correct. There's no fundamental difference between us. We are both pollutions to the concept of Sword Intent, it's just that you got here first."
"The people at the Sword Institute are truly unlucky. They were just burying their heads in cultivation, and suddenly their spiritual totem turned into an Evil God!"
"If it weren't for me, most of them would never have comprehended Sword Intent in their lifetimes."
Ji Liushuang snorted, tacitly admitting to Fu Qian's speculation.
"You haven't answered my question."
"It's been a long time, but it was fully digested a few years ago."
Faced with Fu Qian's question, "It" no longer concealed the truth.
"And from that time on, you began to actively respond to prayers?"
Fu Qian remembered Lanaya mentioning the massive expansion of the Sword Institute.
"Yes, but I exercised great restraint. No one could perceive my existence, except you..."
"In fact, this isn't a bad thing for anyone. They get what they dream of, and I grow silently."
"Believe me, after becoming my Blessed One, what you gain will be far more than what they have!"
"Alright, I have answered enough questions. Now it is your turn to give an answer."
"Hmm!"
Fu Qian nodded.
"Thank you very much. My doubts have basically been resolved, and I also feel your sincerity. A natural-born sword god, a child of destiny—it sounds truly great, but I refuse!"
"Why?"
In that instant, "Its" tone turned cold and gloomy.
"I'm someone who pursues freedom."
Fu Qian blinked.
"I don't like being dominated."
"Ridiculous. Cognition and consciousness are inherently influenced by various factors. How can you be sure that your current thoughts aren't being controlled by a higher existence?"
"You should know that even an existence like me cannot determine if such a thing as destiny exists."
"Considering my recent experiences, I really can't."
Facing "Its" rhetorical question, Fu Qian answered very honestly.
"Then what is the meaning of your so-called pursuit of freedom? How does my invisible protection affect you? Could it be that you are just like those young humans? The moment you face a slight setback, you scream that it's the whole world's fault, claiming to pursue absolute freedom. Yet, this rebellion usually only lasts until you achieve success and recognition. No one has ever achieved the 'domination of destiny' you speak of; they can't even determine what destiny is... You shouldn't be *that* ridiculous, should you?"
"Discussing philosophy? Sure!"
Hearing "Its" somewhat anxious voice, Fu Qian's smile remained undiminished.
"I'm indeed not the type to blame the whole world. Of course, a long time ago, after certain events, I was briefly in that state, for about a week."
"In fact, the difference between me and them is—"
Fu Qian's expression turned serious.
"I don't care at all whether the world is right or wrong!"
...
Facing a silent Ji Liushuang, Fu Qian held up a finger.
"I come, I see, I think, I act. I only have one requirement for myself... Even if one day, I wake up from billions of years of time and discover that the universe is just a god's glass marble, and my life was merely an illusory flash, I still will not regret every moment of my thoughts and decisions. One can be foolish and clumsy, but one cannot deceive themselves."
Fu Qian pointed around him.
"You see, I said all this out loud too, proving that I'm not lying."
"You really are mad..."
"It" remained silent for a long time before finally speaking.
"Mad? According to your earlier logic, who defines 'madness'? Is anything that doesn't align with your thoughts considered mad?"
"Enough!"
Under Fu Qian's continuous mental assault, "It" finally couldn't bear it anymore.
"Since you are so unreasonable, then we shall fight until one of us dies. Let's see how long you can hold on!"
Ji Liushuang abruptly stood up and waved her hand, attempting to dispel the Sword Prison. Yet, the next moment, she froze—the pure white Sword Prison was as stable as ever.
"Oops, no reaction. What's going on here?"
Fu Qian let out an exclamation, his smile growing manic.
"I was just thinking earlier, since our natures are the same, there's no reason why you can do something and I can't. This place was formed by the fusion of our two consciousnesses, so naturally, it is influenced by both our wills."
"So since we're already here, neither of us can leave until there's a result!"
"One of us must die today!"
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