Chapter 267: The Hero And The Conscience
“Slap!”
Time froze, and a world-shattering roar suddenly echoed throughout heaven and earth! The sound was so loud, it was truly the most resounding slap in history.
Ximen Chuimaopi plummeted like a meteor at astonishing speed. After a tremendous bang, dust and smoke billowed, and countless shattered rocks flew. This guy, precisely and without deviation, embedded himself into the very pit he had personally created.
KO…
At this moment, the mysterious man wearing a threaded mask paid no attention to Ximen Chuimaopi’s injuries. Instead, he fixed his gaze intently on me, as if afraid I would use any finishing moves to utterly slay Ximen Chuimaopi.
I gave him a disdainful smile and ignored him.
In the arena, besides this mysterious man, there was still one person, half black and half white, who looked like a plant, who had not yet fought me. Everyone else had already been suppressed by me one by one.
After I successfully knocked Ximen Chuimaopi to the ground, these two did not rashly attack me.
Thinking about it, it’s not hard to understand the reason. After all, even their Eldest was slapped by me, so how could they have the confidence and courage to show off to me?
As the saying goes: a cowardly soldier leads to a cowardly company; a cowardly general leads to a cowardly troop.
Throughout history, the victor becomes king, and the vanquished are defeated. Regardless of any struggle, big or small, if the leader of the opposing side is eliminated, then no matter how powerful their subordinates are, they will not be able to stir up much trouble.
What surprised me was that even in this situation, not a single person among this group abandoned their own safety and fled in a panic. Instead, they unhesitatingly moved to stand in front of Ximen Chuimaopi, protecting him in the center.
Two people dug Ximen Chuimaopi out of the pit and shook him in the air like a bedsheet. They managed to shake the groggy Ximen Chuimaopi until he gradually regained consciousness.
After the two finished, they placed Ximen Chuimaopi on the ground and used their own bodies as crutches to support him as he stood.
Ximen Chuimaopi, after he came to his senses.
Drooping his big head and with a weak breath, he said to me, “You brat, just you wait for me, I will definitely return!”
I thought to myself: This guy must not have participated in my Boasting Competition! Even in this state, he hasn’t forgotten to show off?
Did I say you were leaving? How dare you say that to me? At the very least, shouldn’t you feel like you can escape before saying that!
I am right in front of you, and all of you can’t defeat me, yet you dare to show off?
The next second, seeing my displeased expression and a wicked smile as he stared at him, something happened that I didn’t expect.
This guy, changing his tune abruptly, immediately became timid:
“Uh, hey buddy, I didn’t mean anything else, I’ve just been showing off for so long, it’s a habit to say that, you, you don’t mind, okay?”
It would have been better if he hadn’t said that; after saying it, he earned even more of my attention.
Let’s say, since ancient times, what hero wasn’t someone who could bend and stretch? When at a disadvantage, they behaved themselves, and when their power grew, they became overlords ruling one side.
This Ximen Chuimaopi actually knew how to adapt to the situation. Realizing clearly that their side was at a significant disadvantage, he unhesitatingly immediately put aside his so-called dignity as a strong person and his face.
This change was utterly seamless, so natural that if one wasn’t meticulous, they would definitely be deceived by his intentional illusion, becoming arrogant, self-satisfied, and complacent.
But, obviously, I do not belong to this type of person. Instead, in my eyes, I examined this opponent even more seriously.
What talent! This guy will definitely not be an ordinary person in the future.
What about Han Xin back then? Ruthless, wasn’t he? But before he rose to prominence, he endured the humiliation of crawling between someone’s legs.
And Sima Yi? He acted like a grandson his entire life, but in the end, his Sima family gained control of the world.
Looking at Ximen Chuimaopi now, he fights me if he can win, and talks tough if he can’t. But as soon as he saw that escaping from my hands wouldn’t be easy, this guy started admitting his mistakes and bowing his head.
My goodness! This guy’s traits are exactly those unique to a hero.
He can adapt to the changes in the situation, without caring about the opinions of ordinary people, freely switching his role within the circumstances.
Generally, if one encounters such an opponent, and is a bit soft-hearted, they will leave a huge hidden danger for themselves. Once he rises in power, he will surely return.
If this were the Heavenly Realm, the Earth Realm, or any other world, with my usual disposition, I would absolutely grind this guy into ashes and feed him to the pigs mixed with their feed.
But this is the Mortal World after all, and these people haven’t done any great evils. If I were to do so, it would make Big Brother appear too cruel.
Moreover, no matter what he becomes in the future, I will not fear him in the slightest.
Because no matter how strong he becomes, he will only be making a living within the Three Realms, whereas I can step outside at any time.
But even if I don’t kill him, it is still necessary to give him a warning. After all, anyone who shows off in front of me will also be targeted by me for an opportunity to show off back.
This is not to say that I hold grudges, but rather that I really enjoy showing off, a game of skill that is highly regarded throughout the Myriad Realms.
I cleared my throat and told them a story:
“Once upon a time, a farmer’s cow was about to give birth, but it was a difficult labor. All the veterinarians within a hundred miles were invited, yet none could assist with the birth.
The old man burned incense at home to invoke a deity. The deity looked at the pregnant cow and repeatedly shook his head, unable to do anything.
Coincidentally, a gentleman passed by the old man’s doorway. Seeing the crowd gathered, he curiously approached and inquired. After learning the reason, he immediately stated that he had a solution.
The old man was overjoyed and requested the gentleman’s help. The gentleman then positioned himself on the cow’s rear and blew, causing the cow’s rear to enlarge significantly. This allowed the calf’s head and hooves to emerge. The gentleman, seeing the opportunity, immediately grabbed the calf’s hooves and pulled, and the calf was born safely.
The old man’s deity, stroking his beard, praised, ‘Not only is this gentleman skilled at blowing the cow’s rear, but he’s also a master at chatting nonsense!'”
After hearing this story, Ximen Chuimaopi frowned. The change in his expression between his eyebrows showed that this guy was indeed quite flustered.
Because this story, seemingly casual, directly pointed out the entire process of this guy showing off in front of me and then pretending to be innocent.
If he can understand it, he will surely step outside of the entire situation, abandon his ego to take the lead, engage his conscience, and reconsider whether to continue entangling with me.
Conscience means not standing from one’s own perspective, but rather viewing the development of matters from an objective angle, not acting recklessly due to one’s own selfishness, and being able to clearly discern the good and bad of everything from outside the situation.
