RNP Chapter 106 The Missing Lesson: The Heart of Murder
Chapter 106 The Missing Lesson: The Heart of Murder
The global expansion was progressing smoothly, and life in Deep Water Bay was affluent and peaceful. However, Lin Yan gradually felt an indescribable emptiness and stagnation. He often stood by the study window, gazing at the sea and sky merging into the distance, always feeling that his life seemed too...smooth? As if something crucial was missing, something that could sharpen and refine his Dao heart, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
On this day, his frustration grew stronger, so he strolled to the thatched hut where Elder Fu and Elder Zhen usually practiced their quiet cultivation.
The two old men were playing chess, their black and white pieces scattered across the nineteen lines, their energy intertwined, subtly revealing arrays and runes flowing within. Seeing Lin Yan arrive, his brow furrowed with a hint of confusion, the two elders exchanged a smile, remaining silent but gesturing for him to sit down.
"Young Master seems to have something on his mind today?" Elder Fu placed a piece on the board and spoke first.
Lin Yan sighed, sat down on the futon beside him, and poured out his feelings: "Elder Fu, Elder Zhen, lately I've felt that my cultivation... and even my daily life, have been too peaceful. Everything is going according to plan, resources are plentiful, and progress is smooth, but I feel as if something crucial is missing, and I can't truly feel at ease. But I can't understand it; isn't this peaceful life what everyone desires?"
Upon hearing this, the old man stroked his beard and smiled, a hint of reminiscence and emotion flashing in his eyes: "Young master, you are a person with wisdom and good fortune to ask such a question. What you feel you lack is not external things, but a lesson in your state of mind."
Elder Fu interjected, his tone becoming somewhat grave: "Young Master, your current cultivation environment is truly too good. You are carefree, have unlimited resources, and are assisted by us, so you have no worries whatsoever. In the short term, this is a tremendous blessing, allowing you to make great strides. But in the long run, this may not be a good thing."
He paused, then looked at Lin Yan: "You have never truly faced a life-or-death crisis, nor have you experienced the struggle and battle under duress. This means that you lack a most precious instinct—a premonition of danger. It is a direct intuitive sense of danger honed deep within the soul through countless near-death experiences and the tempering of blood and fire. It cannot be taught in words, but only through example."
The old man put down his chess piece and sighed, "We old folks, though we were later subdued by our old master and allowed to live in peace, back then, who among us didn't crawl out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood? In that era when cultivators were as numerous as ants and the strong preyed on the weak, every spirit stone, every spirit herb, might require risking one's life to fight for, to snatch, or even... to kill and plunder. Survival of the fittest. There were no laws to protect the weak back then; only those who were willing to risk everything, ruthless enough, and merciless enough had the right to survive and climb the ranks."
Elder Fu's gaze deepened, as if piercing through time and space: "To speak disrespectfully, young master, you have already reached the Foundation Establishment stage, and your cultivation is quite remarkable, but your hands... I'm afraid you haven't truly stained them with the blood of cultivators of the same level or powerful beings, have you? If this were in our era, it would be simply unbelievable. Without experiencing the baptism of slaughter, one's Dao heart is ultimately incomplete, not rounded enough, not resilient enough. A true strongman needs both compassion and ruthless methods; neither can be lacking."
Lin Yan fell into a long silence after listening. The two teachers' words struck him like a hammer blow. He recalled his "sparring" with the demonic beasts of the Myriad Evolution Mountains; each time it had indeed been like playing around, he had never harbored any murderous intent, and he would even share his pills with them to heal their wounds after "defeating" them…
He stood up and bowed deeply to the two elders: "Thank you both for your guidance. I have learned a great deal."
Back in his study in the courtyard, Lin Yan sat alone at the table, silently processing the words of Elder Fu and Elder Zhen. The words "slaughter," "competition," and "life-or-death struggle" had a profound impact on his modern way of thinking and his relatively peaceful upbringing. He knew the elders were right; it was the cruel truth of the cultivation world, a lesson he would have to face sooner or later.
He instinctively picked up Xiaoqi, who was curled up and dozing on the soft cushion, and gently stroked its soft, warm fur, as if seeking some comfort.
"Little Seven..." he murmured softly, expressing his confusion and struggle, "Elder Fu and Master Zhen said that I lack experience in life-and-death situations, that I've never shed blood, and that my Dao heart is incomplete... But I... I seem to have no idea how to begin. Do I really have to just find someone randomly..."
Little Qi snuggled comfortably in his arms, opened her sleepy eyes, yawned, and then replied in a childish yet precocious voice, "Brother, you're being stubborn! Who told you to kill people randomly? The old master left behind the Myriad Manifestations Mountain Range; those demonic beasts inside are just for you to practice on!"
It rolled over, revealing its soft belly: "But every time you go in, you treat them like they're playing house. If you lose, you run away; if you win, you give them some treats. You never kill them, and you've never even broken a skin. They're practically treating you like a sucker... uh, like a good friend!"
Upon hearing this, Lin Yan couldn't help but smile, realizing that it was indeed true.
Xiao Qi continued, "Brother, you're currently in the Foundation Establishment stage, so the demonic beasts on the first level of the Myriad Evolutions Mountain Range are perfect for you to hone your skills. When you break through to the Golden Core stage, the Myriad Evolutions Mountain Range will also be unsealed and upgraded, with even more powerful demonic beasts appearing. At that time, you can't be soft-hearted anymore! You need to find a few powerful ones to fight, and treat them as mortal enemies, so that you can cultivate the kind of 'early warning sense' and decisive killing mindset that Elder Fu mentioned."
Lin Yan took a deep breath, his eyes gradually hardening. He patted Xiao Qi's head: "I understand. Thank you for reminding me, Xiao Qi."
He looked out the window, his gaze seemingly piercing through space, landing on the vast, desolate mountain range. But now, he couldn't bring himself to kill the demonic beasts he used to spar with. A peaceful life was certainly pleasant, but to go further on this path defying the heavens, some lessons had to be learned. Some blood would inevitably be shed.
Within this space, twenty years passed. Lin Yan did not rush to improve his spiritual power level, but instead devoted most of his energy to the arduous cultivation of the "Divine Demon Visualization Method" and the "Great Zhou Celestial Body Refining Technique".
The torment of refining the soul far surpasses the pain of breaking tendons and cleansing marrow. His divine consciousness was torn apart and reassembled countless times, experiencing joys and sorrows, temptations and extreme pain in illusions. His Dao heart was forcibly solidified on the verge of collapse time and time again, becoming increasingly resilient and clear. Finally, after the second and third cycles, the illusory image of the millstone began to gradually solidify, the strength of his divine consciousness was comparable to the early stage of the Golden Core realm, his control over his emotions and will reached an unprecedented level, and his perception became extremely sharp.
The path of body refinement is equally arduous. One must draw upon the stellar energy from medicinal herbs to temper every inch of skin. Ten years of arduous training and ten years of forging finally lead to the third level of the Iron Skin Realm. The skin takes on a bluish-black sheen, seemingly ordinary, yet more resilient than rhinoceros hide, impervious to ordinary swords and blades.
On the day he emerged from seclusion, his aura was restrained, yet a sharp glint flashed in his eyes as he opened and closed them, his entire being like a sharp blade hidden in its sheath.
He found Lin Yi and simply told him, "I need to go out and gain experience for a while. My return date is uncertain. All matters are still under your control." Without even explaining his whereabouts, he quietly left Deep Water Bay.
His target was one of the most chaotic and lawless areas on Earth at the time—the Golden Triangle in northern Myanmar.
Traversing the dense primeval jungle, the air was thick with the humid heat and the stench of decaying plants, teeming with poisonous insects and miasma. Lin Yan concealed all the aura of a cultivator, appearing like an ordinary adventurer, relying on his powerful physique and keen divine sense to move through the dense forest.
His first stop was a small village near the border. It was poor and dilapidated, yet a strange, sweet fragrance lingered in the air. The villagers had blank stares and pale faces; upon seeing Lin Yan, a complete stranger, most of them showed wariness and fear.
Through some food and medicine, Lin Yan struck up a conversation with an elderly man who had received some schooling but had been displaced by the war. The old man sighed and told him about the situation there: the mountain land, originally used for rice cultivation, had been forcibly converted to poppy cultivation by armed forces. The young and strong were conscripted to carry guns or work in drug workshops. Those who disobeyed were either severely beaten or had their entire families wiped out.
"Young man, you look like an important person from out of town. You'd better leave quickly." The old man's cloudy eyes were filled with fear. "This isn't a place for reason, it's the gates of hell. 'Scorpion' Kun Tai's men are nearby; they kill without blinking an eye..."
Just then, a cacophony of motorcycle noises and arrogant shouts erupted from outside the village. Several armed men in haphazard military uniforms, carrying old rifles, stormed in, led by a scarred leader.
"You old bastard! Why haven't you collected this month's 'offerings' yet? Want to taste the whip?" The scarred leader cursed, then his eyes lit up when he spotted Lin Yan standing to the side. "Oh? A new face? Smooth skin and tender flesh, looks like a fat sheep! Grab him, maybe he's a spy sent from over there!"
Two henchmen, laughing and joking, stepped forward to grab Lin Yan.
Lin Yan's eyes turned cold. He had only intended to teach them a lesson. But the other party was rough in his movements, foul in his language, and one of them even pulled the bolt of a gun to threaten him. At that moment, he remembered Elder Fu's words, and a surge of anger rose in his heart.
He easily dodged the grabbing hand by turning to the side, and his right hand shot out like lightning, grabbing a henchman's wrist and twisting it gently.
"Snap!"
The crisp sound of bones cracking, accompanied by a piercing scream, echoed throughout the village. Everyone was stunned.
The scarred leader reacted with lightning speed. In his shock and rage, he actually raised his gun and was about to pull the trigger on Lin Yan! In his mind, no matter how powerful this stranger was, could he be faster than a bullet?
Just before he pulled the trigger, Lin Yan moved. Not to dodge, but to attack!
The results of ten years of body tempering were undeniable. His figure was like a ghost, instantly covering several meters. In the leader's terrified gaze, one hand directly grabbed the scorching hot gun barrel, twisted it upwards, and the other hand, fingers pointed like a knife, contained a trace of starlight killing intent, directly stabbing towards the opponent's throat!
"Well…"
A dull thud. The scarred leader froze, his eyes wide with unbelievable terror. His Adam's apple had been shattered by that finger, his trachea torn, blood gushing from his mouth and nose, and his body slumped to the ground.
A deathly silence fell over the scene. The remaining henchmen were terrified and dropped their guns, trying to run away.
Lin Yan stood there, looking at the still convulsing corpse on the ground, then at his own fingers. There was no blood on them, but he felt a strange burning sensation at his fingertips, and his stomach churned.
killed?
He just... killed someone?
Although the opponent was extremely vicious, and although he had taken the initiative to attack, the feeling of a life disappearing before his eyes was completely different from the feeling of "sparring" with monsters before. It was a real sense of bloodshed and the impact of the struggle of life.
His hand trembled slightly, but his powerful spirit immediately steadied the discomfort. Reason told him that this was self-defense, and also the elimination of an evildoer. But emotionally, the thrill of taking a fellow human's life for the first time still lingered.
He took a deep breath, suppressing his surging blood, and coldly swept his gaze over the fleeing henchmen. He didn't chase after them, but instead walked up to the terrified old man and left him some money and medicine.
"Leave here, or hide," he said, his voice hoarse, before turning and disappearing quickly into the depths of the dense forest.
In the days that followed, Lin Yan wandered like a ghost through the jungles and villages of the Golden Triangle. He deliberately sought out trouble with the Kuntai armed forces, clashing with them time and again.
He began to kill people intentionally.
From the patrols that tried to ambush him, to the sentries guarding the poppy fields, to the mule caravans transporting drugs… the battle, which started with a slight discomfort, gradually became more skillful and composed.
He no longer used cultivation techniques, relying instead on his powerful physique and agile skills. He efficiently dealt with enemies using captured daggers, rifles, and even his bare hands. Lin Yan didn't even activate his divine sense or wear his magic robes during battle; he wanted to hone his alertness to the fullest extent possible under limited conditions. After each battle, he would force himself to calmly analyze and summarize his shortcomings.
His gaze gradually shifted from its initial clarity to a sharp, cold intensity, tinged with a hint of murderous intent. His adaptation to the killing went far beyond his expectations. The powerful mental strength granted by the Soul Refining Technique allowed him to effectively control any potential post-battle psychological trauma, forcibly suppressing and processing the discomfort, transforming it into a deeper vigilance and chilling resolve.
He was not a bloodthirsty person. During a raid on a small drug manufacturing operation, he encountered a different kind of "drug maker".
The man was a middle-aged man wearing glasses, looking frightened and haggard, being forced to work in a makeshift laboratory at gunpoint by armed men. After Lin Yan dealt with the guards, the man collapsed to the ground in terror, crying and begging for mercy. He said he used to be a chemistry teacher in Bangkok, and his daughter had been kidnapped by Kun Thai's men, who were forcing him to come here to improve opium purification technology, or they would kill his daughter.
Lin Yan used his divine sense to perceive that the man's emotional breakdown confirmed his words. He looked at this man, who had been tormented by fate, whose conscience was not yet extinguished, yet whose hands were stained with sin, and remained silent for a moment.
Instead of killing him, he asked in detail about the location and characteristics of his daughter's detention.
That night, he infiltrated the stronghold, silently eliminated the guards, rescued the trembling little girl, and sent the father and daughter out of the secret passage leading to the Golden Triangle.
"Thank you... thank you... my benefactor..." The chemistry teacher sobbed uncontrollably, hugging her daughter and kowtowing repeatedly.
Lin Yan simply waved his hand, his figure disappearing back into the darkness. At that moment, the murderous rage that had accumulated in his heart seemed to dissipate somewhat. He understood that here, good and evil were not absolute; many were merely pitiful worms under this insane meat grinder. What he needed to kill were the truly incorrigible villains and ringleaders who took pleasure in the suffering of others.
The repeated attacks finally caught the attention and enraged "Scorpion" Kuntai himself. The loss of manpower and goods pained him deeply. He judged that this was no ordinary force, but rather the work of an extremely powerful expert specifically targeting him.
Kun Tai's rise to power in this chaotic place was no accident; he was no fool. While strengthening defenses and consolidating his forces, he dispatched his elite men, offering a hefty reward, to investigate the attackers' origins and whereabouts. He even suspected they were international mercenaries or mysterious assassins hired by his adversaries.
Although Lin Yan's whereabouts were elusive, his repeated attacks eventually left traces. Kun Tai had a staff officer under him who had returned from studying in the West. This meticulous man analyzed the location, time, and method of the attacks and roughly deduced the area where Lin Yan might be active, and suggested setting a trap.
They deliberately spread the word that a batch of important "new goods" and a huge sum of cash would be transported via a certain route, but in reality, they had arranged a large-scale ambush, even acquiring several heavy machine guns and rocket launchers, setting up an inescapable trap.
Through the fragmented information he intercepted and his divine sense probe, Lin Yan vaguely sensed something was amiss. However, the amount of "goods" and funds involved was enormous, and intercepting them would be a heavy blow to Kuntai. Skilled and daring, he decided to take the risk and investigate.
However, he underestimated the destructive power of modern firearms in an ambush and overestimated the limits of his current three-layered iron armor against heavy firearms.
When he entered the ambush area as planned, he was met with a barrage of fire from all directions! Heavy machine gun bullets rained down like a storm, and rockets roared and exploded with trails of flame!
Lin Yan moved like lightning, dodging rapidly. His blood and qi covered his body, deflecting most of the rifle bullets, but a few heavy machine gun bullets still slammed into his back and shoulder!
"puff!"
A sharp pain shot through him! Although it hadn't pierced him directly, the powerful kinetic energy nearly shattered his protective aura, causing his blood to churn. Even three layers of iron armor weren't enough to completely ignore this level of concentrated fire!
Three rockets exploded near him, the shrapnel and shockwaves throwing him into a tree. His internal organs seemed to shift, a sweet taste rose in his throat, and a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.
"Damn it, this can't kill him? What kind of monster is this? He's injured! Surround him! Take him down!" Kuntai's second-in-command shouted excitedly from a distance.
Dozens of armed men rushed out of their ambush point and opened fire on him.
In that critical moment, a fierce glint flashed in Lin Yan's eyes. The powerful divine sense he had gained from the Soul Refinement was no longer held back, and it spread outwards like an invisible shockwave!
"Buzz!"
The seven or eight armed men at the front felt as if their heads had been hit by a heavy hammer. Their vision went black, they lost consciousness instantly, and collapsed to the ground bleeding from their mouths and noses.
The others were startled by this bizarre scene and slowed their attack.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Lin Yan slammed his hand on the ground, using the momentum to spring into the air. Like a wounded cheetah, he pounced on the weaker flank with even greater speed. His dagger flashed, instantly slicing open the throats of two men. He snatched a submachine gun, fighting his way back while simultaneously cutting a bloody path through the encirclement, disappearing into the dense jungle. This time, Lin Yan didn't finish them off; these men would serve as his practice targets in the days to come.
This was the first time he had been injured since entering the Golden Triangle, and the first time he had been forced to use some of his cultivation techniques to save his life.
Leaning against a stream, Lin Yan gritted his teeth and used a dagger to dig out the bullet that was embedded in his flesh but stuck in his muscle. He then circulated his body-refining technique to heal his injuries. The intense pain caused cold sweat to pour down his forehead, but his eyes grew increasingly cold and clear.
"Kuntai... interesting." He licked the blood from the corner of his mouth, showing no fear but rather a hint of excited fighting spirit.
This defeat taught him a valuable lesson: the real danger comes from intelligent enemies and unexpected modern firepower. Individual bravery alone is not a panacea.
His experience in the Golden Triangle shifted from simple killing trials to more complex battles of hunting and counter-hunting, conspiracy and disruption. His opponent was a cunning and ruthless drug lord who had been entrenched in the area for many years.
The tempering process has only just begun.