Chapter 510: Dark Stepping Stone (2)
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Puzzled, he answered the call.
“Am I speaking to Teacher Feng?”
“Who is this?”
“I’m a staff member of the evaluation department of the Joint Research Institute. Recently, our team has passed the review of your achievements. We’ve begun to prepare the award for the Gold Medal of Outstanding Contribution. We’ll deliver it to you by express delivery within a month.”
“In addition, we’ve decided to set up a hero statue for you in the Star City Memorial Hall. We hope that you can come to our Joint Research Institute’s branch in Star City for a body scan…”
After hanging up, Feng Qi got up and left the office, walking towards the room in the core area.
He was not surprised by the arrival of this medal.
Flesh Sacrifice had become a super cultivation technique that was enough to promote modern cultivation in the eyes of the various research institutes and the Joint Research Institute.
Winning the Gold Medal of Outstanding Contribution was a certainty, a guaranteed success.
As for building a statue for him in the Star City Memorial Hall, this was a step in the owner of the fog’s plan.
The owner of the fog had submitted this application to the Joint Research Institute in the name of all the higher-ups of the Tiger Soul Research Institute before heading to Twilight City.
Getting a “perfect” evaluation in the first round sped up this progress.
It did not want to delay this matter.
The sooner it was resolved, the faster the owner of the fog’s plan could be carried out. It could also rely on the power of faith to continuously become stronger.
Feng Qi’s guess last night could be realized soon.
He was able to see himself in the main timeline 1,500 years later.
After returning to his room, he changed his clothes and contacted the staff of the Joint Research Institute again.
After ending the call, he boarded a military vehicle and headed directly to the Joint Research Institute.
The military vehicle drove out of the Tiger Soul Research Institute. Looking at the scenery outside through the window, he felt extremely emotional.
He was a human traitor the last time he went to the Joint Research Institute.
However, this time, he adopted the guise of a “hero” adorned with glory.
A month later.
Outside the Star City Memorial Hall.
A military vehicle bearing the Tiger Soul Research Institute’s logo came to a halt. Feng Qi, dressed in plain clothes, disembarked from the car.
After explaining to the chauffeur, he put on a mask and turned to look at the memorial hall.
It was a building filled with history. In front of the memorial hall stood a towering monument engraved with the names of martyrs.
He walked up the steps and arrived at the memorial hall.
Today, the memorial hall was congested with people. They had to queue to enter.
Today was a special day, as his hero statue would be unveiled and officially placed in the memorial hall.
Many residents of Star City came due to his reputation.
He followed the crowd and waited for half an hour before finally entering the memorial hall.
The memorial hall was spacious. The first thing that appeared in front of him were broken military flags and pictures stuck to the wall.
He came to a podium and looked at the staff member who was explaining the story behind the pictures.
Listening to his explanation, Feng Qi turned his gaze to the pictures.
In the pictures was a crippled warrior.
His name was Ye Wushui.
Feng Qi was no stranger to his story. He had heard it in Old Wang’s history class.
That period of history was in the early days of the calamity.
Ye Wushui was a warrior who had graduated from Victory Academy. Following graduation, he fought on the front lines of the war zone, shedding his blood to resist the invasion of the domain field.
His legendary experience occurred when he was 29 years old.
At that time, a domain field numbered 3-11, known as “Charred Ruins”, fused with this world.
A large number of domain transcendent creatures appeared inside. One of the factions was called the Charred Ruins Race.
This race was extremely special.
They had powerful disguise abilities, and it was difficult to distinguish them just by their appearance.
Moreover, this race never fought humans head-on. They captured humans and studied their genetic sequences to create genetic viruses to destroy human civilization.
The Charred Ruins domain field brought many hidden dangers to the development of Star City at that time, but it was successfully dispersed in the end.
But the crisis was not over.
Following the dispersion of the Charred Ruins domain field, a significant number of lives inside collapsed and perished as they lost the support of the rules.
However, many clansmen of the Charred Ruins Race survived.
In the following days, the remaining clansmen walked in the darkness and captured the residents of the affiliated cities around Star City. Then, they used their bodies to conduct genetic virus experiments.
They sought to use this method to take revenge on humans.
To remove this cancer, the Star City military had thought of many ways.
However, all of these methods failed.
The remaining clansmen were cautious. They would not easily come into contact with humans.
They disguised themselves as humans and hid in the affiliated cities around Star City. The operation to capture humans would only take place when they thought it was absolutely feasible.
That was when Ye Wushui stood up.
After he returned home from the front line on vacation, he applied for a long leave from the combat team.
He traveled to an affiliated city near Star City. Every day, he pretended to be mentally disabled and a beggar in a busy area, acting as if he were insane throughout the day.
During this period, he snatched food from vicious dogs and often picked up the food scraps on the ground to eat. There was always a silly smile on his face.
This lasted for more than a month before he was finally targeted by the Charred Ruins Race who was hiding in the crowd.
The Charred Ruins Race, who thought that he was harmless, had captured him to a secret stronghold outside the city.
During this period, he suffered unbearable pain.
Imprisonment, body modification, amputation, and various forms of torture—he gritted his teeth and endured it all.
This lasted up to three months.
Finally, one day, he seized the opportunity. Taking advantage of the fact that the clansmen had let down their guard against him, he fled their secret base.
After escaping death, he told the Star City military about the secret stronghold of the Charred Ruins Race.
In the end, the Charred Ruins Race was wiped out.
Looking at Ye Wushui, who was covered in wounds in the pictures, Feng Qi felt deep veneration.
Lu Xun had once remarked that throughout history, there were those who toiled diligently, those who sought orders on behalf of the people, and those who sacrificed themselves for the law. Even though it might be akin to the so-called “righteous history” of emperors and generals, it often couldn’t conceal their glory. This, he asserted, was the backbone of a nation.
Old Wang had once mentioned this in class.
“They chose to bear a burden in the darkness because they hoped that your future would be filled with light.”
He followed the crowd forward and swept his gaze across the tattered flags and pictures.
There were certain things whose true weight one only comprehended after experiencing them.
Just like on every sacrificial timeline, he left behind only his name or a few descriptions in each historical record.
History was vast and individually insignificant.
The heroes in the memorial hall were the same.
Behind each name was a melodious story that could not be expressed in a few words or pictures… They all had a life of their own.
At this moment, his heart traversed the river of time and resonated.
Following the crowd, they walked past numerous memorial halls. Broken flags, bloodstained clothes, and shattered weapons adorned the exhibits, each item carrying a piece of history.
Finally, they arrived at the unveiling hall.
This was also his destination for this trip.
Standing in the crowd, he looked at the statue in front of him covered by the black curtain and felt conflicted.
He, who had many sacrifices, was qualified to be here.
But on this sacrifice timeline, he felt that he was not worthy.
From the Winterfrost Supply Area to the Former Days Eastern Supply Area to the Tiger Soul Research Institute, his hands had been stained with the blood of numerous humans over the years.
What was ironic was…
He, who had chosen to fall into darkness, became a human hero. The statue would forever be kept in the Star City Memorial Hall for future generations to admire.
Behind this glory was a twisted history.
He felt that it was an insult to the heroes that his statue was placed there.
It was as if the colorful canvas was stained with a trace of black that could not be erased.
He took a deep breath to regulate his emotions.
At this moment, a familiar female voice sounded beside him.
“Do you think you’re not worthy?”
He turned to his right and realized that Wei Wei had come to his side.
“Are you surprised to see me after being invited to this event?”
“I’m a little surprised.”
“Back to the topic just now. Do you think you don’t deserve to be erected here?”
“Do you think I’m worthy?”
“Of course. In my opinion, you’re more qualified than anyone else.”
“Why?”
“I get the guilt you feel, but remember this: Falling into darkness doesn’t make you darkness. It’s just a step toward reaching the light.”
Looking at the smile on Wei Wei’s face, he could not help but be stunned.
“Are you moved by me?” Wei Wei leaned closer to his face with a teasing expression.
“No..1