Chapter 49: What Are You Really Afraid Of?
Fortunately, most of the supplies were stored in Sha Xie’s and his confidants’ spatial bags.
So, when they were ambushed in the Ariados’ cave, not many of these supplies were lost.
But even so, this attack caused the entire team to lose forty to fifty people, which severely dampened the morale of the whole group.
More importantly, this attack split the team into two sections.
The other team had to take a long detour, which would take about two more days to reach their agreed-upon destination.
Meanwhile, Sha Xie and his group led the team to a supply point to set up camp, which was also a small lake on this highland.
When Chen Xi and the others arrived, they saw a thin layer of ice on the surface of the small lake.
Under the sunlight, the thin ice began to melt little by little, but the lake water was still very cold.
This time, Sha Xie asked Chen Xi to check the water source for any problems.
After all, one experience with Anger Powder was enough.
Chen Xi carefully checked it and, after confirming there were no issues, everyone set up camp there, waiting for the rest of the team to catch up.
Otherwise, if so many of them went ahead, even if they could get the Salamence’s egg, the losses would likely be heavy.
Taking advantage of this time, the rookie Spirit Hunters who had passed through the Ariados checkpoint also summoned their Small Elves and began training, not wasting these two days.
After all, they had deeply experienced the dangers of the wild.
Chen Xi did not train his Small Elves too much at this time, because his usual training for his Small Elves was already quite comprehensive, and there was no need to sharpen his weapons at the last minute.
On the contrary, excessively depleting his Small Elves’ stamina in the wild was a dangerous thing.
With one or two days of free time, the Small Elves could rest a bit, but Chen Xi himself did not.
He took out his small notebook and began to flip through his notes.
Regarding Floette, Chen Xi flipped back a bit but found nothing good to say.
Because before Floette comprehended fifteen different types of Awakening Power, there was no need for her to touch any system.
Torterra still focused on the Grass Absorption system; at least until this system was fully mastered, Chen Xi didn't need to arrange too many tasks for Torterra.
Currently, Torterra could basically combine two skills, but how to achieve three or even four skill fusions to form the Grass Absorption system still required Torterra to continue training.
It is also worth mentioning that the higher Torterra’s level, the lower the difficulty of completing the corresponding system would be.
As Staryu evolved into Starmie, at least the skills within Staryu’s growth system were basically mastered.
Starmie’s current level is 54, which makes her a mature Starmie.
Chen Xi, who had once complained about the “Liuli Record” being bad in every way, now picked it up with a “this is so good” attitude.
Because if Starmie wanted to copy a system, this was the only place to do so.
Among them, the Water Blade system was too dangerous to learn here, so even though Chen Xi met all the prerequisites, he had not yet started learning it.
But the Starlight Mode was fine. The first step was to use Shinny to draw power from the stars in the sky. The second step was to use Cosmic Power to lock this power. Even completing this step would at least significantly increase Starmie’s defense.
The third step, the reverse use of Recover Seal, could not yet be mastered, but that could wait until later; for now, the earlier steps needed to be practiced.
As for the Starmie Illusory Light system that Chen Xi designed, under his operation, it was now leaning towards the Bubble system.
In short, for this system to mature and be used by Chen Xi, there was still a long way to go.
Furthermore, when Chen Xi used two top-grade ites to evolve Staryu into Starmie, Starmie’s potential was enhanced, successfully reaching purple grade. At least now, besides attack power, all other attributes were maxed out.
Next was Nidorino. Focus Energy had been mastered quite skillfully by Nidorino.
Chen Xi felt that after he left Mt. Coronet for Qiefeng City, Nidorino could undergo specialized Horn Drill training to master it.
As for skills like “Ten Thousand Volts” and “Three Farmer Punches,” there was no rush; they could wait until he evolved into Nidoking.
Before that, the focus of Nidorino’s training would be his strength and stamina, undergoing basic physical training.
The last Pokémon, of course, was the remaining Magikarp.
Chen Xi currently dared not train this Pokémon because its quality was simply too poor.
He would make a plan after a comprehensive check-up at the Elf Garden.
Otherwise, if it died suddenly during training, Chen Xi would be heartbroken, so he just made a note.
Soon it was dinner time. Chen Xi looked at Zhu Lan, who still had a frosty expression, and couldn’t help but smile, saying, “Alright, alright, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have stopped you!”
Zhu Lan glanced at Chen Xi. Her eyes didn't show the triumph of victory; instead, they were filled with confusion at this moment.
“Hey, what’s wrong? Don’t scare me!”
Chen Xi looked at Zhu Lan’s somewhat bewildered expression, feeling a bit flustered.
If this future Sinnoh Champion, the Goddess of War, were to change due to his actions, his sin would be immense!
“Tonight’s dinner is venison!” Zhu Lan’s voice, however, was a bit lower as she said to Chen Xi.
“Venison is venison, what’s wrong with that?” Chen Xi heard Zhu Lan’s words and replied calmly.
“I helped them catch the Stantler. I thought they were just catching them as partners or to sell.
But I never expected them to be killed right in front of me.
They told me this would be a special dinner prepared for us!”
As Zhu Lan spoke, she squatted down.
At this moment, Zhu Lan was very helpless, because she truly believed she was wrong.
Seeing this, Chen Xi was stunned. As a Chinese person, he had never been troubled by this issue.
Anyway, besides human meat, what other meat couldn’t be eaten? It was only divided into delicious and not delicious.
But Zhu Lan was different. As a native of this world, especially an upper-class person who had always been very well protected.
Her views were somewhat similar to those direct descendants of the Alliance who would unify the Alliance a decade later.
When conflicts were almost suppressed, and material civilization further developed, people no longer sought only simple material wealth, but also looked inward for spiritual wealth.
By then, issues such as humans and Pokémon being friends, Pokémon Rangers protecting the ecological balance of wild Small Elves, and various other human and social relationships were raised, and people began to have new pursuits for spiritual civilization.
But in this era, the idea of humans and Pokémon being friends was fundamentally a false proposition, especially when discussing this issue in front of Spirit Hunters.
Because if they weren’t struggling to survive, who would like to live a life constantly on the edge of a knife?
And having grown accustomed to such a life, how could they return to normal society?
For them, Pokémon were prey.
“So that’s how it is…” Chen Xi said, then forked a small piece of meat and said to Zhu Lan, “Open your mouth!”
Zhu Lan instinctively opened her mouth. Chen Xi put the meat into Zhu Lan’s mouth, then covered her mouth with his hand.
Zhu Lan naturally struggled instinctively, and the Dragon Power in her body was ready to burst forth.
Fortunately, Chen Xi decisively said, “Stop messing around, swallow this piece of meat.”
Zhu Lan chewed a few times but still obediently swallowed the meat, only glaring at Chen Xi resentfully.
Chen Xi quickly let go of Zhu Lan, sat properly next to her, and asked obediently, “Is it delicious?”
“…” Zhu Lan rolled her eyes at Chen Xi, but still replied, “Delicious.”
“Fragrant?”
“Fragrant!”
Chen Xi took a deep breath and said, “We didn’t kill the Stantler out of malice, but because we had no choice but to kill them to fill our stomachs.
If we truly respect them, we should eat them completely, with respect in our hearts.
And not dwell on the meaning of their existence for these lives that have already passed.
Because the meaning of their existence is borne by us after their death.
The greatest meaning of their lives is to become food for us, allowing us to ponder the meaning of their existence.
So we cannot waste their intention; we must eat this venison cleanly, not wasting food is what is truly meaningful.”
“…” Zhu Lan’s eyes stared directly at Chen Xi, as if trying to see through him.
However, Zhu Lan ultimately couldn’t see through Chen Xi’s thick skin, and she picked up a piece of venison and continued to eat.
At least now, Zhu Lan was not as resistant to Chen Xi, just as she was beginning to adapt to eating venison.
Zhu Lan put down her cutlery and said, “Can I ask you a question?”
“What?!” Chen Xi was slightly startled by Zhu Lan’s words and looked at her with some curiosity.
“Why didn’t you let me help them? Are you just afraid of exposing your so-called strength?!” Zhu Lan looked at Chen Xi and asked.
“Isn’t that… enough?” Chen Xi heard Zhu Lan’s words and felt a bit puzzled.
“You were the same back then. If I hadn’t wanted to challenge the Yuan Family, would you absolutely not have shown your strength?!”
“Probably… not necessarily. Maybe when the time comes, I will show my strength,” Chen Xi said.
“Then when is ‘the time comes’?” Zhu Lan looked at Chen Xi and asked.
Chen Xi fell silent after hearing Zhu Lan’s words.
Even Chen Xi himself didn't know the answer. Perhaps when he followed Yuan Jin's arrangements and entered the Business School of Qiefeng Academy, he might then expose his strength.
“So you are very strange, truly very strange,” Zhu Lan looked at Chen Xi and said.
“What… what’s so strange about me?” Chen Xi said with a slightly awkward smile and a hint of guilt.
Zhu Lan smoothed her hair, her gaze fixed on Chen Xi, and said, “You give people a very contradictory feeling, as if you’re afraid of everything.
Ordinary Trainers either follow the rules or strive to seize every opportunity, even if it means gambling with their lives.
And we family Trainers try our best to showcase our talents to attract family attention and thus gain family investment.
You are the sole direct descendant of the Yuan Family, but before you defeated me, there was no news of you, as if you were invisible.
You are willing to fight for the family’s honor, but you never actively display your talents within the noble families.
You are willing to use the family’s resources, but you also seem to refuse to communicate with the family.
In that stronghold, if I’m not mistaken, you should have left your family’s mark, but you only left the family mark and didn’t tell your family’s Trainers what exactly happened?
Do you want to solve it yourself, or do you expect family help? You always think you have arrangements, but then you leave your fate to others to decide.
Even when facing these few hunter groups, you seemed very afraid of them?
But what are they? What right do these scurrying, insignificant people have to make us fear them?!
You don’t act like the sole direct descendant of the Yuan Family; you should have more character. Right now, you’re more like an ordinary Trainer who is afraid of trouble.
So you are truly very strange, your whole person is contradictory, as if you’re afraid of everything?
But what exactly are you afraid of?!”
Zhu Lan had originally felt that Chen Xi should be the same kind of person as her, but after interacting, she found that he was not, not even like a scion of a noble family.
This gave Zhu Lan a feeling of betrayal, which was the reason for Zhu Lan’s awkwardness with Chen Xi.
“You really care about me, observing so carefully!” Chen Xi slightly averted his gaze, not daring to meet Zhu Lan’s eyes, “Perhaps I’ll tell you later!”
Chen Xi couldn’t tell Zhu Lan that he was a transmigrator, that he still carried the memories of his previous life as a loser. A monkey in a crown would never cultivate the temperament of a young master.
Chen Xi couldn’t tell Zhu Lan that the Yuan Family might, in ten years, go from being one of the Five Great Families to a small landlord confined to Floaroma Town.
He wanted to resist, but after visiting the Wetland Shrine, such a powerful Wetland Shrine ultimately didn’t even leave its name behind.
So he felt an inherent fear when facing a behemoth like the Alliance.
Chen Xi certainly couldn’t tell Zhu Lan that he had decided to surrender to Kanto and become a traitor, but the Kanto Alliance hadn’t given him a way in!
While Chen Xi wasn’t someone who forgot righteousness for small gains, he was indeed someone who cherished his life when it came to big undertakings.
When he was alone, Chen Xi’s behavior wasn’t very noticeable, especially in front of the softer Ci Lang; Chen Xi even seemed excellent.
But when Chen Xi’s companion changed to Zhu Lan, the flaws in Chen Xi’s character were amplified.
In front of the brilliant Zhu Lan, Chen Xi’s actions were all petty cleverness and small-mindedness.
Facing Zhu Lan’s barrage of questions, Chen Xi finally saw himself clearly for the first time.
He had always thought he could change his family’s destiny, but in reality, Chen Xi found that he couldn’t even change himself!
Zhu Lan grabbed a piece of venison and took a bite, continuing, “I don’t know what you want to do, but my grandfather once said that if a person retreats for too long, one day they will lose the courage to draw their sword.”
“I’ve heard your words!” Chen Xi replied with a hint of embarrassment, as if his thoughts had been seen through, forcing a response.
At this moment, both fell silent, and for a while, there was no sound.
Just then, Xiaoju walked over and said with a hint of envy, “How does the Stantler taste?”
“It’s very fragrant. You try it; I’ll give you my portion!” Chen Xi stood up and said to Xiaoju, then left.
“What’s wrong with him?!” Xiaoju looked at this scene with some confusion, then at Chen Xi’s almost untouched venison.
“Eat it! He hasn’t touched it.”
Zhu Lan placed Chen Xi’s portion of venison in front of Xiaoju and said, “It’s really fragrant!”
Chen Xi went to an open space, took out a call device, and said, “Sister, I want to slay a dragon.”