One-Eyed Monster

Kuyi Tulan’s behavior deeply dissatisfied the creatures of Guru Mountain. In their eyes, Kuyi Tulan was the kind of person who showed no signs of remorse, and his words were truly unpleasant.

Great Mentor Guzan shook his head. This was his disciple, now walking a crooked path. He blamed himself for his inadequate guidance. Perhaps if he had paid more attention to the child’s feelings in the beginning, such a thing would not have happened.

But things had already escalated to this point; regret would accomplish nothing.

”Doesn’t your heart hurt?” Suddenly, a voice echoed through the air. It had a bit of naivety to it, but it was very clear.

This unexpected question confused everyone, interrupting a serious discussion and making it somewhat comedic.

And the only creature on Guru Mountain capable of causing such an effect was Kadi, that little troublemaker.

Kadi’s interruption caused Kuyi Tulan to furrow his brow in confusion. ”What?”

”Your heart, doesn’t it hurt?” Kadi attempted to gesture towards the location of the heart.

”What pain? Why should it hurt?” Kuyi Tulan was confused. But having his speech interrupted this way always felt uncomfortable, like being hit over the head in the middle of writing an Alchemy Equation.

”Don’t you see the mess you’ve made?” Kadi was incredulous. Could this guy really not recognize his own mistakes?

”I’ve created many situations. How should I know what you’re referring to?” Kuyi Tulan felt provoked and started squabbling with Kadi. His behavior was not at all representative of the chief of the Alchemy Workshop.

”Damn, so you frequently mess up.” In Kadi’s world, things were simple: either right or wrong. There was no room for vagueness. So, in his view, Kuyi Tulan was a person who committed mistakes and failed to correct them. It turned out this guy made mistakes repeatedly.

”What mistake?”

”Look at you, doesn’t your heart really hurt?” Kadi was beginning to think Kuyi Tulan was truly hopeless.

”Hmph!” Kuyi Tulan decided to ignore this one-eyed monster. Although he was quite interested in him, the more important task at hand was to communicate with the Great Mentor. Everything else could wait.

But Kadi was not so easily deterred. You could ignore him, but he would continue to pester you. No one could treat Kadi like air because, well, air doesn’t cause trouble.

Master troublemaker Kadi had no intention of giving up on Kuyi Tulan. In his view, he needed to lend a helping hand. In front of him was a man who consistently erred. This man needed to correct his mistakes and make a fresh start, and Kadi felt it necessary to help him.

”Come on, you want to see what you’ve done, right? Look!” Kadi persisted, pulling at Kuyi Tulan’s cloak.

”Let go!” Kuyi Tulan didn’t want to get physical with Kadi. After all, this one-eyed creature had helped them out of their predicament not long ago. Turning foe so swiftly was not his style. Besides, he still found this creature to be an intriguing research subject, so he couldn’t harm him at this moment.

But Kadi wasn’t going to let go simply because he’d been yelled at. Kadi was a mischievous troublemaker. He wouldn’t be scared off by simple shouting. He kept holding onto Kuyi Tulan’s cloak. ”I’m not letting go. You need to realize your mistakes are serious. You don’t even want to acknowledge them. If I let you go now, to face the consequences on your own, it would make me sad.”

”You!” Kuyi Tulan’s calmness and equanimity were thrown into disarray by Kadi’s pestering, his mood instantly souring, leaving him at a loss for what to do.

”Don’t you know, it’s not a big deal to make mistakes. What’s important is to realize where you went wrong. But that’s not even the most important thing. The most important thing is your attitude. Look at your attitude – it’s completely unacceptable.” Suddenly, Kadi sounded like a nagging old man, chattering on and on.

”Are you going to let go or not?” Kuyi Tulan was fuming by now. If no one else was around, he probably wouldn’t be able to control his temper. But there were people everywhere, and they clearly cared a lot for Kadi.

If he lost his temper and attacked Kadi impulsively, he would likely drown in the disapproving chastisement from everyone present. Even his subordinates would look at him reproachfully. After all, everyone had seen what Kadi had done before – it could be said that Kadi was a benefactor to all.

The people around, whether they were elders like the Great Mentor or younger ones like Igor, stared wide-eyed at the scene. Kadi’s sudden outburst had left everyone stunned, unsure of how to react. Should they laugh it off, or be serious? Either way, it would seem strange. It was best to just quietly watch how things played out, see what exactly Kadi wanted, and how Kuyi Tulan would respond…

”Don’t worry, I know how you feel right now. I’ve made mistakes before too and have been locked in the Slumber Room more than once or twice. So, I can relate to your feelings. The anxiety, the refusal to admit your mistakes, the complex emotions – I understand them all.” Kadi wouldn’t let go, despite the loud rustling of the cloak as he tugged.

”I’m not anxious, and I don’t have complex emotions. Let go of me!” Dealing with a mischievous troublemaker like Kadi was never easy, especially under so many watchful eyes. Kuyi Tulan felt uncomfortable all over. It was a terrible feeling, but there was nothing he could do to change it.

”Don’t be like that. Sometimes, openly admitting your mistakes isn’t painful. This happened to me in the past. Once I admitted my faults, I felt a sense of relief. Why don’t you try it?” Kadi spoke convincingly, despite the twisted logic of his words.

”You!” Kuyi Tulan was feeling helpless. He really didn’t know what to do. ”What do you want?”

”Well, I don’t want anything. We’re not enemies, you know!” Kadi said leisurely.

This statement struck a chord with Kuyi Tulan. It was the very thing he wanted to say to the Great Mentor.

We are not enemies; we simply have divergent opinions...

”And, I think if you’ve made a mistake, you should at least apologize. Apologizing, that’s the most important thing,” Kadi continued speaking leisurely, but there was an undeniable air of righteousness in his tone...