Naming Technique of the Night

Chapter 81: 81, The fragility of life

The prison number 18 at night was, as ever, peaceful.

When Qing Chen returned to the training area, Uncle Li Dong stood steadily atop the parallel bars, quietly watching the reader, which displayed the Outer World’s endgame chess positions exported by Lin Xiaoxiao.

Seeing Qing Chen come back, the older teacher smiled and said, “Judging by your complexion, it seems you’ve encountered some trouble?”

Qing Chen tossed the USB drive in his hand to Lin Xiaoxiao, then said to Uncle Li Dong, “This contains all the classical music sheets I could find in the Outer World; it should be enough to trade for a chance with teacher.”

“Oh?” Uncle Li Dong became interested, “So what do you want to trade with me this time, to help you through this difficulty?”

Qing Chen shook his head, “I’ve said it myself, one must walk their own path, so this trading opportunity, teacher, you can just owe it to me for now.”

Uncle Li Dong leaped down from the parallel bars, his body floating gently in the air, light as a weightless feather.

He landed without making the slightest sound.

He spoke with a smile brimming with meaning, “I’ve hardly ever owed anyone in my life, so the feeling of owing someone is truly uncomfortable. You should quickly think over what else you might need during this time, so I can repay this favor to you as soon as possible.”

“Has teacher ever owed anyone before,” Qing Chen asked curiously.

“I have,” Uncle Li Dong smiled, “The other party now hates me to the bone, so meeting again wouldn’t be ideal. I guess I’ll have to repay them in the next life.”

Qing Chen felt there was a story there.

He listened as Uncle Li Dong said, “I can tell that you’ve run into a major problem this time. But I won’t help you, even if you use this trading opportunity with me, I still won’t assist. The fact that you didn’t ask for my help also shows that I wasn’t wrong about you.”

Qing Chen understood, Uncle Li Dong would help him to stand on his own in both the Inner and Outer Worlds, to expand his roots and wings.

But when faced with real danger, the other party would not interfere.

Off to the side, Lin Xiaoxiao muttered, “Boss, you really do not care, I wonder if you’d feel sorry if he died in the Outer World.”

Uncle Li Dong laughed, “There’s a type of eagle in this world called the Qing Shan Falcon. Once they’re adults, even airships stand no chance against them. But as chicks, they are timid and afraid to fly. So the adult Qing Shan Falcons take the chicks to the edge of a cliff when the time comes, seven in a nest, and push them off one by one.”

“Those that spread their wings live; those that continue to cower will fall to their deaths below the cliff. On average, it takes about two broods for a single Qing Shan Falcon to survive,” Uncle Li Dong continued, “But the one that does survive, from the moment it learns to fly, becomes the master of the skies.”

Qing Chen was curious, “There’s no Qing Shan Falcon in the Outer World, are they that formidable?”

“Of course, formidable,” Uncle Li Dong recounted, “Even humans, without A-Class airship escorts, wouldn’t dare provoke them. Years ago, when I was passing my third life-and-death trial, I accidentally entered their territory and was chased by one of them for more than thirty miles, nearly dying there.”

Qing Chen, thinking of a character like Uncle Li Dong being chased haphazardly around the land when he was younger, found it very interesting…

At that moment, Uncle Li Dong suddenly said, “It’s not just Transcendents whose death gives rise to Taboo Lands; some powerful creatures can too, such as these Qing Shan Falcons. After their death, the plants around their bodies grow even stronger, and even develop aggressiveness, because powerful plants need more nutrients.”

“Is there now a way to suppress the Taboo Lands?” Qing Chen asked, “It sounds very much like a state of increasing entropy; if left unchecked, won’t Earth be devoid of soil for human existence in a few hundred years?”

Entropy increase, used as an example in the case of the Inner World’s Taboo Lands, probably means that it is always increasing in disorder and will not decrease due to natural law.

Until one day, it engulfs the whole world.

Even the Contraindicated Tribunals can only contain the speed of its increase but cannot eliminate it.

“There’s no way to suppress it,” Uncle Li Dong said, “This might be Earth’s purification principle. Perhaps one day, creatures as large as dinosaurs will reappear on Earth, and raptors like the Qing Shan Falcon will be akin to the ancient pterosaurs. By then, Earth will be completely different.”

“How do humans survive?” Qing Chen asked.

“Perhaps, only the Transcendents will be able to survive by then,” Uncle Li Dong smiled. “Humans always think they are the masters here, but time will tell you, there is no real master. Do you want to go out and have some fun? I can take you to see the real Taboo Land.”

Qing Chen shook his head. “Maybe next time, teacher. I need to think about how to deal with the things after my return these next couple of days.”

Lin Xiaoxiao clearly noticed a look of regret on Uncle Li Dong’s face.

Then Uncle Li Dong said, “Have you figured out how to deal with it?”

Qing Chen thought for a moment and replied, “Kill.”

“Do you know how to kill?” Uncle Li Dong asked.

“I don’t know, but I can learn,” Qing Chen answered.

Lin Xiaoxiao and Ye Wan felt beside themselves, thinking how damn straightforward the conversation between the two was.

Qing Chen said, “I figured out a method, that is to practice with Ye Wan these next two days. I want to memorize all the combat techniques and all the reactions an enemy will make when I fight. By enumerating all possibilities, I want to gain the upper hand in battle. But later, I realized, the method is feasible, but there’s not enough time.”

“Like playing chess, right?” Uncle Li pondered. This so-called enumeration is just a brute force way of solving problems.

When someone makes a move, you think of “all” the possible counters, as well as all the subsequent variations your opponent might make, then choose the best solution.

When Qing Chen plays chess, he remembers all the variations of the endgame. The moment his opponent makes a move, he knows how many ways there are to respond.

Ye Wan asked, “You have the Breathing Technique, and with your relentless personal training, your physical fitness indeed now has a soldier’s foundation. But if the opponent has mechanical limbs, you still don’t have any advantage.”

“Is it enough?” Qing Chen inquired.

“It’s enough,” Ye Wan replied. “But can you keep up with your reactions? I mean, once your mind understands how many choices you have, can you quickly select the most correct one and then have your body react?”

At that moment, Uncle Li Dong interrupted, “The human skeleton has many parts: 29 bones in the skull, 51 bones in the trunk, including 26 vertebrae. The upper limbs have 64 bones and the lower limbs have 62.”

“The human body has 12 major joints and 210 minor joints.”

“The muscles in the human body add up to about 639, composed of about 6 billion muscle fibers,” Uncle Li Dong said. “The human body is more complex than chess, so don’t try to enumerate all variations within two days. In fact, to kill, one move is enough.”

Listening, Qing Chen heard Uncle Li Dong continue, “Ye Wan, you only need to teach him one move, and then tell him how many reactions the enemy could have. This way will be much simpler.”

Ye Wan thought for a moment, “Boss, is one move really enough?”

Uncle Li Dong smiled, “It’s enough, after all… life is very fragile.”

Qing Chen thought and said, “Two evenings might still not be enough.”

Uncle Li Dong waved his hand carelessly, “Then just lock up the prisoners in their own cells, only letting them out to eat, and the rest of the time they can roll back where they came from. That way, you can train during the day as well.”

Qing Chen was taken aback on the spot. Though the other party said they would not help him, they still made such a fuss.

…

Thanks to Ze Yuan for becoming a new patron of this book, the boss is generous! (I’m a bit curious who Ze Yuan is…)

Thanks to A Trembling L and Strange Uncle Shu for the generous tips, the bosses are generous!

May the bosses make a fortune!