Naming Technique of the Night

Chapter 102: 102. The code of the Taboo

The magic of taboo items lies in the fact that their rules are impartial to everyone, not fussy about the host’s quality or mindset, whether they are righteous or evil.

As long as one can grasp their containment conditions, one can make them serve oneself.

Steam trains that can reach any destination, Devil’s Stamps that can send letters to any place.

They are like the special cases in the world’s rules, both favored by the world and a representation of calamity.

Possessing even one such thing seems to bring a great advantage to oneself.

“Teacher,” Qing Chen looked at Uncle Li Dong, “I used the Breathing Technique continuously during the battle without any interruption.”

Uncle Li Dong looked at Qing Chen, “Without a single interruption?”

One must know that breathing is a human instinct; when you do not consciously remind yourself, the breathing frequency will proceed instinctively, rather than according to the Breathing Technique.

Thus, this was somewhat surprising to Uncle Li Dong because it also took him over a year of practice to gradually keep the Breathing Technique constant.

It is only at that moment that the candidate Knight can go through the life-and-death challenge.

Because during the assessment, the Breathing Technique must not stop for an instant; even a single pause in breathing is considered a complete waste of effort.

Qing Chen continued, “After the battle ended, I felt an extreme sense of calm as if I were in a tranquil lake. I think that might be the effect of a large secretion of endorphins.”

“Hmm, your guess is correct,” Uncle Li Dong nodded.

Qing Chen then asked, “But after the battle ended, I felt my bones and muscles seemed to be undergoing changes, and casually moving would cause snapping sounds within my body. What’s that about?”

Uncle Li Dong suddenly looked at him seriously, “Are you sure?”

“Sure,” Qing Chen nodded.

Uncle Li Dong paced back and forth in the prison courtyard, deep in thought.

He said to Qing Chen, “Your situation has never been encountered by anyone in the Knight Organization; you’ve just gotten a hold of the Breathing Technique, and there is already Qi within your body, and even without going through any life-and-death challenges, there are already signs of the Genetic Lock opening.”

The so-called life-and-death challenges are always about specific tests.

No other than these eight tests will do.

In the past, other Knights had tried to find an alternative way, thinking that since unlocking the Genetic Lock’s key was obtained through using the Breathing Technique in life-and-death crises and extreme hardships.

Would it be possible to avoid a certain life-and-death challenge by experiencing almost the same hardships, dangers, and pains?

Because the great sea turned into the Forbidden Sea, the predecessors of the Knights tried one after another to forge a new path for those who would come after, hoping upcoming generations would not have to repeat their regrets due to uncontrollable factors.

But everyone failed.

No matter how much everyone tried, there was never a sign of the Genetic Lock loosening.

At the moment, the crackling sounds Qing Chen spoke of in his bones were the clear signs of the Genetic Lock loosening!

Uncle Li Dong looked at Qing Chen and said, “Get ready, I’m going to take you out for another trip. I wanted to wait a bit longer, but now we can move the plan ahead.”

“Where to this time? The lower levels of City 18?” Qing Chen asked.

“No,” Uncle Li Dong smiled, “This time, the place I’m taking you to is one most Time Travelers probably don’t have the opportunity to visit now.”

Qing Chen realized that it seemed because he had shown signs of the Genetic Lock opening prematurely, so his teacher had also moved up a certain plan.

…

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Countdown 160:40:00.

7:20 a.m.

The prison was now devoid of the sound of prisoners banging on the alloy gates, which Qing Chen was still not quite accustomed to.

Because of the training he needed over the past two days, the inmates had been obediently staying in their cells.

After experiencing two nights of the “Game of Searching Spleens,” everyone was still in a state of anxious panic.

Each of them was as docile as a quail, afraid that something unfortunate might happen to them.

Qing Chen casually asked Lin Xiaoxiao, who was beside him, “By the way, I’m not exactly full of womanly compassion, but I do wonder if this impact might not be too good? After all, we’re talking about more than three thousand people.”

“Actually, this isn’t much, considering he’s the sole survivor of the Knights. What the boss is doing right now isn’t as extreme as it could be. If it was Chen Jiazhang in charge, it might be crazier,” Lin Xiaoxiao shrugged.

Qing Chen, puzzled, asked, “And who is this Chen Jiazhang?”

“The boss’s senior, Chen Jiazhang,” Ye Wan answered. “But he’s been missing for a long time. It’s said that he was never able to complete the seventh life-and-death challenge, so he went off to cultivate on his own.”

To tell the truth, it was the first time Qing Chen had heard the name Chen Jiazhang. He had always thought there was no one else left in the Knight Organization.

He looked at Lin Xiaoxiao and Ye Wan in wonder, “Is there anything else that I should know but don’t?”

“Oh,” said Lin Xiaoxiao, “the boss also has a junior named Wang Xiaojiu. But she’s quite young, only a little girl. Eight years ago, the boss took her as a disciple on behalf of his teacher. She seems to have just passed her fifth life-and-death challenge.”

“Anything else?” Qing Chen asked with an expressionless face.

“That’s all, that’s all,” Lin Xiaoxiao cheerfully said, “There are some things we can’t remember right off the bat. We’ll tell you more as we think of them.”

“This is too unreliable,” Qing Chen sighed.

Lin Xiaoxiao thought for a moment, then changed the subject, “Things in the prison will definitely go back to normal eventually, at least they can’t keep missing several meals because they’re hungry. But don’t feel sorry for them. What Guo Huchan said wasn’t wrong—aside from a few, every one of these guys deserves to die a lot more than they have.”

“Deserve to die a lot more than they have?” Qing Chen questioned, “Is that an exaggeration?”

“No,” Lin Xiaoxiao shook his head, “those who arrive here are all heavy criminals. Do you remember the convict with the red mechanical arm, the one whose hair looks like a bird’s nest?”

“I do,” Qing Chen nodded.

Lin Xiaoxiao continued, “That bastard killed more than ten people on the outside and trafficked children’s corneas. Even saying they deserve to die a lot more than they have doesn’t satisfy the anger. But the current laws of the Federation have no death penalty, so they just get sentenced to more than a hundred years, which is meaningless.”

“Aren’t there people like Liu Dezhu who take the blame for others?” Qing Chen asked.

“Oh, for people like that, we’ll gradually investigate. For example, we’ll find a way to transfer someone like Liu Dezhu to other prisons. Lu Guangyi is actually in the same situation. If it weren’t for Qing’s Family arranging for him, he would have been transferred long before,” Lin Xiaoxiao explained, “With your memory power, you must have noticed. Though prisoners are continuously brought in, the total number is decreasing.”

Indeed, when Qing Chen first came in, there were 3102 people in Prison 18. Now there are only 3009 left.

But this explanation only further confused Qing Chen, as he realized Lin Xiaoxiao was intentionally leaving behind those who ‘deserve to die a lot more than they have.’

It surely wasn’t for the purpose of raising gu, was it?

When Qing Chen inquired further about the matter, Lin Xiaoxiao did not answer anymore.

…

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