Watchmen Chapter 3

After the snowstorm, the Long Shan cemetery was covered by dense, dark clouds; everywhere, sombre and desolate.

Luo Yi De speechlessly looked at the insidious young man before him, lightly laughed, and then asked indifferently, “You want to seek revenge? What are you going to use to seek revenge? Even if the offender is standing right in front of you, do you even have the strength to avenge your father?”

Luo Yi De’s question was simple, callous, blunt and even struck a vital point. Jiu Jie seemed like he got a face-full of cold water. In a matter of seconds, all the strength he had seemed to leave his body.

That’s right. What can my weak self even do?

Jiu Jie lowered his head and looked at his thin, slender hands. He felt his inner rage and the reality of his powerlessness fusing together, making him breathe heavily as he felt like there was a bunch of cotton at the pit of his stomach, suffocating him.   His anger and indignation had risen to its peak.

“Uncle Luo, what should I do then?” Jiu Jie gritted his teeth and asked.

“Do you want to gain strength?” Luo YiDe asked.　

“Yes!” JiuJie immediately answered.

“Do you want to chase the road your father once walked?”　

“Yes!”

“Do you want to avenge him?”　

“Of course!”　

In Jiu Jie’s unwavering gaze, his replies were getting louder and clearer.

“That’s good. The you right now is good.” Luo Yi De said as he took out a red, crusty book and pa.s.sed it to JiuJie.　　

When he received the red book, Jiu Jie asked, “What is this?”

“This is the Red Book. It contains the contract and the skills to become a Watchman.” It will help you to become a Watchman and allow you to have power over dreams. You have an unusual amount of talent; I have never come across another person that can surpa.s.s you in Li Bi Duo [Note: So, Libido in the raws was actually a coined term in the novel.]. In the future, you may be able to surpa.s.s both your father and me.”

“Li Bi Duo? What is Li Bi Duo?” Jiu Jie asked, confused.　　

“Li Bi Duo is a very big and complicated concept. In the time being, think of it simply as a part of your inner spiritual and mental power. It is the origin of the power of Watchmen. Everyone possesses LiBiDuo, the only difference is the strength of it.”

Jiu Jie couldn’t really understand the explanation. He looked at the red, crusty book in his hands, and casually flipped through it. The book was very thick but the pages were all blank; there weren’t any words or pictures.

“This book is empty. There isn’t anything.” Jiu Jie said in confusion.

“That’s because you haven’t established the contract. Just try dripping blood on the first page.”

JiuJie was a bit skeptical but did it anyway. His bit his thumb and dripped fresh blood onto the first page of the book.　　

Following the dark red drop of blood falling on the blank paper, the originally white paper suddenly had a words miraculously appearing.　

JiuJie stared at the page of emerging words in wonder and asked, “What do they say?”

“This is the Watchmen Pledge,” Luo Yi De said, “Memorise the paragraph then put your hand on the red book and recite it. If the book  doesn’t reject you, you will then become a Watchman.”

“By becoming a Watchman, can I obtain the power to manipulate dreams?” JiuJie asked.　

Lou Yi De nodd

ed and said, “Of course, but you will start off as a novice. You still have a lot to learn.”　　

Jiu Jie’s mind was made up. He started to memorise the pledge and, according to what Luo Yi De said, put his left hand on top of the red book followed by his right. He solemnly and clearly said: “When the long, dark night arrives, I will, from today onwards, keep watch over it until the day I die.”

“I pledge my life to be humble, upright, merciful, brave, just, selfless, honourable and trustworthy. I will fulfill my duty regardless of life or death.

“I am the sword in the darkness, the defender of dreams; I am raging fire resisting the glacial temperatures, the light of dawn. I am the horn that wakes the sleepers, the s.h.i.+eld that protects the glory.”　　

“I will pledge my life and honour to the Watchmen. Starting tonight, and every night onwards…”

Following Jiu Jie’s pledge, a golden light started to slowly emerge from the red book. When he uttered the last word,  the golden light suddenly flashed brightly, until it enveloped his whole body.　

At this time, Luo Yi De, who was standing to the side, did not fully watch the the gold light fully cover JiuJie. Instead, he had turned his head to gaze at his brother’s tombstone with a complicated expression.

Half a day pa.s.sed and he pa.s.sionately murmured to himself, “MingShan ah, you once asked me in the darkest dream: ‘How much strength does one person need in order to be able to grasp onto their happiness?’ After so many years, I still don’t know how to answer. Now, I’ll selfishly toss the question to your son and hope that he will be able to find the answer we have been seeking. Don’t blame me; if you’re in heaven, then please protect him.”

Sheng City’s winter wind was biting. The piercing north wind was like a knife, causing pain to people’s faces.

In the dark cloud enveloping Long Shan’s cemetery, the golden light suddenly shot up,  as if it were the night sky’s brightest star. It pierced through the darkness and brought hope along with it.　

The next day, Sheng City was still covered in dense, dark clouds. It started to snow in the morning, the temperature declined sharply until it was very cold.

There were little people on the streets; most people were staying at home to hide from the cold.

Luo Yi De helped Jiu Jie arrange the funeral and drove him to the Qingnian Street. On the road towards the south, they prepared to leave Sheng City.　

Jiu Jie sat at the front, flipping through the red book in his hands.

Ever since that day when he swore to be a Watchman, new words started to appear in the red book, but the contents were very little. There was only a paragraph of words.

This paragraph was very cryptic, which made JiuJie very confused. He quickly looked up and asked the driving Luo Yi De, “Uncle Luo, what is this red book playing at? Do normal people speak like this?”

The snowfall had hit the roads hard. Luo Yi De continuously stared at the road in front of him. Without even turning his head, he replied, “The red book uses a lot of special terminology, it’s normal if you can’t understand it. You are still a novice Watchman. Once we get to my base, I will teach you from the beginning.”　

JiuJie casually flipped to the latter half of the red book, which was blank, and asked, “If the red book has already acknowledged me as a Watchman, why are there still so many blank pages?”　

“That’s because the strength of your conviction isn’t strong enough.”

“The strength of my conviction?”

“Yes, the strength of your conviction. That is the aforementioned “humbleness, honesty, mercy, bravery, fairness, selflessness and honour ’ in the oath you swore yesterday, these seven virtues. If your actions are continuously carried out in accordance to these qualities, the strength of your conviction will then rise. If you acc.u.mulate to a certain level, the red book will then display the latter half of the book. Conversely, if your actions go against the seven virtues, the strength of your conviction will drop and the contents of the red book will gradually disappear. In the worst case scenario, you will lose the qualifications to be a Watchman as well as its powers.

JiuJie heard this and thought deeply for a while. He slowly closed the book, anxiously looked at his uncle and asked, “Uncle Luo, my dad was a Watchman, right?”　　

Luo Y iDe didn’t glance back again and said indifferently, “These things, you don’t need ask right now. There are a lot of things I haven’t told you to protect you. When the time is right, I will naturally let you know everything.”

“When will the time be ripe?” Jiu Jie insistently asked.　

“Luo YiDe gave a faint laugh, shot a glance at JiuJie and said, “I know what you’re thinking in your heart, but taking revenge and reaching your dreams are the same; they both need a certain amount of strength. Just wait until you are able to read the seventh script of the red book and become a high level Watchman, then we will discuss this again. At that time, I will naturally tell you everything and give you the power for vengeance.　

Because of several days of snow, the drivers on the streets all drove a bit more carefully. Luo Yi De followed Qingnian Street and continued south, leisurely crossing the Five Li River. After getting on the bridge of River Hun, he turned on two flas.h.i.+ng lights and directed the car to stopped at the side of the road.

At the time the car stopped on the bridge of River Hun, there was a wide street in front and a number of skysc.r.a.pers at the back. Below the bridge, the water barreled on towards the east. Mist rose into the air, similar to a dragon trying to conceal something, unusually aggressive with a majestic demeanor.

　　
JiuJie noticed that Luo Yi De had stopped the car and asked, confused, “Why did we stop?”

Luo Yi De glanced at the rear view mirror and saw the snow-covered Shen City. He said to Jiu Jie, “If we keep on going, we won’t know when we’ll be back. Why don’t you glance back and take a look? Just treat it as goodbye.

Jiu Jie, who was leaning back on the chair, had always faced forward; he never had the slightest degree of hesitation. He said softly, “Let’s go, Uncle Luo. There isn’t much to see.”

“Why? You’ve lived there for so many years after all. This time’s departure, there should be a bit of nostalgia right?”

“Nostalgia?” Jiu Jie let out a ‘hmph’ then continued, “When your parents are around, life has a place,  but when they’re gone, there is only one way back. [a.s.sisted by Raltzero on this part] 1 Looking back? What a joke!” 　　

Luo Y iDe shook his head and let out a bitter laugh. He stepped on the accelerator, the car gave a low roar and continued heading south, disappearing into the snowstorm.

That year, Sheng City’s winter was unusually cold, Jiu Jie was sixteen.