Critical: Ages Below Critical Chapter 3.1

Chapter 3: Tactic Understanding (Part 1)

Beside his ears are the concentrated drumbeats akin to explosions,
as if a large iron hammer is pounding on his chest,
countless sky-reaching large trees fall along the path,
in the sky are fitful strange screeches like that from insects,
sounding like metal sc.r.a.ping across metal,
yet it seems to have the power to destroy everything.

 

 

The black clouds that rolled in block the moon; only a faint and murky blur of the moon is seen from behind the thick cloud cover. The wind causes the branches at the crown of the trees to sway; slow rustling sounds can be heard. As if what’s atop of the head is an ocean of trees like the desert, bringing out the silence of the night.

In the wind, you can feel the obviousness of the beginning of winter, small particles suspended in the air, are they dew or ice shards? No one can tell; they only know that when they come into contact with their skin, goose b.u.mps will arise.

Qi Ling’s eyes are wide open, his breath becoming murky due to his nervousness and haste, facing a nude Yin Chen with his back facing him, he is speechless.
 

In the dark, Yin Chen’s back, thighs, arm, nape……all over his body, aside from his face, his skin is paved with a golden network. Countless golden light move along this network akin to venation of leaves slowly, and they come together at the ‘Seal’ on his tailbone. As if a large river system with intersecting streams is spread all over Yin Chen’s body.

The ‘Seal’ is as if a strong heart, gurgling and beating, the golden liquid circulating continuously from it.

In the slowly rising and falling breath-like golden gleam, Yin Chen turns around, his features are shrouded in the golden light, his handsomeness stifling, he faces Qi Ling, “The nature of the art of the soul, is to store the potential of the soul powers in the body for application. Every single person has soul powers when they are born; the difference is how much they have. Those who learned how to apply their soul powers became soul masters; those that never understood how to, just like you before, remain an average citizen. There are thousands upon thousands of ways to apply your soul powers, and the way the seven ‘Lords’ are using the art of the soul, is the strongest seven applications in our country, they are also unique, hence they are different. The one I have bestowed in your body has the same return circuit as mine, you can easily imagine all the nerves, networks and blood vessels into a river system, and then picture your soul powers as water, flowing along the river-like circuit of soul powers, and in cooperation with external elements – water, wind, earth, fire, they will generate immense power.”

Qi Ling stares at Yin Chen whose body is filled with the thin, golden return circuit in the dark, forgetting how to speak completely, he can only hear Yin Chen’s low and magnetic voice, like a fist that’s punching his chest neither hard nor soft.

“And the way to control your soul beast is also through your surge of soul powers. When you release your soul beast during a battle, the strength of the soul beast is determined by two factors – one is the strength of the soul power of the soul beast itself, the other is your usage of your soul beast. Through constant impacts on our ‘Lord’s Seal’ from our soul powers, every single time there’s a surge, the strength of our soul beast and ourselves will increase, it’s like the ringing of a bell, your ‘Lord’s Seal’ is the bell, your soul power is the wooden beam, the higher the number of impact on the ‘Lord’s Seal’, the greater the power, the louder the sound of the bell.”

Qi Ling looks dumbstruck, his mouth moving slightly, n.o.body knows what he’s saying, he moves towards Yin Chen subconsciously, as if dazzled by the brilliance of the golden light in front of him……
 

“Let’s go slow, I’ll teach you everything anyway, also……” It’s as if Yin Chen suddenly thought of something as he stopped talking. He gets dressed slowly, draping his silvery white robe over his body before turning to address Qi Ling: “There’s also something I have to remind warn you of……”

“What is it……” Qi Ling’s eyes stare straight at Yin Chen’s, his breathing low and hurried.

“That is, people with the same soul’s return circuit, they will be……how should I put this, attracted to each other.” Yin Chen puts on his clothes properly before waving his hand in front of Yin Chen, a thin layer of frost settles on his face. Qi Ling senses awaken immediately from the sudden cold.

Qi Ling raises his eyebrows, “What did you say? Attracted to each other? Stop kidding, two men, how awkward is that……” Qi Ling says as he glances at Yin Chen, he thinks to himself: “Even if I am attracted, it’s because you’re too pretty, more pale than the girls of Fauser, if you have nothing better to do then do some farming or tanning!”

“That’s because, the people who usually have the same return circuits are usually that of a ‘n.o.ble Lord’ and ‘Disciple’. There is already an a.s.sailable loyalty and pledge of one’s life between the ‘n.o.ble Lord’ and ‘Disciple’.  This relation is something like love for humans, to each other they are the only one, willing to sacrifice everything for the other.” Yin Chen sighs at the dumbfounded Qi Ling in front of him before continuing, “And just talking about the soul powers, soul masters will have grand desire to own the more powerful of the souls, to soul masters, to soul masters, the most strong of soul powers represent the highest grandeur of beauty, the deadliest attraction. And to someone who has identical return circuits of the soul, this deadly attraction is even stronger. This is akin to s.e.xual desire in humans……”

“Please kill me……”

“Don’t worry, this is only at the beginning. When you gradually get used to this emotion, this obsession with the soul powers that is identical to that in your return circuit, the feeling will diminish over time, and that feeling of s.e.xual desire or love, they will slowly transform into a real emotion deep in the soul. When that comes, you humans will be able to differentiate this emotion from s.e.xual desire, although they seem the same at first glance, but in actuality they are completely different……only at this stage, you humans confuse the two easily……”

“Okay okay, stop saying you humans you humans you humans……as if you’re not human yourself……” Qi Ling scratches his head, his expression revealing that he is unable to accept this.

“I was a human before……” Yin Chen smiles faintly, coupled with the soft white light of his face, he looks ethereal.

“You say you used to be human……” Qi Ling’s hair stands on its ends, he stumbles backwards, “Then what are you now?!”

“I also don’t know what we’re considered……like this. Some people think that we are deities; others think we are devils. Some people think that we don’t actually exist; others think we’re monsters……” Yin Chen looks at Qi Ling expressionlessly as he says lightly.

Qi Ling’s heart calms down, he stares at Yin Chen who stands before him, on his pa.s.sive but handsome face, there seems to be a faint shadow of sorrow. Can it be that even the G.o.d-like ‘Lord’ has something to worry about? Qi Ling shakes his head, unable to understand.

“Then next time, I won’t just like boys right? I don’t want that……My mom is still waiting for me to let her hold a fat grandson……” Qi Ling coughs slightly before adding on awkwardly and softly, “Although my mom is already dead……”

“You don’t like boys, you like me.” Yin Chen’s sharp brows furrow, in his mind he’s doubting the intelligence of this person before him, he’s a person with striking appearance, what if there’s something wrong with his brain?

“Isn’t that the same!” Qi Ling falls dramatically to his knees, raising his hand before yelling, “How have I sinned……”

“It’s not that you like me, I’m only using this emotions as an example for you!” Yin Chen raises his hand, Qi Ling’s yells disappear immediately, his mouth full of ice, yet he’s still using his large eyes to glare and express “what a tragedy!”

“The emotions between a ‘Lord’ and their ‘Disciple’ is complicated, it’s different from kins.h.i.+p, different from friends.h.i.+p, if you really want to put a label on it, to those who just became exposed to it, it’s something akin to love, it is an emotion that is possessive, destructive, separated only by death. This kind of emotions doesn’t exist in mankind, that’s why I can only use love and s.e.xual desire as an example for you……when it reaches the later stages, to be more precise, maybe it will be better to refer to this emotion as ‘tactic understanding’, understanding each other without words, understanding how each other feel.”

Yin Chen looks at Qi Ling whose mouth has been sealed shut by ice and can’t speak, but faced with the frowning Qi Ling, Yin Chen can only sigh before squatting, reaching out a hand to graze over his lips, the ice shards in Qi Ling’s mouth transforms into warm and soothing spring water, after Qi Ling swallows, the first sentence he says is: “Then will I have to marry you?!”

Expressionlessly, Yin Chen stands up. Rolling his eyes, he reaches out and waves a hand; Qi Ling’s mouth is then sealed with even more ice shards.
 

Yin Chen turns around and walks towards the root system of a towering tree, he finds a place where a thick layer of moss has grown around the root and lies down. The moss has withered in the early winter season, forming a pile that is dry and fluffy, under his body, it’s like a blanket, warm and comfortable.

Qi Ling swirls his numb tongue before thinking with hatred: “It’s just sleeping but he has to choose a place that’s so comfortable, so pampered!”

He lies down where he is, carelessly spreading his limbs.

The thick colour of the night is as if a cold tide of water, rustling the forest gently. The small town of Fauser, in the early winter season, feels as if it is about to snow.

Qi Ling lies on the cold and hard floor with his teeth clenched, after a long while, he could not take the bone-chilling coldness anymore and shouts towards Yin Chen: “Can I sleep where you are? It’s too cold!”

“No.” Yin Chen replies, eyes still shut, body still.

“Why?!” Qi Ling sits up, his healthy raven hair sits messily on his head.

“Because the me at this moment, to you, “Yin Chen shakes his head gently, as if in pity, “Is much too attractive.”

“……Are you even listening to yourself!” Qi Ling flips onto the floor angrily, he gets up again the moment he lies down, “Then give your robe to me to use as a blanket!”

“No.”

“Why?!” Qi Ling’s eyes narrow, his pearly whites clenched, “Unless your nuisance of a robe is also too attractive?!”

“The robe is not attractive, “ Yin Chen s.h.i.+fts to a more comfortable position, hugging his robe tighter to himself, looking as cozy as someone in bed, “There’s mys cent on the robe, and my scent, to you now, is overly attractive.”

“……Are you even listening to yourself!” Qi Ling lies down again angrily.

Just as he lies down, a sudden gurgling sound appears. From the depths of the soil beneath his body, a layer of thin but strong ice wall shoots out from the ground, like a coc.o.o.n, it builds a tent over his head. The small icehouse envelops him, preventing the cold wind from blowing in, and his own body warmth gradually raises the temperature of the small s.p.a.ce.

Qi Ling lies in the small icehouse built by Yin Chen; his heart feels warm. Since young, he’s always been an orphan, he became used to taking care of himself, although he only knew Yin Chen for one day, yet, there is the familiar feeling of closeness. Although he seems to be very unfeeling and is harsh with his words, but under his frosty exterior, he still feels the care, it is warm, maybe it’s just like what he said, between the ‘Lord’ and ‘Disciple’, there really exists an indistinguishable emotion, just like the icehouse he constructed for him, although it’s as cold as ice, yet it can make the night warm……I, am I in love with him?

“Yin Chen, I beg of you! Leave a hole for me to breathe! Are you building a house or a coffin! Do you have any humanity in you!”'
 

[West of Aslan Empire – Port City of Rennes]

The sharp bird calls of the sky suddenly hurls explosively towards the ground, countless feathers unfurling across the sky before vanis.h.i.+ng.

After the feathers turned into smoke, Lianquan appears on the ground, opposite her, the white shadow is no longer escaping. The white silhouetted stands eerily silent in the darkness, her back facing Lianquan, not speaking, not moving, as if a white spirit floating in the cold of the night.

This is a lengthy path. To be more precise, it’s the spatial line between the two palaces, the outer walls of the two skysc.r.a.ping buildings, in the middle is a thin and long path that a horse-pulled carriage can barely squeeze through.

Lianquan stands there, glaring coldly at the white figure slowly turning her head. She is an extremely beautiful girl, exquisite features seeming foreign under the moonlight, as if emitting a glow.

“What do you want?” Lianquan asks the girl coldly.

“Me, heh heh,” The girl lifts her hand gently, covering her mouth as if she’s embarra.s.sed, between her tender lips are a set of bright teeth, her gaze is gentle, looking at Lianquan, she seems apologetic, “I’m here to kill you.”

“Kill me? Do you know who I am?” Lianquan’s pupils tighten, her face revealing its coolness under the moonlight.

“I do, you’re Guishan Lianquan, the incredible ‘5th Disciple’.” The white chiffon of the girl’s flowing lightly in the wind as if the clouds or smoke is enveloping her graceful body, as if an illusion. “Your brother is even more incredible, Guishan Fenghun, ‘5th Lord’! Then again, isn’t the feeling between a ‘Lord’ and a ‘Disciple’ an ambiguous chemistry? You two are siblings……aren’t you afraid of people talking? Like incest……that doesn’t sound very nice.” The girl makes a shy expression, as if she said something that’s hard to utter. But at the same time she lifts the corner of her enchanting eyes, throwing a fluid glance at Lianquan, her gaze mocking.

“You must seek death!”

“Of course I don’t seek death,” the look on the girl’s face is sincere, she spreads her hands out, saying, “That’s why I lured you here, do you think it’s not tiring flying for so long in the sky, it really tires a person out. Do you think everyone is like you who has a flying brute?”

“You!” Guishan Lianquan’s temple throbs; she can hear the pounding of her blood in her blood vessels.

The girl ignores her completely, continuing her monologue,: “If I tried to attack you at the seaside just now and you let your soul beast’ ‘Hai Yin’ out, and that thing comes rus.h.i.+ng out of the ocean, then what should I do, I might be defeated!”

Lianquan barks out a laugh coldly, “Just you, I don’t even need to summon a soul beast, maybe I won’t even require An Chi.”

“Don’t say things like that,” The girl looks slightly angry now, “Although I know you’re the ‘5th Disciple’, you’re very strong, but, I’m not weak as well, that’s why you must be serious when attacking me, if not it will be so boring!”

“If you really want to die so badly, I’ll help you.” On Guishan Lianquan’s hand, countless golden flowing patterns appear gradually. The ground beneath her feet is as if suddenly faced with a tornado, blowing at her black robes, they rustle ominously in the wind, making her resemble a ghoul prepared to engulf someone in the night.

“You’re going to start this battle so hastily? We’re both girls, we should be more elegant, also, before you start, I should tell you,” The girl tucks a few strands of hair behind her ears, “I’m also a ‘Disciple’, also, I have a special name, I really like it, I’m know as the ‘Ma.s.sacre Disciple' or 'Killing Disciple’.”

The girl shakes her wrist, the string of blue jewels as clear as the ocean tinkers. Under the moonlight, the girl’s smile is like the most beautiful of paintings, her flowing white dress surrounding her thin and shapely figure, looking like a pure G.o.ddess.

It’s as if Guishan Lianquan’s heart just plummeted into the icy abyss deep in the ocean.

“Aiya, look at me, I’m so rude, I only remembered to tell you my nickname, completely forget my name, I, my name is Shen Yin.”