Chapter 48: The Unpredictable Stranger, Part 2

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The Great Wuchang alone could single-handedly destroy an entire country—

Forgive me for the disbelief that washed over me upon hearing those words. Coming from Zhu Shi’s mouth, within the framework of my previous worldview, it was akin to a government official openly admitting that “the five permanent members of the Security Council are merely puppets controlled by the Rothschild family”—a ridiculous notion more suited to street-corner conspiracy theories.

Then I snapped back to reality.

“What scale of country are you referring to when you say ‘an entire country’? A small African nation? Or an ancient kingdom before the rise of industrial civilization?”

“I mean the country we’re in right now.” Zhu Shi gestured toward the ground beneath us.

“Are you serious?” I questioned.

“Yes, I am.” She thought for a moment, then added, “Actually, I’ve never personally witnessed the Great Wuchang in serious combat. At least, based on what I’ve learned, the Great Wuchang are capable of such feats.

“Historically, the Great Wuchang could summon tsunamis and floods, trigger earthquakes and droughts, and unleash other natural disasters like typhoons. When they got serious, the scale of their devastation was so immense it could be recorded in the annals of history.

“Not even concentrated nuclear bombardments could kill a Great Wuchang, because they either possess defenses that transcend worldly logic or an immortality that allows them to recover even if their body and soul are utterly destroyed.

“In fact, some of the gods from myths passed down through the ages were originally Great Wuchang who once ravaged the earth or brought blessings to certain regions.”

To be able to cause tsunamis and earthquakes, floods and droughts...

I wasn’t sure if Zhu Shi’s words were true. Although I trusted she wouldn’t lie to me, were such records reliable? I lacked extensive knowledge about natural disasters but knew enough basic facts. For instance, earthquakes significant enough to be recorded in history release energy equivalent to hundreds or thousands of Hiroshima atomic bombs.

The same applied to tsunamis and typhoons. Nuclear weapons are hailed as the ultimate killers of modern civilization, serving as the cornerstone of balance between great powers, yet their total energy output pales in comparison to large-scale natural disasters.

It made sense that the Great Wuchang, able to control such colossal calamities, would not fear nuclear weapons.

But this raised a perplexing question: if Great Wuchang were capable of such power, why would they still nominally obey the directives of a nation?

Or put bluntly—since these beings wield such divine might, why haven’t they established their own dominion like a celestial court instead of merely founding the Luoshan Organization?

Why do they quietly deal with dangers and anomalies beneath the surface, rather than stepping out to rule the world openly?

Ultimately, if our country harbors such earth-shattering figures in the literal sense, why does history still contain so many disappointing twists and turns?

I threw all these questions at Zhu Shi.

She revealed an expression of helplessness: “I can’t answer you.”

“Is this one of Luoshan’s secrets?” I asked.

“No, it’s not that... it’s not a secret. In fact, it’s common knowledge here.” She seemed to carefully choose her words. “The reason I can’t answer you is not because I don’t want to, but because none of the demon hunters I know, including myself, knows the answer.”

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My confusion deepened. “You mean even Luoshan doesn’t know why they do what they do?”

“Yes.” She nodded. “Why demon hunters and anomalies aren’t revealed to the secular world, and why they don’t seize control of this country—we don’t know the fundamental reason we don’t do so.”

“Then, if not from the organization’s standpoint but your personal one, why do you think you choose to act this way?” I pressed.

“Because everyone around me does, so I follow suit.” She answered straightforwardly. “I have no desire to dominate others or seek fame and fortune. As long as I can protect the innocent, that’s enough.”

“That...” I felt overwhelmed by doubt, “at least the core leadership of Luoshan must know why they do this, right? They—meaning the Great Wuchang—hide their true intentions from all of you and force you to act accordingly. Over time, you’ve just gotten used to it... isn’t that the case?”

This time, her words plunged me into an even deeper fog: “No, that’s not it. The Great Wuchang themselves don’t know the truth.”

I countered, “How can you be sure the Great Wuchang don’t know the truth?”

“Because the Great Wuchang have been clashing over this very issue for the past three years,” she said. “Do you remember what I told you the night before last? Luoshan is currently mired in chaos and conflict. Everyone is gradually realizing that what they’ve been doing isn’t as self-evident as they thought. They could reveal themselves to society, become rulers of this country, or even attempt much more.”

“Your explanation sounds like all demon hunters have been under some inexplicable hypnosis, which has only just been lifted for unknown reasons,” I joked.

She neither confirmed nor denied. “‘Hypnosis theory’ is popular in Luoshan, though it’s hard to imagine that all the Great Wuchang, past and present, were hypnotized.”

I had spoken offhandedly, yet she didn’t strongly refute it.

No wonder she was evasive when I last asked why Luoshan hides the truth about anomalies from society—it was because she truly didn’t know how to explain.

“Wait, you just said this chaos has been ongoing for three years...” I pondered her words carefully. “Why has this turmoil lasted so long without resolution? Aren’t the Great Wuchang capable of easily conquering this country?”

Not just this country—if foreign nations lack similar colossal supernatural organizations, the Great Wuchang, able to control massive natural disasters, could easily conquer the world if they wished.

Perhaps I had struck a crucial nerve, because Zhu Shi’s expression suddenly turned very serious.

“Before I answer that, Zhuang Cheng, I want to ask you a question—”

Seeing this, I focused intently, ready to take her question seriously.

She deliberately waited for me to prepare mentally before posing her question:

“How do you view the world today?

“How do you perceive superpowered individuals like yourself, and ordinary people without powers?

“Do you believe superpowered individuals are a superior group compared to ordinary people? Do you think you should be the rulers of the world, commanding those without power to submit to you and revere you as gods?”

Hearing these words, I instantly grasped the chaos unfolding inside Luoshan.

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What she raised was fundamentally a question of stance.

Currently, Luoshan must at least temporarily be divided between two irreconcilable voices: one faction believes demon hunters should stand above all, become human gods, and rule all beings; the other advocates for reintegration of demon hunters into the existing social order in a relatively peaceful manner.

Given Zhu Shi’s character, her views likely align with the latter. Since I was joining Luoshan through her, I should speak words she would favor. In other words, this was a political alignment that required serious consideration.

I opened my mouth to utter a lie, but inexplicably, I felt utterly weary of this politically charged exchange and decided to speak the truth instead.

“Yes, I think superpowered individuals are superior to ordinary people.” I stated candidly.

This was no spur-of-the-moment claim.

Since awakening my abilities and growing stronger, I had repeatedly pondered how I should view myself in relation to society. More specifically, whether I could consider myself inherently superior to ordinary people.

The answer was yes. I am a superpowered individual, wielding violence far beyond that of ordinary people. I am indeed superior.

In the past, people around me criticized me and sometimes said hurtful things. The reason I never used my powers to get back at them, besides lacking the emotional drive, was probably because I could kill them anytime. Holding the upper hand in power allowed me to treat them with extraordinary tolerance.

For a time, I even tried to imitate the aloof authority of protagonists in fantasy novels, speaking in a detached tone as if I held life and death in my hands.

But I often forgot I had set myself up that way. When someone near me made a joke or did something funny, I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Over time, I just thought, “Forget it.” Even if I had the power to lord over others, I didn’t particularly desire such a life.

On the other hand, while concluding that superpowered individuals are superior, I couldn’t help but harbor doubts.

Indeed, if another superpowered person appeared before me and claimed superiority over ordinary people by virtue of their power alone, I would acknowledge it. Violence matters. Human history is a history of power struggles, where the strongest violence-holder claims legitimacy. No matter how powerful the weapon of criticism, it’s no match for the critique of force.

But to be honest, I always felt such an approach was somewhat tasteless.

Or, to use a popular phrase, “lacking class.” Violence can force everyone to admit your superiority and eliminate dissenters, but that is merely grudging submission. I believe a person superior to ordinary people should possess some form of persuasive power that commands genuine respect. Not just physical superiority, but intellectual and aesthetic refinement as well.

I shared these thoughts with Zhu Shi.

The more she listened, the more silent she grew, until finally she spoke her reflections: “...Overall, you still believe superpowered individuals are superior to ordinary people... isn’t that right?”

“More or less, yes.” I admitted.

“Then why did you become friends with your brother? Isn’t he also someone you consider ‘lower than yourself’?” she asked.