Vehicle of Peace

The instant he caught sight of that terrifying outline, Lou Feng's sprint ground to an abrupt halt, screeching to a near-impossible stop where he stood. Every scrap of color drained from his pale face. Without even sparing a thought to attack Ji Jue, he threw himself sideways in an instinctual dive! The septic truck roared past, missing him by mere inches. Yet the foul gale washing over him was enough to make him gag violently. Rolling across the ground in utter disarray, he cast aside all fury and dignity, raising a hand in a desperate shout. "Wait—" Wait for what? Ji Jue didn't hesitate for a single second. Like a true Pokémon trainer seizing the critical window of victory, he ruthlessly barked an order to his summon: "[Squirtle, use Hydro Pump!]" "[Squirtle, Squirtle!!!!]" As if responding to its trainer's command, the massive septic truck snapped out of its drift with a screeching halt. Amidst the deafening racket, the thick pipe of the pump swung around, locking dead onto that terror-stricken face. Outside the clearing, Kong Qingyan abruptly raised her hand to stop it, but her intervention had zero effect. She whipped her head around, glaring furiously at Ye Xian, who was looking on with folded arms. "What's the rush?" Ye Xian said coolly. "It isn't over yet, is it?" In that split second, a horrific tidal roar rose from the darkness. Amidst an indescribable, grotesque rush, an endless torrent of horrifying matter erupted from the booming pump! In the unseen realm, it was as if a cerulean figure had leaped into the air, unleashing an absolute finishing move against a puny foe upon the earth! Noble Phantasm Release— —Spear of Piercing Death Shit! And then: shit, shit, shit, shit, shit... BOOM!!! An appalling tide surged forth, blanketing everything in sight and bringing final judgment! No casualties. No destruction. No death. Subduing the enemy without fighting. Surveying the scene before him, Ji Jue couldn't help nodding in profound admiration. Unlike Nanfeng heavy trucks that invariably left gruesome casualties in their wake, this was truly a vehicle of peace! It seemed he had worried too much earlier. A move this practical was something he'd definitely have to use more often in the future! Then again, while trucks were easy to come by, septic pumpers were hard to track down. They lacked general availability; he couldn't very well haul a honeywagon behind him wherever he went just in case, could he? A Boya was easy to find, but a Ziqi was rare. This stroke of divine genius would likely remain a once-in-a-lifetime masterpiece. He let out a wistful sigh, then took two steps to the side, then two more, and then two more after that... He had no choice. The stench was simply unbearable! Everything about the move was great, except... the environmental contamination was a bit over the top. Meanwhile, within that mound of indescribable filth, the blurry silhouette seemed to finally process what had just happened, and a bloodcurdling shriek tore from his throat. "Aaaaaaaaaaaagh!" Inside the heavy armor, Lou Feng was vomiting violently, on the verge of passing out entirely. But when he raised his hand and saw the foul hues slowly soaking through the gaps in his armor into his bespoke tailored clothes, and tasted the unspeakable flavor lingering in his mouth, he could no longer hold it in. He! Went! Completely! Insane! "You goddamn—" Beneath the splattered sludge, his eyes turned completely bloodshot. "I'm going to kill you!!!!" Ji Jue sighed, slowly shaking his head. A highborn gentleman to the end; even his curses lacked any real bite. He didn't even bother firing another shot. Racking the slide, he ejected the chambered bullet and slipped it back into his pocket. He didn't spare another glance at the figure charging toward him. "Enough!" Kong Qingyan's furious bark rang out. "We forfeit!" *Snap!* In an instant, everything seemed to freeze solid. Whether it was Ji Jue's movements, Lou Feng leaping through the air, or the splashing droplets of sludge—the moment Ye Xian ceased her interference, total control fell into Kong Qingyan's grasp. With a snap of her fingers, the Stasis Zone of the Path of the Desolate Ruins manifested right then and there! A moment later, Lou Feng was yanked backward and dumped onto the ground. Moisture condensed out of thin air, crashing down into a localized downpour that washed him clean like a drowned rat. "Master, why did you stop me?" Lou Feng scrambled up from the dirt, his eyes still crimson. "I haven't lost!" "...Shut up, you've embarrassed us enough!" Kong Qingyan didn't even care to explain. If she hadn't intervened, she probably wouldn't have a student left today! Only then did Ji Jue wave his hand toward the space behind him. Beyond the high wall of the factory compound, another overloaded hundred-ton monster truck that had been waiting on standby along the roadside finally returned to normal. Under the driver's frantic handling, it sped away as if fleeing for dear life. A pity it hadn't gotten its turn to shine. Kong Qingyan's narrow eyes locked onto Ji Jue, her facial muscles twitching as she visibly suppressed the urge to crush him like a bug. In the end, she merely squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth: "We've certainly seen what you're capable of, young Mr. Ji. We shall return another day to seek further guidance. Farewell!" "Oh? Leaving already?" Ji Jue raised an eyebrow in 'bewilderment,' politely trying to persuade them to stay. "Won't you sit a little longer? Master Kong, stay for a meal! It's rare for you to visit, we ought to at least take a photo together!" Alas, no matter how warm his hospitality, the guests never looked back. As expected of a great clan's young master and an esteemed Master; their retreat was truly dignified and imposing, their steps accompanied by the wind. With his humble assistance, they had displayed their finest spirit and showcased their highest skill, ultimately getting exactly what they came for and departing thoroughly satisfied. Surely they left behind no regrets, right? Ji Jue was thoroughly immersed in the self-satisfaction of performing a good deed. Then, he noticed the sidelong glance Professor Ye was directing at him. It was so painfully familiar. His metaphorically wagging tail drooped instantly. Rubbing his hands together, Ji Jue plastered on the servile grin of a quintessential lackey and scurried over. "Professor, how was that?" "How was what? You dragged your feet forever and only put in half an ounce of effort at the very end... Did you actually think I enjoy watching children bicker?" Professor Ye waved a dismissive hand, pointing toward the collapsed factory wall and the foul mess on the ground. "You made this mess. Clean it up yourself." "Uh, wait..." Ji Jue froze in place, his face twitching uncontrollably. He looked toward the silent septic truck. The septic truck looked back at him. As for the catastrophic scene around them... safe to say, the stench spoke for itself. If he actually had to clean this up... He suddenly felt a strong urge to die. Sure enough, forbidden techniques like this were nothing good! They defied heaven's order and harmed others as much as oneself! "What are you standing there for?" As Ye Chun walked past, she gave him a gentle kick and shot him a look. If Ji Jue guessed correctly, she was telling him to follow along. "My aunt's in a good mood. She's just teasing you." "Huh?" Ji Jue froze once more. Chiefly because 'Professor Ye being in a good mood' and 'Professor Ye making a joke' were two concepts that defied all known laws of nature. Then, he witnessed a scene that looked like time flowing in reverse. Around the collapsed wall, the billowing dust froze midair. The scattered stones on the ground lost their gravity and gently floated upward, while the hurled bricks hovered suspended in the empty space. As the septic truck slowly reversed, the grime and mess on the ground contracted, siphoning back into the massive tank before returning to where they had originally been, as though answering a sovereign command. The wall reconstructed itself; the filth dissolved without a trace. Everything restored itself to its original state at a speed visible to the naked eye. Even the onlookers craning their necks outside the wall seemed to fall under its sway, stepping backward like stiff puppets to return to their original posts. They lifted their heads as though waking from a dream, feeling as if something had just occurred, yet unable to recall it clearly. In just a few brief snaps of a finger, every trace had been thoroughly wiped away. Ji Jue couldn't even begin to fathom the underlying mechanics. He could only faintly discern the powers involved through the residual traces of the Sovereign Virtue insignias... Heart Pivot erased their memories, Tianyuan controlled the machinery, and the all-recording Aether guided everything back to its rightful place. Yet what truly reversed it all was the Sovereign Virtue insignia that Ji Jue had only a tenuous grasp of—one he couldn't use or gain proficiency with at all: Sovereign Virtue · Eternal Gate! The mysterious Sovereign Virtue governing time and space had made only a fleeting appearance during Ji Jue's Celestial Conscription; since then, it had shown no further favor or affinity toward him. Aloof and elusive. Ji Jue didn't even understand why he had been able to master the formation of that insignia, even after experiencing nineteen years of time and surviving within that space. Through this seemingly effortless display, the vast factory district—previously concealed behind a veil—seemed to reveal a sliver of its true form to him. Countless spiritus circuits lay dormant amidst the thick mists, forming a colossal radial structure that extended outward from the workshop building. If a craftsman was an absolute sovereign within their workshop, then everything here had already been enveloped under Professor Ye's complete control. Down to every single cubic inch of air... "Is this what a Master truly is?" Ji Jue murmured under his breath, instinctively following behind her. But suddenly, his footsteps faltered slightly. *Wait a minute. If that's the case... how did that septic truck smash through the perimeter wall so easily?* *That doesn't add up. For the longest time, barely anyone has walked near this factory district, hardly any cars pass by, and there are almost no active businesses or facilities around...* *Aside from a few abandoned construction sites where you might occasionally spot a stray worker, it's basically a godforsaken wasteland.* *So why was there municipal maintenance all of a sudden today?* *And what kind of coincidence placed a vacuum truck right next to the compound wall? With its pump running non-stop, chugging away like crazy, as if terrified Ji Jue wouldn't notice it?* "..." He didn't dare say a word, nor did he dare ask. His steps simply fell out of rhythm into an awkward, nervous shuffle, leaving Ye Chun increasingly baffled as to what new trick he was pulling. "No, it's nothing," Ji Jue squeezed out a smile, remarking softly, "I just suddenly realized... the Professor truly despises that Master Kong, doesn't she?" Walking at the very front, Professor Ye remained as placid as ever. She didn't even bother looking back. *** Returning to the workshop lounge, Professor Ye took her seat. On the table, the strong tea had finally steeped. Gesturing for Ji Jue to sit, she didn't bother beating around the bush. "How does it feel to have such a bothersome mess dumped on you out of nowhere today, and needlessly make an enemy out of a young master of the Lou clan?" "It wasn't bad, I guess?" Ji Jue looked mildly puzzled. To be honest, he had the guts to get right up in Yu Hanguang's face; a spoiled brat from the Lou clan didn't register on his radar at all. "Professor, you've looked out for me so much. Taking care of a little trouble on the side is hardly worth mentioning. I'm not the petty type." "I know," Professor Ye nodded blandly. "I am." The corner of Ji Jue's eye twitched violently. *...How am I supposed to respond to that?!* "A person must possess a clear understanding of themselves to avoid letting success go to their head," Professor Ye stated frankly. "I do not consider myself kind, forgiving, or weak. Quite the contrary: I am narrow-minded and petty to a fault. I've known this about myself since I was twelve, and I have never once considered changing it. I am the sort of person who might not necessarily repay a kindness, but I will never let a grudge slide. "Now, someone entered my workshop, provoked me, and proceeded to bring humiliation upon herself. She has left, but that does not mean the offense never occurred. "Therefore, she must pay the price." Professor Ye set down her teacup, her habitually aloof expression dripping with frost. "Because that is the cycle of karma—retribution swift and certain." "...I understand." Ji Jue hesitated multiple times, struggling for words, before finally mustering the courage to offer a gentle warning: "Professor, if a Master suddenly turns up dead out of nowhere, it's going to cause absolute chaos!" It wasn't that her student was unwilling to help or handle the dirty work. He genuinely couldn't pull that off!