Chapter 53: Who is the

In an instant, the entire training room fell into absolute silence.

Only the sound of Ji Jue's jaw hitting the floor could be heard.

"Huh?"

He began to doubt his own ears.

"Did I not make myself clear?"

Old Zhang asked back in confusion, "Run, it means to flee. In Imperial, it's 'RUN!', and in the Yingzhou language from the Thousand Islands, it's 'Run away!'"

Seeing that he looked ready to explain in every language imaginable, Ji Jue hurriedly waved his hands. "No, no, no, I understand what 'run' means, but I don't understand... why do I have to run?"

"Because you can't beat them."

Old Zhang was concise, straightforward, and hit the nail on the head... sinking Ji Jue's eager heart.

Awakened of the Ember lineage are universally recognized as "combat-power-of-five" trash; their abilities are all geared toward production and creation. To put it bluntly, they are not a combat profession at all!

Although others aren't exactly combat-focused either—only the Swarm lineage has legitimate expertise in killing and arson—there is no doubt that if a ranking were to be made, Ember would be a strong contender for last place!

Second only to Aether!

But if it's the Aether path, they'd read your killing intent from eight hundred meters away. If they woke up in the morning and had a hunch—calculating a hex, drawing a card, tossing a holy grail, or having a premonition—and found today was a day of great misfortune, they just wouldn't leave the house, alright?

When encountering an enemy, the Aether user says, "I'll crush him with telekinesis"; the Bai Lu says, "I'll bide my time and kill with one strike"; the Wasteland says, "If you can't break my defense, I'll break yours"; the Vortex is an unkillable cockroach; the Mirror can hide itself and change into a thousand forms; the Heart Pivot can directly control the enemy... even the Transmutation lineage has signature control skills like "Soul Shock."

What do you, Ember, have?

Tell the opponent to wait a moment while you light the furnace and perform alchemy on the spot?

The food and the corpse would both be cold by then, brother!

The strength of an Ember Awakened lies in the convenience of borrowing external objects to strengthen their own power, but the weakness lies there too. External objects are, after all, external. Once an emergency occurs, they fall into a helpless predicament.

They are too dependent on the environment and conditions. Even if a craftsman's dominance within their own workshop is absolute, once they leave the workshop, they are the "youngest of the young."

"Do not hesitate. Unless you are inside your own workshop, fully protected, the moment you encounter an enemy outside, run immediately, open up the distance, call for support, and preserve yourself to the greatest extent!"

Old Zhang said sternly, repeatedly warning, "Once you are alone and unprepared, if you cannot shake off the entanglement and run at the first opportunity, you can only wait for death!

In all these years, I have seen too many Ember craftsmen killed by this method. It should be said that to target an Awakened of the Ember lineage, one must use this kind of ambush tactic!"

There's no helping it.

Who told you that neither your own abilities nor the skills you excel at are capable of handling an encounter battle?

Even Ji Jue is the same.

The only reason he can take advantage is that he has always stayed in Yacheng, where mechanical equipment is everywhere and available to borrow. But even in Yacheng, it's not safe.

Too many restrictions.

He still needs to move to the military base as soon as possible. Otherwise, if the Nanfeng heavy truck can't move, Ji Jue can only wash his neck and wait for death.

"Of course, once you reach a high rank, the situation may not be the same as it is now.

High-rank Ember Awakened are basically covered in all kinds of equipment, from life-saving and self-preservation, to fleeing and blinking, to counter-attacking or cursing... even Swarm Awakened might flip their cars."

Old Zhang said slowly, "And during the low-rank period of an Ember Awakened, the best defensive tool you can utilize is a gun!"

"Huh?" Ji Jue remained dazed.

"A gun. GUN, firearm!"

Old Zhang used his three-language teaching method again, continuing, "Summoning, Transmutation, Rebirth, Transcendence—the four realms and twelve tiers of the Awakened raw stone stage. Right up until the end of the Transmutation tier, Awakened are actually still mortal flesh and blood. Without preparation, even the strongest Awakened will die if shot in the head."

Therefore, you must learn how to use a gun.

Team Leader Wen said your marksmanship is not bad, so I won't nag you about how to practice. You have it with you today, right?"

Hearing this, Ji Jue hesitated and looked at the bag he had placed in the corner.

There was indeed one in there.

Although he had already returned Lu Feng's service pistol, during the time he held it, he had at least used his ability to "cheat" his pistol shooting level up to a proficient and elite standard, which could be considered a specialty.

"Very good."

Old Zhang nodded with satisfaction. "So, our next training project is to help you cultivate a habit—in an encounter battle, how to draw and fire in the shortest time, empty the magazine, and run while opening up distance!"

"Huh?!"

Ji Jue lost his voice again, dumbfounded.

No, brother—no, Grandpa, do you want to listen to what you're saying?

"It doesn't matter, this place is bulletproof; it won't hurt anyone else. And with this caliber, unless it's an alchemical bullet, I can block it."

Old Zhang smiled, helped him take the safety off the pistol, chambered a round, reversed the grip, and handed it over. "Next, we will simulate an encounter scenario.

The moment I move, you use the technique I just taught you: use spiritual quality to enhance muscle speed, accelerating your draw and aim. At the same time, use the Bai Lu emblem to strengthen your legs, increasing your explosive power while running to open up distance."

"However, if you can't run fast enough, then I can only..."

Old Zhang paused subtly. His seemingly withered and powerless hand clenched, revealing a hint of brilliant pure gold.

And on his wrinkled face, he silently revealed a meaningful smile:

"Hehehehehe."

In that instant, Ji Jue's vision went black.

Because the bone-chilling cold and the old man's iron fist, amidst the sharp, strange laughter, came rushing toward him!!!

For the entire morning, noon, and afternoon, the direction of the training ground echoed with shrill screams and shouts, mixed with heart-piercing pleas for mercy and the wails that made Tong Hua pull up a small stool and refuse to leave.

So satisfying! Although the one at fault first was himself...

But watching others have bad luck is really so happy!

Even Wen Wen, who was passing by, couldn't help but stop and listen for a while.

"So intense."

She sighed, "It's been a long time since Old Zhang had this much fun, right?"

"Mm-hmm."

An Ran, the dropout teenager playing games in the lobby, nodded. "Because every time Sister Tong Hua trains, she cries, and then Old Zhang doesn't know what to do. Hmm, tactics—despicable!"

"Where is it despicable? Knowing how to beg for mercy is also a kind of wisdom, okay?!" Tong Hua glared. "And it really hurts! That shoulder throw from last time—I still have nightmares when I think about it!"

Bang!

Amidst the screams, a figure flew out, smashed open the training room door, and landed face-first on the ground. Seeing Wen Wen not far away, he was instantly overjoyed.

"Sister Wen, save me, save me!" Ji Jue cried with tears and snot. "I have shed blood for the North Mountain District, I have performed meritorious service for the Security Bureau, I..."

"Hehehehe, young man, our training isn't over yet. Where are you going?"

The withered, skinny old man's figure appeared behind him like a ghost, grinning strangely, a sizzling bullet head still clamped between his teeth. He grabbed Ji Jue by the back of his collar, his tone still gentle and kind:

"Don't worry, fighting is just like this. It's scary at first, but it won't hurt later. If you get a taste of the sweetness, you might even get addicted.

Here, I'll give you a shot first. After the shot, your whole brain will be filled with the desire to fight. Once you get used to it, you might even come looking for me impatiently every week."

Slap!

The teetering door closed again.

The corridor was dead silent.

Tong Hua and Wen Wen looked at each other; Tong Hua's face turned red.

"The plot inside seems to be getting worse and worse, Sister Wen..." She covered her flushed nose, her smile becoming increasingly twisted. "But I like it so much!"

It wasn't until after five o'clock in the afternoon that the screams in the training ground finally stopped.

To be precise, he had already run out of strength to scream by three o'clock... but now, what replaced it was a bone-chilling sound of joints rubbing together.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

"Oh oh oh oh—gentle, be gentle." Ji Jue groaned weakly. "Too much force, I can't take it... oh oh oh oh!!!"

Accompanied by his words, the pair of calloused hands resting on his neck tightened and gave a sudden twist, and that crisp sound echoed inside his skull.

—Crack!

As Old Zhang let go, Ji Jue slumped to the ground like a puppet with cut strings, turning into a puddle of mud, with no strength left in his entire body.

But strangely, following that extremely rough and bold bone-setting—which felt as if he were being completely dismantled and put back together—and the massage that almost twisted a layer of skin off, Ji Jue actually felt incredibly relaxed.

It was as if his whole person had become ten pounds lighter.

His whole body was flushed red, sweating continuously.

The bruises and swelling were dissipating rapidly, his legs, which had become numb and aching from long-term use of physical enhancement, regained sensation, and his back, which had become stiff from long-term hunching over, felt completely opened up, while his neck, which always clicked when turned, was also incredibly smooth.

Like a rebirth.

He even suspected that Old Zhang had taken advantage of his inattention to peel his skin off and apply a layer of D40 to his joints; otherwise, why would it be so silky smooth?

"Too much dampness is bad for the body, young man. You should exercise more. Learning is important, and health is also important!"

Old Zhang, having finished his work, held a towel, wiped the medicinal oil off his hands, and asked with a grin, "How was my bone-setting massage?"

Ji Jue lay on the ground, feeling so comfortable he didn't want to speak, only raising his hand to give a thumbs up.

Nothing to say!

It was freaking awesome!

Thus, a business card was placed before his eyes. He opened his eyes to look: "Zhang's Massage"!

"I've spent half my life fighting and killing with no real skill, but this massage of mine is a family-inherited craft. Now that I'm retired, my daughter and grandson are taking care of the shop. Remember to come and support the business when you have time!"

"Easy, easy!"

Ji Jue didn't hesitate. Just based on this skill, it was a master craft; he had to get a membership card and bring Lu Ma and the others to experience it another day.

Hmm, as soon as he made money, he'd go!

Unfortunately, the need was right before his eyes, but the money-making was nowhere in sight...

Thinking of his credit card, whose repayment amount kept getting higher after constant installments, he couldn't help but want to shed small pearls of tears.

His skills and abilities had grown a bit in the past few months, but the places to spend money were also increasing, and it was destined to be even more in the future. The hole was hard to fill, and it had a tendency to get bigger.

It made him so hateful that he couldn't help but want to make Little Niu Ma bring her own chicken legs to work.

Never mind water and electricity; he could barely afford the feed!

Moreover, personal debt was only a small part of it; there were still a large number of projects that hadn't been calculated in.

Not to mention the student loans that looked like a mountain before but were now just a drizzle, just adding up the alchemy learning fees and material consumption for Professor Ye, Ji Jue's debt would turn into a massive bad debt that would make any loan officer at the Yacheng Bank want to hang themselves!

Life was hard.

If there was no more income, it really wouldn't work.

Recently, Sister Sister Sister Laila had been calling him non-stop, asking if he had time, if he wanted to do some private work, and saying the price was negotiable. But thinking of the price list Lu Feng gave, Ji Jue felt he might be a bit too heartless.

Should he... give it a try?

He hesitated, unable to hold back his slipping thoughts. Turning over, he saw the smiling face of Old Zhang under the glare of the incandescent light.

"Are you rested?"

Old Zhang reached out his hand, "Do you want to try one last time?"

He said, "A formal, live-combat simulation."

"Okay!"

Ji Jue gripped his hand tightly and stood up straight.