Chapter 311: This Is Not a Hero

“Thanks to my exceptional skill in training my spirit servants, I was able to let Blue temporarily take my place so I could sneak away to attend this banquet,” said Yagumo Shiki.

Recently, tensions between humans and yōkai have grown increasingly severe, and one after another, yōkai who oppose the creation of Gensokyo and wish to restart war with humans have emerged. Yagumo Shiki, bound by her status, cannot act directly—but a powerful outsider from another world would go unnoticed by any yōkai.

She had already made a plan: if Jia Qi didn’t show up, Esdees could… no, even better. Two years ago, she was already at the “Preliminary Madness” level, and now her power had reached an unimaginable height; unlike Jia Qi, she left no trace in her world—she could kill the yōkai and vanish instantly.

Besides, Little Es had been bored lately; letting her play the role of “Esdees challenging the strong in Gensokyo” would be quite entertaining.

Still, her first choice remained Jia Qi.

“So, what’s your next plan?”

Jia Qi chewed on the Happychicken he’d snatched from Yagumo Shiki, mumbling his reply, eyes flickering with thought—he had already achieved one goal he once set, but another remained unfulfilled.

After two seconds, he decided to summon his Master Long Quan and all his fellow disciples to discuss what they should do next.

Rao was accompanied by Reina, Ken Shi Lang by Yulia, and Duo Qi brought… hmm, a young man who looked somewhat like him—he must be Amiba.

“Cough.”

Duo Qi glanced at his elder brother with a beauty at his side, his younger brother surrounded by an absurd number of lovely girls, and Jia Qi himself encircled by an even greater horde of beauties—then looked behind him at the dumbfounded, confused Amiba, and began to question life itself.

We’re all training, fighting, preparing to save the world—why do you all have so many beautiful girls beside you?

Why is it only me who can’t get one?

Jia Qi felt this remark sounded strangely familiar. He shook his head, set Yan Zhu down from his shoulder, and suppressed a laugh:

“This kind of thing probably depends on talent… hmm, how about I introduce you to a shrine maiden later? She might dress oddly, but her personality should be quite good.”

Jia Qi didn’t need to look—he knew exactly what expression Duo Qi wore right now: utterly, nine-tenths deserving of a punch.

Biting-back-laugh.jpg

Duo Qi said nothing, only clenched his fists.

“So, Jia Qi Brother, why did you call us here?” Ken Shi Lang asked curiously—his girlfriend was now a huge star, eagerly soaking up the envy and jealousy of Xien, Chongzuo, Longya, Budong, Xiuling, and countless others, when his third brother dragged him here.

“Cough. Then let me ask you… what do you intend to do with your lives from now on?” Jia Qi asked, looking at them—tired yet still brimming with spirit.

Indeed, the world was at peace.

The goal they had fought half their lives for had been achieved—so where should these heirs of the Dark Assassination Fist, sworn to protect the world, go now?

Though fate had withdrawn from them, every one of them—except Jia Qi—still possessed power enough to disrupt the world single-handedly; only these three held such transcendent, otherworldly strength.

Roughly comparable to the Four Heavenly Kings of the Oni, who have just entered the “Madness Tier”—no disrespect to the Demon King, I’m just using them as a reference.

“Fist of Repentance-Kenshiro,” whose every strike instantly kills and forces all foes to confess; “Healthy Toki,” who masters the secrets of the Western, Northern, and Heavenly Stars; and “Rao the Unrepentant,” who has never known regret and pressed forward with unyielding courage—each impossibly, absurdly strong.

These three had already shattered their original fates with their fists; they no longer needed to fight—so what path would they choose now? Even retired Long Quan felt curious.

The wisest decision of his life had been teaching these disciples—but now he had no idea where their futures lay.

“Well, perhaps after perfecting my Secret Acupoint Healing Art, I’ll open a clinic with Amiba…”

Duo Qi said, somewhat helplessly.

“I’ll open a massage parlor or tailor shop with Yulia—I’m fairly confident in this.” The young man with black hair and black eyes sounded uncertain, but then again, at his age, confusion about the future was natural.

Yulia said nothing, only gazed tenderly at her lover, their hands clasped tightly together, never letting go since the beginning—though the dowry the Benevolent Star brought from the Southern Stars probably covered Ken Shi Lang’s soft life for eternity.

Finally, Rao—the man who had always been as stoic and silent as steel—spoke without hesitation, uttering two words:

“Musician.”

Jia Qi froze, wondering if he’d hallucinated.

Rao wasn’t going to seize this chance to conquer the world, become Earth’s Supreme Leader, and build an empire? Was this still Rao?

Of course, if he did, then “Great Earth Jia Qi,” who, though also at the lower tier of “Madness,” could permanently host a Sacred Spirit and instantly ascend to the middle tier, would inevitably be forced into a “Brotherly Love” showdown—the ultimate battle of the strongest brothers on Earth: “How can a younger brother be stronger than his elder?”

He studied Rao’s cold, impassive face again.

“Wait… is this real?”

Did he fall in love with music after just one concert?

Minstrel Rao—why am I having this dream? Jia Qi even had the absurd feeling that if this were the Uma Musume world, Rao would immediately sign with Tresen and ride Black King.

No one is born a sovereign (except the Holy Emperor); no one is born craving to rule the world. If given a choice, perhaps Rao too would want a quiet life.

“And you?”

The eldest son of the Northern Stars fixed him with a sharp gaze and asked back.

He understood well: even if humans now understood each other, it would last only a fleeting moment—humans would still harm each other. If anyone were to lead humanity’s future, perhaps Jia Qi was the best choice.

“Me? Become the Emperor of Earth?”

Jia Qi jolted, snapping back to reality: “Me? Are you joking right now?”

He imagined what he might do—first, get some miraculous gadgets from the Information Synthesis Thought Entity to improve human life, then, unable to stop his meddling, gradually turn the world into “Wow, the whole planet’s become like Konosuba!” “Yep, the Duel Masters anime ran for nineteen years without daylight—that was me!”

That won’t do!

He quickly dismissed the thought. “I’m only in my early twenties—I still plan to go on grand adventures in other worlds… better let a super AI lead humanity straight into a utopian human paradise.”

He turned his gaze to Long Quan and finally revealed his true intention—his second goal.

“I’m going to become the 64th legitimate heir of Northern Star Fist!”

Correct—the world was saved, yet the true heir of Northern Star Fist had yet to be chosen. Nan Wu San—how merciless.

“Then…” Long Quan nodded indifferently. Jia Qi smiled with overwhelming confidence.

“Wait, I object!!” x3

(End of Chapter)