Legend of the Cyber Heroes-Chapter 37 - Master and Disciple
37: Chapter 37: Master and Disciple
37 -37: Master and Disciple
“Very well.
It seems that even without guidance in the future, you also have a chance to complete the initiation of Inner Strength …
very good.”
“Exactly!” Yuki nodded and said, “I’ve always said it, I was born to be a Hero!
And I have your guidance, Master…”
Xiang Shan shook his head, asking a seemingly irrelevant question, “Kid, does your mother know you’re here?”
Yuki became indignant when this came up, “My mom is the one with the problem!
She always tells me to stay away from you…
says that all heroes are bad people…”
“There, you see.” Xiang Shan shrugged, “Actually, your mother’s opinion isn’t all that problematic.
For a person, being a hero might not be a very good choice.
If there were another way, who would really want to be a hero?”
Yuki looked uncomfortable, “Master, why are you siding with my mom?
Aren’t we in this together?
We are the heroes!”
“No, until you are mature enough to make decisions for yourself, your mother is the one on your side, and I am ‘the other side.'” Xiang Shan waved his hand, “So, Yuki, our master-disciple bond is likely at its end.
I will impart to you the most core ‘Path’, and for the remaining ‘dharma gate,’ you will have to search online by yourself.”
Xiang Shan learned from Lev’s memory that “top experts would post cultivation techniques online.” What he taught Yuki were the most core “wisdom.” These were the foundation of all computer technologies.
Once he mastered these, with considerable experience, he could even start from scratch and recreate an Inner Strength technique.
—If I also impart to the kid the “Path of Myriad Tracks” from the Three Dragon-Slaying Moves, then he won’t worry about gaining techniques anymore.
Xiang Shan thought this way.
Yuki’s expression changed, “Master, where did I go wrong?
Are you trying to drive me away?”
Xiang Shan shook his head, “Why would I drive you away?
I just can’t continue teaching you anymore.”
Yuki immediately understood, “You’re leaving?”
“You really are a bright kid.” Xiang Shan nodded, “Indeed.
Once your town gains protection from civilization again, with no thugs coming to cause trouble, I’ll leave.”
“To do what?”
“That guy Enoch, and that Z organization.” Xiang Shan stood on a pile of trash, looking into the distance, “Tch, there might be some other bad guys too.
Overall, there’s still a lot to do…”
Yuki yearned for Xiang Shan’s planned “adventures,” “Master, take me with you too!
As master and disciple…”
“Kid, how old are you this year?”
“Twelve.
I can live on my own already!”
“By the standards of this era…” Xiang Shan muttered, then continued, “Still, you can’t choose your own life yet.
Yuki, you need to understand, once you pick the path of the hero, there’s no turning back.
According to the current rules, once you lose the protection of civilization, you can’t regain it…”
“I don’t care!” the little guy shouted, “Look at my mom!
Master!
About civilization’s protection, she’s sheltered so much she doesn’t even have a prosthetic body for free movement.
And my brothers!
The protection didn’t give them anything good either!
I…”
“Yes.” Xiang Shan nodded, “I think so too.
I’ve said before, the law can actually be a good thing, but some people use it to do bad things.
If used well, the law can protect many ordinary people.
But then, there are tyrants who would use this power to harm people—and in this era, even the worst laws are better than the Dyson Principle.
Pah!”
“In that case…”
“However, the Dyson Principle indeed also tends to ‘protect ordinary people’s lives and property.’ Perhaps in many people’s opinion, being ordinary is safer than being a hero.
That thought may not be wrong.
But to fight with that mindset is to torture oneself.
To want to be a hero, you must proceed with an attitude of no regrets.”
Yuki was anxious, “I will never regret it!
To be a hero, to become the sword for the weak…”
“But this is my choice, not yours,” Xiang Shan continued, “Many people make choices in a moment of impulse, but those choices might not be bearable by their future selves.
You’re too young, too inexperienced.
Making a choice now, you might make a mistake—what if you decide you don’t want to be a hero in the future?”
Yuki stomped his foot, “I won’t regret it!”
Xiang Shan tightened the reverse joints of his legs, lowering his body, hands resting on Yuki’s shoulders, “Wait till you’re eighteen…
no, sixteen years old, then it won’t be too late to have this conversation.
I gave you ‘a chance to choose,’ I hope by then, you will make a choice that truly leaves you with no regrets.
Besides, the things I need to do are too dangerous; I don’t know if other heroes have plans like mine, but I don’t think you’re quite right for it…”
Yuki looked very disappointed.
He struggled, “Isn’t there any way at all?”
“Only if your mother agrees,” Xiang Shan shrugged.
Yuki felt as if a bucket of cold water was poured on him.
He knew his mother would never agree.
He felt it was very boring.
“Master…” Yuki scratched his head, “I really don’t understand, why can’t you take me with you?
Two people are stronger than one, right?
Besides…”
“The key point is that what I must do is extremely dangerous.
I won’t take you to do that kind of thing,”
Xiang Shan would inevitably have to fight.
After two battles and the subsequent rest, he had thoroughly confirmed that “combat” was the only dharma gate to evoke his memory—all his mind was filled with was the techniques and experience related to “combat.” Only during a fight would his past self awaken.
He had to fight.
That was precisely why Xiang Shan didn’t plan to bring Yuki along.
He realized his past self was very strong, but he did not know how strong.
He was unaware of if he might fail in any battle.
But Xiang Shan had no other choice.
Xiang Shan had lost all his memories.
He had no past, didn’t know who he was, whether he had any relatives or friends still alive, who his enemies were, or where he should go.
And the current world seemed like Hell to him, filled with bloodshed and violence everywhere.
His only option was to carve a path with his martial arts, a path created by killing.
His targets were all the evil doers in this chaotic world.
The Green Forest Path, as well as those so-called nobles who were oppressors.
Of course, this also included the one who claimed not to be a deity but held the status of one, “Yawgmoth.”
He was still very weak now, but it didn’t matter, he would kill in order.
Having nothing wasn’t a problem.
He would seize prosthetic bodies from his enemies, acquire martial arts from his enemies, gather resources from his enemies.
As long as he didn’t die along the way, he would eventually face Yawgmoth, and bring down this tyrant with his blade.
Martial arts were created to be used in this way.
Xiang Shan didn’t plan to consider the probabilities of success.
He didn’t intend to live any other way except this one.
Only this way could he retrieve his memory.
And only in this way did this life hold value.
But he shouldn’t expose Yuki to such dangers.
Part of the reason he had taken him as a disciple was to “return a favor.” If he “tricked” him into taking this path, how would he differ from a thug?
As for an “assistant”…
he wasn’t the type who couldn’t make friends due to social anxiety.
As long as he lived, he would meet various people; he always had the chance to find a second assistant.
Yuki finally understood that no matter what, Xiang Shan wouldn’t take him on the journey.
The boy was very annoyed, “Master, didn’t you forget everything?
Why do you insist on doing this?
You don’t even remember why you chose to become a hero, right?
You’re barely left with half a brain!
You say I’m not ready, that I don’t understand… do you understand?”
“You make a good point.
I really don’t remember why I insisted on becoming a hero,” Xiang Shan nodded.
“But I know I must have chosen it for something very important.
I decided long ago that even if I was left with ‘half a brain,’ I would continue to fight…
I don’t know exactly what I’m resisting.
But it’s okay if I don’t understand now, my past self certainly understood and had already made a decision.”
“I hadn’t realized at first, but after reading the memories of four people, I gradually began to understand.
I have a significant difference from others.” He pointed at his temple, “Do you know why I can forget everything about myself yet still remember how to use martial arts?”
Yuki grimaced, “Isn’t it because it’s been a long time?”
“‘It’s been a long time’ is just why I even temporarily forgot the martial arts,” Xiang Shan sighed.
“A person’s brain is ultimately limited…
I stuffed all my mundane, storable memories into a hard disk.
The purpose of doing this was to free up space in the biological brain to remember martial arts, remember techniques, and form neural circuits adapted to martial arts.”
“Those martial artists store knowledge on hard disks and experience in their brains, but I did the opposite.
I would rather forget who I was, just to remember the fundamentals of these martial arts.
Perhaps my past self was already prepared.
As long as my biological brain is still functioning and I can think, I can resist.”
Yuki was stunned, “Why?”
“No hacking technology can alter the data inside a biological brain.
A human’s biological brain differs greatly from a computer in mathematical terms.”
Yuki found it hard to accept, “Is this easy to do?”
“I don’t know if it’s easy to do now,” Xiang Shan shook his head.
“It was quite difficult in my familiar era.
First, you had to use a computer to completely record your own neural activity, shaping memories.
Then you had to inject a particular enzyme into specific parts of the brain.
This enzyme could reverse the lifecycle of neurons, reverting neurons back to a primitive state—essentially resetting part of your brain.
If injected enough, you could even forget all skills, turning the brain back to an infantile state…”
