Chapter 38: God's Punishment (TEOTW)
Qi Yang...
He was very fast at stealing things.
When he had his people deliver the green jade stone to Jing Xia, he was still stunned and hadn't reacted yet. Even though Su Weishang had been sitting there almost motionless and Qi Yang hadn't even touched him, how did he manage to...
Steal it!
Perhaps because Qi Yang was so fast, by the time several assistants carried the heavy and complex research machine into the room, almost ten minutes had passed. Inside the room on the inner wall, Qi Yang had already started exchanging some knowledge about superpowers with Su Weishang. He seemed to casually mention it, but Su Weiahang was listening attentively.
When they heard the phrase "a person is likely to have dual superpowers," Jing Xia and Ji Chuancheng stopped all their actions and turned to look solemnly at Su Weishang together.
They saw the exquisitely crafted young man widen his beautiful cat-like eyes in surprise. The light-colored pupils shimmered with a transparent color under the bright white light, and there was a kind and pure smile on his face, looking very obedient.
He covered his mouth in astonishment and asked, "There's actually the possibility of having dual superpowers?"
Qi Yang's long narrow eyes slightly narrowed, then he smiled gracefully, "That's one of the directions I've been researching. It is indeed very possible, but in fact, I haven't seen it yet. When I do, I will definitely show it to you, Weishang."
Qi Yang's previously carefree voice unexpectedly had a touch of gentleness in this long conversation. Although Jing Xia knew it was to make Su Weishang relax his guard, hearing Qi Yang's voice so different from before, he couldn't help but feel a bit strange.
Su Weishang nodded with a smile, "Alright, the idea of having dual superpowers is intriguing. By the way, Qi Yang, what did you bring me here for? We've been chatting for so long, and it seems like there's nothing you need me to do." He seemed to start feeling a bit suspicious, and Su Weishang inquired.
Qi Yang remained composed, "Well, I do have something I'd like to ask for your help with. In fact..."
Behind a seemingly ordinary wall, Jing Xia's beautifully shaped peach blossom eyes narrowed slightly.
Unlike Su Weishang's face, which was highly deceptive, Jing Xia's bold and beautiful appearance seemed somewhat aggressive. Perhaps appearance reflects the heart. After experiencing the extreme pain of the previous life and witnessing countless human tragedies and losses, as if a gem covered in dust, cleaned and polished, even Qin Chu had mentioned: the little rascal seemed much gentler now.
But... Su Weishang had never changed.
Jing Xia looked at the young man blinking his big eyes, sighed after a long while, and said, "Su Weishang probably doesn't have dual superpowers."
Behind Jing Xia was a black machine about two meters long and the height of a person, occupying almost half of the room's space. Its exterior was simple and deep black. The hard shell conceals the complex machinery inside with only a small groove visible in the lower right corner.
Ji Chuancheng lowered his head and was about to place the green jade stone in his hand into the machine when he heard Jing Xia's words. He turned back and asked, "Why?"
Jing Xia looked at Su Weishang for a long time then finally shifting his gaze away from the latter. A bitter smile appeared on his lips as he gently shook his head, "It's probably just a gut feeling. Although I have no fondness for Su Weishang and have always kept my distance but... we did live together for a period of time. He has always been good at lying since he was young but this time, I really think he doesn't know about dual superpowers."
The machine started buzzing softly, with a subtle crackling sound coming from the core of the entire machine. Ji Chuancheng pressed a key and the jade stone disappeared into the inner side of the black shell. A series of data quickly appeared on the computer connected to the machine.
Ji Chuancheng silently looked at Jing Xia for a long time then suddenly spoke, "When you were ten years old, you broke Grandpa Jing's most beloved Song Dynasty blue and white porcelain four-grid infant play vase." He paused, then added, "It was during Grandpa's 60th birthday."
Jing Xia exclaimed, "That was Su Weishang who broke it!"
His deep and dark eyes stared at the young man's angry expression, vast and profound like the sea. After a while, Ji Chuancheng reached out and touched the young man's soft hair, whispering, "Yes, I know. I believe you."
The gesture on his head made Jing Xia feel a bit awkward. He uncomfortably cleared his throat and said, "There's nothing I can do about it. I wasn't as skilled as Su Weishang when I was a child. Although he is a bastard and his mother did those things, every adult in the family liked him during festivals and holidays. He... is really likable."
"It's hypocritical," Ji Chuancheng said lightly.
Jing Xia: "?"
With a soft sigh, Ji Chuancheng reluctantly took his hand off the young man's head, manipulating the buttons on the machine while saying, "Grandpa Jing was not deceived by him, so he kicked Su Weishang out of the Jing family before he passed away."
Thinking of his grandfather who had always been affectionate to him when he was young, Jing Xia felt a lump in his throat. His father only compensated him materially, while his grandfather and Steward Wang were the ones who truly cared for him since childhood.
And now, both of them had left him forever.
Taking a deep breath, Jing Xia suppressed the sadness in his mind. He watched Ji Chuancheng skillfully and naturally pressing the buttons on the machine, as if he had done it numerous times. He asked in confusion, "Ah Chuan, why do you seem so familiar with this machine? Have you used it before?"
Ji Chuancheng gently shook his head, "No."
Jing Xia was puzzled, "Then how come you're so proficient with it?"
"I just read the instruction manual.”
“…”
Qi Yang's request for Su Weishang to help was not difficult and it seemed as if it was effortlessly designed for Su Weishang.
This simplicity was apparent to Su Weishang but posed a bit of a challenge for others. If Jing Xia hadn't known that Qi Yang had only met Su Weishang two hours ago, he would have thought he was genuinely seeking help.
What surprised him even more was that Qi Yang appeared in the room just five minutes after sending Su Weishang to the lab to assist with the experiment.
"How's it going? You have twenty-five minutes left," Qi Yang said with a low chuckle as he sat down at the computer.
Ji Chuancheng glanced at him expressionlessly, "Your computer is set with the highest level of base secrecy, I can't figure it out."
Jing Xia remained silent.
Qi Yang smirked, then sat down at the computer and swiftly typed on the keyboard. The tapping sounds echoed in the quiet room and a series of binary codes appeared on the screen.
After decrypting all the permissions, he carefully examined the data on the computer screen for a while before concluding, "This is a piece of low-quality jade with a lot of impurities. It looks very green but in terms of molecular composition, structure, and degree of damage, it is indeed quite ordinary - poor quality jade."
Upon hearing this, Ji Chuancheng furrowed his brows, "Are you sure?"
Qi Yang spun the chair to face Ji Chuancheng with a cold smile, "Major Ji doesn't trust my expertise? I brought a molecular magnetic scanner to scan a piece of poor jade, isn't that enough for you?"
Ji Chuancheng's eyes darkened, "Not enough." He continued without hesitation, "Use a more advanced one."
Qi Yang stared coldly at Ji Chuancheng, but seeing his calm demeanor, he eventually said, "Well, it's not impossible, but I don't think it will yield different results."
Ji Chuancheng raised an eyebrow, "Let's try."
In the hurried remaining twenty minutes, the assistants dismantled and removed the heavy molecular magnetic scanner from the room. After five minutes, a delicate-looking girl rushed into the room, panting heavily.
She pushed the door open and used her left hand to support herself on the door frame while catching her breath with her right hand on her flat chest and breathing heavily. She had only a ponytail, fair skin, and features that were not exquisite but refreshing. She looked at everyone in the room, her gaze finally stopping on Qi Yang, "Qi... Major Qi, I... I'm here." Her speech was interrupted, but she quickly ran over.
Qi Yang nodded and said, "Since you're here, let's not delay. You can give it a try."
The young girl nodded and took the green jade stone from Qi Yang's hand. Without glancing at Jing Xia and Ji Chuancheng, she seemed to already know the purpose of her visit.
Closing her eyes, the young girl took a deep breath and tightly held the green jade stone in her palm with her right hand, while her left hand covered it.
Jing Xia watched this scene with curiosity and heard Qi Yang explain, "Her name is Zhang Sijing, a native of S City, with the ability to explore the material composition of objects. Her superpower value is not very high but she can detect quark levels."
Jing Xia immediately understood. He looked curiously at the unfamiliar young girl and within a few seconds, a faint red light scattered from the center of her palm, partially blocked by her hand but still shimmering faintly.
As she used her ability, sweat began to appear on Zhang Sijing's forehead. Her face grew paler while her full lips tightly clenched, as if enduring extreme pain.
Seeing this, Jing Xia was stunned.
Qi Yang explained, "Zhang Sijing's ability is very unique, considered a special superpower. Every time she uses her ability, she feels pain, although it decreases each time, it's still unbearable. However, the special thing about her ability is that only by using her power and enduring punishment from God can she improve her superpower level."
Jing Xia was surprised, "Punishment from God?"
Qi Yang chuckled and looked at Jing Xia, whose brows furrowed slightly, as if he didn't quite understand the meaning of the previous statement. Smirking, Qi Yang said, "At a time when all living and non-living beings on Earth should not possess special powers, and they have transcended the restrictions of time and space to have superpowers, to undergo mutation, isn't that a gift from God?" He paused and added, "Since there is a gift, there must be punishment. So, her punishment is pain equals superpower, pain equals evolution."
Qi Yang said it so casually as if he was discussing a trivial matter. But to Jing Xia, it felt like a jab in the heart, as if something was stuck in his throat, unforgettable.
This so-called punishment was only for Zhang Sijing.
Then, after the evolution of the entire globe, what punishment must all the environmental beings, living and non-living, endure...?
What could it be?
Millions of failed evolvers, countless unarmed abandoners of evolution, and the terrifying evolved beings who have become difficult for society to accept.
Ferocious and violent mutant beasts, ruthless and murderous mutant plants, and even the single-celled organisms and viruses that one might step on, could all potentially cause unimaginable disastrous consequences.
There can no longer be peaceful coexistence among living beings. Bloody and brutal massacres, one after another, blood-spattered battles against waves of beasts -
This is the greatest punishment God has given to mankind.
Chapter 38: God's Punishment (TEOTW)
Qi Yang...
He was very fast at stealing things.
When he had his people deliver the green jade stone to Jing Xia, he was still stunned and hadn't reacted yet. Even though Su Weishang had been sitting there almost motionless and Qi Yang hadn't even touched him, how did he manage to...
Steal it!
Perhaps because Qi Yang was so fast, by the time several assistants carried the heavy and complex research machine into the room, almost ten minutes had passed. Inside the room on the inner wall, Qi Yang had already started exchanging some knowledge about superpowers with Su Weishang. He seemed to casually mention it, but Su Weiahang was listening attentively.
When they heard the phrase "a person is likely to have dual superpowers," Jing Xia and Ji Chuancheng stopped all their actions and turned to look solemnly at Su Weishang together.
They saw the exquisitely crafted young man widen his beautiful cat-like eyes in surprise. The light-colored pupils shimmered with a transparent color under the bright white light, and there was a kind and pure smile on his face, looking very obedient.
He covered his mouth in astonishment and asked, "There's actually the possibility of having dual superpowers?"
Qi Yang's long narrow eyes slightly narrowed, then he smiled gracefully, "That's one of the directions I've been researching. It is indeed very possible, but in fact, I haven't seen it yet. When I do, I will definitely show it to you, Weishang."
Qi Yang's previously carefree voice unexpectedly had a touch of gentleness in this long conversation. Although Jing Xia knew it was to make Su Weishang relax his guard, hearing Qi Yang's voice so different from before, he couldn't help but feel a bit strange.
Su Weishang nodded with a smile, "Alright, the idea of having dual superpowers is intriguing. By the way, Qi Yang, what did you bring me here for? We've been chatting for so long, and it seems like there's nothing you need me to do." He seemed to start feeling a bit suspicious, and Su Weishang inquired.
Qi Yang remained composed, "Well, I do have something I'd like to ask for your help with. In fact..."
Behind a seemingly ordinary wall, Jing Xia's beautifully shaped peach blossom eyes narrowed slightly.
Unlike Su Weishang's face, which was highly deceptive, Jing Xia's bold and beautiful appearance seemed somewhat aggressive. Perhaps appearance reflects the heart. After experiencing the extreme pain of the previous life and witnessing countless human tragedies and losses, as if a gem covered in dust, cleaned and polished, even Qin Chu had mentioned: the little rascal seemed much gentler now.
But... Su Weishang had never changed.
Jing Xia looked at the young man blinking his big eyes, sighed after a long while, and said, "Su Weishang probably doesn't have dual superpowers."
Behind Jing Xia was a black machine about two meters long and the height of a person, occupying almost half of the room's space. Its exterior was simple and deep black. The hard shell conceals the complex machinery inside with only a small groove visible in the lower right corner.
Ji Chuancheng lowered his head and was about to place the green jade stone in his hand into the machine when he heard Jing Xia's words. He turned back and asked, "Why?"
Jing Xia looked at Su Weishang for a long time then finally shifting his gaze away from the latter. A bitter smile appeared on his lips as he gently shook his head, "It's probably just a gut feeling. Although I have no fondness for Su Weishang and have always kept my distance but... we did live together for a period of time. He has always been good at lying since he was young but this time, I really think he doesn't know about dual superpowers."
The machine started buzzing softly, with a subtle crackling sound coming from the core of the entire machine. Ji Chuancheng pressed a key and the jade stone disappeared into the inner side of the black shell. A series of data quickly appeared on the computer connected to the machine.
Ji Chuancheng silently looked at Jing Xia for a long time then suddenly spoke, "When you were ten years old, you broke Grandpa Jing's most beloved Song Dynasty blue and white porcelain four-grid infant play vase." He paused, then added, "It was during Grandpa's 60th birthday."
Jing Xia exclaimed, "That was Su Weishang who broke it!"
His deep and dark eyes stared at the young man's angry expression, vast and profound like the sea. After a while, Ji Chuancheng reached out and touched the young man's soft hair, whispering, "Yes, I know. I believe you."
The gesture on his head made Jing Xia feel a bit awkward. He uncomfortably cleared his throat and said, "There's nothing I can do about it. I wasn't as skilled as Su Weishang when I was a child. Although he is a bastard and his mother did those things, every adult in the family liked him during festivals and holidays. He... is really likable."
"It's hypocritical," Ji Chuancheng said lightly.
Jing Xia: "?"
With a soft sigh, Ji Chuancheng reluctantly took his hand off the young man's head, manipulating the buttons on the machine while saying, "Grandpa Jing was not deceived by him, so he kicked Su Weishang out of the Jing family before he passed away."
Thinking of his grandfather who had always been affectionate to him when he was young, Jing Xia felt a lump in his throat. His father only compensated him materially, while his grandfather and Steward Wang were the ones who truly cared for him since childhood.
And now, both of them had left him forever.
Taking a deep breath, Jing Xia suppressed the sadness in his mind. He watched Ji Chuancheng skillfully and naturally pressing the buttons on the machine, as if he had done it numerous times. He asked in confusion, "Ah Chuan, why do you seem so familiar with this machine? Have you used it before?"
Ji Chuancheng gently shook his head, "No."
Jing Xia was puzzled, "Then how come you're so proficient with it?"
"I just read the instruction manual.”
“…”
Qi Yang's request for Su Weishang to help was not difficult and it seemed as if it was effortlessly designed for Su Weishang.
This simplicity was apparent to Su Weishang but posed a bit of a challenge for others. If Jing Xia hadn't known that Qi Yang had only met Su Weishang two hours ago, he would have thought he was genuinely seeking help.
What surprised him even more was that Qi Yang appeared in the room just five minutes after sending Su Weishang to the lab to assist with the experiment.
"How's it going? You have twenty-five minutes left," Qi Yang said with a low chuckle as he sat down at the computer.
Ji Chuancheng glanced at him expressionlessly, "Your computer is set with the highest level of base secrecy, I can't figure it out."
Jing Xia remained silent.
Qi Yang smirked, then sat down at the computer and swiftly typed on the keyboard. The tapping sounds echoed in the quiet room and a series of binary codes appeared on the screen.
After decrypting all the permissions, he carefully examined the data on the computer screen for a while before concluding, "This is a piece of low-quality jade with a lot of impurities. It looks very green but in terms of molecular composition, structure, and degree of damage, it is indeed quite ordinary - poor quality jade."
Upon hearing this, Ji Chuancheng furrowed his brows, "Are you sure?"
Qi Yang spun the chair to face Ji Chuancheng with a cold smile, "Major Ji doesn't trust my expertise? I brought a molecular magnetic scanner to scan a piece of poor jade, isn't that enough for you?"
Ji Chuancheng's eyes darkened, "Not enough." He continued without hesitation, "Use a more advanced one."
Qi Yang stared coldly at Ji Chuancheng, but seeing his calm demeanor, he eventually said, "Well, it's not impossible, but I don't think it will yield different results."
Ji Chuancheng raised an eyebrow, "Let's try."
In the hurried remaining twenty minutes, the assistants dismantled and removed the heavy molecular magnetic scanner from the room. After five minutes, a delicate-looking girl rushed into the room, panting heavily.
She pushed the door open and used her left hand to support herself on the door frame while catching her breath with her right hand on her flat chest and breathing heavily. She had only a ponytail, fair skin, and features that were not exquisite but refreshing. She looked at everyone in the room, her gaze finally stopping on Qi Yang, "Qi... Major Qi, I... I'm here." Her speech was interrupted, but she quickly ran over.
Qi Yang nodded and said, "Since you're here, let's not delay. You can give it a try."
The young girl nodded and took the green jade stone from Qi Yang's hand. Without glancing at Jing Xia and Ji Chuancheng, she seemed to already know the purpose of her visit.
Closing her eyes, the young girl took a deep breath and tightly held the green jade stone in her palm with her right hand, while her left hand covered it.
Jing Xia watched this scene with curiosity and heard Qi Yang explain, "Her name is Zhang Sijing, a native of S City, with the ability to explore the material composition of objects. Her superpower value is not very high but she can detect quark levels."
Jing Xia immediately understood. He looked curiously at the unfamiliar young girl and within a few seconds, a faint red light scattered from the center of her palm, partially blocked by her hand but still shimmering faintly.
As she used her ability, sweat began to appear on Zhang Sijing's forehead. Her face grew paler while her full lips tightly clenched, as if enduring extreme pain.
Seeing this, Jing Xia was stunned.
Qi Yang explained, "Zhang Sijing's ability is very unique, considered a special superpower. Every time she uses her ability, she feels pain, although it decreases each time, it's still unbearable. However, the special thing about her ability is that only by using her power and enduring punishment from God can she improve her superpower level."
Jing Xia was surprised, "Punishment from God?"
Qi Yang chuckled and looked at Jing Xia, whose brows furrowed slightly, as if he didn't quite understand the meaning of the previous statement. Smirking, Qi Yang said, "At a time when all living and non-living beings on Earth should not possess special powers, and they have transcended the restrictions of time and space to have superpowers, to undergo mutation, isn't that a gift from God?" He paused and added, "Since there is a gift, there must be punishment. So, her punishment is pain equals superpower, pain equals evolution."
Qi Yang said it so casually as if he was discussing a trivial matter. But to Jing Xia, it felt like a jab in the heart, as if something was stuck in his throat, unforgettable.
This so-called punishment was only for Zhang Sijing.
Then, after the evolution of the entire globe, what punishment must all the environmental beings, living and non-living, endure...?
What could it be?
Millions of failed evolvers, countless unarmed abandoners of evolution, and the terrifying evolved beings who have become difficult for society to accept.
Ferocious and violent mutant beasts, ruthless and murderous mutant plants, and even the single-celled organisms and viruses that one might step on, could all potentially cause unimaginable disastrous consequences.
There can no longer be peaceful coexistence among living beings. Bloody and brutal massacres, one after another, blood-spattered battles against waves of beasts -
This is the greatest punishment God has given to mankind.
