Chapter 204: Chapter 82: The First Step to Changing the World Begins With Oneself

"Even just the relationship between Transcendents and ordinary people presents an immense problem, not to mention the new class divisions and resource utilization that have appeared out of thin air. With Zhengguo’s current population of over a billion, how could we possibly apply the classical governance models from ancient times, when the entire world’s population was under fifty million?"

"You don’t need a war to create an age of turmoil. All you need is a time of relentless change. And unfortunately, the Era of Spiritual Qi Revival is just such a time."

The Daoist Saint, Zhang Qingyun, smiled at Su Zhou’s still-confused expression. "I know you young people might not think this is a big deal. But think about it, Su. You possess Dragon Blood. Naturally, others will awaken different bloodlines and become geniuses too."

"You harbor no evil thoughts, but what if one of those awakened geniuses does? Or what if they awaken the bloodline of an Evil Beast, one that must kill people and devour Souls to grow? Wouldn’t that lead to chaos?"

"And when hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of such people appear, won’t that threaten the stability of a nation, and even throw the entire world into turmoil?"

At this point, Zhang Qingyun simply offered a quiet summary. "Even now, we haven’t found the best solution. We can only place our hope in your generation, hoping you can mature quickly and give us—who are already at our wits’ end—a chance to catch our breath."

"...I understand."

Su Zhou nodded, his expression serious.

’He could feel it now—a turbulent undercurrent surging beneath the surface of this peaceful era...’

’And a part of him... was even excited by it. That was followed by a strange guilt for being the kind of person who would be excited by an age of turmoil.’

With the conversation over, the Daoist Saint took his leave.

Before he left, he praised Su Zhou, saying his Talent and courage were truly extraordinary. He encouraged Su to make a stunning impression at the Holy Ascension Selection Test as well.

"I’m sure you’ll place first in the nation on the Spiritual Qi test, but don’t get arrogant. Make sure you don’t slack off on the other parts of the Holy Ascension Selection Test."

The old man laughed and patted Su Zhou’s shoulder, then his brow furrowed slightly—Su Zhou’s shoulder had a natural recoil to it, making it a bit hard. In any case, Zhang Qingyun, acting like a kindly grandfather, reiterated the importance of a student’s studies. "To understand an Extraordinary Inheritance, you need a profound base of knowledge. If you don’t master other subjects, you’ll inevitably hit a wall and pay the price."

When Su Zhou returned to his group, he was met with praise and cheers from the supervising professor and his classmates. To be honest, the gap between them was so vast there was no room for jealousy. It was like how no one gets jealous of a heavyweight champion who can kill a bull with one punch. They just marvel, ’Holy shit, that’s insane!’

It was a strange feeling. Su Zhou had become a source of pride for the students of No. 1 High—bragging rights, along the lines of, ’Our school produced a genius!’

Su Zhou neither rejected nor opposed it. This was exactly what he wanted. He needed everyone to know he was a genius. That way, whenever he decided to do something in the future, he would face less opposition and gain more support than if he were a nobody.

Time passed, and soon it was late at night. Though the tests were over, the results still had to be recorded. The students wouldn’t be able to head home until the following afternoon.

Late at night, unable to sleep, Su Zhou left the motel-style dorms and stepped outside. He stood at the base of the small building and tilted his head back to look at the sky.

Since the camp was in the mountains, far from the blinding lights of the city, the stars in the celestial vault seemed exceptionally brilliant.

Above the High Heavens, silvery-white stars flickered and streamed through noctilucent clouds, faintly coalescing into a Star River.

’How beautiful... how vast...’

Su Zhou stared at the bright stars and the deep, dark fissures that crisscrossed beside them, stretching across the entire canopy of the sky. He marveled silently for a moment.

Just then, footsteps approached from behind. It was Shao Qiming, also unable to sleep, a hint of drowsiness in his eyes as he appeared behind Su Zhou.

"What is it, Azhou."

He assumed Su Zhou was still buzzing from taking first place in the physical assessment earlier. "What’s the matter?" he asked with a grin. "Too excited from your big day to fall asleep?"

"Mm... not really."

Su Zhou glanced at his friend and gave a small smile before turning his gaze back to the starry sky.

His voice was slow as he spoke. "It’s just that after talking with the Daoist Saint for a bit, I suddenly realized the world... might be different from how I imagined."

Once Shao Qiming was standing beside him, also looking up at the stars, Su Zhou spoke softly. "Qiming, I like times of uncertainty. I like a life full of thrills and excitement."

"You do." Though he wasn’t sure why Su Zhou was bringing it up, Shao Qiming nodded in agreement. "Ever since we were kids, you’ve been itching to run into something weird, always trying to find some real supernatural phenomenon. Most people would run for the hills if they encountered something like that, but you? The moment you hear a rumor, you’re like a bear that’s caught the scent of honey."

"I still remember that one summer vacation when you dragged me to twenty-eight different haunted houses. We’d set out full of excitement every time and come back completely let down."

"Heh, yeah."

Su Zhou laughed as he recalled their great haunted house adventure from that middle school summer vacation. "I’ve always loved the danger and mystery in urban Anomalies and ghost stories. I love those epic moments in games, too—saving the day, turning the tide at the last possible second... I love all of it."

But as he spoke, his expression turned serious again. "But does that mean... my instincts are actually hoping for chaos? For an age of turmoil?"

"Of course not." Shao Qiming raised a curious eyebrow and glanced at his friend, who was being uncharacteristically introspective. He didn’t say much, just replied calmly, "Or rather, aren’t you looking forward to *quelling* the chaos? The way you say it, it sounds like you want to be the one *starting* it. And besides, so what if you are looking forward to it?"

"We’ve been friends for years. You think I don’t know how you think? Azhou, you just want to find an outlet for your superhuman strength, a way to use it legitimately without it affecting other people. It’s like how a good swimmer might fantasize about saving a damsel in distress, or a gym rat wants an excuse to flex his muscles. For you, it’s about wanting to help people with problems no one else can solve, to take care of all those weird, inexplicable things..."

"Don’t think you’re so noble, but don’t think you’re so wicked, either. All in all, you’re a good guy, just not a Saint." Shao Qiming clapped his hands, offering his final definition. He then patted Su Zhou on the shoulder—and this time, Su Zhou had finally figured out how to switch off his body’s instinctive recoil. "What’s happening to you right now is a classic case of post-adrenaline introspection. You had your fun showing off all day, and now you’re in sage mode. Otherwise, you’d never be mulling over this stuff."

"...I know, I know. I’m not just angsting for the sake of it."

Shao Qiming really did know his friend well. His words managed to pull Su Zhou out of his so-called "sage mode" and back to his normal way of thinking. The Demon Hunter nodded and let out a long breath. "It’s just... Qiming, I’ve suddenly realized something. More than just killing Evil People, what I really want... is a world where there are no evil people to begin with."

As he said this, Su Zhou’s eyes shone. He spoke slowly and deliberately, each word filled with conviction. "That’s why I have this instinct to show off my Talent—to gain a voice in this world, to get the ’admission ticket’ that will let me have a say in where it’s all headed."

"Change myself, change my friends and family, change my community, and from there, change the nation—change the world."

His resolve now clear in his heart, Su Zhou looked down at his own hand. He clenched it into a tight fist and smiled. "And this is the first step."