Chapter 37: Master and Disciple

"That is excellent. It seems that even without further guidance, you have a chance to master the basics of internal martial arts... Very good."

"Exactly!" Youji nodded. "I told you, I was born to be a knight-errant! And with your guidance, Master..."

Xiang Shan shook his head and asked a seemingly irrelevant question: "Kid, does your mother know you came here?"

Youji became indignant at the mention of this. "My mom is the one with the problem! She keeps telling me to stay away from you... saying that all knight-errants are bad people..."

"Well, look." Xiang Shan shrugged. "Actually, your mother isn't entirely wrong. For an individual, becoming a knight-errant might not be the best choice. If there were any other way, who would truly want to be a knight-errant?"

Youji looked awkward. "Master, why are you taking her side? Aren't we on the same team? We are the knight-errants!"

"No. Until you are mature enough to make your own decisions, your mother is the one on your side, and I am on the 'other' side." Xiang Shan waved his hand. "So, Youji, the bond between master and disciple may have to end here. I will pass on the core 'Way' to you; as for the 'Methods,' you will have to find them on the network yourself."

From Lef's memories, Xiang Shan had learned the legend that "top-tier masters put their techniques on the net." What he taught Youji was the core "wisdom"—the foundation of all computer technology. Having mastered these, and with enough experience, one could even recreate an internal martial art from scratch.

*If I also give this kid the "Ten Thousand Tracks" from the Three Dragon-Slaying Moves, he shouldn't have to worry about finding techniques,* Xiang Shan thought.

Youji’s expression changed. "Master, did I do something wrong? Are you driving me away?"

Xiang Shan shook his head. "Why would I drive you away? I simply cannot continue to teach you."

Youji immediately understood. "You are leaving?"

"You really are a smart kid." Xiang Shan nodded. "Indeed. Once your town restores its civil protection and there are no more thugs coming to cause trouble, I will be off."

"To do what?"

"That guy named Enoch, and that 'Z Organization' thing." Xiang Shan stood atop a mountain of trash, looking into the distance. "Tsk, and perhaps other wicked people as well. In any case, there is still much to be done..."

Youji was fascinated by the "adventure" Xiang Shan was planning. "Master, take me with you! The two of us..."

"Kid, tell me, how old are you this year?"

"Twelve. I can live independently already!"

"By the standards of this era, perhaps..." Xiang Shan muttered, then continued: "But you still cannot choose your own life. Youji, you must understand that the path of the knight-errant is a one-way street. According to current rules, once you lose civil protection, you can never regain it..."

"I don't care!" the little one shouted. "Look at my mother! Master, civil protection—she's protected to the point where she doesn't even have a single prosthetic body for free movement! And my brother and sister! Protection hasn't given them anything good either! I..."

"Indeed," Xiang Shan nodded. "I feel the same way. I said before that laws could actually be a good thing, but some people use them to do evil. If used correctly, 'law' can protect many ordinary people. But there are tyrants who use this power to harm the people—and this era is even worse than the worst of laws. The Dyson Principle? Pah!"

"In that case..."

"However, the Dyson Principle does have a tendency to 'protect the lives and property of ordinary people.' Perhaps in the eyes of many, being an ordinary person is more stable than being a knight-errant. That may not be a wrong way to think. But to fight with that mindset is a form of self-torture. To be a knight-errant, one must act without regrets."

Youji grew anxious. "I will never regret it! To be a knight-errant, to be the sword of the weak..."

"But that is my choice, not yours." Xiang Shan continued. "Many people make choices out of impulsive moments, but those choices may not be what their future selves can bear. You are too young and have experienced too little. If I let you choose now, you might choose wrongly—what if you don't want to be a knight-errant in the future?"

Youji stomped his foot. "I will not regret it!"

Xiang Shan tightened his prosthetic legs, crouched low, and placed his hands on Youji's shoulders. "Wait until you are eighteen... no, sixteen. It won't be too late to say that then. I have given you a 'chance to choose,' and I hope that when the time comes, you can make a choice you truly won't regret. Besides, what I am about to do is too dangerous. I don't know if other knight-errants have plans like mine, but I don't think you are necessarily suited for it..."

Youji looked deeply disappointed. He struggled, "Not even if there's no other way?"

"Only if your mother agrees." Xiang Shan shrugged.

Youji felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him. He knew his mother would never agree.

He felt disheartened.

"Master..." Youji scratched his head. "I really don't understand. Why can't you take me with you? Two people are always stronger than one, right? The point is..."

"The point is, what I must do is extremely dangerous. I will not drag you into such things."

Xiang Shan had to fight.

After two battles and the subsequent recovery, he had confirmed that "combat" was the only way to awaken his memories—his mind was filled with techniques and experience regarding "combat." Only in the heat of battle would his past self awaken.

He had to fight.

Because of this, Xiang Shan did not intend to bring Youji along. He realized his past self was strong, but he didn't know *how* strong. He didn't know in which battle he might slip up.

Yet, Xiang Shan had no other choice.

Xiang Shan had lost all his memories. He had no past, didn't know who he was, didn't know if he had any family or friends left, didn't know who his enemies were, nor where he should go.

And this world, to him, was like hell, filled with blood and violence everywhere.

The only thing he could do was fight his way out with martial arts, carving a path.

His target was all the evildoers in this chaotic age.

The greenwood gangs, and those oppressors who called themselves aristocrats.

Of course, that also included the "Father of All Machines," who claimed not to be a god, yet held the status of one.

He was still weak now, but that didn't matter. He would just kill them in order.

Nothing else mattered. Prosthetics would be taken from enemies, martial arts would be taken from enemies, and resources would be taken from enemies.

As long as he didn't die halfway, he would eventually kill his way to the Father of All Machines and slay that tyrant with his blade.

Martial arts were created to be used this way.

Xiang Shan did not intend to ponder the success rate. He did not plan to live in any way other than this path.

Only in this way could he reclaim his memories.

And only in this way did this life have value.

But he should not expose Youji to such danger. He had taken him on as a disciple partly to "repay a debt." If he were to "trick" the boy onto this path, how would he be any different from the bandits?

As for an "assistant"... he wasn't some socially anxious person who couldn't make friends. As long as he lived, he would encounter all kinds of people, and he would always have a chance to find a second assistant.

Youji finally realized that Xiang Shan would never take him along.

The boy was very annoyed. "Master, don't you remember anything? Why must you do this? You don't even remember why you became a knight-errant in the first place, do you? You only have half a head left! You say I'm not ready, I don't understand... but do you?"

"You have a point. I truly don't remember why I had to become a knight-errant." Xiang Shan nodded. "But I know I must have been doing it for something very important. I decided long ago that even if I had only 'half a head' left, I would continue to resist... I don't know what it is that I must resist, either. But it doesn't matter if the current me doesn't understand; the past me definitely understood and had already made the decision."

"I hadn't realized it before, but after reading the memories of four people, I seem to have gradually understood. I have one major difference from others." He pointed to his temple. "Do you know why I forgot everything about myself, but still remember how to use martial arts?"

Youji curled his lip. "Isn't it just because too much time passed?"

"'Too much time' is only why I temporarily forgot the martial arts as well." Xiang Shan sighed. "A person's brain is limited, after all... I moved all my ordinary memories that could fit onto a hard drive onto that drive. The purpose of doing so was to clear space in my biological brain to memorize martial arts, techniques, and to form neural circuits adapted to the Way of Martial Arts."

"Other martial artists store knowledge on hard drives and experience in their brains, but I did the opposite. I would rather forget who I am than forget the roots of these martial arts. The past me probably prepared for this long ago. As long as my biological brain remains and can still think, I can resist."

Youji was stunned. "Why?"

"There is no hacking technology that can tamper with the data inside a biological brain. A human's biological brain differs vastly from a computer in mathematical terms."

Youji found it hard to accept. "Is doing this simple?"

"I don't know if it's simple now." Xiang Shan shook his head. "In the era I'm familiar with, it was quite difficult. First, you have to use a computer to fully record your neural activity and shape your memories. Then, you have to inject an enzyme into specific parts of the brain. This enzyme can reverse the life cycle of neurons, causing them to degenerate back to a primitive state—this is equivalent to resetting a part of your brain. If you inject enough, you might even forget all your skills, and your brain would return to an infant state..."