Chapter 121: The Cruel Truth of Strength

“Senior Sister Mo, you said just now that the old man’s strength far exceeds a normal person’s because he has killed too many people.”
“Why is that?” I asked in confusion.

What did killing have to do with strength?
Was it because stabbing people made his wrist strength greater than average?

“Oh, Xia Yubing doesn’t know about this yet.”
“When a person kills someone, they unconsciously absorb a portion of the victim’s remnant soul, thereby making their body stronger and their vitality more resilient.”
Mo Qingyan said.

“When they kill too many, their physical fitness will clearly surpass human limits.”
“Senior Sister Xia must have seen it in the news, right?”
“Certain murderous outlaws can even kill several people and escape while being surrounded by police and soldiers.”
“There are also ‘Gods of War’ who can take on a thousand enemies alone on the battlefield; their combat power clearly surpasses mortals, almost like superhumans.”
Ou Zhiqin added.

“In ancient times, this enhancement was even more obvious.”
“Those matchless generals were all butchers with countless lives on their hands.”
“As the saying goes, ‘A general’s success is built upon ten thousand rotting bones.’ It is actually just a statement of fact.”
“Once some people realized this, they would even kill intentionally to practice martial arts.”
Mo Qingyan continued.

“In gaming terms, it’s more like experience points; you level up and get stronger just by grinding mobs.”
Bai Yue made a very vivid comparison.

“But there are ghosts in this world, right?”
“Aren’t they afraid of vengeful spirits coming for their lives after killing so recklessly?”

Hearing this, I felt as if my worldview was collapsing.
This sense of collapse even slightly exceeded the feeling when I first learned ghosts existed.
Even after knowing about ghosts, I believed that every debt has its debtor and that evil is met with evil.
I thought vengeful spirits would only seek out their enemies to settle scores.

However, since I heard that the female ghost who committed suicide at school didn’t take revenge on her bullies, I had felt a faint sense of doubt.
But that was just speculation without solid proof, and the actual situation might be complicated.
Hearing today that killing could make one stronger caused a much greater upheaval than before.

“Heh, that is a double-edged sword.”
“In reality, whether it’s a general or a murderer, the killing intent on them is too heavy.”
“Ordinary vengeful souls don’t even dare to approach them.”
“Some who have killed too many can not only see ghosts but even slash at malevolent spirits.”
Mo Qingyan said.

My vision went dark as I heard this.
The tiny glimmer of hope I had held was completely shattered.
Killing didn’t just prevent vengeful spirits from taking one’s life; it could actually repel them.
So-called vengeful souls were nothing more than a bunch of bullies who feared the strong and preyed on the weak.
Doing good deeds to accumulate merit was just a joke.

But Mo Qingyan hadn’t finished yet.
“On the other hand, by absorbing remnant souls when they kill, they are affected by the mental state of those who died tragic deaths.”
“Most will end up mentally ill.”
“It is obvious that the old man is mentally unstable.”
“This is also why soldiers who have fought on the battlefield suffer from PTSD.”

I felt slightly more at ease after hearing this.
So, there were side effects to killing after all.
But compared to the gains in strength, this negative impact seemed so negligible.
At the very least, I felt that human life wasn’t something so trivial.

“It is more than just that.”
“Murderers also shoulder a heavy ‘fate.’ It might not be apparent normally, but once there’s a catalyst or a flaw, they are very likely to be backlashed by karma, eventually dying a miserable death.”
Xiao Qing seemed to see my unease.
She sat beside me and held my shoulders.

Xiao Qing’s comfort helped somewhat; at least her body heat stopped my shivering.
But her words left me confused, so I asked: “What does that mean? I don’t quite understand.”

“This is hard to explain clearly; it is quite mystical.”
“Actually, I don’t fully understand it either.”
“Didn’t Xiao Yue say just now that the old man has so many life-debts on his back that his days are numbered? That’s probably the reason.”
Xiao Qing gave an embarrassed smile.

“Mhm. It is not that there is no retribution; the time just hasn’t come yet.”
“By constantly killing, their souls and bodies deviate further and further from being a living human.”
“They are like a wooden house built higher and higher; it only takes a single spark to burn them to ashes. Just watch.”
Bai Yue nodded.

To be honest, I still didn’t quite understand what they meant.
But since they told me to just watch, I could only drop the matter for now and change the subject.

“Right, Senior Sister Mo, you said you modified the Pi Xiu earlier?”
“How did you manage to suck money out of that bizarre man?”

“Oh, that. Come with me and see; it is actually very simple.”
Mo Qingyan said as she stood up and walked toward the study.

The Pi Xiu wood carving was still in the study and looked largely unchanged.
However, looking closely, one could see that the Pi Xiu’s aura had undergone a world-shaking transformation.
The previously restrained Yin energy had become incredibly sharp, as if the wood-carved beast might leap out to bite someone at any moment.

The reaction was even more pronounced than when Bai Yue first entered.
Moreover, faint golden light was being sucked into the Pi Xiu’s mouth.
I had vaguely seen this scene before; it was exactly like the sight of the Feng Shui array at the Fukang Commercial Center plundering wealth aura.
It was just that the scale here was much smaller.

‘The aura has changed; the Pi Xiu is plundering wealth. How was this done?’

Mo Qingyan smiled and pointed at the Pi Xiu’s open mouth.
Normally, a wood carving would lack details like a throat.
But when I looked inside, the Pi Xiu’s mouth was pitch black, appearing bottomless.

In the center of that darkness sat an ancient bronze coin.
The coin was engraved with a pattern of crossed sabers and swords.
It clearly wasn’t an ordinary copper coin, and it contained a hidden malevolent aura.

“Yansheng money?”
Xiao Qing said in surprise.

Mo Qingyan nodded with a smile.
“Correct. This is indeed a piece of Yansheng money, but not an ordinary one. Can you guess why?”

I recalled the information I found in the books on Yansheng arts back at the department after I bought the carving.
Yansheng money, also known as ‘Charm Money,’ was used for auspiciousness, good fortune, and attracting wealth.
The surfaces were usually engraved with patterns like turtles, snakes, stars, dragons, phoenixes, or twin fish, with words like ‘Long Life’ or ‘Fortune and Health.’
They were among the few Dharma artifacts in Yansheng arts purely used for seeking luck and peace.

But I hadn’t heard of a pattern with crossed blades.
Xiao Qing reached out to pick it up and examine it, but Mo Qingyan shouted: “Don’t touch it! You’ll lose your wealth if you do!”

A flash of insight struck my mind.
“This is Yansheng money used for losing wealth! It is a Yansheng object meant to be buried in someone else’s home as a curse!”