"No, that's hardly likely, because even if the Xu Family had only a single Inner Force Expert, it would be utterly impossible for them to completely collapse. Now that I am an Inner Force Expert myself, I understand all too well just how powerful the Inner Force Realm truly is. Let alone the weapons of this civilized era, not even heavy sniper rifles—to say nothing of missiles or high-yield heavy weaponry—come close. Even with such arms, it is practically impossible to harm an Inner Force Expert. As the saying goes, Inner Force Experts aren't fools. Would anyone charge headlong to their deaths just because you lined up hundreds of heavy weapons? Once you hide in the shadows, whoever dares to threaten my family's survival—I will kill one today, another tomorrow, and make sure nobody gets off easily. Therefore, as long as the Xu Family still has a single Inner Force Expert, a trial like this shouldn't happen... unless..."
After all, Hao Qi was a transmigrator from the Information Age, so he naturally understood that so-called laws exist purely to protect the interests of the ruling class. If these laws were to turn around and target the ruling class, the rulers could simply purge the people enforcing them. Unless the ruling class ceased to be the ruling class, the law would never turn against them.
As long as the Xu Family still had one Inner Force Expert suppressing their ancestral fortune, they would forever remain part of the ruling class. The only possible reason for such a trial to take place was that the Xu Family had permitted it...
*(Do they want to make peace with me? Heh...)*
A suspicion already formed in Hao Qi's mind, and he was virtually certain it was close to the truth. Although his background and former worldview from Earth made it difficult for him to fully grasp the fanaticism people of this era held toward aristocratic families and martial sects, this did not prevent him from deducing the Xu Family's intentions. The Xu Family intended to abandon this direct-line heir in order to preserve the existence of the entire clan. After all, he had already killed one Xu Family Inner Force Expert; if he killed another, the Xu Family would truly face total annihilation. Forget about family alliances or ties of friendship—once an aristocratic family began to decline, all of its interests would attract other families to pounce like wolves, tearing it apart and showing no mercy whatsoever, leaving no survivors...
Now, the choice fell to Hao Qi. He picked up the newspaper once more and read it carefully. After a long while, he sighed, finally putting the paper down—and once put down, he never picked it up again.
So be it. A life for a life, a debt repaid. He certainly had the ability to drive the Xu Family to a desperate end, but what was the point? After all, the person who killed his sworn brother had already been sentenced to death. As long as the execution was real—rather than a swap by the Xu Family or a trap to lure him in—then settling their grievances right here and there would be enough. After all, it was a major aristocratic family with many men, women, and children. To make an entire family pay with their lives for his brother's death, regardless of whether they knew or were innocent, was something he simply could not do.
So... be it.
With his mind made up, Hao Qi laid aside his final lingering thoughts, waiting only to confirm that Xu Wen had indeed died by hanging. Once verified, he could begin planning his own dreams. Of course, there was still much to do before that: he needed sufficient funds and maps. While a complete world map was unlikely to exist, he needed at least a map of the Lanying Republic and its neighboring countries. At the same time, he needed to buy numerous books—books on wilderness survival, foreign languages, regional civilizations, and so much more...
Right, and crucially, medical texts were an absolute must. He had realized this only recently while healing his body and repairing his internal hidden injuries. His medical knowledge was lacking, and the repair and reinforcement of his bodily organs, viscera, and nerves had cost him immense effort. If he intended to make further progress in his strength, medical knowledge was essential. Beyond that, when traveling the world in the future, if he fell ill, was poisoned, or suffered severe injuries, possessing medical knowledge could very well save his life.
"Sigh, I'm still short on money..."
Hao Qi sighed, cutting off his train of thought. After eating dinner, he sought out a telegraph office to send a telegram to the Li Family in the Capital Circle, then returned to his hotel to recuperate in peace. The very afternoon of the next day, Li Pancheng, Xue Na, and an Inner Force Expert from the Li Family arrived at the hotel together.
Among the three, the elderly Li Family Inner Force Expert wore a natural expression, looking at Hao Qi with a cheerful smile as if they were long-standing, cross-generational friends, addressing him warmly as "young friend" at every turn. Li Pancheng and Xue Na, however, wore complicated expressions. In particular, Li Pancheng looked at Hao Qi with words hovering on his lips, as if he didn't know what to say.
"Brother Li, Big Sis, we met when we were nobodies, treating each other with genuine sincerity. I believe we will surely remain friends in the future, right?" Hao Qi took the initiative to speak to Li Pancheng and Xue Na.
Before Li Pancheng could reply, Xue Na blurted out first, "Of course! Look at you now, you've really made it big—the youngest Inner Force Expert in the history of the Lanying Republic, and you even possess strength above the mid-Inner Force Realm. I didn't even dare recognize you when we first walked in! Now that it's confirmed, you're still that stubborn little turnip head. That hasn't changed at all."
Hao Qi rubbed his nose somewhat awkwardly. When he first transmigrated, his body hadn't fully matured, and practicing the Arhat Fist consumed even more of his physical nourishment, causing him to have a large head and a frail body during his initial period here, earning him the nickname "Little Turnip Head" known only to those closest to him. Since Xue Na had blurted out this nickname, even though he felt a slight distance between them, he couldn't very well make an issue of it.
After an exchange of greetings, Hao Qi turned to the Li Family Inner Force Expert and asked, "Is the Xu Family really planning to reconcile? Is that Xu Wen the real one? Or is it a trap waiting for me to walk into in the Capital Circle? Old sir, since I owe a debt of human favor to the Li Family, I can only ask you these questions."
The Li Family Inner Force Expert showed not the slightest sign of annoyance; instead, he laughed heartily and said, "To speak of a debt of favor is far too polite. Your sister is a direct-line daughter-in-law of our Li Family; we are all one family. Talking about favors is simply standing on ceremony... Regarding Xu Wen's trial, it is indeed genuine. The trial process, the investigation of evidence, and the upcoming hanging have all been organized with the Xu Family inviting the eight major aristocratic families of the Capital Circle, including our Li Family, to participate. Xu Wen has already been imprisoned and his identity verified. It is truly Xu Wen himself, not a substitute, because he was just a hair's breadth away from achieving a Quasi-Inner Force physical body, and among the younger generation of the Xu Family, only Xu Wen reached that level."
"Is that so?" Hao Qi fell silent for a moment before smiling and saying, "Then please, sir, take a word back to the Xu Family: I will wait for Xu Wen's death. The moment he dies, my grievances with the Xu Family will be wiped clean."
The old man from the Li Family nodded and said, "Wise... However, while your grievances with the Xu Family are wiped clean, you still have a difficult trial ahead of you that you must pass."
Hao Qi's curiosity was instantly piqued. He asked quizzically, "What difficult trial? Could the Xu Family still intend to continue our feud?"
"No, not the Xu Family," the old man continued. "It's the state—the Lanying Republic... Has the young friend ever heard of the Baptism?"
"The Baptism?" Hao Qi was even more puzzled. He asked curiously, "Is it some kind of religious ritual?"
"No, no, no, young friend, you misunderstand." The old man burst into laughter. "Though some among us martial artists do hold religious or spiritual beliefs, matters among martial artists are rarely tied to religion. The so-called Baptism is naturally a martial artist's baptism."
"Several thousand or tens of thousands of years ago, when humanity still lived in tribal units, Inner Force Experts already occupied the highest tier of human society. Because this world contained many huge, ferocious creatures that naturally possessed internal energy circulation systems similar to Inner Force, in ancient times before firearms and weapons existed, these creatures could never be overcome by collective human strength alone. Only Inner Force Experts could rival them. Because of this, the Inner Force Realm commanded such high status; from the very beginning, we Inner Force Experts have been the evolvers and protectors ensuring humanity's survival in this natural world."
"Yet Inner Force Experts are human too. Even with an elevated plane of life, humans remain human, possessing the seven emotions and six desires, love and hatred, grudges and gratitude. Speaking of this, I must ask you, young friend: do you think the existence of aristocratic families is reasonable?"
At this point, the old man looked at Hao Qi with a very serious and solemn expression.
Hao Qi's heart tightened. Ever since he achieved the Inner Force Realm, he had developed a quiet, intuitive spiritual perception. For instance, when he sent the telegram to the Li Family, he had inexplicably felt that there was nothing wrong with it and that it wouldn't attract enemies. Such spiritual perception could not be easily described in words, but it undoubtedly existed. Right now, he vaguely felt that this answer was immensely important—it seemed to be a questioning of his path. If he answered wrongly, his current friendship with the Li Family might end.
"Aristocratic families... Personally, I believe aristocratic families are an inevitability."
Although his spiritual perception told him this answer was crucial, Hao Qi intended to answer according to his true heart. Ever since he burst forth with Inner Force five days ago and broke through the entanglements of reality, he had resolved never to compromise himself again. If they matched, they would walk together; if they didn't, they would part ways. He feared neither danger nor hardship. Ten years sharpening a single sword had not only forged the Inner Force within his body, but also the persistence within his heart.
"Take myself, for example. Now that I've become an Inner Force Expert, if I marry and have children in the future, the starting point of my children will naturally be higher than that of ordinary people. Nor would I pretend to be content with mediocrity. Once I have strength, the social status matching that strength will naturally follow. Consequently, my children will possess social status, wealth, and strength from an early age. Coupled with my martial arts insights as an Inner Force Expert and my attentive guidance, my children may well become Inner Force Experts in their turn. Generation after generation, the family I founded will take form. Unless my descendants turn out to be worthless scoundrels, my family's establishment is logical and reasonable, without any malicious wrongdoing. In itself, this is a reasonable inevitability."
"This process applies not only to aristocratic families, but also to martial sects, nations, and any organization gathered by collective power. Perhaps among them there are worthless individuals or wicked villains, but this is fundamentally unrelated to the aristocratic families themselves. Of course, if an aristocratic family itself corrupts—take the family I just mentioned as an example, if under the management of future descendants it deviates from its original path and turns to drug trafficking, human trafficking, forcing good women into prostitution, and so on—then that family deserves to die. But this is just like good and evil: you can say a specific human is a bad person, but you cannot say all humans are bad people. The same principle applies to aristocratic families."
When Hao Qi finished speaking, the old man slowly smiled. Then, the old man said, "Precisely so. Yet many people fail to understand this truth, especially the youthful and arrogant. They mistakenly attribute good and evil directly to a social class, which is inherently wrong. Ordinary people doing so might be one thing, but what if that youthful and arrogant person is an Inner Force Expert? You and I are both Inner Force Experts, so we should know: if an Inner Force Expert truly sets their mind on destruction and assassination, no one other than another Inner Force Expert is safe. The damage this would inflict upon the country, the aristocratic families, the sects, and society as a whole would be far too immense. What if this Inner Force Expert happens to be a youth from an impoverished background, someone like you, who harbors a life-and-death grudge against the aristocratic families, sects, or the state? Therefore, since ancient times, at a point no one can remember, the Baptism known only to Inner Force Experts came into being."
"Ordinary Inner Force Experts usually rise slowly through the ranks of ordinary martial artists, gradually becoming Quasi-Inner Force Experts. By that time, they are generally famous throughout the entire country. They accumulate fame and social status, getting to know and befriending Inner Force Experts within the country as well as in neighboring nations. Learning about the realities of the Inner Force Realm step by step, they gradually accumulate breakthroughs. By the time they achieve the Inner Force Realm, their character, social status, family, friends, and enemies are already clear. Under such circumstances, the Baptism is essentially just a convention confirming their qualification as Inner Force Experts—at most, when the Inner Force Experts gather, this newcomer exchanges pointers and spars with some older, established Inner Force Experts. But if it's a situation like yours, young friend, where you burst forth with Inner Force and immediately fall into a bitter feud with an aristocratic family, the situation transforms into a true Baptism."
Hao Qi's expression also grew solemn. He cupped his fists and said, "I wish to hear the details."
The old man nodded and said, "It's quite simple, really. Currently, our country has forty-two registered Inner Force Experts: twenty-one from aristocratic families, eleven from martial sects, and ten free-roaming individuals. After you sent your telegram, the state already roughly knew your whereabouts, and I was tasked with notifying you. Counting from today, fifteen days from now, the Baptism will commence. Four people will be dispatched to test you: one chosen by the aristocratic families, one by the sects, one by the state, and one from among the free-roaming individuals. As long as you can survive against these four—whether by fleeing, blocking, or even calling in favors—as long as you can hold your ground against the four of them, your Baptism will be considered passed."
"I see."
Hao Qi felt a wave of emotion. This principle of the Baptism, seemingly simple, actually carried profound meaning. First, those with power inevitably hold status; this is true whether on Earth or in this world—or indeed, in any intelligent civilization where society and hierarchy exist. Back on Earth during the Victorian era in Britain, the British Parliament even passed a decree stating that anyone possessing a certain amount of pounds sterling should or must be admitted into the British peerage. This was the brilliance of Britain: rather than suppressing those with power, they co-opted them, thereby achieving the grand enterprise of the Empire on which the sun never sets. The United States followed a similar path later on.
Therefore, if this Baptism were purely meant to strike down and kill Inner Force Experts who failed to conform or stood as adversaries to the ruling class, Hao Qi would find it the height of absurdity that such a custom could endure for thousands or tens of thousands of years without human society being destroyed. What proportion of the population did the ruling class occupy? What about the commoners? Despite the ruling class owning the vast majority of social wealth, the Inner Force Realm itself does not depend on wealth. While having wealth might increase the likelihood of becoming an Inner Force Expert, what about the total population base? Commoners outnumbered the ruling class by ten thousand, a hundred thousand, a million, or ten million fold. If the rulers truly engaged in ruthless suppression and slaughter, the ruling class would long ago have been torn to pieces by the Inner Force Experts emerging from the common populace.
Thus, the essence of the Baptism is not to suppress commoner Inner Force Experts. Its purpose is threefold: first, to draw all individuals possessing Inner Force into the ruling class; second, to make Inner Force Experts whose political views conflict with the state, or who hail from commoner backgrounds, clearly realize that they are not unique—that the state, the aristocratic families, and the sects possess sufficient strength to defeat them. As for the third purpose, it is to carry out absolute annihilation against those deranged Inner Force Experts with whom communication is utterly impossible.
Hao Qi knew well that the boost an Inner Force Expert provided to a nation's strength was absolute and significant. As the old man noted, the entire Lanying Republic currently possessed only forty-two registered Inner Force Experts. Considering the Lanying Republic had a population of over thirty million, a proportion of forty-two Inner Force Experts was nowhere near one in ten thousand—it was approaching one in a million. Of course, this didn't exclude unregistered Inner Force Experts or those who, like him, quickly left the Lanying Republic, but this number clearly illustrated the immense value of an Inner Force Expert.
Precisely because their value was immense and the potential hazards they posed were equally great, the Baptism was, to put it bluntly, a process serving the rulers. If the new Inner Force Expert could be of use to the rulers, they could leverage the Baptism to directly join the ruling class. If they could not be of use, or if mutual friction existed, the Baptism served to overawe the new Inner Force Expert, making them understand the terrifying power of the ruling class so that, despite friction, they would mind their own business and not cross any lines. Then came the third purpose: when an individual could neither be utilized by the ruling class nor reconciled due to deep-seated enmity, leaving only one side standing, this Baptism became a genuine life-and-death blood feast that would not end until one party was beaten down.
Evidently, over the past few days, intense political maneuvering must have taken place within the Capital Circle. Looking at the date set for Xu Wen's trial, Hao Qi surmised that the Xu Family initially had no intention of settling things this way. After all, such a settlement would likely cause the Xu Family's social standing to plummet, pushing them out of the top-tier aristocratic circle. They had probably contacted countless other families at the outset, attempting to categorize him under the third scenario and using a Baptism initiated by the entire ruling class to launch an absolute execution against him.
The transactional bargaining of interests in between, coupled with Hao Qi's own formidable strength, acted as counterbalance weights—assisted, no doubt, by the Li Family's intervention. The ruling class were no fools; since Hao Qi could kill one Inner Force Expert, would he not drag another down to hell with him if driven to a desperate end? Moreover, careful investigation would reveal that Hao Qi was not at war with the entire ruling class, but solely with the Xu Family. Under such circumstances, no one was willing to pull chestnuts out of the fire for the Xu Family. In the end, the Xu Family had no choice but to accept this reconciliation, transforming his Baptism into the second category—a ritual meant to deliver a profound deterrent.
"I understand." Hao Qi immediately straightened his posture, cupped his fists toward the old man, and said, "Many thanks for the Li Family's helping hand."
The old man smiled like a fox that had successfully stolen a chicken. He accepted Hao Qi's salute, then said, "I happen to be one of the four Inner Force Baptism Officers, representing the aristocratic families to gauge the young friend's strength. Therefore, for these next fifteen days, I will be staying in this small town with you. If the young friend has anything you don't understand about the Inner Force Realm, feel free to ask me."
Hao Qi was overjoyed. He expressed his gratitude once again, and with the old man settling down there, Li Pancheng and Xue Na chose to stay as well, awaiting the events fifteen days away...
The Baptism!
16. Chapter 16: Travel Money
Chapter 16: Travel Money
Li Ming departed, leaving alongside Li Pancheng and Xue Na. He needed to return immediately to the family estate in the Capital Circle; another Inner Force Expert remained within the family, and because he was currently heavily injured, he needed to rest quietly for a long period. This period was his weakest window. Decades past up until today, his enemies remained numerous, holding back only out of awe of his strength and daring not show their faces. If they learned of his current condition, there was no telling what might happen.