C20 I Alone Am Enough Here

"What's the deal with that student?" inquired a teacher who had recently joined the orphanage staff, glancing toward the class president.

The class president eagerly briefed the newcomer, "His name is Chiang Xie. It's said that his parents were killed by invading thieves when he was just five, which is why he ended up here with us."

"Yet, he seems quite reserved, always keeps to himself, and as a result, he doesn't really have any friends."

Upon hearing this, the teacher recalled that the orphanage had indeed taken in an orphan whose parents had been murdered by thieves. But it struck him as odd that the child, who was at home during the incident, had emerged unscathed.

Driven by curiosity, the teacher approached Chiang Xie, who was reading alone on the playground, and greeted him with warmth, "Hello there! I'm the new teacher for your class."

"Oh," replied Chiang Xie, who, having lost his parents at six, was noticeably more aloof than his peers.

"Did thieves truly kill your parents?" the teacher asked.

The orphanage was home to many children, most of whom were abandoned or whose parents couldn't afford to keep them. It was exceedingly rare to encounter an orphan who had been sent there because of their parents' murder.

Chiang Xie, upon hearing the teacher's question, couldn't be bothered to lift his head and simply ignored him. He had grown accustomed to being interrogated as if he were some kind of oddity.

The questions were always the same: Were his parents really killed by a thief? How did he escape unharmed? No one seemed to genuinely care about him; they were more interested in the gossip. These invasive questions had become a constant annoyance.

Predictably, the teacher's next question was, "Then how come you were unharmed?"

Chiang Xie remained silent, closed his book, and headed back to his dormitory, even as the new teacher reprimanded him, "Such an impolite child. No wonder he doesn't make any friends."

Upon graduating from junior high, Chiang Xie left the orphanage, a place that, despite its lack of warmth, had provided him with sustenance. He embarked on a life of juggling work and school. Perhaps as a stroke of divine compensation, Chiang Xie excelled in everything he undertook, whether it was learning or working, managing to support himself and maintain good grades.

However, Chiang Xie, who had always kept to himself since his time at the orphanage, never seized an opportunity that could alter his destiny, aside from his hard work and academic success.

This world taught him a harsh lesson: the heavens are indifferent to your reasons. Without connections, excellence alone is futile.

Finally, with the aid of a psychologist, Chiang Xie realized he was suffering from severe depression.

His desire to do nothing but drink and sleep led to the end of his university dreams, as he no longer wanted to attend school or work.

When hunger struck, Chiang Xie was forced to face reality. To survive, he had to overcome his challenges, so he began to reach out and communicate with others.

Chiang Xie couldn't pinpoint exactly how, but after several months, he managed to conquer his issues and started using a façade to mask his deteriorated self.

He later landed a job as a stunt double in the entertainment industry. Although the pay was decent, the nature of the work exacerbated his hidden depression, leading to severe hallucinations.

Whether it was suicide or some other cause, Chiang Xie found himself transported to the Profound Sky Continent.

On the surface, Chiang Xie seemed humorous and lighthearted, but deep down, he was stubborn and icy. That was until he met Lan Xin, who knelt and pleaded on his behalf.

She wasn't his biological mother, yet she offered him a long-lost sense of warmth...

For that sliver of warmth, he was willing to sacrifice everything to protect it, even if it meant being stained with blood or facing death. He didn't care.

Because the most dreadful thing in this world isn't torture or death, but the never-ending loneliness...

...

"Chiang... Devil... Devil Sovereign?" Chiang Xie, carrying Lan Xin, strode into the Chiang family courtyard, drawing the gaze of numerous family elders.

Chiang Xie glanced at them and, tired of the charade, blurted out, "Devil Sovereign my foot, do you think Chiang Xie is blind?"

The expressions of the Chiang family elders varied. As suspected, the Devil Sovereign act was just that—an act!

The Chiang family had long doubted that Chiang Xie was possessed by the Devil Sovereign, but Chiang Tianhai had been unwavering in his belief...

At that moment, Chiang Yunzhou, a white-haired elder and the strongest expert in the Chiang family aside from Chiang Tianhai, addressed the other elders with a grave tone, "Quickly notify the patriarch. Chiang Xie has unexpectedly returned today. The whole Devil Sovereign affair was nothing but this youngster's playacting."

He paused, then added confidently, "I alone am sufficient here. I vow that this little rascal won't be able to flee the Chiang family!"

Chiang Xie nearly burst into laughter upon hearing Chiang Yunzhou's boastful claim. Did the old man truly believe he could handle him by himself?

With Chiang Xie's current might, Chiang Yunzhou, who was merely at Golden Core Stage Level 1, was no match for him, let alone Xiao Zhan at Golden Core Stage Level 4—Chiang Xie was confident he could take him on!

"Xie, I'm relieved you're safe... but you must hurry and leave, don't mind me!"

Lan Xin's joy at Chiang Xie's return was quickly overshadowed by concern, remembering how he had just overpowered several family elites. Without a second thought, she urged Chiang Xie to make his escape.

Chiang Xie, unfazed, reassured her, "Auntie, these trash don't even register on my radar. Rest easy."

Lan Xin started to speak, then thought better of it, expressing only, "Mother is aware of how much stronger you've become, Xie, but I don't want to be a burden to you..."

After a brief hesitation, Chiang Xie explained, "I didn't take you with me last time because I wasn't strong enough. I needed to buy time to grow stronger. Now that I'm back, I won't let anyone who has hurt you off the hook so easily."

With that, he applied the Sunflower Acupoint Pointing Hand technique to Lan Xin's sleep acupoint, and as she drifted into slumber, Chiang Xie finally relaxed.

He wasn't accustomed to being the object of concern! Yet, seeing Lan Xin sleeping peacefully in his embrace, a smile naturally graced his face.

"Conceited young man, do you really think you're unbeatable because you've had some luck and advanced to Level 3 of the Profound Energy Stage? You clearly have no idea of the Golden Core Stage's terror!"

Chiang Yunzhou was inwardly astonished by Chiang Xie's dramatic progress, but he remained dismissive. The gulf between the Profound Energy Stage and the Golden Core Stage was vast, akin to the distance between heaven and earth.

"Let me tell you the truth, old man. The only one in the Chiang family who might stand a chance against me is probably Chiang Tianhai. You don't measure up," Chiang Xie said with a shrug.

"Presumptuous!" Chiang Yunzhou huffed, launching a palm strike at Chiang Xie with half his strength, believing it sufficient to handle someone at Level 3 of the Profound Energy Stage.

But as his palm collided with the Shark Tooth that Chiang Xie had summoned, Chiang Yunzhou realized his mistake!

"Boom!" Chiang Xie swung the Shark Tooth, its razor-sharp edge effortlessly slicing through the Profound Energy around Chiang Yunzhou's hand, leaving several gashes.

Chiang Yunzhou broke out in a cold sweat. His hands, trained in palm techniques, were as tough as stone even without Profound Energy, yet they had been cut. If he hadn't trained in palm techniques, would his entire hand have been severed?

Was this really the Profound Energy Stage? Even Chiang Tianhai's power couldn't be much better, could it?

To Chiang Yunzhou's surprise, Chiang Xie expressed disappointment, "Ah, I was the careless one. I only used 10% of my power to break through your Profound Energy and managed to only nick your hand. I should reflect on such a basic error! No, I must reflect!"

Chiang Yunzhou's beard practically twisted with irritation. So, with a mere 10% of Chiang Xie's strength, he had been bested despite using 50% of his own? How infuriatingly smug! Reflect on that, my foot!

Glancing at the cuts on his hand, Chiang Yunzhou's Profound Energy surged forth. Even Chiang Xie had to acknowledge the formidable presence of a Golden Core Stage cultivator.

Yet, what left Chiang Xie astounded was Chiang Yunzhou's sudden leap, covering hundreds of meters before flying off into the distance. He left behind a parting shot, "You're free to leave! I've long since withdrawn from worldly affairs. If you're itching for a fight, go challenge the patriarch. Farewell!"

Chiang Xie was rooted to the spot in shock. The elder who had confidently claimed that a single person would suffice to keep him within the Chiang family had just up and left? This was cowardice on a whole new level, wasn't it?