Chapter 53: The Pioneer of Offensive Purifiers
Becoming a godfather was one thing, but having to wait in line behind Chu Xiao was quite another.
Lu Qiujin’s expression froze for a split second before quickly returning to normal.
Instead of answering Luo Shizhen directly, he asked a question of his own:
“Is that so? I seem to remember Chu Xiao didn’t look particularly willing to be a godfather?”
Luo Shizhen nodded, though he remained unfazed.
“He did seem a bit like that, but Chu Xiao and I are best friends. If he’s willing in the future, I still want to save the first godfather spot for him.”
Lu Qiujin smiled. “That makes sense. You’ve known each other for a long time. How many years has it been?”
Luo Shizhen recalled for a moment. “Eleven years.”
Lu Qiujin’s smile widened. “Only eleven years? I thought you’d known each other much longer. In the future, we might spend ten years together as well.”
He still remembered Luo Shizhen saying that, according to his plan, he intended to stay in Yongzhou for at least ten years.
“That’s right!”
Luo Shizhen replied cheerfully, “The probability of us spending ten years together is very high!”
Before Lu Qiujin could say anything else, Luo Shizhen had already begun calculating earnestly:
“In that case, Chu Xiao and I will have known each other for twenty-one years by then.”
Lu Qiujin: “…”
At this moment, he finally understood why Xiao Shan looked so sour and annoyed whenever he saw Chu Xiao.
Chu Xiao’s existence truly was an eyesore.
Seeing that Lu Qiujin was interested in his and Chu Xiao’s wonderful past, Luo Shizhen was about to tell him about how good their relationship was as kids and how they were each other’s best friends.
The door to the ward opened, and the arrival of the teachers and Yongzhou officials forced him to set that thought aside for the time being.
“Hello, Teacher!”
Seeing Chen He-an at a glance, Luo Shizhen immediately greeted him obediently.
He then saw Sui An and Lin Qi behind him. “Hello, Sui-laoshi. Hello, Lin-laoshi.”
Finally, he saw Hua Yi. Luo Shizhen didn’t overthink why he was there and greeted him just as politely:
“Hello, Hua-laoshi.”
Hua Yi, walking at the very back, hadn’t expected to receive a greeting. He paused for a moment before nodding back at Luo Shizhen.
Chen He-an responded with a smile, “Hello, Shizhen.”
He walked at the front. Although he had received the report long ago, it wasn’t until he saw with his own eyes that the boy was high-spirited, his dark and bright eyes shining just as they always did, that he finally breathed a complete sigh of relief.
Chen He-an lightly stroked Luo Shizhen’s head. His student obediently allowed the petting and even leaned toward him, showing clear reliance.
“These teachers are from Yongzhou. This time, you saved Lu Qiujin after his Alienation value reached 94%. Nothing like this has ever happened before, so Yongzhou might want to ask you how it felt during the rescue and if you had any unique sensations.”
Luo Shizhen tried hard to understand, not forgetting to offer a smile to the several senior investigators from Yongzhou:
“Hello, Teachers.”
The senior investigators felt somewhat flattered.
Purifiers were rare, and most were reclusive and fragile, only getting close to a select few individuals.
Even when it came to treating other Awakeners, the process of meeting and getting along usually required a slow, gradual progression.
It was their first time meeting a Purifier who wasn’t a stranger-avoider like Luo Shizhen.
As Chen He-an spoke, he handed the examination report to Luo Shizhen:
“This is your report. It shows that your Qi-body has changed since your last physical. It now possesses an aggressiveness that other auxiliary systems lack. Since it hasn’t caused any harm to your body, we consider this a good thing. Perhaps you have pioneered the path for Purifiers to become an offensive system.”
Luo Shizhen’s eyes widened as he listened.
He had known he was slow since he was a child, always falling behind others in everything. Yet now, the teacher was saying he could be a pioneer?
“Let me think…”
Luo Shizhen tried hard to recall, but regarding the scene of saving Lu Qiujin that day, he really couldn’t think of anything special.
“That day, I just couldn’t purify Lu Qiujin no matter what I did, but he was still mutating. I thought that his Alienation must be because he was polluted, and since I couldn’t find the Pollution on him, it might be hidden inside.”
The senior investigators nodded while taking notes.
Although they had recording equipment, important events like this still required manual handwritten records.
“Student Luo Shizhen, how did you think of cutting open Lu Qiujin’s body to purify his heart directly?”
Facing a classmate who had almost completely mutated, Luo Shizhen’s response to a failed purification was actually to cut open the other’s heart.
Even in the world of Awakeners, this was quite explosive.
Luo Shizhen, however, felt there was nothing wrong with this logic:
“If the Pollution isn’t on the outside, it must be on the inside. I had to open his body to see what was going on.”
A senior investigator asked warmly, “Did you ever consider what would happen if you couldn’t find it?”
Luo Shizhen looked a bit embarrassed. “I didn’t think about it. I just wanted to find it first.”
He wasn’t the type of person to plan ten steps ahead, and his habitually slow way of thinking didn’t allow for such thoughts.
As for the fact that Lu Qiujin would have to have his heart cut open before dying, or that if it failed, he would experience more pain before death—Luo Shizhen had never considered those things.
His thinking was very simple.
First, Lu Qiujin had clearly told him he hoped to be purified.
And he was a Purifier.
In Luo Shizhen’s eyes, Lu Qiujin had given him full authority to purify him. Being purified was what Lu Qiujin wanted.
So he did it. It was as simple as that.
It was just like how he listened to the teachers and decided to become a chef, so he was unwilling to come to the Awakener school. But when Chen He-an told him he could find various chefs to teach him culinary skills, Luo Shizhen was willing to come.
In Luo Shizhen’s view, these two things were the same.
This way of thinking was exceptionally blunt. In the past, Luo Shizhen’s direct logic had made many people think he was stupid and slow.
But now, almost everyone present was in awe of this direct thinking.
Purifying by digging out the heart—who would have thought of that?
The senior investigators asked a few more questions.
One of them asked, “Student Luo Shizhen, can we ask how you view Student Lu Qiujin? What do you consider your relationship to be?”
Purifiers could use their abilities better if they truly trusted the other person. Before coming to the school, the senior investigators had assumed the two were lovers.
Lu Qiujin’s expression shifted slightly. Although he was prepared in his heart, he couldn’t help but look at Luo Shizhen with some expectation.
Luo Shizhen gave a hearty laugh. “I think Lu Qiujin is very good. He’s very helpful, he’s done a lot for me, and he even teaches me to study. He can do everything well.”
“Then what do you consider your relationship to be…?”
Luo Shizhen: “Friends! We’re also roommates, teammates, and classmates.”
Out of so many answers, not a single one even came close to “lovers.”
The senior investigators couldn’t help but look at Lu Qiujin. From his demeanor, they certainly couldn’t tell that he only viewed Luo Shizhen as a friend.
Lu Qiujin’s expression remained as usual.
“The records show that when you first awakened, you purified two other students, Chu Xiao and Xiao Shan. Can we ask what your relationship with them is?”
The investigators even added a very subtle comment: “Most Awakeners don’t sweat the small stuff and have an open mindset toward various types of relationships. The officials support this as well, so you can speak freely without worrying about others’ judgment.”
Lu Qiujin sat a bit straighter than before.
Chen He-an facepalmed.
Sui An raised an eyebrow.
Hua Yi rolled his eyes and looked at the ceiling.
Only Luo Shizhen had no idea what they were subtly implying. He even self-rationalized the investigator’s words as a mandatory procedure in the investigation process.
“Chu Xiao is my best friend. We grew up together. We have a great relationship.”
“Xiao Shan is my recognized Big Brother. He looks out for me and is very good to me. Our relationship is also very good.”
Lu Qiujin’s entire mind and body began to feel at ease.
And he began to regret why he had schemed to send those two to the confinement room in the first place.
If they were here right now, it would be perfect.
The investigators carefully observed Luo Shizhen’s expression and were amazed to find that he really was frank and earnest in his answers.
Just a friendship, yet a newly awakened Purifier could purify them.
They also began to lean toward the theory of ability mutation.
“Before you purified Lu Qiujin, did anything strange happen? Anything different from usual?”
Sui An, standing behind, showed no emotion, his dark eyes merely fixed on Luo Shizhen.
His mental energy had been attached to Luo Shizhen all along, so he had naturally seen Luo Shizhen suck the Gu insect dry with perfect clarity.
However, Sui An wasn’t sure if Luo Shizhen himself was aware of it.
Luo Shizhen actually did recall it.
“There was something. At the time, the Xieshen arrived, and we were preparing to run. While I was leaning against the wall, I found a stone.”
He directly told the story of how he felt the stone smelled delicious, so he couldn’t resist taking it down, only for the stone to turn into an insect skin.
“I think it was a Gu insect. Maybe I purified a polluted Gu.”
Sui An was stunned for a moment, then his lips curled into a helpless smile.
He had wanted to help the boy cover it up, but now, Luo Shizhen had honestly confessed everything himself.
Still, this was for the best. Students were equipped with monitoring devices during practical exercises. Even if Luo Shizhen hadn’t said it now, the investigators would eventually find the footage of him sucking the Gu dry while reviewing the surveillance frame by frame.
He had been playing the villain in vain.
Luo Shizhen was more than just confessing; he was practically excited.
Excited that he had found the reason for his purification “mutation” and could be of help.
“I was always really hungry before, but after purifying that Gu insect, I wasn’t hungry anymore. And I feel like I’m full of strength!”
The young Purifier began to analyze with some skill: “My classmate Zhang Chuan once told me the story of Shrouding the Heavens. The protagonist gained a mutated spiritual root after eating a five-colored gemstone. Could it be that I’m in a similar situation?”
The senior investigators recorded rapidly while falling into deep thought.
Was there really a type of Gu insect that, after being purified by a Purifier, would grant them other powers?
If that were the case, every Gu insect in the world was likely in trouble.
But first, they had to identify what kind of Gu it was, what it looked like, what species of insect it was before being made into a Gu, and what was different about the process of its creation.
Hua Yi suddenly walked over and pulled up an image for Luo Shizhen to see:
“Student, look. Is the Gu insect you mentioned this one?”
Luo Shizhen tried hard to identify it.
But insect skins all looked more or less the same. He had only caught a glimpse of it at the time; how could he tell?
He just remembered it smelled like fried prawns, but this insect skin didn’t look like a shrimp.
So, he looked up and sought help from Sui An.
“Sui-laoshi, was your mental energy on me at the time? Do you remember what this Gu insect looked like?”
The atmosphere in the classroom instantly fell silent.
Even though everyone already knew Sui An had placed his mental energy on the student, seeing Luo Shizhen bring it up so casually still felt surreal.
Sui An remained as if he hadn’t noticed anything, his long legs casually stepping forward.
Glancing at the image, he gave a definite answer: “It was this Gu insect.”
Luo Shizhen looked at him with admiration.
Sui-laoshi had such a good memory; he truly was a teacher.
Hua Yi stepped directly between Luo Shizhen and Sui An: “This Gu insect was your mission target—the Grade 3 Gu.”
Identifying the mission target from just an insect skin—didn’t that mean he had a better memory than Sui An?
Hua Yi looked toward Luo Shizhen with a seemingly casual gaze.
Unfortunately, Luo Shizhen looked back at him blankly, not realizing why Hua Yi was suddenly looking at him.
Hua Yi then glanced sideways at Sui An:
“If I’m not mistaken, you told the students that this mission target was Grade 1. But in reality, the school knew all along it was a Grade 3 Gu—higher than the students’ grade, but not enough to cost them their lives unless they failed to work together.”
“Tsk, it’s been so many years and it’s still the same old routine. No creativity at all.”
Sui An shifted his position and said slowly, “A trick doesn’t need to be new as long as it works.”
Luo Shizhen saw Sui An again and nodded like a chick pecking at rice in admiration.
Hua Yi: “…”
He blocked the path between them once more and pinched Luo Shizhen’s cheek.
Then, under Chen He-an’s gaze that looked ready to see a dead man, he reluctantly let go.
“It seems you really have mutated into an offensive system. No wonder they called me here. This situation is indeed similar to Devouring, and a Grade 2 devouring a Grade 3 at that. Student, you truly have pioneered a new path.”
Hua Yi sized Luo Shizhen up and down: “Most importantly, you devoured a Grade 3 Gu without any discomfort in your body.”
Luo Shizhen was very embarrassed by the praise and gave a shy smile: “Actually, I don’t know why I could devour that Gu insect. It didn’t attack me at all.”
A senior investigator said: “It’s possible that the purification ability has a suppressive effect on polluted Gu. This has been investigated before; purification indeed counters Pollution. It’s just that no one could ever perform purification directly on an Anomaly before.”
“Some Purifiers have tried, but the pressure from the Anomaly was too great, causing their ability to fail. This might be the difference between an auxiliary and an offensive system. But if one mutates into an offensive system, everything changes.”
“The side effect of Devouring is Pollution, but purification counters Pollution. Therefore, we see no side effects on Student Luo Shizhen.”
Although subsequent evidence was still needed, at least for now, this seemed to be the case.
The investigator’s eyes shone with excitement as he looked at Luo Shizhen:
“Little student, if this is true, you are the first Purifier in history who can both support and attack.”
“Your existence might bring about a massive change to the entire human situation.”
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