Right and Wrong

Jin Datong stepped forward, channeling all his strength from his feet to his fist, and aimed a powerful punch at Su Hao.

However, to his surprise, his foot stepped into nothingness, and he instantly lost his balance.

"What?!" Jin Datong was shocked, realizing immediately that he had fallen into a trap, causing his scalp to tingle.

Su Hao had been running around earlier, not just randomly, but identifying the hard spots on the ground. Then, infusing blood energy into his feet, he secretly left numerous deep pits on the ground, which were impossible to notice in the dark without careful observation. He had been waiting for this moment.

These pits weren't meant to do much, just to make Jin Datong lose his balance for a moment.

As Jin Datong lost his balance, Su Hao moved.

"Shadow Step!"

Circling to the side of Jin Datong's severed arm, he slashed horizontally, aiming to decapitate him with one strike.

Jin Datong suddenly grinned fiercely, his stepping foot accelerating downward, regaining balance in an instant. His previously limp severed arm suddenly lifted, blocking the blade.

"Ha!"

With a shout, he adjusted his right fist and punched towards Su Hao.

"Bone Breaker!"

In his mind, this punch guaranteed Su Hao's death.

"Shuā!" The arm was severed again and flew away.

"Bang!" Su Hao was struck in the left chest again.

One arm for one punch.

But this time, Su Hao wasn't knocked away. His feet were firmly planted on the ground, stable as a mountain, and the blade turned back.

"Thud!"

Jin Datong's head was thrown high into the air.

"Barrier!!!"

As Jin Datong's vision rose, his undamaged throat let out a bizarre scream.

Until his head hit the ground heavily and his eyes sank into darkness, he couldn't understand how the opponent could use the barrier twice.

Prepare two runes in advance? Impossible, no one could do that, not even the best rune master. Then why?

In his final moment, Jin Datong silently thought, "You bastard…"

…

After cleaning up the scene, Su Hao specifically went to the Jin family to handle the aftermath and retrieved his long blade.

After confirming no abnormalities through a scan, he returned to the academy.

Lying on his bed, Su Hao stared blankly at the ceiling.

He had gained great power, enough to defeat Jin Datong, the second-ranking fighter in the entire Rising Clouds Town.

But with this power came killing; even the familiar Jin Datong died by his blade.

Suddenly, he wasn't sure if what he did was right.

He thought his heart was hard, capable of smashing all obstacles without hesitation.

He believed human life wasn't important, for a mere few decades in the vast cosmic timeline was just a fleeting moment, and in the face of time, everything would eventually fade away.

He thought the world wasn't important either, each world just a possible outcome of the universe's evolution, with magnificent phenomena merely accidental manifestations of cosmic rules, including technology, blood energy, runes… Perhaps his existence was just another possibility of the universe.

He believed he wasn't important, having died already, just an ordinary person who got lucky.

Su Hao's mind was in turmoil.

He suddenly asked himself, "Is it right? Is it wrong?"

After a long while, he reached out his hand towards the night sky.

Then he smiled: "Is there really right or wrong? It's just everyone pursuing what they want!"

With desires, there's always a price to pay in pursuit of those desires—money, emotions, life, or something else.

All actions in life are bound by the circle of costs.

Not acting just means the cost is unbearable. If you can't bear it and still do it, it's self-destruction. Right or wrong doesn't exist in the cosmic laws. And he, he just needs to be ready to sacrifice everything for his pursuits.

Isn't that the way all lives are?

Ordinary life is too short for Su Hao.

He didn't know if he would wake up again once he closed his eyes. Like Schrödinger's cat, the outcome is unknown until it happens, and it's not something you can bet on.

So, cherish every day!

When you open your eyes, strive to explore the unknown, to uncover the secrets of the universe! There's so much unknown.

All confusion, all puzzles, are just because he hasn't acquired enough knowledge, hasn't reached a high enough level.

Su Hao murmured, "What you think is right may not be right, what you think is impossible may not be impossible, what you think is abnormal may not be abnormal…"

Su Hao took a deep breath, got up, and lay on the roof, gazing at the night sky.

The stars were so distant.

…

At the headquarters of Rising Clouds Town's guard unit.

Jin Datong and Jin Damo's bodies were laid out in the front hall, Jin Dayan and Jin Xiaohan kneeling beside them, eyes red and swollen, unable to shed more tears.

All the prominent figures of Rising Clouds Town were present.

The head of the Martial Artist Academy, Grand Preceptor-level martial artist Xiao Jixuan.

The captain of the guard unit, Grand Preceptor-level martial artist Hua Hongyi.

The mayor of Rising Clouds Town, Grand Preceptor-level martial artist Lü Luyun.

Three powerful figures gathered.

"Any clues?" Mayor Lü Luyun, a tall and sturdy middle-aged man with meticulously groomed long hair and beard, asked.

Immediately, someone reported, "Based on eyewitness accounts, we can only determine the general shape of the suspect, a short person around one and a half meters tall. But after searching all the records in Rising Clouds Town, we found no martial artist above grandmaster level that matches. We're currently sending people to the main city, Peace City, for further investigation. Results are expected in about five days.

Before that, we used the aura locking method, but the time between the crime and discovery was too long, making it ineffective. We found no traces at the scene, all the hair and blood found were Jin Datong's."

Lü Luyun turned to Captain Hua Hongyi and Headmaster Xiao Jixuan, asking, "What do you think?"

Xiao Jixuan shook his head.

Hua Hongyi, a well-coordinated and handsome young man who, despite being in his forties, liked to dress youthfully, making him look just over twenty, said, "It's not one of our martial artists in Rising Clouds Town. Except for the three of us, no one else here could defeat Jin Datong. The one who decapitated him must be a top-tier grandmaster martial artist, likely from Peace City."

Lü Luyun replied calmly, "Then we wait. The guard unit will impose a curfew for a month and offer a reward for information about the culprit through all major exploration groups. As for the killer, we will publicly announce that the killer has been executed. Let's proceed with that."

Turning to Xiao Jixuan and Hua Hongyi, he added, "Please stay in town for the next month."

Both nodded and bowed.

…

After this incident, Su Hao temporarily gave up the idea of selling beast runes for money, as flaunting such items now would easily attract attention.

With only one gold yuan and 68 silver yuan left in his bag, Su Hao exuded a penniless aura.

As for making money, as long as he had something to eat, he was too lazy to bother.

Three days later, the academy reopened, and Su Hao met up with Xiao Pang and He Qingqing again.

They hadn't changed much, but the moment they saw him, their eyes lit up like bulbs.

He Qingqing suddenly said, "Xiangwu, you seem different!"

Su Hao looked at himself in confusion, "Different? How? Maybe I've grown taller?"

Xiao Pang nodded, "Now that Qingqing mentions it, I feel it too, a bit different."

He Qingqing nodded, "Yes, but I can't put my finger on it. It's like you've taken a bath? Cleaner and clearer?"

Shaking her head, He Qingqing continued, "I can't explain it."

Su Hao laughed, "Maybe! I did take a bath last night! Let's go, time to register!"

Moments later, Su Hao's incredulous voice echoed, "What? Tuition? One gold yuan? Forget it, I'm not going to school anymore."