The hatred of the crowd was a palpable force. It was so much better than their admiration. Admiration was a cold, heavy chain. Hatred was a blazing fire, and the System was busy turning it into a weapon for me.
[Chaos Supernova processing. High-tier reward materializing.]
[Warning: Widespread public denouncement may trigger an inquiry from the Sect's Enforcement Hall.]
One crisis at a time, thank you very much. I'll take a stern talking-to over being snake food any day.
I stood over the catatonic form of Disciple Mei, the villain of the hour. The crowd was a wall of furious faces, their hands gripping makeshift weapons. They were still afraid of me, but their righteous anger was rapidly overcoming their fear. This was a mob in the making.
Before they could find a leader brave enough to charge, a figure pushed his way through the crowd.
It was Fang Heng.
The analyst. The observer. His face was not filled with the same blind rage as the others. Instead, it was a mask of intense, almost feverish concentration. He looked from me to the broken disciple, to the Phoenix Egg in my arm, and back to me. His eyes were shining with the terrifying light of a man who was finally seeing all the chaotic pieces click into place.
"Stop," Fang Heng said, his voice calm but firm, silencing the mob's roar. He held up a hand, not to defend me, but to halt the proceedings.
He walked forward until he was standing just a few feet away, placing himself between me and the angry disciples.
"Everyone, calm down and think," he said, his voice projecting across the valley. "Are you seeing what's truly happening, or just what your anger wants you to see?"
Oh no. No, you don't. Don't you dare try to find a profound, heroic reason for what I just did. I worked hard for this hatred. It's mine. I earned it.
"What is there to see?" a disciple shouted back. "He crushed Junior Sister Mei's spirit! He called us all worthless!"
"He did," Fang Heng agreed, nodding. The crowd murmured, confused by his seeming agreement. "But why? This is 'Master' Li, the man who defeated Chen Wei with a touch, who humbled Elder Han without a weapon. Do you truly believe a being of his caliber would bully a junior for no reason?"
He paused, letting his question sink in. "Look at her," he said, pointing to Mei. "Her spirit is damaged, yes. But her cultivation foundation is untouched. Her meridians are unharmed. He used a technique of perfect, pinpoint control. A technique designed not to destroy, but to... test."
I am going to strangle him. I will find a way to get the System to give me a mandate to strangle him.
"Test?" someone scoffed.
"Yes, test!" Fang Heng's voice grew more passionate, his theory spinning itself into existence. "He gave us a lesson today. He told us our faith was worthless. Why? Because faith that breaks at the first challenge is worthless! He shattered Junior Sister Mei's spirit because it was brittle! He is forcing her—forcing all of us—to rebuild our martial hearts from a stronger foundation! This wasn't an act of cruelty! It was the harshest, most compassionate lesson of all!"
A wave of groans, both internal and from the crowd, swept the valley. The beautiful, pure rage that was about to save my life began to waver, diluted by the poison of his insane, analytical admiration.
[Warning: Chaos infusion rate is dropping. Righteous Anger is being contaminated by Confused Re-evaluation.]
Curse you, Fang Heng! You are the bane of my existence! You are an agent of my destruction!
"And the egg!" Fang Heng declared, his eyes gleaming. "He accepted the burden of the Phoenix Egg, a treasure that will surely draw the attention of powerful evils. He is preparing for a battle we cannot even imagine! Perhaps... perhaps he needs to distance himself from us to protect us? Perhaps he drives us away so that we are not caught in the crossfire when the true enemy arrives!"
He had done it. With nothing but logic and a complete lack of common sense, he had single-handedly rehabilitated my image. He had turned me from a monstrous bully back into a tragic, misunderstood hero who shouldered his burdens alone.
The anger in the crowd evaporated, replaced by dawning shame and a new, deeper level of awe. They weren't just followers anymore. They were "students" who had failed their master's harsh but loving test.
[Chaos infusion has ceased. Final Reward calculated based on peak emotional output.]
[Reward: The Serpent's Bane Amulet (Single Use)]
[Effect: When crushed, releases a wave of energy that is highly toxic to draconic and serpentine beasts of the 'Corrupted' alignment. Will cause severe pain and temporary paralysis. Effective range: 50 meters.]
It was a good reward. A great reward, even. But it wasn't an ultimate weapon. It was a one-shot panic button. It was what I got from the mob's peak rage, right before Fang Heng ruined everything. It might be enough to survive the initial encounter, but it wouldn't be enough to win. My reward had been capped because of his interference.
Fang Heng turned to face me, the crowd now silent and ashamed behind him. His expression was one of grim understanding.
"I see it now, Master Li," he said, his voice low so only I could hear. "The greater the fame, the greater the burden. The more you are needed, the more you must push others away. An enemy is coming, isn't it? A great one."
I just stared at him, my face an impassive mask. Inside, I was plotting his demise in a hundred different, entirely powerless ways.
"You cannot face it alone," Fang Heng stated. It wasn't a question. "Your methods are... extreme, but I understand the principle behind them. You need allies who will not break. Allies who understand the nature of the true battle." He took a deep breath. "Let me help you."
My first instinct was to refuse. This man was a walking Acclaim generator. His presence was more dangerous to me than any ten primordial serpents.
But then I looked at the amulet I could feel in my sleeve. It wasn't enough. I looked at the warm, vulnerable egg in my arm. I thought about the Black-Hearted Serpent.
I was woefully, terrifyingly outmatched. A monster was coming, and I had a single-use talisman and a broken heart-devil technique to my name. Maybe… maybe an accomplice was what I needed. Not a follower. An accomplice. Someone who knew—or at least thought he knew—the truth.
My external persona made the decision for me. It gave a slow, almost imperceptible nod. One single, solemn dip of the chin.
Fang Heng's face lit up, not with joy, but with the grim satisfaction of a scientist whose grand unified theory has just been proven correct.
"I will not fail you," he vowed.
[New Alliance Formed: The Analyst Accomplice.]
[Warning: This alliance will drastically increase the complexity of your Acclaim generation.]
Just then, a tremor ran through the ground. A faint, foul wind blew down from the northern peaks, carrying a scent of rot and ancient malice. The sky, which had been a clear blue, began to darken, as if a storm were brewing with unnatural speed.
The birds in the forest fell silent. The air grew cold.
The Black-Hearted Serpent was coming.
Fang Heng's head snapped up, his eyes wide with alarm. "It's here."
I clutched the Phoenix Egg to my chest. My other hand slipped into my sleeve, my fingers wrapping around the Serpent's Bane Amulet.
It was my only shot. And thanks to my new, unwanted "ally," it was weaker than it should have been.
This was going to be a very, very long day.