Getting Stronger By Fighting-Chapter 499: Be The Best You_1
And so, after a long time had passed, the little fellow could no longer bear it. His face pale and filled with trepidation, he could only ask, "Grandpa, do I really have no Talent as a Martial Artist? Big Brother... will he... will he leave me behind?"
The Old Man was indifferent, the mirror he had transformed into rising and falling in the air. However, despite his silence, the ripples on his mirror had already clearly shown his feelings.
If the child in front of him were not Three Seven, or rather, if he weren’t the Three Seven whom Wang Zhan had brought out from that small city; indeed, if it weren’t for the inexplicable fondness and connection even the Old Man felt for Three Seven! The Old Man truly wanted to smack him hard on the back of the head right then and there, then glare at him fiercely and add, "You want to stay by Wang Zhan’s side? On what grounds? Just because you cause trouble? Because you’re young and have nothing else to offer? Is that it?!"
Of course, considering Three Seven’s feelings, the Old Man, after remaining silent for a long time, finally sighed with resignation. "Sigh, if you continue like this, making no progress whatsoever, it won’t just be that boy looking down on you; anyone would. If you were an ordinary person, this wouldn’t be an issue. But you’re not an ordinary person anymore. You’re about to become a Martial Artist. Are you going to keep relying on others’ help? Is that how you plan to satisfy your little wish of staying by that boy’s side?"
The Old Man’s meaning was very clear: That’s impossible. You can’t depend on others; you must depend on yourself. If you want to eat, earn it. If you want to spend money, find it. If you want to make progress, you must forge ahead on your own.
Therefore, in the final analysis, the essence of this Martial Arts Path is the path of will. Moreover, both he and Wang Zhan had initially felt that this little kid’s willpower was quite good and that he could achieve great things. But who could have imagined that after experiencing such a minor incident, the little fellow’s true colors would be completely exposed! He’s not only lacking in wisdom, but also in vital energy and Essence Energy—he doesn’t even seem to have a brain!
If Wang Zhan were here and saw this pitiful little fellow recklessly charging in among the beasts—almost as if he were worried they wouldn’t have enough for dinner, seemingly throwing his life away—and then saw him leap up again, all so that those enjoying their smell could experience an even higher grade of deliciousness, Wang Zhan might truly let him fend for himself! A Martial Artist without ability is better off dying early, or at least just struggling to survive as an ordinary person. But they must never rashly enter the battlefield! Doing so means you go from being a liability only to yourself to affecting an entire squad. You become nothing but a burden, a complete drag on your comrades.
It’s like that saying: useless at everything productive, but always number one when it comes to making mischief—utterly detestable, hateful, and loathsome. If it were an ordinary person, they might agree to take in a boy with such Martial Artist Talent. But Wang Zhan is different! Having come from the slums, he understands the true meaning of life far better than most. Naturally, he’s also acutely aware of how difficult and dangerous it would be to keep someone by his side who lacks a survival instinct. It would be tantamount to gambling with others’ lives. And in such matters, whether for Wang Zhan’s sake or anyone else’s, the principle is the same: traveling light allows for more rational and expedient choices and actions.
So, after another moment of silence, the Old Man finally said to the little kid, "However, you’re not completely without a chance! At the very least, you must remember this: that boy brought you out of the small city. In other words, to some extent, he is your Teacher..."
But clearly, the little fellow didn’t understand what the Old Man was trying to convey; he just needed a suggestion, a plan. As such, he only remembered that one sentence.
Later, after the Old Man had spoken at length and once again saw the boy’s dazed or drowsy expression, he trailed off, completely unable to continue. After all, the Three Seven before him was just a ten-year-old child. While everyone might yearn to witness such maturity, they certainly wouldn’t want to see their own children transform in the blink of an eye, as if possessed and their personalities completely altered!
Therefore, Old Master Zao could only fall silent again. Then, looking at the little kid before him with a grave expression, he said, "I have a way. Of course, I can’t be sure if you’ll be able to survive for long with it..."
Unexpectedly, as soon as the Old Man finished speaking, the little kid immediately nodded and pledged, "Grandpa! I will definitely try my hardest! I just want to stay here, by Big Brother’s side. Can you help me?"
Finally, as the Old Man spoke these words, the little fellow’s eyes lit up once more.
Why did he want to stay by Wang Zhan’s side? The reasons were quite evident. For one, to the little kid, his own brother and all his relatives were no longer in this world. And Wang Zhan, the man who seemed so aloof and uncompromising, was the one who had taken him away. This alone was enough for Three Seven to cherish the idea of following him and to look up to Wang Zhan with admiration.
Because Wang Zhan was tall, he would inevitably be an elder figure. Because Wang Zhan was powerful, he would also become his mentor. Such a life, such a way of living... for the entire Federation and all its official Martial Artists, wouldn’t they too yearn for such an existence? Moreover, in the little kid’s eyes, he had witnessed Wang Zhan’s strength. He was overwhelmingly powerful—so much so that he had not only completely overturned the little kid’s understanding of Martial Artists but also embodied all his fantasies and aspirations regarding them. In fact, compared to the Old Man, who seemed distinctly inhuman at a glance, Three Seven felt he understood Wang Zhan much better. After all, from the little kid’s perspective, Wang Zhan was currently the one he should get close to, a kindred spirit, not just a powerful one.
Therefore, even though Three Seven was still young, he understood: This might truly be his only chance, his last chance, to do something for himself and, in the future, to avenge his brother!
Hence, he could only gaze at the Old Man, his eyes filled with a desperate yearning for an answer, for guidance on what he should do right now.
So, when the Old Man looked into those eyes—though naïve, they shone with a pure, clear light, full of aspiration for life and the future—he finally spoke, each word deliberate, "Then give up all your fantasies! Mobilize all your wisdom! Live! It doesn’t matter if you have to be like a cunning little fox to survive, or whatever else it takes. But the absolute premise is this: you *must* live. Let the person you want to follow see the courage in you, the wisdom in you, the survivor in you—the one who embodies survival of the fittest..."
This was destined to be an exceptionally arduous undertaking. At the same time, the Old Man understood far better than the little fellow before him that his advice was, in essence, no different from pushing the child to his death! He was too young, after all. So young that even though he had already encountered all the misfortunes this world could throw at him, he was still only ten years old! And now, such a ten-year-old child had to learn how to survive in the wilderness, a place teeming with beasts and lurking dangers. Survive! What an incredibly difficult task! Even with the potential support of Wang Zhan and the Old Man, and even if the Old Man’s true intention was merely to break the child’s dependence on them, it wouldn’t change the reality. For anyone, just thinking about the immense risks involved, or harboring even the slightest doubt towards Wang Zhan or the Old Man, would be enough. They would be overcome by their own fear, trembling and losing all confidence to face anything, long before any beast could devour them!
Therefore, this was less a path of life and death, and more a path of will! However, even so, one must not forget that there are always exceptions. So, if a single misstep occurred and they couldn’t rescue him in time, then obviously, this path of will would transform into a path of death born from fear. A path with no end in sight, or perhaps, the path itself would be the end!
But the Old Man—who had once carefully learned about Wang Zhan through Qin Ying’s accounts and had also investigated him privately—knew clearly: if Three Seven couldn’t achieve this, then undoubtedly, for Wang Zhan, who from his very debut had domineeringly made himself known to the entire Federation with the force of a thunderbolt clearing a den and had never once backed down, it wouldn’t matter how demonic the boy’s Talent was. He would never be allowed into Wang Zhan’s inner circle; at best, he’d be a disposable pawn. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦
Therefore, if the little kid wanted to change his destiny, he had better show Wang Zhan a brave, strong, and fearless version of himself!
However, if the Old Man could have known the image the little kid held of him in his heart—that he wasn’t even considered human, but rather a miraculous, monster-like existence—then presumably, the guilt hidden deep within his own heart wouldn’t feel quite so heavy.
