Chapter 194.2: House Dogs and Strays Part 2

Lou Feng fell silent. For some reason, he found it hard to answer.

As he thought it over, if he put himself in other people’s shoes, he would naturally feel there was no need to get involved in this complicated situation. Yet if he tried to imagine the circumstances of others, he found himself hesitating for a moment.

He had no answer. And it was precisely that hesitation that made Kong Qingyan unable to hide her disappointment.

All the hard work of these past days had only stayed on the surface for Lou Feng; none of it had truly taken root in his heart. From the sudden incident that afternoon, she could see that he did have some backbone and decisiveness deep down, but after so many days, he still hadn’t even tried to understand the people working alongside him.

Faced with this question, there would definitely be people who would nod without hesitation, and there would definitely be people who would refuse. This was not a question with a standard answer at all.

Whatever Lou Feng answered wouldn’t be wrong. The only wrong answer was not answering. He simply did not know.

Kong Qingyan, however, could understand why he refused. Was it not better to stay in the workshop peacefully and devote himself completely to training and research than to risk his life for a tiny reward?

In the end, he was still a young master of the Lou family. He had the resources, the wealth, and the qualifications. He could very well proceed step by step, accumulate experience slowly, and eventually become an unremarkable but steady craftsman. He would be neither outstanding nor lacking. Never would he make a mistake, nor would he face any real danger. And in that perfectly ideal life, his future would be secure, but increasingly devoid of anything remarkable.

Admittedly, it was an opportunity and a life that countless people could only dream of. But it was also the cage Lou Feng was destined to be unable to break free from.

As his teacher, all Kong Qingyan could do was watch in silence and sigh.

After a long pause, Lou Feng finally gathered the courage to ask, “Master Kong, I just don’t understand. What did I do wrong?”

Kong Qingyan shook her head slowly. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Most of the time, arguing about right and wrong is meaningless. People can’t see far enough into the future, and the future is impossible to predict. At the end of the day, they’re simply different choices.”

If an opportunity this unbelievable had fallen into her lap when she was still an apprentice, she wouldn’t have hesitated for even a second. She would have joined even if she’d had to take out a loan just to pay the entry fee.

The expedition was led by the Tong family’s brightest rising star, organized by the Security Bureau, backed by numerous powerhouses of the Origin Path, and even had a Celestial Being overseeing the operation. Someone else would handle the dangerous parts. If there was profit to be made, they’d call you over for your share. It was steady pay, no matter what happened, with a guaranteed chance at striking it rich.

No one would get greedy and stab you in the back. No one would gang up to push you into the most dangerous jobs. And no one would start killing each other over an uneven split of the spoils. If this happened to any other apprentice, they would suspect that something this good had to be a scam.

“What do you think of me as your teacher?” Kong Qingyan asked. Before he could answer, she waved the first question off. “What do you think of Ye Xian?”

Lou Feng fell silent, unsure how to respond.

Kong Qingyan rubbed the bridge of her nose. Under the lamplight, she let out a self-deprecating laugh.

“It’s fine. I know you don’t really know her. Truth be told, neither do I, at least not well enough. That woman became an apprentice at seventeen, got her craftsman license at nineteen, and at twenty, she left her teacher. Everyone thought she was hopelessly arrogant. No one could have imagined that by the age of twenty-four, she would already become a master. At that time, what was I doing? I was still babysitting my teacher’s kids.”

She lowered her gaze, lost in thought. “I remember one of the children kept insisting on having porridge cooked over a wood fire, so I went to light the stove[1]. I’ve forgotten almost everything else. All I remember is smoke everywhere. I was holding half a newspaper, staring at her photo and the headline. Tears were running down my face, and I couldn’t even tell whether it was from the smoke or something else.

“That was the first time I truly understood what it meant to be consumed by jealousy. I kept asking myself one question. Why her?” Kong Qingyan looked up at her student. “What do you think made her different?”

Lou Feng was uncertain. “Talent? Or her hard work?”

Kong Qingyan laughed, her smile dripping with mockery. Everyone had talent, and anyone could work hard. There were countless geniuses in the world. Among those who eventually became masters, who was lacking talent? Who had worked any less than anyone else?

Did being gifted somehow mean that other craftsmen would hand over the secret techniques they had guarded their entire lives, their private theories and priceless research data, as casually as if they were passing out candy?

There was only one answer. One would have to fight for it, snatch it, and use every possible means to seize and plunder it.

If one lacked investment, one would have to seek investors, beg for support, or make false promises. If one lacked allies, one would have to recruit people, either through pressure or offering benefits. If one had no secret techniques of their own, then one would have to seek out the fools who possessed them but lacked the ability to make use of them.

It was a path soaked in blood and carnage. For the past seventy years, there had never been another example as extreme as Ye Xian’s. Every step she had taken was built on her rivals. Either she stepped over their cold corpses, or she forced them to sacrifice the reputation and achievements they had spent a lifetime building. There had never been an exception.

Why did she dare look down on everyone else during meetings at the Craftsmen Association? Was it because her theories surpassed everyone else’s? Because of her extraordinary accomplishments? Or because of her lofty status?

No. It was none of those.

There was only one reason. Everyone present at those meetings, added together, did not outnumber the craftsmen who had died by her hand.

Now, Ye Xian liked to reason with people. It wasn’t because she had mellowed with age. It was because everyone who refused to reason with her was already dead.

Kong Qingyan slowly said, “She’s already found her path and is steadily moving forward. As for the many others behind her, they are not worth worrying about. Even if every secret technique and closely guarded legacy in the world were placed before her, she wouldn’t even bother sparing them a glance. Because the moment someone finds the path that truly belongs to them, they’re already standing at the threshold of becoming a grandmaster.”

All those who had lost to her no longer dared to argue either. Some lowered their heads, others gritted their teeth and endured. Some even took pride in it.

Lou Feng stared for a long time before crying out, “Isn’t that...”

“Completely insane?” Kong Qingyan laughed. “She fought her way out of a path where survival was all but impossible. Ordinary people have never been worthy of her attention. Her student is no different. He looks humble, gentle, and kind to others, but in reality, he’s cut from exactly the same cloth as she is. If anything, he’s even more reckless and fearless than she is.”

She turned back and looked at her student. “If you’re standing on the same stage against an opponent like that, do you have the nerve to go all in?”

Lou Feng fell silent. There was no need for him to reply. They both knew the answer, as it had already happened once. More than once, in fact. When it came to staking your life on a single desperate gamble, how could a pampered young master ever compare to a rabid stray that spent every day with its life hanging by a thread?

“I...” Lou Feng opened his mouth, but no proper answer came out. “I...”

Kong Qingyan looked at him. This time, he no longer avoided his teacher’s gaze. His face was flushed crimson, his hands clenched tightly around his knees as he struggled to speak.

In the end, though, all he saw was the smile on his teacher’s face, a smile filled with unmistakable delight. “It doesn’t matter whether it’s jealousy or anger. The true spirit of Ember is refusing to accept being beneath others. The day you can calmly accept being inferior is the day you’ve truly died as a craftsman.”

She nodded in satisfaction. Her smile vanished, leaving not a trace of warmth behind. “From today on, you'll receive no materials except those required for your theory classes. I’ll speak to the Lou family about it. If you still want to improve, then go fight for it yourself!”

She gave one final smile, ignoring her student’s shock and confusion. “If you’re not content with the comfortable life of a house dog, then try living like a stray. Let me, as your teacher, see just what kind of future you can claw out for yourself.”

Lou Feng couldn’t sleep all night.

***

Even now, sitting in the car, he still couldn’t tell how much of his decision to come along was just a desperate “Whatever, screw it,” and how much of it was because he still wanted to go head-to-head with that bastard Ji Jue again.

As the unease and confusion slowly grew, he instinctively turned to the seat beside him, searching for answers, but no one was there.

Amid the familiar blasting DJ music, Lou Feng finally realized that during the short while he had dozed off, Ji Jue had somehow already blended into the team and was getting along with everyone.

Within the noisy, lively atmosphere, Ji Xue casually slapped him on the shoulder like they’d known each other forever. “Since we’re already on such friendly terms, I’ll call you Lil’ Ji from now on!”

Ji Jue smiled, showing no sign of displeasure. Instead, he glanced at her with mild curiosity. “Won’t that get confusing?”

Ji Xue froze. While everyone roared with laughter, she glared and elbowed him.

Ji Liu, sitting in the front row beside Tong Shan, laughed especially loudly. “Hahahahaha! You can call her Lil’ Ji. I’m her brother, so just call me Big Ji!”

The laughter grew even louder. Even Tong Shan snorted. Lou Feng sat there, completely dumbfounded. Ideals could be cruel, but reality was somehow even crueler. Can you people please stop being so shameless?!

Lou Feng looked up at the sky and sighed. For the first time ever, he found himself missing the workshop and his teacher. Life away from home was so helpless.

1. 灶台 here is probably referring to a traditional wood-burning stove/hearth, not a modern gas or electric stove. ☜