Chapter 51 - 44: My Life Is Destined to Be a Supporting Role, but Who Doesn’t Want to Stand in the Light?

Chapter 51: Chapter 44: My Life Is Destined to Be a Supporting Role, but Who Doesn’t Want to Stand in the Light?

Zhao Lu sucked hard on his straw and said with a smile, "What’s the difference? The Human Dao Class looks at Talent. He definitely got into it because his initial Spirit Root Talent wasn’t high enough.

"But since he can beat you now, it means he must have extraordinary talent in areas other than his Spirit Root Talent.

"Unlike me. My background is poor, my Talent is poor, and even my comprehension is completely average.

"Let alone getting into a Daoist School in the future, it’s not even certain if I can reach Foundation Establishment in this lifetime.

"However, you were right about one thing: you, Bian Shouyi, will definitely not keep losing.

"Although you lost to that Lu Chen guy in this mock exam, your future will absolutely not change because of this one failure. You are still that genius Sword Fool we look up to."

Saying this, Zhao Lu put down his empty soda bottle and gazed deeply at the bustling street not far away, watching the people coming and going.

Among these people, some hurried along with exhausted faces, seemingly just finishing a day of work and heading home. Others looked ecstatic, dressed in extravagant luxury, whizzing by in expensive cars. But most were like the convenience store owner behind them—plainly dressed, smiling as they greeted passing customers, living their ordinary lives.

Zhao Lu felt that his future might be just like that of the majority—ordinary and mundane. Yet the more he thought about it, the more unwilling he felt.

If he didn’t have Cultivation Talent, he might not envy others. But fate had granted him the Talent for Cultivation. Only, this Talent didn’t propel him to the next level; instead, it made him realize even more profoundly the chasm-like gap between himself and others.

It gave him a glimmer of hope, but that hope was truly just a glimmer...

Perhaps sensing Zhao Lu’s desolation, Bian Shouyi, sitting next to him, showed a rare display of emotional intelligence. "Let’s not talk about this. Didn’t you say before that you wanted to write a proper novel?

"You said that even if you couldn’t get into a Daoist School and become a true Practitioner in the future, you could still be a respectable novelist and live a good life.

"So, have you written it yet?"

Hearing this, Zhao Lu mocked himself. "That was just a joke from when we were kids. You’re the only one who took it seriously. A novel... I stopped writing a long time ago."

"Huh? Why?"

Zhao Lu gripped the empty glass bottle in both hands and said calmly, "Shouyi, do you know why I originally wanted to write a novel?"

Bian Shouyi shook his head. "I don’t know. You never seemed to tell me."

Zhao Lu lowered his head, his eyes staring lifelessly at the road not far away.

"The reason I wanted to write a novel was that my life was too ordinary and plain. I wanted to experience a completely different life within a story.

"I consider myself average-looking with an ordinary family background. I can’t dazzle anyone’s youth, nor do I have any steady, enduring romance.

"Whether in the past or the future, my life is destined to remain stagnant, incapable of stirring up any ripples.

"But novels are different. They contain not only bizarre, fantastical worlds but also the kind of life I can only envy.

"And regardless of whether the story ends in Perfection or regret, the journey is always brilliant. It’s an existence I long for but can never reach.

"Shouyi, everyone desires to be the one standing on the stage, but I know very well that the stage is only so big. An ordinary person like me is destined never to step on it.

"So, I used to hope to build a stage solely for myself through a novel. But reality told me... fake things are fake in the end. You can’t fool others; you can only deceive yourself.

"No matter how beautiful a bubble is, it’s still just a bubble. There will always come a day when it gets popped."

Zhao Lu stood up, ready to return his empty glass bottle to the convenience store. But as he walked past Bian Shouyi, he suddenly said, "Shouyi, you must have a reason for seeking me out today, right?"

Bian Shouyi finished his soda in one gulp and also stood up.

"Your mom asked me to look for you. She said your birthday is coming up soon and wanted you to go back and visit if you have time. After all, you haven’t been home in over a month, and you haven’t even returned a single phone call. She’s a bit worried.

"She knows you’re under a lot of pressure with your studies, so she didn’t dare to disturb you and asked me to pass on a message.

"She says not to worry too much. She will work hard to earn a bit more money and buy you Cultivation resources as much as possible to ease your burden.

"You just need to focus on your Cultivation at school, and she will handle the rest."

Hearing this, Zhao Lu nodded calmly, then placed his glass bottle into the basket near the entrance of the convenience store.

When he turned back around, he answered with a serious face, "Shouyi, please tell her for me that I’ll go back when I have time."

"But..."

"Let’s just leave it at that, Shouyi. I’m very glad you came to see me today.

"But I’m not a genius like you, after all. I have to seize every moment for Cultivation, or else I really won’t have the slightest chance of getting into a Daoist School. See you later."

Having said that, Zhao Lu bid farewell to Bian Shouyi, turned around, and headed toward the school.

Watching his retreating back, Bian Shouyi felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding. He had this lingering feeling that something had happened to his good friend, but for some reason, Zhao Lu just wouldn’t tell him.

If it were someone with a more passionate and outgoing personality, they might have chased after Zhao Lu and questioned him to the bitter end. But for someone like Bian Shouyi, who was wholly devoted to practicing the sword and inept at socializing, such an overstepping action was something he absolutely would not do.