CHAPTER 281: ZHONG KUI

The platform where Grim had fought Yang Jian remained exactly as they had left it, though the spirit himself had vanished along with his celestial companion.

Droplets of Grim’s blood had dried into dark stains that seemed to mock his performance.

Grim sat cross-legged, his breathing regulated as he cycled mana through his system.

The mana was so thick here, it made Grim stronger. But, despite that Yang Jian had schooled Grim so easily.

[That was embarrassing,] Caius said blunty. [I’ve seen peasants with pitchforks put up better fights.]

"Thanks for the encouragement," Grim muttered, not opening his eyes as he continued with his training.

[I’m not here to coddle your feelings,] Caius replied. [I’m here to help you survive, and based on what I just witnessed, you’re going to need considerable help.]

Grim’s mana circulation faltered slightly as frustration crept into his thoughts. "Yang Jian was stronger than anyone I’ve ever faced. Even Xùyán wasn’t that skilled."

[Xùyán was a child playing with power he didn’t understand,] Caius said dismissively. [Yang Jian was a warrior. There’s a difference.]

"Then teach me to be a warrior instead of just criticizing," Grim shot back.

[Very well. Stand up and show me the fight again.]

Grim opened his eyes, confusion clear on his face. "Show you what?"

[The fight with Yang Jian. Go through the motions, recreate what happened. If you can’t analyze your mistakes, you can’t correct them.]

Standing slowly, Grim drew Echo from its scabbard. The blade felt heavier than usual, weighted down by the memory of how ineffective it had been against Yang Jian.

"He started with the spear," Grim said, moving into his initial defensive stance. "Horizontal sweep from the right."

Grim moved through the opening exchange, his movements slower and more deliberate as he tried to recreate the exact sequence of attacks and parries.

Each step hughlighted a moment where he had been too slow, too predictable, or simply outclassed.

[Stop,] Caius commanded as Grim moved through the sequence where he had dropped his sword. [Right there. What did you do wrong?]

"I wasn’t fast enough to parry," Grim replied, pausing mid-motion.

[Wrong. Your speed was adequate. Your positioning was the problem. You committed to a high guard when you should have anticipated the low follow-up. Yang Jian telegraphed that combination, but you were too focused on the immediate threat to see.]

Grim frowned, replaying the moment in his mind. "He hit my wrist, not my sword."

[Because you extended too far trying to reach his spear shaft instead of staying centered and deflecting the point. Basic error. Again.]

They continued the exercise for nearly an hour, with Caius providing harsh but useful commentary on every mistake. Grim’s footwork was too wide, his sword strikes left him open, and his breathing became erratic under pressure.

[The real problem,] Caius said as Grim completed his recreation of the fight, [is that you fight like someone who learned in a civilized academy rather than on a battlefield.]

"I learned from Yongrun and Cassius," Grim protested. "They’re both formidable fighters."

[They’re formidable by human realm standards,] Caius corrected. [In the broader context of the realms, they’re barely competent.]

The harsh assessment stung, but Grim found himself unable to argue with it. Yang Jian had made it clear that his training was inadequate for the challenges he would face.

"Then why is everyone in the human realm so weak?" Grim asked, settling back into his cultivation position. "If Yang Jian represents the standard for real warriors, why doesn’t the human realm produce anyone like him?"

"Because your realm has been... sheltered," came a new voice from behind him.

Grim spun around to find a lazy spirit reclining on his collection of silk cushions, which had somehow appeared on the platform without making a sound.

"Zhong Kui," the spirit introduced himself with a languid wave. "And to answer your question more completely, the human realm has been deliberately isolated for some time."

"Isolated how?" Grim asked, studying the spirit’s relaxed posture with interest.

"Barriers," Zhong Kui explained, shifting to a more comfortable position among his cushions. "Spiritual barriers that prevent your realm from interacting with entities that would challenge your people to grow stronger."

"What kind of entities?"

"Demons, mostly," Zhong Kui said with casual indifference. "Also hostile spirits, rogue celestials, and various other unpleasant creatures that view humans as either prey or playthings."

Grim felt a chill run down his spine. "There are barriers keeping demons out of our realm?"

"Were," Zhong Kui corrected. "The barriers have been weakening for decades. Soon they’ll fail entirely, and your realm will be at war."

[Which explains why your training is suddenly so important,] Caius added privately. [The sheltered days are ending.]

"But why would barriers make humans weaker?" Grim asked. "Shouldn’t protection help us develop in peace?"

Zhong Kui laughed. "Peace doesn’t create warriors, boy. Pressure does. Necessity does. When you remove all external threats, people become soft, complacent, focused on political games instead of strength."

"Yang Jian said something similar," Grim admitted. "That I fought like someone who learned in a courtyard."

"Because you did," Zhong Kui replied bluntly. "Your entire realm has been fighting in courtyards for generations. Pretty techniques and too much rules. Real combat has nothing to do with any of that."

"Then what does real combat involve?"

"Survival," Zhong Kui said simply. "The willingness to do whatever is necessary to continue existing. Your realm has forgotten what that feels like."

Grim considered this explanation while resuming his mana circulation. The idea that his entire world had been protected from real challenges was both comforting and terrifying.

"There are few strong humans," Zhong Kui continued, "exceptions to the rules."

"Like Caius?" Grim asked without thinking.

Zhong Kui’s eyes sharpened with sudden interest. "Caius? As in Caius van Ambrose? The one who died decades ago?"

[Careful,] Caius warned. [This spirit knows more than he’s letting on.]

"I’ve heard stories," Grim said evasively. "Family legends about what he achieved. He died a long time ago."

"Is he?" Zhong Kui asked with a knowing smile. "Power like his doesn’t just disappear. It finds ways to continue existing, to pass its knowledge to the next generation."

Grim felt sweat forming on his forehead despite the cool air of the divine realm. Zhong Kui was fishing for information, but Grim wasn’t sure how much the spirit already knew.

"You mentioned that barriers are failing," Grim said, changing the subject. "What happens when they collapse completely?"

"Chaos," Zhong Kui replied immediately. "Demons will establish territories, hostile spirits will prey on the weak, and various other unpleasant creatures will treat humans like livestock."

"Can the barriers be repaired?"

"Not by anyone currently alive in your realm," Zhong Kui said with certainty. "The knowledge and power required to heal them been lost for generations."

"Then what’s the solution?"

"Strength," Zhong Kui said simply. "When the barriers fail, humans will need to be strong enough to defend themselves."

The casual way Zhong Kui discussed mass death and suffering made Grim’s stomach clench. "You talk about it like it’s inevitable."

"Because it is," Zhong Kui replied without emotion. "The cycle repeats across multiple realms. Protection leads to weakness, weakness leads to vulnerability, vulnerability leads to catastrophe, and catastrophe eventually leads to strength among the survivors."

"And you’re content to just watch it happen?"

"I’m a spirit of the dead," Zhong Kui said with a shrug. "I’ve seen this cycle multiple times. My role is to observe and occasionally assist those who show potential to break the pattern."

"Is that why you’re talking to me? Because you think I have potential?"

"Partly," Zhong Kui admitted. "But also because you’re interesting. Most humans who receive divine training are either too arrogant to learn or too intimidated to think clearly. You seem to fall somewhere in the middle."

[He’s testing you,] Caius warned. [Every question he asks is designed to reveal something about you.]

"What would you teach me?" Grim asked carefully. "If you decided I was worth the effort?"

"I’m too lazy for all that."

"Uhm, what??"

"You heard me, too much if a hassle. And if you were worth the time. It would come at a cost."

[Choose carefully,] Caius advised. [This spirit’s knowledge comes with prices that aren’t immediately obvious.]

"I need time to think," Grim said finally.

"Of course," Zhong Kui replied, settling deeper into his cushions. "But don’t take too long. The barriers I mentioned are failing faster than most people realize. Soon, the time to think will be a luxury your realm can’t afford."

As if to emphasize his point, Zhong Kui closed his eyes and appeared to fall asleep instantly, leaving Grim alone with his thoughts and the uncomfortable knowledge that his world was far more fragile than he had ever imagined.

[Welcome to reality,] Caius said grimly. [Now you understand why your training is so important. You need to get stronger enough to hear my weapons speak to you.]

"I heard sunfire once, he was a little energetic."

[It’s a manifestation of me. One side of me like a dice.]