"But the you who dreamed of being a great hero will never appear again."
"In the real world, you've finally reached the pinnacle of your life's career. Along the way, it's been intrigue, selling out friends for glory, betrayal, and scheming."
"In this world, you also have similar experiences, don't you? How much of your friends' blood has stained your seat as the Martial Arts Alliance Hierarch?"
Liu Jianxin was stunned.
Wen Xishu continued:
"The martial world has become the most treacherous place. Despite the depths of your heart, you still long to be someone like Xiao Jianglong... yet you keep allowing these people to linger on."
"But you know that if one day they block your path, you would kill them without hesitation. You also know that chivalry, justice, kindness, uprightness are weaknesses in this world."
"Congratulations, Liu Jianxin, you've succeeded. Whether in the real world or this world, you stand at the top."
"Yet this has become your obsession; you always hope that someone can accomplish those difficult things, can... rise to the throne of the martial world without stepping on piles of white bones like you."
"But each time a challenger appears, you invariably kill them."
Liu Jianxin looked at Wen Xishu in shock:
"You... are saying that I am the Martial Arts Alliance Hierarch, that I am the greatest villain of this martial world?"
Wen Xishu said:
"Yes."
"When facing Xiao Jianglong, facing the birthday treasure... did you ever think about betraying Xiao Jianglong and seizing those treasures?"
"Even entering the martial arts assembly, you could see at a glance there was conspiracy. You seem inherently evil; you've developed a dependency on all these shady dealings."
"You can deny what I say, but you can't deceive yourself."
Liu Jianxin was somewhat dazed. He quickly found the critical point:
"But why, as a challenger, did you become the Martial Arts Alliance Hierarch? And I, instead, became the challenger?"
Wen Xishu said:
"It's my authority. I can invert our positions in the Obsession World. You may understand it as me letting you walk through the martial world again, making you the individual who once challenged the martial world."
"Now, you've seen the state of the martial world."
"This martial world, every man for himself; in this martial world, bandits are everywhere, this martial world, officials and merchants collude, this martial world, righteous heroes are diminishing, hearts are anxious."
"Liu Jianxin... is this the martial world you want?"
"Sitting on the throne of the Martial Arts Alliance Hierarch, you can't see the dust, but now, entering the world as dust, ask yourself, is this the martial world from when you were thirteen, when your father broke the rules to uphold justice and you cheered?"
Liu Jianxin wanted to say...
Once you reach the top, why bother with the means? This martial world is covered in dust, this martial world is drenched in blood.
But as long as I am at the top, I can pretend not to see it, can't I?
But he couldn't say it.
He looked at Xiao Jianglong, and at the heroes beset behind him, hoping he could escape the predicament, and fell into silence.
This world has justice.
This world is utterly corrupt, but there are still people who choose to be Xiao Jianglong.
"So... you want to awaken me?"
"Yes, I want to awaken you. Deep down in your heart, there's still chivalry. This martial world is indeed utterly corrupt, but Xiao Jianglong and others have not died in this martial world, and Ye Jianxin merely retired, not dead."
Wen Xishu continued:
"The Original Heart Sword Technique plainly told me to help you find your original heart. So I intervened in each of your evil deeds, forcibly turned your wicked behavior, making you unwittingly act with righteousness."
"Because I must let you get the invitation. You can consider this invitation the ticket to the true world."
"When the time comes, I will become the challenger, challenging the real you."
Liu Jianxin mostly understood.
This is absurd, yet he can feel Wen Xishu's sincerity.
Because he has truly seen the self from that world.
He also truly recalled certain things.
"If you were me... would you defeat me in a heroic way?"
Liu Jianxin looked at Wen Xishu:
"Even if there's no hope at all?"
Wen Xishu shook his head:
"I would, but what I want to tell you is, there won't be no hope, just it's very difficult."
"If we returned to our original roles, with me as the challenger and you as the Demon King, I would defeat you."
Liu Jianxin was puzzled:
"Why? Given our current strength gap, you think... without scheming, without despicable means, you can win? Just with your bit of a chivalrous heart?"
Wen Xishu smiled:
"I said it's very difficult, but not impossible, because the person providing the obsession thinks himself very evil, yet in fact, he's not that bad."
"Just like you, always cursing heroes as foolish, but when I truly force you into a desperate situation, when you truly have no escape... your true heart still longs to be a hero."
"So I will win, no matter how hard or clumsy, even if midway I also doubt this world, I will win."
"I will find the reclusive Ye Jianxin, I will use my mastery of the Original Heart Sword Technique to bring him back."
"You ask me relying on what? Certainly not just relying on the seemingly laughable chivalrous heart of this era, but relying on... your deepest and truest expectation."
Liu Jianxin looked at Wen Xishu for a long time.
Yes, he hoped he could redo it all over, could walk the martial world again with a heroic heart, could reach the top through the correct and difficult way.
He hoped he could live like Ye Jianxin, but he... betrayed his original ideals.
He failed, he couldn't do it. Ye Jianxin, if he saw all this, would be utterly disappointed in him, right?
If it could be redone, if it could be redone!
And because of this, this has become an obsession. Thus this martial world seems treacherous, yet always... always retains hope.
"So now? Now... how will you deal with me?" Liu Jianxin said.
This was also a very difficult moment for Wen Xishu.
Actually, Wen Xishu thought at first...
If Liu Jianxin was utterly corrupt, if this person had no relation to Ye Jianxin, if he always only thought about petty gains, betrayal, and scheming...
Then perhaps it wouldn't be bad, and killing him would bear no psychological burden.
But now, he found, Liu Jianxin wasn't that bad.
He had been through many things, had been radiant once, but society's reality dealt him a heavy blow.
Wen Xishu could scarcely imagine how much betrayal and scheming Liu Jianxin had gone through.
Yet even so, inside Liu Jianxin, there was still heroism.
When he called upon the sword spirit, hoping to intercept the Martial Arts Alliance alone, when the Original Heart Sword Technique truly returned to full mastery within him...
Wen Xishu then knew Liu Jianxin was still Liu Jianxin.
"I must admit, this is a very difficult choice. If I were the challenger, I would kill you without hesitation."
"But I am not the challenger, I don't want to kill you, yet due to the inversion of power, I must kill you."
"Because only in this way can I travel to the true world to awaken the real Liu Jianxin."
Liu Jianxin suddenly laughed:
"I see, I trust you then."
Wen Xishu said nothing.
Liu Jianxin said:
"If I am to be killed, I think you don't need to go about it so roundabout. Actually, everything you've told me is very... real, yet also quite illusory."
"But I believe you."
"After all, according to what you've said, if you were the challenger, I would die too, right?"
Wen Xishu nodded.
Liu Jianxin raised the Inconstant Sword, at this moment, Wen Xishu suddenly realized what Liu Jianxin intended to do.
In Wen Xishu's eyes, there was a small flicker of surprise.
He thought he would begrudgingly have to kill Liu Jianxin, but didn't expect Liu Jianxin to make such a choice.
"Since my death is necessary to revert the martial world to its original state, since it's the only way to let the other me recover the sword heart of the past..."
"Then I shall face death willingly!"
Many years ago, due to the filth of society, Liu Jianxin agreed with those easy yet unheroic norms of conduct.
The thirteen-year-old boy seemed he would never wait for the future self who would already be a great hero.
"This strike is the greatest heroism I've ever practiced! Wen Xishu... from now on, it's up to you!"
Liu Jianxin handed the invitation to Wen Xishu.
Afterward, with a flash of the Inconstant Sword's light, this true martial world villain died with a smile.
Many years later, in an incredibly filthy martial world, he seemed to have found himself again.