Chapter 21: Activation, Destiny's Mission! (Part Two)

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…Endure…
…Endure again and again…
Gurgling, that consciousness was not merely awakening; it seemed to be boiling over, surging with unprecedented activity. It wasn’t unfurling completely to seize control, but rather as if something had been triggered. Certain memories, immense obsessions, and fierce emotions erupted all at once. Crackling, as if thunder were rolling and lightning discharging in the domain of the mind—one after another, increasingly fervent sparks ignited.

—Enough! No more!
—I will not endure this any longer!!

Overwhelming emotions shattered the coagulated lumps of consciousness, and a voice, as mighty as thunder, resounded through the entire mental domain. Suddenly, images flashed before Shi Tiexin’s eyes—memories etched into the very soul of another consciousness.

Shi Tiexin’s gaze instantly turned vacant as scattered fragments of memory began to pour in.

He saw the arrogant, wild laughter of delinquent youths.

He saw beatings, extortion, threats, and bullying.

He saw a boy from the countryside, striving to continue his education, determined not to let down the hopes and trust of his fellow villagers. He decided that it was better to avoid trouble than to make more, choosing to endure rather than resist.

He saw that boy bearing immense pressure in his heart, holding back tears as he gritted his teeth alone, telling himself to hang on, just a little longer—once those villains grew bored, it would all be over.

But he also saw how things turned out contrary to his wishes—those delinquents took the greatest pleasure in tormenting those who did not fight back. The more the boy endured, the more wanton their cruelty became. Even though the boy was poor and had nothing to be exploited, they bullied him simply for their own amusement.

He saw vicious faces, heard arrogant taunts and insults. All these memories, wave after wave, surged together. Amid the countless shattered recollections, all brimming with humiliation, one face always marked the pinnacle of that shame—Teng Chaoguo.

“Kneel down, crawl through here…”

“Come on, be a good grandson. Call me ‘Grandpa’ and I’ll let you off…”

“Drink this piss and I won’t make you pay up…”

“Aren’t you tall? From now on, every time you see me, you have to squat—hahaha!”

“When I say kneel, you kneel! Not going to kneel? You’re asking for it—beat this brat till he begs for mercy!”

Scene after scene blended into chaos. In the midst of this swirling confusion, Shi Tiexin suddenly felt that everything before him was achingly familiar.

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Wasn’t this exactly what he had suffered at Tumubao before? Wasn’t this exactly what he had experienced at the Star Worker School for the children of laborers?

So, the other consciousness—after all, you and I, we are indeed the same!

And this rage, this unwillingness to submit—they are just like mine!

The moment that thought arose, a deafening boom split the chaotic vortex of memory as if the world itself was being cleaved open by a blinding light. That light finally crystallized into several large words, floating before Shi Tiexin’s vision.

[Activate: Destiny Quest!]
[Destiny Quest 1: Unyielding Before Power.]
[Description: Even as a penniless orphan, one must stand tall and proud!]
[Completion Condition: Discover for yourself]
[Completion Reward: Discover for yourself]

Destiny Quest?

Shi Tiexin had no idea what this was or what it signified. The conditions and rewards were all to be discovered on his own, so vague they made his head spin. But he didn’t care about that now. He simply clenched his fists, staring intently at Teng Chaoguo swaggering ahead, his gaze turning sharp as a blade.

So that’s how it is—there was never any way to stay uninvolved in this. This is my own battle!

Whatever the completion condition, whatever the reward—Shi Tiexin didn’t care about any of it now. He focused on sensing that ever-active consciousness, feeling its emotions, catching its thoughts. Suddenly, Shi Tiexin called out within his heart.

—Hey, you, other consciousness. Are you afraid of that guy?

The other consciousness froze, then transmitted a wave of dejection and shame.

—Yes.

Mental communication knows no deception. If you’re afraid, you’re afraid—there’s no disguising it. Yet Shi Tiexin did not despise him. Instead, he replied earnestly: —Fear is normal. I have been afraid. I have been timid, too. When faced with violence you cannot resist, fear is a natural reaction. But, other consciousness, have you ever submitted?

The other consciousness erupted with wild force, emotions exploding in a torrent.

—Never!
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—Never will I submit!
—I will endure no more—I will fight him to the bitter end!!

Shi Tiexin suddenly smiled. —Good. Now, watch me. Let me show you: there is no reason to ever fear such a person.

As the thought finished, the group had already left the academic building, heading to the most secluded corner of the school grounds. Here stood a solitary, one-story restroom, the stench wafting over from afar.

“Get out, all of you!” One lackey rushed in first, and soon the sound of hurried footsteps echoed as a group of boys fled in panic. Each of them snuck a glance at Shi Tiexin as they passed, then scrambled away in fear.

“We’re here. Get in, Scholar Shi.” Teng Chaoguo sneered, stepping into the restroom first. Two flunkies blocked the exit behind. Shi Tiexin paid them no mind and strode in as well.

Suddenly, darkness engulfed him. As his eyes slowly adjusted, Shi Tiexin took in the scene inside the restroom.

This place was… utterly disgusting.

Even in the most authentic period dramas, Shi Tiexin had never seen a toilet this foul.

The layout was no different from the restroom in the dormitory of the “garbage class”—on one side, a long urinal trough; on the other, a lengthy squat pit. A giant water tank was nailed to the wall, with no instant flush system—periodically, it would release a roaring torrent, so the place reeked to high heaven.

There were no windows in the walls, no electric lights above, so it was pitch black inside. Only a row of ventilation holes near the roof, each the size of a fist, let in a faint trickle of light, just enough to see by.

On the whole, it was bad, but not unheard of.

Except for one thing: the urinal was crammed full of buckets. Yes, you read that right—huge, black, urine buckets lined the trough.

These buckets filled the urinal to capacity, so the boys had no choice but to relieve themselves into the buckets. Though it was only mid-morning, each bucket was already more than half full of yellow liquid. The weather was turning warm, and the stench was overwhelming. Looking closer, the buckets were filled with dead flies and cigarette butts, bobbing among the foam—truly revolting.

This was the infamous “black latrine.”

The dueling ground where delinquent bullies from the garbage class settled matters with violence.

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