Chapter 353: Chapter 353

353: Chapter 133: Lying Low 353: Chapter 133: Lying Low “But for something that has existed for so long, very few people know about it.

That’s a dangerous sign,” the virtual Eighth Martial God sighed.

“It means they have never made their demands public.”

I feel like I can smell…

the dumbass scent of my 21st-century self.”

“Not knowing them means they have never declared their goals or expressed their demands,” the virtual Eighth Martial God said.

“This is a very dangerous form.

Those who truly want to change the world would not conceal themselves so covertly.”

Even terrorist organizations—a group of crazies wanting to change the world in the wrong direction with the wrong methods—would express their demands openly.

Terrorist organizations merely hide their organizational structures, while still maintaining channels to make demands.

They attack civilians because they need to coerce other countries to comply with their demands.

However, the Six Dragons Sect has existed for at least a hundred years.

In all that time, everyone who knew about them thought they were just a “small group within the Scientific Knight Order.”

At least, that’s what the original Eighth Martial God and even now Tao Enhai thought, as far as Xiang Shan had seen.

The Native Xiang Shan sighed and analyzed, “Either they know that their demands are too outrageous, regressive, and won’t gain support, or they can’t even ‘package’ them differently…”

“Or, they simply don’t care what others think, believing that as long as they can develop certain technologies, they can automatically advance societal change, regardless of whether they have others’ support or not,” the virtual Eighth Martial God interjected.

Xiang Shan closed his eyes.

“These idiots… Thɪs chapter is updatᴇd by novel{f}ire.net

why don’t they ever die out?”

This was the mistake the Transhumanism Company had made.

“I don’t think it’s necessarily so,” the virtual Eighth Martial God said, “if their goal is not ‘to achieve the united freedom of humans,’ but ‘to develop scientific technology to enslave humans,’ then this path might not be such a problem, right?”

The Native Xiang Shan fell silent.

The power of technology is not as strong as some imagine.

At least it cannot “instantly solve all of humanity’s problems.”

But the power of technology is much stronger than others imagine.

“Humans” can be easily shaped and transformed by technology.

Or to put it another way, “humans” are not as noble and sacred as they imagine themselves to be.

“Technology that can enslave humans has already appeared several times,” the virtual Eighth Martial God sighed.

Covering his face with his hands, the Native Xiang Shan looked up and sighed deeply: “I hope it’s not like that.

At least the followers of the Six Dragons Sect that I met said that they still have grand ideals.”

“Whoa, that’s even more dangerous” the virtual Eighth Martial God pointed out without mercy.

“What’s more dangerous than ‘grand ideals that cannot be told to others’?”

“Back when we were young, ‘we’ used to compare ourselves to the Lich King, remember?” the virtual Eighth Martial God sighed.

“If you remember, then I definitely remember,” Native Xiang Shan said with a wry smile.

This was a metaphor from an ancient classic game.

A calamity that could resurrect the dead descended upon a continent, and the leader and controller of this undead scourge were called the “Lich King.” After the brave ones vanquished the terribly evil Demon King, a human hero said that after the Lich King’s death, the undead scourge would spiral out of control, slaying civilians, so a Lich King was necessary.

“Some heroes want to become the Lich King to seize the undead’s authority to control them for the benefit of humans,” the virtual Eighth Martial God sighed.

“But how can others distinguish whether those who want to become the Lich King aim to contain the rampage of the undead, or covet the power of the undead to use it to rule over humans?”

Traditions of all our deceased forebears cling like a nightmare to the minds of the living.

In the past, humans were not just governed by the living in society but were also subject to the dead in tradition.

Those who become kings tend to please the dead.

The so-called “great affairs of a nation are in sacrifice and in military” reflects this.

Conversely, those who can command the “undead” can rule over the living.

“Such people are better off dead.”

Native Xiang Shan nodded, “Indeed.”

“Besides, we must also know about Two,” the Eighth Martial God added.

Two, the Second Martial God, was the “first Personality Mask” created by Martial Ancestor Xiang Shan’s friends to keep the banner of rebellion flying after Xiang Shan met his death in “The Only Defeat.” The Second Martial God achieved some success, but soon, the Martial Ancestor’s friends fell apart because they couldn’t face this persona.

“Two represents a Pseudo-personality Mask.

According to historical records, Two didn’t make use of Inner Strength but relied entirely on external supports,” said the virtual Eighth Martial God, “In subsequent research, ‘Pseudo-personality Mask’ has come to refer generally to any virtual personality that can pass the Turing Test and impersonate a specific individual.

However, Two shouldn’t be such an entity.”

“Otherwise, the radical and dark thoughts hidden in my mind, as well as Xinyu’s reactions, couldn’t be easily explained.”

Native Xiangshan nodded, “Indeed.

The concept of the ‘True Personality Mask’ didn’t emerge until after Four was born.

Only then came the opposing ‘Pseudo-personality Mask.’ Before that, Personality Masks were simply called ‘Personality Masks.’

“Two doesn’t necessarily fit the traditional definition of a Pseudo-personality Mask,” the virtual Eighth Martial God said, “Also, the process of his creation must have been inhumane.

There’s likely much we do not know hidden within.”

The Second Martial God was just categorized as a “Pseudo-personality Mask” because he checked some boxes like “lacking Inner Strength” that later summaries of the concept included.

Xiangshan hesitated a bit, “Are you suggesting that…?”

“The terrible things I did in Delacruz City,” the virtual Eighth Martial God pressed his forehead, “could be the very path through which Two was born.

Those old friends probably intended to create a ‘True Personality Mask’ at first, but the technology was too primitive two hundred years ago, and they failed.

There was no reference case like Four at the time.”

Native Xiangshan muttered to himself, “That’s really quite excessive.”

The virtual Eighth Martial God nodded, “Yes, it is excessive.

To achieve victory, it is necessary to make certain compromises with reality based on the specific historical conditions.

However, by becoming what we oppose just for the sake of the survival of the resistance, we’re courting a greater disaster for the world.”

“After all, I’m an antique from two hundred years ago and you’re an obsolete relic from eighty years back.

It just so happens that neither of us knows the circumstances surrounding Two’s birth.

Yet, we cannot let this matter rest.

We must find out what happened then, what Xinyu saw, to have brought my existence into being.”

Xiangshan nodded, “Indeed, that’s a reasonable course of action.

So, at this stage, what do you think we should do?”

The virtual Eighth Martial God spoke seriously, “We should go into hiding.

Dive even deeper to inspect the current state of the world and search for a viable Path of Chivalry in this era.”

“But this era is pretty rotten…”

“It’s because it has rotted beyond our imaginations that we can’t use our slightly idealistic notions to gauge this era,” the virtual Eighth Martial God replied earnestly, “Do you still remember why we first created the banner of ‘Chivalry’?”

“It was for packaging,” the virtual Eighth Martial God said, “When the uprising began, martial arts films and games were experiencing a new wave and had a significant influence globally.

That year saw particularly many derivative works based on the image of Mozi.

So, you indeed used that well-sourced image to package your ideas.

It was our first attempt to use existing common imagination to rally power for the path pointed out by rational thought.”

“As for ‘Aaron Swartz,’ that was to precisely attract the very first groups of potential Rebels among the hacker and academic communities.

Thanks to Yawgmoth’s efforts over decades, ‘Open Access’ had become mainstream recognition in academia.

And Aaron Swartz was an early leader of the Open Access Movement, also a Rebel who perished under tyranny.”

“These were both very concrete images that could easily resonate with their corresponding audiences.

A thousand metaphysical reasons could not outweigh the appeal of these two tangible personae.”

“However, the situation has changed now.

The current government is committed to eradicating ‘culture,’ so the image of ‘Mozi’ is no longer as clear and distinct as before.

The common imagination of ‘academia’ has shifted from ‘an idealistic scientific community’ to ‘Scientific Knight Order.’

“On the other hand, ‘Xiangshan’ and ‘Xiangshan’s companions’…

In this era, we ourselves are the concrete images, the direct interpretation of the concept of ‘Chivalry.’

Xiangshan shook his head, “That’s a bit too idolized.”

“So, stop using the power under the name of ‘Martial Ancestor Xiangshan.’ Otherwise, we’re still recreating the ‘Lich King,'” the virtual Eighth Martial God smiled, “After all, when we were brandishing the banner of Chivalry…

Mozi and Aaron Swartz were both dead.”

“Fortunately, ‘Xiangshan’ is also dead, a ‘mortal,'” Native Xiangshan nodded.

“Then there’s Four, ‘Law-abiding like the law itself.’ That slogan was only useful in that particular era.

With the Sublimation War having ended just twenty years ago, most of the survivors still had the memory of the Old Era and knew what a truly orderly world was.

The slogan could guide them to recreate a functioning society.”

“And then that bastard Hartman destroyed everything.

But at least, before Hartman took action, Four had been successful.

He underestimated the extent of their madness, thinking Yawgmoth was still the same Yawgmoth from the past.”

“To win, go into deep hiding,” the virtual Eighth Martial God concluded.