The Way
Cannons thundered and flames of war raged. In this land torn by chaos, people searched in vain for the true path, striving to imitate the sacred realms of immortals from ancient legends, believing that to be buried there would grant them divinity after death. No one knew which way was the right one. Not until the arrival of Lin Guichen. “Actions speak louder than words. It seems that only the Dao I inherited is the true path. Is there anyone who disagrees?” Lin Guichen gazed over the mountains blanketed with corpses, listening politely for a moment. Then, with satisfaction, he turned to his fellow disciples, smiling. “Excellent, no one speaks up. It appears they all accept that my Dao is correct.” The young Daoist adept hid his fox tail, toying cheerfully with a pouch made of human skin hanging from his waist. The Daoist master, with his back turned, wiped away the drool from his lips, passing off the growls of his empty stomach as the rumble of thunder. High above the clouds, the Grandmaster’s shadow loomed vast and demonic, looking down on countless respectful, kneeling monsters and evil spirits, all under the banner of teaching without discrimination. And who would dare claim that this, too, was not the Dao?
The Way
It was said that when someone was executed by a gunshot to the back of the head, the trajectory of the bullet formed a downward slant, entering through the occipital region and exiting right through the mouth.
Lin Guichen felt fortunate about this.
Thankfully, he once learned a little trick for facing execution, and now, as he was about to be executed, it was finally useful.
—If you force your mouth open and press your tongue tightly against your lower jaw, the bullet won’t shatter your teeth, lips, and tongue together. That way… you can die a little more decently, and make it easier for the forensic sister to clean up the execution site.
No wonder they say you should keep learning as long as you live—see, it came in handy.
A very practical tip, thanks to the expert who shared it. I hope my colleagues can use it too.
“Bang!!”
The cold, hard muzzle pressed against the back of his head, then erupted with a deafening blast. As his brain trembled, it seemed as if his skull had exploded with a soul-shaking roar.
In that moment, Lin Guichen felt his consciousness lift, his mind blank.
In a foggy haze, he felt like a dying oil lamp, struggling to drive away the surrounding darkness but powerless to do so. His weakened senses made the world distant and blurry.
He didn’t know how much time passed before a thread of pain trickled in, like a ray of light through the confusion, gradually restoring his senses.
“How am I still alive… Can executions really fail?”
Baffled, Lin Guichen felt a little disappointed and
