All Things Are Contracts

Chapter 247: Too Many Secrets

“In life, how many things can truly interest you?” The shabby and sleazy old man said, eating the not-so-tasty chicken leg in his hand.

“You’re doing this on purpose?” Feng Bulang asked, puzzled. Even the dullest person should master something after hundreds or thousands of repetitions, let alone something as simple as barbecuing. Even a child could get it mostly right after a few tries. But this old man’s food was always terrible. So, there was only one possibility left – he was doing it intentionally.

The Night Watcher explained, “That’s right, I am doing it on purpose. When you’re a child, everything in this world is so interesting. Even a piece of paper, an insect, or a marble can bring you joy. Gradually, as people grow up, childhood dreams seem to lose their appeal. People always lose more than they gain. Especially for an old monster like me who has lived countless years, what haven’t I seen, heard, or experienced? All pleasures are leaving me. Even the finest wine becomes boring after drinking it for a thousand years.”

“So, it’s not that I can’t barbecue well, but I deliberately make it taste bad. Only by knowing what tastes bad can you know what tastes good and never get tired of eating. I don’t want to lose the pleasure of eating in the end.”

“I see. I can understand that. But why are you telling me all this?” Feng Bulang was even more confused.

“You! Your comprehension is too poor.” The old man casually tossed away the finished bone and wiped his greasy mouth. Then he slowly said, “The fact that you can still feel the gap, still feel pain, is actually a good thing. After all, you can still improve. As long as you focus on walking your own path, one day you’ll find yourself ahead of others. Do you know what true despair is?”

“What?”

“True despair is when there’s no path ahead, and when you look at others, they too have nowhere to go.” The old man’s eyes were full of sorrow. “No path left, or perhaps the wrong path was taken from the start. But by the time you realize it, you can’t turn back. That’s true despair.”

“Are you saying your strength can’t improve anymore?” Feng Bulang didn’t know how strong the old man before him was, but he knew that even Thunder Lord or the even stronger Alchemy Daoist couldn’t match the old man’s ability to casually toss him to the academy.

“Yes, my path has ended. But you’re different. Your path is still very long. Focus on walking your own path, don’t worry about whether others are ahead of you. Walking fast isn’t a skill; walking far is the real skill,” the old man comforted.

“Walking fast isn’t a skill; walking far is the real skill?” Feng Bulang pondered these words. Then he lowered his head again, “I only have the most common miscellaneous contract object. Can I really go farther than them?” Feng Bulang wasn’t sure because there had never been a precedent.

“Rotten wood cannot be carved. What do you know about contract objects? Miscellaneous contracts, spirit contracts are just forms of power. All strong beings in this universe are essentially from the same root. An ant and the Void Nine Emperors in the sky have no fundamental difference at the level of life and basic laws. The Void Nine Emperors can easily crush an ant, but there are also things that can crush the Void Nine Emperors just as easily as crushing an ant.”

“I can understand what you’re saying, but the reality is that Bird Clan member can crush me. Even if others can crush him, what does that have to do with me?” Feng Bulang was still thinking about the previous battle.

“Forget it, forget it. You’re too weak to understand what I’m saying. There’s one thing I’ve been keeping from you. It’s time to tell you this secret,” the old man said with a mysterious smile.

“What secret?” Feng Bulang asked curiously. This old man had no shortage of secrets.

“Actually, your contract object isn’t just the kite. You yourself also possess a dual contract object.”

The old man’s words made Feng Bulang shudder. “What do you mean? I also have a dual contract object? But where’s the other contract object? Why can’t I sense it?”

“Do you know about body contractors?” the old man asked.

“Of course I know about body contractors. They’re the rarest type of contractors. For example, Yunyao uses her wings as a contract object, and that little girl from the Eastern Kingdom uses her eyes as a contract… Are you saying… I’m also a body contractor?” Feng Bulang looked at his body in confusion, never having felt any part of his body was special.

The old man pointed his finger at Feng Bulang’s chest.

“It’s your heart. You are the rarest heart contractor.”

“Heart contractor?” Feng Bulang looked at his chest, unable to understand.

“If not for this, how could you cultivate so quickly, easily comprehend domains, and master contract object transformation? Because your heart is inherently different, your comprehension far surpasses your peers. Your future is limitless,” the old man continued.

“My heart is my contract object?” Feng Bulang was lost in thought.

“So you don’t need to doubt that you’re inferior to others. You have your own uniqueness. Alright, rest well. I’ll come back in a few days to take you back to Night City.” With that, the old man’s body simply disappeared.

“My heart is my contract object?” Feng Bulang sat on the bed, feeling his heartbeat. It seemed that at this moment, even the sound of his heartbeat was different.

“Foolish child, there’s no such thing as a heart contractor in this world. I was just making it up. I hope you’ll take care of yourself,” the old man sighed in his heart. He knew what Feng Bulang lacked wasn’t really a contract object, but a heart that dared to face his own shortcomings, a strong heart that wasn’t inferior to others.

The old man didn’t leave the Eastern Kingdom but quietly came to an underground palace. A man was already waiting behind the palace. His face was as white as snow, with eerie eyes. Who else could it be but Strategist?

“Third Brother? Why are you here?” Strategist was startled to see the old man suddenly appear before him.

“Seventh Brother, you’ve had it tough these years,” the old man looked at Strategist’s state, feeling very guilty.

“It’s not tough. At least I’m still alive and can do what I want to do. But they… they no longer have the chance,” Strategist said calmly.

“Third Brother’s appearance here, does it mean you’ve chosen a successor?” Strategist suddenly realized.

“That’s right, it’s a foolish child. What about you?” the old man asked.

Strategist nodded, “I’ve chosen the child related to the Goddess. He inherently has the qualities of a sage. I hope he can get through this.”

“The Goddess… Although Illumination Goddess’s realm is far below ours, she has walked a path we’ve never trodden. She has become a true god, hasn’t she?” the old man asked.

“That’s right. Even the weakest god is still a true god. She will surely attract those false gods. But that’s good. If they don’t come, we might never have the chance for revenge,” Strategist said.

“False… gods… Isn’t it too early?”

“It’s not for us to decide. As long as we can create enough time for the children to grow, our survival will have meaning,” Strategist said.