Chapter 10: Repeated Uncertainty
Splat.
Tao Baibai lightly pressed a finger against the rain-washed mountainside rock—and it sank in as effortlessly as if piercing tofu.
"Your physique is decent, but your training is sloppy. Your strikes are a complete mess. Before your strength even leaves your body, you've already lost ninety percent of it…"
He didn't turn back as he spoke, voice laced with disdain. Clearly, he was not satisfied with Bai Cangshu's imitation of his stomping technique.
The form was there, but not the spirit.
Tao Baibai's stomp had channeled all force inward, dispersing only after traveling tens of meters underground, erupting beneath Bai Cangshu's feet.
Bai Cangshu's stomp had looked explosive, reducing the surface to rubble, but the force had dissipated completely on impact—a mark of a martial novice.
It was raw physical power with no refined technique.
Tao Baibai glanced sideways at Bai Cangshu. This guy, he thought, still wasn't as good as the disciple his brother had found. A hint of regret rose in his heart about taking him in at all.
After all, he never truly intended to become a teacher. It was only because Bai Cangshu's temperament pleased him that he made an exception.
Bai Cangshu remained docile and respectful, showing no reaction to Tao Baibai's dissatisfaction. But inside, he was weighing the question of how to stop Team #64323 from killing Tao Baibai.
Tao Baibai was immensely powerful. For such a mission to exist, the team must be equally dangerous—at least within the system of this "Dimensional Game," they were considered capable of killing him.
Tell Tao Baibai directly?
No. Bai Cangshu rejected that thought immediately. Tao Baibai was arrogant, ruthless, and cunning. If Bai Cangshu suddenly warned him about a powerful group hunting him, Tao Baibai's first response would likely be to strike Bai Cangshu down and extract the source of the intel by force.
Bai Cangshu understood clearly—Tao Baibai was no Master Roshi. He didn't even measure up to Crane Hermit.
Tao Baibai was a pure villain. To him, Bai Cangshu was merely a tool. If Bai Cangshu learned a few flashy moves and stirred up some trouble, Tao Baibai's fame would grow. If Bai Cangshu died, it wouldn't matter in the slightest.
So, he couldn't tell Tao Baibai anything.
While his mind spun with strategies, Bai Cangshu still followed Tao Baibai's every motion, mimicking his stances with exacting precision.
This might be the greatest reward of this brutal trial: a martial artist with a combat rating over one hundred personally instructing you in martial arts. Such a privilege was unimaginable in most other worlds.
Bai Cangshu formed his fingers like a crane's beak and thrust them forward.
Splat.
His fingertip pierced the stump. Blood streamed out immediately, but Bai Cangshu could clearly feel it—the subtle sensation of channeling force into the wood's core.
It was a completely different experience from smashing the surface with brute force.
[Under the instruction of the story character Tao Baibai, your Special Proficiency has improved. Current: Martial Arts Proficiency Lv2]
[Martial Arts Proficiency Lv2: You now have solid mastery of various striking stances and can channel force internally into your target. Your attacks partially bypass physical defenses.]
Of course, Bai Cangshu was still far from applying this internal force through multiple techniques. For now, only the specialized crane-thrust strike allowed him to do it.
Even so, Tao Baibai's expression eased slightly.
Overall, this disciple had no formal martial foundation, but he possessed an uncanny control over his own muscles. That gave him the ability to easily mimic Tao Baibai's movements.
He could learn most martial stances after seeing them only once.
From that perspective, the man was undoubtedly a martial prodigy.
Unfortunately, when it came to sensing qi, he was utterly dull. Tao Baibai had demonstrated multiple times, yet Bai Cangshu still failed to perceive it.
In both Crane Hermit's and Tao Baibai's martial arts, qi was paramount. This contrast sparked a growing disappointment in Tao Baibai—especially after comparing Bai Cangshu to Tenshinhan.
Tenshinhan was a genius at manipulating qi. Even Tao Baibai couldn't help but envy that level of talent.
In truth, Tao Baibai's physical body wasn't exceptionally durable. But when infused with qi, he could block sniper rounds using nothing but a piece of cloth.
But once his qi is exhausted, even Tao Baibai's body couldn't withstand a grenade blast.
Without the ability to manipulate qi skillfully, one's achievements amount to nothing more than being a skilled fighter in the eyes of ordinary people.
Tao Baibai let out a cold snort and turned to leave. Arrogant by nature, he looked down on even his brother Crane Hermit and the martial arts grandmaster Master Roshi—how could he possibly tolerate having a disciple inferior to Tien? (At this point in time, Tao Baibai may well have been the strongest man on Earth.)
[Tao Baibai's impression of you has decreased.]
[Current Relationship: Friendly (5/100)]
Bai Cangshu raised an eyebrow. Even with his steady temperament, he couldn't help feeling unsettled by Tao Baibai's fickle and unreasonable nature.
To remain near someone like this was to live with no sense of safety.
And the "reality" of this Infinite Dimensional Game gave Bai Cangshu new insight. Unlike the one-dimensional characters in anime, every figure in this world had their own preferences and behavioral logic. Different actions from reincarnators would provoke entirely different consequences.
In the rain and mist, Tao Baibai's figure slowly faded into the distance. On the back of his pink robe, the words "I Kill You" stood out in bold English. His braid swayed behind him like a venomous snake.
Perhaps even if he had formally taken Tao Baibai as his master, the moment he failed to meet expectations—or embarrassed him—he would be instantly killed.
Suddenly, a spark flashed through Bai Cangshu's mind. The problem that had troubled him for so long now had an answer.
[Trial Task Two: Prevent Team #64323 from killing Tao Baibai]
[Optional Task: Cause at least one casualty within Team #64323]
Bai Cangshu's gaze lingered on the words "prevent from killing." He withdrew his fingers from the tree stump—three fingertips were bloodied, fingernails broken, and joints injured to varying degrees.
But he seemed unfazed by the pain. With his bloodied hand, he tapped the name "Tao Baibai" in the air, and a smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
"Prevent from killing…"
"Heh, this Dimensional Game's wording is even more precise than I expected. It's practically telling me—such a method does indeed exist."
At that moment, Tao Baibai, now far along the rainy mountain path, suddenly felt a chill down his spine. He let out a grunt, threw his braid around his neck like a scarf, and decided to head down to Tang Baduan's inn for a hot bath.
This mountain weather thoroughly displeased him. If not for the tranquility and aesthetic matching his taste and style, he wouldn't have chosen to stay here.
"Well then, I'll give it two more days. If that guy still proves useless, then forget it."
Tao Baibai had no intention of patiently waiting for a disciple to improve. Or rather, he never truly saw Bai Cangshu as his disciple in the first place. If the man could learn a few superficial techniques and help spread Tao Baibai's name in the assassin world, that would be enough.
But if he couldn't learn anything—then killing him wouldn't be a loss.
With a light leap, Tao Baibai jumped from the cliff. Hands clasped behind his back, his toes barely touched the slick mountain surface as he descended like a bird gliding through the rain.
Within seconds, he had arrived in the town.
Tang Baduan had been keeping an eye on the mountaintop dojo. The moment he saw that familiar figure, he snapped to attention and immediately ordered food and hot water to be prepared.
Earning Tao Baibai's trust had all come down to his mastery of reading the room.
(End of Chapter)