Chapter 4: Formulating the Plan to Cultivate a Ruthless Scoundrel

July 3, 2004.

Typhoon "Dianmu," designated 0407, made landfall in a coastal city in China, bringing torrential rain and gale-force winds.

At the municipal youth center, a sturdy middle-aged man unlocked the heavy doors of a martial arts interest class, feeling quite perplexed. He had received a phone call only minutes earlier; with the entire city effectively shut down due to the storm, the idea of someone wanting to sign up for a class felt absurd. If he hadn't already been taking shelter in the center’s lounge, he wouldn't have come out for any amount of money. He even suspected it might be a prank.

But the moment he pulled the door open, the man froze. Standing outside was a drenched boy. He had no umbrella, soaked to the bone, standing silently in the dark. Hearing the door move, the boy looked up. He seemed near frozen, his lips purple, trembling slightly, his face devoid of color, yet he stood there with stubborn resolve, his dark eyes fixed on the man.

"Hello," the boy said, his voice raspy. "I want to sign up."

The man was stunned, reflexively asking, "Sign up for what?" What on earth was going on? In weather like this, why was a young boy out instead of at home? Were his parents not worried? He hoped the kid hadn't run away. Despite his reservations, the man maintained his professional demeanor. "We have Taekwondo, Sanda, Kendo, Judo, and more. We are the largest martial arts gym in the city. What would you like to learn? And, are you here alone? Should I help you contact your parents?"

The boy shook his head. He reached into his wet pocket, pulled out a wad of soaked cash, and handed it to the man. "This is the deposit," he said softly. "I want to learn the spear. Is that possible?"

"The spear?" The man almost thought he’d misheard, until he saw the boy pointing at a large poster on the wall outside featuring a long spear with a red tassel. "Oh, that spear. It’s possible, yes, but it’s a heavy weapon and quite difficult to master. Would you like to try something else, like our popular Kendo course?"

"No," the boy said. "This one."

"Alright, alright. Classes won't start for a few days since everyone is on break. Are you free this weekend? You can come back then."

"Okay," the boy nodded and turned to leave.

"Wait!" the man instinctively tried to stop him. He thought of the heavy rain and how dangerous it was for such a small child to be out alone. He wanted to suggest waiting until the rain let up. But his words died in his throat as the boy turned back. His expressionless face was streaked with water, making it impossible to distinguish rain from tears. The man stood frozen, not even realizing when the boy had disappeared, but he felt, with a primal instinct, the surging, tidal-wave-like grief erupting from that frail frame.

...

"Learning spearmanship is just the first step."

Chu Zihang lay flat in the darkness, hands folded over his chest, staring at the enamel chandelier on the ceiling. His father was away on business, his mother was out, and he was completely alone. The house was deathly quiet, save for the sound of the rain outside and the constant murmuring of that voice in his head.

The voice seemed to echo from within his mind. The strange weapon, now shrunken many times over, rested quietly by his bedside like an exquisite work of art. Tang Xi was busy studying the translucent panel only she could see, pondering how to craft a "killing machine" training program.

Based on the panel's description, the current Gungnir was merely a broken fragment. If Tang Xi remembered correctly, the true Gungnir was likely hidden away by Odin in some obscure corner, sealing away Lu Mingze. This sub-system would upgrade over time, eventually leading to the recovery of the original body, but that was too far off to worry about now.

Currently, Tang Xi was focused on solving the fatal issue of durability. Heaven knows if she, as the weapon spirit, would continue to exist if the weapon broke down completely. This weapon system had essentially bound Chu Zihang and Tang Xi together. As Chu Zihang progressed, Gungnir gained benefits, and as the spirit, Tang Xi grew stronger as well.

Anyone familiar with the original story knew that Chu Zihang was an absolutely vital male character. His potential was immense; if nurtured well, his achievements would be extraordinary. The next stage mentioned in the system panel was also intriguing: once the beginner level was reached, the spirit could briefly manifest outside the weapon. This meant Tang Xi could finally appear in the physical world.

Tang Xi looked at her ethereal form within the Gungnir, her eyes burning with eager hope. Being able to manifest meant the possibility of gaining a physical body—that would be a total game-changer! Even if only for the sake of obtaining a body, she had to cultivate Chu Zihang.

The "Blood Rage" technique from Cassell College was a must-have, but Tang Xi felt it was too risky for Chu Zihang to contact Cassell right now.

The boy was only fifteen, having just lost his father, and was at his most vulnerable and vengeful state. He was prone to impulsive actions. Coupled with his current weakness and Gungnir’s incomplete state, he would be far too easy to manipulate. If they approached Cassell now, the most likely outcome was that Gungnir would be confiscated, and Chu Zihang had no power to protect this legendary weapon.

The best choice was to restore Gungnir’s durability first. Once Tang Xi had the strength to protect herself, then they could make contact. With her watching over him, Cassell College would become a resource; otherwise, they would be the ones treated as resources.

If they weren't going to contact Cassell, she had to find other methods—such as the skills on the panel: "Devour" and "Overlord."

Killing beings with bloodlines increased one's own bloodline, or subjugating them could achieve the same. As she pondered these two points, some bold ideas began to take shape in Tang Xi's mind.

"Start with the spear practice; at least you'll be able to wield it," Tang Xi said. "Once you make some progress, I'll find you some sparring partners to turn up the difficulty. Prepare yourself."

Chu Zihang remained silent. After the incident on the elevated bridge, the boy, who was never talkative to begin with, had become even more reserved. Yet, other than that, he seemed unchanged. Life continued—school, home, a two-point line, now with the addition of the interest class. Days went by, his mother remained as carefree as ever, and it seemed as if nothing had changed.

But Tang Xi could feel the hatred deep in his heart. Hatred was a powerful tool; it allowed for infinite growth. Among all emotions, hatred was the most effective catalyst for progress.

At the current rate, it wouldn't take a year for Chu Zihang to grow strong enough to go to Cassell College and sweep the floor with the students there.

Just as she was thinking this, feeling that everything was under control and preparing to flash a proud, parental smile, Chu Zihang was intercepted by a girl just as he finished school.

"Hello there, Chu Zihang! I'm Xia Mi, the captain of the cheerleading squad. We'll be cheering for your basketball team in the next tournament. Could I invite you to lunch to discuss the rehearsals?"

The girl standing at the school gate wore her hair in a high ponytail, her bright eyes shining as if they held stars.

Chu Zihang: "?"

Tang Xi: "......!"