Volume Three: Breezes of the Ancient City - Chapter Twenty-Six: Striking Against Evil

The sixth round of the "DD Striking" martial arts tournament centered on the theme of filial impiety. The elderly woman who had served as the first gatekeeper, due to her advanced age, allowed others to take her place this time.

The contestant who took the stage was a reclusive and arrogant writer, rumored to be a deeply hidden mastermind behind the scenes of the underworld. In the first half of his life, he had been known for his bellicose nature, haughty arrogance, and cold detachment, which had brought crises upon himself, his parents, and even his ancestral graves. He was once one of the most prominent ghostwriters for the illicit industries of pornography, gambling, and narcotics. He had brazenly colluded with other forces to traffic young women, even declaring that only by submitting to their tyranny and following their dictates could one escape their malicious targeting.

It was this man whom the old woman had chosen to replace her in the contest regarding filial impiety. Upon learning the true nature of this formidable opponent, the military deliberated on whom to send to represent virtue and justice in the bout. From fragments of information, it became clear that this dark writer was merely someone who lived unhappily, expressing his bitterness through arrogance. Behind him, many underworld factions followed the intelligence provided by his pen to reap profits. He was usually guarded by underworld thugs, and previous attempts by military "DD Striking" teams to apprehend him had been intercepted by these criminal elements.

Now, the time had finally come for him to face the challenge. During this sixth match, the dark writer remained elsewhere. The organizers of "Qingfeng of the Ancient City" placed a wooden post on the stage to represent him. The military representatives, harboring deep-seated grievances against this figure, were intent on having their soldiers and officers confront the post.

As the post was set in place, several military personnel stepped forward, armed with weapons—guns, clubs, blades, and axes. Those wielding axes seemed intent on destroying the wooden post as if they were annihilating the writer himself. Clearly, the dark writer was well-hidden, allegedly lurking within the "Magic City" (Shanghai). Despite numerous summons, he could not be moved; perhaps due to lack of prior notice, or perhaps because his years of contributions to the industries of pornography, gambling, and narcotics had earned him the protection of dark forces. On the stage of Qingfeng, he merely let the wooden post bear the blows.

The first soldier climbed onto the stage and, setting his weapons aside, engaged the post with pure physical force, unleashing a barrage of military combat punches. Even after finishing the routine, he felt no relief. It was said that this dark writer had used his platform to scout for beautiful women, turning them into tools for profit. The soldier had heard of the kidnapping cases in the writer’s hometown and knew he was the mastermind. He wondered how much hatred, malice, and evil the man harbored, unaware of how ignoble his existence truly was.

"Do not yield to the demands of criminals," the soldier shouted. "Do not fall for their temptations. Do not collude with their so-called partnerships." As he vented his fury, he drew a dagger and struck the wooden post, signifying his hatred for the mastermind.

When the second, third, fourth, and fifth soldiers arrived, they removed the wooden frame from the stage. No one knew where they took it. It was said they had vowed to bring the true culprit to justice, saving police resources for capturing actual filial offenders. The writer had committed countless sins. Whenever his name was mentioned, they could sense the trail of his crimes. They were particularly intolerant of his habit of preying on the unmarried young women of his hometown.

The dark writer of the Magic City had become the embodiment of evil. Perhaps he was once kind, but his work had revealed too much, allowing the wicked to exploit it. He had used his knowledge to blackmail others, abandoning the path of righteousness for money and profit, betraying his own humanity to provide intelligence to criminals. The forces behind him, unwilling to suffer a loss, had spent years conducting illicit business based on the precise information he provided. No one knew when they would strike again; they only knew that when light returned to the world, their pens would have to stop and await the judgment of justice.

Chen Chen stood in the crowd, watching the match. He felt that while life seemed ordinary, evil was always stirring in the shadows, especially among organized criminal factions. Relying on a modicum of personality, petty cunning, ill-gotten gains, and collusion, they ran rampant. The struggle between light and dark was not about forming a single force, but about how one should live within such a complex society.

Since ancient times, righteousness and evil have been irreconcilable. Perhaps only when the industries of pornography, gambling, and narcotics fade away—to the point where they no longer form organized forces—will the world truly welcome the dawn. As long as these plagues exist, the world will remain fraught with hardship. These phenomena may seem small, hidden deep within the human heart, but when they become widespread, it means that the darkness of the human heart has triumphed over justice and kindness.

There is always an unseen light in the world. There are always those who uphold justice and kindness, walking step by step until they are qualified to strike at evil. A person's life is full of temptations. To lose one’s way in youthful ignorance is forgivable, as there is always a chance to turn over a new leaf. But as one ages, if one persists in virtue, one remains worthy of representing justice, living a life that contributes hope to the world.

The path of evil follows like a shadow. Whenever night falls, whenever the heart grows dark or lax, whenever the devil hides behind a polished facade, those evil spirits are so close to us. Do not say life is without vengeance; kindness and evil are eternal enemies. Heaven has eyes for humanity, while the ignorant wicked are the true devils. The evil in the human heart always stems from desire and perception. The world is vast—why harbor such selfishness? In the eyes of the masses, possessions and wealth are mere illusions, and we are all but small consumers. Do not think that simply because you have moved goods into your own shop, they belong only to you; sometimes, you must pay just like everyone else.

The chaos and discord in the world stem from a lack of fairness and an ignorance of the truth of the world. Those who wreak havoc as agents of evil are limited by their own perceptions. It is because they have misread the world that they appear wicked and ignorant in the eyes of others. Their negative emotions and energy are merely the reactions of their own ignorance. The truly depraved are not just poor in money; they are poor in connections, status, character, accumulation, and insight. These are the factors that truly determine their ultimate poverty.