Chapter 17 Recollection

Wu Qi recalled, "Back then, because of the demon's scourge, I became an orphan. I suffered all kinds of hardships and wandered to Cheng'an Prefecture. I've forgotten a lot of the suffering from my childhood, it was just too bitter."

Xu Jingming listened, imagining the kinds of things a refugee child would encounter in the harsh environment of the Demon Subjugation World.

Wu Qi said, "Back then, I was injured in the spine. I couldn't get medical treatment while fleeing, so I became a little hunchback. It was only after I began practicing martial arts and nurtured the injury that the hunch wasn't so severe. You didn't see me when I was a kid, my hunchback was much worse than it is now."

"I remember that year it snowed heavily, it was so cold, and I had nothing to eat," Uncle Qi said. "I was so frozen on the street that I was about to fall asleep."

"If I had really fallen asleep back then, I think I would have died," Uncle Qi said. "Just when I was freezing and feeling dazed, your mother appeared. Your mother was about my age back then, still young. Your mother was a young lady of the Wu family. I remember she was dressed so beautifully back then."

"It was your mother who gave me food and drink. She even took my hand and brought me into the Wu residence," Uncle Qi said. "Your mother was truly kind-hearted. She didn't mind that I was a dirty little hunchbacked beggar. She brought me into the Wu residence. In the Wu residence, I studied and learned to write, I learned martial arts, I truly turned my life around."

Xu Jingming listened attentively.

"I wanted to repay Miss for the rest of my life. I worked very hard at learning martial arts. Finally, I entered the realm of martial arts," Uncle Qi said with a smile. "And was finally able to become Miss's guard."

"Miss trusted me very much. When she married into the Chen family and brought a group of maids and guards, she had me follow along and even arranged for me to become a steward," Uncle Qi said. "Naturally, I wouldn't let Miss down. I devoted myself to serving Miss."

"It was only after being around him day and night that I discovered Chen Shi'an's true nature. On the surface, he seemed like a wealthy young master, and knew etiquette. But in reality, he was greedy and selfish," Uncle Qi said through gritted teeth. "I even wanted to kill him with a knife. But after all, he was Miss's husband. Without Miss's approval, I couldn't do anything."

"Miss was heartbroken in secret, but on the outside, she still had to manage the affairs of the second branch and run some of the businesses," Uncle Qi said. "Perhaps she was heartbroken by Chen Shi'an and also worried too much about business matters, Miss fell ill…"

Tears welled up in Uncle Qi's eyes. "When she was in the Wu family, Miss was carefree. Who would have thought that marrying here would be like this? Before Miss died, she was most worried about Young Master. You were only eight years old back then. Although Miss forced Chen Shi'an to swear in front of her that he would treat you well and give you eight thousand taels of silver when you came of age, Miss still didn't quite trust him, so she secretly instructed me."

"She gave me five thousand taels of silver, which Miss had been secretly saving for many years," Uncle Qi said. "And told me to take good care of you no matter what."

"Later, Miss died, but Chen Shi'an was very happy. Miss's dowry and the money she left behind all benefited him. He married your second mother that very year. He also began to exclude some of the servants and guards that Miss had brought with her," Uncle Qi said. "I was even transferred to be responsible for transporting medicinal herbs. Although I had entered the realm of martial arts, I wasn't much in the Chen family. To stay in the Chen family and protect Young Master… I couldn't resist at the time."

"Do you remember when you were nine years old, the Chen family's team transporting medicinal herbs was attacked by bandits, and most of them were killed or injured?" Uncle Qi looked at Xu Jingming. "Actually, that time, I died in the bandit's siege."

"When I killed more than ten bandits in a row, provoking one of the bandit leaders to lead a crowd to attack me, I knew I couldn't escape," Uncle Qi said. "I tried to resist, trying to find a glimmer of hope. I didn't want to die, I still had to protect Young Master. In the Chen family, with Chen Shi'an's personality… without anyone protecting you, Young Master, you would have a very hard time."

Uncle Qi's eyes turned red. "But sometimes, it's not that you don't want to die, you can survive. My strength wasn't enough, I really couldn't hold on, that knife slashed across my chest."

"I really didn't want to die."

"I couldn't die either, if I died, who would protect Young Master?" Uncle Qi said. "Maybe it was at the moment of life and death, my obsession was too strong, my body died, but my obsession still existed."

Uncle Qi smiled gently. "It's good too, becoming a demon, I truly have the strength to protect Young Master."

Uncle Qi looked at Xu Jingming, "After becoming a demon, I seemed inconspicuous in the Chen family, but I could secretly influence many things, so I was able to take care of Young Master all along."

Xu Jingming nodded.

In Chen Qi's memories, he was cautious at home, never daring to make his father or stepmother angry. But in reality, Chen Qi didn't encounter any major dangers or troubles. Now it seemed that Wu Qi had secretly blocked them all.

"But I also didn't expect that Young Master didn't offend anyone in the Chen family, yet the Chen family insisted on expelling Young Master from the family," Uncle Qi shook his head. "It's good to leave, with me protecting Young Master, Young Master can suffer less anger outside."

"Speaking of which, fate is a funny thing, Young Master, you actually obtained the Demon Subjugation secret technique and became a Demon Subjugator, making that Chen family regret it to the core!" Uncle Qi praised, "Young Master, you also have outstanding Demon Subjugation talent. In just over ten years, you have grown to such an extent, your strength is already stronger than mine."

Uncle Qi's demon body was only equivalent to a Heavenly Demon at the eighth-realm level, it was only by relying on his superb knife techniques at the Transcendent realm that he was able to resist even higher-realm Heavenly Demons.

"Young Master, your strength is now stronger than mine, and your senior brother Gu Shan is even more unfathomable," Uncle Qi sighed. "I can't protect Young Master much anymore. With my strength, if I encounter danger, I'm afraid I'll need Young Master to protect me."

There was reluctance in Xu Jingming's eyes.

"I have done what Miss instructed me to do," Uncle Qi looked at Xu Jingming with a smile. "Also, Young Master doesn't need to be troubled. I haven't done anything evil these years. I'm not the kind of demon that Young Master hates."

"I'm not troubled, and I believe in Uncle Qi," Xu Jingming said.

"Alright, now that I've said everything, I feel relieved," Uncle Qi said. "In the end, I also want to advise Young Master."

"Tell me," Xu Jingming said.

"These past ten years, Young Master, you have traveled to various places, caring for the common people. But, Young Master, you should care more about yourself," Uncle Qi said. "People, this life is so short, you should do things that you like and things that make you happy."

"Like me, I've been doing what makes me happy all my life, following Miss back then, and protecting Young Master later," Uncle Qi said. "After I leave, Young Master will be alone, you should do things that make you happy, don't make yourself too tired."

Xu Jingming nodded slightly, "Uncle Qi, thank you."

"I'm leaving."

Uncle Qi put down his wine cup, smiled slightly, and his figure dissipated.

As he dissipated, Uncle Qi looked up at the sky.

He would remember that day for the rest of his life, when that lovely young girl took his hand and walked into the Wu family's gates with that hunchbacked boy.

Xu Jingming sat at the stone table, with a pot of wine and two cups in front of him. Uncle Qi had already dissipated.

Demons, if their obsession remains, they are immortal and indestructible.

When the obsession dissipates, they completely vanish.

"Uncle Qi's obsession was to protect Young Master. Now that Young Master doesn't need him to protect him anymore, he insisted on staying to tell me everything, and to give me some words of concern," Xu Jingming murmured, "I should do things I like, things that make me happy…"

This was Uncle Qi's last wish.

"Uncle Qi, our decade of companionship was also a kind of fate," Xu Jingming said softly, "This farewell in the Demon Subjugation World is just the beginning of a long life to come. You and I will surely have a day to meet again."

*******

A distant star system.

A huge ring-shaped structure completely enveloped a star. The light and heat emitted by the star at all times was also absorbed and utilized by this ring-shaped structure.

There were countless lives within the massive ring-shaped structure.

Inside one of the houses on the 132nd floor of Zone B37.

Inside a nutrient tank, a man with messy hair suddenly sat up straight. He was a little dazed, "Wu Qi? Qi Weike?" Soon, he was completely awake.

"It's been 53 years already."

The man with messy hair sat in front of a mirror, trimmed his hair and beard, and soon transformed into a weathered middle-aged man. His face was wrinkled, and some of his hair was white.

"I was still quite young before I went to sleep, but when I woke up, I was already over a hundred years old. Should I call myself Qi Weike, or Wu Qi? Qi Weike's days were too boring, Wu Qi's days were happier."

"Anyway, no one cares about Qi Weike."

"From now on, I'll call myself Wu Qi."

Wu Qi looked at himself in the mirror.

In reality, he was a resident of a mineral planet. He grew up among the wind, sand, and metal. Mineral planets… everything was for mining. The living environment here was much harsher than on life planets.

He didn't know who his father was.

After his mother gave birth to him, she finally accumulated enough points and immediately applied for a transfer! His mother had no attachment, abandoned Wu Qi, and left this hopeless mineral planet.

Wu Qi worked hard on the mineral planet. No woman ever took a liking to him. It wasn't until he was 62 years old that he finally saved enough points to apply to leave the mineral planet.

When he first arrived on a life planet, Wu Qi looked at the wonderful world, but the impoverished him soon encountered all kinds of setbacks.

A message about 'recruiting original residents of the virtual world' aroused Wu Qi's anticipation.

"My life has been too boring, perhaps the virtual world will be wonderful." Wu Qi submitted his application, and together with many others, was sent here.

The virtual world he entered was called the Demon Subjugation World.

In order to better enjoy such a world, Wu Qi chose to descend as a five-year-old child, and chose a contract of 'eighty years'. If everything went smoothly, this child should be able to live to eighty-five years old.

He stayed in the Demon Subjugation World for 53 years. His obsession dissipated, and he woke up in reality. His real age was over a hundred years old, and he had quite a few white hairs.

"Go out and take a look." Wu Qi walked out of the house and walked along the corridor.

After walking for a while, he took a sightseeing elevator and soon reached the outermost perimeter.

A huge sky dome isolation layer greatly weakened the star's light and heat.

Wu Qi sat down, looking at the incredibly huge star in front of him through the sky dome isolation layer.

"Compared to reality, these 53 years in the Demon Subjugation World were quite wonderful. Miss was really good to me, and she took care of me after I entered the Wu residence. I learned martial arts there, and entered the realm of martial arts," Wu Qi said with a smile. "It was also in the Demon Subjugation World that I tasted many fine wines and many delicacies. Young Master really likes food, I wonder if he will still go searching for delicacies everywhere after I leave."

"Miss, are you doing well in reality?" Wu Qi was a little worried and concerned.

Having lived for over a hundred years, he was so concerned about one person.

"Miss and Young Master, will I ever see them again?" Wu Qi wondered silently.

Buzz--

A light and shadow condensed beside him, forming a woman wearing a gray uniform.

Wu Qi turned his head to look.

"Hello, Qi Weike, or should I call you Wu Qi?" The woman said with a smile, "I am Qu Nuowei, the first administrator of Zone B37, also from the Qingfang civilization."

Wu Qi nodded slightly.

"Congratulations, you have gained greatly in the Demon Subjugation World. Your combat power bonus has reached 37 times," the woman said with a smile. "Because of this, you will reach the seventh-order cosmic life form in a short period of time."

"At the same time, your obsession can become a Heavenly Demon, and your mental power is also talented, so you will receive the cultivation of the Qingfang civilization. Combining your combat and mental power talents, you are expected to become an eighth-order cosmic life form," the woman said.

"Oh." Wu Qi nodded. The woman was stunned, wasn't he excited at all? Demon obsessions are generally more extreme and not very useful in reality. You must reach the 'Heavenly Demon' level of obsession to have enough self-control and enough cultivation value.

People like Wu Qi, with extremely high combat power bonuses and mental talents, are the real talents.

"You have data available for my experience in the Demon Subjugation World?" Wu Qi asked.

"Of course."

The woman nodded, "We have records of every original resident's experience. The entire ring-shaped sky dome you now live in houses Qingfang civilization volunteers sent from thousands of star systems, numbering over ten trillion! All the original residents of the Qing Country in the Demon Subjugation World… are on this ring-shaped sky dome."

Wu Qi was stunned and asked, "Can I see Miss and Young Master?"

He had no attachments in the real world. But Miss and Young Master from the Demon Subjugation World were the two most important people in his life.

"In principle, we cannot reveal their identities in the real world," the woman said with a smile. "But your Miss also lives on this ring-shaped sky dome in reality. As long as you join the Demon Subjugation Group and have enough contribution points, you can submit an application to meet your Miss."

Wu Qi's eyes lit up and he asked again, "What about my Young Master?"

"Your Young Master?" The woman paused slightly.

According to Wu Qi's experience.

That Young Master was a Demon Subjugator! Although she could view Wu Qi's experience, she could not view the Young Master's detailed information. She only knew that… the Young Master's strength as a Demon Subjugator had surpassed Wu Qi, which was why Wu Qi's obsession had dissipated.

That Young Master was no less than a ninth-realm Demon Subjugator!

"Your Young Master is a big shot in reality," the woman said, there was no need to hide too much. "When you become an eighth-order cosmic life form, you can submit an application to the higher-ups, and perhaps there is a slight chance of contacting him."

"A big shot?" Wu Qi was stunned, "How big?"

"Even if you become an eighth-order cosmic life form, you may not be as good as him," the woman said, there was no need to hide too much.

Because Wu Qi would soon know after breaking through that such a powerful Demon Subjugator… represented the eighth-order limit. Moreover, he was able to fight beyond his level, and was not comparable to an ordinary eighth-order limit.

"Even if I become an eighth-order cosmic life form, I may not be as good as him?" Wu Qi smiled happily, "That's good, that's good."

"Are you willing to join the Demon Subjugation Group?" The woman asked.

"I am willing." Wu Qi nodded.

He had learned about the Demon Subjugation Group through the internet. It was a group company established by the official human race in the universe, with tentacles penetrating multiple cosmic domains. Its strength was unfathomable.

The woman smiled, "Good, the group will soon have a work team to pick you up. This is my personal contact information, you can contact me anytime if you have any questions." Soon, the administrator's projection dissipated.

Wu Qi sat there, in a very good mood, "There is hope to see Miss, and Young Master is much more powerful than me, everything is great."