"So... is there really no third type of person?" Kiana still wasn't ready to give up.
It couldn't be that everyone acted out of fear, right?
But it's precisely those who are strong in spirit who stand opposite these people... Shu didn't say this thought aloud, because he had indeed thought of a third type of person who suppressed the weak...
If the first two types were the fearful building walls for self-defense... then this third type was completely different.
"There is indeed a third type..." Shu lowered his eyes, looked at Kiana before him, and spoke slowly.
"They do it for honor... an illusory kind of honor."
Among all oppressors, this type possessed the most bizarre worldview.
They believed that "the strong should act like the strong, crushing other inferior beings in every aspect." They genuinely couldn't tolerate any flaws in themselves, and their reason for targeting the weak was simple.
Stepping stones, touchstones, proof of self.
They not only had to be the strongest themselves, but they also needed everyone to know they were the strongest, to acknowledge them as the strongest.
And the moment someone truly surpassed them, they could erupt with even greater strength and energy, going all out just to stomp that person back underfoot.
"Huh?" Shu's leap in logic was too wide; Kiana hadn't reacted yet. "What honor?"
"There aren't many of this type. More often, they stand opposite the oppressors, being the ones oppressed. Only when they are at their peak do they turn their spearhead towards the weak," Shu shook his head; he wasn't keen on explaining this type of person.
"Oh..." Kiana reluctantly accepted Shu's evasiveness. At least she got the answer she wanted.
"Then what if I'm stronger than the opponent?" Returning to the main topic, Kiana asked again.
"Hmm... Then just widen the class disparity between you," Shu considered seriously, then said.
More words Kiana didn't understand. She scratched her head, then gave up thinking. "Just tell me what to do!"
"Sigh, alright, I'll teach you a method," Shu smiled. He revealed a "vicious" plan.
"First, let the opponent get complacent. You need to show surprise, shock, maybe even take a small, tiny loss in front of them," Shu said with a smile. Kiana instinctively felt he might be up to no good.
"Then, you need to act interested in them. Just consistently maintain a level slightly stronger than them, and gradually increase your power, bit by bit, until they can't take it anymore and lose by a narrow margin..."
"At this point... you can show disappointment, or act particularly regretful, then hit them with a light comment—'Oh, so you're just an ordinary person too. I thought I'd met another genius...'"
Shu deliberately imitated that regretful tone, and Kiana's eyes instantly widened.
She looked at his regretful expression, which even bordered on pitying the world, yet felt a chill run down her spine.
"Shu... you..." This isn't just about victory; you want to shatter their Dao heart [core spirit/belief]!!
Imagine a genius, acknowledged as such, being tagged with "I gave you a chance, but you couldn't make use of it"! Imagine someone confidently recommended for a competition being eliminated in the qualifiers.
People sparred with you, gave you chances because they saw you as a genius. And you? Can't you strive a little harder? Just wasting opportunities like this!
From then on, that genius's upper limit would be locked. They could never overcome that missed opportunity.
"But... what if the opponent doesn't accept defeat, comes back stronger, and challenges again?" Kiana, like a walking encyclopedia of 'Whys', kept questioning Shu.
Shu spread his arms, looking around quizzically. "Then I'm their benefactor! Who's the Bole [legendary judge of horses] who recognized their talent? After the thousand-li horse [talented individual] becomes famous, who else gains renown?"
Kiana: "!!!"
Although she didn't know who Bole was, she understood!
He'd be amazing even without me, but he happened to have me!
I was the one who sparred with him, I was the one who acknowledged his genius title! No matter what, I'm an important, indelible part of his life story!
What? You say I'm the bad guy? Should go sit at the enemy's table?
I cherished talent back then!!
This must be why in Naruto Homu, even though it was the Sannin title conferral, the first person who achieved fame in everyone's mind was the conferrer, Hanzo of the Salamander!!
This is an overt scheme!
"Um... are there any other methods?"
Although this method was cool... Kiana felt she probably wasn't that bad.
She didn't gamble or touch tobacco and alcohol. She was just a girl who liked pretty things, what was wrong with liking pretty girls who were soft and smelled nice?
"Other methods..." Shu fell into thought. Shu thought of a countermeasure.
"Hey! There actually is one," Shu held up a finger towards Kiana. "Watch carefully, I'm only teaching this once."
Kiana immediately became serious.
Shu turned around and found something to stand on.
Instantly, Shu's height surpassed Kiana's by more than half a body length. He faced another direction. Kiana looked up, only able to see Shu's side profile.
Just as Kiana was about to ask confusedly what Shu was doing, he completed all his preparatory actions.
No turning around, no tilting his head, not even turning his neck.
While Kiana was intently focused on Shu's side profile, Shu's eyes, which were looking forward, suddenly snapped towards her without warning, directly meeting Kiana's unprepared gaze.
Kiana's eyes widened instantly, her breathing quickening slightly.
This feeling... this familiar feeling...!
Could it be—!!
"That's the look from the story you showed us, when I became the Herrscher of the Void, right!?"
Kiana's expression completely twisted.
She just wanted to learn how to pose coolly! She didn't want to become a villain!
Why does it feel like nothing Shu teaches is good?!
Shu instantly dropped the look, jumped down from the raised platform, and nodded.
"Yep. How about it, suits you, right?"
Can you even call that suitable?!
Kiana glared at Shu, seemingly trying to bore a hole through his face with her eyes.
Shu understood Kiana's meaning and spread his hands helplessly.
"You asked me to teach you... I told you already, posing coolly isn't a good thing..."
Kiana fell silent.
She suddenly remembered Shu's "vicious" third scheme.
She felt she needed...