Legend of the Cyber Heroes
Chapter 193 - 193 113 Also the Undead

193: Chapter 113 Also the Undead 193: Chapter 113 Also the Undead “Master, I might have discovered a bit about your past.”

When Yuki said this, Xiang Shan was quite pleased.

“It seems you’ve made great progress, my disciple.

You’ve even learned to gather information,” Xiang Shan nodded, “Some common knowledge and legends of Jianghu aren’t convenient for me to inquire about.

It’s remarkable that you’ve used your identity as someone ‘just starting out’ to collect information.

You indeed have talent.”

Yuki tried to keep his expression serious, “Master, I’m not joking.

What I’m about to say might be somewhat…

distressing for you.”

“Don’t worry, I’m professionally trained—although I really wish I could say that,” Xiang Shan sat down on the ground and said, “Regrettably, there is no such training in this world.

I never thought in the past that I might not be ‘me.’

Yuki was taken aback: “Master, you knew already?”

“Such themes have been written to death as fiction in the past,” Xiang Shan shook his head, “Moreover, during my recent outing, I did encounter some strange phenomena—I can probably guess.”

Personality Mask.

This technology likely didn’t exist when “Martial Ancestor Xiang Shan” was still alive.

Xiang Shan had no memory of this term—although the word [persona/人格面具] is also used in Jungian psychology.

But when psychology moved into the stage of behavioral studies, psychoanalysis no longer had a place in the ‘kingdom of science.’

Even if Xiang Shan had a psychology and behavior research institute that he himself barely remembered, they wouldn’t be guided by the works of Freud or Jung.

This technology was most likely named by some chuunibyou scholar in a certain field after Xiang Shan’s failed “assassination” many years ago.

That’s what Xiang Shan thought.

Furthermore, the envoy from the Six Dragons Sect had said, “Congratulations on coming back from Hell once again.”

It seemed that he might have been identified by his actions and behavior, recognizing his “inner” self.

It’s possible they had mistaken Xiang Shan for someone else.

Or perhaps because…

“Xiang Shan” had not returned from Hell for the first time.

And the term “Personality Mask” could very well explain this.

After “Martial Ancestor Xiang Shan,” due to various reasons, there emerged a Personality Mask of Xiang Shan, once again raising the banner of rebellion.

Xiang Shan, having once been an amateur novelist, still possessed this level of deductive ability.

Sitting on the floor of the train compartment, Xiang Shan said to Yuki, “Alright, speak.

What exactly have you found out?”

After some thought, Yuki started by elaborating carefully on “The Only Defeat in Ten Thousand Battles.”

More than two hundred years ago, Martial Ancestor Xiang Shan collaborated with “Turing” to strike at Yawgmoth’s space fleet.

“Turing” suppressed the fleet’s defensive firepower systems remotely through Inner Strength.

Meanwhile, Xiang Shan, wielding a top-tier Prosthetic Body collected from everyone in Jianghu, infiltrated the flagship and killed Yawgmoth and King Aqini.

Martial Ancestor Xiang Shan almost succeeded.

However, the remote transmission of Inner Strength was still limited by the “Speed of Light” ceiling, so if the distance was stretched enough, the hacking master of Inner Strength would inevitably face a significant delay—compared to the defense in the local area, this was a huge disadvantage.

King Aqini exploited this, using his final authority to control the flagship and keep moving away from Turing’s coordinates, until Martial Ancestor completely lost the remote protection from “Turing.”

“Damn, so that’s what happened…” Xiang Shan muttered, “No wonder, no wonder.

So that’s how it was.”

If this was the cause of his “final battle’s” defeat, then the unreasonable tremor in his heart after losing Iron Dust’s remote support inside the Meiyimei Building now had an explanation.

It must have been an experience of extreme anguish.

Subconsciously, Xiang Shan’s hand reached for the welded part on top of his head and said, “There must be other stories, right?”

Yuki nodded, “After this assassination, since the entire flagship was cut off from the information network, no one knew what exactly happened.

Yawgmoth declared that the Protectors had executed Martial Ancestor.

But then, three years later, another ‘Martial Ancestor’ appeared in Jianghu.”

Xiang Shan felt confused, feeling a knot in his chest, “Although I also guessed it might be this kind of development…

But, three years?

Another ‘Xiang Shan’ appeared three years after the original ‘Martial Ancestor Xiang Shan’ died?”

Yuki nodded, “Yes…

The Martial Arts of this ‘Xiang Shan’ were not as good as the original ‘Martial Ancestor Xiang Shan,’ but they were still of an exceptional level.

After assassinating several big figures in succession, the people of Jianghu gradually acknowledged him.

However, it was later revealed that he wasn’t the original ‘Martial Ancestor Xiang Shan.’ This person was actually a Hero who had given up his Self, allowing an AI that mimicked Martial Ancestor to make decisions for him, and had his own brain serve as a Martial Studies plug-in, providing for this AI.”

“It is said that among the original group of Heroes, some believed that they needed to raise a standard, hence a Xiang Shan was necessary.

They came up with this plan.

Since the memories of Martial Ancestor Xiang Shan, aside from some backups, were all lost in that one assassination, the friends of Martial Ancestor Xiang Shan extracted parts of their memories related to ‘Xiang Shan’ to fill in all that was missing.”

Xiang Shan clutched his chest.

Despite the fact that there were no nerves there, nor a beating heart.

Yet, his fingers nearly punctured his own external armor.

“Every action of the ‘second Xiang Shan’ conformed to his companions’ memories of ‘Martial Ancestor Xiang Shan.’ But soon, Martial Ancestor Xiang Shan’s small team fell apart.

It is said that a small group of people could not accept this second Xiang Shan when faced with him, experiencing a sort of mental condemnation.”

“After losing the support of some companions, the second Xiang Shan’s actions became increasingly unsuccessful.

In the end, he died in the ‘Kings’ siege.”

“To commemorate him, and to distinguish him from the original Martial Ancestor Xiang Shan, people in Jianghu began to call him ‘Martial God the Second’ or ‘Second Martial God.’ He was not the progenitor of martial studies, but he was still a ‘Martial World Myth,’ a ‘God of Martial Heroes.'”

“And Martial Ancestor Xiang Shan thus acquired the title of ‘First Martial God’ as well.”

Xiang Shan nodded, but remained silent.

“Apart from the Second Martial God, who was created directly by humans, there were some Martial Gods who were accidental products—or to put it more precisely, only the Second Martial God was clearly created by humans with intent.”

Xiang Shan fell silent for a moment, “For some reason, ‘my’ memories were spread everywhere?”

Yuki nodded, “It could be to humiliate or to commemorate.

Yawgmoth packaged some of Martial Ancestor Xiang Shan’s memories into a blockchain and uploaded them to the network.”

“Later, friends of Martial Ancestor Xiang Shan from the Hero Faction, unwilling to have his image deliberately distorted, also uploaded their memories of ‘Xiang Shan’ onto the network to restore an objective Martial Ancestor Xiang Shan.”

“They say that generation joined in the effort.

The blockchain grew rapidly.”

Xiang Shan fell silent for a moment, then said, “In that case, anyone could create a Personality Mask of Xiang Shan, right?”

Yuki nodded, swallowed, and said, “Not just that, some people read these memories and become so immersed that they mistake themselves for ‘Martial Ancestor Xiang Shan’…

However, if such a person’s actions are recognized by any of Martial Ancestor Xiang Shan’s friends, they too would be called ‘Martial God.'”

“I see…” Xiang Shan murmured to himself, “So that’s what they call a ‘True Personality Mask’?

Because they read someone else’s memories, their personality is completely covered.

It’s different from a ‘Pseudo-personality Mask’ then, as it’s a spontaneous material-level change in the brain…”

“Then, many Martial Gods naturally took the path of rebellion…

Hmm, perhaps there are also some True Personality Masks who did not become Heroes, who did not take this path of chivalry.

But if so, they would not be recognized by the friends of Martial Ancestor, nor acknowledged as Martial Gods.”

Xiang Shan nodded, his hands supporting his forehead, elbows resting on his thighs, “I see.”

Yuki rose, noticing that his master suddenly seemed very dejected and was about to leave.

He called out, “Master, are you all right?”

“All right?

Of course, I’m all right.

What could be wrong with me?” Xiang Shan lifted his head to look at the black ceiling, but his tone lacked any emotion.

“Who would have thought…

Who would have thought.

‘Xiang Shan’ is now undead.”

Xiang Shan once compared himself to a character from the “Warcraft” series.

In this story, a magical world is suddenly plagued by a ‘Scourge’—a calamity that makes the living sick and die, and the dead rise again as monsters.

The leader of the Scourge is known as the ‘Lich King.’

The protagonist of a certain saga is a prince.

This prince, to protect his kingdom, chooses to go overseas in search of a divine sword called ‘Frostmourne.’ However, the power of this sword is that of the undead Scourge.

The prince, who originally set out to combat the Scourge, becomes undead himself upon drawing the sword and even becomes the Scourge’s leader, the ‘Lich King.’

He personally destroyed the very kingdom he intended to protect.

—Such an ironic ending.

Xiang Shan thought to himself.

—Is this fate playing tricks?

Or is it ‘karmic retribution’?

“I regret it.

I should have never tried to draw ‘Frostmourne’ from the beginning,” said Xiang Shan.

Yuki scratched his head.

He didn’t understand this in-joke from over two centuries ago.

He said, “Master, you don’t have to be so discouraged.

Even though you might not be the real ‘Martial Ancestor Xiang Shan,’ to me, you are my master.

Besides, there’s the little guy, and others whose lives you’ve saved.

We don’t care if you are…”

“I don’t care much either whether I am ‘Martial Ancestor Xiang Shan,'” Xiang Shan sighed, “What are you trying to say?

‘Because you saved us, your life has meaning too’?

Don’t be naive, kid.

I, your master, have killed many people in the past, and I’ve saved many as well…

at least I genuinely believed I did.

The life or death of one or two individuals isn’t a reason for me to feel exalted or despondent.”

“What truly pains me is another matter—’Xiang Shan has become undead.'”