Chapter 711: The Unblemished Essence

Mental Core……

Lu Xin had known of this concept long ago—he even found it rather unremarkable.

So he couldn’t fathom why Mom had insisted on bringing him out alone, or what she intended to show him.

Obediently arm-in-arm with Mom, they stepped out of the old building. Overhead, a colossal Red Moon dominated the sky.

It was unprecedentedly huge, as if it were perched atop the building itself.

Lu Xin could even sense the Red Moon’s radiance; its chilling aura, intertwined with its dark red glow, dazzled his eyes.

Instinctively, he raised a hand to shield his view, only then realizing what was amiss.

Today was the third day of the month—surely the Moon shouldn’t be this full. Given its distance from Earth, it shouldn’t appear so close.

Once the realization struck, he lowered his hand in astonishment and saw that in front of the old building, there were people everywhere.

But ‘people everywhere’ doesn’t quite capture it—it was as if countless individuals had converged.

Countless!

It was a scene that could only be described as infinite.

One after another, identical figures lined up before Lu Xin and Mom.

They looked exactly the same—like hundreds, even thousands of twins arranged in a line.

It resembled a gigantic centipede stretching from afar to here.

Yet, a closer look revealed that all these figures were in fact the same person.

They wore identical clothes and shared the same features, though their expressions shifted gradually.

Moreover, in the space before him, there were several distinct formations.

Each formation was made up of repeated instances of the same individual—countless versions forming a long, serpentine line that wove through the city, intersecting and diverging like threads.

Some intertwined continuously, while others inevitably converged.

Some clung together like glue, only to part instantly and never cross paths again.

And some arrangements weren’t even linear—in certain spots, they split noticeably.

Lu Xin found it impossible to fully describe the spectacle unfolding before him.

He could only liken it to a camera with a delay function—capturing moments from different times that overlapped seamlessly.

Different moments of a life overlapped, yet were placed within the same scene.

Chaotic and bizarre, yet hiding a subtle and distinct order.

……

……

After watching for a long time, Lu Xin couldn’t help but rub his eyes.

“Not used to it?”

Mom halted and smiled at him.

Lu Xin nodded and, in a curious tone, asked, “What is this?”

“These are people.”

Mom explained softly, “People from different times and choices—you might call it life.”

Lu Xin seemed to understand only partially, but he nodded in agreement.

“Let’s go!”

Mom and Lu Xin strolled slowly through a city filled with an uncanny crowd, their steps as light as a leisurely walk.

Sometimes they weaved through gaps; other times, they passed right through the lines of people.

In Lu Xin’s ears and eyes, strange sensations began to emerge.

Every time he passed through a different formation, a series of distinct scenes and emotions flashed before him.

Each encounter brought a fleeting moment of joy or tranquility, insights and layers of illusion.

But each was so brief that they vanished before he could truly savor them.

This wasn’t a form of contamination—it was something he willingly embraced.

It was like raindrops suspended in mid-air, colliding with him as he rushed forward.

Was he getting soaked by the rain, or merely brushing against its droplets?

……

……

Like window shopping, Mom drifted amidst the crowd, glancing left and right as if choosing something to buy.

Lu Xin dared not ask further, though his inner curiosity had long been building.

After what felt like an eternity, Mom finally spotted something that caught her eye.

She gently stopped in front of an ordinary mid-range luxury sedan and watched as a man with a forced smile—carrying expensive gifts in large bags—stepped out and joined countless others streaming toward a villa.

“Found him, let’s go with him!”

Mom smiled and looked at Lu Xin, as if seeking his judgment on her choice.

“This person…”

Lu Xin scrutinized the man closely.

Such individuals were common in Qinggang—it was hard to detect anything unique about him.

“Take a closer look…”

Mom smiled and subtly gestured toward the man.

“Whoosh…”

Like countless film frames suddenly sped up, the man’s formation began to shift rapidly.

Countless images of him flashed before Lu Xin’s eyes like a cinematic montage of continuous actions.

Lu Xin witnessed snippets from the man’s life.

He saw the man, laden with expensive gifts, entering a villa, groveling before another officious-looking man, smiling and lavishing praise on his superior, then eagerly showing his desire to learn—before not only grabbing a broom to clean but also personally preparing several small dishes in the kitchen, all while sipping fine wine.

Late into the night, after tidying up the kitchen tools, he handed over his card to the man and slowly retreated from the villa.

Yet a single image hardly told the whole story.

Understanding this, Mom subtly shifted his image, and Lu Xin instantly saw more of the man’s life.

He was a child from a middle-class family in Qinggang.

For those at the bottom, the middle class appeared lofty—even though, to true elites, it was the lowest rung.

Thus he had certain advantages, though not overwhelming ones.

Family support had helped him gain entry into school, where he studied diligently and excelled.

He then successfully joined a powerful company, securing the research position he’d always dreamed of.

However, the toxic culture within the research institute constantly thwarted his progress, and despite his decent background, it was of little help—he was demoted to the lowest tier and nearly forced to quit.

Gradually, his ideals eroded, and he became just like everyone else around him.

He treated colleagues to meals, ruthlessly attacked his rivals, fawned over his superiors, and trampled on his own dignity.

Lu Xin saw a pitiful decade-long journey play out before him.

He couldn’t help but feel a tinge of sorrow for the man.

Yet, was it really wrong for someone to strive for a better life?

Noticing Lu Xin’s melancholy, Mom smiled softly and shifted the man’s image once more.

Thus began a rapid montage of the man’s life, another chapter unfolding before Lu Xin’s eyes.

Lu Xin observed the greasy, sycophantic man: after a colleague’s drinking party, after offering gifts to his superiors, after clearing up an office dispute in a messy manner, his smile faded as he returned home; he washed his face with cold water to stay alert, entered his study, and methodically resumed his research.

Beside him lay a notebook filled with years of work insights—over a decade of unwavering commitment.

Lu Xin was momentarily stunned.

“This is his mental core…”

Mom said quietly, “In such an environment, he’s powerless to change and can only blend in. Yet, he never forgets why he entered this realm. That’s why, no matter what, he never abandons what he believes he must do…”

Lu Xin listened attentively to Mom’s words, deep in thought.

……

Continuing their walk, Mom led Lu Xin until they encountered a man in uniform driving a luxury car.

Satisfaction gleaming on her face, she nodded and shifted his life image.

Lu Xin saw a slick, worldly-wise man.

Holding a moderate position, he had never been short of unscrupulous deeds.

He collected money when due, provided favors when expected, and never refused his superiors’ orders.

When subordinates sought promotion, he considered their requests with calculated discretion.

Thus, from the top down, no one in his department failed to praise him or harbor any fondness.

But when a particular case landed on his desk, he fell silent.

On the dossier was the case of a person beyond forgiveness.

Everyone in the department pooled money, like a finely tuned machine, ready to erase the words off that file.

So, though he outwardly smiled and agreed, he secretly copied the case details and sent them to the relevant authorities.

His wife couldn’t understand and asked why—did he not realize the consequences?

In a low voice, he replied, “I could never be a good person in this life, but there’s no need to be utterly evil…”

Listening to him, Mom turned to Lu Xin and smiled, “That, too, is his mental core.”

……

Then, Mom led Lu Xin as if wandering through a bustling mall, meandering through the crowd for a long time.

She also showed him many different lives, letting him witness countless unique stories.

Among them were those living outside the high wall—a notorious settlement famed for its brutal savagery.

They fought with lethal abandon, whether robbing caravans or attacking in other settlements, killing without hesitation.

In every settlement, since one had to display ferocity from a young age to earn respect, any sign of weakness meant losing status.

One particularly fierce fellow was no exception.

During a raid for grain in another settlement, he single-handedly took down three opponents.

But when he stormed into a household and saw the meager rice left in the pot, along with a child hiding in the corner,

his movements slowed, and then he turned and left.

Outside, his voice could be heard: “Move, move, move—this place is worthless.”

They then arrived at an area cloaked in pollution. Everyone there was afflicted by a bizarre form of mental contamination, driving them to madness, attacking one another to devour all life. Yet one of the afflicted cradled an infant in her arms; as others attacked, she shielded the child with her body, screaming in a mix of helpless fury and despair.

……

……

Too many lives, so many segments, unfolded before Lu Xin’s eyes.

Against the vast tapestry of life, they were few yet strikingly luminous.

Arm in arm with Mom, he was quietly guided through this desolate world as she softly asked, “Do you understand now?”

“The mental core is that which can be destroyed but never tainted…”