Chapter 3
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Chapter 3: The Whitewashing Begins, The Legendary Gu Ran
Gu Ran thought deeply and concluded that the only way to eliminate all future threats was to completely redeem himself. He needed not only to escape from this triangular crystal prism but also to address the challenges that would arise once he was out.
In this comic, Gu Ran had invested much of his effort into the female protagonists. These female characters were not only noble in status but also possessed extraordinary strength.
If he could turn them to his side, wouldn’t that perfectly resolve all the problems?
As their “creator,” Gu Ran was extremely familiar with the backstories of each of the female protagonists.
While inside the triangular crystal prism, Gu Ran was still undecided about where to begin. However, upon hearing Gu Qingqing’s words and observing her actions, he immediately set his sights on a target.
“My foolish sister has spatial abilities. If she rescues me, escaping would be very convenient. I’ll start with her.”
Instantly, the light screen projected by the triangular crystal prism began to display a scene.
It was an old, dirty slum.
A frail little boy was searching for something in an alley.
“Is that little boy the tyrant?”
“What is he doing? What is he looking for?”
“Uh?! He’s picking up trash!?”
The crowd was taken aback when they saw the little boy on the screen.
They believed this was likely Gu Ran, but the frail boy scavenging for trash in the slum was so vastly different from the tyrant who ruled the Human Alliance and suppressed the major cities that they could hardly believe it.
Though they had heard of Gu Ran’s impoverished background, this level of poverty was shocking.
Coming from the slums, survival itself would have been a challenge, let alone studying.
Gu Qingqing stood there, staring blankly at the image of Gu Ran. She actually had no idea that Gu Ran had lived such a miserable life as a child, scavenging for trash in the slums to survive.
In her earliest memories, she had already become a student of her teacher due to her talent for spatial abilities, and her brother was no longer by her side at that time.
She had once asked her teacher why her brother was no longer with her.
Her teacher had replied that her brother wanted to live his own life, which is why he wasn’t by her side.
At that time, she couldn’t understand and felt deeply wronged.
She couldn’t comprehend why her brother would leave her to live his own life. Didn’t he want to be with her? Did he dislike her?
But as time passed, she slowly forgot that feeling.
“So, before meeting the teacher, he… we lived such a tragic life?” Gu Qingqing thought silently.
Initially, she was going to say “he,” but she remembered that at that time, she was still by his side.
In her heart, she felt a deeper sense of gratitude toward her teacher. If it weren’t for her teacher, she would have likely grown up in that environment, never receiving a good education or reaching the strength and status she had today.
…
Though scavenging for trash, it wasn’t an easy task even in the slums.
After all, Gu Ran wasn’t the only one living off scavenging: there were other children, older kids, and even adults.
With so much competition, Gu Ran’s small frame stood no chance against them.
Moreover, although the slums were large, not every area was suitable for scavenging. The spots near major roads were the best for finding useful trash, but those places were also highly contested.
Watching Gu Ran skillfully rummage through a trash can and then swiftly evade the older kids who tried to teach him a lesson, the crowd couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration.
“Though this tyrant ruthlessly ruled the Human Alliance, one has to admit that his journey from a slum scavenger to the Supreme Leader of the Human Alliance is indeed legendary.”
“Yes, even for those of us who have had access to resources since childhood, reaching our level of strength is extremely rare and difficult. But he rose from a slum scavenger to the Supreme Leader, overpowering everyone with his strength. It’s truly impressive.”
“So what if he’s strong? So what if he’s a legend? He’s still a tyrant, right? Perhaps it’s because he grew up in the slums that his character became twisted. He was crooked from the start!”
Everyone nodded in agreement. Gu Ran might be a legend, but he was a legend that people feared.
A person’s childhood has a profound impact on their character, and perhaps it was the chaotic, evil environment of the slums that shaped Gu Ran’s wicked personality.
Gu Qingqing remained silent.
So, was it the corruption of the slums in his childhood that led him to become the feared tyrant?
Seeing Gu Qingqing’s silence, Lin Fan’s mind worked quickly, and he said aloud:
“Not necessarily. Even those born in the slums can rise above their circumstances. Take Qingqing, for instance. Though she was born in the slums, she has never done anything evil! On the contrary, she had the courage to stand up against her own brother and help us overthrow that tyrant.”
“In my opinion, some people are born with an inclination toward evil. No matter where they come from, they’re destined to become villains. Clearly, that tyrant is one such person.”
Immediately, someone in the crowd echoed his sentiments.
There were plenty of people eager to curry favor with Lin Fan, who was likely to become the next Supreme Leader.
Lin Fan smiled at Gu Qingqing, hoping to see her gratitude, but he noticed that she seemed oblivious to the discussions around her. Her eyes remained fixed on the light screen.
Lin Fan’s smile froze.
On the screen, Gu Ran had finished a day of scavenging and returned to his tiny “home.”
“Wait, something’s not right. Isn’t that tyrant supposed to be Lord Gu Qingqing’s brother? Why is he all alone?”
Indeed, throughout the scene, Gu Ran was by himself.
There was no Gu Qingqing, nor were there any other family members.
Clearly, Gu Ran was an orphan.
“Yes, and we haven’t seen the tyrant’s parents. So…”
Everyone’s eyes turned to Gu Qingqing.
If Gu Ran’s parents had later given birth to Gu Qingqing, then Gu Ran must have had parents at some point.
Gu Ran’s background was a complete mystery to everyone. Before this, they didn’t even know he was from the slums or that he was an orphan.
At that moment, a thought occurred to everyone, but due to Gu Qingqing’s formidable power, no one dared to voice it out loud.
Sure enough, the scene soon changed.
The originally sleeping Gu Ran suddenly opened his eyes and left his small abode.
Under the moonlight, Gu Ran walked a short distance, arriving at a spot a few dozen meters away.
There, a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes in an cradle was crying under the moonlight.