Chương 538: Chapter 531

Though delighted by his newfangled success, Goujian was never one to let triumph and accomplishment cloud his judgment, because if life was trials and tribulations without end, then success was merely the bare minimum required to survive. Such were Goujian's thoughts as he watched the battle unfold on the walls of fort Sinuji, immersed within the moment so as to wholly experience his emotions in accordance with his new Path.

A prospect more difficult than he first expected, because after decades of lies and misguided efforts, his mental defences set to guard against emotion were too ingrained to easily let down, much less dismantle entirely. Each time he sought to walk the razor's edge, to surrender to his passions while holding on to a single thread of reason, he found himself resisting the influx of emotion and instinctively clinging to Imperial Lies of Balance instead.

What's more, the stifling heat wasn't helping much either, his borrowed robes already drenched in sweat despite the late hour and sleeping sun. If a winter's night could reach such sweltering temperatures, he hoped to never experience a hot summer day, but alas all he could do for now was fan his robes and suffer. Putting the heat out of mind, Goujian took a deep breath and reflected on his next steps.

Although he'd found True Balance once, he'd done so on the brink of death, meaning his triumph was the result of dire circumstances, fortuitous happenstance, and Heavenly intervention as opposed any true effort of his own. As such, it would take time and effort to replicate his achievements, for the razor's edge was a most arduous Path to tread, but Goujian had time and effort to spare. Unlike Falling Rain, whose death had already been set in motion.

How fitting for the runt to meet his end at the hands of a Water-Blessed Transcendent, and Goujian's smile widened as he committed every detail and emotion to memory for posterity's sake. The liquid lance hurtled towards Falling Rain's heart and his thin, frail hands raised to stop it, but the boy knew it was a futile gesture.

His expression said it all, a flash of panic followed almost immediately by grim acceptance, and though this was one of Goujian's most hated enemies, he felt a faint tinge of respect for how staunch and steadfast Falling Rain remained when faced with inevitable death.

Beside him, the too-talented Dastan Zhandos was already moving to intercept, but the callow youth had let his guard down in the midst of battle and would be several seconds too late to help, while the half-cat girl in Runic Armour had yet to even notice the boy's plight. Then there were the many Experts around them, each one too far and too slow to react to the Water-Blessed Transcendent's unexpected assault on Falling Rain, because they'd all been too busy preparing to defend themselves instead.

A plan carried out to perfection in order to execute the Empire's false Hero, removing a most aggravating pawn from the board and dealing a crippling blow to Imperial morale. So brilliant, this young Emperor, though in truth, Goujian wondered if it was even worth it. Why go to so much effort to kill a cripple? The lance struck. Mist splattered. Soldiers bellowed. And Falling Rain... Emerged unscathed, with a look of bewildered confusion etched across his hateful, bony face.

For the span of a single heartbeat, it seemed as if the entire battlefield had frozen in place, with Imperial and Defiled, Expert and Transcendent, ally and enemy alike stopping to gawk at Falling Rain. Then, Dastan Zhandos fell to the ground, an eternity too late with his noble but futile attempt to intercept the attack, and the battle resumed, leaving Goujian with only questions and confusion. This shouldn't have been possible.

The globes of Water launched by the formidable Awakened Transcendent were powerful enough to kill Peak Experts if struck head-on, and the lance was a seemingly more powerful version of such, yet Falling Rain remained unharmed after a direct collision. No, more than unharmed, but utterly untouched, still sitting atop his giant weasel with nary a hair out of place.

The boy's clothes weren't even wet, though the mount beneath him was thoroughly soaked, shaking its fur dry as animals were wont to do and sending a spray of droplets into the air. Being formed of Chi, those droplets dissipated back into Heavenly Energy before ever reaching the ground, but the Water Lance failed to even touch Falling Rain's skin before vanishing into nothingness, along with the force of the attack. How? Was there another Divinity there, Concealed in the shadows and protecting him in secret?

"You see?" Teeth bared in fury, the young Emperor grabbed Goujian by his soggy, borrowed robes and pointed at Falling Rain from across the battlefield, the young whelp clearly mouthing some profanity or the other while glancing around in convincing befuddlement.

"You see how he pretends, feigning surprise and confusion? Hateful trickster, even his most trusted subordinates have been fooled, but this Sovereign has long since seen through his lies and deceptions."

"My liege is perceptive beyond compare," Goujian replied, meaning every word as the pieces fell into place. No wonder the young Emperor had seemed so wary during his meeting with Falling Rain, even flinching away from the supposed cripple and his two Peak Expert Guards, because the Bekhai runt was playing the pig to eat the tiger. Unfortunately for him, the Divine Son of Heaven was no mere tiger, but a dragon amongst men, one not so easily outwitted. Except...

"Begging your forgiveness my liege, but this one is ignorant and still does not wholly understand. Even if he is not crippled, how did he block the Transcendent's attack?" Snarling in bestial fury, the young Emperor loosed his grip on Goujian's robes and shoved him away.

"Fool. Did you forget? The stupid beast explained the concept not even an hour ago. Falling Rain is also Blessed by Water, so he only need summon Water Chi of his own to nullify the Elemental portion of the attack." Glaring daggers at the Bekhai runt, the young Emperor's voice quieted and Goujian had to strain to hear. Better hearing joined his list of needed physical improvements, alongside better eyesight so he'd no longer need to Scry at events in his direct line of sight, like the battle raging in front of him.

"But then what of the remaining kinetic force?" the young Emperor muttered, his confusion as clear as the scowl on his face.

"His lacking vigour and physical frailty cannot be feigned, so even if ninety percent is Deflected, the remaining momentum should have killed him outright or at least thrown him from the saddle. The Devourer carries too many secrets, brings too many surprises, breaks laws this Sovereign once believed inviolable, and for this, he must die." To this day, Goujian still wasn't sure why the Uniter had dubbed Falling Rain so, but if ever there were a time to ask, it would be now.

While the Water-Blessed Transcendent fought off multiple Peak Experts on Sinuji's outer wall, Goujian wiped his forehead and voiced his question, and to his great surprise, actually received an answer instead of cryptic mutterings or half-hearted pleas of ignorance.

"This one," the young Emperor began, using an uncharacteristically humble term to refer to himself, "Is the Emissary, for his Talent is to bring the Truth to all. This one speaks, and others listen, or rather others are more open to hearing the secrets of Heaven, and are thus elevated beyond their meagre stations.

How, this Sovereign does not wholly understand as of yet, and in truth, we might never deduce the true answer, for the infinite mysteries of Heaven are largely inexplicable, but the how is unimportant so long as it remains effective." There was something odd about how the young Emperor kept switching personal pronouns for himself, but Goujian couldn't quite put his finger on why it bothered him so.

Before he could ask, the young Emperor continued, "As for your question, Falling Rain is the Devourer, for his Talent is to consume and gather, to plunder and hoard. This one is antithetical to the Devourer in more ways than one, for the former offers power to the many, while the latter accumulates power for himself, their Talents analogous to the ideologies of the factions they represent.

Poetic, in a way, aggravating in many others, for it is only by the slimmest of margins that the Devourer stands with Imperial Clan instead of at this Sovereign's side. A shame our alliance never came to pass, but such is fate." Goujian could hardly believe his ears, for he would never have imagined the young Emperor would be so magnanimous as to admit he wanted to fight alongside Falling Rain instead of against him, but if anyone was deserving of such praise, it was this Bekhai runt.

"If my liege so desires it," Goujian cautiously offered with a bow, "Then this servant will endeavour to make it so." How, he hadn't the faintest clue, but should the Emperor demand it, then Goujian could only try.

"No," came the immediate answer, delivered with more vehemence than the young Emperor intended.

"You lack the ability to capture him, and this Sovereign will not risk so promising a subject." Though vexed by the brusque and dismissive evaluation, Goujian had to admit it was an accurate one. Even though his personal strength had increased by leaps and bounds, his chances of killing Falling Rain were slim to none, much less capturing the runt and escaping alive.

Three Imperial Divinities had travelled to Sinuji alongside him, and there were no less than eighteen Peak Experts currently fighting on the walls to protect him. What's more, there were at least twelve more Concealed Experts lurking about his position, all of whom had inadvertently revealed themselves in their failed gambits to protect Falling Rain from the Transcendent's Water Lance.

Worst of all, considering how fourteen of the seventeen Bekhai Experts currently fighting on the wall had gone completely unnoticed until after they voluntarily stepped out of Concealment, there could easily be more Peak Experts lurking unseen in the shadows. And all this only amounted to the forces Falling Rain and the Bekhai had brought to Sinuji.

There was still the Living Legend Nian Zu himself to contend with, along with his honour guard of fifty Peak Experts, and given its central location on the front lines, it was hard to believe there was no Imperial Divinity stationed in Sinuji, if only for the sake of face.

Few knew the truth, that Falling Rain was an Imperial Puppet dancing to the Legate's strings, so the Imperial Clan would lose prestige if they allowed a 'savage tribesman' to bring three Divinities to the battlefield while dispatching none of their own, a crucial detail Goujian had brought up earlier but the young Emperor had merely waved aside, seeming unconcerned by the very real possibility that their Divinities would be outnumbered.

Yes, Goujian himself was far from enough to kill, much less capture Falling Rain, and it was nothing short of outright arrogance to assume otherwise. Worthless, utterly worthless, what good was this new form if he still stood beneath so many. More power was needed, the power to topple mountains and overturn seas, to call the wind and summon the rain, it could all be his if only he would –"Careful, Confessor," the young Emperor said, using the title for the first time ever and startling Goujian out of contemplation.

"Keep to the razor's edge, now more than ever. You will be of no use to this Sovereign should you falter and fall." In the young Emperor's brown eyes, Goujian found genuine concern and consideration, where before there would have been dismissive indifference or perhaps even mocking amusement, but why the sudden change? In answer to the unasked question, the young Emperor smiled and said, "You have embraced the Truth and now follow in this Sovereign's path, and as such, you count as half a Disciple."

"Disciple? Of yours?" It wasn't that Goujian looked down on the young Emperor, for any close connection to the future Emperor would only be a boon, but given their vast age difference, Goujian would have no face left if he became Disciple to a Mentor six decades his junior.

"... Disciple of this Sovereign's Mentor," the young Emperor corrected, shaking his head in self-recrimination.

"So a... Martial Brother," he continued, cleverly omitting the 'junior' from Goujian's new designation.

"Thus, this Sovereign will endeavour to guide you along as best he can until Mentor himself is available to offer pointers." Gesturing at Rain in the distance, the young Emperor explained, "We walk the razor's edge, but the Devourer now walks a new Path in defiance of Heaven, with one foot firmly on each side, a feat this Sovereign once believed impossible. Possessing immeasurable potential, he is too dangerous to be left alive, too dangerous to be given time to grow.

Even his mere presence elevates the strength of those around him through competition and example. The Slave, the Scribe, the Rival, the Hangman, these and many others are but the first of his inner circle, with too many more still to grow. We must eliminate the Devourer now, before his power grows and allies flourish, now whilst he is still vulnerable and unprotected, but should we fail here today, then your strength will be sorely needed in the months to come."

Eyeing Goujian up and down, the young Emperor shook his head and added, "As things stand, you are of limited use, a man still too constrained by the lies of his past. Time and effort will remedy this, time and effort this Sovereign is willing to spare, so long as you are willing to listen." Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Swallowing his indignation, Goujian closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he felt calm enough to continue.

"In what ways is this one lacking, my liege?" Despite his efforts to strive for calm, his tone came out barbed and caustic, but the young Emperor merely chuckled in response.

"You possess an inquiring mind, Confessor, but not an analytical one, for had you pondered the question a moment longer, then you might have discovered the answer yourself." Jabbing Goujian's sweat-slick chest with a pointed finger, the young Emperor's razor-tipped finger bounced off Goujian's toughened skin.

"Too much restraint, too much control, still you cling to Imperial lies of Balance. How many times must this Sovereign repeat himself? The razor's edge must be tread ever so carefully." Gesturing at Goujian's new body with a wave of his hand, the young Emperor explained, "You have embraced the Truth and as such were baptized by the Energy of the Heavens, but your transformation is flawed at best." Holding up a metallic hand to forestall Goujian's argument, the young Emperor shook his head and sighed.

"Do not deny it, lest you come to believe it. If you will not accept this Sovereign's words for truth, then stride forth and do battle to experience it for yourself, but do not overreach. It takes time and practice to acclimate to a new form, even one which so closely resembles your previous self."

Gesturing at the two closest Transcendents as they moved to flank Goujian, the young Emperor added, "These two will protect you while you study and adapt, but keep to the northern flank and away from Falling Rain in particular. Now go discover your flaws and limits then contemplate the solution yourself, for the value of an answer uncovered vastly outweighs that of an answer given."

While skeptical of the young Emperor's allegations, Goujian held his tongue and set out for the battlefield at a sedate pace, hands clasped behind his back as if out for a casual stroll.

Though eager to see what his reformed physique was capable of, he was still cognizant of how a man of his stature should conduct himself, and while eager blood-lust and berserk rage had their place, he preferred the subtle threat of a man wholly indifferent to the chaos and carnage around him, hinting that he spent every day of his life steeped in such atrocities.

Using Scrying to look upon himself, he allowed himself a smile while admiring his noble features and youthful demeanour, but a handsome and dashing countenance was the least of his new advantages. Jade skin, iron muscles, and steely bones afforded him unparalleled natural defences, and when paired with his Domain, he could ignore all but the most powerful of attacks directed against him and emerge unscathed.

Then there was the raw strength surging through him, for if one were to measure by physical capability alone, then he might well be the strongest man to ever live in all of human history. Flawed at best? Hmph. While Goujian had overlooked a handful of minor details like his sense of hearing and sight, he had forged his body into a superior fleshly vessel, one second only to the Spiritual Hearts of beasts, so he would let his actions speak for him and prove the young Emperor wrong.

By the time he reached the outer wall with his Concealed Transcendents in tow, he yearned to do away with his sweat-soaked robes and fight naked as the day he was born, but his dignity would not allow it, for even the savage Defiled knew enough to cover themselves.

Vexed by the unnatural winter heat, he decided to take out his frustrations on the first Officer to cross his path and vaulted up to take the offending Captain's head, but while he intended to bound over the parapets with a single leap, his bare feet scarcely left the ground before sinking back into the dirt, in what could only be described as a disgraceful and ungainly hop. The young Emperor's laughter sounded in his ear, delivered there through Sending from afar.

"Such strength," he cackled, and Goujian could picture the insufferable shit's hateful smirk.

"Such athleticism. How inspiring." Burning with humiliation while imagining the scorn of savages and peasants alike, Goujian ignored the young Emperor and quickly pinpointed the problem. Though the three-and-a-half meter wall would prove no barrier to his original body, his weight had increased by at least two-fold while his other measurements remained unchanged, so he needed to work twice as hard at Lightening to achieve the same results.

A gross oversight on his part, because not only was he unable to Cloud-Step away to safety, his new body was so ponderous he might as well abstain from Lightening altogether considering how negligible the effects were.

Few commoners appreciated the true value of Lightening, but without it, Goujian's stability, agility, mobility, and speed were all severely limited, for no longer could he glide away from an attack or dance over the corpse-strewn battlefield with effortless grace, escape to the trees to continue the fight or pivot back and forth on the spot with impunity. Raw, physical muscle could make up for many of these shortcomings, but decades of ingrained practice and honed instincts were not so easily changed.

Still, this minor flaw would not be fixed overnight, so Goujian swallowed his pride and climbed up like a stinking, primitive monkey, his fingers and toes leaving deep gouges in the rammed-earth wall. Even this simple task was no easy feat, his lungs burning and head light by the time he clambered over the parapets like a lumbering fool.

Axe and hammer bounced off his Domain as he paused to catch his breath, but then the Officer's Spiritual Spear came lancing towards Goujian's throat and instinct superseded intellect. Twisting his upper body to avoid what was undoubtedly a harmless attack, he felt a minor, almost inconsequential tingle of pain in his ankle and then immediately toppled over to crash into the ground.

Shocked and confused by the unexpected turn of events, he shuffled back along the parapets until he noticed his left foot bent at an unnatural angle, the tendons torn and socket dislocated by the sheer force of his weight bearing down on the unfortified joint. Another laugh sounded in Goujian's ear as the young Emperor made no secret of his contempt.

"Behold the might of the reforged Confessor," he jeered, his Sending laced with amused sarcasm, "Soon to meet his demise at the hands of a nameless, lowborn Captain." Having recovered from his shock, the Captain drove his spear into Goujian's exposed belly, and only the young Emperor's warning saved him.

Turned aside by Domain and Deflection, the Captain's Honed spear bit deep into the floor and plunged down until half its length was buried, a testament to his lacking skills and experience, yet even a warrior as inept as he almost claimed Goujian's life.

Enraged by his poor showing, he shoved the Captain away to buy room to breathe, but in yet another unexpected turn of events, Goujian's foe went barrelling back into the crowd, his limbs akimbo and eyes clouding over in death after the desperate push caved in his armour and chest.

"The body has power aplenty at least, to make up for its many failings." The young Emperor's tone held approval aplenty, and perhaps even a hint of admiration, but it paled in comparison to Goujian's shame.

"Of which there are still many more to uncover, so enough lazing about dear Martial Brother, for time works against us once more." Distracted by the young Emperor's taunts and Healing his ankle, Goujian failed to heed his surroundings and took a blow to the back of the skull. Though softened by his Domain, the sudden impact rocked his head forward and rattled his brain, leaving him sore and disoriented as he cowered beneath his arms and struggled to his knees beneath a flurry of hacking weapons and hammering blows.

Snarling in fury, he lashed out with a sweeping backhand and cleared his immediate surroundings before bringing his hooked-sword to bear, but much like his awkward and ungainly body, his trusted weapon also betrayed him. Having never been the heaviest of weapons, it now felt like a twig in hand and threw off the timing and coordination of his movements, a far more concerning issue than his clumsy and unwieldy new body.

The latter he would grow accustomed to given time, but his hooked-sword was utterly incapable of taking advantage of his prodigious strength, a weapon more suited to stealth, cunning, and guile than overwhelming power. Now, he was akin to a bull with fangs or an elephant with claws, a mismatched monstrosity incapable of making use of his greatest strengths, whether it be his lifetime of Martial training and sword skills or newfangled physical might. Why had the Heavens betrayed him?

What was the point of all this power if he couldn't put it to good use? As he was now, any random Expert with a Domain would prove a threat to Goujian and it was only through fate and happenstance that he had yet to face one in this brief and disastrous bout upon the wall. Giving in to his rage and resentment, Goujian threw himself into the fight as best he could in his current condition, his weapon unwieldy and foot attached only by skin and muscle while it flopped and twisted about.

Fighting on one knee, he dragged himself across the wall and swung his too-light sword about like a club, expecting to meet his demise or at the very least be pulled away to safety by his Concealed Transcendent guards, but even disadvantaged as he was, no Imperial Warrior proved his match. A swing of sword or fist was enough to dispatch anyone who came within range, for even a glancing blow was capable of crushing armour and shattering bone.

As time passed and anger subsided, he grew accustomed to his debilitation and discomfort with the weapon and worked out the best ways to go about utilizing his new advantages while simultaneously cataloguing his many, many disadvantages. Joints, tendons, and ligaments were first on his long list, as he'd neglected to reinforce them while strengthening the rest of his body.

A thicker skull and a layer of fat to guard his brain from impacts would be much appreciated, but more pressing was the need to make up for the inability of his organs to keep up with his body's other improvements. His heart and lungs were both threatening to give out from over-exertion while his kidneys, liver, and other organs instrumental to the flow of blood were working too slowly and keeping him from reaching his true potential.

Then there was the matter of temperature regulation, for he'd finally noticed it wasn't that the Central winters were overly warm, but rather his dense muscles and tough skin had rendered sweating ineffective at dispersing heat, and his internal temperature was reaching dangerously high levels which threatened to shut his entire body down. The young Emperor was right. Goujian's new body was riddled with flaws, but try as he might, he failed to conceive any workable solutions.

While tendons and ligaments would need reinforcement, how far could he go before impacting his mobility and flexibility? Too strong and even the simplest motions would require great effort, while too weak would leave himself incapable of making sudden movements for fear of injuring himself. Then there was the matter of improving the efficiency of his organs, which left him utterly perplexed.

The simplest solution was to make duplicates, but how would he find room for them and how would they connect to the existing framework? So deep in thought, he failed to notice he had no foes left to fight, for his section of the outer wall had been overrun by the Defiled thanks to his efforts. With room to breathe and fix his ankle, he knelt in quiet contemplation for long minutes before swallowing his pride and asking the young Emperor for assistance.

Thankfully, Goujian's request was met without ridicule or derision, and the young Emperor launched into a long winded explanation, no doubt gleefully waiting for this chance to educate his 'Martial Brother'.

"The razor's edge between struggle and surrender must be tread lightly," the young Emperor began.

"Struggle too much, and such are the results. The human body is a finely-tuned device, one crafted by the Heavens themselves, yet you sought to improve upon it with only your shallow knowledge? With age comes arrogance, but such is life." A minor rebuke in the grand scheme of things, but Goujian still marked it down in memory. The young Emperor had his respect and fealty, but a man could only be pushed so far.

"The secret," the young Emperor continued, heedless of Goujian's displeasure, "Is no true secret, for this Sovereign has said it time and time again. The razor's edge, keep to it and all will be well. Like a wild beast, the Energy of the Heavens will buck and kick beneath an unwelcome rider, so you must give yourself over to it, surrender to the torrent and let it take you where it will, while retaining enough control so as to not be thrown off mid-journey.

Too much struggle, too much control, and the results are as you've experienced, but take heart, for your physique is far from a failure, flawed though it might be. No, had you failed, then you would have died screaming in agony and torment as your muscles, fat, and organs were cannibalized by the rampant, uncontrollable growth of cancerous tumours."

A chill ran down Goujian's spine as he recognized the truth in the young Emperor's statement, for this was a fate shared by many an arrogant and aspiring Healer who lost control while practising without supervision. The young Emperor was not done, however, and he continued his lecture with ease and aplomb, a testament to his familiarity with the subject matter in question.

"This is but one side of the coin, one danger to guard against, while an example of the other stands close by your side." Glancing at the black-armoured Transcendent, Goujian suppressed yet another chill and devoted his full attention to the young Emperor's words.

"The Imperials call them Demons, the Defiled call them Transcendents, but this Sovereign can only see them as failures. Those wretched individuals came so close to embracing the Truth, but they lacked the luck and fortitude to wholly succeed. Though their physical bodies transcended mortal limits, total surrender left their minds unprotected against the deluge of Heavenly Energy used to transform them, searing away their sanity and personality to leave them little more than bestial creatures of rage and fury."

Though it seemed like the young Emperor had gone on a minor tangent, it was only now that Goujian understood it was to broaden his horizons and fill the gaps in his knowledge.

"Then how are we to walk this fine line between control and surrender?"

"If this Sovereign had an answer, then humanity would have long since ascended to greatness." Bitter anguish coloured the young Emperor's tone, no doubt inwardly berating himself for only having come so far. Such was his pride and haughty conceit, choosing not to look back at how much he already accomplished in so short a time, but instead looking forward to the future at how much he had yet to achieve.

"Regardless, you must keep to the razor's edge, for such is our Path to Divinity, the means with which we avail ourselves to the Energy of the Heavens. Seek Balance, the True Balance which comes from the union between savage ferocity and cunning intellect, for we humans are rare creatures who embody the best of both worlds."

His ankle long since Healed, Goujian knelt on the outer wall and pondered this abrupt conclusion to their lecture, one which left him with more questions than answers, but still served its purpose well. Walk the razor's edge, find True Balance, and all his issues would be solved, it sounded so simple yet remained infinitely complex.

This final step was more difficult than all others before it, even if multiplied by ten-thousand times since one could not control when one experienced True Balance, for control in and of itself was antithetical to walking the razor's edge. The fine line between struggle and surrender, a difficult Path to tread which came with a steep price for failure, but such is life.

"An opportunity presents itself and all available pieces moving into play, but this Sovereign lacks a distraction on the battlefield and has no choice but to call upon you, Confessor. Heed your instructions, play your part well, and the Devourer will trouble us no more." Bowing his head even though he wasn't sure if the young Emperor would see him, Goujian offered a salute and Sent, "Speak, and this servant will obey."

And in his heart of hearts, Goujian meant it, or at least until such a time when there was nothing left to learn from the young Emperor and the Uniter behind him and a restructuring of hierarchy grew inevitable. As informative as the lecture was, the most important detail to be gleaned from all this was Falling Rain's new Path, one 'in defiance of Heaven, with one foot firmly on each side', though how this was possible, Goujian couldn't even begin to guess.

From the sound of it, this defiant Path was no razor's edge, and in truth, going against the Heavens was far more enticing than keeping to a thin, almost imperceptible line. If only Falling Rain could be taken alive, his answers might prove most enlightening... Chapter Meme