Ch 38 – Pretending Not to See

Yu Xi noticed that Tau had become more talkative. For instance, at this very moment, he was asking Yu Xi whether he knew where Kersz had run off to.

“He went to talk business with Yara,” said Yu Xi.

“What business does he have to discuss? He’s not a real businessman.” Tau felt that since they had already found Facai, they should head back.

Facai was associating with humans of his own free will, and it was none of their business.

But Kersz steadfastly refused to return to the starship, insisting on continuing to speak with Yara.

Kersz’s identity was completely fabricated, and he had nowhere to process the resources they were talking about. What was there left to discuss?

“Maybe he wants to start a side hustle,” Yu Xi said.

Tau shook his head: “No. He wants to kill someone.”

“Your father? That’s actually quite possible.” Yu Xi’s expression turned grave. “He did threaten him.”

“But it’s possible that it’s not my father.” Tau sensed that Kersz didn’t actually care much about his father’s life. It was true that his father had planted him by Kersz’s side, but his father hadn’t been the one to harm Kersz’s parents, nor had he ever had any direct conflict with the man.

“You need to keep an eye on Kersz,” Tau warned.

“Why? Kersz is very good, ah.” Yu Xi believed that friends should trust each other wholeheartedly.

“Because Kersz’s methods are very extreme,” said Tau. “He’s a space pirate, yet he maintains almost no ties with other pirate groups. And while he has a few old acquaintances among them, he has absolutely no intention of forming a crew with them.”

“He’s destined to die young, and he’ll take as many people down with him as he can.” Tau suspected that Kersz was plotting something very dangerous.

Yu Xi didn’t share this belief: “I don’t think Kersz would put us in danger now.”

“I don’t know anything for sure, but I don’t trust him.” Tau felt that Yu Xi placed a great wealth of trust in Kersz, and this wasn’t a good thing.

“Do you know why Kersz doesn’t associate with other space pirates?” Yu Xi asked him.

He recalled that Tau used to be friends with Kersz.

“He looks down on them,” said Tau. “Or perhaps he just naturally distrusts any collective group. To be fair, the way certain space pirates operate is really extreme.”

Yu Xi: “After all, the term ‘space pirate’ does contain the character for theft.”

For a long time, such “thieves” had loomed large within the societies of the ancient humans. It was difficult to determine if they were good or bad, because while some of those who were labeled “thieves” were merely a bunch of ruthless, profit-seeking scoundrels, others were able to completely revitalize society as a whole.

“You have to guard against Kersz,” Tau warned Yu Xi. “On the down-low.”

Yu Xi frowned, looking somewhat conflicted.

“Kersz is dangerous. He’s not a docile human,” Tau continued.

“I’m going to ask him directly.” Yu Xi still didn’t want to hide anything from Kersz.

Tau: “…..Don’t.” 

“But if he found out that I was secretly guarding against him, wouldn’t he become estranged from me?” Once they became estranged, Yu Xi would no longer be able to touch the human.

“He hides something from you, and you guard against him – I think that’s perfectly fair.” Tau didn’t believe that Kersz would pull away from Yu Xi over such a trivial matter.

Yu Xi thought for a while, then came to a ridiculous conclusion: “Then if I’m not guarding against him, but he’s still hiding something from me…..doesn’t that mean he’s crossing a line?”

Ah? Could it be looked at like that?

Tau didn’t quite get it, but after thinking it over carefully, he felt that Yu Xi’s words made sense: “He really is crossing a line.”

The cyan glow in Yu Xi’s eyes dimmed slightly: “Is he keeping things from me because I’m not worthy of his trust?”

“I thought I was the only one he didn’t trust,” said Tau. “I never expected him not to trust you either.”

“But you’re a fake friend,” said Yu Xi.

Tau: “You’re not wrong.”

“And I’m a real one.”

Tau: ……

Tau found the term ‘real friend’ rather dubious. He still suspected that these two were hooking up.

Yu Xi came to a realization that deeply saddened him: “He won’t tell me, because he doesn’t trust me, his real friend! I’m his friend!”

“I get it now. It must be because I’m a robot that he’s shutting me out.” Yu Xi started to make connections. “The ancient humans always liked to shut me out, telling me not to worry so much. Ultimately, I had no way to access their thoughts, nor could I share their true experiences or comprehend their deaths.”

“Now Kersz is going to shut me out too, just because I’m a robot and not a human.” Yu Xi felt a numbness spread throughout every part of his body. He was so sad. So very sad.

“Not necessarily.” Tau felt that something wasn’t right about Yu Xi’s current state, and gave him a pat on the back.

He began to wonder if he shouldn’t have brought this topic up in the first place.

Tau pondered whether or not to use his great talent with platitudes to comfort Yu Xi, but didn’t think he would fall for that sort of thing.

Maybe he could try to distract him?

Tau started with bringing up Yu Xi’s past. His original intention was to ask him how much of his past with Facai he could recall, but the memories that surfaced in Yu Xi’s mind were evidently far more distant, and what he remembered was the most deeply-etched memory of separation and loss he had ever known.

The previous human he had lived with had just passed away. Yu Xi gazed helplessly at the weeping humans around him and asked his new master: “What happened to him? Is he not going to wake up?”

With tears welling in his eyes, that human had gazed at Yu Xi with a profoundly complex expression.

The human was crying, yet he also seemed to be smiling. Smiling at Yu Xi’s ignorance.

He said: “You’re really just a robot, aren’t you?”

“You don’t need to understand. You just need to know that humans are different from you. We’re not robots who will always have a tomorrow.” The human said, “Our tomorrows always run out at some point.”

Yu Xi had already witnessed human death many times over, but this time, his feelings about it were distinctly different. There was a strange numbness in his heart, as if something was drifting away from him and he was helpless to stop it.

He could only attempt to seek answers from the descendent left behind by that human.

Yet that human believed that he didn’t understand the event that was unfolding. That he didn’t understand the weight of such a parting.

Yu Xi received no answers. He had been inexplicably shut out.

At the thought of this, Yu Xi withdrew into himself.

He returned to his room, locked the door, and buried himself under the covers.

When Kersz returned, he once again found Tau pacing back and forth in front of Yu Xi’s door.

“What’s up with you? Do you need something from Yu Xi again?” Kersz asked in confusion.

Tau came to a halt, and upon spotting Kersz, he exclaimed in relief: “You came back just in time!”

“What’s going on?” Kersz asked.

“Yu Xi seems to be angry,” said Tau.

“What have you done now?” Kersz was appalled. “Did you ignore Yu Xi again when he tried to comfort you?”

“I warned Yu Xi to be on guard against you because you aren’t a peaceful human.” Tau grabbed Kersz’s wrist.

Kersz: …..

Kersz: “Should you really be repeating that right to my face?”

“I think I’m right. You’re definitely up to no good right now,” said Tau.

Kersz raised an eyebrow.

He believed that Yu Xi had a very good understanding of his character. Yu Xi was well aware that he had threatened the Supreme Governor, and since he’d never brought the matter up with him, Kersz had assumed that Yu Xi tacitly condoned certain actions of his.

“Then he got angry,” Tau said.

“Because you sowed discord between us?” Kersz asked.

“No, he’s angry at you.” Tau’s brow furrowed. “Why do you always steer the conversation back to me? I’m human too, and he doesn’t dislike me that much.”

Kersz: “…..You’re saying that Yu Xi is mad at me？”

Tau: “He feels that he let his guard down around you, but you’re still keeping something from him.”

“He must have known all along that I’ve been keeping something from him, so why did he suddenly get angry now?!” Kersz was flabbergasted.

How had Yu Xi skipped right past the suspicion, inner turmoil, and defensiveness and transitioned directly into anger?

Tau spread his hands: “In any case, it’s your problem. I haven’t hidden anything from him. I was kidnapped and brought here, and I’ve been completely honest the entire time.”

Kersz looked at Tau.

Tau continued: “I also don’t want to kill anyone. I’ve just been living my life alongside Xiao Konglong. I haven’t even sold my body to win his favor, so it’s not like he’d be angry at me.”

“That’s enough out of you.” Kersz gritted his teeth.

“I hope that next time, you won’t inexplicably suspect me. I’m very well-behaved.” Tau felt that he was honest to a fault.

Kersz didn’t argue with him further.

“Speaking of which, are you the one who taught him that groping inside someone’s mouth is a form of interaction between close friends?” Tau was still curious. “Real friends wouldn’t do something like that.”

“What does that have to do with you?!” Kersz knocked on the door, but there was no response from inside.

“I’m just really curious about your motives. What exactly do you hope to gain by doing all of this?” Tau felt certain that Kersz had a bigger plan in the works. “He doesn’t know what kind of interactions are normal between friends. But surely you do, right?”

“That’s enough!” Kersz was getting a bit annoyed.

“If you keep going like this – mmph!” Before Tau could finish speaking, Kersz slapped a hand over his mouth and pressed a gun to his temple.

Tau composed himself very quickly.

Kersz shouted: “I’m going to blow your brains out!”

Tau stared back at him coldly.

A moment later, the door opened.

“Don’t do something so extreme,” Yu Xi leaned out to warn Kersz.

“Then can we talk?” Kersz asked.

Tau pried away the hand Kersz was holding over his mouth: “I knew it.”

Kersz mouthed a fierce ‘shut up’ at Tau.

Then he followed Yu Xi into the room.

Xiao Konglong ran up to Tau and tugged the leg of this trousers with his front claws.

Tau picked him up.

Kersz was just throwing a fit out of embarrassment. He and Yu Xi were definitely hooking up.

This space pirate was just too wicked, and far too good at deceiving others.

“I mean, it’s possible.” Facai’s projection suddenly materialized beside Tau. “Isn’t it possible that his thoughts toward Yu Xi are pure?”

Tau stared at Facai, giving no reaction whatsoever.

Having expected a response, Facai asked: “Hey, did you hear me?”

Holding Xiao Konglong in his arms, Tau returned to his room.

Why had Facai suddenly shown up? And why was he acting like they were on good terms?

Tau stroked Xiao Konglong.

Showing up out of nowhere to pass judgment on other people’s relationships….was he just some random extra from a third-rate drama?

Had he existed for so long that he had lost his mind?

Tau didn’t think that he and that computer system had anything to talk about.

Back in the control room, Facai couldn’t help but heave another sigh.

The researcher: “I can’t even drink water?” He set down his cup.

“But not drinking water makes one prone to kidney stones,” he said, looking somewhat conflicted.

In the interest of maintaining his enigmatic persona, Facai didn’t usually chat with the researchers here. But this time, he subconsciously chimed in: “Hey…..why are you telling me this? What business is it of mine whether or not you drink water?”

The researcher felt a little like crying. He was being bullied by a computer system.

*

*

“It’s true that I have a new target – a space pirate ringleader who’s involved in smuggling. I encountered him at that banquet, but of course he was in disguise at the time.” Kersz explained his intentions to Yu Xi in detail.

“How did you see through his disguise?” Kersz’s candidness took Yu Xi by surprise.

“A few subtle mannerisms made me suspicious, so I struck up a conversation with him,” Kersz explained.

“Ah…..oh.” Yu Xi had originally thought he would have to interrogate Kersz repeatedly before he would tell him anything.

Kersz interpreted his surprise as dissatisfaction, and continued: “This guy doesn’t just smuggle energy sources. He’ll smuggle anything that turns a profit, from contraband to people.”

“People?!” Yu Xi exclaimed. “How….how does such a thing still exist in this interstellar era?”

“They didn’t have that among the ancient humans?” Kersz was a little surprised.

“I don’t know…..I never encountered it.” Yu Xi had never dealt with humans of that sort.

“Do you still remember me telling you that the reason the mining planets employ real humans instead of androids is because the accident compensation is far cheaper than the cost of manufacturing an android?”

Yu Xi nodded.

“He doesn’t even have to pay compensation if something happens to the people he sells, and he doesn’t have to pay anyone a salary either. There’s just a relatively small buyout fee.”

“T-that kind of thing actually happens?” Yu Xi still found it difficult to believe. He had assumed that human traffickers of his sort had vanished long before humanity ever ventured into the stars.

“If there’s profit to be made, of course someone will do it.” Kersz nodded.

“Then does he specifically kidnap Illegitimates?” Yu Xi recalled that Illegitimates were all ‘ghosts,’ unregistered and untraceable, which would make them particularly convenient targets for kidnapping.

“Quite the opposite.” Kersz shrugged. “Behind every Illegitimate stands a figure of power and influence. Raising one requires a lot of capital, and someone like the Supreme Governor would never allow one of his own to be squandered like that.”

“He actually steers clear of Illegitimates so that he doesn’t offend powerful people.” In reality, it was ordinary citizens who were taken. They were kidnapped from one alliance, and then their identity chips were gouged out before they were sold to another faction.

“The Supreme Governor and his people actually associate with human traffickers?” Yu Xi’s eyes widened. “Do they want undocumented individuals to do their mining for them?”

“No, they probably wouldn’t try to buy anybody. After all, they’d be finished if it was ever exposed.” Kersz figured that the Supreme Governor’s household had other vested interests tied to this space pirate ringleader.

“I’m going to take this opportunity to get rid of him,” Kersz said. “But I won’t be the one to do it. I plan to make the Supreme Governor and his people do it themselves.”

“After all, we’re still on this planet, and for me to take direct action would be far too big of a risk. Not to mention that just killing him won’t solve the problem.” Kersz wanted to unearth evidence and expose certain insider secrets. Then he would reveal the other party’s true identity, thereby forcing the Supreme Governor to purge this space pirate himself.

“And that’s my plan,” said Kersz.

Yu Xi: “Wow!”

Kersz: “So….does that make you angry?”

Yu Xi shook his head.

“Then what were you angry about just now?” Kersz asked.

“I was angry at you for not telling me anything! We’re obviously friends!” After furiously finishing what he had to say, Yu Xi felt a little awkward.

And that was it. Because Kersz had laid out all of his plans and goals, depriving Yu Xi of the ability to ask follow-up questions.

However, Yu Xi soon found another point of contention: “Since you’re willing to tell me all of this, why didn’t you tell me right from the start?! Why did I have to be the one to ask?”

“I….I’m not really used to this.” Kersz lowered his head. “Besides, we ultimately have different goals, and you might not necessarily like what I’m doing.”

“Whether I like it or not, you should still tell me.” Yu Xi placed his hands on his hips.

“I’m sorry.” Kersz didn’t know the reason for his nerves, but he had been genuinely terrified that Yu Xi would stop speaking to him altogether. Or alternatively, that he might take a step back and stop playing those intimate “mini-games.”

Suddenly, Tau’s words rang out his Kersz’s mind.

“He doesn’t know what kind of interactions are normal between friends. But surely you do, right?”

Kersz certainly knew that things between him and Yu Xi were not normal, but he had chosen to ignore that fact.

The reason was simple: he craved Yu Xi’s touch.

He was a greedy person, and took particular satisfaction in the special way Yu Xi treated him.

Once he realized how important Yu Xi was to him, he was desperate to pull out all the stops, to exhaust every conceivable method to bind him to his side.

He wanted the most profound kind of bond.

Was this the distance between friends?

Kersz thought it must be, because it couldn’t be anything else.

Kersz dared not contemplate going any further. He lacked the capacity to make a deeper commitment. The resentment he held toward this world had not yet faded, and he feared that the fire in his heart might one day turn upon him, consuming him entirely.

What would happen if by that time, his relationship with Yu Xi had already broken free from the confines of “friendship” and moved in a deeper direction?

Kersz squeezed his eyes shut, feeling every muscle in his body tense up.

Suddenly, a hand was placed on top of his head.

Yu Xi stroked his hair: “I’ll back you up this time.”

Kersz jerked his head up to stare at Yu Xi.

“That guy is absolutely rotten! He actually kidnaps humans!” Having said this, Yu Xi realized that he resembled this remark too closely, and hurried to set the record straight for himself. “I’m different. I want humans to live happily on my planet, but he’s treating them cruelly!”

“You’re doing the right thing,” Yu Xi affirmed. He assumed that Kersz was worried he would stand in his way.

Kersz felt the touch of Yu Xi’s palm, and at this very moment, he actually hoped that Yu Xi would reprimand him. Otherwise, Kersz felt that he would only spiral even further.

“You really are honest.” Yu Xi felt his anger melt away. As it turned out, Kersz hadn’t intended to shut him out emotionally. He was just nervous.

This, in itself, was a very wondrous emotional experience.

Yu Xi stroked Kersz’s head over and over, and noticed his eyes sliding shut.

This human was really enjoying himself.

Met with such a response to his petting, Yu Xi stroked even more vigorously.

Kersz gazed at the robot in front of him, whose was looking at him with an expression of novelty: “My plan involves killing someone.”

“I know.” Yu Xi felt no pity for the pirate leader.

“In the future…..I might kill again,” Kersz said.

Yu Xi’s movements paused, and he let out a helpless sigh: “You really are a fierce human.”

“Maybe you should resort to extreme measures, such as locking me up,” Kersz suggested.

Kersz didn’t quite understand what was going through his mind, but strangely enough, he was secretly hoping that Yu Xi would do exactly that. Although he knew that his fury would be difficult to contain, as long as Yu Xi locked him up, all of his resistance would be futile.

At least then, Yu Xi wouldn’t have to live in a constant state of worry.

“I certainly won’t do that.” Yu Xi didn’t even consider it as an option. “That’s not how you treat a friend.”

Yu Xi simply felt that he needed to accept the fact that he had made a friend with a strong personality, rather than trying to find ways to stifle that individuality.

No sooner had he finished speaking than Kersz lunged forward and wrapped his arms around Yu Xi’s head.

Yu Xi’s nose was pressed against Kersz’s chest: “Kersz?”

Kersz lowered his head and brushed his lips against Yu Xi’s.

“Kersz, Tau says the way we are together doesn’t look like friendship,” said Yu Xi.

“What does he know?” Kersz covered Yu Xi’s mouth again with his own, stifling the rest of his words.

After the kiss ended, Kersz asked him: “Do you like this?”

“I like it.” Yu Xi actually knew that there was something a bit abnormal about the way they were together. He had met plenty of humans, and none of their friendships were like this.

But as for anything deeper, Yu Xi hardly dared to imagine it.

He knew he had never truly integrated into human society, and feared that taking their relationship a step further would ruin what they already had. Because Yu Xi was not yet able to see through the complexity of humans, and he didn’t feel like he fully understood himself either.

Kersz sat on Yu Xi’s lap, and Yu Xi felt him take his hand and place it against his chest: “Good friend of mine, would you like to touch?”

Yu Xi felt that Kersz’s gaze at this moment was somewhat like that of a wolf staring at meat.

In his eyes, that look was a little bit…..attractive.

He was a beautiful and dangerous human.

Yu Xi couldn’t help but feel that they were engaging in a futile act of self-deception, pretending that everything was fine even when the fire was on the verge of burning the house to the ground.

“You look like you want to eat me,” said Kersz.

Unable to see his own expression, Yu Xi could only say earnestly: “I really do want to eat you.”

Kersz pressed his smile against Yu Xi’s shoulder.

Yu Xi smiled back.

He loved the taste of this human. And he loved this feeling of everything going out of control.

---

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Chapter 37 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 39

Ch. 109 – Dawn Arrives

The shattered ghost mask was no longer capable of concealing his face, and since the person opposite him already knew who he was, it didn’t matter anymore. Ling Yun slowly lowered the hand that had been hiding his face.

Only when Ling Yun’s hand dropped completely did Fang Yang and the others realize who he was.

Such was their shock that they froze on the spot. This person, this face….they had seen him before on that jade slip in the sect’s archives that chronicled the events of a century past. He was the former sect leader of Lingxiao Sword Sect: Ling Yun.

He was supposed to have perished in the heavenly fire, yet here he stood before them today, as a malevolent spirit of the Path of the Underworld.

The ghost mask had been hideous, but Ling Yun himself was actually quite handsome. His eyebrows were sharp and blade-like, and every glance and gesture carried an air of unrestrained arrogance. Yet rather than being off-putting, this loftiness gave him a sense of presence that was impossible to imitate.

As the strongest cultivator in the mortal realm, he had once ascended to its pinnacle and truly looked down upon the world

However, that was the Ling Yun of one hundred years ago.

Not this…..person?…..who was standing before them now.

Was he even human?

Half of his face did indeed look the same as it had one hundred years ago, yet his demeanor was no longer as flamboyant. The muscles of his face seemed to have become stiff and dead over the course of this century, and he was completely expressionless.

And as for the other half…..the left half of his face didn’t have a shred of intact skin. The burn scars stretched from his face all the way down his neck, and although the rest of him was concealed by clothing, one could guess that it was likely just as disfigured as his face.

And in addition to the burns, the left side of his face bore marks reminiscent of cuts from a sharp object, hideous and ghastly where they mingled with the burns.

This was a face capable of giving nightmares to the faint of heart.

Fang Yang didn’t consider himself to be a timid person, but seeing that face still caused his breath to briefly lodge in his throat. The fear that face made him feel was even worse than what he’d felt toward the man-eating skeletons.

Cao Zirui was also wide-eyed in disbelief. This person was really……

Hao Chen was no less astonished than the other two. Had it been absolutely anyone else, this Rakshasa wouldn’t have surprised him nearly to this extent.

But as far as surprise went, nobody present was nearly as impacted as Feng Ye.

A century ago, it was he who severed Jianmu with his own hands, and also he…..who killed all those people, including Ling Yun.

It wasn’t until a hundred years later, when he personally descended to the mortal realm to investigate the matter of Jianmu, that he finally learned this human’s name.

The source of the blade wounds on the left side of Ling Yun’s face was unknown, but there wasn’t a shadow of a doubt that those burn scars came from Feng Ye.

Feng Ye pressed his lips tight, but continued to meet Ling Yun’s gaze unwaveringly. Staring into those eyes that held a hatred so deep that it was suffocating, he didn’t flinch.

Time seemed to stand still as Feng Ye and Ling Yun stared at each other, motionless. Fang Yang and the others hardly dared to breathe as they stood perfectly still in the midst of this thoroughly eerie atmosphere.

After what seemed like an eternity, Ling Yun broke the silence. His gaze shifted to rest on Feng Ye’s left shoulder, which bore an inch-long wound that had been inflicted by his sword.

Although the wound wasn’t deep, blood continued to seep from the broken flesh. A corner of Ling Yun’s mouth tugged up at the sight.

His face seemed to have grown accustomed to its death-like rigidity, and his sudden attempt at a smile seemed as stiff as gears grinding back into motion after a period of disuse.

But despite the difficulty, he still forced a smile so strange that it hardly qualified as such.

He said to Feng Ye in a hoarse voice: “So you bleed as well.”

Even a lofty god of heaven could be wounded by him, a mere mortal, flesh torn open and bleeding profusely under his sword.

Feng Ye’s expression remained unchanged, and he only pursed his lips a little tighter.

But Hao Chen immediately snapped out of his stupor when he heard this, recalling with sudden clarity that Feng Ye had been injured.

His dragon had been injured!

This prompted him to immediately walk over and reach out, intending to cradle Feng Ye’s arm and carefully examine the wound.

But just as his hand was about to make contact, Feng Ye lightly shifted away to evade his touch.

Hao Chen froze. Although Feng Ye didn’t speak a word, his movement conveyed a crystal clear sense of rejection.

He stared at Feng Ye’s profile, but the other man didn’t return his gaze.

Hao Chen suddenly recalled the words that black serpent had spoken to him earlier, that Feng Ye would never fall for anyone. Considering the absolute certainty in thing’s words, perhaps it wasn’t a baseless assertion.

“Hehe.” A man’s low chuckle rang out, deep and resonant in a way that set it apart from Ling Yun’s raspy voice.

Hao Chen raised his head and looked toward Ling Yun. Just as he had been thinking about that black snake, it dropped in uninvited.

The black snake had climbed its way up to Ling Yun’s neck at some point, and now coiled itself around his shoulders. Its tongue flickered out as it greeted Feng Ye: “I told you we would meet again.”

Feng Ye frowned deeply, his gaze shifting between the black snake and Ling Yun.

One fact was now perfectly clear: Ling Yun was in league with this creature from the Emberless Horizon.

But as for how they had come to work together and what their exact intentions were, Feng Ye was completely in the dark. In fact, even now, he had yet to recover from the shock of seeing Ling Yun.

Feng Ye’s gaze wavered briefly before ultimately resettling on Ling Yun. Despite the mystery this creature represented, Feng Ye was far interested in discovering the reason for Ling Yun’s appearance.

His lips parted slightly as he appeared to speak, but before a single word could leave his mouth, something unexpected happened.

The ground trembled, and rocky soil rained down from overhead. Feng Ye looked up, only to find that the Grand Array was collapsing.

Ling Yun and the black snake around his shoulders mirrored him, and the black snake sighed with regret: “It seems these ruins are simply too ancient.”

The combined Six Paths of Reincarnation Array and the Eight Ghosts Illusion Array had not been created by him or Ling Yun, but were left behind by the people of Western Qiang. He had simply requisitioned them for his own use.

One thousand years later, although Western Qiang’s Grand Array for refining ghosts was still usable, it was now collapsing under the ravages of time before another malevolent ghost could be successfully forged.

And once these ruins collapsed, the meters-thick layer of rock above their heads would come crashing down. They couldn’t afford to linger here.

The black snake could only cast Feng Ye one final, regretful glance before hissing in Ling Yun’s ear: “Let’s go.”

Ling Yun didn’t hesitate in the slightest. Without taking his eyes off Feng Ye, he took a few steps back and then turned around and stepped through the stone door nearest to him.

Seeing that the stone door was about to close again, Fang Yang went to chase after him despite not being clear on the situation.

This Grand Array gave them no clues as to where to find the exit, and he had absolutely no idea how to escape.

But the path Ling Yun had taken was certain to be a way out. If they allowed him to leave, he, his Useless Shixiong, and the others would be left trapped here.

Cao Zirui reacted at the same moment. No matter how shocking it was that Ling Yun was still alive, that information didn’t take precedence over making it out of here. The two of them sprinted forward together, intent on stopping Ling Yun from escaping. But when they were halfway across the chamber, they were stopped by Feng Ye.

He watched as Ling Yun departed and watched as the stone door closed, making no move to stop him.

“Shixiong, how do we get out, ah?” 

Fang Yang was anxious. He couldn’t figure out why Useless Shixiong was blocking their way.

Dirt and rocks fell continuously from above, and the tremors beneath their feet surged to the point that they could barely keep their footing. If they stayed here any longer, they might very well end up buried here forever.

Feng Ye offered no explanation, but said with absolute certainty, “I have a solution.”

Without bothering to explain to Fang Yang and the others what exactly that solution was, he simply walked straight to the very center of the platform, where the angles of the stone doors intersected.

This was the center of the Grand Array, and also the key to opening a way out.

In the end, the underlying principle behind this array meant to refine the most malevolent of ghosts was actually quite simple. It wasn’t quite clear at the beginning, but upon reaching the center of the array, Feng Ye was able to discern a way out.

The Six Paths of Reincarnation Array divided those who entered it onto different paths, depending on their respective identities and characteristics. These Six Paths constituted the cycle of reincarnation, from which all sentient beings, even the gods, were unable to escape.

However, this array was only a mimicry of the true Six Paths of Reincarnation, and only had one exit: The Ghostly Path.

Once those who entered the array were bewitched by the illusions within and transformed into malevolent spirits, the exit would open naturally.

However, the four of them had not truly transformed into malevolent spirits after emerging from the Six Paths of Reincarnation array. Hao Chen was a true god, and this array was unable to drag him onto the Ghostly Path, nor was it able to trap him.

Fang Yang and Cao Zirui had found their way out entirely on their own, whereas Feng Ye had slaughtered his way through.

The aura of bloodlust and malevolence drenching him was indistinguishable from that of an actual Ashura. The array lacked human intelligence, and determined whether or not someone had fallen to the Ghostly Path by measuring their aura of humanity. Once the aura of humanity clinging to Feng Ye was obscured by resentful energy, he would be classified as a malevolent spirit.

As for the two bandits and their vicious dog, they had already been indistinguishable from ghosts and monsters before entering the battle. The array had little chance to bewitch them, making their passage through the first stage very easy.

Then came the second stage: The Eight Ghosts Illusion Array.

Transformed by the Eight Ghosts Illusion Array, the ghosts would clash here in battle and devour one another. The fastest method of cultivation for ghosts and monsters was to devour their own kind, much like that three-headed dog just now which had grown in power after consuming the hungry ghost.

When only the final victor remained, the ultimate malevolent ghost would be born as a conglomeration of the power of the eight original ghosts.

At that time, the exit to the array would open as well.

But the fact that Feng Ye had been able to make it through the Six Paths of Reincarnation proved that this array could be deceived. As long as the power of a single ghost was sufficiently strong, so great that the array considered it to be the ultimate malevolent ghost, the exit would open anyway.

And for Feng Ye, disguising himself as such a malevolent ghost was not a difficult feat.

Gripping the hilt of his sword in both hands, he angled the blade downward with a twist of his wrists and thrust it forcefully into the ground.

The long blade cut through solid stone, and the aura of carnage emanating from Feng Ye’s body flowed down the blade into the core of the array.

As he made his move, the six previously dim candles beside the six stone doors leaped without warning to a height of well over a meter.

The tremors immediately intensified, but this was not a sign of imminent collapse. It was the sound of mechanical components grinding to life.

Fang Yang and Cao Zirui were elated. It seemed that Feng Ye really did have a way to open an exit.

But in the midst of their joy, they failed to notice the bulging veins in Feng Ye’s arms, and that the wound on his left arm had torn open again from the exertion and was gushing blood like a spring. But he had no time to tend to the bleeding. The exit must be opened at once.

Hao Chen had been standing silently near Feng Ye all this while, and although he frowned at what he saw, he didn’t attempt to approach him again.

He had already been rejected once, but Fang Yang had not.

Hao Chen feigned an air of nonchalance as he tapped Fang Yang with his fan. Fang Yang reflexively turned around, and his gaze landed on the profusely bleeding Feng Ye..

He immediately went to Feng Ye, intending to cover the wound and stop the bleeding. But even while propping himself up on his sword, stuck in place as he channeled resentful energy into the core of the array, Feng Ye sensed someone approaching his wound and instinctively shouted: “Don’t touch me!”

His tone was so uncharacteristically aggressive that Fang Yang instantly froze in place.

A moment later, Feng Ye lowered his gaze to conceal his momentary loss of composure.

Hao Chen tapped his palm with his fan. It seemed his hunch was correct.

Animals were always more difficult to approach when injured, fearing that even greater harm would come to them.

At this moment, Feng Ye was the same. The wounded dragon refused to let anyone approach him. And it wasn’t just Hao Chen. He couldn’t even bring himself to let his guard down around Fang Yang, who was about as harmless as a little white rabbit.

Such distrust, as well as the distance he put between himself and others, seemed etched into his very bones.

A person who refused to trust others naturally wouldn’t fall for anyone either.

Hao Chen watched cold sweat trickle down Feng Ye’s temple in response to the pain of his wound, thinking to himself, Feng Ye…..how did the legendary God of War end up like this?

But before he could arrive at an answer, a protruding stone slab overhead finally loosened under the violent tremors and came crashing down.

This slab weighed several tons, and would inevitably crush anyone it fell on into a bloody pulp. It was falling straight toward Feng Ye.

Disregarding Feng Ye’s previous aggression, Fang Yang called out urgently: “Shixiong!”

But the exit was not yet fully open, and if Feng Ye stepped aside now, all of his previous effort would go to waste.

Feng Ye glanced up at the slab hurtling down from above, then grit his teeth and remained in place.

Hao Chen tightened his grip on his folding fan, but just as he was about to move, something unexpected happened.

Feng Ye suddenly freed one of his hands and used it to grasp the sharp edge of his blade. Blood swelled from his palm, mingling with the blood from his shoulder wound and dripping down onto the array.

This fresh blood accelerated the opening of the exit, and just before the stone slab could smash into Feng Ye, the Grand Array sensed a sufficient concentration of sacrificial blood and finally began to activate.

Feng Ye threw himself into a side roll, narrowly evading the falling slab.

With a crash, it slammed into the ground and sent cracks spidering across it.

At the same time, a passage opened overhead. Everyone looked up, only then realizing that the stone slab overhead had been blocking a door.

But wait, there wasn’t just one. The over fifty-meter distance to the surface was lined with eighteen stone doors, resembling the eighteen layers of the underworld.

The eighteen stone doors opened in succession, revealing to everyone’s eyes a vertical shaft shooting straight down into the earth.

It was dusk when they entered the underground ruins, and now it was the pitch-black of midnight. Although the opening didn’t let in much light, it was enough to raise everyone’s spirits.

Yet before happiness showed on any of their faces, another set of stone doors swung open abruptly.

And through the six doors they had all traveled through to get here poured an unending stream of skeletons.

Their hollow eye sockets burned with hatred and resentment. All of them had been vanquished in the struggle between malevolent spirits, their skeletal remains trapped forever within this ghost-refining array. Yet now, these humans were able to leave.

They lunged forward as if they had gone mad, trying to make them stay, to ensure that they were buried alongside them deep beneath the earth where the light of day couldn’t reach.

Feng Ye spared the swarming skeletons a glance and let out a scoff. This was certainly not part of the original array’s design. More than likely, it was the work of Ling Yun and that creature accompanying him.

He shouted toward Fang Yang and the others, who were still staring dumbfounded at the skeletons shambling toward them: “Go!”

This shout snapped the others out of their daze, and they immediately headed toward where the ranks of the skeletons were thinnest, where they could break through the encirclement and climb up the rock face to escape the Grand Array.

The skeletons weren’t difficult to deal with. Despite their terrifying appearances, their combat strength was inferior to that of most ordinary monsters, and Fang Yang and Cao Zirui were able to handle them with ease despite their inability to use their spiritual power.

But that didn’t apply to the army of thousands streaming toward them.

The edge of a blade shattered one to pieces, only for the next to lunge forward in its place. The stream of enemies was inexhaustible.

But most of the skeletons seemed to be focused on Feng Ye, and there were far more crowding around him than the others.

Feng Ye realized that this was likely because of the blood drenching his entire body. It wasn’t just his own, but was mixed with the blood of those he had massacred inside the Path of Carnage.

A single drop of fresh blood would have been enough for these skeletons to pursue him relentlessly, and he was absolutely covered in it.

Feng Ye’s mind raced. With a slash of his sword, he swept away the skeletons blocking the path of Fang Yang and the others, shouting: “You go ahead, I’ll cover our retreat!”

“But…..” Fang Yang hesitated.

Neither Fang Yang nor Cao Zirui heeded Feng Ye’s order to leave.

It was Hao Chen who took the lead. Grabbing the two boys in each hand, he dragged them over to the rock wall and said: “You’ll only be a burden if you stay here. It’s better for you to leave immediately.”

He wasn’t wrong. Although Feng Ye’s cultivation was at the third level of Qi Refining, the lowest among the four of them, none of them were able to use spiritual power at the moment, and they couldn’t hope to match Feng Ye’s ability with a sword.

As the group hesitated, the skeletons pushed forward once more, and it looked as if the path Feng Ye had cleared for them was about to be obstructed.

Fang Yang finally made up his mind and called out to Cao Zirui beside him: “We’ll leave first!”

Having said this, he pulled Cao Zirui along to climb up the rock wall.

Hao Chen glanced back at Feng Ye. Seeing that Feng Ye was still fighting effortlessly despite being surrounded by the horde of skeletons, he began to climb up beside the two boys.

Feng Ye swung his sword in a horizontal slash at chest height, shattering the three skeletons in front him with a single strike. Without pause, he immediately turned his blade and slashed backward, sending three more heads tumbling to the ground.

He glanced up during a pause in the battle and saw that Fang Yang and the others had already climbed about halfway up. Done waiting, he seized an opening to break through the skeletons and rushed toward the rock wall.

He broke into a jog to build momentum, and just before he would crash into the wall of rock, he leaped into the air. With a tap-tap-tap of his toes against rock, he shot upward three or four meters to put distance between himself and the skeletons still in hot pursuit behind him.

He glanced back again to find that the skeletons were attempting to scale the rock wall, but their bare, flesh-less bones moved with awkward difficulty. They were fully capable of walking, but climbing required the use of countless muscles throughout the body.

One by one, the skeletons attempted to clamber up, and one by one, they failed. The highest any of them was able to climb was one meter.

But before Feng Ye could breathe a sigh of relief, he witnessed the astonishing sight of the skeletons stacking themselves on top of one another, forming a ladder of bones as they climbed upward by stepping on the bodies of their companions.

Seeing this, Feng Ye stopped stalling and swiftly made his way upward. But the skeletons knew that if they allowed these people to leave, it was likely that no living person would ever enter this underground hell again.

So they threw themselves upward impulsively, resentment and unwillingness uniting them like never before. The ladder climbed higher and higher, soon overtaking the speed of Feng Ye’s climbing pace.

Fang Yang and the others had already climbed out of the Grand Array, and the boy urged anxiously from the exit: “Shixiong, hurry up!”

Feng Ye was already moving as fast as he could. The wounds on his left arm and the palm of his hand had gone from pain to numbness, and his lips were bloodless, but he couldn’t afford to stop.

He estimated the distance between himself and the exit. There was still time.

However, luck didn’t seem to be in his favor today. The open stone door had begun to close, and judging by the speed, it would seal itself shut before he managed to climb out.

Upon seeing this, Fang Yang and Cao Zirui used their swords to brace against the stone door on both sides. But the force behind the door was unexpectedly strong, and even with both of them working together, they could just barely hold it back.

The two of them only managed to slow it down slightly, despite using their hands and feet and straining so hard that their faces went red.

Feng Ye didn’t dwell on whether or not he would make it in time, and simply gave his all to climbing upward.

By the time he was finally one meter from the exit, it was only wide enough for one person to climb through. And right on his heels, the horde of skeletons had caught up with him. Atop the countless bones of its companions, the highest skeleton grasped Feng Ye’s ankle and clung to it stubbornly, attempting to drag him back down.

Directly above Feng Ye, Hao Chen reached out and shouted down to him: “Grab my hand!”

Feng Ye hesitated, looking up into peach blossom eyes that were normally so frivolous, but which now were now filled with anxiety.

Time seemed to slow down as a flurry of thoughts raced through Feng Ye’s head. If he were to take a flying leap now, although he had no chance of reaching the exit, he would be able to reach Hao Chen’s hand.

Then he could use that leverage to haul himself upward at a faster speed than he could achieve by climbing on his own.

For the average person, this choice wouldn’t require a moment’s thought. But when it came to Feng Ye, his choices often ran contrary to those of everyone else.

He couldn’t trust that pair of hands reaching down from the cliff’s edge. They looked like salvation, but there was always the possibility that they would let go just as he thought he had been saved.

Entrusting his life to the hands of others…..Feng Ye had long since stopped making such a foolish mistake.

But at this moment, he looked into Hao Chen’s eyes and saw his own reflection mirrored in them, as well as the ladder of skeletons ascending from below.

There was something unknown behind the anxiety in those eyes that ensnared him, and although he couldn’t define it, he sensed that it must be something very tender and beautiful.

Struck by some strange impulse, he pushed off the rock wall and lunged upward to grasp Hao Chen’s hand mid-air.

Hao Chen gripped him tightly in response, as if he would refuse to let go even in death.

He hauled Feng Ye upward, along with the stubborn skeleton that refused to release its grip on his ankle.

The moment Feng Ye was fully out, Fang Yang and Cao Zirui ran out of strength. They pulled back the swords they had been bracing against and tumbled to the ground, and the lack of resistance caused the stone door to slam shut.

The skeleton gripping Feng Ye had managed to extend only a portion of its arm before the stone door severed it.

Feng Ye pried the skeletal hand from his ankle and tossed it aside.

Then he collapsed in place along with Hao Chen, tilting his head back to gaze at the round sun rising on the horizon to the east.

Dawn had arrived.

---

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Chapter 108 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 110

That night, Wang Huanzhi and his advisor Wang Zhang went to the Eastern Market together.

The Eastern Market in the commoners district was very busy, but it was far less opulent than the Western Market.

This included the passersby, as well as the various restaurants and theaters in the area, but the shouting of vendors and the swelling crowds gave it a more lively and bustling atmosphere than the Western Market.

However, it was now late at night during winter, and even though curfew had not yet arrived, the street vendors had all packed up and almost all of the shops along the street were closed, with only a few restaurants, gambling dens, and brothels still lit up.

Wang Huanzhi considered himself to be a man of high social standing, and rarely visited the Eastern Market.

Or rather, he had almost no interactions with commoners.

He frowned slightly upon stepping onto the main street of the Eastern Market. But, mindful of maintaining his composure, he didn’t react further and simply continued onward.

Wang Zhang’s reaction was slightly better, but his eyes still darted around nervously.

When he saw intertwined figures through the window of a brothel, he quickly averted his gaze and thought to himself, how distasteful and vulgar.

Even the sight of the thick, coarse linen curtain hanging in the doorway of a restaurant seemed to offend his eyes, and his gaze carried a perpetual hint of arrogant disdain.

In front of them was a man in the garb of a restaurant server.

He walked slightly bent at the waist, not daring to walk too fast or too slow, and constantly kept track of the two high-class figures behind him in his peripheral vision.

The streets and alleys in the eastern part of the city were quite narrow, making it difficult for carriages to pass through, which was why they were on foot.

Unfortunately, their destination was deep within the market, so they were forced to brave the biting wind and snow as they hurried on their way.

Wang Huanzhi and Wang Zhang were wearing fox fur cloaks and hoods, but even so, they shivered with cold throughout their journey.

Had they not been aware that the papermaker wished to remain anonymous, which was why he had chosen this location for the meeting, Wang Huanzhi and his companion would have suspected that someone was playing a trick on them.

When they had walked for about fifteen minutes, the servant finally stopped.

They also spotted a two-story restaurant named “Silver Lining Tower.” It looked neither particularly old nor new, much like the other restaurants on the street, but seemed even more inferior than the first one they had seen.

“This is the place, esteemed guests,” the servant said, lifting the curtain at the entrance of the restaurant and pushing open the door.

Warmth immediately spilled out from within, and Wang Huanzhi and his companion quickly stepped inside.

The interior of the restaurant was fairly clean and tidy, with many tables and chairs on the first floor where several groups of customers were having their meals.

When these people noticed someone entering, they all looked over. Seeing how expensively these two were dressed, some people observed them with curious scrutiny, while others dared not look too closely and averted their gazes.

Wang Huanzhi and Wang Zhang instinctively tightened their hoods to better hide their faces.

Meeting the papermaker wasn’t anything to be ashamed of, but the esteemed head of the Wang family and a family elder coming to such an inferior restaurant was somewhat embarrassing.

The servant led them both upstairs.

The second floor consisted of private rooms and guest chambers.

Upon reaching a private room, the servant knocked on the door. After receiving a response, he opened it and ushered Wang Huanzi and Wang Zhang inside, then closed it again and made himself scarce.

As soon as Wang Huanzhi entered the room, he looked up at the person sitting at the table.

He was a middle-aged man wearing a mask and a straw hat, which made it impossible to distinguish his face. But judging from his build, he appeared to be rather short and stout, with a protruding belly.

“Please have a seat, both of you.” He stood up, gesturing toward the two other chairs at the table.

Wang Huanzhi went over and sat down, and Wang Zhang did the same.

The man waited until they were both seated before retaking his own seat.

Then he poured tea for Wang Huanzhi and Wang Zhang, and said as he handed it to them: “Thank you both for traveling all this way through the snow. I apologize for not being able to reveal myself, and I hope you can understand the circumstances I am under.”

His behavior was very respectful, which went a long way toward mollifying the anger Wang Huanzhi and Wang Zhang had felt during their arduous journey through the snowstorm.

But their anger still existed in some form, and therefore, neither of them bothered with offering the man pleasantries: “We’ll skip the tea. Since you sent someone to escort us here, can we presume that you’ve decided to partner with the Wang family?”

The man also dispensed with formalities, saying: “The Wang family is the most prestigious scholarly family in the world, and possesses the valuable Langya Gold paper. Naturally, this one would like to partner with the Wang family. Only…..”

He deliberately paused, then looked up at Wang Huanzhi.

When Wang Huanzhi met his gaze, he noticed that the man’s eyes were brown and deeply set. He didn’t look like someone from the Central Plains, but rather like someone from the Western Regions.

It turned out to be a foreigner.

With this idea in mind, Wang Huanzhi lowered his guard somewhat.

“Only what?” he asked.

The man said: “Only, two factions of the Wang family have made contact with me. I wonder if there is any reason for this?”

Upon hearing this, Wang Huanzhi and Wang Zhang promptly exchanged glances.

It seemed that the information they received earlier was correct. Wang Qichen, that rebellious son, had managed to make contact with the papermaker.

However, it was clear that Wang Huanzhi, the head of the Wang family, was the better choice.

Wang Huanzhi was even more eager to obtain the contract for the new paper quickly, fearing that if he dragged his feet, Wang Qichen would beat him to it.

Then, he would truly be trampled underfoot by the other party.

But one could not reveal their hand during negotiations, so instead of directly stating a price offer, he said: “Both groups naturally belong to the Wang family. We divided our focus in the interest of discovering more opportunities, but unexpectedly, both groups ended up making contact with you.”

Upon hearing this, the man smiled in apparent relief: “Family Head Wang’s words have put me at ease.”

Wang Huanzhi remained silent, so Wang Zhang spoke up: “The volume of any transaction in the paper business is enormous. I wonder if you could show us some of the paper so that we can know whether the money spent will be worthwhile?”

As he spoke, his gaze fell toward the table.

From the beginning, a rectangular box the same size as the paper regularly used in Great Ning had been sitting there. Wang Zhang had spotted it the moment he entered the room, and surmised that it must be the Yaotai Green paper.

However, they still needed to see the Yaotai Green paper with their own eyes first, and also determine if this foreign merchant actually had it in his possession.

The merchant then said: “Rest assured, gentlemen. This one has been doing business for decades, and has never cheated.”

As he spoke, he reached out and opened the box, carefully retrieving a sheet of rice paper from it.

It was pure white and supple, smooth and delicate, like a divine artifact.

Wang Huanzhi and Wang Zhang stared forward, momentarily stunned.

This was truly good paper!

Few members of the Wang family disliked literature and calligraphy, and were naturally fond of the Four Treasures of the study.

Their family possessed a wide range of expertise in making writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, but they were the most renowned for the paper they manufactured.

But the sheet of paper in front of them completely overturned their previous impression of what paper could be.

Wang Huanzhi and Wang Zhang finally understood why this paper had become so famous in the capital even before sales had begun. The rumors were no exaggeration.

Observing their reactions, the foreign merchant spread the paper out on the table and said: “Please take a look, gentlemen.”

Wang Huanzhi immediately reached out and gently stroked the smooth, slightly matte-textured paper.

Wang Zhang did the same.

“This paper looks smooth, but has some texture when touched, making it perfect for writing,” Wang Zhang remarked.

Wang Huanzhi couldn’t bring himself to part with it.

Indeed, such paper was worthy of his poetry.

Once he got his hands on this papermaking method, he would certainly rewrite all of his poems on this paper.

His works would be passed down to future generations, who would surely admire them greatly.

Noting their unwavering focus, the foreign merchant spoke up: “What do the two gentlemen think?”

Wang Huanzhi and Wang Zhang were slightly startled. Realizing that they had forgotten themselves, they quickly regained their composure.

“It is good,” Wang Huanzhi said in a mild voice. “May I ask how much you intend to charge for the papermaking technique?”

“Papermaking technique?” The merchant said with a smile, “There seems to have been a misunderstanding. This one isn’t selling the technique – just the finished product.”

Wang Huanzhi and Wang Zhang had actually guessed that this was the case.

Such a lucrative business would allow the papermaker to obtain a continuous stream of income simply by holding onto the formula and technique, which was much more profitable than a one-time buyout.

“Then what is the price for the finished paper?”

The three discussed the matter for almost an hour before Wang Huanzhi and Wang Zhang departed.

They now had the rectangular box in their hands, which contained two sheets of the new paper, a gift from the foreign merchant.

They had also given the merchant ten gold ingots as a deposit.

Before dawn, the Wang family still needed to send three more boxes of gold to that small inn in the eastern part of the city. At that time, they would be able to receive the first batch of the new paper.

Thirty sheets in total.

Scarcity created value.

The Wang family would be able to sell each of these thirty sheets of paper at a sky-high price and elevate their name once more.

And if Wang Huanzhi were able to obtain the manufacturing rights to this new paper, his status would be far higher than Wang Qichen’s. Not only would he be able to secure his position as Family Head, but he might also find a way to transfer the position of heir to Wang Wenyao.

Combining all of these factors, the value of these thirty sheets of Yaotai Green paper far exceeded three boxes of gold.

Wang Huanzhi and Wang Zhang both felt as if they had stumbled upon a fortune, but fearing that the merchant might have second thoughts, they left the Eastern Market very quietly after signing the contract.

Discussion could wait until the transaction was completed tomorrow morning.

Nearly a quarter of an hour after they left, the foreign merchant got to his feet and left the private room, turning to walk toward the guest rooms further inside.

After knocking on the door of one of the rooms and going inside, the foreign merchant removed the disguise covering his face and head.

If Wang Huanzhi and Wang Zhang were still present, they would have been shocked to find that this person actually looked like someone from the Central Plains. It was only that his brow and eyes were more deep-set than the average person’s, which gave him the appearance of someone from the Western Regions.

After shedding his disguise, the man offered a formal bow to the person reclining on a soft couch near the window: “Young Master, the contract has been signed.”

He stepped forward and placed the ten ingots of gold on the table, saying: “This is their deposit. As you predicted, they will send over three more boxes of gold tomorrow morning.”

The young man in pink propped his face up with one hand. His eyelashes fluttered slightly as his cunning, fox-like eyes slowly opened.

He regarded the man with a calm look and said lazily: “You’ve worked hard. Take two ingots of gold and buy some food and drink.”

The man had always known that this young master was generous, but he was still delighted to hear this.

Two ingots of gold, ah!

How much food and drink would he be able to buy with this?!

“Thanking the Young Master for this reward.” The man bowed with his hands clasped.

“Go on. Get an early start tomorrow so as not to keep them waiting,” said Wang Qichen.

The man then turned and left.

*

*

The next day.

At noon, after lunch.

It was a rare occasion where all of the clan elders were gathered in the Wang family’s council hall. The two main seats were occupied by Family Head Wang Huanzhi and Minister of Rites Wang Zhiyuan.

The seats and tea tables in the next few rows were arranged according to rank and status.

Young Master Wang Qichen sat to the left, while Deputy Minister of Revenue Wang Pengyi sat opposite him. Behind them were the other clan elders, and those sitting to their left and right were officials of higher status.

There were many familiar faces, such as Deputy Minister of Justice Wang Ruzhen, Wang Yu, a senior official with the Ministry of Personnel, and Wang Zhang, a clan elder.

There was also Wang Huanzhi’s second son, Wang Wenyao, on whom he had placed all of his hopes, doting on him since he was a child.

Wang Wenyao was neither an elder nor an official, and although he was allowed to attend this meeting due to his status as a son of the family head, he could only sit at the end of the row.

When he looked up, his gaze fell upon a figure in pink at the head of the row.

Only by becoming the heir would he ascend to that level and be able to compete for the position of the next family head.

As if sensing something, Wang Qichen suddenly looked in his direction.

Wang Wenyao’s face was cold and stern, displaying the same aloof demeanor as Wang Huanzhi.

Wang Qichen smirked and casually looked away, not taking him seriously at all.

His opponent had never been Wang Huanzhi’s son, but rather Wang Huanzhi himself.

There was no evidence that Wang Huanzhi was responsible for his mother’s death, but that didn’t matter. He was determined to take revenge anyway.

And as for the main wife who had risen to power by treading on his mother’s corpse…..she, too, must pay the price.

Once everyone had arrived, Wang Zhiyuan turned to Wang Huanzhi and said: “What urgent matter has the family head summoned us here for today?”

He had long noticed the rectangular box, which was about the size of a sheet of paper, sitting on the table between him and Wang Huanzhi.

It seemed that Wang Huanzhi had obtained that “new paper” and invited everyone over to show it off.

This sentence was exactly what Wang Huanzhi had been waiting for, and he smiled faintly with an air of serene elegance.

“I indeed have something to tell you all,” Wang Huanzhi said. “The Yaotai Green paper that has been widely circulated in the capital recently actually originates from the Western Regions. After a long search, I finally made contact with the papermaker yesterday and signed a contract, and I sent over three boxes of gold this morning to secure the newest thirty sheets of Yaotai Green paper.”

These words caused an uproar.

“That papermaker is so mysterious, yet the Family Head was able to locate him. Truly remarkable.”

“Heavens, thirty sheets of the new paper. These days, even a single sheet of that paper is worth a fortune. Thirty sheets for just three boxes of gold is simply…..”

Some people rushed to flatter Wang Huanzhi and some were already dreaming of riches, but others asked the most important question.

“I just wonder if the papermaker will change his mind about selling it to us if we resell it at an exorbitant price?”

Upon hearing this, Wang Huanzhi raised a hand and silenced everyone before speaking: “Everyone, there is no need to worry. I have already signed a contract with him and ordered one hundred sheets of paper. I even sent someone to follow him back to his residence.”

Although he didn’t state it explicitly, most of them understood.

Wang Huanzhi had no intention of maintaining a long-term business partnership. He simply desired the papermaking technique.

Therefore, he had placed another large order, which would prompt the papermaker to manufacture another batch. Wang Huanzhi had ordered people to secretly follow the man, which would allow them to discover the papermaking site and find a way to steal information or directly obtain his papermaking secrets.

This was a highly-profitable business.

Everyone understood what was going on, but it wouldn’t be good if word got out. The Wang family valued their reputation above all else, so no one would speak a word of this.

If they really cared so much about saving face, they should have simply told Wang Huanzhi to conduct his business in an aboveboard manner.

But when faced with the prospect of personal gain, their pride appeared to be completely worthless.

The crowd showered Wang Huanzhi with praise and flattery. He remained indifferent and aloof, never speaking a modest word as he enjoyed the attention.

Wang Zhiyuan and other members of the Young Master’s faction, including Wang Pengyi, regarded him with disdain.

Wang Qichen, however, let out an amused chuckle.

His laughter wasn’t loud, but because Wang Huanzhi had been paying close attention to his expression, he noticed it immediately.

“Qichen.” Wang Huanzhi looked at him and said softly, “What are you laughing about?”

He donned the look of a “loving but strict father,” and those who didn’t know better might even think that the father and son had a functioning relationship.

But nowadays, who among those in the hall were unaware that the two were irreconcilable enemies?

But while he could put on a facade, Wang Qichen could put on an even better one.

The young man regarded Wang Huanzhi with a smile: “Naturally, I am laughing from joy. I’m very happy for you, Father.”

Wang Huanzhi’s lips twitched slightly, as if he could see through the boy to the impotent rage hiding beneath.

“Let a lord be a lord, a minister a minister, a father a father, and a son a son,” he said. “You are still young. Listen to your father’s advice so that you may go further in life.”

His meaning was that no matter how much power Wang Qichen gained, he would never be able to defeat his father.

Wang Qichen, however, was unbothered. All smiles, he said: “Father has spoken so much, but why hasn’t he shown us the new paper? Could he be trying to trick us?”

Upon hearing this, everyone fixed their gazes on Wang Huanzhi.

They didn’t believe that Wang Huanzhi was tricking them; they simply wanted to lay their eyes on the new paper.

Wang Zhiyuan gave Wang Qichen a deep look, then turned to Wang Huanzhi and smiled: “The Young Master is correct. Why doesn’t the Family Head bring out the new paper for us to see?”

Since he had spoken, Wang Huanzhi naturally had no choice but to respond.

But he had always intended to show everyone. Seeing was believing, and he wished to demonstrate his competence in front of everyone.

Thus, he opened the box on the table. Inside was supple, pure white paper that drew gasps of amazement from everyone in the hall.

Wang Huanzhi’s lips curved upward, and he looked toward the end of the seating area: “Wenyao, take this new paper and let the elders have a look.”

He was intentionally demonstrating how much he valued Wang Wenyao, and also giving him an opportunity to gain recognition in front of the others.

Wang Wenyao had no problem with being the center of attention. He agreed and stood up, then went to the table and picked up the light wooden box, showing it to Wang Zhiyuan.

Then he proceeded in sequence down the row.

Wang Wenyao deliberately made a circle, drawing everyone’s amazement before finally returning to the front to show Wang Qichen.

Wang Qichen merely gave it a fleeting glance, then said with a smile: “Father is so impressive. He managed to fool everyone with just this single piece of paper.”

“What?” Wang Huanzhi frowned.

Wang Wenyao fixed Wang Qichen with a heavy look, then said in a stern voice: “Brother, this paper is pure white and supple, neatly-cut and without any rough edges. In every way, it is far superior to our Langya Gold paper. How can it possibly ‘fool’ anyone?”

“What are you getting so worked up about?” Wang Qichen sat cross-legged on his chair, looking casual and indolent with his long, wavy hair cascading over his shoulders.

He gestured toward the paper in the box and said: “I don’t mean that the paper isn’t good quality – I’m merely pointing out that there is only one sheet, not thirty.”

He gave Wang Huanzhi a faint smile, saying: “Father, have you been tricked?”

Wang Zhang had been observing Wang Qichen’s reactions from beginning to end, and for some reason, he felt a little ill at ease upon hearing these words.

Wang Huanzhi scoffed: “Ignorant. The remaining paper is naturally underneath the first sheet. How could there only be one?”

Deputy Minister of Revenue Wang Pengyi suddenly stood from his seat and said: “The Young Master’s words make sense. What if the merchant only placed the new sheet of paper on top, and the rest are all ordinary sheets of paper?”

“Deputy Minister Wang is overthinking things,” said Wang Huanzhi. “This is an important business deal, so I’ve naturally inspected it myself.”

In order to prove himself, he got up and approached Wang Wenyao, reaching over to lightly pick up the top sheet of paper.

Just as he was about to tell Wang Wenyao to show everyone the rest of the paper, he suddenly froze, his pupils contracting sharply.

When Wang Wenyao caught sight of the second sheet of paper, his expression changed drastically.

“What’s wrong?” Wang Pengyi asked, feigning confusion as he leaned in to take a look. Then he exclaimed in surprise, “Wait, why is this paper moldy?”

Upon hearing this, everyone started to gather around for a look.

Wang Pengyi had already snatched the box from Wang Wenyao’s hands and poured out the remaining twenty-nine sheets of paper.

The sheets rustled as they scattered across the floor.

Upon closer inspection, everyone noticed that the mottled yellow paper held traces of blueish-black mold, making it look even worse than ordinary paper piled up and rotting in a warehouse.

“What…..what’s going on?”

Everyone was in a fluster, but they could vaguely guess what had occurred. All of them turned their gazes toward Wang Qichen.

“Wang Qichen! It was you! You’re sabotaging me!” Wang Huanzhi saw through it all, and was so furious that his hands trembled. His usual composed and lofty demeanor was nowhere to be seen. “How dare you mess with me!”

He had inspected the sheets of paper one by one, and they were all fine before. Why were they all moldy and yellow now?

It had to have been Wang Qichen working behind the scenes!

Fearing that his father would anger himself sick, Wang Wenyao quickly went over to support him.

Wang Qichen had indeed tampered with the paper.

He readily nodded in agreement, saying with a smile: “Father should be glad that it was me this time. Had it been someone else, this Wang family would have never been able to get the money back.”

Wang Huanzhi trembled all over: “Y-you…..”

Wang Qichen didn’t give him a chance to fall further into rage.

He turned to look outside the hall, then raised his hands and clapped twice. The door opened, and servants carried in four large boxes.

The boxes were placed on the floor, and everyone recognized them as the containers used to store gold in the Wang family storeroom.

There was an additional box, upon which was printed the words “Yaotai Bookstore.”

In an instant, everyone came to a realization.

The servants carrying the boxes opened all three of them, but the boxes of glittering gold didn’t draw a single glance from the crowd.

All eyes were on the contents of the fourth box.

The supple, pure white paper inside…..wasn’t that the priceless Yaotai Green paper?

“I-impossible!” Wang Huanzhi’s teeth chattered as he spoke. “Those are fake!”

But Wang Zhiyuan, Wang Pengyi, and others had already gone forward, each of them carefully plucking a piece of paper from the box.

All of the sheets were a uniform snow white. Wang Huanzhi felt the blood rush to his head and almost passed out.

Wang Qichen glanced at him and said with a half-smile: “Why is Father in such a state? Is it because he’s proud of me?”

“If that’s the case, I’m about to make Father even happier.” As he observed Wang Huanzhi’s increasingly unsightly expression, his smile deepened. “I’ve been the owner of this Yaotai Green paper from the very beginning.”

Wang Huanzhi’s anger surged to the point that he could no longer withstand it, and he collapsed.

It was unclear whether anger or shame was the primary factor.

“Father!” Wang Wenyao grasped him tightly, but he was thin and weak, and was unable to support a fully unconscious person. He stumbled and fell, the father and son each looking more disheveled than the other.

Wang Qichen promptly adopted an anxious expression, calling to the servants: “Did you not see the family head faint from happiness? Are you not going to help him back to his room?”

The servants rushed to carry Wang Huanzhi out.

Wang Wenyao pushed himself up from the floor and glared at him with bloodshot eyes, but no words left his mouth. Instead, he rushed out furiously after Wang Huanzhi.

Wang Qichen put them out of his mind. He turned to address everyone in the hall, saying with a smile: “Thank you all for coming to watch the show today. Later, I will have someone deliver two pieces of paper to each of you for your enjoyment.”

Having said this, he bowed deeply to the crowd.

The father and son had been at odds before this, but never so blatantly, and everyone had their own biases.

But during today’s game, anyone with a discerning eye was able to see the truth.

This young master was far superior to the family head.

He was even more superior to Wang Wenyao, the second son on whom the family head had placed all of his hopes, but who only knew how to bury himself in books.

Everyone approached Wang Qichen with smiles on their faces and an eagerness to get a word in with him. Even the clan elders who had previously been indifferent to him now wore pleasant expressions, clearly beginning to sidle over to his faction.

Wang Qichen handled them with ease, moving among them like a pink butterfly as he held lighthearted conversations.

Wang Pengyi stood with his grandfather, Wang Zhiyuan, at the back of the crowd for a while. Then he said with a smile: “He’s really grown up.”

He remembered that when the late madam passed away, Wang Qichen had been just a little boy, dressed in plain clothes as he knelt on a prayer mat. At an age when he should have been oblivious to the world, his beautiful fox-like eyes had been filled with an unspeakable sorrow and helplessness.

At that moment, Wang Pengyi had thought, I must protect this child.

Wang Zhiyuan glanced at his soft-hearted grandson, then turned to walk away with a chuckle.

Wang Pengyi followed, then heard his grandfather say: “You have a keen eye to have recognized his extraordinary nature so early on.”

“That’s not the case at all,” Wang Pengyi said with a smile. “At first, I just felt sorry for the child and wanted to take care of him. Over time, we became like brothers.”

“Good, ah.” Wang Zhiyuan let out a long breath. His tense back seemed to relax at this moment, as if he had set down a heavy burden.

*

*

Nighttime.

Just as Chu Jiubian was about to go to sleep, the System notified him that Wang Qichen was requesting an audience.

He then summoned the other man into the Divine Realm.

Qin Xiao had changed into new undergarments, and didn’t bother tying the sash. When he turned around, he found that Chu Jiubian was already huddled under the covers with only his eyes showing.

He went to the bedside and lay down, lifting the blanket to cover himself, though he left his upper body exposed.

The dim lighting in the room caused the man’s honey-colored skin to appear even more alluring.

Chu Jiubian’s gaze automatically fell upon the man’s prominent collarbones, then moved downward.

This was just like yesterday. He had thought Qin Xiao was doing it unintentionally, but then he went ahead and did it again today.

How did he manage to hit the right modeling pose every time?

And those muscles were rather soft when relaxed, but they seemed to flex every time Chu Jiubian touched them.

Every time they were alone, Qin Xiao showed off the contours of his superior muscles.

Chu Jiubian looked up and met the other’s gaze.

Their eyes locked, and they spoke at the same time.

Qin Xiao: “Want to touch?”

Chu Jiubian: “Are you seducing me?”

Chu Jiubian: “……”

Qin Xiao chuckled softly, then suddenly turned over and moved closer to Chu Jiubian.

Chu Jiubian instinctively scooted back, but Qin Xiao easily trapped him in his arms, then took one of his hands and pressed it against the muscles of his chest.

“I said you can touch me if you want to.”

Chu Jiubian hesitated, but then he closed his eyes and decided to follow his heart.

“Go to sleep,” he mumbled.

Qin Xiao chuckled, the vibration of his laughter transmitting through Chu Jiubian’s palm.

The lights in the room went out, plunging it into complete darkness.

Chu Jiubian closed his eyes, gradually relaxing as the heartbeat under his palm thumped steadily and powerfully.

An unknown amount of time later, Qin Xiao loosened his grip on his wrist. The man’s breathing had long grown deep and even.

He had fallen asleep.

Chu Jiubian opened his eyes, only to be met with complete darkness.

Once his eyes had adjusted, he could vaguely make out Qin Xiao’s hazy outline.

After staring at him quietly for a while, he closed his eyes again and sank into the Divine Realm.

Wang Qichen was examining Situ Zhaoling and Jiang Shuoye’s chairs when he heard the High Priest’s voice. He quickly stood up and bowed: “Greeting the High Priest.”

“En. What brings you here?” Chu Jiubian asked.

“This subordinate accomplished something today.” Wang Qichen’s eyes were bright as he recounted what had occurred with the Wang family that day.

Then he said: “Sales of the Yaotai Green paper have already begun, with over a dozen sheets being sold in just one afternoon.”

Scarcity drove up value, and since Wang Qichen’s current goal was to make money from the wealthy and powerful, the pricing was naturally outrageously high.

But even so, many people still flocked to buy it. Had Wang Qichen not been controlling the quantity, several hundred sheets would have likely been sold today.

He had taken much of today’s profits into the Divine Realm with him.

Delivering the funds was the reason he had contacted the High Priest, and he was so quick to do so because he knew that the money was needed in the Northern Desert.

Jiang Shuoye’s clothes had been patched when he was in the Divine Realm before, so he must be short on funds.

Little did he know that Jiang Shuoye did have money, but that he couldn’t bear to buy himself a new set of clothes, and instead used it all to purchase new clothes and extra food for his soldiers.

Chu Jiubian thought for a moment. He was indeed somewhat short on money, so he accepted it.

But he informed Wang Qichen that there was no need to send him more money, and that the issue could be revisited in the future.

The National Treasury was in better shape than before, but after the Imperial Examinations, the expenses would only increase as the court made more and more changes.

Therefore, he needed to find more ways for Qin Xiao to make money.

The Nanjiang silk business had stabilized, and cotton could be planted in the spring, which would bring in another influx of funds.

But it wasn’t enough. Chu Jiubian considered whether or not he should have Situ Zhaoling go and look for “rubber trees.”

Rubber had a wide range of uses. If it could be found and utilized, there would surely be unexpected benefits when paired with the inventive abilities of Situ Zhaoyao and the engineering scholars.

In Hexi Prefecture, Han Yuandao was also instructing the common people to plant sweet potatoes.

Once this high-yield crop was available, even more people would rush to plant it during the second part of the year, thereby solving the majority of the food scarcity issue.

He had provisions, money, and an army.

Chu Jiubian had already begun preparing for the potential war that lay ahead.

But these things alone were not enough. He also needed military equipment.

He needed warhorses and weapons.

Weapons were easy enough. Jiang Shuoye would continue to build more steel mills and produce more weapons, which could then be used to equip troops even outside of the Mobei Army.

As for warhorses, since they couldn’t be seized directly from the Tatars for the time being, they could only be traded for with the Jurchens.

However, this was not an urgent matter. Chu Jiubian planned to discuss the specific regulations with Qin Xiao after the final round of the Imperial Examinations.

And as the date of the examinations grew closer…..

Chu Jiubian was also extremely busy on a day-to-day basis, not only preparing for the examinations, but also for the “parade of officials” afterward, also known as the “Horseback Achievement Parade.”

He didn’t inform the students of this, but simply had someone instruct them in horseback riding practice. Even Qin Xiao and Bai Lihong had no idea of what was keeping him so busy every day. When they asked, he would only say: “You’ll find out when the time comes.”

As a result, the two of them looked forward to the day of the exams with mounting anticipation.

More and more people were coming to the capital, including those from the jianghu.

Qin Chuan saw many friends, but also many people with bad reputations. He would then relay this information to Qin Xiao, who could caution An Wuji to be more vigilant.

As the exam day grew closer, aside from practicing horseback riding at the city garrison, the students rarely left Clear Sky Tower, where they spent all day discussing the questions that might be asked and possible exam formats.

Since they had all been confirmed as Imperial Academy students, and many of them were Believer candidates who appeared in Chu Jiubian’s cards, the quality of their character was guaranteed. The students got along exceedingly well, and grew very close through their discussions.

Before they even officially became “classmates,” these sixty-five people had already formed bonds.

And so, amidst the bustle, everything proceeded in an orderly fashion.

It was the first day of the third month of the second year of Jingrui.

The long-awaited palace examination had arrived.

---

T/N: Ah, some good old-fashioned face-slapping. You love to see it.

---

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Chapter 81 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 83

Ch 37 – Friends?

Tau had been acting strange lately. Kersz claimed that Yu Xi was about to make his second friend, but Yu Xi felt that Kersz’s judgment was flawed.

He felt no urge to become closer to Tau.

Kersz was quite surprised to hear this: “You don’t feel the urge?” He still thought that Yu Xi really wanted to spend time with Tau.

“No.” Yu Xi shook his head. “When I look at him, I don’t feel any particular urge to get to know him.”

Could this be right?

Kersz pondered the situation deeply, and subsequently felt that Yu Xi had already come to understand Tau very well.

Besides, Yu Xi had been curious enough to ask about Tau’s past.

How could that possibly be considered a lack of interest?

Kersz found the recent interactions between Yu Xi and Tau rather amusing. Tau was always engrossed in caring for his little dinosaur, and Yu Xi would sometimes run over to watch him. After some time passed, Tau would then invite him to touch Xiao Konglong.

Kersz, however, received no such treatment, and Tau remained on guard any time he approached.

Kersz was very helpless, and was unable to figure out why Tau was so wary of him. Was it because he always used Xiao Konglong to threaten him?

That Tau was just too petty.

He categorized Yu Xi’s remark about having ‘no urge to get to know him’ as mere shyness, a desire to preserve a little bit of pride.

However, Kersz soon realized that this was not the case. Yu Xi truly felt no need to get closer to Tau.

*

*

Yu Xi woke up in the middle of the night. He glanced at the ceiling, then the window, and finally let his gaze settle upon Kersz.

It felt so good to wake up and find his friend lying beside him.

Yu Xi reached out and gave Kersz a poke, which elicited a couple of snuffles.

Yu Xi’s eyes lit up faintly.

He had been unable to forget the shock he felt when Kersz called out his name in the bathroom. His ears had tingled, and he’d felt as if his very energy had gone soft with the sensation.

Never before had he known that a friend could be such a joyful thing.

Yu Xi’s hand touched Kersz’s lips.

It was from these very lips that Kersz had called out Yu Xi’s name. Yu Xi felt as if he was rediscovering the joy of the human language.

“Humans speak by opening their mouths.” Yu Xi parted Kersz’s lips and teeth and proceeded to examine the interior of his mouth.

Then he reached farther to touch his throat.

“Gah!” Kersz jolted awake.

He opened his eyes and sat up, letting out a rather dazed “Eh?”

Then he glanced at Yu Xi beside him. He had wrapped himself up like a silkworm cocoon and appeared to be sleeping soundly.

Kersz touched his throat. He had been having a rather unsavory dream tonight.

He’d started out in a cornfield, picking ears of corn and reveling in the joy of the harvest, when suddenly, Yu Xi popped out from among the stalks and asked if he wanted to see his breathing lights.

Then he felt something in his throat, which triggered his gag reflex.

It was only…..how had the gag reflex he experienced in the dream carried over into reality?

Yu Xi lay with his back to Kersz, his eyes open in narrow slits.

He felt a bit nervous. But he had covered himself with exceptional speed, so Kersz likely hadn’t noticed that anything was amiss.

Yu Xi waited, listening to Kersz’s heartbeat. He felt thoroughly spooked, and decided that he would never dare to sneakily touch Kersz again.

Humans seemed to have a curious button which, once touched, would suddenly power them on.

Kersz seemed to stir. Clutching the blanket, Yu Xi squeezed his eyes completely shut.

A moment later, he felt Kersz stroke his head. He drew closer to Yu Xi, but did nothing more.

Kersz simply watched him for a moment, then reached out and patted him.

Yu Xi would never mess with this human again. His reactions were just too terrifying.

Especially if he were to be caught with his fingers down his throat…..

Kersz would definitely be angry.

Huh? Kersz’s heartbeat had slowed down.

He had fallen asleep.

Yu Xi, who had just sworn to never touch this human sneakily again, abruptly spun around and fixed his eyes on Kersz once more.

Just one more poke.

Yu Xi extended a finger and poked Kersz.

Come to think of it, where exactly had he pressed just now to wake Kersz up?

“Gah!” Kersz jolted awake again and clutched his mouth.

He frowned and looked at Yu Xi, who was lying beside him.

Yu Xi was frightened again. He really shouldn’t have messed with this human a second time.

This time, rather than giving him a gentle tap, Kersz called out to Yu Xi. But he received no response.

“Are you touching me in secret?” Kersz asked.

Yu Xi still didn’t respond.

Kersz wanted to fake being asleep in order to lull Yu Xi into a false sense of security, but he knew that the robot could tell when he was faking it. Yu Xi could even sense the depth of his sleep.

But there was still one more way to catch Yu Xi.

Kersz rose and went to the bathroom. Once inside, he let out a few soft groans, but rather than turning his back to the door, he faced it directly.

A moment later, the door was indeed quietly pushed open. A pair of cyan eyes furtively shifted toward the crack, meeting Kersz’s gaze head-on.

Yu Xi: …..

Yu Xi exchanged a silent glance with Kersz. Then, acting as if nothing had happened, he backed away and closed the door.

Kersz followed him out, only to find that Yu Xi was already in bed feigning sleep, as if he hadn’t been secretly peeping on him just now.

Kersz abruptly pinned Yu Xi beneath him and cupped his face in both hands. “Did you just stick something down my throat?”

Yu Xi remained motionless.

“This behavior of yours is going a bit too far,” Kersz reproached him.

Yu Xi trembled.

“If you want me to help you, you can just say so, ah.” Kersz knew that his previous interaction with Yu Xi’s breathing light down there had embarrassed him. But no matter how embarrassed he was, it gave him no right to take advantage of Kersz in his sleep and do such things in return.

“I personally don’t mind my face being dirtied, but I do mind you doing something like this behind my back.” Kersz’s tone turned serious.

Yu Xi suddenly realized that Kersz had misunderstood something, and nervously opened his eyes: “I touched it with my finger.”

Kersz: “Ah?”

“I suddenly felt that human vocal chords were truly fascinating. Your voice sounded exceptionally beautiful when you called my name, so I just wanted to reach out and touch the spot that produced such a lovely sound,” Yu Xi explained cautiously.

Kersz: …..

Yu Xi: “Did you think I…..”

“I just thought you were using your hand,” Kersz cut in.

Yu Xi: “But you mentioned dirtying your face, and then you said I wanted you to help me…..”

Kersz: “To help you understand the structure of the human throat.”

Yu Xi sensed that something was off. Kersz’s heartbeat had sped up again, and his face was turning red. “But touching your throat wouldn’t dirty your face, ah. The last time it got dirty was because…..”

“Do you still want to touch it?” Kersz interrupted him again.

Yu Xi’s attention was finally diverted: “Can I?!”

“There’s no reason why not.” Kersz had no desire to delve deeper into this misunderstanding.

“T-then lay back down.” Yu Xi was excited. “I’m simply the luckiest robot ever. I have the best friend in the world!”

Upon hearing the word “friend,” Kersz felt even more ashamed.

He lay down flat on the bed, and Yu Xi’s fingers brushed his lips.

Yu Xi ran his fingers over them softly, as if savoring the soft texture.

After feeling his lips to his heart’s content, he then moved on to Kersz’s teeth, followed immediately by his tongue and the roof of his mouth.

Then, as Yu Xi slowly moved deeper inside, Kersz’s throat constricted slightly.

“Are you uncomfortable? I’ll take it slow.” Yu Xi touched Kersz’s forehead, then kissed the space between his eyebrows.

Kersz tilted his head back. This sensation wasn’t comfortable.

He and Yu Xi looked at each other.

Those cyran eyes truly resembled the surface of a beautiful lake, and at this moment, the faint discomfort made Kersz feel as if he had fallen into the depths of that lake, sinking deeper and deeper. Suffocating.

…..A blissful suffocation that made him wish he could dissolve into the water completely, never to emerge again.

A short while later, Kersz ended up going to the bathroom anyway.

Yu Xi stealthily trailed behind him, worried that he would lock eyes with Kersz again this time too.

But his intense curiosity ultimately overcame his apprehension, and he furtively pushed the door open just enough to make a narrow crack.

This time, Kersz’s back was turned to him, his eyes pointed away.

But why, exactly, had feeling Kersz’s mouth caused him to react this way?

Hadn’t Kersz said that he had no interest in carnal desires?

After all, he was still a young man, ah.

Yu Xi watched with a sense of wonder, feeling a strange, inexplicable happiness.

And his exhilaration grew, especially after discovering that the little noises he inadvertently made would send Kersz’s heart racing.

*

*

“Did you know? Being friends means trusting one another without reservation,” Yu Xi shared with Tau. “Close friends will even invite each other to touch the inside of their mouths.”

To the side, Kersz covered his face.

Tau felt that something wasn’t right: “I’ve played the part of a friend before, but I didn’t have to open my mouth for them.”

“Those were just casual acquaintances, not close friends,” Yu Xi said with a wave of his hand.

Tau fell deep into thought: “I’ve never seen close friends do something like that.”

“Of course you haven’t. After all, you weren’t involved in their relationships.” Yu Xi felt that his own experience had surpassed Tau’s. “This is just a small bit of happiness between friends. They wouldn’t do it right in front of you.”

So these guys were really that close?

Tau still had some doubts, but Yu Xi seemed so confident that Tau began to wonder if he was actually right about this.

“Then do close friends do anything else?” Tau humbly sought advice.

“They also call out each other’s names to gain a sense of security,” Yu Xi said.

Tau stared at Yu Xi, who raised his head confidently.

“In what kind of situation?” Tau couldn’t figure out why a friend would frequently call out the other person’s name.

“It’s a secret.” There were some things that Yu Xi wouldn’t share. He wanted to savor them slowly, all to himself.

See? He had just said that he and Tau weren’t friends, and that he had no desire to become close to him.

His desire to get closer to Kersz, on the other hand, was very intense.

“Are you sure that’s friendship?” Hearing such a description, Tau felt that this was more like two confused individuals hooking up under the guise of friendship.

“It’s friendship.”

What pure friendship, ah.

---

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Chapter 36 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 38

Ch. 108 – Rakshasa

“Is that…..Shixiong?” Fang Yang murmured. He first took in the sight of the two men facing each other, then focused on the Asura who had just defeated the three-headed dog.

He was much slower to react than Hao Chen, and only now realized that the outfit looked slightly familiar. Although the pattern was obscured by bloodstains, he could still faintly make out that it was the same garment Feng Ye had been wearing.

Fang Yang spoke in a hushed tone. The current situation was fraught with tension. Both wearing ghostly masks, the Asura and Rakshasa stared each other down, ready to erupt into violence at any moment.

As powerful evil spirits, they were equally matched and couldn’t afford the slightest mistake. They were focused entirely on each other, and didn’t spare a single thought for their surroundings.

Hao Chen was standing a distance away, so the only one who heard Fang Yang was Cao Zirui, who was standing directly beside him.

Cao Zirui froze when he heard this and stared in shock at the Asura. This….was Feng Ye?

This terrifying, blood-drenched man was actually Feng Ye?

Although the Path of Carnage was not technically an evil path, this Asura nonetheless had an edge on the Path of the Underworld’s Rakshasa when it came to his frightening appearance.

Unlike Feng Ye’s bloodsoaked clothes, the Rakshasa was far cleaner. He exuded hardly any killing intent, but he didn’t possess a human presence either.

Speaking of which, where had this Rakshasa come from?

Cao Zirui fell into deep thought. Wang Wu, Zhao Yi, and that wolfdog were all figures they had encountered previously, and had been living right here in the vicinity of the ancient ruins. It was no surprise that they had been swept into the Grand Array, but this Rakshasa had appeared out of nowhere.

Unless….. A guess flashed through Cao Zirui’s mind. What if the activation of this Grand Array wasn’t an accident, but a trap?

And such a trap had been set at the very site of the Living Soil. It seemed that the enemy’s only objective could be…..Cao Zirui clutched the small jar hanging from his waist.

Jianmu.

The enemy had come for Jianmu. And the Rakshasa standing before them was likely the mastermind behind the activation of the Grand Array. It was even conceivable that he was the one involved in Xue Ren’s rebellion.

Just who was this person?!

Cao Zirui’s mind raced, and he fixed his gaze intently on the Rakshasa, the man who might be behind it all.

Although his shixiong had ultimately chosen the path of rebellion due to his own flawed character, the individual who lured him step by step into that abyss was equally unforgivable!

Brimming with rage, Cao Zirui automatically took a step forward, intending to confront that person. But he realized after that single step that in his current state, he was no match for the opponent.

He didn’t continue forward, but that one step had already been taken.

The sole of his boot made a soft sound where it scuffed the earth.

Though faint, the sound echoed in the confined space, and hearing it inevitably diverted a fraction of everyone’s focused attention.

This was their chance!

The two masked men struck simultaneously. Their movements were as swift as tigers pouncing upon their prey, so fast that they were a blur, and all one was able to perceive were the successive clangs of their swords clashing.

In the blink of an eye, they exchanged more than a dozen lethal moves.

Neither side held back. This wasn’t a sparring match, but a fight to the death!

Their swords danced in a dazzling display under the candlelight as the two opponents sought openings and launched attacks. Their movements were already too swift for the naked eye to track, and the speed, power, and even the angles of their strikes represented the absolute limits of the human physique.

The iron longswords in their hands seemed as if they were organs inherent to the human body. The two wielded them with effortless precision, as if they were an extension of their own arms.

Fang Yang watched with wide, astonished eyes as the two of them exchanged moves. During the martial arts tournament before the Floating Island Secret Realm, he had already realized that although his Useless Shixiong’s cultivation was abysmal, his swordsmanship far surpassed that of the average person.

But that was the extent of it. Although Feng Ye had demonstrated an exceptional mastery of swordsmanship when facing off against Lu Chengye, there was nothing else particularly remarkable about his performance, and the sword moves he utilized were very basic.

That was not the case now. He struck from angles that Fang Yang had thought were impossible. As a sword cultivator himself, Fang Yang watched them exchange blows and found himself imagining what it would be like if he was part of the fight.

He might…..not even be able to block one strike.

Before watching Feng Ye wield his sword, it had never crossed his mind that the weapon could be used in such a manner, and naturally had no idea how to defend against it.

Feng Ye’s swordsmanship was crafty and unpredictable, at times fierce and forceful, and at others smooth and fluid. He was able to shift seamlessly between a number of swordsmanship styles, and concealed within these feints and stratagems were lethal strikes meant to kill.

His Useless Shixiong…..was a true master of swordsmanship.

Fang Yang thought this in stunned silence. Then he suddenly realized: his Useless Shixiong was already this formidable, and judging by his swordsmanship alone, there was perhaps not a second person in the world who could match him. Yet this Rakshasa that had appeared out of nowhere was actually able to fight Feng Ye on equal footing, refusing to yield even an inch?

Could it be that sword-fighting prodigies were now everywhere under the sky?

Of course not. 

Cao Zirui was also watching the fight in shock, though his disbelief came from a different source. He wasn’t affected by the mastery of swordsmanship on both sides, but that Rakshasa’s moves…..seemed vaguely familiar.

No, they didn’t just seem familiar. They truly were. After repeated verification, Cao Zirui was entirely certain that this was Lingxiao Swordsmanship, a technique created by Ling Yun, the sect leader of Lingxiao Sword Sect one hundred years ago.

In this world, there should be nobody other than Cao Zirui himself who knew this sword technique. Not even his master, Ji Chengyue, was able to use it.

Ling Yun himself was the only exception.

But it was impossible. Ling Yun was already…..

Was he really dead? Cao Zirui came to the sudden realization that although the world at large believed that Ling Yun had perished in the heavenly fire, nobody had ever actually seen his corpse.

Could the person standing before him truly be…..

Cao Zirui was filled with shock and uncertainty, but found himself inwardly dismissing the notion. If this person was really Ling Yun, what possible reason could he have for turning his sword against them?

He was Ji Chengyue’s disciple, while Ling Yun was Ji Chengyue’s shixiong. Strictly speaking, he should address Ling Yun as “Shishu.”

And Feng Ye was also a disciple of Lingxiao Sword Sect. Although his fighting skills were suspiciously impressive, he was also a member of the sect. As the former sect leader, why would Ling Yun turn against his own people?

This Rakshasa cannot be Ling Yun, Cao Zirui reasoned.

He was so lost in thought that he completely failed to notice that somewhere in the shadow beneath his feet, a wisp of black mist had at some point slipped inside to lurk.

That black mist transformed into a slender venomous snake, and while Feng Ye and his party were focused intently on the battle, it coiled itself silently and imperceptively around Cao Zirui’s ankle.

Its dark, misty form had no weight to it whatsoever, and Cao Zirui was oblivious to the danger.

The venomous snake coiled inexorably upward, winding its way up Cao Zirui’s thigh until it reached his waist.

Serpentine eyes briefly scanned the surroundings, then locked onto the small jar hanging from Cao Zirui’s waist by a rope.

Its jaws parted, and a forked tongue flickered out. The venomous snake’s maw curved in a smile as it coiled up in preparation to lunge for the jar.

Feng Ye, locked in battle with the Rakshasa, suddenly whipped his head around. In one swift motion, he hurled the sword in his hand while dodging backward to avoid an attack from his opponent.

But he knew there was no way to avoid it entirely.

His opponent’s formidable strength had taken him by surprise. This was not arrogance on his part, because in this world, there were very few people capable of engaging him in a prolonged fight without yielding even an inch.

And now, there was this man in front of him.

In fact, Feng Ye even felt a hint of pressure under his opponent’s onslaught. But rather than making him pull back, the stronger his opponent fought, the fiercer his fighting spirit burned!

Yet even as his fighting spirit soared to new heights, he was forced to summon every shred of his energy for this battle. Because should his focus waver for even an instant, even the title “God of War” wouldn’t save him from defeat.

Defeat at the hands of a mortal.

But at this moment, he had no choice but to divert his attention. He absolutely could not allow that black snake to leave here with Jianmu!

His blade struck true, slamming into the black snake just as it attempted to slither into the jar. The passing of the blade also severed the rope that Cao Zirui had tied around the vessel.

The jar crashed to the ground, and amidst the crisp shattering of porcelain, a small handful of soil was laid bare before everyone’s eyes, along with the tender young seedling nested within it…..

The Jianmu seedling.

But there was another sound in addition to the shattering porcelain.

Feng Ye had left himself wide open after hurling the sword, his front completely exposed. And although he had dodged at just the right moment, his opponent would never allow such an opportunity to slip through his fingers. The blade of his sword thrust straight toward Feng Ye’s face.

Hao Chen had instinctively glanced toward the shattered jar before snapping his head back around to watch Feng Ye.

Feng Ye staggered back several steps. A distinct crack had appeared on the mask covering his face where the sword had sliced it.

The damaged ghost mask peeled away to reveal that familiar face.

Hao Chen breathed a sigh of relief. Everything was fine as long as his face wasn’t disfigured. Although this face wasn’t Feng Ye’s original one, after looking at it for so long, it would truly break his heart for it to be ruined by a scar.

Rather than attacking again, the Rakshasa remained in place, staring at Feng Ye across the distance.

Feng Ye also made no further moves after steadying himself. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced toward Jianmu and the sword he had just thrown.

The previously violent scene fell into silence once more.

It was only when Feng Ye hurled the sword at him that Cao Zirui realized with a jolt that an unwelcome intruder had somehow latched onto his waist, and he had nearly lost Jianmu to the black serpent.

Lingering tremors of shock rippled through his heart, and he took a moment to compose himself before realizing that Jianmu was still lying on the ground. He crouched down, reaching to pick up the seedling.

Cao Zirui’s movement shattered the stillness once more, and the instant he bent down, the Rakshasa attacked.

But this time, Feng Ye was unarmed.

With no time to think, Fang Yang spared no thought for the actual situation at hand or what that seedling might be, but simply snatched up the sword on the ground and shouted toward Feng Ye: “Shixiong, catch!”

Then he hurled the sword back to him.

Despite the somewhat imprecise trajectory of his throw, Feng Ye still managed to catch it. The instant the hilt landed in his grasp, he flipped it in one fluid motion and positioned the blade just in time to parry the sword arcing toward him.

After the parry, he exerted force in his shoulder and arm, sweeping aside the opponent’s blade to regain the initiative.

But the opponent was equally quick to react, constantly disrupting his offensive.

With no further distractions, they reverted to their previous state, trading blows back and forth with neither of them gaining the upper hand.

But as he watched this scene, Hao Chen narrowed his eyes.

At first, seeing that cold and ruthless look on Feng Ye’s face had made him think he had lost his sanity. Only later did he realize that this was not the case.

Feng Ye’s unleashed killing intent was solely aimed at this enemy who had not yet been dealt with.

This Rakshasa who had emerged from the Path of the Underworld.

He didn’t seem to be an incarnation of the serpent god, but more like one of his subordinates, or perhaps an accomplice.

The Rakshasa also seemed quite powerful, and could actually fight Feng Ye to a complete standstill. Yet even so, Hao Chen showed no signs of intervening.

For one thing, he had faith in Feng Ye and believed that he would emerge victorious. For another, when powerhouses clashed, if victory was achieved with the help of outside interference, there was no integrity in such a win. He imagined that Feng Ye would hate that.

Thus, Hao Chen kept his distance and didn’t step in to assist him.

However, there was also that black snake that had struck while Feng Ye was engaged in battle. It hadn’t entered the fight, but it had still succeeded in diverting Feng Ye’s attention and forcing him to throw his sword in a desperate attempt to help Cao Zirui.

It was precisely for this reason that Feng Ye had been struck by his opponent and had his mask shattered.

With a sharp swish, Hao Chen snapped his fan shut. This was now a two-against-one situation, so how could he possibly allow anyone to bully his dragon?

Hao Chen quietly shifted his position. When he found the right angle, he put his hands behind his back and drew out a pearl.

Then, in the brief interval when Feng Ye and the Rakshasa momentarily separated, he threw the pearl at the enemy without warning.

The man in the ghost mask sensed something approaching him, and despite not knowing what it was, he instinctively moved his sword to parry the sneak attack.

The sharp blade sliced straight through the pearl and severed it in two, but as he moved, he also completely exposed his undefended back to Feng Ye.

There was no room for distraction in the heat of battle. Feng Ye completely ignored Hao Chen’s movements, all of his focus and energy fixed upon the Rakshasa.

When he saw that the enemy’s back was exposed, Feng Ye didn’t think twice before raising his sword and thrusting it toward the other’s heart.

This was a lethal killing blow, with no chance of survival.

The sword’s tip pierced through the opponent’s clothes without a shred of resistance and continued forward straight through his chest.

The man in the ghost mask was impaled upon Feng Ye’s sword.

Fang Yang and the others were overjoyed, and believed Feng Ye had won.

Yet there was not the slightest trace of victory on Feng Ye’s face. Instead, his eyes widened as he stared in disbelief at the man whose heart he had just pierced.

The sensation of the blade slicing through fabric had transmitted to his hand through the body of the sword, yet he didn’t feel the characteristic drag of iron piercing through flesh.

The place where the other’s heart should be…..was empty…..

The man cast his gaze back toward Feng Ye.

Feng Ye stared blankly into the man’s eyes. In them he saw a pool of pitch-black, stagnant water, and beneath it, resentment like a tsunami that surged forth the moment this person laid eyes on him.

This person was…..

The name of this person had not yet surfaced in Feng Ye’s mind when he saw the blade thrusting toward him in a counterattack.

Since this person had no heart, piercing his chest hadn’t hurt him at all.

Feng Ye abruptly swung his sword. Heedless of the risk, he dodged the opponent’s attack and recklessly slashed at the ghost mask facing him.

After the exchange of blows, both sides took a few steps back.

Feng Ye’s arm bore a gash about an inch long, while the Rakshasa clutched at his face.

Fragments of the mask fell in a steady stream from his palm. As Feng Ye stared intently at the face revealed beneath the shattered mask, his grip on his sword slackened.

Ling Yun…..

Feng Ye finally uttered that name in the depths of his heart.

---

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Chapter 107 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 109

Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao walked together on the palace path outside Yangxin Hall.

However, after a few steps, Chu Jiubian came to an abrupt stop.

Qin Xiao turned his head toward him and said with a smile: “What, do you want to go back and check on my wound?”

Chu Jiubian gave him a look.

The voice of the System echoed in his mind: [Host, Believer Jiang Shuoye is requesting to enter the Divine Realm.]

Jiang Shuoye, ah.

It had been a long time since they last saw each other.

Steel production had developed significantly in the north, and many soldiers had been equipped with steel weapons and horse tack. Modern training methods had also been adopted, and as a result, the soldiers’ abilities, obedience, and sense of honor were all much higher than before.

With such an army, victory against the Tatars was virtually guaranteed.

But with only 80,000 men, the army was still far too small compared to the Tatar army that was over 100,000 strong. More troops would need to be recruited in the future.

He would wait a little longer, until there was no one left in the court who would interfere with or criticize the conscription process. Chu Jiubian could just issue an edict from the palace instructing Jiang Shuoye to recruit troops, and then the general wouldn’t have to bear any further risks.

Thinking of this, Chu Jiubian suddenly recalled that at the very beginning, he had planned to use Jiang Shuoye and his soldiers to fight against Qin Xiao.

But now, such a plan was no longer necessary.

After all, unless he or Qin Xiao intended to overthrow Bai Lihong and become Emperor themselves, they had no reason to stand on opposite sides.

Their relationship with Bai Lihong at this point was far from one of mutual suspicion, let alone a situation where they were preparing to overthrow him.

Chu Jiubian quickly regained his composure.

He had previously sent funds to the north and instructed Jiang Shuoye to use it to develop steel production and train his troops, but that money should have long been spent.

Chu Jiubian had already received a share of profits from Situ Zhaoling’s silk sales, and would be able to invest more in Jiang Shuoye, improving his military equipment and providing better food for the soldiers, which would increase their strength.

Plus, once news spread about how well the Mobei Army was treated and how strong they were, even more people would sign up once conscription began later on.

The underfloor heating system at Yaotai Residence had been completed. Chu Jiubian had originally planned to move back in a couple of days so that it would be more convenient to enter the Divine Realm, and give Jiang Shuoye the money then.

But since the man had reached out to him today, he would simply give it to him now.

Chu Jiubian wanted to go back to Yaotai Residence at once, but he couldn’t be too abrupt in front of Qin Xiao.

Just as he was wondering if he should pretend to be exhausted to the point of fainting, there was a sudden sharp pain in his temples, each throb more intense than the last.

It was a familiar sensation.

Nerve pain again!

And this time, it was coming on faster and more intense than ever before.

But at least he had a ready-made excuse now.

Chu Jiubian could use this as an opportunity to “pass out,” which would save him the trouble of explaining things to Qin Xiao.

His head ached terribly, and his eyes were somewhat bloodshot, but his expression revealed nothing. He simply glanced at Qin Xiao with his tired, bloodshot eyes, as if afraid that the other man wouldn’t notice him barely holding it together.

Then he changed direction and walked toward the western courtyard.

As Chu Jiubian had expected, when Qin Xiao met his gaze, his previously playful expression went serious.

He quickly paced to Chu Jiubian’s side, turning his head to observe the young man’s tense profile.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

Chu Jiubian was a little dizzy. The road ahead seemed to sway, yet he walked steadily, step by step.

He could faintly hear Qin Xiao’s voice, though the words weren’t very clear. Nonetheless, he answered calmly: “I’m going to take a nap.”

Qin Xiao frowned. Even from the side, he could see the rather alarming strain in Chu Jiubian’s eyes.

A situation like this had never occurred before. Qin Xiao dared not stop Chu Jiubian, and could only remain by his side as they entered the western courtyard.

The path leading to the courtyard gate was paved with stones, but they were worn so smooth that even Bai Lihong was able to walk across them steadily.

However, Chu Jiubian suddenly stumbled and nearly fell forward.

Qin Xiao immediately put an arm around his waist and pulled him back.

But the person in his arms went completely limp, leaning bonelessly against his chest.

With one arm around Chu Jiubian, Qin Xiao gently cupped his face with his other hand, only to see his ashen complexion and tightly-closed eyes.

“Chu Jiubian,” he called out, but there was no response.

Qin Xiao immediately picked him up and strode toward the main house, saying to the palace servants in the courtyard: “Go fetch Physician Zhang.”

“Yes.” Having never seen Chu Jiubian in such a state before, the palace servants exchanged glances before quickly running off.

Qin Xiao carried the man into the house and placed him down gently on the bed, then removed his shoes, socks, and outer garment before covering him with a blanket.

When Physician Zhang arrived, breathless and panting, he found Chu Jiubian lying comfortably in bed. Anyone else would have thought he was only sleeping.

But he didn’t dare to delay. Before he could even extend his formal greetings, Qin Xiao beckoned him to take Chu Jiubian’s pulse.

This was the first time he had taken the pulse of Grand Tutor Chu, a divine being, but as soon as he felt his pulse, his brow furrowed.

His pulse was faint, and also very irregular.

Physician Zhang even switched to the other hand for a second attempt, but the conclusion remained the same.

Chu Jiubian was in extremely poor physical condition, and was afflicted with various internal maladies.

Was this the price a god must pay to descend to the mortal world?

Even so, Chu Jiubian had come here for the sake of the common people, as well as for the Great Ning Dynasty as a whole.

Physician Zhang admired him greatly.

But the most important thing right now was the headache Chu Jiubian was suffering from.

The symptoms were somewhat similar to a migraine, but even more severe.

“Answering My Lord,” Physician Zhang said to Qin Xiao, “The Grand Tutor has lost consciousness due to a severe headache. This servant will administer acupuncture, which should provide some relief.”

“En,” Qin Xiao replied, then turned his eyes toward the person on the bed.

The young man’s face was already small and pale, and now it looked even more thin and haggard.

Why had he suddenly gotten a headache?

Chu Jiubian was clearly someone capable of withstanding a great deal of pain, yet he had still fainted. How severe must this headache be?

It had to be more painful than tearing at his own flesh.

Qin Xiao wore a solemn expression, his entire person imposing and stern in a way that contrasted starkly against his usual demeanor.

Physician Zhang didn’t dare look at him for more than a moment, and quickly composed himself to administer acupuncture to Chu Jiubian.

Qin Xiao recalled some subtle clues from before.

Ever since Chu Jiubian saved him, the other man had been prone to spacing out and having difficulty concentrating.

In hindsight, every time that happened, the other’s eyes would become vacant and unfocused, and he would sometimes raise his hand to touch his forehead or temples…..

Before, he had thought that Chu Jiubian was suddenly remembering something, but now it seemed that he must have been experiencing pain then as well.

But the other man suffered in silence, revealing nothing on his face.

So these headaches of Chu Jiubian’s…..were they a result of saving Qin Xiao?

There was an indescribable feeling in Qin Xiao’s heart, and he suddenly remembered something from a long time ago —

His parents had been deeply in love, and Qin Xiao grew up watching them bicker and tease each other, but also share sweet and affectionate moments.

Once, his mother had stayed awake for two days straight taking care of his elder sister, who was suffering from a persistent fever.

Once the fever subsided and his mother was able to relax, she had developed a headache and fallen into a deep sleep.

At that time, his father had remained at his mother’s bedside, silent and somber.

Qin Xiao was still young, and hadn’t understood why his father reacted in such a way when his mother collapsed from exhaustion.

Auntie Wu was his mother’s maid at the time, and told him: “Master is worried about his wife, but doesn’t know how to express it.”

Qin Xiao hadn’t understood at the time, and although he had kept those words in mind, he’d forgotten about them until just now.

At present, he remembered the scene from that day, the people involved, and the conversations that were had.

It turned out that he was feeling the same silent, profound heartache that his father had experienced.

The pain was so intense that it was difficult for him to breathe.

His elder sister had once said that the more you hurt on someone’s behalf, the more you loved them.

Qin Xiao had hurt for his grandfather, who’d lost a son in his old age. He’d hurt for his elder sister, who had to tread so carefully in the palace, and for his younger brother, who had been away from home since childhood. He also hurt for his nephew, who had lost his mother at such a young age.

These were all relatives, bound to him by blood.

Qin Xiao gazed at the young man lying in bed, and was hit with the absolute certainty of how much he cared about him.

In the Divine Realm, the pain in his head was constant and unrelenting as Chu Jiubian sat upon his divine throne.

Neuralgia was closely related to one’s mental state, and even in the Divine Realm, the pain continued unabated.

Meanwhile, the System was still chattering in his ear: [Host, an old man is sticking needles into you. This System detects that he is targeting the acupuncture points in your head, which should relieve the pain.]

[Host, it has been detected that potential Believer Qin Xiao is staring at you. The emotions being conveyed are very complex. This System is analyzing them…..]

Chu Jiubian paid it no heed, lowering his gaze to look at Jiang Shuoye at the long table.

Jiang Shuoye immediately bowed, and only after receiving permission did he go to his chair and sit down.

“Why have you called for me?” Chu Jiubian asked.

He was calm, aloof, and mysterious, inspiring a deep sense of awe.

Jiang Shuoye replied as deferentially as always: “Answering the High Priest, this subordinate apologizes for his presumption. However, this subordinate has not felt your gaze in a long time, and wanted to give you an update on the situation in the north and the Mobei army.”

He had been quite successful in training his troops, and half of the soldiers in his army were now equipped with steel weapons. Furthermore, inspired by those in the Special Forces Battalion, the other soldiers were all training exceptionally hard in hopes of climbing the ranks.

Consequently, the entire Mobei Army had experienced a surge in strength.

Having not sensed that watchful gaze in quite some time, Jiang Shuoye had begun to worry that he had lost contact with the High Priest, or that he had perhaps lost the ability to sense his gaze. Thus, he sought an audience with the High Priest during his midday nap.

When he saw that the High Priest had not abandoned him, his heart settled.

In fact, Jiang Shuoye had come to the realization that he had grown dependent upon the High Priest without even noticing, and feared the lack of his divine protection.

Perhaps this was the experience of every mortal who received the favor of a god.

Therefore, although Jiang Shuoye was aware of the matter, he didn’t find anything wrong with it.

Said divine protection extended not only to him, but to the entire Northern Desert region and even to the entirety of Great Ning.

And he understood quite clearly that both he and the Great Ning Dynasty needed that protection.

Therefore, he would do everything in his power to obtain more blessings from this god and secure the long-term welfare of his people.

Jiang Shuoye informed the High Priest of recent developments, and when the other party said “you have done well,” he felt his nerves relax, and decided to move on to another topic.

Or rather, to test the god’s attitude on this subject.

“Given the Mobei Army’s strength, I wonder if we will be able to conquer the Tatars.” His tone was cautious, a clear indication that he had thought long and hard about this.

The pain in Chu Jiubian’s head was gradually subsiding.

His heart stirred at Jiang Shuoye’s words.

The Tatars would certainly be fought, but not right now.

At this point in time, the Great Ning Dynasty did not need to focus solely on expanding its territory. First, it must stabilize its internal affairs.

For this reason, they needed to give the impression that “Great Ning would not attack unless provoked,” and would absolutely not be the one to initiate any military action.

But even if they didn’t take the initiative to attack, they could accomplish their goals passively.

They could force, or even guide the Tatars to make the first move.

“The time is not yet right,” Chu Jiubian said cryptically, knowing that Jiang Shuoye wished to hear his thoughts on the matter. “When the time is right, everything will fall into place.”

When the time was right, Chu Jiubian would issue a conscription edict in the Emperor’s name and then instigate the Tatars to launch an attack.

At that time, Jiang Shuoye would counterattack with his army, march directly into the enemy’s royal court, and conquer their territory completely.

Like this, the problem would be solved effortlessly.

Although Chu Jiubian had only spoken one enigmatic sentence, Jiang Shuoye was skilled at using his imagination to fill in the blanks, and seemed to have come to an understanding.

With a gleam in his eyes, he rose and bowed in acquiescence.

This first Believer of his, from the very beginning until now, was cautious and meticulous in everything he did, like a quiet and diligent student.

Chu Jiubian then produced the profits from the silk trade, giving the majority of it to Jiang Shuoye.

Unable to refuse, Jiang Shuoye accepted the gift with profuse thanks.

After leaving the Divine Realm, he immediately busied himself with building an even larger steel mill.

And when Chu Jiubian emerged from the Divine Realm, he regained awareness of his body and surroundings.

He lay in bed, covered with a silk blanket that smelled like Qin Xiao.

Physician Zhang had already left, and Qin Xiao was not by his side, but rather at the tea table separated by a screen.

Chu Jiubian slowly opened his eyes the rest of the way. He spied an additional figure behind the screen, and upon hearing his voice, he realized that it was Qin Chuan.

Qin Chuan was speaking in a low voice, but Chu Jiubian could still hear him clearly.

He was saying that he and Lu Yao had gone to the Lu family manor for a lunch banquet. Lu Yao had learned interpersonal skills well, and was already able to manipulate people effortlessly, using his intelligence to compensate for his lack of emotional awareness.

Even Minister of War Lu Youwei had smiled and bid farewell to Lu Yao when the gathering ended, wearing a look of satisfaction as if looking upon a youth from his own family.

Anyone who didn’t know better would think that Lu Yao was really in league with him. But throughout the entire banquet, Qin Chuan hadn’t heard Lu Yao speak a single word about aligning himself with the Lu family. He had simply guided the conversation in a way that led everyone to that conclusion.

Once again, Qin Chuan had witnessed the heights of Lu Yao’s intelligence.

It was simply unbelievable.

Of course, QIn Chuan hadn’t been idle either. He had used this opportunity to map out most of the Lu family’s defenses, as well as the location of Lu Youwei’s courtyard and study.

Family Head Lu Jinfeng was a martial artist and a rather straightforward character, incapable of engaging in overly secretive activities.

Therefore, if the Lu family had truly colluded with the Tatars to murder Qin Jingzhao and his wife, any correspondence or other documents containing evidence could only be hidden with Minister of War Lu Youwei.

Qin Chuan now knew the location of Lu Youwei’s study, and all he needed was an opportunity to go and search it.

“There were too many guards and soldiers watching the place. I couldn’t get close,” Qin Chuan said softly.

No sooner had he finished speaking than there was a knock on the door.

Qin Xiao called for them to enter, and as expected, it was Qin Chaoyang.

Upon entering, he didn’t even glance behind the screen where Chu Jiubian was, but instead gave Qin Xiao and Qin Chuan a formal bow.

QIn Xiao waved a hand and said: “There is something I need to ask you.”

“Ask, My Lord,” said Qin Chaoyang.

Qin Xiao: “Have you noticed anything unusual about that couple from the sixth branch of the Lu family?”

Qin Chaoyang said: “I was just about to report to you on the matter.”

As it turned out, he had secretly been keeping an eye on that couple from the sixth branch of the Lu family. Their son was the one who had consumed mandala along with Wang Huanzhi’s youngest son, and was subsequently beheaded in public by Qin Xiao at the palace gates.

There had been no activity from them before, but something had come up today.

Qin Chaoyang recounted the information reported to him by his subordinates in detail.

It turned out that there were three sons in total who belonged to the Lu family’s sixth branch. The couple whose child had perished were the second-eldest in the family, and had long experienced neglect.

The death of their son had made the couple even more aware of the harsh realities of human nature.

They had planned to try for a second child while they were relatively young, but their family insisted that they adopt the eldest brother’s son as their own.

This couple was the most business-minded among their entire extended family, and also the wealthiest. 

Their relatives wanted them to adopt the eldest son of the main branch, solely to get their hands on the assets they possessed.

The couple refused, and during the ensuing argument, someone pushed the wife, which caused her to fall to the ground and begin bleeding profusely.

It was later discovered that she was over a month pregnant, but that due to excessive stress and her advanced age, the pregnancy was unstable. The fall had not only caused her to lose the baby, but also deprived her of the ability to have children in the future.

“Their hearts must be filled with hatred now,” said Qin Chaoyang.

They hated Qin Xiao for killing their son, but Qin Xiao was too powerful and too distant from them. They would have no opportunity to seek revenge on him.

But the Lu family was different. Those members of the Lu family were tangibly and visibly beside them.

Hatred, when directed toward those closest to you, was always more profound.

Thus, the subject of this couple’s hatred at present was not Qin Xiao, but their biased parents, as well as all of the members of the Lu family.

“Find a way for someone to approach them,” Qin Xiao said. “Once they let down their guard, guide them to find evidence of the Lu family’s treasonous activities and report it to me.”

Outsiders may not be able to infiltrate Lu Youwei’s residence, but other members of the Lu family would be able to find a way.

This couple harbored resentment toward both the Lu family and Qin Xiao, so if someone were to tell them that all they needed to do was find evidence of the Lu family’s crimes and hand it over to Qin Xiao, they would be able to watch the two sides fight each other to death.

They would accomplish this even at the risk of their lives, but only if they possessed sufficient ability and intelligence to pull it off.

“The person we send should be cautious and not act hastily. They should wait and gather more information before giving instructions to the Lu couple,” Qin Xiao said.

Qin Chaoyang agreed.

[Analysis complete.]

The System spoke up without warning, startling Chu Jiubian so much that he jumped slightly.

The three people on the other side of the screen paused for a moment. Then Qin Chuan and Qin Chaoyang hastily vacated the room, leaving only Qin Xiao behind.

Chu Jiubian: “…..”

Without regard for Chu Jiubian’s opinion, the System continued: [This System has analyzed micro-expressions, interpersonal relationships, and and other factors to arrive at the following conclusion – ]

[Potential Believer Qin Xiao is experiencing heartache toward Host.]

Chu Jiubian’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, and his heart skipped a beat.

In the next moment, the man’s tall figure emerged from behind the screen. Their eyes met across the distance.

Chu Jiubian averted his gaze and rolled over, moving closer to the inside of the bed.

He heard Qin Xiao’s footsteps approaching, and then the man sat on the edge of the bed.

The bed dipped slightly, and there was no further movement.

Chu Jiubian waited, sensing a gaze so intense that it seemed almost tangible, as if it was liable to bore a hole through his back.

“……”

Several minutes passed with no movement.

At last, Qin Xiao spoke in a very soft voice: “Are you feeling better?”

“En,” Chu Jiubian responded vaguely, his unfocused gaze trained on the wall.

Another moment of silence, and then there was a rustling sound behind him as if Qin Xiao was taking off his clothes and shoes.

Chu Jiubian turned around and saw that the man had indeed removed his outer garment, leaving him in only his black silk inner robe.

He had one knee on the bed with his other foot still on the floor, which made his legs seem even longer.

His inner robe was loosely-fastened, and when he leaned forward slightly, a large swathe of his tanned, muscular chest was revealed.

The wound on the left side of his chest had healed, and the stitches had been removed, but the color was different from that of the skin around it.

It would definitely leave a scar.

Qin Xiao noticed his movement, and looked up to find that the other man’s attention was once again focused on his chest.

“……” He chuckled softly.

Chu Jiubian looked up to meet that teasing and somewhat suggestive gaze, and didn’t flinch away.

They were just his pecs, right? 

They were both men, so what was wrong with him taking a look?

His confident attitude completely crumbled when Qin Xiao released the corner of the blanket and instead took his hand, pressing it against his firm chest.

Rather than withdrawing his hand, Chu Jiubian maintained the stalemate.

The skin beneath his hand was warm and supple, and his palm tingled at the feel of a strong, rhythmic heartbeat.

Qin Xiao stared intently at Chu Jiubian, his gaze moving from the other’s wandering eyes to his rosy lips.

HIs Adam’s apple bobbed. Qin Xiao tightened his grip on the young man’s wrist, stroking his thumb sensually along the inside of it as if he could feel the pulsing blood vessels beneath his skin.

Chu Jiubian suddenly felt a little warm. He fingers inexplicably clenched, and it looked like he was squeezing the other man’s pecs.

He looked up and saw that Qin Xiao’s eyes were deep and dark, with a chilling intensity that sent shivers down his spine.

They were both men, and he sensed with absolute certainty the other’s surging desire, that intense, fierce longing to possess him.

The grip on his hand moved it slowly downward, tracing over well-formed abdominal muscles.

As his fingertips touched the cool hem of silk trousers, Chu Jiubian’s eyelashes fluttered. Half of his face was buried in the blankets, and his exposed earlobe was bright red.

But he didn’t withdraw his hand.

Qin Xiao’s chest heaved up and down a few times, and he ultimately closed his eyes, releasing the other’s hand.

Then he lay down in bed, and with a sweep of his arm, pulled Chu Jiubian into his embrace and held him tightly against himself.

He felt a distinct sensation against his lower abdomen, and Chu Jiubian could vaguely sense its terrifying length.

He looked up and met the other man’s eyes, which were very close to his own.

Qin Xiao’s brow twitched. He pressed the young man’s face against his neck, and said in a low, hoarse voice filled with an unidentifiable emotion: “Don’t look at me like that.”

Chu Jiubian kept quiet.

After a while, he finally said: “It’s a little stuffy.”

When he said this, the man immediately turned him over as easily as a ragdoll and held him so that he was facing away, back to chest.

Perhaps due to the somewhat rough movement, their lower halves brushed against each other.

Chu Jiubian reflexively shivered, and Qin Xiao’s breathing became noticeably heavier.

Neither of them spoke, nor did they dare to move.

Chu Jiubian closed his eyes, his mind in a state of chaos.

His brain was having an unprecedentedly difficult time processing this situation.

Ever since Qin Xiao had returned severely injured, he hadn’t known how to interact with Qin Xiao or face what might happen in the future.

All he could do was follow his instincts.

Yet even his instincts were contradictory. At times, he wanted to get closer to Qin Xiao, much closer, but at other times, he wanted to stay far away from him, and even wished they had no connection whatsoever.

He didn’t understand himself.

The man behind him was breathing steadier, but the change to his body persisted.

Suddenly, Chu Jiubian heard him say: “Thank you.”

Chu Jiubian froze.

“Thank you for saving me,” Qin Xiao said. “I owe you so much.”

For a long time, Chu Jiubian remained silent.

Unsure whether or not Qin Xiao had fallen asleep, Chu Jiubian finally spoke in a whisper: “Then you should treat me even better.”

Qin Xiao said nothing, but he clung to him even tighter.

---

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Chapter 80 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 82

Ch 36 – Change and Constancy

Yu Xi had been driven to such a state of despondency by Tau that even outsiders took notice.

Cuthe couldn’t understand why the child had suddenly stopped talking, and assumed that Yu Xi had been so frightened by his mother last time that he still hadn’t recovered.

Tau was also pacing back and forth in a frantic state, awaiting Yu Xi’s verdict. He was overcome by a constant feeling that Yu Xi was secretly brewing up some massive surprise to spring on him.

For this reason, Tau hadn’t dared to appear too close to Xiao Konglong in recent days. He worried that Yu Xi would realize how much he cared about the little dinosaur and hurt it to get at Tau.

But Yu Xi just appeared listless.

“Look, this is a human.” Tau had fashioned a small doll.

Yu Xi glanced at the little doll, then silently averted his gaze.

Tau also looked at the little doll, then glanced toward Yu Xi, who was inching away from him.

At a loss, Tau could only turn to his fake friend and seek help from Kersz.

Kersz thought Yu Xi was angry at first, but then he realized that he was merely self-conscious.

Yu Xi felt horribly embarrassed, and saw Illegitimates as a rather terrifying breed of human.

He had indeed come up with a plan to save all of the Illegitimates after successfully comforting Kersz, and felt himself tremendously capable.

Then, Tau had accused him of wanting to enjoy the pleasure of being a ‘savior’ and playing a little ‘rescue game.’

Yu Xi reflected on himself and came to the conclusion that Tau’s words were not entirely incorrect. He truly longed to be the savior of the Illegitimates, to have these spiritually castrated humans gaze up at him with eyes gleaming with adoration.

It would be even better if they would say: “Heavens, what a gentle robot!”

Whenever Yu Xi thought of this, he wished he could simply vanish from existence.

He had never felt the emotion called ‘embarrassment’ so intensely.

“He actually doesn’t care,” Kersz reassured Yu Xi. “Before, he would have pretended not to see through your intentions, and then play along with your little ‘rescue game.’”

Yu Xi wrapped himself more tightly in the blankets.

As for why Tau hadn’t played along this time…..it was likely because he subconsciously assumed that even if he didn’t, nothing major would happen.

Thus, acting on impulse, Tau refused to cooperate. But when he came to his senses, he felt that the assumption that Yu Xi posed no threat to him was completely absurd, and began to worry again about what he might do next.

But all Yu Xi did was retreat into himself out of sheer embarrassment.

Tau knocked on the door again.

Yu Xi pulled the blankets around him and huddled in the corner of the bed.

Kersz let out a helpless sigh, then got up to speak with Tau.

Yu Xi watched him go.

Then, clutching his blanket tightly, he inched slightly closer to the door.

If Yu Xi wanted to, he could easily overhear what they were saying.

But he didn’t do so, for fear that he would hear something that would make him even more embarrassed.

Fortunately, Kersz returned before too long.

Eyes wide with worry, Yu Xi lowered his voice to ask: “What did Tau say?”

“He wants my help. Specifically, he wants me to plead with you not to lay a hand on his little dinosaur.” Kersz sat on the edge of Yu Xi’s bed.

He had originally intended to scoot over a bit further, but before he could do so, Yu Xi wriggled his blanket-wrapped self over to his side: “Why does he think I would hurt Xiao Konglong?”

“Because he’s used to that kind of thing,” said Kersz.

“Used to it?” Yu Xi thought for a moment. “Oh! Is it because they weren’t allowed to have things that they liked in the past?”

“More or less.” Kersz nodded. “Actually…..when Tau was a child, he must have had something he loved.”

Yu Xi sat up a little straighter.

“Illegitimates are all hand-picked, and before the formal trials begin, they’re each assigned a little ‘playmate.’” After discovering that Tau was an Illegitimate, Kersz had launched an investigation into the methods used to cultivate this group of weapons.

Before the final trial arrived, these children needed to have something they cared about.

It was a necessity for their training.

Squatting at the door, Tau glanced at it a few times, then lowered his head to look at Xiao Konglong in his arms.

“Daddy?” Xiao Konglong reached out with a tiny claw. Tau extended his index finger, and that tiny claw grasped it.

Tau smiled.

Affection could be cultivated.

Tau had once possessed a small dinosaur plushie. Each time he laid eyes on his plushie, it was a signal that training was over and he could finally fill his belly.

Tau wasn’t sure if he had ever had his own room during his childhood, because it was just a small cubicle with transparent walls on all four sides, with researchers constantly coming and going to observe his condition.

But Tau was able to ignore them. After all, it wasn’t until he began imitating all sorts of people that Tau realized that the lives of normal people weren’t transparent, and that no one would come running over at a moment’s notice to gawk and take notes on them.

Tau knew that all of the children had plushies at that time, and that they loved them just as much as he loved his.

“Once they reach a certain age, the objects they love will be taken away from them for training purposes,” Kersz continued. “They must learn to ignore the harm being done to their loved one, and focus single-mindedly on completing the mission.”

“But that should be very difficult.” Yu Xi understood what Kersz was getting at.

Those plushies had become the children’ s only source of comfort.

For them, fulfilling their master’s commands was the fundamental prerequisite for survival. This had become the underlying logic of their very existence.

Only after completing their mission were they allowed to eat and rest.

“Completing the mission” became a necessity as vital as eating and drinking, artificially etched into their very souls.

These plushies, however, served as a more intimate source of spiritual solace, and were more like “friends.”

Those lonely children would subconsciously imbue these dolls with a soul, and were able to feel at ease while clutching them in their arms.

“It is very difficult.” Kersz nodded. “So those Illegitimates who choose to rush to the aid of their plushies are eliminated.”

Yu Xi: “Does ‘eliminated’ mean death?”

Kersz nodded.

The light in Yu Xi’s eyes flared a little brighter.

Tau remembered the day he lost his dinosaur plushie. He had to complete a training assignment, and that day was one of the rare times all of the Illegitimates were gathered together in one place.

And all around the training grounds, those plushies sat silently on their own chairs like a crowd of spectators.

But they had not come as spectators. They had come to say goodbye. Tau watched as his little dinosaur was torn to shreds, piece by piece.

Tau wanted to run toward it, but someone else had already rushed forward.

That man let out a piercing scream and sprinted headlong toward his plushie.

Then, with a loud bang, blood splattered all over the ground.

Tau felt some of the blood splash onto his face. He paused, then turned his head and resumed his training.

At that moment, Tau didn’t even think his heartbeat had changed at all. Was he sad? Was he afraid?

Tau couldn’t say.

But Illegitimates were strange creatures to begin with. Even as members of their own ranks died, others continued to rush toward their plushies. Toward their irreversible deaths.

Because that was the only source of warmth they had left, even though these plushies had never once responded to them.

When Tau returned to his room that day, there was nothing there waiting for him.

But Tau had passed the test. He had not allowed extraneous emotions to interfere with the execution of his mission.

Xiao Konglong clutched Tau’s finger with his claw, and Tau felt the slight urge to smile.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of a door opening.

Tau instinctively started to pull Xiao Konglong into his arms, but then he froze.

“You’re still squatting here?” It was Yu Xi’s voice.

Tau’s arms trembled slightly.

“I won’t lay a hand on your little dinosaur,” Yu Xi said.

Tau breathed a subconscious sigh of relief: “Then you intend to….Father…..”

“I’m not….do you really love that so-called father of yours?” Yu Xi didn’t understand. He felt that all of Tau’s suffering stemmed from the Supreme Governor, and he wasn’t certain that Tau even liked the Supreme Governor that much.

But loyalty to that man was etched into his very marrow.

Tau’s future seemed to be obscured by a dense fog that Yu Xi couldn’t see through.

“I respect my father,” said Tau.

“Oh.” Yu Xi felt that perhaps Tau held some hatred toward him without actually realizing it himself.

“I’m just a little embarrassed,” Yu Xi confessed. “You saw right through my little scheme, and I feel ashamed.”

Tau: “You mean I saw right through your attempt to save me?”

Yu Xi nodded.

“Why be embarrassed? Isn’t that perfectly normal?” Tau asked.

“How is that normal?!” Yu Xi felt that Tau was simply beyond saving. The environment in which he grew up was vastly different from that of ordinary children, to the point that it was an entirely different world.

“There are plenty of people who want to save us.” Tau stroked the little dinosaur cradled in his arms, no longer looking quite so tense. “Especially those nobles.”

“Eh? Aren’t the nobles the ones who created you?” Yu Xi asked.

“Yes. But sometimes they would suddenly feel sorry for us and want to play a little ‘savior game.’” Tau stood up, still cradling Xiao Konglong.

The circumstances of the Illegitmates’ existence seemed inherently tragic, and there were always a few “kind-hearted” nobles who simply couldn’t bear to witness their suffering.

Of course, that only applied to the most beautiful or handsome among the Illegitimates.

They would give those Illegitimates warmth and love, even taking them out to eat real food.

“Those grand principles you speak of – they can spout them just as well. Then they’ll invariably gaze with that same affectionate indulgence at the Illegitimate they’ve taken a liking to,” Tau said. “They seem rather keen on molding Illegitimates into what they see as a ‘normal person.’”

But if they wanted a normal person so badly, why not just love a normal person from the very start?

“Perhaps ‘normal people’ are just too much of a hassle for them. After all, the people they normally associate with are fellow nobles, and those are hardly the sort of people to be grateful for small kindnesses. They also fear that a normal person might covet their wealth, so an Illegitimate is really the ideal choice for satisfying their vanity.” Tau was very calm as he said all of this.

He wasn’t resentful at all, and was merely stating the facts.

Yu Xi was dumbstruck by what he had just heard: “How do you know all of that?”

Tau didn’t answer.

“Did you not hope to catch the eye of a noble?” Yu Xi was puzzled.

“It wasn’t a matter of hoping,” said Tau.

“Then do you hate being treated as abnormal?” Yu Xi asked.

Tau shook his head: “No.”

“I don’t believe that for a second.” Yu Xi felt that some of the things Tau said simply couldn’t be taken at face value.

Tau lowered his head.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have messed around with that little ‘rescue game.’” Yu Xi crouched down beside him.

Tau didn’t give much of a response to the apology, as apologies weren’t a normal part of his communication anyway.

“I’m giving you this.” Yu Xi pulled a small blue sphere out of his pocket.

“What is it?” asked Tau.

“It can make your dinosaur change colors,” said Yu Xi.

“Change colors?”

“It can change colors according to its mood, or you can change the color yourself.” Yu Xi thought this was something Tau would like.

Sure enough, Tau’s eyes instantly lit up.

“Wow!” Tau took the blue sphere.

He stared at it for a moment, then suddenly asked Yu Xi: “Is there anything else you want to apologize for?”

Yu Xi: “Ah?”

Tau gave an example: “Such as kidnapping me.”

Yu Xi was a bit flustered, and fumbled here and there before finally fishing out another small sphere: “Here! This is a miniature house, perfect for Xiao Konglong to live in.”

The frequency of Tau’s blinks increased slightly.

Tau thought very carefully: “You made me worry for so long. Aren’t you going to apologize for that?”

Yu Xi: “Wuwuwu.”

Pressing a hand down on Tau’s head, Kersz said in a sinister tone: “If you try to extort him any further, I’ll be the first to set your little dinosaur on fire.”

“Ah!!” Tau clutched Xiao Konglong tightly in his arms.

“Tau.” Yu Xi looked toward him, his cyan eyes gleaming faintly: “I’m a little worried about your future.”

“Are you worried I won’t live long?” Tau asked.

Yu Xi nodded.

“Illegitimates don’t live long anyway,” said Tau.

“I find that very regrettable.” Yu Xi sighed. “Can’t you take a leaf out of Fusya’s book and be a little more optimistic?”

“I haven’t been reformed like him.”

Yu Xi was a little disappointed.

Tau stared at Yu Xi, waiting for what he would say next. But Yu Xi said nothing further. He just dejectedly patted Tau on the shoulder, then turned and headed back to his room.

Tau watched him leave, then lowered his head once more to play with Xiao Konglong. Yet after teasing it a couple of times, he cast another glance over his shoulder.

“What are you looking at?” Kersz asked him.

“I don’t know.” Tau shifted his gaze back to his lap.

Kersz raised an eyebrow.

Something was changing within Tau, yet Tau himself seemed largely unaware of it.

Why?

Kersz also glanced in the direction Yu Xi had gone.

Ah. That was it.

Tau believed he was safe.

Tau couldn’t leave this place, yet Yu Xi wouldn’t actually do anything to him. Yu Xi hadn’t laid a hand on his little dinosaur, and also hadn’t insisted on making him “normal.”

Tau considered his surroundings to be safe and secure, and he also had no missions to carry out.

Kersz hadn’t said much throughout the previous conversation, still feeling the need to observe for a while longer.

And just as he had expected, Tau was unconsciously observing Yu Xi.

Yu Xi had not yet extricated himself from his sorrow, still pacing back and forth within the room and sighing now and again.

Facai had snuck over many times, but although Yu Xi didn’t shoo him away, he also didn’t speak to him.

Yu Xi just kept gazing at Tau, letting out sigh after sigh.

*

*

“Why create an Illegitimate?” Yu Xi asked Kersz as he lay beside him in bed.

“Because they have the power and resources to go around creating them.” Kersz turned on his side to face Yu Xi. “Actually, I’m pretty curious about the ancient humans you mentioned.”

“About what?” Yu Xi asked.

“Were they really able to eliminate discrimination and prejudice?” 

“That’s right,” Yu Xi murmured. “Their knowledge was transmissible. Not through text, though. You can think of it as a transmission of consciousness.”

“But this technology wasn’t in use for very long. Because soon after this technology emerged, they were able to achieve immortality, and no new life was ever born again.”

“That sounds pretty good.” Kersz thought about what that would look like. “Everyone gets to live until they decide to die.”

“It was probably pretty good.” Yu Xi still didn’t care much for that sort of human.

“Don’t you see humans like us as ignorant and foolish? Especially after seeing those powerful ‘ultimate forms. We create beings like Illegitimates, we fight each other for power, and it seems like there’s no end to our hatred.”

“I don’t know, but those other humans were too all-powerful and omniscient.” Yu Xi was aware that they were actually very good people. They were incredibly tolerant, and in fact, they didn’t even seem to possess the concept of a “temper.”

“They had their own understanding of the world, and it was one I couldn’t make sense of. I wasn’t that capable,” said Yu Xi.

“And….when their negative emotions vanished, I couldn’t sense any positive emotions from them either.”

Yu Xi still disliked the state of humanity in their last days: “When hatred vanished, so did love.”

At this point, he suddenly grew curious: “Tau seems like he has love in his heart, don’t you think?”

Kersz gave a hum.

“Then do you think his hatred is just as pure as his love?” Yu Xi asked.

“I think so,” said Kersz.

“Will he be able to turn into someone whose head is filled with nothing but positivity?” Yu Xi pressed.

Kersz: “Could you handle changing him like that? You wouldn’t be able to let a couple of words from him make you crumble.”

Yu Xi sighed: “I’m not that capable.”

Yu Xi had come to realize that his sense of shame was far too great. After being seen through by Tau, he felt as if he never wanted to see him again for the rest of his life.

Tau spoke so bluntly, and Yu Xi was simply incapable of transforming him into a positive thinker.

In fact, the shame of being exposed had caused Yu Xi to believe that he had no right to remake another person.

He just wasn’t that strong. When faced with negative human emotions, he never knew what to do with himself.

“Actually, I don’t think he’s entirely hopeless,” Kersz thought aloud.

“Why not?” Yu Xi asked.

“Look at him, isn’t he living a pretty happy life right now?” Kersz smiled.

“Is he really living?”

“Of course. He’s breathing, after all.”

So Tau actually did want to live?

Yu Xi felt himself let out a sigh of relief.

However, he was unable to truly let himself relax. Because the very next day, Tau showed up with Xiao Konglong in his arms to make his end of life arrangements.

“You want me to look after him when you die?!” Yu Xi was shocked to the core.

“I don’t think you would hurt him.” Tau nodded. “Kersz is a different story. He would mistreat him.”

“Then when are you going to die, ah?” Yu Xi’s lips trembled.

Tau: ……

Tau hadn’t given the matter much thought, at least not yet. But Illegitimates never lived very long.

“Someday,” said Tau.

“I knew it. I knew you had self-destructive tendencies.” Yu Xi didn’t like this sort of ‘dying wish’ storyline.

“I don’t.”

“Then why are you making arrangements for after you die?” Yu Xi asked loudly.

After asking this, Yu Xi burst into tears: “If I had known before, I wouldn’t have captured you. If I had known, I would have just let Kersz finish you off. Then I wouldn’t be heartbroken like I am now.”

Watching him cry, Tau clutched the hem of his clothes, feeling somewhat at a loss.

Yu Xi ran off, and Tau didn’t chase after him to insist that he raise Xiao Konglong after he was gone.

For some reason, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he had done something out of line.

He had done so many excessive things throughout his life, but this one…..

Tau inexplicably felt as if he had attacked his little dinosaur with his own hands.

He really didn’t dare chase after him.

Tau’s eyes darted this way and that before finally settling on the not-so-friendly-looking Kersz.

“Kersz,” he called out.

“What?” Kersz clicked his tongue.

“What’s wrong with Yu Xi?”

“You’re asking me? Why don’t you just ask him?” Kersz spread his hands. “Am I your mouthpiece? A spy you’ve planted at Yu Xi’s side?”

Tau opened his mouth, then closed it again.

He realized that he had upset Yu Xi, and wanted to cheer him up.

What was Yu Xi upset about?

Oh. Tau had said he was going to die.

In that case, how could he cheer Yu Xi up?

Tau pondered for a moment before ultimately reaching a conclusion: wouldn’t it be enough if he just lived?

But how was he supposed to live?

Tau had no idea, and decided to just ask Kersz: “Kersz, how can I live?”

Kersz: ?

Kersz: “Breathe.”

Tau’s breathing shifted from automatic to manual.

Kersz: “And after that, eat, sleep, repeat.”

“This can extend my lifespan?” Tau found it quite underwhelming. After all, this was what he did every single day.

“Have you been afflicted with a strange poison?” Kersz asked.

Tau shook his head.

Kersz hummed: “Then this miraculous cycle will keep you alive until the day you die.”

“I’m still going to die?”

“What else? Do you expect to exist as long as the universe?”

Tau didn’t need to live as long as the universe. He just needed to remain in a “living state.”

After taking several deep breaths, Tau finally mustered the courage to run out and find Yu Xi.

He tugged Yu Xi’s sleeve, then gestured to himself when Yu Xi turned his head: “I’m breathing.”

The grieving Yu Xi: ……

What else would he be doing?

Yu Xi reached out and touched Tau’s forehead.

No fever.

“Do you have anything to eat?” Tau asked.

He was hungry?

An apple appeared in Yu Xi’s hand.

Tau immediately took the apple and began to gnaw on it. He finished the fruit in swift order, then showed the core to Yu Xi: “Look, I ate it.”

Yu Xi remained bewildered.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that Tau was fishing for approval.

“You ate it very well,” said Yu Xi.

Tau nodded: “So don’t be sad.”

Yu Xi: ?

Was there any connection between these two things?

Tau: “I’m also very good at sleeping.”

Yu Xi: …..

Yu Xi: “Wow!”

Tau continued: “I can breathe when I sleep, and when I wake up, I can eat.”

Yu Xi continued to suspect that something was wrong with Tau.

Especially when Tau added: “Why aren’t you hugging me?”

Yu Xi frowned.

“You usually hug people when you get excited, don’t you?” Tau felt that there was something off about Yu Xi’s behavior.

Yu Xi stepped forward and cupped Tau’s face in his hands.

Tau: ?

Did this count as a different type of hug?

Yu Xi took a deep breath, then vigorously shook Tau’s head.

What on earth had gone wrong?!

What had broken in there? Would giving it a good smack help?!

---

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Chapter 35 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 37

Ch. 107 – Path of the Underworld

The Six Paths…..were all the Ghostly Path?

Wang Wu’s words stunned the three of them, and before they could even attempt to make sense of the situation, the hungry ghost spliced together from the bodies of Wang Wu and Zhao Yi came charging at them.

Despite their strange physique, they were actually quite agile. The two of them were tall and burly to begin with, and now with a body twice as wide as that of an ordinary person, they were no less imposing than a fully-grown black bear.

A black bear would at least be a normal creature, but facing a monstrosity like this, the pressure that bore down on them was both physical and psychological.

Just taking a second look at this grotesque thing gave them the creeps.

Although they were still somewhat at a loss regarding the so-called “Six Paths of Reincarnation” and “Eight Ghost Illusion Array,” and had no way of knowing exactly how many arrays there were, one thing was clear: they needed to get rid of this trash before they could discuss it.

Fang Yang and Cao Zirui exchanged a glance and a nod. In tacit understanding, they stepped to the left and right respectively to confront the hungry ghost.

And at their rear, Hao Chen moved in sync with them. He unfurled his folding fan and fanned himself leisurely, taking a few steps back to remove himself from the battlefield.

Spiritual power couldn’t be used in this place, so Fang Yang and Cao Zirui were relying entirely upon their swordsmanship as they faced the towering hungry ghost.

Hao Chen was also unable to use his spiritual power. He knew nothing of swordsmanship, so he wouldn’t be of any help even if he did join the fight. He might as well just sit back and quietly enjoy the show.

In fact, the amount of spiritual power that the array could block had a limit, but since Fang Yang and his companion were only at the Foundation Establishment stage, they naturally lacked the power to break through the restriction. But as for Hao Chen…..his spiritual power was as vast as the boundless North Sea, and this petty restriction had no chance of binding him.

However…..the restriction was inextricably linked to the arrays in this place, and if he wanted to break through it, he would have to break the greater array at the same time.

Unlike Feng Ye, he was currently in his original body. Although he had disguised himself somewhat, his power was undiminished, and the might of the Kunpeng was sufficient to forcibly shatter the array.

But he had no way of knowing what the consequences of shattering the array might be. Perhaps these ruins would collapse right out from under them. They were currently at a depth of fifty meters underground. If the ruins were to cave in…..

He was thick-skinned and durable, and at worst, he could just revert back to his true form. The massive slabs of stone were mere pebbles to his true body, and their collapse would feel like nothing but a tickle.

But nothing good would result from them falling on Feng Ye, and even now, the dragon’s whereabouts were unknown.

But regardless of Feng Ye’s location, he was surely safe. In fact, he might emerge any moment now. This dragon had always been very reliable.

Thus, with a clear conscience, Hao Chen watched on as Fang Yang and Cao Zirui struggled in fierce combat against the hungry ghost. Standing on the sidelines, he fanned himself and cheered them on, waiting for the dragon to come and rescue their group of two humans and a fish.

He positioned himself as the one in need of rescue without any shame whatsoever.

After all, he was unable to use his spiritual power at the moment, and his available combat strength was really quite limited. It wasn’t as if he was completely unable to fight, but still……

Hao Chen looked up at the two-headed hungry ghost, whose cobbled-together body made of two severed torsos could only be described as grotesque.

After a single glance, Hao Chen raised his fan to shield his eyes.

It really was…..too ugly…..

So ugly, in fact, that he didn’t want to go anywhere near it, and close combat was certainly out of the question.

He would just leave the tiring work of fighting to the dragon. Having made up his mind, Hao Chen retreated a little further, for fear that the hungry ghost might edge its way toward him.

Meanwhile, Fang Yang and Cao Zirui very thoughtfully drew the battle away from Hao Chen.

After all, in their perception, Hao Chen was a complete pushover. Not only was his cultivation abysmal, but he was also a disciple of Tiangong Pavilion.

Could they really expect a disciple of a sect that focused on artifact crafting to possess any amount of combat prowess?

In any case, he couldn’t hope to hold a candle to those combat-oriented sword cultivators, so neither of the two had any expectations of Hao Chen joining the fight.

It was just fine for him to stand obediently to the side and not get in their way.

Hao Chen was indeed remarkably obedient, and retreated further and further away. Had the doors to the Six Paths not been sealed shut, he might well have retreated until not even his shadow remained.

Fang Yang and Cao Zirui both possessed the strength of Foundation Establishment stage cultivators, and even though they were unable to utilize their spiritual power, their physical constitutions were still far superior to those of ordinary people.

But these bandits who had previously been mere mortals had experienced a dramatic surge in strength after being transformed into such a grotesque ghostly form.

Their physical strength had increased by leaps and bounds, and Fang Yang and Cao Zirui were hard-pressed to stand against them.

The two of them dodged the majority of the ghost’s attacks, avoiding close combat. However, the hungry ghost’s defensive capabilities were equally astonishing. Its arms were criss-crossed with thick black veins that caused the muscles to swell and bulge, and the strike of a sword against them left nothing more than a faint white scratch.

Fang Yang and Cao Zirui were unable to breach the hungry ghost’s defenses, but likewise, Wang Wu and Zhao Yi were unable to breach theirs.

After all, they were merely mountain bandits, and had never undergone proper martial arts training. They had only entered such a profession by relying on their large stature and learning a few basic moves.

Their amateur skills paled in comparison before the disciples of a legitimate cultivation sect. They brandished their razor-sharp claws, but failed to land a single blow as each attack was parried by the edge of a sword.

If their physical strength hadn’t been heightened by transforming into hungry ghosts, Fang Yang and Cao Zirui would have already managed to subdue them.

Wang Wu and Zhao Yi were growing a little anxious. According to the serpent god’s words, the Six Paths Reincarnation Array was designed to transform whoever entered it into evil ghosts, and the Eight Ghost Illusion Array was a true array for refining them.

Eight people could enter in total, but only one could emerge victorious. The rest were destined to be devoured, serving as nourishment for the birth of the ultimate ghost.

Wang Wu and Zhao Yi had originally had no intention of working together, and upon falling into the array, they had immediately began to brawl. Zhao Yi ground his teeth in seething rage over Wang Wu’s attempt to abandon him to die, and the moment that masked figure in black untied the ropes around him, he immediately began to throw punches at Wang Wu.

Wang Wu was naturally unwilling to take the beating lying down, and fought back with all his might.

As it happened, the two of them hadn’t been fighting for long when they found themselves surrounded by skeletons. And these skeletons were all standing on their feet, their hollow eye sockets filled with hunger and thirst.

These two mountain bandits who were notorious for their violence and wickedness were so terrified that they nearly wet their pants on the spot. They promptly stopped their brawl, turned on their heels, and attempted to flee.

But they were soon overtaken by the skeletons, which tore at their limbs, brutally gnawing off an arm and a leg each.

Just as they thought they were about to be completely torn limb from limb, the massive black serpent appeared again like a phantom.

The instant it appeared, the skeletons that had been tearing at them ceased their attack.

The mountain bandits fell to the ground, blood gushing from their severed limbs to pool around them.

Scarlet serpentine eyes laced with mockery looked down at them as they bled profusely, while a melodious male voice spoke words that made their hair stand on end.

“Do you want to live?” 

“Eat the other person and you will survive. You will be able to leave this place and regain your freedom.”

Eat…..the other person?

Wang Wu and Zhao Yi exchanged a look. Then, with barely a moment’s hesitation, they lunged at each other and began to bite.

To bandits like them who were accustomed to killing, cannibalism was nothing.

As long as they ate the other person, they could escape with their life. Did this even require consideration?

Even with only a single hand and foot remaining, the two proceeded to grapple desperately, gnashing their teeth at the flesh and blood of the other’s jagged stumps.

And amidst the flying gore, they astonishingly began to merge, their torn flesh fusing together.

The two of them fought relentlessly, and even when their bodies combined into one, they continued to use the limbs on their respective sides to attack one another.

In the end, once they completely exhausted themselves, they realized that the victor could not be determined for the time being.

The serpent god had informed them that a total of eight people had entered the array, so excluding the two of them, there were six others remaining.

After some discussion, the two of them decided to join forces and eliminate the other six first, then settle the score between themselves afterward.

But upon emerging from the Path of Hungry Ghosts, they only met Fang Yang and his two companions.

This was actually a good thing, because if they were able to join forces, the other six might join forces as well. It was better to take out these few opponents before the others reached them.

They had already discovered that devouring others added to their own power, and as they made their way out of the Path of Hungry Ghosts, they used their combined form to seize and devour each and every one of those skeletons they had previously been helpless against.

Devouring these three would further grow their power, increasing their chances of emerging as the final victor.

The two of them had calculated well, yet they never could have imagined that these little brats would prove so troublesome. Despite fighting for so long, they hadn’t even managed to tear a corner of these people’s clothes.

Searching for an easy target, their eyes fell upon Hao Chen, who seemed to be the weakest of the group. But Hao Chen was standing too far away, and the moment they even entertained the thought of rushing over, Fang Yang and Cao Zirui would use their swords to block their path.

This couldn’t be dragged out any longer. There was no telling when the next ghost would arrive, and if it was one of the opponent’s people…..

As Wang Wu and Zhao Yi were anxiously wracking their brains, the very last thing they wanted to see happened abruptly and without warning.

The sound of a stone door shifting rang out once again, directly behind them.

The two of them turned their heads to look. The plaque above the door had transformed to show the words “Ghostly Path,” its original designation unknown.

Fang Yang and Cao Zirui also noticed the door opening, and cautiously took a few steps out of range.

Hao Chen folded his fan, wondering what would come out this time.

The thing behind the stone door had yet to emerge when the group heard a low, throaty growl. It didn’t sound like a human, but more like…..a beast?

Beast?

This word flashed through all of their minds, and they instantly realized which path this door led to.

The Path of Beasts, one of the Three Evil Paths.

And as for the monster that emerged from the Path of Beasts, everyone present recognized it – the wolfdog raised by Wang Wu.

The dog had always been very large, easily half the height of a human. But now, as it stepped through the stone door, the others had to crane their necks just to see its face.

Its body had swelled several times in size, and it was forced to stoop low as it ducked through the three-meter-high doorway.

Wang Wu’s eyes lit up as it emerged. This wolfdog was his most capable assistant, and now that it had grown so massive, even if everyone attacked him at once, he would have no worries.

In stark contrast to Wang Wu’s delight, Zhao Yi’s face puckered up. He and Wang Wu had originally been equally matched, which was the very reason they were able to cooperate, but now that Wang Wu had obtained such a powerful ally, he would undoubtedly move to devour Zhao Yi.

Consequently, when Wang Wu attempted to approach the wolfdog, the limbs on Zhao Yi’s side of their body refused to cooperate.

Without Zhao Yi’s assistance, Wang Wu was completely immobilized. He was able to guess Zhao Yi’s intentions, but paid him no mind.

He would devour Zhao Yi first!

A murderous glint flashed in his eyes, and he turned his head, preparing to call his wolfdog over to help him devour Zhao Yi.

But just as he turned his head, he realized that the wolfdog he had personally raised had already approached him without his knowledge, and was currently staring down at him.

And there was no longer any trace of its previous adoration toward its master in the wolfdog’s eyes. All that was left was a ferocity reserved for prey.

Wang Wu didn’t have time to speak a single word before the wolfdog bit his head clean off.

A solid human skull stood no chance against the massive dog’s fangs, and with a few crunching sounds, the wolfdog swallowed a mouthful of bone fragments and brain matter into its stomach.

This wolfdog had even devoured its own master, Wang Wu, and naturally wouldn’t spare anyone else.

At this realization, Zhao Yi turned to flee. He was still somewhat confident that he could handle Fang Yang and his companions, but going by the sheer size difference between him and the massive wolfdog, he would stand absolutely no chance against it.

However, he had barely taken a single step when the wolfdog sank its teeth into his upper body.

A paw pinned down his lower half while sharp fangs clamped around his torso, and with a sudden, violent wrench, his body was torn apart.

The wolfdog first swallowed Zhao Yi’s upper body, then turned its head, took the lower half in its jaws, and began to gnaw.

Fang Yang and Cao Zirui had already retreated to stand in front of Hao Chen. Zhao Yi and Wang Wu hadn’t stood a chance against the massive wolfhound, and they…..probably wouldn’t either.

Without the ability to use spiritual power, they were forced to rely entirely on their physiques to fight. But the disparity between their physiques and that of the wolfdog was simply far, far too vast…..

This wolfdog was so huge that it could crush them to death with a single paw. How were they supposed to fight it?

As they witnessed the gruesome spectacle of the wolfdog devouring a human, fear rose inside them. They instinctively backed away, and retreated precisely to the farthest point where Hao Chen was standing.

The wolfdog’s muzzle was smeared with fresh blood, which caused its black fur to appear even darker than before. And after completely devouring what was left of the body, its form underwent another transformation.

Its claws elongated, and its body grew in size.

In addition…..both sides of its neck sprouted two fleshy growths.

These growths lacked hair, but incredibly, two faces emerged.

The faces of Wang Wu and Zhao Yi…..

The wolfdog stood in place and gave a low growl. The swelling of its body after consuming the hungry ghost brought with it a wave of pain, and it howled to vent its discomfort.

Finally, the growth stopped. The monster had fully fused with the hungry ghosts, drawing one step closer to becoming the ultimate victor.

As the beast raised its head once more, the two human faces on either side also opened their eyes. Together with the beast’s head between them, they fixed their gazes upon the three figures standing in the distance.

The moment they met those murderous, hungry eyes, Fang Yang and Cao Zirui shook uncontrollably from head to toe.

They swallowed hard. What exactly was this three-headed thing standing before them…..

But no matter what sort of monster it was, it wasn’t something they could defeat. They wanted to back away further, but there was nowhere left to go…..

Hao Chen placed his hands on their shoulders. If they backed up even more, they would bump right into the stone door.

Standing behind the two youths, Hao Chen narrowed his eyes at the three-headed dog.

He had originally intended to just sit back and watch the show in peace without dirtying his hands, and just wait for the dragon to come and rescue them. However, plans rarely survived first contact with reality. The beast across from them was far too powerful for these foolish boys to handle, and the dragon had still not arrived.

It seemed there was no other option than for the fish to step in.

Resigned to his fate, Hao Chen heaved a sigh and prepared to take on the grueling chore of fighting.

The three-headed dog slowly paced toward the three of them, in no hurry to attack. After devouring Wang Wu and Zhao Yi, its intelligence had also been enhanced, and it had even acquired human emotions.

Wicked ones.

Merely hunting and feeding could no longer satisfy it. It intended to bite off the limbs of these humans one by one, and only once their terror was at its height would it take off their heads in a single bite.

The beast’s maw stretched wide in a cruel, bloody grin.

When it had advanced to a spot roughly ten meters away from them, Hao Chen raised his fan. He couldn’t wait any longer.

Just as he was preparing to make a move, the situation took an unexpected turn.

The sound of a stone door shifting rang out once more.

The three-headed dog’s advance came to an abrupt halt, and it stared at the stone door behind the three humans with a hint of scrutiny in its eyes.

The trio turned around in unison to look behind them. Looking at the plaque, Hao Chen searched his memory. This one seemed to belong to……

When the door opened, the three of them first noticed the pungent, acrid stench of blood.

That wolfdog had bitten Wang Wu and Zhao Yi clean in half while they were still alive, and the scent of the blood that had gushed from their severed parts was still thick and cloying.

But it paled by a factor of a hundred in comparison to the stench now wafting from beyond the stone door.

How many people must have died in that passageway to shed so much blood?

And what had killed them all, making it the final ghost to emerge?

Compared to what lay beyond this door, the three-headed dog didn’t seem so terrifying anymore.

Fang Yang and Cao Zirui couldn’t help but step backward toward the three-headed dog. But Hao Chen didn’t retreat. He stood closest to the stone door, fixing his gaze warily on whatever might lay within.

Footsteps rang out with startling clarity, drawing ever closer. Each step felt as though it was treading directly upon the hearts of everyone gathered there on the silent platform.

Fang Yang and Cao Zirui watched the door with bated breath, and at last, a foot emerged.

As the foot stepped onto the ground and lifted away, a thick, bloodstained footprint was left behind.

A man clad entirely in black emerged from the doorway, leaving a bloody footprint with every step. The candlelight illuminated his face, which was covered by a hideous ghostly mask.

Beads of blood still clung to the long sword in his right hand, poised to fall.

His gaze was like ice. The very moment he stepped through the stone doorway, instead of looking around at his surroundings, he instinctively looked straight toward the most ferocious creature there – the three-headed dog.

And that three-headed dog, which had previously been acting so overbearing, actually took an involuntary step backward as it met his gaze.

Watching this scene, Fang Yang suddenly remembered that this stone door was originally named…..

The Path of Carnage.

This man who emerged from the Path of Carnage was…..

An Asura ghost!

The man faced off against the three-headed dog. He advanced no further, nor did he rush to attack, but his gaze never strayed from the beast.

And after taking a single step back, the three-headed dog didn’t retreat any further. It had realized that either itself or this new opponent would have to die.

Within this Eight Ghost Illusion Array, there could only be one victor. Thus, it bristled and bared its fangs, glaring fixedly at its opponent.

The situation between the two sides was on the verge of erupting.

During such a clash between evil spirits, Fang Yang and his comparatively harmless-looking companions were completely ignored.

It wouldn’t be too late to deal with these little lambs after the main opponent was dealt with.

Hao Chen seized this opportunity to step aside with Fang Yang and Cao Zirui. He covertly observed the man’s clothing, which was so wet that it appeared to have been soaked in water, clinging to the his form.

But he immediately realized that it was not water, but blood.

Blood had soaked through the garments, obscuring the patterns that were embroidered on them. But upon closer inspection, he could still make out what they were.

These were the clothes he had given to Feng Ye.

Hao Chen’s gaze filled with uncertainty, and when he looked once more toward the man’s face, he could only see that grotesque ghost mask.

And the eyes behind that mask were equally unfamiliar to him. They were cold and devoid of any human emotion, as if they belonged to a demon that existed only to prey on others.

Was this…..Feng Ye?

For a moment, Hao Chen couldn’t quite tell. Between the Feng Ye he was familiar with and the one standing before him now, which was the real one?

Perhaps they both were.

The legends surrounding the God of War Yinglong may not be entirely false. Perhaps it was true that he possessed such a terrifying side.

Yet this side of him was buried deep, and even when it occasionally surfaced, he would tuck it away again.

On the Path of Carnage, relentless slaughter had fully unleashed this side of him, and human emotion was cast aside entirely.

He had become an Asura. He stepped into the Eight Ghost Illusion Array and, with soaring fighting spirit, issued a challenge to the strongest beast there.

“Aooo!” The three-headed dog tilted its head back and howled in acceptance of the challenge, then lifted its four paws and began to charge. When it was within three meters of Feng Ye, it leaped into the air, its razor-sharp claws glinting with a cold light as they swept toward the opponent.

The beast’s central jaws gaped open, along with those of the human faces on either side. All three faces bared their teeth, unleashing every weapon at their disposal to tear and rip at the enemy before them.

Feng Ye stood his ground as the three-headed dog lunged at him from the air, its massive frame engulfing him completely in its shadow.

Compared to the sheer size of his opponent, he seemed insignificant. His fate seemed to be sealed.

But…..just as the beast’s fangs were about to tear into him, Feng Ye suddenly shifted to the side. Seizing the gap between the beast’s head and the human head beside it, he gripped the beast’s fur and used this leverage to flip himself over onto the back of the three-headed dog.

The three heads turned, intent on biting him, but Feng Ye had already risen above its heads and swung his sword downward.

The sword struck in a flash of light, and the three-headed dog immediately froze in place.

A moment later, the three heads tumbled side-by-side from the main body and crashed to the ground.

A torrent of blood gushed from the necks, and although Feng Ye did try to dodge, some of it still splattered onto him.

Fresh blood coated the already darkened stains on his clothes, elevating both the pungent stench and his terrifying aura.

He had killed the beast, now infused with the power of a hungry ghost, in one move.

But this was not the end. The Grand Array had not yet concluded, and his opponents had not all been slain.

With the three-headed dog dead at his feet, Feng Ye immediately turned his attention toward the three figures nearby.

His gaze was just as frigid as before. The scalding blood of the three-headed dog had not melted the ice from them in the slightest.

As he paced toward the three of them, the bloody footprints left in his wake were even thicker.

Hao Chen shielded Fang Yang and Cao Zirui behind him, his brow tightly furrowed. He was unsure if Feng Ye currently possessed any sense of rationality, and didn’t rush forward to greet him.

The current situation was far from optimistic. The enemy had clearly been eliminated, yet Feng Ye had still not snapped out of his killing frenzy. In all likelihood, he had completely lost his mind.

In that case, he was probably not approaching them with a greeting.

Hao Chen had long wished to test his strength against Yinglong and determine who was stronger once and for all.

But such a fight definitely shouldn’t occur in a setting like this one.

The one he wanted to fight was the Feng Ye he was familiar with, the one who would soften and indulge his requests time and time again, no matter how preposterous they were.

Theirs should be a friendly sparring match, stopping short of actual harm, rather than a fight to the death inside the Eight Ghost Illusion Array.

But whether Hao Chen was willing or not, at this moment, it seemed he had no choice but to rise to the challenge.

He unfolded his fan and stepped forward to widen the distance between himself and the boys, ensuring that if he and Feng Ye did come to blows, the two youngsters wouldn’t be caught in the crossfire.

He walked toward Feng Ye, the distance between them narrowing until at last, they stood face to face.

Hao Chen took a deep breath and prepared for Feng Ye to make his move.

But then an unexpected scene unfolded as, without sparing Hao Chen a glance, Feng Ye walked right past him.

Hao Chen: ?

He stood rooted to the spot, staring blankly. It took a few seconds for him to snap back to reality and turn his head.

Not only did Feng Ye ignore him, but he also paid no attention to Fang Yang or Cao Zirui as his steps took him toward an open door.

An open door?

Hao Chen stared uncomprehendingly at the door that had opened at some unknown point in time.

Five of the Six Paths had already opened, so this one was…..

The foremost of the Three Evil Paths – the Path of the Underworld.

A pitch-black figure emerged from this door, and Feng Ye stopped in place. He tightened his grip on the sword in his hand, his eyes locked unblinkingly on the figure within the doorway.

The figure stepped through.

Illuminated by the candlelight, he stood facing Feng Ye.

He wore the same all-black attire and the same ghost mask.

Like a reflection in a mirror.

Although the patterns on the mask differed, he held a sword in his right hand that was identical to Feng Ye’s in every respect.

Feng Ye looked at him, and he looked back at Feng Ye.

His eyes were pitch black. If Feng Ye’s eyes could be described as icy, then his were akin to a pool of stagnant water.

But upon seeing Feng Ye, that stagnant water seemed to drip into hot oil and go up in flames. 

Hatred surged within those eyes. He was a being who had crawled forth from the depths of hell…..existing only for the sake of vengeance…..

A Rakshasa!

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Chapter 106 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 108

Ch. 106 – Six Paths Reincarnation Array

“How…..long have we been walking?” Fang Yang asked Cao Zirui beside him, rubbing his stomach.

“Hm…..” Cao Zirui thought for a moment, but couldn’t come up with an answer.

The leg-eating skeleton hadn’t been particularly difficult to handle. With the two of them working together, it only took a small amount of effort to shatter its skeletal frame.

Having disposed of the malevolent thing, the two had continued onward. They encountered another creature gnawing on a hand along the way, though neither of them could tell who it had belonged to. They didn’t look too closely, as the hand had been gnawed into a bloody, mangled mess that was truly repulsive sight.

Practice made perfect, and the two resolved the matter even faster than the previous time.

Afterward, there was only the long, endless darkness.

They had no idea just how large the Royal City of Western Qiang truly was, nor how long this passageway stretched. They also had no concept of how long they had been walking, and hadn’t encountered a single exit along the way.

That was bad enough, but the two of them gradually realized that this place seemed to suppress spiritual power, and they could no longer draw upon the slightest trace of it.

In the wake of this knowledge came the sensation of hunger. This was a sensation that they never should have felt again after reaching Foundation Establishment stage and commencing inedia.

Despite clutching his stomach, an uncontrollable rumble still escaped from deep within Fang Yang’s belly.

A faint trace of embarrassment crept onto his face. His Useless Shixiong and Hao-dage were still missing, their fates unknown. Yet here he was, pathetically hungry, even though he had only just eaten a rabbit leg at noon.

The sound rang out with exceptional clarity through the silent, pitch-black passageway. Cao Zirui naturally heard it, but before he could speak a word, a distinct rumble issued from his own stomach.

Fang Yang instinctively clutched his stomach tighter before realizing that this time, it wasn’t his stomach protesting.

There were only two of them here. So if it wasn’t him, it must be…..Fang Yang looked toward Cao Zirui.

Cao Zirui kept his head down, but Fang Yang could still see that a blush had spread all the way to his ears.

Fang Yang’s embarrassment instantly vanished. It turned out that just like him, Cao Zirui was hungry but didn’t have the nerve to admit it.

At the sight of Cao Zirui looking like he wished he could bury his head deep in the dirt, Fang Yang couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle.

His laughter echoed down the long, narrow passageway. Cao Zirui looked up, somewhat flustered. Having grown up as the young master of a prominent clan, he had never lacked for gold or silver, and fresh fruits and pastries had always been kept in ready supply at home. He had almost never known hunger, let alone the indignity of a growling stomach.

But ultimately, this was not something he could control. The rumbling of his stomach was a simply a bodily function.

He was embarrassed enough when his stomach rumbled, but then Fang Yang went ahead and laughed at him.

His embarrassment turned into indignation, but when he looked up, he found that Fang Yang wasn’t really mocking him. There was no ridicule in his eyes, just some simple amusement.

Cao Zirui’s anger faded. He gave the laughing Fang Yang a helpless look, and the other boy’s amusement had him letting out a laugh as well.

Then the fun was over, and it was time to set off again.

But movement did nothing for their rumbling stomachs.

Fang Yang began to lament: “If only we had brought more food before leaving.”

But there was no point in having regrets. None of them could have possibly imagined that of all things, hunger would be the first obstacle they encountered.

Although the circumstances of Fang Yang’s family didn’t match the affluence of Cao Zirui’s, the village they lived in was actually quite prosperous. While they may not have access to rare delicacies, they certainly never had to worry about not having enough food to eat.

No matter how wildly he might be playing outside, the instant his stomach rumbled, he would immediately head home to eat. This level of hunger was not something he was accustomed to.

Even during the brief time the two had spent joking around, he felt his hunger intensifying. It had been somewhat bearable before, but at this moment, a burning, acidic sensation arose in his stomach.

Cao Zirui felt much the same as Fang Yang. This accelerated onset of hunger was actually quite strange. Although it was unclear how long the two of them had been stuck here, they certainly shouldn’t have reached this level of hunger.

But despite knowing that something was amiss, they had no way to resolve it.

Cao Zirui gave it some thought, then rummaged around in his storage bag. He normally didn’t carry food with him. Having entered a state of inedia, he had no need to eat and naturally saw no reason to waste space carrying provisions.

But edibility didn’t pertain to food alone. Medicinal pills could serve the same purpose.

He took out a bottle of pills meant to nourish the vital essence and fortify the constitution. It was used for treating injuries, but even the uninjured could take it to replenish their vitality. He poured one out for Fang Yang, and another for himself: “This will boost your qi. Take one to pad your stomach.”

Although Cao Zirui didn’t mention the value of the pills, Fang Yang had learned from the previous incident in North Sea City and knew that the pills his friend had casually plucked out of his pocket must be extremely expensive.

But he took the pill and swallowed it regardless.

He was just so hungry. Scorched by acidic fluids, his stomach was in desperate need of something to fill it. Anything would do as long as it could alleviate this gnawing hunger.

No matter how expensive this pill may be, he would simply find a way to pay it back later. Without even bothering to chew, Fang Yang swallowed the plump, round pill whole.

A cool medicinal sensation spread through his stomach, and the pain tormenting him quickly subsided.

Yet before he could let out a sigh of relief, the hunger surged back with a vengeance.

It still wasn’t enough…..

A single medicinal pill wasn’t enough…..

Fang Yang clutched his stomach, lips pressed tightly together. He glanced toward Cao Zirui and found him wearing a pained expression that mirrored his own.

Cao Zirui once again took out the porcelain bottle and poured out one pill for each of them.

But after taking the pills this time, the sense of relief was not as pronounced. They still needed more…..

Moments later, the two of them had consumed the entire bottle of pills.

The short-lived sensation of refreshing coolness was addictive, standing in stark contrast to the terrible hunger pangs.

Humans instinctively sought benefits and avoided harm, so upon discovering a method to alleviate their pain, they couldn’t help themselves.

Cao Zirui produced two more bottles of medicinal pills and, heedless of how their properties might clash with what they had already taken, each of them grabbed a bottle and gulped down the contents.

Yet even after swallowing an entire bottle of pills in a single go, that eternal hunger immediately surged back.

The two of them ate more and more. Four or five porcelain bottles already lay at their feet.

In the end, the medicinal pills were no longer able to give them even a brief moment of relief.

The pills were no bigger than pellets, and even several bottles’ worth wasn’t enough to fill the gaps between their teeth.

Fang Yang had once heard that in areas struck by famine, people were forced to subsist on grass and tree bark when there was nothing else to eat.

He hadn’t understood how these things could be eaten, and felt that no matter how hungry he was, he could never do the same.

Only now that he was experiencing true starvation did he realize…..to say nothing of grass and tree bark, he would eat anything he could put in his mouth, even raw meat dripping with blood…..

Fang Yang was stunned by the thought that had just popped into his head.  He had actually found himself thinking about those two skeletons they had seen gnawing on a hand and a leg.

He had previously felt nothing but revulsion at the sight, but looking back on it now…..he actually found himself salivating at the thought of that fresh blood and flesh.

Fang Yang gave his head a violent shake. Absolutely not. His rationality warned him that if he were to feed on human flesh, what difference would there be between him and the monsters in this place?

He forced himself not to think about it, nor the burning sensation in his stomach. Finding a way out should be his sole focus.

Yet whenever his guard slipped for a brief moment, that scene of cannibalism immediately flashed through his mind.

And the more this happened, the more his craving grew. His mouth was watering profusely. Those skeletons didn’t have a stomach or intestines, and the shredded meat simply fell to the ground after they were done chewing it.

If he were to go back and look…..but the distance was a bit too far. They seemed to have been walking forever.

Fang Yang didn’t know exactly how long it had been, but going by how hungry he was, he likely wouldn’t be able to hold on long enough to make the return trip.

But…..even if he couldn’t go back to look for the meat, there was fresher meat right next to him.

His hearing had become exceptionally sharp in the silent passageway. Fang Yang could hear the sound of Cao Zirui breathing, as well as his pulse beating. He seemed to sense the branching blood vessels within the boy’s body, as well as the blood flowing through them.

So delicious, so tempting…..

As if possessed, Fang Yang stole a glance at Cao Zirui.

And the instant he turned his head, he met the other boy’s gaze head-on.

The hunger and greed in their eyes was identical, and both of them froze in shock.

In that instant, reason returned to both of them and they whipped their heads away, not daring to look again.

Fang Yang reached up and gave himself a hard slap across the face. What in the world was he thinking, ah!

Cao Zirui coughed uneasily, feeling a pang of dread at the thought that had just crossed his mind.

The lingering fear put both of them on high alert, and they mustered all of their rationality to keep this unbearable hunger in check.

Part of what made someone human was knowing how far was too far. Even if it was done for the sake of survival, cannibalism was an act that was irreconcilable with commonly accepted morality.

The two continued to walk in silence, their nerves stretched taut, terrified that such a dreadful thought might consume them once more.

But that which was too rigid was easily snapped. The extreme mental tension of their combined hunger and exhaustion left them barely clinging on to their rationality. Sheer force of will was all that was keeping them sane.

A sudden sound came from ahead of them.

It was a skeleton, just like the two they had encountered earlier. This skeleton had both an arm and a leg clutched in its hands, and was just about to feast when it caught sight of Fang Yang and Cao Zirui.

The two stared into the hollow eye sockets of its skull, then gripped their swords and prepared to fight.

But unexpectedly, the skeleton didn’t attack.

It tilted its head and scrutinized them for a moment. Then, astonishingly, it lifted both the human arm and leg and extended them forward, as if treating them to a meal.

Treating them…..?

Ridiculous! As if they would eat human flesh!

Their taut nerves instantly snapped back. But the savory scent of fresh blood lingered, curling just beneath their noses…..

Their minds turned. Eating the living was wrong, but…..what if they were already dead…..?

Since they were already dead, did they even count as human anymore?

A tiny crack appeared in their sanity. Then, their reasoning crumbled completely.

Before they realized it, the two of them were already in front of the skeleton, each with a severed limb in their hands. Blood dripped from the jagged stumps, and the scent of gore spread through the air.

Delicious and enticing, it was exactly what their aching stomachs needed…..a cure to soothe their pain.

Just as Fang Yang was about to lower his head and bite down, a sharp pang shot through his chest.

Far more intense than his hunger, it felt like flames scorching his chest cavity.

At once, he regained a measure of clarity. He lowered his gaze toward his hands, and only then realized what he was just about to do.

A dense layer of cold sweat appeared on his back as he realized that this was a trap.

An extremely cunning trap.

Generally speaking, eating the flesh of the living was just as unacceptable as eating the flesh of the dead.

But in the grand scheme of things, the former was still more serious.

When confronted with two grave matters, people would normally go for what seemed to be the lesser evil, inadvertently overlooking the fundamental truth that both were equally terrible.

With their nerves already stretched to the breaking point by their cannibalistic thoughts, their bodies and minds had reached their absolute limit. Such a state was unsustainable, and they desperately needed relief.

And just like that, the opportunity presented itself.

After all, compared to eating the flesh of the living, eating the flesh of the dead seemed far more acceptable.

This lowered their guard, and their rationality left them completely.

But now that he was back in his right mind, Fang Yang came to realize that whether the human flesh they consumed was living or dead, they would be crossing a line that should never be crossed.

And once they crossed that line…..there was really no turning back…..

He suddenly flung aside the severed limb in his hand, then snatched the one from Cao Zirui and threw it directly at the skeleton. Caught completely off guard, the skeleton tumbled to the ground.

“Let’s go!” Fang Yang grabbed Cao Zirui, turned on his heel, and ran.

He didn’t know where they could go. All he knew was that they couldn’t stay here any longer.

He was in his right mind now, but there was no telling how long that would last.

If things continued like this, he would transform into a man-eating demon. Even if his appearance remained indistinguishable from other people, he could no longer be called human.

The passageway was long and lightless. They had dropped the luminous pearl just moments before approaching the skeleton, when their reasoning left them completely.

Now, he dragged Cao Zirui as he rushed headlong through the darkness, with no idea what may lie ahead.

Yet in that darkness, he once again saw a faint glimmer of light.

It was extremely faint, but impossible to ignore.

It came from his chest. From the exact spot where the sharp pain had just shot through him.

That was…..Fang Yang took out the bamboo slip hanging around his neck. This was the thing that allowed him to speak with the Mysterious Big Brother…..no, with Yinglong. A bamboo slip that allowed him to speak with Yinglong.

Although his feelings toward Yinglong were complex, and he was unsure whether this god was ultimately good or evil, he hadn’t been able to bring himself to throw the bamboo slip away. If Yinlong spoke to him again, he wanted to ask him to clarify the truth of that event one hundred years ago.

But after the battle at Lingxiao Sword Sect, Yinglong never contacted him again.

Fang Yang assumed that the other party had lost interest in him. After all, he was just mortal with mediocre cultivation. Perhaps Yinglong’s use of the bamboo slip to communicate with him had simply been to use his status as a disciple of Lingxiao Sword Sect for his own ends.

It was natural for Fang Yang to think this way. Yinglong had always been notoriously brutal, and wasn’t the sort of person who would do good deeds without expecting something in return.

But now, just as Fang Yang was on the verge of descending onto the ghostly path, this bamboo slip had given him a warning. This made it clear that whatever Yinglong’s motive may have been in giving him the bamboo slip, this object was meant to protect him.

Fang Yang’s eyes suddenly grew a little misty, and he rubbed them with his free hand. In such hopeless darkness, knowing that there had always been someone protecting him, even from afar, was enough to bring tears to his eyes.

He opened his palm and saw that the glow was coming from an array carved into the bamboo slip. Fang Yang didn’t know exactly what sort of array it was, but he felt the bamboo slip exerting force in a certain direction, as if it was pointing the way.

Without any caution at all, Fang Yang ran headlong in the direction indicated by the bamboo slip. Light appeared before his eyes once again, yet unlike the faint glow emanating from the bamboo slip, this searing white light was so intense that it stung his eyes.

He couldn’t see in the dark, yet he also couldn’t see in such blinding light. Fang Yang tightened his grip on Cao Zirui’s hand and closed his eyes. Then he rushed into the light without delay, and both of their figures were swallowed up by it.

He seemed to step over something, and a moment later, the dull thud of a stone door closing echoed from behind him.

Fang Yang came to a halt.

He opened his eyes again, and what lay before him was a massive hexagonal platform with bright candles lit along every side, providing plenty of light.

And in addition to the candlelight, at all six of the corners stood a door three meters high with a massive plaque hung above each of them.

Fang Yang turned to look back in the direction he had come from. The stone door behind him was tightly shut, as if it had only opened for an instant when they rushed inside.

And inscribed on the plaque were two words – “Human Path.”

This is one of the Six Paths of Reincarnation, Fang Yang thought to himself. The Six Paths…..must correspond to the six doors here.

He glanced to his left, and sure enough, the words “Heavenly Path” were inscribed above the nearest stone door.

Just as he was about to turn his attention to the next one, the “Heavenly Path” door suddenly opened and a figure came rushing through it.

It was Hao Chen, who had been separated from them before.

Hao Chen appeared somewhat disheveled. His clothes were rumpled, his hair was a tangled mess, and his face was flushed, though it was unclear if this was from running or some other reason.

He came to a halt just inside, and as the door closed behind him, he noticed Fang Yang staring blankly at him close by.

With a swish, he snapped his fan open. In an attempt to salvage his dignity, he struck a dashing pose and flashed Fang Yang his usual smile.

But Fang Yang had clearly seen the look of shame and anger on his face just as he dashed through the stone door. It was unclear exactly what Hao Chen had experienced within the Heavenly Path, but Fang Yang wisely refrained from commenting.

“What…..what’s going on?” Cao Zirui finally snapped out of his daze.

He gazed around in bewilderment.

His memory seemed to be a blank slate after encountering that final skeleton, and when he finally came to his senses, he was in a brand new location.

He belatedly reached down to touch his stomach. That unbearable hunger seemed to have vanished, but in its place was a swelling sensation of spiritual power, the result of having consumed too many pills at once without digesting them.

Fang Yang recounted his guess to Cao Zirui, that everything they had encountered was likely a trap to lure them onto the ghostly path.

They hadn’t actually lingered in that passageway called the “Human Path” for very long. A mere shichen or two had passed at most, but to their senses, it felt like they had been there for an eternity. And that hunger hadn’t been real either. It had all been an illusion.

Thus, once they left that place, their hunger vanished entirely. The craving for flesh and blood was gone, leaving no trace behind.

Upon hearing that he had nearly eaten the remains of some unknown person, Cao Zirui couldn’t stop retching.

Everything had returned to normal, including his reaction to severed limbs.

Meanwhile, Hao Chen appeared to be deep in thought as he listened to Fang Yang recount their experience. Everything Fang Yang and his companion had gone through was designed to lure them onto the ghostly path. And as for his own experience, those sixteen howling skeletons hadn’t been particularly difficult to deal with. They were nothing but minions. The tricky part was what occurred next…..ahem. Thinking back, Hao Chen felt his face start to flush again.

And then came a surge of furious indignation. That imposter had been toying with him. Knowing that Hao Chen was a true god of the Heavenly Realm and impervious to manipulation, he had never considered using the same tactics against him as he had against Fang Yang and his companion. Instead, he had conjured up a series of charming, beguiling illusions right before Hao Chen’s eyes.

How could he, the dignified Lord of the North Sea who stood guard over an entire realm, possibly be enthralled by such illusions?

Of course…..he had nearly been enthralled.

Hao Chen fanned himself a little faster to get rid of the lingering heat.

After taking a moment to catch their breath, the three of them finally gathered together to analyze the situation.

“What is this place? Where is Shixiong? What should we do?” Fang Yang summarized their situation into three key points.

But both Hao Chen and Cao Zirui remained silent, unable to come up with any answers.

“How are these six paths divided?” Fang Yang thought for a moment, attempting to sift through the various clues. “We entered the Human Path, but if that’s just because we’re human, then why did Hao-dage enter the Heavenly Path?”

He couldn’t figure out the division of the six paths, and his brow furrowed as he wracked his brains.

In the meantime, Hao Chen gave his fan a few nervous waves. Fang Yang had actually guessed correctly. These six paths were indeed likely determined by each person’s identity.

But Feng Ye was a god as well, so why hadn’t he walked the Heavenly Path beside Hao Chen?

With this thought in mind, Hao Chen swept his gaze across the four remaining doors. But before he could determine which door Feng Ye was likely behind, the sound of a stone door opening rang out once again.

The three of them simultaneously looked in that direction. This time, the door that opened was…..

One of the Three Evil Paths, the Hungry Ghost Path.

A human-like form emerged from the door.

And it was only human-like because this figure…..wasn’t quite like a normal human.

He had two heads, and his torso was broader than that of a normal human, yet he only possessed a single pair of arms and legs. With such bizarre proportions, it was almost as if…..two people had been severed in half, and then had one of their halves glued to the other.

Once the stone door fully closed, the figure stepped into the candlelight, and the three of them were finally able to see its true form.

The previous metaphor was no mere metaphor. They really were two people…..two people who had been cut in half and then pieced together.

It was the two mountain bandits, Wang Wu and Zhao Yi.

Fang Yang and Cao Zirui simultaneously thought of the severed arms and legs they had encountered along the way. Sure enough, they must have belonged to these two mountain bandits.

It was unknown how they had ended up in such a state, but surprisingly, there was little sign of pain on their faces. On the contrary, when they caught sight of Fang Yang and his companions, they wore expressions of wild joy.

And accompanying that joy was a look of greed.

On the Path of Hungry Ghosts, “hunger” didn’t just refer to physical hunger, but to greed in all of its forms.

The two of them had been living humans not long ago, but even in life, their actions were no different than those of hungry ghosts.

Having ended up in such a ghostly state now…..perhaps this was simply a case of evil getting what was coming to it.

The three people remained silent, and it was the two-headed creature who spoke first, with Zhao Yi taking the lead in greeting their old acquaintances: “I never expected that you would be our opponents. Perfect, now we can settle our old scores while we’re at it!”

His words contained an undertone of grinding teeth.

And unlike the other three, who were still completely lost, they seemed to know exactly what this place was.

Hao Chen probed for information: “Opponents?”

“Haha, you still don’t know what this place is, do you?” Wang Wu spoke up with mocking pity. “This is the Eight Ghost Illusion Array, a method for refining ghosts!”

“A ghost-refining array?” Fang Yang exchanged a glance with Cao Zirui, still completely baffled.

“All who enter this array are evil spirits. This place…..” Wang Wu stomped the foot on his side of the body. “…..is the decisive battlefield where ghosts fight.”

“Only the ultimate victor may step forward to reclaim their freedom. The rest are destined to be devoured by the winner.” At this point, Wang Wu couldn’t help but lick his lips. His eyes fixed on Fang Yang and the others with insatiable hunger.

“Wait, everyone who enters the array is an evil spirit?” Instead of clearing things up for Fang Yang and the others, Wang Wu’s words only left them more confused.

They were clearly still human beings. How could they be evil spirits?

“Idiot!” Zhao Yi spat.

Wang Wu shook his head with a sigh. With apparent goodwill, he pointed behind the trio and signaled for them to look back.

The three of them turned their heads in unison, only to find that the plaques reading “Human Path” and “Heavenly Path” had changed.

They then looked toward the other plaques in turn. Whereas they had previously named each of the Six Paths of Reincarnation, each inscription had now transformed into a uniform pair of characters.

Ghostly Path.

“Heavenly ghosts, human ghosts, hungry ghosts….the moment you emerged from the Six Paths of Reincarnation Array, you were already ghosts!” Wang Wu roared with laughter, and revealed the truth with a savage expression: 

“The Six Paths…..are all the Ghostly Path!”

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The Author Has Something to Say: As for what Hao Chen saw in this chapter, well, it’s R-rated. You’ll just have to use your imagination.

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Chapter 105 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 107

Ch 35 – Nothing Bad Can Happen To Him

Yu Xi had discovered a peculiar pattern: whenever he resolved the minor issues that arose between him and Kersz, he would always experience a surge of profound relief.

After having a good cry, Kersz had clearly begun to experience a certain emotion known as “embarrassment.”

Especially since Tau and Xiao Konglong were standing right there watching at the time.

Even once his tears stopped, Kersz still showed no desire to leave Yu Xi’s embrace, nor did Yu Xi speak a word to stop him. He simply continued to gently run a hand over his back.

Kersz savored the robot’s embrace, closing his eyes to immerse himself in it even more deeply.

And as he immersed himself deeper and deeper, he eventually fell asleep.

Everything that happened next could only be recounted through hearsay.

According to Tau, Yu Xi sat right where he was and held Kersz for quite some time. Then, right in front of Tau, he leaned in and kissed Kersz on the lips before walking around the room with Kersz in his arms.

There were only the three of them at home, plus Xiao Konglong, and it was difficult to tell what Yu Xi was actually doing as he walked around.

Tau felt that Yu Xi’s behavior contained an element of showing off, just like Tau sometimes liked to carry Xiao Konglong around to show him off.

Kersz then retorted that this couldn’t have happened. He was highly perceptive, and would have noticed Yu Xi moving him around.

“I don’t get it either.” Tau also found it quite baffling. He knew that Kersz was perceptive, and even suspected at one point that Kersz was feigning sleep to put Yu Xi at ease.

So as Yu Xi carried Kersz around, Tau had stuck to his side to discern if Kersz was merely faking it.

Subsequently, he learned that Kersz was genuinely out like a light.

This had surprised Tau. He didn’t understand how Kersz had fallen asleep: “After all, you’re a short-lived madman. You shouldn’t be so quick to let down your guard.”

“You have a terrible way with words.” Kersz scowled.

“You haven’t exactly been polite to me either.” Tau felt no need to observe courtesy with Kersz. After all, the man wasn’t one to be swayed by that kind of thing anyway.

“Yu Xi’s behavior is rather childish. He clearly hasn’t had many complex or authentic experiences. How in the world did he manage to calm you down?” Tau felt that this was somewhat unreasonable. “Don’t you think his attempt at pacifying you was a little ‘presumptuous?’”

“How did he pacify me?” Kersz didn’t understand.

“He pacified your mood.” Tau assumed that Kersz was trying to dodge the question.

“He let me have a good, long cry,” said Kersz. “What a wealth of experience that must take!”

“Didn’t you need it?” Now Tau didn’t understand.

He felt that this was irrational. Having played a multitude of characters, he was well-versed in the unwritten rules of human communication.

A wealth of experience was always helpful in social interactions. Individuals with such experience were capable of resolving numerous difficulties and offering solutions to the predicaments of those in distress.

Tau believed that Kersz’s current suffering could only be resolved by encountering a highly mature “veteran,” someone who had already walked that path.

Yu Xi had lived a very long life, yet it was abundantly clear that he had merely been a bystander to the lives of others.

How exactly had Yu Xi managed to comfort Kersz?

Kersz found it strange that Tau was agonizing over this question: “What kind of comfort do I need? Could that masterful, seasoned veteran erase my past? Could they bring the dead back to life? Could they wipe my memory and restore my innocence?”

“But he could ease your suffering,” said Tau. “Who knows, he might even help you let go of your hatred and start a new life.”

Yu Xi hadn’t helped Kersz let go of his intense emotions, nor had he resolved his problem.

It remained possible that Kersz would exhibit dangerous behavior in the future.

Kersz actually felt that there was no need to explain so much to Tau, but he was also aware that Tau’s current behavior was somewhat abnormal.

Tau was too proactive. An Illegitimate would never take the initiative to probe into matters outside the scope of their assigned mission, and would typically remain passive.

Kersz looked Tau up and down: “If there was actually someone with experience vast enough to make me temporarily set aside my hatred, what would their motive be for helping me?”

Tau fell silent.

He didn’t ask “why would they need a motive?” Because he knew full well that such interactions often hid another purpose.

Of the two of them, Tau was the one who least believed in the concept of ‘unconditional.’

“A person who has such a wealth of experience, such immense vitality…..for what reason would they go to such lengths for me?” Kersz smiled. “Are they like your father? Would they want to control me, to use me as a weapon?”

Tau said nothing.

“Or maybe they just had a sudden surge of benevolence, and want everyone in the universe to live a good life? If it’s the latter, maybe their goal is to be everyone’s ‘spiritual mom.’” Kersz hadn’t encountered a deity like that. At least, not yet.

Taking in Tau’s expressionless face, Kersz said: “Comforting a nutcase like me doesn’t take a wealth of experience.”

Tau tilted his head.

“I don’t know what the future holds for me and Yu Xi,” Kersz said. “But when the idea of  ‘our future’ crosses my mind, I’m just reminded that here and now, he’s by my side.”

Kersz: “I have parents, or rather, I did at one point. I don’t need someone else to fill the void they left.”

“He likes me, and not in the way a parent does.” Kersz spread his hands. “This is something really precious.”

Tau didn’t consider this precious: “Everyone has someone they like.”

“Hahaha, it’s precisely because it’s something precious that there are so many counterfeits. And because there are so many counterfeits, it seems like something that can be found everywhere.” Kersz felt a persistent prickling sensation, like there was someone behind him.

Turning his head, he spotted a pair of greenish-blue eyes staring at him around the corner.

The light in Yu Xi’s eyes seemed very bright. Almost alarmingly so.

But based on past experience, Yu Xi was likely bashful.

Upon being discovered, Yu Xi neither hid nor ran away.

He hesitated for a moment, and once he sensed that Kersz was indeed no longer embarrassed, he inched his way over step by painstaking step.

“Why are your eyes flickering?” Tau asked Yu Xi.

“Because I’m happy,” said Yu Xi.

Yu Xi felt like an impressive robot. 

He had identified the obstacle, then confronted it head-on, and in the end, he had managed to get Kersz to completely lower his guard while in his presence.

Kersz had fallen asleep.

And now, at this moment, Kersz was even able to confidently tell someone else that he liked him.

Yu Xi came to the realization that he was practically a genius at conveying emotions, and tilted his head higher and higher.

“I’m actually starting to look forward to our next minor conflict,” he told Kersz.

Kersz: ……

There was no need to look forward to it.

Tau was still watching them closely.

Kersz was also observing Tau.

He was very curious as to why Tau was asking him so many questions, much like an interviewer.

Did Tau want someone to comfort him?

But despite his curiosity, Kersz didn’t open his mouth and ask.

When Yu Xi brought Kersz back to their room, Kersze spoke in detail about Tau’s abnormal behavior.

As an Illegitimate, Tau’s current inquisitiveness was a little too intense.

“Is he also longing for a friend?” Yu Xi grew excited.

Kersz: “Uh…..I don’t know.”

“But I can help him!” At this moment, Yu Xi felt as though he was capable of anything. “Don’t you think I’m a healing-type robot?”

“You’re incredibly healing.” Kersz nodded. “But Tau is a bit different from me. You can’t use the same approach to solve his problems.”

Kersz rather liked Yu Xi’s current air of proud self-assurance, but worried that he might hit a wall with Tau.

“I wouldn’t use the same approach. You’re my most important friend. I certainly wouldn’t touch and feel him everywhere.” Yu Xi patted Kersz on the shoulder.

Kersz: …..

Come to think of it, ordinary friends wouldn’t touch each other the way they did.

“What I mean is that what he says might not be very pleasant to hear.” Kersz wasn’t entirely keen on letting Yu Xi heal Tau.

He felt that Tau would upset Yu Xi, but Yu Xi was very confident.

Upon learning that Tau might be waiting for his own “great hero,” Yu Xi made an inventory of his strengths. Then, with a sweeping gesture, he instructed Kersz to await the good news.

Yu Xi had actually spoken privately with Tau on numerous occasions, though more often than not, he had to resort to the line “you wouldn’t want your father to be captured and used as a breeding stud, would you?” in order to forcibly elicit a response from him.

However, since Yu Xi had chosen to be accommodating this time, he certainly couldn’t use threatening words like those.

After spending some time worrying, Kersz reassured himself.

It was just a routine conversation. Tau wasn’t the type to curse anyone out, so there shouldn’t be any major mishaps.

Kersz wanted to sneak over and take a peek at how their conversation was going, but he knew that Yu Xi’s senses were just too sharp. He stood absolutely no chance of observing them in secret.

Fortunately, Yu Xi was quick to return.

Yu Xi pursed his lips and pushed the door open. Upon seeing Kersz, he raised his eyebrows and turned to close the door again.

“How did it go?” Kersz asked.

“P….Pretty good,” Yu Xi answered without turning around.

“Did he say anything nasty to you?” Kersz asked again.

“Nope.” Yu Xi still didn’t turn around.

Kersz: “Yu Xi?”

This time, Yu Xi turned around with tears sliding down his cheeks: “K-Kersz.”

Kersz gasped. He hastened forward to wrap his arms around Yu Xi, patting his back: “What happened? Was he mean to you?”

“N-no.” Yu Xi’s lips trembled. “He ignored me.”

“I said so much.” While in Tau’s room, Yu Xi had shared all the comforting wisdom he possessed, explaining that as a robot who had lived for a very long time, he served as a mirror through which Tau could discover his true self.

Yu Xi wouldn’t criticize any of Tau’s actions. He could rest easy.

But Tau had ignored Yu Xi, continuing to tinker with a homemade cabbage.

Yu Xi had continued to wrack his brains, spouting lofty principles while pacing back and forth, occasionally giving Tau a pat on the head.

“I kept talking, and he eventually responded…..to say that I’d stepped on his white latex paint.” Yu Xi’s tears fell even harder. “He didn’t listen to a word I was saying.”

Kersz: “….He’s so mean.” Speaking of which, how had Yu Xi’s attempt to comfort Tau suddenly turn into a lecture on lofty principles?

Did Yu Xi not realize that his success in comforting Kersz stemmed from his sincerity, rather than any grand principles?

“Heavens, he’s essentially nothing like a human at all,” Yu Xi choked out.

“He really isn’t.” Kersz felt that in general, Illegitimates didn’t have much humanity about them at all.

“You’re still the best, Kersz.” Yu Xi reached out to caress Kersz’s face, then trailed his hand down his throat and further downward.

“Please don’t say things like that at a time like this.” Kersz felt a strange sense of deja vu. It was as if Yu Xi had gone out in search of a new love interest, only to fail; and looking back, he realized that his old flame back home was still the one who truly appealed to him.

“I don’t want anything to do with him ever again.” Yu Xi’s attempt to sow affection had failed, and suddenly, that affection curdled into resentment. “I want him to realize that I’ll never speak to him again.”

Kersz: “Ah…..”

“By the time he realizes, I will no longer offer him a smile, and what he’ll face will be nothing but an emotionless robot. When that time comes, he’ll have no time for regrets, because it was all his own doing. He was the one who ignored me first.” Yu Xi extended his index finger toward the ceiling, as if making a solemn oath.

Kersz felt a bit like smiling, but he knew he couldn’t.

Because at this moment, Yu Xi truly felt disgraced.

Kersz suggested: “How about this? Instead, we kidnap his father and beat him up right in front of him until he passes out? No, when he passes out, we toss a bucket of water on him and keep beating him once he’s conscious again.”

Yu Xi looked a little stunned.

“Not only do we beat his father, but we beat his little dinosaur as well. Beat the hell out of it right before his eyes.”

“No way, no way.” Yu Xi hurriedly tugged at Kersz’s sleeve. “That’s going too far.”

“I’ll just ignore him.” Yu Xi didn’t want to beat up Xiao Konglong.

“But he himself doesn’t pay much attention to emotions, so he might not even notice that you’re giving him the cold shoulder.” Kersz worried that in the end, it would be Yu Xi who ended up hurt again.

“If he doesn’t notice, that just proves that he’s a cold, heartless, unreasonable person!” Yu Xi clenched his fists.

And then?

What consequences would this ‘cold, heartless, and unreasonable’ behavior bring upon Tau?

Judging by Yu Xi’s reaction, it seemed there would be no consequences whatsoever, just a verbal reprimand.

Having made up his mind, Yu Xi began to put his ‘cold shoulder’ plan into action.

Not only did he ignore Tau, but whenever Tau was present, Yu Xi would raise the volume of his voice when speaking with Kersz. He wouldn’t even let the conversation end. Even when there was nothing left to say, Yu Xi would still scramble to find something to talk about.

He wanted Tau to know that he was deliberately ignoring him.

Early the next morning, Tau began to actively seek out Yu Xi.

“How do you think I did with this chicken leg?” Tau asked, holding the chicken leg he had constructed himself.

Yu Xi pretended not to see him, and continued to talk to Kersz: “We had such a fun time last night, didn’t we?”

Hadn’t Yu Xi been explaining his grand “cold shoulder” plan last night?

They hadn’t done anything fun at all. In fact, Kersz had originally intended to investigate just how many spatial folding devices Yu Xi had on his person, but as Yu Xi chattered on with the firm resolve to make Tau ‘regret it,’ he eventually drifted off to sleep.

“Yeah, it was lots of fun.” Kersz played along.

“I also made a fish,” Tau chimed in again.

Kersz fell silent and looked at Tau.

Why is ignoring you actually working?!

Wasn’t this just one of Yu Xi’s childish little whims? How had this Illegitimate realized that Yu Xi was ignoring him?

It would be one thing if noticing it was all he did, but he was repeatedly trying to initiate conversation in such an awkward, stiff manner.

Yu Xi shifted his gaze away from Tau once again.

“I also made a tomato.” Tau brought out another food item.

Yu Xi still paid him no attention.

Holding his three food items, Tau seemed somewhat at a loss.

So was this the extent of his conversational skills?

Kersz was astonished. Couldn’t Tau just think back to the previous roles he’d played and strike up a conversation more tactfully?

Tau’s mind disconnected for a moment, and then he cut straight to the point: “You’re angry.”

Yu Xi still didn’t speak.

“If you’re so angry, why don’t you just kidnap my father and bring him here as a breeding stud?” Tau asked with genuine emotion.

Kersz: “Huh?”

Yu Xi: “Ah?”

Did Tau know what he was asking?

Was the Supreme Governor aware of what his Illegitimate was asking?

“You were angry when you left my room yesterday,” said Tau. “And I’m the one who made you angry. At this point, to keep me in line, you should kidnap my father and make him a stud.”

“You’re capable of it. You even managed to snatch the Facai system., so why haven’t you?” Tau didn’t understand.

Kersz: “It’s a pity that I don’t have a close relationship with your father, otherwise I’d have recorded what you just said and sent it to him.”

“Do you hate your father that much?” Yu Xi was considerably shocked, and immediately forgot about his cold shoulder plan. “You actually want to make him a prisoner using such a roundabout method?”

“I don’t hate him. I just don’t understand why you’re not using him to blackmail me.” Tau felt that he still held his father in high esteem. “I didn’t give you a chance to become my ‘savior.’”

“What do you mean by ‘savior?’” Kersz asked.

“You kept preaching those obvious platitudes to me, truths that everyone understands, in an attempt to make me open up and become a normal person. Aren’t you really just trying to play the savior?”

“You want the thrill of changing my life, of me viewing you as my salvation.” Tau’s tone held little inflection.

Yu Xi: “I’m a healing-type robot.”

“Did you suddenly turn into a ‘healing type’ after your relationship with Kersz improved?” Tau asked.

Yu Xi glanced at Kersz, falling deep into thought.

He felt that his thoughts had been laid bare, but this seemed illogical: “Are you Illegitimates really so sensitive to these types of emotions?”

“I’m not a fool.” Tau had watched Yu Xi comfort Kersz, and Yu Xi hadn’t been nearly as composed back then.

It was clear that he was merely comforting himself, the truth being that Yu Xi had found a sense of self-confidence through his emotional interaction with Kersz, and dropped in on Tau to show off his progress.

Yu Xi: …..

Yu Xi pursed his lips. He had still been angry just moments before, but now a trace of guilt crept in.

Humans were still too terrifying.

“So why haven’t you done anything to me?” asked Tau. “I spoiled your fun and made you lose face. Aren’t you furious?”

Yu Xi immediately hid behind Kersz, ducking his head as he admitted: “I got defensive out of embarrassment.”

Tau: “So have you already kidnapped my father?”

“No.”

Tau: “Don’t tell me you took my Xiao Konglong?!”

“Also no.”

Tau didn’t understand: “Then what did you do?”

“I came up with a plan to completely ignore you.” Yu Xi extended a trembling hand toward Kersz, who reached out and grabbed it.

Feeling as if he had regained some strength, Yu Xi mustered his courage and continued: “I….I wanted to make you sad, to make you feel that you had lost a healing-type robot as a friend forever.”

Tau considered this for a moment, then said: “That doesn’t seem like much of a loss.”

“Kersz!!” Yu Xi retreated to Kersz’s side. “Too cruel….this Illegitimate is absolutely heartless. Next time, don’t pick up such a human!”

“I just mean that it won’t cause me any substantial loss,” Tau corrected.

Yu Xi gasped sharply.

Kersz couldn’t take it anymore: “Can you stop attacking the robot?”

Tau: “What I mean is…..”

“No need to rub it in anymore!” Yu Xi straightened abruptly. “I’m not healing you!” 

Then he turned and ran straight for the bedroom, leaving Kersz and Tau to exchange a bewildered glance.

“I was going to say that I never had a ‘healing type’ robot friend to begin with…..” Tau hadn’t finished speaking when Yu Xi, who had just ran to the bedroom, rushed back out again.

Yu Xi hauled Kersz up off the sofa, even reaching out to brush some non-existent dust from his body before wrapping his arms around him and towing him back to their room.

Tau reached out a hand, his lips parting.

But Yu Xi’s door had already closed once again.

It seemed he had offended Yu Xi even more deeply. By now, he must be absolutely seething with humiliated rage.

He had still ended up ruining his father.

Tau sighed and went to prepare some toiletries for the Supreme Governor.

Even after completing his preparations, Tau received no word of the Supreme Governor’s capture, and waited alone for a long time thereafter.

He even managed to convey a message to the Supreme Governor right under Yu Xi’s nose.

[Father, have you been captured?]

[Have you been caught yet?]

[Father, would you like any antiques displayed in your prison cell?]

[I’ve prepared a golden cup for you.]

[How have you not been caught yet?]

[Have you been kidnapped now?]

The Supreme Governor: ?

Why was 152 in such a rush? Why did he seem so eager?

He must have offended 152 at some point in the past.

*

*

Tau didn’t wait for the Supreme Governor to arrive. After a while, he went to knock on Yu Xi’s door.

It remained closed at first, but after he knocked many times, it finally opened.

But it was Kersz who opened the door. Tau tried to peer into the room, but Kersz blocked his view.

Tau asked: “Did Yu Xi go to capture my father?”

“That’s enough out of you! Yu Xi won’t fall for your provocation and kidnap your father just so you can reunite with him!” Kersz scowled.

Tau: “I don’t want to reunite with my father.” He simply couldn’t understand why Yu Xi hadn’t given him any sort of actual punishment.

In fact, Tau was capable of playing the role of someone who needed saving, and had indeed taken on such a role before.

But yesterday, he uncharacteristically chose not to cooperate.

It wasn’t until this morning that he began to worry that his father might come to harm due to his willfulness.

But his father was unharmed, and so was Xiao Konglong.

This reality once again sent Tau into a panic.

Tau was completely unable to accept anything happening to his Xiao Konglong.

But why was his father still unscathed?

It wasn’t like he wanted anything to happen to him.

But how was he still safe?

This was simply too strange.

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Chapter 34 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 36