Chapter 259: Back To That Key Moment ⑩

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Chapter 259: Back To That Key Moment ⑩

In the end, Shang Ke still did not tell Wen Jingrong why he had suddenly become so enthusiastic about making friends. He was not deliberately hiding it; he was simply still experimenting. To avoid draining Wen Jingrong’s aura of fortune too heavily, Shang Ke intended to find additional sources.

There were plenty of people in the world who possessed some degree of fortune, but most were constantly consuming it themselves, and some exhausted it entirely while still young. Those capable of preserving a substantial reserve were usually people of genuinely kind nature whose ancestors—or they themselves—had performed great acts of virtue and accumulated deep blessings.

Wen Jingrong’s situation was unusual. His soul was that of an immortal—Chen Xiao. The aura of fortune surrounding him strengthened his luck, while the immortal energy within his soul continuously refined that fortune. That was why Shang Ke had been able to cultivate and take human form so quickly by absorbing it.

An ordinary mortal’s aura of fortune naturally could not compare with Wen Jingrong’s, but there were far more ordinary people. The problem was that Shang Ke did not know how much fortune he would need to draw from them before it had any meaningful effect on his cultivation. He did not want to damage anyone else’s luck, so he needed contact with many people who possessed fortune. Fortune could influence and transform through human relationships; if someone befriended a person blessed with exceptional luck, their own fortunes could shift accordingly.

Shang Ke had already found more than a dozen people carrying visible fortune. Unfortunately, half of them had been driven away by a certain petty jealous husband. The aura from only six or seven people was obviously nowhere near enough to cover Shang Ke’s daily “expenses.”

“Sigh. I’m really expensive to raise.” Shang Ke could not help lamenting.

“Who says?” Wen Jingrong leaned closer and objected. “My Keke is the easiest person in the world to support.”

Shang Ke looked at him, turned his gaze away, then looked at him again.

“What?” Wen Jingrong asked.

Shang Ke flopped facedown onto the sofa and cried tragically, “Why are you so poor?!”

President Wen, who earned tens of millions by the minute: “…”

After being despised by his lover for being too poor, Wen Jingrong immediately had someone organize a complete report of his assets and send it to his email. Unfortunately, before he could display his staggering wealth, Shang Ke disappeared again.

Wen Jingrong forcibly restrained the urge to go drag him back immediately. He endured until he had finished dealing with the company’s business, then followed the tracker on Shang Ke’s phone.

In a garden pavilion, Shang Ke was playing chess with an elderly man.

He looked perfectly relaxed, a smile in his eyes as he poured tea for the old man and chatted with him.

The old man frowned in concentration, staring hard at the board and occasionally pointing at it to argue a move.

Wen Jingrong stood outside the pavilion and watched his lover. The irritation that had filled him gradually settled the moment Shang Ke came into view.

All this time, the Shang Ke he knew best was the one who stayed beside him. He had rarely stopped to observe how Shang Ke behaved with other people. At Wen Jingrong’s side, Shang Ke was gentle and considerate, lively and unrestrained. With outsiders, he was composed, easygoing, warm, and kind. He had never deliberately displayed his talents in front of Wen Jingrong, yet among other people he was always the brightest presence in the room. Wen Jingrong’s possessiveness had become so natural that he had nearly forgotten just how extraordinary Keke was.

Wen Jingrong could not help reflecting on himself. Had he been restricting Shang Ke too much?

“Jingrong.” A clear voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked up and found that Shang Ke had already finished the game and was walking toward him.

“Your new friend?” Wen Jingrong glanced at the elderly man in the pavilion.

“Mm.” Shang Ke smiled. “We met while crossing the street.”

“I remember the friend before this one was someone you met on a bus.” Wen Jingrong took his hand and began counting as they walked. “The one before that was someone you met while bargaining at a market. You’ve made friends while fishing by the river, wandering down the street, and fighting over discounted merchandise. The most ridiculous one was the person you instantly clicked with while watching someone stage a traffic accident scam.”

Wen Jingrong seriously suspected that his lover carried some sort of friendship halo and could make friends anywhere. And according to Wen Jingrong’s later investigations, most of those friends were exceptional in some way: some were wealthy, some had outstanding character, some were highly educated, and some were passionate about charity…

Shang Ke patted his shoulder comfortingly. “I know you don’t have much talent for making friends, but it’s all right. From now on, my friends can be your friends too.”

Wen Jingrong: “…As long as you’re happy.”

Three days later, Wen Jingrong arranged all the necessary identity documents for Shang Ke and officially registered him as part of the Wen household. He also stopped watching him quite so closely and gave him an appropriate amount of space to run wild on his own.

“Not afraid I’ll run away?” Shang Ke sat on the desk, smiling as he waved the identity card in his hand.

“If you run, I’ll chase you. I have plenty of free time anyway.” Wen Jingrong kept reading the document in front of him without lifting his gaze.

Shang Ke, who had been expecting a romantic declaration, immediately bristled. “Then I’ll run just to show you. Let’s see exactly how much free time you have.”

Wen Jingrong raised his head and said slowly, “For the rest of my life, I’ll always be ‘free’ for you. No matter the time or place, through age, sickness, and death.”

Shang Ke stared at him deeply, then looped his arms around Wen Jingrong’s neck and whispered, “Wen Jingrong, have I ever told you that I love you?”

“You have. But I don’t mind hearing it a few more times.” Wen Jingrong pulled him onto his lap and kissed his lips.

“I can say it as many times as you want.” Shang Ke leaned into his arms, smiling brightly.

After a moment, however, he suddenly looked up again. “There’s something I think I should tell you.”

Wen Jingrong’s heart stirred. “What is it?”

“The reason I’ve been so enthusiastic about making friends.” Shang Ke explained slowly, “At a normal cultivation speed, rebuilding a physical body would have taken me three hundred years. But the aura of fortune around you allowed me to complete my transformation in a very short time.”

“Mm.” Wen Jingrong listened quietly.

“If I keep absorbing your aura of fortune without restraint, I’ll probably drain it completely before too long.”

“How long is ‘before too long’?” Wen Jingrong asked.

Shang Ke thought for a moment. “Probably ten or twenty years.”

“Only ten or twenty years?” Wen Jingrong frowned. “My aura of fortune can only keep you fed for that long?”

“That is not the important part!” Shang Ke reminded him. “The important part is that after ten or twenty years, I’ll have sucked all of it out of you.”

“What happens after it’s gone? Will you leave me?”

“Of course not. It’s just that without that aura protecting you, your life probably won’t continue being as absurdly smooth as it is now.”

“Isn’t that normal?” Wen Jingrong looked completely unconcerned. “Who can guarantee that their entire life will go smoothly?”

“Well, that’s true, but…” Who would not want their life to be a little better? If someone could originally score a hundred and twenty points but ended up with only eighty, most people would still feel reluctant to accept the loss.

“So what does that have to do with you making friends?” Wen Jingrong asked again.

Shang Ke replied, “You’re not the only person who possesses an aura of fortune. I wanted to spread out the amount I absorb. It would be slower, but then it wouldn’t materially affect either your luck or theirs.”

Wen Jingrong’s gaze darkened. “Those friends of yours all possess fortune?”

“Mm.” Shang Ke nodded.

“Good.” A dangerous edge entered Wen Jingrong’s voice. “Starting today, you’re not allowed to associate with them anymore.”

“Why? Didn’t I just explain everything?” Shang Ke glared at him.

Wen Jingrong said sternly, “Other than me, I will not allow you to absorb another person’s aura of fortune!”

How could he possibly tolerate Keke carrying traces of someone else’s aura?

“Didn’t I just tell you? If I only absorb yours, I’ll drain it completely in ten or twenty years.”

“Then drain it!” Wen Jingrong roared. “Even if it costs me my life, I don’t care. As long as I’m alive, I want you to belong completely to me. As long as I draw breath, I won’t let anyone else leave so much as a trace on you!”

Shang Ke had not expected Wen Jingrong to object so violently. To him, absorbing another person’s fortune was no more meaningful than buying something from a shop.

“Keke, promise me.” Wen Jingrong held him tightly and murmured, “Before you suck me dry, don’t go looking for anyone else.”

Suck you dry… Why did that phrasing sound so wrong?

“If it bothers you that much, then fine. I promise.” Shang Ke sighed. “But if I do that, I’ll have to spend less time in human form and reduce how much of your fortune I consume.”

“Didn’t you say there’s enough for ten or twenty years? You don’t have to hold back.” Wen Jingrong had no intention of letting his Keke go hungry.

“The problem is…” Shang Ke looked at him with the exasperation of someone disappointed that iron refused to become steel. “You are not a good person.”

“What… does whether I’m a good person have to do with this?”

“A genuinely good person can usually live out the rest of their life safely even without supernatural fortune, provided they aren’t hopelessly lazy, destitute, or struck by some unpredictable disaster. But you…” Shang Ke poked him in the chest. “How many illegal things have you done in private? How many ordinary people have you bullied? How many wealthy businessmen and powerful figures have you offended?”

“You… know about all that?”

“I’m not an evil pen anymore.” Shang Ke rolled his eyes.

Wen Jingrong: He had always thought Shang Ke was…

“I told you I would make sure you never had to worry about anything for the rest of your life.” Wen Jingrong looked at Shang Ke solemnly. “Trust me, Keke. I’ll eliminate anything that could possibly threaten you before it ever has a chance to grow.”

Shang Ke knew what he meant was that he intended to reform, correct the damage he had done, and start benefiting society. Unfortunately, everything that came out of Wen Jingrong’s mouth still sounded murderous and vaguely criminal.

“Then it’s settled. You may only absorb my aura of fortune.” His Keke had to be raised by him alone.

“Fine. I’ll listen to you. Let’s see what you do ten or twenty years from now.”

“What else can I do? Worst case, I become a pure-hearted, desire-free good man.”

“Heh.” Of all the things Wen Jingrong had ever said, that was the one Shang Ke believed least.

Once he had Shang Ke’s promise, Wen Jingrong stopped interfering with his friendships. Keke trusted him, and he was willing to return that same trust.

Shang Ke, however, did not stop searching for another cultivation method. If absorbing fortune from other people was forbidden, could he perhaps refine Wen Jingrong’s existing aura instead?

While conditioning Wen Jingrong’s body and opening his meridians, Shang Ke searched through all kinds of cultivation texts. In the end, he combined dual-cultivation techniques with the psychic model of Sentinels and Guides and devised a cultivation method suited specifically to Wen Jingrong.

Spiritual energy in this world was far too thin for anyone to achieve true cultivation, but strengthening the body, extending lifespan, and refining the aura of fortune were all perfectly possible.

“I’m not allowed to put it in?” Wen Jingrong sat completely naked in the medicinal pool, looking conflicted as he stared at Keke, whose legs were wrapped around his waist.

“No.” Shang Ke tried very hard to ignore the enormous erection pressing insistently beneath him. “You have to learn how to regulate your breathing and circulate energy first.”

As he spoke, Shang Ke pressed his lips to Wen Jingrong’s and passed the aura of fortune he had absorbed into his mouth, guiding him through the breathing cycle.

After a while, Shang Ke pulled his lips away and hissed through clenched teeth, struggling to keep his voice down, “What happened to the promise that you wouldn’t put it in?!”

“Sorry. I didn’t control the force properly…” Wen Jingrong wore an innocent expression, as though the cock that had taken matters into its own hands had nothing to do with him.

“How many times has this happened already?!” Shang Ke snapped in exasperation.

“Be good, don’t be angry. I promise I won’t come inside you this time.” Wen Jingrong soothed him with practiced ease.

“You still have the nerve to come at all!” Shang Ke snarled. “Hold it in.”

“That might be a little difficult…”

“Nnh… gentler. Stop thrusting so hard every single time…”

Wen Jingrong smiled and lightly bit at the side of his neck.

In truth, he had already mastered the breathing method a month ago. He simply had not told Keke. He loved seeing Keke angry and helpless at the same time; it made him feel indulged and accepted. Still, he knew he could not keep pretending forever, or it would delay their cultivation.

Hm. He would tell him next month. He had to admit, he absolutely loved this method of cultivation. He could practice it for a lifetime without ever getting tired of it…

The average human lifespan on Planet Tahm was one hundred and twenty years. After Wen Jingrong began cultivating, his lifespan extended by nearly another century, and his appearance barely aged. He became the longest-lived and most legendary human in the planet’s recorded history.

The cultivation method Shang Ke designed for Wen Jingrong would, in the not-too-distant future, come to be revered by the people of Tahm as a sacred classic.

After several generations of transmission and practice, the average lifespan on Planet Tahm doubled. No one else, however, could preserve an ageless appearance like Wen Jingrong—because none of them possessed a fortune pen whose soul was perfectly compatible with their own…

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