Chapter 3: Favor Points

Chapter 3:
Favor Points

 

AFTER SLEEPING for an unknown length of time, Shen Qingqiu finally awoke, more dead than alive.

Opening his eyes to the sight of the familiar white, gauzy curtains above his head, he knew that he was on Qing Jing Peak, in his quiet and peaceful residence.

He took a deep breath, wanting to stretch, when he suddenly realized that the door had opened, and someone entered.

Ming Fan held a tray in both hands. Seeing Shen Qingqiu awake, he dropped the tray on the table and started to bawl. “Shizun, you’re finally awake!”

Another person was still standing outside. Luo Binghe lingered by the entrance like he wanted to come in, yet he hesitated.

Ming Fan sobbed for a while, soaking a large patch of the bedsheet, before turning over his shoulder.

“Why are you still standing here? Don’t you know that seeing you annoys Shizun?” he rebuked Luo Binghe. Then he said to Shen Qingqiu, “I don’t know what’s wrong with that kid. He insisted on planting himself there like some kind of stick. He won’t leave, no matter how much he’s shooed away!”

Shen Qingqiu waved his hand. “No matter. Let him.”

“I—I will go and get Liu-shishu, Zhangmen-shibo, and Mu-shishu!” Ming Fan said. “They said to alert them as soon as you woke up!”

After saying this, he scrambled to his feet and rushed outside.

It seemed to Shen Qingqiu that he’d slept for a very long time. Yue Qingyuan had already returned.

As for “Mu-shishu,” that had to be Qian Cao Peak’s Mu Qingfang. Qian Cao Peak specialized in medication and was proficient in the healing arts, so his presence made absolute sense.

Luo Binghe let Ming Fan pass, but even after Ming Fan had gone a distance, he wouldn’t leave his spot. He only stared fixedly into the room, his fist clenched tightly the entire time.

Shen Qingqiu slowly sat up. “Do you have something to say? Then come in.”

Luo Binghe complied and entered the room. With a sudden thump, he fell to his knees before the bed.

Shen Qingqiu stared at him in alarm.

Wait a moment, System? What’s going on? All I did was sleep for a bit—how did things end up like this? How long have I been asleep for? Is it like ten years in the future or something?

From his kneel, Luo Binghe raised his head, gaze fervent and full of guilt. “Shizun, please forgive this disciple’s foolishness and ignorance up until now.”

Foolishness and ignorance? You could describe a lot of people with those words, but certainly not Luo Binghe, right?

“Originally, this disciple was under the impression that Shizun didn’t care about him at all. Only after the third match did I understand what painstaking efforts Shizun had put in.”

No, no, no, your original master really didn’t care about you, Shen Qingqiu thought desperately. He earnestly wished you dead, really! Although, exactly what painstaking efforts of mine have you noticed? Say it out loud; I’m very curious to know!

But Luo Binghe did not continue speaking on this topic. He only said, entirely earnest, “From this day forth, this disciple will devote himself to carrying out his duty and serving Shizun will all his heart, obeying only Shizun’s esteemed commands!”

Shen Qingqiu studied him with a complicated expression.

All that past mistreatment and abuse, completely forgotten because he’d saved Luo Binghe once? Weren’t these favor points a little too easy to farm?

To no surprise, at that time, he was unable to understand the course of Luo Binghe’s thoughts, with their hundreds and thousands of twists and turns.

Shen Qingqiu was silent for a moment. “As long as you understand. First, why don’t you get up?”

He still didn’t understand this in the slightest. Bing-ge, what exactly did you realize?

He watched Luo Binghe slowly stand, yet the boy remained unwilling to leave. Instead, he seemed bashful, as if there was still something he wanted to say.

“Is there something else?” Shen Qingqiu asked.

“Shizun has slept for many days and only just woke up,” said Luo Binghe. “I was wondering, do you perhaps have an appetite?”

In truth, strictly speaking, Shen Qingqiu had long held himself in a state of inedia. Even if he didn’t eat, he would be fine. But he was unable to resist his nature, which craved good food. As soon as he heard there were things to eat, his eyes shone with desire.

“Quite a bit. Very much so.”

Luo Binghe dashed off to the kitchen. For the past few days, every couple of hours, he’d remade a serving of congee, and now it could finally be put to use. After bringing the congee to the table, still steaming hot, Luo Binghe helped Shen Qingqiu sit up on the bed, so solicitous it made the hair on the back of one’s nape stand up. He came just short of spoon-feeding Shen Qingqiu, and a streak of goosebumps ran down Shen Qingqiu’s forearms. He ate a few mouthfuls using the ladle himself, and all the while Luo Binghe remained standing by his bedside, silently watching him.

Shen Qingqiu thought for a moment when he was hit by a sudden realization. “It’s quite good,” he said, reservedly offering a few words of praise.

It wasn’t just “quite good.” Even Qing Jing Peak’s name, “clear and tranquil,” told you that this branch tended toward the fresh and light, and the style of their cooks followed this same principle. After eating their food for so long, Shen Qingqiu’s tastebuds had become as dull as dishwater. Even though the bowl in his hand was full of mere congee—

Perhaps it was an issue of ingredients and technique, but compared to the watery, meager congee he’d had recently, it was on an entirely different level. Snow-white congee rice, finely chopped scallions, delicious minced pork, and shredded ginger in just the right amount, all at the perfect temperature!

It had been too long. Shen Qingqiu’s body wanted nothing but to weep.

At this praise, Luo Binghe’s eyes shone. “If Shizun likes it, may I give it to him every day, with variations?”

Shen Qingqiu choked on the spot.

Luo Binghe rushed to pat his back. Shen Qingqiu waved him off, expressing that he was fine.

He was only a little shocked.

Luo Binghe’s excellent cooking skills were his foremost lady-killing technique. Shen Qingqiu had never thought that he would have the rare honor to eat as only a few key harem members in the original work got to: “Cuisine a la Luo Binghe.”

Even more shocking was that line, ah, that line. This one: “I’ll give it to you every day, with variations.”

Wasn’t that what Luo Binghe had used to coax several spoiled young ladies into willingly and ecstatically entering his harem?

Eating whatever you want is fine but saying whatever you want is not!

As Shen Qingqiu’s expression had grown strange, Luo Binghe was slightly uneasy. “Shizun dislikes it?” he asked.

You made me free food! Whoever disliked that would be an idiot. Shen Qingqiu said amiably, “This master likes it very much. From today onward, I’ll leave this to you.”

Finally, he didn’t need to resign himself to eating that insubstantial, watery fare. As the oh-so-mighty Qing Jing Peak Lord, why didn’t he have the privilege of a private kitchen?!

Having received approval, Luo Binghe once again blossomed like a spring flower. Shen Qingqiu watched him bloom, and without knowing why, his hand suddenly itched, wanting to pat that head again. Was it possible that Bing-ge’s head had a special magnetic field? That would explain why he couldn’t control himself.

After sending a happily beaming Luo Binghe away (returning his goodwill by using him as hard labor), Shen Qingqiu called on the System.

“Is the scenario at the Endless Abyss unavoidable?” he asked.

【 If Luo Binghe fails to complete the “Endless Abyss” scenario, ten thousand satisfaction points will be deducted, 】 said the System.

Upon hearing that number, Shen Qingqiu once again, out of habit, spat up a fountain of blood. Afterward, he wiped his mouth. Whatever, he’d spat out so much blood that he was used to it at this point.

This was eminently logical. If Luo Binghe wasn’t shoved into the Endless Abyss, then he wouldn’t be able to activate his golden finger. If the protagonist couldn’t become overpowered, then where was the satisfaction?

Therefore, the Endless Abyss scenario was unavoidable. And as this novel’s number one loser, number one scum villain, the execution of this glorious task, naturally, absolutely, inescapably, fell to Shen Qingqiu.

Yet unwilling to resign himself to this fate, Shen Qingqiu asked again and ended up sighing, still unable to give up completely. Luo Binghe, who was currently like a little sun, was destined to fall and become that brooding, cold-blooded, demon youth. Even a transmigrator like Shen Qingqiu, who by all rights ought to have access to cheat powers, was unable to change this inevitability.

He had been designated to be the man who threw the protagonist into the Endless Abyss, thereby catalyzing his overpowered, legendary journey!

This job’s opportunities for growth were really terrible.

If Shen Qingqiu failed to do this, he would lose ten thousand satisfaction points—he couldn’t become more thoroughly dead than that. But if he did do this, once Luo Binghe activated his golden finger, he definitely wouldn’t let him off.

The work was difficult, the pay was meager, the benefits—were nonexistent. What the hell was up with this?!

Luo Binghe hadn’t left for long when several of Shen Qingqiu’s sect siblings came to visit.

Shen Qingqiu lay on the bed, reading a novel hidden inside a copy of the Daode Jing.5 When Yue Qingyuan entered, he shut the books without missing a beat so that the novel was tucked inside, with the Daode Jing’s cover proudly exposed. He tried to get off the bed, but Yue Qingyuan hurriedly stopped him.

“Don’t move so carelessly,” he cautioned. “You shouldn’t leave the bed yet. Just keep lying down.” Yue Qingyuan turned behind him to Mu Qingfang. “Mu-shidi, come take another look.”

While Shen Qingqiu was unconscious, Mu Qingfang had already diagnosed him and provided treatment. This visit was likely for further prognosis.

Shen Qingqiu held out his wrist. “I’m troubling Mu-shidi,” he said politely.

Mu Qingfang startled briefly, but he nodded, sitting by the bed and putting his fingers on Shen Qingqiu’s pulse. With his medical expertise as the Peak Lord of Qian Cao Peak, no matter how complicated the case, he only needed an instant to make a diagnosis and provide a prescription. But he conscientiously remained there for a long while before finally removing his fingers, his expression solemn.

“How is he?” Yue Qingyuan asked.

As the patient in question, Shen Qingqiu showed no restraint. “So can this poison be cured or not?”

Liu Qingge shook out his sleeves, sitting down next to the table with a humph. “It’s called Without a Cure. What do you think?”

Shen Qingqiu sighed. “Then Mu-shidi might as well tell me. How many years do I have left? How many months? Or how many days?”

Mu Qingfang shook his head. “Even though it’s Without a Cure, its effects can be suppressed.”

His voice was even, neither quiet nor loud, but Shen Qingqiu felt like he’d hit the jackpot.

Even though this poison was called “Without a Cure,” in truth there was a remedy.

In the original work, at the Immortal Alliance Conference, with its twist after twist, a lovable, graceful, and subdued little shimei from another sect was hit by this rare poison. However, importantly, she was the protagonist’s woman.

Was there ever a stallion novel where the male lead let his own woman be poisoned to death? If there was, then he would be a subpar wish-fulfillment protagonist! And that would be a shitty failure of a stallion novel!

The cure was incredibly simple. Let us review the developments in the original work.

Due to the irresistible power of plot, in order to save the male lead—whom she’d known for less than two hours—that graceful little shimei let herself be hit by a demon’s underhanded trick, and the poison contaminated her body. Luo Binghe felt an absolute obligation to save her, and therefore he took on the burden of looking for a cure for the graceful little shimei.

It just so happened that, deep within the mountains where the Immortal Alliance Conference was being held, there grew a mythical thousand-year-old flower.

Sorry, Shen Qingqiu had already forgotten exactly what the name was—whatever-flower or whatever-leaf—because the number of mythical flowers in Proud Immortal Demon Way numbered at least in the hundreds, and every single one was at least a thousand years old, and when you added on all the mythical grasses and mythical trees, who the hell could remember all those names?!

(Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky, do you think mythical flowers are like Chinese cabbages on sale? Leave mythical flowers at least a little of the dignity that comes with being rare and precious!)

Luo Binghe was sure this legendary flower would cure the poison within the graceful shimei’s body. He put a tremendous amount of effort into picking it for her—just doing that took three days (thirty chapters). For those three days, they journeyed to pick the flower while fighting monsters, and through exchanging flirtatious glances, they developed a deep sense of camaraderie.

By the time Luo Binghe finally managed to pick the flower, the graceful shimei’s condition had worsened, her entire body fragile and devoid of strength. The two of them were overjoyed, and they hurried to let the graceful shimei eat the flower raw.

However, it was ineffective. The poison wasn’t cured! Their hearts sank.

The girl thought, “Since I’m about to die, I must leave behind some memories to ensure that my life won’t have been in vain. I don’t have many days left, after all, so I won’t suppress my feelings anymore.”

Then, using her weak and fragile body, she pushed Luo Binghe down.

Luo Binghe put up a brief show of resistance before telling himself “She did it all for my sake. I don’t have the heart to reject her final wish.” He yielded, still half-reluctant, and went along with it…

Then, in the end, how was the poison cured?

After the down and dirty scene, the girl’s poison was naturally cured!

Was it ridiculous? Cliché? Implausible?

…But it was satisfying, right? Ridiculously satisfying, so ridiculously satisfying, ha ha ha ha…

Look, Luo Binghe was of both human and demon blood, right? And the demon half of his bloodline came from their number one Saintly Ruler—from the heavenly demons of old! A wee little demonic poison wasn’t even strong enough to get stuck between Luo Binghe’s teeth, and he instantly absorbed and digested it during their you know.

Incidentally, he even absorbed the nutrients of the mythical flower the girl had just eaten, and so his martial ability once again made great progress—shit!

The so-called protagonist’s privilege was that even if he stepped in dog shit, there would probably be a hidden scroll or elixir within it.

As Shen Qingqiu thought back on this segment of Proud Immortal Demon Way, his facial expression kept changing erratically. He failed to notice even when the others addressed him. Yue Qingyuan had to repeatedly call his name many times before he finally returned to himself.

“What?”

Mu Qingfang passed him a piece of paper. “Every month, take these four medications, then circulate your spiritual energy with someone who has high quantities of it. This will assist you in maintaining regular spiritual circulation. If you do these things, you shouldn’t have any problems.” He paused for a moment. “The only thing is, I’m afraid that from today onward, Shen-shixiong, occasionally your spiritual qi will at times suddenly stagnate, or you may suffer other abnormalities in your circulation.”

The other three people in the room all paid close attention to his expression.

One must remember that to cultivators, the stagnation of spiritual circulation was a profoundly terrifying problem—especially if it cropped up during a duel between expert practitioners, where a single slip-up could mean your life.

Little did they know, Shen Qingqiu was immensely satisfied with this result.

For somebody in a scum villain role to be poisoned with something like Without a Cure and still be able to live? It was giving him too much confidence.

Like, he knew that going at it with the protagonist could have cured the poison, but like he could do that! Could he? Ha ha ha ha…

Yue Qingyuan sighed. “Had I known any of this would come to pass, I would not have left the mountain.”

Shen Qingqiu thought his tone was too solemn. “The Immortal Alliance Conference has always been a massive event that the various sect leaders must work together to organize,” he hurried to say. “How could you not have gone, Shixiong? This happened due to the demons’ underhanded deceits and my own carelessness; you must not hold yourself responsible.”

If he didn’t say this clearly here, given Yue Qingyuan’s personality, he might never leave the mountain ever again—he’d stay and defend Cang Qiong Mountain Sect to his last. That was all entirely possible.

To his surprise, Mu Qingfang also guiltily declared, “No, the fault is all mine. If I hadn’t failed to realize there was a demonic invasion, and if my skill weren’t too poor to fully cure Shen-shixiong, it wouldn’t have come to this either.”

“No, no, no, it has nothing to do with you two,” Shen Qingqiu insisted. “Ah, come to think of it, I was a bit indelicate and smashed a giant hole into the ground before Qiong Ding Hall with that hammer…”

The three of them devolved into jumbled apologizing and blame-taking, the scene both chaotic and comical. It left Shen Qingqiu both touched and embarrassed, his entire body breaking out into goosebumps and his scalp going numb.

Liu Qingge stared out the window, face expressionless. He waited until they had exhausted themselves, then finally took a sip of tea and said, “This matter must remain secret to all but the twelve peak lords.”

If outsiders became aware that the peak lord of Cang Qiong Mountain Sect’s second peak had such a deadly weakness, things would be unfun, to say the least. All three of the others naturally understood this.

“Do you think that the burden of peak lord will be too heavy, Qingqiu?” asked Yue Qingyuan.

The original Shen Qingqiu would most likely have suspected that Yue Qingyuan was trying to undermine his authority or something of that sort. However, the current Shen Qingqiu knew that Yue Qingyuan was genuinely worried about him overworking himself and damaging his health, and he rushed to respond.

“Zhangmen-shixiong, really, don’t worry about me anymore. I haven’t been crippled to that extent.” He smiled. “For now, my hands, feet, and mouth still work, and I still have my cultivation. I am entirely satisfied.”

They then discussed a variety of details of the demon invasion before Yue Qingyuan and Mu Qingfang took their leave. Shen Qingqiu watched them go, thinking it all terribly funny, yet he also felt an unutterable warmth and peace.

Even though his fellow disciples’ personalities were all different, with some easy to get along with, some difficult, they all breathed as one. Though split into twelve peaks, whenever something went wrong, they were a dependable family (excepting the original Shen Qingqiu).

Liu Qingge put down his tea, which had long gone ice-cold. “If it weren’t for your body’s lack of ghostly qi, I would definitely suspect you’d been possessed.”

And the one who remained just happened to be one of the difficult ones.

On a certain level, your guess is very correct.

Liu Qingge continued. “You saved me in the Ling Xi Caves. That in itself was inconceivable. During the demon attack, you also rescued some nameless disciple and almost lost your life. You were poisoned to the point of damaging your spiritual energy levels, and you should be furious, yet you’ve peacefully accepted it. Someone else doing so wouldn’t be strange, but you doing so upturns everything.”

Shen Qingqiu absolutely didn’t want to discuss the issues of his own OOC personality with Liu Qingge. He called Ming Fan to refresh the tea, then leaned back and smiled. “Nameless? That’s only for now.”

“That disciple of yours, his base is indeed excellent,” Liu Qingge said. “However, a fair number with his level of aptitude are invited into the large sects every year, and in the end, the number who can become truly outstanding is less than one in ten thousand.”

Shen Qingqiu suddenly sensed danger.

What if Liu Qingge became a stumbling block on Luo Binghe’s journey to becoming overpowered and, during a confrontation between the two of them, was KO’d in a snap? For everyone’s sake, he needed to warn Liu Qingge.

“Believe me,” he said patiently, earnestly. “This disciple of mine will definitely be a success. I hope when Liu-shidi has the chance, you can give him a little support and guidance as often as possible.”

Ming Fan was half-dead from depression. He had only come to refresh the tea, yet he had been forced to hear Shen Qingqiu, his ally in torturing a shared enemy, heap praise after praise upon Luo Binghe. The level of frustration he felt was akin to that of “the confidante who for years always cursed a little bastard with you suddenly went and coupled up with the same little bastard you’d tormented together.” Repulsed, he immediately decided to go be repulsive to others.

A stormy Ming Fan found Luo Binghe in the kitchen, pondering over what food to make Shen Qingqiu the next morning. Ming Fan showered him with verbal abuse before issuing a series of commands.

“Go chop some wood! Chop eighty bundles! Fill the entire woodshed! Fetch water! The water jars in our rooms are all empty! Are you blind? Can’t you see?!”

“But Shixiong, if the woodshed is full, where will I sleep?” Luo Binghe asked, perplexed.

Ming Fan stomped his foot, spittle flying everywhere. “Isn’t it flat in here?! Isn’t that floor enough?!”

“I just filled the water jars in your rooms today…”

“That water isn’t fresh anymore—redo it! Refill them all!”

In the past, some grievance and bitterness might have sprouted in Luo Binghe’s heart, but today his attitude was completely different. In his eyes, these were all training opportunities.

He already had such a good teacher, one who thought of everything for him, who was even willing to sacrifice his life for him (right…?). What training could he not overcome? What suffering could he not withstand?

Luo Binghe didn’t say another word. He turned on his heel to get ready to work.

Ming Fan could derive not even a little satisfaction from his reaction, and instead he felt even more frustrated.

He stormed away while cursing. “I really can’t understand what about that brat caught Shizun’s eye, for Shizun to suddenly see him in a new light. ‘A success’? ‘Outstanding’? Even if that brat bewitched Shizun with some potion, Liu-shishu still won’t guide or support him! Unthinkable! Bah!”

Though Ming Fan cursed unceasingly as he went, his voice wasn’t loud.

But how could Luo Binghe, with his blindingly fast progress and naturally sharp five senses, not hear? Ming Fan’s mutterings were largely harsh words and phrases, but in the midst he’d touched on the keywords, and in an instant Luo Binghe took those bits and pieces to guess most of the whole picture.

So Shizun had actually spoken about him like that in front of Liu-shishu…

The feeling of having someone speak about you so highly somewhere you couldn’t see—that feeling was truly indescribably wonderful.

Warmth suddenly surged in Luo Binghe’s heart; the more it surged, the stronger it became, gradually flowing through his entire body.

Luo Binghe felt like a steady strength had taken root somewhere in the depths of his heart and was starting to bud. Even his hand, carrying the heavy wooden bucket, seemed to become stronger.

At this time, not only did Luo Binghe not feel like other people were making things difficult for him, his expression became joyful and satisfied.

If Shen Qingqiu were there, he would definitely have suspected that, within the depths of his heart, Luo Binghe was actually an extreme masochist.

However, Shen Qingqiu was astoundingly oblivious to the fact that, thanks to the divine wingman abilities of his useless teammate Ming Fan, Luo Binghe’s favor had again risen to a new high. For the time being, Shen Qingqiu was lying down in elation.

That day, the always lofty Qing Jing Peak’s doorstep almost broke from all the feet rushing across it. The various peak lords all brought their disciples to visit, along with gifts of condolence.

After all, during Sha Hualing’s armed provocation, the Rainbow Bridges had been severed, and Qiong Ding Peak had been sealed by a barrier. They had been unable to intervene, and so the burden of the fight had fallen on Shen Qingqiu, who had been the sole representative of the older generation.

Anyhow, Cang Qiong Mountain hadn’t lost too much face. But no matter whether their past relationship had been good or bad, the peak lords absolutely had to come and express proper sentiments. Shen Qingqiu calmly received their greetings and used the chance to learn the faces of several peak lords he hadn’t yet met, while also taking the opportunity to make some small talk and strengthen his relationships.

That night, he was on cloud nine as he thought: Finally, I can have a peaceful night’s sleep.

However, four hours later…

Peaceful night’s sleep my ass!

Shen Qingqiu stood in the middle of a stretch of chaotic nothingness and stared out at the endless horizon.

He’d definitely just been drunk on satisfied smiles, comfortably sinking into sleep on his bed—so could someone explain why he’d been dragged into this space?!

Shen Qingqiu really wished he had a gong, one he could ring to summon the System so that he wouldn’t need to always yell at the top of his lungs within his mind, “System?! Are you online?!”

【 The System provides you with 24-hour service. 】

“Where is this? What’s the situation?”

【 This is a world within a dream realm. 】

“Of course I know this is a dream realm,” said Shen Qingqiu. “Tell me, how could such abstract scenery exist in reality? I’m asking why I’m here.”

Come on, he thought, please don’t let it be what I’m thinking.

But this world really wouldn’t give him a break. Just as he thought, don’t, don’t, in the next second, he saw a figure that was unbearably familiar.

Luo Binghe stood before him, bewildered, in the middle of a never-ending wasteland.

He also seemed entirely lost as to why he’d appeared here. After a moment of bewilderment, Shen Qingqiu’s form came into his view. Luo Binghe startled, then dashed over happily, like a chick who’d seen its mother hen.

(What kind of shitty analogy was that?!)

“Shizun!” Luo Binghe had already been trapped in this world for a long time. He was instantly excited by the sight of Shen Qingqiu and called to him repeatedly, again and again.

As soon as Shen Qingqiu laid eyes on him, he recognized this place and what scenario he’d been thrust into.

Instantly, all of Shen Qingqiu’s hopes turned to dust, and even as a shower of tears rained down on his heart, he patted Luo Binghe’s shoulder. “I heard you, no need to call me so many times.”

“Yes. Shizun,” Luo Binghe said hurriedly. “Why are you here too? Do you know where we are?”

Being lazy, Shen Qingqiu directly echoed the System’s lines. “This is a world within a dream realm.”

“Then why am I here?” Luo Binghe asked again.

“Anyone else being here is the strange thing, while your presence is quite natural,” said Shen Qingqiu. “This is your dream realm.”

“Mine?” Luo Binghe startled and backed up a step, looking at the endless, desolate land and sky. “My dream realm, actually…looks like this?”

The dream realm, one’s view of the world, reflected one’s heart. Luo Binghe was so young, yet his mindscape wasn’t filled with the red of flowers and the green of willows, but this bleak scenery. One couldn’t help feeling sorrow.

Shen Qingqiu pretended to ponder for a while. “This is not an ordinary dream realm. I’m afraid that while you were unaware, someone tampered with it. The waves of spiritual energy within this dream are strong and unstable. Though this master was inadvertently pulled in by you.”

“This disciple is useless and involved Shizun once again.” Luo Binghe’s face was ashamed, but he considered this carefully. “Exactly who would tamper with my dream realm?”

Shen Qingqiu was ready with an answer, fully enjoying the experience of divulging spoilers. “No need to think too hard. The borders of this dream realm churn with demonic qi, and any entity who would use such crude techniques undoubtedly must be a demon.”

Luo Binghe was unsurprised, and these words only deepened his hatred toward that race. “The ways of demons are truly poisonous.”

Shen Qingqiu wondered what sort of expression Luo Binghe would make in the future, thinking back on these words, once he learned of his own demonic heritage…

“Not necessarily poisonous,” said Shen Qingqiu with a smile. “Perhaps their intentions are the exact opposite.”

Someone not in the know couldn’t hope to comprehend words spoken from his omniscient perspective.

Luo Binghe didn’t understand. What did his master mean? But Shen Qingqiu’s smile seemed profound, and the tail of his sentence was inflected lightly upward in a somewhat teasing tone. It was the sort of hint that made people’s imaginations run wild. Luo Binghe stopped there, not daring to think about it further.

In truth, Shen Qingqiu didn’t intend to tease; he thought himself very straightforward. The one who’d tampered with Luo Binghe’s dream realm was Sha Hualing. Though she did have some harmful intentions, her underlying motive was obvious. Naturally, she was driven by a young girl’s secret yearning for love.

Otherwise, she would have directed her aggressions toward others, not specifically Luo Binghe. Demons were compelled to viciously bully the person they liked. Only if the object of their affections failed to die would the demon accept them. If their target died, that meant they were useless and not worth nursing any lingering affections for.

“This dream realm is rather complicated.” said Shen Qingqiu. “An ordinary nightmare technique couldn’t trap me. I can dispel those with a mere thought. But this dream realm was truly meticulously constructed. I’m afraid that until the core of the illusion is destroyed, no one will be able to leave.”

“Even Shizun would be trapped in this dream realm forever?” Luo Binghe asked, anxious.

Shen Qingqiu glanced at him. “You will be too.”

Luo Binghe’s mind jolted, his face going from red to white. “…It’s all this disciple’s fault.”

“The situation is what it is, so there’s no use decrying it,” said Shen Qingqiu. “We should devise a solution as soon as possible, dispel the barrier, and take our leave.”

Luo Binghe silently nodded and followed behind Shen Qingqiu as they headed toward the dream realm’s border.

Shen Qingqiu’s face was smooth and unchanging, but his mind was a stormy sea. He was having an intense back-and-forth with the System.

【 System alert: You are now entering an important subplot scenario, “The ‘Dream Demon’ Meng Mo’s Barrier.” During this subplot, please make sure to assist Luo Binghe in defeating Meng Mo’s illusion. Otherwise, one thousand satisfaction points will be deducted. 】

There it was again. Always deducting satisfaction points, and every time it was a heart-attack-inducing number. After assiduously working for so long, Shen Qingqiu had only managed to scrounge a couple of satisfaction points here and there while the System could remove one thousand points in a single deduction—was this really fair?!

As a person—no, as a System, you shouldn’t be so inflexible!

That wasn’t the main point, though. The main point was—was that this was the wrong script!

Let us summarize this scenario’s original setup: Luo Binghe was pushed into Meng Mo’s sphere of influence, but before danger struck, he instinctually sought protection and pulled the person he trusted most into the barrier with him.

Shen Qingqiu urgently called to the System. “Master, Good Master, Esteemed Master! There’s a been a bug, right? In this section, Luo Binghe should be cozying up with a maiden, and the maiden is responsible for unraveling his complexes and using love to help him defeat his inner demons. How come I’ve been thrust into this role?! Where is the promised deep and emotional heart-to-heart where she’s accepted into his harem? Where is the promised little shimei who refuses to leave him either in life or in death?!”

【 Our self-inspection failed to find a bug. The System is running normally. 】

No bug. That meant that in this scenario, Shen Qingqiu either had to carry out that role or die.

This was the butterfly effect! Originally, the one who was pulled into Luo Binghe’s nightmare was Ning Yingying. As Luo Binghe’s closest, most trusted confidante on Qing Jing Peak in the early story, this gate-crashing, intimacy-building task was clearly her job.

What was happening now? How had the hat of “closest, most trusted confidant” nonsensically landed on Shen Qingqiu’s head?

I would like to express that I am overwhelmed by this honor, but I don’t at all want to accept this special distinction!

“Shizun, what’s wrong?” Luo Binghe asked in concern, seeing his unreadable expression.

Shen Qingqiu promptly pulled himself together. “Nothing’s wrong,” he said calmly. “This master was thinking that demons who manipulate dream realms often target the weaknesses of the human heart. You must be vigilant and on your guard.”

Luo Binghe nodded, his expression firm. “This disciple definitely won’t allow Shifu to be dragged in again.”

This was miserable. Not only had Shen Qingqiu been thrust into a dangerous situation, on top of that, he had to assume the task of playing out the maiden’s role.

Shen Qingqiu absolutely didn’t want to charge through a mountain of knives or a sea of fire with the male lead to confront the terrifying Master Meng Mo while also blocking knives for him and even providing free psychological therapy…

That said, complaining was useless. In the past, when he’d been faced with this kind of situation, his habit had been to cuss out Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky, but honestly, “Great Master” Airplane was also innocent. He was a proper, upright stallion novel author, and he definitely wouldn’t have wanted something like this to happen in his work—a healthy maiden being replaced by a scum villain? How disheartening. Ordinary readers would throw the book to the floor.

The two of them kept walking, the clouds above and scenery around them like a kaleidoscope, sometimes lengthening and twisting, and at other times shattering into thousands of fragments, always erratic. The picture formed by the world they walked through was exceedingly eerie, like the people had been illustrated by da Vinci while the backgrounds had been illustrated by Picasso. The style clash was extraordinarily intense.

Suddenly, from within the dense layers of cloud emerged the buildings of a city.

They stopped in their steps. Luo Binghe looked at Shen Qingqiu, waiting for his signal.

“Counter soldiers with arms and floods with earthen dams,” Shen Qingqiu muttered to himself. “We deal with whatever situations arise as appropriate. Forward.”

As they walked to the city gates, Luo Binghe raised his head, his expression becoming slightly puzzled.

Shen Qingqiu knew very well what he was thinking: that this city looked very familiar.

Of course it was familiar—this was the city Luo Binghe had wandered while homeless during his childhood.

The city gates naturally had no guards defending them and slowly opened by themselves. Shen Qingqiu led him inside.

This dream realm was frightening in its realism. When abstract, it was so abstract that it became blobs of colors. When photorealistic, it was so photorealistic as to be indistinguishable from reality. The city’s streets, markets, residences, vendor stalls—every single one was intricate enough to make your hair stand on end. Lit brightly with lamps, with people coming and going, from a distance it looked bustling and lively, but once Shen Qingqiu drew close, even though he had long prepared himself, his heart still almost escaped his ribcage.

These “people” moving about were, to a one, faceless.

Every visage was a blurry mass, features unclear, and none of them made a sound. They didn’t seem like living people at all, yet they still milled around, wandering back and forth. The entire city was deathly silent, its busyness entirely uncanny.

Luo Binghe had never seen a scene like this. “Shizun,” he said, aghast, “what are these things?”

Shen Qingqiu was panicking a little from terror, but he still took on the duty of being an expository encyclopedia. “This is an illusory city created via a nightmare. In the dream realm, one can create inanimate objects such as buildings and trees, but not living people. At most, they can be fashioned to this extent, speechless monsters that lack noses and faces. Even so, to be able to construct something on the scope of a city, and to make it nearly like unto reality—I’m afraid it can only be one person.”

Luo Binghe was incredibly cooperative, and he humbly sought instruction. “One person?”

“Meng Mo.”

Meng Mo the “Dream Demon,” was the boss of this instance of a dream realm.

Meng Mo’s true identity was that of a famously brilliant and accomplished elder among demons. Several hundred years ago, a bout of divine punishment had destroyed his physical body, but his powerful spirit had endured, undamaged. From then on, he had become a parasite within others’ dream realms, subsisting by absorbing their spiritual energy and vitality.

At the same time, he was also one of the protagonist’s teachers on his road to becoming a demon. Thus, we can give him a more direct and intimate nickname: the Portable Grandfather.

Meng Mo was the one who, after Luo Binghe broke through the barrier, formulaically took a liking to the protagonist, formulaically taught him everything about his lost arts, and formulaically from that point forth occasionally helped the male lead think up plans for taking care of small fry.

Luo Binghe still wanted to ask a few more questions, but then his eyes involuntarily swept through the crowd and froze for a split second.

Despite knowing the answer, Shen Qingqiu asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Faces!” Luo Binghe blurted out. “Shizun! Just now I think I saw people with faces!”

Shen Qingqiu readily heeded his words and kept it concise. “We follow.”

They closely tailed the few figures who were incongruous with the people and style of the surroundings, turning and twisting through the city, until they finally stopped before an alley.

In total, there were five people with faces. They appeared to be five youths, each one equipped with noses and features. The four taller figures surrounded one on the ground, and they cursed and yelled incessantly. Words like “little mongrel” and “bastard” poured from their mouths. They completely failed to notice the two people behind them.

“It looks like they can’t see us,” said Luo Binghe. He looked at Shen Qingqiu as if to ask, Didn’t you say Meng Mo was incapable of creating people with complete features?

Time for more angst! Shen Qingqiu heaved a sigh in his heart. “Meng Mo indeed cannot create people using nightmares, but he didn’t create these individuals. Luo Binghe, look more closely at their faces.”

Luo Binghe slowly turned his gaze toward them. Although his expression didn’t change much, in a flash, a drop of cold sweat dripped down his forehead.

“These are not illusions created by Meng Mo,” said Shen Qingqiu. “They are projections of real people from your memories. Meng Mo only awakened these reflections from the memories sleeping within your mind.”

But Luo Binghe could no longer hear him. He placed his hands on his temples, and it seemed as if his head was twitching.

Shen Qingqiu knew that Luo Binghe’s inner demons had already struck.

Those four rowdy youths surrounded the child in the alley, who appeared to be only around four or five years old, as they punched and kicked him. That shabbily dressed child had covered his head with both arms and curled up on the ground, soundlessly taking the beating. It really made one worry that they would beat the young one to death.

“Heh, this little mongrel sure is blind, daring to enter our territory and snatch our food!”

“Must be tired of living!”

“Step on him, step on him! He’s so pitiful, right? Hungry with nothing to eat, right? Beat him to death, and he won’t have to worry about that!”

Luo Binghe’s head hurt like it was splitting open.

That small, frail figure on the ground was his young self from the past. Through the disheveled hair and bloodstained face, two bright eyes like stars—like sharp swords lancing forward—met his gaze.

Luo Binghe was completely unable to look away.

“Pull yourself together,” Shen Qingqiu said lowly. “It’s only an illusion.”

However, the terrifying thing about Meng Mo was that he specialized in summoning the human heart’s deepest terror, rage, and misery in order to destroy a person’s psychological defenses.

To a Luo Binghe who had already activated his god-mode cheats, the power of ten thousand Meng Mos together would amount to little more than parlor tricks. But the Luo Binghe now, whose demonic blood had yet to awaken, was trapped in the dream realm and his dark memories. All he could see was his own powerlessness.

Suddenly, the alley scene distorted, transforming into another one.

Not good, Shen Qingqiu thought. A second killing blow without time to prepare!

They were in a broken-down little hut. The hut only had one bed, a crooked little table with a dimly lit oil lamp on top, and a small wooden bench.

On the bed lay a haggard old woman. With great effort, she tried to prop herself up, but from beginning to end, she was unable to do so. A small figure rushed in from outside. A tender-faced Luo Binghe, only a little over ten years old, supported the woman. Around his neck hung that jade pendant.

“Mother, why are you getting up again?” he asked anxiously. “Didn’t we say it’s fine to rest?”

The woman coughed. “Lying down doesn’t help with anything… Might as well get up and wash the clothes.”

“I already finished washing,” said little Luo Binghe. “Mother, lie down and wait for me to finish simmering your medicine. You can work after you take it and get better.”

The woman’s face was ashen, her sickness long beyond cure, and she had little time left to live. She smiled while patting Luo Binghe’s head. “Binghe is so sweet.”

Little Luo Binghe lifted his face, forcing himself to smile. “What does Mother want to eat?”

“These days I have less and less appetite.” The woman paused, then hesitantly added, “The last time our house’s young master threw out his white congee, I did wish for a bit of a taste. I wonder if the kitchens have any left.”

Little Luo Binghe vigorously nodded. “I will go ask for Mother!”

“Just asking is enough,” the woman warned him again and again. “If there’s none left, then just make something light and soupy. As long as it fills the stomach, it’s fine. Absolutely do not request any from the chef.”

Luo Binghe promised profusely, then ran out like the wind, his feet clapping against the ground. After lying down for a while, the woman felt beneath her pillow for a needle and thread and started doing needlework.

The lamplight in the hut became dimmer and dimmer.

While Luo Binghe’s mind was unclear, he reached out, trying to grasp something. Shen Qingqiu grabbed his hand.

“Luo Binghe!” he said forcefully. “Look carefully. This isn’t your mother, and you are no longer that helpless child who could only endure humiliation!”

One of the things that made this nightmare so lethal was that the more agitated the trapped victim became, the more damage it would do to their mind. Luo Binghe’s present extreme instability was terribly harmful to his spirit.

Another dangerous thing that you needed to remember was that you absolutely could not attack the “people” who appeared in your dream realm.

Every single “person” was formed from the mind and consciousness of the dream realm’s host. As soon as you attacked them, you would also be attacking your own brain. Many people, not knowing this, or unable to control their emotions, attacked the “people” in the dream realm who’d hurt them in the past and thereby sent themselves into a coma. If Luo Binghe fell into that state, Shen Qingqiu would of course also be trapped in his dream with him.

The scenery around them shifted erratically. This nightmare was a collection of Luo Binghe’s misfortunes and traumas from his short decade-plus years of life.

The scene suddenly transformed into little Luo Binghe pleading with the house chef to grant his adopted mother a bowl of congee before being ridiculed by the manor’s young master—then it became the time right after he’d joined Qing Jing Peak, when he’d been subjected to exclusion and spite by his numerous shixiong, his frail form straining as he swung a rusty axe or carried pails of water up the long stairs as his steps slowed more and more—then the moment when his treasured jade pendant was snatched away, never to be found…

The disordered scenes piled up as they came one after another without pause. The present Luo Binghe could neither see nor hear anything beyond this maelstrom of images and memories. Within his head, there was only an ongoing explosion of hatred, despair, suffering, helplessness, and fury from those times, churning endlessly within his chest and mind.

The only way to dispel this nightmare would be to undo the tangles in one’s heart, thereby causing the nightmare to collapse on itself. But Luo Binghe’s fists were tightly clenched. Cracking sounds came from his fingers, his breathing grew increasingly unsteady, his eyes turned an unnatural red, and a faintly discernible current of spiritual power coursed around him, as if his desire to attack were growing near irresistible.

Standing near him was supremely dangerous, thought Shen Qingqiu.

“Don’t attack them,” Shen Qingqiu said harshly. “Even if you hit them, you’ll be the one who’s injured!”

Luo Binghe could no longer hear his words. He lifted his right arm, and a powerful spiritual blast flew forth from his palm, hurtling straight forward to destroy the people laughing freely within the illusion.

Shen Qingqiu cried out within his heart. No matter how painful, his body still understood its duties. He rushed over, throwing himself before the illusions, blocking the spiritual blast head on. It struck his lower abdomen.

In that instant, Shen Qingqiu felt like he’d been stomped on by an elephant, his vision going dark. If this weren’t the dream realm, he’d have vomited an endless fountain of blood.

As expected of the protagonist!

Shen Qingqiu’s face was drenched with tears. Luo Binghe was obviously only a young disciple, so how could he release such a powerful spiritual blast?

It seemed that ever since he’d unlocked the OOC function, not only had he not accomplished any grand achievements, the only thing he’d done aside from blocking blows was block more blows—and also block some blows. He was doing just grand as a self-sacrificial meatshield, wasn’t he?!

With this attack of Luo Binghe’s, the illusion around them was broken, and the people and objects all shattered like glass into thousands of shards. The illusory landscape transformed into a remote, forested wilderness. The sky was a dark blue, and the lone, cold moon hung high and golden above their heads.

Luo Binghe’s mind instantly cleared. He first stared blankly, speechlessly at the half-kneeling Shen Qingqiu, who was unable to stand. Then he lowered his head to look at his own palm, where a shred of remaining spiritual power was still flowing through his fingertips. Vaguely remembering what he’d just done, his face turned stark white.

Luo Binghe threw himself to Shen Qingqiu’s side to support him, both worried and regretful. “Shizun! Why, why didn’t you hit back?!”

With Shen Qingqiu’s level of spiritual power, he would have been wholly capable of returning Luo Binghe’s spiritual blast, forcing their powers to collide and directly pitting them against each other until the stronger one won. Not only could he have dissolved Luo Binghe’s attack, he could have deflected it back at him.

“Foolish child,” Shen Qingqiu said simply, expressing his innermost feelings. Then he continued weakly, “…The point was to ensure you wouldn’t be injured. If I deflected it back and injured you, what would be the purpose of that?”

That frail voice made Luo Binghe want to strike his own heart and kill himself. “But now the one injured is Shizun!”

It hadn’t been long since they fought those three matches against the Demon Realm, and Shizun had already, again, been injured for his sake. And this time by his own hand!

Shen Qingqiu saw the self-blame and misery on that child’s face about to overflow, and unable to stand it, he said consolingly, “Can your cultivation compare to mine? Even if this master took several more blows, it wouldn’t matter.”

Luo Binghe would have preferred Shen Qingqiu be as he had in the past and vent his anger by viciously beating and cursing him. Even if he were utterly ignored, scorned, and ridiculed, it would have been easier on his heart. On the contrary, Shen Qingqiu’s tone and words were unerringly gentle, and so Luo Binghe was struck dumb and speechless, completely at a loss for what to do.

After a long moment, he said in a low voice, “It’s all my fault.”

The early Luo Binghe indeed walked the path of a brainless moe white lotus. Shen Qingqiu figured he’d once again fallen into the self-flagellating pattern of an anxious people-pleaser.

“It has nothing to do with you,” Shen Qingqiu explained patiently. “The ways of demons are extremely unpredictable and impossible to guard against. However, if you don’t want to run into similar trouble in the future, you must become stronger.”

These words were spoken purely out of his personal feelings. This was a world of immortals and monsters, where the strong ate the weak. Becoming stronger was the only way to guarantee that you wouldn’t become cannon fodder to be pushed around by the world.

Luo Binghe’s thoughts shifted, and without speaking, he suddenly raised his head, fixing his steady gaze on Shen Qingqiu.

Shen Qingqiu’s heart thumped.

Luo Binghe’s eyes, dark like obsidian, flashed with a light more dazzling than the reflection of the moon and stars.

That…that look in his eyes! That kind of protagonist’s look, full of “resolute conviction” and “blazing fighting spirit”!

Could it be…I’ve already become the protagonist’s guiding star on his life path going forward?!

Luo Binghe fell into a proper kneeling position by Shen Qingqiu’s side. “I understand,” he said in a strong, clear voice.

Wait, what did you understand this time? Can you not say only half your words every time? Tell me the rest!

Shen Qingqiu didn’t notice that, as Luo Binghe spoke this sentence, he didn’t use “this disciple” to address himself.

Luo Binghe tightly clenched his fist. “This kind of thing…” he said, enunciating each word. “I definitely won’t let it happen a second time.”

Letting Shizun protect his weak self, letting Shizun be injured because of him…this kind of thing absolutely could not happen again!

Shen Qingqiu let out an “oh.”

What’s going on…? He suddenly had this “the protagonist is protecting me; I feel so safe” kind of feeling. What exactly was going on?!

“Safe” your ass—this person will carve you into a human stick in the future! Wake up!

Shen Qingqiu was filled with a plethora of complex emotions.

Fuck. Originally, this conviction to “become stronger to protect my important person,” should have been inspired by the protagonist seeing the female lead’s frail, lovely, and delicately panting form after she sustained an injury while helping him.

Was the System…laying all the emotional labor associated with the female lead’s role…on Shen Qingqiu?

To hand out the wrong script at this point! Also, if you’re giving me extra parts, could you at least offer me complimentary meals?!

Taking on a main character’s long and tedious lines while being paid an extra’s thin and meager wages. This was labor exploitation!

Out of selfishness, Shen Qingqiu managed to lift a hand and pat Luo Binghe on the head. Luo Binghe’s originally stubborn gaze froze, as if a handful of clear spring water had doused his flickering anger.

Shen Qingqiu thought for a moment. “Actually, you need not worry too much. If you cannot become strong, I will stay by your side and protect you.”

Instead of letting Luo Binghe become that pitch-black basket case of a young man who made destroying the world his personal mission, it’d be better if he could stay this delicate little white lotus forever. Shen Qingqiu absolutely wouldn’t have minded keeping this iteration of Luo Binghe by his side and taking care of him for a lifetime.

These were his simple thoughts, but to the person hearing his words, they didn’t sound so simple. Luo Binghe was wholly dumbfounded.

No one had ever made such a straightforward and impassioned promise to him.

Even though the world was large, few people in it could say: You need not become strong. I am here, and of course I won’t let you be bullied.

And they weren’t empty words. If Shizun said he could do it, he could. He had already proven time and again with his actions that he would rather sustain grievous injury than let Luo Binghe suffer even a tiny bit of harm.

Still, the sense of indulgence within these words…was too much to bear. As that first surge of warmth slowly subsided, a burning heat crawled up Luo Binghe’s face.

Shen Qingqiu coughed for a while, miserably discovering that coughing up blood within the dream realm was impossible, then pinched Luo Binghe’s arm. “All right. First, help me up.”

Luo Binghe realized that where his wrist had been pinched neither hurt nor itched. Instead, it tingled. Immediately, he also realized his thoughts were overstepping and scolded himself a little. Thinking such nonsense at a time like this, how disrespectful to Shizun. He hurriedly organized his thoughts and did as he was told.

Suddenly, a voice sounded out of nowhere. That hoarse, aged voice made an inquisitive noise and said, “You’re quite something, to actually break through this elder’s barrier, boy.”

That voice echoed all around them. It was impossible to determine which direction it had come from.

This level’s boss had finally appeared!

Luo Binghe was supporting Shen Qingqiu and didn’t rise to his feet, his gaze wary. Meng Mo had appeared while Shen Qingqiu was injured, and things were not looking good. Luo Binghe resolved to himself that if Meng Mo tried to attack, even with his paltry strength, he would still give his all to impede him and earn Shen Qingqiu every possible chance of survival.

The instant he made his decision, that voice spoke again. “Come over here and let this elder see what kind of young hero is capable of such a thing.”

Luo Binghe looked at Shen Qingqiu. The latter’s entire mind was filled with the thought of, I finished my friendship performance; I can finally leave work now, and he was extremely cheerful. He even felt like teasing his student.

“The senior is asking for the young hero,” he said. “Why don’t you reply?”

Luo Binghe’s face reddened. He turned and spoke in a clear voice. “You flatter me. The barrier was broken by my master’s strength alone.”

The voice humphed as if in disdain.

Shen Qingqiu knew why he’d humphed. Though he had blocked an attack for Luo Binghe, this was Luo Binghe’s dream realm, and so Luo Binghe had needed to wrest back control of his consciousness before the nightmare could be broken. But Shen Qingqiu couldn’t be bothered to explain.

The voice spoke. “This elder wants you to come over, boy, but I don’t want this ordinary cultivator from Cang Qiong Mountain to hear our conversation. I’ll have him sleep first.”

As expected, the circumstances were exactly the same as when Ning Yingying had played this role in the original story. Everyone aside from Luo Binghe would be waved offstage by Meng Mo.

A headache instantly came over Shen Qingqiu, and he collapsed heavily.

Alarmed, Luo Binghe gathered him in his arms. “Shizun?” he called. “Shizun!”

“No need to worry,” said Meng Mo. “This elder only sent him into a dream within a dream. He’s just in a deeper sleep. Get over here, you!”

This time, it was possible to discern that the voice was coming from a pitch-black cave off to the west.

Luo Binghe couldn’t wake Shen Qingqiu. He carefully laid his master on the ground, then turned and spoke in the direction of the voice. “My master acknowledged you as a senior, so I must treat you with the same courtesy. I hope you also won’t cause Shizun trouble.”

Meng Mo chuckled. “I saw your memories, boy. This master of yours does not treat you well. Why not just let me get rid of him? I would be doing you a favor.”

The memories Meng Mo had looked at were mostly those of the interactions between the original Shen Qingqiu and Luo Binghe. Those memories were indeed the greatest in number, but…

Luo Binghe shook his head. “Shizun isn’t like you say, Senior. In addition, no matter what, Shizun is my honored master. He can treat me however he likes, but as his disciple, I cannot disrespect him.”

Meng Mo humphed. “How backward! The Human Realm’s righteous path is full of this type of hypocritical morality. So what if he’s honored or not, your master or whatever. If someone mistreats or harms me, they should be killed! He knew your cultivation was not sufficient to face Sky Hammer, yet he still sent you out for that match. Were his intentions not clear?”

“At that time, even I didn’t believe I could win,” said Luo Binghe. “But Shizun believed in me. Not only did he give me an opportunity, he even encouraged me during the match. And in the end, I truly did win.”

The next sentence he said silently and only to himself: For my sake, Shizun blocked two attacks meant for me. His goodwill is genuine.

Meng Mo had only randomly skimmed some memory fragments. He didn’t understand Shen Qingqiu’s behavior, nor did he want to try unraveling the issue, though he was quite pleased with Luo Binghe’s attitude. “You, boy, are a person who values loyalty and bonds.”

“Not even a thousandth of how Shizun does toward me,” said Luo Binghe.

If Meng Mo had a mouth, its corner would have been twitching. He opted to change the topic.

After murmuring for a moment, he said, “This elder senses that within your body, something is being suppressed. Even though I cannot tell exactly what it is, it must be something surpassingly remarkable.”

Luo Binghe was a little shocked. “What sort of thing is it that even you can’t tell?”

Meng Mo chuckled. “My race produces master cultivators in droves. It is not impossible that a demon more illustrious than this elder sealed something within your body.”

In any case, Meng Mo surely wasn’t so eager to throw away his several-hundred-year-old reputation that he’d waste time tricking an impoverished teenager who had nothing. Nevertheless, Luo Binghe stared in disbelief. “Does Senior mean that the thing in my body…is related to demons?”

“What? Are you displeased?” Meng Mo asked sneeringly. “Eager to sever any connections with the demon race?”

Luo Binghe’s state of shock didn’t last for too long. His thoughts whirled rapidly before he declared, “The Demon Realm does many evils of all kinds and has injured my master multiple times. Naturally, I cannot associate with them.”

Meng Mo became depressed. “Can you go three sentences without mentioning that master of yours, boy? Let this elder guess, the next thing you want to ask is ‘May I ask this senior if there is a method to remove this something from my body’?”

Luo Binghe smiled wryly. “Even if I ask, would this senior tell me?”

Meng Mo laughed boisterously. “It’s not that I don’t want to tell you, but that is truly beyond me. I can’t even see it clearly—how can I tell you how to remove it? If not for the fact that I couldn’t make sense of you, boy, I would have already killed you both. Why else would I care to drag this out for so long? You think I’ve that much time on my hands?”

Luo Binghe didn’t speak. He was thinking, You don’t even have a body anymore, you’re just a shade being a parasite on others’ dream realms. If Meng Mo didn’t have time, who did?

Meng Mo, unaware that Luo Binghe was internally ridiculing him, continued. “Removing it would be impossible for me, but suppressing it is not out of the question.”

“Senior…is willing to tell me how?” Luo Binghe asked tentatively.

“Not only can this elder teach you how to suppress it, he can teach you much more,” said Meng Mo leadingly.

This implication was extremely blatant, and Luo Binghe understood. His heart sank. “You want me to cultivate the demonic path?”

As his tone turned cold, Meng Mo’s temper flared. “What’s wrong with cultivating the demonic path? If you cultivate the demonic path, that thing in your body will bring great benefits to your cultivation. You could leap a thousand kilometers in a day! You could stand above the thousands. These are not empty words. With time, your power could overturn and sweep away the entirety of the three realms, and the heavens and earth within—and it would all be simple!”

At that last part, Luo Binghe’s heart jolted.

A thousand kilometers in a day, stand above the thousands. The entirety of the three realms, swept away before him. That was to say… He’d become strong, the strongest!

He quickly rejected this thought.

Shen Qingqiu hated the way of demons more than anything. If he couldn’t resist this Meng Mo’s temptations to become a demonic cultivator, how could he face his master? Whether Shen Qingqiu would be thunderously angry or drown in depression, either way, Luo Binghe definitely didn’t want to find out.

“No.” So, he resolutely refused.

Meng Mo sneered. “If you refuse to learn from me, you won’t be able to suppress the demonic energy in your body. It’s hidden deeply now, and you’re fine because it can’t be seen, but this elder senses that the seal in your body is weakening. One day in the future, when that power breaks through, how will that good shifu of yours treat you? He who abhors evil and makes ‘eliminating demons and upholding justice’ his mission?”

Even as Meng Mo articulated Luo Binghe’s greatest worry, Luo Binghe clenched his teeth. “This junior is but an ordinary cultivator, for whom achieving even Foundation Establishment is full of perils and hardships. Why do you insist I cultivate the demonic path?”

This question was way too high-level. Other than the author, who could explain why all the great geniuses and masters were always crying and pleading for the protagonist to be their apprentice/disciple/son-in-law?

No, in fact, even most authors probably didn’t know the answer to this eternal riddle.

“You should appreciate others’ kindnesses, boy! This elder can see that you are extraordinary. Would you rather all my knowledge vanish like smoke along with my physical body? How many people would beg for it to no avail?!”

Luo Binghe showed no feeling on his face. At his refusal to reply, Meng Mo felt a rush of ominous premonition.

Sure enough, the next time Luo Binghe opened his mouth, he did so with a pure and harmless smile.

“Surely Senior isn’t so eager to teach me because he’s unwilling to let his knowledge vanish without a successor, right?” he asked, slow and composed.

Meng Mo cried to himself: Not good!

“If one lives by feeding off of others’ dream realms, and one often changes hosts, one’s spirit will weaken and suffer damage during the transfers,” said Luo Binghe. “But if one were to live long-term within a set host’s body, one could instead preserve and nurture the spirit to stabilize it.” He paused. “Senior Meng Mo, could it be that you’re already approaching your limit, and that’s why you have to pick me to be the host you’ll raise?”

Having been seen through, Meng Mo neither denied it nor became angry. Instead, he grandly admitted, “That’s right! Who’d have thought, boy, that you were actually so well-learned and knowledgeable that you’d even know something like that.”

Luo Binghe’s expression was unperturbed.

Unable to intuit what this boy was thinking, Meng Mo continued. “However, don’t assume that this elder absolutely must have you as a host. Wonderfully gifted demons number in the millions. Any one of them would beg on their knees for this special honor! You’re the one who should carefully consider whether you can afford to miss this opportunity.”

In truth, over these long years, Meng Mo’s spirit had steadily degenerated. He had originally resided within a demonic device and happily lived there. With a hundred and eighty years of meditation, he would have been brimming with energy again—but it had just so happened that Sha Hualing, unaware of this, had at the end of a series of absolute coincidences used the device as a weapon and unloaded it on Luo Binghe. Consequently, Meng Mo had not the strength to search for another host.

But on the road to his doom, he’d unexpectedly discovered that, buried within the body and consciousness of the boy he newly resided in, lay concealed a faintly discernible yet incredible power. He’d been ecstatic. How could he have let this go?

He’d already decided that no matter how adamantly Luo Binghe refused, he’d wheedle and pester, make threats and promises. Even if it meant exhausting every single method he had, he would persuade the boy to learn his demonic techniques in order to make Luo Binghe’s body and consciousness an even more suitable residence for him.

“This elder will give you time, so think through it carefully,” said Meng Mo. “Otherwise, I’ll trap your and your master’s consciousnesses within the dream realm forever. This elder is capable of that much!”

Luo Binghe’s head snapped up. For an instant, as cold light flashed in the youth’s eyes, Meng Mo froze, intimidated.

“Right now, you are discussing terms with me, and you are free to say anything.” Luo Binghe’s gentle and humble demeanor from moments before was entirely gone, his voice bitterly cold. “But if you harm Shizun, any agreement is void!”

Meng Mo was frozen for a long time before he finally returned to himself, stunned that he’d actually been terrorized by the presence of an ordinary, insignificant cultivator of the Human Realm. He had intimidated souls throughout the three realms for hundreds of years. Even in the miserable battle where his corporeal body had been destroyed, he had not lost to anyone in terms of presence.

How could he have known that in future generations this presence would be called (the protagonist’s exclusive) Aura of Badassery!

The cave exploded with a sudden bellowing laughter. “Boy, you really have quite the temper!”

As that ancient voice said those words, Luo Binghe felt his limbs become heavy, the scenery around him spinning before he was plunged into darkness.

In a flash and with a start, Luo Binghe awoke inside the woodshed, his back utterly drenched with sweat.

At the same time, Shen Qingqiu also sprang up in bed, like a corpse coming alive after death. Head dizzy and vision spinning, he gasped for breath for a while, and only then did he finally relax.

Horrible, horrible, horrible. Horrible enough to die!

How come?! How come when, in the original work, Meng Mo dragged Ning Yingying into a dream within a dream, her dream was a comforting childhood memory wherein her parents let her pick flowers and ride horses? How come on his turn, he had first been surrounded by fist-sized man-eating wasps, then been dashing madly through the narrow passages of a tomb while closely pursued by a giant ball of fire?!

The most terrifying thing was that, in the final part of the dream within a dream, Meng Mo had woven in Shen Qingqiu’s greatest fear.

Within a damp, dark dungeon, he had been suspended in midair by a ring around his waist, unable to feel his limbs. When he opened his mouth, no sound came out, and he could only helplessly hiss. His entire body burned with pain.

Only after an unknown length of time had passed did the sound of a stone door opening drift from outside the dungeon. Footsteps neither fast nor slow steadily approached, then the shadow of a person was cast on the floor before him.

On an ink-black hem, exquisite motifs were embroidered in silver thread. From that person emanated an ice-cold pressure, more stifling than the dungeon’s airless darkness.

Shen Qingqiu couldn’t clearly see that person’s face, but he knew very well who they were.

Meng Mo truly deserved to be a legend among demons—that dream realm had been far, far too realistic. Even now, the damp odor of decay seemed to linger in Shen Qingqiu’s nose, nauseating him.

Shen Qingqiu managed to keep sitting for a while, then he rolled off the bed and began to retch.

Ding-dong. Now of all fucking times, a System notification sprang up: 【 Congratulations on completing the scenario “Meng Mo’s Barrier”! The System awards you +500 satisfaction points! Please continue to work hard! 】

Shen Qingqiu made a “stop” gesture and still had enough in him to try settling debts.

“Let’s have a proper discussion,” he said. “When you threatened to deduct satisfaction points, it wasn’t five hundred, right? Why not set it at five hundred for both? Are large punishments and small rewards really fair? And I went through the extra scenario of the dream within a dream, so why haven’t you awarded any extra B-Points to me? System? System! System, don’t play dead, let’s sign a new contract!”

At this moment, someone slammed open the Bamboo House’s front door and rushed inside like a gust of wind.

“Shizun!”

Shen Qingqiu knew who it was just from the sound. He miserably rolled his eyes. He really didn’t want to see that face right now!

Luo Binghe had already thrown himself to Shen Qingqiu’s side, overflowing with anxiety. “Shizun, how are you? Do you feel the least bit unwell?”

Truthfully, not too terrible… If you could stay a bit farther away I’d feel even better… Shen Qingqiu averted his face and, with unyielding strength and poise, stood by himself. “Everything is well with this master.”

Luo Binghe had wanted to help him up, yet his hand had been reflexively shoved away. He couldn’t help but freeze.

Shen Qingqiu didn’t notice these small shifts in Luo Binghe’s emotions. He tidied his clothes, verifying to himself that even though he wore only an inner robe, his image remained spotless. “Did that Meng Mo trouble you further afterward?”

Trouble my ass. Meng Mo would have been falling over himself to lick Luo Binghe’s boots. Shen Qingqiu was asking despite knowing.

Luo Binghe hesitated a bit before he replied. “That demon elder’s spiritual strength seems to have been lacking. This disciple was expelled from the dream realm after a short while. Shizun, did you encounter anything inside the dream within a dream?”

“Even if I did encounter something, could this master not handle it?” Shen Qingqiu boasted shamelessly.

Of course he couldn’t handle it!

Even now the shadow of being a human stick remained. With Luo Binghe so close to him, his entire body was tingling, and he couldn’t help averting his gaze to suppress his fear.

Unsure of the reason for this, Luo Binghe only saw that Shen Qingqiu’s expression was odd, his gaze no longer calmly looking straight at him like he usually did these days. It made his heart both fretful and anxious.

Luckily, Shen Qingqiu adjusted his attitude with superlative quickness, remembering that he was a teacher and what he should do at this time. In the next instant, he reached out and took Luo Binghe’s wrist. “Being attacked by a demon is no joke,” he said firmly. “This master will examine you for a moment. We cannot be negligent.”

“Yes,” said Luo Binghe obediently, his wrist firmly held.

His heart had just known a moment of ease, but now it was once more suspended. On the off-chance Shen Qingqiu uncovered Meng Mo and exposed the peculiarity within his body afterward…

But though Shen Qingqiu diligently examined Luo Binghe for a time, he didn’t detect anything off. Of course he didn’t—Meng Mo had several hundred years’ worth of skill and experience, and his celebrated reputation wasn’t exaggerated in the slightest. However, Shen Qingqiu still had to go through the motions.

His examination fruitless, he nevertheless repeatedly urged Luo Binghe to visit Qian Cao Peak and Qiong Ding Peak the next day to let other people examine him and, finally, to absolutely say something if an issue arose.

Yet Luo Binghe had no intention of leaving. With the appearance of someone full of worries, he started and stopped speaking several times before asking, “Shizun, demons…are they all wicked beyond redemption? Must every last one of them be exterminated?”

Shen Qingqiu didn’t reply to this question right away. He stood in place, indeed finding it difficult to answer.

Seeing Luo Binghe petrified, forcibly keeping calm while also somewhat anticipating his teacher’s answer, Shen Qingqiu spoke slowly. “Humans can be good or bad, so naturally demons too can be good or evil. We often see demons victimizing people, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t cases where humans harm innocent demons. Don’t put too much weight on race.”

This was the first time Luo Binghe had heard a teacher express this kind of opinion. He listened in a daze, heart thumping wildly. “Shizun means, even if someone is closely connected to demons, that doesn’t mean the heavens find them intolerable—is that right?”

“How can you claim they’re intolerable to the heavens in the first place?” Shen Qingqiu countered. “If they’re intolerable, why would the heavens let them exist? Who has the authority to say whether they ought to be tolerated or not?”

During this chain of questions, Luo Binghe’s eyes gradually lit up. There was within him a faint sense of burning passion.

“Luo Binghe, you may choose to ignore the words this master tells you from here on out,” Shen Qingqiu said at last, “but you must always remember what I’ve told you here today. In this world, there is nothing intolerable to the heavens. This is true for all races, as it’s true for humans.”

At this time, though Luo Binghe’s heart leaned toward the righteous path, he wasn’t a pedant. In any case, since whatever was within him couldn’t be removed, why not put it to good use?

He absolutely had to become stronger! So strong that he would never be powerless—strong enough that he could protect Shizun from any hand that dared reach for him.

Seeing Luo Binghe’s eyes so dazzlingly bright, Shen Qingqiu couldn’t imagine what he was thinking, but his own thoughts were a jumbled mess.

His advice this time wasn’t coming purely from a place of having developed an addiction to being the sage guiding the protagonist’s life journey.

The idea of the heavens’ magnanimity was a universal concept, older than time itself, and it had been recycled like reheated old rice for decades by the historical, wuxia, and xianxia genres without the slightest hint of progress. But in this world of ocean-deep hatred between humans and demons—who were unable to coexist and who had engaged in countless great wars in the past up to the present—the concept was extremely unconventional. Anyone who espoused it risked unilateral condemnation.

As someone of mixed lineage, it had been extremely difficult for the original Luo Binghe to avoid being impacted by human hatred of demons and vice versa. Since the greater half of his life had been harsh and full of misfortunes, he’d even begun to despair and think that perhaps the world and heavens both found his existence intolerable—that he should have never been born.

Shen Qingqiu hoped that, from this point forth, these words could plant a seed within Luo Binghe’s heart and broaden his perspective. That in the future, when facing the truth of his heritage, he could remain optimistic and not take attacks on his lineage to heart. Perhaps then his behavior wouldn’t trend so extreme, and he wouldn’t become bent on taking revenge on the world.

Perhaps, even if someday in the future, Luo Binghe had to face a Shen Qingqiu who would throw him down into the Endless Abyss, he would be able to understand that this betrayal wasn’t his fault.

If that was possible…then even if the scenario arrived and the System forced Shen Qingqiu to say lines like, “Humans and demons cannot coexist, their hatred is ocean-deep and cannot be overcome, you fucker, hurry up and die,” thereby slapping himself so hard that he sent himself flying, well, that would be that!

Now that the atmosphere had grown heavy, Shen Qingqiu felt he’d gone overboard with his cool act. With his terror of embarrassment about to erupt, he coughed once.

“That said, demons are naturally gifted with spiritual strength, far more so than humans,” he said. “If their strength could be used for good and was dedicated to the righteous path—to the common people—then how could that not be a good thing?”

Demons had exceptional talent for cultivation and absolutely crushed the Human Realm in that arena. As the races were different, so too were their energy systems. Humans relied on spiritual qi where demons relied on demonic qi—though Shen Qingqiu reckoned that the two were basically the same, with only the color and names being distinct.

Maybe the Demon Realm had good feng shui or something, but the vast majority of demons were born fully charged with demonic qi. At age three, they could rip apart a human with their bare hands, and at age eight, they could split mountains and crack stone—ahem, this was a bit of an exaggeration.

However, the truth was that many humans had only mediocre aptitude. Even after cultivating for several decades, they could often only achieve the skill level of a small demon infant. Even more humans were like dried-up ponds, their spiritual strength practically a perfect egg, i.e., zero. These humans were often said to be “lacking spiritual roots” or “absent the lot for immortality.” It couldn’t get worse than that.

If it weren’t for the humans’ comparative love of propagating, and for demons being generally sparse in number, the Human Realm would have long ago been colonized by demons. Honestly, they were just coasting on the fact that demon family planning was so strict.

After suffering the torments of this world-changing journey, Shen Qingqiu hadn’t slept the entire night. Two dark bags had already appeared under his eyes. He waved his hand. “It’s very late. If there’s nothing else, then go and rest.”

Luo Binghe obediently asked to be excused. But he hadn’t walked far when he heard Shen Qingqiu call from behind, “Come back.”

Luo Binghe immediately turned back. “Does Shizun have any other instructions?”

“The dorms are that way,” said Shen Qingqiu. “Why are you walking in the other direction?”

The disciples’ dormitories and the woodshed were both a left turn out the door, yet Luo Binghe had turned to the right.

“This disciple wants to go to the kitchen first, to prepare tomorrow’s breakfast for Shizun,” said Luo Binghe.

Shen Qingqiu was in a bind. He really wanted to eat Luo Binghe’s breakfast, but having a child cook for him instead of sleeping when it was already so late at night—didn’t that sound like Cinderella and her stepmother…? Either way, it seemed inhumane.

In the end, Shen Qingqiu’s conscience won over his stomach. He coughed. “Nonsense. It’s the middle of the night, what is there to cook? Go back and sleep.”

Luo Binghe knew his master was worried about him not resting enough and agreed with a smile—but he still planned to sneak off to the kitchen to work later.

Shen Qingqiu wanted to ask him if he was still sleeping in the woodshed, but after mulling it over for a moment, he concluded that youths still had their dignity. Asking him outright would be embarrassing. Moreover, even if he had Luo Binghe sleep in the disciples’ dorm, the other students would take Ming Fan’s lead and bully him—steal his blankets and hide his shoes or whatnot, the poor thing.

“Tomorrow, pack your things and come here,” said Shen Qingqiu before Luo Binghe left.

At first, Luo Binghe didn’t understand what he meant. “Shizun?”

“There’s a side room in the Bamboo House. Starting tomorrow, you can move in there.”

If Luo Binghe lived a little closer, then in the future, it would be easier to have him make breakfast and clean up around the house.

Shen Qingqiu’s adaptability was, as always, as incredible as a record-breaking dick. Just a moment ago, he had been unable to even look Luo Binghe in the face, but now he dared to scheme how to make the great protagonist wait on him hand and foot—serve his tea, carry his water, wash his clothes, fold his blankets, etc. Being in the middle of fantasizing, he hadn’t noticed said protagonist’s reaction.

Suddenly, Luo Binghe pounced on him like a tiger, capturing him in a tight embrace.

Caught off guard, Shen Qingqiu jumped in surprise. Then his face reddened. For the first time in his life, someone had wrapped him in a full-bodied embrace, and it wasn’t a warm and gentle jade-skinned maiden, but a youth brimming with tyrannical energy, ahhh—

“Shizun! Shizun!” Overflowing with happiness, Luo Binghe hugged him around the neck and refused to let go, crying in his ear over and over.

Shen Qingqiu didn’t know where to put his hands. After floundering for a bit, he placed them on Luo Binghe’s head and stroked his hair. “All right. You’ve cried out to me, hugged me, and made all this racket, and you aren’t even embarrassed. You’re already so big—it’s not like you’re a ten-year-old child. How do you think this looks?”

Luo Binghe hadn’t thought about it that deeply. When it was put that way, he grew suddenly ashamed. If he hadn’t been overcome by a torrent of joy, he would never have dared to treat his normally aloof and removed Shizun like this. Though reluctant, he hurried to peel himself from Shen Qingqiu’s body, his whole face red.

“Yes—I—this disciple has overstepped.”

When it came to asking for hugs, children under the age of ten were moe, but the fifteen-year-old Luo Binghe…was still moe!

With a fresh and tender face like this handsome little sprout’s, anything you did would be moe!

Luo Binghe floundered for a while, at first a little flustered, but then he noticed that Shen Qingqiu’s complexion didn’t look particularly good.

Even though Shen Qingqiu had the immortal body of a cultivator, he was haunted by old injuries and a lingering poison. Then because of Luo Binghe, he had been dragged into Meng Mo’s dream realm. He hadn’t rested properly and was at his limit, so of course he looked a bit haggard. Luo Binghe didn’t dare interfere with Shen Qingqiu’s rest any longer and grudgingly said his goodbyes.

Nevertheless, he didn’t return to the woodshed, though this time he made sure to take a detour before going to the kitchen. He promised himself that for the next long while, he would carefully watch over his master’s diet and recuperation.

As soon as Luo Binghe stepped out of the room, a System notification arrived.

【 Protagonist satisfaction points +50. 】

Shen Qingqiu was mystified. Why add another fifty? System lag? Or had the System discovered its conscience and concluded it had given him too little before?

Whatever. He was exhausted. So what if points were added? To the point, there was no way his admittedly great self had earned that fifty with a single hug, ha ha ha ha ha ha…

The next day, Shen Qingqiu hadn’t yet slept as long as he wanted before the fragrant scent of fish and rice wafted into his room and tempted him awake. Outside of the Bamboo House, Luo Binghe had spent long hours preparing a meal with utmost care. The scent drew in a great number of Qing Jing Peak disciples, who were used to eating bland food. They hid off to the side, snooping.

Enraged, Ming Fan and the others chewed their sleeve hems while watching the scene unfold—especially when Shen Qingqiu sat at the table and affectionately sang praises to Luo Binghe for his efforts and handiwork. As the two blissfully smiled at each other, their audience’s grief and resentment reached its peak.

Utterly shameless! To use these licentious schemes and unorthodox methods to curry Shizun’s favor!

That evening, when Luo Binghe moved his things into the side room of Shen Qingqiu’s house, every last one of the Qing Jing Peak disciples who had bullied Luo Binghe were wiped out. It was as if they had been struck by lightning from a clear sky, leaving their corpses scattered across the field.

Though the words were “moved his things,” in truth it was only Luo Binghe moving himself. From the beginning, he’d never really had anything in the woodshed.

His pillow? He had rested his head upon a bundle of straw he found there. Blankets? His outer robes had covered him.

And, of course, Shen Qingqiu had prepared the real deal for him already.

Shen Qingqiu had always thought that Luo Binghe’s life was unbearably miserable—just a textbook case of child abuse. Cang Qiong Mountain Sect was one of the major sects in the cultivation world. How could people’s hearts have grown so dark in such a place? How could their resources be so lacking?

That night, Luo Binghe lay on a normal bed for the first time in his life. Before, he had laid in a wooden basin floating down an icy river, then on the damp, cold ground, then between noisy streets, and then even in mountain caves while roughing it out in the wild—it had become normal. Conversely, now that he was sleeping on a soft and tidy bamboo bed, his entire body felt light, floaty, like none of this was real.

It was especially unreal when he thought of Shen Qingqiu sleeping in the main room, just a wall away.

That night, perhaps because Luo Binghe had too much on his mind, Meng Mo didn’t appear in his dream realm.

So, Luo Binghe remained composed and waited. Sure enough, a few days later, Meng Mo appeared once more.

This time, Meng Mo didn’t set up some mysterious barrier, having not intended to hide in the first place. Instead, he appeared directly in Luo Binghe’s dream, though he did so in the form of a cloud of black mist.

This cloud of black mist expanded and contracted before Luo Binghe’s eyes, endlessly transforming, and that aged voice echoed from within it. “What have you decided in these three days, boy?”

“Does Senior Meng Mo not know my decision?” Luo Binghe replied.

Meng Mo chuckled. “You have chosen a path you definitely won’t regret. Remember this day, boy—today is the beginning of your meteoric rise!”

What youth didn’t dream of meteoric success? Meng Mo’s words rang with grand heroic spirit.

But Luo Binghe was unmoved. He only cupped his fist and bowed. “This junior has one more request.”

“What is it? Out with it! Hurry up and finish so you can finally become my apprentice.” Meng Mo urged him on, not realizing that he was being far too optimistic.

“That is precisely what this junior wanted to speak about,” said Luo Binghe. “My master treats me with utmost kindness. I really can’t apprentice under anyone else without his permission—”

“Fine, fine, fine!” Meng Mo interrupted before he could finish, at the end of his patience. “This elder won’t demand the titles of master and apprentice, is that enough?!”

Had any extraordinary master ever come away with a worse deal? He was falling over himself to teach someone his people’s techniques, yet he wouldn’t even get to hear his student call him “Shifu.”

How was his plight any different from that of an absolutely devoted yet bitterly suffering concubine who couldn’t gain official status?!

Luo Binghe smiled. “Then many thanks to Senior.”

He wasn’t remotely willing to call anyone other than Shen Qingqiu “Shizun.”

As he eyed Luo Binghe, Meng Mo was sure that if he still had a physical body, his nose would have gone crooked with rage.

This Luo Binghe was all cute and obedient in front of his master, just like a little white lotus. So then why was he so hard to deal with for other people?! Two completely different faces—he was practically a different person!

This elder is going to die of rage!