The hand making the gesture trembled slightly. Yu Sheng was startled and almost leaked his presence.
“Come out!”
At that moment, Yin Wangzhi suddenly looked up, his strong killing intent directed at the open space as he shouted.
Yu Sheng felt his legs weaken in fear, nearly falling out.
Have I been discovered?!
“The Ghost King has a strong sense of perception.”
Unexpectedly, another figure emerged from the shadows, stepping closer until he stood not far from the ghost king, the two of them positioned across a deep pit and not approaching any closer.
It was Wen Jiu.
The ghost king seemed too lazy to respond, only letting out a disdainful snort.
Yu Sheng instinctively tensed up. The differences in personality between these two disciples were stark; in this situation, facing off directly might not end well…
“You made too much noise.”
To Yu Sheng's surprise, a confrontation didn’t ensue. Wen Jiu appeared calm, seemingly unfazed by the ghost king's attitude. He simply said this and began to repair the grave.
Transparent “limbs” resembling vines stretched out from behind him, a faint spiritual light illuminating them as they controlled the soil piles, refilling the deep pit. Even the tombstone that had been split in half was gently placed back together by Wen Jiu, who squatted down and pressed his hands against it, gradually restoring it.
Everything was completed quickly and perfectly, even the layering of old and new soil was meticulously restored. Wen Jiu patiently worked, as if he had not noticed that the grave beneath was empty, without any buried remains.
Yin Wangzhi coldly observed his actions. “Coward.”
Wen Jiu’s expression showed no change, and it could even be described as cold. He stood straight, meeting the ghost king's gaze, frowning slightly. “Don’t do anything unnecessary; this is what we agreed upon in advance.”
“Agreed? Ridiculous.” Yin Wangzhi’s palm once again gathered dark, sinister energy, seemingly preparing to strike again. “Wen Da Shengren, you think too highly of me. Who told you I would keep my word?”
“... You!”
Seeing that he was about to explode the grave again, Wen Jiu quickly dashed in front of the tomb. “With such a loud commotion, do you really want to wake everyone up and make this situation worse?! Yin Wangzhi, when will you stop being so impulsive?!”
This was the first time Yu Sheng had seen Wen Jiu display such distinct and intense emotions; he was momentarily stunned, unable to react.
It was just an empty grave. Wen Jiu could see that… so why was he trying so hard to protect it?
Yu Sheng couldn't help but imagine that perhaps in their eyes, his remains had long since disappeared, yet they were still deceiving themselves, using this empty grave to express their sorrow. Sigh…
He didn’t want to see the two disciples fight, but his intuition told him that this scene was one they didn’t wish to witness, and that so-called “agreement” was likely related to visiting their master and avoiding trouble or conflict…
Shaking his head, Yu Sheng quietly stepped back, planning to leave here silently and rethink his strategy.
He hadn’t walked far when he turned a corner and was suddenly startled by a loud explosion.
Yu Sheng took a deep breath, the image of the grave being blown up flashing in his mind. Wasn’t one explosion enough…?
He retreated a couple of steps and was about to turn when he bumped into someone. His already tense nerves nearly broke, and a startled cry was stifled in his throat.
Zhan Xiaotian covered Yu Sheng's mouth with one hand. In the darkness, his eyes seemed to absorb the moonlight, shining brightly. He made a “shh” gesture to the wide-eyed Yu Sheng, waiting until he calmed down before releasing his grip.
Yu Sheng gestured to him, pointing at Zhan Xiaotian, then mimicking walking with two fingers and pointing at the ground, tilting his head and spreading his hands.
—You, came here, to do what?
Zhan Xiaotian blinked, trying hard to understand the meaning of his gestures. He then nodded, pointed to himself, pointed to Yu Sheng, and brought his palms together on his cheeks, mimicking a sleeping motion.
—I found you, not sleeping.
Yu Sheng was speechless, pulling his hand to point in the direction of the room and waving his hand.
—Let’s go.
He tugged, but Zhan Xiaotian didn’t move. Turning back, Yu Sheng saw that he was still watching in that direction.
From the grave, sounds of ‘boom’ and ‘boom’ erupted repeatedly, shaking the ground beneath them. Yu Sheng felt cold sweats running down his back.
Zhan Xiaotian pointed toward the unclear grave, and Yu Sheng shook his head and waved his hand, finally dragging him away.
Yu Sheng wanted to gesture again but noticed the two had already returned to the room, no longer needing to worry about being overheard.
“Get some rest.”
Zhan Xiaotian appeared much better now. After lying down, he seemed hesitant to speak.
“What’s wrong?”
“Senior…” Zhan Xiaotian patted half of the bed beside him, “Why aren’t you coming up? Didn’t you promise to stay with me?”
Yu Sheng: “…?”
“Did I misunderstand…?”
Indeed, he had.
“No, sleep.” Feeling a rush of affection, Yu Sheng climbed onto the bed. “Close your eyes.”
Zhan Xiaotian obediently closed his eyes, seemingly afraid that Yu Sheng would leave soon, and secretly grasped a strand of Yu Sheng’s hair.
Yu Sheng sighed. As he watched Zhan Xiaotian’s breathing gradually become steady, he found himself unable to sleep and had to repeatedly call out to the long-missing system in his mind.
This time, he finally received a response.
System 451 was back online, explaining that it had been busy dealing with too many unexpected situations and had just freed up some time.
Yu Sheng: Do you know what’s happening now? The protagonist not only got blocked but also jumped back with three others… I feel like I can’t hide it anymore…
System 451: The plot has completely collapsed; your task can be paused. As for you… just look out for yourself.
Yu Sheng: ??? Just look out for myself?! What does that mean?
System 451 chuckled and sent over data regarding the original plotlines of the three male leads, along with a bizarre notebook of strange novels.
Yu Sheng opened it and discovered that the character arcs of the three protagonists had completely collapsed. Those who were supposed to collect harems didn’t, the cold-blooded had developed emotional demons, and those who were lovesick became calm and stable, considering the bigger picture.
None of this was surprising; it could be explained as the butterfly effect caused by uncertain factors. The three protagonists hadn’t lost their fortune and still held their positions.
What was truly frightening was that the three protagonists, three original works, were all part of the same series.
In the conclusion, the three were supposed to form a brotherhood akin to the three main characters of "The Heavenly Dragon Eight Parts," uniting to rule the world.
System 451: But now, they all wish the others would die.
Yu Sheng: …So, with the plot turning out this way, will I face any punishment…?
System 451: New tasks haven’t been issued, and there’s no punishment for now. Before that, you can struggle to survive for a while longer. I can’t say much more than that.
Yu Sheng flipped through a pile of novels outside the original works: What are these? Original stories from other protagonists?
System 451: No, they’re your survival guides.
Yu Sheng looked at the covers of those books in his mind. Each one featured vividly colored, exaggeratedly drawn handsome men, all labeled “pure love,” while the titles became increasingly ominous.
“My Disciple Has Turned Evil,” “Don’t Want My Master,” “My Disciple Always Oversteps,” “Disciple After Developing Emotional Demons,” “Wolf-Dog Disciple Went Awry,” “The Right Way to Rehabilitate a Rebellious Disciple”...
Yusheng had a vague sense that something was amiss. He casually flipped through a few books and found that the protagonists were all teacher-student pairs, with similar plot tropes. Generally, they involved a master who treated his disciple well, only for the disciple to grow up, leading to a falling out, misunderstandings, and eventually, the master faking his death.
At this point, he understood that the system likely wanted to use these tropes to teach him how to handle an extreme and unstable disciple after faking his death. Moreover, there was a universal truth: no matter how one fakes their death, the disciple will eventually find out.
For Wen Jiu and Zhan Xiaotian, it shouldn’t be too difficult. Yusheng estimated that their personalities wouldn’t be too hard on him.
But with Yin Wangzhi… he felt it was somewhat dangerous. From what he had just seen, Yin Wangzhi had indeed developed a heart demon and could easily lose control.
Yusheng casually opened a book featuring a disciple whose character was most similar to Yin Wangzhi's. In it, the disciple had a demonic cultivation bloodline that destined him for failure. When he grew up, his bloodline was exposed, and his master died to protect him.
The demonic cultivator in the story was also an ice-type, and upon sensing his master’s absence, he turned dark and froze his master’s corpse.
Up to this point, it felt somewhat similar…
As he continued reading, a wave of drowsiness washed over him. Before he could find out how the master in the book "revived" and reassured his disciple, he fell asleep.
In his dream, he followed the "survival guide" from the system and gradually reassured all three disciples. In the end, they happily sat together like a real family, playing mahjong.
It was truly a beautiful dream. Upon waking, Yusheng felt invigorated, filled with hope and confidence.
As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw a figure standing by his bed, looking down at him, “You’re awake?”
It was Yin Wangzhi, staring at him with solemn eyes.
Yusheng jolted awake, trying to sit up, but found himself weighed down. He turned his head to see Zhan Xiaotian tightly hugging him, arms and legs wrapped around him.
Seeing Yusheng look over, Zhan Xiaotian smiled sweetly, “Good morning, Senior.”
Yusheng took a deep breath, “Morning.”
If it were yesterday, he would have felt nervous and anxious, afraid that these two would get into another fight. He would have worried that he might accidentally reveal his identity while dreaming or feared all sorts of uncertainties.
But today, he was different!
Yusheng’s gaze gradually turned from panic to determination.
Today, he would begin to secure his survival and find a way out! Before the system issued new tasks and punishments, he aimed to mend the broken main storyline!
He needed to unite the three protagonists, help them reconcile, and prepare for his “resurrection”!
He absolutely could not let down the system's good intentions. With the guide in hand, he was invincible!
Oh right, how did the masters in those trope stories remedy their situations after faking their deaths?
It seemed they first expressed concern for their heartbroken disciples, assuming a fake identity to show kindness while waiting for the right moment to resolve their heart’s knots and fill their disciples’ hearts with love again.
Yusheng got up, freeing himself from Zhan Xiaotian’s limbs, and calmly tidied his clothes. After putting on his outer robe, he turned to Yin Wangzhi and displayed a loving smile.
“Let’s have some breakfast together. I have some things that can be eaten from the Ghost Realm.”
Then, he turned to Zhan Xiaotian, his smile unwavering. “Young Master Zhan, you should join us too. Today, I’ll be cooking some snacks.”
The air suddenly fell into an eerie silence.
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