Chapter 19: Proper Use of the Survival Guide

He understood.

It turns out that the high-class ancient sword spirit is actually… a jealous spirit?

Not at all!!

Yu Sheng stopped taking action and just stood there, zoning out. In his mind, he opened the book left by the system, found the original novel of Zhan Xiaotian, and began searching for descriptions of the ancient sword spirit.

The ancient sword spirit, later attached to a treasured sword, was named 'Chixin.' It formed a bond with its master through blood, with their thoughts connected.

It originally belonged to the protagonist Zhan Xiaotian, a high-end cheat ability.

So, what does it mean to be connected in thought?

When Zhan Xiaotian wanted to kill, the sword spirit would make the sword's aura unstoppable. When Zhan Xiaotian softened and regretted, wanting to stop, the sword spirit would help by dulling the sword’s edge. When Zhan Xiaotian was seriously injured and couldn't move but was burning with fighting spirit, the sword spirit would unsheath itself. When Zhan Xiaotian was feeling down and didn’t want to deal with anyone, the sword spirit would prevent anyone from drawing the Chixin sword.

As the story progressed, the bond between the sword spirit and Zhan Xiaotian grew stronger. When Zhan Xiaotian needed a musical instrument, he could tap on the sword and play a tune while performing sword dances, creating his own unique romantic style.

When Zhan Xiaotian was on the road and wanted to drink but couldn’t find any alcohol, he could wash the sword in a spring. The originally cold and clear spring water would be transformed by the sword spirit, instantly gaining the aroma of alcohol—though it wasn’t real alcohol, only the scent.

At this point, Yu Sheng finally felt a sense of familiarity.

He drew two conclusions: First, the sword spirit had gained a mind of its own and could speak. Second, it could perform simple magical techniques typical of artifact spirits, usually catering to Zhan Xiaotian's true desires. Third, it could deceive the senses of smell.

But, turning the sword’s hum into melodious sounds and that terrifying mental attack from earlier—those seemed worlds apart.

And that overwhelming scent of jealousy… Wasn't it a far cry from the fragrance of fine wine?

Yu Sheng felt conflicted. His gaze towards the two people fighting grew more complicated.

He wasn’t even sure if he wanted to reverse-analyze Zhan Xiaotian’s mental world based on these phenomena.

As for the noise... it was understandable. Anyone could get irritated and want to fight when feeling frustrated, even going mad might make sense. But the scent of jealousy…

Had this Chixin sword spirit ever consulted its master before releasing that jealous aura???

Looking at Zhan Xiaotian struggling to suppress the sword spirit’s agitation, the more Yu Sheng watched, the more it seemed like there was a disagreement between the two.

How could two beings connected in thought have a disagreement? And was the scent of jealousy really because of jealousy?

The more Yu Sheng thought about it, the less he wanted to. He simply stopped thinking altogether.

After all, he had lived a happy life all these years by not overthinking. Even now, when he had to consider ways to avoid revealing his true identity, he relied on playing dumb.

Better to let things be. Some instinct seemed to tell him it was best not to provoke this sword spirit.

Yu Sheng turned and took a few steps, his light stride becoming heavy, his quick pace slowing to a casual stroll.

In the end, he stopped.

Sighing, he flicked his whisk and turned to chase after the others in mid-air.

Although he had cultivated for over a hundred years, he had rarely engaged in combat. The reputation he had left behind was mostly due to overwhelming his opponents with sheer power, the principle being similar to brute force overpowering skill.

In short, Yu Sheng wasn’t entirely confident in his combat abilities and wasn’t fond of showing off.

Riding a cloud, Yu Sheng's previously restrained aura slowly poured out. Like a gentle stream rushing downstream, it subtly transformed into a mighty flood, quietly expanding. By the time anyone noticed, it had already enveloped the two combatants, leaving no gaps.

If this had been a novice cultivator, they would likely have crumbled under such calm yet terrifying pressure, unable to move.

The two protagonists, however, merely gave him a surprised glance.

Yu Sheng smiled, feeling completely at ease. For others, showing off their aura was like a wild beast bristling its fur, trying to intimidate others—exhausting both physically and mentally. For him, it was like someone bedridden for years finally taking a walk and stretching in an open field.

After stretching sufficiently, he drew out the whisk, flicked his wrist, and let several meters of white threads scatter like splashed ink. Soft yet unyielding, avoiding nothing, they forcefully wedged between the sword and the saber, entangling the two like a chaotic web of spider silk and vines, abruptly halting the fierce battle.

As Yu Sheng approached and suddenly intervened, the sword spirit began to grow restless, as if ready to throw a tantrum like a four- or five-year-old child. Indeed, before recognizing a master, a sword spirit, no matter how long it has existed, only gains skills, not wisdom.

Thinking of this, Yu Sheng's gaze toward Chixin softened with a hint of helpless indulgence, much like the first time he had exchanged a secret glance with the little one after realizing the white ball had bullied Zhan Xiaotian. Easily swayed by cuteness, he couldn't bring himself to blame or get angry.

He stepped closer, positioning himself between Zhan Xiaotian and Yin Wangzhi, joining the dangerous battle. Only then did he flick his wrist again and retract the whisk. The closer he got, the stronger his instinct to avoid meddling became. But no matter how lazy or indifferent he was, he couldn't always rely on instinct to make decisions. Sometimes, making a choice based on something else wasn't a bad experience.

To his surprise, Zhan Xiaotian seemed a bit flustered. When Yu Sheng approached, Zhan Xiaotian instinctively backed away, a subtle, almost imperceptible movement, but just like his eyes, it was hard to hide.

"Senior..."

"Your injury hasn't healed yet. You can't be fighting like this," Yu Sheng casually offered an excuse, advising, "If you two really can't stand each other, find another way to settle it, or wait until tomorrow when you've left Sijie Cliff, then choose a new place to fight."

On the other side, although Yin Wangzhi was eager for a duel, he only wanted a one-on-one, formal confrontation. The current chaos didn't interest him, so he sheathed his saber, surprisingly calm.

Zhan Xiaotian glanced at Yin Wangzhi, his frown deepening. Just as he was about to say something, he felt a light touch on his arm.

Yu Sheng lifted his hand, gently and carefully holding Zhan Xiaotian's sword-wielding arm. A steady flow of spiritual power seeped into him, gradually soothing his tense muscles.

Truthfully, Yu Sheng wasn't good at comforting people, let alone a sword spirit that acted like a child. In his own mind, he was just gritting his teeth and pushing through. After all, when the protagonists' storylines and personalities went off course, it was partly his fault, so now that things were amiss, he couldn't just stand by and do nothing.

When the time came, he had no choice but to reference the novels left by the system... He had already read most of Zhan Xiaotian's original work, but it didn't offer much on how to calm a sword spirit or comfort the protagonist, and what little there was wasn't applicable to the current situation. So, he had to look elsewhere.

He remembered a novel with a protagonist whose personality was very similar to Zhan Xiaotian's and decided to use it as a guide. In that story, though, it wasn't a sword spirit losing control, but the protagonist's soul beast. The principle was the same: a spiritual creature connected to the protagonist's thoughts but not particularly intelligent, going out of control due to the protagonist's emotional turbulence.

Although the title of that novel was rather silly and basic—The Wolf Pup Disciple Went Rogue—it didn't stop Yu Sheng from learning from it, absorbing the good parts and discarding the bad, like a sponge gathering the social skills he needed.

In the novel, the disciple's soul beast went on a rampage, causing a bloodbath, only calming down after multiple rounds of slaughter and battle. The disciple's master, in his wisdom, realized that to pacify the soul beast, he first had to soothe its owner.

So, Yu Sheng followed suit. He didn't bother with the sword or the sword spirit; instead, he directly took hold of Zhan Xiaotian's arm.

In the story, the master first called back the disciple's consciousness, made sure he focused on him, and then healed the disciple's wounds on the spot, even shielding him from external attacks.

In real life, Yu Sheng mimicked the master's actions. He blocked Yin Wangzhi's saber and used his spiritual power to stop Zhan Xiaotian's bleeding and ease his pain, even though the wounds were superficial and would have healed on their own if left for a bit longer.

In the story, after the disciple fully focused on his master, the master asked if he was cold or scared, comforting him, saying, "I know you didn't mean to."

In reality, Yu Sheng felt a bit uncomfortable. He was unsure how to mimic the tone of the situation and, feeling awkward, rephrased, “Look, your wound has reopened. That must hurt…”

Zhan Xiaotian stared at him without blinking, nodding with a look of grievance. “It really hurts, and it’s cold, and the smoke is making my eyes sting. Senior, I didn’t mean to cause trouble or fight; it’s just that the sword spirit suddenly wouldn’t listen.”

Hey, why is he stealing my lines?

Yin Wangzhi snorted coldly and turned to leave, perhaps unable to bear listening any longer, or maybe he just wanted to change clothes because of the smoke.

Yu Sheng, on the other hand, remained optimistic. He detected a strong hint of jealousy in the air, though it had improved somewhat compared to earlier.

Continuing with the plot, Zhan Xiaotian’s candid admission led to a series of dialogues being skipped. Yu Sheng kept reading; in the book, after the master and apprentice exchanged some heartfelt words, the sword spirit began to improve.

Seeing the situation getting better, the master decided to take the opportunity to further comfort his disciple. In front of everyone, he pulled the volatile young man into his embrace and hugged him tightly.

Yu Sheng was momentarily stunned, thinking that the protagonist in the book also had an emotional void, just a bit more reserved than Zhan Xiaotian. So… following the book’s example should be fine, right?

Although he had only hugged Zhan Xiaotian once when he was unconscious as a child.

After all, the book was a survival guide. Yu Sheng steeled himself and quietly opened his arms, giving Zhan Xiaotian a loving hug.

Though his physique was quite lacking, it didn’t look like he was comforting the protagonist; it seemed more like he was diving into Zhan Xiaotian's embrace.

The strong hint of jealousy instantly transformed into sweetness.

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