“I don’t believe it.”
This was the first time Yu Sheng heard Yin Wangzhi speak in such a chilling, biting tone, as if he were gritting his teeth with determination.
However, he still sat down in front of Yin Wangzhi and feigned death, his face remaining serene even in death.
The paper money fluttered down and covered the ground, blown into the cave by the wind, but no one came to clean it up.
Yin Wangzhi clenched his fists tightly, letting out a sharp, piercing ghostly wail. The surrounding ghostly energy erupted, instantly filling the entire cave, freezing the place where he had spent so much time with his master, along with his master’s body that seemed to be sleeping peacefully.
“Not… even a trace of ghostly energy?”
Thanks to the item he exchanged for using points, Yu Sheng could vaguely hear Yin Wangzhi’s voice, along with a cold laugh.
In this world, those who die without attachments and pass away peacefully do not directly turn into ghosts. After death, they go straight to the Ghost Realm, briefly pass through, and then return to the origin of the Spirit Realm to await reincarnation.
Before leaving, Yin Wangzhi uttered his final bitter words, still gritting his teeth, but with a nasal tone that seemed filled with an illusion of emotion: “I will hate you.”
Yu Sheng did not unfreeze and return to his original state until three whole days later, at the system’s urging.
He was not afraid of freezing or being cold; he was just a bit frightened. For an entire month, he felt suspicious and paranoid, worried that with just a turn, he would see Yin Wangzhi standing behind him, his gloomy eyes fixed on him, saying, “You were indeed lying to me.”
What ultimately dispelled this discomfort were the large amounts of points the system had calculated, along with rows of new items that had been added to the points store—an array of glorious treasures, all of which he liked!
After thoroughly playing and relaxing for a year, Yu Sheng once again welcomed his ‘memorial day.’ This time, not only was there a sky full of yellow paper money, but it was also pouring rain.
Yu Sheng sensed something was off; when he reached out to touch it, it was not rain but wine…
Such extravagance was almost painful to the teeth.
This type of ‘memorial day’ lasted another ten years. Yu Sheng removed the trampolines from the cliff bottom and welcomed the third protagonist.
Having learned from the previous two experiences, that year he directly moved out of his cave and set up a tent at the cliff bottom, camping out for several months. He even rushed over several times to catch whatever fell, only to receive garbage, garbage, garbage, and a garbage bag.
Just as his patience was about to wear thin, another obviously useless item fell down.
It was white and transparent, a large one followed by three smaller ones… What else could it be but garbage?
System 451: It’s the male lead!
“Bang!”
Yu Sheng took a deep breath, his hands trembling slightly, and the hair on his body stood on end.
That… that thing… How could it possibly be the third male lead?!
He released his spiritual sense to check… and it really was.
System 451: Protagonist three, Wen Jiu, from the Spirit Realm, a dark horse-type gentle male lead. Current task items: ‘Heavenly Eye Technique,’ ‘Spirit Aura.’ Please ensure the protagonist receives these items after he recovers.
Dark horse-type? Yu Sheng was puzzled for a moment, and the system explained that the third male lead came from a multi-protagonist novel. Unlike the first two novels, where the protagonists were predetermined from the start, this novel allocated roles and plot lines based on character popularity. The third protagonist, Wen Jiu, began as a supporting character but rose to prominence later due to a sudden surge in popularity, becoming the only protagonist who laughed last in the story.
Yu Sheng took a deep breath and tried to calm himself as he approached the spot where Wen Jiu had fallen. The white, transparent object he remembered was gone, leaving only a pale-faced adult man in white robes, slightly scholarly in appearance, who was weakly leaning against a tree trunk with an apologetic smile.
Upon closer inspection, Yu Sheng noticed that Wen Jiu’s eyes were dim and unfocused, displaying a very light blue hue. He seemed unresponsive to the outside world but turned his head towards Yu Sheng when he heard his footsteps.
“Whoever you are, please save me this time; I will certainly owe you anything in return…” Wen Jiu said weakly.
Yu Sheng was taken aback and asked the system if Wen Jiu was unable to see him. The system confirmed this.
Yu Sheng crouched beside him. “You don’t need to worry; I won’t let you perish here.”
Hearing this, Wen Jiu sighed in relief and gave a weak smile. “Thank you.”
Given his previous experience with the points exchange, Yu Sheng didn’t use his whisk directly this time. Instead, he took out a small sedan chair that could carry a person, using spiritual energy to lift it while supporting Wen Jiu as he lay down.
It was then that Yu Sheng realized Wen Jiu’s lower body had started to revert to its original form, appearing like a white, transparent mass that was barely maintaining its human shape, almost as if he had sprouted a fish tail.
This was the first time he had encountered someone from the Spirit Realm. For individuals from the Spirit Realm, death meant rebirth; at the moment a spiritual body dissipates, new life is sure to emerge around it.
In just a short while, although Wen Jiu was only slightly weakened, the tree he had leaned against had grown wildly, and the ground was covered with a layer of soft grass and a patch of colorful flowers.
With a flick of his whisk that crackled in the air, the sedan chair began to float forward. Wen Jiu lay quietly in it, and the energy radiating from him caused wildflowers to bloom along the path.
After traveling for a while, Yu Sheng glanced back to see three small, white, fluffy balls carefully following them, maintaining a distance from him and the sedan chair, seemingly having acknowledged him as their master.
These spirit pets appeared to be tiny white, transparent creatures, looking soft and fluffy, with round black eyes peeking over as they hopped along.
Yu Sheng didn’t pay them much attention and quickly returned to the cave with Wen Jiu. He swiftly arranged formations, cast spells, and sacrificed several magical tools to help Wen Jiu recover.
During this process, since he wasn’t familiar with the various aspects of the Spirit Realm, he was taught by Wen Jiu, who provided guidance on-site. Yu Sheng adjusted various supportive methods and selected more appropriate magical tools for the sacrifices.
Wen Jiu's form finally solidified completely, and he spoke with a bit more strength, struggling to sit up. “You must be exhausted. I have some spiritual fruits and spiritual water that can replenish your energy. If you don’t mind, please accept them.”
Yu Sheng felt a bit embarrassed. This was something he should be doing for Wen Jiu, not the other way around.
He smiled, feeling so touched he could hardly speak. “Such valuable things, I should keep them for myself; you don’t need to trouble yourself…”
He quickly corrected himself, his face flushing. “What I mean is, you can keep them for yourself; you don’t need to bother taking them out to give to me. I don’t need these.”
Wen Jiu chuckled and placed the rewards in a corner of the cave. After all, it seemed like this territory belonged to the cultivator before him, and as long as Wen Jiu didn’t take them back, it was equivalent to successfully giving a gift.
Suddenly, one of his arms transformed, first turning transparent white, then elongating and morphing into a vine-like shape to wrap up the items and place them neatly in the corner. After completing this, he retracted his arm, returning it to its original form.
Yu Sheng watched in wide-eyed amazement, thinking that perhaps the third protagonist was some sort of slime; it was truly… fascinating. The Spirit Realm and spiritual beings were all so intriguing.
After observing for a bit, his gaze shifted to the three little fluffballs he thought were hiding quite well. He wondered if they could also change shapes like Wen Jiu…
As soon as they sensed his gaze, the three fluffballs jumped up with a chirp and vanished from sight.
In terms of recovery speed, Wen Jiu was the fastest among the three protagonists. In less than a month, he was perfectly fine and even began to take care of Yu Sheng’s daily needs as a way to express gratitude.
The first two protagonists were saved and taken care of by Yu Sheng according to a set routine, but this was the first time someone had shown concern for him in return. Yu Sheng felt a bit unaccustomed to it and thought that this spiritual body protagonist was indeed quite different.
When the time was right, he presented the "Heavenly Eye Technique" and "Spirit Aura" to Wen Jiu. The former granted Wen Jiu a sensory ability similar to a heavenly eye, allowing him to perceive various energies around him despite being blind, distinguishing between living and dead things. The latter created a natural affinity between Wen Jiu and all spiritual beings.
While it seemed like the aura had limited uses, it effectively ensured that Wen Jiu would be "immortal." As a spiritual body, as long as he attracted other weaker spiritual beings, he could absorb their essence to "recharge" himself, making him fearless in the face of danger.
After using the aura, the three fluffballs that had unexpectedly fallen with Wen Jiu from the cliff threw away all restraint and shame, becoming his loyal companions. They hopped happily beside him every day and, miraculously, had never been kicked away.
When it came time for learning, Wen Jiu was the smartest and quickest of the three, applying what he learned immediately. With the "Heavenly Eye" activated, he began to work.
Beneath the desolate cliff, thanks to Wen Jiu’s care, a well, a vegetable garden, a flower field, and a bamboo grove had appeared. Over time, various small animals like rabbits and ducks were attracted, and they were kept separately, with Wen Jiu taking care of them while Yu Sheng entertained them during his leisure time.
Suddenly, it felt like they were in a cozy little paradise at the foot of a mountain, with everything imbued with warmth and life. Despite the fasting, Yu Sheng found himself indulging in food and drink daily, with various snacks and fruit wines prepared by Wen Jiu.
Yu Sheng felt like he had fallen from grace; he was no longer the aloof, transcendent figure who didn’t partake in worldly matters. He was just an ordinary, lazy person who preferred lying down rather than sitting up.
When the time approached for him to send Wen Jiu away, Yu Sheng received a reminder from the system. He politely told Wen Jiu that it was time to repay his debts and that he could now go about his own affairs. He would inform him how to leave the cliff.
In his mind, Wen Jiu was the most mild-mannered and agreeable of the three protagonists. He was always polite and proper in his speech and actions. Yu Sheng felt that there would be no issues on this day of parting.
He felt very reassured and trusted Wen Jiu completely.
Upon hearing that he was being urged to leave, Wen Jiu showed no significant emotional reaction. He simply lowered his eyelids and pondered for a moment before softly asking, “Can I stay for a few more days?”
There were only three days left according to the system’s timeline.
"?"
Yu Sheng sighed. “Why?”
Wen Jiu’s corners of his mouth lifted slightly. “Tomorrow, the red spiritual fruits in the orchard are ready for harvest. The day after tomorrow, the water in the tank will be empty, and I’ll need to refill it. The day after that, I plan to clean the bamboo grove. I noticed some bamboo shoots have grown, and I remember that you love to eat those…”
At this point, without waiting for Yu Sheng to respond, he closed his eyes. “I’m sorry, I lied.”
Yu Sheng was taken aback.
“I’m sorry, I was just kidding,” Wen Jiu said, extending his hand and, for the first time, doing something he deemed slightly out of line as he gently held Yu Sheng’s hand. He turned his head to softly lean against Yu Sheng’s wrist. “I don’t want to leave; I want to stay forever and be by your side.”
Wen Jiu half-knelt beside Yu Sheng’s knees, looking up at him. His eyes remained the light blue hue from before, naturally blind and unfocused, yet it seemed as though he could see through all facades, directly gazing into the heart and soul of the person before him.
Behind him, his clothes were torn, and part of his body transformed into a white, transparent net, spreading out like butterfly wings. The faint shadow enveloped both Yu Sheng and the entire rattan chair he sat on.
Yu Sheng was drenched in cold sweat, frantically calling out to the system in his mind: I’m going to die, I’m going to die, I’m going to die!!!
System 451: Hello, the system suggests checking if your conscience is functioning normally first, dear.
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