Yu Sheng felt like he’d never be able to face the color pink again in his life.
The door to his curiosity slammed shut, declaring to his entire being that there would never be a next time.
But some things had already changed quietly, and now it was too late to regret. When Wen Jiu uttered those tantalizing words, a sensation as delicate as leaf veins crawled up his spine and the back of his neck, flashing past like static electricity—a subtle itch that didn’t invite scratching.
Yu Sheng felt as if all his blood was rushing to his head. Just now, it had only been a nerve-wracking touch, but now his body was savoring it, the feeling suddenly burrowing deeper and deeper into his bones.
It was as if his meridians had been unlocked.
What pink? What secret? What shadow or lack of shadow?
Who am I? Where am I? What did you just say?
After Wen Jiu finished speaking, he smiled at him gently, harmlessly. Yu Sheng forced himself to ignore the strange sensation from that moment, pretending as if nothing had crossed his mind. Tilting his head, he returned a smile—a perfect mix of confusion, bewilderment, and blankness, bringing out an air of half-earnest foolishness, as though he truly hadn’t grasped Wen Jiu’s subtle hints.
With a light, brief questioning sound, he uttered, “Huh?”
The stiffness, tension, and unease seemed to have been mostly hidden.
A recluse who hadn’t seen another living soul for about a hundred years, with no experience in conversation, now delivered an extraordinary performance, reaching a peak he might never surpass.
He had really tried his best, even looking a bit pitiful.
Thankfully, the next moment, the wind stopped, and Wen Jiu let go of his hand. It seemed he intended to drop the topic for now, turning his gaze to the distant sky that had suddenly clouded over.
A ‘cloud’ drifted over, falling like rain as it approached, transforming into countless white clusters that gathered together before merging back into Wen Jiu’s body.
“They’re fragments of my soul I left in the Ghost Realm. Things there have settled for now, so I’m fully back.”
Yu Sheng felt a bit helpless. He suddenly thought that, just by observing Wen Jiu, he could glimpse the ‘walking god’s’ penchant for splitting himself. He wondered if, when the three protagonists had still been one person, they’d casually divided into three parts, like Wen Jiu had done today, and then accidentally couldn’t reunite.
Wen Jiu seemed to take a deep breath as he reassembled himself, and his gaze grew slightly cold as he looked at the darkened sky.
“Wen Jiu,” Yu Sheng called.
He turned, looking at Yu Sheng.
“Do you really hate the other two?”
The question slipped out of Yu Sheng’s mouth unconsciously.
If it were Zhan Xiaotian, he’d probably frown, mutter complaints about the other two, and conclude that there was no choice but to tolerate them for their master’s sake.
If it were Yin Wangzhi, he’d likely give a cold smirk and plainly, curtly admit that he wished the other two would die.
He expected Wen Jiu to deny it, even though the tension between the three of them was painfully obvious.
But Wen Jiu just looked at him, not rushing to respond. Instead, he came over, took Yu Sheng’s hand again, and began to stroll with him as he gently corrected him,
“Master, to be accurate, it’s not hatred. It’s jealousy.”
Jealousy...
They walked quickly, reaching a treehouse over the water. Step by step, they ascended a spiraling transparent staircase, and by the time they reached the final step, the water on their feet had nearly dried.
The tree was enormous, requiring several people to encircle it with arms outstretched. The treehouse built on it was grand, lavish, almost like a palace. Everything looked like it was made of beautiful crystal gems, but felt unexpectedly warm to the touch.
Upon entering, Yu Sheng suddenly realized the interior was remarkably similar to the cave residence at the bottom of the Three Realms Cliff. The layout, the furniture, the doors, windows, tables, and chairs—all identical.
He stood, dumbfounded, in the center of the room, still thinking about the word Wen Jiu had used: jealousy.
To be honest, he was a bit afraid to ask questions now. Every query felt like it might lead to another response that would spiral endlessly in his mind.
However, this time, Wen Jiu read his expression directly, jumping in to answer.
“Not just me. The other two’s hostility toward each other also stems from jealousy, Master, so please don’t doubt it,” Wen Jiu said slowly, with a hint of a smile. “Do you want to know why we’re jealous, what exactly we’re jealous of?”
Yu Sheng laughed nervously, “I... I think I can guess.”
It must be that sudden realization of not being an only child and then feeling jealous of the brothers who were dividing their master’s love...
At least that was what he had always thought before.
Wen Jiu said, “Oh?”
He narrowed his gem-like blue eyes, smiling with a profound meaning, shaking his head. “Master, if you truly understood, you wouldn’t try to make the three of us coexist peacefully...”
“Is that not possible?” Yu Sheng was momentarily taken aback by such a direct refusal. He clearly remembered that Wen Jiu had been the most cooperative disciple before. Furthermore, accepting the existence of his senior brothers was meant to ease their relationship first before discussing the matter of merging.
Wen Jiu suddenly fell silent for a long time, his expression becoming somewhat serious, tinged with uncertainty and confusion. He raised his head and tried to speak several times before finally managing to voice his next words, his tone sounding somewhat strained.
“Does Master mean...?”
The words hung in the air, and the realization mixed with a rapidly shifting expression from bright to overcast crossed Wen Jiu’s face. He seemed to think of something.
Yu Sheng sensed that something had been misunderstood, and the situation didn’t seem good. He quietly tightened his grip on his whisk, putting on an innocent and bewildered expression.
Wen Jiu stared at him, speaking slowly, “Do you wish to have all three of us at the same time? Not wanting to lose any one of us? Or do you not want any of us at all?”
Yu Sheng blinked. “How could I not want you all...?”
But why did the phrase “having all at the same time” sound so heavy, as if it were a wish that defied human ethics?
The pinks, blues, and bright lights he had seen before had become indistinct; when Wen Jiu didn’t want to reveal anything, he looked just like an ordinary person. Without the ability to perceive colors, transparency, or light, Yu Sheng could no longer gauge his emotions.
Yet, even without these, Yu Sheng still felt uneasy. Wen Jiu’s shadow was growing increasingly oppressive, covering the walls and ceiling, sealing the entire room so tightly that no air could pass through.
But Wen Jiu was clearly still standing far away, not moving at all. When Yu Sheng glanced back, he noticed that his own shadow was shrinking smaller and smaller, until it finally turned into... a mass.
He felt a bit anxious. “Wen Jiu, the shadow...”
“They’re just projections; they won’t cause any real harm,” Wen Jiu explained in a low voice, then suddenly let out a soft laugh. “No wonder the Ghost King wants you to give up on saving the three realms.”
Yu Sheng: ...
No, to keep the senior brothers at odds and completely divide the three realms, and directly welcome the end of days? That seems a bit too ruthless?!
He reasonably suspected that if he mentioned that the three of them were actually one person at this time, it would likely have the opposite effect.
“Um...” Seeing that Wen Jiu’s tone was becoming increasingly off, Yu Sheng frowned and spoke, “So, is it because of me?”
A strange sound came from afar, like someone setting off firecrackers in the distance. Wen Jiu ignored it and countered, “What do you mean?”
“I think I understand... the reason you three have such a bad relationship is because of me?” Yu Sheng tentatively caught on to a key point. His assertion seemed a bit self-centered, or in other words, narcissistic, which made him feel a bit embarrassed as he lowered his voice.
“If it weren’t for me, perhaps you would have become good friends long ago.” Just like in the original story.
Wen Jiu was taken aback, momentarily at a loss for words.
Yu Sheng looked at him uneasily and then glanced outside. “Ah, they must be chasing us.”
He wasn’t sure if it was Yin Wangzhi or Zhan Xiaotian who had come first. Wen Jiu had acted impulsively, and he had followed suit, now realizing it seemed inappropriate.
The white fluffy creature in his arms nuzzled against him, lifting its head and rubbing its soft cheeks against his neck, as if it had just woken up and was being affectionate.
Yu Sheng sighed helplessly. “I’m not a competent master; I’m sorry.”
I’m just an NPC delivering treasures; why should you call me master?
I haven’t done much good, but instead messed up your character arcs... I initially thought it was just a butterfly effect, but it turns out that because of me, the protagonists ended up jealous of each other?
Regardless of whether it’s familial or teacher-student jealousy, it’s all the same.
“No, it’s not like that...”
The more Wen Jiu heard, the more flustered he became. He hurried forward, trying to argue, “It’s not like that!”
Yu Sheng managed to force a smile and looked at him with exasperation, as if saying, “Don’t lie to comfort me,” then pulled his hand away. “Think about it; where is the time for wandering around and deciding where to settle down? The three realms are in chaos, and as the lords of the three realms, you three have delayed everything because of me, so I... must become the sinner of the three realms.”
Just thinking about it made him feel overwhelmed.
“Master!” Wen Jiu, in a panic, directly knelt on one knee, bowing his head and saying, “It’s my fault; it’s all my fault for speaking recklessly, not weighing my words. Master, please don’t overthink it...”
He grasped Yu Sheng’s clothes, his breath uneven and trembling, “Please... please blame me, don’t do this, it’s my fault for overstepping, you...!”
Yu Sheng raised his hand, gently placing it on Wen Jiu’s arm. A single glance stopped Wen Jiu’s chaotic words. With a bit of force, he lifted him up, saying, “Don’t kneel to me.”
Not even allowing him to kneel, Wen Jiu's face turned pale, looking dazedly at him, not knowing what he was afraid of.
Yu Sheng smiled lightly. “I said I wouldn’t want you all. I just feel that this title is too heavy; I need to do something.”
Cradling the fluffy creature in one hand and holding the whisk in the other, he stepped out of the room with a calm expression, as if he had suddenly transformed back into the admirable Yu Yangzi. With a light step, he soared into the air,
“Let’s go.”
Wen Jiu hurried to catch up. “Where is Master going?”
“First, let’s go see what’s causing the explosions and deal with it, then meet up with your two senior brothers.” Yu Sheng replied calmly, and the moment he flew out of the room, he transformed into an old man with a lower voice. “Then take me to find someone.”
Wen Jiu: “Find... someone?”
Yu Sheng nodded. “Didn’t you say you saved seven people on the cliff? Were any of them from the spirit realm? If so, I’d like to meet them.”
After all, they were the protagonists, and with their luck by their side, the three realms were facing a crisis. Besides these three disciples, the only ones who could help were probably the other protagonists.
Wen Jiu's expression instantly turned gloomy again.
At that moment, the system finally popped up, cheerfully sending a face emoji before speaking: “Did the host suddenly have a pang of conscience?”
Yu Sheng: “Realization? What realization?”
System: “...Alright, I know you have no conscience. Then why are you suddenly feeling inspired to find the lost protagonists? Just so you know, there are no points for this; I’m telling you in advance.”
Yu Sheng: “Is that what you’re reminding me of?”
System: “Good obedient.jpg”
Yu Sheng: “I just think that before I can help them merge, there should be other things I can do. I feel a sense of mission about carrying the burden of saving the world...”
System: “Speak human language.”
Yu Sheng: “Do you understand the feeling of usually hating chores, especially washing dishes, but when you have a ton of difficult homework, you suddenly really want to do those chores and wash those dishes?”
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