Yu Sheng had just taken a couple of steps when the usually obedient and harmless white lump smashed into his face, flattening against him like a pancake, making it hard to breathe.
The system frantically warned him in his mind: Run the other way! Turn around! It's Zhang Xiaotian!
What? He’s back?! It’s not a new protagonist?!
The white lump instantly flew up and clung tightly to his head.
Yu Sheng was startled and jumped on the spot, quickly turning to run back, pushing his potential to the limit in that moment.
He left behind afterimages as he ran away, and when he turned to head back, he moved like a streak of lightning, disappearing before the shadow could be seen.
After chasing for a while, the figure behind him simply stopped, waiting in place.
Yu Sheng darted into the bamboo forest behind his cave dwelling, quickly discarded the old man disguise, and transformed back into his youthful appearance.
As he changed from an old man to a young man, his round apricot eyes looked even rounder, the panic within them no longer hidden. He paced back and forth, hurriedly swapping his clothes, no longer wearing the patched white robe favored by the old man but donning a light, pale yellow long-sleeved garment instead.
He didn't have time to style his hair, so he simply let it down, letting it flow down his back. Since it was quite long, the ends trailed on the ground. The white lump jumped off his head, bouncing around and gradually taking on the shape of a large white rabbit, becoming completely still and inconspicuous.
Before he could finish getting ready, footsteps approached, closing in almost instantly.
Now resembling Yu Yangzi again, Yu Sheng instinctively shivered, forcing himself to appear calm. As soon as the footsteps came to a halt behind him, he slowly turned around, feigning surprise as he faced the newcomer, his expression tense and unreadable. He turned, pivoted, and finally lifted his gaze to meet the visitor's eyes.
It had been decades since they last met, and Zhang Xiaotian had grown significantly taller, requiring Yu Sheng to look up at him.
The young man in his early twenties had been sharpened by time, and the red robes representing his status as the leader of the Immortal Alliance appeared even more ostentatious.
Yet his deep-set eyes, when they fixed on Yu Sheng, remained the same as before. In just one glance, Yu Sheng could instinctively decipher the emotions behind them—hunger, coldness, suffering, or pain.
Now, with that silent gaze, he could tell it was pain, along with a hint of bitterness.
Neither of them spoke as they stared at each other for a while, and Yu Sheng remained uncertain if he had been recognized, wondering if his previous faked death had been seen through. He cleared his throat, pretending not to know him and attempting to probe.
"Sir..."
Upon hearing this address, Zhang Xiaotian frowned.
Alright, let's change how I address him.
"This young gentleman?"
Zhang Xiaotian's frown deepened, “You weren’t like this before.”
Yu Sheng's face stiffened, becoming even more expressionless. He replied faintly, “Oh? You recognize me?”
His heart raced: What was I like before? What was I like?! Can you not speak so frighteningly?
System: You should call him 'little brother' or 'little friend,' and greet him warmly with genuine concern.
“I…” Zhang Xiaotian seemed to hesitate for a moment before smiling lightly, though his brows didn’t relax, making his smile quite alarming. “Of course I recognize you. The name of Famous Immortal Yu Yangzi"
As long as he hadn’t dropped his disguise, Yu Sheng sighed in relief. “You flatter me.”
Then he remembered something and blurted out, “I am now a person outside the world. The three realms belong to the younger generation. As the newly appointed leader of the Immortal Alliance, you, Young Master Zhang, are the one truly rising to fame, young and accomplished, exceptionally talented. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you; you truly embody the pillar of the human realm.”
His desperation for survival transformed into awkward compliments that he threw at Zhang Xiaotian.
As expected of a protagonist, Zhang Xiaotian remained unfazed, silently observing him, a smirk forming on his face... perhaps intending to scoff at him.
Ah, my disciple has grown up and knows how to show attitude. It makes me feel both proud and a bit heartbroken.
Yu Sheng awkwardly continued, “May I ask what brings you here, Young Master Zhang?”
Zhang Xiaotian lowered his gaze at him, his lips moving as he clearly stated, “Visiting a grave.”
Visiting a grave…
Yu Sheng was just pondering how to explain why he, as Yu Yangzi, appeared at the bottom of the cliff when those two words made his throat tighten. Suddenly, the phrase "returning in glory" popped into his mind. In a moment of inspiration, he responded, “What a coincidence, I am as well.”
After saying that, he nearly bit his tongue, wishing he could smack himself.
What grave! The grave left by Xiaotian back then didn’t even have a tombstone anymore!
Sure enough, Zhang Xiaotian wore a puzzled expression, incredulously asking, “You too??”
His tone rose in surprise...
Yu Sheng quickly changed the subject, “That’s not important right now. Why do you smell of blood? Did you get hurt falling down the cliff?”
Zhang Xiaotian's expression softened slightly for the first time since they met, as he looked away. “Just a minor injury. I broke a leg, nothing serious.”
Why not say you just got a little crippled but can still breathe?
Yu Sheng widened his eyes, finally showing some color on his previously expressionless face. “That’s not serious?! You…”
Wait a minute, Zhang Xiaotian broke a leg? Then how could he have chased so fast just now?! If he hadn’t broken his leg, wouldn’t he have caught up to me easily?
Just thinking about it made him feel afraid. Yu Sheng lost his focus for a moment, but when he looked down and saw bloodstains on the hem of Zhang Xiaotian's robe, his heart twisted painfully. Decades ago, he had painstakingly helped this person recover, and now he had gone and hurt himself like this...
You're showing no respect for others' hard work, simply taking advantage of your immortality to act recklessly.
"You... are you angry?"
Yu Sheng looked up at him in confusion, thinking, How dare I get angry at you? "Why would I be angry? Come on, let me take you to the cave ahead to rest and heal. We can discuss everything after you're better."
He stepped forward, reaching out to support Zhang Xiaotian, who stubbornly tried to stand. "By the way, when did you get injured..."
Suddenly, Yu Sheng felt a heavy weight on his body and turned to see.
Zhang Xiaotian had leaned against him, pressing half of his body against Yu Sheng without any shame, transferring his weight entirely. Meeting Yu Sheng's questioning gaze, he feigned innocence and said, "To be honest, I’m in quite a bit of pain and can’t stand. Thank you, Senior."
Wait, just a moment ago, he was standing so steadily and even chasing me!
Yu Sheng sighed, realizing this was much better than Zhang Xiaotian trying to stand on his own. He asked again, "How did you get hurt?"
"I fell..." Zhang Xiaotian replied as they hobbled forward. He paused, then added seriously, "During the battle against the ghost realm, I was struck by the Ghost King. His attacks were lethal; he fought like a madman, sparing no one, not even the cultivators trying to escape. In my haste, I exposed a weakness, and he took the opportunity to inflict serious injuries."
Yu Sheng frowned slightly, pondering how after all these years, they were still at war. Then again, this was likely the Ghost King's style; that kid was ruthless toward others and himself. It was hard to tell what kind of grudge he bore to keep this up for so long.
"So you came to visit a grave?" he asked, sensing something odd about the logic.
"Yes," Zhang Xiaotian replied, expression unchanged. "I remembered the last time I was so badly injured, it was at the bottom of the cliff when my master took care of me. He cared for me meticulously, treating me like I was the best in the world. Now that my master is gone, there’s no one to treat me like that anymore. The people I encounter are either enemies or disciples and subordinates. Feeling melancholic, I thought I’d come back and take a look..."
Ah, what a pitiful protagonist, having been single for so many years...
Yu Sheng couldn’t help but feel sympathetic. Even the protagonist could end up like this. Could it be that Zhang Xiaotian was one of those protagonists who never found a partner? That was too sad! But even those who don’t pair up shouldn’t have it this hard. Shaking his head in confusion, he asked, "With your abilities, hasn’t anyone liked you or wanted to form a partnership over the years? Like sworn brothers or personal disciples—didn’t you take in a few?"
Zhang Xiaotian didn’t answer the question. As they entered the cave, he countered, "Senior, you think I’m impressive?"
"Of course you are! To have become the leader of the Immortal Alliance at such a young age and to be such a skilled fighter, you must be the first in a thousand years. Plus, you’re not bad looking; you should attract girls," Yu Sheng responded.
Once inside, he skillfully reached into his pocket, pulling out gauze, bandages, scissors...
Finally, when he pulled out a splint that was obviously longer than his pocket, Zhang Xiaotian’s expression shifted to one of astonishment. His eyes clearly conveyed, How is your pocket so big?
Yu Sheng understood this reaction; after all, people from other worlds had never seen Doraemon and didn’t know what a fourth-dimensional pocket was. They certainly wouldn’t grasp the wonder of the spatial pouch he had acquired with his points. He could pull out a rattan chair from his pocket if he wanted to!
However, if he were to produce something directly from thin air, Zhang Xiaotian’s reaction would be even more unpredictable.
"Girls..." After a long pause, Zhang Xiaotian regained his composure and continued, "I don’t like girls."
Yu Sheng’s hand trembled, and the cotton he was holding slipped into the basin of water.
He’s gay???!
Zhang Xiaotian was still looking at him, and Yu Sheng took a deep breath, sitting beside the protagonist. He began to share some words of encouragement, "It’s alright; being with men is good too. You’re the leader, and you don’t need to care about how others perceive you. Just pursue your own happiness; I understand."
It seemed he had said the right thing. Zhang Xiaotian’s eyes lit up, as if he was a poor closet case who had finally found release and understanding after years of suppression. He looked at Yu Sheng eagerly and asked, "Senior, do you truly think so? You’re not just saying that to tease me, are you?"
"Of course not." Yu Sheng continued to work quickly, treating Xiaotian's wounds and stabilizing his right leg. After finishing, he checked for other injuries on his body without a second thought, saying, "Because I also like men. When I initially secluded myself, I planned to live a life of being content with a companion and birds in harmony."
Throughout the process, Zhang Xiaotian cooperated obediently, not moving around or crying out in pain, and he didn’t say a word, which significantly improved the efficiency of the bandaging and applying medicine.
Once he was almost done, Yu Sheng started to continue weaving lies based on the excuse he had come up with, making it more convincing as he went along. "I've been there; I know how painful it is to suppress oneself and not dare to pursue happiness. Naturally, I don’t want to see you suffer like I have and, in the end, waste valuable time and miss out on many people and opportunities."
Zhang Xiaotian's eyes flickered, as if he was genuinely moved. "I will."
Yu Sheng finished his work, stood up to tidy up the cloths and tools, and at that moment when he turned around, Zhang Xiaotian’s gaze froze for a moment. He quietly lowered his uninjured left leg from the bed and kicked towards the big white rabbit that was standing by Yu Yangzi’s feet, executing the move with precision and force.
After all, the rabbit was a fake; it was much lighter than an ordinary rabbit and made of soft, bouncy material. When kicked, it flew to the wall without making a sound.
Then, unexpectedly, its tail suddenly lengthened, resembling a cat's tail, before it wiggled its rear and charged directly at Zhang Xiaotian, biting down on his ankle with sharp fangs that had transformed from rabbit teeth to cat-like ones.
Zhang Xiaotian exaggeratedly screamed in pain. Yu Sheng turned back, and the rabbit instantly returned to its original state, sitting obediently without moving.
Then came Zhang Xiaotian’s plaintive complaint, "Senior, the rabbit you raised bit me; it really bit down hard."
Yu Sheng looked at the rabbit, then went over to check his ankle. Indeed, there was a small indentation, and the skin was broken, with a hint of blood seeping out. "Strange, it’s usually very well-behaved. Why would it bite someone for no reason?"
After saying this, he stroked the white rabbit’s fur, which felt incredibly smooth and soft. Unable to resist, he petted it a couple more times. "Young Master Zhang is a good person; you shouldn't bite him."
The white rabbit blinked its round, innocent eyes, looking adorable and helpless, letting out a soft "puff" as its ears drooped slightly, appearing extremely innocent.
Yu Sheng hesitated for a moment, turning to Zhang Xiaotian. "Did it really bite you?"
Zhang Xiaotian nodded, looking so considerate that it tugged at one's heartstrings. "It's fine. After all, I can endure even if my leg is broken. A real man doesn’t mind this small injury. I don’t blame it; it can't kill me anyway. I’ll let it be."
Thinking about his injured leg made Yu Sheng's head ache. He subconsciously retorted sharply, his finely arched brows knitting together. "No way!"
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