Yun Qi’s primary task now was to secure a legal identity. His current strength was still too weak to contend with the secluded cultivation families that appeared in the later stages of the original novel. If he could not break the connection between Wen Zui and those women, he would never be able to return to his original world.
For the time being, he had to rely on purchasing medicinal herbs for his cultivation, which required a significant amount of money.
Sitting by the floor-to-ceiling window, Yun Qi stared down at the police station across the street, lost in thought.
“System, can you manufacture an identity for me?”
A moment later, the small silver ball appeared on the floor. It rolled toward Yun Qi’s feet and climbed up his trouser leg until it reached his knee.
“Certainly! But Master, you must complete tasks to earn it.”
The System transformed into a high-tech, grey-white interface. It showed his current points as 0, while a legal identity cost 10,000 points.
Sighing, Yun Qi’s slender fingers pinched the silver ball and tossed it out the window of the 20th-story building.
“You are even more useless than I imagined.”
With a flash of blue light, Yun Qi appeared at the entrance of the police station. He planned to grab a random officer and use mind control to force them to create an identity for him.
Suddenly, alarm bells rang in his head. The System screamed, “Master, do not! Using magic on mortals will result in severe punishment!”
“Oh? Then why did nothing happen when I placed a suggestion on Boss Sun?”
“That is because Boss Sun already intended to help you. Besides, he was merely processing items that you and the protagonist won fairly. But now you are trying to break the laws of this world! The Heavenly Dao of this minor world will strike you down!”
Yun Qi’s pupils stayed fixed for a second before his lips curled into a shallow arc.
“Interesting. Then I shall have to try it.”
The moment those words left his mouth, Yun Qi grabbed a passing officer who was in a hurry. He pressed two fingers together and swiped them across the officer’s eyes. As he moved, a faint blue light flickered.
Rumble!
Instantly, the once-clear sky was crowded by a massive, heavy black cloud. Before Yun Qi could even react, a bolt of red lightning struck him directly on the head.
Countless red electromagnetic currents, like a swarm of tiny earthworms, instantly covered Yun Qi’s body. His snow-white skin was scorched with black, charred marks, and even his dark, silken hair became singed and curled.
In the blink of an eye, a searing pain shot through his meridians. Yun Qi instinctively tried to summon his spiritual energy to soothe the pain, only to find that he could not use even a shred of power.
“Master… the Heavenly Dao of this world has sealed your spiritual veins for one day.”
The “Break-the-CP” System emerged timidly to explain. It did not dare get close to him, hovering at a distance while its faint light flickered.
“Is something wrong?” The officer Yun Qi had grabbed frowned, seeing the young man standing frozen while holding his sleeve.
The officer seemed to have no reaction to the massive thunderclap that had just occurred. He could not even see the charred marks on Yun Qi’s skin.
Yun Qi grew pensive. He released the officer’s clothes and shook his head.
There are restrictions, then. Restrictions make things fun.
Wen Zui was not home. Since Yun Qi was currently powerless and did not have Wen Zui’s contact information, he could not get into the apartment. Being a domestic and somewhat lazy snake, Yun Qi had no choice but to wander the streets.
The modern air quality was poor, but there were many things he had never seen before. Yun Qi browsed one shop after another, touching items but buying nothing, simply passing the time.
Time flew by, and soon it was 4:00 PM. Yun Qi felt a rare sensation of hunger and decided to head back.
The moment he arrived at the door, Wen Zui appeared.
Today was the Winter Solstice. As the saying goes, “Drink mutton soup on the Winter Solstice to stay warm all winter.” Wen Zui had intended to go back to the orphanage to have soup with the director, but he had found himself drawn back home instead. As soon as he reached the building, he saw Yun Qi with black cracks across his fair skin and curled hair.
Wen Zui bit his lip hard to keep from laughing. He reached out to touch Yun Qi’s hair. “Master, what are you doing? Are you cosplaying as a broken porcelain doll?”
“Because I did something bad today, I cannot use my spiritual power for now.” As Yun Qi spoke, a clear stomach growl emanated from beneath his clothes.
“Come on! I will treat you to mutton soup!” Wen Zui grinned, showing his teeth. His narrow eyes crinkled as he looked expectantly at the snake.
“The things you eat have too many impurities. I do not eat them.”
He had been in inedia for a thousand years, long ago transcending the needs of the mortal world.
However, Wen Zui was not discouraged. He blinked rapidly and snatched a bright red tanghulu from a straw rack carried by a passing old man. Before Yun Qi could react, he stuffed it into the snake’s mouth.
“Mmph?” The round hawthorn ball puffed out Yun Qi’s thin cheek. A wave of sweetness mixed with tartness quickly took over his mouth. He could not help but lick it, his eyes narrowing in pleasure at the sugar.
After enduring a glare from the old man, Wen Zui chuckled and paid with his phone. When he turned back, he saw a man dressed entirely in black—save for a white baseball cap—standing in front of Yun Qi.
“Hey, handsome. You have a great look. Have you ever considered debuting as an idol?” The man in the cap tucked a business card into Yun Qi’s hand as he spoke.
The man had originally only seen Wen Zui’s back, but now that he saw his face, his eyes lit up even more. He jumped excitedly and exclaimed, “If you two did ‘Fanservice,’ you would definitely be a massive hit!”
A beautiful ‘top’ and a handsome ‘bottom’—the contrast would be perfect!
“Fanservice?” Wen Zui frowned and hurried Yun Qi away. He worried the man saw his Master’s “innocent” look and was trying to sell him some scam health products.
The mutton soup shop Wen Zui mentioned was close by. While Wen Zui was ordering, Yun Qi leaned his head on his hand and began thinking about how to obtain an identity.
In the original book, shortly after Wen Zui obtained his ancient martial arts heritage, he saved a wealthy old man at the Baiyun intersection. That old man gave him his first “pot of gold,” allowing him to buy the herbs needed to start his true cultivation.
Securing an identity should be even easier. However, the book did not specify exactly when Wen Zui saved the man. Yun Qi narrowed his eyes and decided that from now on, he would take Wen Zui to the Baiyun intersection every day.
“Careful, it is hot.” A waiter soon brought two bowls of steaming mutton soup and two pieces of flatbread that were larger than Yun Qi’s face.
The refreshing aroma of the soup, mixed with the sweet scent of green onions, invaded Yun Qi’s senses. His mouth began to water involuntarily, and his starving body urged him to pick up his chopsticks. Yun Qi pursed his lips, still feeling a bit conflicted.
In the next second, a spoonful of creamy white broth was held to his lips. Yun Qi’s eyes widened as he looked up at Wen Zui.
Wen Zui was wearing a puffy black down jacket. His slightly long hair partially obscured his handsome features, making him look like a rusty dagger slowly regaining its edge under Yun Qi’s tutelage.
“Won’t you try it? It is delicious.” Wen Zui’s dark eyes shimmered with light under the dim lamps, looking as though they could pull a person in. Ghost-like, Yun Qi opened his mouth.
The warm mutton soup flowed down into his stomach, gradually warming his cold body. Yun Qi’s eyes crinkled into a smile, and he nodded.
“A-Zui is quite domestic. I would love to marry you and take you home as a servant.”
“Get lost.”
After eating, the two prepared to head home. Their figures—one in black and one in white—looked exceptionally warm against the snowy winter night.
“Come one, come all! Grilled oysters, sheep whip, sheep kidneys, and sheep testicles! We have everything!”
A boisterous voice caught Yun Qi’s attention. He tilted his head, his interest piqued.
They are all from sheep, so they should be as delicious as the soup, right?
“One of each of those, please.” Before Wen Zui could stop him, Yun Qi had ordered a large platter.
“Uh…” Wen Zui frowned. He knew that after eating all that “supplementary” food, there would be no sleeping tonight. But seeing Yun Qi’s eager expression, a mischievous thought occurred to him, and he decided to let the snake learn his lesson.
Soon the barbecue was packed. Yun Qi took a bite of each item and felt they all tasted the same. He pouted unhappily, realizing that not all mortal food was a delicacy. He tossed the bag to Wen Zui, signaling that he was finished.
“Do not waste food, and certainly do not waste money!” Wen Zui scolded him. Yun Qi shrugged nonchalantly. “You can just eat it, can you not?”
Eat it? With all these “aphrodisiac” ingredients, Wen Zui feared he would have a nosebleed by morning!
Wen Zui shook his head, only to meet Yun Qi’s slightly reproachful gaze.
“Do not waste food. Why is Little Zui being so disobedient? If you keep this up, I shall have to punish you.”
“I was planning to teach you basic magic tomorrow, but now, alas…”
“What?!” Wen Zui’s ears practically stood up. He felt as if a fluffy tail were wagging behind him as his eyes sparkled. “Really? If I eat it, you will teach me magic?”
“Of course. Would your Master lie to you?” Yun Qi nodded solemnly. To make it more convincing, he patted Wen Zui on the shoulder with great gravity.
Fine! Even a massive nosebleed is worth it!
Wen Zui ate as he walked, successfully stuffing himself to the point of discomfort.
That night, having lost his magic, Yun Qi refused to sleep alone. Wen Zui tried to physically resist, but despite Yun Qi’s harmless appearance, he pinned Wen Zui down with a single hand. Wen Zui was forced to sleep beside him.
While Wen Zui felt hot and restless, the culprit held his arm and slept soundly. No matter how he pulled, he could not get free. Wen Zui was so frustrated he wanted to bite the snake’s face.
He pursed his lips, his eyelashes fluttering. Wen Zui softly called Yun Qi’s name and waved a hand in front of his eyes. Seeing no reaction, he finally felt safe enough to take matters into his own hands.
“Ha…” An uncontrollable gasp escaped through his teeth. Wen Zui watched Yun Qi’s face carefully while he worked. As the pace quickened, he could no longer manage both tasks and simply stared at Yun Qi’s face.
The snake’s fair skin was covered in the black scars from the Heavenly Tribulation. The eyes that were usually full of mockery were now closed obediently, and the corners of his lips were slightly upturned, making him look like a beautiful doll.
His mind went blank. Wen Zui frowned in a moment of intense focus and gave a final effort.
Suddenly, the air was filled with a thick scent of flowers. Wen Zui’s eyes widened as he realized he had made a mess of Yun Qi’s face.
A single drop of liquid slid silently down the tip of the snake’s chin.