When Mo Yu saw Li Jingsheng’s smile, he froze for a fraction of a second before snapping back to reality and pulling Li Jingsheng’s hand as they entered the room.
The spring air still held a chill at night, and having spent half the day outside, Li Jingsheng’s hands were freezing cold.
The moment he grasped Mo Yu’s hand, the warmth from the other person’s palm radiated across his skin.
Dazed for a moment, he actually allowed himself to be dragged straight into the room.
No sooner had they stepped inside than Xiao Yu used telepathy to message him: “Host, don’t let him lead you astray! You are the villain, he is the protagonist, and you two are sworn enemies! What kind of public indecency is it to hold hands and pull at each other like this!”
Li Jingsheng snapped back to his senses instantly.
Ah right, he was supposed to be the villain.
The previous atmosphere had been far too warm, almost making him forget that he was not in the real world and still had a task to fulfill.
Once inside, he quickly adjusted his mindset, shook off Mo Yu’s hand, and demanded in a cold, rigid tone: “What on earth are you trying to do? Why aren’t you sleeping so late, and what are you doing in my room?”
Observing the rapid shift in expression on the person before him, Mo Yu stared blankly at his own hand that had just been holding the other’s before quickly recovering his composure. “I was worried Senior Brother would be hungry when he returned, so I specially prepared a table of dishes waiting for Senior Brother.”
With that, he lowered his gaze without looking at Li Jingsheng, wearing an aggrieved expression that looked as though he were on the verge of tears.
Li Jingsheng glanced at the table full of food, noticing that every single dish happened to be his favorite, and then looked back at Mo Yu’s pitiful, wronged expression.
Right then, he felt a strong urge to slap himself across the face and drop to his knees in a kowtow to apologize.
Looking at Mo Yu, he screamed internally: Baby! I’m sorry! I was forced into this too!
At that moment, Mo Yu lifted his gaze to look at him briefly before lowering his head once again.
Yet Li Jingsheng clearly saw that the boy’s eyes were red, resembling a wronged little white rabbit.
He instantly lost whatever defenses he had left.
Ahhhhh! Baby! I’m sorry! I have sinned!
Though he couldn’t let his outward expression show too much concern, he patted the other’s shoulder, his tone softening involuntarily: “Junior Brother, what Senior Brother said just now was a bit too harsh, that was my fault. Senior Brother was just worried about you, after all, staying up late is bad for your health.”
That explanation sounded rather like an afterthought trying to patch things up, but Mo Yu seemed to take it very well. Lifting his gaze to lock eyes with Li Jingsheng, he asked with a lingering hint of grievance: “Was what Senior Brother said true?”
Then, looking at Li Jingsheng, he added, “Does Senior Brother dislike me?”
Li Jingsheng immediately raised his hand to swear: “Everything I just said was the absolute truth! Besides, why would Senior Brother ever dislike you? Whoever told you that is talking absolute nonsense!”
Even as he said it, he cast a rather guilty look toward Mo Yu.
Given his usual behavior, that description of “dislike” was entirely well-earned, so it was hardly the boy’s fault for jumping to conclusions.
He simply hadn’t expected the other person to just blurt it out so straightforwardly.
How was he supposed to respond to that?
He didn’t actually dislike him, but based on his past track record, making anyone believe that seemed a tall order.
Fortunately, Mo Yu seemed to accept his explanation and didn’t press further. Instead, he turned toward the dining table and urged Li Jingsheng, “Senior Brother, come eat. The food will get cold again soon.”
Walking over slowly, Li Jingsheng found that Mo Yu had already served a bowl of rice for him, topped with his favorite braised pork belly.
As he ate the rice in his bowl, he felt an escalating sense of guilt, beginning to think his actions might have crossed the line.
After Mo Yu departed, he finally struck up a conversation with Xiao Yu.
“Hey, do you think what I’m doing right now is a bit like returning kindness with enmity? He takes good care of me when I’m injured, yet I bully him every day.”
Dropping all pretense, Xiao Yu floated straight up in front of Li Jingsheng and remarked thoughtfully, “Setting that aside for a moment, Host, haven’t you noticed that the protagonist seems a bit strange?”
Hearing that, Li Jingsheng grew interested. “Strange how?”
Xiao Yu’s fiery red tail feathers flicked in a manner vaguely reminiscent of a human scratching their head. “Don’t you think his behavior is a bit like what humans call a green tea bitch?”
At first, Li Jingsheng didn’t quite process the term, repeating it, “Green tea?”
Delighted to have found the perfect descriptor and feeling exceptionally clever, Xiao Yu continued, “Yes, exactly! You clearly didn’t do anything overly terrible, yet he acts like he’s suffered the greatest grievance in the world, and then turns around to ask you those questions. Isn’t that just a tactic to make you feel guilty and win your favoritism?”
Recalling the interaction, Li Jingsheng figured Mo Yu wasn’t being quite as manipulative as Xiao Yu claimed; if he had treated someone with pure kindness only to have that person act harsh and hostile every day, he would feel wronged too.
“Is it really that deep? His reaction is pretty normal.”
Convinced that his host had been completely hoodwinked by Mo Yu, Xiao Yu lamented in utter exasperation, “Then tell me, why do you think he’s treating you so well?”
Finding the question absurd, Li Jingsheng shot it a look reserved for simpletons. “How would I know?”
Exasperated by his lazy, indifferent attitude, Xiao Yu jabbed him fiercely in the cheek with the tip of its feather. “Have you ever heard of a frog boiled in warm water? You’re that clueless frog!”
Annoyed by the poking, Li Jingsheng caught the feather tip to pull it away and asked, “But why would he even bother doing all this?”
“According to the original novel, once he grows powerful enough, he can take me out in a single second. There’s no need for him to go through all this trouble to butter me up.”
Seeming deeply invested in the dynamic of their opposition, Xiao Yu kept muddying the waters: “Why else? He wants to butter you up, make your heart soften, and make his own life easier right now.” Glancing at Li Jingsheng, it added, “Look, didn’t he succeed? Your heart really did soften.”
Xiao Yu’s logic was entirely airtight, leaving Li Jingsheng with no viable counterargument. Giving Xiao Yu a gentle poke, he chuckled, “Who would’ve thought you’d actually be quite smart today!”
Delighted by the compliment, Xiao Yu pressed affectionately against his hand. “Of course, I’ve always been smart, haven’t I?”
Li Jingsheng exchanged a few more bantering remarks with Xiao Yu, burying that subtle, indescribable pang of disappointment deep within his heart.
＊
As spring transitioned into summer, the list of contestants for the martial arts tournament was officially announced right on schedule at the start of summer.
The roster was posted directly on the glowing spirit-cloth banner positioned in the center of Fulu Peak.
The tournament was considered a major annual event across the entire immortal realm; even those not participating were intensely curious about who made the cut.
Influential aristocratic families wanted to see what kind of representatives rival clans were sending, while independent rogue cultivators simply showed up for the spectacle.
Whenever this time rolled around, the center of Fulu Peak became packed shoulder to shoulder.
Due to his inferior spiritual roots, Mo Yu had no qualifications to enter the martial arts tournament, rendering him completely uninterested in such affairs. Taking advantage of the peace and quiet in the backyard, he set to work practicing the explosive talismans Elder Fang Xiuxian had taught him a few days prior.
Just as he finished sketching the final talisman, urgent shouting echoed from behind him.
“Mo Yu! Mo Yu! When did you sign up for the martial arts tournament?”
Turning around, Mo Yu first caught sight of a flash of pink rushing toward him, followed shortly by the anxious expression on Chu Wen’s face.
Putting away the freshly drawn talismans, Mo Yu reached out to steady Chu Wen, his tone placid and steady: “Don’t rush. What’s wrong? What martial arts tournament?”
Once his breathing stabilized, Chu Wen demanded, “When did you sign up for the martial arts tournament? Why didn’t I know about this? Wait, given your current condition, entering is practically signing your own death warrant!”
Hearing that clearly, Mo Yu momentarily suspected his ears were playing tricks on him, a serious expression settling over his features: “You’re saying I signed up for the martial arts tournament?”
By this point, Chu Wen had completely recovered his composure, though his delicate face remained flushed from his sprint. Nodding, he said, “Yes! It’s written right there on the spirit banner! Why did you?”
Before he could finish his sentence, the person before him bolted past him at a full run. Watching Mo Yu’s retreating figure as he sprinted away, Chu Wen straightened up instantly, shedding any trace of his previous breathlessness and frailty.
The corners of his bright eyes curved into a subtle arc as he patted the hand that had just steadied Mo Yu and offered a faint smile. Things are getting interesting.
Throughout his frantic dash, Mo Yu’s mind was in total chaos. He had never imagined that he would one day see his own name on the tournament roster, let alone figure out who could have registered him.
It was common knowledge across the immortal realm that he possessed zero spiritual energy; entering the martial arts tournament meant surrendering his life unless he immediately conceded defeat.
Countless faces flashed through his mind: people he knew, people he didn’t know, those who favored him, those who detested him. Ultimately, the imagery settled entirely upon Li Jingsheng’s bold, uninhibited smile.
For a split second, Mo Yu froze. All those loose puzzle pieces suddenly clicked into place, providing an immediate answer.
Indeed. Only this person, whose words contradicted his actions and whose genuine intentions remained entirely opaque, would pull such a stunt.
Yet, why would he?
Every participant in the martial arts tournament possessed formidable, specialized skills. Entering the arena under his circumstances was equivalent to a death sentence. If that person really was the one who registered him, it amounted to a roundabout way of taking his life.
The span of several hundred meters felt to Mo Yu like an endless journey across thousands of miles.
Once that hypothesis formed, it spread like wild grass beyond control, his thoughts pressing forward step by step alongside his stride.
Does Senior Brother really hate me that much?
No matter how long a path might be, it eventually came to an end. Mo Yu finally arrived before the glowing spirit banner. The moment he stepped into view, he instantly became the focal point of the entire plaza, as the surrounding crowd instinctively parted to clear a path for him.
Amidst the muffled jeers and derisive laughter of the onlookers, he mustered his last remaining shred of strength to raise his eyes toward the banner.
Right there in the center of the roster stood his name: Mo Yu.
In that instant, Mo Yu felt as though he had been struck by lightning, freezing completely in place as he scanned his surroundings like a drowning man searching for a lifeline.
His gaze finally locked onto a familiar flash of red, anchoring onto it like a piece of driftwood in the middle of a deep abyss.
Lifting his gaze slowly, he met the other person’s eyes across the space separating them. Yet that person merely glanced at him briefly before averting his gaze, a fleeting trace of reluctance flashing through his shifting pupils.
Perhaps the distance was too great for him to perceive what the other was thinking, but that single look conveyed far too much.
Senior Brother was the one who signed me up.
Senior Brother might truly hate me.
Watching Mo Yu walk alone toward the crowd and then cast a look filled with grievance toward him across the sea of people, Li Jingsheng inexplicably felt too cowardly to meet those melancholy eyes.
Turning away, he reassured himself internally: It’s fine, this is for his own good.
After all, this marked the beginning of the protagonist’s counter-attack arc.
Thinking of this, his mood lifted slightly. He poked Xiao Yu and asked, “Hey, tell me, if I max out the protagonist’s hatred value before completing the main task, can I leave ahead of schedule?”
Xiao Yu mumbled vaguely in response, “Should be.”
Li Jingsheng pressed further: “So what’s the hatred value at right now?”
After appearing to calculate earnestly for a moment, Xiao Yu answered, “Uhm, ninety-four percent, I think.”
Li Jingsheng recalled that previously Xiao Yu had claimed it was ninety-five percent. How had it dropped instead of rising after all this time?
He questioned it directly: “Can this hatred value even go down? You said it was ninety-five percent last time.”
Hearing that, Xiao Yu practically tripped over its own tongue: “Of course it can! Uh, wait! It just went up to ninety-six percent! Keep it up, Host, you’re doing great.”
Listening to the rising numerical value, Li Jingsheng felt a slight tightness in his chest, though he didn’t dwell on it, attributing the spike entirely to the registration stunt driving up Mo Yu’s resentment.