A distinguished guest had arrived in Tongzhou City.
Or rather, a prospective golden son-in-law.
Inside the grand hall, the city’s influential generals hurried over immediately to receive the tall man who had traveled from afar.
For the past few centuries, the cultivation world’s passion for elevating their martial power had reached an unprecedented height. As the absolute top prodigy, Jian Guichi naturally attracted boundless admiration and reverence from countless people.
Some people adored his heaven-defying talent, while quite a few others harbored secret infatuation because of his exceptionally handsome appearance.
Even knowing that the man had condescended to visit this small city simply to fulfill a childhood betrothal, various proud daughters of heaven still pursued him, hoping the young lord would change his heart.
Because their family backgrounds were not something a tiny place like Tongzhou City could afford to offend, the city lord arrived late, looking anxious as he clumsily placated their emotions to prevent the young mistresses from venting their anger and wrecking the city.
The moment he arrived, the man turned his head sharply, their eyes locking.
Mo Zhi blinked slowly. The male lead’s appearance was indeed superior, his handsome face striking and dazzling. He offered a respectful yet distant greeting before taking a seat at the highest position.
As the city lord, no matter how unfavored or unwanted he was, he still had to go through the motions. He sat as a mere decorative figure, acting as a lazy ornament while letting the generals discuss matters of marriage with the male lead.
Middle- and lower-tier factions loved political marriages the most, using the union of their juniors as a bond to pledge mutual support. What shocked everyone was that the deceased old city lord had actually contracted a matrimonial alliance with the Jian family during their lowest valley period, and the child chosen by the Jian family back then was none other than Jian Guichi, who was now the young patriarch.
The generals were extremely excited. Our young mistress possesses a dragon bloodline, and in the future, she has a very high probability of transforming into a Heavenly Abundant physique. The young talents coming to propose marriage are about to trample the threshold flat… They chattered endlessly, clearly wanting to extort more benefits. Tongzhou City was poor and weak, so whatever dowry they gave could just be cobbled together casually, but since the Jian family was wealthy and powerful, the bridal gifts naturally had to be lavish.
The man expressed nothing, but the vice patriarch beside him sneered.
Who among cultivators did not yearn for higher cultivation? Dual cultivation with a cauldron (furnace/vessel) was undeniably a good method. However, cauldrons required a massive amount of spiritual pills to be cultivated via acquired methods; the number of uses was limited, and there was always the risk of a backlash. The Heavenly Abundant physique was different; it was a natural cauldron constitution, the absolute best among the finest.
Yet people with dragon bloodlines were not scarce, while a Heavenly Abundant physique only awakened once every few centuries.
Their ugly greed was entirely exposed, but the vice patriarch refused to humor them. Let someone awaken one first, and we’ll see.
As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere instantly chilled, and the generals laughed awkwardly to smooth things over. Glancing sideways at Patriarch Jian Guichi, the vice patriarch suddenly questioned the distracted young man, How does City Lord Mo view this?
Mo Zhi raised his head, noticing that Jian Guichi had begun staring at him at some point. It had already been a full half-month since the last time the two of them met, and he thought that they had never been separated for so long before.
The estate’s steward muttered, What does the city lord understand about these things? You all can discuss it yourselves. The other generals did not bother to scold him for overstepping his bounds, likewise holding no regard for a city lord who could not be molded into a wall. Back when Mo Zhi and Patriarch Jian addressed each other as sworn brothers, the generals had spoken nicely to urge him to curry favor with the other man. But upon learning that Mo Zhi had broken ties with Jian Guichi over a woman, they immediately turned hostile and dropped all pretenses, lately even too lazy to keep up basic polite appearances.
Mo Zhi felt no ripples in his heart, yet on the surface, he still feigned a trace of stifled grievance. Tian Ying felt indignant, putting down the apple she was only half-done eating to lecture them on his behalf.
Tian Ying was a prized possession who intended to fly up to the branches and become a phoenix, so the steward bowed and scraped, not daring to offend her. In his heart, however, he cursed the old city lord’s daughter for lacking discernment; her fiancé was right before her eyes, yet she wholeheartedly protected a useless waste of space.
Don’t be angry, I bought you some pastries. Presenting a piece of peach crisp, Mo Zhi felt the male lead’s gaze landing on him. He calmly maintained his persona, skillfully weaving a figurative green hat (cuckolding) for the male lead.
In the book, the city lord was a thoroughly lacking and unfortunate wretch; the women he liked always set their sights on the male lead, and every time he meddled in between, not only did he fail to win them over, but he also dragged the male lead down into isolation with him.
For instance, right now, he was using food to entice Tian Ying, bringing her back to the bedchamber under the delusion of making matters permanent before marriage. However, halfway through, Tian Ying would wake up and flee in disarray with her clothes in disarray, spotted by passersby. He would then become a street rat cursed by everyone, completely breaking off with the male lead and stepping onto a villain’s path destined for a tragic end.
The system stated: The next mission executor is already on the way for the handover.
Mo Zhi leaned his upper body over the female lead. Understood. Casually untying her outer garment, he faced her beautiful countenance without a trace of bashfulness or awkwardness; not even a shred of genuine affection existed in his heart.
It was chillingly calm.
The system fed his status back to the main world. The host was born from a species with a strong collectivist mindset; individuals isolated from the group mostly developed psychological disorders. For instance, the host found it difficult to generate any intense emotions, and the main world judged that if he remained lonely any longer, he would lose his capacity for emotion altogether. Only then did they conceive the notion of sending him back to his homeland to recuperate.
The world where the host was born belonged to a fully formed universe, which did not permit transmigrating personnel to enter. Therefore, the Lord God arranged for him to be placed inside a world derived from a novel within that universe, truly a well-intentioned arrangement.
Regrettably, the novel was much like the real world; dragons had been extinct for many years. While the living environment remained, he could not encounter a single fellow of his kind. Not holding much hope to begin with, sure enough, today, two years later, the effects were meager.
Thus, once today’s plot was completed, the host, whose emotions remained indifferent, would have to follow the Lord God’s suggestion and return to the main world to seek new methods.
Suddenly, Tian Ying opened her eyes, staring in bewilderment at the salacious hand gripping her. She looked around her surroundings just as described in the book.
Yingying, please don’t marry him, okay?
Suppressed love overflowed from his lips, and a bitter smile pulled at the man’s face.
Tian Ying, who should have raised her hand to slap him, was surprisingly calm, showing neither panic nor terror. Is it my turn now? You chased after so many beauties, so you finally decided to like me after all. She was full of affirmation regarding her own charm.
Mo Zhi replied, I am serious about you.
Tian Ying grasped his hand. Of course, I am so pretty. Marrying is fine too.
Mo Zhi’s rhythm was completely disrupted: …
The door was suddenly pushed open, and blinding light spilled into the dim room. The man who shouldn’t have appeared stood there with a gloomy face, catching them in flagrante delicto.
What… are you doing?
At this moment, the atmosphere was exceptionally ambiguous. The two of them were holding hands, looking as affectionate and intimate as could be, not at all like villainous supporting characters whose misdeeds had been exposed, but rather like childhood sweethearts engaging in private intimacy during the final moments of warmth before the marriage contract was fulfilled.
Did I interrupt you?
Despite saying those words, he stepped right on inside. Jian Guichi stared fixedly at Mo Zhi, his hands slightly curled beneath his sleeves.
Mo Zhi stood up and sat on the edge of the bed, wearing the guilty and ashamed look of someone whose misdeeds had been exposed. Offering no defense, his default attitude caused anger to surge within the depths of Jian Guichi’s eyes.
Tian Ying swallowed hard and explained, I came to A-Mo’s place to take an afternoon nap… Before she could finish her sentence, Jian Guichi waved his hand and banished her to her quarters using a teleportation talisman.
Mo Zhi asked anxiously, Where did you throw her?
To her residence. The male lead did not even glance at his fiancée the entire time. Even among friends, boundaries must be maintained. Mo Zhi, men and women are different.
The main characters were completely failing to follow the script. The system was astonished, failing to understand why the female lead had pleaded on Mo Zhi’s behalf and why the male lead had simply gone along with it and believed her.
As a brother who coveted the male lead’s numerous harem members, he should not have remained completely unscathed in any male-oriented web novel. Yet after the married couple stirred things up like this, the system even began to suspect that the host hadn’t done anything wrong.
Seeing the male lead pour a cup of tea by the table, acting as though the matter had just drifted away so lightly, Mo Zhi lowered his head and confessed, Big Brother, I truly prepared to do bad things to her.
The male lead lowered his eyelids, his tone calm. You are still young and do not understand romance. Today, let’s pretend nothing happened, all right? He gripped his teacup tightly, yet did not drink.
The male lead possessed an introverted temperament, but toward him, he was willing to spare extra words. Mo Zhi lifted his gaze slightly, observing the calm expression on the other man’s face. His attitude toward him was identical to before they broke ties; it seemed that the unilateral declaration of cutting ties back then was regarded in his heart merely as a child throwing a tantrum.
It could be dismissed heavily or let go lightly. Jian Guichi was willing to let it slide in his heart, completely unconcerned even if others thought him foolish for offending the head of the Jian family over a woman.
The system clicked its tongue. Among cultivators whose lifespans spanned hundreds or thousands of years, he was indeed young, but viewed as an ordinary commoner, many people his age had already settled down and established households.
What a wonderful sworn brother; even with a glowing green hat sitting on his head, he could still open his mouth and forgive him.
Mo Zhi wore a self-reproachful and mortified expression, his words carrying a stubborn streak. Big Brother, do you really think I don’t even know who I like? Following that, he heard the male lead calmly rattle off a string of names, those of the young ladies who had chased after Jian Guichi. You’ve liked quite a few people.
Mo Zhi: …
Whenever someone had outstanding looks, you had to like them for a bit.
Mo Zhi: …
The original host simply enjoyed appreciating beauties and easily fell deeply into infatuation. Unfortunately, the people he loved would always become enamored with the male lead, leaving him unable to get what he wanted time and time again. He was merely a pathetic green leaf serving as a foil to the male lead, at most falling in love quickly again after his heart shattered. Why did the male lead and female lead view him as some sort of fickle playboy?
Jian Guichi’s attitude remained gentle, as though he were indulging a junior’s mischief. Romantic love is different from familial or friendly affection; it’s impossible to lavish deep feelings on a crowd simultaneously. Therefore, Mo Zhi, you are too young and have confused your own emotions. The male lead carried a strong sense of responsibility, and once he recognized the original host as one of his own, he looked after him in all things, treating his sworn brother like a child.
How much longer until the next mission executor arrives?
In four hours; it’s not like you didn’t know, the system replied. Why ask another extra question? As soon as the system finished answering, the youth drew his blade in hostility. That’s none of your business. The man was startled, his brow furrowing as he sank his gaze toward the youth for the very first time.
Too honest, the system sighed helplessly. Encountering the male lead ahead of schedule and triggering the falling-out plot early was fine, but since they were about to leave anyway, if the host had just been a bit more roundabout and dragged out time to dump the mess onto his successor, that was common practice among mission executors, after all, it wouldn’t affect his grading.
You’ve gone too far.
The foolish youth actually intended to duel him. Youthful and frivolous, the youth believed that this would prove he had grown up and that the romance on his lips was not a child’s game.
You will lose.
So what if I do? I have to try anyway.
From the early stages of his cultivation, Jian Guichi had outstripped his peers by a wide margin, marching to the same tier as old seniors like a monster. Winning against him was pure wishful thinking. The youth was fighting head-over-heels for romance, so absurdly that it made Jian Guichi angry.
The outcome of the fight held no surprises. Jian Guichi snapped his sword barehanded, and the confrontation ended before it even began. Mo Zhi sneered and decisively chose to take his own knife to his throat. I lost.
Jian Guichi’s dark pupils constricted. He reached out with his right hand, gripped the youth’s lapel, and violently yanked him close, shouting sternly, How dare you! Did he treat this like a life-or-death duel where one of them had to die?
He deserved a good lesson, Jian Guichi thought; he was simply far too disobedient.
Mo Zhi was momentarily dazed by that unprecedented, fierce, and ruthless gaze. That split-second of stagnation allowed Jian Guichi to successfully snatch the blade from his hand.
A cat crying over a dead mouse, the youth muttered unconvinced.
Back then, during that life-saving grace, I still owed you my life. How could I just watch you die? The male lead’s eyes were filled with a sheet of coldness.
The cannon fodder supporting character and the male lead belonged to two entirely different social strata; their acquaintance originated from a life-saving grace. During a beast tide outbreak, at a moment of extreme danger, the male lead was betrayed by his companions. In the steward’s words, Mo Zhi had run into sheer dumb luck, picking up the dying Jian family prodigy.
That favor, he hadn’t asked him to repay it.
Mo Zhi felt waves of dizziness wash over him, his bones itching and feeling as though a nest of ants were crawling densely across them.
He hadn’t sensed it incorrectly…
The system belatedly realized that something was wrong with him.
Mo Zhi explained simply: The special period.
A dragon’s special period was rather complex. To translate it into a different concept, to put it plainly, he was about to go into rut. No wonder the host had altered the plot; right now, who could care about grading?
With the character’s death, the mission executor would automatically return to the main world. The system instantly went ballistic, urging him to hurry up and bash his head against something to die.
Calm down.
The system wailed, You’re the one who’s too calm! Even at a time like this, your emotional fluctuations aren’t even slightly intense?
Given his cultivation level, seeking death right in front of Jian Guichi was unrealistic; he was easily blocked, and Mo Zhi hadn’t held much hope to begin with.
The youth on the ground curled up in agony, fragile as a Qi Condensation weakling. Jian Guichi hadn’t used a weapon from start to finish; with a few gentle waves of his hand, the other person had merely taken a tumble onto his rear, yet suffered so severely he couldn’t even get back up.
The veins on Jian Guichi’s forehead twitched. He took a deep breath, and finally, with a helpless sigh, he stooped down to pick him up. However, the next second, the other person closed his eyes and passed out cold.
In just a matter of seconds, it left the system dumbfounded.
The sneak attack had been too hasty; Mo Zhi inevitably inhaled a bit of the sleeping powder he had tossed out.
Transfer me to a safe place. Having given his instructions, he lost consciousness as well.
Before long, a person about to go into rut collapsed right beside the male lead.
The system’s voice was frantic: Wait a minute, I can’t handle this!