◎ Strange Settings ◎
"I transmigrated here a few days earlier than you, so I did some exploring beforehand," Shuangjian replied perfunctorily.
Remembering Yingshi's understanding of his current self through the novel, he didn't forget to add, "The spiritual energy in this body is very weak, but its presence is extremely obvious, making it impossible for me to ignore. Therefore, I tried to master the way it circulates."
"Oh, your learning ability is so strong!" Yingshi didn't doubt him at all and continued, "Did you also deliberately adjust your way of speaking to adapt to the environment? It sounds very refined, without feeling out of place at all."
What she didn't say was that Shuangjian even sounded highly educated when he spoke, not at all like an illiterate boy from an isolated mountain village.
"..."
The original intention of this remark was to praise his meticulousness, but upon hearing it, Shuangjian couldn't help but purse his lips and silently nod.
Although he intended to imitate Yingshi's way of speaking, before figuring out the pattern, trying to be clever might backfire. Now that Yingshi had caught his flaw but formed this misunderstanding, it actually worked in his favor.
Meanwhile, Yingshi believed she had met a brilliant, god-tier teammate and wished they could instantly share a brain.
"Then can you teach me? The cultivation world should have the concept of possession, right? I've read similar plots in those transmigration novels. We must disguise our identities well and not let the secret of our transmigration be discovered, otherwise we'll be treated as possessors and dealt with..."
Said Yingshi, completely unaware that her secret had already been discovered.
"It won't happen. According to my memory, your speech and behavior are quite similar to the original Yingshi, so there's no need to deliberately correct anything." Seeing her solemn face, a faint curve naturally appeared on Shuangjian's lips. "Instead, I should be the one asking you about the contents of the novel."
"Let me think about how to summarize it for you." Yingshi turned around to close the broken door before cautiously returning to sit on the edge of the bed.
"In this world, Han Shuangjian is the absolute protagonist," she said. "And Xu Yingshi is a supporting character in the early stages of the story, mainly serving to enrich the romantic subplot... Of course, that might not be the case now."
...
Yingshi told Shuangjian about I See Frost and Snow from her perspective.
The plot, character designs, world-building... even the readers' comments.
Shuangjian listened to her seriously and quietly the entire time, occasionally giving a response or two.
Both of them seemed to be discussing irrelevant anecdotes about others, rather than talking about their own destinies.
Shuangjian indeed tried his best to appear natural and relaxed.
But as Yingshi described it, his heart sank again and again. The cold mockery in his eyes could barely be concealed anymore, yet he still maintained a polite smile.
"...It's suddenly a bit cold."
Yingshi obtusely stopped and turned to look at the unsealed crack in the door, only then realizing that the sky had darkened. "How about you, are you cold? You don't look very well."
"It's nothing, please continue. I really want to hear it," Shuangjian said gently.
"Where was I?"
"You were saying that the male lead's character design should have been brilliant, rather than him being a boring, indecisive, people-pleasing fake saint."
"Yes, exactly, right there!" Yingshi picked up the conversation. "If he were a true saint, that would be one thing; a true saint has sexual tension! But Jing Fengliu is pure garbage. He clearly ruined the character on purpose just to avoid depicting any negative traits of the protagonist... Just like how the identity of the female lead was left unresolved in the end. He basically wanted to please every faction but didn't dare to actually write a harem, which is why it turned into such a joke with everyone stringing each other along!"
Shuangjian nodded.
From Yingshi's revelations, he had already learned that the novel's content matched the cycles of reincarnation he had experienced.
However, what was interesting was that the struggles he made at the end of his previous two reincarnations were not presented exactly as they happened in the story, but they weren't entirely erased either.
At the end of his first reincarnation, he slit his own throat in the Immortal-Breaking Cave. Yingshi's description of this was: "In the final few chapters of the Immortal-Breaking Cave arc, Jing Fengliu stopped updating, and this hiatus lasted for over a decade."
At the end of his second reincarnation, he went on a killing spree, slaughtering all living beings. Yingshi's description of this was: "Jing Fengliu came back to revise the text and fill in the plot holes. As a result, after posting that rushed ending where nothing was clearly explained and the male lead just stood on the mountain peak having an epiphany, he didn't even have time to upload the side stories before the readers flamed him so hard his mentality collapsed. He immediately locked the chapters and physically destroyed the novel..."
Shuangjian couldn't help but chuckle.
And this rare sight was naturally noticed. Yingshi felt that the evening wind seemed less noisy, the chill retreated, and tonight didn't seem so cold after all?
"What are you laughing at?" she asked.
"Your choice of words is humorous and vivid. I find it very interesting to listen to," Shuangjian replied.
"..."
Yingshi felt the temperature of her ears rise slightly. Being praised with a smile by a handsome guy was bound to make someone a bit shy!
Even if this handsome guy was a bit younger than her.
Even if what this handsome guy praised was her humor...
She pinched a corner of a sleeve and rubbed it back and forth, not even realizing that it wasn't her own sleeve.
But it was quite strange. The heat born of shyness shouldn't last this long, right? She didn't seem to be such a bashful person anyway?
Realizing something was wrong, Yingshi reached into her robes and pulled out a small jade pendant that was radiating heat.
The jade pendant was gourd-shaped, strung on a thin white thread. It was emerald green all over, with a hint of red light shining through the center.
She stared at it in confusion for a moment before realizing that this was the small magical artifact given by Xu Mingcheng to his daughter in the original book for communication and summoning!
Xu Mingcheng was the Sect Master of the Cloud Water Sect, her current cheap father.
Now the pendant was boiling hot and emitting a dark red glow, which meant he was looking for her.
"Oh no..."
Shuangjian recognized the small artifact in Yingshi's palm. It was an extremely low-level communication trinket, but he still pretended not to know and asked softly, "What's wrong?"
"I'm not ready to act opposite other people yet!" Yingshi pinched the white thread of the jade pendant and lightly hung it on her pinky finger. Looking at it like a hot potato, she said with a bitter face, "This body's father is looking for me. Can I just throw this thing away and pretend I don't know anything?"
Xu Mingcheng was considered a typical villain in the early stages of the novel.
However, compared to Sun Xuanyi and others, his image was slightly less one-dimensional, and his attitude toward the male lead went through some changes.
At first, he had no impression of this unknown outer sect disciple. Later, when the male lead began to shine due to some fortuitous encounters, he actually quite admired this steady young man.
But upon learning that his daughter had fallen for this person, he began to feel that the male lead had deliberately seduced her—how could a lowly person of humble origins and mediocre talent be worthy of the daughter he had so carefully raised?
Male-oriented novels of that era loved to arrange such tropes: the elitist father-in-law professionally breaking up the couple, while the male lead would only leave behind a phrase like do not bully the young for being poor, and then kick off his face-slapping counterattack with the mindset that fortunes change over time.
But the situation between Han Shuangjian and Xu Mingcheng didn't completely fit the above scenario.
Because rather than mutual affection, it looked more like Yingshi's one-sided infatuation and pursuit of Shuangjian.
However, this only made Xu Mingcheng feel even more that Han Shuangjian did not know how to appreciate favors.
Objectively speaking, the Sect Leader of the Yunshui Sect was actually quite good to his daughter.
But this wasn't good news for Yingshi. The closer someone was, the easier it would be for them to spot her flaws. Although Shuangjian said her words and actions weren't much different from the original Yingshi, she wasn't the real person after all!
Yingshi was quite resistant to this "summons", and Shuangjian felt much the same.
He knew that Yingshi's departure meant he would once again lose control over himself.
Did he have any room to maneuver?
For example, making Yingshi stay, or leaving with her.
In the mere blink of an eye, he concluded that neither was feasible, at least not tonight.
Even if he possessed the complete memories of his past reincarnations, and even if he knew all the world's cultivation methods by heart, his current body still had unbroken seals and pitifully low spiritual power. Before gaining basic strength, lying low was necessary.
He had some impression of this injury; it was his first opportunity to start becoming stronger.
While recovering in the thatched hut, Yingshi would deliver medicine to him for three consecutive days. On the third day, the demonic core in his body would suffer a backlash, and Yingshi's whereabouts would be discovered by her brother, Xu Xiaoran, who would escort her back to her room and forbid her from leaving.
Xu Xiaoran would bring Sun Xuanyi and others to teach him a lesson. In a near-death state, he would counter-absorb the Demon King's spiritual core, slightly loosening the seals on his meridians. This would trigger an outburst of power he couldn't control. To avoid killing all those people, he would be forced into the Cliff of Repentance, where he would meet a demonic cultivator spy hiding within...
Whether it was because the novel didn't detail those parts, or because Yingshi skimmed through the book, she seemed to have no memory of the aftermath of the "thatched hut care arc" and never mentioned it to him.
...Or perhaps, she was actually holding something back from him?
Shuangjian quietly looked up. The young girl was still holding the jade pendant, completely at a loss.
Given Xu Mingcheng's temperament, he would come looking for her personally in another quarter of an hour.
Shuangjian's fingers, hidden in his sleeves, clenched tightly, but his expression remained very calm. His tone revealed a hint of measured concern: Do you know the way back to the inner sect?
Yingshi froze for a moment before nodding with difficulty: I know, it's in my head. So, I have to go back now, right? True, according to the character settings, if that old man doesn't see me, he might stir up trouble... I'll go back and sort things out tonight, and come find you first thing tomorrow morning with the best spiritual medicine. Don't worry, the male lead's constitution is like an unkillable cockroach; your injuries will heal very soon!
She seemed to be comforting Shuangjian, but also convincing herself. We are just separating briefly to do our individual solo quests. After all, it's hard to create a chance to team up right now... Taking you back without having figured out the situation might invite trouble, especially since Xu Mingcheng has a strong desire to control his daughter, and we don't yet have the strength to oppose him... I really should go.
Despite her words, she simply couldn't take a step forward. Eventually, she quieted down, still standing in place and staring eagerly at Shuangjian.
... Shuangjian forced a smile. See you tomorrow.
Mhm, if nothing happens to me... I'll come very, very early.
Shuangjian heard the anxious underlying meaning in her words and said patiently: Xu Mingcheng won't do anything to you. Put your mind at ease.
Okay.
...Mhm.
Sigh, I'm leaving then.
The young girl, who had been rooted in the middle of the thatched hut, finally turned around. The pendant in her hand had turned impossibly red.
But before taking even a single step, she turned back to look at him, her expression carrying an indescribable sense of bewilderment and heaviness.
Shuangjian... she murmured.
Yes, what is it?
Are you... lost? Yingshi's voice was very soft. Why... did we have to transmigrate here? There's no system, no quests, no goal that allows us to resurrect in reality once achieved... Is it just to play the characters in a book and live a different life? What is the meaning of all this?
Shuangjian fell silent for a few seconds. There were many terms in Yingshi's words that he was hearing for the first time, but he could roughly guess their meanings.
He gazed into her eyes and said calmly: Human effort can achieve anything. Doesn't the absence of a system and quests mean there are no restrictions? As for resurrecting in reality, perhaps the physical deaths we currently believe happened never actually occurred? It's just a traversal of consciousness. The novel will eventually have an ending. Once the dust settles, there might well be a chance to return to our true selves.
Yingshi was visibly encouraged by his words—words he himself didn't even believe. Her eyes lit up little by little, and she nodded emphatically: You're right! People really need to be more positive and fully exert their subjective initiative...
The heaviness on her face was swept away. She smiled and waved at him: Thank you, Shuangjian. I'll head out for today then. See you tomorrow.
This was already their third farewell in the short span of a quarter of an hour.
Mhm.
Shuangjian calmly watched her leave. Just as the two
Spring Sun
thin wooden doors were about to be closed, his heartbeat suddenly skipped a beat. Despite being fully mentally prepared, he was still forced into rapid breathing by the sense of confinement that enveloped him—
Wait... he couldn't help but rasp, asking her to stay.
Hmm? Yingshi held the wooden door and turned around. The evening light was dim and yellow; with her back to the sky, her face looked hazy and soft.
Shuangjian's gaze swept over her entire body without leaving a trace. This scrutiny seemed concealed, but it actually hid a kind of urgency.
He could not bear the long, endless night of being imprisoned once again, but now was not the time to forcefully keep Yingshi by his side, nor did he have the strength to do so yet.
Settling for the next best thing, since Yingshi's words, gaze, touch, and proximity could all act as keys to unlock his bindings, what about the items on her person?
If a personal belonging of hers was left by his side, could it win back a fraction of freedom for him?
However, at a glance, Yingshi's simple and neat disciple uniform had no extra fabric. There was no pouch or storage bag hanging from her waist. Her smooth neck, earlobes, and arms were completely unadorned. Her dark hair only held a single hairband and a jade hairpin; removing either of them would mess up her silky hair, and Xu Mingcheng would immediately notice...
Shuangjian never knew that voicing a request could be such an embarrassing thing.
It seemed there was nothing to ask for, yet he clearly knew... tied around Yingshi's ankle was a perfectly fitting red thread.
Naturally, he didn't glimpse it through her clothes just now; rather, he knew it was a setting belonging to Yingshi.
A setting he had never paid attention to before, but which he now had to rely on for his inner, despicable attempt...
Shuangjian's Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he swiftly retracted his gaze, lying back almost with his eyes closed.
His voice had probably never been as quiet as a mosquito out of such a guilty conscience, yet it could be perfectly disguised as the weakness of a patient: ...May I ask you to leave something behind... as a token to keep me company?
