âA few days ago, Chang Hui presented me with a question. Iâve always been in pursuit of Godâs footsteps â if one day, I discovered that this wasnât the life I had chosen, that everything had been planned so I would walk the course of destiny enacted by God, and my lifeâs vision, aspirations, joys and sorrows were all products of Godâs whim, how would I react?â
At first, Ji Mo had been baffled by Chang Huiâs defection, but when Su Ge placed down his cup of tea and lightly uttered those words, he finally understood why such an unforeseen event had occurred.
It was because the truth had been unraveled â Chang Hui had discovered that he was just a character in a storybook, and had also discovered that everything he had gone through in his previous world was just a plot that had been set up beforehand. His pride would not allow himself to be controlled by another, so he would destroy everything that derived from this set-up.
This was an occurrence caused by a case of OOC, except the one tearing up the characterization was the character himself.
The god mentioned by Chang Hui was none other than the author who had brought him to creation. This was undoubtedly the worst-case scenario for Ji Mo. With the amount of Celestials in this world, those protagonists would collectively fall apart the moment the truth was revealed; he feared the world would be caught in a terrifying upheaval when the time came. If those Celestials suddenly discovered his presence as an author in this world, when they realized that these âgodsâ were just a puny existence that did not even compare to themselves, this would mean the most wretched ending for the gods.
Not daring to imagine what sort of horrific end awaited him, all Ji Mo cared about was if Su Ge had realized the truth as well. Digging his fingernails into his palms to keep himself calm, he tried asking in a casual tone, âHow did the High Priest respond to his question?â
There were no anomalies to be discerned from the High Priest, who sat by the window. Hearing this, he merely lifted his teapot, observing the the flow of water pouring into the teacup before replying in a soft voice, âI told him: Be as that may, I wish to see God with my own eyes.â
Su Ge also knewâ No, perhaps he had uncovered the truth much earlier than Chang Hui did. The god he had been seeking all these years was no longer the imaginary existence in the novel, but the author of the story Greatest Sage And Teacher that he had come from. If that was truly the case, perhaps his encounter with Su Ge three years ago hadnât been a coincidence. Did this person know who he was?
If Su Ge knew the truth, what about the other rulers? Ye Junhou had dispatched his own son to attack him, could it be that he⊠No, the moment the barest hints of these rumors got out, all the Celestials would surely discover this piece of news bit by bit.
All the pain the protagonists had suffered as they grew had been single-handedly created by these authors â no one powerful as they were would be reconciled to being tinkered with. He would then have to bear the resentment of these protagonists when the time came. All the Celestials would become his enemies, including this group of people who treated him amicablyâŠ
Recalling that everyone around him was a Celestial, Ji Moâs face took on a ghastly expression. This was Brilliant Moonâs first seeing him with such a look, but as he couldnât understand a single word they were saying, all he could do was blink and advise him, âDonât feel bad if you canât understand what heâs saying, itâs not as if the High Priest doesnât act mysterious all the time. All you can do with his words is pick out and remember the parts you understand.â
His mannerisms were no different than usual, but the very thought of Brilliant Moonâs identity as a Celestial involuntarily caused Ji Mo to recall the pain of losing his eyes. The stifling feeling was excruciating, and all he wanted to do was to stay far away from all the Celestials. So, he stood up to leave.
âI feel slightly unwell. Iâm going out to get some air.â
The behavior Ji Mo exuded was just too unusual. Brilliant Moon stared, completely bewildered, âWhatâs wrong with him? I havenât even scolded him today!â
âOneâs past injuries may scar, but they cannot be forgotten; I imagine the pain of reopening old wounds will be much worse. That is why those who choose to enter the fray so as to not let the common people suffer more pain are worthy of respect, regardless of how small and weak they are.â
The words he uttered were still completely incomprehensible to Brilliant Moon. Su Geâs expression was calm, and with a glance at the desk that Ye Mingjun no longer occupied the moment Ji Mo had walked out the door, he gazed down at the slight ebb and flow of boiling water in his teapot, and, after a long while, gave a barely discernible sigh,
âAs the one who left these words to me, my deity, what will you look like?â
The Shrineâs atmosphere was heavier than ever after the White Towerâs fire. Passing by a group of divine attendants who greeted him, Ji Mo was originally intending to see the wisterias, when he suddenly recalled that place had already been destroyed by his own hands. At last, he just found a random stone pavilion to sit in, but the footsteps of passing divine attendants kept on disturbing the peace. This was when he finally became aware of how the world left much to be desired, of how hard it was to wish for a stable life.
âJi Mo?â
Perhaps due to the trace of anxiousness he had in his expression, Ye Mingjun, who had been following him all the while walked over slowly, tentatively calling out his name.
âItâs nothing, I just wanted to come out for some air.â
Ji Mo knew that it was very hard to make the immortal understand his current state of mindâ or, it could be said that there was no one in this world who would be able to understand him. He wasnât an impulsive person, and had gradually regained a cool head on the way here. At least the situation wasnât unsalvageable. Su Ge didnât seem likely to turn against him, from the way he had reacted; Brilliant Moon was a Celestial who had always enjoyed the preferential treatment from his novel, so he was unlikely to hold any grudges against him.
But when he looked at Ye Mingjun, he suddenly recalled the conversation both of them had that day â that this Xianjun was familiar with his own author. Ye Mingjun had said he couldnât reveal anything upfront about it as they hadnât known each other well enough at that point, and Ji Mo was unable to ascertain if he was willing to tell him, but as this was his only ray of hope, he finally asked hesitantly, âYe Mingjun, I remember you mentioning a man named Old WangâŠâ
âI wished to understand the emotions felt by humans, but the other immortals felt uneasy about letting me enter society using my true form. As such, they contacted the underworld to write a scenario for undergoing a trial so I could attach my spiritual body to a mortal body, using a humanâs identity to live a lifetime in the human world and experience the love and hate between humans before returning. And that Old Wang was precisely the ghost in charge of this task.â
The people of the underworld had implored Ye Mingjun a hundred thousand times not to reveal heavenâs secrets to anyone else before he had left on his journey, but he had always been a disobedient person. When he saw the White Robed Priestâs desolate expression, he ultimately told him the truth. He knew the immortals did not wish for him to linger in the mortal realm, so they had arranged a terrible emotional experience for him so that he would stay comfortably in the immortal realm after being disillusioned by the mortal world. But this was not what he wanted.
In truth, he had deliberately strayed from the little world he had agreed to head for, and while it was a little dangerous, the gains he had reaped was more than satisfactory.
Thinking of this, the immortal took a seat beside Ji Mo, smiling at him, âBut I wanted to comprehend human emotions on my own accord, so I kept on messing up the missions they prepared for me, remaining in the underworld and refusing to return, until one day I snuck out while they were preoccupied. After meeting you, I believe that I have made the right choice.â
Was this part of Ye Mingjunâs characterization? Or perhaps, did the immortals of legends truly exist in the world he had come from?
Looking at him dazedly, Ji Mo was momentarily unable to discern between reality and what was not. He whispered, âYe Mingjun, youâre real, arenât you?â
Seemingly unable to comprehend such a question, the immortal tilted his head to meet his eyes. However, the fact that he was being addressed by name caused him to become overjoyed, so he replied smilingly, âThe substitute I left behind when I escaped from the national treasury hundreds of years ago is still being kept in the museum. Although it has lost its spiritual power and canât glow anymore, there are still plenty of people visiting it every day.â
The immortal didnât look like he was lying, and besides, his knowledge of modern society was clearly different to the other Celestials. Looking at him, a glimmer of hope arose in Ji Mo, âWill you be able to return once you regain your cultivation?â
âMm, Iâm very used to crossing worlds.â
This was enough. It didnât matter if Ye Mingjun hadnât come from the same world as his. As long as he had come from a modern world, where there was a legal society, anything was safer than here.
The instant he heard his affirmative answer, Ji Mo had made up his mind. He summoned his courage, reaching out a hand to the immortal, âYe Mingjun, why donât we make a deal? Iâll help you complete your missions, and when you are about to return⊠take me with you.â
Quietly observing the astounded expression that took over the immortalâs face at his words, Ji Mo did not speak, merely waiting for his answer.
This chapter is scrapped from readlightnovel.org
He knew what the immortalâs mission entailed. To complete romance missions with someone of the same sex, even if he tried his best not to fall in, was still an arduous task to undertake. However, he had lost a pair of eyes the first time a Celestial had discovered his identity, and if he ever fell into the hands of a hostile Celestial in the future, he feared pain he suffered would be much worse than any antagonist written in novels. Even if the Celestials had mercy on him, being studied as an abnormal life form was also a miserable thing to endure.
He wasnât a heroic and indomitable character, and as a result, he feared the pain of physical wounds more than the emotional hurt he might feel in the future.
Xianjun, as someone who is fond of humans, do you know? Human emotions are such inexpensive things, they are not worth pursuing with the amount of effort you put in.
âThen can I hug you?â
After looking at him for a moment, Ye Mingjun tentatively asked him this. Hearing that, Ji Moâs body stiffened. There were many implications in this question, and he wasnât sure which one of them the immortal meant, but as he had no other choice, he replied, âIf you agree to my request, you may.â
Fortunately, the immortal had yet to know of human desires, and at present, was giving the little guy that had interested him for so long a simple hug. Ji Moâs physique was much thinner than he had expected, his sphenoid a little stiff to the touch, but the subconscious tensing of his body and grip onto his clothes when he touched his back was a pretty novel experience.
Looking on as Ji Mo lowered his head, trying his best not to make eye contact with him, Ye Mingjun could somewhat understand why the System had forbidden him from making physical contact before receiving explicit permission to do so. If not for this protection rule, he probably wouldâve grabbed the guy to make a thorough study of him. After all, the appearance he took upon being touched was truly interesting.
Inwardly entertaining a thought that would definitely cause him to get hit if he said it aloud, while the immortal found Ji Moâs startled look to be very fascinating, he did not continue scaring him, and agreed to their deal, âOkay, Iâll bring you to visit the museums. But Iâm clearly the most beautiful pearl in the world, so why do you always prefer my substitutes?â
Wait, are you sure there isnât some sort of misunderstanding you have about my motivations? My love for historical relics isnât to the point that Iâd cross worlds just to see itâŠ
The moment he heard these words, Ji Moâs uneasiness at being hugged by a man suddenly vanished. Lifting his eyes to look at the intrigued expression on the immortalâs face, he secretly released a sigh of relief, he would just regard it as being approached by an exuberant child. At any rate, with how high the Systemâs purity levels were, it probably wouldnât assign any tasks that would make them perform any shameful acts.
However, while he knew that perhaps the immortal wouldnât harbor any desires toward others, the sensation he felt on his back put him on his guard, âXianjun, why are you touching my back?â
Pressing someone against your chest to keep on stroking his shoulder blades, was this some sort of novelty play?
Ye Mingjun returned a cheerful smile at his suspicious look, âBecause you look pretty frightened. From what I can recall, no matter in ancient times or the new era, humans will make this action to pacify their own frightened children.â
But the System did not allow him to make any arbitrary contact with humans, so it was only possible with his permission to touch him. Luckily, Ji Mo had agreed this time around, so he did not need to be punished for once.
In Ye Mingjunâs mindset, doing things by halves was not an option, but when he looked at him, the corners of Ji Moâs twitched subconsciously. Oh, I thought you wanted to sleep with me, but you just wanted to become my dad.
However, this was probably the reason why he could always let his guard down before Ye Mingjun, because this was an incredibly pure immortal, whom he had never needed to worry about scheming against him. Compared to the other Celestials, this was a truly uncommon character trait.
Thinking of this, he tried pulling out his embrace. As he had anticipated, Ye Mingjun easily let go. Looking at that slightly befuddled expression on his face, Ji Mo revealed a genuine, rare smile, âPerhaps I donât exactly dislike getting along with you.â
This was undoubtedly an extremely high appraisal to the immortal, who had been rejected all this while. Hearing this, he immediately said joyfully, âWhich means that you want to complete the missions with me because you like me.â
No, your favorability level has jumped so high, are you trying to sprint towards the final episode before weâve even held hands?
Taken aback by the immortalâs baffling way of comprehending something, Ji Mo reached up to tidy up his own tousled hair. Now that they had made a deal, next would be to think of how to assist Ye Mingjun in breaking his seal by making the least amount of sacrifice. With Ye Mingjunâs personality, it wasnât impossible to come out of it unscathed.
Thinking this, Ji Moâs expression regained its previous confidence of having an ace up his sleeve. He spoke lightly, âXianjun, blind optimism is a good quality to have, please keep it up.â
Ji Mo: Iâm so lucky he hasnât passed his driving test!
Ye Mingjun: I much prefer learning from practice.
System: Xianjun, are you sure you want to set your missionâs final goal as marriage?
Ye Mingjun: Of course! If all the other protagonists have wives, why canât I?
Ji Mo: Why do I feel a sudden chill down my spineâŠ