Chapter 291: Friends in the Plane
Lonemoon became increasingly confused as he looked at the other "manager". She was dressed in home clothes and slippers. She held a gaming console in her hands and she was clicking on it rapidly. She gritted her teeth as she cursed under her breath.
"The one who destroyed our tower in the middle is coming.
Stop dreaming, stop him!"
"Why are all of you still going your own ways? Gather over here!"
"The Big Dragon is out, the Big Dragon is out. Go over and steal it now. Fatty, what are you doing? Go big, go big!"
"Holy shit, what are you pulling onto me for? Do you even know how to play this game!"
The group sat quietly on the couch for over half an hour, yet she still did not stop. Instead, she became more and more engrossed in the game, as if completely forgetting that there were four visitors right next to her.
Didn't Shen Jing say this was a pretty good immortal cultivator realm? Why was the manager's place so up-to-date? In fact, it was more similar to their modern world. There were even similar models of gaming consoles back in the modern world where they came from.
Lonemoon was just about to ask if Shen Jing had brought the through the wrong door when a man suddenly walked out of the kitchen. He was dressed in a warm-looking uniform, yet he emanated a certain cold Qi. Just one look at him made them feel cold to the bones. The man looked awkwardly at the visitors, put down the food in his hands, and approached them.
"Yu… Yao," he called the woman who was still engrossed in her game. He sounded just as cold as he looked. Yet, his expression softened slightly as he looked at the woman and snatched the gaming console out of her hands.
"Eh?" The woman tried to snatch it back. "Master, I'm about to win…" "Yu Yao!" The man frowned and looked briefly at the group of people seated at the couch.
The woman paused, then turned to follow his gaze. She pursed her lips. "I'm sorry, I forgot you were still here."
She immediately stood up and cleared her throat. "Little Jing, it's been a long time since we last met." She smiled warmly at Shen Jing. When she turned to face Shen Ying, her eyes twinkled. "Is this your Little Ying? She's so adorable and cute!"
"She is, isn't she?" Shen Jing smiled. She pulled the other woman's arm and continued fawning, "You have no idea - she was even cuter when she was a child! I still have a photo of her when she was younger."
"Do you? Let me see it!" The two of them huddled close together.
"Look, this was taken when she was one. This one was taken when she was two." "Whoa! It's true! Look, she was so chubby. How did you raise her? What milk powder did you use?"
"This could be a science. I did not feed her just any milk powder."
"You have so much experience - why don't you share it with me. I could use the same tricks on that little one at home."
"Alright, alright! Let me tell you…"
Shen Ying: "…"
Lonemoon: "…"
Yi Qing: "…"
The two of them were about to begin sharing all of their experience with rising children. The three people remaining on the couch frowned. Shen Ying pursed her lips and could not help but pull the woman next to her back. "Older SIster…" Do you even remember why we're here?
Shen Jing paused. Slowly, she kept the gaming console. "Yao Yao, I already told you about my situation awhile ago. This time, I brought Little Ying here to let you examine her for yourself. Your plane is quite similar to hers. I guess you'd be able to tell exactly what her problem is."
"Relax." The woman beat her own chest twice. "Your problem is my problem as well. Let me solve it." She turned to face the group and smiled specifically at Shen Ying. Then, she raised out a hand and said, "Little Ying, how are you? I'm a good friend of your older sister's. I'm Zhu Yao."
"Shen Ying." Shen Ying shook Zhu Yao's hand.
Zhu Yao turned back to face Shen Jing and asked, "Oh yes, you didn't explain very clearly in your message - what exactly is wrong with her body?" "I can't retrieve her body's data. I suspect she's even gone over all the limits," Shen Ying answered in a low voice. "This only happened after she got dragged into that deviant plane."
Zhu Yao nodded, then gestured for Shen Ying to stand up. She circled around her and frowned. "That's strange. I don't see anything wrong with her!" Immortal Qi aside, Shen Ying did not even have a bit of spirit Qi flowing in her. This was not possible for someone who had been to an immortal cultivator realm.
"You can't tell either?" Shen Jing's expression fell.
Zhu Yao pondered for a moment. As if recalling something, she suddenly turned back and said to the cold man, "Master, why don't you take a look at Little Ying for me?" She turned to explain to the group, "My master knows more about the immortal cultivator realm than I do."
The man frowned and gestured toward the two men on the couch. "The two of their cultivation levels are not lower than mine. If they can't see what the problem is, I probably will not be able to as well." "Well, we have no choice but to use the system's Heavenly Eye then." She activated a screen out of nowhere. "Before the Realm Spirit left, it gave me a detection system. It's meant to detect any bugs in the plane and alert me to them. Through the system, once can detect anomalies."
She glanced at Shen Ying and started up the system, explaining, "If there really is something wrong with Little Ying's data, the system will surely detect the bug. It will also say "BUG" on the screen. This way, if we trace back to the reason…"
"We'll be able to find out exactly how she turned out this way?" Shen Jing exclaimed in excitement.
"Yes!" Zhu Yao nodded. "But only the manager will be able to read the words on the system.
With a beep, a light flashed onto Shen Ying's forehead and moved slowly down to her toes. Indeed, Shen Ying's figure began to blur on the screen that Shen Jing and Zhu Yao were looking at. In its place, words appeared. The words were getting bigger and clearer. A moment later, one big word was written on Shen Ying's face: BOSS.
Zhu Yao: "…"
Shen Jing: "…"
(⊙_⊙)
What the hell?
Why did it say "BOSS"? Was it not meant to say "BUG"? And why were the words in gold and not in black?
"Yao Yao, didn't you say… there would only be three letters?" Why were there four now?
"I… I don't know either." She had never seen a situation like that. To the system, a "BUG" could be fixed, but what could be done to a "BOSS"?
"Will it still be able to detect the reason?"
"Let me try!" Zhu Yao paused and sprang into action. She pointed to the screen and began to tap on it. There were a couple of beeps, and then a line of red words bounced onto the screen - Wrong target, error receiving information!
"I don't think so!" Zhu Yao frowned apologetically. "I'm sorry, Little Jing. I can't help you."
"No worries. We only came here to try our luck. In any event, I can't figure out the problem as well. You haven't been the plane manager for very long. It's expected that you would not be able to detect the problem."
"That's right, I'm still a newbie…" She trailed off mid- sentence, as if suddenly thinking of something. Zhu Yao's eyes immediately widened. "Why don't I introduce you to someone? He would definitely know!" "Who is he?"
"The manager of the plane where I came from." Zhu Yao quickly tapped on the screen in front of her and tried to call that other manager. She made three calls, but the other party rejected all three calls. Zh Yao, however, was used to this by now. She attempted to reach the manager for the fourth time.
Immediately, a man appeared on the screen in front of her. He looked ferocious - like he would eat her up any moment. He shouted, "Are you courting death?"
Chapter 292: Super-Existence
"Hahaha…" Zhu Yao laughed out loud. "Big Guy, is Guo Guo in?"
"No! Get lost!" The man answered nastily. He was just about to hang up when a gentler voice sounded.
"Yao Yao, it's you!" A younger woman suddenly appeared on the screen, pulling the man away. "I haven't seen you for a few days. Where have you wandered to?"
"I returned to the immortal cultivator plane to finish some business," Zhu Yao replied. She became serious. "Guo Guo, can you ask that person from your home to help me? I have a friend…" She told Guo Guo everything regarding Shen Ying.
"Hmph!" The moment Zhu Yao finished speaking, the man from before tutted. "What do other planes have to do with me?"
"Is that a good friend of Yao Yao's?" The woman asked. "Of course." Zhu Yao nodded.
The man's expression turned sour again. "We're not free-"
"Help!"
"Alright."
The next moment, the air in the house twisted. A passage through space appeared in front of them.
Shen Jing: "…"
Zhu Yao: "…"
Yu Yan: "…"
The trio that was observing the entire thing: "…" ———————
According to Zhu Yao, her good girlfriend's partner was a knowledgeable manager. He was the manager of the plane that she was from. It was a world extremely similar to the one Shen Jing came from. For as long as she could remember, he had been the manager of that plane. If anyone could figure out the problem with Shen Ying, it would be him.
After he analysed Shen Ying's numbers, he lost that initial contempt and disgust on his expression. The screen in his hands displayed a bunch of data, all in red.
"How is it?" Yi Qing asked anxiously. "May I ask what exactly is wrong with my master?"
The man gave a strange face and scanned Shen Ying from head to toe. He sat down and replied, "Nothing."
All of them paused. What did he mean? "If I'm not wrong, she's better than everyone else here." He glanced at Shen Jing and Zhu Yao, then added, "Including us."
"What do you mean?" Lonemoon stared blankly back at him.
"Although I'm not fully certain, I'm about 80 to 90 percent sure." He gave Shen Ying an inexplicable expression and asked, "Do you feel the limits of your strength?"
Shen Ying paused. "Limits?" Were there?
"Then I should be right!" He looked like he had not even expected an answer from her. Strolling next to Guo Guo, he sat down and addressed Shen Jing. "You are a manager as well. You should know the nature of our existence, right?"
"We're above the plane's existence," Shen Jing answered almost immediately.
"That's right," the man continued. "We are higher than the planes. We either came into existence at the exact same time as the planes- like me - or we received acceptance from the planes - like you - or we were chosen by the planes - like that freeloader." He pointed to Zhu Yao.
Zhu Yao: "…"
"In sum, we are practically one with the plane," he continued. "That's why we're allowed to manage the planes. Any person, matter, or thing to do with the plane is within our management. Nothing can avoid our eye. That's of course unless… that person, matter, or thing has left the plane, like the freeloader who received rights to manage the plane from the plane's consciousness."
Zhu Yao: "…" Enough, stop calling me a freeloader.
"I know that," Shen Jing said in a low voice. "But Little Ying belongs to my plane. I can sense the connection with her, yet I can't figure out her problem."
"That's because she voluntarily allowed you to connect with her. Otherwise, you would not be able to sense her existence." Shen Jing paused. Everybody in the house turned to Shen Ying at once.
Huh?
Shen Ying looked confused. Silently, she put down the apple that she picked up. What? Can't I eat?
Yi Qing, who was next to her, handed her an immortal fruit out of habit.
"How can that be!" Shen Jing exclaimed, unable to understand. "Little Ying is my biological sister. Of course she belongs to my plane."
"Wasn't I a free gift to you when you topped up your cell phone plan?" Shen Ying interrupted.
"Nonsense!" Shen Jing glared at her. "I picked you up from the garbage bin." Shen Ying, "…"
Yi Qing: "…"
Lonemoon, "…"
What was the difference?
"I brought her up since she was a baby. You could say that we have the same blood flowing through our veins," Shen Jing continued. "Compared to others, she has the deepest connection with my plane. How can she avoid my sensing?"
"If you don't believe me, use your plane purview to test it." The man pointed to Shen Ying.
Shen Jing paused and turned to Shen Ying, her eyes narrowing. Suddenly, a strong aura radiated toward the group. For a fraction of a second, the entire room became filled with a high pressure. An inexplicable fear rose up in all of their chests so that they could not even speak up in objection. Lonemoon, who was from the same plane as Shen Jing, let out a cry and fell to his knees.
Holy shit! Not him again?
凸(艹皿艹)
Lonemoon felt his heart get heavier and heavier. It threatened to blow up in his chest.
"Older Sister!" Shen Ying stepped forward, between Shen Jing and Father Niu.
Suddenly, as if she had broken something, the pressure disappeared. Even Shen Jing stepped backward.
"Little Ying…" She looked at her in disbelief.
"That's what I said," the man announced. "She's no longer under the purview of your plane."
"…" Shen Jing hesitated.
Everyone present looked confused. They did not understand exactly what the man was trying to say. Even Zhu Yao looked dazed. She looked to Guo Guo, pleading her for an explanation.
"Put it simply - what's wrong with her?" Guo Guo asked the man.
"Yes, Honey," the man answered. He held Guo Guo's hand as he said, "In other words, her body has changed so that the nature of her existence is different now. It's changed in a way that even we, managers, would not understand."
"What do you mean?"
"Let me put it this way - if everything in the plane is ordinary, then managers are considered extraordinary. We have greater powers than everything in our planes." "That, I know," Shen Jing responded.
The man continued, "Do you still remember what your body felt like when you first transmigrated?"
Shen Ying tilted her head. "Hungry?"
"That's right." The man nodded. "You're Shen Jing's assistant and her younger sister. You already had a body very similar to a manager's. Your older sister has been training you to become a manager. But when you transmigrated, your body happened to be at the tip of ascension. That was the point at which you were about to become a manager. The moment you transmigrated, your body absorbed the powers of both planes so that the nature of your existence changed. You ascended by two whole stages. That consumed so much energy, resulting in you feeling hungry."
"You mean that I'm… a manager?" Shen Ying looked at him quizzically.
"No, you've accumulated the powers of two separate planes," he explained seriously. "You're not just a manager, you're-"
"More than a manager!" Shen Jing finished his sentence.
"…"
(⊙_⊙)
"If we say that a manager exists on a higher level than a plane," the man said slowly, emphasising every word, "you now exist on an even higher level than managers."
Everyone: "…"
So that's what "BOSS" meant?
Chapter 293: An Other-Worldly Confession
Shen Ying and the group sought help in a confused state and returned home in an equally confused state. Lonemoon at least finally understood why Shen Ying was so scary. It was no wonder that immortals, divine beings, demons, and even the Godfiend - who was akin to a manager - had nothing on her. Even realm gates, which ordinary people found so difficult to walk through, could be torn open by her easily.
So it was all because she wasn't even on the same level as the rest of them! Lonemoon still did not understand what it meant to absorb the power of the planes, but on further thought, he could imagine that the difference between her and them was similar to the difference between 3D and 2D people. In other words, she could tear them apart with her own two hands. No matter what quality of paper they were drawn on, they would still be paper to her!
Somehow, he knew that he would need some time to absorb all of these things. Shen Jing too did not look like she wanted to stay any longer. After hearing the explanation of Shen Ying's situation, she opened the gates to their own plane and started to return. Shen Ying, however, continued to chew on her fruit carelessly, as if she had no idea about her own strength. "Chef! Chef?" Lonemoon nudged the person next to him, who was staring blankly into thin air. "Let's go!"
"Oh." Yi Qing nodded. He turned around and glanced at Yu Yan, who was embracing Zhu Yao. Then, he followed the group into the plane passage.
So they… were master and disciple as well.
"Little Ying, I can't help you with your situation as well," Shen Jing sighed. She looked worriedly at the people in front of her. Now that she understood Shen Ying's situation, she could not decide if it was good or bad. "Try your best to adjust to it."
"Oh." Shen Ying nodded, as if she did not find anything wrong with it.
"As for your transmigration, I still have to investigate the reason." She frowned, as if recalling something. "Did you say that you were playing a primitive game when you transmigrated?" Primitive… Father Niu felt a knife cut through his heart.
Seeing Shen Ying nod, Shen Jing continued, "I followed this lead. Given your current situation, I don't think you're suited to manage the plane's matters. Your holiday is extended until further notice."
"Yes, Older Sister. No problem, Older Sister." Shen Ying's eyes twinkled.
"I have other matters to tend to. I'll be back in three days." She turned to open another space portal. Before she entered it, she said, "Don't get into trouble." Then, she disappeared.
Shen Ying finally relaxed her entire body. She immediately looked like a pile of sand once again. Walking to the computer, she picked up two familiar-looking wristbands and handed one to Chef before putting the other one on. Her eyes brightened as she turned to Lonemoon.
"Father Niu, let's go hack some systems!" "Get lost!"
Apart from eating, sleeping and playing, do you have anything more meaningful to do?
Shen Ying sighed, but did not push him further. "Chef, let's go!"
She was just about to activate her wristband when Yi Qing unexpectedly handed his back to Shen Ying. He lowered his gaze. Many emotions flashed across his face, as if he had been suppressing them for a long time. Obviously, they were about to explode out of his chest. "Master…"
"Huh?" Shen Ying stared blankly back at him.
He clenched his fists by his side, determined. Standing up, he looked at Shen Ying with an extremely serious expression. Then, he took two steps forward and fell to his knees before kowtowing to her. "What are you doing?" Shen Ying exclaimed, jumping back.
Even Lonemoon looked over in surprise.
Yi Qing's expression was even more resolute. He looked directly at her and loudly said, "Your disciple has troubles and he needs Master to help him."
"What… What troubles?" Shen Ying was taken aback by how serious Chef looked. "You don't have to be… that serious, do you? Get up first."
"This has been on your disciple's heart for countless years, and I haven't found the solution. It's beginning to breed mental demons. I hope Master will listen to your disciple." When he finished, he kowtowed once more. His head hit the floor with a resolute thud.
"Alright, alright, alright. I'll listen. I'll listen, alright?" He was scaring her. "Talk."
"Your disciple is very fortunate to have you as his master. I've learned a great deal from you.," he spoke slowly, emphasising every word. "In your disciple's heart, Master is someone who has guided me throughout life. Ever since I joined you, I have put all your matters and worries on my heart, prioritising them above all else."
"Yes."
"I've followed Master for so many years, trying to do my best as your disciple. I took pride in learning from you and following in your footsteps. As time went by, your disciple found hidden desires in his heart. I did not notice them before, but now… I cannot get rid of them." He clenched his fists by his sides one more, looking extremely ashamed and embarrassed.
Shen Ying instinctively asked him, "What are they?"
Yi Qing began to tremble. He looked unable to carry on but after awhile, he raised his head and took in a deep breath. "I'm your disciple, and I'm proud to be. Developing to my fullest potential and helping you develop the sect far and wide is my duty. But… I don't want to! I'm selfish and I don't want Master to have disciples all over the world. I don't want Master to have any other disciple. I don't want anyone else coming close to Master. I don't want Master to leave my sight for even a second. These are the selfish desires I have harboured in my heart for a long time. I have been unsuccessful in getting rid of them."
"…"
"Your disciple wants to be by Master's side forever. I want to accompany Master and be your only disciple forever. I don't want anyone else to be by your side, and I want… Master to remain beside me forever."
"…"
"Master, you taught me to be upright yet I've harboured such selfish desires. I've let Master down, but no matter how hard I tried, I could not get rid of these desires. In the past few thousand years of searching for Master, I became more and more buried in these desires and thoughts. All I can do now is to ask for Master's guidance!"
"…" "I don't want to separate from Master anymore. I just want Master… all to myself."
Pui…
Lonemoon, who heard every single words, could not help but spit out his mouthful of drink and break out in maniacal laughter. However, he choked and began to cough non-stop. As he coughed, he beat his own chest. Yet, with his other hand, he gave Yi Qing a thumbs up.
"Hahaha… ke ke ke… Brother, your righteous confession was really out of this world. It's unbeatable - too strong!" This was the first time he saw such a serious and raw confession. "Even I am almost moved by you."
"What do you mean?" Yi Qing frowned.
"I never would have thought, Chef! I never expected you to have such tricks up your sleeve. It's coming at the wrong time, though." When he finished speaking, he doubled over in laughter once again. Yi QIng's expression hardened. Very seriously, he said, "Everything that I said came straight from my hard. I did not lie at all. Can Fellow Daoist Lonemoon please not not take me as a joke?"
Hey, he's addressing me as "Fellow Daoist". He really is angry!
"I'm really asking Master for guidance as to how to solve my problem. I want to get rid of these selfish desires before I make a huge mistake. If I acted out of place in the past, I'm pleading with Master to punish me accordingly!"
"Punish? Wait!" Lonemoon suddenly thought of a possibility. He looked at Chef like he was an alien. "You… you really don't understand that you like Shen Ying? You don't know that you want to chase her?"
"…" What?
He likes… Master!!! Σ(°△°|||)
Chapter 294: Niu-Style Counseling
"What… What?!" Yi Qing stared blankly at him, as if was just beginning to realize where the conversation was headed. A moment later, he snapped back to reality. His serious expression turned red as if something exploded behind it. He began to panic. "I… I… like Master?" He instinctively glanced at the woman in front of him. Before he even met her eyes however, he looked back down like a child who was caught doing something wrong.
He… This feeling he had toward Master was… fancy? Did he really fancy Master?! If fancying Master meant that he would get to be beside Master forever, he guessed he did fancy her.
"You really don't know!" Lonemoon exclaimed incredulously. He was not even clear of his own feelings, yet went ahead to confess to Shen Ying. From the way he was acting, it was obvious she was his first… whatever.
"Mas… Master." Yi Qing seemed to shrink back into his own body. Where he was confidently pleading for guidance earlier, he now looked like a deflated basketball. Guiltily, he kept sneaking glances at Shen Ying. "Hey, say something!" Lonemoon nudged Shen Ying.
"Say… say what?" Shen Ying cleared her throat. This sudden confession from Chef did make her feel a little awkward. She did not know what to say or do.
"Are you trying to be as stupid as him?" Lonemoon rolled his eyes. "At least say something in response to what he told you." After awhile, Lonemoon added, "I'm telling you, you won't be able to find someone else like Chef… who cooks so well." They were brothers who fought alongside each other after all. Lonemoon felt obliged to help his brother out.
"Ah, so troublesome!" All this dating business.
Troublesome your ass!
"Chef." Shen Ying turned to face Yi Qing seriously.
Yi Qing paused, unable to digest the truth that Lonemoon had just revealed to him. Unable to keep from blushing, he looked at Shen Ying. "Mas… Master?"
"Have you figured out what exactly you want to say to me?"
Yi Qing paused, his eyes clouding over once more. He stared at Shen Ying for a few moments without reacting.
"Ah." Shen Ying sighed. "Then let's leave it as this first. Talk to me when you're ready." She waved her hand, intending to dismiss the meeting. "It's almost noon - it's time to cook lunch."
She stood up and gestured for Chef to get to work.
"I like Master!" Yi Qing suddenly announced. He seemed to have figured out his feelings. He spoke even louder than he did before and raised his head to look at Shen Ying squarely in the eye. Yet, his face remained red as a tomato. Emphasizing on each word, he said, "If your disciple's intention to Master all to myself indicates that I like Master, then I've already liked you for a long… long time." Shen Ying, "…"
Lonemoon, "…"
Holy shit, this was a much better confession!
A long time later…
"But… But I think I don't really like you!"
"…"
—————
Lonemoon felt a bit colder over the past few days since Yi Qing unexpectedly confessed and failed.. Although they acted no different from usual - the one who always played games continued to play games and the one who always cooked continued to cook - he felt a certain tension in the household. As an observer, Lonemoon was getting increasingly uncomfortable. This was especially so when he met Yi Qing's devastated eyes..
Most importantly…
"Hey, why don't you manage this?" Lonemoon pointed at Yi Qing busying himself.
"Manage what?" Shen Ying stared blankly back at Lonemoon.
"What else!" Lonemoon rolled his eyes. "Chef is starting to cook again."
"What's so weird about him cooking?" He's a chef!
"It's not weird that he's cooking, but he doesn't have to cook more than ten dishes per day, does he?" Lonemoon pointed at the table full of food. From the day he confessed, Chef had not left the kitchen. He cooped himself in there all day long to cook. He had seen his fair share of people who turned to alcohol after falling out of love, but he had never seen someone turn to cooking! It was tiring for Lonemoon to buy groceries as well!
"I said I'm full, but he wouldn't stop!" Shen Ying shrugged. Suddenly, she thought of something. "Oh yes, Father Niu, remember to pay for the gas."
"Get out!" He glared at her. A moment later, he blurted, "Do you really have no feelings for Chef?"
"Just a bit… I think?"
"If you do, then go for it!" Lonemoon exclaimed. "Since when did you become so wishy-washy?" Did she not notice that Chef was devastated?
Shen Ying narrowed her eyes at him. "He's different."
"How is he different?" Lonemoon asked, puzzled. "He did not understand his own feelings earlier on, but don't tell me you didn't as well? All these years, who couldn't tell that he was interested in you? I'm sure he would have dug his own heart out for you if you had asked him to."
"That's why… he's different!" Shen Ying frowned and sighed. "I do have some feelings for him, but it's just a little. I don't know how long they'll last, and I don't know when they'll vanish. I'd rather not start a relationship that is bound to fail."
Lonemoon was startled. He looked at her incredulously. "You were afraid that you'd hurt Chef even deeper if you broke up with him."
Shen Ying looked away. "I guess… so."
"Are you crazy?" Lonemoon suddenly reached out to touch her forehead. "You're not having a fever! And you've eaten. Why are you acting retarded?"
"Get away." Shen Ying swatted his hand away. "Where has all your logic gone? Why aren't you using it now?" Lonemoon rolled his eyes. "Do you know what you're doing? You're playing hard to get!"
"…" Huh?
He finally threw those words in her face. Immediately, he felt much more satisfied. "Is there anyone else like you, who would think about breaking up before even starting the relationship? How do you know you would break up with Chef? Relationships are hard to predict. Not all of them will come to an end as time passes."
"I'm not-"
"I know that compared to you, Chef's feelings run much deeper. He's also much more intense. You know it and Chef knows it as well. But it's not going to be a competition between the two of you - who cares who loves the other more or less? Why are you just thinking about what would happen if you break up? Why not think about how much joy you would both gain if you get together?" "No, I'm afraid-"
"You're afraid that you would hurt him more in the future.
But he's already hurt now!"
"But-"
"You're not from the future. Nobody knows what's going to happen. Who would know what the outcome would be if you don't try it out? Why are you so afraid to take risks when it comes to relationships?"
"…" Alright, as long as you're happy.
"When did you become such a negative little brat? In the past…"
Before he could finish speaking, Shen Ying jumped to her feet, startling him. "You mean… I should accept him and see how it goes?"
"That's right, what are you afraid of?"
"All right!"
Huh?
Father Niu paused, suddenly having a bad feeling in his gut.
Chapter 295: For the Sake of Transmigration
Shen Ying scanned him from head to toe and gave him a weird look. As if thinking of something, her expression changed. Her eyes twinkled. "Father Niu, you're very right! I've decided to listen to you!"
"Ah! Huh?" She's agreeing just like that?
"We already agreed - Father Niu is giving me permission to do it."
"What… What?" Agree? What did we agree on?
"So you have to bravely take responsibility if anything goes wrong in the future, hey?"
"What do you mean?" Lonemoon looked confused. Bravely take responsibility? Speak clearly! Shen Ying did not respond to him. She walked briskly to the kitchen and excitedly dragged Chef out to the living room.
"Mas… Master?" Chef looked lost. "Is there something urgent?"
"Come back with me and talk about life."
"Ah! Huh?" Yi Qing paused. "Master, what did you want to say?"
"Let's get on the bed before we talk!" She opened the door and pushed Yi Qing onto the bed. There was a huge crash and the door was closed.
Lonemoon, "…"
Hey, hey, hey, practice some abstinence. Mind your image. What are you trying to do in broad daylight? And he was still here as a lightbulb. He did not want to hear any weird sounds! ——————
Before Yi Qing could react, Shen Ying leaned over really closely. She was almost stuck to his body.
"Mas…" His heart began to race wildly. Before he could speak, Shen Ying's cold voice sounded by his ear.
"Chef, I want a way to go back to that world."
Yi Qing hesitated, then his eyes widened. He could go back?!
"Master, together!" He asked anxiously.
"Yes." Shen Ying nodded before leaning closer again. "But… you might have to be put at a disadvantage."
"All right!" "I haven't said what I have to do and you're agreeing?"
"I'll trust whatever Master says."
"…" Shen Ying kept silent. she averted her gaze uncomfortably. A moment later, she said in a low voice, "Well… you know that theoretically, my older sister would never allow me to leave this plane. If I suggest it, there will only be one outcome."
"Wh… What?"
"She will break my leg or break both of your legs!"
"…"
"Unless… I have the power to be independent."
"Independent?" He stared blankly at her. Master is so powerful, and they had already shown that she was the strongest in the plane. How was she not independent?
"That's not how we see things in my household." Shen Ying pursed her lips. "My older sister's idea of independence is… to start a family."
Yi Qing paused. He finally understood what she was saying and nodded. "I will play along with Master."
"Well… Let's make things clear first. I'm not trying to play with your feelings!" Shen Ying tried to explain. "You're great and I do like you a little, but not to that extent. To me, relationships are unnecessary. I had no intention of getting into a relationship. That's why I'm used to you playing my chef rather than my boyfriend. I'm not sure if I will become like you in the future or if I will forever-"
"Master." Yi Qing cut her off. His eyes began to well up. "I know. I never wanted to change anything. This… is great!" He never hoped for her to return his feelings. He was satisfied just being allowed to stay by her side. In those long and dreadful 3000 years, all he dreamt of was being reunited with her. Now that he was, he had no other wishes! However…
"Master, can you promise me something?"
"Yes?"
"No matter what Master decides, I will always be Master's disciple and chef. If there comes a day that Master intends to… "date", can you… can you consider me first?"
Shen Ying paused.
A while later…
"All right!"
**** A few moments later.
"Master."
"Yes?"
"Why are we discussing this in the cupboard?"
"… My older sister will hear us."
"So.. she won't hear you if you climb on top of me?"
"…"
Er, they should probably sit down instead.
*** A… another moment later.
"Master."
"Yes?"
"Will your older sister really break my leg?"
"Don't worry, Father Niu is here. She will break his first!"
"…"
"Then… she won't have energy to break ours."
"…"
————— Lonemoon's back felt chilly from time to time recently. No matter how he tried to activate his immortal Qi, he could not warm himself up. His right eyelid also would not stop twitching. It was almost like something huge was about to happen. It could be that the plane was rejecting him. Somehow, he just felt like something was amiss.
Chef and Shen Ying, on the other hand, seemed to really be an item now. Yet, they didn't look one bit like a couple. Shen Ying continued gaming every single day, slumping around like a pile of mud. Chef was still Chef. Each time he looked at Shen Ying, he looked a little more focused, like he had figured something out. He was no longer cooking more than ten dishes a day. The two of them were exactly the way they used to be.
It made Lonemoon suspect whether he had imagined Shen Ying dragging Yi Qing into the room for half a day.
"Are you really together?" It really did not look like it!
Lonemoon had been planning to buy the apartment across from Shen Ying so as to avoid any awkward situations. Yet, that very night, Chef continued to sleep in his own room. He did not look like he had the slightest intention to move to Shen Ying's room.
Shen Ying hesitated and turned to face him. She curled her finger toward Yi Qing, who was holding fruits at the time. "Chef, come here!"
"Master?" Yi Qing paused cutting his fruits and looked over in confusion.
Shen Ying reached out and grabbed his collar, then pulled him toward her. She planted a kiss squarely on his lips without any hesitation. Yi Qing, on the other hand, immediately dropped all the fruits he had been holding and blushed.
She turned to face Lonemoon. "How's that?"
"…"
Was this animal abuse? Lonemoon was just about to pass a sarcastic comment when they heard something falling to the floor. They turned and saw that a figure had just landed. Shen Jing, who had been gone for several days, was now standing in front of them.
Lonemoon, "…"
Yi Qing: "…"
Shen Ying, who was still holding on to Yi Qing's collar: "…"
Shen Jing scanned the group coolly, her expression darkening, so her face looked like the bottom of a wok. The temperature in the room dropped.
The entire house was now filled with a palpable silence.
As if something illuminated his mind, Lonemoon suddenly understood why he had been feeling cold intermittently over the past few days. Suddenly, what Shen Ying said to him previously made sense. Lonemoon was so caught up with the drama that he had forgotten there was a Demon King in Shen Ying's own house, who was a control-freak over her own sister. Faintly, Lonemoon heard a bell ringing in the distance.
Two words repeated themselves constantly in his mind - he's dying, he's dying, he's dying…
Chapter 296: The Mastermind behind the Forced Transmigration
An hour later.
Shen Jing looked at the three people standing in front of her who were timid as sparrows. They felt a chill straight to their bones as she looked at them.
"In other words… you're with the brat from the deviant world now?"
Shen Ying trembled and weakly mumbled, "Yes…"
"Are you going to follow him to that plane?"
"… Yes."
She glanced at Lonemoon. "And you matchmade them?" Lonemoon shivered. "I…." did?
"Good!" Shen Jing sighed, as if she was trying to repress something. "Come over here for awhile!"
Before Lonemoon could react, he felt something tighten around his collar. His entire body flew forward and suddenly he found himself in a room.
The next moment, a blood-curdling scream sounded from inside.
"Wait… why me? What has it got to do with… Ah! Pain, pain, pain… Wait, what's that! Put it down… Help… Shen Ying, you betrayer!"
"You let my sister fall into a trap and you're trying to kidnap her to her to your deviant plane. I'm going to kill you!"
Shen Ying and Yi Qing, who were left behind, could not stop trembling. Father Niu, we will be filial to you in the future.
A half hour later…
"Father Niu, are you still alive?"
Lonemoon held onto his swollen face as he sucked in a cool breath. "You freaking did this on purpose!"
Ah~ Pain, pain, pain…
F*cker! She knew that Shen Jing would not agree to her returning to the immortal cultivator plane. She was not even troubled about whether she should agree to Yi Qing's request. She was only afraid that Shen Jing would get angry. That was why she got him to share the blame. This woman was too scheming.
"Don't get caught up with the details." She had already beaten him up. Her older sister was now cooling down. "Chef, tend to Father Niu's injuries." "Yes Master, no problem Master!"
"Get lost!" We're cutting ties! We're definitely cutting all ties!
——————
"Older Sister, this is…" Shen Ying pointed at a non-human- like figure beside Father Niu and asked warily.
"The main culprit behind your transmigration to the deviant plane." Shen Jing, who had cooled down a bit by then, looked to the two people on the floor and said coolly.
The two of them immediately shivered.
Shen Ying took a closer look and found that the person looked quite familiar. Suddenly, she started. "Kaitian!"
"Little Ying.." The person who had been beaten up more severely than Lonemoon raised his head and smiled wryly. That caused his wounds to act up. He was completely unrecognisable.
Lonemoon paused and only then realised that there was someone else there with them. For some reason, he could not understand what Shen Ying was saying. Wasn't Kaitian their assistant? Did he push Shen Ying into the deviant world on his own?
"You're a divine being," Yi Qing suddenly said.
"What!" Lonemoon exclaimed. On closer inspection, he found that there was a certain God Power in the man's body. Yet, it seemed hidden. Nobody would notice it if they did not look for it.
"Hi~ Indeed, I am from that world," Kaitian laughed, looking at Shen Ying. Seeing that she had no intention of objecting, he conjured a seal to tend to the wounds on his face. "Little Ying, I'm sorry. I indeed sent you to that world by force."
"Why?" Shen Ying asked. "Well… I had no other choice!" His face scrunched up, like he was about to cry. "Our world had no manager. As time goes by, it will surely disappear forever. I tried many different ways but I could not solve the problem, until I stumbled upon this realm. Shen Jing trained you according to the standards of a manager since you were young. That's why I thought… Maybe I should make you the manager of our plane."
"You wanted Shen Ying to take over that world?"
"Yes!" He nodded. "But I didn't expect you to mutate while transmigrating. According to what Shen Jing told me, you've already become more than a manager. This means that you're meant to be the manager of our plane."
"Heh!" Shen Jing tutted. "You mean to say… the sister that I took pains to bring up has to clean up your mess?"
"No, no, no! That's not what I meant, Boss!" Kaitian immediately got worked up. He glanced at Shen Ying and said, "My realm is extremely weak now. As soon as the three of us elders disappear, it will be gone." "Three?" Yi Qing paused, as if thinking of something. His eyes widened. "You're the god of creation!" He's the last of the three.
"You've heard about me?" Kaitian stared at them blankly.
"We have met the other two." Lonemoon frowned. "They were the ones who sent Shen Ying and I back." On further thought, Lonemoon added, "They could not wait to get rid of us."
"What!" Kaitian jumped to his feet. "These freaking bastards! I was wondering why Little Ying returned so quickly. Boss had not even realised she was gone."
His heart stopped for a moment. He had hidden the message so that Shen Jing would not be alerted to Shen Ying's disappearance. He also did not interact at all with anyone from that plane. Yet, the manager that he went through so much pain to find got sent back by his bastard teammates. Initially, he thought that if Shen Ying was allowed to remain there for a few years, she would surely develop feelings for that place. Although he knew he would bring Shen Ying back eventually, he also knew that his chances of persuading her to go over to his realm then would be much higher. Shen Ying was not a real manager and there was a risk that she would not have been able to withstand the pressure of the plane. However, she had Shen Jing supporting her. If anything happened, Shen Jing had no choice but to help her.
He had thought of everything. It was a pity that his own people ruined his plan. Could he feel any worse than he did at that moment? Kaitian was absolutely shattered.
"If I had known, I would-"
"You would what?" Shen Jing suddenly said. "You mean to say that if I hadn't found out, you would not have brought her back?"
Kaitian shivered and immediately knelt back down. "I know my mistake, Boss."
"Kaitian, I've been too kind to you. Did you forget whose plane this is!" Shen Jing's voice suddenly sounded extremely cold. A terrifying aura seemed to be projected from her body. Kaitian, who was kneeling, suddenly felt a strong pressure pressing down on him, forcing every inch of his body to stick to the floor. He began to cough up blood. "What does your plane dying have to do with my sister? Why should she help you?"
"Boss…" Kaitian's eyes widened with the sheer effort he had used to say that one word.
"Don't forget, I had the power to adopt you as my assistant and I also have the power to destroy you!" She sounded almost menacing. The moment she finished speaking, there was a crack. The floor beneath Kaitian split open and a white flash of light shone onto his forehead. It seemed like something was going to fly out of there.
"Older Sister…" Shen Ying stepped forward between the two of them.
Shen Jing paused. The light on Kaitian's head suddenly disappeared.
"I'm firing him. Why are you interfering?" Shen Jing looked at her. Upon recalling something, her expression darkened. "Don't tell me that you really want to be the manager of that rotten plane?"
Chapter 297: Taking Over the Plane
Shen Ying looked over and hesitated before saying, "Older Sister, I want to go back there."
"I don't agree to that!" Shen Jing retorted immediately. "Apart from this plane, you're not allowed anywhere else. Sit down!"
Shen Ying stayed put. She repeated, "Older Sister, I want to go there."
"I said no, and that's that!" She frowned deeply. "Do you know how dangerous it is to take over another plane? Have you forgotten how many times you've been attacked by invaders when you were younger?"
"I did not."
"Then why do you still dare to go over? Setting aside whether you can handle an invasion, what if you are rejected by the plane?" "The chances of that are too low. It won't happen."
"Who says so? What if… what if it really happens? Will you wait until then to have regrets?"
"Older Sister…"
"No way!"
"But… you can't stop me."
Shen Jing paled. She turned to Shen Ying in disbelief. There was pain in her eyes. "What did you just say? Say it again."
Shen Ying clenched her fists by her side and took a step forward. She held on to her sister's hands with both of hers and said, "Older Sister, I'm not a child anymore. You don't have to protect me." You've made me strong. Shen Jing stared blankly back at her for awhile. Then, she sighed as she paced back and forth in the living room, as if thinking about what to say next.
Suddenly, she stopped and walked back to Shen Ying. "You really… have to go?"
"Yes."
"Alright." She turned to sit down on the couch. Her entire body seemed to relax as she leaned back. "I promised you - when you're independent, I will no longer manage all of your affairs. Just think carefully!" Her expression suddenly cooled as she faced Chef. "And you're right. Given your current powers, I cannot stop you." She went through great pains to raise a younger sister. Now, she's about to sprout her own wings and fly off. How Shen Jing wished she could tear the kidnapper of her sister apart!
"…"
"You've already thought about it. Given your current powers, you can easily control any plane that you want. You could even create an entirely new one on your own. Are you sure you want to return to that world?" Shen Jing turned to glare at Kaitian, who was still on the floor. She added, "That plane never even had a manager. I don't know how much of a mess you will have to clean up."
"Actually, there is no need for you to worry. Little Ying has already settled the biggest problem there was," Kaitian suddenly blurted from the ground. "What's more, I can help her."
"Hmph!" Shen Jing tutted. "You're making it sound like I'm going to let you go back there."
Kaitian immediately shrunk back.
"I can bring Father Niu and Chef," Shen Ying said. "They're better than Kaitian."
Kaitian: "…" Alright, just stab me with a knife. "He can." Shen Jing pointed at the man who had taken over their home's kitchen. Then, she glanced at Lonemoon. "But he… he's from this world. If he goes over there…." It could affect the plane.
"What if he becomes the manager's assistant?" Shen Ying asked.
"Assistant?" Shen Jing frowned and turned to study the betrayer, Kaitian. Becoming a manager's assistant would indeed change the dynamics of the plane. "You've thought about it. You can only have two assistants and you can never change them." This was the only reason she was still letting Kaitian live!
"Mm." Shen Ying nodded. "Father Niu is enough." She could already smell the lifelong holiday she was about to get.
Lonemoon, who was suddenly being recognised: "…"
Shen Ying was only saying this so that the three of them could return to that world, right? That must be the case. Why was he feeling so uneasy then? "Forget it, you already have a super-existence greater than this plane's. I can no longer control you. Make your own decisions. But before that…"
She turned around and glared at Kaitian once again. Kicking him, she said, "Since Little Ying has already decided to take over that plane, I will not pursue your little actions. But make sure that you solve the mess that you've left behind there, otherwise…"
"Yes, Boss! No problem, Boss!" Kaitian hurt everywhere as he straightened his back. That's great, his plane finally had a manager. His efforts all these years had not gone to waste.
He was elated, happy to the point of tears…
◌ू *꒦꒳꒦)
——————
Lonemoon did not dare imagine that he would be able to return to the immortal cultivator realm so soon. Shen Ying was now even the manager of that world. In other words, they could go anywhere they wanted in the Three Realms. Technically, they could already do that before. But now that they were returning to a familiar place, he felt especially emotional.
Shen Ying scratched the air lightly and a white passage opened up. A familiar gust of immortal Qi charged toward them. They could also faintly see the familiar horizon through the passage. Shen Ying was a manager after all - the passage that she opened was a notch better than the one the Godfiend opened for them.
Within seconds, they found themselves back in the Divine Territory of the Godfiend. Kaitian's real name was Kai Tian [1. Sky Opener]. Indeed, he was the last of the three ancient gods. Perhaps because he had tolerated enough under Shen Jing, the moment he arrived back in the Divine Territory, he dragged the Godfiend and Meng Po out for a three-hour long lashing. The two of them stood in front of him quietly like a badly behaved grandchildren.
Actually, all of these only happened because the two of them did not recognise Shen Ying as the person whom Kai Tian had sent over to be their manager. Kai Tian travelled to many planes in search of a manager until he arrived at Shen Jing's. When he met Shen Ying, he purposely hid the plane that he was from so as to create the impression that he could not be sent back. This was why Shen Jing agreed to keep him as her assistant.
Behind her back, he tried to connect his world with Shen Jing's so that he could send Shen Ying over. Yet, Shen Jing was a control-freak with regards to her sister. She always kept a close watch on her, so he never had the chance. That was until Shen Ying went on a holiday. During that period, however, the Godfiend who had been waiting for a long time in his own world, predicted that Lonemoon could help their plane solve the problem. He found the connection with Lonemoon's world that Kai Tian had earlier created and mistook Lonemoon as the one whom Kai Tian had found to fix their world's problem. So the Godfiend took matters into his own hands and pulled Lonemoon over himself.
Lonemoon trained for several hundred years but never showed any potential of managing the plane. Moreover, Kai Tian never responded to the Godfiend. The Godfiend was beginning to give up hope of ever finding a manager for their world.
What's more, ever since Shen Ying transmigrated over, she had practically been on a long-term holiday. She did not demonstrate her power to manage the plane at all. Instead, her powers became mutated after the transmigration so that even the Godfiend could not sense her limits. This threatened the Godfiend, causing him to treat her as an invader.
Once he found the chance, and after he got the demonic realm out of trouble, he sent Lonemoon and the invader Shen Ying back where they belonged.
Initially, Lonemoon really wanted to beat the Godfiend up. But since Kai Tian had already given him a good lashing, Lonemoon resisted the urge to do so. Kai Tian briefed them on what they had to do and was now heading back to Shen Jing's plane. Afterall, he was already sealed as Shen Jing's assistant. Even though he was one of the gods of creation of this plane, he no longer belonged here. He had no choice but to return to continue working his job.
Mm, he probably would also have to do what used to be Shen Ying's job.
Chapter 298: Hiring an Assistant
"Boss, we have been waiting for you for a long time. You are finally here." The Godfiend who finally understood what was going on looked at Shen Ying with his eyes twinkling. He no longer had a fake smile plastered on his face. Instead, he looked absolutely obedient.
Lonemoon pursed his lips. Waiting my ass. He was the one who kicked them back to the plane they came from.
"Sect Master, I knew you were different from others." Meng Po, who had been dragged down by Godfiend, gazed at Shen Ying excitedly.
"Boss, I was blind to not have been able to recognise you earlier. From this day forward, we will fight to the death to create a harmonious and perfect Three Realms."
"Sect Master, under your leadership, the Three Realms will surely get better and better." "Boss, may all the living spirits on the Three Realms become one."
"Sect Master, may the plane continue to boast in glory from now until forever."
Shen Ying, "…"
Yi Qing: "…"
Lonemoon, "…"
Enough, the two of you ancient gods only got where you are by bootlicking others, isn't it!
"Shen Ying!" Lonemoon nudged the woman next to her. "Didn't Shen Jing say that you're supposed to subdue this plane before you become its manager? You should know how to operate this plane, right?" "Huh?" Shen Ying paused just before she bit down on the fruit in her hand. Without any pressure from Shen Jing, the lazy Shen Ying was back once again.
"What huh? You can start now!" She would only be able to open the gates to the plane if she subdued the plane. What's more, according to Shen Jing, it would be extremely dangerous to attempt to do so. It was only reasonable that Lonemoon felt extremely anxious.
"Oh." Shen Ying nodded. She walked forward lazily and closed her eyes. Within two seconds, she opened her eyes again and declared, "It's done!"
"… What? That's it?" Didn't Shen Jing say there would be danger? Didn't she warn them to be careful?"
"Yes." Shen Ying nodded.
That was way too fast. There was no lightning and no special effects. Shouldn't there at least have been a contract for her to sign? Why was it so easy to take control of this plane? Were there no standard procedures in place at all?
"That's right!" Shen Ying exclaimed, as if recalling something.
She turned to the Godfiend. "Do you have paper and pen?"
"Yes, yes, yes!" The Godfiend immediately nodded, causing his head to move as fast as a woodpecker's. Immediately, a table and chair appeared before their eyes. He smiled brightly and said, "Boss, please."
Shen Ying sat down and picked up the brush on the table. She began to write with it. A moment later, she picked up the piece of paper and asked, "Give?"
"What's this?" Lonemoon took hold of it.
"Proof that you and Chef are my assistants!"
Lonemoon paused and looked closely at the paper. Then, he managed to read what was written on it. [This order proves that Father Niu has been honourably designated as assistant manager of <Q23333 Immortal Cultivator Plane>. By order of the committee of managers, * year, * month,
* day]
( ̄△̄;)
What the hell? Was it so easy to designate an assistant manager? Just a piece of paper did the trick? What's more, the handwriting on the paper was almost illegible. If this woman did not know how to use a brush, why did she not just retrieve a pen? And why did an "official document" refer to him as freaking Father Niu!
Lonemoon was dangerously close to vomiting blood. The next moment, the paper in his hand lit up, and the light slowly spread around his body. He felt a chill shoot through his body and a strange symbol floated toward him. It was an inverted 8. Before he could make out what it was, the handwriting from the paper also began to float, as if it had come alive. They surrounded the inverted 8 and closed in around it. The inverted
8 seemed to explode between the words. Then, everything disappeared. Lonemoon's body relaxed. He could not comprehend what just happened, yet some strange connection that had been pulling against his body seemed to break. He found that the immortal Qi in his body was flowing out steadily, and his cultivation level was also dropping. As he lost his Young Emperor cultivation, he realised the immortal Qi remaining in his body was insufficient for him to even train.
He clenched his fists. Far from feeling like a mortal, he felt… invincible! He felt like all 3000 worlds were within his reach. Even the Godfiend and Meng Po, who seemed immeasurably strong earlier, seemed to become weaker before his very eyes. They seemed almost as weak as babies now.
All except… Shen Ying, who was still looking at him lazily, looked like a mere mortal. For some reason, he felt like he would be unbeatable.
Was this how it felt to be an assistant manager? He felt like the equivalent of a General Manager in his company.
Lonemoon's heart jumped. He turned to look at Yi Qing, who was also holding onto a piece of paper. "Chef, you…" Lonemoon trailed off mid-sentence and his eyes widened. "Holy shit!" Yi Qing did not look as relaxed as Lonemoon did earlier. Instead, Chef looked extremely pale. He was even breaking out in a cold sweat. There were many symbols floating all around him, but Shen Ying's ugly handwriting continued to float next to all of those symbols, not breaking any one of them. As time went by, Chef looked more and more sickly. He began to sway and lose balance..
"Chef!" Shen Ying reached out and caught him just in time. Her expression hardened as she saw the countless symbols floating all around him. Turning to the Godfiend, she asked, "What did you do to him?" These were the limits this plane was placing on Yi Qing.
The Godfiend tensed up as his legs turned to jelly. He fell to his knees and said, "Boss, this… this has nothing to do with me. He was the one who chose to transmigrate earlier. I could not stop him."
"Sect Master," Meng Po interjected. "When Elder Yi Qing transmigrated to look for you, he used all of his cultivation to open the plane gates. Now, his body is close to the breaking point. It is no wonder that he is unable to withstand the sealing as assistant manager." "What!" Lonemoon exclaimed in disbelief. "He transmigrated on his own! Isn't it only the Godfiend who can open the plane gates?"
"I… Even we don't have the power to open the plane gates as and when we want to," the Godfiend answered. Otherwise, he would not have waited so long before sending Shen Ying and Lonemoon back to where they came from. "What's more, there's a manager in that plane." He had already used all his powers to ensure that he would not be discovered.
"But Shen Ying already healed him earlier." Chef did look close to death when they first saw him after he transmigrated. But Shen Ying had already used her special healing techniques to heal him. On the planet of death, Yi Qing also managed to transform into a phoenix. There seemed to be nothing wrong with him. What was happening to him now?
"This is caused by him being in a different plane. He was not from there," the Godfiend continued. "There was no manager in this plane before you arrived. That is why although you healed Yi Qing in the other plane, he reverted to the state he was in before he left here."
Chapter 299: Chef Returns
Lonemoon lowered his gaze and saw that deep wounds had indeed started to appear all over Chef's body, as if something invincible was cutting into him. Bright red blood flowed out of the wounds and dyed Shen Ying's top. Lonemoon saw Chef's condition before. Given the conditions of this plane, he had no hope of recovering.
"I'm going to make a new body for him." This is just a physical body. Given his powers, it would not be difficult to create a new one.
"No," Shen Ying stopped him.
"Why not?"
"He already has the assistant's seal on this body." Shen Ying glanced at the black words surrounding the symbol. "If he's in a body other than his own, the seal will be rejected." And this seal could not be retracted. "Rejected?" Lonemoon paused. Rejection of the body… Wouldn't that mean…
"He's going to become a Floaty?"
"Hmm."
Shit! Shen Ying said before that she could only have two assistants and they could not be fired In other words, Shen Ying could not retract the seal on Yi Qing's body.
"Then what should we do?"
"Actually, there's another way to resolve this," Godfiend said as he raised his hand.
"Speak, what other way is there?"
The Godfiend explained, "Only his body is injured. If he goes back to the mortal world and changes his body, he will be alright again." The reincarnated body will belong to him.
"Isn't that nonsense!" Lonemoon rolled his eyes. Who didn't know that? But…
"I'm not going!" Chef shouted. He grabbed Shen Ying's hand. "If I reincarnate, I have to go through the River of Forgetfulness. I will forget everything and forget Master. If I don't remember…" He turned pale, and his aura weakened. A few moments passed before he completed his sentence. "If I don't remember, then… who's going to cook for Master when she gets hungry?" What if she starves? What if nobody can cook food to her liking?
Lonemoon, "…"
Shen Ying, "…"
The Godfiend: "…"
Meng Po: "…" Flips table!
(╯°Д°)╯(┻━┻
Was cooking the most important thing! He was freaking going to collapse, yet all he could think about was cooking. How professional was he! Shen Ying wasn't hiring him to be her assistant. Yi Qing was more like her personal nanny!
"Don't you have any other solutions?" Lonemoon pursed his lips. Cooking aside, if Chef went through the River of Forgetfulness and forgot everything, would he still be the same Chef?
"Actually, you can… retain your memories," the Godfiend suggested weakly.
"What do you mean?" Wasn't it true that once a soul passed through the River of Forgetfulness, it would lose all its memories from its past life? How would it still retain memories? "It's just that Meng Po has to personally bring a part of him down to be reincarnated." The Godfiend turned to Meng Po.
Meng Po started, as if suddenly recalling something. She nodded profusely. "That's right, I can bring a part of him down. Then he would not have to go through the River of Forgetfulness and lose his memories."
"There's no need!" Shen Ying suddenly said. Everyone in the group turned to face her.
Shen Ying raised her arm to tap on the words and symbol in front of Yi Qing. The symbol and words immediately shot into Chef's forehead, causing his entire body to glow with a white light. Slowly, the white light engulfed him.
"Master…" Yi Qing began to panic. He held onto Shen Ying's arm.
"I will look for you!" Shen Ying looked straight into Yi Qing's eyes. His expression flickered, then he let go of her. A moment later, his body shrunk within the white light. Shen Ying raised her arm once again and Yi Qing flew far away that they could no longer see him.
"Where did you send him?" Lonemoon asked warily.
"Nowhere? I just sent a file back to the lower realm."
"Huh?" What did she mean?
Shen Ying did not respond. Instead, she turned to face the Godfiend. "After this…" It was time to settle scores.
The Godfiend's entire body became much heavier. A huge pressure filled the air all around him so that he could no longer resist it and fell to his knees. The Godfiend did not have a physical body, yet his figure twisted and writhed in pain. He looked like he was going to disappear before their eyes.
Shen Ying walked slowly toward him. With each step, the pressure around the Godfiend got heavier and heavier. Her voice was firm, and she no longer sounded as lazy as she normally did. Emphasising each word, she said, "Indeed, I would not feel settled before I beat you!"
"Wait, Boss…" the Godfiend began to beg for mercy. "I can explain. I did not know this would happen… Help!" Before he could finish speaking, Shen Ying swung her hand.
The entire divine realm echoed his terrifying scream.
Shen Ying was really angry this time. She showed no mercy at all. They heard the divine realm crack apart. As she continued to take her rage out on the Godfiend, his screams became louder and louder so that even the bystanders began to tear up.
So.. Lonemoon turned away, choosing not to look
╮(╯▽╰)╭
*** Shen Ying punished the Godfiend for over half an hour before she finally rested. She broke her own record. There was no more flesh left on the Godfiend. Nobody could use any technique to help him recover - they had no idea exactly what Shen Ying had done to him. All the Godfiend could do was continue lying on the floor, writhing and groaning in pain. This was the most suffering that the Godfiend had ever been through.
If not for the fact that Chef had already arrived at the lower realm, Shen Ying probably would not have stopped.
"Let's go." Shen Ying opened a passage and waved at Father Niu.
"Sect Master, Elder Lonemoon, how about I send the both of you there?" Meng Po hurriedly suggested after seeing what happened to the Godfiend. "I'm the most familiar with the lower realm. I can find Elder Yi Qing for you immediately."
Lonemoon was just about to reply her when Shen Ying said, "No need." "But Sect Master…"
"Meng Po." Meng Po was going to object but Shen Ying stopped her. "Don't call me Sect Master anymore."
"Huh?" Meng Po paused.
"I understand why you had to send us back the last time, but… I'm still mad." Shen Ying looked seriously at Meng Po, the child she raised single handedly who chose to stand with the enemy. "So… you're no longer Invincible Sect's disciple."
"…"
Once Shen Ying finished speaking, she turned and brought Father Niu into the lower realm.
They left behind a Meng Po whose face was completely drained of any colour. She stood where she was, as if she had lost her soul. She did not move for a long while. Perhaps she had been standing there for too long. Godfiend, who was still lying on the ground, tugged at her sleeve. "Hey, are you alright?"
Meng Po remained where she was.
"What's going on?"
"…" There was still no response. Then, he heard a splat. A drop of water fell onto the Godfiend's arm.
"Eh? Why are you crying?"
It was then that Meng Po finally reacted. She fell down onto the ground and began wailing. "Wah… This is all your fault, all your fault, all your fault! I told you not to send Sect Master back, but you didn't listen. You said it was for the benefit of the Three Realms… It's all your fault - that's why she's angry with me!"
"You don't have to be this devastated, do you? I didn't know that she was the manager that Kai Tian found."
"I don't care! Return Sect Master to me, return her to me! Wah…" The more she spoke, the harder she cried, and the harder she hit the Godfiend.
"Wait, don't hit me! Ah! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!"
"Wah…"
"…" Why was everyone beating him!
Chapter 300: First Plane Warning
By reloading the data, Shen Ying referred to readjusting the physique of chef back to his original state before the injury. This was one of the authorities of the Manager. The Manager takes charge of everything in the plane which naturally includes time and space.
Except that once the reloading is done, the chef would return to the level of newbies, which meant that he had to return to the lower realm to practice until his body was fully grown to receive the temporarily stored assistant seal.
"So you are making the chef practice again from the beginning?" Lonemoon's eyes widened. The chef was already at the level of Supreme Divinity, and a reloading meant that millions of years of hard work would go completely wasted.
Hmm, he was absolutely not gloating!
╮(╯▽╰)╭ "Nope!" Shen Ying shook her head. "He will still have the same body."
"What do you mean?"
Shen Ying glanced at him and said, "He is from the divine race!"
The smile froze on Lonemoon's face. He said immediately, "Holy shit! I do hate those who are born at the finishing line!" They remain at the finishing line even after their account data was restored.
"Where did you send him then?"
Shen Ying raised a hand and waved. In an instant, the two had arrived among green hills and waters. There was a small village right in front of them, with many working in the field.
"Here!" "Why do I find this place a bit familiar?" Lonemoon sensed it instinctively, and in an instant everything in this world came to his mind. "Holy shit! Isn't this the Three Azure Realms?" It was the same Lower Azure World that they transmigrated to at first, but it had already become one of the 3000 worlds at the moment. "You brought chef back here?"
"Hmm," Shen Ying nodded and pointed to the front. "There he comes."
Sure enough, a child whose height didn't even reach his waist walked towards them. Despite being much smaller, the face was exactly the same as the younger version of him when he first came to the Divine World. A data reload indeed- even the body shape went back smaller. But the good thing was that those horrible wounds on his body had disappeared.
Lonemoon felt relieved, moved to the side of the child in a flash, and waved his hand in greeting, "Chef, how are you…"
Before he finished, the child walked past him towards the lane on the side, as if he had not seen him at all. His small face was cold, and not a single look was directed towards him. "…"
What the hell?
Lonemoon was stunned for a while, forgetting even to put down that raised hand. As he watched the chef walking away, he only understood what was happening after a long while. He went back to Shen Ying's side, again in a flash. "What's the matter? Didn't you say that he wouldn't lose his memories?" From that attitude, he didn't look like he knew them at all.
"It was just sealed," Shen Ying replied. After thinking she added, "The heritage, I mean."
Lonemoon was stupefied, and after an instant he got it: the dragon clan has its heritage, which naturally still existed in chef's memory. His body remained an Innate Sword Embodiment just like before, but was not yet fit to bear the dragon clan's heritage. Therefore, the only way was to seal it first, and unseal it later slowly, probably after a long time. This meant that he still did not have any cultivation at the moment. Why did I suddenly feel somewhat comforted?
"Wait!" he suddenly realized a problem. "In that case, won't we have to stay here until he has grown up before going back?"
"That's right!"
"How the f*ck is that right!" What difference is there between that, and reincarnation? Is it really okay for you, as a Manager, to slack like this?
However, they couldn't just leave the chef here too. As he was virtually the same as a real mortal, you never know what could happen to him if you leave him here.
"Go and stop him," Lonemoon gave Shen Ying a push. "You've got to recognize your disciple, right?" Although he was the divine race by birth, nobody could know how long it would take before he could receive the assistant seal if he doesn't practice.
"Oh." "Go ahead. Get your disciple back."
Only now did Shen Ying walk slowly towards the child.
The child who was once more stopped, did not immediately walk away from the side this time. He stopped, before lifting his head and looking at the woman in front of him. His eyes were confused, "You…"
Shen Ying bowed down, looked down at the child in front of her, remembered Father Niu's words, and said with a sincere expression, "Do you… know how to cook?"
The child: "…"
Lonemoon: "…"
Silence fell around them in an instant. -_-|||
The next moment…
"Oops, he's run away."
The child gave her a cautious look, turned around and squinted towards the direction that he came from.
"Of course he has!" Lonemoon felt a pain in his stomach. "I asked you to recognize your disciple. Who told you to ask him about cooking?" It was lucky that he didn't take her as a mad person.
"Oh." Shen Ying still looked lazy: that was just what she said in the past.
"Never mind, he should be staying right in this village." Lonemoon took a deep breath. "Let's hurry up and find him again. We must let him start practicing as soon as possible, so that he can retrieve his memories sooner." Just as Lonemoon was going to drag Shen Ying and go ahead chasing, a sharp sound came from beside his ears. It sounded three times as if an alarm was touched, and the sound was vaguely familiar.
"This is…" Lonemoon was taken aback, unable to react for a moment.
"Plane warning?" Shen Ying said, as she raised the hand caught by Lonemoon, and pointed at the wristband he was wearing, which was lit with red light.
Lonemoon only remembered now that the wristband was among a large pile of things that Shen Jing pressed on Shen Ying. She was in a bad mood, and only said "They will be useful." And it can actually send a plane warning?
Just as he was thinking, an image suddenly appeared in front of him. The Godfiend looked anxious and said through a voice transmission, "Boss, it's not good. The karma in Three Realms suddenly started to stir. I can't control it." "What?!" Lonemoon was shocked: Godfiend takes charge of the order of this plane, and karma was the foundation of stability of this world. Stirring of karma proves that something big has happened in the plane. "Shen Ying, do you feel anything?"
"Not yet!" Shen Ying shook her head.
"Then let's return to Godfiend to take a look."
"But on chef's side…" she pointed not far away.
"Keep an eye on the chef! I will be right back." Lonemoon confessed quickly, before his body shape flashed and he disappeared in place.
Shen Ying was stupefied, put down her hand slowly, before she finished the second half of the sentence.
"… there is something strange." Well, never mind, it doesn't matter anyway.
——————
Yi Qing lived in a dilapidated small hut at the fringe of the village. The house wasn't big, apparently an abandoned house, only barely fit for living. In front of the house was a big tree, beside which was a half-collapsed house, with some things stored inside.
Yi Qing, who was again a little kid, stood in confusion for a while when he saw Shen Ying standing outside. Then he seemed to remember that she was the one who stopped him on the road just now. His small eyebrows wrinkled, and they just looked at each other for a long while.
Then he ventured to ask, "Are you hungry?"
Shen Ying nodded, "Hmm." The way one does without breakfast.