Chapter 67: Reality: Analysis

Chapter 67: Reality: Analysis

Before Chi Zihe could speak, Ming Yiyang interjected:

"It seems Yan Qiling got a good deal in this transaction. As the Master of Wuji, he's already immortal. Now that the Netherworld has gifted him a body to return to the living world, even if that body eventually decays, he can still return to his own world and maintain eternal life. He'll find another chance to come back."

A genuine perpetual life force.

Chi Zihe caught a different nuance in these words and probed further:

"That might be true for him, but your lifespan is limited."

Ming Yiyang was puzzled:

"What nonsense are you talking?"

Chi Zihe felt slightly reassured by Ming Yiyang's response but was still worried about the latter's fate:

"I mainly didn't expect you to choose to awaken the Yin-Yang Eyes... I'm really anxious about what would happen if you were to die in the next world. Lingshuang and I would be utterly helpless. When Lingshuang found out about it yesterday, she scolded me relentlessly in the middle of the night."

"Maybe you should focus on mentoring newbies and stay out of the train yourself from now on."

Ming Yiyang took out a cigarette from his pocket, placing it between his lips and holding a lighter in his palm.

"No way. I don't have your patience, I can't handle teaching others. Besides, you know my situation – if I die, I die, there's nothing to hold onto."

"I'll knock some sense into you, you reckless kid! How dare you say such things!"

Chi Zihe elbowed him playfully, frustrated by his lack of concern for his own safety.

"For all these years, your sister-in-law and I have taken care of you. You're telling me you have no attachments? You ungrateful little one! Especially your sister-in-law, whenever you come over for meals, does she ever cook anything less than a feast for you? I don't even get that kind of treatment!"

The young man laughed with a cigarette between his fingers, exhaling a ring of smoke towards an empty space. He spoke casually, almost nonchalantly.

"You and Sister Lingshuang have taken care of me for so many years, of course I care about both of you. However, Senior Brother, we are, after all, different. There are many who remember you, but very few who truly remember me."

He gazed at the dissipating smoke, like two fathomless springs whose depths could not be discerned, their gaze fixed upon the sky beyond from the confines of a narrow well shaft.

"Don't worry about me, life is but a hundred years, and death comes to us all sooner or later. What difference does it make?"

Moreover, he truly found this world incredibly dull, with very few activities to pass the time. It was better to enter the Realm of Endless Torment.

Not wanting to delve into the topic of life and death, Chi Zihe changed the subject smoothly:

"If you have nothing else to do, continue guiding Si Shuhao through instances."

"Yan Qiling is still in that bag, not even in human form. How can I possibly run dungeons?"

The young man's face was veiled in smoke from the cigarette, his translucent, luminous eyelashes almost glowing:

"We'll wait until he's better. Anyway, Si Shuhao isn't in a hurry."

Chi Zihe hesitated, on the verge of speaking but then holding back.

His previously reassured heart was now on edge again. He sensed that Ming Yiyang seemed to have developed improper feelings for Yan Qiling.

Fortunately, this person didn't seem to have a clear understanding of what he truly wanted.

Chi Zihe had no objections to two men being together.

In Daoist philosophy, it is believed that humans possess three souls and seven spirits. Among these, the "Yōu Jīng," one of the three souls, is said to govern an individual's sexual or intimate desires.

Preferences for men or women, tall or short, slender or robust, dominant or submissive - all these factors contribute to individual inclinations. In short, everyone's sexual preferences vary, and mutual respect is key.

But, under one condition.

This object has to be a person!

In the annals of history, one would be hard-pressed to find a single instance where an individual entangled with malevolent spirits met with a happy ending.

It wasn't a ghost slaying a human, nor was it a human avenging a ghost; the best outcome would be a mutual destruction, descending together into the underworld for reincarnation and a chance to meet again.

But the issue was that Ming Yi Yang had broken his seal and forged a pact with heaven and earth. Upon death, his path to enlightenment would be destroyed, his existence annihilated. Once he died, there would be no trace of him left.

In the presence of the Three Pure Ones and the Four Emperors, what good could possibly come from these two entangling themselves with each other?

He had to find a way to disrupt this situation before it escalated.

Rubbing his chin, he deliberately said:

"You take such good care of him, it seems you truly regard him as a friend."

The young man with the cigarette paused at the mention of "friend," the lingering smoke dissipating from his lips.

He turned his head, a hint of contemplation on his face.

Ever since that absurd dream began, it was challenging for him not to ponder seriously about his relationship with Yan Qiling.

Despite his many years of existence, he actually had very limited experience in interpersonal relationships.

Before he returned, he had witnessed those stepmothers display their skills in intra-family strife, which could rival any dramatic tale. They would openly admire the old man at family gatherings, but behind his back, they only talked about cars, stocks, and properties.

In their eyes, the old man was more of an object or a ladder to climb higher in society than a husband.

As a child without a mother present, yet one who still brought some pride to the old man, his fate was to be used as a pawn in these women's manipulative games.

They cared only for themselves; his well-being was of no concern, not even to his own father, let alone those stepmothers who saw him as thorns in their sides.

In the first half of his life, he had encountered very few kind souls. Now, whether the people around him were good or bad held little significance to him.

He never imagined he would develop feelings for anyone.

Especially Yan Qiling.

He was clearly not fond of this person, disliking many aspects of him.

Even now, those traits that once annoyed him still did.

But somehow, this dislike had transformed.

It seemed he couldn't resist the affectionate inclination he felt towards Yan Qiling, nor could he control his emotions.

Ordinarily, he wouldn't have broached such a subject.

But Chi Zihe was his senior, and at least, a married man. His current uncertainty seemed to warrant a conversation with this one person.

Ming Yiyang weighed his words carefully:

"It's more than just friendship. I think I might be developing feelings for him."

Chi Zihe didn't expect such straightforwardness and felt a slight pang in his heart. He could only feign surprise and ask:

"Like? You mean the kind of affection in a romantic relationship?"

The young man twirled his cigarette, gazing down at the tiny flowers growing between the cracks in the stone path:

"Hmm."

"Sigh, that's just your misconception."

Chi Zihe laughed casually, trying to appear experienced:

"Yan Qiling, when he's normal, is quite gentlemanly and friendly. The problem is, there's not much difference between his normal and abnormal states. People like that can be quite frightening, you know?"

The young man remained calm and replied:

"I know. He's always been like that, and I'm not attracted to his kindness. His gentle facade doesn't work on me; I like his genuine self, it's quite captivating."

"..." How could your taste be so unconventional?

Chi Zihe, who had seen Yan Qiling's true self, was speechless.

It seemed that conventional methods wouldn't work on this person. So, Chi Zihe changed his approach:

"Well then, let me tell you, Yan Qiling has far more options than you. Especially for someone your age who likes him. To be honest, from what I know, you're not the youngest, the kindest, or the most influential. You might rank quite high in looks, but you're not number one."

Ming Yiyang was speechless:

"You consider rankings when you fall in love? No wonder Sister Lingshuang doesn't want to get married. If there were just a tiny bit of someone better than her, wouldn't you run away immediately?"

"Stop interrupting, we're talking about you, not me. Besides, what I mean is not that he must choose the best, but rather that Yan Qiling has many choices. Do you understand?"

Ming Yiyang was rather indifferent:

"How does this concern me? Even if there's a line of people who like him from Guang City to Jing City, it won't stop others from joining in. Are you saying that one needs to draw lots to like someone?"

Chi Zihe felt like he was about to choke. He racked his brains and suddenly thought of a brilliant way to deceive!

He put on an act of defeat and sighed heavily:

"I see now, you think he suits you in every way, right?"

Ming Yiyang had indeed pondered this matter seriously. He honestly shook his head:

"There are some aspects that bother me, but overall, I can tolerate them. There aren't any major issues."

"That, my friend, is the biggest issue."

Relieved to have found a breakthrough, Chi Zihe took a deep breath and began to guide him gently:

"Let me ask you, why do you tolerate it?"

Ming Yiyang hadn't figured it out either. He replied offhandedly:

"Because I like him, I suppose."

"Wrong. Dead wrong!"

Feeling refreshed after revealing the subplot, Chi Zihe declared,

"You don't like him; you consider him a friend."

"Exactly because you see him as a friend, you tolerate things you wouldn't normally. You even try to understand him. But a partner is exclusive. Let me tell you, if you were to use that queue analogy with She Lingshuang, she'd tear me apart."

Ming Yiyang hesitated,

"Is there any basis for this?"

"The basis is that if you truly like someone, or even love them, you will undoubtedly have possessive desires. With such a desire, dissatisfaction will arise."

Chi Zihe's reasoning was clear:

"If you like him, you would want him to love you alone. If someone tries to get close to him, even if you don't show it, you'd secretly hope they leave. Let me give an example: when the water tank incident happened, would you be upset if Yan Qiling went on stage to look at another woman?"

Pondering, Ming Yiyang took a drag from the cigarette between his fingers, still puzzled,

"No, he went up to save someone. Besides, I had to cooperate with him. I wouldn't have had the mind for such thoughts."

Chi Zihe tsked twice.

"I'll tell you, but if I were to do the same as Yan Qiling, Lingshuang might not say anything on the surface, but she'd definitely feel uneasy deep down."

Ming Yiyang grew even more puzzled.

"Really? Would Sister Lingshuang still care about that?"

Chi Zihe secretly lamented his wife's reputation being at stake, then spoke in a serious tone.

"Don't dwell on these minutiae. I was just giving an example; you should grasp the general idea. Oh, by the way, you should remember this."

"When I was traveling for work every day a few years ago, you've seen how intense our arguments with Lingshuang could get. Now, think about it, would you argue with Yan Qiling when he's on a business trip?"

Ming Yiyang seemed like a subway elder looking at his phone.

"Why would I argue with him if I'm the one with a problem?"

"Exactly, see? That's the difference between treating a friend and a lover."

Chi Zihe slapped his thigh, reaching a conclusion:

"You're merely at the level of being good friends with Yan Qiling. Naturally, he would have aspects that you like or dislike, so don't overthink it."

Ming Yiyang felt something was off, but Chi Zihe's words seemed to resonate with his feelings.

However...

"I have a question for you, Senior Apprentice Brother," Ming Yiyang said solemnly. He only used this term when he was particularly serious.

"Have you ever dreamed of making love with your friends?"

Chi Zihe: ?!

Chi Zihe was overwhelmed by the question marks and exclamation points.