Chapter 70: Reality: Two

Chapter 70: Reality: Two

She Lingshuang asked the landlady to open a few bottles of beer. The landlady, clearly on familiar terms with her, kindly added two more bottles, complimenting her on her skin.

The woman smiled with narrowed eyes, not saying a word.

She wasn't exceptionally beautiful.

But perhaps due to her years of secluded cultivation in the mountains, she had an exceptional sleep schedule that was rare among ordinary people. There were no telltale dark circles under her eyes, no sunspots or scars on her skin. The two moles on her face resembled sesame seeds immersed in milk, giving off a pleasing and comfortable impression.

When she was with Chi Zihe, playfully teasing and joking, she exuded a blend of openness and tenderness, creating a strangely harmonious atmosphere.

Sitting around the table, Chi Zihe picked up where they left off earlier:

"In that previous world, I thought about it for a long time. I guess it might be because we brought Qiling into the game, which actually aligned with the divination. That Heaven Rank Intermediary seemed to be targeting Qiling... Could it have something to do with the sealed prison train incident?"

"There's some connection, but not a strong one."

Yan Qiling casually smiled while dividing the eggplant from the foil box, saying,

"They mainly came to kill me."

Chi Zihe gulped down two mouthfuls of beer, quite surprised.

"Ordinary Heaven Rank Incarnations of Chaos wouldn't go to such lengths against you. Could it be because of the ones you sealed before…?"

Yan Qiling chuckled softly.

"Yes, and there were two of them. Both can manipulate a portion of time. Together, they're indeed a formidable pair."

The chill in his palm sobered the Taoist up, his expression turning solemn.

"…Are these two Incarnations of Chaos still alive?"

"Alive. I couldn't devour them, and they couldn't devour me either. It was a stalemate… They shouldn't dare to make any moves for a long time."

She Lingshuang propped her chin up and took a bite of butter, mulling over the keyword "time."

"Uncle Yan, could you elaborate on that? How do they manipulate time?"

Seeing that she had spoken, Yan Qiling picked up the public chopsticks and added some eggplant to her bowl. After a moment's thought, he didn't hold back:

"The two who came were both sealed by me personally into the Nineteenth Lotus Tower years ago."

Upon hearing a new term, Ming Yiyang's handsome face revealed a subtle curiosity under the soft yellow light:

"Nineteenth Lotus Tower?"

Lowering his eyebrows, the man also added eggplant to his own bowl:

"Mm, it's a family heirloom passed down from my ancestors. It's used to suppress and contain malevolent entities harmful to both the living and the dead. When it reached my great-grandfather's generation, there was an accident, and it was damaged. Many of those evil creatures escaped, so since then, our family has been trying to repair it."

"The two that came this time are old acquaintances. Paimon likes to wear masks because I destroyed its face when I sealed it."

Yan Qiling's tone was as casual as discussing the weather:

"It possesses a pocket watch called 'Golden Age.' When this watch is activated, it requires waiting for the seconds hand to complete a full minute. Then, the space where the clock is located will fast-forward twenty-four hours."

"Subsequently, by simply winding the watch backward, one can achieve the purpose of reversing time. The watch's spring can be wound up to seven times. Each winding allows a rollback of twenty-four hours."

Restoring the aluminum foil box to its original spot, Yan Qiling sipped on his soothing, warm tea:

"However, I'm partially immune to his power. Fast-forwarding doesn't affect me. And he can only wind up his device three times in my presence, rewinding time by three seconds each time."

With a light tap on his cheek, She Lingshuang chuckled:

"So dramatic, huh?"

"For top-notch experts, being able to rewind a single second can make all the difference."

Ming Yiyang picked up an ice-cold beer and poured it into a glass, then placed it beside Yan Qiling:

"What about the other one? What did it do?"

"Hmm... Well, that one is indeed quite a headache. It possesses a jade artifact named 'Miyuki,' which aids time-manipulating tools, enabling the target to undergo a 'rebirth' cycle."

The man's translucent fingers, illuminated by the light, gently caressed the chilled glass. His expression suggested that he was discussing not an adversary but some intriguing plaything:

"Of course, the concept of 'rebirth' is quite broad, but when applied to the 'Golden Era,' it traps me in an endless loop of three-second rewinds, restricting my actions."

The young man brushed back his disheveled silver hair in front of the whirring fan, his brows furrowing slightly.

"Such a disgusting strategy."

"It's indeed troublesome, but it's not entirely a bad thing."

Yan Qiling didn't elaborate further.

"In any case, even though they managed to fend off those two, they still sustained injuries that led to their fragmentation."

Chi Zihe started pondering potential solutions as he listened, while She Lingshuang didn't continue on this topic. Instead, she asked,

"Uncle Yan, will you be accompanying Yang Yang to his next world? Old Chi said that in his next realm, he'll not only be facing a solo mission but also an unfathomable Master at the Xuan level."

Chi Zihe's eyes widened in surprise as he looked at her, about to say something to dissuade them. But just then, he felt the woman's long legs gently caress his own under the table.

It was both alluring and a subtle warning.

The Taoist's hand holding the beads trembled slightly, his heart bittersweet. He could only hope that Yan Qiling wouldn't agree, muttering softly,

"Qiling is also a singular term, doesn't that make you two a match...?"

Ming Yi Yang was indifferent about it:

"Si Shuhao's name is a double, which can balance out the risks for both of us."

Chi Zihe's face was full of disapproval:

"You think this is like buying mutual funds... Ouch!"

He winced in pain, bending over as if his foot was on fire.

She Lingshuang nonchalantly stuffed a skewer of chicken nuggets into his mouth and continued to smile at Yan Qiling:

"Uncle Yan, Yang Yang is still young. Please take care of him more. The two of you entering together will surely be safe; we'll all feel at ease... won't we, Old Chi?"

Chi Zihe, with tears in his eyes from being crushed under his wife's foot, angrily bit into the chicken nugget, crunching it loudly as he said:

"Yes! Absolutely! I'm super, incredibly, spirally reassured!"

His grip on the woman's foot softened, and she filled his glass with a cheerful smile.

Chi Zihe: It hurts! It really hurts!

Yan Qiling understood Chi Zihe's sentiment; he didn't wish to continue entanglements with Ming Yiyang and Si Shuhao either... After all, what he was involved in was too complicated and risky. Any misstep could implicate those around him.

But it was She Lingshuang who had spoken, and he couldn't refuse the She family. After some contemplation, he nodded with a smile.

"Alright, I'll ensure his safe departure."

The young man listened silently and, without a word, drank two more cans of beer.

After their meal and drinks, it was already late at night. The four of them stumbled back to the countryside inn.

She Lingshuang supported the tipsy Taoist, who was now muttering, and said to Ming Yiyang,

"Yang Yang, I put a gift in your trunk. Remember to open it when you get home. But don't touch it during the ride, okay?"

Ming Yiyang waved his hand as a sign of understanding.

Separating ways downstairs, the young man, standing alone in the evening breeze, felt that he had endured his cigarette craving for far too long and desired one to alleviate his boredom.

Just as he bowed his head to light the cigarette in the night, he assumed that no one would notice his action. However, when he inadvertently lifted his gaze, he saw the window of the guest room on the second floor – the one Yan Qiling occupied – wide open.

A dark silhouette stood on the other side, though barely discernible due to the backlight, it was evident that they were staring directly at him.

Ming Yiyang: "..." Wasn't this even scarier than the world of the unknown?

He couldn't explain why, but he suddenly felt a pang of guilt.

After a moment of silence, the young man extinguished the cigarette in the darkness, exhaling the last trail of white smoke, allowing the wind to carry away the lingering haze from his body.

-

As Yan Qiling fastened his seatbelt in the passenger seat of the black Mercedes, he keenly sensed an uneasiness in the driver's seat.

Assuming it was due to incompatible vibes, he kindly offered,

"If you're uncomfortable, should I move to the backseat?"

"You think I'm a taxi driver?"

With a neutral expression, Ming Yiyang said,

"Sit properly and don't let your mind wander."

Yan Qiling returned a polite smile. "?"

After a long day, they returned to Guang City. Considering how tiring the drive must have been for Ming Yiyang, Yan Qiling allowed him to rest in the guest bedroom and checked the wound on his arm inflicted by Pan Hu once more.

After so many days, even the most horrifying injury would have scabbed over. Coupled with Ming Yiyang's adept care, it seemed there was nothing to worry about.

Yan Qiling was expected to take a break before heading out to work. However, when Ming Yiyang woke up, he found that the man had already left for his schedule. Only the courteous Pan Hu was left, washing dishes and saying,

"Mr. Ming, you're just in time. Is there anything you'd like to eat? Sir instructed me to take good care of you."

Ming Yiyang, still somewhat groggy from sleep and holding onto his hair, responded,

"..." It was a subtle feeling of being taken care of.

"No need," he said.

He drove back home with the clothes in hand.

His house wasn't too close or too far from Yan Qiling's; it usually took around fifteen minutes without traffic, but during rush hour, it could stretch to forty minutes.

It was now peak hour, and he found himself stuck in traffic.

Recalling how Yan Qiling had recently sat beside him in the passenger seat, Ming Yiyang couldn't calm down as he held the steering wheel. He lit a cigarette and rolled down the window.

As the ethereal smoke swirled with his thoughts, he vaguely sensed that there was something off about Chi Zihe's earlier advice.

He felt that his dream was more than just a simple dream.

Having taken care of Yan Qiling for half a month, he had experienced many intimate moments that had never occurred before, such as bathing him, giving him medicine, and feeding him sugar-coated ice candy.

Many things that transpired during this period didn't seem quite right.

The image of that person's Buddha-like face when they sat high came to mind.

Unconsciously, his body responded to these memories.

He gazed down at it for a moment, his handsome face devoid of expression except for the slight narrowing of his eyes as he seemed lost in thought.

The ashes on the car window trembled lightly. He slowly drew the cigarette to his tongue.

This bitter taste reminded him of the Soul Soothing Soup that Yan Qiling often drank.

Was this also the taste that lingered in Yan Qiling's mouth?

He gently pressed the tip of his tongue against the sponge base, feeling the scorching tobacco threads enter his mouth one by one.

He exhaled a long stream of white smoke.

As the traffic congestion cleared, he leisurely steered with one hand, following the flow of cars. When he arrived in the underground garage, he expelled a breath.

Continuing to dwell on this was unproductive; he needed to find an opportunity to verify his suspicion.

Upon retrieving She Lingshuang's gift from the trunk, he found a beautifully wrapped small box. Inside was a pair of newly crafted couple's tail rings.

Accompanying them was a little note written in ballpoint pen.

Yang Yang, this is a gift for you and Uncle Yan! Try it first to make sure there's no issue before you give it to Uncle Yan. It will be of great assistance to your future collaboration! But do bear in mind, once you put on this silver ring, it can't be taken off. If you ever want to remove it, remember to come to Mount Sanqing!

As the young man picked up the silver ring, his eyes briefly transformed into a pale purple before returning to their normal hue.

Opportunity, wasn't it right here?