The Light of the Righteous Path 16

Lin Qi once again rejected the System's materials, "I want to move him with love."

System: "This is love, a dynamic, concrete, and interacting love."

Lin Qi: "...I'm talking about abstract love."

System: "You do know that the big boss of you Synthetic Humans has elephant genes in his DNA, right?"

Lin Qi said with a tone of admiration, "I know. I heard he has the genes of all known living creatures."

That was indeed a legendary and terrifyingly strong Synthetic Human. His mental power could awaken a dead planet, which was something completely unimaginable and impossible for a Synthetic Human born for domestic needs like him.

System: "Mhm, so this is 'ab' 'stract' love. Trust me, just learn it."

Lin Qi: "..." For some reason, he suddenly felt that his thoughts had been slightly polluted.

After the System's enthusiastic sales pitch, the sadness in Lin Qi's heart faded a bit. Wasn't it just using love to move Du Chengying and make him walk the righteous path? Wasn't it just investing emotions and feeling sad when leaving? Lin Qi, have you really forgotten your original intention?!

As the only Synthetic Human to pass the Moderator test, he definitely couldn't lose face for his seniors. Lin Qi took a deep breath, stood up strongly, and said full of ambition, "System, where is Du Chengying? I'll go find him."

Although this Synthetic Human had struggled for a bit too long, he was surprisingly decisive after making up his mind. The System appreciatively picked at its own code and said cheerfully, "Stab yourself once, and he'll appear immediately."

Lin Qi: "..."

System: "What, afraid of pain? Just stab lightly, just enough to make a token gesture."

Lin Qi: "If you don't know, just say you don't know."

System: "If you don't appreciate it, then forget it. Hmph, do you think this melodramatic soap opera between you and Du Chengying is good to watch? I'm going to watch variety shows."

Lin Qi: "..." This System truly never changed its original intention either, forever fighting on the front lines of slacking off.

Even though his body was cloned by the Alliance, the pain of being stabbed was real. Lin Qi was an ordinary person, so of course he was afraid of pain. Stabbing himself was unrealistic.

The forest was quiet and devoid of human presence. Xiao Mo and Wan Zhufeng must not have returned yet. Lin Qi also felt a little embarrassed; he had agreed to go to Huayuan with Du Chengying to eradicate demons, but ended up just wandering around the foot of the mountain for a long time, even causing Du Chengying to suffer a body full of injuries.

Lin Qi sighed, thinking again of Baoshu Zhenren, who had left Du Chengying with all those injuries.

To be honest, he was a little suspicious now too. The expression Baoshu Zhenren had when stepping on the Demonic Cultivator and looking at Du Chengying was truly three parts anger, three parts disappointment, and four parts disbelief.

Anyway, no matter how you looked at it, it didn't seem like the look a villain should have.

Coupled with some of Baoshu's usually incongruous words and actions, Lin Qi reasonably suspected that Baoshu Zhenren was a loyalist pretending to be a traitor.

Once the emotional entanglement disappeared, Lin Qi's IQ reclaimed the high ground. When he brought out the Water Qilin and the Spirit Butterfly, Baoshu Zhenren's shocked reaction was different from the other two Zhenrens. He seemed to have firmly believed that Lin Qi shouldn't have been the one to bring out the Water Qilin.

After his brain operated at high speed, Lin Qi came to a conclusion: Baoshu Zhenren was a prophet.

He probably knew about Du Chengying's identity as the savior early on, which was why he made things difficult for Du Chengying at every turn. In his previous life, Du Chengying did indeed suffer a lot under Baoshu, his body always covered in wounds. But thinking about it carefully, every time Du Chengying was injured, he would become stronger. In this way, Baoshu's role was more like a character helping the male lead grow.

Baoshu's anger at that time must have been because he discovered something.

In fact, Lin Qi had never relaxed his suspicions about Du Chengying. After all, with a 100% Blackening Value, plus the plot of him undergoing demonic deviation in his previous life, whenever a Demonic Cultivator appeared, Lin Qi couldn't help but associate it with Du Chengying.

So when Baoshu stepped on the Demonic Cultivator and shouted his disappointment at Du Chengying, he subconsciously felt that the Demonic Cultivator was taking orders from Du Chengying.

Lin Qi somewhat regretted asking Du Chengying that question. Du Chengying once said he wouldn't let him get hurt... and he didn't believe it.

The warm sunlight shone on his body. Without Du Chengying by his side, he inexplicably felt empty. Lin Qi lost his strength, tilted his head back, and fell to the ground.

The soft, moist soil reminded Lin Qi of how he felt when he was unconscious—very safe, but also very lonely.

Lin Qi didn't stay depressed for long before he hurried to quietly go up Baoshu Zhenren's mountain.

Lin Qi couldn't be more familiar with Baoshu Zhenren's territory. After sneaking up, he realized that there was no one on the mountain, not even a living creature. It was truly a dead silence, which was a bit abnormal.

The disciples on the mountain had gone down to eradicate demons, but it shouldn't be this lifeless. For example, Sanyue Zhenren's peak was not like this. An ominous premonition surged in Lin Qi's heart, and he strode into Baoshu Zhenren's main hall.

Baoshu was a simple man. Herbal cauldrons were arranged in a row inside the hall. Lin Qi opened one of them and found that even the cauldrons had stopped refining pills. The pills that should have been emitting a pill glow were all dim and lackluster. The pill fragrance was completely gone, emitting an uncomfortable smell instead.

Lin Qi slowly covered the pill cauldron, his hands trembling slightly. He looked around. An aura of death and decay had dyed this already simple main hall with a layer of gray veil.

This mountain was dead.

Could Baoshu Zhenren have already met with an accident?

Although Lin Qi also hated Baoshu Zhenren, the moment this thought arose, he immediately thought of Du Chengying. Patricide was a grave sin; he would suffer heavenly punishment!

Lin Qi rushed out without looking back.

Master Yuan Yu's territory was closest to Baoshu Zhenren's. Lin Qi hurried over immediately. His cultivation was ordinary, so this back-and-forth journey had already exhausted him. But what shocked him even more was that Master Yuan Yu's mountain peak was just as dead and decayed as Baoshu Zhenren's mountain.

Lin Qi stood in the dense forest, looking up in panic. Fallen leaves were fluttering down rapidly, as if it were raining heavily. The verdant leaves turned into withered, dry yellow the moment they hit the ground.

Lin Qi opened his mouth wide, finding it hard to imagine such a scene appearing before him. Vitality was receding from this world like a tide.

System: "Congratulations, the destruction of the world has begun."

Lin Qi: "This is the destruction of the world?"

System: "Yeah, the male lead probably doesn't want to live anymore. He didn't want to live in his previous life either. But it's okay this time, the process is relatively subtle. It's estimated it can drag on for a long time. As long as you aren't dead, he can't bear to die. After all, he still left a piece of land for you."

Lin Qi: "...How could this happen..."

He didn't expect that his slight doubt would make Du Chengying not want to live anymore.

Actually, though he called it suspicion, he just... just wanted Du Chengying to say it wasn't him personally. That way, he could tell himself without any obstacles that for Du Chengying, who held nothing back from him, he could fully invest himself. Even if he ended up hurt and sad, he would accept it.

The System said coldly, "100% favorability and Blackening Value mean that only you hold meaning in his world. This current situation is the price you pay for ignoring my advice."

100% favorability really didn't have any concrete association in Lin Qi's mind. Having no friends in reality, he had no idea that 100% favorability meant such a heavy weight.

Just his mere suspicion was as unbearable as a catastrophic disaster for Du Chengying.

Lin Qi looked down at his palm, slowly exhaled a breath, and pulled a longsword out of the Qiankun Bag in his sleeve. Du Chengying had given it to him; it was one of the many treasures in the room, meant for self-defense.

Feeling a little pain didn't matter anymore.

The System considerately said, "Don't stab your kidney. Slash your leg. Bleeding a lot looks effective, and it won't cause any major problems."

Lin Qi: ...Why does the System look like it has a lot of experience?

Although the System loved to slack off and had a terrible attitude, facts proved that the System was indeed right. Lin Qi's thoughts of escaping and hesitating were making this mission sprint towards failure. Lin Qi lifted his robe, raised his left leg, and held the longsword in one hand, gesturing in the air over his leg.

System: "That won't do. There's an artery there. It'll spurt like a fountain, and the visual will lose its aesthetic appeal."

Lin Qi said obediently, "Oh."

The edge of the sword moved an inch upwards.

The System said anxiously, "Is there something wrong with you? How are you going to do missions if you slash the root of your thigh?"

Lin Qi: "Then I...?"

System: "Calf, by the calf muscle. Strike lightly. Don't end up needing ten days or half a month to recover from an injury; it'll delay things."

Lin Qi stood on one foot, swaying a bit. He supported himself by leaning his right hand against a tree. Crouching slightly, he hooked his left foot over his right knee, clumsily holding the sword with his left hand to gesture at his left leg.

The System really found this Synthetic Human's performance unbearable to watch. It had never seen anyone try to self-harm using the arm and leg on the same side. Truly fucking speechless.

Hardening his heart and closing his eyes, Lin Qi forcefully thrust the tip of the sword downward. The expected pain didn't arrive, but the scent of blood rushed into his nose.

Lin Qi opened his eyes. The tip of the sword was gripped tightly in a pair of large hands that were more slender than ordinary people's. A thin layer of anger surfaced on a handsome face. "What are you doing?"

Dumbfounded, Lin Qi let go of the hand holding the sword hilt, but because he lost his balance, his whole body fell backward. Those bleeding hands flung the sword away at an extremely fast speed and caught him. The blood-dripping palms landed on his waist. Du Chengying frowned tightly and said again with anger, "What were you trying to do, holding that sword?"

"I..." Lin Qi panicked for a moment. From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the bloodstains on his waist. He immediately pushed the other person away. Du Chengying was pushed so hard he almost fell into the valley, but his palm was pulled back by Lin Qi. Lin Qi said anxiously, "Why did you catch the sword with your bare hands!"

From the bottom of the valley to the ground, it took only one action and one word from him. Despite wanting to stay away in his heart, he still couldn't help but plant a wisp of his soul on him, constantly monitoring his safety. When he was in danger, he involuntarily appeared, his actions faster than his thoughts, grasping the tip of the sword with his palm without hesitation. Looking at Lin Qi's anxious expression, Du Chengying didn't feel any satisfaction. He withdrew his palm and said indifferently, "Putting on an act, just to make you softhearted, Junior Brother."

Hearing his pique-filled words, Lin Qi's face flashed with pain. He said softly, "I'm sorry."

Du Chengying let his hand hang down, the blood dripping onto the ground tick-tock. All the pain and despair vanished into thin air within these simple words.

"I know that no matter what, you would never do anything to hurt me..."

A forceful hug interrupted Lin Qi's words. Du Chengying hugged him tightly, his injured palms clasping his shoulders. The faint smell of blood was close at hand. The tall figure lowered his head and buried it into his shoulder. Their warm, beating chests pressed tightly together. Lin Qi raised his hand and patted his back gently, whispering, "I'm truly sorry..."

"Enough," Du Chengying said hoarsely. "Saying it once is enough. You haven't done that many things to be sorry to me for."

The two embraced in the woods for a long time. Many words were hidden in the crevices of their past and present lives. In fact, they already understood without needing to say them.

It was Lin Qi who broke the tranquility first. He gently pushed Du Chengying, "Senior Brother, let me look at the injuries on your body."

Du Chengying released him, curling his blood-dripping palms, and said carelessly, "It's nothing."

"Not just your hands, but on your body too," Lin Qi said worriedly.

Du Chengying put his palms behind his back, his breath stalling for a moment. "My injuries recover very quickly. It's fine."

This was Heaven's 'gift' to him—an indestructible body that couldn't be smashed, broken, or killed. Only by falling into the karmic hellfire could he burn completely to ashes and end his fate.

"That's two different things. Let's bandage your hands first." Lin Qi pulled Du Chengying's hands back, but saw a shocking sight. The dripping palms had already healed, leaving only mottled bloodstains.

Lin Qi froze. After pondering for a moment, he abruptly looked up at Du Chengying.

Du Chengying avoided his shocked gaze. He knew what Lin Qi wanted to ask, and he didn't want to say it either.

With such powerful healing abilities, how did Du Chengying manage to let him apply medicine and treat his wounds time and time again? Lin Qi understood as soon as he thought about it.

"Why did you do that?" Lin Qi said slowly.

Du Chengying looked down at his bloodstained palms. He also asked himself, why? He carried the Spirit Seed, possessed powerful cultivation and an unparalleled spirit beast. He already possessed the power to destroy this world, but that scarred, worthless Du Chengying had never truly left him for a moment, hiding behind him like an inerasable shadow.

Du Chengying backhandedly gripped Lin Qi's hand, the corners of his mouth hooking up slightly as he mocked himself, "Because I'm not worthy." He had fallen in love with someone so, so far away from him, so far that even trying with all his might, he always felt he couldn't catch up.

He was reborn, using his best appearance to see Lin Qi, using the most precious treasures in the world to please Lin Qi, using everything within his power to try to make Lin Qi happy. But none of it was of any use.

Bloodstains tainted the white, soft palms. Du Chengying lifted Lin Qi's palms and pressed them against his own face. "Actually, I should call you Senior Brother."

Du Chengying revealed the entire matter of his rebirth.

"After Senior Brother left, I wanted to find you..." Du Chengying closed his eyes, his handsome face filled with sorrow. That inferior, frustrated, and bullied Du Chengying had lost the only light existing in his life. Warm moisture seeped into the palms, "I couldn't find you."

"I'm sorry," Lin Qi finally couldn't hold back his tears and forcefully hugged Du Chengying back. He admitted it. He really had done something wrong. He had never cared about Du Chengying's feelings. Never. That was why he had left so cleanly and without any guilt. "Du Chengying, I'm sorry."

"Senior Brother..." Stripped of the so-called savior's shell, that scarred mortal ran out once again, recklessly shedding the tears accumulated over two lifetimes on his Senior Brother's shoulder. "Don't leave me..."

Lin Qi's heart ached sharply, but he gripped Du Chengying's shoulders even more tightly. "Okay."

The fluttering fallen leaves slowed down, and the aura of death quietly delayed. The two looked at each other's slightly red eyes. A yellow leaf fell into Lin Qi's hair. Du Chengying raised his hand, gently brushed the fallen leaf away, his gaze falling steadily on Lin Qi's face.

For the first time, he saw himself in Lin Qi's eyes.

His wretched and weak self.

His eyelashes lowered, his gaze gentle and deeply affectionate. He tentatively, slowly leaned down. He left enough time for Lin Qi to dodge. If Lin Qi dodged, he would still feel content. As long as Lin Qi stayed by his side, he would be completely satisfied.

Their arms intertwined in a stalemate. The person he cherished held his breath. When he drew near, Lin Qi slightly raised his chin by an imperceptible margin. A tiny trace of movement was enough to make the corners of Du Chengying's lips tremble. He was very happy. The first time he kissed Lin Qi, he was smiling.

Their lips only touched simply for a moment. Du Chengying didn't greedily linger on the soft warmth. He lowered his head and rested his forehead against Lin Qi's. "Senior Brother, I feel like I'm having a dream."

Yes, Lin Qi felt this really was like a dream.

He had violated the creed of a Moderator and fallen for someone in a small world.

"Since it's a dream," Lin Qi whispered, "let's enjoy it to our hearts' content."

When Lin Qi tilted his head up and took the initiative to kiss Du Chengying, a crazy, almost unreal joy swept through Du Chengying's entire body. He was even so stiff that he didn't dare to respond.

Lin Qi wasn't as restrained as him; his mind was full of the passion of burning his bridges behind him. Consequently, Du Chengying was kissed silly by his own Senior Brother.

After kissing, Lin Qi sniffled, feeling much better. Those repeatedly tangled emotions vanished into thin air, and his whole being felt refreshed. Seeing Du Chengying blushing brightly and standing there blankly, he pinched his chin. "This is my first time kissing someone."

Du Chengying said dazedly, "...Thank you, Senior Brother."

Lin Qi: "...You're welcome."

Who cares. The world is being destroyed anyway, why care so much? Lin Qi held Du Chengying's hand, looking around. He didn't care about the changes in the surrounding environment. He suddenly remembered the main issue and turned back to Du Chengying nervously, "You didn't kill Baoshu Zhenren, right?!"

"No," Du Chengying looked exactly like a large dog whose fur had been successfully smoothed out. His face was flushed red, and his face was written with obedience. "He isn't my father. He was just entrusted by the sages to temper me. I injured him and locked him up."

Lin Qi sighed in relief. "He made you suffer so many injuries. Beating him up a bit is nothing."

Du Chengying's gloomy heart suddenly turned kind. "Let's release him."

Lin Qi blinked. "If you don't want to release him, that's fine too."

Du Chengying coughed lightly, "Keeping him locked up is pointless anyway. It wastes a Spirit Butterfly to guard him."

The System abruptly blasted in Lin Qi's ear, "Target character's Blackening Value cleared to zero."

Lin Qi's pupils instantly quaked... It-it was just that simple?

The System sneered. If he had listened to it earlier, there wouldn't have been so much trouble.

Du Chengying laced his fingers with Lin Qi's, "Does Senior Brother want to go see him with me?"

In a certain sense, Baoshu Zhenren could be considered a matchmaker for him and Lin Qi.

When Lin Qi saw where Du Chengying had locked Baoshu up, he fully realized the little bit of innate badness in Du Chengying's bones.

Lying in a chicken coop, Baoshu Zhenren's air of superiority had dropped into a complete mess. His handsome, gloomy face was covered in chicken feathers. Even the Spirit Butterfly stood aside in disgust and wouldn't go near him.

Du Chengying explained, "Time was tight back then. There was nowhere else to throw him."

Lin Qi gave Baoshu Zhenren a look without much sympathy. "He couldn't help himself either. Forget it."

Du Chengying, whose Blackening Value had been cleared, was very agreeable. He concurred, "Everyone is swayed by the Heavenly Dao. Although he possesses supreme cultivation, there are things he can't accomplish either." Just like how he had searched all over the Underworld but couldn't find Lin Qi. Du Chengying squeezed Lin Qi's hand and raised his hand to recall the Spirit Butterfly. "He will wake up in half a quarter of an hour. Shall we wait for him to wake up?"

"Why?" Lin Qi turned his face. Seeing that Du Chengying's expression looked slightly wronged, he chuckled dumbly. "I won't doubt you anymore."

Since his rebirth, apart from exerting effort on himself all day and slashing himself several times, Du Chengying really hadn't hurt anyone. Lin Qi swung his hand. "Let's go."

"Where to?" Du Chengying was still somewhat immersed in a dreamlike daze.

Lin Qi said, "To live the kind of life you mentioned. Working at sunrise and resting at sunset. The simplest days."

Du Chengying's face shook. "You... still remember."

"Actually, I also like that kind of life the best," Lin Qi smiled slightly. He wasn't coaxing Du Chengying. His ideal life was going to work and getting off work on time, and preferably having one or two little cats on the road to pet... Lin Qi suddenly remembered the Water Qilin. "Where's Wuxia?"

Du Chengying fell silent for a moment, then said without changing his expression, "It ran out to the wild. Its mating season probably arrived."

Lin Qi was surprised. "Water Qilins also go into heat? Then what should we do? Is there a second Water Qilin in the world?"

"It's a beast's business, no need to care about it," Du Chengying glanced at the sleeping Baoshu and changed the subject, "Let's go. Zhenren should be waking up."

Having agreed to live ordinary days, the two didn't want to return to Mount Yuelu anymore. Huayuan, where Lin Qi came from, was still a low branch of the collateral cultivation lines, so they couldn't go there. Du Chengying's hometown was a small fishing village. Even though the memories left behind weren't entirely beautiful, it was still a place far away from cultivation, with vast lands and a sparse population. The two quietly arrived at the seaside fishing village, not even alerting the people in the village.

Looking at the fishing village, all one could see were loose and scattered thatched cottages. The yellowish seawater washed against the coarse sandy surface. The slightly salty sea breeze gently drifted into the nose, bringing a feeling of leisure and relaxation.

In a place far away from the coast, a tottering thatched cottage was left with only a skeleton in the sea breeze. Du Chengying said calmly, "This is where I used to live."

Regarding Du Chengying's past experiences, Lin Qi had only learned three words while on standby: "Suffered all hardships." Lin Qi had merely skimmed over these three light words without much thought. Now, holding Du Chengying's hand, he gently squeezed Du Chengying's fingers. "If you still feel sad, let's change places."

"I'm not sad," Du Chengying gave a smile, his smile relieved. "Wait a moment, I'll go tidy it up." Before meeting Lin Qi, his life had no color. It didn't matter if he was sad or happy; he was merely living aimlessly, that was all.

"Let's do it together." Lin Qi tilted his head and smiled. The sea breeze blew up the long hair by his ear. The way he narrowed his eyes showed a relaxation that Du Chengying had never seen before. He didn't know if it was his illusion, but he really felt that Lin Qi was getting closer and closer to him.

The handsome face suddenly drew near. Lin Qi subconsciously closed his eyes. His cheeks slightly warmed up. The soft touch fleetingly passed by like a dragonfly skimming the water. Lin Qi opened his eyes and met Du Chengying's smiling eyes. For some reason, he always wanted to reply with a smile. Unknowingly, the two were holding hands and smiling foolishly again.

Gentle sea waves rolled up fine sand, tenderly lapping against the shore layer by layer along with the sea breeze. Pure white waterbirds flapped their wings and landed on the roof of the thatched cottage.

"Crash."

A loud crash pulled Lin Qi's attention back.

On top of the collapsed thatched cottage, the waterbirds had already scattered in panic, seemingly trying to clear themselves of any involvement.

Lin Qi: "..." Ah, this...

"Ha." Du Chengying chuckled lightly, the arc of his mouth rising. He rubbed his nose, glanced at the helpless Lin Qi, suppressed the smile at the corner of his mouth, and whispered, "Senior Brother, it seems we'll just have to build a house together."

Lin Qi's heart felt a little itchy, as if that flock of waterbirds had fluttered into his heart. "Okay."