The Light of the Righteous Path 17

Lin Qi's home in real life was one of the benefits provided by the Alliance for Moderators—a clean and tidy model apartment. Upon finishing his training, Lin Qi immediately took up his post and worked continuously for a month. Not long after returning, he had to go out to work again; his home hadn't even been warmed up yet.

Building his own house for the first time was truly a fresh experience.

No matter how high their cultivation was, they were still the same as mortals when it came to these trivial matters. Besides, the two intentionally wanted to live ordinary lives. After a whole day of hands-on, busy work, they had only managed to build an empty frame that could barely stand up and wouldn't be blown over by a gust of wind.

Lying on the pile of thatch in the house, watching the starlight cast down from the scattered roof, Lin Qi sighed with emotion, "I now know how much thought you put into my cave dwelling."

Du Chengying lay beside him, blinking slowly, his heart filled with peace. He silently reached out and held Lin Qi's hand. It truly felt like a dream; Lin Qi finally saw him, and the things he thought he had done in vain had also caught Lin Qi's eye.

If this was really a dream, he hoped he would never wake up from it.

Fingers intertwined, together forever.

As the two peacefully held hands, neither speaking a word, the System suddenly made a sound, "You haven't actually fallen in love, have you?"

Lin Qi didn't deny it. "You don't need to persuade me. I'm already prepared to bear the consequences."

The hand he was holding in his palm right now was real. Du Chengying was lying beside him vividly, flesh and blood, deeply infatuated with him. Lin Qi turned his face, quietly sizing up Du Chengying from the corner of his eye. The moonlight fell on his face, outlining its contours. Whether it was the Du Chengying with the scar on his face or the currently peerlessly handsome Du Chengying, he had never changed.

The System ruthlessly shattered the warmth in Lin Qi's heart. "If the consequences you're referring to are just heartbreak when you leave, then that has nothing to do with me. I just want to remind you, don't think that just because his Blackening Value is cleared to zero right now, everything is fine. The moment you leave, his Blackening Value will skyrocket, and he'll destroy the world again. Wouldn't that mean everything was for naught?"

Lin Qi hadn't actually thought of this point. He said, half-believing and half-doubting, "The Blackening Value can go back up again?"

The System sneered, "If you don't believe me, give it a try. Tell him you hate him, that everything you just did was an act, and that you were just playing him. See if his Blackening Value will go back up."

Du Chengying turned his face at the right moment, his gaze softer than the moonlight, carrying a hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth. "Why are you staring at me?"

Lin Qi swallowed nervously. Du Chengying's gaze fell on the corners of his lightly pursed lips. The smile on his lips faded, and he leaned in to kiss Lin Qi's lips. Lin Qi froze in place, and only after Du Chengying's lips left him did he slowly say, "If one day, I leave..."

Before he could even finish his sentence, the System ruthlessly said, "Blackening Value increased by fifty percent."

Lin Qi: "..."

Du Chengying smiled gently. "Senior Brother, didn't you promise me you wouldn't leave me?"

Seeing him casually skyrocket the Blackening Value while maintaining a normal expression, Lin Qi felt a burst of desolation in his heart. He originally thought that if he had to suffer, then so be it, at least his work task would be completed. Now he was doomed; it was truly a situation of 'losing both the person and the wealth'.

"What I mean is," Lin Qi said with difficulty, "everyone must eventually die..."

Du Chengying tightened his grip on his hand and said resolutely, "I will accompany you into reincarnation."

System: "Blackening Value cleared to zero."

Lin Qi: ...So Du Chengying's dream was actually to die together with him.

Since Lin Qi brought up this topic, Du Chengying couldn't help but recall his despair when he couldn't find Lin Qi's soul anywhere in the Underworld.

After his rebirth, he went to find Lin Qi and discovered that the Lin Qi of the Huayuan Lin Clan had the familiar face engraved in his heart, but not the familiar soul. He suddenly realized and guessed that his Lin Qi had arrived through Body-Seizing.

Exerting a slight bit of force in his hand, Du Chengying pulled Lin Qi into his embrace, hugged him tightly, and said in a low, firm voice, "Senior Brother, this time I won't let you leave me again."

Lin Qi's face was full of helplessness as he said to the System, "Can I stay with him here for a lifetime?"

The System had been on the job for many years and could already skillfully handle all sorts of suicidal requests from Moderators. It said in a business-like tone, "The character lifespans of Moderators are all pre-set by the Alliance. When it's time to die, you will definitely die." This was also because the Alliance feared that certain Moderators would exploit loopholes, lingering in a favorite world and refusing to leave, leading to a disorder in the world's energy.

Actually, Lin Qi also knew that everything was planned, but Du Chengying's love for him was something entirely outside of the plan.

He still had thirty years to accompany Du Chengying. That should be... enough, right?

Lin Qi slowly hugged Du Chengying back. Forget it, he would just take it one day at a time. Thirty years—there was still plenty of time.

Several days passed, and the house was more or less built. Only under Lin Qi's repeated questioning did Du Chengying finally release the Water Qilin.

Looking at the ferocious beast that was pitch-black all over, sporting a golden horn on its head, and with hideousness written all over its face, Lin Qi said dumbfounded, "This is Wuxia?"

The Water Qilin said in a deep, resonant voice, "Second Master, do you not recognize me anymore?"

Lin Qi: "...I want some peace and quiet." He wanted to bury his head into the sandy beach.

Water Qilin: ...

Du Chengying, with a darkened face, kicked the Water Qilin. "Shave off your fur."

The Water Qilin shrank its face aggrievedly and said sincerely, "Master, I'll be even uglier if it's shaved."

Du Chengying wished he could stuff it back into the Mountain Shadow Heaven Pavilion to be remade. Not far away, Lin Qi was rolling painfully on the sand. He couldn't believe his cute Water Qilin had turned into such a... ferocious beast that looked like a man-eater. Its highly un-pettable appearance truly induced despair.

"Meow~" A cry comparable to that of an old ox toiling away sounded out. Lin Qi was lying on the soft sand, feeling that life had no meaning. The Water Qilin bit at his trouser leg and said in an affectedly sweet voice, "Second Master, look at me, look at me."

Lin Qi lowered his head in despair. The Water Qilin had shrunk its appearance and was bouncing around Lin Qi's heels, looking exactly like a little black lump of coal. Its green eyes gleamed brightly, blinking at a high frequency in an attempt to make itself look a little cuter.

Lin Qi rubbed the top of its head and discovered it still had the familiar fluffy texture. He breathed a sigh of relief, sat up, and scooped the palm-sized Water Qilin into his arms, complaining softly, "Why did you grow so fast?"

"Meow meow!" The Water Qilin lowered its head and licked his palm, smiling with a goofy expression.

Lin Qi flicked the miniature golden horn on its forehead, a smile finally appearing on his face. This was what his ideal life looked like: a house of his own, a cute pet... Lin Qi turned his head. Du Chengying was looking at him with his hands clasped behind his back. Lin Qi smiled slightly at him; and an unexpectedly handsome lover.

While they were enjoying their quiet and peaceful times, the situation outside with the rampaging Demonic Cultivators had also improved.

Just as Du Chengying had said, as one side wanes, the other waxes. He was reborn as the Lord of Demonic Cultivators, granting all Demonic Cultivators in the world his assistance. Now that he had retreated to a fishing village with a peaceful state of mind, the demonic qi was naturally suppressed again.

The cultivators achieved a staged victory. Those who were supposed to return to Mount Yuelu had all gone back. Even Sanyue Zhenren, who had been wandering outside all along, had returned to Mount Yuelu.

The four Daoist Masters gathered in Baoshu Zhenren's main hall to discuss matters.

Sanyue Zhenren had a cheerful smile on his face, showing two dimples on his plump cheeks, "I just made a trip back, so how did I end up short of two disciples?"

"Du Chengying took Lin Qi away." At the mention of Du Chengying's name, Baoshu Zhenren's expression stiffened. Having lived for so many years, waking up in a chicken coop was truly a first for him.

"The signs of the hexagram's reversal have stopped, however," Master Guilian said slowly.

Master Yuan Yu was wiping the sword in her hand, her expression icy cold as he said, "Hexagrams, hexagrams, is this world truly dictated by a single set of hexagrams?" She raised her eyes, her gaze looking sharply like a blade at the other three. "To me, all our hard training over these many years has been completely useless work!" With a sharp ring, she sheathed her sword and was the first to leave the main hall.

"Yuan Yu's temper is still as fiery as ever." Sanyue Zhenren remained smiling as he said to Baoshu, "I accepted Du Chengying, but I'm not responsible for what happens afterward."

Baoshu Zhenren's expression was also unpleasant. "Who could possibly control it?"

"The words 'Heavenly Dao'—who can control that?" Guilian shook his head, turned around, and also walked out of the hall following Yuan Yu.

Baoshu and Sanyue sat facing each other. Baoshu looked displeased. Sanyue smiled and said, "Forget it. Destinies in this world are determined by Heaven; we are nothing but chess pieces. Don't add to your worries in vain every day."

"I know," Baoshu said slowly. "I can't control it..."

Under the cedar tree, Xiao Mo and Wan Zhufeng bowed in greeting to the returning Sanyue Zhenren, "Master."

"En." Sanyue Zhenren waved his hand dismissively. "As senior brothers, how did you two manage to scare away all your junior brothers?"

"Master, I am completely confused myself. How did Junior Brother Du take Junior Brother Lin back to Huayuan for a trip, and then they both vanished?" Xiao Mo said helplessly.

Sanyue's footsteps paused, and he raised his finger to point at the resplendent cave dwelling ahead. "Whose cave dwelling is that?"

Xiao Mo replied, "It belongs to Junior Brother Lin."

"Oh?" Sanyue took a light sniff. The scent of the Three-Core Lotus. "Pretty good." He turned his head to look at Xiao Mo. "Since they're already gone, don't let it go to waste. Open the dwelling and charge admission for tours."

Xiao Mo: ...As expected of his Master.

Lin Qi still didn't know that the cave dwelling Du Chengying had meticulously prepared for him was actually being used as a tourist attraction. He was currently struggling with some wood. As a housekeeping Synthetic Human, his manual skills were absolutely top-notch, but they were limited to things like cleaning and cooking. Making a chair truly touched upon a blind spot in his knowledge.

Compared to his clumsiness, Du Chengying appeared much more adept. He had taken off his long dharma robes, revealing the tight inner garment beneath. The silvery-white auspicious cloud patterns flashed with a lustrous sheen under the sunlight. With a face as flawless as jade and black hair cascading down, he swung his long arm. The muscles wrapped beneath his inner garment burst with power in an instant, calmly splitting a long log in two.

Lin Qi was stunned. His lower lip involuntarily shrank beneath his teeth. Biting his lip, he stared at Du Chengying without blinking.

Du Chengying seemed completely immersed in what he was doing, and indeed, he was doing something major: he was making a wooden bed capable of bearing the weight of two people.

Lin Qi was looking at him; he knew it. He had quietly suppressed the upward curve of his mouth several times, not wanting his smile to be too obvious. He just let his ears burn; his senior brother was thick-headed and wouldn't be able to tell anyway.

"Du Chengying, you're amazing," Lin Qi praised.

"If Senior Brother finds it boring, just put it down." Du Chengying lifted a log thick enough to require several people to wrap their arms around it with a single hand. "I made a fishing rod; you can go fishing."

Lin Qi was a little embarrassed. "You're working while I'm playing. Isn't that bad?"

"There's nothing bad about it." Du Chengying revealed a radiant smile. "The sea in this area is rich in fish and shrimp, and the upstream is where the Merfolk live. You might even be able to pick up some pearls."

"Merfolk?" Lin Qi perked up, tossing aside the unrecognizable excuse for a chair in his hand, and squatted beside Du Chengying. "Have you seen Merfolk before?"

Du Chengying smiled slightly. "I have."

"I heard that Merfolk are exceptionally beautiful, have infinitely graceful voices, and their tears turn into pearls when they fall into the sea." Lin Qi's face was full of yearning. "Is that true?"

"More or less." Du Chengying split the wood in his hand and said plainly, "They look rather ordinary, and their voices are nothing special, but their tears turning into pearls is true." Du Chengying clapped his hands and said to the curious Lin Qi, "However, a Merfolk only sheds tears once in their entire life. A Merfolk who has shed tears cannot reincarnate."

"I see." Lin Qi nodded. "Then they absolutely must not cry."

"Sometimes they have no choice but to shed tears." Du Chengying pulled Lin Qi's hand to stand up and walked to the edge of the sea. It was getting late. The fiery red setting sun ignited the evening clouds. The daylight was gathered within the clouds, gorgeous and profound. This exceedingly beautiful sunset scenery was truly something Lin Qi never got tired of looking at.

"It's best to collect pearls at this time." Du Chengying patted Lin Qi's waist and smiled, "Go give it a try."

The Merfolk Tribe caught the rosy clouds to weave brocade. Looking directly at the twilight, rolling teardrops were inevitable. Du Chengying had stolen the Luoxia they took three years to weave without the slightest bit of guilt.

When the last ray of evening twilight sank into the bottom of the sea, Du Chengying's hand suddenly paused. His heart tightened, and he turned to look back at the seaside. The Water Qilin was circling around Lin Qi. Lin Qi had lowered his head, his hands grabbing at something unknown on the sand.

Du Chengying breathed a sigh of relief. "Senior Brother, what good things did you find?"

Lin Qi continued to keep his head down, his hand sliding back and forth on the sand. Du Chengying stepped over and reached out to pat Lin Qi's back, "Senior Brother..."

His hand passed right through Lin Qi's back.

It was a shadow.

The scent of seawater lingered at the tip of his nose. Du Chengying closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, a storm was vaguely brewing in his eyes.

System: "Congratulations. Du Chengying's Blackening Value has skyrocketed to one hundred percent again."

Faced with Du Chengying's roller-coaster-like Blackening Value, Lin Qi was already left speechless, and he turned his head, quietly moving a little further away from the fish's head.

He had been kidnapped by a fish.

At first, he was admiring the fishing rod Du Chengying made, praising to the System that a man like Du Chengying truly was presentable in the living room and capable in the kitchen. Then, just as the System was warning him, he was enveloped by a thick fog.

After the thick fog dispersed, he found himself lying weakly and powerlessly on top of a fish.

Lin Qi: "Why did this fish kidnap me?"

System: "How should I know? Maybe it thought you looked like a worm?"

Lin Qi: "..."

Actually, Lin Qi wasn't too afraid. The fish looked quite gentle, and he still had thirty years left on his progress, so he should be fine. He was just worried that Du Chengying would suffer a mental breakdown if he couldn't find him. What if he violently rose up and destroyed the world?

The System thoughtfully provided a warm little tip, "Although the Alliance guarantees that you won't live past the stipulated time limit, it doesn't guarantee that you'll definitely live up to the stipulated time limit."

Lin Qi: "...Brother Fish, why did you catch me?"

The fish beneath him didn't say a word, slowly carrying Lin Qi as it sailed across the sea. The moonlight danced on the calm sea surface. In all fairness, this was a rather beautiful scene, but the moment Lin Qi thought of Du Chengying with a maxed-out Blackening Value, it didn't feel beautiful at all. "Brother Fish, you must want something from catching me. Can we discuss this?"

The big fish seemed annoyed. It turned its face, its pitch-black pupils embedded in white eye sockets—distinctly black and white, yet completely devoid of content. It gave Lin Qi the creeps. The big fish slowly opened its mouth, and spike-like teeth flashed with a snowy gleam inside. The implied warning immediately made Lin Qi obediently shut his mouth.

Lin Qi strongly believed in Du Chengying's strength. Now that Du Chengying had discovered he was missing, he would probably find him very quickly. He would just wait obediently and avoid being a burden.

Du Chengying was going crazy with anxiety.

He had planted a wisp of his divine soul on Lin Qi, but the fog rising from the sea surface could actually sever this connection that even reincarnation couldn't erase.

He could only vaguely sense Lin Qi's direction.

It was the Sea of Semblance.

The Merfolk Tribe.

He was the one who stole the Luoxia. If they had the guts, they should come at him. To actually dare lay a hand on Lin Qi... Du Chengying's eyes turned slightly red. The Water Qilin sprinted madly across the sea surface, turning the water into ice beneath its black paws. It sprayed the Qi of the Yellow Springs from its mouth to disperse the fog, and Spirit Butterflies fluttered everywhere, scattering to search for traces of Lin Qi.

Lin Qi was lying on the big fish, almost falling asleep under the moonlight. The System told him not to sleep and not to waste time; this was the perfect opportunity to study.

This time, Lin Qi didn't resist anymore. He told the System to keep quiet while he read it himself.

The pictures in the 'materials' very vividly illustrated how two men could communicate deeply with one another. It started from the preparatory work, thoughtfully indicating the points of attention on the side. It made an inexperienced person like Lin Qi blush and his heart race, involuntarily thinking of the way Du Chengying looked in his inner garment.

Du Chengying kissed him often, both day and night, and Du Chengying also liked to sleep while holding him. Sometimes, when he woke up in the morning and that handsome face was looking at him affectionately, it would make him unable to resist feeling a little impulse.

As a housekeeping Synthetic Human, Lin Qi was programmed with low-desire genes when he was synthesized.

This was the first time he had such a desire for intimate contact with someone.

Lin Qi smiled secretly, feeling a bit embarrassed. Just as the corners of his mouth curled up, the big fish beneath him arched upward. His entire body was sent flying, and he landed on a smooth, pitch-black floor.

The moment he landed, several people surrounded him. Every person surrounding him was extremely beautiful. Their androgynous beauty dazzled Lin Qi's eyes, and he couldn't help but think of the Merfolk Du Chengying had mentioned. "Are you from the Merfolk Tribe?"

One of the stunningly beautiful ones frowned and opened their mouth to say, "How can he be so ugly?"

Lin Qi: "..." With a voice that sounded that good, they were undoubtedly Merfolk, but the content of their words was too much. He might not be as handsome as Du Chengying, but he wasn't ugly, right?!

"Forget it, he'll have to make do."

"Hurry up and get ready before that damn cultivator catches up."

"Mhm, everyone be quick. That cultivator is quite capable; the Mirage Clam might not be able to hold him off for long."

From the mouths of these pretty Merfolk, Lin Qi drew a few conclusions: One, Du Chengying wouldn't be able to make it over anytime soon. Two, this incident was eighty percent likely to be trouble caused by Du Chengying.

The sweet voices of these Merfolk when they spoke of the 'damn cultivator' weren't in a coquettish tone; they genuinely wished Du Chengying would die.

He really hadn't expected that even though the plot had changed, his script as a tool person remained so stable—he was still helping Du Chengying draw aggro and block damage.

Lin Qi asked nervously, "System, if I die here, can I restart again?"

System: "Do you think rebooting a world is as easy as flushing a toilet? No, thank you."

Lin Qi was silent for a moment before saying, "Then Du Chengying would be so devastated."

The System acutely reminded him: "Hey, Synthetic Human, you're in a very dangerous spot right now. You've placed Du Chengying's feelings ahead of the task. Why aren't you concerned about whether the task will fail? Do you have any professional ethics left?"

Lin Qi reflected deeply on himself and then said sadly, "None left."

System: "..." How honest.

When two Merfolk dragged him into a room and started taking off his clothes, Lin Qi was completely bewildered. He didn't think his 'so ugly' self would hold any attraction in the eyes of these beautiful Merfolk, and the looks in their eyes when they stripped off his dharma robe were filled with intense disgust.

"Should we take off the rest?"

"No need, this will do."

"Will the Sea God get angry?"

"...Then you do it. I don't want to touch him anyway."

The two Merfolk passed the buck back and forth. Lin Qi was so despised that he was left speechless. He whispered, "How about I do it myself?"

The two Merfolk looked at him simultaneously. Being stared at by two pairs of large eyes with double eyelids gave Lin Qi the creeps. The Merfolk's eyes were very similar to those of the fish that carried him—excessively distinct in their black and white, and somewhat eerie.

"Sure," the slightly taller Merfolk decided, saying to the slightly shorter Merfolk, "This person's cultivation is low. There's nothing to fear."

The short Merfolk glared at Lin Qi. "Hurry up, we're watching you."

Lin Qi blinked his eyes. "I can't move."

Looking disgusted, the short Merfolk grabbed an elixir and stuffed it into Lin Qi's mouth. The elixir melted immediately upon entering his mouth, and the strength in Lin Qi's limbs slowly returned. He sat up and asked the Merfolk, "Can I ask why exactly you caught me?"

The short Merfolk immediately flared up, "We told you to change clothes, did we tell you to talk so much?! Believe it or not, we'll eat you as soon as you finish giving birth!"

The tall Merfolk hurriedly covered his mouth. "Yue Ding, didn't the elders say we couldn't let him know!"

Lin Qi: "..." I already know now, thank you.

Lin Qi quietly pulled his collar tight and shrank into the corner. "Although it's very obvious, I'd like to remind you guys that I'm a man. I can't give birth to a child."

"Shut up!" Yue Ding shook off Yue Lan's hand and spoke fiercely to Lin Qi, "Why are you talking so much? Hurry up and change your clothes! One more word, and don't blame me for not being polite!"

Lin Qi took a deep breath and helplessly pulled open the front of his garment. Yue Ding, however, was the first to turn his face away, pulling Yue Lan to turn around together with him as he muttered softly, "His skin is actually quite fair."

Lin Qi was streaming with tears on the inside. 'Even if you praise my fair skin now, I still don't want to give birth.' He said to the System: "System, I shouldn't have a setting that allows me to give birth, right?"

System: "Hard to say."

Lin Qi: "..."

System: "I also have materials on male pregnancy here. Do you want to take a look?"

Lin Qi: "...No, thank you."

Yue Ding urged, "Hurry up!"

Lin Qi very nimbly took off all his clothes. In the past, he wasn't afraid of being seen completely naked by men, but ever since he got a boyfriend, he still felt a bit uncomfortable about it in his heart. Afraid that the two Merfolk would actually get impatient with his slowness and do it themselves, he obediently put on the clothes they had prepared.

It had a fiery red color like the evening twilight, with a texture as soft as clouds. As Lin Qi put it on, he thought of the quilt he slept on and couldn't help but feel a little suspicious in his heart.

Yue Ding asked viciously, "Are you dressed yet?!"

Lin Qi said helplessly, "Done."

Yue Ding abruptly turned back around. His fierce expression softened slightly when he saw Lin Qi's appearance, and then he raised his chin and coldly snorted, "Clothes make the man."

Lin Qi touched the pattern of two fish playing in the water on his clothing, his face full of helplessness as he asked, "What exactly do you guys want to do?"

"What do we want to do?" Yue Ding gave a cold smile and waved his hand. A gust of fog struck, and Lin Qi collapsed limply once again. He only heard Yue Ding say ferociously, "Get married!"