“Don’t you know that men and women should keep their distance?”
Lin Yuhe, with an impressively thick skin, giggled twice. “Hehe~ Of course I know, but if Senior Brother doesn’t answer me, I’m not getting off…”
“Besides, I know Senior Brother won’t do anything to me in the end.”
She seemed to have already figured out Shen Mu’s reservations, confident that he wouldn’t dare resist her.
“You…”
In truth, even without Lin Yuhe’s status as the Phoenix-Proud Heaven heroine, Shen Mu knew he couldn’t afford to offend her.
After all, with her Lin Clan background alone, a single word from her could crush countless weaklings like him.
But…
“Wouldn’t it be better to just follow the original plot and stick to your game’s main storyline?”
“Why do you have to compete with a background character like me for something like this?”
Hearing this, Lin Yuhe let out a cold snort and leaned down to whisper in his ear, “I don’t want to live my life according to some predetermined plot…”
“My life… I’ll decide it myself.”
Having finally transmigrated, following the game’s original path would be far too boring.
Moreover, she refused to accept that the other half of her life would be dictated by some fated arrangement.
Her partner had to be someone she genuinely liked.
[Be careful. I sense someone nearby radiating strong hostility toward you.]
Hostility?
The sudden female voice in her mind made Lin Yuhe’s brows furrow slightly, and she instinctively glanced at Shen Mu beneath her.
[Don’t look at him. It’s not him.]
Lin Yuhe calmed her mind and carefully scanned her surroundings…
“…”
Have they concealed themselves?
“Senior Brother Shen Mu?”
Suddenly, a puzzled male voice sounded from behind them, causing Shen Mu’s body to tremble. He slowly turned to face the elegant figure in white, standing just ten steps away.
“Jiang… Jiang Ling…”
Damn it!
Why did it have to be him who saw this…
Shen Mu cursed inwardly, knowing that if Jiang Ling misunderstood his relationship with Lin Yuhe, he’d be inescapably tied to him by karma!
“What is Senior Brother Shen Mu doing? And this young lady is…?” Jiang Ling approached slowly, his face showing confusion at their peculiar position.
“N-Nothing. She’s just my new junior sister, Lin Yuhe. We’re just having a little spat over a trivial matter.”
Shen Mu forced an awkward smile, patting her arm. “Alright, that’s enough. Do you want our fellow disciples to laugh at us?”
“…”
Lin Yuhe glanced at the pretty boy who had inadvertently interrupted her, a flicker of displeasure rising in her heart.
But considering the setting and the boy’s destined protagonist status, she ultimately released Shen Mu and hopped off his back.
“Hmph! Consider yourself lucky this time, Senior Brother. I won’t let you off so easily next time.”
With a light snort, Lin Yuhe turned and left, not wanting to engage too much with the boy.
***
“Ugh… that girl’s got some serious strength.”
After Lin Yuhe vanished from sight, Shen Mu rubbed his reddened neck and steadied his waist.
“Does it hurt, Senior Brother Shen Mu?” Jiang Ling asked with concern, pulling out a blue-and-white porcelain bottle. “I have some ointment for external injuries. I can help apply it if you need.”
Shen Mu quickly waved his hand. “No need. I’m tough-skinned; this little pain will fade soon.”
Counting the brief encounter at the recruitment assembly, this was only their second meeting, right?
Why was he so concerned about him?
Shen Mu grew suspicious, puzzled by this inexplicable care.
Given his understanding of the male protagonist’s personality at this stage in the original story, he should’ve ignored something like this.
“…Alright.”
A trace of regret flickered in Jiang Ling’s eyes, but he respected Shen Mu’s wishes.
“By the way, what was the issue between you and that junior sister that led to such a scene?”
“Probably because I took the commission she wanted first. It’s not a big deal.”
Shen Mu stretched his neck slightly. “Anyway, I should get going. Thanks for helping me out today.”
“If we get the chance in the future, I’ll definitely treat you to a drink and get to know you better.”
After a polite thank-you, Shen Mu hurriedly left, wary of forming any deeper karmic ties with him.
Jiang Ling watched his retreating figure silently, a faint, pleased smile curling his lips.
***
“Bad luck, bad luck, bad luck…”
Leaving the sect, Shen Mu muttered to himself along the way, still thinking about the morning’s events with the two protagonists.
“Why is he suddenly so concerned about me…?”
Though they were fellow disciples of the same sect, there didn’t seem to be any reason for him to care about someone like Shen Mu.
Could it be… another effect of the storyline’s deviation?
But what exactly was this effect?
“…”
It couldn’t possibly be something as absurd as a change in his sexual orientation, right?
Hiss…
Surely the story wouldn’t veer into something that ridiculous and disgusting, would it?
The more Shen Mu thought about it, the more convoluted and eerie the story’s development seemed, and the hazier his future path became.
“Forget it. No point overthinking this. I’ll head to Lingjue Village first and grab that thing as soon as possible.”
Since he couldn’t figure it out, he temporarily set the issue aside.
For now, he’d stick to his planned course of action.
***
[Why are you so fixated on competing with him for that commission?]
“You wouldn’t understand the hidden benefits behind that commission.”
While secretly tracking Shen Mu under a cloaked aura, Lin Yuhe calmly responded to the female voice in her mind.
[Hidden benefits?]
[Tch… how many secrets are you still keeping from me?]
“You’ll find out in time.”
“For now, just trust me. Stick with me, and I’ll definitely forge a top-tier physical body for you and grant you rebirth.”
[Hmph… don’t make grand promises too soon. Talk about forging a body for me when you reach the Soul Transformation Realm.]
After all, without reaching the Soul Transformation Realm, one couldn’t even freely roam the Chiyou Continent.
Let alone travel to the other eight continents to find the rare spiritual materials needed to reconstruct a physical body.
***
In a mortal county town dozens of miles from Xuanyong City.
Several prominent merchant family heads gathered in the county magistrate’s residence, their faces tinged with anxiety.
“Magistrate Chen, when exactly is the immortal master you invited arriving?”
“Just this morning, my caravan passed through that desolate village and was attacked by that monster again. Both people and goods are gone!”
“Do you know how important that shipment was to me?”
A slightly plump merchant in a purple robe slammed the armrests of his chair twice, his anxiety no longer suppressed.
“Magistrate Chen, we’ve paid you real gold and silver. If this isn’t resolved soon, you know what we’ll do.”
“…”
Facing the barely contained frustration of the family heads, the thin, middle-aged man in the main seat broke out in a cold sweat, feeling immense pressure.
“Please, everyone, rest assured. The commission has already been sent to Xuanyong City. I believe an immortal master will arrive soon.”