Shi Qing walked down the street while holding a cat. He was handsome, wearing a black cloak that reached just to his ankles, adorned with beautiful flowers embroidered on it, swaying as he walked.
When he reached a shop window, he stopped and gazed at his reflection in the glass.
It was early autumn, and pedestrians passed by wearing coats or jeans, some even had thermal pants on. However, none of them looked quite like Shi Qing; he resembled a character from a movie set.
But nobody could see him, and no one jumped out to take photos.
Shi Qing stared at his reflection on the glass and asked, "System, can you tell me the difference between the vacation world and the mission world?"
"Of course, there's a difference," the system replied. "Host, have you noticed if your appearance in this world matches your original appearance?"
Shi Qing realized that his face reflected in the glass was indeed his original appearance.
He had a slender figure, handsome features, and an air of elegance in his eyes. The only difference was his long, black hair, tied up with a jade crown, with some strands left loose, giving his face a more alluring charm.
He raised his hand, looking at his reflection, and his long fingers gently touched his cheek. The Demon King in the glass slightly curved his lips, appearing even more sinister.
The system cautiously reminded Shi Qing, "Host, in the vacation world, you don't need to adhere to your character; you don't have to make yourself look like a villain."
Shi Qing raised an eyebrow and smiled mischievously, tilting his head. "Who told you I'm not a villain?"
The system remained silent.
Shi Qing slowly lowered his hand and petted the cat in his arms. "Alright, what's the situation in this world?"
The system hesitated and then transmitted the information.
In this world, known as the vacation world, there were no predefined plotlines, but there were important character profiles. For instance, Shi Qing was the Great Demon King, known for his ruthlessness. His greatest pleasure was taking away what people cherished the most and watching them fall into despair. He enjoyed destroying various kinds of relationships, whether they were friendships, romantic relationships, or family bonds.
His least favorite thing was seeing others happy, and his favorite activity was ruining that happiness. For example, the man who had pushed his own mother down the stairs before had done so out of jealousy for the motherly love she gave him. The Demon King had slowly lured him into trading his mother for his desires.
While the Demon King had opponents, he was mainly born from the accumulation of negative emotions and dark thoughts in the world. However, he could live forever if he wished, and so far, no one had been able to truly defeat him. Despite having a Western-sounding name, "Demon King," this world was still in the East, and his opponents didn't call him "Demon King" but rather "Demon Lord."
This setting was somewhat of a mixed bag, with realms like the underworld, practitioners, and the Demon King's adversaries, the practitioners. The practitioners aimed to save all beings, including those who had lost everything due to the Demon King's influence. The Demon King didn't bother with them until he grew tired of tormenting ordinary people and suddenly became interested in the practitioners.
Just think about it: luring a pure-hearted, single-minded practitioner onto the path of corruption. That would be so much fun.
The system finished transferring the information and cautiously asked, "Host, how do you feel about this role?"
Shi Qing opened his eyes, a hint of red glinting in them, and blinked softly. "Not bad, quite good."
"Does that mean I have to seduce the practitioner now?" he asked.
The system replied, "No, no, Host, this is the vacation world; you don't have to follow your character."
"But don't you think it's fun to seduce a practitioner?" Shi Qing teased.
The system remained silent.
Shi Qing continued, "Just think about it, a pure-hearted practitioner, led astray by me, slowly descending into corruption."
The system still said nothing.
Shi Qing said, "I can't wait any longer. Tell me, who is this practitioner?"
The system, filled with question marks, cautiously transmitted the information.
The practitioner was named Meng Qing. An orphan, he had been abandoned at the mountain gate but was later picked up by his master, who trained him as a Daoist. Perhaps because he had grown up in the Daoist sect, Meng Qing was single-mindedly devoted to the Dao, completely unaffected by worldly fame and fortune. He focused solely on studying Daoist arts and, from childhood to adulthood, had never even touched a girl's hand.
He was currently twenty years old but remained as pure as someone from ancient times. Previously, he had been tirelessly helping those who had been led astray by the Demon King.
After reading the information, Shi Qing raised an eyebrow and asked, "Is he handsome?"
The system replied, "Well, he's not bad-looking..."
"That's good enough," Shi Qing interrupted.
Confused, the system asked, "Host, where are you going?"
The Demon King could instantly teleport to any place with negative emotions. Negative emotions could arise from hunger, sleeplessness, or even a simple cold. In other words, wherever there were people, he could go.
His footsteps silently approached the entrance of the Daoist temple.
Inside, young Daoists were sweeping, and some ordinary people were coming and going.
Shi Qing closed his eyes, and the scene before him transformed. Instead of people moving about, he saw wisps of smoke drifting around.
One of the Demon King's special abilities allowed him to see a person's energy. This skill was quite convenient for him to seduce people.
In a sea of gray, green, and even black smoke, a white wisp was mixed in. In the vast Daoist temple, he was the only one emitting a pure white aura, making him look pitiable.
Shi Qing curled his lips and, closing his eyes, raised his foot.
When he opened his eyes again, he was standing in front of a house. He blew a breath forward, and the door slowly opened without making a sound.
The Demon King landed silently and walked inside.
The door slowly closed behind him.
Shi Qing walked down the street, cradling a cat in his arms. He was handsome, dressed in a small black cape that reached just above his ankles, adorned with beautiful embroidered flowers that swayed as he moved.
As he approached a shop window, he paused, gazing at his reflection in the glass.
It was early autumn, and people passing by wore coats, jeans, and even some had on thermal underwear beneath their jeans. However, no one looked quite like Shi Qing, dressed like a character from a movie set.
But they couldn't see him, and no one emerged to take pictures or anything of the sort.
Shi Qing stared at the shop window and asked, "System, can you tell me the difference between the vacation world and the mission world?"
"Of course, there's a difference," the system replied. "Host, have you noticed that your appearance in this world is your original appearance?"
Shi Qing noticed that the face on the glass was indeed his own. He had a slender figure, handsome features, and an air of elegance in his expression. The only difference was that he had long black hair tied up with a jade crown, with some loose strands that added a touch of charm to his face.
He raised his hand and touched his own reflection in the glass, running his fingers gently over his cheek, and the reflection of the demon king in the glass slightly curled his lips, giving him a more sinister look.
The system cautiously reminded Shi Qing, "Host, in the vacation world, you don't need to stick to a particular character; you don't have to make yourself look like a villain."
Shi Qing raised an eyebrow and continued to smile with a tilt of his head. "Who told you I'm not a villain?"
The system remained silent.
Shi Qing slowly lowered his hand and caressed the cat in his arms. "Alright, what's the situation in this world?"
The system hesitated before responding, "It seems like you're naturally a demon king in this world."
It began to transmit memories to him. In this world, which was a vacation world with no predefined plot, there were important character introductions. For instance, Shi Qing was the Demon King. He was known for his ruthlessness and took pleasure in taking away the things people treasured most, then watching them fall into despair. His favorite pastime was destroying various kinds of relationships: friendship, love, and family. He particularly couldn't stand seeing others happy and took delight in ruining that happiness.
One of his notable acts was pushing his biological mother down the stairs because he envied the maternal love she gave him, and he lured the man into using his mother as a bargaining chip.
Although he was called a "Demon King," this world had an Eastern setting. His archenemy didn't call him a Demon King; they referred to him as the "Demon Lord." This world's setup was a bit of a mix, with realms, cultivators, and the Demon King's adversary being a cultivator.
While the underworld couldn't defeat him, they also couldn't control him. The cultivators were his adversaries, but they hadn't managed to defeat him either. However, they believed in saving all living beings, which included the victims lured by the Demon King.
The Demon King wasn't bothered by them and reveled in the tragedies he caused. But as he grew tired of tormenting ordinary people, his attention turned to the cultivators. He found it intriguing to corrupt a pure-hearted cultivator dedicated to the Dao.
The system completed the transmission and cautiously asked, "Host, how do you feel about this identity?"
Shi Qing opened his eyes, a hint of red flashing in them. He blinked gently and replied, "Not bad, quite good."
"Does this mean I have to seduce a cultivator now?" Shi Qing asked.
The system quickly responded, "No need, Host. This is a vacation world, and you don't have to follow the character setup."
Shi Qing grinned mischievously. "But don't you think it would be fun to seduce a cultivator?"
The system fell silent.
Shi Qing continued, "Imagine seducing a pure-hearted cultivator and leading them down the path of corruption. It sounds quite entertaining."
The system remained silent, and Shi Qing couldn't wait any longer. He asked, "Alright, tell me who this cultivator is."
The system sent over the information with a data-filled question mark. The cultivator's name was Meng Qing. He was an orphan left at the mountain gate, picked up by his master, and trained as a Daoist. He grew up in the Daoist sect and devoted himself to the Dao, disregarding worldly gains and desires. He had never even touched a girl's hand. At the age of twenty, he remained pure and naive, even blushing at the mention of intimate matters, making him seem more old-fashioned than ancient people.
Before, Meng Qing had been diligently helping those lured by the Demon King.
After reading the information, Shi Qing raised an eyebrow and asked, "Is he good-looking?"
The system replied, "Well, he's not bad..."
Shi Qing interrupted, "Good-looking is good enough."
The system questioned, "Uh... Host, where are you going?"
The Demon King could instantly teleport to any place with grievances. Grievances could stem from hunger, lack of sleep, or even feeling unwell. In essence, as long as there were people, he could appear.
He arrived silently in front of the Clear Mind Temple, where junior disciples were sweeping the grounds, and ordinary people were coming and going.
Shi Qing closed his eyes, and the scene before him transformed from people walking to wisps of smoke drifting about. His special ability allowed him to see a person's energy, making it convenient for him to seduce people.
Among the various gray, green, and even black smoke, a pure white wisp was mixed in, unique to the vast Clear Mind Temple. It was the only thing in the temple that was entirely white and gave off a faintly pitiful feeling.
Shi Qing raised his lips, closed his eyes, and took a step. When he reopened them, he was in front of a room.
He blew a breath forward, gently pushing the door open without making a sound.
Landing soundlessly, the Demon King stepped into the room. The door closed slowly behind him.
He bumped into an invisible barrier, not painful, but it had a strong elasticity, bouncing him back. As soon as he landed on the bed, Shi Qing immediately embraced him from behind, rolling them both under the comfortable blankets.
The young Daoist priest could feel the warmth behind him, and his face turned even redder. He struggled desperately to break free, but for some reason, the creature behind him just waved his hand lightly, and an invisible force bound him, preventing any movement.
"Monster! Release me! This is the Clear Truth Monastery. If you dare to harm me, my master will never spare you!" the young Daoist priest exclaimed.
"My master? You mean that old man with a long beard, who's even more timid than a mouse?" Shi Qing remarked.
Meng Qing struggled even harder, "Don't you dare insult my master! He is a highly skilled Daoist. If you intrude into the Clear Truth Monastery, he will surely seek your life!"
"My master doesn't take life, and he won't be able to take mine either," Shi Qing replied.
"Young Daoist, haven't you realized? That man you've been chasing after, he's here again. This time, he traded his own voice for something," Shi Qing continued.
Meng Qing's recitation of the Daoist texts came to a halt as his mind was disturbed.
Shi Qing continued, "At first, he wanted to trade his mother's life, but I refused. So, he traded his voice."
"Did you forget? You've been chasing me for so long, didn't you realize that I never kill anyone?" Shi Qing asked.
Meng Qing couldn't come up with a retort.
Shi Qing then placed his hand on Meng Qing's body. It was early autumn, and Meng Qing was wearing Daoist robes with an inner layer. These clothes were comfortable, but they also had a drawback - anyone could easily slip their hand underneath the inner layer.
Shi Qing could feel that Meng Qing's heart was beating rapidly. Whether it was due to nervousness or fear, it was not evident on his face.
Shi Qing said, "You like to save people, that's good. But sometimes, you should consider whether the people you're trying to save really deserve it."
Meng Qing clenched his teeth, "He harmed others, that's his fault. You, on the other hand, are equally guilty for harming people."
"Did I harm anyone? Who said I did?" Shi Qing raised an eyebrow, looking unapologetic, "They were willing to make the trade. I always honor their wishes. If they didn't want to trade with me, I would never force them. After all, it's a fair exchange."
"Strong words!" Meng Qing muttered, trying to stand firm, "In any case, everyone has their own life, and you shouldn't interfere with them."
"I interfere with them because they're suffering," Shi Qing responded. He extended his hand, conjuring a piece of paper from thin air, "Alright, young Daoist, it's time for you to sign."
"I helped you recover from your cold earlier. It's time for you to offer something in return," Shi Qing continued.
"I don't want to trade with you. I won't!" Meng Qing replied firmly.
"True, all trades should be consensual," Shi Qing admitted, "But there are exceptions."
Shi Qing then grabbed Meng Qing's hand and pressed the inkpad onto his index finger, guiding it to leave a fingerprint on the paper. The contract was sealed and vanished before their eyes.
"All done," Shi Qing said with a smile. He then comfortably nestled himself in Meng Qing's arms, holding his hand against his own chest, where they could both feel his heart slowly beating.
"Young Daoist, now you're mine," Shi Qing whispered.
Thank you for reading this far! You can access more chapters from HERE by joining my Patreon community. You'll gain exclusive early access to the COMPLETE NOVEL.
As a member of my Patreon community, here is what you'll get:
For $5
- Early access to 100s of chapters before they go public.
- You also get access to all the novels I'm translating, you can find them here HERE.
- Your name will be featured on the "Wall of Gratitude".
- The power to vote on which novel I translate next.
- You Get Ad-free Chapters.
For $10
- You get to suggest a Novel for me to translate.
- You get access to Digital art.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in gold).
For $20
- You get to recommend a Novel and I will immediately start translating it.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in blue).
Plus, you can Cancel your membership at any time.
Don't let this amazing opportunity slip through your fingers!
