Meng Qing truly didn't expect that Zheng Xing would turn out to be a field mouse spirit.
Moreover, after seeing the dog, he refused to change back.
So, the young Daoist could only carefully hold this plump field mouse and speak to him softly.
"Master, I really like Shi Qing."
"He's gentle and kind, even though he always looks gruff, everything he does is for the good."
The big field mouse's eyes glanced at Shi Qing, who was playing with Wang Cai.
He had no bones, leaning against a tree, his long legs casually crossed, a devilishly handsome face with a slight smile on his right lip, and a teasing glint in his beautiful eyes.
No matter how you looked at it, he exuded an aura of wickedness.
Zheng Xing: "..."
His blind disciple continued to speak:
"Even though he's a demon, didn't you teach me, Master, that as long as someone has good intentions, we shouldn't be biased against them, whether they are humans or other creatures?"
The big field mouse angrily squeaked.
—I pretended to be a demon because I was afraid you wouldn't be able to accept it when you found out, so I took preventive measures.
Who knew that this preventive measure would turn into a wedding dress for this demon!
Meng Qing, seeing that his master had called him, relaxed and extended his hand, carefully lifting his master up so he could face Shi Qing directly.
"Master, look, Shi Qing is such a good demon."
"I'm really happy when I'm with him."
It was as if Zheng Xing was watching a lump of darkness: "..."
Meng Qing: "He's a demon, and he doesn't need merit, but he helped an overworked doctor and exchanged merit with him."
"Master, he's really good. When I saw him standing among the countless stars on the River of Death in the underworld, I suddenly understood."
The big field mouse widened his small eyes: "Squeak! Squeak!"
—What's wrong with you? Why did you go to the River of Death!
—How did I teach you! Didn't I tell you that living people shouldn't enter the underworld!
However, his disciple had a smile on his lips and his eyes were fixed on the demon who was playing with the big dog. No, not fixed, but glued.
Zheng Xing, in a hurry, jumped out of his disciple's hand, squeaking and trying to attract his attention, pulling Meng Qing's gaze away from the demon.
However...
"Master, don't you think so too?"
Meng Qing looked at his lover with tender eyes. "We cultivators, as long as we have good intentions and do good deeds, what else should we be concerned about?"
"Shi Qing is a demon, but he has been a demon since his birth. Even he couldn't choose his own origins. So why should we look at him with colored glasses?"
The big field mouse struggled to move its plump body around.
"Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!"
—Are you out of your mind? How could you go to the River of Death!
—I taught you, didn't I? Living people shouldn't enter the underworld!
The young Daoist said, "Master, I understand. You mean to tell me that as cultivators, we don't need to worry too much. Thank you, Master. If it weren't for your support since I was a child, I wouldn't have grown up like this."
The big field mouse: "???"
"Master, I know you may not be able to accept it right now, but it's okay. In the future, Shi Qing and I will come to visit you together. You will see that even though he's a demon and looks fierce and bad-tempered, his heart is soft for everyone."
Zheng Xing: "..."
Demons don't have hearts, right?
He couldn't stand this incomprehensible way of communication anymore. He gritted his teeth and jumped out of his disciple's hand.
Standing on the ground was no longer a plump field mouse, but a Daoist wearing a Daoist robe, with a long beard and an aura of righteousness.
"Meng Qing, let me tell you..."
"Master."
Shi Qing stepped forward and called out naturally, "Master, you've changed back?"
Zheng Xing: "...What did you just call me?"
"Master."
The Demon King smiled and leaned against Meng Qing.
The young Daoist skillfully and naturally extended his hand, pulling him towards himself, and their eye contact was filled with deep affection.
Zheng Xing: "..."
His mouse eyes were blinded.
The Demon King spoke, "Now that Meng Qing and I are together, of course, I can call you 'Master'."
"Master, you don't have to be so conflicted. Although I'm a demon, and Meng Qing is not a human either, we are naturally compatible."
Meng Qing looked puzzled, "I'm not a human?"
He looked at Zheng Xing, who was equally stunned, and suddenly realized, "Could it be that I'm also a field mouse?"
Zheng Xing was fuming, blowing his beard and glaring, "Nonsense! I personally brought you down from the mountain. If you're not human, how could you have been abandoned at the foot of the mountain as a baby? Listen to this demon's nonsense!"
"I didn't lie."
Shi Qing raised an eyebrow, "In this world, there is pure and impure qi. I am born from impure qi, and Meng Qing is born from pure qi. Master Zheng Xing, when you look at Meng Qing, haven't you noticed the aura around him? In this world, even newborn babies don't have the pure qi that Meng Qing has. When Meng Qing was so young, didn't you ever consider other possibilities?"
Zheng Xing: "..."
He had thought he had exceptional talent, raising a child so well on his first try.
He had even been proud of it.
He looked at his disciple again, examining him carefully.
Sure enough, the pure and vibrant aura on his body was almost overflowing.
Zheng Xing: "..."
So, among the three of them here, none of them is human?
Shi Qing: "I am impure qi, he is pure qi, we are naturally a perfect match. Master Zheng Xing, do you have any reason to stop us?"
Zheng Xing: "...I need to take a break."
"You guys go ahead, I want to be alone for a while."
Shi Qing smiled and loosened the rope around Wang Cai's neck, patting his head.
"Good boy, go find him and keep him company."
Wang Cai happily stuck out his tongue and wagged his tail as he headed in the direction Zheng Xing had gone.
After a while, Zheng Xing's miserable cries rang out again.
"Dog!!!"
"Oh my god!!!"
"Ah ah ah ah squeak squeak squeak!!"
"Master!"
Meng Qing heard his master's screams and instinctively moved forward, but the Demon King lazily reached out and stopped him, hanging his entire body on him.
His seductive voice, always carrying a hint of allure, lowered as he drew out his words, "Don't worry, your master has been cultivating for at least seven hundred years. As long as he wants to, Wang Cai won't get near him."
"But, Master..."
"Do you know why your master became a Daoist at this Pure Truth Temple?" Shi Qing lifted a corner of Meng Qing's clothes, pulling him down to sit while he reclined comfortably.
"Before he became a spirit, he was a field mouse, surviving by stealing food. There was a big dog in the farmer's house, and at that time, he was most afraid of dogs. Even after he started practicing, he was still scared of dogs."
"He has been cultivating for many years and came to Pure Truth Temple to overcome his fear of dogs so that he can attain enlightenment sooner. So, let Wang Cai keep him company, and they'll eventually get along."
After saying that, the Demon King slowly got up, propped himself on the young Daoist's shoulder, and softly asked in the reddening earlobe that followed his movements, "I helped your master overcome his obstacles. What will you give me in return?"
Blushing, Meng Qing gently took his hand. "I grew up in the mountains since I was a child and have nothing to offer but myself."
Shi Qing smiled and leaned close to the young Daoist's face, watching the excitement in his eyes. "You were mine from the beginning."
Seeing the joy in Meng Qing's eyes as he gazed at him, Shi Qing leaned even closer to his ear and asked softly, "How's your physical condition? I remember you practiced martial arts from a young age."
Meng Qing didn't understand why the topic suddenly shifted, but he answered seriously, "Yes, I've practiced martial arts since I was young, and I've always been in good physical shape."
Shi Qing said, "So you must be good at fighting."
Meng Qing replied, "Except for a few times when I went down the mountain to eliminate evil spirits, I've never fought with anyone."
He then asked, "Shi Qing, why are you asking this?"
Shi Qing said, "Do you know Zhao Zilong?"
"He's a person I greatly admire for his seven times charging in and out during the Battle of Changban." Meng Qing nodded. "Although I didn't go to school, my master is knowledgeable about history and enjoys reading novels, so I know a bit about it."
The Demon King slowly, very slowly, squeezed his hand into Meng Qing's.
In Meng Qing's eyes, his lover's eyes seemed to contain starlight, and his face was filled with anticipation.
The Demon King was always one to use his advantages.
At this moment, he was holding the young Daoist's hand, letting it land on his fair cheek. With fingers calloused from years of cultivation, Meng Qing could feel the smoothness of the Demon King's face.
Shi Qing blinked his eyes gently, and every movement he made was filled with endless allure.
"I like Zhao Zilong. Would you strive to learn from him for my sake?"
Meng Qing straightened his back and answered earnestly, "I will!"
And then, he was led down the mountain.
They entered a hotel.
Seeing rose petals strewn across the bed, it wasn't until the early morning of the next day that the Demon King reclined comfortably in his arms, showering him with sweet compliments.
Meng Qing finally understood that he had been learning to emulate Zhao Zilong all along.
Even with Wang Cai around, Master still refused to accept their relationship. But the disciple had grown up; he was no longer a child. He didn't need his approval, and they left the mountain despite his objections. This left Master fuming, and that evening in the Pure Truth Temple, he ate a huge pot of rice, his belly round and full.
Wang Cai stayed behind, and although Master still felt uneasy whenever he saw the dog, he didn't send Wang Cai away after learning that the two of them had left.
They coexisted in this manner, with one being nervous and the other being comfortable.
Every year, Meng Qing would return to visit Master.
Master, observing his disciple's growing merits, found himself unable to utter harsh words. It was useless to do so, and Shi Qing was even better at persuasion. It was a human tragedy.
In the fifth year, Master could barely maintain his human form in front of Wang Cai. But Wang Cai was on the verge of collapsing. He was an old dog who had already lived well beyond his expected lifespan.
One night, Shi Qing and Meng Qing went up the mountain to visit Master, only to find out that he had spent the entire night meditating in his closed-door chamber.
Early the next morning, he gave some of his own Daoist abilities to the old dog.
Finally, he had gained enlightenment.
Even though he had repaid the family he had stolen food from and performed good deeds everywhere, accumulating merit, he realized deep down that he was still that little field mouse who had stolen food to survive.
Being afraid of humans and dogs could be considered instinct or guilt. At least now, Master couldn't tell if he was initially afraid of dogs because he stole things and felt guilty, or if he was naturally afraid of dogs.
After understanding this, Master was no longer afraid of Wang Cai.
He left Pure Truth Temple with Wang Cai, stating that he also wanted to travel the world like his disciple, the Demon King, to help people.
Traveling the world and indulging in delicious food made Meng Qing feel a bit guilty.
However, the Demon King didn't think they had misled Master. They genuinely helped people, even though it was secondary to enjoying good food.
After Master left the Pure Truth Temple, Meng Qing visited less often. He gradually realized that his age seemed to have frozen in the year he met Shi Qing. While Daoist practices could extend one's youth, it was not something Meng Qing at his age could fully comprehend.
He asked Shi Qing, who replied, "I lied to you at the beginning. What we signed was not a master-servant contract but a companion contract. 'You live, I live; you die, I die.'"
Meng Qing asked another question, worried that his lifespan was just that of an ordinary person's. What if he died first?
Shi Qing shrugged indifferently. "We'll die together."
Meng Qing wasn't saddened by this prospect. The more he traveled the world with Shi Qing, the more he understood. He firmly believed that even if this life ended, in the next, he would still meet Shi Qing.
The two of them traveled to many places, enjoyed countless delicious dishes, and helped numerous people.
When the Daoist reached the age of ninety, one early morning, he opened the door, took a deep breath of the outside air, and turned to Shi Qing, saying, "It's time for me."
The Demon King didn't feel sad either. He walked up to him, held his hand, and maintained his usual carefree and enchanting appearance. "Then let's go."
"One last person to send off, catch a ride with us."
Hand in hand, they passed through the thick fog and arrived at a hospital.
Inside the hospital room, an old man was struggling to breathe with the help of a ventilator.
Perhaps feeling that his time had come, he had called his descendants and had them gather around his bedside. With trembling hands wrinkled with age, he removed the breathing apparatus from his face.
"Photo... hand me the photo..."
His equally elderly son hurriedly handed him the photo that had been placed on the nearby cabinet.
"Dad, the doctor said there's still hope. Don't give up."
"No more treatment. I don't want to be treated anymore."
The old man clutched the photo as if it were a precious treasure, cherishing it and smiling as wrinkles formed around his aged eyes.
"I've struggled to stay alive, worked hard my whole life, and now, finally, I don't have to struggle anymore."
"When I die, bury me in the grave I bought in advance. You just need to place my ashes there."
His son nodded repeatedly, and his grandchildren and great-grandchildren cried alongside him.
"Grandpa, you can rest assured."
"Rest assured, I'm at ease, my eldest son."
The old man extended his trembling hand and touched his son, who was kneeling by his bedside. "Dad is leaving. There won't be anyone looking after you. Don't forget to offer incense to your father."
With his other hand, he clung tightly to a photo, struggling for breath. "Don't forget him. He has no one left in his family. Except for us, no one remembers him. Although we never got a marriage certificate, we are married..."
"You are his son, and you must never forget him. Even in the future, cough, cough, cough... when it's your turn to leave, you must tell your son and grandson to remember to offer incense to your father. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Dad, I remember. I will never forget to offer incense to both of you."
The eldest son, who also had a head full of white hair, knelt on the ground and cried. "If it weren't for Dad adopting me back then, I wouldn't have lived a peaceful life. Dad, you can rest assured; I will always remember."
"Good, good, you're a good boy. Your father will definitely be happy... He loves children the most..."
His hand dropped.
"Dad!!!"
"Grandpa!!"
"Great-grandpa!!"
Outside, the nurses heard the commotion and called the doctor.
After the doctor came and examined him, he sighed, "Mr. Mi, Mr. Chen has passed away. Please accept my condolences."
Grief enveloped the entire hospital room.
Shi Qing and Meng Qing stood by the door, listening to the cries from inside before turning away.
The old man was standing behind them.
He looked at them for a long while before slowly smiling. "You two gentlemen are just like back then, aren't you?"
Shi Qing leaned on Meng Qing, smiling enchantingly at him. "Aren't you the same?"
The old man lowered his head and realized that his hands had returned to the smooth, youthful appearance of his earlier years. He touched his face, which lacked wrinkles.
He raised his head and smiled. "Thank you."
"No need to thank us. Consider it a small gift, catching a ride with you."
The three of them arrived in the Underworld.
The River of Death still looked the same, crowded with souls bustling about.
Ghost ushers pushed carts and shouted.
One ghost usher had a megaphone and was shouting loudly, "Those who don't want to be reincarnated, head to the River of Death, go to the River of Death!! Don't push! You in the green clothes over there, I saw you cutting in line; get to the back!"
It was noisy all around, but Chen Zeyu still spotted the person standing in the River of Death, gazing at him amid the countless stars.
Mi Lang smiled and waved to him.
Chen Zeyu felt like he had returned to his youth, taking three or four steps and jumping down into the River of Death. In the midst of the scattered stars, he reached Mi Lang's side.
"Sorry for making you wait."
"It's okay; there are plenty of things to do over here."
"Did you see the letters I burned for you?"
"In truth, not much from above reaches below because there's just too much. But I heard my parents mention it when they came down. They said they regretted it. I was quite happy to hear that, even though it was a bit late, at least they finally understood."
As he spoke, he smiled and held Chen Zeyu's hand.
"Shall we go together?"
Chen Zeyu tightened his grip on his lover's hand and looked at him. "Together."
The two of them slowly crossed the River of Death and joined the queue.
Shi Qing jumped into the River of Death and waved to Meng Qing. "Come on, join me."
The Daoist, still appearing youthful, smiled and jumped down as well.
They lay in the River of Death, gazing at the bright light in the sky above the Underworld, like a myriad of stars.
Hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder.
Meng Qing asked, "Will we meet again in the next life?"
Shi Qing replied, "We will."
"When I say we will, we will."
The Daoist gradually lost his breath beside him, and Shi Qing gently leaned on him, closing his eyes as well.
[Ding! Vacation world is ending. Welcome back, host!]
[Please choose: 1. Vacation, 2. Continue with the mission.]
Shi Qing: [22222]
[Ding! Please prepare. Transitioning to the mission world. Mission world transition in 3, 2, 1.]
※※※
Shi Qing opened his eyes, and there was a woman before him, glaring at him with disdain.
"Shi Qing, don't think that you're impressive just because you got this position through family connections. What level are you really at? Do you think I don't know?"
"Sure, your uncle spoils you, but if he finds out that you're using his influence to act so arrogantly outside, will he still spoil you like he used to?"
As Shi Qing rapidly absorbed the memories of this body, he leaned back and lifted his chin, adopting the confident demeanor of someone who had a powerful backing.
"If you want to report me, go ahead and do it. What are you here to say to me?"
"You!"
The woman was left momentarily speechless by his words, glared angrily at Shi Qing, and then stormed out of the room.
Shi Qing then focused on the plot. This was a fictional world where the Huazhou Kingdom had a constitutional monarchy, and there were royal and aristocratic families. The original male lead came from an aristocratic background and joined the military.
In one mission, he was assigned to protect the antagonist, who came from a privileged aristocratic family and used his connections to enter the Institute of Technology. He had a terrible personality, treated the male lead, who was also an aristocrat, as nothing more than a bodyguard, and never looked at him with respect.
The antagonist coveted the research achievements of a newcomer at the Institute of Technology and not only stole them but also framed the male lead. Despite his aristocratic status, the antagonist continuously caused trouble for the male lead.
Originally, the male lead was on a path of success, but the antagonist's mischief led to a fatal car accident orchestrated by the antagonist himself, resulting in the male lead's tragic death.
Shi Qing's task was to protect the male lead.
Wearing a white lab coat, Shi Qing could already guess the outcome.
[System, male lead's rejection level.]
The system timidly appeared, always uneasy each time they entered a new world.
[Rejection level of male lead, Qin Yunsheng: 100/100.]
Shi Qing: [Not bad, hasn't exceeded 100.]
The system cautiously asked, [Host, aren't you angry?]
[I'm used to it.] Shi Qing grinned. [I mean, you're my system after all.]
Although this timeline seemed a bit perilous.
The original host had already planted the stolen research achievements on himself and, when the newcomer discovered it, framed the newcomer for the theft. The male lead had come forward as a witness for the newcomer.
Whichever way you looked at it, it was a losing situation.
System: [...Host, how about we skip this world? It seems too difficult.]
Shi Qing raised an eyebrow, stood up, and flexed his wrist.
[Skipping this world is not an option. Besides, this is a uniform temptation world. I'm staying, and by the way, breaking this plot isn't that hard.]
System: [Not hard...?]
[Hmm, conventional methods will suffice.]
Shi Qing found a mirror in the room and looked at his equally enchanting face, his smile growing wider.
[From now on, I'm going to be a research genius.]
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