Chapter 114 Arena of Carnage
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“It had been a while since we had such a lively New Year.”
In Lin Zhaohe’s small house, people filled every corner. Some were putting up paper decorations on the windows, some were busy in the kitchen, and others were munching on peanuts and sunflower seeds, chatting happily.
The TV was playing vibrant news. Snowflakes landed on the festive red lanterns. The house was filled with the smell of delicious food. Lin Zhaohe was trying to figure out how to roll the dough. Sometimes there was too little water, and sometimes too much. Without realizing it, the dough became bigger and bigger. Eventually, A’Yao couldn’t bear it anymore. He rolled up his sleeves and said, “Move aside, let me do it.”
Lin Zhaohe: “Do you know how to do this?”
A’Yao: “What’s so hard about it? Cooking is a must-have skill for a modern man!”
Lin Zhaohe gave his spot to A’Yao and went to chop the filling.
It had been a while since they had such a lively New Year. It was more bustling and heartwarming compared to the usual quiet year-end. Gu Jueyu didn’t disappoint everyone’s expectations. He prepared a generous lunch with unfamiliar ingredients that Lin Zhaohe hadn’t seen before. As Gu Jueyu explained, Lin Zhaohe felt a sense of familiarity. After thinking for a moment, he remembered these creatures from the Classic of Mountains and Seas. Immediately, he decided to have a few more bites.
“Where is your man? Why hasn’t he come back?” A’Yao asked Lin Zhaohe.
Lin Zhaohe explained that he had gone out to get something and would only be able to return during the New Year’s dinner.
“What man? Who are you talking about?” Gu Xuyu and Gu Jueyu had no idea about Lin Zhaohe’s romantic journey. When they heard A’Yao’s question, their eyes widened in surprise. Gu Jueyu said, “Lin Zhaohe, how did you lose your sense of what’s right?”
Confused, Lin Zhaohe said that he wasn’t pursuing immortal cultivation, so there was no need for any sense of what’s right.
This statement seemed to upset Gu Jueyu. He glanced at Gu Xuyu with a pained expression but remained silent.
Gu Xuyu had a blank expression and said coldly, “Have you forgotten why you are called Gu Jueyu?”
Gu Jueyu: “……” It made sense.
“Love and romantic matters are merely obstacles on the path of immortal cultivation,” Gu Xuyu tied his long hair behind his head. Despite wearing modern clothes, he still had a somewhat otherworldly aura. He continued in a cold tone, “If you want to ascend to the realm of immortals, you must abandon these unnecessary emotions.”
Gu Jueyu: “But you’re still involved in online dating.”
Everyone: “?”
“When did I get involved in online dating?!” Gu Xuyu maintained his expressionless face.
“I saw it all!” Gu Jueyu exclaimed. “When you were playing that online game, you fell for one of the characters, didn’t you? You even sent them flowers and wrote letters…”
Everyone present looked at Gu Xuyu with surprise. They never expected someone who appeared so restrained to be so skilled at playing and even try out the trendy game of online dating.
Gu Xuyu sighed softly. “Don’t you want to live anymore?”
Gu Jueyu struggled to say the final words, “And then you realized they were just a computer-controlled character…”
Naturally, he experienced heartbreak and felt down for a long time because of it.
The person he thought was a like-minded cultivator turned out to be nothing more than lines of code. Their conversations were merely automated responses from the game. When Gu Xuyu realized he had developed feelings for a computer program, it nearly shattered his strong sense of propriety. This incident became a deep embarrassment for him. He never expected Gu Jueyu to discover it and bring it up in front of everyone. Gu Xuyu had the urge to silence him right then and there.
Lin Zhaohe also recognized the situation and quickly intervened, extending a hand to stop them. “It’s the Lunar New Year, let’s just let it go. Engaging in violent games isn’t good.”
Gu Xuyu narrowed his eyes and agreed, “You’re right.”
It seemed like everyone had eventful lives.
After having their fill of food and drinks, they gathered around a table to play Mahjong. While Lin Zhaohe was in the middle of the game, he suddenly received a phone call. Glancing at the name on his phone, he asked Little Red Square to take over and play a few rounds, explaining that he had something to attend to.
“What’s the matter, Brother Lin?” Little Red Square noticed that something seemed off about Lin Zhaohe’s expression.
“It’s fine,” Lin Zhaohe said. “A friend came to see me.”
Though he called them a friend, it was actually a call from Lin Yan, the person who had betrayed him. Lin Zhaohe walked to the hallway and answered the call, saying a casual “hello.”
“Are you at home?” Lin Yan asked.
Lin Zhaohe: “Yeah, I am. What’s up?”
Lin Yan: “Since it’s New Year’s, I came to bring you a gift.”
Lin Zhaohe thought, “Are you still so concerned about social customs?” But after discovering the truth, his anger toward Lin Yan lessened, replaced by a feeling of pity. He asked where Lin Yan was.
Lin Yan asked him to come down to the nearby park.
Lin Zhaohe went there. The park was lively. The weather was pleasant, and with the Lunar New Year, many people were enjoying themselves in the park.
In this day and age, without the threat of the fusion zones, it seemed like everyone had embraced a retired lifestyle. They no longer competed against each other and found happiness in the simple joys of life.
Children in the park were running around, building snowmen and having snowball fights. The peculiar and desolate atmosphere from before was no longer present.
Lin Zhaohe scanned the crowd and quickly spotted Lin Yan sitting in a corner.
He felt out of place compared to the lively atmosphere around him, sitting alone in a chair, wearing a hat and a mask, like an outsider.
Lin Zhaohe approached him, and he lifted his gaze.
“Happy New Year,” Lin Zhaohe greeted him.
“Happy New Year,” Lin Yan took something out of his pocket—a small red box that looked suspicious at first glance. Lin Zhaohe raised an eyebrow and questioned, “What’s this? Are you proposing to me?”
Lin Yan almost choked. “Lin Zhaohe, the world has been saved. Can you please act a bit more normal?”
Lin Zhaohe laughed heartily.
“What’s inside?” Lin Zhaohe took the gift from Lin Yan’s hand and was about to open it when Lin Yan stopped him with a firm hand. Lin Yan said, “Open it later when you get home.”
Lin Zhaohe replied, “Okay.”
“I have to go.” Lin Yan stood up.
Lin Zhaohe: “Where are you spending New Year’s Eve tonight?”
Lin Yan replied indifferently, “What’s there to celebrate on New Year’s?”
Lin Zhaohe: “Well, wait a moment. I made dumplings at home. I’ll bring a bag for you. Do you like pork and cabbage filling?”
“Of course, our Yanyan loves the filling with chives,” a mischievous voice came from somewhere. Before Lin Zhaohe and Lin Yan could react, they saw a hand winding around Lin Yan’s neck, pulling him into an affectionate embrace.
Lin Zhaohe was completely dumbfounded, unsure where Luo Shanyu had suddenly appeared from. Lin Yan stood frozen in place, like a frog caught by a snake, afraid to make a move.
Unlike the easygoing Lin Yan, he often showed a temperamental and negative side to Lin Zhaohe. He appeared strong and cold-blooded most of the time. However, in this moment, he seemed to transform back into the innocent Lin Yan who was bullied by Luo Shanyu in the original story. He didn’t even know what to say.
“How did you come here?” Lin Zhaohe was astonished. He never expected Luo Shanyu to appear before him.
“Haha, call it a premonition!” Luo Shanyu smirked cunningly. “When he answered the phone earlier, I knew he would secretly come over. Hehe, I stayed outside your house, watched you come downstairs, and followed you to the park,” he tightened his grip on Lin Yan’s neck as if afraid that Lin Yan would escape.
Although Lin Yan wore a mask, Lin Zhaohe could clearly sense the changes in his complexion—pale one moment, and then green the next—as Luo Shanyu finished speaking. Lin Yan endured silently, refusing to speak a word.
Listening to Luo Shanyu’s words, Lin Zhaohe didn’t know what to say. He wanted to tell Luo Shanyu that the current Lin Yan in front of him was different from what he had imagined, but he also felt that speaking up would only make the atmosphere more awkward.
Finally, Lin Yan couldn’t bear it any longer. He tugged at Luo Shanyu’s hand and said in a hoarse voice, “You’re gripping me too tightly, let go for now.”
Luo Shanyu shamelessly refused, “No way.”
Lin Yan: “……”
“What if I let go and you run away?” Luo Shanyu said, “You were the one I found first. I can’t let that bastard Li Yu benefit from it. Xiao Yan, I’ve followed you for so many years. Can’t you bear to see me being bullied by Li Yu?” With a youthful and delicate face, he wore a pitiful expression. “I can be the person you like, Xiao Yan. Please don’t abandon me.”
Listening to this speech, Lin Zhaohe couldn’t help but feel like applauding. He thought to himself that Luo Shanyu was truly capable of great things. When he acted cute, he was willing to throw away all dignity. He could play the villain in action and charm teammates with his words… No wonder he could compete evenly with Li Yu.
Lin Yan felt stiff all over. The only glimpse of disbelief in his eyes was directed towards Lin Zhaohe, as if asking him, “What the hell is going on? Why is my good brother talking to me in this manner?”
How could Lin Zhaohe explain? Logically speaking, everything was caused by Dark Lin Yan himself. If he hadn’t turned into a witch and used magic to turn Lin Zhaohe into a puppy, they wouldn’t have embarked on such a journey. Naturally, Luo Shanyu wouldn’t have developed any improper thoughts towards the transformed Lin Yan. So, when it came down to it, it was all Lin Yan’s own doing!
After understanding this point, Lin Zhaohe felt much better and decided to add fuel to the fire. He said, “Hey, Lin Yan is so kind. How could he abandon you?”
“I like Xiao Yan, whether he is kind or not,” Luo Shanyu said. “Any type of Xiao Yan is acceptable to me.”
Lin Yan held his frustration in for a while but couldn’t bear it any longer. He cursed, “Luo Shanyu, have you gone insane?”
Luo Shanyu was taken aback.
Lin Yan: “I’m your brother. Is this how you treat me?”
Luo Shanyu: “?”
Lin Yan: “If you’re out of your mind, go get yourself checked, don’t act like a horny poodle!”
It was evident that Lin Yan was putting in a lot of effort, using the few malicious words he knew to try and awaken his brother, who seemed to have lost his senses. However, these weak words not only failed to bring Luo Shanyu back to his senses but also made him more excited. He narrowed his eyes and revealed an unsettling expression that made Lin Yan feel uneasy. As expected, Lin Yan heard Luo Shanyu say, “Which Lin Yan are you?”
Lin Zhaohe didn’t expect him to recognize Lin Yan.
Lin Yan, of course, didn’t want to admit it and angrily retorted, “Who else could it be?”
Luo Shanyu said, “Something’s not right. The other Lin Yan didn’t speak so fluently when cursing…”
Lin Yan had no response. For a moment, he actually felt sympathy for the other Lin Yan. He knew his own temper well. To be driven to the point of using foul language, it must have been because of Luo Shanyu’s relentless provocation. It had a hint of desperation.
“This must be that mischievous Lin Yan!” Truly, Luo Shanyu, the best brother of Lin Yan, never held back with his words.
With his identity suddenly exposed, Lin Yan inexplicably panicked. He tried to break free from Luo Shanyu’s embrace but, unsurprisingly, failed. He angrily demanded, “Let go!”
Shamelessly, Luo Shanyu refused, “No, where did you go? I’ve been searching for you for so long and couldn’t find you…”
Lin Yan: “Why do you care where I went?”
Luo Shanyu “Tsk, if you’re up to no good, you should have told me earlier. We could have done it together! I’ve long stopped wanting to be a good person!”
Lin Yan: “……” He could see it clearly.
Indeed, in the original story, if it weren’t for Lin Yan’s intervention, Luo Shanyu would have become the antagonist long ago and indulged in misdeeds. Now, facing the corrupted Lin Yan, Luo Shanyu was thrilled like a dog who had dug up a bone. He was almost wagging his tail as he said, “Hey, how about we do something big together?”
Lin Yan gritted his teeth and said, “Let go first—”
“Not letting go!” Luo Shanyu replied, “If I let go and you run away, who the hell will join me in doing bad things?”
Lin Yan completely lost it.
Lin Zhaohe, who was spectating on the side, laughed so hard that he bent over. His carefree appearance made Lin Yan almost think that this was a trap deliberately set by Lin Zhaohe!
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