Chapter 43.2 Jueyu
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Lin Zhaohe stood still in his boxer shorts and vest, dumbfounded. He muttered, “Did I develop double vision without realizing it?”
“Friend Lin,” one of the Gu Xuyus greeted him.
Lin Zhaohe took a closer look and realized that the other person, who looked identical to Gu Xuyu, was indeed slightly different. Although their faces were similar, the other person had a much slimmer figure and a hint of charm in his expression. When he stood up, there was a graceful and delicate air about him. Upon careful observation, it was evident that they were two entirely different individuals.
“This… this is…” A flash of insight struck Lin Zhaohe’s mind. “This is the fanfic Gu Xuyu? You actually found him too?”
Gu Xuyu nodded. “That’s right.”
Lin Zhaohe sat down beside him and listened as Gu Xuyu slowly recounted what had happened during his absence.
It turned out that after Gu Xuyu returned home that day, he felt increasingly uneasy. If even the supporting characters from the fanfiction had appeared, didn’t that mean the protagonist might also show up?
What if those individuals found him? Wouldn’t he have to witness the protagonist of the fanfic, with an identical face to his own, becoming entangled with him?
The realization sent shivers down Gu Xuyu’s spine, making his scalp tingle. He dared not sleep, staying up all night to set up an array in search of someone.
Leveraging the strong popularity of “Immortal of Shu,” Gu Xuyu’s cultivation was not significantly weakened. The array quickly took effect, capitalizing on the bond of blood and kinship between the two. Before long, he found the fanfic Gu Xuyu hiding in a remote location.
Without delay, he hurriedly made his way there overnight and confronted his fanfic self.
Upon hearing this, Lin Zhaohe thought Gu Xuyu intended to eradicate any potential threats and eliminate the fanfic version of himself. However, it became evident that Gu Xuyu was somewhat kinder than Lin Zhaohe had anticipated. Instead of killing the fanfic version, he brought him back.
“I, Gu Xuyu, cannot afford to weep day in and day out, succumbing to sentimental attachments and faltering in heroism!” Gu Xuyu stared coldly at the fanfic character by his side, his voice as icy as the winter frost. “Even if I were inclined towards same-sex relationships, Gu Xuyu would never submit to anyone!”
The fanfic Gu Xuyu, chastised by him, shed tears and choked, “You insolent person!”
“Smack!” A fierce slap landed on his shoulder, and Gu Xuyu spoke coldly, “Stop crying! Speak to me properly!”
The response was a string of whimpers, causing Gu Xuyu an instant headache. Clenching his teeth, he expressed his desire to meet the author of this fanfic work, wanting to see how they could portray him in such a manner.
“From now on, he won’t be called Gu Xuyu anymore.” Gu Xuyu pointed at the tearful fanfic Gu Xuyu and declared, “He shall be known as Gu Jueyu, to avoid confusion between the two of us.”
Lin Zhaohe, savoring his cola while listening, almost spat it out when he heard the name Gu Jueyu. He coughed for a while, tears streaming from his eyes, and managed to choke out, “G-Good… good name…” A splendid name indeed, Gu Jueyu.
[T/N] jueyu — abstinence
“Such remarkable talent, wasted like this?” Gu Xuyu scolded, pointing his finger at Gu Jueyu as if scolding an underachieving student. The thought of those men’s disrespectful behavior made him seethe with anger, causing his vision to darken. If it were him, whether they were disciples or fellow cultivators, he would have long suppressed their cultivation and reduced them to mere mortals! How dare they behave insolently in his presence!
Gu Jueyu trembled and said with a quivering voice, “If you humiliate me like this, I might as well die.”
Gu Xuyu was slightly satisfied with his response and said, “Not bad, not bad. That’s progress. Remember to adopt this kind of strong attitude when dealing with them in the future.” He sneered and continued, “I won’t let you die. You don’t actually think you can end your own life, do you?”
Gu Jueyu: “……”
“Before you achieve mastery in cultivation, don’t even think about dying. Once you’ve achieved it, if you still maintain that weak and inept character, I will personally send you on your way.”
Upon hearing this, Gu Jueyu burst into tears again, sobbing and cursing Gu Xuyu as a tyrant.
Without hesitation, Gu Xuyu delivered a resounding slap, causing Gu Jueyu to cry out in pain. He angrily exclaimed, “How many times have I told you not to cry with my face…!”
Gu Jueyu: “Waaah, waaah, waaah…”
It seemed that resolving the issue of crying with “waaah, waaah, waaah” was currently impossible.
Lin Zhaohe silently watched from the side, realizing how eventful everyone’s lives were. He truly wanted to applaud their vibrant existence.
Lin Zhaohe, considerate of the situation, asked, “Are you still playing games?”
“Playing!” Gu Xuyu picked up the game controller, instantly filling the room with a lively atmosphere.
Afterwards, Gu Jueyu was settled in Gu Xuyu’s storage room. According to Gu Xuyu, he would be allowed to leave once he became strong enough to defeat those individuals.
Gu Jueyu resembled a pitiful child subjected to domestic violence, lacking decent clothes and enduring days even more arduous than work, wearing tattered t-shirts.
Every morning, before Lin Zhaohe even woke up, he would hear the upstairs reverberating with cursing. Gu Xuyu would nitpick at Gu Jueyu, criticizing his posture one moment and his cultivation techniques the next.
In his half-asleep state, Lin Zhaohe seemed to witness the pitiful students being scolded by strict instructors during military training, enduring punishment even when shedding tears.
Lin Zhaohe turned over and heard Little Red Square preparing breakfast and inviting him to eat. Sitting up and rubbing his eyes, he said, “You made breakfast too? Thank you for the trouble.”
Little Red Square was very capable in domestic matters and had decent cooking skills.
It loved wearing pretty little clothes. At the moment, it was wearing a small apron with a bow on its head. “Brother Lin, there was a delivery earlier. I saw you were sleeping, so I collected it for you.”
“A delivery?” Lin Zhaohe asked in a daze. “Who sent it?”
“It says Zhuang Lao.”
Lin Zhaohe took the package and discovered a letter. He tore it open and a ticket fell out. Carefully examining the ticket, he realized it was a cruise ticket, and the eye-catching five-digit price on it captivated his attention completely.
“Boss, why did you send me a cruise ticket?” Lin Zhaohe called Zhuang Lao to inquire.
“To give you a break,” Zhuang Lao replied.
“Is it really that good?”
“Just kidding,” Zhuang Lao responded as expected. “It was sent by a customer who wanted us to join them.”
“Is there such a good opportunity?”
“Of course, I thought of you right away. Take a few days off and we’ll go together.”
Lin Zhaohe eagerly agreed.
Just as he was excited about being able to go on a trip soon, he heard a knocking sound at the door. Lin Zhaohe opened the door and found Gu Xuyu—or rather, Gu Jueyu—standing there.
“Save me!” Gu Jueyu’s face was bruised and swollen, with tears streaming down. “He’s going to kill me—”
Lin Zhaohe blinked his eyes. “How can I help you?”
Gu Jueyu initially wanted him to help contact a few disciples, but as the words reached his lips, he realized that those disciples weren’t exactly decent people either. He suddenly had no idea what to do. “Just… just advise him not to be so ruthless…”
Lin Zhaohe sighed helplessly. He found the person somewhat pitiful and said, “Why don’t you come in and sit for a while? Where’s Gu Xuyu?”
“He went out to buy groceries,” Gu Jueyu muttered, “He despises takeout, saying it’s unhealthy and hinders cultivation… How can there be such a petty person?” He entered Lin Zhaohe’s house and noticed something suddenly, looking up. “Holy shit!! What is this?!” Yes, he saw the female ghost on the ceiling.
Lin Zhaohe wasn’t frightened by the female ghost, but rather by Gu Jueyu’s reaction. “Stop yelling, it’s a female ghost!”
Gu Jueyu: “…” Did he hear it wrong? A what? A female ghost?
“It’s the spirit of a person after they die,” Lin Zhaohe gestured, “you know, a soul and all that.”
Gu Jueyu stood up and left. His departing figure showed a resolute determination, no matter how Lin Zhaohe tried to persuade him, he never turned back.
Clearly, he had figured it out within a short time. Being trained by Gu Xuyu was definitely better than living with that thing hovering above his head every day.
Lin Zhaohe: “…” Did he just get rejected?
Little Red Square also looked confused and asked, “Brother Lin, why is he afraid of the female ghost?”
After thinking for a moment, Lin Zhaohe explained pensively, “It’s like when you have ‘unbelievable’ stuck to your ceiling…”
Little Red Square trembled all over, widening its eyes. “That’s too terrifying.”
Lin Zhaohe: “Yes, I think so too.” He glanced at the female ghost and continued to sit down and eat the fried eggs made by Little Red Square.
Little Red Square: “…” It suddenly realized that Lin Zhaohe was truly extraordinary. If it had an ‘unbelievable’ above its head, it would definitely be unable to sleep.
The vacation time was blissful.
Lin Zhaohe woke up naturally every day, watched TV, played games, and listened to Gu Jueyu’s miserable screams.
Gu Xuyu was clearly not a patient instructor. He couldn’t stand seeing another version of himself from a different world with such a delicate face resembling a chicken. So he trained relentlessly, almost wishing to directly exchange Gu Jueyu’s body for a muscular one.
Lin Zhaohe didn’t involve himself in other people’s domestic matters. He simply advised tactfully that everything should be done in moderation to avoid fatal consequences.
Gu Xuyu remained indifferent to Lin Zhaohe’s advice. Clearly, he had made up his mind to let Gu Jueyu experience true cruelty.
Lin Zhaohe: “Alright, alright, don’t be so strict with the kid. How about playing a game for a while?”
As soon as he heard the word “game,” Gu Xuyu finally calmed down. He sat down and played a round with Lin Zhaohe.
Although Gu Xuyu had high combat skills, he was no match for Lin Zhaohe in gaming. In this turn-based fighting game, Lin Zhaohe mercilessly slaughtered him, causing Gu Xuyu’s brows to furrow tighter and tighter, saying that it was against logic…
Lin Zhaohe: “You need to study combos, practice…”
Gu Xuyu: “Where can I study?”
Lin Zhaohe: “On the internet.”
So, Lin Zhaohe began teaching Gu Xuyu how to go online. Unfortunately, the current internet was nowhere near as vibrant as it used to be. Many interesting contents had been banned. Online games also lost their former glory, replaced by types that had no impact on reality, like block puzzle games… which left Lin Zhaohe deeply disappointed.
After flipping through several forums, Lin Zhaohe finally found the combo guide for that single-player game hidden in some obscure corner. He showed it to Gu Xuyu.
Gu Xuyu glanced at the guide but noticed another game. “What game is this?”
Lin Zhaohe took a look and realized it was a highly famous multiplayer online game set in the backdrop of European mythology. Unfortunately, its servers had been shut down, and it could no longer be played. “This game is from the past. We can’t play it anymore.”
Gu Xuyu’s face filled with regret as he said, “I came too late.”
Lin Zhaohe shrugged helplessly.
However, going online was still a fresh experience for Gu Xuyu. He had mainly played offline games before and had little exposure to it. Now, it was as if he had opened the door to a new world. He played games with Lin Zhaohe while simultaneously browsing forums and occasionally asking Lin Zhaohe about internet jargon.
The two of them were fully engrossed in their intense gaming session when Lin Zhaohe suddenly felt a chill down his spine. He turned his head and saw Gu Jueyu standing at the entrance to the kitchen, staring at him with a gaze full of resentment.
“Jueyu,” Lin Zhaohe said, “When did you come back?” He had just gone to the kitchen to get some water and hadn’t seen anyone.
Gu Xuyu: “I threw him into the cave to cultivate.”
Before Lin Zhaohe could say anything, Gu Jueyu let out a mournful cry, “A day in the mortal realm is a year in the cave. Gu Xuyu, you have such a cruel heart!”
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