Chapter 40: Western Fantasy World (3)

“…Lin? What happened to me?” Vina ultimately chose a rather unremarkable opening line.

“Necromancy,” Lin Yuetian replied casually, lying with complete ease. “You’re my summoned spirit now. I went through a lot of trouble to bring you back. Try sensing it—don’t you feel much stronger now? You’re way more powerful than you were when you were alive.”

Unlike Lin Tongzhao, Lin Yuetian wasn’t going to let a ghost roam free—nor did he have any reason to. He bound Vina’s soul to one of his rings, just like how the Jade Ghost had once been sealed into a jade pendant by Lin Jiayang. This left him feeling completely at ease, and his true nature quickly emerged—his words becoming as ruthless as they needed to be.

“…” Vina was left speechless. In the distant memories of his youth, this Eastern beauty had already become a landmark of his past—a symbol of a love so gentle and fervent that he had recalled it countless times over his long life. He had once regretted his decisions, realizing too late that he had misjudged. Back then, he had been too young to trust that Lin Yuetian’s original self would never betray him. So, he had applied the same strategies he used on his subordinates to his lover.

You understand—if a subordinate learns your secrets, the best way to ensure silence is to make sure they can never speak again.

Vina had regretted it later. Over the years, in dreams and memories, he had seen those familiar eyes again and again, and it was only then that he realized—Lin Yuetian’s original self was truly the kind of person who would never have betrayed him. So now, facing this man who seemed slightly different yet still youthful in appearance, he had countless things he wanted to say. But in the end, none of them felt appropriate.

In the end, Vina only asked, “Why did you save me?”

“How pitiful,” the system sighed in sympathy. “He actually thinks you saved him.”

“Why did I save you? Good question, Your Highness. I suppose… it’s because I love you. You were my first love, and even after centuries of change, I still can’t forget. I couldn’t bear to let you disappear from this world forever, forever separated from me,” Lin Yuetian’s words were delivered with such impeccable acting skills that they sounded heartbreakingly sincere. Vina seemed quite moved.

But Lin Yuetian’s next sentence wasn’t quite as sentimental.

“By the way, Your Highness. Now that you’re awake, after being dead for so long, I’m sure you must be feeling a bit stiff. How about I arrange some exercise to get you moving?”

“…? What are you planning?” The system, having developed a keen sense of danger from their many experiences in different worlds, immediately grew alert and demanded an answer.

“Vina, or would you prefer I call you Your Majesty? On my way to the Kingdom of Qiongn, I traveled long and hard, spent a fortune, and now I’m quite short on money. So, I took on a few noble commissions. They seek the wonders of magic to have certain individuals… eliminated. But you know me—I’ve never been good at violence.” Lin Yuetian spoke slowly, almost leisurely. “Your Highness, you’re a ghost now, my summoned spirit, and you’re so powerful. So, how about you handle it for me?”

“You’re even exploiting your mission targets? That’s low,” the system commented. “The guy’s been dead for so long, and he was an emperor, no less. And now you’re forcing him to help you start a business?”

“What’s there to be afraid of?” Lin Yuetian replied lazily. “The late emperor died before he could establish his empire properly. He’s already an ex-emperor—he never even got to start a business. Doesn’t that make his imperial career incomplete? I’m offering him a chance to realize his self-worth and enrich his life experience.”

“I swear something went horribly wrong with your literature education in that cyberpunk world,” the system said, deadpan. “Maybe I should submit a request to get you some elementary school textbooks for a refresher. You’re misusing idioms way too much.”

“Wouldn’t that be a bit of a waste of mission time?” Lin Yuetian gently objected.

“Have you ever heard this saying?” the system shot back. “Sharpening your blade won’t delay chopping wood. Finish middle school before getting a job. No excuses—helping a dropout like you get back into school is my duty.”

Regardless of how Lin Yuetian and the system debated the merits of education, it didn’t change the fact that Lin Yuetian was ruthlessly exploiting Vina during this time. Displaying a level of cold-blooded efficiency that put capitalists to shame, he fully leveraged the fact that Vina, as a ghost, required neither food nor rest. He creatively customized an extreme 007 work schedule for him—out at midnight, back at midnight the next day, with no days off.

Lin Yuetian worked Vina to the bone, using him as a tool to rake in money. He even decided that if Vina showed the slightest dissatisfaction or resistance, he’d take the opportunity to wrap up his mission early—ensuring he squeezed out every last drop of Vina’s remaining value.

Sometimes, watching Vina—the once-mighty emperor—leaving early and returning late with his wrinkled, elderly face, the system couldn’t help but feel like a lackey to some ruthless landlord, sighing long and hard: Perhaps this is the karmic retribution of a scumbag ex. Amitabha.

But the strangest part? Vina actually seemed to be enjoying himself. He appeared perfectly content following Lin Yuetian’s orders, to the point where Lin Yuetian couldn’t even find a proper excuse to finish him off.

“Is he a masochist?” Lin Yuetian speculated, drawing from his extensive knowledge reserves.

“Stop talking nonsense. Say one more ridiculous thing and we might not pass content review,” the system warned. “I think he might actually have really liked your original self. You know, the whole ‘After centuries apart, I meet my first love again, and he immediately entrusts me with earning money for the household—clearly, he doesn’t see me as an outsider. This must mean reconciliation is possible!’ kind of mindset.”

“Oh, I see,” Lin Yuetian mused. “Well, that doesn’t really matter.”

After making enough money on the side, Lin Yuetian wasted no time and set off with Vina in search of his next target—the knight, Kaisen.

Actually, finding the knight wasn’t difficult. He and the noble youth he secretly admired both had decent magical talent. Now, under the guise of friendship, they traveled together and had gained quite a bit of fame among the free adventurers in the southern part of the continent. Many second- and third-rate bards had begun composing epic poems about Kaesen’s adventures, hoping that when his fame grew, it would boost their own reputations as well.

Lin Yuetian couldn’t change his love for life. He frequently visited taverns of all sizes along the way, sampling various local wines and delicacies. He also listened to countless long-winded ballads, many of which praised Kaesen’s most famous trait—his ever-present bone sword. After chatting with a few bards, Lin Yuetian discovered that many of them believed in a rather romantic legend: Kaesen had forged his deceased lover’s bones into a weapon as a way to commemorate their lost love.

“…It’s not my bones, is it?” Lin Yuetian wondered.

When Lin Yuetian finally tracked down Kaesen and the noble youth, they were camping in a remote wilderness. No matter what, the original body had been a Grand Mage. Times had changed, and there was no way Lin Yuetian would be detected. He gladly hid in the shadows, eavesdropping on their conversation.

Kason called the young noble “Joyce.” They were discussing their recent battle with goblins and debating where to head next for their adventures.

How harmonious, Lin Yuetian thought.

Then he instructed Vina, “Go out there. You should be stronger than both of them now, right? Make yourself look as scary as possible and give them a good fright. Try to scare them into running in different directions. Oh, and remember—drive that Joyce guy toward me.”

“…Why?” Vina asked.

“Because I want revenge on that knight,” Lin Yuetian answered bluntly. “He was my ex-boyfriend, and he treated me terribly back then. A gentleman’s revenge is never too late, whether ten years or thirty. Today, I’m going to teach him the meaning of propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame.”

Vina’s expression changed. “Ex-boyfriend?”

Maybe such a complex and wounded expression would have been quite charming on his younger face, but with his current old, haggard look, Lin Yuetian just found it ugly.

“Don’t ask so many questions. Listen to me, and I won’t do anything to you. I wouldn’t have revived you if I wanted revenge,” Lin Yuetian lectured him. “Don’t think you can get cocky just because I like you.”

“Damn,” the system remarked. “You’re even more of a scumbag than an actual scumbag!”