Chapter 42: Western Fantasy World (5)

“Do you think he’s carrying the bone sword because it reminds him of someone?” The system speculated about Kason’s behavior. It was actually quite accurate, but Lin Yuetian wasn’t moved by it.

“Really?” Lin Yuetian considered the act of forging a weapon from an ex-boyfriend’s bones and then carrying it around every moment, even in front of his current boyfriend. His evaluation was blunt: “That’s disgusting. Seriously messed up.”

“You have no right to say that,” the system replied.

Kason’s corpse lay sprawled on the ground, his blood slowly pooling into a small red puddle. Vina, still wearing his dignified yet aged face, seemed as if he had something to say but hesitated, his emotions in turmoil. The moment Lin Yuetian had secretly told him to prepare to kill Kason, Vina had already begun feeling conflicted.

He had never imagined that Lin Yuetian would have any other exes after him. Lin had always seemed so loyal, so devoted… And yet, even more unexpected was that when Lin Yuetian spoke of revenge, he had meant it literally—by outright killing Kason.

Lin Yuetian, the little alchemist he remembered, had been skilled in almost every type of magic—except offensive spells. He could revive a withered flower in the palm of his hand, create endless fireworks for an entire night, but he had never harmed even the smallest creature.

He had assumed Lin Yuetian’s revenge would be pranks, scares, maybe even a beating at most—things that still fit within the beautiful image he had of him. Not this brutal slaughter. Even in the instant Kason’s head was severed, Lin Yuetian’s face still held that lingering, gentle smile, as if frozen in place.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

Lin Yuetian noticed Vina’s distraction. Considering that he still had a mission to complete and shouldn’t treat him too carelessly, he reassured, “Vina, don’t worry. No matter what, you will always be my first love. That will never change. You’re different from Kason—your place is irreplaceable.”

Vina wasn’t sure whether he felt pleased or unsettled by that. Holding his wound, still scorched from the fire curse, he tried to fade into the shadows like a proper ghost.

“Vina.” Lin Yuetian stopped him.

【Place your bets, place your bets!】 The system chattered excitedly. 【What will happen next? Lin Yuetian’s insincere confession, odds at 1 to 5; Lin Yuetian killing him outright, 1 to 7; Lin Yuetian having a heartfelt repentance over his murderous ways, 1 to 55,000.】

“There’s no one betting with you,” Lin Yuetian said. “Why are you so worked up?”

【Damn it, don’t interrupt my self-entertainment. I need to relax.】 The system huffed. 【You’re already like the devil in my system life, no need to keep proving it.】

Vina turned back, looking at Lin Yuetian expectantly.

Lin Yuetian smiled at him. “I know you don’t believe me. You don’t believe in my feelings for you. But that’s fine. I’ll treat you well.”

He said, “Starting now.”

Lin Yuetian lightly nudged Kason’s corpse with the tip of his shoe.

“They say—just say,” Lin Yuetian mused, though he knew it wasn’t just hearsay, having learned it firsthand in his last supernatural world, “that having an ‘extra meal’ after dinner is beneficial for a ghost’s health.”

---

Lin Yuetian strolled lazily back to the Wizard’s Tower, only to find his final mission target, Jay, blocking the entrance.

Jay was a youth almost excessively handsome, his face filled with barely restrained anger.

“So you finally decided to come back?” Jay said grimly.

“I didn’t even go looking for him, and yet he’s here chasing me down.” Lin Yuetian was a bit incredulous as he spoke to the system. “I’ve never seen someone like this in my entire life.”

【Maybe the mission targets in this world all have a knack for throwing themselves into danger,】 the system muttered, unexpectedly slipping into a chant.

“Where did you go?” Jay’s tone was sharp, as if the original body owed him millions. A true embodiment of an ungrateful bastard. “Leaving without a word? Old wizard, you sure know how to put on airs.”

In the original body’s memories, before becoming the Chief Wizard, Jay had been quite good at playing the pitiful little puppy. But after gaining status, he started looking down on people, spouting nothing but venom. A true Dog Bastard.

So the original had plenty of experience dealing with him.

Lin Yuetian mimicked the original’s soft tone and stammered, “Sorry, Jay… I just… just wanted to clear my mind for a bit… I forgot to tell you. I’m sorry…”

“Forgot?” Jay sneered. “You really don’t give a damn about the Wizard Tower’s rules, do you? You do realize how old you are? You’re ancient! Aren’t you afraid you’ll just drop dead outside?”

【Wow, he actually seems to care about the original body,】 the system mused. 【Hidden concern beneath harsh words—there was a time when this kind of tsundere character was really popular. So retro. The nostalgia wave is back.】

Lin Yuetian, however, was genuinely annoyed for once. “What’s the point of this kind of ‘concern’ if it’s so unpleasant to hear? Even I know to be gentle with clients. Jay is only where he is because of the original body’s position, so where does he get the nerve to talk like this? Besides, when judging villains, actions matter more than intentions. Who cares if these mission targets secretly ‘love’ the original body? If you just look at their behavior, you’ll see that questioning their ‘true feelings’ is completely pointless. Hidden love beneath cruelty? I’ve never understood it, not even for a second—and I don’t intend to.”

【…You know what? You make a really good point. Honestly, you could win an award for emotional intelligence.】 The system finally caught a flaw in Lin Yuetian’s logic and seized the moment excitedly. 【BUT! If we’re judging actions instead of feelings, then you, my dear friend, are the ultimate, unrivaled, cold-blooded psycho!】

“A professional like me is, of course, an exception,” Lin Yuetian said.

At the same time, he continued maintaining a weak and submissive posture. “Alright, it was my fault… I-I bought some good wine from outside, Jay. How about I treat you to a drink as an apology?”

Jay didn’t truly refuse. After all, he was still young and hadn’t yet learned to fully conceal his emotions. Lin Yuetian’s masterful display of weakness hit right into his sweet spot. Though his face remained full of sarcasm, in the end, he still brought Lin Yuetian to his own room.

Lin Yuetian did take out a bottle of wine—except he had mixed in an intoxication potion worth 500 points.

“You’re not planning to use the same trick again, are you?” the system asked.

“The classics are always the best,” Lin Yuetian replied.

The apprentice picked up the wine glass coldly, showing no intention of drinking. He narrowed his eyes and scrutinized Lin Yuetian’s face. “…You’re acting strange today.”

“Am I?” Lin Yuetian asked.

“…Something just feels off,” Jay muttered. True to his reputation as a prodigious wizard, his instincts were exceptionally sharp. He put the glass down. “You should leave.”

“I went through all this trouble to buy you a gift, and you won’t even try it?” Lin Yuetian said softly.

“I have no obligation to indulge your whims, do I?” Just hearing Lin Yuetian speak so gently seemed to annoy Jay, making him even more irritable.

Lin Yuetian didn’t get discouraged. As the saying goes, where there’s a will, there’s a way. He patiently picked up the wine glass and brought it to Jay’s lips, his voice as soft as a murmuring stream. He coaxed, “Jay, it’s really good. Just take a sip… alright? I remember you used to love this the most. I bought it just for you. Just for my sake, Jay… please…”

“Holy crap, this feels familiar,” the system pondered before suddenly realizing, “Ah, this—this is the legendary ‘Big Brother, drink your medicine’ scene, isn’t it?”

“Don’t disrupt my performance,” Lin Yuetian replied in his mind.

“…Fine,” Jay finally said coldly. “I’ll drink one sip. But don’t think it’s for you, and don’t delude yourself into thinking I have feelings for you.”

He took a sip.

Honestly, one sip was more than enough.

---

Footnotes:

—The “Big Brother, drink your medicine” (大哥，喝药)” meme comes from the 2003 Chinese drama Shui Yue Dong Tian. In the scene, the female lead emotionally pleads with her “Big Brother” to drink his medicine, but her dramatic delivery made it unintentionally funny. It became a meme used to mock exaggerated concern or to jokingly tell someone to “accept reality.”