"Would you like that peach branch?" Wen Zheng asked as he walked over and took a peach blossom branch from his toolbox. This was one that kept appearing in the maze of the second round of marital relationships, and Wen Zheng had kept several of them.
Sure enough, there were holes in the stone pillar. Wen Zheng placed the peach branch in one of them, leaving one empty space. It looked round, but he didn't know what it was.
Wen Zheng frowned: "We were in the room maze just now, but we didn't find anything relevant."
“Indeed, there isn’t any. We should look here.” Shan Yu said, heading to the other end, looking at the runes as she asked, “Why hasn’t the King come in yet?”
Wen Zheng: "...They're probably lost?"
"Haha, he's actually a pretty interesting person. He's very spontaneous in his speech and actions."
Wen Zheng didn't really want to discuss the King's affairs with others, but Shan Yu's words were indeed what he was thinking, so he nodded slightly.
Shan Yu: "It's just that I often use the term 'you humans,' which feels a bit strange, like a child who hasn't finished puberty."
Wen Zheng: "…………"
He didn't really think that much about it, assuming it was just a sarcastic tone. Just like some people might mock their own relatives by saying things like "your family is like this or that," or "your country," "your circle," etc. But the king just amplified it a bit, insisting on directly mocking all of humanity.
But this is just his guess, and there's no point in arguing about it. I'll just say on his behalf: "Your Majesty is straightforward, don't take it to heart. Your fans should also restrain themselves; doxxing and personal attacks can be reported."
Shan Yu, who had been unexpectedly rebuked, smiled wryly and said, "I know, I've already told them... Some kids are disobedient, so I apologized to them in advance."
“You said it, but you didn’t say it harshly.” Wen Zheng no longer concealed his opinion, feeling that what the king said made sense, and that speaking frankly was a virtue.
"They don't realize the seriousness of the situation; they think you're just saying it casually. I'll let bygones be bygones regarding what happened to me last time. But I brought Da Wang into the live stream and into front of the audience, so I have to be responsible for my friend. Therefore, I can let go of other things with your fans, but I will file a complaint if I see any personal attacks."
A storm is brewing: "..."
Neither of them noticed that the king was already standing at the door, his face flushed with confusion.
He coughed twice as he entered, interrupting the standoff: "Where is this?"
Wen Zheng snapped out of his daze: "Altar. Feel around and see if there are any mechanisms or round objects."
"Items?" The king composed himself. "Does this bowl count?"
He held up a ceramic bowl: "I just pried it off the wall."
Wen Zheng and Shan Yu were silent for a while. Seeing that the king was about to put the bowl into the groove, Wen Zheng suddenly said, "Wait."
After saying this, to their astonishment, he strode back to the entrance and quickly memorized the positions and order of the runes on the wall. The runes were densely packed, each character only the size of a palm, yet they covered a wall two people high. The hall was spacious, with a circumference of more than a hundred meters, and Wen Zheng actually walked from one end to the other before nodding to the king: "Inlay them."
The sewing box symbolizes a mother's love for her child, the peach branch represents a happy married life, and the bowl is a symbol of children being raised. Once all the tokens are collected, the pillar emits a red light and suddenly explodes—a flat stone slab crashes to the ground, and a three-minute countdown button hangs in the air above.
"There are runes on the stone slab!" Shan Yu exclaimed urgently. "Fill in the blanks? Each line has a different starting order... We need to find the corresponding paragraphs on the wall and then fill in the empty squares! How can there be so many!?"
Three brushes and a red paint bucket appeared at their feet, and the dense runes on the stone slab made the king's head spin.
Wen Zheng didn't go back to the stone wall to check; he picked up the brush and closed his eyes.
Rows of runes flashed through his mind, moving as fast as a catalog search. The first line quickly appeared in his mind, and he began to fill in the blanks.
"I'll help you!" Shan Yu Yu Lai also took a brush. He didn't have Wen Zheng's shorthand skills, so he would occasionally glance at the wall.
The king stood at the door, unable to help at all, and watched the countdown with some anxiety.
Three minutes passed, and then he suddenly asked, "What was that sound?"
A few seconds later, a faint rustling sound came from the doorway, and then a group of jacaranda flowers with fluttering petal wings rushed into the altar!
"Damn!" Wen Zheng's vision was suddenly blocked, and he almost knocked the brush out of his hand. These flowers fluttered like butterflies, but flew faster than flies, and were simply overwhelming.
"Is that woman a jacaranda flower spirit?!" Shan Yu exclaimed in astonishment.
"Your Majesty!" Wen Zheng roared, "Here's the red ribbon for you!"
The king nimbly and swiftly swept across the stone slab, giving Wen Zheng a high five—a crisp snap followed by him grabbing the red ribbon in his hand.
The jacaranda flower fairies immediately changed direction and charged at the king in unison. The king ran around the hall frantically, trying to keep these little blue things away from the stone slabs.
Shan Yu laughed loudly: "See? It really is a demon."
The king, seemingly struck by a veil of rage, roared as he ran, "It's not a demon! How could this possibly be a demon?"
Without those distractions, Wen Zheng filled in the form more quickly, making Shan Yu feel much more relaxed. She smiled and said, "The facts are right in front of us. The flower fairy loves humans. She was his mother when he was young, his wife when he grew up, and his daughter when he got old... Actually, this kind of love is quite rare. I don't know if it's selfless or selfish?"
Shan Yu added, "Of course, the male protagonist's love for the flower fairy is also very pure; that's just how love is..."
The sound of the jacaranda flower fairies tearing through the air suddenly came, as the Great King angrily rushed forward, as if to punch Shan Yu: "Shut up!"
“Okay, you can think whatever you want…” The charging flowers swirled around the stone slab, creating a buzzing sound.
"Humans are selfish, everyone is!" (Sound of a string of words)
"Enough!" Wen Zheng, unable to bear it any longer, flung away the blue flower fairy that had hit him in the face and roared, "Get out of here!!! I'm filling in the blanks!"
With only twenty seconds left on the countdown, Shan Yu raised the brush and smiled at the king, who was squinting and covering his face with his hand: "We'll discuss this matter of love later..."
"Love is nothing but selfishness; where is there any selflessness?!"
"Shut up!" Wen Zheng's mind was a complete mess; he couldn't concentrate, and a blank card sat there for ages, unable to fill it in. Dizzy and confused, he snapped at the king, "What do you know?"
What do you know?
What do you know!
...
A sea of red filled the view, festive red silks mingling with blood, creating a nauseating hue. The air was filled with the cacophony of weapons clashing, the spilled fine wines of a thousand years ago, and shattered porcelain pieces flying like snowflakes, ultimately swallowed by the crimson.
The pure and beautiful woman before him smiled gently, but then uttered the most venomous words that left him speechless with shock—
"It's just a demon, what do you know?"
…………
The king's expression suddenly went blank, but his beautiful face was quickly caught up by the Jacaranda Flower Fairy and submerged in a sea of blue and purple.
Wen Zheng only caught a glimpse of it for a moment, but a sense of unease suddenly welled up in his heart.
This feeling was unfamiliar, a sense of panic that something was spiraling out of control.
What did I say wrong? I've said other things before, so why is he angry?
Even though the two people's arguing had stopped, Wen Zheng still couldn't concentrate. He stared at the king, who was surrounded by jacaranda blossoms, hesitated for a moment, and said, "I—"
The king flashed in place and suddenly disappeared.
I've been disconnected!?
Or... was it forcibly logged out?
Wen Zheng was in a state of panic, but Shan Yu nudged him: "Hurry! There are only fourteen seconds left!"
"…………"
Because the King had logged off, the blue flower fairies rushed towards Wen Zheng, bumping into him repeatedly. It didn't hurt, but it made it impossible for him to see the stone slabs clearly. Wen Zheng squeezed his eyes shut, turned and ran, shouting to Shan Yu, "Come here!"
Shan Yu's expression turned serious, and he took a deep breath.
Three lines remain, a race against time. Shan Yu picked up the brush and, instead of referring to the wall, began to fill in the blank spaces with fluid, effortless strokes, just like Wen Zheng.
At the last second, the stone slab was intact, and the jacaranda flower fairies seemed to come to their senses and stopped their frantic chase, floating in the air.
The dungeon completion notification sounds, indicating that you are about to enter the ending screen.
"Ah, I actually got it right!" Shan Yu laughed heartily. "Finally, I've proven myself... Little Z, Little Z?"
Wen Zheng snapped out of his daze: "Sorry, I'm logging off now."
After saying that, he abruptly and forcibly exited the live stream, leaving Shan Yu alone to receive praise from his fans.
***
Wen Zheng took off his glasses, sat up abruptly, and supported his forehead with one hand, looking extremely agitated.
Big Black wasn't lying in bed.
Ever since we went out, Dahei has been in low spirits all week. He doesn't want to watch TV anymore, and he doesn't play with the remote control. He's only active during mealtimes, and he'll sniff, pet, and cuddle us whenever he wants.
Before today's live stream, Dahei was lying on its throne next to its pillow, hugging its holographic glasses covered in scratches, looking quite well-behaved. Where did it go now?
"Big Black?" Wen Zheng called out to the cat and spotted it at the living room window.
It perched on the windowsill, gazing at the myriad lights outside, a hint of loneliness in its expression.
"Want to go out and play?" Wen Zheng reached out to touch it, but it avoided his touch. A feeling of helpless frustration welled up inside him. He said, "Are you hungry again? What do you want to eat? I'll make it now."
Before Dahei could answer, Wen Zheng went into the kitchen and came out a moment later with fried meatballs.
He felt a sense of panic, unsure of its source.
Bai Shuang's words to him have been lingering in his mind lately—wildcats are unrestrained and yearn for freedom.
Why is Dahei looking outside?
Why have I been feeling down lately?
"Big Black." He placed the meatballs on the table. "Eat."
After a while, the cat still didn't come.
The frustration of being misunderstood in the game surged up, and Wen Zheng, feeling agitated, slammed his hand on the table, causing the cups and plates to rattle and make a clinking sound.
He gasped for breath, walked up behind Big Black, and said, barely suppressing his anger, "You think you can leave?"
Big Black did not answer.
Wen Zheng opened the window wide and said to it, "Fine, do whatever you want." Then, ignoring the plate of fried meatballs, he went straight back to his bedroom and slammed the door shut.
After having a bizarre and fantastical dream all night, Wen Zheng groggily entered the living room the next day.
The food on the plate was untouched, and the cat was nowhere to be seen.
After searching the entire house, Wen Zheng had to admit with a sense of defeat that Da Hei had really left.
Author's Note: Dahei: ran away from home.
I'll be back soon.
I'm about to become human.
Chapter 33