Chapter 4 Pressed down

Wu Shaogan had been in a coma since he was deposed. All the diagnoses and conclusions were completed during this period. So when he woke up, he had not only been moved to a different place, but the only people guarding his bedside were Steward He Zhou, who looked reluctant, and his bodyguard Xiang Lin.

He Zhou had watched Wu Shaogan grow up and was always gentle and caring towards him. However, he was a manager who never overstepped his bounds, so he could only gently inform Wu Shaogan about his current physical condition, changes in treatment, and the marriage that his parents had decided on without hesitation.

Wu Shaogan was precocious and had been training on his own for many years. Even though he was still in a state of severe injury and pain, he quickly understood his situation.

The destruction of his innate treasure was tantamount to him being completely useless. All the resources his parents had poured into him were wasted. His parents had always only valued aptitude, and in their disappointment, they naturally gave up on him quickly. However, he had once been a prodigy who brought much glory to the Wu family. His father, as the head of the family, couldn't be too indifferent, and his mother, as the head of the family's wife, also had to take care of the clan. So, they arranged for him to marry a woman from the Zhong family. This way, he would have both the Soul-Stabilizing Fruit to save his life and a family to start, someone to take care of him—that was enough for them, and they wouldn't interfere anymore.

This can be described as killing two birds with one stone.

Wu Shaogan was reduced to dust in a single day, and his parents handled things "officially." Even though he was strong-willed, he still suffered a great blow.

After standing there in a daze for several hours, Wu Shaogan managed to sort everything out.

He wanted to live, and he still needed the Soul-Stabilizing Fruit, but there was no need to drag others down with him into becoming useless, nor did he want to endure the disgust of having some kind of spiritual connection with a strange woman. If the woman from the Zhong family genuinely gave him the fruit to save his life, he could live with her for a few years without interfering with her, then find an opportunity to divorce her and release her. The woman from the Zhong family would naturally find another suitable marriage.

What Wu Shaogan didn't expect was that the woman he married would be his closest friend.

·

Just as Zhong Cai valued Wu Shaogan highly not because of his talent or status, Wu Shaogan's association with Zhong Cai was simply because the two got along well. As for the fact that Zhong Cai was most likely of the lowest rank in terms of talent, he didn't care. After all, no matter who he befriended, none were more talented than him, and all had shorter lives. Since they all had short lives, what difference did it make whether theirs were shorter or even shorter? In the end, he could only silently cherish their memories.

Especially when those "friends" who approached him had ulterior motives, Zhong Cai, whom he had known since he was eleven and whose attitude had not changed after he knew who he was, was the pure land in his heart.

This time, during those few hours of uncertainty about the future and grief over his parents, Wu Shaogan inevitably thought of Zhong Cai.

Emotionally, he believed that Zhong Cai wouldn't despise him, but rationally, he felt uneasy.

But no matter how wildly imaginative Wu Shaogan was, or how much he hoped for a "victory" in "emotions," he would never have guessed that Zhong Cai would accompany him in this way. At this moment, all his dejection and despair were wiped away by Zhong Cai's amazing move.

That's outrageous!

·

After making the joke, Zhong Cai kept observing his buddy's condition.

Wu Shaogan was exceptionally handsome, his features a combination of the best features of his parents, refined and perfected to perfection, giving him a strikingly handsome appearance. Moreover, he had spent a lot of time training, constantly fighting wild beasts in the mountains, so despite being only a teenager, his aura was already quite sharp. Coupled with the cold arrogance in his eyes, he didn't appear to be young and inexperienced at first glance.

After being deposed, Wu Shaogan suddenly became much thinner, his face was so pale that it was bloodless, his lips were also white and cracked, and he looked quite haggard. However, his facial features were slightly distorted and his face was slightly red after being stimulated by Zhong Cai, which made him look a little better.

Zhong Cai had never seen his buddy look so upset before. He couldn't help but grin and wave his hand in front of him. When the man still didn't react, he simply grabbed his arm and pressed him down onto the new bed.

"Old Wu, stop spacing out and eat this!" Zhong Cai pinched the Soul-Stabilizing Fruit and stuffed it into Wu Shaogan's mouth. "We have other things to do after you finish eating, so we can't waste time!"

Wu Shao chewed the Soul-Stabilizing Fruit twice, and it transformed into a warm current that entered his stomach, becoming a strange power that quickly surged into his soul. This power seemed to form countless threads, rapidly binding his three souls and seven spirits on the verge of collapse, barely managing to hold them together before quickly tightening them.

If you look closely, you'll find that under this constraint, the three souls and seven spirits are slowly coming together.

·

In fact, even if a cultivator from a secret realm were attacked, their soul would not be completely destroyed. However, the higher the grade of the accompanying treasure, the greater the impact when it is destroyed. Wu Shaogan's Sun-Shooting Bow was a top-grade Heavenly Bow, only one step away from the Immortal grade. If it weren't for the fact that he hadn't yet condensed his primordial soul and was therefore less resistant to external attacks, and if the Sun-Shooting Bow hadn't had time to be consecrated and thus couldn't unleash its full power, it might not have been destroyed at all. Therefore, the impact on the soul when it was destroyed was unimaginable.

Of course, the connection between the three souls is very close. Originally, although the impact was strong, it should have only shaken the divine soul and broken through part of it, rather than bringing death to the brink of death. However, Wu Shaogan had just broken through to the Enlightenment Realm before being attacked. In this first minor realm, the life soul should have slowly absorbed the heavenly soul and merged with it... Therefore, when the three souls and seven spirits were easily shaken, the sudden impact not only shattered the life soul and heavenly soul in one go, but also broke the connection between the souls.

Fortunately, Wu Shaogan's foundation was solid, and he was able to endure the excruciating pain in his soul. This was why, even though he was "on the verge" of collapse, there was still room for salvation.

·

Zhong Cai knew Wu Shaogan well. Observing his micro-expressions, he knew that the guy wasn't in so much pain anymore. Sure enough, the Soul-Stabilizing Fruit was effective. Without saying a word, he took advantage of Wu Shaogan's sitting position and pushed him down onto the bed again.

Then he multitasked, using one hand to pull at his own belt and the other to tear off Wu Shaogan's clothes.

Wu Shaogan: "..." He was so terrified that his voice cracked, "Ah Cai, what are you doing—"

Zhong Cai moved swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, she had already been "frank with" Wu Shaogan.

Wu Shaogan was weak all over, his face flushed, and he raised his hand with great shame and difficulty to press against Zhong Cai's chest.

Then he felt even more ashamed.

That's a bizarre pose...

Zhong Cai grabbed his hand, sighed, and said earnestly, "Old Wu, there's nothing I can do, just bear with it, your life is more important." Then, as if she understood her buddy's dilemma, she generously added, "Don't worry, I definitely won't mess with you, I'll mess with myself for you. Although I'm not as good-looking as you, I'll try my best to seduce you. You're at the age where you're full of vigor, you should be able to handle it."

Wu Shaogan's lips twitched.

Even after all these years together, there are still many times when Zhong Cai leaves him speechless.

Is this the problem?

Wu Shaogan said weakly, "A-Cai, the Soul-Stabilizing Fruit is enough. Even if someone else came tonight, I wouldn't do anything. Besides, you're my best friend. Marrying me is already bad enough; you don't need to sacrifice like this. If you really consummate the marriage, how will you ever get married again? What girl would want to marry a man who has been intimate with another man..."

Zhong Cai covered Wu Shaogan's mouth and firmly refuted him.

"Stop messing around. What's the point of me marrying you if we're not going to sleep together? At worst, I can find an excuse to visit one of your cousins ​​after she marries you, and then I can give you my fruit as well for double protection. But can I trust them? You know what kind of people those three are, right? I'm really afraid that even if they agree verbally, they might have some uncontrollable wild idea and you'll be gone!"

Zhong Cai became particularly excited when she said this.

"I'm just trying to give you a little more life, aren't I? We're supposed to live together for at least a hundred years, so don't make me outlive you! As for getting married, forget it. Unless you meet a reliable sweetheart first, I won't feel at ease. Going to flirt with some young girl at this time would be bullying you."

Zhong Cai straddled Wu Shaogan's waist without hesitation and earnestly advised him, "Don't be afraid. With your current physical condition, it should come and go quickly. Let's get it over with quickly." She gestured with her hands, very generously, "You don't need to exert yourself, I'll do it myself!"

Wu Shaogan went from being moved to gradually falling silent.

Finally, he took a slow, deep breath and slowly revealed a smile, showing off his gleaming white teeth.

“Ah Cai, I shouldn’t let you down, but it’s more convenient for me to take control of my own body.” He gritted his teeth, but his tone was gentle. “Just lend me your strength occasionally.”

Zhong Cai thought about it and agreed, but still said seriously, "I trust you so much, so don't run away. Your health is important."

Wu Shaogan: "Okay."

So Zhong Cai nudged Wu Shaogan, making room for herself, and then lay flat on her back with her limbs outstretched.

Wu Shaogan's mind was in turmoil. He had been a little annoyed just now, but he was ultimately a calm person and felt that he couldn't act impulsively, lest he harm A-Cai...

Zhong Cai urged him on, reaching out to grab him, shouting, "Hurry up, hurry up! You're not going to run away—"

Wu Shaogan took a deep breath, then rolled over and pinned him down with a blank expression.

Let's not overthink it.

How could such a close friend have such a mouth?

·

"Old Wu, come on over with confidence. I'm tough and can take a lot of trouble."

"……good."

"Ouch—it hurts a little."

"Should I slow down?"

"No, no, no, you're weak, you should hurry up... uh!"

·

Four hours later, night fell.

Zhong Cai was so tired that she fell asleep, nestled next to Wu Shaogan.

Wu Shaogan looked at his warm, flushed profile and reached out to brush away his sweaty bangs.

The fusion of their auras was indeed effective. The threads binding Wu Shaogan's soul had become much thicker, and the bonding of his three souls and seven spirits had accelerated considerably. Even though his injuries had not fully healed, he was no longer in mortal danger. As the fusion continued, the weakness and discomfort caused by the damage to his soul also improved somewhat, allowing him to muster some strength.

Zhong Cai mumbled two incoherent sounds in her sleep and slept even more soundly.

"Don't overwork yourself..."

Wu Shaogan then tucked the other side of his hair behind his ear.

At this point, his mindset underwent a significant change.

·

The negative emotions he felt after being deposed were like a mountain pressing down on him, making it hard for Wu Shaogan to breathe. But now he had shaken off the heavy burden in his heart. And his eyes, which had been full of gloom, were gradually wiped clean of the dust as he and Zhong Cai's breaths blended together, regaining their original brilliance.

It's just that it's no longer as bright and dazzling as before, but rather a faint, dim light.

Even though he had almost lost everything, Zhong Cai still gave up everything to come to him and was willing to go to such lengths for him. What did he have to worry about? People who come together for mutual benefit will leave when the benefit disappears. It is only natural that he should not be sad about it. It is just being sentimental.

Moreover, he can still maintain his cultivation level at the peak of the Heavenly Guidance Realm; he just has no future path to follow, but he hasn't truly become a useless piece of trash. He still has his past experience and can find ways to help Zhong Cai improve her strength.

If Zhong Cai can break through, he can die peacefully even if he dies first. If Zhong Cai can't break through, he and Zhong Cai can depend on each other for over a hundred years. It's a bit short, but that's how a mortal's life is. They can live as happily as they used to sneak out for parties... Isn't that good enough?

Wu Shao chuckled, tightened his arm around Zhong Cai's waist, and drifted off to sleep.