Chapter 1475: Reaching Perfection in One Step (Part 1) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
Shen Tang didn't expect this matter to drag on for so long.
One illusion after another came closer, afraid of missing even the slightest possibility—even if it was only a one in a billion chance, but what if? What if the one she overlooked hid the real Chu Yao? Shen Tang was bursting with confidence in herself, but she was timid only about luck.
Those with bad luck dare not gamble with their fortunes, so they can only make up for it with hard work.
The more light spots she collected, the stronger Chu Yao's aura became, and the stronger her premonition grew. Shen Tang vaguely guessed that these light spots might be a kind of pity system for gacha pulls? Was collecting a certain number of them guaranteed to yield a Chu Yao? This gave her a lot of motivation.
What if?
What if it's a guaranteed win?
Regardless of whether the light spots are related to the guaranteed drop, Chen Tang is going to spend her time searching through the flower field. She had previously prepared herself to scan the entire field to find Chu Yao, but now she only needs to collect a certain number of light spots to get Chu Yao's gold card ahead of time—what a bargain!
Thinking about this made me feel instantly brighter.
Humming a little tune and singing a song, I count the soldiers and generals and point out a flower.
She would occasionally complain about how melodramatic the script Chu Yao received in the illusion was: "[What kind of third-rate screenwriter came up with this with their toes? Wu Hui wouldn't be that stupid. If he were the Crown Prince plotting a coup and betraying his brothers, he would be secretly preparing for battle. What's the point of just winning over these scholars? And you call that political intrigue? Is your political intrigue based on brain teasers and conspiracies?]"
No matter how many twists and turns there are, they can't withstand a big cleaver.
There are three martial arts masters on the other side, but you have 130,000 border troops!
The Imperial Guard also had supporters of the princelings.
Shen Tang sighed as she watched Crown Prince Chu Yao in the illusion being forced into a desperate situation. She couldn't understand how he had managed to squander such a good hand. His maternal grandfather was a wealthy merchant family in Jiangnan, his uncle was stationed with troops on the frontier, and his mother had been favored by him for twenty years. Apart from his father's mental illness and his brothers' somewhat flashy but incompetent actions, how could he have lost such a promising opportunity? Shen Tang tossed and turned, unable to figure it out.
I've already categorized it as out-of-character (OOC) in my mind.
Wu Hui wouldn't be that stupid.
If it were Wu Hui, he could dig out all the ashes from his ancestral graves.
Even a second's delay in ascending the throne is a disrespect to the Bureau of Recommendation.
[So stupid it breaks my heart. I told you not to play with these noobs who only know how to use riddles...] Shen Tang poked the Crown Prince No. N Chu Yao, who was lying dead in a pool of blood. [If you can still draw military power in the next illusion, just use the Xuanwu Gate inheritance system, no gimmicks.]
[Controlling military power, holding onto money and supplies...]
Even if it's the King of Heaven himself, you have to offer him a cigarette.
The more illusions Shen Tang experienced, the more she felt that the people who designed them were probably incompetent. To reduce plagiarism detection, the illusionary plots either added or removed elements, or simply combined different elements to make it cobbled together. The later episodes became increasingly perfunctory in their script quality, even including easily recognizable classic elements like transmigration, cannon fodder, rebirth, and time travel. Chu Yao moved between different venues, and the number of times he acted as the crown prince or emperor was quite numerous.
Being an emperor, crown prince, or prince is good; at least you don't suffer.
Even if it's Chu Yao in the illusion, Shen Tang hopes he can live a more comfortable life, as long as he doesn't grow old and gray, even if he's a little stupid.
Anyway, Chu Yao's idiotic mistakes are the script's fault.
Some of the illusions even feature orc elements.
Shen Tang thought that if Chu Yao were to become an animal, he would be a tiger or leopard, whose elegance would never go out of style. But it turned out that he was a golden retriever.
[No, is this correct?]
Shen Tang pinched the muzzle of the golden retriever Chu Yao with one hand.
【Shh——】
Little mouth, no talking; little ears, listening carefully. Adorable golden retriever Yao, don't you feel affectionate seeing me?
[Awooo—]
The golden retriever Chu Yao rarely got angry and chased Shen Tang, biting him for half a street.
Anger is normal, because humans and orcs have a blood feud dating back to their ancestors. Humans usually treat orc captives with a needle before killing them. Some orcs are even raised as pets and sold for procreation. In the illusion, Shen Tang's identity is that of a human pet doctor.
【hiss--】
【Wu Hui is truly fierce.】
That bite almost drew blood.
Shen Tang finds joy amidst hardship to regulate her mental state.
In the end, he didn't know exactly how many illusions he had searched, only that the number of light spots inside the monogram increased, converging together and emitting a hazy white light. These things seemed to have weight, making the monogram containing them considerably heavier.
After a bout of dizziness, Shen Tang found herself outside Xiaocheng City for what felt like the last time. The moon was high in the sky, and she walked along a path she would never forget, the air thick with the pungent scent of cheap cosmetics. She coldly rejected the male prostitutes who tried to seduce her, only to be met with glares and silent curses from several of them for being oblivious to romance. She intended to head straight for Yuehua Tower, but as she drew near, her heart began to pound wildly.
This time, it seems very different. This premonition was mysterious and inexplicable; it was as if a voice from the depths of her being told—this time, it was certain. [She'd never had such a strong premonition before, this…]
Shen Tang left her actions to her intuition.
A person lay in an inconspicuous, dark corner, their chest barely rising and falling. Yet, a premonition told her, this was it!
Intuition recognizes people before the eyes.
She stepped forward.
Shen Tang didn't repeat the question she already knew by heart; she recognized the person she was looking for at a glance. So she celebrated this long-awaited reunion with a smile she had prepared beforehand.
[Sigh, Wu Hui made me search so hard.]
Shen Tang didn't know if Chu Yao had any memories, nor did she expect a response from him. She just wanted him to leave this perfect ceremony with her. However, he smiled and said, "My lord has kept Yao waiting."
He weakly reached out and grasped the hanging monogram.
It's as if you're grasping the moon that came from the sky.
The surrounding illusion began to collapse, disintegrate, and peel away.
Coming to her senses, Shen Tang found herself stepping onto the familiar flower field, and seeing the entire world before her. Above her head was a perfectly mirrored reflection of the flower field, and when she looked up, she met Chu Yao's gaze, who was also looking up at her. The two were so close that they could easily reach out and hold hands.
Shen Tang thought it that way, and that's what she did.
They pulled Chu Yao down by sheer force.
In an instant, I realized the biggest trap of this seemingly perfect ceremony.
I couldn't help but complain: "Damn, this completion ceremony is so dog-like."
If she didn't come in, Chu Yao would be facing a dead end. No matter how long he persisted in his amnesiac state, he couldn't succeed because the answer he was looking for wasn't here. Chu Yao covered his forehead, and everything he had experienced in the illusion gradually faded from his mind, leaving only faint traces. The next time he recalled these things, he wouldn't be a participant, but merely a reader.
Flip through the fragmentary notes above.
His own memories gradually took over.
Shen Tang didn't disturb them, fearing it might have a negative impact.
By the way, enjoy Chu Yao's expression, which is as colorful as a palette—some of his illusionary experiences are indeed considered his dark history.
"Thank you for your hard work, my lord."
When the fog of confusion in his eyes cleared, his vision finally returned to normal.
Shen Tang waved her hand, making no mention of the psychological torment she had endured during the process: "Between you and me, there's no need for thanks."
The most important thing is that Chu Yao is safe and sound.
"By the way, Wu Hui, is your completion ceremony considered a success?" This was what Shen Tang was most worried about. She wouldn't feel comfortable until this damn ceremony was over. Fortunately, Chu Yao's answer reassured her a lot; the completion ceremony was already 99% successful.
"Why is it only 99%?"
"There are some redundant memories that need to be processed."
As a short-lived species, being suddenly stuffed with countless false memories from countless lifetimes makes even the most resolute mind prone to cognitive errors. Chu Yao must clean up these loose ends.
"Is Your Majesty feeling unwell?"
Chu Yao's identity was different in each illusion, and it was unimaginable how difficult it would be for the master to find him. Yet, she always managed to find Chu Yao in the illusionary world and collect so many of Chu Yao's true spirits. Chu Yao couldn't even fathom the immense perseverance and determination this required.
"I?"
Shen Tang showed none of the cognitive confusion that Chu Yao experienced.
"I'm fine."
Looking back, she didn't feel like she had been in the illusion for many years; it felt like she had just entered yesterday and found someone.
She patted Chu Yao on the shoulder: "Now that the danger has passed, I'm relieved. You stay here and clean up the mess. I'll go out for a bit so Yuan Liang and the others won't worry. By the way, what ability does one gain after perfecting the Way of the Scholar? If it's too weak, I'll definitely curse the heavens."
After all that effort, all I got was a useless skill. Shen Tang was really ready to curse the heavens—I'm sorry to Wu Hui and I'm sorry to her!
Chu Yao, however, kept everyone in suspense.
"The Lord will know when he turns around."
Seeing the barely suppressed smile on his lips, Shen Tang knew that Chu Yao was extremely satisfied with his abilities after achieving perfection, which was worthy of the storms and crises he had endured. Seeing this, Shen Tang could only verbally agree.
Why did you just agree verbally?
As soon as Shen Tang opened her eyes, she did a somersault.
"Justice, justice, where is justice?"
Her movement was so sudden that Ji Moqiu didn't have time to react, and the medicine in his hand was knocked over, spilling most of it onto his clothes. He patiently wiped the medicine with a handkerchief and had someone bring him another bowl. Outside the tent, the gloomy, sour smell of Gu Chi could be heard.
"Tsk, the moment the lord woke up, he didn't ask about public or private matters, but immediately asked where Luan Gongyi was. If this were recorded in history, Luan Gongyi would be the undisputed number one favorite minister, overshadowing all of us 'old and faded'!"
Qin Li then entered as well.
Gu Chi said, "Look, he's as strong as a calf."
An ordinary person would be weak for a while after being unconscious for three days and three nights, but the lord would start to unleash his inexhaustible brute force as soon as he opened his eyes.
Shen Tang didn't even look at what Ji Moqiu brought over. She put it to her lips and gulped it down. Caught off guard, she choked, and some brown medicine spilled from her nostrils, causing her to bend over in a disheveled state: "Cough cough—Did the High Priest force me to drink a bowl of shit?"
It's the thicker version.
It's a mixture of all sorts of flavors: sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, salty, and pungent.
The problem was that the dregs at the bottom of the bowl were still sticky, overflowing into her entire mouth, making her want to vomit but not daring to, and wanting to swallow but not being able to.
Ji Moqiu: "A bowl of poison, but it tastes bad."
The effect is quite good.
No matter how much the Lord and Chu Yao did during the completion ceremony, it wouldn't affect their physical bodies in reality. Otherwise, how could they be so energetic and full of vigor as soon as they woke up? The taste was indeed a bit strange, but it was effective.
"Your cooking hasn't improved at all."
"Indeed, it's not as good as Your Highness's cooking." Those who have eaten there all say that her cooking is so good that it makes people want to die for it and can't stop eating.
Ji Mo Qiu Shen agreed, saying it was indeed very good.
Qin Li handed over a handkerchief, and Gu Chi, understanding the situation, also offered him a glass of water.
"Ugh—" Shen Tang gulped down the entire contents of her drink, and only then did the lingering nausea subside slightly. "Where is Gongyi now? If Gongyi is in the camp, tell him to come over and open the blind box quickly. I asked Wu Hui, but he was being secretive and wouldn't tell me."
Gu Chi asked in surprise, "Wu Hui has overcome that hurdle?"
Not long ago, Fang Yan and Ji Moqiu were issued critical condition notices.
If the lord were to go out and take a look, he would find that the camp has already begun preparing for the funeral. White banners are hung up, and Wei Shou, who received the news, has traveled a thousand miles to attend the funeral. When he arrived yesterday, he was completely insane, crying and sniffling. He probably wasn't even this heartbroken when his own parents died. What's even more insane is that Wei Shou and Chu Jie even disregarded etiquette and made Chu Yao lie in a golden nanmu coffin.
They built a large tomb in the style of "huangchang ticou" (a type of ancient Chinese tomb structure).
Why can't he be buried with the rites due to royalty?
Having served Kangguo for over a decade, he still doesn't deserve the respect due to a king or nobleman?
Even if the Lord knew and still approved, I know this is treasonous, and I don't need you all looking at me like that. When the Lord wakes up, I'll take full responsibility for my actions. Military law or being dismissed, whatever, sob sob—
Wei Shou wept like a boiling kettle.
Chu Jie remained calm, but the burly man's eyes were red with anger.
Gu Chi: [...]
It's not a question of whether they're a good match or not.
The problem is that Chu Yao is not dead yet!
Even if he was barely breathing, he was still hanging on by a thread. It was too early to argue about this now. At least they should wait for their lord to wake up—although even if their lord woke up, he would most likely go mad along with the two of them, or even more so. Gu Chi and the others dared not even think about how this matter would end.
No matter how much I wanted to say, I had to swallow it all.
Chu Wuhui, Chu Wuhui, why did it have to be at this time?
With the emperor in a coma, Gongxi Chouluo and several others are away on campaign, while Gongyang Yongye and Luo San are strong but have little military power. Wei Shou and Chu Jie, on the other hand, can mobilize more than 30% of Kangguo's elite troops during wartime. If this were to cause trouble, it would truly be a catastrophe.
They couldn't stop them no matter what.
[A glimmer of hope appears after all...]
Gu Chi let the two men watch over Chu Yao and mourn.
A heartfelt prayer: [May things truly take a turn for the better.]
As long as they haven't completely gone mad, there's still a chance to salvage the situation.
With such a major incident occurring in the camp, everyone had to try their best to conceal it, not giving the enemy a chance to react and launch a sneak attack. Not everyone could stay here; only one or two people could remain to take turns keeping watch, notifying their colleagues as soon as any news broke. Gu Chi and Qin Li had spent the entire night staring at each other, barely waking up until dawn. Ji Moqiu entered the tent to feed the lord his medicine, and then heard the lord call out Luan Gongyi's name, which made Gu Chi's face contort with anger.
Why Luan Gongyi?
Couldn't it be Gu Wangchao?
Shen Tang clapped his hands and laughed, "He's over it! He's over it! Justice must hurry up and bring him back, fresh and hot, a perfect ending!"
She smiled and opened the tent flap.
She immediately took a step back, closed her eyes, and lifted the curtain again, confirming several times that she wasn't seeing things. A look of panic and confusion appeared on Shen Tang's face as she stared intently at Gu Chi and the other man, her fists clenched tightly: "Who...why did they hang up the white banner these past few days?"
There aren't many people qualified to hang a white banner!
ヽ(ー_ー)ノ
Tangmei: It's okay if I don't get it on the first try, I still have a backup!
(End of this chapter)
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