Chapter 44 Points Progress: Doesn't she like him, but like someone else? ...
Hua Deng woke up in Shen Zhou's arms as usual.
She slept so soundly last night that when she opened her eyes, it took her a while to come to her senses.
She remained dazed for a while before slowly turning around, changing from having her back to Shen Zhou to facing him.
After finishing this task, she couldn't help but feel a moment of daze.
She didn't actually like interacting with people, but she never felt uncomfortable with Shen Zhou. It was as if they could do the most intimate things together, as if it was their natural order of things.
Is it because they are a couple practicing Daoist arts?
Hua Deng hesitated for a moment, then suddenly felt the arms around her waist tighten. She nestled into his chest and silently listened to his breathing and heartbeat.
The arm around her waist remained motionless. Being held like this sometimes gave her the illusion that this person was also depending on her.
She closed her eyes and pretended to sleep for a while, when suddenly a mechanical voice, which she hadn't heard for several days, rang in her mind: "Host, host, good news!"
Hua Deng: "Shut up."
System: "This is really good news! Your points progress is almost at 20%, and you'll be able to claim a stage gift pack soon!"
Hua Deng knew what the points progress was. In principle, she could accumulate more points by completing tasks and interacting with this world, but in reality, the points progress was progressing at a snail's pace, causing her to completely forget about it.
She opened the panel and looked at it, wondering, "Wasn't it only 8% before? How did it suddenly increase so much?"
"It's because the Heavenly Dao energy in this world is too weak that the points haven't been increasing," the system said. "But these past two days, you've been with Shen Zhou, and for some reason, your points have been increasing at an unbelievably fast pace."
Shen Zhou has this function? I should have spent more time with him.
Hua Deng asked, "What's in the gift package?"
"The host can select any character in the book, learn about him, or change his favorability towards the host."
That's it?
"……Yes."
It seems I won't get the awesome prop I imagined. Hua Deng sighed in disappointment and said, "Then I want to know about Chen Zhou's past."
"Sorry, host, this won't work." The system rejected the request.
"Why isn't it working again? Why is that?" Hua Deng said, dissatisfied.
The system said with difficulty, "Because we can't find any information about his past."
"You guys are really good at cooking," Hua Deng said. "Then I won't use it, I'll keep it for now."
"Host, don't worry. When I was in hibernation, headquarters upgraded me. Now I can report directly to headquarters. Let me explain your needs to them."
Hua Deng hummed in agreement and waited quietly. After a while, the system returned and said to her happily, "Host, it's a success. Headquarters has approved your request."
"Didn't you say you couldn't find any information about him?" Hua Deng asked suspiciously.
"That's because we can't get in touch with him at all, but you can," the system said. "As long as you stay by his side like this, we can use you as a medium to retrospectively deduce his fate and thus locate his position in the timeline."
Hua Deng's first reaction was to withdraw her hand, and then she said, "Never mind, I don't need it."
She wasn't sure if this would have a negative impact on Shen Zhou.
"Host, you don't need to worry. What you can see are all things from the past, like a memory, and will not have any impact on him now."
After a pause, the system said with a slightly bitter expression, "Moreover, my power is simply not enough to hurt him. I don't dare to come out every time he sees you."
These two have been inseparable lately, and they don't even dare to make a sound or use the device while it's on.
Hua Deng hesitated for a moment, but still firmly shook her head: "No, you can keep the mission reward."
System: "Actually..."
"Um?"
"Sorry, host, I already redeemed it at headquarters."
"..." Hua Deng sighed, "Fine, this is the last time. Are you sure there are no side effects?"
"OK, OK," the system quickly replied.
"So how far are you from 20%?"
"Only 3% left."
Hua Deng hugged Chen Zhou tighter: "Was it useful?"
"It's working! Keep it up, host!" The system was very excited as it watched the numbers increase. "Host, try kissing him!"
"Oh? That's not a good idea."
Hua Deng said this, but in her heart she was thinking that they had kissed before, and since Shen Zhou was asleep this time, there might not be another chance.
She made a quick decision and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek.
She had just finished kissing him when she saw Shen Zhou's eyelashes tremble, as if he was about to wake up at any moment. She immediately lay down, closed her eyes, and pretended to be asleep.
After waiting a while without any movement, she pretended to wake up, yawning as she asked, "What time is it now?"
Shen Zhou said calmly, "You can sleep a little longer at the hour of Mao (5-7 AM)."
Hua Deng propped herself up in bed, stole a glance at his face to make sure he seemed normal and unaware of what had just happened, then breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I'm not going to sleep anymore, I need to get up and cultivate. Tomorrow is the new competition."
"Um."
"Aren't you going to stay with me?" Hua Deng asked, looking at him.
Shen Zhou lowered his eyes and said, "I have taught you everything I should have taught you."
“No, my opponent tomorrow is Tang Yifeng. He is a sword cultivator and you are a sword cultivator too. You must know his sword moves. You can be my sparring partner.”
"……knew."
Finally, after receiving Shen Zhou's approval, Hua Deng got up with satisfaction, dressed, and went out to practice his skills.
Shen Zhou remained seated on the bed, the door opening and closing repeatedly. The room was still somewhat dim, with only a few rays of light penetrating the half-open window and shining obliquely on his reddened ear tips.
He raised his hand and very slowly pressed it against his cheek.
Why did she do this again?
He had already let her go last time.
He moved his hand down from his cheek and placed it on his neck, quietly counting his pulse.
He jumped fifteen times in ten breaths.
He must be about to break through the tribulation.
...
Shen Zhou was a highly skilled sparring partner. He could adjust his swordsmanship to be exactly the same as Tang Yifeng's, and he spent the whole afternoon sparring with Hua Deng.
Even the style of swordplay, the counterattack and attack postures are simulated very well.
The lights were breathtaking. After practicing all afternoon, I felt more confident.
Shen Zhou echoed, "He's no match for you, so you can relax."
Hua Deng nodded with a smile, but remained vigilant.
At night, she laid out two quilts and prepared to go to bed. She didn't need to take her medicine today, and she couldn't wait to have a drink to celebrate.
Shen Zhou showed no sign of relief, standing calmly by the bed and saying, "I'm going to cultivate tonight..."
Hua Deng, clutching her blanket, looked at him expectantly: "Why? Can't you stay and keep me company? It's so comfortable to cultivate in bed."
Shen Zhou paused for a moment: "You really want me to stay?"
Hua Deng nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes."
She's still waiting for the points gift pack.
Shen Zhou sat down, his eyes and brows hidden in the shadows, and nodded slightly: "Okay."
Hua Deng was satisfied, rolled to the side, and fell asleep first.
Shen Zhou was genuinely cultivating, but listening to her breathing, he somehow grew tired of it. His meditation turned into a light sleep, and then he actually fell asleep. They spent the night in this way, their breaths entwined.
The following morning, Hua Deng, full of energy, rushed out of his room and headed to the martial arts arena to participate in the competition.
Shen Zhou did not follow her, but remained in the room as usual, releasing a wisp of his divine sense.
Inevitably, there will be some bumps and scrapes in the game. He was afraid that if he saw Hua Deng get injured, he might kill the person on the other side, which would definitely not make Hua Deng happy.
It's too much trouble, so I'd better not go.
The match went very smoothly. Tang Yifeng's moves were exactly the same as Shen Zhou's imitations. Hua Deng easily dealt with them and won the match as expected, advancing to the semi-finals.
She was slightly injured and not feeling well, so she only greeted Su Yiqing before heading to her room.
However, on the way, she met Pei Duyun again, who invited her to have tea, just like last time.
Hua Deng's back was aching, so he replied perfunctorily, "My Daoist partner is still waiting for me, so I can't make it today."
Pei Duyun gave her a deep look, then suddenly said, "Miss Hua, do you only have one Daoist partner?"
Hua Deng: "Huh?"
She remembered that there seemed to be no such thing as bigamy in the cultivation world.
Pei Duyun chuckled and said, "I just think that a cultivator as outstanding as Miss Hua should not be confined to one person. There are many beautiful sights in the Nine Provinces, so why not take a look?"
Hua Deng casually made up a story: "Unfortunately, my Daoist partner is really petty, so of all the beautiful women in the world, I only dare to take one."
Before Pei Duyun could say anything more, a deep voice suddenly came from behind him: "Hua Deng."
He saw the girl's expression change instantly. She was no longer the absent-minded girl who was just going through the motions. Her clear black and white eyes became incredibly bright, and a radiant smile bloomed on her face. She waved goodbye to him and ran towards the other side.
What brings you here?
When Pei Duyun turned around, he heard her smiling voice, which was tinged with surprise, like she was being coquettish.
The person opposite her held her hand, frowned, and said, "You're injured, go home soon."
He led the lantern forward, his voice fading into the distance: "Let me tell you, it's all Tang Yifeng's fault for ambushing me with a hidden weapon. He's a complete scoundrel..."
Throughout the entire ordeal, no matter how Pei Duyun stared at him, the man never turned around to look at him.
So he didn't understand.
Why did that person, whose cultivation level was far lower than his and whose appearance was also unremarkable, give him a chilling feeling of being regarded as an ant?
Why would Hua Deng choose such a guy as her Daoist partner?
...
On the way back, Hua Deng noticed that Shen Zhou's expression was not very good.
She asked curiously, "What's wrong? Do you owe money again?"
Shen Zhou pulled her into the room, took out medicine for her injuries, and only then did he let go of her hand that he had been holding, and asked in a low voice, "You and him are very close?"
Even the sect leader of Yaoqing Sect didn't dare approach Hua Deng, yet this ridiculous Nascent Soul stage cultivator dared to stare at her again and again.
If everyone in the world died, no one would look at her like that anymore.
Hua Deng paused for a moment before realizing who he was talking about, then shook her head and said, "No, I'm not familiar with him. Maybe he likes me."
"Like?" Shen Zhou spoke slowly, as if chewing on the word. "Like the kind of liking Duan Yi has for you?"
“How could that be?” Hua Deng laughed. “How could Duan Yi be considered to like him? He’s just a beast.”
She thought for a moment and explained, "Liking someone is about appreciating, understanding, and being moved; it's a very beautiful feeling."
Shen Zhou handed her the medicine, and as she took off her coat, he suddenly asked, "Does that guy surnamed Pei like you?"
"may be."
Hua Deng then took off her undergarments, which aggravated her wound and made her hiss in pain.
Shen Zhou removed her undergarment for her, then asked, "You like him too?"
Hua Deng's hand trembled, her ears inexplicably burning, and she quickly replied, "Of course not! Why would I like him?"
Chen Zhou remained silent.
Appreciation, understanding, and attraction—he lacked these. To him, liking was a base emotion, a weed to be trampled upon on the path of spiritual cultivation. Yet Hua Deng said it was a beautiful feeling.
This beautiful love caused the mother unbearable pain and drove Yin Zejing to his death.
He continued to help Hua Deng remove her inner garment, and said calmly, "If you don't like him, would you like someone else?"
If that person causes Hua Deng pain, then kill him.
No. That person should never have existed in the first place.
Strangely, when he thought of this, the scene from last night suddenly popped into his mind.
In the pitch black, she whispered in his ear, wrapped her arms around his, and repeated over and over, "I don't hate you."
I don't dislike him.
For a moment, an idea suddenly popped into his head.
It was only for a fleeting moment. He thought, what if she hadn't said those four words, but instead—
"I can't reach it." The sound of the streetlights interrupted his thoughts.
He snapped out of his reverie, his gaze falling on her snow-white back and the shallow wound, and whispered, "I'll help you."
“Okay…” Hua Deng convinced herself that it was no big deal and obediently leaned her back towards him. “Then you can do it.”
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