Chapter 113: The Aloof Immortal and the Wealthy Prince 02

On the official road outside Jin City.

Zhongli Mingji staggered along the path, forcing himself to endure the sharp pain coursing through his limbs and body, eager to reach Jin City and return to the Lingxiao Sect.

(In this world, he is known as Lu Yan, referred to as Zhongli Mingji.)

Yet at this moment, he struggled with every step, feeling an immense pressure weighing down on him.

This pressure came from the Heavenly Dao.

The Heavenly Dao did not want Zhongli Mingji to return to the Lingxiao Sect, nor did it wish for him to disrupt the plot.

If Zhongli Mingji were to return smoothly, how could the main storyline unfold as intended?

Zhongli Mingji halted, his long black hair, severed of its crown during the thunder tribulation, fell freely over his shoulders.

He stood not far from Jin City, his gaze fixed intensely on the distant sky.

His hair danced in the spring breeze, and a complex expression crossed his handsome face.

“……” It seemed he could not rely on external forces to return; otherwise, he would be targeted by the Heavenly Dao.

It wasn’t that he was afraid to take action against the Heavenly Dao, which secretly manipulated this world, but rather that its demise would lead to troublesome consequences, including a deduction of his merits.

This deal was not worth it; he could not act recklessly.

System 729 asked anxiously: 【Host, should I talk to the Heavenly Dao?】

【We don’t want to kill the male and female leads; why does it need to target you like this?!】

This time’s counterattack mission had nothing to do with the male and female leads; they could pursue their romance as they pleased, as it did not conflict with the host’s mission.

Yet the Heavenly Dao clung to them relentlessly.

Zhongli Mingji blinked his dark eyes, “Go ahead.”

He looked coldly towards the horizon, “If it doesn’t know its place, I will not allow it to disturb my mission, even if it means losing merits.”

The world consciousness was, after all, a materialized overseer transformed from the author’s will; every novel world had such a consciousness.

However, most world consciousnesses remained hidden and rarely appeared as external entities.

This world’s consciousness, embodied as the Heavenly Dao, was an exception.

【Alright!】 System 729 flapped its six wings and departed, behaving obediently in front of its host but acting quite boldly before the world consciousness.

【If you continue to bully my host, don’t blame me for making you disappear completely.】

“You dare threaten me?!”

【What’s wrong with threatening you? Why didn’t you say anything when you were bullying Zhongli Mingji?!】

“If Zhongli Mingji doesn’t die, how will the plot begin? Can you stop being unreasonable?!”

【I’m being unreasonable? Can you at least shake your brain evenly before talking to me?!】

System 729 struck back fiercely, 【What does Zhongli Mingji being alive have to do with the plot! If the male and female leads want to fall in love, there are plenty of ways and paths; haven’t you heard that lovers eventually become a couple?!】

“I don’t care; Zhongli Mingji has to die.”

System 729: 【(へ ╬)】

It flapped its wings and collided with the newly materialized world consciousness, causing the little light ball to become dizzy, seeing stars all around.

【If you keep whining, I’ll risk being remade to kill you.】

Though System 729 was a bit useless, it would never allow the world consciousness to harm its host.

Wasn’t it just facing the danger of being remade after killing the world consciousness?

Its host was on the verge of disappearing; if it remained indifferent, that would be a problem.

It had been bound to Lu Yan for sixty thousand years, witnessing Lu Yan’s journey from a novice to a powerhouse.

It would never let anyone bully Lu Yan! It would protect Lu Yan just as Lu Yan protected it, allowing it to play and frolic.

【I’m giving you face to talk nicely; I hope you can use your brain when speaking to me.】

The silver-gray little light ball system pressed against the world consciousness light ball, flapping its wings quickly and striking with precision.

World consciousness: “I… I won’t continue to target Zhongli Mingji…”

“Let me go quickly!”

The black light ball was pinned down tightly, unable to escape the system’s relentless assault.

【That’s more like it; it would have been better if you had done this earlier instead of forcing me to act.】 System 729 slowly released it, returning to the system space to report to its host.

【Host, I’ve taken care of it.】

Zhongli Mingji stood pale by the roadside, vaguely hearing the system’s words.

“……” Just as he wanted to reply, his already crumbling body could no longer withstand the strain and collapsed, falling awkwardly to the ground.

System 729: 【Host!!!】

Returning to his consciousness, Zhongli Mingji sighed and said helplessly, “The injuries to the vessel are too severe; I didn’t want to be so pathetic.”

System 729 glanced at its host’s body in the outside world and couldn’t help but sigh.

【If the original body hadn’t been struck by the thunder tribulation, you wouldn’t have to suffer like this.】

If they had arrived before the original host had experienced the nine-fold thunder tribulation, then neither of them would have to worry so much.

Now they could only wait for the body to recover on its own; otherwise, its host wouldn’t wake up.

Just as the two were feeling troubled, the sound of galloping hooves approached from a distance.

“Clop, clop, clop!”

The horse and rider, rushing back to Jin City, suddenly reined in their horses at the spot where Zhongli Mingji had fainted, dismounting to call out to him.

“Sir, this young man…” The leading young man in blue flipped over the unconscious figure, revealing a face as cold and beautiful as frost and snow.

The young man’s fair face bore slight scars, yet they did not mar his beauty in the slightest.

Even with his eyes tightly closed, one could still imagine the pride and aloofness in his gaze when they opened.

Jin Muhan stared at him, a flutter of excitement creeping into his heart.

A subtle stirring, like a red lotus blooming silently in the snow, blossomed quietly in his heart.

Even the slightest movement could create ripples.

The guard behind Jin Muhan asked, “My lord, shall we save this young man?”

“Save him!” Jin Muhan blurted out a single word, surprising even himself.

He bent down to lift the unconscious injured man, taking Zhongli Mingji with him as he mounted his horse and continued on his way.

This time, they slowed their pace, no longer galloping as they had before.

Jin Muhan occasionally glanced down at the cold, unconscious man in his arms, a slight smile tugging at his lips, revealing a genuine smile.

The guard Wei Xin furrowed his brow slightly, expressing concern, “My lord, the emperor must have summoned you back to the capital to arrange a marriage for you.”

But it seemed his lord had taken a liking to the stranger they had rescued by the roadside.

Jin Muhan replied in a deep voice, “Wei Xin, this prince does not need my father’s random marriage arrangements.”

“This prince did not come to the capital to get married; I came to ask my father to retract his orders.”

He looked down at the young man in his arms, “Now that he is here, this prince will not want anyone else; the other master of the Jing Wang Manor can only be him.”