"Lian'er, you just let him sign that precious Nether River Contract? And you even tricked him into thinking it was a Shura Contract. Although I do think he met the requirements to sign it, his strength and willpower really aren't up to par." Ayase leaned against the sofa, looking at Chu Lian, who sat by the lake with her hand idly stirring the water.
"Why not? Since he has the drive for revenge, I'll give him a push. Sometimes strength and willpower are secondary. What matters to me is his objective. After all, walking the path of becoming stronger in order to avenge one's enemies—isn't that very much like a kingly storyline?"
"Though by now, she has probably realized that she's turned into a woman." Chu Lian stood up and looked at her reflection in the water, as if she could see a pair of demonic wings unfurling behind her.
"Suit yourself. That thing cost 100,000 Dream Points. It was one of the best rewards you got from the Dungeon Space, and you just used it like that. What a waste. I never liked her to begin with. Even if she's a girl now, I still won't like her." Ayase yawned. She had never hidden her likes and dislikes, nor did she mind voicing them.
"I know you're still annoyed about how he kept pestering me before. But that's all in the past. I've let it go. The thoughts of youth—everyone has them. I did too, back then, which is why I ended up entangled in so many ill-fated connections. No matter what, the item has already been used on her."
"As for whether she can reach the level I envision, that depends on her own will. If even the desire for revenge against the person who slaughtered her family cannot make her stronger, then she's nothing but useless clay. If that's the case, I won't help her again, and it won't be my concern anymore."
Chu Lian smiled faintly. Saying this was almost the same as admitting she pitied Wang Tingsi and, for old times' sake, was giving her a chance. It was mercy—and also a kind of 'care' the strong bestowed upon the weak.
"You really have changed a lot. Right now, you look like someone with the heart of an angel doing the deeds of a devil. It seems that as long as someone isn't just a passerby in your life, you'll still act in a way that lets you sleep at night."
Ayase's words made her pause. She shook her head and laughed. "Angel? Devil? Is it necessary to draw such a clear line? They're just methods of action. As long as your heart is kind—or what you do makes people think you're kind—even a devil can become an angel, can't it?"
"You're not wrong. But I don't have much confidence in that girl. I don't think she can do it. Someone raised in comfort won't truly change just because her family was destroyed. Even with her home shattered and her relatives dead, I don't believe she'll change all that much."
"I've seen through her. If she hadn't been born into a great family like the Wangs, even with extraordinary talent, she probably wouldn't have grown far in an ordinary household. Temperament determines everything, doesn't it? But Ayase—if she really brings out her heartless and ruthless side, then the path of Shura would suit her perfectly."
"I'm really looking forward to seeing whether, when she returns from the Nether River, I'll gain an obedient and powerful little maid." The corner of Chu Lian's lips curled into an unusual smile. How could she not understand Wang Tingsi's temperament? That had always been one of the reasons she disliked her. This time, under the guise of helping her, she had instead turned her into her most obedient servant. Wasn't that amusing?
In the past, she would never have done such a thing. But after everything she had experienced—especially the perilous steps in the Dungeon Space, the days of wearing a mask every moment—she had begun to take everything more lightly.
In truth, the real change had come after she killed someone and no longer needed to rely on Dark Chu Lian to absorb her negative emotions. That was when she had truly grown—when she dared to shoulder everything herself.
"Let me say this first. If you touch her in the future, don't even think about touching me again." Chu Lian's words made Ayase understand her intentions. She said nothing more, only issued a warning.
"Of course. Her heart is still that of a boy. I have no interest in her. Besides, at this point she'll definitely try to suppress the desires of her new body through slaughter, won't she? After all, achieving the Desire Shura isn't that easy. Her soul was already chaotic—hypocritical, greedy, filled with things she wanted, and riddled with fatal weaknesses. Trying to control the body of a Desire Shura won't be easy at all."
"Mm. The simplest method would be to find someone to have sex with. But I can guarantee that if she chooses that path, she'll die on the road to growth. She'll probably figure that out soon enough. Either kill—or sink into desire and never crawl out again. Until she reaches the Heaven rank, it's impossible for her to freely control that chaotic desire. So..." Chu Lian turned and left a final sentence behind her. "Those who cannot control themselves will only become dust crushed beneath the wheels of history."
"But in my plan, even dust has its use." Her steps were light, her smile bright. No outsider would ever guess she was plotting against someone.
"I'm happy to see you grow. But your rate of growth is terrifying. You used to be a tsundere loli, and now you've suddenly turned into a scheming loli. I'm really not used to this change in art style, Lian'er." Ayase took a slow sip of red wine and sighed softly.
"What's happened these days made me realize that if I don't work harder, everything will leave me. The world doesn't revolve around me. I can only follow the tide of change, find my own position within it, adapt, change, and become someone others can rely on." Chu Lian lowered her head. She knew she might have gone a bit too far.
But had she really gone too far?
In the past, she could refrain out of softness. She could give up easy gains out of reluctance. But now that she carried these responsibilities, she was destined never to act that way again.
Only by doing this can I become your safe harbor. No matter what, I have to try my best to achieve it.
"Is my change really so unlikable?" Chu Lian murmured softly. She truly wished she were still the girl who understood nothing, who had not experienced so much, who only wanted to complete system quests—not the calculating person she had become.
Someone like this... must be very unpleasant, right?
"No. Your nature hasn't changed. What's changed are your methods and your decisiveness—and that's a good thing. Girl, you're finally growing up. No matter what age your body appears to be in the future, your heart must understand that the word 'responsibility' isn't something you just say lightly. Since you want them to stay by your side, then your responsibility will be several times greater than that of an ordinary person. Only then will you be qualified to do so—only then will they feel at ease."
Ayase set down her wineglass, curled her bare legs up on the sofa, and spoke softly, "Your future is already beyond calculation. The moment you made that decision, everything began to deviate. This world is both a stage and the place where you grow. How far you can ultimately reach depends on your own effort. The only thing I can do is become the wings that let you fly."
"I know. If the world is a stage, then I'll strive to be the protagonist. Even if I can't make everything revolve around me, at the very least I can decide whether the people around me stay together. Mm, I know that's supposed to be the scriptwriter's and director's job. But if I don't try, how would I know I can't do it?" Holding her parasol, Chu Lian stepped back onto the main road and walked along the path she had come from.
"That's true." With a faint smile, Ayase closed her eyes and gradually drifted to sleep. Lian'er had grown up. Compared to half a month ago—when she could almost only rely on acting spoiled and throwing tantrums to get what she wanted—she was far more mature now.
Although inside she was still that tsundere, shameless loli, her methods had become much more sophisticated. She could even calculate the maximum value of someone's usefulness. What a terrifying person.
Well, at the end of the day, she was still just a loli. A few random tricks would be enough to subdue her. For example, H. Or H. Or perhaps H again. Wasn't that amusing?
"By the way, Ayase, didn't you say you had something to deal with? Why haven't you left yet? Are you waiting until the system upgrades to the second phase? That'll take a long time. If it's delayed, it'll be troublesome." Chu Lian recalled what Ayase had mentioned in the Dungeon Space. She should be leaving soon, shouldn't she?
"Mm. In a few days. Once you've settled in at school, I'll leave. I promise I'll be back within half a month at the latest. At the earliest... maybe just three days. Normally leaving would cost a lot of Dream Points, but when I exchanged points with you before, I kept some aside. It's more than enough. Ahem. And in the future, we won't be able to exchange Dream Points between ourselves anymore. Otherwise you won't have to find legitimate ways to obtain them." Ayase seemed to have let something slip and looked a little embarrassed.
"I know. That's why I exchanged as much as I could while you still could. Actually, the price is the same as exchanging with the system. You just lowered the amount you gave me. The extra must have been saved for this, right? I'm not stupid. I can guess your plan, Ayase." Chu Lian's eyes curved into crescents, clearly pleased with herself.
"Yes. Very obedient. Very smart. That's exactly why I can't bear to leave you. When it comes to the people you care about, you almost never care about material things. What you want is simply to accomplish what you wish to do at that moment. Do you know? That side of you makes my heart ache." As Ayase spoke, her voice gradually lowered and her breathing grew faint.
Chu Lian extended her spiritual sense inward. Seeing her like this, a trace of heartache flashed through her eyes. She leaned down and gently kissed Ayase's forehead, murmuring, "Good night. Rest well... Those Heavenly Demons—I'll handle them for you..."
Watching the tightness between her brows gradually ease, a faint smile appearing on her face, Chu Lian finally let out a breath of relief. How can I ever let go of you like this?
"Ayase, I will become someone who can stand in front of you without fear—someone who faces thousands of troops before you do. I promise. That day won't be far away..." She squeezed her hand lightly before withdrawing.
She did not notice the tear that slipped from the corner of Ayase's eye, shattering within her long hair—and within tangled strands of affection.
"Shiroha, help me pull up what I just obtained." Her consciousness returned to her body. Seeing the crowds passing by, Chu Lian hesitated briefly before asking Shiroha to list it out.
A system screen visible only to her appeared before her, displaying the items she had just gained from her transaction with Wang Tingsi.
"Bloodline of the King: The Wang family's ancestors were the Liu clan of the great Han. After the empire fractured, to prevent the family from vanishing completely from history, the last royal branch carried most of the national treasure, concealed their identities, and became today's Wang family. Within this family, the kingly bloodline has always been passed down, seemingly waiting for the day it reappears before the world as royalty once more. Evaluation: SS-rank. Effect: After use, you will obtain the identity of a king. Note: This item can be fused."
There was almost no chance Chu Lian would use this vial of bloodline. After a glance, she stored it away. Since it could be fused, she would wait until she found something suitable and merge them together. Presumably, what she gained then would suit her even better.
"Soul of the White Serpent: When Liu Bang rose in rebellion by slaying the white serpent, its soul entangled itself with his. After years of circulation, it is close to transforming into a dragon. Evaluation: Pseudo-SS rank. Effect: After use, you will obtain the White Serpent bloodline. Note: If it successfully transforms into a dragon, it can become a true SS-rank, fifth-tier True White Dragon bloodline."
"Fragment of the Emperor's Path Sword: A shard of the blade of Chixiao. It can guide you to search for the remaining pieces. When all fragments are gathered, the imperial sword will reappear and the sovereign shall descend. Evaluation: 1/7, S-rank. Emperor's Path Sword—Chixiao Evaluation: EX-rank."
"Karmic Ties of a Previous Life: This is the entanglement between you and Liu Bang across past and present lives. After extraction, he will no longer be drawn to your side by the bonds of fate, and you will have no further connection with the Wang family. At the same time, because your destined rival has failed, your fate as a tyrant has been altered into that of a king. Evaluation: None. After use, sever past ties and obtain the bearing of a king."
Of all these items, only the last was something she truly needed. Smiling faintly, she crushed the small bead. It felt as though everything had changed—and yet nothing had.
Realizing she had been standing there for quite some time, Chu Lian stopped paying attention to the remaining items and swayed lightly as she walked home.
After all, no one else could see what she had just done. They hadn't even noticed her presence. There was no need to worry about it.
Still, she hadn't expected the reward from this transaction to be so abundant. It seemed she had obtained what she desired most. And what I received wasn't what I desired—so it was all handed to me instead? This transaction... how interesting.
No matter what, from this day forward, the relationship between girl and boy would exist only as an unrecorded fragment of history.
Of course, the girl's journey was only now turning into a brand-new chapter.
These were witnesses. Unfortunately, they would never know that they had once beheld that very moment.