"...You don't believe me."
"As a child, I stood alone in the battlefield ruins, unable to even... cry or get angry. I was just lost... Then, I saw a monkey eating a rice ball."
"Monkey..." Chun Hei repeated, mentally guessing it might refer to the Sculptor.
"Yes, it looked delicious." Yongzhen nodded, taking another hearty swig of the Dragonspring sake, "So delicious it made me resentful."
"After that, the monkey gave the rice ball to me. It was truly... incredibly delicious..."
"That was a kind monkey."
"Heh heh... so kind." Yongzhen smiled faintly, her face growing redder.
[HOST DRAGONSPRING]
Chun Hei pressed his advantage, seeing if he could get things done tonight. "Come, let's drink to our hearts' content!"
"Oh my, this is Dragonspring wine..."
Yongzhen seemed to accept everything, taking the Dragonspring wine. "Then I won't be polite."
*Gulp gulp gulp...*
"...Haa..."
After downing four cups, aside from her blushing cheeks, radiant glow, and charming voice, she showed no other signs of intoxication.
Yongzhen is truly a hearty drinker!
"...Honestly."
"What's wrong?" /
"No, if Lord Isshin got his hands on this pot of Dragonspring wine... he'd gather a crowd in Ashina Castle... and hold a rowdy banquet."
That was indeed Isshin's style.
"At such times, everyone would abandon Lord Dōgen and take a stroll behind the castle."
"Behind the castle... what's there?" Chun Hei's mind immediately jumped to potential treasures.
It was a common affliction for gamers.
"Well now." Yongzhen exhaled, her hazy eyes becoming a little alluring. "The Serpent's Coil."
"What's that?"
"Far away... the direction from which the source water flows... In that direction, one can see immense vortex clouds, often accompanied by lightning. Lord Genichiro would often swing his sword while glaring at those lightning-filled clouds..."
Through Yongzhen's description, Chun Hei could vividly picture the harmonious scene in his mind.
Turning to see the world engulfed in flames outside, he felt a profound sense of emotion.
His heart felt heavy, seeing a once-prosperous city turned into a bloody charnel house.
The great figures who once stirred the world were either old or dead, yet their romantic tales still circulated in the martial world, living carefree lives.
Yongzhen, speaking her mind after drinking, likely felt a great deal of emotion too.
Important figures were friends or cherished juniors, only to meet their end in combat, a thought that brought infinite melancholy.
Perhaps speaking these buried thoughts would make her feel a little more comfortable.
At this moment, perhaps due to the effects of the wine, Yongzhen swayed slightly as she stood.
Chun Hei was still contemplating.
Contemplating if he could break the NPC protection limit and carry this woman home?
He paused, shaking off his distractions.
The golden protective aura around the NPC cooled him down considerably. It seemed he would have to wait for the countless netizens to create their fan works.
If a VR version could be made, it would be an epic breakthrough for games of the Liu Bei type!
Of course,
Such thoughts could only remain in his heart.
"I'm off to work."
"Farewell~~~" Yongzhen supported her forehead with one hand, bowing slightly.
Chun Hei clasped his hands together and turned towards the nearby Sculptor's Idol.
"Brothers, the path is clear. I've now obtained the scent of the source, qualifying me to travel to the Divine Realm. Now, at the stone gate deep within the Mibu Village, one can reach the Divine Realm. I don't know what new content this new map holds, but before that, I should pay a visit to the Sculptor."
This outwardly righteous demeanor was a stark contrast to the one who had just acted erratically towards the alluring beauty.
The viewers were stunned.
They said love was fleeting, but the streamer was too fast.
He had entered the sage mode just like that!
Chun Hei didn't interact much with the chat, his mind filled with Yongzhen's words.
The Sculptor was likely the previous Shura. After Isshin severed his arm, he spent the latter half of his life atoning.
But,
Even so, in the end, the fire of sin in his heart had reached its boiling point.
Perhaps he would never see the Sculptor again, so he decided to make amends with those around him before departing.
However, just as he reached the corner near the dilapidated temple,
Chun Hei overheard the Sculptor and Yongzhen conversing:
Sculptor: "Yongzhen... can you truly accept doing this?"
"I'm actually unsure." Yongzhen: "To sever immortality... for the Prince or for that one... one must die."
Chun Hei: !!!
The implication of Yongzhen's words – that to sever the Dragon's Heritage, either he or the Prince had to die – shocked him.
He strained his ears to listen further.
A brief silence fell upon the scene.
Yongzhen: "Why must it be this way..."
"So... that's why you kept it from him?"
"Because, that ape... if you give this to him, he'll surely die."
She still loves me, that's why she kept it from me.
Chun Hei, a pure love enthusiast, thought blissfully. Because if Wolf survived and Chun Hei himself learned of this, their first choice would be to end their sinful lives to allow the Prince to return to normal.
As for Wolf, his loyalty to the Prince had surpassed that of his adoptive father.
Chun Hei himself felt that ending his sinful life might be the most perfect conclusion.
After all, as Wolf, he had committed far too many killings in Ashina Castle.
However, this was just a game.
Chun Hei didn't plan to settle for just one ending; he intended to achieve all of them, even the Shura ending.
Because he also wanted to have a fight with the aged Isshin. Although doing so would mean slaying Yongzhen, for the sake of a complete gaming experience, he would still do it.
"If it were the true Wolf, he would decide the use of his own fangs himself." The Sculptor said calmly, "...Looking at your expression, you seem to have made up your mind."
"You know, that whistle will surely..."
The Sculptor seemed unusually talkative today. "Emit a sorrowful... yet incredibly beautiful tone. Make good use of it."
Chun Hei nodded, then turned to Yongzhen beside him.
"Lord Wolf, you've arrived." Yongzhen's demeanor had returned to its usual dignified and polite attitude. Chun Hei still preferred the more alluring Yongzhen.
"Did you learn anything from the Sculptor?"
"No, regarding returning to mortality, I need to find other clues..." Yongzhen did not speak the truth. She did not wish for Wolf to die.
However, Chun Hei had no intention of beating around the bush with her any longer. He stated directly: "One of us must die."
"Hmm!"
Yongzhen gasped, speechless.
"So, what exactly is going on?"
"You heard everything."
"Tell me." Chun Hei's attitude was firm.
"...I saw it myself." Yongzhen, realizing she couldn't hide it, began to speak slowly, "That day, under the Great Serpentbone Tree... Kuro attempted to take his own life..."
"Why did he attempt suicide?"
"He said, [The immortality granted by the Dragon's Heritage blood binds its master]..."
"To return to mortality, the one who accepted the Dragon's Heritage blood must die." Chun Hei finished her unspoken words directly.
"...Yes, you are correct."
"But at that time, he still hadn't succeeded in returning to mortality."
"Yes, it's likely because the Mortal Blade was missing." Yongzhen analyzed, then looked at Chun Hei, "I don't want to lose Prince Kuro, nor do I want to lose you."
*Whoosh!!*
Upon hearing Yongzhen's latter remark, Chun Hei's mind went blank. He was completely stunned.
Was this... was this a confession?
Compared to Chun Hei's delayed reaction, the live stream chat reacted much more crudely... it exploded!!!
......
(I'm so fierce!!)
(Although it's a bit filler~~~ but I feel like I've written all the cool stuff I wanted to, it's so damn satisfying?!!!)