While he had decided to intervene in the affairs of the Godly and Demonic Continents, Ji Mo did not make any particular movements in the following days after that. He only took Ye Mingjun and Qing Ye out to stroll around like before, as if he was utterly unconcerned about what was happening around him. This had always been the case for the Shrineâs Morning Star Priest â it was only when the High Priest requested his assistance did he accept a mission under specific conditions, never poking his nose into other businesses unless Su Ge ordered him to do so. Thus, while everyone was surprised by how inseparable he and Ye Mingjun had become, they did not find it too odd, no longer batting an eye the more they got used to seeing it.
One day, Ye Mingjun jumped through Ji Moâs window as early as ever. Ji Mo had more or less gotten slowly accustomed to it, letting Ye Mingjun play with his hair as he sat on his bed, saying indifferently, âXianjun, this should be the last day of your punishment.â
Thank god, he no longer had to be startled awake in the mornings. He hadnât had much sleep in the past two weeks, it had practically cut his lifespan by ten years.
As if it was responding to his question, just as Ye Mingjun tied his black hair into a ponytail, the System, which had been thrown out 58 times by a dissatisfied Xianjun for the past couple of days, finally spoke in a long-suffering voice,
âPunishment complete, restarting the system. The capture targetâs favorability has reached 300 during the punishment period, entering the well-acquainted stage. Xianjun can now make physical contact between normal friends, would you like to be issued a new mission at once?â
Tell me, how can there be ânormal friendsâ who are so gay that everybody knows about it? Frankly, Iâve been faintly exuding so much gayness lately that itâs scaring even me !
Although he inwardly criticized the Systemâs weird judgement, Ji Moâs first response toward the relaxed restrictions was to breathe out a sigh of relief. After all, while being touched and hugged by Ye Mingjun wouldnât be too good on his sexuality, it was far more tolerable than having to sleep with the bizarre sight of someone suspended upside-down outside his window. If such horrific punishments were given a few more times, Ji Mo swore that he would mail knives to the Systemâs creator.
The System had not assigned any missions nor announced the favorability meter during the punishment period, and with the accumulated results being presented all at once, even Ye Mingjun felt astonished. Ji Mo had always been a sensitive little guy, and in the past, the favorability meter would rise and fall, never stabilizing. There were times when the meter had dropped rapidly when he casually said something, so he didnât expect the favorability to rise so quickly in the days he wasnât doing his missions.
âIs this what they call âlove grows over timeâ?â
Making a wild guess, Ye Mingjun tried to touch Ji Moâs cheeks, then realized in astonishment that Ji Mo did not shy away from his touch. Ji Mo merely used an unswervingly calm voice to answer, âBecause I now know just how precious Xianjun is. Now that you have handed yourself to me, my favorability will naturally rise at a fast rate.â
Ji Mo was used to treating others with indifference, and once those words had left his mouth, he realized that while they were true, it felt a little heartless. Turning his head uneasily, he added on softly, âAlthough some part of it is because you treat me quite well.â
If he didnât have a mask on, his expression must be very interesting to seeâŠ
Ye Mingjun, who had never enjoyed such treatment from Ji Mo in his life, suddenly had this thought. He then tried to touch Wuyan, but Ji Moâs reaction this time around was a little tense. While he lifted his head to observe Ye Mingjunâs actions, he did not reach out to stop him â in comparison, it may be said that he was far more trusting of him than in the past.
To Ji Mo, Wuyan was equivalent to a screen that projected the outside world into his mind. The immortalâs touch shook his field of vision, making him feel a little dizzy. Seeing the other switch to another angle to poke at his mask while he was caught off guard, and knowing that he couldnât stop Ye Mingjun when he was off causing trouble, gave a stern warning, âXianjun, please cease your stupid and childish actions.â
Is it fun, poking at a screen? Wake up, even if you poked a hole through it, a 2D character wouldnât run out to engage in a gay relationship with you!
After spending a few days giving it serious thought, Ji Mo had also awoken from his initial uncertainty. He had never been someone who had many close friends, but with the sudden appearance of a Ye Mingjun who kept on hovering around him, with extremely good looks to boot, he couldnât help but be a little whimsical.
After all, men were creatures with not many principles, it wasnât strange to be a little impulsive when faced with someone attractive. Lust and feelings were two different things, and humans never did cherish the feelings that could be obtained easily. Right now, Ye Mingjun had no understanding of love and hate. If he put in too much of himself just for a fleeting fancy, he was sure to lose miserably. He couldnât do something as stupid as that.
Just as Ji Mo rationally cautioned himself against being too compliant toward Ye Mingjun, the immortal, who hadnât been pushed away after secretly touching his shoulders, blinked. While it was interesting to see the little guy covered head to toe in thorns, he was much happier that Ji Mo was letting him touch.
Since he had achieved such a result after giving himself to Ji Mo, would they enter the next stage if he gave him another ancient artifact? Eagerly anticipating what a Ji Mo who fell deeply in love with someone would look like, Ye Mingjun said, âIf I give you the Diorama of Civilization, will you fall in love with me?â
Do you think youâre giving away equipment in an online game? Using the best equipment to obtain a wife? Donât think you can do whatever you like just because your flirting skills are tempting me a little, no, absolutely not!
His warnings to himself instantly receiving validation, Ji Mo decisively turned away from him, saying coldly, âSorry, Iâm not in the least interested in such a weird System.â
At this very moment, the poor System, constantly faced with the danger of being given away yet brutally rejected even as a freebie, twisted the knife by interrupting in good time, âXianjun, please behave yourself, the capture targetâs favorability has decreased by ten.â
He hadnât expected that doing that would receive an opposite effect, was it because Ji Mo liked only him, not the Diorama?
As he pondered upon the increasingly profound emotional tasks set by the System, Ye Mingjun realized with a start that he didnât feel very gloomy, he even felt vaguely happy.
Why was he feeling such an emotion? Was it because he had won against the other godly artifacts? But he had never cared about the artifact rankings made by immortals in the pastâŠ
This chapter is scrapped from readlightnovel.org
Just as Ye Mingjun discovered that there was something a little different about himself than before, Ji Mo, who saw him fall silent so suddenly, felt that his cold tone had struck a blow against the immortal. To prevent him from thinking too much, he changed the subject, âHave you noticed anything going on with the High Priest?â
Although they looked as if they had been travelling around in the past few days, Ye Mingjun was actually paying close attention to Su Ge and Chang Huiâs whereabouts each night, scouting out each place they went on the next day by using the excuse of shopping around. As such, they had been able to catch a few clues in the process.
It was hard to completely grab hold of Chang Huiâs tracks, as he had too many identities, and Ji Mo could only vaguely speculate that he had a pretty close relationship with the Demonic Continentâs officials. He had slipped into the Demonic Palace once again the night before, and after negotiating something with Ye Junhou, was actually escorted out of the palace by the guard. It seemed that the Monster Continent had managed to make an offer that convinced the Demon Lord.
Unlike Chang Hui, Su Ge had totally ignored Ye Junhou. Heâd actually been teaching Qing Ye various spells in his room for the past few nights, only visiting the places filled with poor folk or the slave markets, as if he had completely forgotten that he once declared his intention to merge with the Demonic Continent.
While Chang Hui had chosen Ye Junhou, it appeared that Su Ge had chosen the Fei Kingdom.
Lightly tapping the desk with his finger, Ji Mo could more or less deduce how these two would act from the information they had gathered. With Su Geâs temperament, making such a decision wasnât a big surprise, but he would have presumed, from the files delivered by Brilliant Moon, that Chang Hui really hated Ye Junhou, being one of the Fei Kingdomâs city lords all those years ago. It was worth questioning the sincerity of this partnership.
âThey went out last night. Qing Ye had a strange look on his face when they returned.â
Just as Ji Mo was contemplating on these matters, Ye Mingjun also had new information to share. He was originally a godly artifact, and could slip into the Demonic Palace without being discovered, perfect for spying on others.
Hearing this, Ji Mo knew that Su Ge had started to act, and said seriously, âIâll have to trouble Xianjun to bring me to their location.â
Ye Mingjun had never cared about mortal affairs, and Ji Mo ultimately had to search for the clues himself to feel at ease. This had been their way of doing things for the past few days. Ye Mingjun was all too happy to have someone accompanying him to play, and Ji Mo had also been going out of his way to act much more intimate so as to conceal their secret investigation. It was quite a novel experience.
The two of them took a moment to their things, about to search for Qing Ye as usual, but found Su Ge outside the door, whom they hadnât seen in days. Spotting them, the High Priest chuckled softly, âMorning Star Priest, today is the Demonic Continentâs Betrothal Day, the Dark Capital is bustling with activity. I will stay on the ark to protect Qing Ye, both of you may take this chance to enjoy yourselves.â
Leave the work to me, you two can cut your sleeves as much as you like.
Instantly understanding the implication behind his words, Ji Mo glanced at Qing Yeâs closed door, momentarily unable to tell if Su Ge was really asking him to rest, or he was deliberately keeping him from detecting Qing Yeâs abnormality, or both.
With Su Geâs disposition, he probably wouldnât do anything malicious, but if that was true, why would he be so guarded against them? For a plan to benefit the common people but something the gods wouldnât approve, what would it be?
He trusted Su Ge, but even if he trusted him, he wished to know the truth, then consider what to do. The present Ji Mo would never act arbitrarily out of rashness ever again, he needed to ensure that his every decision was the most rational option. This time, he wanted to be the person who won till the end.
Unable to read Su Geâs expression, Ji Mo did not continue pondering on this matter. He merely acted as he hadnât noticed a thing, replied with hid usual indifference, âThanks, High Priest.â
Ji Mo had never been someone who liked to pry, and Su Ge did not expect the apathetic god to suddenly meddle in mortal affairs, so he smiled as he sent them off, âWeâll return to the Godly Continent soon, the two of you should enjoy the Demonic Continentâs scenery as much as you can.â
Knowing that this meant that Su Geâs preparations were complete, Ji Mo was reminded of the origins of the Demonic Continentâs Betrothal Day. Apparently, according to Ye Junhouâs public statement, this was the day he and the Demon Empress had gotten married, so the Demonic Palace would be lit up with fireworks on this day each year. There would also be various celebrations at various places, where unmarried men and women would go hunting for a match. If they found someone they liked, they would secretly exchange keepsakes to fulfill the marriage. As time went on, the people of the Demonic Continent started calling this day with the highest rate of betrothals âBetrothal Dayâ.
Glancing at the bustling streets of the Dark Capital, he could tell just how much importance the Demon Lord attached to this day. Ji Mo could only sigh inwardly,
Oh, High Priest, choosing to cause a disturbance on Ye Junhouâs wedding anniversary⊠If you fail, this might turn into a never-ending feud.