6.23 - Lord Junlin's daily action plan

Chapter 132: Lord Junlin's daily action plan (extra 4: cookie)

Junlin was a Martial Artist who approached everything in life with meticulous planning. Here was his daily schedule:

[7:00 AM. Make breakfast for Ah Heng.]

Lu Heng was sprawled comfortably on the soft bed, utterly unwilling to budge. While it was a well-known fact that Martial Artists didn't require much sleep—one or two hours a night would suffice—Lu Heng still spent several hours a day in bed.

He could feel the person beside him already up, just as reliably as every other morning. To say it was a routine as unshakable as a mountain wouldn't be entirely accurate; after all, sometimes when the two were in too good a mood, their entanglements on the bed would often stretch until noon.

Yes, Lu Heng had already moved into Gu Lingjun's home. That had been quite some time ago, and the circumstances of that event went something like this:

Location: Gu Lingjun's home.

Time: Following one of their routine dinner dates.

Gu Lingjun slid a kraft paper envelope across the table.

"What's this?" Lu Heng asked.

Gu Lingjun remained silent, simply gesturing for him to open it.

Inside, Lu Heng discovered a property deed. The address listed confirmed it was for the very apartment they were currently sitting in. What surprised him even more was the "Property Owners" section. Two names were inscribed there: Gu Lingjun and Zhou Yiheng.

"In the finals, I made a bet with Cui Zhihang and won this apartment," Gu Lingjun explained after noticing Lu Heng's puzzled expression. "You won the match, so half of the apartment is yours."

"And so?"

"According to common sense," Gu Lingjun said with a straight face, "once you own your own place, there's no reason to keep renting elsewhere."

Ah, so this is a roundabout way of asking me to move in with him. Lu Heng smiled and straightforwardly agreed, "Sure."

[8:00 AM. Wake Ah Heng for breakfast. Observe his mood and condition; if he's in a good mood, it's a good chance to ask for some benefits. Note: Don't be obsessed with asking Ah Heng to get up for breakfast at this point. With a martial artist's physique, skipping to lunch is perfectly fine.]

Gu Lingjun pushed open the bedroom door and was greeted by the sight of Lu Heng sprawled out on the bed, hugging a pillow. The blanket was draped loosely over his hips, exposing his fair back and thin waist.

The marks from the previous night had already vanished without a trace—something that Gu Lingjun found particularly frustrating about a Martial Artist's physique, and even more so after Lu Heng had ascended to the Heaven-tier. Before his advancement, the marks he left behind could last at least a day. But now? Within two or three hours, Lu Heng's skin would return to its flawless, smooth state.

Gu Lingjun walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, tentatively placing his hand on the back of Lu Heng's neck and kneading it gently. He carefully observed Lu Heng's exposed profile: relaxed brows, serene expression, and an air of lazy contentment.

Ah Heng's in a good mood, so we can continue. Gu Lingjun reached this conclusion and replaced his fingers with his lips.

Even if the marks wouldn't last long, Gu Lingjun was relentless in his pursuit, peppering Lu Heng's back with colorful hickies. Each one brought him a deep sense of satisfaction, feeding an unspoken possessiveness buried deep in his heart. In this moment, he felt a profound, grounding reassurance that this man in front of him was firmly in the palm of his hand.

As for breakfast today? Probably a lost cause.

[2:00 PM. Browse the forum and delete posts. Down with evil cult CPs.]

That's right! OhMyMy Livestream platform was now under Gu Lingjun's ownership. While he delegated operational responsibilities to a professional team, he retained a super-admin account with the highest permissions.

Gu Lingjun did not use this account very often—except when stumbling across overly dramatic, angst-ridden fanfics pairing SovereignGu with EternalMoon. Whenever he encountered such nonsense, he wielded his admin powers to delete the posts, citing "spreading falsehoods" as the reason.

Recently, however, he had been logging into his admin account more frequently, cleaning up the aftermath of a small controversy caused by Gu Thirteen.

Gu Thirteen, now an Earth-tier Martial Artist, had stirred up a bit of a mess during a recent livestream. It had been his birthday, and fans had been flooding the chat with messages urging him to make a birthday wish.

Gu Thirteen, ever the type to act before thinking, clasped his hands together and earnestly declared, "I wish to see Idol livestream again, the goddess of my dreams."

Idol's channel had long since been abandoned, ever since Lu Heng began streaming on the Exorcist Martial Artists livestream platform. However, for a person with EternalMoon's topic-worthiness, even if he no longer used the Idol ID or appeared on the OhMyMy platform, his old channel was still accessible.

Gu Thirteen's birthday wish sparked a minor uproar. Some busybodies went digging through Idol's channel and stumbled upon an intriguing clue in the gift-donation records.

The records showed that the top contributor was an account named SovereignGu. Following closely behind was another ID: Young Master Gu Thirteen. This straightforward and unsubtle username, combined with Gu Thirteen's birthday wish, made the identity of the owner behind this alias as plain as day.

A single stone caused a thousand ripples. The video of Gu Thirteen and EternalMoon's semi-final match from back then resurfaced, and eagle-eyed netizens noticed that the two seemed to have exchanged a few brief words during their post-match handshake.

There are always hidden talents among netizens. Some lip-reading buffs managed to deduce the dialogue from that moment:

"Idol, you're my goddess! Could I have a hug?"

"Sorry."

"Is it because I destroyed your psychic weapon? Do you hate me now? I didn't mean to…"

"No, it's for the sake of your own safety."

The revelations were nothing short of dramatic, with an overwhelming amount of information packed into this short exchange. The netizens distilled it down to two main points:

First: The move that decided EternalMoon's victory was pinning Gu Thirteen to the ground with a chokehold. Almost instantly, Junlin appeared on the scene and separated them. His reaction was blatant jealousy.

Second: When Gu Thirteen asked for a hug, EternalMoon glanced at Junlin before decisively refusing. It was obvious he sensed Junlin's overwhelming jealousy.

So, it turns out that Junlin and EternalMoon had already hooked up for sex, no, were in love with each other. Upon rewatching this video, netizens were astounded to realize that this famous live dog-food-dispensing duo had been shamelessly at it for years.

Of course, everyone knew that Junlin and EternalMoon shared a deep, devoted love. Gu Thirteen's mentality was purely that of a fanboy. However, there's always a niche group of fans with peculiar tastes who create their own corners of the internet to indulge in their moe.

The Moon-Three Ship fandom, thought long dead, suddenly roared back to life.

This is why, recently, the mysterious admin with the highest privileges on OhMyMy livestream platform had been working overtime, aggressively deleting posts.

"Below the neck, deleted."

"Does not conform to core values, deleted."

"Heresy, deleted."

[11:00 PM. If a suitable prey appears, stream with Ah Heng. If not, practice with Ah Heng.]

The Junlin & EternalMoon Livestream was currently broadcasting.

On-screen was a mutated banyan tree, its gnarled, sprawling branches bristling with deadly aerial roots. These once-docile dense tendrils had transformed into lethal weapons at the Hour of the Demons. Immobile but armed to the teeth, the mutated banyan tree was an almost impregnable opponent, equally adept at offense and defense.

After several Earth-tier Martial Artists had failed in their attempts to hunt it, the Ancient Martial Arts Association reached out to EternalMoon. They knew that if EternalMoon joined the hunt, Junlin would surely be by his side. With two Heaven-tier fighters working together, even the most formidable mutated banyan tree would meet its end.

And as expected, the duo's performance didn't disappoint. Junlin and EternalMoon worked with their usual flawless coordination, moving in perfect sync. It didn't take long before the tree was slashed to pieces. The once-dense aerial roots, so deadly at the start, had been severed one by one, leaving only a handful behind. The next step was to go straight for the tree's core.

However, fans began noticing something odd about Junlin's movements. Though his attacks were precise and effective, there was an unusual focus on exposing his left hand to the camera. The intensity of the earlier fight had kept viewers too engrossed to pick up on it.

But now that the battle was winding down and the outcome was clear, the sharp-eyed fans quickly honed in on Junlin's odd behavior.

"What's up with Lord Junlin? Is he showing off his hands?"

"Lord Junlin's hands are so beautiful. I could lick them forever."

"Are you all blind? Look at his ring finger. I'm the first to uncover the truth!"

"A ring! Male God EternalMoon has one too!"

"Cold dog food randomly slapped me in the face."

"Belch! I'm stuffed. Lord Junlin, I beg you to stop feeding us dog food. I'm about to burst!"

"Laughing coldly as I raise my torch. Sob! I can't beat them, so I'll just light a celebratory firework instead."

"On behalf of the Small Animal Protection Society, I condemn you both! Single dogs also have dog rights! Stop this indiscriminate dog abuse!"

...

Well done! Today's Junlin & EternalMoon Livestream was, as always, a lively scene of harmonious love and joy.

[2:00 AM. Take a shower and bond with Ah Heng. Note: Deeply.]

Below the neck, will not be recorded.

---

Translator:

Thanks for the dog food, dear author. Burp~ 

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6.22 - End of the sixth world

Chapter 131: End of the sixth world

A few days later, Lu Heng received a phone call from Mother Zhou.

The Zhou family showed considerable finesse in making this call. Mother Zhou started with a conciliatory policy, speaking gently, saying she missed Lu Heng and had prepared a table full of delicious dishes, waiting for him to come home for a meal.

Then the phone was handed over to Father Zhou. He began with a stern tone, scolding Lu Heng for pursuing Martial Arts without informing the family, asking if Lu Heng no longer regarded him as a father. After his sharp rebuke, his tone softened, and he admitted that the family had made some mistakes in the past, focusing too much on Zhou Yishu and neglecting Lu Heng, blah blah blah.

The final act was Zhou Yishu. With a slightly awkward tone, he said that their father had already given him a good talking-to. He confessed that he now realized some of his past actions had unintentionally hurt the brotherly bond. He expressed a desire to communicate properly with his gege and resolve any misunderstandings.

With the stern father, the gentle mother, and the awkward yet sincerely repentant younger brother taking turns on stage, their performance was seamless. If Lu Heng were still the clueless Zhou Yiheng, he might have actually been fooled into believing them.

However, this was nothing more than a conspiracy.

After hanging up the phone, Lu Heng said to Gu Lingjun, "They should be ready to take action."

"Mhm," Gu Lingjun nodded. "Let's proceed according to plan."

During this time, the Zhou family had been quite active.

Father Zhou had secretly purchased a batch of sedatives specifically for Martial Artists through the black market. Although he was highly skilled at concealing his identity, in Chinese territory, there was no information the Gu family couldn't uncover if they wanted to.

Soon, news came from Gu family's Third Brother: the Zhou family had chartered a private jet, with its destination set for Country A—the same country the Zhou family had taken the Zhou twins to years ago, according to Gu family's investigations.

Regrettably, even with tight surveillance on Father Zhou, the Gus couldn't pinpoint the specific location of the hospital. In fact, not even Father Zhou himself knew its exact location. He merely contacted a mysterious middleman who, after receiving a hefty deposit, responded with instructions.

Lu Heng, however, had already figured out the identity of this mysterious middleman. By searching through Little Assistant's database, he discovered that this so-called middleman was a fabricated persona. Someone conjured out of thin air could only mean one thing.

Who else could it be but the Fortune Thief?

The heart transplant surgery from over a decade ago was also orchestrated by him. Otherwise, how could Father Zhou, the patriarch of a declining Martial Artist family, possibly connect with a hospital abroad that even the Gu clan couldn't trace?

From Father Zhou's email exchanges with the go-between, Lu Heng learned the Zhou family's entire plan. They didn't even intend to let Lu Heng return to China again.

The official story was carefully crafted: the eldest son of the Zhou family, born with a heart defect that prevented him from practicing Martial Arts, secretly trained without telling his family. After his dazzling performance at the National Ancient Martial Arts Exchange Conference, his heart finally gave out due to the strain of huge thought power. The Zhou family then sent him abroad for treatment, where he tragically died on the operating table due to the severity of his condition.

What a perfect excuse! The Zhou family could even use this incident to bolster their reputation. Zhou Yishu could then step forward, flying the flag of carrying his gege's last wish to draw even more attention, and even smoothly inherit EternalMoon's fanbase in the process.

[How could these Zhou parents be so cruel? Isn't there a saying among you humans that even a tiger won't eat its cubs^[1]?] Little Assistant couldn't help but pop up to comment.

[One mistake triggers the next^[2]. To cover up what the Zhou family did back then, Zhou Yiheng must die. Besides, with Zhou Yishu around, the Zhou family can still ease their conscience through self-deception. But at the core, Father Zhou, Mother Zhou, and even Zhou Yishu are all extremely selfish people.] Lu Heng explained.

In response to the Zhou family's elaborate schemes, Gu Lingjun and Lu Heng had already prepared comprehensive countermeasures.

Lu Heng went to the Zhou residence to attend the Hongmen Banquet^[3], while Gu Lingjun followed discreetly, concealing his presence. They had deduced that the Zhou family planned to drug Lu Heng with the specialized sedative during the meal, then immediately transport him to the airport. From there, under the pretense of medical treatment, they would use the private jet to send him abroad. Since the Zhou couple were his biological parents, no one would question their actions.

To counter this, Gu Lingjun had prepared an antidote tailored to the sedative and taught Lu Heng a breath-control technique called Turtle Breathing Art. The sedatives would take some time to fully kick in, so as long as Lu Heng took the antidote at the first sign of trouble, he could use the Turtle Breathing Art to convincingly feign unconsciousness.

The plan was simple: let the Zhou family lead them to the mysterious hospital. Needless to say, Gu Lingjun would follow Lu Heng like a shadow. As for the chartered private jet, the infinitely resourceful Third Brother had already taken care of everything. When the time came, Gu Lingjun would be taken to the cockpit and fly directly to Country A with Lu Heng to protect against any unexpected moves by the Zhou family during the flight.

Everything progressed exactly as Lu Heng and Gu Lingjun had anticipated. They successfully arrived at the mysterious hospital.

"I'm the chief surgeon…"

Lu Heng heard someone speaking in the language of Country A. Fortunately, in this world, Country A's language was widely spoken and as the original owner of his body had been an academic prodigy, understanding the conversation was no challenge.

The speaker, shockingly, turned out to be the same surgeon who had conducted the operation over a decade ago. He mentioned that he had retrieved the records from the previous procedure and asked Father Zhou to accompany him to the office to discuss the surgical details.

Lu Heng lay on the hospital bed, his breathing steady, flawlessly playing the role of someone rendered completely unconscious by the sedatives. Though his eyes remained closed, he could sense through the surroundings that Father Zhou had left with the surgeon.

Gu Lingjun was undoubtedly shadowing them to retrieve the surgery records. That left only two people in the room with Lu Heng: Zhou Yishu and the mysterious middleman.

[Little Assistant, notify the Plane Maintenance Department to closely monitor the situation of this plane and be ready to open the retrieval portal at any moment.]

[No. 666, have you decided to make your move?]

[Not just yet. I'll wait until the surgery is about to begin—at the most critical moment. Let that Fortune Thief watch helplessly as the cooked duck flies away. Won't that be more provoking?]

The light above the operating room lit up.

Father Zhou slumped dejectedly to the ground along the wall, staring blankly at his own hands. He couldn't believe that he had just sent his eldest son to the grave with his own hands. Shaking his head, he clenched his fists, trying to suppress the chaos of emotions welling up inside him.

From the moment he took on the burden of reviving the Zhou family, Father Zhou knew that certain things had to be abandoned—family ties, love, and even morality. For the sake of great ambitions, some sacrifices were inevitable.

Lost in his thoughts, Father Zhou failed to notice the cold smile on the middleman's face. What a foolish human, thought the middleman. So easily deceived, so readily manipulated, giving away the luck that belonged to the Zhou family without hesitation.

But then, the door to the operating room suddenly opened.

Father Zhou leapt to his feet. Standing in the doorway was someone who should not have been there—Lu Heng.

Lu Heng held the video camera for recording the surgery in his hand, smiling as he said, "Are you disappointed to see it's me? I'll be keeping this evidence, thank you."

Father Zhou immediately realized the truth. He had been tricked. This "good son" of his had known everything from the very beginning. It was all a trap—a setup to collect evidence!

This evidence cannot fall into his hands! Father Zhou thought frantically. If these things are made public, the Zhou family is finished. Without a moment's hesitation, Father Zhou condensed his psychic weapon, preparing to subdue Lu Heng.

But before he could act, a figure flashed past, and Father Zhou collapsed unconscious to the floor.

Standing next to Lu Heng was a handsome young man—none other than Gu Lingjun.

Gu Lingjun gave Lu Heng a slight nod and was about to speak when a dark beam of light suddenly enveloped both of them.

Gu Lingjun immediately fell to the ground unconscious, while a faint white glow emerged from Lu Heng's body, repelling the black light.

"I was wondering why things suddenly went wrong," the source of the black light—the middleman—spoke coldly. "So you're from the Underworld."

Lu Heng crouched to check on Gu Lingjun's condition. Seeing that his breathing was steady and that he was unharmed, he straightened and faced the figure: "Fortune Thief."

The man scrutinized Lu Heng and then smirked disdainfully: "You ruined my plan. I thought you might be something special, but it turns out you're just an S-rank rookie."

The white glow around Lu Heng grew brighter and brighter, slowly expanding toward the Fortune Thief. This was a barrier created by converting his spirit power through Little Assistant. Lu Heng didn't need to defeat the Fortune Thief or anything; he only needed to contain him long enough for the Maintenance Department to open the retrieval portal.

Unexpectedly, the Fortune Thief seemed completely unfazed. He walked towards Lu Heng and sneered, "Stalling for time to wait for the Maintenance Department? No matter. The time it takes for those useless fools to arrive is more than enough for me to teach you, rookie, the meaning of respect for your seniors—and the folly of overestimating yourself."

The Fortune Thief slowly raised his hand, a dense, ink-black orb of energy forming in his palm. It radiated an ominous power that seemed to absorb everything around it. "An S-rank employee's soul is really an unexpected bonus. So much better than the energy of some insignificant child of destiny."

Danger! Danger! Lu Heng's instincts screamed at him. The black orb emanated an aura of profound malevolence and despair. Whatever the Fortune Thief had done, Lu Heng found himself frozen in place, unable to move a single step. Helpless, he could only watch as the Fortune Thief drew closer and closer.

The Fortune Thief raised his hand, the black orb of energy inching closer to Lu Heng's forehead. A faintly satisfied smile curled at the corners of his lips. But just as it was about to make contact, his smile froze.

"What do you think you're doing to him?" An icy voice echoed through the room.

Lu Heng watched in astonishment as Gu Lingjun emerged from behind him.

The once-arrogant Fortune Thief was now motionless, his body locked in place as large beads of sweat dripped down his forehead. He was clearly struggling desperately to break free but to no avail.

Gu Lingjun raised a hand, and in the Fortune Thief's terrified gaze, he reached toward his forehead. A black shadowy figure was forcibly extracted from his brow, its form writhing and struggling as though clinging to its last hope.

Even as it thrashed about wildly, it was clear its resistance was futile. Gu Lingjun's right hand clenched slightly, and the shadow let out a blood-curdling scream, its presence fading as though it would soon dissipate entirely.

"Wait, he's still useful!" Lu Heng quickly stopped him.

Hearing Lu Heng's voice, Gu Lingjun's expression softened immediately. He waved his hand, summoning a chain of light that coiled around the inky black soul, binding it firmly in place.

Then, Gu Lingjun turned to Lu Heng. Their eyes met, and in that instant, Lu Heng understood. This was neither Gu Lingjun nor Shi Kong. Or rather, it was both Gu Lingjun and Shi Kong.

"Gu Lingjun" studied Lu Heng intently for a moment, then gave a gentle smile: "You've worked hard. It's almost over now."

He leaned forward and dropped a kiss on Lu Heng's lips. Then, closing his eyes, he collapsed to the ground.

As Gu Lingjun's body fell, a portal of light opened in mid-air, with figures clad in Maintenance Department uniforms standing in it.

"Fellow colleague, could you please hand over that Fortune Thief? For the stability of this plane, I can't step out of the portal," said one of the Maintenance Department personnel.

"You guys sure have impeccable timing. I was this close to becoming fertilizer," Lu Heng dissed.

"Our deepest apologies." The colleague hurriedly explained, "But this situation was strange. The moment I sensed the disturbance, I opened the portal immediately. Yet for some reason, this plane was suddenly sealed by a powerful force, and I couldn't get in. As soon as the lock was lifted, I came through right away." The colleague clasped their hands together in a pleading gesture. "Kind-hearted colleague, please don't file a complaint against us!"

Seeing the earnest expression and noting no sign of pretense, Lu Heng decided not to press the issue further. With a wave of his hand, he sent the bound soul of the Fortune Thief through the portal.

A few years later.

EternalMoon was the most popular star in the Martial Arts circle in recent years.

With exceptional talent and remarkable insight, he had advanced to an Earth-tier upper-rank Martial Artist in just a few short years.

But what truly cemented his legendary status was his life experience. The scandal that erupted from the Zhou family's affairs at the time shocked everyone.

The world could scarcely fathom the cruelty of such heartless people who would actually sacrifice their own flesh and blood for some baseless things. In a brutal act, they subjected their own child to a heart transplant, only to later suppress the child whose talent was stolen. After the child, through sheer determination, overcame the odds and stepped onto the Martial Path, they sought to repeat the same cruel act and rob the child's talent once more.

These horrifying deeds were heavily criticized across the Internet, with netizens angrily condemning the Zhou family. Were it not for Martial Artists falling outside the purview of ordinary people's laws, the Zhou couple would have already been sent to prison.

As the situation escalated, the Ancient Martial Arts Association intervened. The Martial Artists community had always been a relatively free and loosely regulated circle, where the association usually only acted in cases of extreme crimes like murder or arson. But the atrocities committed by the Zhou family against their own shocked even the most powerful figures within the association. More than the cruel act of targeting their own child, the Zhou family had crossed the line by violating one of the most sacred tenets of the Martial Arts world.

To steal someone's talent was considered the greatest taboo among Martial Artists.

As a result, Father Zhou, Mother Zhou, and Zhou Yishu, who were involved in these dark deeds, had their thought energy cycles abolished and turned into ordinary people. And as ordinary people, committing such heinous acts as live organ transplants meant they could no longer escape the judgment of the law.

Father Zhou and Mother Zhou would spend the rest of their lives in prison, while Zhou Yishu, after serving his sentence, vanished without a trace, never to be seen in the public eye again.

Tonight, EternalMoon was set to advance to the Heaven-tier in his Martial Arts journey. He prepared a spectacular visual feast for all his fans. With a swift, clean strike that brought his prey to the ground, EternalMoon turned toward the camera.

"As you all know, my live streaming team consists of just one person. From Yellow-tier to advancing to Heaven-tier now, he has always been by my side. I'm sure everyone is curious about who that person is. I promised him that when the day came for me to reach Heaven-tier, I would introduce him to everyone." EternalMoon smiled at the camera, or rather, at the person holding the camera, "Come on."

The screen shook slightly, indicating the cameraman had put the camera down.

The person who appeared before the camera wore a silver-black mask, exuding a cold and sharp aura.

"Ahhhhhhh! Lord Junlin!"

"What am I seeing! What's happening!"

"Mom, come look! A comet's about to hit Earth! The world is ending! I don't even know what I'm saying anymore because I've gone crazy!"

"This must be a dream! I must be dreaming! Is my Gu Idol CP going to be ripped up?!"

The live stream's bullet comments erupted into pure chaos as viewers utterly lost their minds!

Yet, the person known as Junlin before the camera remained completely unaffected. He turned to EternalMoon, and instantly, his whole person became softer. Junlin placed a gentle kiss on EternalMoon's lips before turning back to the camera and speaking.

"I have a vest, called SovereignGu."

---

[1] 虎毒不食子: A person, no matter how vicious they are, will not harm their own children.

[2] 一步錯，步步錯 is used to advise people not to do the wrong thing.

[3] social gathering (e.g. a party or meeting) with conspiracy against its guest; malicious invitation; trap.

---

Translator:

That concludes the sixth arc! Remember to read the extra~

Now, remember me saying I'd translate a few chapters and see how it goes? (Never mind that I ended up finishing the whole arc!) Sadly, I've only got around 100 readers per chapter as of now, which isn't very encouraging. Maybe folks are waiting to read the full arc in one go? I hope that's the reason for the low interest and not because my translation sucks😅

Heads up: I'm going on a looooong trip home (after two years!), and I've vowed to stay away from my laptop. So, it's goodbye for now! When I'm back from my vacation, I'll review the numbers and see if it's worth continuing to translate this novel.

Last, but most important...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I wish you all a jolly holiday season!!

Previous ┃ TOC ┃ Next

6.21 - Beat them at their own game

Chapter 130: Beat them at their own game

Zhou Yishu sat dazedly in his private training arena. He had initially planned to vent his pent-up frustration by striking the wooden stakes.

However, he discovered that he could no longer condense a psychic weapon.

It was fine, he told himself—it was simply because his mind was too cluttered right now. It was normal to struggle with forming a psychic weapon under such circumstances. Gripping his trembling right hand, Zhou Yishu took deep breaths.

After a while, he finally calmed down a little.

Closing his eyes, Zhou Yishu directed his inner gaze toward his Qi Sea and saw that his reserves of thought energy remained plentiful. He had to admit, his father's recent efforts to stir up public opinion online had borne some fruit. Although not as good as it had been before the finals, thanks to the enhancement of his Seven-Aperture Exquisite Heart, his absorption rate of thought power was still significantly faster than that of an ordinary Martial Artist.

Gradually, a long spear began to form in mid-air. Zhou Yishu opened his eyes, gazing at this companion that had been with him for so long. He reached out, wanting to grasp his psychic weapon.

The moment his fingers touched the shaft of the spear, the almost-formed spear exploded in the air and dissolved into specks of starlight that scattered and disappeared.

Zhou Yishu froze. He had only ever read about this phenomenon in books. Such a thing could happen only when a Martial Artist was rejected by their own psychic weapon—when the mere act of touching it caused the psychic weapon to dissipate.

Back then, Zhou Yishu had scoffed at the idea, silently mocking those who found themselves in such a predicament. Rejected by your own psychic weapon? What kind of trash are these Martial Artists? They'd be better off living as an ordinary person.

He never imagined that he would one day fall to such a state himself.

Do I really have to do as Father said? Bow my head and curry favor with that guy? Zhou Yishu slammed his fist onto the ground in frustration, his unwillingness burning fiercely.

"Do you want to know why this is happening?"

Startled, Zhou Yishu whipped around. Standing at the entrance of the training arena was a bespectacled middle-aged man. His figure was thin, and his face was so unremarkable that he could easily blend into any crowd.

Yet, to Zhou Yishu, this man was like a knight in shining armor. His eyes shone with hope as he exclaimed, "Teacher!"

"You look really unsightly right now, like a stray dog," the middle-aged man said as he walked in, "But it's not your fault. After all..."

Hearing his teacher's words seem to trail off with deliberate intent, Zhou Yishu hurried forward and asked, "Teacher, what do you know?"

The man's tone remained calm and deliberate: "Naturally, it's about the reason why you can't condense your psychic weapon anymore. Do you know why you lost to EternalMoon?"

Zhou Yishu's fists clenched tightly. He had a hunch that whatever his teacher was about to reveal next would be an earth-shattering secret.

***

Zhou Residence.

"In a couple of days, call Xiao Heng and ask him to come home for dinner," Father Zhou said.

"What about Xiao Shu? I don't think he's come to terms with everything yet. If we call Xiao Heng back now, will Xiao Shu be able to handle it?" Mother Zhou asked anxiously.

"Don't worry about him. This isn't the time to indulge his willfulness," Father Zhou replied sternly. "Xiao Heng has been secretly practicing martial arts without telling the family—it's clear he's become disheartened with us. We need to persuade him to come back while he's not yet completely estranged from the family."

"But Xiao Shu…" Mother Zhou still frowned deeply, worry etched on her face.

"Xiao Shu, Xiao Shu! He's the way he is because you spoil him!" Father Zhou's anger, already provoked by Zhou Yishu's recent actions, flared up at Mother Zhou's hesitation. "He's narrow-minded and short-sighted, unable to withstand even a little setback!"

Mother Zhou was also annoyed by Father Zhou's ruthless attitude: "If it weren't for me, Xiao Shu wouldn't have been born frail in the first place! So what if I dote on him a little more!"

When Zhou Yishu was born, his health was poor due to a prolonged and difficult delivery. Mother Zhou had always blamed herself, convinced that her failure to persist had caused her youngest son to suffer such hardship. Out of guilt and a desire to atone, she had always favored Zhou Yishu. Even when it came to the matter of the heart transplant back then, she had agreed after only brief consideration.

After all, in her eyes, the elder son had already benefited from the advantage of being born first. Offering some compensation to his younger brother seemed only fair. Besides, it was also for the sake of safeguarding her elder son's life.

At that moment, the front door of the house swung open and Zhou Yishu walked in sullenly.

Mother Zhou stepped forward hurriedly: "Xiao Shu, you're back."

But Zhou Yishu ignored her, walking straight to the sofa and sitting down. Turning to Father Zhou, he said, "I know everything now. About all of it."

Father Zhou and Mother Zhou exchanged uneasy glances, a heavy sense of dread settling over them.

Seeing their expressions, Zhou Yishu smirked: "No need to be so nervous. I just want to reclaim what should have been mine all along."

Father Zhou hesitated: "What do you mean by that?"

"Of course, I mean my heart, my talent." Noticing the drastic change in their expressions, Zhou Yishu added with a mocking smile, "My dear gege has been holding onto them for so long. Isn't it about time he gave them back?"

Father Zhou's hand slipped, sending his teacup crashing to the floor. The revelation struck home—Zhou Yishu had indeed learned the truth of what had happened all those years ago. But he forced himself to steady his voice and said, "What nonsense are you spouting?"

Zhou Yishu scoffed but didn't bother arguing further. With a flick of his hand, a psychic weapon began to form in the air. Yet just as in the training arena earlier, the long spear shattered into starlight and disappeared.

Father Zhou stared at the dissipating psychic weapon, murmuring in disbelief, "How could this happen..."

Being rejected by one's own psychic weapon meant only one thing for a Martial Artist: their path of Martial Cultivation had reached a dead end.

Zhou Yishu: "How could this happen? Isn't it obvious? This heart doesn't belong to me. What's so surprising about being rejected by a psychic weapon that does not belong to me?"

Father Zhou slumped onto the sofa, his face pale. He had never imagined things would come to this. After all, Zhou Yiheng and Zhou Yishu were identical twins. When their hearts had been swapped, no issues had arisen. Zhou Yishu had also progressed smoothly on his Martial Path for years. Why was he suddenly being rejected by his psychic weapon now?

Gradually, Father Zhou recovered from his shock, and his thoughts became clearer. Having immersed himself in Martial Cultivation for decades, he quickly grasped the crux of the issue. Zhou Yishu wasn't being rejected by the psychic weapon because of his heart; the real problem lay within himself—his martial heart had faltered.

Xiao Shu is already a waste, Father Zhou thought grimly. I can't risk losing my other son as well. A resolution formed in his mind.

Zhou Yishu, oblivious to his father's thoughts, continued. "I'm taking back the talent that belongs to me."

"Impossible," Father Zhou refused categorically. "This isn't a game. Both of you are adults now, and undergoing another heart transplant could have unforeseeable consequences. Xiao Shu, don't act recklessly."

"Reckless?" Zhou Yishu sneered. "Don't make it sound so noble. You're just shifting your focus because Zhou Yiheng has value to you now. But don't take everyone as a fool."

Father Zhou opened his mouth to argue, but Zhou Yishu cut him off sharply. "With Zhou Yiheng's current talent and speed of advancement, reaching the Heaven-tier is just a matter of time. When he becomes a Heaven-tier Martial Artist and learns about the heart transplant from years ago, what do you think he'll do?"

"He won't find out!"

"As a good younger brother, how could I bear to keep my dear gege in the dark?" Zhou Yishu shrugged with mock innocence. "Think carefully. What's truly in the Zhou family's best interest?"

"You're insane! Absolutely insane!" Father Zhou's face flushed deep red with rage, his words tumbling out in stammers.

Mother Zhou, on the other hand, had been sitting pale and frozen on the sofa ever since Zhou Yishu revealed the shocking secret with tears streaming down her face.

"You are the crazy ones! Today's mess is the direct result of your lunacy." Zhou Yishu hurled the words at them before slumping back onto the sofa, his gaze cold and unfeeling as he watched his parents.

==========

What a great show.

Lu Heng thought as the audio from the phone gradually faded. He leaned back, collapsing onto Gu Lingjun's lap.

After the two had agreed to closely monitor the Zhou^[1] family's movements, Gu Lingjun had sneaked into the Zhou Residence and planted listening devices in key locations. With his skills, no one in the Zhou family had noticed.

Sure enough, within a few days, they overheard this dramatic upheaval in the Zhou household, along with the conspiracy that followed.

The Zhou couple, true to their grain as people willing to commit unspeakable acts for profit, didn't take long to be persuaded by Zhou Yishu. The three then began discussing how to conduct another heart transplant.

"What do you plan to do?" Gu Lingjun asked, his brows furrowed tightly. He had never thought such cruel parents existed in the world. They would sacrifice their own child's well-being so readily for their own interests.

"Of course, beat them at their own game."

"No!" Gu Lingjun rejected the idea without hesitation.

Lu Heng understood the stakes involved—it was his safety on the line—so Gu Lingjun's strong opposition was entirely expected. Straddling Gu Lingjun's thighs, Lu Heng locked eyes with him and began explaining patiently: "Even if I'm prepared and thwart the Zhou family's plans, they'll definitely use morality to pressure me later. After all, on the surface, they've treated me well for nearly twenty years."

"If I keep getting entangled with them over this, you know how difficult my martial arts journey will become." Lu Heng gently stroked Gu Lingjun's face, noticing his tense jaw slowly beginning to relax. "After stepping into the Heaven-tier, life expectancy increases by decades. I want to spend all of those years with you."

"That's why the Zhou family's matter must be resolved once and for all. The hospital where the surgery was performed back then is bound to have kept the records. This is the perfect chance for us to locate them. With evidence in hand, this issue will never stand in the way of my martial path again. Besides, aren't you here to ensure my safety?"

Lu Heng's reasoning finally persuaded Gu Lingjun. The two of them then meticulously devised a comprehensive plan based on the Zhou family's plot they had just overheard through the planted bug.

---

[1] Raws say Gu family, but it should be a typo.

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6.20 - Meticulous planner Junlin

Chapter 129: Meticulous planner Junlin

#ZhouYishuGetOutOfTheMartialArtsCircle#

Lu Heng looked at the trending topic on his phone, the corners of his mouth curling in a mocking smile. This "risking one's life to survive^[1]" move was beautifully played.

After Zhou Yishu lost the finals, it was inevitable that many fickle fence-sitter fans would unfollow him. That was normal.

After all, Zhou Yishu was just a rookie who hadn't even officially started streaming on the Exorcist Martial Artists' live streaming platform. The fans he gained from the exposure of a single competition were nothing more than castles in the air. Only through long-term hunts for various mutated creatures and safeguarding ordinary people's safety could those fans gradually transform into die-hard supporters.

Like Junlin, for instance. He didn't appear before the public often, but his fanbase was massive and entirely made up of loyal followers. Because every time Junlin appeared, it was to strike down extremely dangerous mutated creatures with his sword.

In the eyes of his fans, and even ordinary passersby, a Martial Artist of Junlin's caliber was akin to a guardian deity. They protected the peace of this world, and thus, even if they didn't livestream, the power of faith was endless. Only when a Martial Artist reached this stage could it be said that they had truly set foot on the path to the ultimate pinnacle of Martial Arts.

However, for a topic like #ZhouYishuGetOutoftheMartialArtsCircle# to appear, that was far from normal. After all, he merely lost a match, not committed some heinous, unforgivable act. Furthermore, the Martial Arts circle and ordinary people's society had a long-standing agreement to stay out of each other's affairs.

The mastermind behind this was clearly trying to drag the entire Martial Arts community into the fray to change Zhou Yishu's circumstances. The only question was whether this clever tactic came from Father Zhou or that outsider.

It seemed he'd have to pay closer attention to the Zhou family's movements. As Lu Heng pondered his next move, his phone suddenly vibrated, signaling a new WeChat message.

"Come over."

It was Gu Lingjun. When Lu Heng checked the time, he realized it was already dinner. Gu Lingjun hadn't shown his face in the past two days, and Lu Heng assumed he'd been busy with matters related to the exchange conference. Though the rookie bracket had concluded, the other brackets were still ongoing, and the higher-level groups required experts like Gu Lingjun to maintain order.

As soon as Lu Heng arrived at Gu Lingjun's door, it opened from the inside. Lu Heng was momentarily stunned by Gu Lingjun's appearance—it was the first time he'd seen him dressed so formally.

Gu Lingjun was wearing a sleek black three-piece suit, his hair neatly combed back. The tailored fit highlighted his impressive physique: broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long legs that seemed made for the runway.

"What's the occasion today? Should I change into something more formal too?" Lu Heng glanced down at his hoodie and jeans, feeling absurdly out of place next to this impeccably dressed man.

"I've already prepared something for you," Gu Lingjun said, stepping aside to let him in.

Gu Lingjun's bedroom and study were connected through a walk-in closet. He led Lu Heng through the study and into the closet, motioning to a set of clothes hanging nearby before turning to leave and closing the door behind him.

The door to the bedroom was conspicuously closed, sparking some suspicion in Lu Heng's mind. There was definitely something fishy about the bedroom; otherwise, Gu Lingjun wouldn't have deliberately avoided it, opting instead to lead him through the study to the closet.

Maybe he read some cringy stuff on the forum and got a strange inspiration again. Anyway, I'll find out soon enough. Lu Heng reached up and unzipped the garment bag. Inside was a suit identical in style to the one Gu Lingjun was wearing, differing only in size.

Thankfully, it's not white. Otherwise, it would feel like walking straight down the aisle, Lu Heng dissed secretly in his heart.

After changing, Lu Heng stepped out of the walk-in closet and pushed open the door to the study.

The living room was pitch-black, with only a faint light coming from the dining room. Following the dim light, he arrived at the dining table. There, elegant candelabras with slender candles flickered softly, casting a warm glow over the table. On it were a bottle of red wine and... spicy boiled fish^[2]?

What kind of setup was this? A candlelit dinner featuring spicy boiled fish? The thought of accidentally eating a Sichuan pepper made Lu Heng tremble just imagining the sour, numbing explosion.

Lu Heng couldn't hold back any longer and finally asked, "Why all this? Wouldn't it be better to just turn on the lights and eat?"

Gu Lingjun was silent for a moment, then replied, "You don't like Western food. As for the Sichuan peppers, I'll pick them out for you."

"Alright, then." Seeing how insistent Gu Lingjun was, Lu Heng decided not to argue further.

Gu Lingjun's cooking had indeed improved yet again—the boiled fish was fresh, fragrant, and tender, leaving Lu Heng thoroughly satisfied.

"Today's elaborate setup, is it to celebrate my victory?" Lu Heng, almost done, swirled the wine in his glass and gestured toward Gu Lingjun on the other side of the table.

"Yes, but not entirely." Gu Lingjun slid a notebook across the table.

Lu Heng picked it up, opened it, and leaned closer to the candlelight to read.

After flipping through it for a while, he looked up with a puzzled expression. "Is this... a countdown?"

"Mhm."

"What's it for?" Lu Heng still didn't get it.

"Look at the first page," Gu Lingjun suggested.

Lu Heng flipped back to the first page and finally noticed that besides the large number dominating the page, there were a few rows of small words in the upper-right corner. The light was too dim to make out the details, but just as he was squinting, Gu Lingjun thoughtfully turned on the lights.

Now illuminated, the words became clear: Received Ah Heng's deposit today. Countdown to the final payment deadline.

Deposit? Final payment? Lu Heng immediately recalled a shameful conversation from some days ago—one involving repaying with his body.

Toward the end of the notebook, he noticed a page had been torn out. However, the writer must have been overly zealous, pressing the pen so hard that the text had imprinted itself onto the following page. The faint marks revealed a roughly legible outline of its contents:

Plan for a Perfect Evening.

1. Show how much you care: dress up.

2. Give your beloved an outfit. After all, gifting clothing to someone you cherish means…

(This part seemed to have been scribbled over heavily, rendering it unreadable.)

3. Cater to their preferences and treat them to a perfect dinner.

4. Set up a romantic atmosphere.

5. …

Lu Heng used all his willpower to suppress the laughter that was about to burst out of his mouth. This meticulous little plan reminded him of some comments about Junlin that he had read on the Internet.

In the Martial Arts community, it was widely said that Lord Junlin was an exceptionally serious and meticulous individual. Before hunting any formidable prey, he would thoroughly research it, crafting a comprehensive plan before taking action.

How true those words were. Gu Lingjun is indeed someone who takes seriousness to another level. Lu Heng silently agreed, glancing at the meticulously crafted countdown and the detailed, almost military-grade final payment collection plan.

"What are you, giving me a debt collection notice for the final payment?" Lu Heng waved the notebook in his hand.

"Yes." Gu Lingjun nodded seriously, taking back the notebook and flipping to the back where the countdown had already gone negative. "Late payments incur interest."

"And how do you plan to collect this interest?" Lu Heng asked.

"Once per day. It's been four days since the finals ended."

A rookie demanding payment with such confidence. Lu Heng wasn't one to deny his debts, though. Without hesitation, he stood up. "Alright, let's settle the balance."

The moment he pushed open the bedroom door, Lu Heng was stunned again. He'd nearly forgotten about the last step on the plan—setting up a romantic scene.

The entire bedroom was covered in rose petals, from the floor to the bed, a fiery sea of red.

"Where did you get so many petals?"

"I ordered flowers from a shop and handled them myself," Gu Lingjun replied matter-of-factly.

Lu Heng imagined Gu Lingjun sitting in a room, plucking petals one by one. The overly girly image sent a shiver down his spine.

Perhaps noticing his thoughts, Gu Lingjun added, "I used blade winds to do it."

Lu Heng thought about it and decided, fine, that was easier to accept than the petal-plucking scenario.

Gu Lingjun stepped into the room and pushed open the bathroom door: "You should take a shower first."

Sure enough, strictly following the plan. This was step five from the notebook.

"Want to join me?" Lu Heng stepped into the bathroom, then turned back with a teasing smile.

Gu Lingjun's expression remained composed, but his ears flushed red. "Next time. When you come out... can you still wear that suit?"

"..." Seriously. You don't have to execute the plan so strictly. The whole idea of gifting clothes is for you to take them off yourself. But seeing the look of quiet anticipation in Gu Lingjun's eyes, Lu Heng couldn't bring himself to say no.

"Alright."

As promised, Lu Heng emerged from the bathroom still dressed in the three-piece suit. He found Gu Lingjun sitting on the sofa, staring at his phone. When he heard Lu Heng come out, he instinctively stuffed the phone behind a cushion.

"I'm going to shower," Gu Lingjun said, his face calm as ever, completely at odds with his childish act of hiding his phone.

While waiting for Gu Lingjun to finish, Lu Heng sprawled across the bed, idly playing on his phone. Thinking back to what had just happened, he logged into the Gu Idol exclusive forum.

Sure enough, the familiar ID popped up right on the first page.

What should I pay attention to when taking a bath together? Posted by: JunlinSecondGu.

Gu Lingjun was indeed a remarkably serious person, someone who left nothing unplanned. But before Lu Heng could click into the thread to read the responses, the phone in his hand was gently taken away.

Then, a body warm and damp from the shower pressed down on him from behind.

Why am I the only one fully dressed? No fair!

That was Lu Heng's last coherent thought before he was pulled into an endless vortex of desire.

When the rain cleared and the clouds dispersed^[3], the sky was already light with the first hues of dawn.

As he had said before, Gu Lingjun meticulously collected the final payment, including interest—five times the original amount.

Lu Heng didn't feel discomfort, partly because of the exceptional physical condition of Martial Artists, and partly because Gu Lingjun had done thorough research and preparation in advance. Although he was new on the road, he was a surprisingly skilled driver, and Lu Heng had enjoyed it without suffering any pain.

"What's this?" Gu Lingjun's finger traced a dark mark at the center of Lu Heng's chest. With his fair skin, the incompatible ten-centimeter-long, dark mark stood out sharply.

That was, of course, the scar left from the heart transplant surgery. The Zhou family had been thorough, arranging for both him and Zhou Yishu to undergo laser scar removal. However, even after the laser treatment, the faint trace of the major surgery still remained.

Lu Heng couldn't explain this to Gu Lingjun, though.

According to the timeline, Zhou Yiheng should not be aware of the heart transplant at this point. The rules of the world line limited Lu Heng from directly revealing this to others; he could only guide them to notice the issue on their own.

"This? It's a birthmark. Zhou Yishu has one too," Lu Heng said casually. "Twins are fascinating. Even their birthmarks are in exactly the same spot."

Gu Lingjun's fingers lingered over the dark mark, his sharp senses detecting that the mark wasn't entirely smooth but slightly raised compared to the surrounding skin.

His gaze darkened as he recalled the phone call from his eldest brother before the finals. At the time, he had kept the information from Lu Heng, not wanting to affect his focus for the match, but now there was no need to hide it.

Gu Lingjun said, "That day, Thirteen and Fourteen were sent by the family to gather information. Afterward, they secretly investigated your background without telling me."

Seeing the faint apology in Gu Lingjun's expression, Lu Heng signaled that he didn't mind and gestured for him to continue.

"Soon after you and Zhou Yishu were born, the Zhous took you both abroad. The Gu family only found out that it was for a surgery. That country falls under the influence of the Western Exorcist Association, so the Gu family can't interfere. They didn't learn the details—what hospital or what kind of surgery."

Lu Heng noticed that Gu Lingjun's fingers kept hovering over the mark, and a cold shiver ran through his body. He could tell that Gu Lingjun had likely pieced something together. "Is this related to the so-called birthmark?"

Gu Lingjun was a Heaven-tier Martial Artist, and the incompatibility between Zhou Yishu's power and his psychic weapon naturally could not escape his attention. Combined with the information from the Gu family, Lu Heng's blocked heart, and the strange birthmark on his body, a horrifying thought began to take shape in his mind.

Swapping hearts and stealing the talent.

Although he couldn't begin to fathom why the Zhous would do such a thing, Gu Lingjun still shared his suspicions with Lu Heng, because he knew that Lu Heng himself had also sensed something off about the Zhou family, which was why he had moved out to quietly start cultivating on his own and had kept the fact that he was participating in the National Ancient Martial Arts Exchange Conference a secret from them.

After a long conversation, Gu Lingjun and Lu Heng decided to keep a closer watch on the movements of the Zhou family. With Zhou Yishu's crushing defeat in the tournament at the hands of Lu Heng, the Zhou family was likely in turmoil, and many of the deeply hidden ugly truths should soon be exposed.

As Lu Heng had anticipated, the online trend had shifted once again in the past few days.

The topic #ZhouYishuGetOutOfTheMartialArtsCircle# finally attracted the attention of the Martial Arts community.

A Martial Artist posted a lengthy microblog questioning why Zhou Yishu, a talented newcomer, was being driven to the point where people seemed to want him to commit suicide in disgrace just because he lost a single match.

The post titled #Please don't let new Martial Artists lose heart# quickly gained attention from all sides.

Unlike the trolling under the #ZhouYishuGetOutOfTheMartialArtsCircle# topic which was purely a hotbed of vented negative emotions, this hot topic, initiated by a Martial Artist, had more rational voices. Many Yellow-tier Martial Artists came forward to speak, sharing how tough the training was for newcomers and the dangers and hardships of hunting mutated creatures.

Public opinion began to slowly shift in Zhou Yishu's favor.

The sock puppet that started the #ZhouYishuGetOutOfTheMartialArtsCircle# was eventually unmasked by rational netizens, who traced it back to his main account. To everyone's surprise, this individual had once been the most fanatical Zhou Yishu fan.

This person had been in a frenzy ever since the finals, believing that Zhou Yishu would definitely be the Rookie King. His presence could be seen in almost every post praising Zhou Yishu. The most extreme part was that he had even spent a large sum in an underground casino betting on Zhou Yishu's victory.

When Zhou Yishu lost to EternalMoon, this fanatic fan not only lost all his money but, more importantly, also had his beliefs shattered. In his fury, he hired online trolls and swore to ruin Zhou Yishu's reputation so thoroughly that he would never be able to survive in the Martial Arts community again.

As the public's attention shifted away from Zhou Yishu's crushing defeat in the finals, discussions about the boundaries between the Martial Arts circle and ordinary people became rife. On Zhou Yishu's personal page, people began to comfort him, with most comments emphasizing that losing in the finals was not shameful. They pointed out that EternalMoon's strength far surpassed that of any rookie Martial Artist, so it was only natural that Zhou Yishu had lost.

"I'll transfer the remaining money today. Sorry for the trouble," Father Zhou hung up the phone and looked at the computer screen in front of him, rubbing his temples. His heart, which had been hanging in the air recently, finally settled down.

He glanced at Zhou Yishu, who was sitting across from him, and spoke. "This online incident will be settled soon. In a couple of days, I'll ask your gege to come home for dinner and clear up the misunderstanding between you two. You should apologize to your gege, and the two of you can reconcile."

"What? I apologize to him?" Zhou Yishu, who had been keeping his head down, suddenly looked up.

Father Zhou replied, "I can guess why your gege didn't tell the family about his secret practice. It's probably because he feels that your mother and I are partial, and holds grudges. Once you explain things clearly, there won't be an issue."

Seeing Zhou Yishu's face still clouded with anger, Father Zhou patiently continued, "Now, both you and Xiao Heng have attracted a lot of attention at the exchange conference. The family will find the right time and a suitable reason to explain everything to the public. Then, we'll reveal the fact that EternalMoon is your gege. After that, the two of you can live stream together. It won't be long before you both advance to the next level."

"There's no way I'll live stream with him!" Zhou Yishu furiously stood up.

"He's your gege!" Father Zhou finally lost his patience with this stubborn son and roared.

"He's my enemy! You understand the Path, you know perfectly well that EternalMoon has become my obstacle! If I don't crush him, my martial arts will never make any progress!" Zhou Yishu confronted Father Zhou.

Father Zhou took a step forward, clenched his fists, and still managed to hold back his fury. "This is the most practical solution right now. Think about it carefully! Don't be so headstrong—the revival of the Zhou family still rests on your^[4] shoulders!"

With that, Father Zhou slammed the door and left.

"You just want to hug Zhou Yiheng's thigh because he is more talented than me now! You're abandoning me, your useless son!" Zhou Yishu yelled at the closed door.

---

Footnotes:

[1] 置之死地而后生: to fight desperately when confronting mortal danger; fig. to find a way out of an impasse.

[2] 水煮鱼: Sichuan poached sliced fish in hot chili oil.

[3] 云收雨散: Metaphor for end of sexathon.

[4] Father Zhou uses 你们 which is plural of you, indicating he's talking about both Yiheng and Yishu.

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