Chapter 169 - System vs. System (19): Blessings, framing, and planting seeds of suspicion
Translator: kiribold
editor: sarah
061 had a somewhat absurd conjecture.
He temporarily suppressed his doubt, sitting down on the edge of the bed. He followed 023’s wiping motion to examine 089’s wound.
The new data completed the injury, but according to the completed record, the a.s.sailant was right-handed. Examining the wound from top-down, he could judge that the a.s.sailant was about the same height as 089, only slightly taller.
061 compared the data in his own impression.
Ji Zuoshan was right-handed, but since he transformed into an alpha, his height had grown to 1.9 meters. As for Zhan Yanchao, his height was comparable to that of 089. However, his usual mode of attack was his left-handed light whip…
At this point, 061 shook his head helplessly.
…he was thinking too much.
023 wiped the wound for him and went to the kitchen to cook.
In theory, systems didn’t need to eat. But they used to be people, so old habits were difficult to change. They always wanted to eat something good when they were injured. As if hot food flowing into the stomach would make injuries heal faster.
023’s cooking skills were unexpectedly not bad, but he was usually addicted to games and too lazy to move. When he wore an ap.r.o.n and cooked, he was careful and serious.
He was chopping vegetables at the edge of the cutting board. From behind, 089 seriously looked at the ap.r.o.n tied behind his waist, while 061 turned his head to look at the bedside.
Two peace knots were braided with red silk thread; one was already fully braided, and the other was only half-braided.
Noticing what he was looking at, 089 picked up the fully braided peace knot. “I’ve been so unlucky lately, I’m thinking about making an amulet. 023 laughed at me for being superst.i.tious, so my bad luck got the best of me. Here, this is what 023 just made, how is it? Doesn’t it look good?”
061 smiled. “Hmn.”
089 put the peace knot into his hands. “It’s for you.”
061 tried to refuse. “This is what he made for you, it’s from his heart…”
089 was injured, so he couldn’t push back too hard, and 089’s actions were extraordinarily resolute.
089 put the peace knot into his jacket pocket and patted it twice. “Take it. This is a piece of father’s painstaking effort.”
061 simply accepted it. He planned to download a knot braiding tutorial by himself and make a new one for 089 next time.
089 leaned back on the soft cushion behind him. “Is there a problem with the mission?”
061 replied, “Huh?”
089 curled up a leg and looked at him with raised eyebrows. “You’re not in a hurry to leave this time. You’re looking for me for something.”
061 then talked about his experience in this world.
Restricted by the security system, he couldn’t discuss his secret ident.i.ty. He simply stated what he had encountered, focusing on the fact that the mission’s target was equipped with the system and he might have some trouble.
At first, 089 listened casually, but gradually, he seemed to understand something. His initially somewhat frivolous eyebrows sank.
After finishing, 061 flatly made a summary statement. “That’s it.”
089 said, “Understood.”
061 replied, “But you’re not well now. I’m talking about work. I’m afraid I’m disturbing your rest.”
089 said, “Yeah, Dad has to wish you best in spirit.”
In the kitchen, 023 took in their words, but after listening to them, they were just discussing work, so he didn’t take it to heart.
061 did indeed come to 089 for something, but with his current physical condition, he probably wouldn’t be able to do anything.
It’s fine. He could depend on himself.
This way, he wouldn’t drag other people down.
023’s was almost done cooking. He came out with three sets of tableware and set it up, but 061 got up and prepared to leave.
023 was surprised. “Don’t you want a bite? I made yours.”
061 said, “No, I can’t. I stayed for a long time and I’m afraid he’ll be looking fot me.”
All three people present knew who “he” was referring to.
023 said. “…Haven’t you only been here for an hour?
061 was also a little surprised, confirming the time. “It’s only been an hour?”
023: “…”
After confirming the time, he still apologized, “I’d better go back, I’m a little worried.”
023 rolled his eyes. “Go, go, go. Screw you. Married a daughter-in-law and forgot your…”
Before the word “mother” was spoken, 023’s face darkened.
Before 089 could burst into laughter, 023 pointed back with a chopstick. “Hold it in. I’ll stab you to death with my chopsticks if you dare to laugh.”
089 immediately covered his mouth. “What laugh? What’s so funny? I’m not laughing.”
023 puffed up in anger and put away a set of dishes. He turned around and went back to the kitchen.
Looking at his back, 089 was relieved and whispered to 061, “You’re really sensible. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a nice home-cooked meal with him.”
061 was understood and laughed. “You’re fine. Don’t worry about my side, I can solve it. If things work out, I’ll come back to check in with you.”
089 tilted his head and asked meaningfully, “Why do you always find me when you need something?
061 thought for a while, but he found that he couldn’t think of an answer.
089 was the most unconventional and eccentric of all the systems he had ever known.
But he had a strange perception that 089 was someone he could rely on with complete confidence.
061 answered, “Intuition, I guess.”
089 looked satisfied, waved his hand, and pulled the quilt up his chest. “Okay, you can go back.”
The door closed.
After sitting for so long, 089 felt a little tired, so he laid down with the quilt.
He stroked a single finger over the tear mole at the end of his eye and closed his eyes slightly as if thinking about something.
He didn’t know who he was talking to, and his words were laced with laughter. “…Then I can’t let you down.”
Near midnight, Su Yun came to tell Chi Yunzi that second shixiong was awake.
Chi Yunzi threw a scroll and brushed his sleeves to go to the confinement hall without saying a word, telling Su Yun not to follow.
Su Yun, who had never seen his Shifu so furious, didn’t dare to follow him. When he heard Chi Yunzi’s instruction, it was like he was saved, and he said yes.
When Chi Yunzi rushed to the confinement hall, Yan Jinhua was already kneeling there crookedly, his nose and face swollen, and his lips bruised with blood. Seeing him, Chi Yunzi’s anger rose. He stepped up and kicked. “Rebellious pupil!”
Yan Jinhua cursed a hundred times in his heart. When he got up and knelt, his words were still respectful, “Shifu.”
He bowed his head and didn’t move, as if he was awaiting punishment from a king, and some of Chi Yunzi’s anger was dissipated. “How dare you! When has my Jingxu Peak ever had such a disrespectful and reckless evil deed? Tell me, I would like to hear how you can justify it.”
Yan Jinhua wanted to kneel upright, but the bruises all over his body caused him to grimace in pain when he straightened up, and there was even a bit of a cry in his voice, “Shifu…this disciple has nothing to defend, this disciple is at the disposal of Shifu.”
…Huh?
Chi Yunzi calmed down a little. “The cause and effect, explain it in detail.”
Yan Jinhua turned his face away.
He had the appearance of an unruly young man. He didn’t seem to have hidden agendas and gave the illusion of childishness. “This disciple has nothing to say.”
Chi Yunzi slowly paced up to the high seat and raised his robes to sit down. “You’re being vague. Isn’t it just to make me ask questions? Say it.”
Yan Jinhua took a deep breath as if he had gathered up his courage, but before he said a word, two drops of tears fell first.
The situation was critical, he took a step and made a foolish move, and now if he made a wrong move, he would lose the whole game.
He had made up a rough script, taking advantage of his fainting spell.
And now, the desire to survive made his acting skills erupt.
Seeing his disciple in tears, Chi Yunzi was surprised. “You…”
Yan Jinhua endured severe pain all over his body and knocked his head on the floor three times in a row. “Shifu, it’s all this disciple’s fault. This disciple shouldn’t have brought Duan Shujue back to the mountain!”
Chi Yunzi said softly, “Huh?” Without saying a word, he waited for Yan Jinhua to say more.
Yan Jinhua explained, “This disciple took Duan Shujue to stay in Yuguang Pool for a while and was packing his belongings, but found some evil things. They did not look like righteous things such as snake skin, snake scales, and so on, with evil energy attached to it. The physical evidence was all there, and this disciple can present it to Shifu to see. Shifu, do you remember that Duan Shujue wears a snake-tooth necklace around his neck?”
Chi Yunzi remained silent.
He was right, but this wasn’t proof.
Yan Jinhua couldn’t see what he was thinking. He didn’t know if his remarks could make Chi Yunzi have doubts, so he had to bite the bullet and continue, “This disciple felt that something was wrong, so he took these things to ask Duan-shidi. He naturally denied it, saying that it wasn’t his, but when I looked at him…I felt his expression was wrong, so I followed all the way back to Huaishou Peak. I wanted to secretly ask Little Shishu about the current situation. I proposed a spar with Wen-Shishu and took the opportunity to send Duan-shidi away, so that it was convenient to talk after the match. This disciple doesn’t understand how a poisonous gas was somehow mixed into his sleeve and attacked Little Shishu when he exchanged palms with Wen-Shishu. This disciple didn’t have time to defend himself, which led to Wen-Shishu’s fury…”
Hearing this, Chi Yunzi finally asked, “Your meaning is that Duan Shujue framed you?”
Yan Jinhua cried out again, “This disciple’s ability is low, and he never had any intention of winning or losing. Shifu knows that, this disciple doesn’t have the guts to do so. How could I dare to plot against little Shishu? Is it just to win an insignificant sparring match?”
Chi Yunzi said nothing.
The previous content aside, what he said was quite reasonable.
Yan Jinhua continued his persistent efforts, pretending to be full of worry and remorse, “I don’t know if it’s because of the suspected neighbor stealing the axe. Even the sword in the stone, this disciple also has doubts…this disciple has suspicions on whether he has been used by others to become a hidden dagger. Did he know long before that the ancestor was a merman, so he approached me and wanted to partic.i.p.ate in the Jingxu Sword Club..?”
Having said this, his face turned red. He raised his hand and slapped himself. “This disciple will save it and shouldn’t speculate on others like this. It’s because this disciple has a discerning mind.”
Chi Yunzi said, “Are you accusing Duan Shujue of colluding with outsiders and having an ulterior motive?”
Yan Jinhua said cautiously, “This disciple does not dare speculate, nor do I have the evidence.”
Chi Yunzi said, “Do you dare to confront both of them?”
Yan Jinhua was not afraid to avoid it and said with conviction, “The confrontation between the two sides is exactly what this disciple wants. But can this disciple ask that Wen-Shishu avoid it?”
Chi Yunzi asked, “Why?”
…Wasn’t this nonsense?
When Yan Jinhua saw Wen Yujing, his legs cramped, and his stomach turned. Of course, he didn’t want to face him head-on so as not to accidentally reveal any flaws in his acting.
He said casually, “This disciple…thinks Wen-Shishu and Duan Shujue have a very close relationship, it is inevitable that there will be favoritism.”
Chi Yunzi reacted, immediately appalled, “What nonsense?!”
Yan Jinhua also froze.
He had talked so much before. Why did Chi Yunzi look unmoved but have such a big reaction when he mentioned Wen-Shishu?
After all, Yan Jinhua came from modern times, and he had seen a lot of stories about the glamorous and big-breasted Shifus and their prodigal disciples. He didn’t think the master-disciple defense was that important.
In Chi Yunzi’s thinking, the term “very close relationship” used to describe the Shifu and disciple was wildly inappropriate.
This matter involved Wen Yujing’s reputation. Chi Yunzi didn’t dare be neglectful. But he also didn’t dare to call the two sides to confront each other.
If this wasn’t true, and Yan Jinhua shouted it out in public again, the reputation of Wen Yujing would be ruined!
Chi Yunzi suppressed the fear in his heart and said as calmly as possible, “You go back to Yuguang Pool. Take good care of your injuries. Don’t spread a word about this.”
Yan Jinhua, whose porcelain-touching behavior was so high-sounding, bowed his head. Cold sweat on his forehead fell, and the corner of his mouth raised into a little smile.
The so-called “planting a seed of doubt,” written in the book, honestly didn’t lie to him.
But soon, he stopped smiling.
Chi Yunzi turned around and said coldly, “After your injuries have healed, come to the Confinement Hall to receive fifty sticks.”
Yan Jinhua hurriedly said, “This disciple has been wronged!”
Chi Yunzi was full of thoughts about the reputation of his little shidi. He didn’t allow him to argue, “Your little Shishu brought you all the way from Huishou Peak, if you weren’t punished, wouldn’t others criticize him? Besides, if what you said is true and you led the wolf into the house, then you deserve to be beaten with fifty sticks. What about the responsibility for receiving it?”
Yan Jinhua: “…”
He kowtowed in resignation, gritted his teeth, received the punishment, and limped out of the confinement hall.
His system asked him, “Host, the injuries have been photographed and archived. When do I send it to the Lord G.o.d?”
“If you send and confirm it, the system will be contained immediately?”
“Host, that is correct.”
Yan Jinhua put away the appearance of being small and low and gritted his teeth. “Keep it. When the time is right, I will use it.”
Taking a one-week hiatus, the next chapter will be posted on 7/17.