No one notified me in advance. Everyone in the end times is crazy.

He Gui thought about the name Fu Ling, feeling like he had heard it somewhere before, but he couldn't quite place it.

"Poria cocos..."

"what happened?"

"The names of the medicinal herbs."

Luo Shiyu muttered softly, "Because she is a medicinal herb spirit."

It's strange, why didn't Tianheng give her a name? They're such good friends, always inseparable.

He Gui didn't hear what Luo Shiyu was muttering and asked, "What?"

"Huh? What? What did you say? What's wrong with Fuling?"

"No, I just feel like I've heard the name Fuling in a dream before. It was someone named Fu Yan, and that's what she called her."

"Fu Qingyan?"

"That seems to be the name."

"you know?"

"I don't know him. I already said it was a dream, and I really can't remember the specifics."

"Wow, that's amazing. You can even dream about people you don't know."

"I don't know what happened either. Who is she?"

"One of my brother's subordinates is a really strange person. She's afraid of getting involved in other people's affairs, but she's also cautiously involved in quite a bit of it. How should I put it? At first, I thought she was a very harsh person, but after getting to know her, I found her to be quite gentle, especially later on, her personality seemed more like..."

Luo Shiyu stopped abruptly, his pupils dilated, as if he had suddenly thought of something.

My teacher (Jiangnan) looks so much like her. Her later behavior and even some subtle little actions are exactly the same as her teacher's.

At the time, I just felt a sense of familiarity and didn't think much of it. Now that I think about it, there are too many strange things about it.

Even if my teacher gave her that name, it's impossible for her to look like that! Could it be that Fu Qingyan was my teacher in disguise? But I didn't see a beauty mark under her lips. Strange, so very strange.

The more Luo Shiyu thought about it, the more something seemed wrong. His mind was in a mess as he tried to sort out his memories.

I remember my teacher mentioning a secret technique called "Seizing the Lost Puppet," which allows you to seize a person's body and life, completely breaking free from all karmic ties of the previous body, without any so-called retribution.

Wasn't this secret technique already lost? How did the teacher learn it? No, there's no need for that. Why would the teacher sacrifice Fu Qingyan's life? He could just become her directly.

Giving up one's identity as a Heavenly Dao to seize the life of a demon seems utterly illogical.

Who is that person disguised as Fu Qingyan? Why is he deliberately imitating my teacher in front of me? What is that person's purpose?

Luo Shiyu came to a chilling conclusion: Jiangnan's shell and his life had been stolen by another unknown person.

Could it be that... since when... my teacher ceased to be my teacher? No, that can't be right. In the illusion, I watched my teacher vanish, but is seeing truly believing?

Luo Shiyu, feeling somewhat exhausted, grabbed He Gui. He dared not think any further; whatever the outcome, he could not accept it.

"Xiaoyu, what are you thinking about? Your brows are all furrowed together."

He Gui reached out and smoothed his brow; the cool touch soothed Luo Shiyu's throbbing brain.

Luo Shiyu feigned composure and joked, "Just daydreaming. What else could I be thinking about? What color underwear are you wearing today?"

"Gray."

“…I didn’t ask you.”

"I know, I was just trying to lighten the mood. Are you thinking about things outside the city?"

"No, it has nothing to do with that."

Will you leave the city again?

"Definitely."

"It's too dangerous. I don't expect you to stay by my side all the time, but at least don't go outside the city. There are too many unknowns out there, many places that even Maria can't detect. Even I can't guarantee that I'll get out unscathed."

Luo Shiyu smiled at him and said, "I understand you, and I can promise never to step into unknown areas, but please understand me as well. I don't want to be a hothouse flower. I have more cards up my sleeve than you think. If we really fight, I might not necessarily lose to you."

"I do not believe."

“We can have a contest.” Luo Shiyu rolled up his sleeves, put his elbows on the table, and made an arm-wrestling motion.

"you sure?"

"I'm sure. If I win, you will never be able to interfere with my freedom again."

"What if I win?"

Looking at He Gui, whose biceps were more than a size bigger than his own, Luo Shiyu said matter-of-factly, "Isn't this what you should do? What other bet do you want?"

“That’s true.” He Gui said, taking Luo Shiyu’s hand.

"I can only begin when I say so."

"Want to play by surprise?"

"Never mind that!"

"Fine, let's see what tricks you can come up with."

He Gui looked at Luo Shiyu with eyes full of affection and said, "It's so hot. Is it alright if I unbutton a few buttons?"

Watching him unbutton the only shirt he was wearing, watching the oversized garment slip off his shoulders, watching him put one leg on the table, watching his lips approach, and then slowly closing his eyes.

"start!"

With a "thump!", Luo Shiyu let go of her hand and happily jumped around.

"Yes! I won!"

He Gui looked at his wrist, which had been pinned down, and chuckled.

"Little clever devil."

"You have to accept the consequences of your bet! Don't be a sore loser."

"Yeah, I lost, but Xiaoyu, do you know where the blood I was supposed to give to my biceps went?"

Luo Shiyu, realizing something was wrong, was about to run away when He Gui pulled her back and pressed her onto the table.

"Wait! I still have something steaming in the pot."

"I know, it won't affect anything."

"You have a meeting to attend later, so you can't be late."

“I know, so we can’t waste time now.”

"Wait! We can talk, wait... Oh my god! Why are you carrying this thing around with you?"

"Isn't it normal to bring your own utensils when eating? This is just a small portion, probably only enough for one or two uses. It smells pretty good, like peach. Do you want to smell it?"

"No! Waaah~"

He Gui wiped away the tears on Luo Shiyu's face with his sleeve, leaned close to his ear, and said breathlessly, "Why are you crying again? It's like I'm bullying you."

"You're bullying me! You bastard!"

"Go ahead and curse, every time she cries, curses, and fights back, punching, kicking, and biting, turning a beautiful thing into a war."

After He Gui finished speaking, he imitated Luo Shiyu and bit him hard on the neck.

"Hey! Crane, you bastard! If you've got the guts, make me turn around and I'll bite you to death!"

[Damn it, I'm going to turn the tables and beat that bastard to a pulp!]

The resistance lasted less than ten minutes before it turned into sobbing.

He Gui picked up Luo Shiyu and gently kissed his eyebrows and eyes, his eyes filled with love.

"My Xiaoyu is so pretty. Come to the sofa, I'll put a soft cushion under your back."

"My pot..."

"You're so distracted, you're not even thinking about me."

"Is it turned off?"

"You've turned it off. Now, can you even think about me?"

"Hmm~"