Shen Yao felt his throat go dry as he watched Xiao Ye, drenched from head to toe, his eyes tightly shut and lips pursed. Suddenly, Xiao Ye's eyes snapped open, and he raised his fist to the air.
Instinctively, Shen Yao dodged and shouted, "Stop!"
He didn't know where the courage came from to challenge a raging killer. Perhaps his will to live overwhelmed him. Desperate to explain himself, Shen Yao clasped his hands together and blurted out, "Look, I didn't mean to do that. It's just that I felt someone approaching, and I thought it wasn't you, so I—if I'd known it was you…" He couldn't finish his sentence before a sharp, cold blade was pressed to his throat. A little more pressure, and his neck would burst. He swallowed hard, glancing at Xiao Ye, still soaked with water, his face dripping from his hair down to his lips.
"You. Why did you even want me to stay?" Xiao Ye asked, his voice sharp. As he spoke, the knife slowly pierced Shen Yao's neck, causing blood to gush from the tiny wound. Shen Yao flinched, still hoping that Xiao Ye might spare his life.
"I just…" Shen Yao's voice faltered.
System, help me! he shouted in his mind, but every time he tried to reach out to it, a low ringing sounded in his left ear. The system rejected his calls, and Shen Yao felt more hopeless with every passing second as blood trickled down his pale neck. His teary eyes scanned his surroundings.
Unfortunately, all he could see were leaves, trees, and flowers. He felt his hope fading, and, resigned, he closed his eyes, preparing for death. But just as he did, Xiao Ye dropped the knife, stumbling to the ground while clutching his head.
Shen Yao's eyes widened in surprise. He cautiously approached and reached out a hand to steady Xiao Ye.
"What's wrong?" he asked, but was met with a strong shove that made him stagger back.
"Leave me alone!" Xiao Ye shouted, before storming back toward the house.
Shen Yao watched in disbelief as Xiao Ye hurried away, then his gaze shifted to the knife that had fallen to the ground. The killing intent was gone, but the blade still gleamed silver, tempting him to inspect it. Upon closer inspection, he found something odd: the blood that should have stained the blade was completely gone.
The blood that should have fallen to the ground and soaked the soil had disappeared, and the earth beneath them remained as dry as before.
"If the blood disappeared from the knife, then how could it not leave a single stain? Unless..." Shen Yao froze, the realization creeping in. The scimitar fell from his hand once more.
System, where are you?
[Greetings, host.]
Shen Yao pursed his lips, his gaze fixed on the door. "Where were you?" he asked, his voice a mix of frustration and exhaustion. He didn't know how to scold something he couldn't even see, so he swallowed his anger.
[Apologies, host. The system cannot interfere or interact during a mission or crisis.]
Shen Yao felt speechless at the response. He had assumed the system would be his constant ally, but now he realized he was alone in this.
After a deep breath, Shen Yao composed himself and entered the house. Inside, he was greeted by an exposed, jade-white back—Xiao Ye was taking off his clothes.
Shen Yao's eyes widened, and instinctively, he covered them with his palm. "What are you doing?!" he shouted, stepping back in alarm.
Xiao Ye froze for a moment before also taking a step back, a surprised expression on his face. They stared at each other, both with unreadable expressions. Xiao Ye eventually put on his clothes before turning to face Shen Yao.
"What?" Xiao Ye asked, his voice stern.
"I want to help you," Shen Yao answered, almost immediately.
"That's strange, considering everyone wants me dead." Xiao Ye's words struck a chord in Shen Yao. Though it didn't justify Xiao Ye's actions, it made him feel a twinge of guilt. Still, it wasn't a reason to kill anyone, especially not a complete stranger.
Xiao Ye pointed a finger at him. "Do you plan on secretly killing me?"
Shen Yao froze, his calm expression faltering. Before he could respond, Xiao Ye added, "Or do you have some interest in me?"
Shen Yao's face reddened in embarrassment and frustration. "You! Why would I think that? I'm not that kind of person!"
He shouted at Xiao Ye, the words coming out louder than he intended. "May karma get back at you!" He stomped his foot and slammed the door shut behind him, as if trying to break it.
"Damn it! Damn it, Xiao Ye, you despicable bastard!" Shen Yao cursed inwardly as he stormed away from the house. After walking for a while, his anger began to subside, and he stopped to sit on a nearby rock to calm down.
As he sat there, the reality of his situation hit him. Since transmigrating into this world, he had no idea if he possessed any magic or had any family to rely on. The system had already told him he had no magic. Now, he wanted to know if this world's Shen Yao had any relatives he could turn to. After all, he was abandoned at a young age, and that didn't seem right.
"Who would be so heartless as to abandon a child?" Shen Yao felt a pang of sadness for the other Shen Yao, even though he didn't know the full story behind the abandonment. But for some reason, he felt an odd sense of pity for the child left behind.
"Sigh... At a young age... Wait." Shen Yao opened the book. "It says the person who took care of the original Shen Yao disappeared, but it doesn't say what happened to him. If he died, shouldn't Shen Yao know? They were always together, right?" Suddenly, a feeling of unease gripped him. The reason he had been brought here, and the way he was kidnapped, might have something to do with what happened to the real Shen Yao.
System, can you tell me more about the original Shen Yao?
[....]
[Apologies, host, but the data system is currently locked.]
Shen Yao rubbed his temple in frustration. "Ugh, what did I expect?"
[Host, may I remind you that any activities outside the original mission won't count in the system and will not grant rewards or achievements unless aligned with the mission.]
"Great," Shen Yao muttered.
[Furthermore, gathering achievements increases the host's chance to purchase items with gold and silver coins, which will be helpful later.]
"Then when does this mission start?" Shen Yao forced a smile, trying to mask his confusion.
[In five years.]
"..."
Shen Yao was left speechless. If the system was right, there was no point in investigating the original Shen Yao's past now. He had to survive, gather gold coins, and somehow get along with Xiao Ye. Only then would he have a chance to uncover the truth about the original Shen Yao.
"One last question..." Shen Yao trailed off. "What happens if I refuse this mission?"
[That is not possible. As cannon fodder, no matter how much the host tries to run, the plot will eventually catch up to the cannon fodder.]