Move Forward Just a Little

Dinner was ice-boiled mutton. Yaxiu was the one who had introduced this way of eating—or rather, he had casually mentioned that "cooking mutton with ice makes it tastier." Felix had then spent several days researching it and figured it out, even using ice sorcery spirits to assist with the cooking. Compared to ordinary boiled mutton, it truly had a unique flavor: tender, fragrant, and without the slightest gamey smell. The mutton was so savory you could almost swallow your tongue, and the ribs slipped right off the bone with the gentlest press of the lips. Felix had even asked if this was how it was supposed to taste. In truth, as a corporate drone, Yaxiu had never actually eaten ice-boiled mutton in his life, but could a dish researched for days by a Sanctuary sorcerer ever turn out bad? Not just ice-boiled mutton—even ice-boiled Lalafell would taste delicious. Although dinner was delicious, the atmosphere was quite subdued. Everyone quietly savored the food, with only the occasional clink of spoons against bowl rims breaking the silence. Casual chatting wasn't actually forbidden, but Yaxiu felt that if they were practicing abstinence, they should be thorough about it. He had taken the initiative to state that they should cut out unnecessary verbal communication to avoid disturbing their mental state for training. Now Yaxiu only felt that his brain had certainly been scrambled by the curse of the Shadow Sword; otherwise, why would he have dropped a rock on his own foot like this? After hurriedly finishing his dinner, he picked up his plate to wash it. Daidalos said, "The bath over there is ready. You can use it whenever you like." "Okay," Yaxiu replied. After washing his dish, as he walked toward the enclosed bath on the other side of the camp, he heard laughter and cheerful voices behind him, and he instinctively quickened his pace. Steam billowed across the bath. Every time Daidalos set up a camp, she would dig a bath pool. The water was sometimes extracted from moisture in the air and sometimes connected to groundwater. This bath was clearly tapped into groundwater, as the water was relatively clear. Yaxiu gave himself a quick rinse on the side first, then tested the water temperature with his toe. Feeling it was suitable, he stepped in, slowly crouched down, and sat on the stone steps with his arms wrapped around his knees, the water coming up just beneath his collarbones. Looking at his blurry reflection on the water's surface, he laughed self-deprecatingly. "I really do look a bit like an unloved puppy..." Felix's words earlier had truly broken right through his defenses. It wasn't that he was unaware of how terrible his actions were, but he had thought that since he was a sorcerer who commanded miracles, couldn't miracles make up for every regret and bury every mistake? Turns out they really couldn't. With just one simple example, Felix had ruthlessly slapped his hypocritical face and pierced through all his sanctimony, flogging him raw and piercing him till he bled. Yaxiu couldn't utter a single word of rebuttal, because Felix herself was the best example—she was a victim of love. He knew how deeply she hated her father, hated him enough to join the Four Pillar Cult just to rebel against him. No miracle, however magnificent, could mend the rift between her and her father. Yaxiu could certainly guarantee that he wouldn't become a father like Duke Vosloda, but how could he guarantee that Sword Princess and the others wouldn't become bitter, resentful mothers? In fact, he himself would be the source of their bitterness. Some things, once missed, were missed forever; some things, once wrong, were simply wrong. Even if the matter of children was too distant for them right now, as things stood, without Yaxiu as "contraband," their efficiency in sorcery cultivation had increased tenfold, and their tactical coordination had even improved a hundredfold. It almost made Yaxiu feel as though he were a tribulation bestowed upon them by the Void Realm. While Yaxiu wouldn't belittle himself to the point of thinking they were better off without him, he had to admit that maintaining their current relationship of "more than teammates, less than lovers" was purely beneficial to everyone. He ought to be raising both hands and both feet in favor. Now, they didn't bicker over romance; united in purpose, they delved into sorcery and gave free rein to their talents. Wasn't this the sorcery team he had always dreamed of? That was how Yaxiu thought, and that was how he acted. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gone out of his way to add rules for abstinence and ban daily chit-chat—he genuinely hoped they would become better, rather than have their thoughts constantly tangled up in him. Everyone only lived once, and he didn't want to hold them back—except for Vichy. Although Yaxiu had no interest in being the Observer of Finality, he wanted to be their Observer. Watching his operators grow stronger bit by bit was far more fascinating than growing stronger himself. Yet, even though he had achieved the justice he sought and paid a reasonable price, Yaxiu wasn't happy at all. "Surely no one wants them to work together and advance while also expecting them to love him wholeheartedly, right?" Yaxiu mocked himself in a soft murmur. "Right? Right? No one could be that delusional, could they?" "What wouldn't someone be?" Startled, Yaxiu turned his head to see Felix walking over holding a change of clothes. He hastily submerged himself in the water and said with dark lines running down his face, "Do you really have to come over when I'm taking a bath?" "Then next time, go get your clean clothes naked yourself," Felix replied, curling her lip. "As if I'm eager to look." She glanced over, saw that Yaxiu had backed away to the farthest corner of the pool, and couldn't help bursting into a laugh. "Is there any need to be this terrified?" "Of course there is," Yaxiu said gloomily. "You were so aggressive today. I can't take a second strike from you." Felix was somewhat surprised. Crouching by the pool, she asked, "You cared that much about what I said?" "What you said made sense, and I couldn't refute it. Could I just pretend I never heard it?" Yaxiu rolled his eyes. "You'd better watch yourself over the next few days. If any meal doesn't taste good, I'll definitely use it as an excuse to chew you out, just to show you that the majesty of the Observer's seat cannot be defied." Felix blinked. "Actually, you don't need to take my words too much to heart... You're not like my father, and your future children won't be like me either." "Hard to say." "Huh?" Felix froze, color rising to her cheeks. "If I have a daughter as rebellious as you, I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest," Yaxiu mumbled. "In fact, it'd be stranger if they gave birth to a daughter who wasn't rebellious..." Aside from Sword Princess, whose rebellious phase had been suppressed by the crushing weight of life, the others' rebellious phases were fiercer than the last: the Witch's rebellious phase could only end by slaying the Empress; Silver Lantern's rebellious phase could only end by destroying the world; and as for Vichy, she was on another level—Yaxiu suspected she hadn't even grown out of hers yet. Looking at the morose Yaxiu, a hint of tenderness unconsciously surfaced between Felix's brows. "Actually, the fact that you care so much about your future children already makes you better than a lot of people. Even if you never measure up, everyone will forgive you." "It's too late to comfort me now. I've already been bruised black and blue by your attacks," Yaxiu grumbled. "Then what do you plan to do?" Felix asked probingly. "Are you going to give up your trash-can promiscuity from now on?" Yaxiu considered it, then replied, "I plan to keep things as they are." "If teammates really suit us better than lovers, could I bring myself to stop them from becoming better?" He stretched his arms straight like a cat. "I don't know about the rest of life, but at least right now, I won't hold them back. Alright, I'm done soaking. Hurry up and get out." "Actually, I need to bathe too." Felix walked to the other side with her back to him. "Go ahead and change." Yaxiu climbed out of the bath, grabbed a dry towel to wipe off the water, and just as he began changing, he heard rustling behind him. From the sound alone, he could picture soft clothes gliding down smooth skin. Then came a splash in the pool, followed by a faint, kitten-like whimper from the golden-haired girl. Not daring to look back, he clicked his tongue. "Couldn't you wait until I left?" "It's not like you're looking anyway," Felix giggled. "If you don't hurry and leave, I'll tell Sword Princess and the others." "You win." Whoosh—Yaxiu fled. Felix soaked in the spot where Yaxiu had just been, submerging herself all the way to her mouth, bubbles gurgling to the surface. "...Fool." ... ... Crossing the camp, Yaxiu happened to run into Sonia as she was about to head back into her tent. Just as he was about to voice his proposal of "lovers turning into teammates," he saw Sonia point upward. Then, without sparing a single glance for his reaction, she walked straight into her tent. Yaxiu looked up at the sky. It was dark and chaotic as always. He had no idea what Sonia meant... Was she hinting that their future was bleak and gray? Yet nothing conveyed her attitude more clearly than "refusing to talk." When Yaxiu showed an intention to speak, she had no plan to respond at all, retreating into her private space of her own accord. Perhaps over the past few days she had finally realized that romance was by no means a necessity. Maintaining a polite teammate relationship was much easier on everyone: Yaxiu wouldn't have to worry about jealous catfights, and she wouldn't have to torment herself over possessiveness... Wasn't that great? A world where nobody got hurt was achieved... Everyone could step out of the quagmire and return to the broad road to keep moving forward. Thinking this over, Yaxiu returned to his tent and took out his miracle bracelet. Over the past few days, he had been catching up on a rebirth-revenge drama called The Youngest Son of the Concierge's Family, but today, for some reason, he inexplicably felt like watching a romance drama. "You can clutch your pillow and weep in secret, you can smoke and drink, but you must never go looking for her." "In truth, neither of us was at fault; we simply missed each other." Yaxiu watched romance dramas listlessly for more than three hours, continuing to stare blankly into space even after the screen went black. After a while, he opened his music player, clutched his pillow, and listened to mournful love songs on loop. It was about time to sleep. Turning off the light, he pulled the blanket over his head and suddenly gave a self-deprecating laugh: "Turns out I'm a selfish person after all..." Having honestly confronted the ugliness in his heart, Yaxiu actually relaxed, smoothing over his inner restlessness and drifting peacefully into sleep. Right at that moment, however, he heard the faint sound of wind, as if the tent flap had been lifted. But the tent had a zipper; had he failed to pull it shut? Soon, Yaxiu felt as though a large cat had slipped under the blanket. Just as he was startled and about to turn on the light, a silhouette suddenly emerged from beneath the covers, gripped his hand tightly, and whispered in a hushed voice, "Don't turn on the light, and don't speak loudly, or we'll be caught!" Strands of hair bearing the fresh fragrance of shampoo tumbled onto Yaxiu's face, while a soft, supple body pressed flush against his form. Astounded by the voice, Yaxiu blurted, "Sword Princess?" "It's me." In the pitch-black darkness, devoid of light, Yaxiu could only feel her breath against his face. "Keep your voice down. Right now, I can only sever the Gospel God's surveillance, but if we make noise or light, it'll still draw their attention." "Why did you come so late?" "You didn't know? Didn't I tell you earlier that I was coming tonight?" "When did you tell me?" "I pointed up! That meant I'd come find you at midnight after they fell asleep. So you didn't notice," she said. "As for what I came so late for..." Yaxiu only felt himself wrapped in a tight embrace, his waist locked fast by long legs. Soft lips pecked lightly at his lips several times, and then a slick, tender tongue took the initiative to invade his territory. A few minutes later, only shallow, rapid panting remained beneath the blanket. Sonia lay atop him, gently nibbling his earlobe, and whispered with a soft laugh, "Happy birthday, Yaxiu." Yaxiu was stunned. "M-my birthday?" "I knew today wasn't your real birthday." Sonia wasn't surprised. "But back when I asked for your birthday, you gave me today's date without hesitation." "April 10th. For you, this must be a meaningful day, right?" Yaxiu asked blankly, "Today is April 10th?" Sonia: "Yes. What's wrong?" Yaxiu went quiet for a moment. Then, taking a sudden, deep breath, he held Sonia tightly, as though wanting to melt her into his embrace. April 10th truly was not his birthday. Rather, it was the first day he had transmigrated to the sorcerer world. The first day he was captured by the Blood Frenzy Hunters. The first day he was thrown into prison. The first day his survival hung by a thread. It was the end of his old life, and the beginning of a new one. "So it's already been a year," Yaxiu murmured softly. "We've known each other for a year too," Sonia said with a smile. "A year ago, I was a college girl in the prime of my youth. A year later, I'm a fugitive stranded in a foreign land." "Still, a year ago I wasn't even a sorcerer, yet a year later I'm already a demigod standing at the pinnacle of sorcery." She tapped Yaxiu's nose. "Meeting you has been both a blessing and a curse." "When is your birthday?" "You only think to ask now? It already passed before you came to the Kingdom of Stars." Sonia said with mild annoyance, "You know I'm a village girl. Celebrating birthdays wasn't a thing in my little town. If you tried to celebrate mine, I'd only feel awkward." "Then why did you want to celebrate mine?" "Because I like you." Yaxiu blinked. Fortunately, there wasn't a speck of light, or he would have been flustered with embarrassment. He quickly changed the subject: "Wait, aren't you all practicing abstinence right now? If you do this—" "Don't worry. I can sever the Gospel's surveillance, so they won't find out." "No, I mean, won't having this kind of contact with me disturb your mental state?" "If neither of us practices abstinence, my mental state will be terrible. If all of us practice abstinence, my mental state will be good. But if they practice abstinence while I get to steal moments with you, then my mental state will be very, very pleasant." She kissed Yaxiu's cheek and whispered, "I actually regretted it a long time ago. Abstinence was far too unbearable for me; otherwise, I wouldn't have figured out how to sever prophecy so quickly these past few days." Yaxiu was dumbfounded. "When did you regret it?" "The very first day." Then doesn't that mean you didn't practice abstinence at all?! "Yaxiu, you've had it rough these past few days." Sonia's warm, orchid-sweet breath gently brushed his face. "You don't have to endure it anymore, but keep your movements small. If we draw the others' attention, it'll be trouble..." Yaxiu took a deep breath. Using almost all his willpower to suppress the wanton thoughts in his heart, he pushed Sonia's shoulders back and said earnestly, "I've thought it through carefully. If being lovers will hinder your growth, I'd rather we stay as teammates. Once we resolve all threats once and for all and are no longer plagued by survival, it won't be too late for us to resume our romance—" Sonia raised a finger and flicked Yaxiu hard on the forehead. "Fool," she said. "We work hard for happiness. Why would we sacrifice present beauty just for the sake of working hard? Isn't that putting the cart before the horse?" "But sacrificing present beauty for now is for the sake of longer-lasting joy in the future." "We're sorcerers! Why can't we seize both present beauty and future happiness?" Yaxiu was taken aback, but he still shook his head. "No. You all worked so hard to build trust as a team. Sword Princess, I'm truly grateful for your feelings, but I don't want to disrupt your hard-won stability—" Zzzip. Zzzip. Yaxiu blinked. There wasn't a speck of light in the tent; he could only hear the sound of a zipper being drawn down inch by inch before him. Only now did he realize that he had barely felt any pajama pants or a nightgown on Sonia—what had been wrapping around his waist were two long, supple legs. Sonia seemed to have worn only a zip-up jacket, and now... When Sonia pulled Yaxiu into her embrace, Yaxiu wrapped his arms around her waist with utter lack of resolve. "I don't like celebrating birthdays, nor do I know how to pick a birthday gift, and there's nowhere to buy gifts around here anyway." A trace of shyness was tucked into Sonia's voice. "Though it seems you're quite satisfied with your birthday gift?" "Are you testing your team leader like this?" Yaxiu lamented in righteous grief. "It took so much effort for me to steel my resolve to keep our relationship as teammates!" "Save that kind of resolve for the others," Sonia giggled. "I only want to be your lover." "Besides, even though I still insist on saving my most precious treasure for our wedding night, tonight is your birthday, and we've held back for so long..." She continued, "We can't just stand still forever and repeat our past mistakes, can we?" "So, I think it's time for you to... move forward just a little."