37 Day 36: The Scum Isnst Regretful (1/2)

”I still can't remember my name.” Zu Zhe said.

”'Zu Zhe' is not your name?” Yu Sheng asked.

”... dunno.” Zu Zhe just said and continued. ”I think I'm around 17... I live with my parents, but no close interaction with them...” he said, trying to remember bits and pieces.

”... alright. Let's stop here now.” Yu Sheng said and stood up.

Zu Zhe looked at him.

”You're tired, trying to remember... just rest, okay?” he told him and forced him down the bed.

Zu Zhe's eyes went wide as he stared at Yu Sheng who's on top of him, their faces close to each other.

”Sleep.” he whispered.

Zu Zhe felt warm air touched his ears and a second later, he fell asleep. When he opened his eyes again, he saw Yu Sheng silently sitting on the cold floor, his back on him.

Yu Sheng opened his eyes when he heard the bed rustled. Zu Zhe woke up.

He turned. ”How are you feeling?” he asked.

”Better.” The clueless Zu Zhe answered. ”Where were I earlier?” he asked. He didn't know he's been asleep for one whole day.

”... your parents.” Yu Sheng answered.

Zu Zhe nodded and continued. ”My parents are both working and so I am left alone in the house. I don't go to school and just stare at the PC whole day, writing.” He said. He finally remembers now he's writing online.

Hearing another word he doesn't know, Yu Sheng didn't react and just let Zu Zhe continued.

”And?” he asked.

”Since I'm a NEET (not in education, employment or training), staying in the house whole day, of course I don't have friends. Only online friends.” Zu Zhe continued.

Yu Sheng just nod to him until Zu Zhe stops again because he's tired.

”I remember...” Zu Zhe said as he held his aching head. ”The one I'm writing... what was it...?” he muttered, feeling sleepy.

Like the usual, Yu Sheng let him lay down the bed to sleep. This is the sixth day they're inside the cave.

”Tell me tomorrow.” Yu Sheng told him.

Zu Zhe nodded, didn't know that the next time he'll open his eyes, he'll remember everything. The place where he's in... and the identity of the man that's taking care of him.

Yu Sheng opened his eyes when he heard the bed rustled. ”You're awake now.” he said and turned to Zu Zhe who's silently sitting on the bed.

This time, Zu Zhe voluntarily woke up.

”What's wrong?” Yu Sheng asked and walked towards the bed.

”... I remember everything now.” Zu Zhe answered, his voice low.

”... what do you remember?” Yu Sheng, as always, asked.

”... I am an author (zu zhe).” Zu Zhe answered.

Yu Sheng didn't speak. He just let him continue.

”I was about to write the last chapter of my story.” He said. ”When... I read the recent comments of my readers.” He lowered his head. ”They hate my story. It was lame. It was bland... they could've just told me this in the first place... why wait until the final arc?” he sighed.

Yu Sheng is just silent.

”Well... I was brokenhearted. I didn't write the last chapter and just went straight to sleep, my heart heavy.” He said. ”Then, I woke up here.” He said and looked around. ”I remember now... this cave... this is 'that' cave. Yes. I won't say what this cave is because I might spoil...” he muttered and laughed. ”Yes. That time when that man went here... I was so close to shouting at the PC what this cave really is... yes. Pft -” he chuckled. ”Well, for one... this cave is the turning point of the story where that guy powered up because of some transcriptions... ah. Yes! That's right! Those transcriptions!” he pointed the back of the stone door of the room. ”Amazing...! They're really carved...” he said and stared at the transcriptions. ”Yes... this room of the cave... this cave... cave... the man...” he muttered as his voice fades. His body went stiff. His eyes slowly turned to Yu Sheng who is quietly looking at him. ”... have I told you the plot of the story?” he quietly asked.

”Yes.” Yu Sheng answered.

”... how about all of the story? The chapters...?”

”Yes.” Yu Sheng answered.

Zu Zhe sighed, then lowered his head. Crocodile tears fell from his eyes. ”Ah... damn it...” he cursed and laughed as his tears fell.

Yu Sheng just let him be, thinking Zu Zhe finally snapped after remembering all of his memories.

”Damn it... damn it...” he cursed again and again. ”WhythehelldidItellthevillainaboutthestory?!” he asked, speaking so fast and loud as if shouting and speaking fast will erase his deeds. ”Why...?” he asked and laughed as he cries, don't know to be happy or sad.

Happy, since he experienced first-hand the story he wrote. Sad, since the character that's with him is the villain in the story.

He looked at the handsome man wearing black robe. ”Yu Sheng.” He said, glaring.

”Yes.” Yu Sheng just nodded, his face calm.

Zu Zhe gritted his teeth as he gripped the bed tight. ”Argh!” he yelled as he stomped his foot on the ground.

Yu Sheng just let him be.

”Did you level up now?” he asked Yu Sheng.

”... yes.” Yu Sheng answered.

Zu Zhe bit his lip, frowning. The scene in his story goes like this:

After walking in the dark cave, the path in the cave deeply imprinted in his young mind, he finally reached the dead – end. But, the dead – end is only for people who lost their way. As to him, he still hasn't lost his way and so this dead – end is just another path for him. Running his fingers on the carved words on the wall of the cave, he heard something clicked and the wall moved, making a path for him... leading him... showing him a room. This room that has no windows is a memory from his childhood. Memory of his parents... and memory of one more person.

He looked at the transcriptions on the stone door of the room, then run his fingers over the text. He closed his eyes as he felt the familiar warmth running on his blood.

A new path was shown beneath his closed eyes.

- An excerpt from Good and Evil: The Cultivation World

Zu Zhe gritted his teeth. Damn it... he cursed. The villain already leveled up while he slept. He thought.

The trigger for the villain to level up, thus the turning point of the story, is the villain recovering his lost memories of his childhood. And this room inside the cave is the place to trigger his lost childhood memories.

Zu Zhe sighed. ”You planning to kill everybody?” he asked weakly. He lost all interest living in this world. Right now, after he transmigrated on his own novel, he's just another cannon fodder.

Cannon fodder dies, and so will he.

”... what do you mean?” Yu Sheng asked.

Zu Zhe looked at him. ”The people of the Upright Sect.” he answered. ”They wronged you. They'll frame you up.” he told him. He already told Yu Sheng of all of the story, anyway. He's just reminding him.

”... not yet.” Yu Sheng answered.

”Ah?” Zu Zhe said.

As he remembered, Yu Sheng went back to the Upright Sect and killed all the traitor elders of the sect, including the protagonist's parents, that's why the protagonist's hatred on him intensified.

Yu Sheng stood up. ”As much as I'd like to, but... my friends are still not ready to take over of the sect.” he answered.

”... Xi Ling and Fei Lin?” Zu Zhe asked.

Yu Sheng nodded. Zu Zhe fell silent.

True, Fei Lin will be an elder of the sect, together with Xi Ling after Yu Sheng returns and kills all the elders of the sect, then flee.

Fei Lin will be forced to take over the sect despite very young. Xi Ling will be distressed. His traitor uncle got killed by his sworn brother.

Fei Lin, having to bear the sect on his own, got mentally tired. Xi Ling, his sworn brother got astray and killed his uncle, became mentally distressed.

Thus, the only two friends of the villain got Qi Deviation and almost died, had not the villain came back to fetch the two and join him, leaving the Upright Sect – the top sect in the whole world, in disarray. Fei Huang then will be forced to lead the sect even though he doesn't want to since he wants a peaceful and easy life, to replace his scum brother (Fei Xin – the leader of the sect).

Then, the protagonist enters the scene after the villain attacked his sect to test the villain's power. The silent protagonist makes his first appearance here and vowed to defeat the villain – Yu Sheng, and take back his elder brother.

Needless to say, the protagonist is Fei Yin, and Fei Yin's elder brother whom he'll take back is Fei Lin.

Yes. This is how dark the story is. And will only get darker as the chapter goes on. Zu Zhe thought.

He turned to the silent Yu Sheng. ”What are you planning now...?” he asked, though already knew how this will turn out.

”... I've just one thing to ask.” Yu Sheng said.

”What is?” Zu Zhe asked.

”... how will you end the story?” he asked.

Zu Zhe answered. ”The villain dies and all the sect in the HuiLong Continent will be unified under the protagonist's rule.” He answered.

Yu Sheng fell silent. ”That's interesting.” He said after a while.

Zu Zhe just nodded.

”... do you have another continent in your story?” he asked again.

”Although some online novels have, I don't.” Zu Zhe answered. ”I'd like to keep my story in my own pace, since I'm the writer myself.” He explained.

Yu Sheng fell silent.

”What are you thinking?” he finally asked. Even though he's occasionally writing the characters' thoughts, he still doesn't know what they're fully thinking since, they are just characters.

He's not them, as well as they are all fictional.

”I'd like to say one thing.” Yu Sheng said.

”That is?” Zu Zhe asked, waiting.