Chapter 235: Are They Teammates? (11)

【Bullet Screen: "???"】

【Bullet Screen: "Ahhh, Blue Eyes!!!"】

【Bullet Screen: "He always appears in the most unexpected way, hahaha. I'm dying."】

【Bullet Screen: "Oh my god, we finally get to see Blue Eyes again! I climbed back into this fandom immediately, sob."】

Part of the audience exploded with excitement. Blue Eyes, whom they had encountered in so many instances, meant something entirely different to them now. His relationship and bond with He Yu stirred emotions unlike anything before.

From the Big Cat to Lan Ersi, he had never appeared for long, yet every single appearance left an intense emotional impact and became unforgettable.

The moment they saw the Snowdrift Frost Beast, the audience had already guessed he was in this instance. Even so, seeing him appear in this form still came as a huge surprise.

He looked like a tiny little ginseng.

But...

Wasn't this state even worse than last time?

Zhen Xing and the others felt equally conflicted. Unlike the audience, they all knew that this Blue Eyes was actually—

Zhan God, Li Zhan.

Excitement flashed through Yuan Ze and the others' eyes, though they tried their best not to reveal anything unusual.

Zhante's expression trembled slightly.

"Blue Eyes..."

Yuan Ze's eyes were filled with excitement and concern. His voice turned slightly hoarse.

"So we really did find him... It's just... I never imagined he'd become like this."

The last few words carried anger he could barely suppress.

The audience simply assumed he was lamenting Blue Eyes' appearance in this instance.

Some people were excited.

Others remained expressionless.

Wanrenzhan muttered under his breath,

"He's like an evil spirit that refuses to leave. Why is he everywhere?"

His face was full of annoyance, as though he found Blue Eyes thoroughly irritating.

Hearing that, Tang Ke stared at Wanrenzhan in disbelief.

"That's Blue Eyes!"

That's Li Zhan!

Besides, if Tang Ke remembered correctly, Wanrenzhan had once worshipped Li Zhan. If anyone dared say a single bad word about his idol, he'd immediately jump into a fight...

Wanrenzhan remained expressionless.

"So what? He's annoying as hell."

Zhen Xing stepped forward until he was standing beside He Yu. Moonlight reflected beautifully off his blue hair, and his phoenix-shaped eyes looked warm as he smiled slightly.

"He Yu, did you already know he was following us?"

While they had still been inside the mist, He Yu had suddenly lowered his voice and said,

"Walk a little farther ahead. Something's following behind us. Lure it out of the mist."

The words had been soft and quick, but Zhen Xing and the others all heard them and immediately carried them out.

The moment they emerged from the mist, He Yu quietly withdrew from the group and hid behind a nearby boulder while everyone else cooperated, deliberately tricking Blue Eyes into revealing himself.

None of them had expected it to be Blue Eyes.

But He Yu...

Seemed to have already known.

When he grabbed Blue Eyes, he hadn't even seen those blue eyes yet, and he'd already spoken that sentence.

He had clearly guessed his identity beforehand.

But how?

Hearing the question, He Yu continued looking at Blue Eyes.

Embarrassed, the little fellow curled up in his palm and wrapped himself entirely in his leaves again. Even his tiny root-like limbs wound around his own body until he became completely motionless.

—A transparent attempt at pretending to be dead.

A smile appeared in He Yu's eyes.

"The Snowdrift Frost Beast proved he had to be in this instance. If he's still alive, then most of the time he's the final boss. The Misty Waters mission is probably the highest-level mission here, so it was very likely Blue Eyes."

Ling Buchen walked over to He Yu's other side, his face full of curiosity.

"But he never showed up the whole time."

Would Blue Eyes deliberately avoid He Yu?

Impossible.

Every time he saw He Yu, he looked completely smitten. There was no way he'd hide from him.

"As for why he hid..." He Yu's lips curved upward slightly as he gently tapped the round green leaf growing from Blue Eyes' head.

"He probably changed from a 'Powerful Creature' into... this. He's too embarrassed to show himself."

Instantly, Blue Eyes could no longer keep pretending to be stiff and dead.

The little leaf shook wildly, unable to control itself.

The roots wrapped tighter and tighter around his body, as though he wanted to strangle himself to death.

Of course, he had no intention of dying.

It was simply an unconscious reaction brought on by overwhelming nervousness.

He Yu chuckled, then used his long, slender fingers to gently straighten the tangled roots.

Blue Eyes froze once again, not daring to move.

Duan Yuchen looked puzzled.

"Then do you know why he ended up like this?"

This little ginseng didn't look remotely like a Powerful Creature.

In fact, it looked as though it barely had any combat ability at all.

Something major must have happened for him to fall from a "Powerful Creature" to a "little ginseng."

Naturally, Duan Yuchen didn't actually think He Yu knew. He simply wanted He Yu to ask Blue Eyes.

Unexpectedly...

He Yu really did know.

He didn't ask at all.

"As for why he became like this?"

His fingertip rested lightly on the little ginseng's leaf as he spoke casually.

"He probably exhausted too much energy changing my instance. He couldn't maintain his humanoid form anymore."

Everyone:

"!!!"

Wanrenzhan instantly forgot about being jealous of Blue Eyes.

"Changed your instance? What do you mean?!"

Compared to Li Zhan losing even his humanoid body, Wanrenzhan cared far more about the fact that he'd changed He Yu's instance.

Everyone: "..."

Eugene looked at him with obvious disdain.

"What were you doing? Didn't you hear the system announce the <Interstellar War> instance before it suddenly changed to <Are We Teammates?>?"

Wanrenzhan paused.

"...I wasn't paying much attention."

His mind had been completely occupied with finding He Yu.

He hadn't paid attention to the instance at all.

As the missions became increasingly difficult, he'd only skimmed through the rules anyway.

The others couldn't be bothered with him.

Qiong caught the important point immediately. Frowning, she looked at He Yu.

"He changed the instance... for you?"

He Yu nodded.

"Yes. In the <Interstellar War> instance, I was teleported into midair and dropped straight into the mouth of a giant beast. I almost died on the spot."

He spoke as calmly as though he were discussing the weather.

But the moment everyone heard it, a chill ran down their spines, quickly replaced by blazing fury.

Gedai exclaimed,

"Dropped into a giant beast's mouth?!"

Zhante's expression darkened.

"Are you kidding? Throughout the entire history of the Top Talent Show, every instance starting location has always been absolutely safe. Designing your spawn point so you'd fall directly into a monster's mouth and die immediately—how is that any different from outright execution?"

Yuan Ze sucked in a sharp breath.

"Holy shit... That's way too ruthless."

Duan Yuchen cursed.

"What the hell is this? Twisting the rules wasn't enough? They actually pulled something like that?!"

...

Eugene gritted his teeth.

"I wondered why the instance suddenly changed. I thought they'd only manipulate the rules. I thought they'd just swap us into a more difficult instance."

"I never imagined they'd stoop to something this disgusting."

Zhen Xing slowly clenched his fists...

Then relaxed them...

Then clenched them again.

Over and over, trying to steady himself.

His eyes never left He Yu.

There was heartache in them.

And sorrow.

Ever since childhood, Zhen Xing had always believed himself to be strong.

He had never experienced setbacks.

The halo of genius had followed him his entire life, and his family had been one of the strongest.

He had always stood above everyone else, caring only about fighting and challenging powerful opponents.

When Wanrenzhan returned from the Top Talent Show, Zhen Xing had immediately challenged him—

And defeated him.

Finding no more worthy opponents, he'd entered the competition himself.

Before entering, everyone had predicted that this season's "Top Talent" would belong either to him or Eugene.

Only the two of them were considered possible champions.

Deep down, Zhen Xing knew Eugene couldn't beat him.

Even inside the Top Talent Show, he believed he would survive.

Since childhood, he'd always done whatever he pleased.

He had never known what helplessness felt like.

But now—

For the first time—

He truly felt powerless.

Every injustice, every scheme, every act of persecution directed toward He Yu filled him with anger.

Yet all he could do was fight beside He Yu.

Stand beside him.

He could do nothing else.

He was inside the Top Talent Show.

His own life was also controlled by others.

If he were outside...

He could destroy the production team.

Or storm the royal palace.

But here—

He could only rage helplessly.

Zhen Xing laughed bitterly.

After living this long, this was the first time he truly understood what it meant to be powerless.

Standing beside him, He Yu spoke calmly.

"There's nothing worth getting angry over. The people behind the scenes make their move, and I respond."

"As long as you're willing to stand beside me and help me..."

"That's enough."

Zhen Xing and Ling Buchen both stared fixedly at the man beside them.

—Someone this good...

—Had to survive.

He had to leave this place alive.

He deserved a vast world where he could soar freely...

Not remain trapped in a place like this.

Siya steadied her breathing, suppressing her anger before focusing on the important matter.

"So Blue Eyes can change instances? How did he do it?"

He Yu gently shook the tiny figure in his palm and lightly scratched him with his little finger.

"I'm asking you. Can you talk?"

Blue Eyes:

"..."

Still covering his face with his leaf, he answered in a muffled voice.

"Barely. The aftereffects were severe."

"I basically died."

If he hadn't reacted immediately by stuffing his consciousness into this tiny ginseng root...

He probably never would have seen He Yu again.

Nor would he have existed in this instance.

His voice sounded childish.

Yet his tone remained calm and steady.

It was unexpectedly pleasant to hear.

Zhen Xing, Ling Buchen...

Even Wanrenzhan...

Couldn't help softening their gazes.

Whatever else happened—

He had saved He Yu.

If not for him...

No one knew what would have become of He Yu.

Just imagining it sent chills down their backs.

Because he'd saved He Yu, he deserved their gratitude.

Even Wanrenzhan found this "fat little weed" slightly more pleasing to the eye.

Meanwhile—

The Bullet Screen had already exploded.

【Bullet Screen: "You've got to be kidding me? So Blue Eyes was the one who changed the instance? The production team didn't do anything?"】

【Bullet Screen: "Wasn't the production team supposed to be the one changing instances? I almost believed them!!"】

【Bullet Screen: "They couldn't do shit. Believe what? They promised no one would interfere with the competition, then He Yu suddenly became the Third Camp. The moment I saw that, I knew they couldn't be trusted!"】

【Bullet Screen: "Heh. And they still had the nerve to take credit? They haven't even explained themselves."】

【Bullet Screen: "I don't think their explanation actually said they did it themselves?"】

【Bullet Screen: "That just makes them even more shameless. Damn it... My poor Blue Eyes!"】

【Bullet Screen: "You can always trust Blue Eyes! Whenever He Yu needs him most, he appears to help him—even if it costs his own life."】

...

After speaking, Blue Eyes paused.

He lowered the leaf covering his face and looked at He Yu with his beautiful watery-blue eyes.

His voice was hoarse.

"This was the first time..."

"And probably the last."

"...Be careful from now on."

He Yu understood.

He nodded.

The moment the hidden mastermind had appeared, everything had changed.

Blue Eyes had only succeeded this once because he'd discovered He Yu immediately and caught the mastermind completely off guard.

Next time would be different.

Once the mastermind was prepared...

Changing another instance would likely become impossible.

He worried deeply about He Yu.

He Yu, however, remained unconcerned.

He had survived countless assassination attempts.

Countless brushes with death.

Danger had accompanied every second of his existence.

As long as he devised a solution, there was nothing to fear.

Smiling faintly, he looked at Blue Eyes.

"If you were hiding because you didn't want to see me..."

"Then why did you come out on your own?"

Blue Eyes:

"..."

Instantly, his entire body flushed pink.

He hurriedly covered his face with his leaf again, not wanting He Yu to see him blushing.

Yet...

He also wanted to look at He Yu.

Unable to resist, he quietly shifted the leaf aside and secretly peeked at him.

Before becoming this tiny ginseng...

He had possessed a human form.

He had even deliberately arranged their first meeting to take place atop the snowy mountain.

Suddenly becoming a completely undignified little ginseng...

His only thought had been to run away.

Back then, when his memories were incomplete, he hadn't been able to choose what form he took.

Now...

His memories had returned.

He Yu already knew who he was.

Turning into yet another strange creature...

Was honestly a little embarrassing.

But...

One single strike from He Yu—

Directly stunned him with electricity and sent him tumbling into the water channel.

After that...

How could he possibly bear to leave?

—He wanted to see He Yu.

For He Yu, they'd only been apart a short while.

For him...

It had been an unimaginably long time.

As for why he had hidden from He Yu...

Yet secretly followed behind him...

The entire universe already knew the answer.

【Bullet Screen: "Even though I'm furious about what happened to He Yu, I still can't help shipping them."】

【Bullet Screen: "Ahhh! Blue Eyes wasn't avoiding He Yu because he didn't want to see him! He just didn't want He Yu to see what he'd become! He only followed because he wanted to secretly look at him!"】

【Bullet Screen: "Who would've thought he'd get caught just from secretly watching?"】

【Bullet Screen: "My god... He became like this just to save He Yu, then didn't dare let He Yu see him, so he could only secretly follow behind. Just one glimpse of He Yu was enough to satisfy him... What kind of heavenly pairing is this?!"】

【Bullet Screen: "Every other ship, move aside!!"】

【Bullet Screen: "I was wrong. I'm sorry. I apparently ship literally everyone..."】

—

Blue Eyes secretly looked at He Yu with those watery-blue eyes.

Meanwhile, He Yu held him gently in his palm, lowering his gaze with a faint smile as he looked back at him.

The atmosphere was warm.

Uniquely so.

It felt as though only the two of them existed within their own private world.

Everyone else belonged somewhere else entirely.

Naturally...

Zhen Xing and the others couldn't stand it anymore.

Wanrenzhan strode over in a few steps, towering over the little ginseng.

He let out a contemptuous snort before turning toward He Yu.

"Even though the 'Powerful Creature' is gone, this guy used to be one."

"The system might still count him as the Task 100 target."

He smiled.

"So..."

"Let's kill him."

No one spoke.

Now that they knew Blue Eyes' true identity, nobody dared be quite as reckless as before.

After a long silence, Eugene spoke first.

"I agree."

"This instance requires completing every mission."

"Every means every single one."

"So Blue Eyes is destined to die in this instance."

If Blue Eyes survived...

Then they would be the ones who died.

Wanrenzhan nodded.

"Exactly."

"Dead now or dead later, what's the difference?"

"Let's kill him now and collect the points."

Clearly still unable to stand him, Wanrenzhan reached out with his "demonic claw," intending to grab the little ginseng and finish him off.

Blue Eyes:

"..."

His first instinct was to roll his eyes.

Fortunately, he restrained himself.

Instead...

He deliberately trembled pitifully.

A palm-sized little ginseng looking this miserable...

It was difficult not to feel sympathy.

Especially with those beautiful watery-blue eyes...

Looking pleadingly at He Yu.

Zhen Xing exchanged a glance with Ling Buchen.

Both wore grave expressions.

—A powerful Blue Eyes wasn't scary.

—A powerful Blue Eyes who knew how to act pitiful...

That was terrifying.

The guy really knew how to play the victim.

After becoming a tiny ginseng and getting discovered by He Yu, he'd immediately changed strategies for this instance.

Now he was taking the "pitiful little thing" route.

Sure enough...

He Yu sided with him.

He moved his hand away, preventing Wanrenzhan from touching him.

At the same time, he lightly slapped the back of Wanrenzhan's hand.

His expression turned serious.

"Don't touch him."

Wanrenzhan:

"???"

Covering the back of his hand, he looked at He Yu in disbelief.

"You actually hit me because of him?!"

Judging by his expression...

It seemed as though he was about to burst into fake tears.

—He had started pretending to be pitiful too!

Was Wanrenzhan trying to steal the green tea strategy so the real green tea would have nowhere left to go?

Everyone:

"...?"

He Yu:

"..."

The thing was...

Blue Eyes could pull off acting pitiful because he was genuinely adorable.

A tiny little ginseng lying helplessly in He Yu's palm—

Who wouldn't feel protective?

But Wanrenzhan?

This was a scar-faced giant over two meters tall...

Trying to act cute.

It was simply...

Painful to look at.

Everyone silently looked away.

He Yu smiled faintly.

"Wanrenzhan."

"Please talk normally."

Wanrenzhan blinked innocently.

"But this is how I talk~"

Zhen Xing gritted his teeth.

"If you don't want to be human anymore, just say so."

Ling Buchen rested his fingers lightly on the zither strings and smiled.

"A tongue is a wonderful thing."

"Unfortunately, you don't seem to need yours."

Duan Yuchen had already begun swinging his hammer.

Qiong quietly tightened the threads stretched across her fingers.

Gedai looked as though he were about to vomit.

Bo Jingshan stared at Wanrenzhan with a death glare.

Tang Ke looked utterly devastated.

Siya rubbed her arms.

"Wanrenzhan."

"Please speak like a normal person."

Eugene and Yuan Ze each grabbed one of Wanrenzhan's arms, preparing to drag him away.

Wanrenzhan struggled twice before breaking free.

"Fine, fine."

"Stop pulling me."

His expression instantly returned to normal.

He glared viciously at Blue Eyes as though he wanted to bite him to death.

Now...

That was the real Wanrenzhan.

Blue Eyes didn't even spare him a glance.

He continued lying peacefully in He Yu's palm.

—As the man in He Yu's palm, there was no need for him to concern himself with everyone else.

【Bullet Screen: "If I've sinned, please don't punish me by making Wanrenzhan act cute."】

【Bullet Screen: "After watching Wanrenzhan pretend to be pitiful, suddenly Blue Eyes' little ginseng body looks absolutely delightful."】

【Bullet Screen: "...Ginseng is pretty tasty."】

【Bullet Screen: "Is this what they call fighting for affection? Blue Eyes wins by a landslide?"】

Yuan Ze remained the calmest and brought the discussion back on track.

"So..."

"What do we do with him?"

"That's a thousand points."

No one could simply abandon that many points.

Nor could they ignore the mission.

He Yu raised an eyebrow calmly.

"Didn't we already decide?"

Everyone froze.

He Yu smiled.

"We agreed to leave one or two missions unfinished until the very end."

He gently shook the little ginseng in his hand.

"What could possibly be a better mission to save for last than this one?"

"Easy to deal with."

"High reward."

"And portable."

In other words...

Until they'd sent every other contestant to their final rest...

Even if they wanted to end the competition early...

They couldn't.

—The final mission would remain in their hands.

That meant the timing was completely under their control.

No more racing against the clock.

No more overwhelming pressure.

Silence.

The plan was excellent.

The only problem...

Was that Blue Eyes was rather annoying.

And...

He could talk.

Qiong suddenly understood.

"So from the very beginning..."

"The reason you suggested that plan..."

"Was because you intended to leave Blue Eyes until the end?"

"To keep him alive?"

He Yu merely smiled without answering.

Everyone collectively inhaled sharply.

Ever since his transformation in the previous instance...

He Yu had become even more terrifying.

Just how many moves ahead had he been planning?

【Bullet Screen: "Come to think of it... With a brain like He Yu's, could he already have figured out how to clear this instance?"】

【Bullet Screen: "If it's He Yu... I'd actually believe it."】

【Bullet Screen: "But this instance is ridiculously difficult. He's still in the Third Camp, and nobody even knows how that problem is supposed to be solved."】

Realizing there was no longer any chance of killing Blue Eyes, Wanrenzhan looked deeply disappointed.

Yuan Ze carefully suppressed his excitement.

He finally had the chance to spend time with his idol.

They had met before...

But back then, he hadn't known Blue Eyes was Li Zhan.

Now everything felt completely different.

Even that tiny palm-sized body somehow looked majestic to him.

He cleared his throat.

"So..."

"Do we begin the cleanup now?"

"Complete missions while killing contestants?"