A Professional Avenger

“…Lin? What’s wrong with me?” Wiener finally chose a plain opening remark.

“Necromantic Magic.” Lin Yuetian replied casually as easily as the lie came out from his mouth.

“As of now, you are a spirit that I summoned.
I have spent a lot of time just trying to resurrect you, can you feel it——You can feel how powerful you are right now, no? Don’t you think, isn’t it much better compared to when you were alive back then?”

Unlike how Lin Tongzhao in the last world decided to let the Ghost-Lin Yuetian become a free sentient spirit, it was impossible for Lin Yuetian himself to do the same, there’s no reason for him to follow this decision.
After calling him back to the world, Lin Yuetian bound Wiener’s soul in one of his rings.
It was similar to how the Jade Ghost was sealed into the jade pendant by Lin Jiayang back then.
This made Lin Yuetian feel a lot more at ease.
He didn’t have to pretend, and he could just show his true nature as he spoke, without caring how it’d affect the Scum Gong.
Or rather, it’d be best if the way he spoke or acted was able to pierce the Scumbag’s heart, the fiercer the better.

“….” Wiener was at a loss for words.

In his distant memories of his youth, this Oriental Beauty had somewhat become like an anchor to those long-gone days.
His docile nature and his deep infatuation for him was something Wiener couldn’t forget and kept reminiscing in the long years he lived.
All those years, Wiener had realized that; he regretted it.
He regretted his past decision.

Looking back at it, Wiener realized that he was indeed young and immature at that time.
He couldn’t believe Lin Yuetian’s loyalty and feared that the boy would someday betray him.
As a result, he used the same measure on how to treat your subordinate to his lover.
When a subordinate ‘knows too much’, when they had an insight into your secret, then you’d bury them together along with your secret.

Wiener truly did regret it in his later years.

He kept seeing his former lover’s eyes in his dreams, and he couldn’t help reminiscing the memories of the past.
Only then Wiener realized that his old lover, he should be the kind of person who’d never betray him.

Tonight, he was brought face to face again with Lin Yuetian, who seemed to be somewhat different, though he still looked as young as ever.
There were countless words he wanted to say, but was unable to…because those words would sound too inappropriate.

At the end of the day, he could only let out this one question, “Why did you save me?”

***

[“…How pathetic,”] The System felt a little bit sorry for him.
[“—To think that he really believed you’re doing this to save him.”]

Lin Yuetian himself later replied, “…Why did I save you, huh…? Good question, Your Highness.”

“—Well, I think…It’s probably because I like you.
Yes.
After all, you are my first love, so despite hundreds of years that have gone by, after the vicissitudes of several centuries, in the end, I still couldn’t forget about you.
I don’t want you to die and disappear from this world forever.
I don’t want us to be separated for good.” Lin Yuetian naturally found an answer.

In the first place, the way Lin Yuetian spoke had always been gentle and graceful.
So, his reply just now was very touching in Wiener’s ears, and his heart couldn’t help but felt moved.

—However, Lin Yuetian’s next sentence was not as lovely as it was before:

“Right, Your Highness, you just woke up after being dead for such a long time.
It’d be inevitable if you feel a bit stiff.
I think it’s a good choice to find you some activity you can use to exercise.”

[“?? What do you plan to make him do?”] The System quickly asked in a loud voice.

He had been cultivated by the many experiences in the previous worlds, and his sense of vigilance had been raised like never before.
As a result, the System could accurately spot the moment when he needed to be alert when it came to Lin Yuetian.

“Your Highness Wiener—or would you prefer me to call you Your Majesty? Anyhow, I’m really tired after my long journey back to Jon Kingdom, and it’s sad to say, but my money has also been exhausted on the way.
I was really short of money, so I have no choice but to take several requests from some Nobles.
However, they’re expecting me to use my magic to kill some people for them…”

“—But you know me best, don’t you? From the past to the present, I have never been good at this violence-related thing…”

Lin Yuetian slowly came to the point:

“Your Highness…considering that you are now a ghost, a spirit that I specially summoned…and, you’re also this strong, so…can you, if it’s okay with you, are you willing to help me?”

The System, [“…”]

[“Isn’t it a bit too much for you to treat your target like a sheep? Harvesting their wool, and butchered them later?”] The System felt indignant for the Scum Gong.

[“The person has been deceased for so long.
He was even a King before he died.
Don’t you think it’s a bit too much for him to be treated like a corporate slave by you?”]

“What are you afraid of?” Finally, Lin Yuetian leisurely replied to his System in his mind.

“The First Emperor did not start his business halfway, but collapsed in the middle of the road[1].
Wiener has already become the First Emperor, but he still hasn’t started any business yet.
You say, as a King or an Emperor, isn’t his career rather incomplete?  I’m just providing a chance for him to realize his self-worth and enrich his life experience.”

[“…I’m convinced that there must be something wrong with how Cyberpunk World teach Chinese in their school.”] The System silently sighed.[2]

[“How about I make an application on your behalf, and give you some Chinese textbooks for compulsory education in primary school to read through? Don’t just interpret excerpts as you fit all the time!”]

“It’ll just gonna delay our task, right?” Lin Yuetian demurred.

[“Have you heard a saying before?”]

The System continued, [“—It’s never a mistake for a woodcutter to sharpen their blade.
After finishing Junior High I will work part-time[3]. So don’t refuse, it’s my obligation to help you, an out-of-school child, to return to your school.”][4]

No matter how intensely Lin Yuetian and the System discussed the issue of education, in the end, no one or nothing could stop Lin Yuetian from ruthlessly exploiting the elderly Wiener during this period.
Lin Yuetian simply proved that there’s someone who’s more cold-blooded than those Capitalists.

Therefore, relying on Wiener, who’s currently a ghost and needed no rest, drink, or eat, Lin Yuetian created a system of hardcore 007 work schedule specifically tailored for the former King—Started working at 0:00, returned from work at 0:00 the next day, every day 7 days per week.
Lin Yuetian continuously arranged work for him and simply treated him as a tool man to earn money.
He secretly decided that; If someday Wiener were to show his displeasure and started resisting, then he’d use that reason as a casus belli and simply complete the task ahead of time and make the best use of everything.
He had to ensure Wiener was squeezed dry to his final residual value.

During this period, the System would see Wiener, the former King Wiener, with his 70/80-ish elderly appearance of his; coming out early and going back late.
It’s almost looking at the manifestation of the dogleg[5]around Huang Shiren or Zhou Papi[6].
He couldn’t help sighing; Maybe this is the blessing of a Scumbag Gong, Amitabha.

Contrary to what they expected, however, Wiener actually quite enjoyed the moment instead.
He looked happy as he worked hard to support Lin Yuetian’s life—causing Lin Yuetian to be unable to deliberately find faults to start his execution.

“Could it be…he is a shaking-M?” Lin Yuetian guessed this situation using his rich knowledge.

[“Don’t start talking nonsense.
You won’t pass the screening otherwise[7].”] The System shut him up.

[“In my opinion, he might really like this world’s Lin Yuetian.
His case might fall into the trope of; It’s been hundreds of years since I broke up with my first love, and when we meet again he actually passes me the responsibility of earning money to raise our small family—It’s obvious that my first love didn’t treat me as a stranger, and hoping to get back together with me!“]

“It turn out to be the case, I see…” Lin Yuetian nodded.
“Though, that doesn’t concern me in any way.”

***

After earning enough extra money, Lin Yuetian began his next plan.
He took Wiener along with him as he went to find the second target, Knight Kaysen.

Finding Knight  Kaysen was not a difficult task at all.

After that young master from some Noble house, whom Kaysen had a crush on, recovered from his illness, the two of them had been traveling together in the name of ‘best friends’.
Both of them were quite powerful.
They were infamous among the adventurers in the Southern part of the Mainland.
A lot of second-rate and third-rate Bards even began to write and sing verses about the two Heroes—hoping the more famous those two would become in the future, their poems and them as Bard would also become more popular.

On another note, as Lin Yuetian started traveling with money in his hand, it became clear once again that he was unable to change his nature of ‘enjoying life to the fullest’.

He’d visit pubs, taverns, and all kinds of establishments he encountered on his way, tasting this world’s specialties food and drink, while leisurely listening to many long tales.

Speaking of which, those songs being sung, all mentioned one famous feature of Kaysen: His Bone Sword.

When Lin Yuetian chatted with several minstrels, many of them believed this sword must be an item with a romantic history.
Allegedly, Kaysen forged his sword from the bone of his deceased lover who had unfortunately passed away early.
To commemorate his dead lover and immortalize their love, he cast his bone into a sword he’d bring everywhere.

Lin Yuetian, “…”

“…That Bone Sword better not be my bone, I hope.” Lin Yuetian mused.

***

When Lin Yuetian finally found Kaysen, he was currently encamped in the middle of the wilderness, together with the Noble Son.

The body Lin Yuetian had right now was a Great Magician.
Unlike how in the past, today he could spy on Knight Kaysen without being found out.
In this way, Lin Yuetian happily went to eavesdrop on their conversation in the dark.

The Noble Son’s name, according to what Kaysen called him, was Joyce.
Right now, Kaysen and Joyce were in the middle of discussing their previous encounter with a Goblin, also where should they head next to continue their adventure.

‘How nice, look like they have a good life, after all.’ Lin Yuetian marveled.

Therefore, Lin Yuetian turned to face Wiener and instructed, “You go out.
You should be stronger than them, right? Listen up, make yourself look frightening, and go and scare them properly, it’s best to drive them away separately.
Oh! But remember to drive that Joyce to my side, okay?”

“…Why?” Wiener was confused.

“Why of course, because I want to get revenge on that Knight over there.” Lin Yuetian replied bluntly.

“That guy is my ex-boyfriend.
He treated me cruelly back then.
But, it’s never too late for a gentleman to take revenge. Thirty years in Hedong and Thirty years in Hexi[8].
Today I must teach him what it means to be a human being, to have etiquette, to understand righteousness, and to know shame!”

Wiener’s expression immediately changed as he caught the point, “Your former boyfriend?”

His complicated and dejected look perhaps would be very attractive when put on his youthful face—but at his current broken old face, Lin Yuetian couldn’t think of anything aside from ‘Off-putting‘.

“Why do you have to ask so many questions? Let me tell you once again, you just need to listen to me, I won’t do anything to you, and I won’t get any revenge from you—if I want to retaliate against you, I wouldn’t have revived you in the first place.”

Lin Yuetian instilled his ideology in him, “Don’t get so carried away just because I love you, okay?”

[“…”]

[“Good Guy,”] The System cursed.
[“Did you hear yourself? You sound more like a scum than the Scumbag Gong!”]

***

References

↑1

Excerpt from Zhuge Liang’s memorial “Chu Shi Biao”. First Emperor referred to Liu Bei—the first ruler of Shu Han during the Three Kingdom era, Zhuge Liang’s superior.

↑2

LYT uses the excerpt wrongly. What Zhuge Liang meant in his memorial was: The First Emperor died halfway through his undertaking/conquer of the world—he’s lamenting the fact that afterward the world was divided into 3 Kingdoms, and the Shu Han Dynasty had to face a crisis

↑3

CN contemporary slogan—regarding the controversy of; “Is it okay for children to work directly after finishing Junior High?”—to which answered with the slogan, that it’s okay for those youths to start working to be more prepared when they have to enter working place as an adult

↑4

The System is treating LYT as someone who work before completing his compulsory education—since he often interprets excerpts wrongly, something that should have been taught in Chinese subject at school.

↑5

a slang for lackey

↑6

From The Four Big Bully Landlords—the well-known four Imaginary Tyrannic Landlords in the People’s Republic of China Landlord; Liu Wencai, Huang Shiren, Nanba Tianhe, and Zhou Papi.

↑7

Breaking the fourth wall-joke from the Author. Since JJWXC screened the chapters based on banned words

↑8

CN proverbs—means that people and things are changeable, people’s fate would turn upside down sometimes