“Brother Yuan, you can be pretty cruel at times, you know?” Chu Liuxiang suddenly said to him after they lifted into the air in their private plane.
“Eh? Why would you say that?” Yuan asked in a dumbfounded voice.
“You already forgot about hitting me with a sword and knocking me unconscious?” Chu Liuxiang puffed her cheeks in an angry yet cute manner.
“O-Oh… That… I’m sorry, but if I didn’t do that, you could’ve gotten hurt for real.” Yuan apologized.
“I understand why you did it, and I am thankful that you did, but I cannot help but be upset about it. Therefore, as punishment, you’ll have to hug me while we sleep tonight!” Chu Liuxiang then said.
Yuan didn’t say anything and merely nodded with a slight smile on his face.
And for the rest of the flight, Yuan would remain relatively silent, seemingly in deep thoughts the whole time.
Neither Meixiu nor Chu Liuxiang tried to speak with him when they saw his mood, as they can tell that he was still in pain from what happened at the Jaded Garden, and sometimes, it was the better choice to let them ponder in peace than to try and comfort them.
After the whole incident in the Jaded Garden, Yuan’s view of this world has flipped upside-down, and coupled with the new revelation that Cultivation Online exists somewhere in this universe, Yuan wasn’t sure how he should do next.
The next day, when they had only two hours left before landing, Yuan gathered Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang for a conversation.
“Do either of you know how to actually create a faction or how to maintain it?” Yuan asked them.
“I have looked into it after you said that you wanted to create one, so I know the basics,” Meixiu said.
“I don’t think you have to worry about maintaining the faction if you do not plan on mass recruiting people. Even if there’s a dozen of us in the end, we really don’t have to do much, at least when compared to factions that have to deal with hundreds if not thousands of people.” Chu Liuxiang said.
“Makes sense.” Yuan nodded.
“Then can I trouble you two to help me create and maintain the faction? I will be very busy in Cultivation Online soon,” he continued.
“Cultivation Online? Shouldn’t you be preparing to fight the other demons when they eventually break out of their seal?” Chu Liuxiang looked at him with wide eyes.
How can one possibly think about playing a game when they still have the calamity to worry about?
Yuan remained silent for a moment before speaking, “This is going to sound crazy, but I believe that the world of Cultivation Online actually exists somewhere in this universe.”
As he’d expected, both Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang looked at him with dumbfounded looks on their faces.
“How else do you explain why cultivation techniques from Cultivation Online work in this world? What about how eating treasures in Cultivation Online can affect our real bodies? I think that the device we use to play Cultivation Online somehow allows us to travel to the world of Cultivation Online.”
“Wait… What do you mean eating treasures can affect our real body?” Chu Liuxiang asked, as she wasn’t aware of this knowledge.
“If you eat a high-grade treasure in Cultivation Online, there’s a chance that its effect could transfer to your real body. We have tested it, and it works.” Meixiu explained, and she proceeded to tell Chu Liuxiang about that time she consumed a Berserker’s Gem in Cultivation Online and how it affected her real body, giving her incredible strength.
“Unbelievable… To think that such things can happen… If that’s the case, then Brother Yuan doesn’t sound as crazy anymore. However, how does any of this work, really? How does the device allow us to travel to the world inside Cultivation Online? What about the NPCs there? They may act like real humans, but they never question the weird things that we do, such as respawning or disappearing and reappearing out of thin air.”
“I cannot answer any of these questions right now, but I believe that we’ll find the answers in Cultivation Online,” Yuan said.
“As for the sealed demons that will appear in the future, I will be prepared for them when they break out of their seal. What happened at the Jaded Garden will not happen again.”
And for the remainder of their flight, the three of them would talk about their new faction.
“Do you already have a name in mind for the faction?” Meixiu asked him.
Yuan nodded and said, “It will be called the Demon Sealing Faction. In the world of Cultivation Online, there is a power called the Demon Sealing Clan, and their sole purpose is to seal demons. I want to bring their purpose to this world.”
And he continued, “Don’t worry, I don’t intend on letting you guys share the burden of sealing demons. I will do that alone.”
“That’s not right, Brother Yuan. If we’re going to be in the same faction, we’re going to be helping you! We may not have the powers to defeat demons, but that doesn’t mean we cannot help you defeat them!” Chu Liuxiang said.
Yuan pondered for a moment before nodding, “Alright. Then I will teach you guys some demon sealing techniques so that you won’t be completely hopeless before a demon.”
Two hours later, they landed the airplane and made their way back to the apartment.
“It feels like it’s been forever since we left this place.” Yuan sighed out loud as he sat on the couch.
“So this is your home, huh?” Chu Liuxiang began snooping around the place while Sebastian carried her luggage inside.
“Young Lady, the Masters said to call them when you get the chance. They want to make sure that you’re okay.” Sebastian said to her afterward.
“Hm? Okay.” Chu Liuxiang nodded as she went inside Yuan’s bedroom.
“This must be your room, Brother Yuan. It smells like you.” Chu Liuxiang said with a smile on her face after taking a deep breath.
She then laid on the bed and continued, “This will also be my room starting today!”
