Published at 5th of September 2019 12:32 pm

Chapter 88 - Courage

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

Translator(s): Zryuu

Editor(s): Amelea, FistFullOfDollars, and juurensha

Under the moonlight, Yu Hao and Zhou Sheng left the teacher’s dormitory and walked onto the field. Zhou Sheng extended a hand towards Yu Hao and within the tranquil silence, the two of them held hands as they swung them back and forth.

“Don’t wanna go back to the dorm.” Zhou Sheng said.

“Then do you wanna go to the woods? Yu Hao laughed, “We’ll get caught by security.”

Zhou Sheng laughed too. They constantly had to be very cautious when they wanted to be intimate now; in the dormitory they were afraid of attacking Fu Liqun, and they had to be cautious of getting photographed outside. Basically, they couldn’t do anything anywhere.

“I have a feeling that Kaikai really does like you.” Zhou Sheng said to Yu Hao.

Yu Hao, “Ai, that’s impossible. Why would he like me?”

Zhou Sheng said, “It’s as if he’s shaping you, didn’t you notice?”

Yu Hao, “What?”

For a moment Yu Hao didn't understand what Zhou Sheng was saying. Zhou Sheng let go of Yu Hao's hand and turned around to walk backwards while facing him, “Didn’t you notice? Kaikai’s always teaching you things, guiding you, and shaping you into who he wants you to be.”

When he said this, Zhou Sheng seemed a little disheartened.

Yu Hao vaguely understood what Zhou Sheng meant. Chen Yekai did pay very close attention to him and was aware that he was unwilling to accept material gifts. so Chen Yekai would always plan some ‘coincidences’ to guide him, allowing him to gain more knowledge. He was shaping Yu Hao’s values and outlook on life, while also stimulating him to think more deeply.

Yu Hao said, “I intended to tell him that we’re together today.”

Zhou Sheng said, “You’ll need to find a suitable time to tell him that yourself seriously. If only I was a bit more powerful.”

Yu Hao was stunned. He suddenly understood why Zhou Sheng had been acting a bit strange recently.

“Like Kaikai?” Yu Hao asked.

“Fish, is what I want. A bear’s paw, is what I want

I want both fish and the bear paw. If I can’t obtain both these things at the same time, I would rather give up on the fish and choose to have the bear paw.

I want both life and justice (and morals). If I can’t obtain both these things at the same time, I would rather give up on life and choose justice (and morals).

I like life, but there’s something I like even more than life, so I wouldn’t live just for the sake of being alive. I hate death, but I have something I hate more than death, so there are some disasters I don’t avoid.

If there’s nothing people like more than their lives, then what could they not use as a means to survive? If there’s nothing people hate more than death, then what means would they not use to escape disaster? ",'0'); });.” Zhou Sheng said in a bored manner, “The two can’t be attained together; sacrifice life for the sake of justice.”

Yu Hao, “???”

Zhou Sheng looked up at Yu Hao and smiled a little sadly. Yu Hao understand why Zhou Sheng would suddenly utter these words out of nowhere.

Suddenly, a thought flashed through Yu Hao’s mind, as if he had vaguely guessed Zhou Sheng’s tiny knot in his heart that was at a level that could only be understood but not explained. Similar occasions had occurred many times before -- it seemed that after he gave Zhou Sheng his totem, and it became a part of his conscious world, he would often have occasional flashes of inspiration that create a resonance between their thoughts.

After Zhou Sheng confirmed their relationship, he wanted to work hard to take care of him and provide him the best material comforts; but once Zhou Laichun learns that his son is gay, he will definitely force them to break up. Insisting to be with Yu Hao meant that they would have to meet with Zhou Laichun’s opposition in the future.

At that time, an intense conflict would erupt between Zhou Sheng and his father. On his birthday, after Zhou Sheng finished talking to his father, even without him expressing it, Yu Hao knew that Zhou Sheng had accepted the idea that Zhou Laichun’s words might have sounded coarse, but the reasoning behind them wasn’t.

Yu Hao said, “You want to tell your Dad? Isn’t it a bit too early?”

Zhou Sheng laughed, “Early? Haven’t we been together since the first day we met?”

Yu Hao was rendered momentarily speechless. Zhou Sheng touched Yu Hao's face in contemplation, then continued, “Do you think it’s more suitable to tell him after graduation, or now?”

If Yu Hao was allowed to choose, he wouldn’t want Zhou Sheng’s parents to know or get implicated for this lifetime. But everyone knew that this was basically impossible; Zhou Laichun clearly wanted to interfere in his son’s life. Whether or not they said it now or after graduation wouldn’t make much of a difference.

Zhou Sheng said, “I can’t be like sis-in-law, it won’t be good for us……”

“Sis-in-law is different.” Yu Hao answered, “She said it long ago, it’s just that her family doesn’t support it.”

Cen Shan’s situation was known when she graduated from senior high and was naturally subjected to intense opposition from her father. He even laid in a hospital for half a month and almost suffered a stroke because of Cen Shan. So Cen Shan could only continue dating Fu Liqun while putting up a passive resistance, but her father gave her an ultimatum in the end. In consideration of her father’s health, Cen Shan could only lie to him that she had already broken up with Fu Liqun.

Fu Liqun was extremely upset and said something like ‘then let’s break up ba’, which was why he got drunk last winter and went to seek reconciliation.

Zhou Sheng said patiently, “What do you think the best situation would be?”

Yu Hao pondered for a moment. Zhou Sheng continued, “We had established a premise from the beginning: being together is something that my parents would definitely not be able to accept.”

“Yes.” Yu Hao nodded. He was convinced that Zhou Sheng's parents would not accept their son dating another guy.

“But what if they can accept it?” Zhou Sheng said, “I can go to his company to help and do whatever he wants me to do, and they would accept you too. Wouldn’t that be the best outcome?”

In that case, Zhou Sheng’s future, as well as his future with Yu Hao would be settled.

Yu Hao said, “I think your father would be so angry at us that he’d suffer a stroke. I’m not just saying that.”

“I want to inflict them with trauma.” Zhou Sheng said, “There’s no reason for them to be the only ones inflicting trauma, this is my counterattack too.”

Yu Hao, “……”

“I know that this would be absolutely unacceptable to them for a while.” Zhou Sheng said earnestly, “I don’t even care about them threatening to cut off all ties, so what else can he do? After admitting it honestly, there’ll be nothing to be afraid of, and I’d even be able to choke those two up for quite a few years, and in the end?”

Yu Hao had to admit that Zhou Sheng had thought this out quite meticulously.

“In the end they would slowly give in.” Zhou Sheng said, “If they don’t, then we’ll just not see each other for the rest of our lives bei, how would that be any different to how we are now?”

Yu Hao understood what Zhou Sheng was trying to express. He treated their relationship very seriously and was regarding the revelation of their relationship as a psychological offensive and defensive war with his parents. He wasn’t relying on luck, he was trying to leave them with no other choice but to accept it little by little.

“This can’t be done by Xue Long, nor can it be done by Huang Jingya’s father. We have to take the initiative.” Zhou Sheng continued, “Otherwise, if we wait until graduation, we’ll have to find a job and the initiative would fall into the hands of my old man.”

Yu Hao thought for a really long time before saying, “You decide ba. As long as you've made your resolve, I’ll accompany you, no matter what you do.”

Zhou Sheng didn’t respond.

Yu Hao said, “But do you know that I often think about our future too? This responsibility is both yours and mine to carry. Don’t shoulder everything yourself, will you?”

Zhou Sheng suddenly fell silent and studied Yu Hao. Yu Hao still had a lot of things he wanted to say. He wanted to say that in life, is it more important to open a small restaurant but cook a lot of delicious, small stir-fries like your senior uncle, or to become an entrepreneur who’s on the rich side like your father?

Is what you want really success in the secular sense? Yu Hao couldn’t help but think of Zhou Sheng’s mother. Compared to Zhou Laichun, he actually liked Mama Zhou a little more. She and Zhou Laichun seemed to live in two different worlds, and she did whatever she wanted like a deranged person. But in comparison, Yu Hao liked her more. Of course, her opinion was of even less value to Zhou Sheng, or at least it wasn’t as important as Zhou Laichun’s.

Because he has money, he can control their future life, but Zhou Sheng’s mother can’t. Thus, even when Zhou Sheng was discussing their future, it mostly centered around his father.

“Then……I’ll think about it again carefully ba.” Zhou Sheng said.

The two of them came to a stop. Zhou Sheng looked up at the moon overhead.

“You’re really bold.” Yu Hao didn’t say what he wanted to in the end, “If it were me, I don’t think I would have the courage to face them.”

“Nothing can bring me down.” Zhou Sheng gazed up at the moon, “Because I have a shield. The moon’s pretty bright today na.”

“Yeah.” Yu Hao quickly caught up, but Zhou Sheng turned around and began to run. Yu Hao chased after him on the field and shouted, “Stop running!”

“Come and catch me then~” Zhou Sheng laughed and waited for Yu Hao while running and stopping. Yu Hao caught up, but Zhou Sheng nimbly turned around and pushed Yu Hao onto the grass. Yu Hao’s eyes were extremely bright, reflecting the full moon in the sky. He wrapped his arms around Zhou Sheng’s neck and passionately kissed him on the grass.

When they returned to the dormitory, Zhou Sheng was still brushing off grass from Yu Hao’s head.

Fu Liqun was laying on his bed.

“Have you eaten yet?” Yu Hao asked, “I’ll cook instant noodles for you?”

Fu Liqun was on his last legs. “I’ve already endured hunger……I don’t want to eat anymore.”

Zhou Sheng, “How do you feel after your first day of work?”

Fu Liqun, “Money is hard to earn —— shit tastes bad —— wanna rob a bank ——”

Yu Hao constantly felt that his life seemed to give Fu Liqun and Zhou Sheng a lot of pressure and worries, forcing them to prematurely consider problems that they shouldn’t be thinking about at this time. Zhou Sheng worried about their future, while Fu Liqun worried about his future with Cen Shan. Only Yu Hao was in a really good mood. He knew that Zhou Sheng had a lot of conflicting thoughts, but this also meant that they both intended to spend their lives together from the outset.

“The dark side of our character will always be a part of our soul.” Yu Hao said to Dark Zhou Sheng, “It’s impossible for us to completely abandon all negative thoughts. The kind of person we become depends only on which image of ourself prevails.”

Dark Zhou Sheng said, “So dark personalities can’t be destroyed and can only be banished.”

Yu Hao and Dark Zhou Sheng were seated at the VIP table in the arena. Yu Hao had a hunch that Zhou Sheng would definitely win this round.

Was it the determination to face his family that gave him strength? Or because Zhou Sheng had already figured it out in his heart? Yu Hao couldn’t help but recall the origin of the Golden Crow Wheel. Actually, the abilities of the Golden Crow Wheel still remain an enigma.

Medusa constantly wandered by the edge of the arena and said in a hoarse voice, “You’re here again, you rotten kid……”

Zhou Sheng said, “Even a rotten kid can grow up to be a decent man. But you, you’ve been haunting me for so many years, shouldn’t it be about time for you to get lost?”

Medusa roared loudly.

“General!” Yu Hao suddenly shouted from the stands, “You won’t be alone in the future, you’ll have me, too!”

Zhou Sheng cast a glance at the audience.

“We’re in this together.” Yu Hao said, “Don’t forget that!”

Medusa suddenly rushed forward. Zhou Sheng resolutely raised his shield, and with a “dang”, he resisted Medusa’s sharp claws.

“In this world.” Dark Zhou Sheng held a cup of Long Island Iced Tea, “Not everything can proceed just as one wishes, and not all wishes would come true. If most problems could merely be solved with willpower and courage alone, how could there be so much helplessness in the world?”

Yu Hao nervously watched the battle between Zhou Sheng and Medusa. He muttered, “But there are many actions that need to be taken first before knowing what the outcome will be.”

Zhou Sheng escaped to the corner of the arena. Medusa initiated a frenzied offence; the harsh blows of her sharp claws upon the shield were like a tempestuous storm. Zhou Sheng relied solely on the shield to resist them and had no chance to retaliate. The collisions against metal resounded thunderously.

His black dragon mount glared at the scene like a tiger watching its prey, but it didn’t dare advance, as if it had an innate fear of Medusa.

Zhou Sheng was clad in armour from head to toe so Yu Hao couldn’t see his expression, but he knew that he must be having a hard time enduring it. He was so nervous that he found it difficult to breathe.

Zhou Sheng, completely covered in armour, suddenly raised his hand, found an opportunity, and a long sword materialised in his hand!

That was the sword Zhou Sheng wielded while assuming “General”’s identity when he first appeared in his dream! Zhou Sheng had rarely used it since obtaining the jingubang. At this moment, the blade flashed. He made a sweeping motion with his sword as he turned, drawing an arc of light in the air.

Medusa let out a blood-curdling screech as she was sent flying. The long nails on her left hand had been cut off by the sword; blood splashed everywhere, and tendrils of greenish black smoke rose into the air when she landed.

Iron-Armoured General spun around in the air, swung his shield out, and swept through with his sword. But when Medusa landed, she gathered her energy in her tail and flicked it towards him like a bolt of lightning while brandishing her sharp claws. General instantly retreated, and his helmet was knocked away!

Yu Hao’s heart lodged in his throat.

Medusa’s eyes shot out a petrifying beam. Zhou Sheng blocked it with his shield. From the ground, a long tail knocked him down with a sweep, just as the black dragon finally lunged forward from behind Medusa. Medusa turned around, and the black dragon instantly recoiled in horror.

Zhou Sheng’s breastplate had dented from the impact. He took off his gauntlets and gloves with one hand and threw them to the ground, which fell with a clanging sound. Flexing his fingers, he shook his shield and transformed it into a jingubang. With a sword in his left hand and a jingubang in his right, he crossed them together and watched Medusa vigilantly.

Medusa revealed a ferocious smile as she slithered towards Zhou Sheng. Zhou Sheng roared without restraint as he rushed towards Medusa. He rolled over on the spot, brandished both his sword and the jingubang at the same time and threw her up; then he swung his sword down, and the nails on Medusa’s sharp right claws broke!

Medusa was now in mid air with her long tail rolled upside down. Before Zhou Sheng could deal a critical hit to Medusa, she had already coiled around him, and her serpent tail swung him up into the air before violently smashing him down onto the ground!

Zhou Sheng practically landed head first, and Yu Hao seemed to have heard his skull hitting the ground, so he almost stood up!

“Don’t forget that Medusa’s weapons isn’t limited to just her pair of claws.” Dark Zhou Sheng said slowly.

Cheers that could topple the mountains and overturn the sea erupted from the audience. Zhou Sheng lay on the ground, struggling with much difficulty as he crawled towards his shield; blood gushed from his mouth and nose.

Medusa flipped over and got up. She encircled Zhou Sheng and observed his reaction.

“I guess he doesn’t want to give up today.” Dark Zhou Sheng said, “But that’s okay. Even if he dies, there’s still me. Do you want to leave this place first?”

Yu Hao brandished his dagger and spun it between his fingers. He didn’t even spare Dark Zhou Sheng a glance.

“Jiayou……” Yu Hao said in a trembling voice, “Zhou Sheng, stand up.”

Zhou Sheng was trembling, still holding a sword in one hand and grasping the edge of his shield with the other. His armour was deformed and broken from the blows he had taken, and he was struggling to support himself.

“The victor has been decided!” Dark Zhou Sheng cried out, “Medusa, shape your spoil of war well!”

The hand Yu Hao used to grip the dagger wouldn't stop trembling; he saw Medusa's snake tail constrict Zhou Sheng's throat and lift him high into the air, smiling cruelly as she widened her eyes——

“Go!” Yu Hao shouted, and his dagger whooshed towards the arena like a silver meteor. Zhou Sheng blocked with the shield in his left hand while raising his sword with his right. His blade caught the dagger in mid-air, rotated it, and threw it downwards to firmly nail Medusa’s snake tail into the ground.

Dark Zhou Sheng suddenly turned around. Yu Hao stood up and retreated, holding his other dagger in front of him horizontally.

“I didn’t break the rules.” Yu Hao said in a low voice, “Look, I didn’t participate in the fight, did I? If my totem can be passed to Zhou Sheng, then so can my strength.”

The dagger suddenly shone with a glaring light. Medusa continued to struggle as Zhou Sheng mustered all of his remaining strength to lift his shield to face the sky.

“Come……ba……I summon……all of you……”

From the huge gap in the clouds, more than ten silver flames blasted through and crashed into the ground, plunging the arena into chaos. Yu Hao spread his wings out, flying up to flee from Dark Zhou Sheng. There were more and more meteors now, and they turned into the NPC guards in Yu Hao’s dreamscape upon impact with the ground!

The trembling of the earth followed their arrival. Medusa let out a mad roar, turned around, and unleashed her petrifying gaze. The NPCs all raised their bright reflective shields one after another, then threw out hooks that wrapped around Medusa from all directions, forming a huge net.

In an instant, the glaring light jumped about in front of the shield. Yu Hao only saw a bright light shine in front of his eyes and thought to himself, crap, and immediately dodged. Dark Zhou Sheng was completely infuriated. He flipped the table; the grandstand was instantly petrified and collapsed with a loud rumble.

It was utter chaos in the arena. Zhou Sheng managed to break free and hide within the NPC’s battle formation. Medusa was dizzy with anger, and constantly thrashed against the formation, but more and more hooks were appearing on her body. Medusa kept trying to pull off the hooks on her before realising that her sharp claws had been cut off by Zhou Sheng through the openings he found!

Medusa shot out her petrifying gaze everywhere, and wherever it swept past, the ropes would shatter into pieces. But the number of hooks on her body continued to increase as they wrapped around her body tightly, forming a huge net. The black dragon outspread its wings and rushed over, colliding headfirst into the net. Its dragon claws grasped the rope, then it flapped its wings and lifted her off the ground!

Zhou Sheng couldn’t stop coughing. He leaned on his jingubang and let out a mad roar!

Zhou Sheng’s armour vanished like fleeting clouds, and was replaced by a golden chainmail. Then he stepped onto his jindouyun and shouted, “Drop dead——!”

Zhou Sheng swung his jingubang and shot it into mid air with a whoosh, charging towards Medusa along with the jingubang and made one clean sweep!

All the NPC soldiers shouted in unison before fiercely pulling on the hooks from all directions!

Medusa fell towards the ground; Zhou Sheng flicked his rod upwards, colliding with the tremendous force overhead. With a muffled sound, all the hooks on Medusa’s body were torn off, and the snake woman flew into the air with her facial features contorted.

“The last trick has to be used, of course……”

Zhou Sheng held his shield with his left hand and his sword in his right; his body was suspended in mid air as he parried with his shield, then swung his sword from below the shield. Blood gushed from Medusa’s body that was still suspended in mid air, and her head shot down to the earth like a meteor!

“He succeeded!” Yu Hao shouted.

Yu Hao spread his wings and flew towards the arena.

Amidst the deafening cheers, Zhou Sheng fell to the ground, breathless and struggling to stand upright. Yu Hao collided directly into his embrace.

Medusa’s head and body disintegrated into greenish black vapour and disappeared. A raging black flame emerged and flew towards the sharp sword in Zhou Sheng’s hand. Strange patterns formed as it melded with the sword.

“The master of the dreamscape VS Medusa, victorious.”

Another round of cheers resounded.

“I need to change the rules.” Black flames swirled around Dark Zhou Sheng as he revealed his Satan form. Yu Hao could tell that Satan was exerting himself in order to restrain his fury.

Zhou Sheng was barely able to stand anymore and was resting his whole weight on Yu Hao. He raised his sword and pointed it at Satan.

“Cut the crap.” Zhou Sheng said, “Next.”

Yu Hao said in surprise, “You’re still fighting the next one??”

“Let me see what it is.” Zhou Sheng said feebly, “To satisfy my curiosity a little, can’t I?”

Satan floated in mid air and watched Zhou Sheng.

“Very good.” Satan relayed to the arena, “Master of the dreamscape, General, wants to challenge the next opponent! Let us see what he is about to go up against!”

The black flames vanished and a cage emerged. A black monster that was about ten metres tall appeared in the cage; it had gleaming horns, a barbed shell that covered its entire body, and within its huge mouth that looked like a bloody basin, its sharp teeth turned outwards, and the tip of its tail was still burning.

Yu Hao, “That……forget it ba, General. It’s not necessary to be so perfect.”

Satan said, “Come, I’d really like to see how you can defeat Tao Tie.”

Yu Hao, “Let’s go! Zhou Sheng! We can’t defeat this guy!”

Zhou Sheng could only say, “We’ll meet again some day! We’ll be back!”

As he spoke, he summoned the jindouyun and flew out of the arena with a “whoosh” with Yu Hao.

On the cloud platform, Yu Hao healed Zhou Sheng’s wounds. Zhou Sheng’s eyes were full of smiles.

“Alright.” Zhou Sheng said, “The knot that has troubled me for so many years has finally been untied.”

Zhou Sheng laid on the platform. Millions of meteors flew into the Golden Crow Wheel and returned to their own world; that scene was incredibly gorgeous and lasted for just a few dozens of seconds, but Yu Hao was stunned by it.

“I think you already untied it a long time ago in reality.” Yu Hao said.

“If it had really been untied, then why would I have so many worries?” Ever since I decided to be with you.” Zhou Sheng splayed his arms out, and laid quietly in a 大 form.

Translator's Note:

Juurensha: Yaaaay, good job ZS and Haohao!

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