I Faked My Death After Choosing the Wrong Protagonist - Chapter 10

Shen Qingzhuo waited for quite some time, and when no response came, he felt a twinge of disappointment.

“Asleep so early? Then rest well; I won’t disturb you further,” Shen Qingzhuo whispered. He was just about to cut the connection to the spirit cylinder.

Panic flared in Qi Ye’s chest. He adjusted his grip, carefully cradling the jade device with both hands as if it were a fragile treasure.

Trying his best to steady his voice, he spoke: “I am here.”

“Hmm?”

Shen Qingzhuo was surprised. Why the silence just now? Had he accidentally woken the boy up?

“What are you doing right now?” Shen Qingzhuo asked. “If you’re busy, you don’t have to pay me any mind.”

He didn’t want the protagonist to find him annoying.

On the other side, Qi Ye gripped the jade cylinder so tightly his hands began to tremble. When he fell silent again, Shen Qingzhuo let out a small sigh.

As I thought, the protagonist thinks I’m a chatterbox and is ignoring me.

Forget it, business first. He had to take first place to get the Spirit-Descending Pill and the Lotus Brilliance Vase. He was already ten days behind; if he didn’t hurry, he would truly be too late.

Just as Qi Ye was about to speak again, Shen Qingzhuo spoke softly. “I might not be able to return for a few days. I’ll come find you once I’m back. During this time, remember to be careful.”

He paused, then added, “If the people of the Qi family treat you poorly, you don’t have to endure it. When I return, I’ll take you away to live the life you want.”

“Alright, that’s all I wanted to say.”

Shen Qingzhuo stood up with a light heart. Having said what was on his mind, he felt a sense of relief, completely unaware of the sheer terror on the youth’s face on the other side of the city.

Qi Ye was shaking. His mind had fixated on one word: Leaving. He was terrified he would never see Shen Qingzhuo again. He pressed the cylinder to his ear, afraid that if he didn’t hold on, he would lose his only connection to the man.

“Where did you go?” Qi Ye managed to ask.

Shen Qingzhuo told him the truth. “I just learned that Emperor Huangfu established a Secret Realm. The prizes include an Eight-Grade Spirit-Descending Pill and a Lotus Brilliance Vase. I want to win them.”

Qi Ye’s voice was thick with emotion. “Will it be dangerous?”

Shen Qingzhuo laughed casually. “Do you not believe in me?”

Qi Ye fell silent. In the darkness where Shen Qingzhuo couldn’t see, his expression grew bleak and his heart felt empty. Given their respective statuses, he truly had no right to interfere. The fact that Shen Qingzhuo was willing to tell him anything and treated him with the same kindness he showed everyone else should have been enough.

For the first time, Qi Ye looked at himself and felt a desperate longing. If only he could be better, if only he stood at the same height as Shen Qingzhuo, he could be of help to him.

“Alright, I won’t bother you further.” Shen Qingzhuo didn’t realize the depth of the boy’s thoughts. Satisfied that he’d said his piece, he tucked the cylinder away and headed into the Secret Realm.

Regardless of the boy’s brevity, the fact that the protagonist was willing to talk to him at all made him happy. He felt his efforts were paying off.

Upon entering the Secret Realm, Shen Qingzhuo first ducked into his spatial ring, which contained a natural hot spring. He soaked himself comfortably. He had a slight streak of clean-freakery; regardless of the environment, he insisted on being pristine every day.

A short while later, he emerged from the spring, changed into fresh white robes, and returned to the trial grounds.

Initially, he encountered no obstacles, but the realm was unnervingly dark, darker than any place he had ever been and the atmosphere was thick with a sense of the uncanny.

Suddenly, he spotted a familiar figure ahead.

He walked closer and realized it was indeed Qi Ye. The youth was standing perfectly still, waiting for him to approach.

“How did you get here?” Shen Qingzhuo asked in shock.

“I. I came to find you.”

The youth’s initial gaze was bold and intense, filled with a raw sort of longing. But the moment Shen Qingzhuo reached him, Qi Ye lowered his head, suddenly too shy to meet his eyes.

Shen Qingzhuo felt a wave of humble surprise. Finding me? Why?

He observed the boy for a moment. Qi Ye also seemed to have changed clothes; his dark attire made his silhouette hard to distinguish in the blackness, reducing the world to shades of monochrome. He looked painfully thin, yet he stood with a grounded stability that no wind could break.

Shen Qingzhuo smiled and patted the boy’s shoulder with a warm hand. “Then let’s walk together. I haven’t been here before, so I’m not sure how dangerous it is. Stay close to me.”

He immediately regretted the phrasing, worrying it sounded like he was looking down on Qi Ye.

He knew that “Dragon Aotian” protagonists were usually fiercely ambitious. Losing a spirit root was already a traumatic blow; if Qi Ye thought he was being pitied for being “weak,” he might leave in a fit of rage, and all of Shen Qingzhuo’s hard work would go to waste.

Maybe Qi Ye has his own reasons for entering the realm, he thought. If he’s also aiming for first place, I definitely won’t compete with him.

Shen Qingzhuo opened his mouth to explain, but Qi Ye looked up at him with a gaze that seemed filled with pure joy and gave a soft “Mm.”

Shen Qingzhuo: “…”

He realized he had probably been overthinking it.

The nights in the Secret Realm were pitch black. Shen Qingzhuo held up a luminous pearl infused with profound energy while Qi Ye stayed glued to his side. They could barely see the path beneath their feet.

In the outermost layer, they encountered few obstacles or other people. As they ventured deeper, the mechanisms and traps began to appear, and they occasionally ran into other cultivators.

Though the Secret Realm looked small from the outside, the interior was massive, hiding a space the size of an ancient city.

Originally, Shen Qingzhuo had intended to speed through the trials as quickly as possible. Now, however, he was worried about whether Qi Ye could keep up. Concerned that a mortal body without profound energy couldn’t handle the strain, he pulled a temporary tent from his spatial ring as dawn approached.

They had covered about a third of the distance in one night. The path ahead was becoming increasingly treacherous, filled with hidden dangers that could trap the unwary.

While night was a time for rest, other cultivators often passed by. Everyone here was a competitor, and the rules explicitly allowed any means to win. Acts of betrayal and violence between cultivators were common. This was part of what made the realm so difficult, you had to guard against beasts and traps, but you also had to guard against people.

“You should rest for a while,” Shen Qingzhuo said. “I’ll keep watch.”

Qi Ye shook his head. “You rest. I will watch over you.”

His gaze was incredibly firm, possessing a sort of irresistible strength.

Shen Qingzhuo thought he was joking. His whole purpose was to serve the protagonist; how could he let the protagonist serve him?

“I can go without sleep,” Shen Qingzhuo insisted. “But you’re different. Besides, your profound energy hasn’t recovered. What if a group of people comes to attack us?”

Qi Ye met his gaze steadily and said in a soft, innocent voice, “I know how to use poison. I’ll just poison them to death.”

Shen Qingzhuo felt a jolt of shock. That was a capability he hadn’t considered.

Good thing my body is immune to toxins, he thought. Otherwise, if I ever offended him, I wouldn’t even know how I died.

Still, he felt that even if that were the case, Qi Ye wouldn’t poison him. The boy was kind-hearted, he was even insisting on taking the first watch. He wasn’t the type to harbor petty grudges.

Seeing that he couldn’t win the argument, Shen Qingzhuo proposed a compromise: “Then we’ll take turns. Wake me up in two hours, and then it’ll be your turn to sleep.”

Qi Ye nodded. “Mm.”

They set up the tent with a simple bed inside. Shen Qingzhuo told himself to stay alert so he could reach the boy instantly if danger appeared. To his surprise, he fell fast asleep. The night remained calm and silent.

Within fifteen minutes of Shen Qingzhuo entering the tent, five cultivators approached.

Those still in the outer perimeter this late were either latecomers or those who knew they weren’t strong enough to win the prize. Instead of moving forward, they stayed back to ambush and rob those coming up behind them.

The five masked men were thrilled to see a youth with no detectable profound energy guarding the tent. While the tent was simple, the quality was high something only a wealthy noble could afford.

We’ve hit the jackpot! they thought.

They crept closer, preparing for a surprise attack. Suddenly, something tightened around their throats. Before any of the five could let out a scream, their lives were extinguished.

In the dark, Qi Ye looked at their bodies with a cold, disgusted gaze.

That was only the beginning. Throughout the night, several others attempted to scout or surround them. None made it within thirty feet of the tent. Each met a different, silent end.

By the time Shen Qingzhuo woke up, the sun had been up for hours. He stepped outside to find the youth sitting by a fire, roasting two wild rabbits. The delicious aroma wafted toward him.

The surrounding area was spotless, as if no one had come near them all night. Judging by the sun, it was already past 10:00 AM.

Shen Qingzhuo walked over, frowning. “I slept too long. Why didn’t you wake me?”

Not only had they lost time, but he had also used up the time the protagonist should have been sleeping.

Qi Ye handed him a roasted rabbit, looking at him with a pure, harmless expression. “I wanted you to sleep a little longer.”

Shen Qingzhuo crouched down and took the meat. He tore off a piece and tasted it. It was crispy, tender, and savory better than anything he could have made with his own tools.

Qi Ye watched him intently, his hands clenched together in a nervous fidget, seemingly waiting for a verdict.

“It’s delicious,” Shen Qingzhuo praised warmly.

The youth finally relaxed, and a small smile touched his face.

Shen Qingzhuo took another bite and noticed the second rabbit on the fire. “You should eat, too.”

Qi Ye immediately took the second rabbit and held it out with both hands. “This is for you, too.”

Shen Qingzhuo didn’t take it. His expression shifted slightly as he looked at the boy.

Unsure of what he had done wrong, the youth froze and slowly pulled his hands back. He looked around helplessly, then grabbed the largest fruit from a lotus leaf the water droplets still glistening on its skin.

“Have some fruit then!” he blurted out. “I washed them. They’re clean!”