Chapter 2: The twisted emotions

[I just realized I have no sense of Chinese culture, so I'm just going to write whatever I want. Don't take it seriously.]

"So, which Venerable do you like the most?" the black-haired woman asked, her gaze soft as she looked at the three children sitting opposite to her on the luxurious bed. One was already drowsy, leaning against a pillow while the other two listened attentively.

"I like Star Constellation Immortal Venerable. Even after her death, she was able to stop three Demon Venerables. I want to be someone like her," the little girl with black hair said, her large, curious eyes sparkling with excitement.

"I know you will, sweetie," the woman said, petting her head. She then turned to the little boy who was now stretching his arms lethargically.

"I don't really have a favorite. They all sound amazing, but if I had to pick one, probably Reckless Savage Demon Venerable, just because he was cooler than the others," he said, covering his ears with his hands as he anticipated his sister's reaction.

"What? What's wrong with you? He was a Demon Venerable!!! How can you say that so easily? He killed so many people. What is there to like about that barbarian?" The little girl jumped up from the bed, shouting.

The boy was not at all surprised by his sister's outburst, he had predicted her exact words before she even spoke them.

'Yeah, I don't like her voice.' He thought.

He didn't know where her intense hatred for Demonic Gu masters and Gu Immortals came from, but her unwavering sense of 'noble integrity' often gave him a headache.

"Your voice is irritating, sister. Could you please keep it down and maybe let me explain myself first?" He paused for a moment before continuing, "He wasn't evil, he became a Demonic Venerable because it sounds cooler. I want to be cool too."

"He wasn't cool, he attacked the Heavenly Court, the stronghold of humanity!!!" She screamed again makeing a face of disbelief.

"Yeah, doesn't that sound cool?" The boy said, struggling to hold back his laughter as his sister's face grew redder with anger.

Just then, a sweet laughter filled the room, drawing everyone's attention.

The blonde maid composed herself, coughing lightly. "Ahem, I apologize, Master," she said, bowing to the woman instead of the little girl, which the black-haired girl noticed but didn't comment on.

"It's fine, Rouyu, just don't overdo it," the woman said, and the blonde maid nodded.

However, as soon as her gorgeous blue eyes met Ji Yan's, she started giggling again, making Ji Yue more annoyed.

Her name was Xin Rouyu. She was six years old, the same age as Ji Yan, while Ji Yue was a year older. She was Ji Yan's maid, and he quite liked her because of how easily she understood him.

Ji Yue, on the other hand, despised her. She always found the blonde girl clinging to Ji Yan, never leaving him alone. She was a whore in her eyes, a threat to her innocent little brother. In her mind, it was because of Rouyu that her brother was becoming bad.

She didn't like that the focus was on the blue eyed girl, so before Rouyu could speak about her preferences, Ji Yue interrupted, "Mother, what about you? Who do you like the most?"

The woman smiled lightly and answered, "I also quite like Star Constellation Immortal Venerable, sweetie." It was a lie, as a child, she had idolized someone else entirely. But mentioning that name would surely cause her daughter to throw a tantrum, and she didn't want to deal with that right now.

"Really?" her daughter asked, and Shen Meiying replied with a "really."

"Really, really?" her daughter asked again, side-glancing the blonde girl. Her mother again replied patiently, "Yes, really, really." This left the black-haired girl feeling gleeful. Xin Rouyu just smiled not bothered by it.

"Now that's it for today, it's time to go to sleep," Shen Meiying said, trying to get up. But Ji Yue held her mother's hand and pleaded cutely, "Mother, one more story, pwease."

Shen Meiying firmly refused, "No, that's enough for today. Look, your brother is already sleepy, and you have to wake up early tomorrow," she said, picking the girl up.

She kissed Ji Yan goodnight before walking out of the door, closely followed by Xin Rouyu.

They had recently started these storytelling sessions at Ji Yue's request. Shen Meiying found nothing wrong with it. In fact, she quite liked the idea, she could teach them many things through the stories. While she did censor most of the content to avoid overwhelming their young minds, the stories still painted a vivid picture of the gu world.

Everyone enjoyed it, so it had become a daily thing for them. And since Ji Yan was always the first to fall asleep, they mostly gather in his room.

After everyone left, Ji Yan glanced around, noting that everything was in its usual place. He lay down on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

"Venerables, huh?" He thought it was absolutely absurd to believe one person could be as powerful as the stories suggested. Still, deep down, he secretly wished it were true. Maybe then, he could also become someone unmatched in the world.

The conflicting emotions of fear and excitement coursed through him simultaneously. Just the thought of it made his hand tremble and his heart race wildly.

He was born with everything, and his mind never forgot anything which made the gray world even more dull for him. In simple terms, he was bored, but the sensation he experienced now made him feel alive. Once again, he fervently wished it to be real.

He just couldn't wait to grow up. He silently cursed the person who made it so that children can only awaken their Aperture at the age of 15. Couldn't they have made it possible for even a newborn to cultivate?

Taking deep breaths, he forced his mind to calm down and closed his gray eyes, drifting to his dreamland.

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[ What do you think he would be dreaming about?]