Fate Trading System – Chapter 106

Plan A

Rise in Another World 18

Staying Behind

Nan Cheng said if they could find Yu Si and the others, they could find them.

Before setting out, Su Xin and Nan Cheng had already reached a consensus. When the one-month training period arrived, Su Xin wouldn’t go out but would wander around the Sky-reaching Tower, continuing to improve her abilities, and then go to the eighth floor where humans lived to find her mission target.

In fact, Su Xin wasn’t certain if her mother was on the eighth floor, because the clues left behind were very vague, only saying to go to the Sky-reaching Tower to save her. So much time had passed, and she didn’t know if her mother was dead or alive, but it was most likely she was on the eighth floor of the Sky-reaching Tower.

Nan Cheng said the people inside were very powerful, but in the original host’s memories, her mother seemed like an ordinary person without any fighting ability.

But it wasn’t impossible, was it?

Just like Su Xin hadn’t expected that she would pick up a high-level mythical beast originally from the seventh floor of the Sky-reaching Tower in a secret realm. Many things were unbelievable, but the reasons behind such unbelievable things were certainly not good.

The team regrouped, and no one asked why the cat could turn into a human before. Yu Si didn’t talk much; it didn’t matter to her whether it was a cat or a human, as long as it was the identity she remembered. Mu Yao felt it was a secret not to be pried into, but he could guess a bit. Everyone had their own opportunities.

Although Li Xiuxiu appeared carefree and easygoing, she was actually very meticulous and observant. She just used a rough exterior and behavior to cover her true nature, creating an illusion that others wouldn’t need to guard against her.

With Nan Cheng joining, the team’s safety greatly improved. However, this created a problem: because the safety level was too high, there was no danger approaching, and this training had no value.

Su Xin twitched her mouth and rubbed her chin, expressing her thoughts.

In fact, there had been people who deliberately didn’t leave during training, staying in the Sky-reaching Tower to rapidly improve their strength. Many people had this idea; Su Xin wasn’t the first, but not many people thought this way. Most people sought stability because the majority of them were in a life-or-death situation here.

“That’s what I’m thinking. Do you want to stay with me? However, it’s very dangerous because at that time, none of us will be able to protect each other.”

Su Xin secretly didn’t want Nan Cheng to take care of others; she didn’t even want to burden anyone herself.

“Me.”

Only Yu Si, as expected.

The other two might have their own concerns, but Yu Si definitely wouldn’t. She had the same desire to become stronger as Su Xin, although she wasn’t doing it to achieve any particular goal. In the end, their ideas were the same, though reached by different paths (殊途同归, shu tu tong gui – idiom meaning “different routes leading to the same destination”).

Li Xiuxiu and Mu Yao said they wouldn’t stay because they had things they cared about.

Mu Yao was the future clan leader of the Mu family, bearing the responsibility of his clan.

Li Xiuxiu only sought stability. After graduation, she would go home to enjoy life, eat good food, drink some wine, without any grand ambitions.

Thus, the team decided to split up.

“Xiuxiu, will you be alright on your own?” Su Xin asked.

Mu Yao wouldn’t be walking together with Li Xiuxiu. Some people, no matter how long they stay together, won’t become close.

“Of course! I’m not weak either. We don’t know when we’ll meet again after this parting. Your ambitions are too grand. I don’t want to become some powerful person; I just want to go home and accompany my parents. I hope we’ll have the chance to meet again after many years.”

“Alright.”

The team split into three parts: Yu Si, Nan Cheng, and Su Xin went together; Li Xiuxiu and Mu Yao went separately on their own.

That plant, Mu Yao had originally intended to give it to Su Xin, because after all, it was Little One who solved the problem in the end. But everyone unanimously decided to give it to Mu Yao, because Yu Si and Su Xin were going to stay inside, and at that time, they couldn’t take anything. Li Xiuxiu didn’t want it either; anyway, she didn’t know what use it had, and something so treasured by so many mythical beasts must be a good thing. She was afraid it would be too hot to handle (烫手, tang shou – idiom meaning “too risky to get involved with”).

“Stay alive.”

Su Xin and the others walked towards the north, moving in a straight line without a destination.

“Conceal your aura. This way, we can train better,” Su Xin scratched Nan Cheng’s palm.

“Alright.” Nan Cheng nodded and returned to her original form. She was held in Su Xin’s arms, not perched on her shoulder.

Su Xin had no resistance to Nan Cheng turning back into a cat, allowing her to nestle in her arms.

Little One’s head was against Su Xin’s chest. Su Xin had grown a lot over the years and was no longer the flat-chested loli (貧乳蘿莉, pin ru luo li – internet slang for a petite, underdeveloped girl) from before. However, she only had a normal size, which was enough for Su Xin. Too big would be cumbersome.

The cat’s paw was placed inconspicuously on the soft mounds, occasionally burying into them due to walking.

Su Xin didn’t mind at all, as she didn’t feel much through several layers of clothes, and she thought she had already brainwashed the little girl well.

Without Nan Cheng’s aura covering them, the journey began to become difficult.

Every time before a battle, Su Xin would let Nan Cheng go to the side, not interfering no matter what happened to her and Yu Si.

Whenever Nan Cheng saw Su Xin get hurt, she couldn’t help wanting to rush out and solve the trouble, only to be helplessly hugged and petted by Su Xin.

“How am I supposed to grow and surpass you like this? Be good and watch from the side, okay?”

Nan Cheng didn’t maintain her original form but instead leaned against Su Xin’s embrace in human form. She hugged Su Xin’s neck, her expression restrained.

Witnessing the master’s growth process like this was just like the memories from before, seeing her return bloodied, yet unable to do anything.

Nan Cheng felt that if she became stronger, Su Xin would have more protection, so she had to leave first.

“Are you leaving?”

“Yes, if I sense you’re in danger, I’ll rush over. Seeing the master work so hard, I can’t just watch idly.”

“Alright.”

“Master, wait for me, okay? Don’t be reckless with your body; I’ll be very worried.”

“Mm.”

Nan Cheng hugged Su Xin and kissed her on the lips. When Su Xin sighed helplessly, she pretended to be obedient again.

“Little One, didn’t I tell you not to kiss others randomly?”

“Umm… Master isn’t ‘others’.”

This time, Nan Cheng didn’t kiss Su Xin but instead lightly licked Su Xin’s face with her tongue, as seductive and ambiguous as possible.

“Alright, if you’re not a cat, don’t lick like that. My face is covered in your saliva. Go on, I look forward to our reunion.”

Yu Si watched their intimacy, her expression unchanged. However, she felt a bit strange inside but didn’t say anything. Perhaps this was how a master and their mythical beast interacted, although it seemed excessively intimate. But it was their relationship, so it wasn’t unreasonable.

Nan Cheng left after taking full advantage, still wearing an innocent expression when leaving. But when she turned her back, she revealed a savoring expression.

As it turned out, Nan Cheng’s admonitions had no effect at all. When Su Xin and Yu Si were together, they were reckless, fighting to the death no matter what.

Yu Si was a water-system mage, and the first floor of the Sky-reaching Tower was also rich in water elements. They didn’t lack water, and bathing was convenient. Sometimes they had to stop bathing halfway to fight something in the water.

A month passed quickly. Su Xin and Yu Si lost track of time. One day, the jade tokens on their bodies grew hot, reminding them it was time to leave.

The Sky-reaching Tower was different from the Lu Yin Secret Realm. Each floor had fixed teleportation arrays at the left and right ends. The left one went down, and the right one went up, very regular.

But this was also inconvenient because if you came up or down from one floor, you had to cross the entire Sky-reaching Tower to go to the other side. This was also why it was so difficult for Nan Cheng to come.

Su Xin took out her jade token and threw it into the lake in front of her, watching it sink to the bottom and lose its light.

Yu Si followed suit, throwing her token in as well.

The academy teachers would usually wait one to three days if people weren’t all present, fearing some might not make it out in time. But now they didn’t, because Mu Yao had told the teachers the reason.

“These two little girls…” Teacher Yan Ru shook her head, unclear whether in approval or regret. She had seen from the beginning that they weren’t content with mediocrity. These two were recruited by her, from the same batch and place. It was natural for them to walk together; they had something very similar about them – a desire for power.

It was their personal destiny. Yan Ru didn’t know how far these two could go, she could only wish them well. Hopefully, they would become very, very powerful. This way, they could also bring glory to their academy and add talent to their country.

Su Xin and Yu Si escaped death and rushed towards death many times, finally traversing the entire first floor.

Su Xin was completely dizzy from fighting so much. Yu Si was no longer as cold as before; she would smile in front of Su Xin and occasionally act coquettishly. This should be a free world because, apart from them, there were no other unrelated people, so there was no need to pretend anymore.

They were discussing whether to enter the second floor, and finally decided to go up. They always had to pursue their limits.

As Su Xin was poking the campfire, she suddenly felt the cat mark on her arm burning.

That patch of skin felt as if it had been scorched by fire, but it was only for an instant, disappearing without a trace immediately.

“What’s wrong?” Yu Si asked, seeing Su Xin frowning and covering her arm.

“Nothing, but I feel like something might have happened to her. However, this mark only burned for a moment, I don’t know…”

If they wanted to find her, they would have to go to the seventh floor.

But now they were only on the first floor. Su Xin gritted her teeth and stood up.

After Nan Cheng discovered that her feelings had been transmitted, she immediately controlled it, afraid that Su Xin would sense something.

She was now on a stone platform. The platform was engraved with patterns forming an array. Iron chains fixed the central stone platform in place, surrounded by boiling red water, viscous like blood.

Nan Cheng transformed into her original form, the cat’s body looking small and curled up in the center, reflected on the stone platform.

Above the stone platform floated a huge shadow, undoubtedly an enlarged version of Nan Cheng, with four tails floating behind her, looking incomplete.

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