21 Arc 2 Chapter 1

Yun Heng's soul enters the space. Looking around, it's no longer the black space it used to be. He has entered a dimly lit lounge. There are sofas, beanbags, and a bar on the right hand side of the room. In the back there's a billiards table and a gaming console. It looks more like a rec room than a system space. Ni Ni is sitting on the sofa and she gestures for him to come sit on the sofa in front of her.

[I'm sure you're wondering why the space. I just revamped it a little. I thought it would look more homey, and if you want to take a little break between missions you can come relax.]

Ni Ni looks at Yun Heng nervously checking to see his facial expression. Now that he has learned to feel, she can read him a little. Thinking that he must be grieving or devastated over the loss of Yixuan, Ni Ni hopes that this can help get Yun Heng's mind off of things, or at least give him some time. When Ni Ni sees that his face is as expressionless as it once used to be she gets a bad feeling in her gut.

[Host? Are you okay? How do you feel?]

I don't feel anything Ni Ni, it's like that world never happened.

[You do remember it right Host?]

Yes, but it's like a movie, I can watch it but I don't remember how anything feels

Ni Ni is devastated. He lost everything. All of the progress...his ability to love. What about his feelings towards Yixuan? Did he lose that too?

[Host...What about Yixuan? Do you feel anything for him?]

Ni Ni sees Yun Heng pause for a few seconds, and then he slowly says, "No". Ni Ni feels like that was a little off. Why did he have to think about it? Is he denying something? She wants to ask more about what's going on but Yun Heng cuts her off.

Ni Ni, send me to the next mission world.

[Are you sure you don't want a break Host?]

Just do it Ni Ni.

[Oh before I send you, let me tell you about your rewards. You completed all of the missions in your first world so you get 4000 points. You can use these points to buy any skills or items in the system store. Do you want to check the store?]

No

[Okay, also since you managed to complete the mission despite the classified information you get to learn two free skills! Choose well, nothing will ever be free again. These people are real cheapskates.]

Here's a list:

Martial Arts

Music

Cooking

Dancing

Weapons designing

Acting

There are more, but these are the only choices for free skills.

I choose martial arts and music.

40 years pass in the space as he is grilled in learning martial arts and music. He is proficient in singing, qin, piano and violin. He is at the early advanced level of martial arts, but it should be enough to deal with most experts unless they are one of those people who spent their whole lives learning martial arts.

Send me to the mission Ni Ni

[Okay Host]

Yun Heng falls to the ground unconscious. He feels a piercing pain throughout his body, as if he's being stabbed a million times, but he's mute throughout the experience. Once again Ni Ni looks at her host in wonder.

Yun Heng opens his eyes and he's sitting across from a middle aged man. The man is wearing ancient robes, with his hair tied up in a bun and he's holding a fan in his hand slapping it against his other palm in irritation. Yun Heng looks at him with clear eyes and indifference. The man is further infuriated by his expression and smacks the fan against the table in front of them. It is a small round table with a teapot and two cups of tea placed in front of them. The man smacks the table twice more to get his attention.

"Tian Yi! What are you looking at? Disrespecting your Father! Listen to me! Your sister Tian Mei, does not want to go to the concubine selection, so you must take her place! You will leave tomorrow. Prepare yourself!" The old man looks at an attendant behind him and says, "Take the young master back to his courtyard." The attendant bows and helps Yun Heng rise to his feet. The attendant guides him back to a dilapidated courtyard with a small house, clearly more suited for a commoner. Through their words Yun Heng can already understand that he is a young master of an affluent family. Looking at this situation it is clear that he is unfavored.

The attendant leaves him once they reach his courtyard and doesn't even look back. Yun Heng calmly walks into the room. (A/N: He will be called Tian Yi from now on) Tian Yi sits on the old bed placed on the side of the bare room and closes his eyes.

Ni Ni, give me the plot and the mission

[Yes Host. This is an ancient world, as you can tell. You are a part of the Tian family, which is one of the most prestigious families in the country. Your father is a trusted court official, who is favored by the emperor. The Tian family has two sons and one daughter. The female lead in this plot is your sister Tian Mei, she has been raised receiving the best of everything. From the beginning she is the most adored daughter of the Tian family. Your family wanted to cater to her every wish and pampered her like hell, but contrary to expectations she wasn't a spoiled princess. The female lead is the perfect example of a white lotus. She's kind and innocent and always wants to help everyone in need. She has given everyone the impression that she's an angel so she's loved by the citizens as well.

Now the male lead comes into the picture. The Crown prince is the strong and sexy male lead in this story, but he's also a rogue, playful and just generally not serious. Everyone thinks that he's unsuitable for the throne and he gives his father a serious headache. The female lead comes along with her kind helpfulness and decides that she's going to reform him. When they meet the Crown prince gets interested in the fact that she's kind and doesn't alienate him for his reputation. She genuinely cares about him and not his background as the Crown prince, so he falls in love. Deciding that in order to get her attention he needs to be serious, he changes his ways and becomes the leader that the country needs. Eventually he takes over the throne after the Emperor dies and makes the female lead his empress. He is loyal to her forever and never takes a concubine. She is known as the virtuous Empress.]

So who am I and how do I come into the picture?

[You are the often forgotten son of the Tian family. Your father has an official wife and a concubine. He favors the concubine like crazy and Tian Mei and your other brother Tian Wu are his children from the concubine. You are the eldest son from the official wife, but he basically hates you. You don't have a strong appearance and your build is willowy and rather feminine so you disgust him. Because of your feminine look, he often substitutes you for Tian Mei in situations that she dislikes. It's hilarious to me, if she's such a virtuous goody two shoes why doesn't she help her older brother? She's just a hypocrite with a Holy Mother complex. Ugh...Something about female leads just turns me off. Anyways your father substitutes you for Tian Mei during the concubine selection and that is the beginning of your downfall. Because you're so cute and lovable you get selected to be one of the Crown Prince's concubines, but once he sees that you're a male he flips out and believes that he has been made a fool. Figuring out that you are from the Tian family, he goes to your home to get answers, that's when he first meets Tian Mei. The Tian family throws you under the bus and says that you stole Tian Mei's identity because you were jealous of her and you were a dirty homosexual. If there's one thing they got right it's that Tian Yi is gay. The Crown Prince becomes disgusted by you and executes you. Oh and btw I forgot to tell you, your mom died when you were seven. Nobody knows but the concubine secretly poisoned her, so now you have no one to protect you.]

What are my missions?

Your Mission:

Leave the Tian Family (1000 points)

Destroy the Tian Family (500 points)

Win the Concubine selection (500 points)

Find a lover and live safely together (1000 points)

Tian Yi calmly listens to the missions and takes a minute to digest the information.

Ni Ni do I have to complete every single mission?

[Well...No host, you only need a 50% success rate to be safe, but everyone wants more points...Why are you asking?]

I'm not going to find a lover

[Why? You didn't care about it during the last mission?] But Ni Ni's eyes widen as she sees Tian Yi subconsciously rub his ear lobe. Ni Ni didn't notice earlier but Tian Yi is still wearing the 'proposal' earrings that Yixuan gave him. She knew that it was possible to take one item from each world but you had to have a deep yearning and connection to that item for it to work. Ni Ni had a strange look on her face Host are you in denial about your feelings?

It doesn't matter. Tian Yi is tight-lipped so she knows she won't be able to ask anymore.

Tian Yi looks out of the window and sees that it is still light out. There's probably another four hours until dusk. Tian Yi starts to make a plan in his mind going forward. Ni Ni looks at his pensive face.

[What are you planning to do Host?]

I'm going to escape from the Tian family tonight

[What do you mean???] Ni Ni's eyes widen from shock.

I'm going to pack up my clothes and climb the wall, I'll be able to get pretty far into the city as long as I leave an hour before dusk. There'll still be some light out to see and I can find a small inn to stay at until I find a job.

[That's the most idealistic unrealistic bullshit I've ever heard. First of all you have no money so you can't stay at an inn. Second of all you look quite feminine so you won't last a minute out there until some ruffians try to rape you. Thirdly no one is going to hire you. You have lily-soft hands and light creamy skin, from one look everyone can tell you're from a noble family. Don't think that just because you're unfavored they work you like a dog.]

It'll be fine Ni Ni, what happens will happen.

[Don't say I didn't warn you ╮(╯_╰)╭ This is a really bad idea!]

A few hours later, Tian Yi finds himself backed up against an alley as five men lecherously stare at him, wanting to taste his beauty.

[I fucking told you Host! What are you going to do now?!?!?]

Ni Ni...Did you forget I studied martial arts?

[No, but did you forget you're currently in a weak body?]

…

Just as the men are about to pounce on Tian Yi and figure jumps over the wall beside them and falls right into this situation. He takes stock of what's going on and in two minutes he has knocked the ruffians out cold. He grabs Tian Yi's hand and pulls him further into the darkness of the alley. He places his palm over Tian Yi's mouth and leans close to his ears whispering, "shhh, quiet". The feel of his breath on his ear causes Tian Yi's ears to slightly redden. They hear men looking into the alley and not seeing them because of the dark. They yell to each other to check somewhere else and run past the alley. The man removes his hand from over his mouth but doesn't release his waist. They both turn to look at each other and their eyes meet. Tian Yi looks into a pair of dark eyes examining his own. The man's face isn't too clear as it is hidden by the shadows, but his eyes are unforgettable. Feeling his arm holding his waist and the depth in the man's eyes, there is a sense of familiarity. Tian Yi feels a slight throb in his chest. Before he can ask anything the man keeps him in his hold and jumps over the wall, leaving him back into the path leading to his courtyard. The man's hoarse voice sounds in his ear as he says, "you'll be safe here. Just follow that path and it will take you into town." He points at a dirt road Tian Yi hadn't seen before. As Tian Yi turns to respond to him, he's already gone. Tian Yi knows that it is no longer possible to escape into town so he walks back to his room in a daze. He collapses onto the bed and asks Ni Ni, who had been uncharacteristically quiet.

Ni Ni who was that?

[Host...that was the male lead...the Crown Prince]