Chapter 22

After seeing off this amorous couple who still considered themselves a brother and sister couple, Shen Qingxue finally breathed a sigh of relief. At first, he was happy for his younger brother, as he was able to find someone who would support him throughout his life, if he didn't screw up hard, but during seemingly ordinary conversations about life, these lovebirds unconsciously showed their affection right in front of him.

It would seem that the usual thing between people who genuinely love each other was not a little irritating to Shen Qingxue, who is a veteran bachelor throughout his entire life. Given that the boy had only lived for 16 years in his first world, this period can't be considered that long, but the rules of this world are slightly different, and at Shen Qingxue's current age, without taking into account his past life, it is already considered normal to have a bride, not to mention the current state of a boy who has never spoken to a female person after leaving the village of the Holy Spirit.

The presence of spirit energy in the environment, even if Shen Qingxue cannot accumulate it in his body, greatly affects the development of his body, which is why at eight years old, the boy's appearance resembled a twelve-year-old teenager from his previous world, the same applies to all other spirit masters, here Shen Qingxue is no different from them. This, it is logical to assume, has led to the fact that the average eight-year-old children of this world already sometimes indulge in playing relationships, as it happened among schoolchildren in the past world of Shen Qingxue, and people from aristocratic and imperial families at this age are usually already engaged a long time ago.

In his first life, leaving aside race and nationality, Shen Qingxue was far from a stupid boy, the best in the kindergarten group, the best in the class, and then the best in school, which, even though he was quite average in appearance, led to several enterprising girls running after him, whom he, of course, irresponsibly dynamited. The reason for this was not the arrogance so characteristic of the white crows, but the unsociability of the guy. He saw his happiness in solitude, and the meaning of life in peace. Just imagining in his head what would happen to his life if he answered the confession of the beauties running after him, his skin filled with goosebumps, and his teeth began to chatter nervously.

Even the school events that the guy, as the best student, participated in, whether he wanted to or not, greatly irritated Shen Qingxue. All he wanted was a banal solitude, during which he could easily find an interesting book on the Internet and enjoy reading it.

What can I say, not much has changed in this life, if the boy did not know the original story, he would definitely strive to become an average master and settle in a town on the outskirts to find a replacement for the books he loved so much in his previous life. The guy in his previous life, where he had a significant chance to achieve a high position thanks to a strong mind, was not distinguished by high ambitions, and in a world where his talents are useless, there can be no question of the desire to stand out.

But it turned out that as soon as Shen Qingxue entered this world, his not yet strong mind was filled with unbridled ambitions, not backed up by any strength or skills. Then the boy was under the influence of the fan fiction he read and wanted to be like their main characters.

When his sanity returned and he realized that his acquaintance with the main character of the original could change the story he already knew, Shen Qingxue panicked a little, but again bet that he would be like the main characters of other fanfics, who, after a short suffering, would definitely come across some grand piano that would raise them to the skies.

The final point of no return was his deeper acquaintance with Tang San and recognition of him as part of his own family. If this hadn't happened, the boy's beliefs would have been extremely fragile, and if he hadn't received some unusual powers, he would have taken Grandpa Jack with him and fled to the outskirts of the empire, where the Hall of Spirits would only be held for the sake of formality.

It might seem that Shen Qingxue's desire to become Tang San's older brother was just childish and didn't make any sense, but it was actually a huge step in the development of his personality: it was then that the boy first decided to take on the responsibility that he had been so afraid of until that moment.

Now, just two years after he took on the burden of seniority, Shen Qingxue had grown up unimaginably. In just two years, his degree of responsibility had transformed from just one younger brother… To the whole world. Yes, at the moment when the boy decided to completely change the story known to him from the novel, he thereby took on his shoulders the responsibility of protecting the whole world. After all, if he makes a mistake, the number of victims can surpass even the original work, and all this will be on Shen Qingxue's conscience, and he is not a callous person at all.

It was only after taking on such a heavy burden that Shen Qingxue realized the necessity of having someone who would be willing to share it with you. And not so much in direct help, but in psychological relief by talking and simply being around.

With a lonely smile, Shen Qingxue waved his head. It is unlikely that with the spirit of the heart, he will be able to find a soulmate who sincerely falls in love with him, because he will not be able to reciprocate. When he asked himself if he would be able to maintain his feelings for a person who knew no emotions, the boy never found an answer to this question.

"Heh, what would I be called in my past world? A depressing teenager out of nowhere? Perhaps it is." – Shen Qingxue chuckled self-destructively as he continued to observe the clouds. Turning his head to the side, the boy frowned as he saw clouds floating from the horizon in the direction of his location. – "It's been a long time since it rained in this forest... I'm going to go further away, I don't really want to get wet."

Although the boy could protect himself from the falling water droplets with the help of soul energy control, it required a small, but for a long time annoying concentration. It would be more logical to find a place where you can safely wait out such an annoying natural phenomenon in such places.