The Assassin's Rocky Road

Si Ming chuckled and said, "You haven't done anything heinous. So what if you're jealous? Jealousy is a very common emotion. It's abnormal for someone not to have ever been jealous of others. Even Murong Qing cried because she was jealous of someone in the past."

"Who was she jealous of? Why was she jealous? Did she really cry?" Yu Shuying asked three questions in quick succession.

"I'm sorry, that's their privacy, and I can't reveal the details, but it did happen."

Recalling Murong Qing's graceful and dignified demeanor, Yu Shuying found it hard to imagine the other woman crying uncontrollably out of jealousy. She couldn't help but feel suspicious and glanced sideways, saying, "You're really not lying to me?"

Si Ming nodded vigorously and then laughed, "You usually act so mature, but how come you become so agitated and lose your composure when it comes to things related to Murong Qing? You even lose seventy percent of your sarcastic skills and become exceptionally childish."

Yu Shuying snorted and guessed, "They're probably incompatible, enemies in their past lives. They were supposed to settle their scores in this life, but they inexplicably became companions, so they can't stand each other at all."

"Your imagination is too rich! How about writing a novel? I've already thought of the main plot for you: the protagonist, a junior high school student who was originally not interested in martial arts but was good at fighting, was dragged into the Martial Arts Club by fortuitous opportunity classmates to fill the number of people in the competition. As a result, in his first competition, he was easily defeated by his opponent and was told, 'People who do not respect martial arts are not qualified to participate in the competition.'"

From then on, the protagonist worked hard and trained diligently, hoping to one day avenge his previous humiliation. However, when he entered high school and excitedly enrolled in the Martial Arts Club, he was shocked to find that his former rival, who had humiliated him, was also a student at the same school. The two became teammates and would fight side by side for victory. The story unfolds from there, and the conflict between the two leads to a series of funny situations, as they spend their youth filled with sweat, laughter, and joy.

I've already thought of the personalities for the two main characters. The male lead has to be a hot-blooded fool, single-minded, and clumsy in his actions, but full of perseverance and persistence. No matter what setbacks he faces, he'll always bounce back and encourage his teammates. His nemesis, on the other hand, has to be a proud and aloof man, not easy to approach, who appears very strong on the surface but is actually hiding his inner vulnerability.

Si Ming said he'd seen this kind of formula countless times: Sun Wukong and Vegeta, Hanamichi Sakuragi and Kaede Rukawa, Naruto and Sasuke, the No Brains and the Unhappy —it's all part of the golden rule, just like the four-person group. The reason "My Hero Academia" wasn't more popular is because it subverted the formula. It's one thing for the protagonist to be a hot-blooded, rational guy, but his nemesis is an arrogant, hot-tempered man. How could such a character possibly become popular?

There's a saying that goes, "Deep affection is fleeting, but cunning wins hearts." Since you're going against the grain, you naturally won't win people's hearts.

Yu Shuying listened, seemingly captivated by the story, and asked, "And then what? After becoming teammates, the two gradually got to know each other through daily interactions, resolved their conflicts, and were eventually attracted to each other's strengths that they themselves lacked. They fell in love, defying societal norms and coming together..."

"Hey! This plot is terrifying! This is a completely different story!"

What's going on? Could it be that Senior Ji Shichen is secretly cultivating a following? Has a virus called "fujoshi" (female fans of BL) already spread without my knowledge?

Determined to pull the other person back and nip any bad signs in the bud, Si Ming asked maliciously, "Can you imagine yourself Murong Qing?"

Yu Shuying paused for a moment, then shuddered, goosebumps rising all over her body, and said, "I apologize, please pretend I didn't say anything. I'd rather die than live like this!"

Si Ming thought to himself, "Thank goodness, otherwise I'd really be afraid I'd have to say something like, 'My wife worked so hard grinding tofu.'"

Chapter 696 The Bumpy Road of an Assassin

"Actually, we don't need to please everyone. No one says that people in the same group have to love each other. It's rare for idol groups not to have arguments and scandals; the vast majority break up because of disagreements."

Si Ming did not necessarily want Yu Shuying and Murong Qing to be close. Their conflict was not a misunderstanding or friction, so there was no possibility that they could reconcile after talking it out. The root cause of their irreconcilable differences was that their values and attitudes towards life were very different.

If one of them were weak-willed, it would be fine; they could simply back down and give in. They wouldn't argue with you verbally, but they would still do what they wanted. However, both of them are stubborn. Murong Qing would definitely intervene if she saw injustice, Yu Shuying would definitely mock anything she didn't like. The former would admit her mistakes, but if she believed she was right, she would be unyielding. The latter, even if she knew she was wrong, would never admit it verbally.

Both are adults and have experienced many things that their peers have never experienced. Their values are already fixed and are difficult to change due to external factors. To reconcile their conflict, it would be impossible to go back in time to their childhood for a re-education.

"I understood this principle when I was in school. It's impossible for me to get along well with every classmate. I might be able to avoid being disliked by everyone, but I can't be liked by everyone. In fact, the closest friends in a class are usually the people sitting around you. There are also different cliques in the same class: a clique of high-achieving students and a clique of low-achieving students; a clique of martial arts enthusiasts and a clique of medical enthusiasts; a clique of boys and a clique of girls. Sometimes, things you think the whole class knows about are completely unknown to people in another clique."

Yu Shuying looked at Si Ming Anomalies: "I thought you would advise me to take a step back and let things be, and suggest I make up with her?"

"This is obviously impossible, so why should I do something so thankless? Besides, if I were to advise someone, I should advise Murong Qing to give in."

Yu Shuying raised an eyebrow. "Why? Because she's easy to talk to and understanding, while I'm willful, petty, and narrow-minded?"

In this situation, choosing to agree or disagree will anger the other person. If you agree, they will naturally feel that you are talking badly about them and mocking their shortcomings. If you disagree, it's obvious that you are lying to please them, so it's no wonder they're angry.

"She's just as stubborn as you," Si Ming said, glossing over the issue with a single sentence. He then explained, "You were clearly at a disadvantage in your conflict with her. The only moral principle in this world is to advise the victor to be magnanimous, not to advise the loser to yield. You can't be the one who gets hit and then say, 'First, examine why they hit you.'"

Yu Shuying wasn't angry, but she was still a little Unhappy: "I'm only temporarily at a disadvantage, that's why I haven't lost."

Then he asked, "You really don't intend to mediate?"

Si Ming, "Even within the same party, there are left-leaning and right-leaning factions, hawks and doves. People aren't puppets; it's normal to have different ideas. In my opinion, your conflict with Murong Qing is simply due to different methods of achieving your goal, but the destination is the same. For example, within the Heaven's Will Palace, my master certainly doesn't like your master's methods, and even disagrees with Senior Uncle Xing's methods, but they are all members of the Heaven's Will Palace, fighting for the same goal. Such minor differences are insignificant in the grand scheme of things. For instance, in the eyes of Remote Heaven Society, you and Murong Qing are both enemies who hinder them. They don't care whether there are conflicts between you two; if they have the opportunity to strike, they will show no mercy."

Yu Shuying said thoughtfully, "That's true. If we can really eradicate the Remote Heaven Society, I wouldn't mind joining forces with Murong Qing... In the end, I don't deny her as a person, and I admit that she is indeed very capable."

Si Ming asked curiously, "So what exactly do you dislike about her? Why can you talk to Hongdou properly, but not to her?"

Yu Shuying was silent for a moment before speaking, "This is a battle between light and shadow. She is the light, and I am the shadow. Once the shadow is illuminated by the light, it will be burned and dispersed. She proved that one can forge a path in this world through upright and honorable means, while I have not yet..."

"Then why can you get along with me? I also do things honestly and uprightly, and I even had the former title of 'Son of Light'." Si Ming said in a tone that was both flattering and self-satisfied. "Is it really true that two tigers cannot share the same mountain, unless one is male and the other female?"

Yu Shuying rolled her eyes and said, "It's undeniable that you deserve the title of 'upright and honorable,' but Murong Qing embodies the virtues of a gentleman, emphasizing filial piety, brotherly love, loyalty, trustworthiness, propriety, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame. While you occasionally commit shameless acts, you do so without any attempt to conceal them. Your shamelessness is open and honest, far better than those hypocrites, but it doesn't make you a true villain. At most, you're a roguish gentleman."

Si Ming laughed and said, "I understand. You hate things that are too dazzling, but you can accept things with flaws."

Yu Shuying said, "Perhaps. Although I have the ability to read minds, I can't read my own mind. Sometimes I really don't know what I'm thinking."

Si Ming glanced at the pillow beside him, an idea popped into his head, and he said with a hint of mischief, "I have a suggestion for you to relieve stress. Writing your name on the pillow isn't quite right, it's not vivid enough. You could make a pillowcase with Murong Qing's picture, then you can punch her 'face' hard, which would probably be more powerful."

Yu Shuying paused for a moment, then pondered, "Is this really okay? It feels a bit strange to have someone else's photo on my pillow."

"What's strange about it? This is the perfect way to release stress. Whether it works or not, let's try it first. Anyway, it's not a luxury item, and it's easy to make."

There were no sandbags in this world, so Yu Shuying couldn't think of a better object to punch. She couldn't very well make a wooden dummy, as that would be too conspicuous and inconvenient to carry. So, she accepted Si Ming's suggestion with a try-it-out mentality.

"I've already completed one task, why haven't I received a second one yet?"

In a secret stronghold of the Blood Pupil Society, Qingyan inquires about the mission from the intermediary Hongyi.

Last time, he finally succeeded in completing a mission, and his employer didn't die. He thought he could finally escape that damned fate and embark on the path of a legendary assassin, assassinating one person after another and becoming famous in the assassin world. But the situation didn't change compared to before; people seemed to have forgotten about him.

It should be noted that the war between humans and demons was a golden opportunity to fish in troubled waters. Even if someone was killed, as long as the body was destroyed, the blame could be placed on the Demon Race. Countless people took advantage of this opportunity to eliminate their own enemies.

It's said that the Blood Pupil Society's mission schedule is packed, with every assassin busy with their tasks, and the Blood Pupil Society is making a fortune from it, yet he remains completely ignored.

Hongyi said, "It's not that we don't have missions. Last time there was a mission to demolish a building, and the client specifically asked for you, but you refused."

Qingyan said helplessly, "I'm an assassin. An assassin's mission is to kill, not demolish. It's one thing to bomb the International Building last time, but at least the whole of the Sea Continent was focused on that building. In a sense, it was comparable to a celebrity, which barely qualified me to take action. But what about bombing other old buildings?"