An Agitated Tang Wulin: Brother Yao Chuan, Get a Grip! This Has to Be a Trap! [Part One and Two]

He was the one who wrote that heavily altered novel!

He was the one who exposed Old Tang's tricks!

He had to know something! Maybe he'd seen this coming!

His desperate will to survive and urgent need for the truth overwhelmed his reservations about disturbing someone in the middle of the night.

Tang Wulin practically crawled out of bed on all fours. He didn't even bother putting on his shoes, rushing barefoot to Yao Chuan's bedside in just a few steps.

"Brother Chuan!"

He kept his voice low, but couldn't suppress its urgency or the slight tremble in it.

He reached out, grabbed a corner of the thin blanket covering Yao Chuan, and shook it hard.

"Brother Chuan! Wake up! Brother Yao Chuan!"

He shook him with considerable force, utterly frantic.

"Hmm?"

The figure on the bed stirred.

A sleepy, irritated snort sounded from beneath the blanket.

A few seconds later, Yao Chuan reluctantly pushed the blanket aside just enough to reveal a drowsy face so handsome it seemed to defy the heavens.

His brows were slightly furrowed, his eyes clouded with confusion from being dragged out of a sweet dream and a hint of displeasure at the interruption.

"Who is it... In the middle of the night..."

His voice was low and hoarse, thick with sleep.

"It's me! Wulin!" Tang Wulin hurried closer, speaking urgently, his words coming in a rush. "Bro! Something terrible happened! It's an emergency! Wake up!"

The fear and anxiety on his face were clear in the moonlight. He wasn't pretending.

Tang Wulin's frantic, as-if-the-sky-were-falling state seemed to chase away some of Yao Chuan's sleepiness.

He rubbed his eyes and, by the moonlight, made out Tang Wulin's deathly pale face and the cold sweat on his forehead.

Oh?

Little Golden Scale?

Looking like this... Had his seal flared up?

Or was it...

Thoughts raced through Yao Chuan's mind, but he maintained his look of sleepy annoyance and lazily propped himself up.

"Wulin?"

He yawned and ran a hand through his tousled hair, his voice languid and magnetic with sleep.

"Why are you awake in the middle of the night? Sleepwalking?"

"What has you in such a hurry?"

"Did the sky fall? Or did that brat Xie Xie crawl into your bed?"

He tried to lighten the mood and ease Tang Wulin's tension.

Tang Wulin had no time for jokes.

His heart pounding with worry, he got straight to the point. He lowered his voice even further, but spoke with utmost seriousness and a desperate need to know the truth.

"Bro!"

"That novel you gave me before..."

His eyes fixed on Yao Chuan in the darkness, unblinking.

"That Soul Breaking the Firmament... The things written in it... The old man in the ring, the lingering soul of the Evil Soul Master, 'Old Tang'..."

"Those tricks... Were they..."

Tang Wulin took a deep breath, as if summoning every ounce of strength to ask the question that could mean the difference between life and death.

"Did you make them up... or... are they based on real history?!"

Each question struck Yao Chuan's heart like a stone, sending great ripples through him.

Yao Chuan's heart gave a sudden leap.

It was as if thunder had exploded inside his skull.

His earlier guess had just been hammered home.

We're set!

That old fox Tang San's soul had indeed awakened!

The fish had finally taken the bait.

He'd started laying the groundwork three years ago. The "foreshadowing stock" he'd bought early was finally about to skyrocket!

This windfall—no, this long-planned, pivotal moment—had finally arrived!

The little man inside Yao Chuan leaped into the air, shouting, "Wuhu! We're taking off!"

But he still had to keep up appearances.

His face remained lazy and drowsy, with the sleepy annoyance of someone just dragged out of bed.

His handsome features were blurred by the dim light.

But his mind raced at lightning speed.

If he wanted to reel in a big fish, he had to stay calm.

He absolutely couldn't reveal that he knew anything.

Time to act!

Yao Chuan suppressed his excitement, deliberately let out a long yawn, and rubbed his messy hair. His voice was low and hoarse with sleep.

"Hell, of course it was based on something real."

"Did you think I came up with those scenes out of thin air?"

His tone was casual, as if Tang Wulin were making a fuss over nothing.

"I got the inspiration when I was a kid. I saw it in an ancient book that was practically falling apart."

"It recorded quite a few powerful Evil Soul Masters from ancient times who refused to stay dead."

"Leaving behind remnants of their souls to possess people, stealing bodies to be reborn—that was standard practice for them."

"Pretty damn sinister!"

"They all used more or less the same tricks. First, they'd play the kindly white-bearded immortal, offering help and earning the host's trust. Then, once their guard was down—or when the moment was right—they'd strike and take over the body in one fell swoop."

"It was all written in that ancient book."

"Evil as it gets!"

He paused, letting a suitable trace of curiosity and confusion show in his eyes.

"But... why did you wake me up in the middle of the night, shaking me like a thief?"

"Just to ask about that?"

Yao Chuan tilted his head. The moonlight outlined his well-defined jaw.

"What is it?"

"Got your eye on some old man in a ring?"

"Or has something latched onto you?"

Hearing that, Tang Wulin seemed to have found an outlet—or perhaps the words had opened the floodgates.

His pent-up emotions burst free.

He didn't hesitate for a moment.

Right now, Yao Chuan was his only lifeline.

He rattled off everything, spilling the terrifying and unbelievable experience he'd just had in his consciousness space like beans from a bamboo tube.

His voice trembled slightly with fear and excitement.

"Bro! You scared me half to death!"

"I was asleep, and suddenly my consciousness got pulled into this pitch-black place!"

"There was some weirdo in a black cloak!"

"I couldn't see his face. I could only tell he was smiling beneath his hood!"

"He said his name was 'Old Tang'!"

Tang Wulin emphasized those two words, his eyes full of terror.

"He said he'd been waiting for me for a very, very long time!"

"He also said he wanted to help me!"

"He said there was an incredibly terrifying essence of the Golden Dragon King sealed inside me!"

"It was a great opportunity, but also a ticking bomb!"

"There are eighteen seals!"

Yao Chuan widened his eyes in concert, putting on an appropriately incredulous look.

Holy crap, that's outrageous.

Inside, though, he was nodding furiously. That's it! Every detail matches! Tang San, you old fox, you finally couldn't hold back!

Tang Wulin kept recounting it at machine-gun speed.

"He said that if I wanted to survive, I had to follow his instructions and gradually undo the seals to absorb that power!"

"The first step was ridiculous!"

"He told me to find three things!"

"A Century Ice Crystal Fruit!"

"A Century Red Flame Fruit!"

"And ten drops of blood from a Hundred-Year Soul Beast with dragon blood!"

He finished in one breath, his chest heaving.

"Bro!"

"This! This is exactly like the steps in your novel where 'Old Tang' tells the protagonist to find resources to help him restore his soul power!"

"They're practically identical!"

Tang Wulin gasped, his eyes filled with lingering fear and deep distrust.

"I couldn't take it anymore!"

"All I could think about was the part where 'Old Tang' possessed the protagonist!"

"The name, the way he appeared, his opening lines—even the way he asked for things!"

"This script is way too similar!"

"I almost put on an award-winning performance right there!"

"Every alarm bell in my head went off. Full alert!"

"This is a hundred percent the prelude to possession!"

"Absolutely!"

"A classic opening move for an Evil Soul Master!"

He looked at Yao Chuan as if seeking one final confirmation.

"I think he's the remnant soul of some high-level Evil Soul Master!"

"He's been hiding inside my body!"

"And now he's finally shown himself!"

"He wants to use me as a vessel!"

"Once I bust my ass finding everything he needs, he'll just say, 'Hey, little Xie, nice body. I'll take it!'"

"Wouldn't that mean I'm done for?"

"Bro, don't you think so?!"

Yao Chuan listened to Tang Wulin's vivid retelling and wary analysis.

He was practically dancing with joy inside.

We're set!

Tang Wulin's little head had been completely armed with Soul Breaking the Firmament's "scam-prevention guide"!

His wariness toward Tang San was off the charts.

The effect was fantastic!

Plan accomplished!

Yao Chuan felt that he was another step closer to his glorious goal of "milking the God King for all he's worth."

He could practically picture Tang San stomping around in the consciousness space, furious and helpless.

But he couldn't let any of it show on his face.

Yao Chuan suppressed his excitement and glee.

He even deliberately coughed.

Then he cleared his throat.

He struck a pose of serious consideration and objective analysis.

His tone was cool, as if he were merely "looking at the facts."

"Ahem..."

"Wulin, don't jump to conclusions just yet."

"About this..."

"It is pretty suspicious."

"It matches the plot of that novel you mentioned almost exactly."

"There's nothing wrong with being cautious."

"But..."

Yao Chuan deliberately drew out the word, making himself sound very cautious.

"We can't just beat the drum and declare him an Evil Soul Master who's trying to possess you, right?"

"Everything... has two sides."

"Maybe..."

He blinked, trying to make himself sound a little more believable.

"Maybe he really is some 'senior expert' who got trapped?"

"Maybe he's looking for an heir or something?"

"Or..."

Yao Chuan racked his brains for a relatively "down-to-earth" explanation.

"Or maybe he just wants to help you deal with your health problem?"

"After all, he said you'd kick the bucket if the Golden Dragon King's power wasn't unsealed, right?"

"That sounds reasonable enough."

"Maybe... it's your very own beginner's gift pack?"

He did his best to make himself look like a voice of reason.

"Anyway, I think we should keep watching him for a while."

"We can't just label him an Evil Soul Master right now."

"What if... this is an opportunity?"

"It'd be such a shame to miss it."

On the surface, Yao Chuan's words were meant to persuade Tang Wulin to stay calm and objective and not jump to conclusions.

In reality, every single sentence was precisely fanning the flames.

He knew Tang Wulin's current state of mind. Advice that seemed well-meaning would only have the opposite effect.

And sure enough!

When Tang Wulin heard that Yao Chuan was still speaking up for that "Old Tang"—

even calling him a "beginner's gift pack" and a "senior expert"—

he exploded in an instant!

He was so worked up he nearly jumped to his feet.

The emotions he had only just managed to settle flared up again.

His wariness and suspicion of "Old Tang" shot straight to the limit!

"Bro! Why are you still taking his side?"

Tang Wulin let out an agitated growl.

His hands shot forward on instinct.

He grabbed Yao Chuan's wrist where it rested beside the bed.

His fingers were icy cold, trembling slightly with fear and nerves.

But his grip was strong.

He held on tight.

"Isn't it obvious?"

"It's a scheme! It's all a scheme! Just like in the novels!"

"First, he dangles a huge promise and gives you a seemingly reasonable excuse, then he asks for a crucial resource! Every step matches the Evil Soul Master possession playbook perfectly!"

"If this is a beginner's gift pack, it's way too big! This is obviously a possession trap!"

"Bro! Wake up!"

As Tang Wulin excitedly gripped Yao Chuan's wrist and shook him, trying to explain—

a faint breath of energy,

like a trickling stream,

yet carrying an indescribable dominance and scorching heat, flowed without warning along the fingers Tang Wulin had wrapped around him.

Silently, it seeped into Yao Chuan's wrist, then swiftly merged into his body!

Yao Chuan stiffened, his whole body jolting!

That wasn't a figure of speech!

His entire body really had tensed up in an instant!

He felt it clearly!

That power!

Tiny, yet incomparably pure!

It carried a pressure that made even his Black Dragon Martial Soul stir restlessly within him!

When it touched his own power, it didn't repel it. Instead, like a drop of water joining a river, it merged with it quite naturally, bit by bit.

The amount was tiny—so tiny it was almost negligible.

But Yao Chuan was all too familiar with that feeling of "essence"!

The Golden Dragon King's power!

One hundred percent confirmed!

It was the genuine source aura of the Golden Dragon King!

In his agitation, Tang Wulin had unconsciously let a trace of it slip out!

And he hadn't noticed at all!

Yao Chuan's heart was rocked by a storm.

Th-this... what was this?

An unexpected windfall?

An involuntary feeding?

Why could he absorb the Golden Dragon King's power too? Was it because of his Black Dragon Martial Soul?

Yao Chuan couldn't make heads or tails of it either.

But this sudden "energy infusion," though weak, was like a shot of adrenaline straight to his heart. It sent his already racing excitement boiling over!

One thing was certain: the Golden Dragon King's seal inside Tang Wulin was clearly loosening.

That old Tang San had definitely begun trying to guide him.

Otherwise, Tang Wulin couldn't have unconsciously released power of this caliber.

Yao Chuan's little schemes were already clicking away in his mind.

This was... a much better source of wool than he'd imagined!

If even getting worked up could make a trace leak out... then what about when Tang Wulin tried to absorb the seal in the future, or got into a fierce battle...?

Yao Chuan felt as if he could see a glittering golden future!

The importance of his "wool-harvesting grand plan" instantly shot to the top of his priorities!

He had to think this through carefully!

Yao Chuan forcibly steadied the tumult inside him.

He tried to keep his face in the befuddled, sleepy expression he ought to have after Tang Wulin had shaken him awake.

He even pretended to look down at the wrist Tang Wulin was gripping, puzzled.

"Hey, hey..."

"Wulin, what are you doing? Why are you gripping me so tightly?"

"You've got a pretty strong grip."

Yao Chuan made as if to pull his hand back.

"Can you calm down? You're about to crush my wrist! I'm just trying to help you think this through."

"Look how worked up you are..."

As he spoke soothingly to Tang Wulin,

he felt the subtle changes as that trace of the Golden Dragon King's power fully merged into him.

That domineering power seemed to have made his bones, muscles, and flesh just a little more resilient.

The change was extremely slight.

But it was real.

Yao Chuan was even more certain now about his earlier judgment and plan.

Tang Wulin realized then how worked up he had gotten and quickly let go.

His face was still deathly pale, written all over with fear and unease.

"Bro... I'm sorry... I... I..."

He fumbled over his words.

"I was just so scared! What am I supposed to do?"

"That thing... that 'Old Tang'... he's inside my head! I can't even sleep peacefully! What if he takes over while I'm asleep...?"

Tang Wulin's voice caught with tears.

"I don't want to be possessed, Bro! I don't want to turn into someone else!"

Looking at the helpless, terrified nine-year-old before him,

a complicated look flickered deep in Yao Chuan's eyes.

But it was quickly replaced by an even stronger resolve.

The plan had to go ahead!

It wasn't just about harvesting wool.

It was also about... rewriting certain predetermined paths!

Yao Chuan took a deep breath, suppressing every turbulent thought.

He reached out and gave Tang Wulin's shoulder a firm pat, trying to lend him some strength.

"All right, all right!"

"You're a grown man—what's there to be afraid of?"

"Besides, you've still got your big brother, don't you?"