Chapter 149: Bidding Farewell to the Parallel World

Chu Hanyu could not bear to part with Zhang Ning, and Zhang Ning said aggrievedly, “Master, I don’t want to leave either, but this thing has a time limit. After all, the system…” He was about to explain the system.

“Oh, right—the system.” Chu Hanyu seemed to have no trouble understanding it at all. As though he had suddenly remembered something, he called toward the distance, “Come here.”

The Zhang Guanlan who had been ordered not to approach immediately crossed the distance in a single step, though he did not dare raise his eyes to look at Chu Hanyu.

Chu Hanyu said, “What are you waiting for? Transfer all the attention points you currently have to Ning. Because of you, brat, Ning wasted quite a lot of attention points. And you frightened him, so after he gets back, you’ll have to buy him something good to make it up to him.”

Zhang Guanlan’s entire face turned green. Seeing this, Zhang Ning almost burst out laughing. For some reason, watching that identical face suffer a setback filled him with malicious delight.

Yet no matter how unwilling Zhang Guanlan was, he did not dare disobey Chu Hanyu in the slightest. He had never wanted his master to feel even the least bit displeased, so he obediently transferred every attention point in his current account to Zhang Ning.

Zhang Ning had no idea what the Zhang Guanlan of this world had done, but the attention points transferred to him not only covered the cost of his escape talisman—they left him with plenty to spare. His face immediately lit up with delight.

Watching Zhang Ning beam, Zhang Guanlan felt secretly jealous, but at the same time he experienced a faint, inexplicable sense of smug satisfaction.

Hmph, brat! You have no idea that this tiny amount of attention points means nothing to me! I already confessed everything about the system to Master long ago. You’re happy to receive your compensation, but you don’t know that these attention points were painstakingly saved for me by Master himself!

Chu Hanyu said coolly, “Very good. Now go back to where you were standing.”

Zhang Guanlan was instantly crushed. He drifted back to his former position.

“Pfft—hahaha!” Zhang Ning truly burst out laughing this time.

But bringing Zhang Guanlan down was not Zhang Ning’s goal in life. He still had another question in his heart. This master seemed far too good-natured. Although he shared many similarities with Zhang Ning’s own master, the differences were also obvious.

His master certainly looked best when he smiled, but the one from his own world always wore a trace of indifference, treating his own people and outsiders entirely differently. Zhang Ning was much more familiar with and accustomed to that version of his master. In any case, no matter how one looked at him, his master was a being among immortals…

No, that was not the point! The point was, how could the two masters’ personalities differ so greatly?

Zhang Ning had genuinely researched some of the reasons behind his master’s personality. He had heard that, in his youth, his master had been deeply wounded by a close friend—not the Netherworld Demon Venerable, Xing Qiluo, of course, but the Immortal Venerable Zhao Nan, though Zhang Ning did not know the exact circumstances. Then, in his youth, he had successively lost the master and senior brothers who had loved him dearly. At last, after finally becoming nearly invincible and standing at the pinnacle of the Azure Realm, even his eldest disciple—whom he had devoted countless efforts to raising—had died young. All of that had shaped him into the person he was. Zhang Ning had heard that, in his early years, he had actually been rather unruly and arrogant.

Zhang Ning was not foolish enough to bring up those matters. What if he touched a wound in his master’s heart? So he merely asked about the current circumstances of several senior brothers, only to receive a surprised and curious reply from Chu Hanyu.

“What? The me in your world took several disciples? Here, Zhang Ning is my eldest disciple—and my only one.”

What?

Zhang Ning froze. He had never expected that, after casually exchanging experiences with the Zhang Guanlan of this world, such an enormous difference would have been glossed over as though it were nothing.

He had never imagined things would turn out this way. In Zhang Ning’s heart, his several senior brothers were all truly wonderful people. Thus, apart from feeling some regret that the Zhang Ning of this world had never met such good men, he also felt an indescribable indignation.

The Zhang Ning here was actually Chu Hanyu’s only disciple?

The word “only” instantly made someone sound precious and enviable. How could he still not be satisfied?

At the same time, everything suddenly made sense. The Chu Hanyu of this world had at least never experienced that kind of grief resembling the loss of a child. It was only natural that his temperament would be gentler.

Then Zhang Ning said indignantly, “After I leave, Master, you must give this brat a proper beating.”

Chu Hanyu was immediately delighted by Zhang Ning’s pompous, grown-up manner. “Are you encouraging me to beat you?”

Then his tone turned calm again. “Between master and disciple, what sort of deep hatred could there be?”

Chu Hanyu was clearly speaking words of forgiveness, yet Zhang Ning felt that something was wrong. Perhaps because he had been favored by this version of his master, he blurted out, “Then… will Master forgive him and be with him?”

Chu Hanyu paused and looked at Zhang Ning with an indescribable expression. Zhang Ning forcibly resisted the urge to flee beneath his master’s gaze, mustered his courage, and remained where he was, waiting for an answer.

After a while, Chu Hanyu said calmly, “That is impossible. Not to mention that, in the Azure Realm, a master and disciple being together would be an outrageously immoral act—besides, I already have someone I love. Given the circumstances now… I probably will not be able to be with the person I love in the future, but being together with Zhang Ning is even more impossible.”

Zhang Ning felt as though he had been struck by a heavy blow. He even forgot how to speak. Somehow, this answer seemed more cruel than hearing that his master would never forgive him.

He said stiffly, “Then… who is the person Master loves? Can you tell me? Is it the Moon-Treading Demon Venerable?”

Zhang Ning had heard a few rumors about her, but the Moon-Treading Demon Venerable in his own world had died long ago.

Chu Hanyu shook his head. “No. She and I share the bond of having studied under the same master for a time.”

Zhang Ning thought for a moment. “Then… Uncle Xing?”

Chu Hanyu looked at him several times. “Ning… what exactly are you thinking? You came all the way to a parallel world to interrogate your master about his romantic history?”

Zhang Ning lowered his voice. “I just want to know…”

Seeing Zhang Ning gaze at him so pitifully, Chu Hanyu sighed. “All right, all right. You win. The person I love… is named Qin Guanlan. I first met him in the Hundred-Thousand Mountains. At the time…”

Chu Hanyu assumed that a child Zhang Ning’s age would certainly be curious and excited about such matters, following up with questions about every detail—becoming shyer the more he listened, and wanting to listen all the more because he was shy.

What he had not expected was that Zhang Ning did indeed ask about every detail, but his expression had nothing to do with shyness. Instead, it grew increasingly strange.

Chu Hanyu was completely baffled when Zhang Ning suddenly interrupted him.

“Uh, Master, my countdown has reached the end. I have to go!”

His face was held stiffly expressionless, and it was obvious that he was lying.

Zhang Ning could hardly be blamed. That Qin Guanlan was clearly the Zhang Ning of this world using an alias! He was the adult form Zhang Ning took when he activated Invincible Mode! Most likely, because this world had no eldest senior brother, the Zhang Ning here had never developed any concept of namesakes and had simply used the name from his previous life.

But he had never expected…

The Zhang Ning of this world had such incredible luck!

Which one of us was the protagonist, him or me?

Seeing Zhang Ning’s reaction, Chu Hanyu did not expose him. Instead, he reached out and patted Zhang Ning on the head.

“All right, then. Have a safe journey. May your world remain as beautiful as ever, and may your future be bright, Ning.”

Zhang Ning nodded solemnly.

The Esper World

Even after returning to his room, Zhang Ning could still feel the warmth of his master’s hand resting on his head. He had not expected that sensation to last only for an instant. The moment he returned to the Esper World, the exact same spot on the crown of his head was struck with a loud thump.

Chu Hanyu smacked Zhang Ning on the head. “Where did you suddenly disappear to? How could you leave without saying a word?!”