I Ran Away with the Scumbag's White Moonlight Chapter 55

For the first opening of the seven martial arts schools, Ling Yao, along with the Sect Leader and others, returned to the Demon Sect, where transportation was cheaper. After leaving the capital, Bai Qinglian also returned here. He was placed in a guest room not far from the Cloud Peak Palace. Ling Yao, eager for news, used his lightness skill to rush over.

As autumn deepened, the weather turned cooler. The breeze felt even colder due to his swift running, but Ling Yao, who always had a lower body temperature, couldn't care less at the moment. His mind was filled with the Sect Leader's recent words.

Bai Qinglian had already woken up, and his injuries were nearly healed. However, due to a head injury, there was a significant gap in his memory, stopping at six months ago. Six months ago, wasn't that just when Bai Qinglian first came to the Demon Sect...

Ling Yao didn't dare to think too deeply. He sprinted to Bai Qinglian's guest room and burst in without even catching his breath. The sound of the door opening drew the attention of everyone inside, and they all looked towards the entrance.

Ling Yao immediately saw Bai Qinglian on the bed. After months of not seeing him, the man's appearance was still as cold and handsome as ever. There were no visible traces of the injuries from half a month ago, and he looked much more spirited than expected. At first glance, he seemed no different from when Ling Yao last saw him.

However, his entire demeanor had changed slightly. Although Bai Qinglian had just recovered from a long illness, the aura of keeping people at a distance was gone. His familiar appearance, which Ling Yao remembered so vividly, now had an added touch of unfamiliarity in his eyes.

Ling Yao, who had been eager to rush over, suddenly stopped in his tracks after entering the room. A sense of bewildering fear surged from his heart. Ling Yao was afraid that Bai Qinglian would look at him with the eyes of a stranger.

Why, he thought, did it have to be this particular six months? Bai Qinglian had lost six months of memory. He would remember Sect Master Shen and the Sect Leader, but not him.

However, Ling Yao's near-panic was quickly interrupted by Bai Qinglian's voice. "Ling... Young Master?" Bai Qinglian looked at him, with a hint of surprise in his expression.

Inside the room, Shen Zhuo and the Sect Leader, who had followed him in, exchanged a glance. "Ah Ling, do you still remember Yao'er?" Bai Qinglian frowned slightly. "I..."

He hesitated for a moment before saying, "I met Young Master Ling ten years ago." Ling Yao, who was slightly at a loss, was taken aback by this. He frowned at Bai Qinglian for a while and suddenly asked, "Sect Master Bai, do you remember when we first met?"

This question was outside the six-month range, and Bai Qinglian naturally replied, "Early summer of the Jiaxu year. I met the Young Master at a market in Tiancheng, Jiangdong..." After speaking, he paused and then raised his hand to rub his forehead.

Shen Zhuo asked, "What's wrong?" Bai Qinglian hesitated, "I don't know why, but I feel like this scene has happened before..." Of course, it had happened before; they were even playing a game of Go at the time.

Ling Yao pressed on, "Sect Master Bai, in the past six months, have you forgotten everything, or do you still vaguely remember some things?" This time, Bai Qinglian hesitated for a longer time. "I can't say for sure. Some things feel very vague, but they seem to have happened."

Bai Qinglian said, "I seem to have taught someone martial arts mental techniques, avenged my master by killing nine sect leaders, and studied many martial arts techniques with someone..." He rubbed his forehead again. "But these memories are fragmented and can't be connected."

Ling Yao listened, deep in thought. He thought Bai Qinglian had said enough, but then Bai Qinglian added, "And... besides these, I clearly remember... learning to make osmanthus honey and hawthorn cake with the pastry shop owner."

... Osmanthus honey and hawthorn cake? The idle people in the room had already been cleared out by the Sect Leader, leaving only four people, including Bai Qinglian. They were all listening intently to Bai Qinglian's account, but when they heard the last sentence, both the Sect Leader and Shen Zhuo instinctively looked at the little Young Master beside them.

The little Young Master, who had been serious, blinked and couldn't help but touch his nose and then his ear. Seeing the child didn't even know where to put his hands, the Sect Leader tugged on Shen Zhuo's sleeve, and the two of them withdrew their gazes.

The room was knocked on, and the Left Protector brought in the medicinal soup. He also brought a message from the Right Protector, who was still decocting medicine, saying that although Bai Qinglian's injuries had greatly improved, it would still take some time for him to fully recover, and it would be best for him to rest more after drinking the medicine.

Since the Right Protector said so, the others left the room to let Bai Qinglian rest well. Even Ling Yao, who had been the most nervous just now, didn't say anything extra. Following the Sect Leader out, he couldn't help but start thinking about Bai Qinglian's words.

Fragmented and vague memories that couldn't be connected, yet could confirm they had happened... Bai Qinglian's condition seemed similar to his own, encountering a restorer with an identity similar to Shi Jingxian.

Ling Yao wasn't entirely sure, but after Shi Jingxian took over his body, although his consciousness was clear, his view of the outside world was somewhat blurred, as if through a thin film. Only when he needed to use his martial arts talents and skills did his perception of the outside world become clear and profound.

Ling Yao hadn't heard Shi Jingxian mention another restorer, so he wasn't sure how much Shi Jingxian knew about it. However, Ling Yao suspected that the restorer within Bai Qinglian might know more. Because the time Bai Qinglian left for the capital was just when his own consciousness was exposed.

Ling Yao speculated that this person might have been following Shi Jingxian, so when his consciousness appeared and the task was nearing its end, the person chose to leave to avoid suspicion. But these were just speculations, and Ling Yao didn't know how to verify them. Perhaps he could only hope for a chance to ask Shi Jingxian when he came to visit in the future.

Thinking about these things, Ling Yao couldn't help but be a little lost, and his expression looked very serious. Seeing this, the Sect Leader said something to Shen Zhuo beside him, letting him leave first, and then called out to Ling Yao, "Yao'er?"

Ling Yao snapped back to reality, "Dad?" The Sect Leader walked up to him and stood shoulder to shoulder with him, "Are you thinking about Qinglian?" "...Yes."

The Sect Leader reached out, tidying the child's collar and protecting his fair neck. "Yao'er, I know how you feel about Qinglian. But now that he's forgotten the past six months, your relationship will inevitably change. I hope you don't overthink it; you still have a long time..."

"Dad." Ling Yao softly called, rubbing against the Sect Leader's hand on his neck. "I know." He looked into the distance, the clear autumn sky and the blue sky making him feel refreshed. "I wasn't without worries, but just now, Sect Master Bai said he still remembers teaching me mental techniques and studying martial arts with me... that's enough."

Ling Yao smiled. "I know why I like him... it's because of what he remembers. It doesn't matter if he can't recall the rest." The child's expression was softer than the Sect Leader had expected, and seeing that he had clarified his feelings, the Sect Leader didn't say much more.

They hadn't walked far when they encountered a disciple from the Xuanyun Sect who had come with Shen Zhuo to the Demon Sect, heading towards Bai Qinglian's guest room. Ling Yao was still talking to the Sect Leader, "Dad is right; we still have a long time."

He thought that the things forgotten could just start over. He had already gained so much from starting over, and since he had confirmed his feelings, it didn't matter if the memory-lost Bai Qinglian had no feelings for him...

Not far behind, the Xuanyun Sect disciple pushed open the door and entered the guest room. "Sect Master, did you need me?" The door was not closed, and the disciple's conversation with Bai Qinglian could be faintly heard.

Ling Yao, who had just thought "it doesn't matter if Sect Master Bai doesn't like me now," also heard Bai Qinglian's voice. "Hmm, how is the hawthorn tree in the sect?" The low, cold voice was slightly lowered, with a hint of unnoticeable tension. "Is the formation still running? Has anyone been taking care of it while I was away?"

————

【Ding——】

In the slight sensation of floating and falling, the surroundings suddenly stirred, and Shi Jingxian, who was waiting for transmission, was disturbed and opened his eyes warily to look around. But before he could catch any anomalies, a familiar sound had already reached his ears.

【Ω1 Series Task No. 2 has been completed, and the se-075 star system, Planet 33, has been detached.】

...This seems to be the second time. Shi Jingxian thought, remembering that when the Ω Series Task No. 1 was detached, he seemed to have noticed some anomalies but couldn't find the cause. This time, the fluctuations around were more obvious, but the system transmission was still proceeding accurately.

【Restorer aa010, you have successfully repaired the task object's collapsed consciousness. As a token of gratitude, you will receive: Initial Experience Points: 1551 S-level Task Success Reward: 1551 Total: 3102】

Shi Jingxian frowned. Repair the task object's collapsed consciousness? But Ling Yao was clearly awake from the start. Then came another sound.

【Ω1 Series Task No. 2 object has started a new life, thank you again for your help.】

When he first started completing tasks, Shi Jingxian noticed this kind of praise in the system prompts, similar to saving a lost lamb. Previously, he just felt this inclination was slightly inappropriate, but after noticing the system bug with Ling Yao, it felt increasingly strange.

What exactly were they repairing in these tasks? After receiving half of the task reward of 1551 experience points, Shi Jingxian returned to his space from the system platform. With the encryption mode activated, the pale golden data stream tightly protected the room. Shi Jingxian didn't delay and directly copied all the data from the second task into the memory hard drive.

Along with the Ω1 data, Shi Jingxian placed the two packaged data into the analysis model. He pulled up his system panel and allocated 1000 points from the newly credited points into the analysis model. With the experience points supplemented, the model's algorithm finally began to operate normally.

Shi Jingxian stared at the model, casually pouring himself a cup of hot cocoa. He also added a few marshmallows. Whenever he thought about things, his need for sugar increased, and with someone constantly feeding him sweets in the Ω2 task, Shi Jingxian had become increasingly accustomed to this sugar-filled lifestyle. Before the next task began, he would have to temporarily quit this habit.

Data analysis took time, and this time it was two data packets running together. Before the results came out, Shi Jingxian received a message prompt from within the platform.

【"Eight-Pack Abs" has sent you a chat room invitation】

Shi Jingxian raised an eyebrow. It seemed they had just finished as well. After accepting the invitation, the scene in his space changed like wallpaper being spread, starting from the corners and spreading outwards. Soon, the room transformed from a simple personal space into a cozy lounge.

The lounge had several comfortable sofas, with a round conference table in the center. Sitting by the table was a slender, fair-skinned, pretty boy with light chestnut hair, looking barely of age. The chairs by the conference table were relatively high, and the boy's feet couldn't even touch the ground.

Seeing Shi Jingxian enter, the boy waved at him, "Shi Shi." Shi Jingxian glanced around the lounge; the boy was the only one there. "Xiao Ai, where are the other two?"

The boy swung his dangling legs, "Xueqing's task isn't finished yet; she'll join via voice later. Cheng Lin just finished his task like you and is settling accounts; he should be here soon."

Restorers could return to the system platform during tasks, but usually not for more than an hour. Only after a task was completed could they stay on the platform without restrictions. Shi Jingxian nodded, holding his cocoa as he walked to the table. The boy tapped the table with his knuckles, and the soft chair pulled itself out.

Shi Jingxian sat in the soft chair and noticed the floating name above the boy's head, feeling a bit helpless. "You still haven't changed your nickname?"

The boy, with the semi-transparent words "Eight-Pack Abs" above his head, elegantly sipped from a delicate teacup. "The bet isn't over yet." Shi Jingxian chuckled. "And Cheng Lin..."

"He's the same." The boy placed the teacup on the table, his expression reserved, but his pretty eyes couldn't hide his enjoyment of the victory. Shi Jingxian shook his head. "By the way, don't you not drink tea?"

He glanced at the boy's teacup, noticing the liquid's color was off. The boy turned the carved handle of the teacup. "This is protein powder. I specifically found taste data to simulate it to get used to its flavor in advance."

Shi Jingxian: "..." He silently took a sip of cocoa. Oh well, Xiao Ai's obsession with physique wasn't new. As they chatted, the lounge sounded the entry alert again.

A tall, handsome young man hurried in, his tailored formal suit perfectly highlighting his good figure. The buttons on his cuffs and collar added a touch of abstinence. Anyone seeing him for the first time would have a good impression. However, this nearly perfect first impression was completely ruined by the four words above his head—"Gentle Scoundrel."

"..." Shi Jingxian looked at him and couldn't help but take another sip of cocoa. Although he had prepared himself, the psychological impact was still unavoidable. "Ai Yun, when are you going to change that ridiculous nickname?" Cheng Lin grumbled.

"After we finish the serious business." The boy glanced at him, unfazed, and continued sipping his tea. "With an S-level task at hand, you still have the mind to worry about trivial things." "You..." Cheng Lin was at a loss for words, turning to Shi Jingxian to complain, "Jingxian, if the task doesn't kill me, Ai Yun will."

"Alright, alright," Shi Jingxian laughed, "let's connect Xueqing's voice first." The voice connection was quick, and a soft, weak young female voice came from the transparent panel by the table, "Is everyone here?"

"Yes," Shi Jingxian said, "let's talk about the S-level task first. Have you all accepted the next series of tasks?" Cheng Lin and Ai Yun both nodded. "What about Xueqing?"

The female voice said, "I only have 10% progress left on my current task. I'll accept it after finishing." Shi Jingxian nodded, "Alright, let me talk about the two S-level tasks I've done."

He placed his hot cocoa down and lightly tapped above his right ear. Soon, a pale golden data stream condensed into a crystal blue monocle on his right ear. "I've sent the plot lines of the two worlds to your accounts. Remember to destroy them after reading," Shi Jingxian said. "As the plot lines show, these two tasks are not easy, but the overall repair process can still be consistent with other level tasks."

"This time, I mainly want to remind you not just about the difficulty, but also the uncontrollable variables in the tasks." Since Xueqing wasn't present, the boy and Cheng Lin exchanged a glance to determine their order. After quickly browsing the plot lines, Cheng Lin spoke, "The uncontrollable variable in the first task is an important character, namely Lan Luohai, whose attitude changes significantly."

The boy continued, "The second task is the hidden truth of the main plot?" "Yes," Shi Jingxian nodded, confirming the chat room's encryption status again before saying, "Besides these, there's another variable."

Shi Jingxian had repeatedly considered the seriousness of this issue, and even now, thinking about it still felt burdensome. He took a deep breath before saying, "In the second task, I encountered a bug..."

Before he could finish, a sudden system prompt sounded in his ear. 【Ding——Ω1 Series Task No. 3 is ready. Would you like to start reading the task plot?】 Shi Jingxian was taken aback. Why did the third task suddenly start? He hadn't accepted the task yet.

Seeing him suddenly pause, Ai Yun and Cheng Lin were also surprised. "Shi Shi?" Even Xueqing, who was online in voice mode, asked, "What's wrong?" Shi Jingxian frowned. "My third task has started."

"Huh?" Ai Yun was surprised, "When did you accept the task?" Shi Jingxian's second task had just ended, hadn't it? Shi Jingxian opened his mouth to speak, but the words caught in his throat. He wasn't sure if saying it out loud would bring danger to his companions.

Recalling the system prompt that sounded at this critical moment, Shi Jingxian couldn't help but frown. Was this an accident, or... a warning? "There might be a little accident," Shi Jingxian said after a moment of consideration.

"The task plot has been transmitted; I'll go accept it first. Xiao Ai, destroy the plot lines after reading them, and once my plot stabilizes, I'll talk to you online via voice." After hastily saying "stay in touch," Shi Jingxian exited the chat room. He quickly tidied up his personal space and entered the task space from the system platform.

As soon as he entered, the task plot, already in countdown, directly absorbed Shi Jingxian's consciousness. A flood of information surged in, the data stream receded, and his consciousness and senses connected, gradually clarifying the surroundings.

The sound of cicadas in the summer, lush green trees, and a youthful campus, with a handsome tall boy standing in front of him. The breeze blew gently, and the fresh scent of aftershave from the boy wafted over. Accompanying it was the boy's slightly nervous yet pretending-to-be-casual voice. "I, I like you."