Don't Worry

Su Ze finished his game, lit a cigarette, and walked towards the balcony.

He directly dialed the number of the Forerunner's supreme commander, Situ Jiayang.

"Calling me at this hour, you better have something important, or you're in trouble!" Situ Jiayang's voice came through the phone, tinged with irritation.

"..." Su Ze recounted everything that had just happened to Situ Jiayang in detail.

After a moment of silence, Situ Jiayang said, "So, you've been invited too... We were just discussing this meeting yesterday."

Situ Jiayang lit a cigarette. "So, are you willing to go?"

"I’ll follow orders," Su Ze replied.

"Two days, right?" Situ Jiayang crushed his cigarette in the ashtray, visibly frustrated. "Wait for further instructions. We're still discussing this matter. We should have a decision by tomorrow or the day after."

...

In the wilderness, a handsome young monk trekked under the moonlight, his footsteps leaving imprints in the soft soil.

A shadow flickered across the sky, obscured by thin clouds.

A young man appeared in front of the monk.

"Wait, wait, wait! Hold on, don’t start a fight!" the young man exclaimed, stopping the monk from raising his hand.

"You’re the messenger of the gods?" the young monk asked calmly, his hands clasped together.

"That’s right! Since you know who I am, this should be easy," the young man sighed in relief.

"What brings you to me, monk?" asked Xuanyuan Jin, a prodigy of the younger generation alongside Su Ze and Mo Ziang.

The young man quickly explained the details of the secret realm competition.

"A secret realm competition?" Xuanyuan Jin seemed surprised.

A secret realm is a world created by beings using divine laws. These laws are the very power gods use to create worlds. As long as the laws are sufficient, creating a secret realm isn’t difficult, and the beings capable of such creation are beyond the current understanding of Earth.

A secret realm is an independent world within the vast universe, like a grain of sand hidden in an endless desert. Few beings, other than its creator, can find it.

Creators often store their treasures within these realms.

Sometimes, a secret realm serves as a tomb for its creator, a place where they rest after death.

However, for unknown reasons, the entrances to these realms sometimes appear in other worlds.

Since Earth’s spiritual awakening five hundred years ago, fewer than ten secret realms have opened on Earth. Each opening has caused a stir among nations, with supernaturals rushing to enter them.

Now, the gods have created a secret realm for a competition, aiming to reclaim what belongs to them.

Xuanyuan Jin smiled faintly.

"So, what do you say?" the young man asked.

Xuanyuan Jin replied calmly, "I’ll participate."

With just those words, the young man relaxed. "Out of all the people in China, you’re the easiest to talk to."

Xuanyuan Jin smiled without responding.

The young man flicked his fingers, and a faint mark appeared on Xuanyuan Jin’s arm. "When this mark grows brighter and fills up, it means the competition is near. I’ll come to fetch you then."

"You’re the first person from China who didn’t immediately try to fight me upon meeting me. I can answer some of your questions. Do you have any?" the young man said smugly. "Who knows, I might even share some tips for the competition, hehehe..."

Xuanyuan Jin clasped his hands together and chanted a Buddhist mantra. "Indeed, I have a question."

"Go ahead!" the young man grinned confidently.

Xuanyuan Jin’s lips curled into a smile. "Tell me, who’s more powerful—Buddha or the gods?"

The young man: "????"

Are you out of your mind?

I thought I’d finally met a normal person! I was even planning to give you some insights into the realm’s layout.

And you ask me, ‘Who’s more powerful—Buddha or the gods?’ Is that something a Buddhist disciple should even ask?

"Damn it! What are you trying to do?"

Seeing Xuanyuan Jin slowly raise his hand, with immense divine power gathering within it, the young man panicked!

Xuanyuan Jin’s eyes shone brightly. As he raised his hand, a radiant Buddhist light illuminated the sky for kilometers, as bright as the midday sun!

"Since ancient times, Buddha and the gods have stood in opposition. I say Buddha surpasses the gods!"

"Damn it, another lunatic!"

A massive golden palm descended, but the young man had already vanished without a trace.

"Indeed, Buddha is superior."

Xuanyuan Jin continued his journey under the stars as if nothing had happened, leaving a trail of footprints in the soft soil.

...

Su Ze cooked some late-night snacks. Little Hanyu sat on the sofa, eating earnestly, her cheeks puffed up like a hamster. It was clear she was enjoying the food.

Su Ze absentmindedly stroked the [Ghost Slayer] in his hand, feeling a heavy weight in his chest. He took a deep breath, trying to suppress his emotions.

After being invited by the self-proclaimed messenger of the gods, Su Ze began to question whether it was right or wrong for him and Little Hanyu to become lovers...

If it were the version of himself before meeting Uesugi Akizuki, he wouldn’t have hesitated to enter the secret realm... But now, he felt fear...

Part of that fear stemmed from the possibility of death, though he wasn’t afraid of dying himself. The greater part came from his concern for Uesugi Akizuki... He couldn’t bear the thought of what would happen to Little Hanyu if he were to die.

But he truly loved her...

No wonder members of the Forerunner and Night Watcher rarely dated ordinary people—they must fear the possibility of dying at any moment...

Little Hanyu stopped eating and crawled over to Su Ze. She suddenly hugged him, cupped his face in her hands, and kissed him on the lips. Su Ze was momentarily stunned, then smiled.

"Don’t..." Little Hanyu paused, struggling to find the right words. She wanted to say something like "don’t worry," but her limited vocabulary made it hard to express. After a moment, she said earnestly, "Shinpai shinaide kudasai. (Don’t worry.)"

Su Ze snapped out of his thoughts and smiled, pinching her cheek. "If I have to leave you for a while, think of me, but don’t be sad. Be happy, okay?"

Little Hanyu felt like she’d heard this before and was a bit annoyed, but Su Ze’s seriousness made her comply. She hugged him tightly, burying her face in his neck, and said in a soft voice, "Anata ga itta you ni, anata no koto wo kangaeru to, watashi wa shiawase ni narimasu."

(As you said, when I think of you, I’ll be happy.)

Su Ze was genuinely touched that she could say so much in one go.

...

At dawn, a phone call woke Su Ze. He fumbled for his phone and answered it.

"The meeting’s concluded. Come to Kyoto," Situ Jiayang’s voice came through.

"Alright," Su Ze replied.

A few hours later, Su Ze and Little Hanyu arrived in front of a skyscraper in Kyoto.

Of course, Su Ze couldn’t bring Little Hanyu into the meeting, so he left her in a waiting room on the lower floor.

He entered the office on the 13th floor, where Situ Jiayang sat in his chair, frowning and smoking a cigarette.

Su Ze knocked on the door.

"Come in."