'Young Man, Don’t Be Too Greedy.'

Early next morning, Su Yang went to the Hidden Pearl Pavilion with Gu Feidi through the iron chain bridge on the House of Jade’s back mountain to meet Shizun.

When the two arrived outside the pavilion, Qing Bo ordered Gu Feidi to leave first as she wanted to speak with Su Yang alone. Although Gu Feidi was slightly worried, he had to respect his Shizun’s orders. He withdrew from the valley and silently stood guard at the iron chain bridge outside the valley.

Su Yang walked all the way to the pavilion’s door and happened to meet Di Ling who was pushing open the door.

Distinguishing the person by the sound of footsteps, she paused slightly and nodded. “You came.”

Su Yang responded with “Yes” and cupped his fists to salute his Shijie. Di Ling turned sideways to allow the younger man to pass, and pondered a little before following Su Yang back into the pavilion. 

Qing Bo turned around and saw them enter the room at the same time. She asked in surprise, “Di Ling, you still need something?”

Di Ling lowered her eyes and answered respectfully, “Yes, Shizun. The date of your return from traveling is uncertain. It could be several years or in decades. This disciple doesn’t have the confidence to oversee the House of Jade alone. Now that Su Shidi and Gu Shidi are back, why don’t you allow them to manage with me, we can gain experience first hand.”

Hearing this, Su Yang was stunned and confused.

Qing Bo’s eyes landed on him for a moment and agreed with a smile, “Might  as well. Both of the young men show promise. It should not be difficult for them to aid you in caring for and managing the House of Jade.”

With Shizun’s approval, Di Ling immediately thanked her, and then bowed and excused herself.

Su Yang was confused by the two’s conversation. Seeing Di Ling walking further away, he turned to Qing Bo and questioned, “That’s not right. I came here to make a wish, how did it turn into you suddenly assigning me a task?”

“You came from a strange origin, of course, it is because you are so capable that this Shizun leaves everything to you.” Qing Bo replied with a smile. “Have you already decided on what you’ll wish for?”

With the topic abruptly shifted, Su Yang coughed softly and said, “...Oh, yes, I do.”

Qing Bo continued smiling. “Is the wish you wanted for me to relieve you of your curse?”

Su Yang confirmed, “Yes, I want to get rid of this curse.”

Seeing the strange expression on her face, he was immediately feeling slightly nervous and questioned closely, “What’s wrong? You can’t do it?”

Qing Bo raised her hand to play with the green little bird resting on her shoulder and explained, smiling, “The curse on you is not an issue. Although many settings in this world are different from our reality, they’re always based on the background of the martial arts genre. Things like curses, if you believe it, it will be there. Otherwise, it is not. Fei Fei has found corresponding solutions to all of your problems, so then in turn, your curse will not come true.”

As she said this, she chuckled and continued, “Besides, in my novel, Su Yang didn’t die from the curse, or have you forgotten?”

Hearing Qing Bo’s statement, Su Yang recalled that the Evil Sect’s Young Master in the original novel didn’t die from the Blood Curse. It was Gu Feidi who ultimately saved him. 

Once everything came to a full circle, the original Gu Feidi also obtained the White Flame Gu. He couldn’t bear to see the Young Master suffer from the intense cold internal energy and die, so he secretly practiced the Calamity Phoenix’s Everlasting Fire. Then the original them arrived at the same situation as the current them—the two had to dual cultivate at all times to suppress each other’s intense internal energy in order to stay alive together.

“So, you can exchange it for another wish.” Qing Bo interrupted Su Yang’s thoughts. “If you can’t think of one today, you can return to giving careful thought. Just tell me before your coming of age.”

Hearing the last part, Su Yang frowned and asked, “Why before then? Didn’t you say this curse won’t come true?”

Qing Bo explained with a smile. “Once you reach the age of twenty, this world’s story will come to an end for me, I have to leave. If you don’t make your wish before then, you won’t have a chance to see me again.”

Su Yang was suddenly shocked. 

The original novel’s story ended when the Evil Sect’s Young Master completed his coming of age ceremony. Even if Qing Bo appeared here as the author, she would be restricted by the rules governing this world. After the storyline ended, she had to leave.

That was why Di Ling mentioned taking over the House of Jade for the time being. It was only temporary in word, but in reality, Qing Bo already treated Di Ling as her successor.

“Then...is it really possible for you as the author to change any character’s setting?” Su Yang asked. “Would I live forever if I asked to be an immortal?”

“Of course.” Qing Bo stated. “But I wouldn’t suggest choosing eternal life. I can’t change Gu Feidi’s setting. So if you choose eternal life, you will be trapped in this world forever, watching him grow old and die; watching everyone around you disappear repeatedly. You would only experience pain and bitterness.”

Su Yang nodded. “I’m just asking how much your abilities extend in what you can do.”

Qing Bo shared with a smile, “In theory, as long as it’s a setting that can appear in literary works, I can grant it. I can even give you magical powers if you wish for it.”

Su Yang thought for a moment and threw a list of skills, “Like, mind reading? Turn stone into gold? Resurrection ability?”

Qing Bo spread out her hand. “If you really want these abilities, it's not a problem.”

“Then what if I want to take Gu Feidi back to modern times?” Su Yang asked, “Or let me take his soul to transmigrate through different worlds?”

Qing Bo: “...”

After a moment of silence, Qing Bo stretched out her hand and patted Su Yang on the shoulder. “Hey young man, don’t be so greedy.”

Su Yang flattened his lips and asked, “What, you can’t do it?”

Qing Bo said, “I’m only an author. I may have control over characters under my pen, but your wish involves crossing between two worlds. How could I achieve that? Besides, it was only an accident that you were brought to this world...Even I don’t understand why you came here.”

Su Yang sighed. He understood that this wish was a little difficult. 

But he really wanted this ability, so he pleaded, “Could you try and see? And...if it doesn’t succeed, then that’s fine. I’ll go back and think of another wish.”

Qing Bo nodded helplessly and said, “Then let me attempt it for you once. If it uses up your wish if it fails, then it’s out of my power.”

Hearing this, Su Yang bit his lips and pondered for a moment. Finally, with a determined heart, he agreed, “Yes, please try it.”

Qing Bo closed her eyes and concentrated.

After a long time, she opened her eyes, looked at Su Yang and asked, “Do you feel any changes?”

Su Yang was startled as he shook his head. “What changes should be there?”

Qing Bo sighed, “It looks like it didn’t work. Your wish to cross the world border and to reality…”

Before she could finish, the little green bird resting quietly on Qing Bo’s shoulder suddenly soared up, hovered up and down in front of Su Yang, as if it was feeling anxious.

Su Yang was slightly stupefied. On instinct, he raised his hand and held the bird in the palm of his hands. He turned to Qing Bo. “What’s happening?”

Qing Bo also studied that bird in doubt. Before she could give her speculation, they both saw that the bird fluttered its wings twice in Su Yang’s palms. Then...in Su Yang’s hand, with a squishing sound, it laid a white bird egg the size of the tip of a little finger, round like a pearl.

Su Yang: “...”

Qing Bo: “...”

After the little green bird completed its task, it flew back to Qing Bo’s shoulder, rested quietly, and seemed as if nothing had happened.

Su Yang examined the egg in his palm for a moment, then asked Qing Bo, “What does this mean?”

Qing Bo stared at the egg thoughtfully and pondered for a long time. “At the moment, I’m not too sure. However, your wish was used up, so this egg must not be normal...Xiao Cui’s The bird’s name. Little Green Jade.origin is magical. You should know the result once the egg hatches.”

Then, she pointed her finger at the bird’s egg. In an instant, a red silk thread flew out, wove around the egg and turned it into a pendant. 

“I don’t know when it will hatch either. Carry it with you for now.”

Su Yang quietly put the egg pendant over his head, stood still and wondered silently for a while, saying, “Then, since we’re done. Can I go back?”

Qing Bo also didn’t know what else they could do for this egg, so she nodded. “All right, you can go back. I’m often here in the Hidden Pearl Pavilion these days. Come see me if anything happens to it. Leave a letter if I happen to be away, and I’ll come find you.”

As Su Yang was about to leave, Qing Bo suddenly remembered something. She clapped her hands together and blurted, “Oh right, could you take this to Fei Fei?”

As soon as she opened her palms, an old manual appeared in her hands. The written words on the cover were visible: Calamity Phoenix’s Everlasting Fire.

“Now that all the problems have been solved, take this skill.” She said, blinking at a faster speed towards Su Yang, and suggested with a smile, “Remember to dual cultivate properly!”

Su Yang took the book from Qing Bo’s hands and murmured something under his breath. 

Qing Bo narrowed her eyes and huffed, “What are you calling me?’

Su Yang replied, “Nothing...I just found it weird that you are not afraid of exposing your identity to others based on your use of informal writing in your letters. But why are you speaking so elegantly and so formally?”

Hearing this question, Qing Bo placed her hand against her forehead. “It’s all because of this broken system. I wanted to vent for a very long time…”

“There are not as many restrictions when I write letters, but I had to exchange for the stationery, and I can’t exchange for much. As for speaking, well, let me explain it this way. When I talk to them, I can’t say what I really want. The system would give options. Whatever I choose, I have to say...The painThe direct translation is ‘headache’, but I think this is an emoticon/ meme being spoken out in words..”

Hearing this explanation, Su Yang also didn’t know what expression to show.

Silently, he raised his hand to wave at Qing Bo, before leaving. 

Once out of the pavilion, Su Yang quickly returned to the iron chain bridge.

Seeing his return, Gu Feidi immediately met the other in the middle and asked, “How was it? Could the curse be broken?”

“Yes, no problem,” Su Yang shared with a smile. “We don’t have to worry about the curse anymore. We can live happily together for a very long time!”

Gu Feidi didn’t believe it at first. “Really?”

Su Yang laughed and handed Gu Feidi the Calamity Phoenix’s Everlasting Fire manual. “See, Shizun even gave me this. Now do you believe me?”

Gu Feidi accepted the manual and joy was overflowing from his eyes. He took Su Yang into his arms excitedly to hug the older man tightly. 

“Hey! Careful!”

Unexpectedly, Su Yang didn’t return Gu Feidi’s hug. Instead, he raised his arm to push the other away with his elbow, and carefully touched around his chest.

Gu Feidi wondered, “What’s the matter?”

Su Yang used his finger to hook the necklace around his neck and pulled it out. He was relieved to see that the egg was still safe and sound.

He showed the egg to Gu Feidi and shared, “This is the egg laid by Shizun’s little green bird. Shizun gave it to me for safekeeping, so we must protect it well and not break it…”

Gu Feidi studied the bird’s egg and was suspicious. 

After a moment, he said, “That bird is strange, so this egg must be special. Di Ling Shijie passed by earlier, and I learned from her that Shizun will be leaving the House of Jade to go on a trip. So if Shizun is giving this to you, doesn’t it mean that...Shizun actually prefers you to manage the House of Jade more?”

Although this was not the case, Su Yang never expected that it would appear like this. But when it came to the next successor for the House of Jade, Qing Bo would be more set on naming Di Ling. 

So he stuffed the bird’s egg back under his clothes and said with a smile, “Shizun didn’t say that, so stop guessing randomly. Whatever will happen in the future can wait after this egg hatches. For now…let’s go back to the Lively Spring Garden. We could hone our martial art skills. As soon as my birthday is over, we’ll contact the Evil Sect’s Sect Leader to help him get rid of his Poisonous Gu.”

Gu Feidi nodded and clasped his fingers with Su Yang. They returned home hand in hand.