Chapter 1104: The Protagonist of the Story

"Little Peach, Little Peach!!"

A figure rushed into the dormitory, shaking the girl who was lying on the upper bunk, unconscious.

Little Peach seemed to be sleeping soundly and didn't wake up after being shaken twice. As the intensity increased, she finally couldn't help but murmur:

"What is it, Sister Miao... I just slept for three hours... my head hurts..."

"Only slept for three hours? It’s almost noon! What time did you stay up until last night??"

"I don't remember... Anyway, when I went to sleep, it seemed like it was already dawn... That novel last night was just too good."

Seeing Little Peach turn over and prepare to continue sleeping, Sister Miao couldn't hold back anymore and immediately said: "Chen Ling is awake!"

"Oh... ah?!!"

Little Peach suddenly opened her eyes wide and sat up from the bed with a start. "Hasn't he been asleep for three days... he finally woke up?"

"Yeah, he’s eating in the cafeteria right now. So many people are watching him, I couldn't even squeeze in!"

"Holy crap!"

Little Peach didn't say another word and immediately started getting dressed. Her speed was incredibly fast; she was ready in just one minute, and before leaving, she even had time to put a cute animal hair clip on her pair of animal ears.

She dragged Sister Miao and ran wildly through the wooden corridor, her shoes making a dense tapping sound on the floor.

With Little Peach’s agile maneuvering, the two soon arrived at the cafeteria. Pushing the door open, they saw a dozen figures huddled together, craning their necks to look inside, their eyes filled with curiosity.

"Move aside, move aside, move aside!!"

Little Peach gritted her teeth and used her forehead to squeeze into the crowd. Her small body seemed to contain powerful strength, and she actually managed to carve out a path, rushing to the front row with a bright red forehead.

"Brother Chen Ling, the Saint Son said you two joined forces to defeat the Silver King!! Is it true?!!"

"Brother Chen Ling! Did you really pin the Calamity of Breath to the ground and beat it to a pulp with one hand back then?!!"

"I heard from the Saint Son that those four adjudicator proxies were so scared by your aura that they knelt down on the spot and even recognized the Saint Son as their foster father?? That’s too amazing! That’s Eighth-Stage!"

"Brother Chen Ling, are you still taking on underlings? What do you think of me??"

“……”

Chirping voices rang out from all around. A group of young boys and girls had the bright red opera robe reflected in their eyes, their expressions incredibly excited... while Chen Ling held a bowl of hot porridge, drinking it silently, his mouth twitching from time to time, nearly choking on a grain of rice.

At this moment, Chen Ling finally realized why Zhao Yi kept saying they would be looking forward to his arrival...

He could guess with his eyes closed how much that kid had been bragging in the Fusion Faction during this time, using a torn newspaper from who knows where to make up stories, saying that the person who stepped on starlight and trampled the entire Tianxue Domain was his childhood friend—super awesome, one look and the whole domain had to kneel to him, left hand beating the Silver King, right hand pinning the Calamity of Breath to the ground, a veritable First Emperor of the new era.

Then, he started bragging about their past in District 3, how he and Chen Ling grew up wearing the same open-crotch pants, how close they were, how they joined forces to raid bird nests, and finally even joined forces to slaughter the Silver King... like Black and White Impermanence, a golden duo.

The key was that these young boys and girls of the Fusion Faction hadn't been baptized by society and were young, so they truly believed whatever Zhao Yi said...

Ever since he walked in the door and that guy named Xiaobai knelt down to start the trend, Chen Ling had vaguely felt that the way these kids looked at him was a bit off... Two of them were even ready to bow down and call him "Big Brother."

As for the older ones like Old Wolf, they just sat on the side, looking like they were enjoying the show.

"What are you arguing about?!"

Little Peach suddenly drilled out of the crowd, shielding Chen Ling, her eyes wide as she looked at the people around her. "Master Chen... Big Brother Chen Ling needs to eat properly! If you’re this noisy, how can he eat?!!"

"Little Peach, we’re talking to Brother Chen Ling, is that any of your business?" Another boy was unhappy.

"How is it not my business? The Saint Son told me to take good care of Brother Chen Ling! If you don't let him eat, of course I have to care!"

"You..."

Seeing this, Chen Ling put down the porridge in his hand and hesitated for a moment before deciding to clarify:

"I think there might be some misunderstanding here... Everything you said, I actually didn't..."

"Chen Ling!! You’re finally awake!" A familiar voice came from not far away. Zhao Yi hurried through the crowd and wrapped his arm around Chen Ling’s shoulder.

"Do you know you’ve been asleep for three days! When you didn't get up on the second day, I thought you died in your room and rushed in to check... How do you feel now? Is your spirit better?"

"Much better." Chen Ling nodded slightly. "Just a bit hungry."

"Let’s go, let’s go. I brought you some buns, and I’ll take you around the Mother Tree..."

Before Chen Ling could say anything else, Zhao Yi pulled him out of the cafeteria. Seeing this, the others were embarrassed to follow and had to give up... Only Little Peach hesitated for a moment before stepping forward to follow.

"Hey, where are you going?" Sister Miao pulled her back.

"The Saint Son told me to take care of Brother Chen Ling, I have to follow closely."

"Chen Ling has already left with the Saint Son, why are you still following?"

"I still have to follow... What if, what if they need something? Like getting water or clothes..." Little Peach’s voice grew smaller and smaller, then she gritted her teeth. "Oh, don't worry about it, I’m following anyway."

"Then... then..." Sister Miao struggled for a moment before asking in a low voice, "Can you do me a favor?"

"What favor?"

"Help me ask him for an autograph..."

"...Fine!"

……

"I say, Zhao Yi..." Chen Ling looked at Zhao Yi subtly as they walked along the tree hollow corridor. "Don't you have anything to say?"

"Ah... ah??" Zhao Yi blinked, his expression visibly panicked, then he laughed awkwardly. "Ah, you know, kids this age like to hear adults tell stories... They kept pestering me, and I couldn't help it, so I told them a bit, half-made-up... I thought they were just listening to stories, who knew they’d take it seriously?"

"When you tell them stories, why do you have to make me the protagonist?" Chen Ling was speechless.

"Because if I make myself the protagonist, they don't believe it!" Zhao Yi said righteously.

"You’re different. They haven't seen you, but the newspapers are full of news about you... And we really are childhood friends, so I... slightly adapted it a little bit, hahaha, you know."

Chen Ling: ...

"But they really believed it."

"I know, so that’s why I’m hoping you won't expose me..." Zhao Yi leaned into his ear and whispered, "Living in the Gray World year-round is a very boring thing. Your story is their spiritual sustenance.

They all look up to you, admire you, and believe you can make this world a better place... If you tell them the truth now, they will completely lose faith in this era."