Chapter 283: Learning the Protagonist Behavior from a Xianxia Novel

"He must be King Zhou, capable of such deep affection with Su Daji—she defends him so fiercely; clearly, they share profound feelings."

In the valley, someone affirmed it.

This statement received unanimous agreement from all present, and every gaze turned toward the man beneath the red maple tree.

Though the man bore no resemblance to King Zhou of the Investiture of the Gods—absolutely none of the folly or cruelty—there was one trait undeniable proof he was King Zhou.

That aura.

The supreme, awe-inspiring bearing of an emperor—even now clad not in dragon robes, that innate majesty of a sovereign could not be erased; only an ancient monarch could possess such dominion, such unrivaled arrogance.

"How envious—I wish one day I could have such a carefree, tranquil life, with a man who loves me."

A woman gazed at King Zhou and Su Daji beneath the red maple, her eyes shimmering with unhidden envy.

Which woman doesn't dream of a prince on a white horse? Who wouldn't wish for a woman devoted entirely to them?

This is the dream of every man and woman.

And what lay before them was precisely that dream realized.

Beneath the red maple, Su Daji and King Zhou leaned against each other, silent, gazing upward at the beauty of the sky, the brilliance of the trees.

Silence surpassed speech.

Though not a word was spoken, King Zhou's love for Su Daji was felt by all present, by everyone before their screens—the tenderness, the devotion, the willingness to slaughter the entire world for her—revealed entirely within that silent embrace.

If I am king, I will seize her as empress.

If I become immortal, I will help you cross your tribulation.

If I attain Buddhahood, I will never allow you to fall into demonhood.

If I am a demon, you shall be the demoness, bewitching the world.

At this moment, the emotion displayed by the man and woman beneath the red maple moved all hearts; none could avoid such thoughts.

This love drowned the soul, made even gods and demons envious.

Unconsciously, people sighed.

Such love—where half an empire could not match her one radiant smile—ended in separation: Su Daji exiled beyond China, King Zhou imprisoned, perhaps never to see each other again…

Like Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, unable to meet in life, they walked the Bridge of Oblivion together after death—turning into butterflies was cruel.

Must all lovers be denied their union?

"Why was King Zhou imprisoned by 'the other side' instead of by Zhou Wuwang?" someone muttered.

If Zhou Wuwang had imprisoned him, perhaps Su Daji might still have had a chance to save him—by making great contributions on the battlefield, like the Yamata no Orochi, earning forgiveness from Chinese mythology, perhaps even securing King Zhou's release.

But King Zhou was imprisoned by 'the other side'—the enemy of Chinese mythology and all heavenly mythologies; how could an enemy ever spare an enemy?

To rescue King Zhou, only victory is possible—only by quelling the war.

Yet the dawn of that victory remained impossibly distant.

Too difficult. To rescue King Zhou from 'the other side' was harder than climbing to heaven.

After standing motionless for a long while, staring for a long while, the crowd finally took their next action.

It seemed they intended to memorize what lay before them.

Su Daji and King Zhou's reunion was far off, but at least they could do this: spread their love for each other—to the world, to future generations.

Tell the world, tell posterity: Su Daji and King Zhou were deeply in love—not as the Investiture of the Gods or folk tales claimed, where they used each other. Their love was eternal, unchanging, lasting until the seas dried and the rocks crumbled.

"What are you doing?"

As they prepared to leave, the Russian team leader, Mayer, glanced at his elite squad member beside him.

He saw the man crouching, snapping off a blade of grass with his fingernail and tucking it into his pocket.

"Captain, this valley is a true miniature world, a place capable of preserving eternal memories—certainly extraordinary. Even the grass, soil, and earth here must be extraordinary. I'll take one blade back, brew it into tea—might even extend my lifespan."

Silence.

The entire scene fell utterly still.

Then, in the next second, every eye lit up.

Holy shit! How did we forget this? This guy's right—yes, it's a valley, but it's also Tamamo-no-Mae's palace. Could it possibly be ordinary? Impossible.

Everyone stared at the grass beneath their feet, eyes gleaming, breath quickening.

This might be an immortal herb.

Director Takahashi's lip twitched—he suddenly felt a strange déjà vu, recalling the moment when Higashi-o, the Japanese, went mad devouring dirt and grass.

Before, it was only the Japanese eating dirt and grass. Now, is the whole world joining in?

Instantly.

"I'll take just one blade. Just one."

"Yes, yes, just one—don't be greedy."

Each muttered to themselves, their expressions identical to smokers trying to quit—struggling to resist, suffering, yet tiptoeing in fear of being caught.

Yet they kept their word: each took only one blade, and a small pinch of soil.

No choice—they dared not take more.

This was Tamamo-no-Mae's domain—a being ruthless enough to preserve ancient gods and great demons as specimens. If they damaged this valley, her most cherished memory, they'd be reduced to dust and ash.

So no one dared take much: all took only a tiny fragment of grass, no larger than a thumb, ensuring they didn't mar the valley's beauty.

Kamikawa Mitsu watched, amused and exasperated, yet unsurprised—he had foreseen this exact scenario. In fact, he had intended all along for those who entered to take some grass and soil away.

These blades of grass and clumps of soil were made precisely for those who entered.

For so long, the world had given Kamikawa Mitsu countless script points—he felt he couldn't take without giving back, must reciprocate.

Thus, Kamikawa Mitsu spent some script points to create these blades of grass and clumps of soil.

These grass and soil had no grand effects—they wouldn't turn anyone transcendent—but they benefited the human body.

Simply put, if nations studied them, they could be turned into many healing medicines, capable of treating numerous diseases—like cancer—and strengthening health.

All humanity will become healthy, and the world will become better.

"Cough, I'll take some too."

Seeing everyone taking, Captain Myers finally coughed, knelt down, and picked up a small piece of grass and soil.

After doing this, he bowed to King Zhou and Su Daji beneath the red maple tree, performing the ancient Chinese ritual; others followed suit, expressing their gratitude.

Kamikawa Mitsu glanced at Captain Myers—this guy was surprisingly earnest.

He still remembered, when he brought Chie to this place, seeing Myers approach him with a friendly gesture, putting his phone in his pocket, the screen displaying a chapter of Chinese xianxia content.

It seemed Captain Myers had learned the behavior of xianxia protagonists: taking something from another's land, even if the owner was long dead, still bowed in thanks.

"Huh, what's that?"

Someone noticed that beneath the red maple tree, besides King Zhou and Su Daji, another object had been placed.

Everyone stared closely.

There truly was an object placed beneath the tree, just slightly beside Su Daji.

"That looks like a book."

……8)