Chapter 83: When Shameless, One Becomes Invincible

Chapter Eighty-Three: Shamelessness Makes One Invincible

Yunyang felt utterly looked down upon. Normally, Rose would have hidden herself away, yet now, emboldened by his current state, she undressed right in front of him.

"Hey, hey, hey, there’s still a man here, you know," Yunyang protested, trying to assert his presence.

Rose, however, paid him no mind. She changed into her pajamas at her leisure, the allure of the moment not fit for outsiders to witness. Then, after a glance at Yunyang, she lay down and fell asleep, not bothering to acknowledge him further.

Moved to tears by this act of (trustful) disregard, Yunyang swore on his honor that Rose was only so brazen because she knew he was incapable of doing anything. The temptress! Her heart was truly black.

The next morning, Rose followed Liang Bing to Devil One, while Yunyang learned about what Ge Xiaolun and Aixin had gotten up to together. This made him hopeful that his current state might end soon, and when it did, he could go settle scores with Rose, his so-called girlfriend who let things happen but never took responsibility.

Indeed, Yunyang’s recent upgrade allowed him targeted teleportation, and his range had grown considerably. He had given Rose a necklace that doubled as a locator, enabling him to teleport to her side whenever he wished—all under the guise of protecting her.

Of course, there was another motive: whenever he missed Rose, he could pop over to play with her. As for what they’d play, he hadn’t decided yet.

Over the next few days, Yunyang and Ge Xiaolun waited for Aixin to finish building the Quantum Core. They waited five days. Ge Xiaolun occasionally helped, but Yunyang could do nothing but sit on the sofa, watching eagerly, not even able to drink water.

He looked every bit the model client—hovering, asking every so often, "How much longer?"—until Aixin’s gaze towards him transformed entirely.

What could have been a leisurely task now felt like a mission. Though Aixin said nothing, her increasingly exasperated looks made it clear she was tempted to ask, "You’re in this state—shouldn’t you be focusing on returning to normal instead of rushing me?"

Ge Xiaolun, who had been idle with Yunyang, quickly caught on. To keep Aixin undisturbed and her progress unhindered, he whisked Yunyang outside.

"Yangzi, what’s going on with you? I’ve noticed these days you can’t seem to change back," Ge Xiaolun asked, circling Yunyang curiously.

"I’m advancing to Gen Three. Once it’s done, I’ll be able to change back," Yunyang replied helplessly, spreading his hands.

"How long will that take?" Ge Xiaolun pressed, pacing around him.

"Half a year more. It’s agony," Yunyang moaned, his tone full of despair.

Ge Xiaolun chuckled slyly. When Yunyang looked at him, confused, Ge Xiaolun spoke again.

"Be honest, Yangzi—Rose left because of your current state, didn’t she?" He even waved his hand through Yunyang’s body, making a face as if to say, "I knew it!"

"Get lost! You and your wild imagination—go bother someone else," Yunyang snapped, grinding his teeth.

"I get it, I get it. Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone," Ge Xiaolun replied, a wicked grin on his face. Yunyang’s expression, as though he’d swallowed something bitter, was all the confirmation he needed. But Ge Xiaolun was delighted.

"Careful, or you’ll regret it," Yunyang threatened, unable to stand that infuriating look.

To his surprise, Ge Xiaolun wasn’t the least bit intimidated. He prodded Yunyang’s insubstantial body again, taunting, "Look at you—can’t even touch me. Go on, try!"

Yunyang’s temper flared, and with a thought, he summoned the Royal Sword. But with a loud clang, the sword slipped right through him and crashed to the ground.

Their eyes met. Ge Xiaolun’s expression said, "Just as I thought," making Yunyang feel awkward. He silently flipped him off.

Yunyang’s reaction sent Ge Xiaolun into peals of laughter. He picked up the Royal Sword, saying, "What’s wrong with you? Not only can’t you hit me, but your weapon is mine now. And I must say, this is way nicer than my greatsword. I’m borrowing it for a few days."

Faced with Ge Xiaolun’s shamelessness, Yunyang had no retort. He couldn’t fight him, and scolding him would do no good. He couldn’t use the sword anyway, so he waved it off. "Go ahead, use it. Are you even human? How did I never notice you were so brazen before?"

"I’ve grasped the essence of life," Ge Xiaolun replied solemnly.

"And what’s that?" Yunyang asked, intrigued despite himself.

"Shamelessness makes one invincible," Ge Xiaolun intoned, casting a profound glance at Yunyang.

Predictably, Yunyang covered his face, wondering if he’d ever get his Royal Sword back. Given that Ge Xiaolun had mastered shamelessness, he doubted it.

At that moment, the ever-dapper Zhao Xin descended from the sky, landing beside them. Seeing Yunyang hiding his face and Ge Xiaolun holding the Royal Sword, he asked, "Yangzi, is Xiaolun bullying you?"

Yunyang’s eyes sparkled with mischief. "Not really, but he said I ruined his alone time with Aixin and wanted to teach me a lesson. See? Even my weapon’s been snatched."

Ge Xiaolun’s face went green. Seeing Zhao Xin’s expression darken, he hurried to explain, "Xin, don’t listen to him! You know what kind of person I am."

But Zhao Xin had already drawn his Dragon Spear, pointing it at Ge Xiaolun. "Oh, I know all right. Chasing after ten campus beauties, weren’t you? And now that you’ve lost them, you’re after your brother’s girl?"

"No, no, Xin, don’t be rash! That was just youthful folly! Look, Yangzi’s laughing—he’s trying to drive a wedge between us. Don’t fall for it!"

Spotting Yunyang’s suppressed grin, Ge Xiaolun desperately pointed at him. Yunyang quickly wiped the smile off his face, replacing it with a look of disgust.

"I don’t care. Xin, I’m upset today—my girlfriend’s with you every day. Shouldn’t I give you a beating?" Zhao Xin said gloomily, without even looking back at Yunyang.

"You should. Beat him to a pulp," Yunyang egged him on.

Zhao Xin shrugged at Ge Xiaolun, a glint of steel in his eyes, and his spear moved with dragon-like ferocity.

Ge Xiaolun, about to protest, blanched and shot into the sky, shouting in anguish, "You two scoundrels, I’ll remember this!"

As Ge Xiaolun fled, Yunyang and Zhao Xin exchanged a glance before bursting into laughter, which lasted for quite a while.

"That Xiaolun really needs to be put in his place. Even as he’s running, he doesn’t forget to take your sword," Zhao Xin remarked, watching the direction Ge Xiaolun had flown.

Yunyang waved it off. "I can’t use it right now anyway. Let him have it."

Zhao Xin said nothing, giving Yunyang a look that said, "As long as you’re happy."

"Xin, you have to help me," Yunyang suddenly said, catching Zhao Xin off guard.

"Help you? What’s wrong?" Zhao Xin asked.

"Look at me! In this state, how could I not need your help?" Yunyang spun around for emphasis.

Zhao Xin was even more confused. He knew Yunyang’s condition, but suddenly being asked for help left him at a loss. "Yangzi, I’m good at charging into battle, but research isn’t my thing."

Yunyang gave him a look reserved for fools. When Zhao Xin started to falter, Yunyang clarified, "Of course I know you can’t. But your girlfriend can—have her help me."

Zhao Xin’s face darkened. What did he mean, "your girlfriend can but you can’t"? But he still asked, "How, exactly? I’ll talk to Aixin, see if it’s possible."

"It’s simple. Once she finishes the supercomputer, she just needs to run some calculations for me," Yunyang explained.

"Oh, is that all? Why not just ask her yourself?" Zhao Xin was speechless.

"I planned to, but the supercomputer isn’t finished yet. I was hoping you could push the project along a bit," Yunyang said, slightly embarrassed.

Zhao Xin found this a trivial matter and agreed readily, swaggering off to find his girlfriend.

Remembering the look Aixin had given him earlier, Yunyang decided to wait a bit before going back inside.

Moments later, Zhao Xin was thrown out by an exasperated Aixin. Once he recovered, he shouted incredulously at the door, "Babe, don’t you love me anymore?"

The heartbreak in his voice was enough to make anyone weep. Yunyang, realizing this was all his fault, sheepishly scratched his nose and stayed silent. Even as he tried to blend into the background, Zhao Xin approached and said, "Come on, let’s go drink. I’m in a bad mood today."

Yunyang had prepared to apologize, but the sudden turn caught him off guard, and he nearly blurted out his apology. Nearly, but not quite—he caught himself and quickly agreed, "Sure, nothing I like more than drinking with a buddy."

He made as if to go, Zhao Xin following suit, throwing an arm around Yunyang’s shoulder—only to pass straight through him, forgetting his current state.

The two of them exchanged awkward, sheepish laughs.