ISWTDB Ch109

Chapter 109: My Husband Has a Split Personality (5, 6)

Ying Zhao anxiously looked around, trying to find where his lover was. He walked and stopped repeatedly, but still found nothing.

It wasn’t until he realized that this was the world inside the puppet, which meant it was his lover’s world. And his lover’s current state was different from the Wen Renming in the first world; they were still strangers.

Thinking of this, Ying Zhao took a deep breath. Instead of wandering around, he softly called out, “Are you here?”

“I know you’re here, come and see me!”

As soon as Ying Zhao finished speaking, a sudden gale rose, and a ferocious aura was approaching. The bone-chilling sense of threat made any cultivator deeply understand just how dangerous the other party was.

However, Ying Zhao was not afraid at all. He calmly looked at the young boy who appeared in front of him—small in stature but stunningly beautiful. Although the information showed that the boy was already thirteen years old, his thin and malnourished appearance made him seem less than ten years old.

Although the boy was dressed in exquisite clothes like those of the puppet, the fact that he was extremely emaciated could not be concealed.

Despite this, his delicate face remained dazzling. Ying Zhao knew that the boy’s appearance was the same as when his soul had left his body. Thinking of the boy’s past life of hunger and suffering, Ying Zhao’s nose became a bit sour.

He tried hard to show the boy a gentle smile and softly said, “Hello, I am Ying Chengye, the current head of the Ying family. Would you like to leave this place?”

But after he spoke, the boy remained unmoved, not showing even the slightest change in expression, as if he were not a living person.

Seeing this, Ying Zhao tentatively took two steps forward. Seeing that the boy did not retreat, he boldly walked up to him.

Looking down at the boy, who only reached his chest, Ying Zhao wanted to gently touch his forehead but was immediately dodged by the boy.

The boy drifted around Ying Zhao like a wandering soul, circling around but not approaching. Ying Zhao calmly stood there, allowing the boy to observe him.

The boy turned for what seemed like an eternity before finally stopping and returning to the front of Ying Zhao. Seeing this, Ying Zhao quickly acted and hugged the boy.

The child clearly did not expect such an action. Although his face still lacked expression, his pupils suddenly contracted, expressing his astonishment.

This close contact, since it was within the puppet, was equivalent to the connection of their souls. In an instant, a part of the boy’s past memories unfolded before Ying Zhao.

The boy had been trapped in this puppet for more than twenty years, and his past suffering had not faded. Even being within the magical artifact, he was assimilated by it, possessing an extraordinary memory.

The puppet artifact also had its own protection mechanism, attempting to gradually devour the boy’s soul and integrate him as part of itself, trying to make him lose his sense of self. However, it was clear that the will of Ying Zhao’s lover was very strong.

Looking at the boy in front of him, Ying Zhao saw a flash of red light in his jet-black pupils, and in that moment, he felt the boy’s intense emotions.

But the emotion was fleeting, and when he looked at the boy again, he found that the boy’s appearance had not changed at all, as if the glimmer in his eyes was merely an illusion.

Ying Zhao narrowed his eyes. So, indeed, his lover’s emotions had not been devoured and erased by this space but were hidden by some unknown method.

Through the soul connection and the images seen, Ying Zhao observed that from the beginning, the boy had been happy to leave the family of seemingly demonic relatives. 

Even if it meant becoming a servant or a lowly worker, it was better than being humiliated and starving every day. However, when he arrived at the Ying family, he found that they only wanted his body, using him as a vessel.

The fear of imminent annihilation came, and the boy lost consciousness. When he awoke again, he was sealed within this puppet.

Unable to move or speak, the loneliness and solitude in the dark tower day after day gradually wore him down from initial fear and confusion to resentment and rage, eventually leading to despair.

The negative emotions were gradually siphoned away, and the boy, trapped here, forgot how to cry, forgot how to laugh, and almost forgot he was human.

The only proof of his humanity seemed to be these memories. But feelings and emotions were hidden away.

Ying Zhao’s soul was also somehow pulled into this puppet, almost like being one with the boy. Therefore, he could empathize with the boy’s feelings.

Unable to endure the heart-wrenching pain, seeing his beloved suffer so much, Ying Zhao took a deep breath, looked down at the boy, who no longer knew how to react as a normal human would. More than twenty years had passed; his appearance had not changed, but his heart was already scarred.

Looking down, Ying Zhao showed the boy a gentle smile and softly said, “Let’s form a contract. I’ll take you out of here. From now on, I’ll take care of you, okay?”

The boy looked at Ying Zhao, seemingly unsure of how to react. He just felt that this person made him feel very comfortable. A faint cold fragrance surrounded them, making him feel somewhat at ease.

So he stared blankly at the other person, not knowing whether to leave or resist. Until a kiss landed on his forehead, a warmth spread from his forehead, enveloping his whole body and reaching his heart.

As Ying Zhao kissed the boy’s forehead, he quietly chanted the spell and silently performed the contract ritual. As expected, the boy’s subconscious had no resistance to him.

The contract they formed was not the subordinate contract between a person and a magical artifact but the highest-level equal contract achievable with an intelligent magical beast.

A faint white aura enveloped the two, flickering on and off for a long time until the contract was completed.

When Ying Zhao opened his eyes again, he found himself back inside the tower. The puppet in his arms had turned into the boy’s form, now nestled in his embrace.

The warmth of the boy’s body was hard to believe as anything but a living body. Seeing his beloved in such a small and youthful form was quite novel for Ying Zhao.

After all, in the past small worlds, no matter how many times he traveled, his beloved always seemed to be taller and stronger. Holding him completely in his arms was an experience he had never had before.

Gently stroking the boy’s soft forehead, Ying Zhao held him for a while before intending to release him, but he felt that the boy seemed reluctant to let go.

The boy looked up at Ying Zhao with an expressionless face, but his hands were tightly gripping the fabric of Ying Zhao’s clothes, unwilling to let go, as if holding onto a lifeline.

Ying Zhao couldn’t help but smile and said softly to the boy, “Don’t worry. We’ve already established a contract between us. You and I are now one entity, and no one can separate us.”

Upon hearing this, the boy’s body relaxed a bit, though his hands still clung to Ying Zhao’s clothes. Ying Zhao didn’t mind and directly took one of the boy’s hands, enclosing the small hand in his palm.

The boy, leaning against him, blushed slightly and no longer insisted on holding onto Ying Zhao’s clothes. Instead, his eyes remained fixed on their clasped hands, and his aura softened.

Seeing this, Ying Zhao felt a pang of emotion. He knew that although the boy seemed blank now, he actually remembered everything, including why he had been sealed in the puppet artifact.

So, Ying Zhao explained to the boy who was nestled against him, “The old head of the family has passed away. I am the new head of the Ying family. Although I can’t free you from this puppet and give you a human body, I won’t let you stay alone here anymore. Officially, you’re still my magical artifact, but we have formed an equal contract. So, you have complete freedom. Do you understand?”

The boy opened his mouth to speak. After a long while, seeming somewhat uncomfortable, he said, “I’m free now?”

Ying Zhao nodded, gently stroking the boy’s cheek with a visibly pained look in his eyes. He said softly, “Yes, you’re free now. Can you tell me your name?”

The boy tried to say his name, but his parents had died when he was just born.

He was adopted by a kind old man, but the old man was mute and illiterate, so he couldn’t give him a name. The villagers called him a jinx, and he was referred to as “the calamity star.”

When he was four years old, the old man also died, and he was sent to a distant relative’s home by the village head. That family constantly called him a burden.

Having grown up like this, he never had a proper name. Although he seemed to remember that others once told him his parents’ surname was Wang, for some reason, he didn’t want that surname.

His parents had died after giving birth to him, and he had suffered for many years; he didn’t want to recall those past times.

During the twenty-odd years he had spent in the tower, he didn’t know how much time had passed outside. He only knew that this space had been trying to slowly consume his sanity. Although he hadn’t let it succeed, he felt he was slowly losing the emotions that belonged to a human.

Until this man suddenly appeared, like a beam of light in the darkness. He embraced him, and the warmth of the embrace was something he had never experienced before.

Such a genuine embrace made him tremble emotionally, longing for more of this person’s warmth. He couldn’t fully understand the emotions in this person’s eyes, but his instincts told him that the person was kind.

So the boy bit his lip and shook his head at Ying Zhao, saying, “I don’t have a name.”

“No name?” Ying Zhao frowned, looking at the boy.

Although there was a connection and imagery in the puppet, it wasn’t real memory. So Ying Zhao didn’t know what had happened to the boy from the puppet’s experiences.

It was even stranger that normally, when seeing his lover, the system would fully reveal the person’s memories to him. But this time, only a few fragments were visible.

However, Ying Zhao didn’t mind. Given the boy’s past suffering, perhaps forgetting some things wasn’t a bad thing.

He smiled at the boy and said, “If you don’t remember, then it’s okay. It doesn’t matter. Although I won’t restrict your freedom, we do have a contractual bond now. You haven’t been outside for many years, so why don’t you stay with me for now? I’ve already introduced myself. My name is Ying Chengye. How about you take my surname? You could be called Ying Youjie.”

The boy nodded upon hearing this and didn’t oppose Ying Zhao’s suggestion. In fact, he felt happy to share the same surname with him.

In reality, the boy could faintly sense a connection between his body and Ying Chengye. After forming the contract, they seemed to have become very close, yet the bond was equal and not oppressive.

The feeling of an equal contract made the boy find the bond less repulsive. Although it wasn’t visible, he was still subconsciously worried.

Ying Youjie hadn’t lost his memory. He knew that the Ying family was a top-tier cultivation family in this realm, standing at the pinnacle of soul power.

He also remembered that the person who had sealed him in the puppet, Ying Jiyang, was a prominent figure in this family.

When he was sold to this family, he thought he had escaped from that terrifying home and the sea of suffering, only to fall into an even more dreadful abyss.

The person who had once given him hope had plunged him into despair. So he was inherently suspicious and wary of Ying Zhao, yet he couldn’t control his desire to get closer.

The boy felt lucky that due to his body’s peculiarities and years of isolation, he almost lacked expression; otherwise, he would have truly revealed something to Ying Zhao.

What he didn’t know was that Ying Zhao had already discerned his thoughts. Seeing the boy’s wary yet longing gaze, Ying Zhao sighed with a heavy heart.

Fortunately, the boy was still young, and from now on, he would warm his heart and ensure his happiness.

Xiao Bai in the sea of consciousness noticed Ying Zhao’s thoughts and couldn’t help but remind him, “Host, the target was indeed only thirteen years old when sealed in the puppet. But he has been sealed for over twenty years, so his soul is actually older than yours.”

Ying Zhao shook his head and said, “Although he has been trapped in the puppet for over twenty years, from some perspectives, it’s like his growth has completely stagnated. That’s why he’s formed the contract but still looks thirteen. His mental state is still at thirteen, so he’s still a child.”

Xiao Bai, seeing Ying Zhao looking at the target with bright, eager eyes, tactfully kept quiet.

Ying Zhao looked at the young boy beside him and said coaxingly, “Since you don’t mind staying with me for now, we’ll live together from now on. We have a close bond due to the contract, so I’ll call you Xiao Jie from now on. You can call me ‘uncle.’ Come on, call me that!”

Ying Zhao smiled and had a mischievous thought. He remembered someone from his past life always making him call ‘uncle’ in bed, which annoyed him.

This time, the tables were turned, and Ying Zhao’s eyes flashed with cunning, smiling at the boy.

Ying Youjie didn’t understand why Ying Zhao was so happy, but it seemed like he really wanted him to call him ‘uncle.’ Hesitating a bit, he softly called out, “Uncle…”

“Ah!” Ying Zhao’s face instantly brightened with joy, giving the boy’s small face a big kiss and praising, “Xiao Jie is really good!”

The boy was clearly bewildered by this sudden kiss, his face turning as red as a cooked shrimp.

Ying Zhao chuckled and picked up the boy in his arms. Thinking of how Ernest liked to hold him and teleport in his past life, he didn’t expect that now he would be the one doing the holding.

Looking down at his adorable and charming lover, Ying Zhao was very pleased. With a single thought, he took Ying Youjie back to the old residence of the Ying family.

The butler, Ying Shu, was startled when he saw Ying Zhao carrying such a beautifully delicate child into the house. He wondered if the child was the head’s illegitimate child from outside.

But now the head of the family is only twenty-five years old. How could he have such an old illegitimate child? Although the child looked delicate, he was clearly over ten years old.

As the butler was lost in thought, Ying Zhao lightly set the boy down on the floor. He turned to Ying Shu and said, “Ying Shu, I’ve chosen the magical artifact. It’s him.”

Ying Shu was taken aback upon hearing Ying Zhao’s words. He turned his gaze to the boy, noting his attire. Suddenly, he remembered that Ying Zhao had recently visited the family’s forbidden high tower.

Indeed, the high tower held many magical artifacts passed down through generations of the Ying family. Traditionally, each head of the family would choose a suitable artifact from among them.

Previously, the head of the family had gone there but didn’t find anything particularly fitting. Unexpectedly, this time, he had chosen the puppet that hadn’t appeared in centuries. It was astonishing that after forming a contract, the puppet now seemed completely like a human.

No wonder the puppet was said to be the most extraordinary artifact, though no one had been able to control it. However, what others couldn’t do, the current head of the Ying family had achieved.

Indeed, their current head was the most outstanding and capable! He would definitely further enhance the Ying family’s reputation! Thinking this, Ying Shu puffed out his chest with pride and felt honored.

Ying Zhao was unaware that he had unintentionally elevated his image in Ying Shu’s eyes. He only knew that Ying Shu had always been loyal to the Ying family. Besides, Ying Shu was aware of the puppet matter besides the old head of the family.

Thus, Ying Zhao didn’t hide anything. He thought it would be better to inform Ying Shu so that he could take better care of the boy.

After all, a magical artifact and a person were different, and Ying Shu had extensive experience in both caring for people and handling artifacts.

Upon hearing Ying Zhao’s words, Ying Shu quickly composed himself and suppressed his earlier astonishment. He respectfully replied to Ying Zhao, “I understand.”

Ying Zhao was satisfied with Ying Shu’s attitude. He put his arm around the boy’s shoulder and continued to Ying Shu, “Ying Shu, when we announce to the outside world, say that I have found a talented young boy and brought him into the Ying family. He will be called Ying Youjie and will be the young master of the Ying family from now on. His words will be as if they are mine. From now on, he will be the second master of the Ying family. Do you understand?”

Ying Zhao’s voice wasn’t loud, but his attitude was very clear. Ying Shu was shaken. His gaze swept over the delicate yet very thin boy.

From the head’s words, it seemed that the child was not just considered an artifact but was to be treated as a person. Moreover, this puppet’s status was quite noble.

Could it be that the head found the puppet’s appearance too cute and wanted to raise him as a son?

Looking up at the gentle expression Ying Zhao had when looking at the boy, Ying Shu had never seen such an expression from the head towards anyone else.

Although it seemed a bit strange to raise a magical artifact as a son, Ying Shu thought that the bond between an artifact and its master was even more intimate than that of relatives. Thus, it wasn’t surprising that the head did this.

Moreover, the boy was so adorable. If Ying Shu had such a cute grandson, he would definitely be delighted. With this thought, Ying Shu’s attitude towards the boy became even more respectful.

However, since the head hadn’t specified any particular status for the boy, Ying Shu, being just a servant, didn’t dare to say more. After all, this was the head’s own matter.

But this was a misunderstanding by Ying Shu. Although Ying Zhao had a perverse liking for the boy calling him uncle, he had no intention of adopting him as a son.

After all, this little guy would be his future lover, and Ying Zhao didn’t want their relationship to be affected by such a connection.

Furthermore, having his lover as his son, even if only nominally, was too shameful. He found it hard to accept such a thing. Therefore, his relationship with Ying Youjie remained vague.

Ying Zhao then glanced at the boy’s outfit, which resembled a medieval prince’s luxurious clothing. Although it looked exquisite and charming on the puppet, it seemed somewhat out of place for a regular outfit on a human boy.

So he stopped his steps, turned to Ying Shu, and instructed, “Tomorrow, find someone to make a few sets of clothes for Xiao Jie.”

Ying Shu nodded and respectfully replied, “Master, it’s getting late. Shall we have the staff prepare dinner for you and the young master?”