What horror awaits him once that timer goes off? He doesn't want to know. He doesn't want to think about it. So he won't. If he gets his hopes up, he'll only be setting himself up for disappointment.
As he continues to rub the nasty goop onto his face, he scoots to turn toward Ambition.]
That's right! This week, there's an unusual rule in effect where we must share a fact about ourselves with a great god. I'm sure you already know this, but that's why I prayed to you.
[Honestly, she sort of wants to know what will happen if someone were to break the rule... but she'd rather the consequences didn't get heaped on one of her followers, so.]
So... what, you're here to tell me all your secrets? Or one of them, I guess.
[If they know everything, why is he even pretending to be this cannon fodder! Why is it not his name on the inscription below that over-the-top statue! Even a simple AIRPLANE would have sufficed. But no, he's cursed to be Shang Qinghua forever!
Feeling thoroughly betrayed, yet not showing any semblance of it, he nods to himself as his gaze wanders. In the process, he stabs some of the goop into one of his eyes.]
Ow!
[Gross! Both of his hands have goop on them, though, so he can only blink furiously. He might even be crying a little. Great, he's leaving this salon with nice skin and a red eye.
As soon as the burning pain subsides, he turns back to Ambition like nothing just happened.]
Great Ambition, I'm no good at talking about myself this way. If there's anything you're curious about, I can use that to find a little-known fact about myself to share.
[What's that, you want him to suffer? Oh, he'll suffer. Just maybe not the way you think he's going to. Ambition sits up and, goopy face mask and all, grabs a towel to dip into some water, then gets all up in his personal space to help get the goop out of his eye.
Cursed.]
Okay. Fine. You know what I want to know? I want to know why you keep pretending, even though we both know you're only on my team because you want to get back to the place you really came from.
[When Ambition intrudes into his personal space, Shang Qinghua forgets how to breathe. That goopy face mask, he'll never get used to it. Please keep your distance!
But it's surprisingly nice. Who knew Ambition cared enough to get up and baby him?
Once she poses the question, the look on his face can only be described as uncomprehending. Why would she want to know something like that? Isn't it better to take this subservience at face value and not deal with the complicated stuff beneath that facade?]
. . . Isn't it easier for you if I pretend to be this way?
Um, I don't know how much of a challenge it would be if I were to be honest with you. My opinion doesn't matter much. I'm already on your team and have no intention of detecting, after all.
If I'm being honest, though, I don't disagree with your ideals. And since you've been doing well with your followers, I didn't see a reason to refuse your . . . invitation.
You still have to share a secret, or whatever. Why you keep pretending is something I don't know.
[But before she can say much else, the timer she had on the table goes off. With an aggravated little sigh, she gets the rest of the goop out of Qinghua's eye and tosses the towel to the side so that she can go wash her mask off her face.]
[Great, he's the only one wearing this goop on his face now. He must look like a halfwit.
He really doesn't need the skincare. If he manages to go back to his old life, he won't be in this body anymore. On the flip side, if he's stuck in this body, it still won't matter, because having good skin won't stop a demon from pulverizing him!
He absolutely, definitely needs to win this contest!
. . . She really is as young as Senri said she was. Shang Qinghua momentarily averts his gaze to gather his scattered thoughts.
Why he keeps pretending? There are so many ways he can answer that. He doesn't know where to begin.]
The reason for this whole "hapless-old-dude-from-the-past" act. Like, yeah, it makes people less likely to suspect you, but also... hello? You're acting like a huge pushover. It's not going to be long before someone decides to make a target out of you if you don't start asserting yourself.
[except probably not really because everyone loves the brick,]
This isn't your story, or whatever. You don't have to pretend here. Or, like, if you really want to pretend in front of everyone else, you don't have to pretend in front of the gods, because we've always known everything. So, why do you do it?
[Isn't that obvious? No matter what the situation is, a smiling face is harder to punch than a face with any other expression. Always smiling and offering a kind word here and there, and thus appearing as innocent as a lamb, is there a better way to ensure your survival than this?
Of course, it's easier to spit out all these answers in the safe confines of his mind.
Either way, for someone like him, who isn't used to being completely honest, he stares for a while before giving his reply.]
. . . I wasn't aware of how much you knew until now. I had my suspicions, but it would've been risky to ask without a good reason.
[He sighs, his shoulders sagging while his expression remains impassive. There's no lie to cover up with a smile, so he doesn't bother.]
More than that, I thought pretending would make me more appealing. Stripped of what little cultivation I've managed in this body, I am even more useless now than I already was.
[Um, Ambition? Praying to yourself won't help. He can tell you that from firsthand experience. Praying for and to himself in the world of his book did nothing but bring him more pain.]
. . . I have! Nobody here expects me to know how most of the technology here works; as a result, I can ask any participant about what I want as long as I feign curiosity. If anything goes wrong in the conversation, I can apologize and move on without triggering suspicion.
[In other words, everyone thinks of and treats him like the local senior citizen, and there's no way they'd suspect foul play from someone like that!]
More importantly, this ignorance clears me of most murders during the trials, which keeps both you and me safe. I can surprise anyone who might decide to come after me, too. [No! Please, no!]
Anyway, the point is, I'm a superhero. And when I transform, all of my physical capabilities are enhanced. If you can hold your own against me when we train, you should be just fine if any of these idiots decides to come after you.
. . . If your physical capabilities are enhanced while mine are diminished, how can I hold my own against you? To begin with, this body was never that strong.
[He'd rather hug her leg and beg for mercy, except he's got the sinking feeling that she'd kick him if he were to try. And she makes a good point: No matter how superficial death is here, he values his life.
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It's good for relaxing. The last couple of weeks have been so stressful, we deserve it.
[as for her, she's just lying back with it on her face. there's a little timer off to the side - she'll probably wash the mask off once it goes off.]
Anyway, you prayed to me for a reason, so you might as well tell me what it is.
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What horror awaits him once that timer goes off? He doesn't want to know. He doesn't want to think about it. So he won't. If he gets his hopes up, he'll only be setting himself up for disappointment.
As he continues to rub the nasty goop onto his face, he scoots to turn toward Ambition.]
That's right! This week, there's an unusual rule in effect where we must share a fact about ourselves with a great god. I'm sure you already know this, but that's why I prayed to you.
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[Honestly, she sort of wants to know what will happen if someone were to break the rule... but she'd rather the consequences didn't get heaped on one of her followers, so.]
So... what, you're here to tell me all your secrets? Or one of them, I guess.
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I am, but I realized that I don't know how much you already know.
[Honestly, that's a pretty scary thought.]
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[She waves a hand a little dismissively.]
But what's important is what you choose to share, or whatever. As long as it's something most people don't know, you're fine.
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Feeling thoroughly betrayed, yet not showing any semblance of it, he nods to himself as his gaze wanders. In the process, he stabs some of the goop into one of his eyes.]
Ow!
[Gross! Both of his hands have goop on them, though, so he can only blink furiously. He might even be crying a little. Great, he's leaving this salon with nice skin and a red eye.
As soon as the burning pain subsides, he turns back to Ambition like nothing just happened.]
Great Ambition, I'm no good at talking about myself this way. If there's anything you're curious about, I can use that to find a little-known fact about myself to share.
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[What's that, you want him to suffer? Oh, he'll suffer. Just maybe not the way you think he's going to. Ambition sits up and, goopy face mask and all, grabs a towel to dip into some water, then gets all up in his personal space to help get the goop out of his eye.
Cursed.]
Okay. Fine. You know what I want to know? I want to know why you keep pretending, even though we both know you're only on my team because you want to get back to the place you really came from.
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But it's surprisingly nice. Who knew Ambition cared enough to get up and baby him?
Once she poses the question, the look on his face can only be described as uncomprehending. Why would she want to know something like that? Isn't it better to take this subservience at face value and not deal with the complicated stuff beneath that facade?]
. . . Isn't it easier for you if I pretend to be this way?
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Oh, please. Hello? My name is Ambition. If you really want to make it easy, fine, I won't stop you, but I've never once backed down from a challenge.
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Um, I don't know how much of a challenge it would be if I were to be honest with you. My opinion doesn't matter much. I'm already on your team and have no intention of detecting, after all.
If I'm being honest, though, I don't disagree with your ideals. And since you've been doing well with your followers, I didn't see a reason to refuse your . . . invitation.
1/2
[But before she can say much else, the timer she had on the table goes off. With an aggravated little sigh, she gets the rest of the goop out of Qinghua's eye and tosses the towel to the side so that she can go wash her mask off her face.]
2/2
Anyway, like you pointed out, you're following me. So, spill it.
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He really doesn't need the skincare. If he manages to go back to his old life, he won't be in this body anymore. On the flip side, if he's stuck in this body, it still won't matter, because having good skin won't stop a demon from pulverizing him!
He absolutely, definitely needs to win this contest!
. . . She really is as young as Senri said she was. Shang Qinghua momentarily averts his gaze to gather his scattered thoughts.
Why he keeps pretending? There are so many ways he can answer that. He doesn't know where to begin.]
What exactly should I be spilling . . . ?
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[except probably not really because everyone loves the brick,]
This isn't your story, or whatever. You don't have to pretend here. Or, like, if you really want to pretend in front of everyone else, you don't have to pretend in front of the gods, because we've always known everything. So, why do you do it?
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Of course, it's easier to spit out all these answers in the safe confines of his mind.
Either way, for someone like him, who isn't used to being completely honest, he stares for a while before giving his reply.]
. . . I wasn't aware of how much you knew until now. I had my suspicions, but it would've been risky to ask without a good reason.
[He sighs, his shoulders sagging while his expression remains impassive. There's no lie to cover up with a smile, so he doesn't bother.]
More than that, I thought pretending would make me more appealing. Stripped of what little cultivation I've managed in this body, I am even more useless now than I already was.
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[Please. Please god. Give her this one thing.]
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. . . I have! Nobody here expects me to know how most of the technology here works; as a result, I can ask any participant about what I want as long as I feign curiosity. If anything goes wrong in the conversation, I can apologize and move on without triggering suspicion.
[In other words, everyone thinks of and treats him like the local senior citizen, and there's no way they'd suspect foul play from someone like that!]
More importantly, this ignorance clears me of most murders during the trials, which keeps both you and me safe. I can surprise anyone who might decide to come after me, too. [No! Please, no!]
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We're doubling your training. Twice a day in the armory. Once in the afternoon, once later on at night.
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Wait, is this supposed to be her way of securing his life? Surely this must mean that she wants to keep him?
That doesn't stop his grousing.]
I trained in the martial arts as a disciple, you know. I'm not completely helpless.
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[He'd rather hug her leg and beg for mercy, except he's got the sinking feeling that she'd kick him if he were to try. And she makes a good point: No matter how superficial death is here, he values his life.
He coughs.]
I'll do what I can.
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