My lord, spare his life!

A pen, a lamp, an evening, a miracle.

However, the miracle did not occur.

Why can't my calligraphy brush do its homework by itself?

Zhang Yang's hand ached from writing. She noticed a pile of unfinished homework, and the completed assignments were just scribbles. Fan You already disliked her handwriting, and now he had even more reason to criticize.

Zhang Yang banged her head on the table with a blank expression, then gave up, saying, "I'm not writing anymore. I'll never finish anyway. All that talk about deadlines being the primary source of productivity is a lie."

"If only the mountain spirit had been more diligent these past few days and hadn't always made excuses to skip school, we wouldn't be having this problem now," Wang Qi mocked. The study group that Zhang Yang led was practically defunct; Wang Qi had gone to arrest her countless times, and the responsibility for her not finishing her homework lay with her.

Zhang Yang's eyes darted around: "...You write it for me."

"I can't imitate your handwriting," Wang Qi said, changing the subject. "But I can help you kill Fan Shuyan, cutting off the root of all troubles. As your lord, are you afraid of him? You're truly spineless!"

Having said that, his eyes flashed with an almost tangible killing intent.

As soon as Zhang Yang reveals even the slightest sign of his intentions, he will kill Fan You.

Zhang Yang naturally could not agree to that.

"No, give up on that idea."

The suggestion was rejected by Zhang Yang once again, and Wang Qi was also unhappy: "What a fool! To be afraid of a subject to this extent."

"One minute they say I'm a complete failure, the next they say I'm a real success. So, am I successful or not?"

"You're really driving me crazy!" If someone else asked this, Wang Qi would think it was a provocation, but the person asking was Shan Gui. Considering Shan Gui's level of education, which even he couldn't match, arguing with her would only make him angry. He stepped forward and grabbed Zhang Yang, who was lying motionless on the table. "Don't be so afraid of him. If you spoil him now, he'll become arrogant and conceited. What will he be like in the future?"

"What do you mean by being arrogant because of favor? I'm just respecting my teacher." The relationships between the observed samples are diverse, among which the most typical is the teacher-student relationship regardless of age or background. Experienced players guide new players, and masters guide apprentices; generally, the relationships are harmonious.

Naturally, Zhang Yang also had a preference for Fan You.

"I didn't expect the Mountain Spirit to be such a pedant, so concerned with these things." Wang Qi seemed to have heard an outrageous statement. "You say you respect your teachers and value the Way? Then why don't you do your homework or study? Isn't that repaying kindness with enmity?"

Zhang Yang: "Wang! Gong! Sun!"

A golden leather whip appeared in her hand.

Wang Qi, also putting his knowledge to use, asked, "Oh, you're Hong Wen?"

After praising him, Wang Qi grinned and stroked the whip marks, savoring the moment: "Mountain Ghost, you were lazy! The whip wasn't strong enough."

Zhang Yang: "..."

As an NPC, she felt she was more human than Wang Qi.

Despite choosing to slack off, Zhang Yang still felt a chill run down her spine at the thought of Uncle Fan inspecting her work. She bit her nails, racking her brains for an excuse to get rid of Fan You.

I endured until dawn.

After breakfast, I asked Fan You three times in fifteen minutes where he was.

"Why has my son come looking for his father?"

Because Wang Qi was siding with outsiders, Wang Ba, as an ally, voluntarily gave up trying to gain any benefits, accepting whatever Zhang Yang offered. The battles in the mountain prefectures were nearly over; he only needed to finish up here before leading his troops back to Dongxian. For the past few days, he had been training his troops while having people pack their bags. Wang Ba had thought he wouldn't see Wang Qi until departure, but he was overjoyed that Wang Qi had taken the initiative to contact him.

Wang Qi kept a sour face and didn't answer.

He lifted Wang Ba up and took the recliner for himself.

"What's wrong? Are you unhappy? Why aren't you on duty with Lord Boyuan?" Wang Ba cautiously approached his son, stealing glances at Wang Qi's expression, and preparing for the other to suddenly attack and kill him.

Wang Qi grinned: "Fan Shuyan is coming."

Wang Ba exclaimed in surprise, "How come there's still one?"

Wang Qi: "???"

Then Wang Ba murmured, "It's not surprising, good things and good people are always coveted... But what does this Fan Shuyan look like? How many brothers does he have? If he's Shuyan, then he must be the third son? What are his abilities like? What is his character like?"

He only remembered that Guan Si and Wang Qi were military generals, completely forgetting that scholars also had their own unique charm. Wang Ba knew Fan You, his impression of him being a trusted scholar who served Zhang Yang. Furthermore, Zhang Yang had been worrying about the homework Fan You had assigned these past few days, so Wang Ba assumed the man was older. Judging from Wang Qi's reaction, Fan You was not only young but also quite handsome.

Wang Qi was still not entirely happy.

He finished with, "Old man, you've really gone mad."

He picked up his recliner and went elsewhere, too lazy to listen to Wang Ba's nonsense.

"I'm so frustrated... Ugh, ugh, ugh!"

Wang Ba swallowed the word he was about to utter.

Whether you stick your neck out or not, you'll get stabbed anyway.

Zhang Yang went to see Fan You with the intention of visiting his grave, but one glance was enough to make her forget about her unfinished homework. She strode forward, grabbed Zeng Sheng's shoulder, and her solemn expression gave the latter a strong sense of intimidation: "I'm asking you, where is Uncle Yan?"

There was no Fan Shuyan.

There was only one black coffin with white patterns in the very center.

Zhang Yang understood what the coffin represented.

Zeng Sheng's explanation, which he hadn't yet uttered, was interrupted by a cry of pain; he felt as if his arm was about to be ripped off by his lord. It was this cry that brought Zhang Yang back to his composure, but his imposing manner remained undiminished.

Zeng Sheng pointed to the coffin and said, "It's here."

The intense shock of that moment caused Zhang Yang to hallucinate.

She tilted her head slightly, expressionless, and turned her ear toward Zeng Sheng: "What did you just say? Say it again."

Zeng Sheng: "Fan Jun is here."

Zhang Yang blinked, his mind racing like rusty gears, trying to decipher the meaning of the words: "Is Uncle Yan here?"

Zeng Sheng nodded: "Yes."

Zhang Yang's pupils were dark and lifeless as he stared at the coffin for a long time.

She didn't see any names that were clipped through the game screen—no green names, no yellow names, not even red names. Zhang Yang also didn't see any gray names that indicated death. In the game world, corpses are refreshed by the game, and an identical NPC will appear in the same spot, waiting for the next player. But in the real world, if someone dies for more than three days or their corpse is highly decomposed, the name above their head will disappear completely.

Zhang Yang will never see it.

Now, she can't see it either.

Either the coffin is empty, or the body has died beyond the designated time.

Zeng Sheng said tremblingly, "My lord, actually..."

"Who killed him?" Zhang Yang looked calmly at Zeng Sheng, his voice not loud, but the intensity of his killing intent caused the ghosts within Zeng Sheng to wail and howl incoherently. "Who killed Shu Yan?"

Zeng Sheng was bewildered: "Who killed Fan Jun? Fan Jun isn't dead."

Zhang Yang, whose emotions were abruptly interrupted, exclaimed, "Huh?"

She felt a question mark slowly appear on her forehead.

She blinked slowly, staring intently at the coffin.

"Is the coffin empty?"

"It's not empty..." Recalling Fan You's concern for his lord's studies, he looked at the coffin and then at the imposing lord beside him who seemed ready to kill at any moment. Zeng Sheng realized there might be some misunderstanding. "Three days ago, Fan Jun's 'Star Descending Calamity' suddenly intensified. He had to cut his wrists to stay conscious, so he asked me to make this arrangement, sealing him in the Yin Coffin and sending him here."

Specific details were not elaborated upon.

Zeng Sheng felt a chill when he recalled Fan You's actions.

I've seen ruthless people, but I've never seen one who could almost slice off half a wrist with such a calm expression. Fan Jun usually seems refined and gentle, but I never expected him to be just as ruthless as those lunatics. Zeng Sheng even wanted to advise him to give up, as such methods only treat the symptoms, not the root cause.

Even a self-sealed coffin can only suppress ghosts temporarily.

Fan You is still alive. He needs to eat and drink. Even though sealing him in the Yin Coffin will put his body into a state similar to suspended animation, reducing his physiological functions to the lowest level, this time is not unlimited.

It will take at most seven days.

"triple?"

The threefold, fivefold, lustful demons are just like Han Wo.

Why did it suddenly increase?

After asking the question, I realized I had asked a stupid one.

There is only one possibility for the increase in the number of stars descending to evil:

Which star deity has passed away this time?

This world is practically a massive live-action battle royale game; the closer the battle gets to the end, the faster the frequency of the descent of celestial beings increases. She looked at the strange coffin: "How do I open it?"

Making the coffin is troublesome, but opening it is simple.

Zhang Yang slapped the coffin to pieces, and the previously vanished name reappeared above Fan You's head, but now with a parenthesis indicating "self-sealed." Zeng Sheng watched from the side, his heart filled with horror—he clearly saw that when his lord smashed the coffin, the chilling yin energy that had gathered within it was also shattered.

Like ice and snow melting away completely.

Fan You lay on his back, pale-faced, his thin lips pressed tightly together, his brows slightly furrowed, his hands clasped together on his lower abdomen. His sleeve had slipped down, revealing a black cloth wrapped around his left wrist. Upon closer inspection, it was no black cloth at all; it was clearly dried, blackened blood that had seeped through.

Zhang Yang looked at Fan You without making a move and instead showed confusion.

She asked Zeng Sheng, "Is it summer yet?"

Why do I feel a damp and hot sensation?

"No." Zeng Sheng's experience was far richer than Zhang Yang's, and he immediately thought of the reason. "It must be that you, my lord, were influenced by Lord Fan. Before he was put into his coffin, the evil spirits of the stars were in full swing."

"So that's why you feel hot?"

Zeng Sheng was somewhat embarrassed: "Yes."

This kind of topic is really inappropriate for a ruler and his subjects.

Seeing that Zhang Yang's cheeks seemed a bit redder than before, Zeng Sheng coughed lightly: "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."

Making room for them would make it easier for them to do things.

Zhang Yang was somewhat confused and disappointed.

"That's it?" The intense heat lasted only a second or two before the temperature plummeted, turning into a warm current that vanished in the blink of an eye. The effect was less noticeable than drinking hot water. Zhang Yangchong, who wanted nothing more than to run away, waved to Zeng Sheng, signaling him to go about his business. "Triple-level... how could it torment someone like this?"

She bent down, lifted Fan You up, and moved him to the bed.

These commotions also woke Fan You.

He groggily opened his eyes, his vision still unfocused, and saw only a blurry figure. Like a lone traveler in the desert finding an oasis, he instinctively reached out a hand for help. Zhang Yang extended his hand, and the person who had just been extremely weak coiled around him like a nimble snake.

He hugged her arm tightly and unconsciously pressed his face against hers.

He was making gurgling noises, muttering something unintelligible.

Zhang Yang: "???"

She didn't pull her right hand back, but instead, mimicking a scene she'd witnessed, gently patted Fan You's back with her left hand in a soothing manner. That's how parents comforted crying children. As the internal heat subsided, his brain, which had been burning like fire, barely regained its composure.

Fan You's body stiffened.

As his senses returned, he realized he wasn't holding a cold stone, but a human arm. He hurriedly retreated, but overestimated his strength; even lifting his head was difficult. With Zhang Yang's help, he lay back down on the couch. He lay on his side, a strange look on his face.

"My lord, I was rude and offensive just now."

Zhang Yang said, "It's nothing, are you feeling better now?"

Fan You nodded, a faint blush rising from his cheeks, making him look alive again. Just as he was thinking about how to trick Zhang Yang into leaving, Zhang Yang suddenly slashed open his palm with a knife and covered Fan You's mouth. Fan You looked up and met familiar peach blossom eyes.

Zhang Yang: "What are you standing there for?"

Her blood is free, but we can't let it go to waste.

Thinking that Fan You might be too weak to open his mouth due to the torment inflicted by Lie Xing Jiang Li, she bent her fingers, pried open his lips and teeth, and forcibly fed him the blood from her palm. Fan You was forced to swallow the blood; the strong, metallic taste filled his mouth, producing a powerful irritation.

"Cough cough cough—"

Zhang Yang said calmly, "Just drink it and you'll be fine. You didn't drink enough last time, that's why it didn't last long..."

She had only been away fighting for a short time when the wrath of the stars struck again.

Zhang Yang looked at his wrist: "I'll go get the army doctor."

Zeng Sheng didn't expect Zhang Yang to come out so quickly.

Was it about 15 minutes in total?

When Zhang Yang suggested finding a military doctor to examine Fan You's wrist wound, Zeng Sheng realized he had misunderstood. His expression was too obvious; Zhang Yang commented, "A dirty-minded adult."

After the chaos of war subsided, another half hour had passed.

The people of this world are truly resilient. Fan You, who had previously appeared weak and on the verge of death, was now dressed in a blue scholar's robe, walking with ease, and the wound on his wrist had faded to a faint pink mark. Having just recovered from a serious illness, his appetite was much greater than usual.

Zhang Yang told him about the situation in Dou County.

They talked about Ge Zhou, then about Changsun Wang, and then about Sun Ban.

"The Heavenly Noble Star combined with the celestial body? This is extremely rare. It's no exaggeration to say that it's a blessing from heaven. It's just a pity that it's confined to a corner of the country." The mountain prefectures are in Sun Ban's hands. It won't be easy for the lord to take them over.

Zhang Yang said, "Comparison is the thief of joy. How come Sun Zhaoruo only gets the benefits, while you, Liexing Jiangli, only suffer?"

Fan You couldn't very well tell Zhang Yang that lust wasn't without its benefits; at least the pleasure he derives from it is several times greater than that of an ordinary person. This is something that those pleasure-loving playboys can't give up, but for someone like Fan You, it's pure torture.

"It's impossible for everything to be good. The 'Descending Stars' curse is a curse, and the harm will always outweigh the benefits." If it only allows people to enjoy themselves without causing them suffering, how can it be called a curse? Fortune and misfortune vary from person to person. "She may appear to receive help from a benefactor, but she will surely suffer even greater losses in secret."

but--

His stellar descent into chaos was indeed of little help.

His rumbling stomach was soothed by the ample food, and Fan You finally emerged from the shadow of the raging inferno. Looking at Zhang Yang, he felt an unprecedented sense of security; he didn't have to worry about losing control or falling into depravity, nor did he have to worry about facing the cataclysmic chaos that awaited him once he regained his senses. The more he owed Zhang Yang, the more he wanted to repay him.

"How is my lord's study going?"

Zhang Yang: "..."

How could this person repay kindness with enmity?

"I finished writing, but Zhang Damiao and the others fought and ate my homework. If you don't believe me, I'll catch them and confront them."

Fan You, having been a student himself, knew these clumsy excuses he'd used back in the day; he wasn't about to be fooled: "Tell the truth?"

Zhang Yang stated matter-of-factly, "I didn't finish writing it."

? ?(σ???)σ..:*☆

The original title was "The Death of Fan You," but I thought it sounded a bit alarming, so I changed it.