When He Heng woke up, he felt a sharp soreness in the back of his neck and shoulders, as if he had contracted cervical spondylosis.1Cervical spondylosis is a general term for age-related wear and tear affecting the spinal disks in your neck. As the disks dehydrate and shrink, signs of osteoarthritis develop, including bony projections along the edges of bones (bone spurs).
Instinctively, he reached out to massage the stiff neck, and what greeted his eyes was a ceiling constructed from interlocking wooden planks, topped with a thin layer of thatch. The damp air carried the salty sea breeze, and both sides of the walls showed signs of mildew.2Mildew is a form of fungus. It is distinguished from its closely related counterpart, mold, largely by its colour: molds appear in shades of black, blue, red, and green, whereas mildew is white.
The sensation beneath him was soft and coarse. He extended his hand to feel the mattress he was lying on, realizing that someone had placed a blanket on the stone bed for him; otherwise, lying on this stone bed would be unbearably harsh.
After stiffly turning his neck, the vivid scene of chaos and fire on the deck came back into focus. The suffocating sensation of seawater rushing into his nose and mouth remained vivid. With this realization, He Heng abruptly sat up in bed, vigorously waving his hands in front of his face and pinching his cheeks.
It wasn’t until he felt the fiery pain on his face that he truly sensed he was still alive.
Upon regaining his composure, He Heng felt a chilling sensation in his chest. Subconsciously, he looked down, only to realize he wasn’t wearing a shirt, and his chest was wrapped in layers of white gauze by someone.
The location of the wound seemed to be just an inch beside his heart. Reflecting on his narrow escape from the surging waves, he couldn’t help but sigh.
‘I survived this?’
Could it be that he was the favored one of fate?
At that moment, a weak electronic voice echoed in his mind, sounding as if it were low on power.
[I…]
[I saved you…]
For some reason, 996’s voice sounded as if it had aged ten years overnight.
[Otherwise, do you think you could take an arrow to the chest, get swept into the sea, and still have a chance at survival?]
‘Ah, well… thank you,’ He Heng hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to say. Finally, he said earnestly, ‘You’re a good person.’
‘But what’s with your voice? Did it get damaged by seawater, or did it short-circuit?’
[…]
[After you fell into the sea, the protagonist’s blackening value skyrocketed. He thought you were dead. I was afraid his blackening value would explode, destroying all the small worlds in the multiverse. At that point, I’d be done for too.]
[So I saved you.]
[But changing the host’s fate without authorization is a violation of the rules, and then I received punishment from the Bureau of Interdimensional Management…]
‘Are you okay then? Holding up alright?’ Hearing the weak voice, He Heng felt a bit concerned about its well-being.
996: [I’m… fine. I should recover more or less after you successfully complete the mission in this world.]
Upon hearing 996 mention the mission, He Heng furrowed his eyebrows. In his mind, the desperate face of Wen Liangyu lying on the deck resurfaced once again.
He wondered how the young emperor was doing now. Perhaps, unable to find him, the little emperor would be sad and upset. Wen Liangyu was fond of crying. If he lingered here for too long without returning, and the young emperor kept crying continuously, what if he ended up flooding the entire palace?
With these thoughts, He Heng clenched his fists.
He had to return as soon as possible.
The next moment, He Heng immediately got up from the stone bed and began searching the room. Only then did he realize that the room he was in seemed unusually spacious.
On one side of the room, there was an altar with incense and offerings, along with wall hangings featuring exotic totems. Perhaps this place shouldn’t be called a “room” but rather a “temple”.
Just as he approached the altar to examine it closely, a sudden loud crash resounded behind him.
He Heng turned to look and saw a young fisherman-looking lad who seemed to have accidentally entered. The tray he had been carrying lay scattered on the floor.
The reason Ah Ming was sent to observe He Heng’s condition was that the local people held great fear for the gods. They believed that approaching a deity recklessly was a disrespectful act that could anger the Sea God and bring punishment. In the entire village, Ah Ming was the only one fearless and daring enough to approach without hesitation, so they ultimately decided to send him.
Ah Ming didn’t have any objections to this arrangement, although he would mock the feudal superstitions in his mind.
After all, it was a human life at stake. Even though the person before him had sustained severe injuries that not even a reincarnation of Hua Tuo3Hua Tuo (circa 140–208 CE) was a renowned Chinese physician during the late Eastern Han Dynasty. He was known for his expertise in medicine and surgery and is considered one of the pioneers in Chinese medicine. could heal, it was still unbearable to watch someone die right in front of him.
However, at this very moment, he witnessed the man who should have been unconscious standing confidently in the center of the temple, holding an apple in his hand.
Ah Ming’s eyes widened in shock, and his mouth could almost fit an egg. In that brief second, he felt like his worldview had suffered a severe blow, shattering the beliefs he had built over the past sixteen years.
How could this person miraculously heal himself?
And how was he “rising from his deathbed” like this?
No… was he even human?
With this horrifying thought in mind, Ah Ming turned around and was about to bolt away.
“Wait!”
But Ah Ming was called out by He Heng. Hearing the mention of a person, or rather, an official from the capital, Ah Ming’s steps faltered.
As he scrutinized the other person, wondering if they were truly human, he watched He Heng pat his bare upper body and said, “Could you help me get some clothes?”
Ah Ming: “…”
Waking up and immediately asking for clothes. This should confirm that he was dealing with a person.
So, Ah Ming rushed back home and stole a shirt from his father. He then informed the village’s all-knowing figure, He Heng, about the news of the awakening of their “Sea God” before returning to the temple.
Ah Ming occasionally made a few trips on merchant ships, learning some official language in the process. Although communicating with He Heng was a bit challenging, he could still understand him to some extent. However, it was a different story for the older generations in the village. Most of them had never left the island from birth to death, couldn’t read, and had never heard of the official language.
In the end, Ah Ming sincerely advised He Heng not to mention his official status when the villagers and the shaman arrived. Instead, he suggested that He Heng could pretend to speak in mysterious bird language, as he did on the beach.
The village had extremely backward thinking, and if they found out He Heng wasn’t the Sea God but a stranded official from the capital, they might view him with suspicion and might even throw him back into the sea.
Upon hearing Ah Ming’s advice, He Heng first expressed his gratitude, but then he scratched his head in confusion.
What did Ah Ming mean by “bird language”?
Before he could gather his thoughts, a series of footsteps echoed outside the door.
The next moment, through the window, he saw the shaman with a cane leading most of the villagers standing outside the temple. This window was specifically built by the locals to communicate with him.
Witnessing He Heng awake and well, able to move freely, everyone immediately dropped to their knees, exclaiming, “I can’t die!”
The shaman, abandoning his cane, tossed it aside and became so emotional that tears filled his eyes. Turning to the people around, he exclaimed, “This is the miracle of the Sea God!”
“I can’t die!”
He Heng was immediately startled and took two steps back: “…”
What on earth was happening?
Wasn’t he alive just like them?
The weak electronic voice of 996 chimed in once again,
[Cough, cough, when you were unconscious on the beach, you shouted something like “don’t call the ambulance”.]
[“I can’t die” is probably their interpretation of “ambulance”.]
[They likely took it as a blessing from the deity.]
In that moment, He Heng suddenly realized that the “bird language” Ah Ming mentioned was actually this.
He immediately cooperated with the spiritual charade, thinking of saying a few random sentences in English to continue pretending.
As He Heng was pondering what to say, he suddenly noticed the fruit offerings on the altar.
So, the next moment,
“Apple, orange,”
“Orange, apple,”
…
This directly overwhelmed the villagers outside. It was the first time they received such a formal response from the Sea God, and such a handsome one at that.
Tears streamed down the faces of everyone outside as they gazed at each other, some hugging each other in excitement.
Feeling a bit like he had stumbled into a cult propaganda event, He Heng, somewhat bewildered, touched his nose.
Were they really that moved by just a few random sentences?
And at that moment,
“Bang! Bang! Bang!”
Someone dumped a large crate of lively marine creatures through the window.
These were freshly caught from the sea by local fishermen. The crate contained around a dozen differently colored and patterned fish, their scales still intact. Additionally, there were a variety of marine creatures such as oysters, lobsters, crabs, seaweed, scallops, and shells.
The room was now filled with a pungent fishy smell, forcing He Heng to cover his nose with his sleeve.
Could this be the treatment given to someone regarded as the Sea God?
Eating sashimi every day?
Meanwhile, inside the palace,
When Wen Liangyu woke up, he found himself lying on the couch in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. His head throbbed with pain, and the blurry memories began to resurface. Everything froze at the moment when He Heng was swept away by the surging waves.
He immediately panicked and got up from the couch, disregarding everything, and rushed outside.
Seeing this, Liu Fuyuan hurriedly assisted him, “Your Majesty, the ground is cold. Please put on your shoes.”
As he spoke, he quickly called someone to fetch a pair of shoes for Wen Liangyu.
When he and the security team found Wen Liangyu, he was still clinging tightly to the deck, refusing to let go. There were even moments when he seemed inclined to jump down. Despite their efforts to persuade him, the covert guards had no choice but to render Wen Liangyu unconscious before bringing him back.
The next moment, Wen Liangyu, emotionally charged, grabbed Liu Fuyuan’s arm.
“Where is he?”
Liu Fuyuan sighed lightly and turned away, unable to meet Wen Liangyu’s gaze.
He stood there for a long time, unsure of how to respond.
In truth, everyone knew that there was almost no chance of Prince Jing surviving being swept away in such turbulent currents. They feared that the Emperor might not be able to accept this harsh reality.
“Where is he?!”
Seeing Liu Fuyuan’s lack of response, Wen Liangyu raised his voice again.
“Your Majesty…”
Unable to avoid it, Liu Fuyuan sadly detailed what had happened.
“Your Majesty, I witnessed Prince Jing being swept away by the strong currents. After that… we made every effort to search for him, deploying rescue ships to scour the area, but ultimately, there was no… no sign of him found.”
After hearing this, the young emperor instantly fell silent, a silence that made others feel uneasy. He lowered his brows and eyes, the expression in his eyes dark and unclear. In a murmured tone, he said,
“So he hasn’t been found…”
Seeing the emperor like this, Liu Fuyuan felt a sense of urgency. Just as he was about to console him and encourage him to let go a bit, Wen Liangyu raised his eyes, tears welling up in them.
“If he hasn’t been found, then continue searching until he is found.”
That afternoon, Wen Liangyu handled all the matters related to the accident during the southern tour.
The General of Huainan, Li Yu, and the local magistrate responsible for the expedition received corresponding punishments. Coastal defense structures were reinforced and rebuilt, and Wen Liangyu intensified policies to suppress Wokou activities in the coastal regions of Jiangnan.
In the eyes of many, the accident during the southern tour was just a minor hiccup. After handling the matter, Wen Liangyu returned to court, diligently attending to state affairs as usual, and everything seemed normal.
However, only Liu Fuyuan knew that the young emperor was not doing well. Often, when spoken to, he would appear absent-minded, and sometimes he needed things repeated multiple times. His spirit was listless, lacking energy throughout the day, and he struggled to find peace during the night.
Engaging in state affairs seemed to be a relief for Wen Liangyu. Only by keeping himself constantly busy could he temporarily avoid thinking about He Heng.
For instance, on this day, the Imperial Palace was illuminated by incense burners, the outside sky already dark. However, Wen Liangyu remained at his desk, vigorously writing, even neglecting to have dinner.
Liu Fuyuan, who was standing by, couldn’t bear it any longer and advised, “Your Majesty, it’s time for dinner. You haven’t eaten anything today.”
However, after Liu Fuyuan spoke, the person at the desk continued to flip through memorials without making any response.
“Your Majesty, it’s time for dinner. Your body needs sustenance.”
Seeing this, Liu Fuyuan had to raise his voice and repeat himself.
“Alright.” Wen Liangyu responded indifferently, his hand reaching up to pinch his nose in weariness. “Let me finish this batch of memorials first.”
“En.” Liu Fuyuan sighed softly. It had happened countless times. Every time, the emperor would say he would eat after finishing the memorials, but by the time he finished, it was already midnight. Then, he would claim not to have much appetite for the day and decide to skip the meal.
Looking at Wen Liangyu’s gradually emaciating figure, Liu Fuyuan couldn’t express the mixed emotions in his heart.
Postponing state affairs was inconsequential, but if the emperor continued like this, his health would inevitably deteriorate sooner or later.
At the desk, Wen Liangyu continued to review memorials like a government machine. As he looked at the densely packed words below, he felt exhausted. Everything felt tiring, and his mind was heavy and foggy.
For the past week, he hadn’t slept well. Some nights, he could only manage two or three hours of sleep at most. But he couldn’t stop. When he stopped, it felt like he was drained of all energy, and then his heart would start aching uncontrollably.
“Your Majesty,” in this moment, Liu Fuyuan’s anxious voice echoed again. Wen Liangyu thought he might have left, but to his surprise, he was still there.
Seeing this, he slowly raised his head. “I know. Wait…”
“Your Majesty,” this time, Liu Fuyuan directly knelt with a “thud” before him.
“If Prince Jing were here right now…”
Hearing the words “Prince Jing”, Wen Liangyu’s pupils trembled for a moment. He instinctively set down his pen, then listened as Liu Fuyuan continued,
“He wouldn’t want to see you treating yourself like this.”
After saying this, Liu Fuyuan kept his eyes lowered, afraid to lift his head to see the emperor’s expression, fearing he might have offended him.
After a long silence in the room, there was a very light response.
“Have them bring the meal.”
Since the incident during the southern tour, Wen Liangyu often unconsciously found himself in Prince Jing’s residence. However, he never went inside again. Every night, he spent his time in the incredibly lonely Hall of Nurtured Harmony.
Yet, Wen Liangyu did have the two rabbits moved to his backyard. The two rabbits had since given birth to a litter of bunnies, all of them round and plump.
After court sessions, Wen Liangyu occasionally visited the bunny enclosure, staring blankly at the nest of rabbits.
As he watched, his consciousness would start to blur, and he would feel like He Heng was right there beside him. Then he would imagine that if He Heng were there, he would surely tease him about cooking the little rabbits. Every time he thought about this, a pang of pain would strike his heart.
Despite the bunnies growing bigger, there was still no news from the search and rescue team about He Heng. Every night, after entering into the dark hours, the Hall of Nurtured Harmony would still be brightly lit. Besides his usual insomnia, what kept Wen Liangyu from finding peace during the night was that he would dream of He Heng.
In these dreams, He Heng never ended up falling into the sea. Sometimes, Wen Liangyu was the one pulling him back up, and other times, the rescue team found him. Regardless of the scenario, in those dreams, He Heng always returned to him, holding him and calling him “Ayu”.
The most painful moment is when he wakes up. In that semi-dream state, Wen Liangyu realizes that everything was just an illusion, yet he willingly indulges in the prior fantasy, reluctant to wake up.
He goes through this agonizing struggle every day, ultimately accepting the fact that He Heng hasn’t truly returned.
At the moment of awakening, he finds the other side of the bed still empty, devoid of any trace of a person.
Once again, it was just his own dream.
At such times, Wen Liangyu felt his heart being painfully twisted. He immediately buried half of his body under the bedding, and hot tears rolled down his cheeks. Murmuring softly, he said:
“When will you come back…”
On the small island far from the capital,
The temple is filled with the aroma of grilling. Ever since their Sea God moved in, the temple has been regularly perfumed with this scent.
The once-empty room is now adorned with various items, such as a grill, chairs, tables, and more.
All of this was secretly acquired by Ah Ming under He Heng’s instructions.
Currently, he is preparing a special sauce for two cleaned grouper fishes. On the side, the grill is stocked with various shells, including oysters.
“Is it ready?” Ah Ming looked on eagerly, tears escaping from the corners of his eyes.
“Not yet, what’s the rush?” He Heng swatted away the hand reaching towards him and casually sprinkled another layer of seasoning.
As a reward for Ah Ming’s errands, He Heng often invited him to share meals.
And just then,
“Ding-ling,”
The bell by the window rang, and someone outside placed a basket of fresh fruits on the window sill. Soon after, a person devoutly kneeled before the altar, chanting,
“I can’t die, I can’t die, I can’t die…”
“May Sea God inform us if today is suitable for setting sail?”
Since they began worshiping He Heng as the Sea God, people here come to this place to offer sacrifices before setting sail. Afterward, they ask him if the upcoming voyage will be safe.
“Hurry, take a look.”
He Heng seemed accustomed to it. He gave Ah Ming a pat on the shoulder without even lifting his head. “Is today suitable for sailing?”
In these days, whenever people came to ask him, he would turn to Ah Ming and inquire. After all, the latter had rich experience in navigation. Just based on the daily weather and wind direction, he could roughly determine whether it was suitable for sailing.
So, Ah Ming had become He Heng’s unquestionable tool.
Seeing this, Ah Ming grumbled discontentedly, “Aren’t you the Sea God? Why ask me?”
He Heng finally stopped grilling the fish and looked at him with a smile, saying, “Speak properly. Otherwise, if something happens to them, I can’t take responsibility.”
“Oh, and those boxed fish are also for you.”
“Got it.”
Ah Ming, forced to bow down to the delicious food, reluctantly responded, “Today, the wind is coming from the southeast, not too strong, and the cloud cover is thin. It looks okay; they can set sail.”
“Got it.”
With that, He Heng immediately went to the window, pulled one of the green ropes, and as the bell outside rang, the person kneeling on the ground became excited, repeatedly kowtowing and saying,
“Thank you, Sea God! Thank you, Sea God!”
Once the person finished, He Heng picked two apples from the frame on the window sill, and casually tossed one to Ah Ming,
“Quick, help me think about how I can leave this place.”
During this period, He Heng attempted to escape 99 times, but each attempt ended in failure.
The only way to leave this island is by sea, but obviously, no fisherman here would be willing to take him. Even Ah Ming wouldn’t dare, as it would lead to severe punishment if anyone found out.
This predicament left He Heng particularly troubled. He couldn’t be stranded here forever; the little emperor was waiting for him outside.
Taking the apple from He Heng, Ah Ming took a big bite, then spoke unclearly,
“In a couple of days, it’s “Abraka” and you might want to give it a try.”
He Heng: “Abraka?”
“It’s our local dialect, the festival for worshipping the Sea God. On this day, the shaman will personally enter the temple and communicate with the Sea God.”
“No matter what your wish is, they will try their best to fulfill it, ensuring favorable winds and rain for the coming year.”
“When you go, just tell the chief you want to leave, and they might let you go. If that happens, maybe I can sail you away for a stretch.”
Hearing this, He Heng lowered his head in contemplation for a moment and nodded,
“Okay.”
After all, he didn’t have any other choices at the moment. He had to try any opportunity that came his way.
On the day of Abraka, the locals dressed in special attire for worshiping the Sea God, with their faces painted in various colors.
Outside the temple, the thunderous sound of drums filled the air as people danced exotically in the sacrificial dance, creating an atmosphere saturated with an otherworldly charm.
At this moment, the shaman, adorned with a straw crown and leaning on a cane, slowly emerged from the crowd. In full view of everyone, he solemnly entered the temple.
For them, this moment was supremely sacred. Only the shaman had the privilege of communicating one-on-one with the Sea God, and others were not allowed to set foot in the temple.
Once inside, the shaman began with a devout prayer, closing his eyes and kneeling on the ground. He chanted, “I can’t die,” while he performed several bows and prayers.
After the ritual, the shaman spoke a series of incomprehensible chants to He Heng.
Following instructions from Ah Ming, the shaman was likely inquiring about He Heng’s wishes. He Heng needed to convey his desire to leave. However, the significant challenge lay in the fact that He Heng couldn’t understand or speak the local language. Moreover, as the Sea God, he couldn’t speak human language. The only viable option now was to express his wish using gestures.
Observing this, He Heng paused for a moment, contemplating how he could use body language to communicate his desire to leave.
For the locals, the Sea God returning home meant going back to the depths of the sea. Following this line of thought, He Heng suddenly came up with a very fitting way to express himself.
With this idea in mind, he first mentally rehearsed the sequence of movements. Once he had a clear plan in his mind, He Heng decisively grabbed two fresh fish from the basket, tucked them into his embrace, and lay down on the bed.
After lying down, he embraced the pillow and placed his hands under his head, mimicking the posture of someone ready to sleep.
He Heng’s set of movements was remarkably fluid and straightforward, conveying his message concisely.
And what he probably wanted to express was,
There are fish in the sea, and he wants to go back to the sea to sleep.
As the Sea God, he wants to go home.
Let him leave.
But after watching He Heng’s smooth and flowing set of movements, the shaman’s mind was left with only one thought,
‘Is the Sea God going to sleep with the fish?’
‘…Sleep with the fish.’
‘…Sleep.’
‘…Share a bed with the fish.’
In that moment, as if a lightning bolt struck his mind, the shaman suddenly had an inspiration. He felt that he had grasped the Sea God’s intention.
So, after a few more bows, he quickly exited the temple and, raising his arms in the crowd, shouted:
“The Sea God’s intention is…”
“To help him find a mate!”
The crowd immediately erupted in cheers.
He Heng inside the temple: “???”
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