Four Split Personalities

"Even the most splendid dynasty is nothing but a fleeting cloud."

Motan, standing once again before the vast ruins, shook his head and then glanced at a certain turtle peeing at the gate of the ruins, saying while holding his forehead, "Could you show a little restraint..."

"Oh, oh, I’m almost done! Almost finished peeing!"

The turtle, craning its neck, responded, and then suddenly shouted, "Big brother!"

Motan, feeling drained, sat cross-legged on the ground: "What is it now?"

"I’m overcome by the moment, and now I feel like taking a dump."

"Your Sister Yege left you plenty of tasty food before she left, all stored with me here."

"Are you pushing me to eat shit?!"

"What are you saying, I saw how deliciously you ate your first meal..."

"Can we not bring that up anymore!"

The turtle crawled back, half of its head retracted into its shell, trembling as it spoke: "I really thought that was just ordinary food then, at worst a bit tougher to swallow, but after you, big brother, introduced me to real rice... I... I have something to say but I’m not sure if I should."

Motan glanced at it: "Is it offensive?"

"Pretty offensive."

"Then don’t say it."

"But I really want to say it..."

"How about a second helping?"

"Silence is golden."

"..."

Motan sighed, feeling as if he has aged ten years these past few days; if this were outside of the game, his hair would probably have turned white from the annoyance. Not because the turtle is troubling in any specific way, but because it’s troublesome in every possible way.

Can you believe it has the gall, as a turtle, to sneak peeks under young ladies’ skirts and then loudly report back to Motan?

[Tomorrow I’ll go to the market and buy a turtle to stew...]

Motan thought wearily.

"Big brother."

The nearby turtle started to be restless again.

Motan looked at it, asking helplessly: "What’s the matter now?"

"Do you miss Sister Yege?"

The turtle grinned in a shamelessly flirty way, an expression that seemed impossible for any normal turtle.

"Why do you ask that?"

Motan was curious.

"I think you should like her."

The turtle smacked its lips, then added, "I think no one could dislike her."

"Is that so? Well, I don’t."

Motan smirked and shrugged: "At least not now, and hopefully not in the future."

"Uh, let me rephrase the question."

"?"

"Do you crave her body?"

"You’re not getting dinner."

"Big brother, I was wrong."

The turtle immediately cowered, then daringly questioned, "Does big brother have any women he likes?"

Motan was speechless and gritted his teeth: "Can you speak properly?"

"Get a sense of propriety, a sense of propriety."

"I don’t know... strictly speaking... maybe there is..."

Motan chuckled reluctantly

Then the man and the turtle fell into silence.

After a long while...

"Big brother."

The turtle, with its head tucked into its shell, called Mor with a muffled voice: "I miss Sister Yege."

Motan rolled his eyes: "You’re of a different species than her; it’s impossible."

"I didn’t mean it that way. I’ve seen you both since I was born, akin to family; I don’t have those kinds of feelings for her."

The turtle popped its head out and returned the eye roll to Motan.

"Oh."

"So, what do you think Sister Yege is doing now?"

"Probably working hard to improve herself, I guess."

"Really..."

"Yeah..."

...

Sky Pillar Mountain, Seventh Outer Mountain

"Little Dove, didn’t you say you were going to work hard on improving yourself?"

Luwei looked at the winged beauty kneading dough in a basin with a twisted expression, suggesting disapproval: "Why are you starting with this bizarre stuff again?"

"Balance work and leisure."

Ji Xiaoge grinned slyly, rolling the strange black substance in the basin while sticking out her tongue playfully: "I’ve been working hard these past few days! It’s been so long since I’ve made a proper meal!"

Luwei’s face was green with frustration: "I think you haven’t worked hard enough."

Cordova with a face like a beaten dog: "I think you haven’t worked hard enough."

Femigel with a face like dirt: "I think you haven’t worked hard enough."

Lujiang, ashen-faced as if about to enter the grave: "I think you, Sister Dove, have not worked hard enough."

"Wuwu, you can’t bully someone like that!"

Ji Xiaoge pretended to wipe away tears in an especially wronged manner, and then...

Blinded for 15 seconds by the ’flour’ on the back of her hand, despite having the talent for "self-production and self-sale."

’In our case, wouldn’t we probably be permanently blinded?’

’Right, right.’

Cordova and Lujiang exchanged messages in private.

"Hey! What’s with those looks from you two?"

Ji Xiaoge first glared fiercely at Cordova and Lujiang, then turned her head coquettishly towards Luwei and said, "Teacher, won’t you tell me the reason why the Rune Body mass production plan failed~"

Ji Xiaoge, without receiving a clear refusal, had been pestering Luwei about this question for a long time.

"You child really are..."

Luwei sighed, sat down on a dog-headed Rune Body lying prostrate on the ground in an OTZ posture, and pointed to Cordova: "See this unfortunate fellow here?"

"I’m not unfortunate!!"

Cordova roared.

’Xiao Yu, just bear with it~’

"I see, I see!"

Ji Xiaoge messaged Cordova while nodding significantly.

"As you all know, he is not an artificial spirit that I created myself, but an existence similar to Xiao Lu and you, Little Dove. I won’t delve deeper into this and frankly, I’m not interested."