Kirito spoke of their journey to becoming husband and wife, then steered the conversation towards Ling Feng.
"Speaking of which, Ling Feng, you and Sagiri have been together for a year now, don't you feel anything?" Kirito asked, perplexed. They had been together for over a year, so their feelings should be quite deep by now.
Most people who had been together for that long would at least be in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship. Yet, Ling Feng and Sagiri, who had been partners since the early days of the game, weren't even that. Moreover, Sagiri was a top-tier beauty, whether in reality or in the game. Ling Feng, having spent so much time with her, felt nothing at all? Could it be that Ling Feng wasn't attracted to women, but rather... Thinking this, Kirito shivered and quickly shook his head, banishing the terrible thought.
Mentioning this topic, Ling Feng sighed. Although he accompanied Sagiri every day, he maintained a certain distance. He was not from this world, and his experiences here would only be a memory in his life. He didn't know if he could take Sagiri with him, nor if she would be willing to leave. Furthermore, the Teyvat continent was extremely dangerous. A girl like Sagiri, who couldn't even leave the city, would be in mortal danger if she ventured outside. He couldn't possibly protect her all the time. Therefore, rather than taking Sagiri away, it was better to let her stay in this safe world. This idea had been set in his mind for a long time. However, before leaving, Ling Feng wanted to help Sagiri. To leave this world alive, overcome her agoraphobia, and see the world outside her room with her own eyes. He had already achieved this goal; despite her extreme social anxiety, Sagiri could now walk in the outside world.
"No, after being together for so long, experiencing so many storms, how could I not have feelings?" Ling Feng answered Kirito's question, looking down. With Sagiri not present, he could finally speak his mind.
"But why are you two..." Kirito was confused.
"I understand Sagiri's feelings for me, but I deliberately pretended not to know, not to see." "This death world will eventually be cleared, and we will eventually part ways." "Rather than being heartbroken then, it's better not to take that step." "I understand that if we leave this world alive, we might meet again in the real world." "But... we are ultimately people from two different worlds, not just in terms of family background, but on another level." "So... you should understand." Ling Feng looked up at the sky, his expression complex as he slowly narrated.
"I see, there are unspeakable difficulties?" Kirito looked at Ling Feng's demeanor and didn't think he was lying; there really seemed to be a reason. At the corner of the stairs leading to the second floor, a white figure flashed and disappeared.
...
The next day, by the lake, Ling Feng and Kirito were sparring. Ling Feng, wielding a self-made spear, clashed intensely with Kirito's dual swords. Both sides fought back and forth. Kirito couldn't believe that Ling Feng's strongest skill wasn't swordsmanship but the spear. Ling Feng's fighting style with the spear had completely changed, with both offense and defense integrated, making Kirito very uncomfortable. His spear techniques were exquisite, and even with his dual-sword style, they fought to a draw.
"That's cheating, Ling Feng! Why is your spear technique stronger than your swordsmanship?"
"Who says you can't use a spear if you use a sword? When facing dual swords, a single sword is at a disadvantage. Do you expect me to just stand there and take a beating?"
"Damn it."
Their health bars decreased at almost the same rate. If this continued, the winner would be decided by luck. Seeing that he couldn't defeat Ling Feng, Kirito immediately used a sword skill, trying to break the current balance.
"Starburst Stream!"
In this world, there were only sword skills, no spear skills. Therefore, Kirito believed that when this move was unleashed, Ling Feng would definitely choose to dodge. As long as he pursued, he could defeat him. Seeing Kirito use a sword skill, Ling Feng advanced instead of retreating, a smirk playing on his lips as he swung his spear.
"I've been waiting."
"Nani?"
Clang! Clang! Clang! Ling Feng wielded his spear with great skill, blocking and deflecting every one of Kirito's attacks with precision. As Kirito charged for the last two strikes, Ling Feng, taking advantage of Kirito's inability to cancel his sword skill, gripped his spear and lunged forward fiercely. The spear pierced Kirito's body directly from below the sword's edge.
[Duel End]
[wind Wins]
"How could this be."
*Clang!* Kirito knelt on the ground, his legs weak, his dual swords falling from his grasp onto the ground. Ling Feng put away his spear and sat beside Kirito.
"Kirito, do you know why I won?" Kirito shook his head. He had thought he finally possessed the strength to fight Ling Feng. Who knew it was just a few minutes of a trial period. Seeing Kirito's dejected expression, Ling Feng felt a pang of pity and explained, "If we continued fighting, I couldn't guarantee I would win, but the opportunity for me to win was when you used Starburst Stream." "Starburst Stream is a powerful sword skill, but it has a fatal flaw: it's rigid." "Once the opponent understands the movements of your sword skill, using Starburst Stream again is suicidal." "And for me, although it seemed like the second time I faced you, I had already simulated this countless times in my mind." "Moreover, I have learned your Starburst Stream with 'Mimicry'." "So, learning to adapt is very important. With your dual-wielding, don't rely too much on the sword skills given by the system, but learn to create your own sword skills as a trump card." Kirito, hearing that Ling Feng had learned his sword skill through his special ability, grumbled, "Your skill is truly monstrous."
"Heh heh. (๑´∀`๑)"
"Yosh, since I know where I lost, I'll follow your advice and start researching my own sword skills."
"Ganbatte!" Kirito began to study how to connect sword skills, while Ling Feng guided him occasionally.
...
A few days later, Ling Feng was sitting on the sofa, taking a sip of water, when the front door was suddenly kicked open, startling Ling Feng and causing him to spit out his water. The petite Sagiri came to Ling Feng's side, grabbed him, and pulled him outside.
"What's wrong? So urgent?"
"Ling Feng, Asuna and Kirito found a child."
They found a child?! Could it be... Yui! A system AI with independent consciousness. He had to see her.
...
In a wooden cabin not far from Ling Feng's house.
"I want to eat the same thing as Papa." Yui pointed at the spicy sandwich Kirito was holding. Kirito was startled and was about to refuse. Spicy sandwiches weren't something a child could eat casually. Not only were they spicy, but they were also prone to causing internal heat and harming the body. However, seeing Yui's angelic smile, his heart melted, and he couldn't say no.
"Oh really? Since you have such resolve, I won't stop you." "You have to experience everything." Then, under Asuna's panicked gaze, he added extra spice to Yui's sandwich. However, he didn't add too much, controlling the amount.
"Ahhh." Yui looked at the sandwich and took a gentle bite. Kirito and the others watched Yui anxiously, afraid she would have a problem eating it. After a moment, Yui revealed a slight smile.
"Delicious." Kirito and Asuna breathed a sigh of relief. Kirito affectionately stroked Yui's hair and joked, "What a spirited kid. For dinner, let's challenge the extra spicy full course!" As the "mother of the family," Asuna naturally wouldn't agree and directly refused Kirito's proposal. Kirito and Yui exchanged smiles. To outsiders, they looked like a father and daughter.
"Knock knock knock!"
"Kirito, open the door! We're here to mooch breakfast!"
"Sigh, that guy's here." Hearing the knocking and Ling Feng's familiar voice, Kirito smiled helplessly and got up to open the door for Ling Feng and Sagiri. As soon as Ling Feng and Sagiri entered, they saw the young girl Yui sitting on the sofa, taking small bites of her sandwich. Kirito invited them to sit, and Asuna brought two extra sandwiches for Ling Feng and Sagiri. Yui looked at Ling Feng and Sagiri sitting to her left and gave a sweet smile.
"Hello." Upon hearing this, everyone present except Sagiri was shocked. Kirito stammered, "Yui, you're greeting us first?"
"Why are you so surprised?" Sagiri looked at the three surprised people beside her, utterly bewildered. What was so surprising about greeting someone? If she knew Yui's situation, she wouldn't say this. Kirito briefly explained Yui's situation to Sagiri. The latter suddenly understood.
"Hello, Yui, I'm Ling Feng, your dad's good friend, I guess." "My name is Sagiri... hello." "I'm Yui." The three introduced themselves.
"Emmm, she's taller than Sagiri." Ling Feng casually compared Yui's height to Sagiri's and found that Yui was a bit taller than Sagiri. Sagiri, hearing Ling Feng's remark, pouted and stomped on Ling Feng's foot. This guy was finding new ways to say she was short, unforgivable! (ꐦÒ‸Ó) You rascal!
"Ah!" Ling Feng let out a pig-like scream.
"Hahahaha." Kirito and the others were all amused and burst into laughter. After a bit of playful banter, Yui got tired and slowly fell asleep. Ling Feng and the others didn't disturb her. Asuna carried Yui back to her room to sleep, while the three of them chatted about other things.
"So, Kirito, are you planning to return to Town of Beginnings to help Yui find her parents?" Sagiri inquired.
"Mm."
"Then I wish you smooth sailing and hope you find Yui's parents soon," Sagiri said with a smile. Ling Feng, standing beside her, remained silent, his brow furrowed in thought. If he remembered correctly, beneath the Black Iron Palace on the first floor, there was a hidden boss, the guardian of the game's terminal—the Grim Reaper. His plan was to wait there. He needed a sparring partner for his dual-wielding, and the Grim Reaper's strength was enough to push him to his limits. In the past few days, he had learned two ultimate skills for dual-wielding: Starburst Stream and Eclipse. He also had a hidden trump card: a self-created dual-wielding sword skill. And even if he couldn't win, he had Yui. However, he didn't plan to bring Sagiri. That place was too dangerous, and in his current state, facing the Grim Reaper, he had no capacity to protect Sagiri.