Bengtie: My death fueled their madness.

Thanks to the amazing verification from [Broken-faced Piggy]!

……

Within the public rest area, the space flickered, and the Black Tower appeared beside Qi Zhimu, who was waiting there.

Looking at his facial expression, I was surprised to see that he seemed completely at ease and not worried at all.

"Honey, I thought you'd be worried and nervous."

"What are you worried about?"

"Are you worried I'll do something to your little apprentice?"

"Don't worry, I trust you."

Qi Zhimu answered without hesitation, and casually pulled the towel around Heita's chest up a little higher.

But the next second, Black Tower pressed her hands against it, sending back a warm, smooth, and wonderfully elastic sensation.

It is so comprehensive that it cannot be described in a single sentence.

"Brother Mu always manages to say incredibly sweet things that make people want to eat you up without even realizing it~~"

Black Tower's current mood is as comfortable as returning to an air-conditioned room after being exposed to the scorching sun for forty degrees Celsius for a long time.

A simple "I trust you" sounds much better than "I love you."

"However..."

Hei Taqian drew circles on Qi Zhimu's chest with his hand, his eyes narrowing into crescent shapes.

"If your little disciple knew that her master didn't care about her at all, she would probably have another episode."

"...Saying it's a medical episode isn't quite accurate."

"Yandere is also a disease."

Black Tower was unimpressed by Qi Zhimu's helplessness and snorted:

"If your woman is only her, then so be it. As long as you have the strength to keep her in check, a yandere can almost be considered the perfect partner."

"She'll go east if you tell her to, west if you tell her to, she'll eat whatever you want, and she can satisfy you in any position."

"Unfortunately, there are no 'what ifs.' It's common sense that if you don't treat an illness, you'll suffer greatly."

"In order not to affect your relationship and to make your future life easier, I, the genius, have no choice but to play the villain."

"..." Qi Zhimu was at a loss for words after hearing Black Tower's words, his gaze filled with complex emotions.

"Don't overthink it, my dear. You have a clear conscience in every lifetime and have never wronged anyone."

Black Tower still understood him, and his tone was gentle only for that one person.

"Don't overthink it, my dear. You have a clear conscience in every lifetime and have never wronged anyone."

"You've given us so much; if all we get in return is a house fire, wouldn't our actions be considered ungrateful?"

"Therefore, you don't need to overthink it, nor do you need to compromise for anyone. The ones who should compromise are clearly us."

"Whoever refuses to compromise, I'll teach her to compromise first; whoever is undignified, this genius has countless ways to make her dignified, countless ways."

Heita deliberately cracked her knuckles, her little face bearing a feigned fierce expression.

So cute!

Three words flashed through Qi Zhimu's mind. Without saying a word, he pulled Heita into his arms and gently inhaled the fragrance of her hair.

"...Little Tower."

"I'm here~"

"Do you remember the magic I used when I blow-dried your hair?"

"Of course I remember, but you..."

Before he could finish speaking, Hei Ta leaned back in surprise, looking directly at Qi Zhimu's face.

"Could it be that you can actually use magic?"

"No, the magician Qi Zhimu is a limited card in a limited environment. In the Immortal Ship, I don't have the ability to manually create forbidden spells."

"Then why did you suddenly bring up magic?" Black Tower asked, puzzled.

But the next second, she understood.

A gentle breeze suddenly appeared in Qi Zhimu's palm and tenderly blew on her damp hair.

"Orthodox magic can't be used, but we can now simulate similar techniques using the power of destiny," Qi Zhimu chuckled.

The strength of some destiny travelers depends on the extent to which they can develop the power of their destiny, given their limited understanding.

Qi Zhimu used to use his hunting power to transform into fire and water forms for easier survival, and he hardly ever thought about other uses for it.

In fact, some other elements can also be used.

"Hmm~ It seems there are quite a few benefits to regaining all my memories."

Hei Ta squinted, comfortably enjoying the gentle breeze. After thinking for two seconds, he took the initiative to explain to Qi Zhimu how he had just had a "friendly" conversation with Jing Liu.

In addition, there is her thought process behind doing this.

Black Tower is not good at, and dislikes, lying.

Qi Zhimu didn't expect that Hei Ta was even more honest than she had imagined; she could have completely avoided talking about her inner journey.

What surprised him most was Black Tower's understanding of so-called effort and benefit.

There's no need to measure or compare the value of what you give and what you receive.

I did this for them purely because it was worthwhile or out of a sense of responsibility; I never thought about what I would gain or lose.

"You don't need to, but we do."

Hei Ta placed two fingers on Qi Zhimu's lips and began to speak about principles he didn't usually like to talk about.

"There is no absolute fairness in the world, and it is impossible to truly treat everyone equally. I have not studied emotions as much as Yu Qingtu, so I only see the world from my own perspective."

"I know it's subjective, but just like there's no such thing as absolute fairness, it's difficult for anyone to be absolutely objective."

"Don't blame me for being blunt, but Jingliu has the least right to cause trouble, followed by me."

"You are the person I care about most. I can compromise and tolerate competitors for you, but only if they are worthy and have the right to do so."

"Leaving aside the modern-day Robin and Yelena, Ruan Mei has sacrificed for you, as have Yu Qingtu, the Black Swan, and your bodyguard sisters."

"But what about Jingliu? She's not even as good as me."

Hearing this, Qi Zhimu wanted to say something, but Hei Ta continued to cover her lips with two fingers, indicating that he should let her finish speaking first.

"I know what you're trying to say is that Mirror Flow was the anchor that allowed you to maintain your rationality and persevere after the initial manifestation of your demonic influence."

"Then I can also say that I was the anchor point that helped you untangle your knots and regain the courage to face the future when you lost your parents at a young age."

"I'm the one who takes the initiative to stay by your side, comforting you with smiles and sincerity. On the other hand, it's you who's comforting Jing Liu. Doesn't that mean I've won another point?"

"Why did I say earlier that being a yandere is an illness that needs to be treated?"

"Because I'm younger than her and I can realize these things, while she's over a thousand years older than me and hasn't recognized me for so many years, purely because of her morbid possessiveness."

"Before coming to Luofu, I asked Yu Qingtu, and she said that Jingliu had met her, Ruan Mei, and the Black Swan not long after your second life ended."

"The Black Swan also showed Jingliu some of your first life's memories. Jingliu knew about their existence and that they couldn't sever their feelings for you, but he still couldn't learn to compromise for you."

"When you blocked Mirror Stream's attack on me just now, don't tell me you weren't feeling helpless."

Black Tower rattled off a long string of words.

Qi Zhimu listened to this in his heart, and sighed softly without saying a word.

"See, isn't this correct?"

Black Tower shrugged, for silence was tacit agreement.

"She might have realized it before, but how can she not correct her mistake? When you go to see your two guard sisters, take me with you. See if they'll breathe on you then?"

"This genius never misjudges people, and I can guarantee it: absolutely not."

……

This is a short, thousand-word essay about the readers. Listeners and those who aren't interested can close the page and exit.

Repeat: A thousand-word rambling essay; if you don't want to listen or read it, just close the page and exit.

Okay, let's start chatting.

I still remember a sharp comment from our site's author, Qingyuanlao, that went viral:

The readers of Tomato are mostly normal people, who are often intelligent, kind, and good-looking. They are not only active, but also give gifts to support the author both spiritually and materially.

Hagi deeply agrees with these words.

As for the remaining 5%, here is a summary from Hagi Huan.

1. [Reincarnation of a Strategist - ETC Automatic Leverage Lifting Type]

Characteristics: The only thing he's really stubborn about is his mouth. He can analyze that the author's farts contain excessive methane. When the protagonist eats a bowl of noodles, he insists on arguing about why he didn't order fried rice. The author's IQ is lacking.

Classic quotes:

"Where's the logic? The protagonist travels to ancient times to make glass, but doesn't he build a blast furnace first? Did the author even graduate from junior high school?"

"This tactic is illogical! If it were me, I'd just nuke Tokyo. Has the author ever seen war?"

To avoid accusations that I'm defending the plot of this book, I'll use a different approach. The same applies to later plot points unrelated to the book; I believe most people can relate to this.

Second, the "Microscope Master - Research Maniac" type.

Characteristic: Knows the setting better than even the author's own mother.

These readers naturally don't quote classic sayings; instead, they are the author's good friends and can help the author correct mistakes.

3. The "King of Knowledge Reincarnated - Commanding the Nation" Type

Characteristics: Authors post lengthy comment sections, sometimes tens of thousands of words long, advising them on how to write a book, completely overturning everything from the outline to the character design. They claim, "Following my methods will absolutely make you a legend!" Yet, they themselves can't even write 20,000 words to submit to the editor's email, and they get furious when the plot doesn't meet their expectations: "The author is feeding shit!"

Classic quotes:

"The female lead should be pursuing the male lead at this point! Has the author never been in a relationship?"

"I suggested the author plagiarize XX's description from XXX novel, what kind of garbage is that?"

"Isn't this a female-oriented novel?"

Sharp Commentary:

He's a classic example of someone who thinks he can do things his own way; if you really let him write two chapters, they'd be stinkers than an old lady's foot binding cloth.

I suggest Tomato develop a reader-writing AI function, letting these top writers take the lead. If their debut gets over 30,000 readers, I'll admit defeat.

You always think you understand the market better than the authors. Do you really think editors don't have your sharp eye?

Perhaps they've read a few female-oriented novels and think they're knowledgeable, so they label male-authored male-oriented novels as female-oriented. Are the "cremation scene" and "regretful flow" tropes exclusive to female-oriented novels or something?

IV. [The Cranial Green Hat Factory: Self-Greening Type Readers]

Characteristic: Just watching the female lead say a few words to a random passerby can make you imagine an 80-episode NTR (Netorare) drama.

The author writes about the female protagonist smiling at passersby, which he interprets as her secretly having three children with a supporting character.

After writing that the protagonist had been in seclusion for three years, he immediately wailed that the female lead must have been unable to bear the loneliness and cheated on him!

Classic quotes:

"The author arranged for another man to save the female lead? Oh no, from now on the female lead has someone else in her heart."

"Heh, this master-disciple romance will definitely end with her running off with the master, just like XXX."

Sharp Commentary:

This is a classic example of someone who produces their own poison and drinks it themselves! They read romance novels with the thrill of a spy thriller, searching for clues about being cuckolded in every chapter. I suggest these readers consult a relationship expert to cure their paranoia about being cheated on.

5. [Minotaur Hunter - Green Hat Exterminator Type]

Characteristics: A mirror image of the one above, but with off-the-charts combat power. They unleash a fiery fist at the slightest hint of infidelity, and can relentlessly attack the author until their account is banned. If the female lead and the male supporting character exchange even a few words? They'll immediately abandon the book! Warning: Avoid this story!

Classic quotes:

"This book contains spoilers! The female lead called the male supporting character 'brother'!"

"The female lead was talking to another man and they were in the same room. I don't even want to think about what they did!"

Sharp Commentary:

The online literature community's moral watchdog, with a sensitivity to triggering incidents comparable to landmine detection dogs.

I suggest pairing him with the self-proclaimed "Green Brother" above; one can fill in the blanks, and the other can deliver the blows—a perfect closed loop.

What's most amazing is that these kinds of people love reading harem novels.

6. [The Substitute Literature Addict - Meal Replacement Maniac Type]

Features: Has a built-in double-detection radar in its brain that detects both doubles and cuckoldry, with sensitivity set to MAX level.

The author can take a normal plot and break it down into a NTR loop where the protagonist cheats on his wife.

The three classic triggers for obsession:

Creating a Doll/Doppelganger: "The protagonist creates a doll that looks exactly like himself? Oh no, the heroine will definitely have to use it to ease her longing for him later. It's a mental substitute! He's been cheated on!"

Reincarnation and Continuing a Past Life: "The male lead the female lead loved in her previous life is dead! The protagonist in this life is someone else! The female lead is essentially cheating! Confirmed cheating!"

The protagonist, after losing his memory, falls in love with the female lead again: "Ha, is the protagonist still the same person after losing his memory? The female lead only loves his body! Substitute literature is disgusting!"

Classic quotes:

"Author, you're having the protagonist create a clone to accompany the female lead? So the female lead can only sleep with plastic dolls? Substitute warning!"

"In the previous life, the male lead died protecting the female lead from a sword. In the next life, the female lead is reincarnated and marries the male lead? Did the female lead sleep with other men during the decades the male lead was dead? It's terrifying to think about!"

"The protagonist fell in love with another woman before awakening his past life memories? That's betrayal! His past self cheated on him in this life!"

Sharp Commentary:

A classic example of a logical genius who thinks he's cheating on himself! This kind of guy seems to lack a cerebellum; everything he reads is just some kind of "meal replacement literature."

On the surface, she is a clean freak, but in reality, she has an insatiable desire for control. She demands that the protagonist be completely original, from body to soul, from the first life to the Nth life, and that there be no gaps in his memories.

By their standards:

The protagonist loses his memory, then regains it? No way, the gap in between would be equivalent to being cheated on.

The protagonist is reincarnated but retains the same soul? No way, changing bodies is cheating.

The protagonist creates a doll? No way, the female lead living with the doll is the same as living with another man.

I suggest you skip reading online articles and go to a temple to have a golden statue of Buddha made. That is the only pure being that will never betray you, has no substitute, and remains unchanged for all eternity.

For this type of person, the author only offers four words:

—You idiot!