I'm bad, but players love me

Tianta didn't know whether Yun Shuo believed it or not, but she would rather Yun Shuo didn't believe it from the beginning than let Yun Shuo down.

So, after that strange morning tea, she used busy work as an excuse to deliberately avoid Yun Shuo for several days.

Every time she met Yun Shuo, she felt extremely guilty and embarrassed, and the guilt was so overwhelming that it almost squeezed her out of her body.

Every time she only dared to face Yun Shuo with a cautious and flattering look, and naturally she did not dare to take the initiative to ask him what he had talked about with Knowles that day.

And Yun Shuo didn't seem to intend to delve into all this.

He continued to live there peacefully as if nothing had happened, with no intention of saying anything to her.

The two of them finally had some peace and quiet these past two days.

Since Knowles has made it clear that he wants Yun Shuo to become his retainer, he naturally has to give him all the face he needs.

He personally went to the warehouse to pick out a lot of things, and also sent his usual tailor to Yun Shuo to collect the sizes so that he could make clothes.

Tianta just stood there, watching the things being delivered to him like water.

"What are these?" she asked.

The servant's attitude was respectful, but his words were not necessarily respectful. "Lord Knowles and Lord Yun Shuo hit it off immediately. Lord Yun Shuo didn't have any decent things with him, which was unbecoming of his status, so he sent us to deliver these things."

What do you mean there is nothing decent?!

Tianta was so angry that he was shaking all over, and he wanted someone to throw all these so-called "gifts" away, preferably directly at Knowles' face.

They don't send much each time, but they come every day, as if to provoke you. It's not enough to make you angry once, but they want you to hold this anger in your stomach for a long time, until your stomach is broken.

"Okay, okay, you gave me everything including food, clothing, shelter and transportation, which makes me seem useless!" Tianta saw that Yun Shuo did not throw the gift aside after receiving it, but opened it smoothly. He could not help but blurted out such incoherent words.

Yun Shuo paused with the scissors in his hand, his eyes shifting as he glanced suspiciously at Tianta. "I've been really busy these past few days. How come you're so tired that you're talking nonsense?"

He smiled softly and continued his movements, scissors slowly moving across the wrapping paper, cutting off the delicate bows on it. "How can I show my appreciation for you and me if I don't give you a gift?"

If you don't work hard for no reason, you are either a traitor or a thief! Tianta curled her lips and didn't say anything. Instead, she fiercely tore a gift wrapped in a cardboard box with her hands. It didn't look like she was opening the gift box, but rather the person who gave it to her.

People like Knowles are petty and calculative. Why would he give me so many gifts for no reason?

Thinking of this, Tianta became even angrier.

He didn't have the courage to ask Yun Shuo what they talked about at Knowles' place before. Now if he asked again, he was worried that it would show some hostility and revenge, and he was afraid of making Yun Shuo unhappy. So he could only suppress the anger in his heart and didn't dare to show it in front of Yun Shuo.

She knew very well that her actions were completely unreasonable, but the stubborn obsession in her heart made it difficult for her to let go.

She just felt that Yun Shuo should not even look at these gifts and should only use her things wholeheartedly. All those stinky things from Knowles and Selno should be thrown into the warehouse and never see the light of day.

"Why would he bother trying to please me? Besides, if he really wanted to please me, he should have given me fewer tasks on a daily basis. Wouldn't that be more effective than giving me a hundred gifts?"

Tianta felt annoyed and pushed the box in her hand away with a frustrated look. She leaned back and fell into the leather sofa, collapsing into it.

Yun Shuo stretched out his arm, grabbed the package into his hand, and continued to unpack it.

Anyway, it was given to you voluntarily, so don’t refuse it.

"Because I will soon be his first retainer. As the first one, I will be given more or less attention." Yun Shuo said casually, as if this upcoming change of identity was nothing to him.

He didn't take it seriously, his attention now completely focused on the object in his hand.

After some patient disassembly, the slightly cumbersome outer paper box was finally opened, but what was laughable was that there was actually an exquisite little red box inside, wrapped in layers, as if it contained some priceless treasure. It was definitely over-packaging.

"What did you say?" Tianta was originally leaning lazily, but at this moment he sat up suddenly as if he had been electrocuted, and his originally comfortable expression suddenly collapsed.

She quickly reached out and tightly grasped Yun Shuo's wrist, her grip so strong that it seemed as if she was about to crush the delicate wrist bones. Tianta's eyes flashed with confusion and anger, and she asked through gritted teeth, "You don't have divine power... Why does he want you to be his retainer?"

"I have."

Yun Shuo's words were like a bolt from the blue, splitting Tianta apart. It was as if her drowsiness was dispelled by a thunderclap, and she woke up at that moment.

Tianta suddenly realized that he and Yun Shuo had been separated for such a long time, so long that Yun Shuo's past could not be fully described in a few words.

She smiled lightly, but with a hint of self-mockery and sadness. She turned her head away, not wanting Yun Shuo to see the twinkle in her eyes. Her voice trembled as she said, "How could I not know... No, that's not right... It's not that I don't know, it's that I didn't believe it..."

Tianta prides herself on understanding Yun Shuo. She crudely assumes that Yun Shuo will never become a God-favored One in this lifetime. She is so arrogant that she has predicted Yun Shuo's life. However, Yun Shuo has always been different from what she imagined.

At this moment, the surging emotions in her heart surged like a tide, but she suppressed them deep in her heart in just a moment, leaving only a slight ripple.

"'Immediately' means you haven't become a retainer yet, right?" Tianta restrained his expression and asked cautiously.

She was afraid that the answer she would get would match the guess she was most reluctant to face.

Yun Shuo nodded and narrowed his eyes waiting for Tianta's next words.

He did it on purpose. He deliberately didn't talk to Tianta about the conversation with Knowles that day, and deliberately waited until today to talk about the topic of becoming a retainer.

When Tianta saw Yun Shuo nod, his tense nerves seemed to relax a little, but there was still an unconcealable panic in his eyes.

She took a deep breath and tried to make her voice sound more stable. "Yun Shuo, I will take you away from Susi Township later."

Now most of the people under her command are Knowles's spies, but she must send Yun Shuo away as soon as possible no matter what.

Yun Shuo must not be allowed to become a retainer! She lowered her brows and quickly made plans in her mind.

However, Yun Shuo didn't seem to appreciate it. He suddenly threw away the scissors in his hand, stared at her with a sharp gaze, and said with a hint of stubbornness in his voice, "Why should I leave?"

As he spoke, he pulled his hand away and freed his wrist, which had been gripped with a purple mark, from Tianta's grasp.

"If I can become Knowles's retainer, it will also be beneficial to you," Yun Shuo rubbed his wrists lightly and whispered, "He can't climb up, and I am his only retainer. This way, no matter what, you will at least have a place to return to."

Tianta was panicked. She pulled Yun Shuo's thin shoulders hard, her face ferocious, and her voice revealed unprecedented determination and fear.

"No! I said no! I don't need it! Yun Shuo, listen to me, you can't become anyone's retainer! No matter who it is, no one can do that!"

She roared in a timid manner, but her body was shaking. Through her fingers that were tightly gripping Yun Shuo's shoulders, she transmitted the fear to Yun Shuo.

"What about you? You're also a retainer!"

Facing Tianta's roar and trembling, Yun Shuo pressed on step by step. He seemed to be unable to feel the pain on his shoulder that penetrated deep into his skin, and let Tianta's nails dig into the soft flesh of his shoulder.

Yun Shuo had already sensed something was wrong.

Why has no retainer ever rebelled against a noble? A noble is not necessarily favored by God, but a retainer is definitely favored by God.

He did not believe that the relationship between every retainer and noble could be harmonious, and that the harmony of respect between them could always be maintained.

In this vortex of power, the entanglement of interests and desires should have aroused countless disputes and resistances. However, the reality is very different from this, which is very suspicious.

Besides, why would no retainer voluntarily change his master? All of them were given to the new master by the old master.

They don't seem like living people, but like weapons, without any thoughts, just subject to others' comments, prices and transactions.

Moreover, why does every retainer have a short life? It can’t be that the God of Wind likes short-lived children, right?

The answer is obvious, but Yun Shuo wants Tianta to say it himself. He needs to confirm his guess and also stop Tianta from thinking about it.

"It's poison..." Tianta's voice trembled, like a candle flickering in the wind, weak but firm. "Different nobles hold different recipes. Every retainer loyal to them must swallow this deadly 'gift'."

She looked up at Yun Shuo. Her eyes, once full of life, were now filled with tears, like the brightest star in the night sky about to fall. "Let's go, Yun Shuo. Please..."

I can’t be a retainer. If I become a retainer… I’ll be dead.

Tianta knew her time was running out.

In the Kingdom of Wind, although commoners can achieve class transition by becoming God's Favored Ones, this transition is time-limited. No matter how glorious it is, it is ultimately only a flash in the pan.

When the time comes, they will be ruthlessly dragged back into the abyss by fate, and their lives will come to an end at that moment.

All medicines are poisonous. Day after day, year after year, we swallow those deadly "poisons" and then rely on antidotes to barely maintain our lives. After taking the poison, we take the antidote, and after taking the antidote, we take the poison. Our bodies are gradually depleted.

If Yun Shuo was just an ordinary person without any supernatural powers, he could have lived a very peaceful life.

Knowles won't care too much about him because he is just a handle, and a handle that can be easily grasped.

As long as Tianta can maintain that reassuring gentleness and loyalty, and give Knowles enough benefits before her death, then even after her death, no one will pose a threat to Yun Shuo, and he can naturally live the rest of his life in Sus Township easily.

But unfortunately, Yun Shuo has divine power and is noticed by Knowles, so he has to become a retainer and has to have the same short life as Tianta. How can Tianta accept this?

Yun Shuo patted Tianta's shoulder soothingly, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness and self-mockery, "There's nothing I can do. I've been poisoned. I've already boarded this pirate ship, and turning back is impossible."

A trace of deep thought flashed in his eyes: No wonder Knowles cared so much about that cup of tea that day. It seemed that there must be a lot of "good things" in it.

Of course Yun Shuo was lying to Tianta.

He didn't even drink a sip of the tea. After all, Knowles' attitude made people feel that something was wrong. How could he fall for it?

Tianta stood up suddenly. "Anyway, Knowles' intentions are obvious now. He wants you to treat Lord Lumi and use this as an opportunity to climb the ladder. But according to Lord Timothy, Lord Lumi is not allowed to be approached. So, I can use this as an excuse to refuse him."

If she can run, then run. But she can't run now, so she can only resort to this last resort.

Knowles has thousands of reasons and excuses to want to recruit Yun Shuo, and the only thing Tianta can do is to increase his own value as much as possible, while reducing the importance of Yun Shuo in Knowles' eyes, so as to delay time, hoping to gain more living space for Yun Shuo and let him live longer.

"No need!" Yun Shuo blurted out in panic upon seeing this.

It was precisely this brief "No need" that, like an invisible thread, cleverly touched upon the doubts deep in Tianta's heart.

"No? Why not?" Tianta took back the step that he was about to take.

She narrowed her eyes slightly, her gaze as sharp as a torch, staring straight at Yun Shuo, trying to find some clues from his calm expression.

"I remember you specifically asked me about Lord Lumi's injuries..." Tianta stood still, not moving an inch, but the invisible pressure seemed to freeze the air. "Yun Shuo, what exactly do you want to do?"

Chapter 14: Is this something I can listen to?

"Yun Shuo, tell me the truth, what are you going to do?" Tianta questioned Yun Shuo aggressively. Due to her impatience, her voice was inevitably sharp, like an ice blade cutting through the air. "You want to see her? Why? What was your relationship with Lumi before?"

She was filled with anger and subconsciously wanted to grab Yun Shuo and ask for an explanation. However, when her eyes fell on the glaring purple bruise on Yun Shuo's wrist, she suddenly lost her temper. The anger was like being extinguished by cold water and disappeared in an instant.

She stopped asking questions gloomily, but her eyes suddenly turned red, as if she was the one being yelled at.

Tianta's heart was indeed full of grievances. She felt extremely aggrieved, and the resentment in her heart surged like a tide, almost drowning her alive.

She simply could not accept Yun Shuo's obsession with Lumi, an obsession that was almost crazy, as if the whole meaning of his life was to see Lumi again.

The persistence of being willing to sacrifice his life just to see her was like a thorn in Tianta's throat, unable to swallow or spit out, leaving him speechless.

Why...

Yun Shuo did not reply immediately, but deliberately left Tianta alone for a while, waiting for her to calm down before speaking.

Then, he gently opened the lid of the exquisite red box, and a faint, strange scent wafted out. Inside the box lay a small bottle of pills, with a detailed "Instructions for Use" written by Knowles himself attached to the bottle—a poison specifically for his retainers.

The corners of his lips curled up slightly, and with a light shake of his fingers, he poured out a pill, the size of a mung bean, scarlet, like a drop of solidified blood, slowly rolling into his palm.

It's just like the person who sent the gift. You can tell it's not a good thing just by looking at it.

Yun Shuo pinched the pill, a hint of determination flashed in his eyes. He lowered his head and smiled, then looked up at Tianta who was standing in front of him. His eyes were full of anger just now, but now he felt aggrieved and was afraid that he would swallow the pill directly.

"For revenge," he said word by word, "for someone who should have been able to kill her but didn't."

As soon as he finished speaking, a rare murderous intent appeared in his eyes, which made people feel creepy. It seemed that those who were stared at by these eyes had no other way to go except death.

Yun Shuo was never the powerless person that Tianta thought he was.

Before meeting Vespera, what good could a poor man, illiterate, physically weak, yet possessing an extraordinary talent for firearms, do to support himself? All he could do was eat the lives of others to feed himself.

"Revenge?" Tianta laughed. She didn't know when her eyes had been filled with tears. She raised her head to hide her tears, not wanting Yun Shuo to see them.

But as she raised her head, tears began to flow down her cheeks unrestrainedly. "Don't seek revenge, okay? Just think of it as being for me..."

Yun Shuo frowned, obviously disagreeing. He put down the bottle and pills in his hand, but before he could say anything, he was interrupted by Tianta's sudden action.

She bent down and grabbed Yun Shuo's collar, her slender white fingertips tightly grasping the piece of cloth with endless pleading and dependence, pitifully, as if it was the last straw in her life.

She kept crying. Ever since she reunited with Yun Shuo, Tianta would cry from time to time.

All the tears that were not shed during those years have almost been shed in these few days.

"You owe me, Yun Shuo. You should pay me back for what you owe me, instead of dying here for someone else inexplicably!" Tianta's voice was trembling so much that it was almost unrecognizable, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from the depths of his heart.

She knew very well that if Yun Shuo really killed Lumi, there was no way he would be alive, and the best outcome would be to be killed on the spot.

At that time, death would be a relief for him. At least it would save him from the punishment that makes people want to live but cannot, and from the pain that is worse than death.

But this was not what Tianta wanted to see. She didn't want to see him go to destruction for others, for that insignificant sense of justice.

She wanted him to live, even in the most humble way, to find a little breathing space in this cruel world.

But when Tianta's eyes met Yun Shuo's, her hands loosened involuntarily and she could only pull loosely, as if she was grabbing a wisp of wind that was destined not to stop for anyone.

"You owe me, Yun Shuo." She whispered again, her voice filled with unspeakable sorrow and helplessness, "You can't just leave me like this..."

"I promised him that I would let Lumi be buried with him." Yun Shuo spoke every word seriously, without a trace of emotion in his words.

He even smiled gently when he said this, as if it was a matter of course.

That's true. Killing someone means paying with one's life, which is a matter of course. However, just because of this slight difference in status, the right and wrong are turned upside down, and a good life has to be judged as worthwhile or not.