Seized by the System

It was the third year and eleventh month of ShenYuan.

Winter was approaching. The earth was yellow and bleak.

All the pedestrians on the road bent their heads and hunched. Although the weather was not extremely cold, every inch of their skin was covered including their arms and legs. It seemed like everyone felt the unusual chilliness.

In Vigilante A’s farm villa, it was still warm like spring. In the dining area, a hot pot feast was happening around the turquoise table. Tofu, enoki mushrooms, green vegetables… Were boiling in the hot soup. Seemingly ordinary things, but they were all exuding aroma that was irresistible even to divine beings.

A taste that could only be experienced in heaven, and could not be found anywhere in the ordinary world. Unlike before, they only had one customer now — Bodhisattva Spirit King…

Bodhisattva Spirit King came all the way to deliver the secret techniques to construct the checkpoint for Space Passage, that was why Vigilante A held a banquet.

“Don’t worry, everything’s vegetarian. Nothing contains meat, not even a little. You can safely enjoy everything…,” Vigilante A was being eagerly attentive.

This was the System’s definition of a great reward. From Fang Ning’s perspective, the System was still reliable. At least he did not make a bunch of thick newspapers… It would be mortifying if he did. (TN: In Chinese, the literal meaning of a great reward is thick newspaper.)

“When I attended the banquet held by the ancestral god back then, I didn’t even get to taste such delicacies. I’m undeserving of your overwhelming kindness,” Bodhisattva Spirit King joined his palms together devoutly and expressed his gratitude.

“I’m glad. Please enjoy your meal as much as possible.”

“If so, I’ll eat to my heart’s content,” Bodhisattva Spirit King folded his sleeves while holding his chopsticks and started eating.

He tasted a piece of tofu by slowly taking two bites, then he said, “Such culinary skills are divinelike. Having said that, a saint stands high above the masses, and will never be anywhere near the kitchen. It’s hard to imagine such heavenly expertise exists in this world. It’s true that life is endless, and miracles never stop happening.”

Even though he said that, he stopped eating right after finishing the piece of tofu.

“Why did you stop?” Vigilante A was surprised.

“I’ll just have one more bite. I’m just worried that my years of cultivation won’t be able to control my gluttony, and I’ll break the commandments…,” Bodhisattva Spirit King shook his head and sighed.

He spoke with a hint of unrestrained sorrow and pity.

“That’s why you’re a divine being,” Vigilante A said with admiration.

“Look at yourself, Sir Fang. You’re incomparable to Bodhisattva Spirit King, when are you going to cultivate until his level? Unlike Bodhisattva Spirit King who managed to control himself and not succumb to my legendary culinary skills, you felt uneasy when you stopped playing mobile games for three days. You really have to learn from him, to do more work and control your urge to play mobile games,” the System took the chance to lecture Fang Ning.

“Alright, that’s enough. Stop lecturing me. If I become a Bodhisattva, what’s the point of your existence? You’re just like the golden fillet on Monkey King’s head. When Monkey King comes to fruition and learns how to behave, it’ll disappear itself. Do you want to disappear as well?” Fang Ning said.

“Why do you have so many twisted theories?,” the System responded, “But my intuition’s telling me that what you said is right. It’s depressing.”

“Haha, it’s good that you’re aware,” Fang Ning said proudly.

While they were talking to each other, there was a surge of air in the atmosphere, and a green palm-sized worm suddenly appeared on the turquoise dining table.

As soon as it appeared, it immediately crawled towards the hot pot.

Although it appeared green at the time, it seemed like it was camouflaging. The two of them who were sitting around the dining table stared at it firmly.

“Since Father Chong stopped eating, I’m here to help out,” Chong Daqing held its head up and said shamelessly.

“You really are a filial child…,” Vigilante A said without any facial expressions.

“Of course. I’ve always been an obedient child,” Chong Daqing said righteously.

“That’s alright. Since I cannot break my commandments, I’ll leave it to Daqing to clear the pot,” Bodhisattva Spirit King smiled and said.

“Father Chong still dotes on me…,” Chong Daqing laid around the hot pot, and gobbled up without even using a pair of chopsticks.

Not long after, the whole pot was emptied.

“How can I be full?” Chong Daqing was content but baffled. “That can’t be. I need to eat a hundred pots, a thousand pots…”

Bodhisattva Spirit King frowned and told Chong Daqing off, “Being a worm is the same as being a human. You can’t be too greedy. Having a pot of such tasty food is already sufficient.”

“I was just wondering, I wasn’t supposed to feel full so quickly,” Chong Daqing said, “Great Azure Dragon, did you add something in that fills up one’s stomach more quickly because you were afraid that Father Chong would eat too much?”

“Hmph, I’m not that stingy.” Vigilante A said flatly. “I think it’s because you’re turning into a pupa soon, so you feel full easily after eating.”

Chong Daqing jumped three feet high when it heard that, and was hanging mid-air, “That’s impossible. I’ve never thought of turning into a butterfly! If I turned into one, how am I supposed to eat? Do I have to be like the rest of them that live with only sipping on some juice? I’d rather be a ghost than that.”

“What comes around goes around. You swallowed the power of the whole Land of Sanguinity last time, that’s the cause. You’re reaping what you sowed today,” Bodhisattva Spirit King shook his head and smiled.

“No way. I don’t want to be a pupa, and I don’t want to be a butterfly.” Chong Daqing jumped on Bodhisattva Spirit King’s head, and was dangling on a few strands of his mustache. “Father Chong, I’m sure you have a solution.”

“Come down first.”

“No, you have to tell me the way to solve this. Otherwise, I won’t come down. I’m not hungry anyway,” Chong Daqing insisted.

“I’m sorry you have to see this,” Bodhisattva Spirit King said to Fang Ning.

“This is simple, you just have to abandon your powers. Are you willing to do that? You ought to know that once you turn into a butterfly, you’ll be the first insect in the world to have extraordinary powers, you’ll have a whole world ahead of you.”

“Having the whole world ahead of me means the inability to eat,” Chong Daqing only listened halfway.

“Maybe this is a constant that cannot be changed, your personality and the environment determines everything.” Bodhisattva Spirit King shook his head. “You can think about it more…”

“No, I don’t. Eating comes first no matter what.” Chong Daqing was hanging on Bodhisattva Spirit King’s hair and swinging back and forth.

Bodhisattva Spirit King sighed again, “Alright, if that’s what you want. You shouldn’t waste the powers you have now, let me think of something else.”

“That’s great. I’m feeling a bit hungry now. Great Azure Dragon, serve me two more pots,” Chong Daqing commanded.

Vigilante A stayed still.

That was a joke. The System would not simply take orders from any insect.

Fang Ning felt bad and persuaded, “It can’t eat much anyway. Just serve it one more pot.”

“You only know how to pity others.” the System mumbled. “You have to know that it’s not simply made. I used tons of expensive ingredients, if not Spirit Bodhisattva King wouldn’t have such high praise for it. He even mentioned that the banquet held by the ancestral god was not a match.”

“You only look at what’s in front of you. Haven’t you contemplated what it said just now?” Fang Ning suddenly had an idea and thought of a place.

“Chong Daqing was the one who only looks at what’s in front of it. It didn’t even want its powers and the chance to turn into a butterfly, all just so it could eat. I really don’t understand,” the System said in a condescending tone.

“Yes, it doesn’t want its powers? Do you not want it as well?” Fang Ning asked.

“Of course I do. Power means safety, ” the System replied with conviction.

“If I pick a demon, and let Bodhisattva Spirit King transfer it after… and this would be a never-ending cycle, when it fills it stomach the next time…”

“I get it now. Such an insightful mind.” the System said with admiration. “You really do show your worth from time to time. I wanted to abolish you back then. Now it seems that I only think short-term, you showed me the meaning of life is endless, and miracles never stop happening.”

“What did you say just now?” Fang Ning raised his voice.

“Nothing. You’ve heard wrong. I’ll serve Chong Daqing another pot. No, another nine pots,” the System was trying to change the topic.

After a while, nine hotpots were placed on the turquoise dining table and the aroma filled the room.

“I know that you’re still on my side, Azure Great Dragon. As for my unwanted powers, I trust Father Chong to think of a solution to give it away. Just treat it as my payment for future meals,” Chong Daqing was delighted.

“That’s a good idea. I can’t digest all those powers from another source anyway,” Bodhisattva Spirit King nodded.