173: Chapter 173 Let's just make do with patching and mending

Chen You's eye twitched, and he looked at Meng De Meng with the expression one reserves for an idiot.

He reminded him concisely, "Meng De, the demon is gone."

To help him understand more thoroughly, he added, "Gone to the point of being ground to dust, body and soul annihilated."

"Ah? Gone... gone?"

Meng De Meng repeated blankly, his brain sounding like rusted machinery grinding with a 'creak, creak' as it struggled to turn.

What should he do in this situation?

The System hadn't told him it could turn out like this!

Only then did he belatedly realize that the world-destroying lightning just now seemed to have been summoned by the man standing before him.

What alliance?

The man alone had nearly vaporized his entire harem, almost taking the manor with them.

Should he improvise now?

Or should he continue pretending to be 'stuck in an animation loop'?

Meng De Meng's body swayed, his face instantly turning ashen, filled with endless regret and agony.

Just then, the System prompt in front of Chen You finally refreshed.

[Ding! System logic correction complete!]

[Based on your unique behavioral pattern, the quest 'He Must Love You Very Much' has been reconstructed!]

[Quest Updated!]

[Quest Objective: Travel thirty li west of the city to the 'Ten Thousand Fox Cave' and thoroughly eradicate the remaining fox demon remnants, severing the root of this area's demonic disaster.]

[Quest Reward: Experience + 50000, Thousand Light City Reputation + 2000.]

[Ding! Detected interruption in the plot flow, causing a poor gaming experience. Source Realm sincerely apologizes and is issuing a special compensation item x1.]

Chen You raised an eyebrow; there was compensation too?

This customer service attitude was pretty good.

He casually opened his inventory, and a strangely shaped wooden puppet lay quietly in a slot.

[Red Thread Puppet (Special Consumable)]

[Quality: ? ? ?]

[Effect: Designate two NPCs and forcibly initiate a ten-minute 'Candid Exchange.' During this time, both parties will ignore all external interference and reveal their truest inner thoughts (including but not limited to love, resentment, secrets, and hardships).]

[Note: The thread of karma has been placed in your hands. Whether you tie it into a dead knot or weave a tapestry depends entirely on your mood.]

[Use with caution, as it can easily lead to a massive social death scene.]

"..."

Chen You fell silent again.

This thing... seriously?

Isn't this the legendary official item for the 'Forced Reconciliation Squad'?

It was tailor-made for the dramatic mess unfolding before him.

While he was examining the item, Meng De Meng opposite him had also completed his 'System Correction.'

The Meng De, who had just been immersed in the philosophical trio of 'Who am I, where am I, and where are my wives?', now wore an expression of relief and gratitude after surviving a disaster.

He bowed deeply to Chen You, his voice trembling.

"Thank you, Your Excellency, for stepping in and exterminating all the fiends that infested my residence!"

"Had it not been for you, I, Meng De Meng, would likely have had my vital energy drained, meeting an end where both body and spirit perish!"

"I will never forget this immense kindness as long as I live!"

His words were impassioned, powerful, and perfectly connected with the post-'Demon Slaying' plotline.

"A small matter," Chen You waved his hand, his expression calm.

He didn't have time to act with Meng De Meng right now; his mind was calculating.

The quest sending him to the 'Ten Thousand Fox Cave' must be the dungeon he intended to visit.

That meant the opening mission was concluded here.

But there was still a hidden thread...

What about Du Chedi?

Du Chedi and Cai Wenjuan, that pair of ill-fated lovers—he had to give them an ending, right?

After all, it was a hidden plotline; the reward couldn't be bad, so he couldn't just ignore it.

Just as Chen You was contemplating the most efficient way to handle this melodrama, Meng De Meng opposite him suddenly looked up.

The look in his eyes was no longer the relief of a survivor, but was occupied by a new, more fervent emotion.

"Your Excellency..." Meng De Meng's gaze drifted into the distance, "You are right. My love... was too frivolous, too cheap."

Chen You was startled. Huh?

"I... I always thought that universal love was salvation, but I didn't know my mind had been obscured by the fiends."

Meng De Meng took a breath, a look akin to 'sudden enlightenment' appearing on his face.

"Not until just now, when the lightning struck my body and the demonic aura dispersed, did I suddenly awaken!"

He suddenly clenched his fists, his eyes blazing with fierce fire.

"My Juaner!"

"Three years ago, I went out for training and met her."

"Her talent was exceptional; I... I was deeply attracted to her!"

"It was me! I, Meng De Meng, wronged her!"

"I promised her a future back then, yet I turned around and fell into this false haven of tenderness, forgetting her completely!"

"I am a scoundrel! I am not human!"

Meng De Meng slapped himself hard, the sound crisp and loud.

Chen You: "..."

He watched Meng De's one-man show expressionlessly, feeling a bit shocked internally.

Wait, buddy?

How did your brain develop this way?

Crawling out of one pit only to jump seamlessly into another, right?

The key point is that Cai Wenjuan is supposed to be someone else's wife!

Even if I don't know why you abducted her...

But don't you consider your fellow man's feelings at all?

Chen You watched as Meng De Meng's emotions shifted from regret, to self-blame, to a kind of 'lost and found' ecstasy, finally settling into an undeniable resolve.

"No!" Meng De Meng suddenly turned around, grabbing Chen You by the shoulders, his eyes bloodshot.

"I can't let her wait any longer! I must go see her!"

"I will bring her back to the Meng De's Mansion and give her the best life in all of Thousand Light City! I will atone for every mistake I've made!"

Chen You felt a bit dizzy from being shaken.

He opened his mouth, wanting to remind him: Old brother, what you're doing is poaching someone, and doing it in front of so many people, isn't that a bit much?

But the words reached his lips, and he suddenly swallowed them back.

A bold and exciting idea popped into his mind.

Wait...

Let Meng De Meng go.

Then, he could bring Du Chedi over as well.

And then...

Chen You's gaze involuntarily drifted toward the [Red Thread Puppet] in his inventory.

[Designate two NPCs whose favorability is not in the 'Hatred' state and forcibly initiate a ten-minute 'Candid Exchange.']

Hiss...

In front of the 'Lustful Woman Who Changed Her Affection,' forcing the 'Repentant Overbearing Meng De' and the 'Disabled, Infatuated Fiancé' to have a heartfelt, candid exchange?

What a spectacular human scene!

I wonder if the plot planners at Source Realm ever anticipated this kind of gameplay; maybe they won't patch it live, right?

Thinking of this, Chen You's lips curved slightly upward.

He patted Meng De Meng's shoulder and spoke in a tone full of encouragement and praise.

"Meng De, it is truly gratifying to see you come to this realization; a prodigal son returning is a cause for celebration."

"Go," he said.

"Bravely pursue your happiness, don't leave yourself with regrets."

"Your Excellency..." Meng De Meng was moved to tears.

"You not only saved my life but also enlightened my existence! For this immense kindness, I, Meng De Meng..."

"Enough, I understand," Chen You interrupted him.

"Hurry up and go, Juaner is waiting for you."