Chapter 314 - A Guide for Background Characters to Survive in a Manga

Chapter 314 Laying the unconscious king on the bed, Su Bei let out a long sigh. His initial plan was to have the king emerge at a critical moment to take charge, while he, having earned the king's favor as his savior, would leisurely conclude this episode. Yet now, it seemed that once the king was set free, Su Bei would need to depart the country immediately. Although his actions were understandable, in the king’s eyes, he had blatantly disregarded Wu Mingbai's safety, openly defying the king's orders. Even with the merit of saving a life, pleasing the king seemed unlikely; returning home would be the safer option. Picking up the tablet that had fallen on the bed, Su Bei switched the screen to the secret chamber. Wu Mingbai had successfully summoned the Guardian Deity and was embroiled in combat. Ai Baozhu hadn’t immediately assisted him in escaping; after all, their mission wasn’t fulfilled yet, fleeing now would render their efforts futile. However, as the king had pointed out, Wu Mingbai evidently couldn't defeat Gaodi Anzhuo. In the scene, he appeared quite disheveled, while Ai Baozhu, employing protective gadgets and benefiting from someone else attracting fire, seemed relatively at ease within the chamber, with no achievements falling on her. “If we can’t manage, let’s just run.” Seeing that victory was impossible, Ai Baozhu finally showed signs of giving up. “It seems like your country's Guardian Deity has lost its sanity; continuing might not yield any answers.” The tormented Wu Mingbai, however, chose not to give up. Shaking his head with resolute eyes, he said, “I think I’ve figured out a way. Baozhu, I need you to use your powers to protect me at the moment my life is genuinely at risk, can you do that?” Ai Baozhu thought she couldn't, and she would never blindly take on responsibility for herself like a fool. Her face was marked with incredulity. “I can’t. Where does your confidence in me come from?” Though a bit choked by this answer, Wu Mingbai wasn’t surprised. He promptly continued, “Then get Ah Jiang and Ah Bing on a video call. Have them time it for me.” What a good idea! Ai Baozhu's eyes lit up, and she immediately dialed their number. Above the castle, Su Bei had to acknowledge Wu Mingbai's adaptability. He, like Ai Baozhu, was initially shocked when Wu Mingbai asked her that question. The relationship between Wu Mingbai and Ai Baozhu was indeed good, but it was only at a friendship level—not yet at a point of entrusting one's life. In a non-compulsory situation, Wu Mingbai being willing to stake his life on Ai Baozhu seemed hardly believable to Su Bei. The Wu Mingbai he knew wasn’t someone overtaken by such fervor. It wasn’t until Wu Mingbai proposed the subsequent plan that Su Bei realized. Wu hadn’t truly intended to execute the first plan—even if Ai said she could, Wu would have devised a way to call. Curious about Wu’s intentions, Su Bei wondered if he had found a way to deal with Gaodi Anzhuo. Or perhaps, communicate with him when he was rational? The video call connected swiftly. Upon understanding the situation, Lan Subing and Jiang Tianming, congregated together, readily accepted this task. Despite the risk in Wu Mingbai’s plan, apart from showing concern, they didn’t discourage him. The three of them knew each other best; once Wu Mingbai had made a decision, no amount of persuasion would change his mind. All they could do was ensure Ai Baozhu saved him promptly. The plan commenced; Wu Mingbai ceased dodging, focusing on continuously attacking the Guardian Deity. Su Bei keenly observed; it appeared Wu Mingbai wasn’t just attacking but was up to something more. He couldn’t discern precisely what just yet. The frequent assaults upset the Guardian Deity, prompting a lethal strike. A brown light orb, roughly the size of a human head, attacked Wu Mingbai from his blind spot—a move that caused Jiang Tianming and Lan Subing to simultaneously yell, “Save him!” At this critical moment, Ai Baozhu didn’t falter. Just as the orb nearly contacted Wu Mingbai, she activated her superpower [Glamorous Domain], covering the entire chamber, successfully deflecting the orb and its origin outside of the domain. Oddly, though not physically struck, Wu Mingbai collapsed, falling into unconsciousness, and so did the continuous attacks from the Guardian Deity halt. Had the face not remained etched in the wall, they might’ve assumed the Deity fled. “What’s going on?” Lan Subing asked anxiously over the call. “Why is Mingbai unconscious?” Ai Baozhu crouched down to examine him, shaking her head perplexedly after a moment, “There’s no wound on him. I have no idea. What do we do next; should I take him away?” “No, wait a little longer.” Jiang Tianming swiftly refused and explained, “I believe this is part of Mingbai’s plan. Leaving now might ruin it.” Heeding advice, Ai Baozhu found a chair nearby, patiently waiting. Five minutes later, a sudden phenomenon occurred. Numerous earthy yellow light spots began to emerge from the visage, gathering upon Wu Mingbai. At this moment, Ai Baozhu’s abilities couldn’t stop these light points from entering and integrating. “What are these things?” Ai Baozhu attempted to brush them away with her hands, but it was futile. On the other end of the call, Jiang Tianming and Lan Subing grew anxious too. Although a rational voice suggested these luminous points might not be harmful, their concern for Wu Mingbai impeded any calm rationality. Jiang Tianming’s voice, now uncharacteristically urgent, urged, “Use a tool, anything to maintain Mingbai’s current state. We’ll provide replacements later.” “Wait, let me search.” Ai Baozhu swiftly rummaged through her storage ring. Before she found anything, Wu Mingbai’s voice, albeit a bit hoarse, emerged: “No need, I’m alright.” “You’re awake!” The trio simultaneously expressed their relief. Lan Subing quickly inquired, “How do you feel now?” Wu Mingbai didn’t immediately answer. Slowly standing up, brown light points continued to drift onto him from the stone face. He reached out, touching a light point, and it naturally merged into his body upon contact. With an irrepressible chuckle, Wu Mingbai turned, excitement brimming in his brown eyes, “I’ve never felt better!” After his explanation, everyone finally grasped the situation. In essence, as he previously attacked, Wu Mingbai injected his earth elements into the surroundings, ultimately managing, at the brink of death, to sync with Gaodi Anzhuo, who was also earth-element based. Though the Guardian Deity’s actions were not self-governed, its rationality remained, albeit suppressed to a minuscule corner, unable to emerge. Gaodi Anzhuo revealed the issue lay in the improper conversion of the faith intended for him into resentment. Consequently, absorbing abnormal faith led to losing sanity. The process was irreversible, the Deity couldn't revert to its former self. However, Wu Mingbai’s intervention presented an outlet; the Deity could transfer all its power to Wu Mingbai. This wouldn’t restore its normalcy, but it would mitigate the damage to their nation. “This Guardian Deity is so selfless? What great favor did the Kingdom of Yafei provide to it?” Ai Baozhu was stunned. Despite losing its mind, the strength of Gaodi Anzhuo was unquestionable. Few could contend with it, and even powerful supernaturals might retreat to the Nightmare Beast world. Yet, it chose to forsake its power and life to reduce the nation's loss, baffling Ai Baozhu. Wu Mingbai paused in silence before revealing Gaodi Anzhuo's truth: “It’s actually an embodiment of resentment from all our royal ancestors posthumously; hence, it doesn’t want the toil over the years to perish. The Guardian Deity stated, if not for my coming, it wouldn’t bestow its power upon anyone.” In other words, it’s because the descendant of his lineage came, that the Deity expressed such altruism. Had it been a stranger, the aid wouldn’t have been there. This indeed was Wu Mingbai's unique opportunity; Su Bei realized this royal status he had would play a critical role rather than just creating hurdles. The truth spoke plainly. However, the benefits and troubles from this identity were equally numerous. Su Bei grabbed his phone, texting Ai Baozhu, who was also holding her phone, “Quickly, leave. Andrew is coming to capture you.” From the monitoring on the tablet, Andrew had already received news about Wu Mingbai infiltrating the castle, tipped off by his twin brother. It had to be noted that the second princess played it cool; with Weiss inside the castle, she must’ve known about Wu’s infiltration but didn’t disclose this to Andrew, preserving her trump card. Contrarily, the twin brother's actions meant that, after this, even if Andrew overlooks it, the king will surely know there are spies planted in his castle. Although Ai Baozhu's phone wasn’t set to ring, she immediately saw Su Bei's message because she was already looking at it: "Su Bei sent a message! Oh... we've got to go! Andrew is coming!" Given their abilities, escaping would be relatively easy. Without the king around, Andrew couldn’t seal the castle, leaving them plenty of escape routes. Yet Wu Mingbai wore a troubled expression, "The energy transfer isn’t complete, I can’t leave." Leaving now would mean interrupting the transfer. He could potentially gain eighty percent of Gaodi Anzhuo's power, but leaving would mean only obtaining forty to fifty percent. Seeing the light points still surging into him, Ai Baozhu quickly understood his hesitation and suggested, "Then let’s stay and guard for now. Maybe you can talk to Andrew and see if he can hold off for a while?" However, they were both aware that convincing Andrew was a slim hope. If Andrew were someone who could be reasoned with, he wouldn’t be hunting him down or rushing to confront him. Wu Mingbai had no idea why Andrew was so wary of him; was he really that powerful? What Wu Mingbai didn’t know was that Andrew’s wariness stemmed from the recent world competition, where both were transported to the Nightmare Beast world, and Andrew witnessed Wu Mingbai’s greater strength firsthand. To Andrew, his strength was the main leverage in the contest for the throne, and Wu Mingbai, being more powerful, naturally posed a substantial threat. Less than a minute passed before they heard the synchronized footsteps of Andrew leading the guards. As they anticipated, reasoning with Andrew proved futile. He stubbornly believed that Wu Mingbai's infiltration was with ill intentions, ordering his men to attack on sight to capture him. Andrew wasn't intent on killing Wu Mingbai, even emphasizing "take him alive," but the assault was clearly too aggressive for Wu Mingbai to safely absorb the energy from the Guardian Deity. This wouldn’t do. A cold determination sparked in Su Bei's eyes; he couldn’t allow any interruptions in Wu Mingbai's power gain. With the [Earth Element] power, Wu Mingbai was more likely than anyone else to completely destroy the meteorite. If Wu Mingbai ended up with incomplete energy, it might compromise the mission later. While authors usually find a way to ensure their characters complete their quests, who knows if a sacrifice would be necessary due to insufficient energy? In Su Bei's position, if someone were to be chosen as a sacrifice, he was certain the author would choose him without hesitation. Thus, leaving such a loophole was out of the question; Wu Mingbai had to absorb as much energy as possible. This way, even if faced with the circumstances Su Bei had imagined, at least he wouldn’t regret this moment of inaction. "Wake up, it's time for your appearance," Su Bei urgently shook the king awake. Suddenly jarred from unconsciousness, the king was initially bewildered but his brain quickly processed the information Su Bei relayed: "Your second son is about to kill your eldest. If you don’t wake up now, you might have to bury your black-haired child." The words instantly sobered the king, sitting upright with a start, "What! Where?" As his mind rapidly replayed events before his unconsciousness, he turned a furious gaze toward Su Bei, "What did you do? Did you knock me out? That’s treason! How is Mingbai now?" Having already committed his misdeeds, Su Bei, unperturbed by guilt, stood firm. "I merely allowed you a brief rest. Wu Mingbai is currently inheriting power from the Guardian Deity. Nonetheless, your not-so-bright second son, Andrew, aims to disrupt the process. You need to step in personally to stop him. Um... they can hold on for a while, but if you still choose to hold me accountable instead, things could genuinely go awry." He handed the tablet to the king, letting him grasp the situation himself. Though the king didn’t fully grasp what "Guardian Deity’s inheritance" entailed, he comprehended enough to see Andrew was indeed launching an attack on Wu Mingbai. Were it not for Ai Baozhu using her abilities to fend off the assaults, Wu Mingbai might have already been severely wounded. A wise person adapts to circumstances, and the king's concern for his child overcame all else. He quickly shelved his indignation, urging Su Bei, "Quick, take me down there. Didn't you say the time is right?" This was precisely Su Bei's objective in waking him. Lifting the king with ease, he jumped down lightly from above, smoothly catching the railing to bring the king inside. Once in, the king didn't need further assistance. Exploding with surprising speed, he rushed to the basement, his voice booming across the room, "Stop!" The familiar voice instantly silenced everyone present. Everyone had heard the king's voice before, compelling them to turn towards its source. Disbelievingly, Andrew turned his head, immediately spotting the king, whom he assumed to be dead, standing at the entrance. His eyes reddened, "Father, you're alive!" Su Bei: "..." If not for Andrew's jubilant and relieved expression, Su Bei might have thought the king's survival disappointed him. This guy was truly inept with words; it sounded like he wished the king hadn’t survived. How could someone with such poor verbal skills aspire to the throne without fear of leading the entire kingdom astray? The king’s face darkened instantly. With a grim smile, he strode over and punched Andrew squarely, then sternly faced the guards, "Who gave you the audacity to harm a prince?" The guards instinctively glanced at Andrew, who finally came to his senses, realizing his actions over the past days had been anything but honorable. His entire demeanor turned sheepish, "Well... I was afraid Brother might do something wrong, so I took them to stop him. He sneaked into the castle; it didn’t look like he was up to any good. Father, it's truly great you’re alive! Where have you been since you disappeared?" "Don't change the subject, do you take me for a fool?" The king scolded sharply, giving Andrew's head another whack, "You’ll wait until this is resolved." He then turned to Wu Mingbai, specifically those brown light dots still flowing into him, and hesitantly asked, "Mingbai, what's the situation?" Wu Mingbai glanced at Su Bei first before explaining the earlier occurrences. As he spoke, Ai Baozhu approached Su Bei, curious, "Did you disappear to rescue the king?" "More or less." Su Bei shrugged it off. His disappearance was primarily by choice; saving the king was incidental. "Why keep it a secret? Could you let us know next time?" Ai Baozhu complained. Listening to her grievance, Su Bei promptly showed her the "Do Not Disturb" message he had previously sent, alleging, "I did." This counts as notifying? Ai Baozhu couldn’t help but roll her eyes, albeit not too gracefully. Yet, she knew expecting Su Bei to genuinely report his whereabouts was unrealistic, and she quickly let go of her annoyance to avoid vexing herself. Just then, having finished his explanation, Wu Mingbai understood he had absorbed the Guardian Deity's power. Relieved, the king said, "That’s excellent. You should stay in Yafei Nation to cultivate hereafter. I’ll arrange for your withdrawal from the Infinite Superpower Academy and have national earth element masters instruct you." "Who said I’m leaving?" Amid varying reactions, Wu Mingbai raised an eyebrow and assertively declined his proposal, "I’m not leaving the Infinite Superpower Academy." Su Bei didn’t concern himself with the dispute over Wu Mingbai’s whereabouts. If the outcome could vary, he might engage his curiosity. But with a foregone conclusion, there was little reason to stay and watch. As he prepared to quietly leave, Ai Baozhu, perceptively silent beside him, quietly retreated along. Once on the stairs, she inquired puzzledly, "Why are you leaving?" Bringing the king down suggested Su Bei had rescued him. Staying would likely earn him a substantial reward once Wu Mingbai's affair concluded. Even if bored, he should typically remain for that. It must be said that Ai Baozhu knew Su Bei well; without further interruptions, he would indeed have stayed. Unfortunately, knowing the deeds he’d done, betting on the king’s forbearance was unwise. "I'm preparing to return home, today." He finished with a self-assured nod, as though affirming his intention to himself. Ai Baozhu: "..." Though she often considered herself quite headstrong, compared to Su Bei, she felt almost reasonable. Yet her immediate response revealed a similar streak: "Why? Is something about to happen again? Then I’ll go with you." With the Guardian Deity's energy depleted, the earthquakes in Yafei Nation should now subside. As for the rampant Nightmare Beasts, without natural disasters interfering, they would hardly be a problem once reinforcements from other nations arrive. Ai Baozhu felt that staying to help in such perilous circumstances was already more than enough. If another danger arose—especially a threat significant enough for Su Bei to choose to leave Yafei Nation directly—she’d have no choice but to accompany him in leaving. “That’s not really the case,” Su Bei shook his head, quite candidly admitting, “I might have upset the king a bit.” Upon hearing this, Ai Baozhu was about to remark, “Didn’t you rescue him? How could you have offended him?” But on second thought, knowing Su Bei’s personality, it was very plausible. Not dwelling on this matter, she rolled her eyes, playfully asking, “So, does that mean we won’t have any more issues coming up?” “Not exactly,” Su Bei innocently replied, since he had no idea if Yafei Nation had further plot developments—he simply didn’t plan to be involved. “If you want to avoid danger, I suggest you head directly back home like I am.” Hearing this, Ai Baozhu felt a bit let down and hesitated for a moment, “I’ll think about it.” Decidedly, Su Bei didn’t grant anyone time to react. After finishing his talk with Ai Baozhu, he swiftly returned to his room, packed his belongings, and used the teleportation array given by Lei Ze'en to return home. Thanks to the massive earthquakes caused by Gaodi Anzhuo, Yafei Nation’s protective formations were disrupted. Otherwise, leaving via teleportation would not have been this easy, as most nations have anti-teleportation measures at their borders. Arriving back home, Su Bei looked at the now-vanished teleportation symbol, pondering when he might ask Teacher Lei for another batch. It’s great having a teacher with [Teleportation] abilities; such powerful teleportation symbols could fetch exorbitant prices in the outside world and are rare finds. Even at the Infinite Superpower Academy, redeeming them from the points store requires considerable points. If not for their class advisor being a close friend of Teacher Lei and them being his direct students, they wouldn’t have had the privilege of using teleportation symbols freely. Forget about using them for free; purchasing them might not even be possible. For Su Bei, the matters in Yafei Nation were now conclusively over. From here on out, he’d just wait for the next manga update.