96 Create Your Own Fate

"Well, it shouldn't be me, since I believe my story to go somewhere else entirely," Zhang Yong spoke matter of factly. Though he'd be lying if he had no interest in the witch, the man was keen on solving the mystery of the beasts more. He owed it to himself and the little girl, to finish what he had started, and if fate was to be believed, then this definitely was his.

In fact, he felt himself close already, and going after the witch now would change the course of his story, most likely for the worse.

Ran Wei, who was still in incredible agony that Lin Zhuyue would reach so far within the story, spoke, "I don't think this one is for me either. I don't have the strength or the will to summon the wizard. To be honest, I am unsure of the reason I am in this world in the first place." Her face was haggard and lackluster, like a person who had lost their lifesaving in the casino.

Lin Zhuyue agreed, albeit reluctantly. In comparison to her coworker, she looked absolutely glistening, as if she had just stolen the lifesaving of some poor fool. "I will have to see what the book club offers first. Though they did not adhere to my sense of beauty, it would be a shame to not see where their story ends."

Mei Xue took in all the constructive feedback and nodded. It was wrong to force them into any kind of prewritten fate, and she had messed with their playthroughs quite a lot already. Though they did not take it to heart, and Shou specifically said it to not be a problem, she was a lady who knew not to overstep boundaries. 

She glanced at Li Yinyi, "I suppose you are also out."

"What? Why?" The young pouted, hearing that. She placed her hands on her hips. "I want to see the wizard too."

"But aren't you friends with the witch? Or at least trying to become one?" Mei Xue asked her. "The wizard is her brother and archnemesis. She may die fighting, you know?"

Li Yinyi tilted her head in confusion. "So?"

"...Sometimes I think you are the most frightening of us all," Mei Xue commented. "Still, if I may, you should keep the road you are walking currently. I am sure you will get an ending worth much more than this." It was only a hunch though.

"I also don't want that ending, okay," Ah Liang spoke, sweating profusely. He could not possibly imagine reviving some ancient being and having it fight against some monstrous horror. That's too much of a fantasy to him—a terrifying fantasy.

Mei Xue turned around. "I wasn't planning on asking you."

"Well, that's just rude."

"Alright then, I'll humor you. Do you want this ending?" The woman sighed.

"No thank you." Ah Liang smiled, satisfied. He couldn't have people thinking he was a coward after all.

"Okay." Mei Xue nudged at the other merchant, An Bai, who also declined, just as she had expected. "That only leaves you."

"Me?" Li Yangyi pointed at himself, not expecting to catch any attention.

"You and me," Mei Xue spoke, and some might even misunderstand, having a beauty single them out like that, but by now, these guys have mostly gotten used to her otherworldly attractiveness. "I do think you fit the ending. Together with the chef, you have a connection and a grudge with that witch. Of course, you can also continue learning how to make pork dumplings, if that satisfies you."

Li Yangyi frowned. "...Let me think about it please."

"I don't particularly care, but don't take too much time. Other people are waiting. Though I don't think the fates here a limited, I wager." Mei Xue smiled, her iconic smile, which did not reach her eyes. "But generally, letting a lady wait is bad manners, you see?"

...

Li Yangyi kneaded the dough within the illusory world, while his thoughts were whirling around. He had many matters to attend to, for example, the family's internal strife. As his fathers and uncle Li Won's discourse continued toward a war of attrition, it was only natural that an heir to the Li branch family would be within their discussion too.

Naturally, it would be Li Tiangming who'd choose one of his sons to continue the legacy, and since he had only one son and daughter, nobody questioned who'd be the next family head. But such was only in a time of peace. Realistically speaking, his cousin Li Bufan had many more accolades. He was older and had marched with his own platoon. He had connections with the main family, and although both of them were of the third rank, Li Yangyi had barely reached it, while Bufan came close to breaking through to the fourth.

The only thing he was better at was creating pork dumplings, though even in this, he was subpar, apparently. "Damn it!" He stretched his fist out, wishing to beat the hell out of this thing, though he decided against it.

This whole time, he felt he was running away, to the Store of Fates, the only place where he was safe.

"Your mind is in complete disarray," the chef spoke with crossed arms.

Li Yangyi grit his teeth. He had no reply to that. That was because the old man was right. "It's a personal matter."

"It always is when it comes to worries, no?" The chef leaned on the table. "Why didn't you hit the dough?"

The young man glanced down. Truly, why had he not? He was not one to control his anger, as evidenced by that one time he wantonly broke into this shop. "I don't know. I just thought it wouldn't solve anything."

"That's good because I would have beaten the shit out of you if you did," the chef nodded.

"...Maybe it was out of self-perseverance then." Li Yangyi sighed, and continued dedicating himself to making these idiotic dumplings. Though after a while, the old cook stopped him.

"Let's call it a day. You won't accomplish anything like that," he spoke.

Li Yangyi was more than happy to oblige. The chef was right, it was hard enough to meet his standards during normal days, but even more so while his thoughts cluttered his actions. He rested his back on the desk, taking a good break. A sudden question came to his mind, and he simply blurted it out without thinking. "Do you hate the witch?"

The chef was taken aback by that question. "Where did that come from?"

"Just answer."

He rubbed his long beard, his eyes wandering as if rummaging through his brain to find the proper response. "Well, I'd hardly say we are on good terms. She's taken many things from me after all." He tried lifting his dead arm, of course, there was no reaction. "Maybe if you had asked me a few years ago, I could have given you a yes. By now, she is hardly on my mind anymore."

"Then, if you had a chance to kill her, would you," Li Yangyi asked him full of seriousness.

The chef looked him into the eyes, and did not answer immediately. Silence rang between them, only the occasional rustling of the wind interrupting the stillness. "Well, would you?"

"Why are you asking me that," Li Yangyi didn't know how to react. "I don't have any grudge against her."

"Neither do I," the chef said and shrugged with his only functional shoulder. "So what is the point? You cannot let yourself be controlled by anger or revenge. The moment you do, you've lost your path. You have changed, because of somebody else. Whether it is through love or hatred does not matter. You lost."

"My path..." Li Yangyi muttered.

"Young man, do you have any ambitions?" 

Li Yangyi glanced at the ground. He was stumped for an answer. All this time, he was meant to follow his father's will, that was, become a capable heir to the family and a responsible adult. Yet, in hindsight, he cared little about these things. There was never a drive for him to become anything great, as long as he followed his father's path, he imagined that one day he'd arrive his destination. "I wish to protect the people around me and those I hold dear."

"That's just needless idealism," the chef cut him down. "It's dogshit. Great men are birthed from a drive within them. You can certainly follow the roads laid out for you, but would it not be fun, for once, to go against your fate, and pursue the Dao your own way?" He grinned.

Li Yangyi was stunned by that man's confidence. It went right against the principles instilled within him since birth. However, he could not deny them at all. A sense of unknown emotion welled up within him. In a normal parental relationship, if his father saw him more like a son and not a soldier, would he have heard these words a long time ago:

—Create Your Own Fate.

...

"I suppose you've made your decision," Mei Xue asked him.

The boy nodded. "I will have to decline your offer. I wish to learn more from the old man," he said with full sincerity. It was his own choice, a very different one he'd go. But he wished to see the end of it. He wished to see who was correct, his father or the chef.

"That's fine," the woman said. "It is a path I created after all, so I will use it myself."