The Game with Fairies

Chapter 62

“The words you just mentioned, ‘You are not a fish; from what do you know the joy of fish?’… they carry profound philosophy.”

After defeating a terrifying ghost with a health bar above its head, the usually silent Dragon Deity Fairy suddenly spoke up, expressing such a sentiment.

This woman usually only moved or responded when Li Muyang asked her something, replying coldly.

But this was the first time she had initiated a conversation on her own.

Li Muyang, who had been busy collecting the Resentful Spirit Orb that had dropped to the ground, was taken aback when Dragon Deity Fairy actually started a conversation with him, and he turned his head in surprise, almost doubting his own ears.

–Is this woman actually talking to me?

But then he saw Dragon Deity Fairy say, “…However, this is actually a sophism, profound yet seemingly laced with malice.”

At that moment, Li Muyang was certain that Dragon Deity Fairy was indeed speaking to him.

Before, he had tried to strike up a conversation from different angles, attempting to unearth the plotline, but Dragon Deity Fairy had always been cold to him.

Li Muyang’s mind raced, and with a smile, he stood up after collecting the Resentful Spirit Orb.

“Indeed, it is a sophism, a verbal sparring between two philosophers while wandering above the Hao River.”

“Zhuangzi said, ‘The fish are out swimming about. That is the ‘Joy of Fish.’ ”

“Huizi replied, ‘You are not a fish; from what do you know the joy of fish?’ ”

Li Muyang recounted this lesson from his middle school textbook to Dragon Deity Fairy.

After hearing this, Dragon Deity Fairy was momentarily taken aback.

Then, the aloof and indifferent Dragon Deity Fairy actually chuckled.

“…One philosopher transcends the mundane, not confined by material things, while the other seeks truth and argues cunningly. It’s really interesting.”

The always composed and detached Dragon Deity Fairy now had a faint smile.

Although her smile couldn’t be seen clearly through the fog, just hearing her gentle laughter and sensing her joyful demeanor gave an impression of “a single smile could birth a hundred charms.”

At that moment, it seemed as though the fog in Luoyang City brightened.

Li Muyang blinked, almost doubting he was fully awake.

The Dragon Deity Fairy, who had been difficult to engage before, was now smiling?

Was there something funny in what he said? He couldn’t figure it out.

Li Muyang couldn’t understand the fairy’s sense of interest.

But then Dragon Deity Fairy curiously asked, “These two philosophers are so interesting and extraordinary, yet I have never heard of them… Do they have other stories?”

Li Muyang pondered for a moment.

It was the late Eastern Han Dynasty, and Zhuangzi and Huizi were from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, but Dragon Deity Fairy had never heard of them… Goodness. ?

This Dragon Deity Fairy was illiterate!

She didn’t even know the famous Zhuangzi!

But being illiterate was fine. Li Muyang didn’t know much either.

If she weren’t illiterate, then Li Muyang would have been at a loss.

Since the illiterate Dragon Deity Fairy was interested in historical philosophers, Li Muyang decided to indulge her and have a good chat about philosophy.

He didn’t have much knowledge, but what he did have, he shared with Dragon Deity Fairy, hoping it would satisfy her.

Li Muyang then recounted the stories of Zhuangzi he knew.

The story of Zhuang Zhou dreaming he was a butterfly, questioning whether he was Zhuang Zhou or the butterfly had become him.

And others like mutual support in adversity, imitating others without understanding, the skillful butcher, the technique of slaying the dragon… Zhuangzi was indeed a master of idioms.

Although in the Eastern Han period, Zhuangzi’s stories should have been well-known, as they had become idioms, anyone with a bit of culture would have heard of them.

But the illiterate Dragon Deity Fairy hadn’t heard a single one, solidifying her title as an illiterate.

Li Muyang’s every story captivated her, and she listened with interest, occasionally chuckling.

After each story, she would ponder curiously and seriously, deeply contemplating the philosophy within.

The previously aloof Dragon Deity Fairy now took the initiative, pursuing Li Muyang with continuous questions and conversation.

Her strong curiosity, unending thirst for knowledge, and the barrage of dialogue and questions made Li Muyang begin to doubt his life, wondering if he was the one being pursued.

–This woman has turned the tables!

You’re the game character being pursued!

Faced with Dragon Deity Fairy’s curious and relentless questions and conversation, Li Muyang found it somewhat difficult to cope.

This previously ice-cold fairy, why was she so passionate now?

Fairy, can’t you be a bit more reserved?

Cold on the outside, warm on the inside… Are you playing the gap game with me?

At this moment, Li Muyang could only be grateful that the knowledge he had learned in school had not been returned to his teachers.

With the experience and knowledge accumulated from doing reading comprehension in his previous life, Li Muyang managed to hold his ground against the curious baby-like illiterate fairy without showing weakness.

Li Muyang was able to answer many of Dragon Deity Fairy’s questions and issues or bluff his way through.

When he couldn’t come up with an answer or bluff his way out, he simply changed the subject and talked about something else.

After all, each of the “Zi” from the Spring and Autumn period was a philosophical master, and just throwing out a few topics was enough to keep the illiterate fairy pondering for a long time.

And the illiterate fairy, true to her name, had no knowledge of other historical figures, such as Confucius, Laozi, Mencius, Han Feizi… she was completely unaware.

Li Muyang, while fighting monsters, had to deal with the illiterate fairy’s endless questions and curiosity, and he felt overwhelmed.

Originally, he was troubled about how to strike up a conversation and uncover the hidden plotlines of Dragon Deity Fairy.

But now that Dragon Deity Fairy was too proactive and enthusiastic, Li Muyang found himself struggling to keep up.

What was supposed to be a simple monster-slaying leveling game, Li Muyang ended up turning into a Chinese language mini-classroom.

The enthusiastic and curious yet naive illiterate fairy was extremely interested in all the topics Li Muyang talked about, constantly chattering non-stop.

The two of them conversed while fighting monsters, talking while walking, and talking while battling.

At this moment, all the ghosts in the city seemed to have become peripheral characters.

Fortunately, these monsters had no intelligence and couldn’t speak, otherwise they might have cursed a bit.

–Can we two lovebirds show some respect? Who talks philosophy while monster hunting?

“The Master standing by a stream, said, ‘It passes on just like this, not ceasing day or night…’ ”

“The universe and I came into existence together, and all things and I are one… Such stunning words, they must be from Zhuangzi, right?”

“Truly worthy of Zhuangzi, who spoke of the impermanence of the Way of Heaven…”

” ‘The supreme good is like water, which nourishes all things without contention’, truly a profound statement…”

“Uh… Sir, why have you stopped speaking? Did I say something wrong?”

Dragon Deity Fairy, brimming with curiosity, asked Li Muyang with a hint of astonishment in her voice.

She even seemed a bit cautious, as if afraid that Li Muyang might blame her.

Li Muyang, who was busy collecting Resentful Spirit Orbs, looked up at the sky and sighed without a word.

“Don’t call me sir.”

You’re the one who should be called sir, I’m scared of you already—why do you have so many questions?

This illiterate fairy has such strong reasoning skills, and she can even deduce from one example.

Now she can even guess who said what just by the style of speech… How did such a smart fairy become illiterate?

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