I Tame Beasts by Feeding

"N—." A struggle flickered in Yu Changsheng’s eyes. He finally let out a slow breath and gave a slight smile. Looking at Elder Wei, he grinned, clenched his fist, and without warning, threw a punch at the man before him.

"Too bad you’re just a fake."

Yu Changsheng gently shook his head, feeling the power at his fingertips as he slowly exhaled.

"My disciple, you..."

The look of astonishment on Elder Wei’s face froze. He stared at Yu Changsheng, his eyes flashing with disbelief that finally turned into indignation. Before he could finish his sentence, his body began to crumble like shredded paper, slowly dissipating as if blown away on Yu Changsheng’s breath.

Dissipating along with him was the surrounding space. The world shattered like a mirror, its pieces drifting away on the wind with a series of crisp CRACKS.

And as the mirror shards vanished, it was as if a corner of a massive scroll had been torn away, revealing another... vast world.

The streets bustled with traffic, neon lights illuminated the night, and a vast jungle of steel rose in orderly rows. Skyscrapers stretched up one after another, and roads snaked into the distance like long dragons, their surfaces a ceaseless flow of vehicles.

"This is..."

A flicker of confusion crossed Yu Changsheng’s eyes as he jerked his head up from his desk. He was in a three-square-meter cubicle. On the computer monitor, the time blinked: December 4, 2023, 19:38...

He turned his head. Through the sleek floor-to-ceiling window, his vantage point on the eighteenth floor offered an unobstructed view. Multicolored neon lights glittered, lending a splash of much-needed color to the drab city.

The sky was hazy. Aside from a single, brilliant moon, not a single star could be seen. Even clouds were scarce.

Beneath the night sky, the city’s true clamor was just beginning. Here on this floor, besides the light at Yu Changsheng’s desk, a few other lamps were still on in the distance. The people at those workstations wore expressions of either resignation or weary familiarity, yawning as they busied themselves with their work.

It was silent, save for the sporadic tapping of keyboards rising and falling.

’I’m... back?’

Yu Changsheng’s eyes were glazed over. His gaze drifted to the open document on his desktop, where a line of large text jumped out at him.

"November Market Research and December Project Planning..."

Everything from the Cultivation Realm felt like a dream. A strange power seemed to cloud Yu Changsheng’s mind, making all his past experiences feel even more hazy and unreal.

The only thing that felt real was the cold keyboard in front of him.

Still in a daze, Yu Changsheng vaguely rose to his feet and subconsciously walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, staring blankly at the scene before him.

Everything felt so unreal. Only his current identity was gradually coming into focus.

"What am I... thinking?"

Yu Changsheng murmured to himself. He held out his hand, tracing the lines on his palm with a hint of confusion.

"Changsheng, what are you spacing out for? Let’s finish up and get home to rest. It’s late, we haven’t even had dinner, and we’re still stuck here working overtime. So annoying."

The complaining voice drew closer as its owner walked over. The man gently patted Yu Changsheng’s shoulder, then stretched his back with a long yawn, his eyes full of exhaustion.

Yu Changsheng started, turning his head to face the man. He then gave a small smile, nodded, and said softly,

"It’s nothing. Just thinking about some things, I guess?"

As he spoke, Yu Changsheng shook his head gently, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

The man before him was a middle-aged professional dressed in a suit and tie. He had a kind face, slightly thinning hair, and wore a pair of rimless glasses. His white shirt was crisp and clean. Yu Changsheng recognized him: Chen Changsheng, a senior colleague at the company.

Perhaps because they both shared the name "Changsheng," Chen Changsheng had taken Yu Changsheng under his wing ever since he joined the company. He’d helped him out quite a bit, and over time, the two had naturally grown close.

"Thinking about some things? What, got a girl on your mind?"

Chen Changsheng laughed at that, his tone teasing.

"Stop teasing me, Uncle Chen," Yu Changsheng said with a helpless, wry smile. "I don’t even have a girlfriend. Who am I supposed to date? You?"

After just a brief exchange, the initial sense of distance vanished completely. Looking at the man before him, Yu Changsheng felt only familiarity. Everything felt just as it should.

"Date you?" Chen Changsheng paused, taken aback for a moment. He looked Yu Changsheng up and down with mock seriousness before nodding. "Not impossible. Look at you—young and full of life. It’s just... I’m already forty-three. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

Chen Changsheng let out a soft sigh, then chuckled.

"Such a great kid. You’re out of my league."

"Alright, alright, stop with the nonsense." Yu Changsheng waved his hand, too tired to even think of a comeback. With that, the familiar closeness between them seemed to instantly return.

This, it seemed, was how things were supposed to be.

"You know, you think way too much. You’re young! Have some energy, don’t be so listless all the time."

Chen Changsheng said, loosening his tie with a sigh.

"Is that so?" Yu Changsheng rubbed his nose, thought for a moment, then turned to look at Chen Changsheng.

He could see the traces of time in the laugh lines around the man’s mouth, and the world-weariness in his eyes was impossible to conceal.

"Yeah. Look at you, you’re at a great age, no real pressure. Not like me. I’m in my forties, and my whole life is tied to this company."

Chen Changsheng’s voice was tinged with melancholy, and for an imperceptible moment, his eyes dimmed. "With parents to support and kids to raise... I guess this is all my life will ever be."