Breaking Through

He is my only family, and the deepest bond I have in this world.

Honest, resilient, and clueless shou × a sharp-tongued, soft-hearted, hypocritical dog of a gong

When we first met, he was a sickly man who had drifted down the river. An nearly dug a hole to bury him in.

Later, he became An's family. An would rip open his spiritual core for him and wash his hands to make him a meal.

As Tongjing was about to fall, An carried him on his back and fled for their lives. He was burning with fever, so An kept talking to him, afraid that his only family would die and leave him.

But when he woke, he looked at An with cold, unfamiliar eyes and asked, "Who are you?"

*

An (smugly): "You were dressed all in black, and you made no sound as you floated down the river. You were like a ghost. 'Gui' suits you perfectly!"

Gui (expressionless): "..."

An (leaning closer): "Don't like it? Then let's pick another. Little Black? Ghostie? Sickly Beauty?"

Gui (pressing a hand against his head): "...Let's stick with Gui."

An (smiling): "See? I knew you'd like it."

Gui (pouting): "Shut up."

*

The two of them are bathing by the river.

An (glancing over, murmuring): "Tsk, you're all better. Why do you still look like you've shrunk?"

Gui (expressionless): "..."

An (trying not to laugh): "Oh, smaller's good. Smaller's good. Takes less cloth."

Gui (silently approaching, then pushing An underwater): "Why don't you take a closer look?"

An (splashing back to the surface, face red): "...!!! Are you serious?! Though... I guess you haven't shrunk."

Gui (letting go and turning away): "Even if I had, I'm still bigger than you."

Content warnings:

- Four-person ensemble cast. The main group has two men and two women, with roughly equal time devoted to each.

- The protagonists have a strong protagonist aura and exceptional talent.

- Includes body-swapping between male and female spirits, gender changes, and related plot points.

- Entirely fictional, with no real-life inspirations or basis.

- The early chapters focus on emotional development and worldbuilding.

- The romance develops gradually.

- Includes supernatural, mystery, and adventure elements. This is not a pure romance or traditional cultivation novel.

- Not recommended for readers who demand airtight logic.

- The update schedule is irregular. Chapters will appear at random.

This is a long story, so let me tell it to you bit by bit.

Theme: With great power comes great responsibility.