In the small projection of the real-time monitor, Ye Tan gave me a light kiss before quickly getting up and leaving.
His visit was quite brief this time.
Unable to worry about him for the moment, I swept away my gloom and gleefully went to change my cultivation level, which currently displayed as "0." From now on, I would no longer be a useless person; I was saying goodbye to my life as a "salted fish."
To put the values in perspective, Ze Que’s cultivation was 5,000, which considered him a first-rate expert. Ye Tan had only just begun practicing martial arts again, so he was only at 1,000. I thought about it and decided it was best to stay low-key, so I lightly typed in 5,500.
After the last incident where I played around too much and had to reload, I had decided to be a grounded cheater. I would no longer change things recklessly according to my whims.
Having settled that, I looked up happily, but suddenly, the world seemed to spin. I couldn't believe my eyes; everything went dark.
My "Qi and Blood" column...
It had turned gray!
There sat a pitiful "10/10." The maximum limit was 10, and even in my best state, it was only 10. Now that the Qi and Blood bar was grayed out, it meant I needed administrator permissions to change it.
I had once worried whether running out of cultivation would cause a bug that prevented further changes. I never expected that the Breath-Leading Technique didn't just damage my internal energy, but my very foundation...
Could it be that I... can never be a person with normal physical strength again?
I recalled the horror of Ze Que nearly kicking away 70 points of my health with a single light blow. With my current limit of only 10, didn't that mean if I slipped and fell one day, I would just drop dead?
As I thought about it, tears of terror began to fall.
Trembling, I moved the cursor back to the cultivation input box.
I changed the 5,500 cultivation to 10,000.
...No, I still felt insecure.
Let’s make it 20,000... Or maybe 30,000?
I imagined myself: frail as a willow in the wind, too weak to even bear the weight of my clothes, eyes closed, slaying the world's peak experts with a mere flick of my flowing sleeves.
And thus, I would ascend to the throne of the Martial Arts Alliance Leader.
Then, while walking up the stairs, I would trip.
And die.
...That would be incredibly bizarre.
Whatever, 30,000 it is. If I really am destined to trip and die, then it is simply my fate to suffer such a tribulation.
I forced myself to accept this cruel reality and hurried to check Ye Tan’s file. When I switched over, I saw that I couldn't change his stats either; that also required admin permissions. It was a great pity that I couldn't help him restore his former strength.
Within the files, there was indeed a recorded memory. Overjoyed, I entered to view it. After adjusting the timeline back and forth, I quickly found the scene from three years ago.
It was the day of Qin Kezou’s great wedding.
The Qin Manor was nestled within the mountains, its walls towering and its presence magnificent. Now, it was decorated with lanterns and streamers, red candles filling the halls in a scene of festive harmony. Carts of dowry boxes came and went in a constant stream. I drifted among them, invisible to all.
Ye Sha should have been nearby, yet I couldn't find him anywhere.
After wandering through a moon gate, I bumped into a man who looked very similar to Qin Chenyuan, though he was taller and his voice was deeper. He was dressed in wedding robes, but his brow was clouded with gloom. On such a special day, where he was the most important protagonist, he sat alone in a side courtyard drinking, looking quite out of place.
As I sat cross-legged on the table, a figure emerged from the corridor. He wore cloud-patterned brocade and possessed the elegant grace of a pine or a crane.
"Xiao Yun." Qin Kezou’s eyes lit up.
Yun Bizhi nodded and silently took a seat beside him.
Seeing that he didn't speak, Qin Kezou suddenly turned and called out, "Ye Sha."
A figure appeared instantly beside them.
He knelt respectfully in the shadows of the corridor, without a trace of breath, like a fully drawn bow ready to fire. His eyes and brows were sharp with a chilling sword intent.
Was this... Ye Sha in his prime?
Just as I was about to happily go in for a closer look, I was suddenly struck by the gaze he directed upward. Having grown accustomed to my own usually gentle "cat," I had never seen him in such a fierce and sinister state. It frightened me so much that I couldn't help but shrink back.
"Young Master Yun wishes to practice the sword with me again. Go wait in the front hall."
Ye Sha bowed his head in obedience and vanished without a trace.
Yun Bizhi seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. He reached out to cover Qin Kezou’s right hand, tightening his grip inch by inch.
Qin Kezou looked down intently at that hand, slowly interlacing their fingers.
They sat like that, holding hands in silence for a long time, before they began to stare into each other's eyes.
Huh?? I thought they were going to practice the sword? What’s going on? I don't quite understand.
I got a bit bored waiting and couldn't help but want to fast-forward.
"I cannot marry Qu'er," Qin Kezou finally spoke. "I cannot betray you, and I shouldn't waste her life."
Yun Bizhi pulled his hand back, the tenderness in his expression vanishing completely. He said displeasedly, "You're acting like a child again."
"The blood and tears shed in the feud between Qin Ling and Taihang Rift—how many innocents have been dragged into it? Shouldn't you know that better than I? If you reject Taihang Rift's face now for your own selfish desires and the two families go to war, have you thought about how many more people will die!" After his lecture, Yun Bizhi softened his voice again, leaning close to his ear. "Ah-Qi, you... as long as you have me in your heart, you haven't betrayed me."
Qin Kezou moved to argue again, but Yun Bizhi gritted his teeth and said, "Rest assured, I have my ways. I can preserve the reputation of the Gu family's young miss and still let you have your wish. But today, you must first complete this marriage alliance perfectly... After today, just leave it to me."
Qin Kezou frowned. "How could there be such a way? Xiao Yun, tell me now so I can be at peace..."
"If I say there is, there is. Have I ever lied to you?" Yun Bizhi suddenly stood up and straddled his lap, saying, "But this method won't work if it's told in advance. Tomorrow... you will understand my painstaking efforts."
While Qin Kezou was still doubting, Yun Bizhi pressed down with a long, lingering kiss, blocking all those doubts.
I hit fast-forward.
What a mess.
I skipped a short segment. Yun Bizhi was gone, and Qin Kezou sat alone in a daze for a while before suddenly standing up.
I quickly adjusted back to normal speed.
Qin Kezou summoned a maid and asked where Gu Ciqu was. The maid informed him, and he went to find her himself.
He walked extremely slowly, his expression pained.
Gu Ciqu was dressed in a crimson wedding dress, her face as bright as a peach blossom. Her wedding attire was still light and agile, lacking the complex phoenix crown of commoner weddings. Her hair was tied in a high, spirited side-ponytail, with a bright red silk ribbon tied into a charming butterfly knot, hanging gently over her shoulder along with her black tresses.
As soon as she saw it was Qin Kezou, she brightened up. Before she could take two steps, she saw the strange look on his face. "Seventh Brother, what’s wrong?"
"I have something to say to you," Qin Kezou said in a muffled voice.
"You... just say it," Gu Ciqu said quickly.
"Saying this now is surely irresponsible... Blame my indecisiveness for dragging you along until today. I’ve thought about it... I cannot entrust your lifelong happiness to the fluke of another person's vow that I myself cannot be certain of." Qin Kezou spoke these words without context, and regardless of how much she understood, he said word by word, "Qu'er, I cannot marry you."
Gu Ciqu listened quietly, biting her lip.
After a long while, she asked, "Is it Young Master Yun?"
Qin Kezou was stunned. "How did you..."
Gu Ciqu curled her lips slightly. "From the time we were young, as long as you were there, my eyes never left you for a moment. Naturally, I guessed some of it..." Her voice gradually grew faint as she sighed. "What a pity."
"Qu'er... I am very sorry," Qin Kezou said softly.
"Young Master Yun is better than me in every way. There's nothing I can do about losing to him... Young Master Yun is an interesting person; his swordsmanship is excellent, and his knowledge is vast. Seventh Brother will surely be happier with him than with me." Instead of being upset, Gu Ciqu patted his shoulder to comfort him. "Don't worry, Seventh Brother. This marriage... I will find a way to decline it."
While Qin Kezou was still in a daze, Yun Bizhi kicked the door open and rushed in, sighing deeply. "You two! Are you trying to irritate me to death?!"
Gu Ciqu greeted him obediently, "Hello, Brother Yun."
He grabbed Qin Kezou and pushed him out the door, shouting, "Go wait for me in the front hall. I need to speak with Miss Gu alone."
Qin Kezou had always listened to him, so he left obediently.
The two groups went their separate ways, and I didn't know which one to follow. I stood at the door looking back and forth. Yun Bizhi saw that Qin Kezou had truly gone far before turning back. "Sister Gu, this marriage really must happen."
Gu Ciqu said in surprise, "You and Seventh Brother love each other; shouldn't you be the one most opposed to it?"
Yun Bizhi said, "Yes, I like him, so I want the Qin family to prosper even more. I want the years of resentment between the Qin family and Taihang Rift to be resolved here. If you break the engagement now..."
"Brother Yun really thinks of Seventh Brother's best interests." Gu Ciqu smiled and comforted him. "Don't worry, Brother Yun. This isn't difficult; I naturally have a way to solve it..."
Seeing that his words weren't getting through, Yun Bizhi added, "You have also liked Ah-Qi for many years and went through so much effort to get this chance. What harm is there for you in marrying him? He is a man; he will eventually need a primary wife. Besides, it’s not as if he completely dislikes you..."
"...You might be willing to share a lover with someone else, but I am not." The smile finally faded from Gu Ciqu's face. Her black hair against the red silk gave her the proud air of a plum blossom in the snow. "I have no use for someone who doesn't like me, bestowing himself upon me out of pity."
Yun Bizhi remained indifferent for a long while before saying, "Fine. However, I have a way to ensure both of you get your wish, but I need your help."
Gu Ciqu asked, "Brother Yun, what is the way?"
"This matter is a secret. Lean in." Yun Bizhi beckoned, and Gu Ciqu leaned closer.
His voice grew softer and softer until I couldn't hear him, so I moved closer as well.
But then, a sudden change occurred. I saw him cover Gu Ciqu’s mouth and nose with one hand, while the long sword in his other hand plunged into her abdomen.
Despite such a heavy blow, Gu Ciqu managed to strike back. A dagger flew into the air. Yun Bizhi hadn't expected her reaction to be so swift; unable to retreat in time, his left forearm took a solid hit. The wound was deep, revealing the white bone beneath.
"...You... are lying to Seventh Brother..." Even as her life force flickered out, Gu Ciqu’s heart was still only worried for Qin Qi. She slid slowly down the side of the bed, her eyes gradually losing focus. "Muxue Sword... River Sky Twilight Snow... The Taibai Yun family... You are from Taibai Pavilion..."
Yun Bizhi praised, "To have such insight, I truly underestimated you..." He tore a piece of the wedding dress to bandage the wound on his forearm, saying leisurely, "Fortunately, it’s not too late to eliminate you. And fortunately, Qin Qi does not have your insight."
"Don't touch Seventh Brother!!" Gu Ciqu struggled to crawl two steps toward him. "Seventh Brother truly likes you. You... you mustn't let him know you lied to him. You mustn't... mustn't..."
"You can rest easy," Yun Bizhi laughed coldly. "The one who kills Qin Kezou won't be Yun Bizhi of Taibai Pavilion, but Gu Ciqu of Taihang Rift."
What a devastating thing to say.
But she could no longer hear it.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 气血 | Qi and Blood | Refers to HP/Health/Vitality in the game-like interface. |
| 咸鱼 | Salted fish | Slang for someone who has no ambitions and just wants to lie around. |
| 秦可奏 | Qin Kezou | Qin Qi's real name. |
| 云辟芷 | Yun Bizhi | Xiao Yun's real name. |
| 顾此曲 | Gu Ciqu | The bride from Taihang Rift. |
| 太行涧 | Taihang Rift | A sect or location (literally Taihang Chasm/Gorge). |
| 太白楼 | Taibai Pavilion | A sect or organization (literally Taibai Tower). |
| 暮雪剑 | Muxue Sword | Twilight Snow Sword; the weapon used by Yun Bizhi. |
| 江天暮雪 | River Sky Twilight Snow | A poetic name for a sword technique or style. |
