UGB Chapter 52 Unexpected Variables
Chapter 52 Unexpected Variables
Li Qingyi: "..."
"In the simulation, I was indeed a bit reckless..." he sighed softly. "It must be because my mind became restless after I gained power."
Looking at the simulated ending, Li Qingyi was secretly reminded that on the path of cultivation, the most taboo thing is to be complacent.
"Fortunately, this time we've finally figured out some of the details." His gaze turned to Ling'er's room, where flickering candlelight shone through the window paper.
"Ling'er's background is more complicated than I imagined..."
Thinking of that Netherworld God-Slaying Talisman, he couldn't help but shake his head with a wry smile: "This thing is truly a double-edged sword."
Li Qingyi felt as if she were holding a nuclear launcher, knowing its immense power but unable to use it lightly.
However, the information obtained from this simulation did give him a great deal of room for maneuver.
The clues hidden in the shadows were gradually forming a network in his mind.
"It seems I'm destined to get involved with Tingyu Pavilion after all." He chuckled self-deprecatingly; this outcome was quite unexpected.
"What connection does that Jade Butterfly girl have with Listening Rain Pavilion? Why did she specifically come to remind me?"
Li Qingyi had a vague feeling that this mysterious girl might be the key to breaking the deadlock.
And then there's Ling'er's family background...
Just then, a dazzling light appeared before our eyes, and the reward calculation was completed:
[Reward 1: Qi Refining Level 5 cultivation, after extraction, your cultivation will break through to Qi Refining Level 5.]
Reward Two: A heartless assassin gains a killer's heart. You gradually become indifferent, and your efficiency in learning assassination techniques greatly increases.
Reward 3: Listening Rain Pavilion Assassin Identity Token, used to prove your identity.
Reward Four: Your crushed ashes...
Li Qingyi: "???"
"This is outrageous! They even sent ashes?" He was both amused and exasperated. "Could this stuff be used as some kind of medicinal ingredient later?"
Li Qingyi made her choice immediately: "Reward one."
We now have a lot of information.
At this moment, strength is the most important thing.
As for the second reward, the Heart of an Assassin, he has already reached the limit of dual cultivation of sword and talisman. Cultivating the path of assassination would only make his skills more mixed and less refined.
Rewards three and four are completely useless.
The spiritual energy surged in his dantian, and his magical power washed over his meridians like a tidal wave.
The cultivation power infused by the system was extremely pure, without any sense of superficiality or forced enhancement.
"This is what they mean by 'a sudden enlightenment'," he thought to himself.
This breakthrough caused a greater stir than ever before, even alerting Ling'er next door.
She pushed open the window and looked at Li Qingyi under the tree in surprise: "How did he break through again? This speed is simply unheard of."
She still remembered when they first met, Li Qingyi was only at the second level of Qi Refining, but now she had reached the fifth level of Qi Refining.
"Could it be... that he is the reincarnation of a powerful being who has resumed cultivation?"
This thought gave her a jolt.
Li Qingyi slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, her eyes revealing a restrained glint.
His cultivation at the fifth level of Qi Refining was achieved naturally, and his magical power was thick and solid, without any of the superficiality he felt when he first broke through.
He returned to the house, and with a thought, he manipulated the Green Puppet to go out and attract the attention of the Listening Rain Pavilion.
He then disguised himself, transforming into a completely unfamiliar face.
Li Qingyi suppressed her aura to the level of Body Tempering Realm, quietly climbed over the courtyard wall, and headed towards the simulated gambling den.
……
The casino was brightly lit and bustling with activity. Gamblers were excited and placing bets wildly.
"Big big!"
"So tiny!"
Various sounds, rising and falling.
Some people had bloodshot eyes, while others were extremely excited.
Seeing this scene, Li Qingyi casually found a gambling table, sat down, and began placing bets.
However, the result was a huge surprise to him—he suffered defeat after defeat and didn't win a single game.
Li Qingyi: "???"
Is that right?
The gambler next to him excitedly stuffed the money into his pocket, laughing triumphantly, and kept patting him on the shoulder to comfort him:
"Bro, if you're having bad luck, try again another day!"
By midnight, Li Qingyi had indeed not won a single game.
As expected, the person who won the most money tonight was asked to leave by the woman in the simulation.
He walked out of the casino in a daze, the cool autumn night breeze brushing against his cheeks.
"This isn't right, is it?" Li Qingyi composed herself.
"Could it be that my deviation from the simulated route caused some unforeseen circumstances, affecting my luck?"
Li Qingyi was filled with doubt and unease.
With things having come to this point, he had no choice but to activate the backup plan.
That means being forced to join Tingyu Pavilion, but the treatment of being forced to join Tingyu Pavilion is completely different from being forced to join.
Li Qingyi was waiting early in the middle of the road the carriage would inevitably pass, standing with her hands behind her back, gazing up at the bright moon in the sky.
The houses lined up in a row on both sides of the street.
The moonlight, as clear as water, cast a long, slender shadow of him.
Before long, the crisp sound of horses' hooves hitting the bluestone slabs came from behind.
Leng Qiu frowned as she noticed someone blocking her path.
The carriage slowly came to a stop. She lifted the curtain and discovered that it was the gambler who had lost the most that night.
"What do you mean by this, sir? Do you perhaps want to get your lost money back?"
Her voice carried a hint of coldness. How dare a mere mortal in the Body Tempering Realm try to double-cross someone?
Li Qingyi slowly turned around and shook her head: "I'm not interested in those mundane things."
He said calmly, "I want to get in the car."
The man inside the carriage sneered:
"Miss Qiu, let me go down and teach this arrogant brat a lesson!"
Leng Qiuyi ignored Qiu Xing and snorted coldly, "That depends on whether you have the ability!"
With a light tap of her slender finger, a finger strike imbued with the power of water spirit pierced through the air.
Li Qingyi neither dodged nor avoided the blow, letting it land on her body without sustaining any injury.
"May I get on the bus now?"
Li Qingyi's voice was calm, yet it sent a chill down Leng Qiuyi's spine.
"What happened? Has the organization's secret been leaked?"
She sighed softly; the matter was beyond her control, and she could only take it back to the leader for a decision.
Anyway, the rules didn't say that you can only bring one person back tonight.
"Please get in the carriage, young master." She smiled brightly. "One more person won't make a difference, and one less person won't make a difference either."
"Then I thank you very much, young lady."
Li Qingyi boarded the carriage calmly, not surprised by the outcome.
He had participated in the recruitment during the simulation and knew the rules of Tingyu Pavilion well—whoever was selected depended entirely on the host's mood, and they accepted all comers.
Those who refused to join were killed on the spot, and those who joined were unwilling to leave.
Leng Qiuyi's beautiful eyes flickered, her gaze fixed on Li Qingyi: "Young master is truly an extraordinary person. But I wonder how you knew my daughter's route?"
"The young lady is as beautiful as a fairy, and I have long admired her." Li Qingyi made up a story on the spot:
"I just met a fortune teller by the roadside. He said that if I wait here, I will meet a girl and win her heart."
Faced with such nonsense, Leng Qiuyi covered her mouth and chuckled: "We've only met twice, yet you have quite the sharp tongue, young master."
Li Qingyi remained expressionless and chatted casually with her future colleague.
Feeling ignored, Qiu Xing retorted angrily, "Who are you, kid?!"
The two had barely made a sound during their exchange, so Qiu Xing, a mere mortal who hadn't even reached the Body Tempering Realm, was completely unaware of it.
Li Qingyi was too lazy to argue with ordinary people, but Leng Qiuyi was sensible and casually knocked Qiu Xing unconscious.
"Young master, would you be willing to spend this night with me?" She suddenly leaned closer, her breath sweet as orchids.
Upon hearing this, Li Qingyi's lips twitched.
In the simulation, the other party extended the same invitation, but he never got to enjoy her company until his death.
"A woman's words are deceitful." Although she didn't believe it in her heart, Li Qingyi's words were not as honest as her heart:
I'll be waiting for you tonight.
Leng Qiuyi smiled sweetly, as if she had taken it seriously.
Back in the backyard of the gambling den, the driver carried the unconscious Qiu Xing on his back.
Leng Qiuyi walked in front, passed through several hidden doors, and stopped at a rockery.
Her slender hand triggered several mechanisms in succession, and another hidden door quietly slid open, revealing stone steps leading downwards.
The three of them slowly descended the dark, winding staircase.
"Young Master seems to be quite familiar with this place," Leng Qiuyi suddenly probed.
Li Qingyi's composure aroused her suspicion.
"That's not quite right," Li Qingyi said without changing his expression. "Perhaps the presence of you, young lady, made me less timid. After all, my gaze couldn't leave you."
Even Leng Qiuyi, who was used to seeing men, was so shocked by these shameless words that her eyes twitched slightly.
Throughout the journey, he barely looked at himself. How could he utter such nonsense without blushing or skipping a beat?
Upon reaching the end, the underground secret chamber of Tingyu Pavilion finally came into view.