Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, a year had passed. Shen Tanqi had thoroughly explored every nook and cranny of the Rongyun Sect. It was just like any other cultivation sect from novels, with the occasional troublemaking cannon fodders, but none of them could overshadow Shen Tanqi’s presence.
Fortunately, Xiao Qingyu and Fang Wenxun were easy going people, and Shen Tanqi quickly became close to both of them.
Days passed comfortably, and Shen Tanqi even forgot there was a male protagonist in this story.
Every day, with the help of the system and his fellow disciples, he worked on the vegetable fields at the sect’s entrance, tended to chickens, and received a monthly salary of 13,000 yuan. Life couldn’t be more comfortable.
The system’s little chick perfectly embodied the saying, ‘When in Rome, do as the Romans do.’ It followed Shen Tanqi daily, helping with planting vegetables and picking fruits, occasionally practicing to keep itself fit.
“If only this was a farming novel,” the little chick often sighed. “Master, your baby vegetables are great. They’d make a delicious hot pot.”
Shen Tanqi proudly picked the baby vegetables favored by the system and replied, “Tonight, we’ll impress Qingyu and the others. Do you have any hot pot ingredients? Get them for me.”
The little chick licked its beak, saying, “Sure, I’ll advance your employee benefits, but save some perks for me.”
“I know, your share is guaranteed,” Shen Tanqi replied without looking up, smiling.
This didn’t feel like a journey through a book; it felt more like a relaxing vacation.
The mountain was beautiful, the scenery was captivating, the company was great, the food was delicious, and the system was helpful. Shen Tanqi was now seriously considering not going back. Going back meant working for the oppressive capitalist system, which couldn’t compare to the comfortable life he had here.
As Shen Tanqi returned to the sect’s side hall carrying the vegetable basket, he heard Fang Wenxun rushing in, looking anxious. He urgently said, “Bad news, Junior Brother! You need to check on Qingyu quickly!”
The vegetable basket hit the ground, and the tender baby vegetables rolled into the dust.
When Shen Tanqi arrived, Xiao Qingyu was lying unconscious on the bed, muttering incoherently.
“Heaven’s will is heartless, heaven’s will is heartless… Wipe out the supernatural beings, glorify our demonic clan!”
Beside him, Fang Wenxun was already sweating profusely, restless like an ant on a hot pan, grabbing Shen Tanqi’s arm and asking, “Quick, take a look. What’s happened to Qingyu?”
Shen Tanqi, unfamiliar with such a scene, barely managed to calm down, holding Fang Wenxun back. “Have you informed the elders?”
Fang Wenxun hesitated several times, then shook his head, “You don’t know, the demonic clans have become increasingly audacious lately. Several nearby cities protected by the Rongyun Sect have been attacked by the demonic clans.”
With a deep frown, Shen Tanqi asked, “Why didn’t anyone tell me?”
“Elder Shen specifically told us not to tell you before he set off,” Fang Wenxun explained. “He was worried that if you knew, you’d rush out to seek glory. The demonic clans are ruthless and ferocious, killing on sight. He feared you might lose your life because of this…”
Hearing this, Shen Tanqi was silent. He had indeed been living a comfortable life, to the point that he almost forgot the central conflict of the original story, the enmity between the male protagonist and the demonic clans.
The demonic clans were depicted as extremely formidable in the book, relying on their powerful physical abilities to commit all sorts of heinous acts, including using humans as food and devouring monsters, all to strengthen their cultivation.
“There’s not much I can do in this situation,” Shen Tanqi began to sweat on his forehead. He had never seen the demonic clans and had no knowledge of their tricks.
On the bed, Xiao Qingyu mumbled a few hazy words, seemingly still fixated on those lines about wiping out supernatural beings and glorifying the demonic clan.
It seemed that Xiao Qingyu’s condition was indeed connected to the demonic clans.
Fang Wenxun anxiously inquired, “The elders are absent, and among the fellow disciples, only you have the highest cultivation. Even you can’t save Qingyu?”
He, Him? He was a novice cultivator who had come from the real world to this novel’s setting. To be honest, he had yet to fully grasp how to manipulate spiritual energy.
Perhaps realizing his haste, Fang Wenxun clenched his teeth and slapped himself in frustration. “It’s all my fault, my poor aptitude, and lack of progress in cultivation. At such a critical moment, I’m asking you to save Qingyu. It’s my fault for taking Qingyu to gather herbs; we don’t know when he fell into the path of demonic cultivation. If Senior Brother Yu was here…”
Shen Tanqi hadn’t heard the name ‘Yu’ in a long time. He suddenly raised his head and said, “It’s not your fault, senior brother. Even without the male protagonist, we’ll definitely save Qingyu.”
“Male, male what?” Fang Wenxun asked, puzzled.
Shen Tanqi frowned, lifted the blanket covering Xiao Qingyu, and sat at the bedside. In his mind, he silently called out, “System, system, system, come out… It’s an urgent matter, extremely urgent. Hurry!”
In an instant, a little chick appeared in mid-air, fluttering its wings and landing in front of Shen Tanqi.
Only Shen Tanqi could see the system, while to Fang Wenxun, it appeared that Shen Tanqi’s face suddenly brightened, as if he had found a way to save Xiao Qingyu.
“Quick, fetch the original book,” Shen Tanqi didn’t have time to talk nonsense with the system. As soon as the little chick retrieved the book, Shen Tanqi snatched it from the system. He meticulously searched through the pages for any mention of Xiao Qingyu’s symptoms.
After what felt like a long search, he finally found a page describing the exact same symptoms as Xiao Qingyu’s during the male protagonist’s battle against the demonic clans.
‘I saw the man in black releasing a dark Gu insect. In the blink of an eye, the Gu insect drilled into the back of the young disciple’s neck and rapidly spread along the body’s veins. At first, it invaded his consciousness and mind, eventually seized complete control over the young disciple’s body, even transforming his appearance into that of the demon clan.”
Damn.
This is so twisted.
“Senior brother, lend a hand,” Shen Tanqi and Fang Wenshen quickly helped Xiao Qingyu up. Sure enough, they discovered an inconspicuous black hole upon closer inspection at the back of his neck – most likely the entry point for the Gu insect.
After confirming, Shen Tanqi asked Fang Wenshen to place Xiao Qingyu down, while he continued to immerse himself into the sea of books, leaving no stone unturned, seeking any trace to undo the Gu insect’s curse.
To Fang Wenshen’s eyes, Shen Tanqi seemed to hold something in his hand, continuously examining it.
Fang Wenshen didn’t understand but surmised it might be some secret treasure of the Shen family, colorless and odorless, possibly the lifesaving remedy for Xiao Qingyu.
Fortune favors the determined; Shen Tanqi finally found the method to get rid of the Gu insect.
‘On the Bloodthirst Cliff, there exists an extraordinary herb, capable of dispelling a hundred poisons. It is the natural enemy of Gu insects. When ingested, the Gu insect instantly dissolves into blood, and its nutrients meld into the body, enhancing vitality and health.’
Shen Tanqi excitedly finished each word, then immediately raised his head and looked at Fang Wenshen. “Senior brother, where is the Bloodthirst Cliff?”
Hearing his words, Fang Wenshen’s expression stiffened as if he’d heard a forbidden term. “Why do you ask about that…”
“On the Bloodthirst Cliff, there is a spirit herb that can save Qingyu’s life,” Shen Tanqi rolled up his sleeves eagerly, “I’ll go pick it.”
Before he could act, Fang Wenshen, with a trembling voice, firmly opposed, “Absolutely not! The Bloodthirst Cliff is a forbidden place of the Rongyun Sect, fortified by a millennium-old formation, one can enter but never exit. Thousands of ferocious demons are imprisoned at the bottom of the cliff, each one a former scourge to the region! What if you fall in…”
The consequences, he couldn’t even bear to imagine. It was likely the demons would tear them into pieces.
After hearing this, Shen Tanqi fell silent.
The slanting sun outside cast its rays. Xiao Qingyu on the bed seemed to have little strength left, his voice growing faint, his complexion pale and feeble.
For Shen Tanqi, self-preservation was the wisest choice. He was always timid from childhood, dreaming only of an ordinary life, a secure nine-to-five job, maybe a civil servant position, with no trouble – that was his life’s greatest aspiration.
Even after transmigrating into this story, he didn’t expect to be able to fly or become some intimidating central figure. He only wanted a peaceful, unremarkable life: gardening, raising chickens, cooking, and chatting with friends while snacking on melon seeds.
“System, do you think… the true protagonist is usually the one transmigrated?” Shen Tanqi was talking with the system internally, but his gaze remained fixed on the setting sun outside the window.
If he also had the protagonist’s aura, could he safely save Xiao Qingyu?
Just like the legendary Senior Brother Yu, who seemed invincible.
The little chick fluttered its wings and finally landed on Shen Tanqi’s shoulder, gazing out with him.
“For an ordinary person among the masses, master, you’re already incredible,” the system gave an evasive response.
Hearing this, Shen Tanqi suddenly felt considerably lighter, smiling as he asked, “Is this the answer given by your AI intelligence?”
The system paused briefly. “AI is man-made, the system is also man-made, so this is…”
The evening sun outside the window bathed the little chick, making it even more radiant.
“An answer given by a human.”
Receiving the expected response, Shen Tanqi blinked and chuckled, “Alright, cancel the hotpot for tonight on the task panel. Your master is going to trigger a side quest – to the Bloodthirst Cliff. Pick the spiritual herb from the cliff and save Junior Brother!”
TL: New chapters will be posted every 2 days!
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
