darknovel Chapter 95 Hidden Plot
Chapter 95 Hidden Plot
Li Qingyi: "..."
Hearing the sound of the roast chicken, he felt a throbbing vein on his forehead and a headache.
"They really can't be killed, and they can't be driven away..."
He turned his head away, avoiding the scorching gaze, and asked indifferently, "What brings you here?"
Zhao Mengxi didn't answer. Instead, she moved with cat-like steps, slowly circling him a few times before finally stopping directly in front of him. She leaned slightly forward, her lips parted, and her breath was as fragrant as orchids.
"Come home with me. If you can help me this time, I'll do whatever you say from now on."
Her voice was soft and melodious, with a captivating charm that sent shivers down Li Qingyi's spine and made her stomach churn.
He suddenly looked up, and calmly uttered six words: "I want to live a few more years."
Zhao Mengxi's eyes flickered slightly: "Do you... know something?"
"I know nothing," Li Qingyi said calmly. "All I know is that rashly getting involved in the internal strife of the Purple Mansion Immortal Clan will surely result in a gruesome death."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Mengxi dropped her coquettish expression and said seriously, "I will protect you."
Upon hearing this, Li Qingyi raised her eyes and retorted, "If you are truly confident in protecting me, why would you need to seek help from an outsider like me?"
"You—!" Zhao Mengxi was speechless for a moment, and a nameless anger suddenly rose in her chest.
"This guy is completely impervious to reason!"
A flash of cold light appeared in her eyes, and she thought to herself:
"It seems that a conciliatory approach won't work with him; we really need to think of another way..."
"snort!"
She snorted coldly, flicked her sleeve, and made as if to leave.
Just then, Li Qingyi's calm and even voice rang out again:
"That assassin at the sixth level of Qi Refining, you hired him last time, didn't you?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Zhao Mengxi paused for a moment in her departing steps.
"I don't know what you're talking about." She quickly regained her composure, her voice turning colder.
But Li Qingyi keenly caught that fleeting flaw.
At this point, Li Qingyi was certain that the mysteriously appearing assassin at the sixth level of Qi Refining was definitely related to this woman.
He ignored her weak denial and asked directly, "Why?"
Zhao Mengxi turned around, her face instantly regaining that pitiful, wounded expression, and sighed softly:
"Sigh... I've devoted myself to you so much, and I've always thought of you first. How can you be so heartless, repeatedly questioning my sincerity?"
Li Qingyi's lips twitched. "You've read my message but replied randomly, huh?"
He was quite exasperated and could only change the subject, "You don't want this month's offerings?"
"No, please accept this as a gift from your sister."
Before she finished speaking, she didn't linger. With a flicker of her figure, she disappeared from the Moon-Viewing Platform like a wisp of black smoke, leaving behind only a faint, lingering fragrance.
Li Qingyi watched Zhao Mengxi leave and couldn't help but mutter to herself:
"Does this crazy woman really dislike using the front door?"
Thinking of Zhao Mengxi, he sighed softly:
"How should I deal with this trouble? Last time I found a Qi Refining Level 6 cultivator, what trick is she going to play this time? Is she going to send a Foundation Establishment cultivator to capture me?"
"Fine... Deep Blue, give it to the simulation."
[Simulation begins. Sixty spirit stones consumed. Fifty-four spirit stones remaining.]
[Since you don't have a foolproof plan, you've decided to temporarily set aside the trouble with Zhao Mengxi and prioritize improving your assassin level at Tingyu Pavilion in order to acquire more resources and intelligence.]
You have accepted a high-value mission worth 1,500 contribution points.
Venture into the perilous depths of the Tianyun Mountains to slay the infamous "Crimson Bear," a demonic beast that has cultivated to the eighth level of Qi Refining.
[Re-entering the Tianyun Mountains, the familiar scenery reminds you of Xiaoqing and Xiaobai. On a whim, you decide to stop by and visit them.]
However, when you meticulously follow the route you remember and finally find the canyon that should be shrouded in mist, you are astonished to discover that there are only ordinary mountains and forests before you. The mysterious canyon, along with the cave within, has vanished without a trace, as if it had evaporated into thin air!
You repeatedly checked, confirming there was absolutely no way you could have gone the wrong way. Doubts arose in your mind, a vague sense that something was amiss. Now preoccupied with other matters, you had no time to linger, so you suppressed your doubts and turned to head towards the Crimson Bear's habitat.
Before they had even gotten close to their destination, a roar of a bear, brimming with violent demonic power, exploded like thunder, shaking the surrounding earth.
That single roar was enough to make you realize that this beast was not to be trifled with.
[You're not entirely confident against a demonic beast at the eighth level of Qi Refining, after all, the difference between each minor realm in the late stage of Qi Refining is quite significant.]
However, thinking of your newly mastered "Great Wilderness Imprisoning Heaven Palm" and "Azure Lotus True Flame," as well as the sharp sword energy flowing through your eight extraordinary meridians, your confidence is rekindled.
Even if we can't finish this quickly, we can wear it down slowly using these methods!
You stealthily approach, and see a huge creature rising up from the ground in a messy open space.
It stood over ten zhang tall, its entire body covered in fiery red bristles, the tips of which flickered with dark red flames, radiating a scorching aura—it was the target, the Crimson Sky Bear!
The ferocious beast was being fiercely battled by a five-person cultivator team. The leader was a young man at the seventh level of Qi Refining, wielding a gleaming green sword.
The other four were all at the sixth level of Qi Refining, two men and two women, each casting spells, the light of talismans and flying swords flashing continuously.
The battle between the five humans and the bear was quite a spectacle; you could tell the five were clearly losing ground.
So you decided...
1. Sit aside, watch the tigers fight, and wait for an opportunity to take advantage of the situation.
Second, offer assistance.
Is there even a need to choose?
Li Qingyi was a little confused about the options that appeared in the simulator.
He was well aware of his own character; when faced with a situation like the snipe and the clam fighting, he would absolutely choose to remain on the sidelines and be the one who reaps the benefits.
"Something's fishy..." He keenly sensed something was amiss. "Could it be that choosing to help might trigger some hidden special plot or opportunity?"
Li Qingyi carefully observed the other person's clothing and felt that it looked somewhat familiar.
"Isn't this the uniform of the San Yi Sect? That kid Han Feiyu wore it."
"If I were to follow my usual approach, I would choose one option: wait until they are both severely injured before I strike and kill the Crimson Bear. I would then simply pick up the bear's corpse and leave."
This would inevitably lead to conflict with the disciples of the Sanyi Sect. Although I was the one who saved them in principle, it would be troublesome if they harbored resentment.
Seeing my overwhelming strength, they will most likely swallow their anger, while I will simply leave. The rest will simply involve completing the mission and collecting my contribution points…
Li Qingyi quickly deduced the likely outcome of option one, and after concluding that it would probably be a mundane scenario, she instantly lost interest in option one.
People are always curious about the unknown.
With this in mind, he became increasingly excited about the possible plot developments that option two might lead to.
"What kind of special development could possibly warrant this simulator giving me a choice? I have to try it!"
"I choose option two."
Seeing the five people in grave danger, one of the male cultivators nearly struck by the fiery breath of the Crimson Bear, you immediately acted without hesitation, unleashing your inner power and leaping out from your hiding place with a roar!
"Great Wilderness Imprisoning Heaven Palm! One palm to settle the world!"
[With your shout, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth converged wildly, and an enormous, earth-yellow phantom hand appeared out of thin air, blotting out the sky and carrying an overwhelming aura of suppression, slamming down fiercely towards the Crimson Bear!]
Your earth-shattering attack instantly shattered the balance of the battle, greatly relieving the pressure on the five. With your powerful intervention and cooperation, the tide of battle immediately turned.
Finally, after a fierce battle, the Crimson Bear let out a mournful howl of despair, its massive body crashing to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The leading cultivator was deeply grateful for your selfless help. In reality, you were merely using your magic to unleash the Great Wilderness Imprisoning Heaven Palm; your true trump card, "Sword Qi," remained unused.
You feigned exhaustion of your magical power and waved your hand. After some conversation, you learned that these people were indeed inner disciples of the Sanyi Sect.
Their purpose in this journey was not the Crimson Bear itself, but rather a "Heavenly Melody Snow Lotus" within its lair. The fourth prince of the Xuan Kingdom was suffering from a rare poison and urgently needed this lotus as a medicinal ingredient to cure it.
The young man in the lead was named Chen Feng, and he was quite generous and righteous. To express his gratitude, he offered to give you the entire carcass of the Crimson Bear.
You accepted it after a slight refusal, since it was your mission objective.
[When the topic of the royal family came up, you immediately thought of the crown prince who had caused your death in the last simulation, so you used this as a pretext to inquire about the Xuan Kingdom's royal family.]
[Chen Feng and the others seemed quite knowledgeable about this, telling you that the Emperor of Xuan Kingdom has nine princes, with the current Crown Prince wielding the most power and acting arbitrarily, suffocating the other princes and causing fierce internal strife.]
You suddenly remembered that when you were in Yishan City, the city lord Li Jinghong mentioned that the current emperor had lost a prince in his early years, so you curiously asked them which prince it was.
Upon hearing this, Chen Feng and the others showed a hint of surprise on their faces, seemingly wondering why you were unaware of this matter. You could only explain that you had been in seclusion for many years, cultivating diligently, and knew very little about the affairs of the secular dynasty.
They were relieved to hear this and readily told you that the prince who had been lost among the common people in his early years was none other than the third prince—Li Xuanyi.
You didn't seem to care much about it and quickly brushed it off. After a short rest and regaining some of their magical power, Chen Feng and the others prepared to head to the Heavenly Crimson Bear's lair to retrieve the Heavenly Rhyme Snow Lotus.
He looked at you and sincerely extended an invitation: "Fellow Daoist, your strength is formidable. Why not come with us? It would be good for us to look after each other."
So you decided...
1. Accept the invitation and go to the Sky Red Bear's Nest together.
Second, he politely declined and returned home with the corpse of the Crimson Bear.
Li Qingyi's eyes suddenly lit up, and she thought to herself:
Here it comes! Is it a classic murder-for-treasure scenario? Or is there another opportunity?
"I'm currently short of money. If they really want to kill me and steal my treasure, they might be able to use this opportunity to get rich quick in the real world."
Having made up her mind, Li Qingyi immediately made her choice.
"I choose one."