Chapter 278: Finished, the Whole World Knows I Am About to Be Reborn

Chapter 278: It’s Over, the Whole World Knows I’m About to Be Reborn

Qi Yuan smiled: “I don’t even have a marriage certificate now, no Dao companion.”

Jiang Ruhua, upon hearing this, fell into thought, then revealed an expression of admiration: “So you, fellow Daoist, are… keeping one outside—clever, very clever!”

He immediately understood that this fellow Daoist before him had not formally formed a Dao bond with anyone.

After about several dozen breaths, the spirit boat finally began to come to a halt.

Cultivators from the cabin emerged one after another, men and women alike, their expressions varied.

These cultivators all disembarked from the spirit boat.

Below the spirit boat, many rabbit carriages had also arrived to welcome the cultivators from the boat.

“Farewell, fellow Daoist,” Qi Yuan said softly.

Jiang Ruhua’s face broke into a smile: “Don’t forget to invite me to your wedding feast!”

“…Alright,” Qi Yuan agreed casually.

After all, out in the world, one’s persona was self-made, and promises were made on a whim.

Only then did Jiang Ruhua turn his attention downward. He swept his gaze and immediately spotted a radiant young woman in a yellow dress.

A flicker of relief passed through his eyes, and his heart swelled with a hint of pride.

Little brat, still knows to come greet your father?

He decided that when he saw his daughter, he would not give her a kind face.

He stood there with a slightly aloof air, waiting for his daughter to approach and welcome him.

Sure enough, his daughter’s face lit up with joy as she rushed straight toward him.

His expression remained stern, but inside he was overjoyed.

“Senior Brother, you’re finally back!”

Yet Jiang Ruhua’s face froze.

He saw his familiar daughter walk toward the fellow Daoist he had been chatting with at length, her arm slipping familiarly into his, her eyes seeming to hold only her senior brother.

A flame spread within his chest.

He wore an expression of disbelief.

His daughter had not come to greet him; even though she was just a few meters away, she hadn’t even noticed him.

And most importantly—that wretched boy!

Many thoughts raced through his mind, and he quickly understood.

The fellow Daoist he had met on the road was none other than his daughter’s senior brother, Qi Yuan.

No wonder!

No wonder at all!

Jiang Ruhua understood, and he was furious!

Obedient and adorable?

Considerate and gentle?

Was Jiang Lingsu like this?

And… buxom junior sister?

Jiang Ruhua’s eyes seemed ready to spit fire.

“Jiang Lingsu!”

He gritted his teeth and bellowed!

If his voice could kill, he would have already torn Qi Yuan limb from limb.

Especially since, on the flying boat, he had been teaching Qi Yuan how to seduce his own daughter!

At his shout, the smile on Jiang Lingsu’s jade-like face faltered. She held Qi Yuan’s arm, at a loss, and stared at Jiang Ruhua with wide eyes: “Dad?”

“And you still know I’m your dad!” Jiang Ruhua glared at Jiang Lingsu and the arm entwined with Qi Yuan’s, his eyes blazing.

Qi Yuan was also taken aback. He couldn’t help but ask, “This lecherous cultivator… is your father?”

Jiang Lingsu was stunned.

Jiang Ruhua was stunned.

Then they heard Qi Yuan say, “Just now on the road, this man taught me that I should cook the rice with my buxom junior sister—make it a done deal.”

A flush of red instantly crept up to Jiang Lingsu’s ears, and the corners of her eyes seemed tinged with rouge, exceptionally alluring.

“You’re talking nonsense!” Jiang Ruhua fumed.

He hadn’t expected that the young fellow Daoist would be his daughter’s senior brother.

“Not only that, he also asked me for advice on how to take several more wives.” Qi Yuan looked at Jiang Lingsu with a pitiful expression. “Junior Sister, you’re about to have a few more stepmothers!”

The anger on Jiang Ruhua’s face vanished completely in that moment.

Jiang Lingsu gritted her teeth: “I’m going to tell Mother about this!”

“No!” Jiang Ruhua was truly terrified!

Jiang Lingsu’s mother was not at all domineering; on the contrary, she was gentle and endearing.

But… she loved to cry.

If she found out about this, she would weep in front of him for ten years—how could he bear it!

“This isn’t over!” Seeing she had leverage over Jiang Ruhua, Jiang Lingsu breathed a sigh of relief and stuck out her tongue.

Otherwise, meeting her father in such a situation would have been truly awkward for her.

…

About half an hour passed.

Jiang Ruhua’s heart was anxious and helpless.

He never imagined that meeting his daughter would turn out like this.

Nor did he expect that the person he had randomly encountered on the road would turn out to be his daughter’s senior brother.

Now, Jiang Ruhua looked at Qi Yuan with a rather resentful gaze.

After all, having been exposed in front of Qi Yuan, he had lost his former authority.

Especially the strategy of cooking the rice to make it a done deal—it left him breathless even now.

“Fellow Daoist, about that ‘cooking the rice’ business—don’t take it to heart. I don’t go for that sort of thing!”

As soon as Jiang Lingsu left, Jiang Ruhua hurriedly said to Qi Yuan.

Qi Yuan, however, just smiled: “You misunderstand, fellow Daoist. My relationship with my junior sister is perfectly innocent.

Everything on the Divine Flower Society forum is fabricated. I also… have no senior sister.”

As for the sect leader's daughter, she was Kang Fulu's Dao companion, and I had no dealings with her at all."

Qi Yuan's explanation only deepened Jiang Ruhua's misunderstanding.

This fellow... even fancies married women!

If they were on the flying boat, not knowing this man was Qi Yuan, he might have called him a kindred spirit.

But now, he could only call him despicable!

"Heh, I believe you," Jiang Ruhua sneered coldly.

Qi Yuan shrugged, looking rather helpless.

Seeing Qi Yuan's innocent expression, Jiang Ruhua seemed to see himself.

He suddenly recalled the time he brought his junior sister to meet her father and was beaten black and blue by the old man.

He looked at Qi Yuan and couldn't help saying, "Hmph, aren't you the Great Shang's number one Divine Infant? Let me challenge the Great Shang's number one Divine Infant!"

It was more an excuse to teach Qi Yuan a lesson than a real challenge.

After all, he had been beaten and drenched in rain before, so naturally he didn't want Qi Yuan to have an umbrella.

Moreover, he was a Divine Infant cultivator from the Eastern Lands; Qi Yuan, though not old and quite young, came from Great Shang and was surely far weaker than him.

"I always respect the elderly and cherish the young; I never bully old men," Qi Yuan refused decisively, then asked with an expectant look, "How about letting my junior sister fight in your stead, venerable sir?"

Jiang Ruhua nearly spat blood upon hearing this.

This Qi Yuan was far thicker-skinned than he was.

In the days that followed, one more person appeared on Seven Colors Peak—Jiang Ruhua took up residence there.

Qi Yuan, as usual, stayed alone in his room adapting cultivation techniques.

However, due to the Divine Flower Society and the Primordial Spirit Sharing Society,

this period was not peaceful for Qi Yuan's work.

Occasionally, Shen Wushen would visit Seven Colors Peak.

Occasionally, the Blood Robe Alliance's Purple Mansion would also come.

Occasionally, even the Yin Spirits who later swore allegiance to the Primordial Spirit Sharing Society would come to Seven Colors Peak to meet Qi Yuan.

Especially after the divine techniques were announced, more and more people came seeking an audience with Qi Yuan.

At this moment, Qi Yuan sat in the cement bungalow, a profound look in his eyes.

"Adding the techniques Shen Wushen brought this time, I now have six divine techniques and over two thousand heavenly techniques... Indeed, Pinduoduo has achieved great success in Canglan Realm too."

Qi Yuan was quite excited at this moment.

Going out to annihilate clans or seek his first love—none of that compared to this.

Lying at home, techniques came in an endless stream.

Now, he could truly be said to have collected all the techniques under heaven.

Even martial arts manuals from the mortal world were numerous.

"These techniques are enough for a long time."

Qi Yuan examined himself internally.

Then he looked at the game jade slip, a glint flashing in his eyes. "The game has finally finished loading."

"But... what does it mean that I died?"

In the game, his incarnation—the one condensed from the innate seed—had died inexplicably.

This surprised Qi Yuan greatly.

"If I enter the game now... what form will I take? A skeleton?"

Qi Yuan was curious.

He had already given orders earlier that he would be in seclusion for a while.

The Divine Flower Society, the Primordial Spirit Sharing Society, and even the Blood Robe Alliance—all would continue as before.

He had also told Jiang Lingsu about this.

"Enter the game!"

...

Deep night fell.

In the graveyard, moonlight filtered through the gaps in the forest leaves, falling to the ground like the shape of a bird.

Dappled light and shadow fell on the tombstone ahead, making it look especially desolate and eerie.

The weeds beside the stone tablet were lush, and a black beetle was gnawing at a grass stem. Suddenly, a centipede-like creature bit the beetle in half.

Crack!

Heavy footsteps came, directly crushing the centipede-like creature.

"Hurry up, surround Lost Path Mountain and forbid anyone from entering!" a middle-aged man in a military cap commanded.

His face was as sharp as if carved, his build robust, with immense energy hidden within.

At this moment, his expression was resolute, yet also held a trace of confusion about the future.

More and more soldiers appeared—hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands.

More and more armored vehicles and various fighter jets circled in the air.

This desolate Lost Path Mountain had finally seen so many people for the first time.

But these people had not come to pay respects or sweep graves.

Occasionally, whispers could be heard among the soldiers.

"Is it all true?"

"Damn, this is too insane!"

"Is this a joke from the gods?"

"Outside, it's chaos—like the apocalypse!"

"I heard from Old Wang that just now, no fewer than a hundred people tried to break through the checkpoint and were all shot dead!"

"Hmph, they must be the lackeys of those capitalists!"

Li Shenkong, wearing military boots, stepped on the weeds, producing a rustling sound.

The soldiers' chatter reached his ears, and a complex, profound look appeared in his eyes.

"World reset?"

"Is this a joke from the Creator?"

"Is this for real? This is too..."

"If it's true..."

He thought of many things.

Just one day ago, above the Archstar, every human—whether asleep, at work, or mixing concrete on a construction site—heard a cold, emotionless voice in their minds.

“The world will restart in 24 hours. An Zhentian, Axiuci… Qi Yuan… Zheng Xi—ninety-nine people in total—will return to ten years ago with their memories.”

Yes, that voice appeared in the minds of all.

Even the deaf heard that message.

At that moment, the Archstar fell into chaos.

After all, this news was too horrifying.

The world would restart?

Some people would be reborn with memories back to the past decade?

This caused massive upheaval across all nations of the Archstar.

Some dismissed it, not taking it seriously.

Others went utterly mad—since the world was about to restart… then… couldn’t they do whatever they had never dared or always wanted to do?

Order collapsed instantly.

Murder, rape, looting, vandalism, arson, slaughter… filled this once-civilized society.

And those ninety-nine about to be reborn were completely seized by the official forces of each nation.

In the Kingdom of Qinyuan, there were thirty-five such people.

Among them, one was in this Lost Mountain.

These thirty-five people were like fat pigs, carved up by the great families of the Seven Martial Stars.

After all, if someone reborn with memories could be controlled, what a tremendous opportunity that would be!

Perhaps the situation in Qinyuan would change drastically, and the Archstar’s landscape would become different from before.

Of course, it was also possible that the voice they heard was a hoax.

The world would not restart, and no one would return to ten years ago with memories.

But even so, Li Shenkong had received orders from above to surround Lost Mountain.

Because, according to their investigation, there was a soon-to-be “reborn one” in Lost Mountain.

Only, this soon-to-be reborn one was somewhat special.

“Report, sir! The Gongyi family has arrived.”

At that moment, a voice came.

Li Shenkong’s expression immediately turned grave.

The Kingdom of Qinyuan was jointly ruled by the royal family and the Seven Martial Stars.

Among the Seven Martial Stars, there were twenty-one powerful families.

These twenty-one families were the true center of power in Qinyuan.

Although the Gongyi family had now declined and might lose its seat among the Seven Martial Stars, it was still one of them.

At that moment, on a makeshift airfield, five planes landed.

A group of more than twenty people hurried over, their faces anxious.

Li Shenkong rushed to greet them: “Elder Cai!”

Gongyi Cai glanced at Li Shenkong and nodded, his face deeply weary: “How is it?”

“We’ve found the target’s grave, but haven’t excavated it yet,” Li Shenkong answered truthfully.

The men and women behind Gongyi Cai heard Li Shenkong’s words, and their eyes burned with anger.

After all, if the words everyone had heard were true, then building a good relationship with the reborn one in advance and reaching an agreement would be an absolute boon for their family.

But the reborn one they had been allocated… was dead!

How could they play this game?

The expressions of everyone present turned grim.

Fortunately, the Gongyi family still had some face—besides this dead one, there was another reborn one, and the Gongyi family could share that one with other families.

Thus, those who came to Lost Mountain were only a part of the Gongyi family—the less valued part.

“Come, take me to see!” Gongyi Cai said in a deep voice.

No matter what, he had to see that person’s remains first.

The task the family had given him still had to be done.

Even if they couldn’t reach an agreement, they had to place the agreement in the grave.

What if the person in the grave was reborn and brought the agreement with them?

Though the probability was zero.

Soon, the group of more than twenty arrived at a desolate tombstone.

This tombstone looked as if no one had visited it for many years, overgrown with weeds.

Gongyi Cai glanced at it, took the flowers, and placed them before the grave.

The other Gongyi family members followed suit, offering flowers to the tomb.

This bleak grave, on this special day, received many flowers.

Then, a secretary-like person, holding a stack of documents, spoke slowly: “Name: Qi Yuan. Born… nine years ago, died at age nineteen.

Cause of death… cerebral hemorrhage.”

(End of chapter)