Chapter 521: Surprises and Delights

Chapter 521: Accidents and Surprises

Half an hour ago, dark clouds loomed over Jinling City, yet no rain had fallen.

Since learning this world was but an illusory game, Wang Qi felt his entire being suddenly enlightened.

What of treading on thin ice, what of cautious restraint—now, in his eyes, all such notions were mere nonsense.

In truth, had it not been for his sympathy toward Ao Hu’s fate in the dream and his desire to secure a favorable ending for the man, along with his fear that this illusory realm might be a one-time consumable, lest he lose his chance to return, he would have already stormed the streets, unleashing chaos.

Bold strokes and daring deeds—that was where the true joy of the game lay!

After leaving the room that triggered the quest, Wang Qi spent nearly half a day walking to the foot of Lion’s Hill in northern Jinling.

The tavern, just opening for business, appeared bleak; the vast shop was nearly empty.

Wang Qi pulled out a chair and sat down with a loud creak, clasping his fists in salute toward Li Jun.

“Last time, we parted in haste—I didn’t even get to ask your name, elder brother?”

To become a warrior of the sequence.

But if this were a provocation, at such close quarters, the two martial artists—Wang Qi and Li Jun—would hardly fear each other.

Wang Qi’s words halted abruptly; he glanced warily at Shen Li, then said: “What brings you here again, Brother Jun?”

Could it be he had misjudged? Was this man a master of some hidden sequence?

That shouldn’t be the case—his genetic backlash ability was perception and resistance; even the Four Yin-Yang would have nowhere to flee before him.

Wang Qi slowed his pace, strolling through the streets, savoring this dream realm so vivid and intricate it was almost terrifying.

A cacophony of sounds swirled into a buzz along the long avenue.

In an instant, Shen Li’s face turned ashen, deeply ashamed of his earlier reaction.

What the hell? Who climbs onto someone’s lap and starts tearing their clothes off? Do you have no shame?

Yet Wang Qi was not suddenly concerned with court affairs but was stunned that the site of the attack lay in Liaodong.

“How curious—we both took this very path.”

Moreover, this man had bested Ao Hu, who had guided him, proving he was a formidable dream realm figure, possibly even closely tied to Wang Qi’s own faction.

If this were true, then today he would have to go all out and join Li Jun in taking down this faction.

The Great Ming Empire now recognized the Three Teachings and Nine Schools, twelve sequences—a basic concept Wang Qi understood.

“It seems our fates are not yet intertwined enough.”

Thus, Wang Qi’s purpose in coming to the northern city was to seek a black market trading post his foreman had once mentioned, to learn the market prices. He wished to know how much treasure-cash a cheapest mechanical heart and its implant surgery would cost, so he could plan ahead.

“Is it you?!”

Though his immediate priority was resolving the sequence issue and completing Ao Hu’s assigned task, if he became a warrior of the sequence, would he even live to experience the wishes Ao Hu had promised before someone killed him?

Dream palaces and brothels bathed in alluring hues, their members of the carved-dragon-and-painted-phoenix gangs lurking nearby, sleeves deliberately rolled up to reveal glinting mechanical limbs. Freelance foremen and supervisors wore neat silk robes, their hair meticulously braided and wrapped in fine scarves, their appearance so immaculate they seemed sculpted by a master’s blade, escorted by beauties toward taverns glowing with warm yellow light. Scavengers, fearing drowning in the rainwater, hurried out from underground passages beneath the earth dragons, familiarly selecting a sheltering eave, arranging themselves comfortably on narrow steps, then flipping their eyes shut once more to reenter the resplendent dream realm.

From Wang Qi’s accumulated half-year of experience in this dream world, becoming a warrior of the sequence was no simple feat—it could even be said to be exceedingly difficult.

The once-crowded throng had thinned to near emptiness; only projections two zhang from the ground and the solitary Wang Qi remained, still unhurried.

“That man must be a formidable dream realm figure, but I wonder—does he stand for lawful goodness or neutral chaos? I’ll ask Ao Hu later, see if I can trigger something from him.”

Moreover, this sequence was said to be at odds with the dominant Three Teachings, making it a pariah, everyone seeking to destroy it.

The great path? Among the Three Teachings and Nine Schools, perhaps only the Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist sects could claim such a title.

Wang Qi had no intention of concealing anything, speaking candidly.

Wang Qi declared firmly: “It is brotherly bonds, not teacher-student ties!”

The man did not stop Wang Qi from leaving; he merely stood in the rain, umbrella in hand, gazing at that back marked by panic, like a statue, red light swirling in his eyes.

No longer a death-seeking villain, but a gold mine awaiting excavation.

The trigger was difficult!

Having struck a soft nail, Wang Qi was not surprised but pleased—the greater the challenge, the greater the reward, an ancient truth unshaken by turmoil.

Shen Li regarded Wang Qi’s expectant expression with a peculiar look, momentarily unable to discern his relationship with Li Jun.

Wang Qi, recalling his own miserable half-year ordeal, let his features twist slightly as he said: “We meet too late!”

That would be becoming a warrior of the military sequence.

Let alone the threshold of this sequence, which demanded pure physical prowess—he no longer met that standard.

“Was it Ao Hu who told you this?”

No one cared about the distant Liaodong; only Wang Qi stood before a shop window, listening intently.

Just as Shen Li’s cold laughter echoed, the tavern’s door was pushed open again.

He now had less than ten thousand treasure-cash. From his prior knowledge of mechanical prosthetics, a white silk warrior model three prosthetic could fetch fifteen to twenty thousand treasure-cash; even a secondhand one nearing obsolescence would cost four or five thousand.

The process was not only time-consuming but also costly—a poor choice for Wang Qi.

“We’ve only met twice—could we really have such a profound connection? Impossible.”

“We meet again, truly a coincidence. Are you here to purchase goods or gather information?”

In the window of a shop specializing in projection devices, a stern official sat beneath a sun-and-moon framed banner, speaking slowly and steadily, each word ringing clear and powerful.

“I know you, Shen Li.”

“I heard this place is a hub for information trading in Jinling’s black market, so I came to inquire about certain matters.”

However, to become a warrior of the Buddhist or Taoist paths, one prerequisite was to train for a long time within temples, monasteries, or Buddhist nations, becoming a devout follower before undergoing a series of arduous trials to apprentice.

Wang Qi, embarrassed, said: “That was merely a teacher-student bond—we share a brotherly connection.”

Wang Qi turned at the sound, shocked to see the newcomer was the very man he had just encountered.

The man’s sudden appearance in the rain left a deep impression on Wang Qi, who memorized his features even as he pushed open the tavern’s door.

“Wang Qi.”

He lifted his head; a man nearly eight feet tall blocked his path, beneath the umbrella’s shade, with knife-like brows and a prominent nose, his loose robes revealing the contours of his muscular frame, and in his distinctly pale eyes, a chill that kept strangers at bay.

Of course, if the role Wang Qi had assumed possessed a noble lineage and background, all problems would naturally be resolved.

This proved that he, the old eagle, had spent a lifetime soaring, only to have his eye pecked by this little sparrow today.

But from the preceding plot, Wang Qi had learned that his role was the lowest of the Great Ming Empire’s “three-no” individuals—no family, no status, no future.

He had not been killed by the man, nor had Ao Hu, who had dared to provoke him, perished—enough to prove the man’s danger was not so great.

As for other sequences, they were either deeply hidden; Wang Qi had only heard their names in passing conversations with coworkers, never knowing their exact locations.

Before Li Jun could answer, Wang Qi pulled his chair closer to Li Jun, exclaiming eagerly: “That day, after parting at the earth dragon station, I regretted not seizing the chance to express my admiration for you. These days, I’ve often clenched my fists in anguish, nearly considering it my greatest regret in life. Never did I expect to meet you again in this vast Jinling City—what does this mean?”

If they were friends, it would be easy to speak.

“It’s Brother Jun, a pleasure to meet you. And this brother?”

In just this brief delay, the rain had begun to intensify.

Shen Cang's gesture, though seemingly trivial, bore the silent weight of unspoken tension.

Ronglu turned his gaze toward Li Jun, his eyes like a deep pool: “And you—what a surprise!”