Chapter 153: Schemes From the Very Start
Chapter 153: Schemes From the Very Start
[You had a friendly conversation with the assassin Yue Yu. Yue Yu’s favorability towards you increased by 1. Current Favorability: 2 stars]
Chen Xiyi was chatting and laughing with Yue Yu, steadily raising the favorability rating. The progress was just a bit slow; it had taken a whole month to reach 2 stars.
“Brother Chen, since you’ve arrived in Pear City, I must treat you properly,” Yue Yu said, looking at the scenery around them.
“We’re reaching Pear City? The roads in Shu are truly difficult. We walked for a month just to get out,” Chen Xiyi asked, confused. He hadn’t seen any white dots marking settlements nearby on his Game Map. How could they be there?
Zooming out for a better view, the nearest white dot on the Game Map was at least three days’ walk away. Why was Yue Yu saying this now?
“This is already Pear City’s outskirts. At the merchant caravan’s pace, we’ll arrive in Pear City within the hour,” Yue Yu replied.
Chen Xiyi’s heart thudded. Arriving in two hours? Impossible. They wouldn’t reach any city in two hours – not even in two days.
“You didn’t misjudge it, did you, brother? This doesn’t look inhabited at all,” Chen Xiyi said after surveying the area.
Yue Yu chuckled. “Brother Chen, are you sitting in that cart so long it’s made you unclear? Who would be out in this deserted wilderness? I’ve lived here over ten years. I couldn’t possibly mistake it.”
“You’re right. I’m being overly stubborn,” Chen Xiyi said aloud.
But inwardly, he disagreed.
The Game Map couldn’t be wrong. And looking at the status his appraisal revealed for Yue Yu, and his mood shown on his face, it didn’t seem like deception.
Why would Yue Yu lie? Especially about something so unimportant.
A vague sense of unease prickled at him. He checked his own status carefully, but found nothing wrong.
Reviewing their journey, Chen Xiyi felt things grew increasingly suspicious.
Two hours passed in a blink. Pear City appeared.
But none of the expected sights met them: no soldiers collecting entry fees, no bustling crowds of common people.
Only a faint, clinging smell of rot floated on the wind from the city gates.
Everyone’s hearts simultaneously sank. Something terrible had happened.
News spread fast. Chen Xiyi seemed to understand why Pear City had no white dots on his map. Yue Yu, for the first time, utterly lost control of his expression. His acting skills couldn’t mask his grief. He rushed towards the city gates, urgently leaping down from the cart.
Chen Xiyi followed silently behind him, seemingly deep in thought about one thing.
Everything was simply too perfect. Too much of a coincidence. So much that Chen Xiyi couldn’t help but grow deeply suspicious.
The merchant caravan halted outside the city. The streets inside were choked with rotting corpses.
Flies buzzed thickly. Maggots squirmed. Carrion eaters feasted on the remains.
In this state, no one from the caravan dared enter. Without proper disposal, the corpses’ bacterial decay meant entering could easily sicken the entire group.
Even Yue Yu, desperate to enter, was held back.
‘Coincidence. This is far too much coincidence.’ Chen Xiyi watched Yue Yu at the front. The relentless chain of events was giving Chen Xiyi a headache.
Why Pear City had become like this, Chen Xiyi didn’t know. But he did know one thing: trouble was almost certainly brewing.
Thick Death Qi, Resentment Qi, Yin Qi, and even traces of Demonic Energy saturated the place. The wave of Human Qi and Yang Qi emanating from their group clashed violently with the city’s concentrated dark Qi Mechanism just inside the gate.
This volatile mix was perfect for triggering zombification – for corpses to stir and rise.
Yet, the next moment, Chen Xiyi frowned. Nothing happened.
Exactly. Nothing. As if some force was ruthlessly suppressing it. The anticipated wave of undead didn’t erupt.
Chen Xiyi slowly withdrew from the crowd. Finding an isolated spot, he murmured softly, “Fellow Daoist Ji, care to offer an explanation?”
“Merely a small stratagem,” Ji Shan’s voice replied, materializing abruptly behind Chen Xiyi. His head displayed no name tag. Meaning this wasn’t even a clone or projection – just an Illusion Art projecting his distant presence.
“This hardly feels ‘small,’ Fellow Daoist. Might this one” – Chen Xiyi gestured subtly towards Yue Yu – “be the representative you’ve chosen?” His tone held mockery, but his intent was pure probing.
Ji Shan shook his head. “I don’t play this ‘Dragon Race’ game. Nor will he.”
That made it stranger. Why would Ji Shan focus on Yue Yu? True, Yue Yu was a prodigy assassin. Brilliant skills, impressive abilities. Yet compared to Li Zhao’s political administrative talents, Yue Yu seemed far less useful in the current chaos.
“He heads for the Holy Purple Iris Empire, Fellow Daoist Chen. Will you go there too?” Ji Shan offered the information bluntly, even throwing it back as a question.
Chen Xiyi’s heart skipped a beat. He hadn’t expected Ji Shan to be this direct.
“Wouldn’t that be… improper?” Chen Xiyi absolutely wanted to go. But he also understood the principle: this was pure transaction.
Ji Shan offered him a chance at Holy Purple Iris Empire gains – perhaps even a glimpse of the so-called “share.” The cost? Safeguarding Yue Yu.
“Nothing improper,” Ji Shan countered calmly. “Only ensure Yue Yu survives.”
Chen Xiyi felt no surprise. This was indeed the price.
He didn’t ask why. Ji Shan might have answered. But Chen Xiyi knew, down deep, listening to that answer would bring nothing but immense trouble upon himself.
Reconstructing the recent events, Chen Xiyi mentally scoffed. ‘I was trapped in their web from the very start, wasn’t I? Framed as a choice, but really, did I ever have the option to refuse?’
He wasn’t a fool. Ji Shan’s surface amiability didn’t preclude ruthless follow-through.
Ji Shan’s Primordial Spirit blanketed half the continent. He’d likely noticed Chen Xiyi early on. Perhaps the moment Chen Xiyi arrived. Or perhaps the day Chen Xiyi became a Qi Refiner.
His schemes likely started spinning then.
Take the Dragon-Settling Nine Chapters manual. Ji Shan almost certainly maneuvered Cheng Zhen, the famously tight-lipped Cheng Zhen, into “selling” his clan’s treasured, generations-old heritage to Chen Xiyi so smoothly.
His shadow likely loomed over subsequent events too – the Du’e Spirit Child, Soul Returns to One Realm… they all bore traces of his orchestration.
Unforeseen elements certainly existed. Take Li Zhao. Chen Xiyi’s chaotic “fishing” for events was utterly random, beyond even Ji Shan’s control.
How was it all achieved?
Chen Xiyi didn’t know. But standing from Ji Shan’s perspective? A colossal informational gap. The power to influence events thousands of miles away. It presented no real difficulty.
“In that case,” Chen Xiyi spoke, “I shall make the journey. When do we depart?” His question hinted less at timing, more at the need for his own preparations.
“In three years. Should you find yourself free before then,” Ji Shan smoothly suggested, “cultivating goodwill alongside Yue Yu wouldn’t go amiss.”
That irked Chen Xiyi. He’d conceded, acknowledging the raw power gap. But being tethered was a step too far.
“That might not be possible in the near term. I have other matters to attend to,” Chen Xiyi dismissed bluntly. “Reconnecting in three years will suffice.”
Some lines couldn’t be blurred. Yielding bred exploitation. He wouldn’t bear the labor while others reaped profits.
“So be it. Disrupting you for three years would indeed be inconvenient,” Ji Shan conceded. His core objective had been met. The three-year “babysitting” role was never truly viable anyway – within his original calculations.
The orchestrated “coincidences” had been layered thickly. Initially invisible. Over time, even an idiot would notice.
And the observer? A highly intelligent man. One naturally inclined to covert maneuvering, not blunt confrontation like Chen Xiyi’s “Fellow Daoist Ji, care to explain?” approach.
That directness had sliced through later plot threads. Yet the core objective – gaining Chen Xiyi’s commitment – stood. Reduced variables. A side effect? Forcing Ji Shan into passive stances. Granting Chen Xiyi greater autonomy.
“My thanks for your understanding, Fellow Daoist Ji,” Chen Xiyi added immediately. “Three years is significant. During that time, my sworn brother Li Zhao and his wife… do see they receive fair care? A life of wealth, comfort, and peaceful death? Surely that’s achievable.”
Ji Shan didn’t hesitate. “A trifling matter, easily done. If that’s all,” his voice held finality, “I shall trouble you no further.”
With that, Ji Shan vanished. The Illusion Art dispelled.
‘Using illusions for long-distance communication,’ Chen Xiyi pondered, slightly awed. ‘That’s… quite novel.’
‘More crucially,’ the thought chilled him, ‘The schemers targeting me likely extend beyond just Ji Shan. How many of those Qi Refiners are involved?’
‘And what stance did they take regarding my more… peculiar behaviors?’
Within his Homestead or Underground Shelter, he might have been hidden. Outside? All bets were off.
His anomalies were glaringly obvious. Even an ordinary person could spot the oddities. How could seasoned Qi Refiners miss them?
Just what monumental plans were these Qi Refiners weaving? What required maneuvering a seemingly weak pawn – him – through such twisted paths?
From Chen Xiyi’s view, Qi Refiners possessed strength capable of bulldozing everything via force.
‘Pity,’ he acknowledged grimly. ‘I’ve stepped into their pit. Running remains an option, though.’ A quick mental check confirmed his Cycle function now nearly cooled down – needing only another 5% charge.
But departure wasn’t yet prudent. This world offered too many coveted treasures still unclaimed.
‘Three years,’ he resolved. ‘Every piece of historical item “substance” marked on the map – they will be mine.’
He sensed a looming closure. Once gone, returning might be impossible. Securing everything now was vital. He’d wasted too much time already. The window was shrinking fast.
He returned to his cart. Vanishing outright here would invite suspicion, especially given Yue Yu’s entanglement. Frankly, Chen Xiyi felt resentful towards Yue Yu too. Fellow victims, yes. But Chen Xiyi wouldn’t forget whose company led him into this trap.
The merchant caravan lingered half an hour before slowly detouring around the forsaken city. A heavy pall of sorrow clung to the group.
Yue Yu, naturally, didn’t re-enter Pear City. He simply returned to Chen Xiyi’s cart. He remained unnervingly quiet throughout the journey, utterly devoid of his usual easy charm.
“Accept solace in this grieving time,” Chen Xiyi offered, his words hinting at more than just Pear City’s fate – a subtle warning of misfortune ahead.
Yue Yu gave no verbal answer, only a silent nod. His thoughts seemed buried deep.
Chen Xiyi offered no further comfort. Solitude and cold reflection were perhaps Yue Yu’s last moments of peace. He wouldn’t see their like again.
Well into the afternoon, Chen Xiyi broke the silence. “Next city our caravan stops at is where I get off. Time to settle, find good work. This world… it’s grown too chaotic.”
Yue Yu looked up at Chen Xiyi. The decision didn’t surprise him. Witnessing a massacre firsthand was shattering for anyone.
“Understood,” Yue Yu managed a strained smile. “I’ll write. Remember to send local specialties.”
He longed for escape, like Chen Xiyi. Responsibility bound him too tightly. Escape was impossible.
Chen Xiyi carried no comparable burdens. That freedom allowed his escape. Yue Yu lacked it entirely. The weight pressing down offered no such luxury.