Chapter 11: Revitalizing the Cultivation World (11% progress)
With a thunderous kick, Su Xiaoyao caused the armor to sink, and the pool went from a frenzy of activity to a deathly silence in less than two seconds.
She leisurely sat down again, and only after she had eaten and drunk her fill did she push aside the stunned piranhas and swim to the safe shore.
Too lazy to care about her smelly clothes, she lay on the ground, not wanting to move a single finger. After finishing her 996 workday and receiving her limited-time task rewards, she edited a boastful caption and posted it on her behalf.
Thus, the scene of Xiao Tingyuan questioning the meaning of life unfolded.
On the system's internal forum, 996 took advantage of Su Xiaoyao's transformation into a swimming champion to share his host's exceptional luck and unparalleled enthusiasm. Meanwhile, 1314, who was idly browsing the forum after his host threw a tantrum, ended up experiencing the same kind of self-isolation as his host.
After resting for a while, Su Xiaoyao sat up and wiped her dirty face. She was accidentally nauseated by the smell of her hands.
"Do you have any clean clothes to exchange?" she asked, waving her hand dismissively.
Yes, there is a stream not far ahead.
"Very good."
She started thinking about how to get home: "I was kidnapped and dumped here. What if I don't remember the way back? Do you sell maps in the mall?"
No need, I have a wide field of vision, I'll bring Xiao Yao back safely.
"Wow, that's even better."
There's a cliff on the way back. Go take a shower and change your clothes later, and I'll go find some materials to repair it for you. You can save some points.
"Honey, you even know how to repair bridges!" Su Xiaoyao said admiringly.
[Our system requires us to be proficient in all eighteen martial arts, ready to do technical work for hosts who are lazy and ignorant of farming. Of course, I'm not saying that Xiao Yao is lazy and ignorant of farming. We don't know what kind of host we will be bound to before graduation, so everything is planned according to the worst-case scenario. Those who graduate from the system academy are all-round technical talents, and I, working 996, am one of the best among them.]
996 proudly declared.
Su Xiaoyao blinked: "The system has no physical form. Does your rule allow this? You don't need to take risks for me. It's okay for me to spend some points." Earning money is for spending, and points are the same. She wasn't willing to harm her friend's interests for the sake of points.
[Other systems can't do it, but I can. I've consistently ranked first in overall academic performance at the System Academy, received a graduation gift package from the Supreme God, have a higher level of authority than other systems, and possess a certain degree of autonomy.]
"You're amazing, baby! So 996 isn't a random number, it's your real code name. I'm pretty useless, so I'll have to rely on you from now on." Su Xiaoyao thought to herself that she truly deserved to be a protagonist, even the system she was bound to was a top-tier system.
[Little Yao, you're anything but useless! Don't be modest. Your life experience is practically the benchmark in the world of Scroll Kings!]
Su Xiaoyao touched her nose guiltily: "Really?"
[Of course! Data from the Main God Space shows that you've always been number one in exams since childhood, participated in countless competitions, and entered the top university in the province with the highest score. Even after entering the top university, you still received a full scholarship. No one with a higher IQ than you works as hard as you, and there simply isn't anyone who works harder than you. Your motto in life is "I'd rather work myself to death than let my classmates outdo me." You became even more impressive after arriving in the mortal realm. When you first arrived, you didn't even know the local characters, but in just six months, you crushed your vicious older sister in the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, securing a small shop for yourself. From that small shop, you developed a chain of stores, owning businesses in various industries. When the King of Struggle goes to war, who can stand against him!]
996 flipped through her resume, praising her enthusiastically as he read.
Su Xiaoyao awkwardly touched her nose and chuckled dryly: "Hehe, I was young and ignorant back then. After experiencing life and death, I realized that I am actually weak and unable to take care of myself."
It's okay, Xiao Yao can leave anything she doesn't know to me, we're partners.
A warm feeling washed over Su Xiaoyao.
She was extremely conflicted, unsure how to phrase her true feelings to the 996 work schedule.
Having survived twice, I really don't want to risk my life again!
She probed indirectly, "Honey, how's the cultivation world doing these days? Are there evil spirits causing trouble? Is there a war between immortals and demons? Are there any masters or disciples who are unrequited love and preparing to turn evil?"
【No, why is Xiao Yao asking that?】
"Just asking." Su Xiaoyao patted her chest and smiled sheepishly.
That's good. There's nothing messy going on. Lying down seems harmless.
After thinking it over, she said, "You mentioned the Systems Academy before, so you have a lot of classmates, right?"
Yes, there are a hundred graduates this year, but I've heard from the bottom of the air that several students from the next cohort have completed their credits and applied for early graduation. Who knows, their names might appear on the leaderboard at any time.
"Are leaderboards also useful to the system?" Su Xiaoyao asked, flipping through the leaderboards that hadn't yet been settled for the quarter.
The system's urge to compete for first place on the leaderboard, besides the allure of the rewards, is largely driven by the fact that reaching number one four times in a row grants the ability to participate in other activities independently. However, with Xiao Yao and me working together, they're simply going to be crushed! When I bragged about it on the forum today, they even told me to stop competing. How could I? I'm going to compete to the fullest and reach new heights!
Su Xiaoyao deliberately avoided mentioning its declaration of kingship.
"Well, I still have a cauldron I haven't tried yet, it's worth 100 points, let me see what magical power it has." She changed the subject.
996's attention was easily diverted, and he confirmed with her again:
[Xiao Yao, I didn't help you withdraw it from the system shop before because I saw you were having trouble. If you withdraw it now, it won't be able to be taken back later. You need 10 more experience points to reach Lv2, and before that, your storage space won't be able to hold a pot.]
Su Xiaoyao said nonchalantly, "It's nothing, it's just a pot, I can just carry it and run... Wait, didn't I buy a tripod? How did it turn into a pot?"
996 pulled out the system announcement and showed it to her.
"Goodness, the bronze cauldron I met online turned into an iron pot." Su Xiaoyao was conflicted. "Oh well, at least it's a limited edition. The announcement said that each magical pot has a unique shape and no two are the same. Maybe I can get a good-looking one."
【Okay, I've taken it out.】
"Okay, okay."
Even though Su Xiaoyao had made ample mental preparations, she was still stunned when she saw the large pot filled with dark purple liquid, with various unknown objects of different colors floating on top, and bubbling and splashing out.
"Are you sure this is the magical cauldron in the shop that you get by chance? Did the system shop mistakenly send me the evil witch's potion cauldron?" She moved back to avoid the strange liquid splashing on her.
The system store program will not encounter any errors.
The shape of the pot was too abstract, so Su Xiaoyao immediately used a basic appraisal skill and got an affirmative answer.
"Won't throwing things in really turn them into a witch's black potion?" she wondered.
We offer three free trial opportunities. Practice makes perfect, let's give it a try!
"Okay." Su Xiaoyao's hands were empty. She looked left and right and finally picked up a stone from the ground. After weighing it a couple of times, she stood far away and made a shooting motion.
"thump."
The stone hit the pot squarely, splashing water everywhere.
"Yes, perfect." Su Xiaoyao clenched her fist and gave herself a score for her shot.
"Gurgle gurgle gurgle".
The stone disappeared, and the water surface seemed to calm down.
After a while of silence, she curiously leaned closer to peek and suddenly, with a "plop," water from the pot sprayed all over her face and body.
It said, "Don't throw any junk in there."
Su Xiaoyao grabbed a piece of green vegetable leaf from her head and pulled it off: "Wow, little rascal, you've got quite a temper."
996 took on the role of translator and excitedly said:
[Little Yao, usually the initial cauldrons only have subtle intelligence, but yours seems to be different. I can clearly feel its emotional changes. It is definitely the smartest one in the same batch.]
Having been the luckiest person all day, Su Xiaoyao was no longer surprised by praise or criticism. She looked at the pot and then at the obviously intentional splatter marks on the ground, and pouted: "Are you an alpaca? You deliberately spat at me."
The consequence of being sarcastic is that you get sprayed with spittle again.
Su Xiaoyao wiped her face with the relatively clean back of her hand: "Witch, no, Brother Pot, since you can communicate with me normally, how about we make a deal? Look at your pot of strange water, it's hard for me to carry you. Can you walk behind me by yourself?"
The medicine pot remained as still as a mountain.
"What if I turn around while carrying you and spill all the water? Just walk a few steps," she said kindly, squatting down beside him.
The medicine pot finally started to move; the water level inside dropped at a visible rate until it was completely empty.
Even without the help of 996 (working 9 am to 9 pm, 6 days a week) to translate, she could tell its attitude: it was a must-have.
"Alright, this won't stump me, Su Xiaoyao."
Su Xiaoyao stood up, spat on both hands, and then assumed a horse stance, reaching towards the large pot.
Just as her muddy, filthy hands were about to touch the edge, the pot of medicine couldn't stand it anymore. The bottom support transformed into four thick legs, and it ran away eight feet away in disgust.
Su Xiaoyao grinned triumphantly, but said, "Brother Guo, I'm really sorry, I haven't showered yet. Let's get going after I shower. But I have a problem with sweaty hands, so please don't mind. Please grant me my wish to carry this load for eight kilometers. Hey, hey, Brother Guo, don't run away! Sigh, look at this mess."
The medicine pot slid even further away.
"Okay, okay, look at my little body, how can I carry you for eight kilometers? For the sake of sustainable development, you can walk a few steps, and I'll feed you something delicious later," she said, trying to persuade me.
The medicine pot pondered for a moment, then tentatively extended its little foot to indicate its agreement.
After the noisy negotiation with the big pot, she washed herself in the stream, changed into a decent set of clothes, and then set off on her way back to the Su residence.
Entering the capital city normally requires strict screening, but since Su Xiaoyao's business has grown so much that even imperial relatives and nobles treat her with deference, everyone in the capital knows her. In addition, today she is accompanied by a walking pot, so no one dares to stop her.
The people who saw her along the way were surprised and doubtful, but not afraid. Perhaps it was because she was usually kind and approachable, or perhaps it was because she greeted them with a smile as she walked.
"Uncle Wu, do you have any candied hawthorns? I don't have any money with me. I'll give you the shop on East Street as collateral. I'm not kidding."
"Sister Wang, don't you like the jewelry I design? I'll give you the jewelry from the jewelry store on West Street."
“Auntie, you used to help me when I had no food at the Su family’s house. You can have that restaurant. Chef Chen knows the recipes for hot pot base and cola. Don’t refuse.”
...
The journey that usually takes 25 minutes took almost half an hour this time.
With a candied hawthorn, crab roe pastry, and osmanthus cake in her left hand and a pine nut, plum blossom cake, and winter melon dumpling in her right, Su Xiaoyao walked along, muttering, "I always feel that they are a little worse than those redeemed with points, but I can't quite put my finger on why." Then she divided all the pastries in half and put them into the medicine pot.
"Brother Guo, you must have had a long and tiring journey." She didn't forget to offer a few words of comfort.
When not in formal use, the medicine pot only takes in but doesn't give out, and people seem to enjoy eating it.
When Su Xiaoyao arrived at the entrance of the Su residence, all the people she wanted to see had arrived. They stood on the steps, judging her with critical eyes after she had disappeared for two days.
The news spread like wildfire, and more and more people gathered around. They curiously observed the subtle atmosphere in the Su residence, and couldn't help but steal glances at the strangely shaped pot of medicine that seemed to run and jump.
Su Xiaoyao stopped at a distance that was neither too close nor too far, and slightly raised her chin to look at the indifferent faces in turn.
Ignoring Su Muyao's venomous expression, as if she wanted to tear her to pieces, she met Su's father's greedy gaze.
I get it now. No wonder there was such a commotion at the door; he was probably after her pot.
She glanced again at the impeccably dressed, noble prince and suddenly felt that getting entangled with these people was really pointless.
“I bet they made some bullshit deal before I got back, and they’re going to try to pressure me with ‘filial piety is the most important virtue’ later.”
996 hesitated for a moment:
[Xiao Yao, the person on the left in the middle... looks a bit like a composite.]
Su Xiaoyao, who was initially feeling a bit negative, burst out laughing: "The repulsive person you saw is my scumbag father."
"Ah, he's your father? I've heard that people who are related by blood will look similar, but you two don't look alike at all, like worlds apart."
Su Xiaoyao had a sudden inspiration: "Then do I have other bloodlines? For example, am I not actually human, but a phoenix or a dragon? Novels often write it like that."
No, according to the test, you are just an ordinary mortal. The background information shows that the original Su Xiaoyao did not have a special identity.
"Okay, okay." After a brief moment of disappointment, Su Xiaoyao quickly rallied. "It's alright. The protagonist of a comeback story is always a commoner."
Xiao Yao, the way they're looking at you gives me a very bad feeling.
“It’s normal. I used to live in such a malicious environment every day. It’s a miracle I didn’t suffocate. The original Su Xiaoyao took fourteen years to escape.”
According to the backend information, the original owner of this body was pushed into the water by a servant who bullied the weak and feared the strong. She originally had a sliver of hope for survival, but she didn't want to live anymore. After your soul was unexpectedly attracted here, she made a deal with you.
"It's not so much a transaction as an agreement." Su Xiaoyao said with a hint of melancholy when she mentioned the past. "The original owner of this body said that she was trapped in the square courtyard her whole life and hoped that I could take her place and go out of the Su family mansion to see the outside world and live freely for her. I agreed. But even if I could run out of the backyard, I could not run out of this capital city. I have never been truly free."
She gazed at the Su mansion before her, which resembled a magnificent prison, and sighed.
“I thought that having money would give me a voice, but I couldn’t escape my status as a concubine’s daughter in the Su family. When people mentioned me, they would only say, ‘This girl may not have a high social status, but she is smart and suitable to marry.’ Later, I thought that I would have freedom once I made the biggest business, but no matter how powerful a merchant is, he can’t be more powerful than the emperor. I may seem carefree, but I am actually cautious in my words and actions. I have no power to resist reality, so I can only pretend to be ignorant.”
[Xiao Yao, you've done an amazing job! You got 60 out of 60 on the test and even got an extra 20 points. You did your best in this 60-point environment. Pat on the head~]
Feeling the gentle touch on her head, Su Xiaoyao smiled slightly: "Baby, I wanted to tell you before that I was really happy that you came. I am grateful from the bottom of my heart for giving me another path to choose from. Now I am truly free and no longer have to live a life where no matter how hard I struggle, I can only get a 60 out of 100."
The 996 work schedule touched my heart.
Although the cultivation world is treacherous and not as peaceful and beautiful as it seems on the surface, I will accompany Xiao Yao to do what she wants to do, and the future will definitely be free and happy.
Su Xiaoyao's eyes flickered, and her voice suddenly became less confident as she asked in a very soft voice, "So, baby, can I just give up after everything is over?"
【Huh?】
996 was feeling sorry for its host and indignantly condemning the Su family's immorality when it suddenly heard the twist at the end of her sentence and couldn't react in time.
Su Xiaoyao was a little embarrassed, and stood on one tiptoe drawing circles on the ground: "If even a feudal concubine's daughter can be transformed into a fantasy cultivator, then I'm not going to get involved. Maybe being a lazy but lucky female lead is okay too?"
She thought about it for a long time, and finally decided to tell the truth about the 996 work schedule.
She really doesn't want to try anymore!
996 stared at the "Juanwang" tag in bold capital letters on the backend host data, which was now garbled.
[This is so sudden! We just bound the account and the King of Scrolls is already past his prime?]
A note from the author:
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Almost forgot, Happy December everyone!
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