Early dawn broke, and Qin Changqing suddenly jolted upright from his bed, gasping for breath as if he had just escaped death. Cold sweat had already soaked through his back.
“So it was just a nightmare!”
He let out a long breath, yet the memory of that dream clung to him like a shadow. It had felt far too real.
Instinctively, he pressed a hand against his chest. The sharp, tearing pain seemed to linger there, as though a blade had truly cut across him.
Soft morning light filtered through the window, scattering golden fragments across the room.
He turned his head toward the bed and saw Luo Qingyi seated cross-legged, knees slightly bent, quietly meditating. Her almond eyes were closed, and her complexion, though still pale, had regained a hint of life compared to yesterday.
“She should be recovering… after all, I took such a huge risk to get that spirit medicine last night,” Qin Changqing murmured under his breath.
Luo Qingyi’s situation was temporarily stabilized, but his own crisis loomed ever closer.
The scenes from the dream still lingered vividly in his mind. He refused to become mere cannon fodder.
Looking at Luo Qingyi, Qin Changqing said, “Fairy, you should be able to hear me, right? I have something to take care of outside. I’ll instruct the servants not to come in. If anything urgent happens, you’ll have to handle it yourself.”
Without waiting for a response, he quickly dressed and walked straight out of the room.
Only after Qin Changqing had left did Luo Qingyi slowly open her eyes. She glanced in the direction he had gone, her gaze lingering for a moment before gently closing them again.
After giving a few instructions, Qin Changqing left the residence and headed directly toward the Noble Consort’s chambers.
According to the original plot, he would lose to the protagonist, Ling Feng, in a duel two days later and become nothing more than a stepping stone for Ling Feng’s rise.
In the game, the player controlled Ling Feng, a classic power-fantasy protagonist with every advantage stacked in his favor.
Ling Feng was born into a prestigious background. As the only son of the Northern Suppression General’s residence, he should have been a favored child of heaven. Yet he carried the humiliating title of a “useless cultivator.”
That reputation had spread throughout the capital and even beyond, becoming a topic of casual mockery.
However, all of it was deliberate.
Ling Feng understood that in a world where court politics and the martial world intertwined, standing out too early would only attract endless danger. So he chose to conceal his strength, disguising himself as someone incapable of cultivation.
The title of “waste” became his perfect shield.
While others sneered at him, they never realized he was secretly cultivating in silence.
He endured humiliation, waiting patiently for the right moment to rise in one dazzling stroke.
Whenever others mocked him, Ling Feng would lower his head and accept it quietly. He knew that true strength was not about fleeting glory, but about the final victory.
On top of that, his greatest advantage was the assistance of a soul—Bi Bo Fairy Xue Caining, one of the female leads who could be pursued in the original game.
However, she was considered a high-level character. To win her over required reaching the later stages.
The two would go through countless hardships together and would have to undergo trials within a secret realm. Only after uncovering Xue Caining’s true identity could she truly be pursued.
At that point, Ling Feng’s cultivation would likely have reached the peak of the Postnatal Realm, combined with the techniques granted by the Bi Bo Fairy. Visit novelping dot com for the full chapter.
Although Qin Changqing had decent talent, his current cultivation was only slightly above that of ordinary geniuses—and even that was the result of consuming countless rare treasures to forcefully elevate his strength.
The original body had been a hedonistic young master, indulging in pleasure day and night, utterly neglecting cultivation. In his current state, there was no way he could stand against Ling Feng.
Time was running out. The only solution Qin Changqing could think of was that one person.
The Noble Consort.
In the game, she had barely any screen time. She didn’t even have a favorability system attached to her.
She only appeared once in a side quest, where she effortlessly killed an Innate Realm expert, leaving countless players stunned.
Afterward, many tried to find ways to pursue her, but all failed. How could one conquer a character who didn’t even have a favorability meter?
Just when players had given up, the official expansion “Mysteries of the Immortal Realm” was released… and the poster featured this very Noble Consort.
Before long, Qin Changqing arrived at her residence—the Primordial Serenity Hall.
Inside the hall, beside a clear pool, brightly colored fish swam gracefully while exotic birds fluttered through the air. Rare flowers and strange herbs grew in abundance, and clear spring water flowed gently in winding streams, making the place resemble a heavenly palace beyond mortal reach.
Outside, everything was serene. Only a gentle breeze passed through, carrying the fragrance of flowers that refreshed the spirit.
Qin Changqing recalled the only side quest related to her.
It began with a series of mysterious incidents in the capital, where numerous women were found killed by a demonic figure. The Qin Empire, after generations of effort, had driven the demon race to the far north—a history drenched in blood and sorrow, one that later generations dared not recall.
The purpose of this quest was to uncover the identity of the demon responsible for slaughtering innocent women.
This demon was extremely cunning. In the game, players even had to personally travel to the far northern lands to investigate.
The reward, however, was incredibly generous. Not only could one learn more about this mysterious Noble Consort, but one would also receive a Nine Revolutions Foundation Pill.
But… understanding her, getting close to her—that was the true goal.
After all, it was that kind of game. Building relationships with beautiful women and eventually conquering them was the point.
Qin Changqing steadied his thoughts. Facing the enigmatic Noble Consort, he had to remain fully alert.
As he looked up, he noticed a graceful woman standing before the palace gates. She even waved at him.
Qin Changqing curled his lips slightly and walked forward, bracing himself.
He carefully examined the woman, searching his memory for any information about her.
There was none.
Seeing that he remained silent, the woman spoke first, “Young Master Qin, it’s been a while.”
Qin Changqing froze. He thought to himself, have I even met you before? What do you mean, ‘it’s been a while’?
The woman covered her mouth and laughed softly at his confused expression. “Young Master, didn’t we just meet last night? Do you need me to help you remember?” Read the latest chapters at g.com.
“It’s you!”
Only then did Qin Changqing realize. No wonder the voice sounded so familiar… she was the black-clothed woman from the Royal Medical Institute last night!
“Young Master, how heartless. You even hit me last night, and yet you’ve already forgotten me so quickly.”
Qin Changqing cupped his hands slightly in apology and said, “Miss, please forgive me. I didn’t know you were one of the Noble Consort’s people. I thought you were an accomplice of the assassin. Had I known your identity, I would have treated you to fine wine and food.”
By now, Qin Changqing had a rough idea. This woman must be someone close to the Noble Consort.
Which meant… he had already been under her watch?
A chill crept up his spine. He had only transmigrated for barely a day—there was no way he could have exposed anything. So why had she set her sights on him?
At that moment, a voice drifted out from within the hall, “Qingxue, why haven’t you invited the Young Master in yet?”
Qingxue smiled faintly and said, “Young Master, please. The Noble Consort has invited you inside. You must be quite important—ordinary people don’t receive such treatment.”
With that, she led Qin Changqing into the hall. He didn’t dare delay, remaining alert as he quickly followed her in.
Inside, thin wisps of incense smoke curled through the air, filling the hall with a fragrance so rich it felt like stepping into an immortal realm.
A deep purple palace gown outlined a breathtaking figure. Bare feet stepped lightly upon a golden-patterned carpet, each toe as smooth as jade, glowing with a soft luster.
The moment Qin Changqing entered, his gaze was drawn to that flawless whiteness.
The delicate arch of her foot was faintly visible beneath a layer of gauze, while her toes were adorned with crimson polish like scattered plum blossoms on snow.
Round, translucent, immaculate… If one were to hold them in hand, what kind of sensation would that be?
The thought flashed through his mind before he could stop it. Qin Changqing didn’t consider himself someone with such a fixation, but this was simply too…
“Hiss!”
A sharp pain stabbed into his eyes as if pierced by needles. Qin Changqing staggered and grabbed onto a nearby bronze pillar, his vision plunging into darkness.
“Please forgive me, Noble Consort. I had no such intention!”
He gritted his teeth and bowed deeply. As a villain, he knew when to yield.
The voice that answered was as cold as winter ice, chilling the entire hall. “Young Master, you are truly bold. You are the first person who has dared to look at me so freely.”
A cold shiver ran down Qin Changqing’s spine, but after a moment, the intense pain gradually faded.
When he raised his head again, what he saw was a flawless face—more radiant than the moon, with a touch of vermilion between her brows. Her expression was as cold as frost, her aura distant yet faintly alluring.
Qin Changqing couldn’t help but think… if her temper weren’t so terrible, she would easily be a perfect ten.