【Exactly!】 Hearing Li Xi’s slightly confused voice, and then it thought for a moment, as if it remembered something, and cautiously asked Li Xi,
【Host, did you… previously not hear of what the Fourth Calamity is?】
Li Xi softly “hm”ed once.
“Should I know?”
【No! Not at all!】 The system was very survival-conscious, and immediately hurriedly said, 【It’s still not too late to explain this thing to you now!】
【The so-called Fourth Calamity refers to the game players, because in the game players can revive infinitely, their actions are uncertain, no one knows what they will do, so they are called calamities.】
【And the system, as the Fourth Calamity System, the greatest function and use is to summon players for the host, using this world as a 100% holographic simulation/game world for publicity. As long as the host sets the game worldview as a management and construction type game, they can summon players to handle construction. Finally, under the endless silly and mischievous operations of the players, the host can achieve the goal of unifying the world and dominating it!】
【Throw flowers!】
By the end, it was very excited and threw flowers for itself. Just hearing these two words, one could imagine a little robot rubbing its fists in anticipation, full of energy.
Hearing the system’s words, which vaguely revealed that it wasn’t very smart, Li Xi did not follow along, but instead asked another question,
“Besides the players you mentioned, can you conjure any other things out of thin air?”
This time, the system finally didn’t say no, but gave Li Xi an answer that was fairly satisfactory to her.
【When the game’s popularity among players reaches a certain value, the host can exchange for seeds in the system, flying in the sky, running on the ground, swimming in water, planted in soil, whether animal cubs or plant seedlings, all can be exchanged by the system!】
【So, host, let’s quickly model the game, customize game CG backgrounds and plot, and then start summoning players to handle infrastructure and dominate the world!】
But Li Xi still did not follow the system’s rhythm.
Under the beautiful pie that the system had drawn for itself, Li Xi suddenly had a bold idea, though it was not sudden. Because this idea had already appeared when she had just returned ten days ago.
It was just that since the success rate and failure rate were each fifty percent, she had temporarily suppressed it.
——Pretend to be a god, pretend to be an immortal.
She originally had a fifty percent confidence in this matter; now with a system as a cheat tool, not to say the success probability could reach “absolute,” but it could reach nine-tenths.
As the saying goes, the bold survive, the timid starve.
If a fifty percent probability would make her still cautious, now that there was a ninety percent chance of success, she would risk it.
However, before that, there was another problem…
Li Xi suddenly asked, “Can you conjure some cotton and its seeds for me? Right now.”
【This…】
Hearing Li Xi’s request, the system, which had just been very excited, immediately became hesitant.
Seeing the system’s reaction, Li Xi instantly showed a disappointed expression, and said, “If it’s not possible, forget it. Anyway, in ancient times, I didn’t have to worry about eating or clothing, so I didn’t really need you.”
“Find another host for yourself.” With the last words, Li Xi, who had just been exercising in the courtyard, turned and walked into the house, looking like she did not want to deal with the system anymore.
Seeing Li Xi’s action, which in its eyes was as merciless as autumn wind sweeping fallen leaves, the system immediately became anxious, hurriedly trying to retain her, 【Don’t! Host! Host, we can still discuss this QAQ】
Li Xi’s steps did not stop, only coldly saying, “If it works, it works. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. What’s there to discuss?”
She realized that this system was probably bound to her and could not be changed to a new host, so it was wasting time with her here.
Since this was the case, the one who occupied the dominant position would naturally be her.
After all, as she had just told the system, whether or not there was a system, she could live very well.
Even if this lifetime had no achievements, it would not affect her affluent life at all—her older brother was Li Si.
Moreover, she had countless theoretical knowledge at her disposal; just taking out a few skills she had learned would be enough to ensure a lifetime of wealth and status.
So why would she accommodate a system that suddenly appeared?
In this great era of struggle, if she had to seek a profession, the day she heard her brother’s words, she only wanted to be an immortal.
From a certain angle, she was a bit extreme; if she could not be an immortal, she would rather continue being a leisurely salted fish.
The second day after binding with the system, when Li Xi opened her eyes in the early morning, she saw a huge bouquet of white flowers placed on the bedside, as if overnight she had become someone to be worshiped.
But after fully waking and looking carefully, Li Xi realized that this “memorial bouquet” was nothing else, but exactly the cotton she had requested from the system yesterday.
Seeing this large bundle of “flowers,” she was slightly stunned.
From the system’s attitude toward her, Li Xi had long expected it would compromise, but she did not expect the system to “fall” so quickly.
It seemed that it was really anxious about being bound to her and entrusting her with “summoning players”…
Just when Li Xi had come to this conclusion, her mind suddenly again heard the familiar electronic sound. But compared to yesterday, at this moment, the sound seemed “deflated,” as if most of its energy had been drained.
【Host, I made the cotton you wanted. So… Can we establish the game and summon players now? ovo】
Hearing the system’s weak but expectant little mechanical voice, Li Xi, who had actually promised nothing, finally gave it a smile this time.
Then, with the sweetest smile, she spoke the most ruthless words, “Cannot.”
However, Li Xi did not completely lack conscience; after playing with the cotton bouquet she had obtained out of thin air, and hearing the system cry that it even put the underwear into making the cotton for her, she said a slightly considerate word to the little crybaby, “But it will probably be soon.”
Then she repeated what she had said to the system yesterday, and the difference between the two times was that yesterday she said it as a question, but this time it was in the affirmative tone.
“I want to see the Ancestor Dragon.”
Hearing Li Xi’s words, the little crybaby that had just stopped crying immediately cried again, somewhat aggrieved, saying, 【But I can’t do it, sob.】
Li Xi spoke in a strange tone, “I never said for you to do this for me.”
【Ah?】 The system did not understand Li Xi’s meaning.
Li Xi asked, “Which country am I in now?”
【Qin state.】
Li Xi asked again, “What is Qin state famous for?”
【Strict laws? Land of tigers and wolves?】
“So,” Li Xi continued, “in the Qin state with strict laws, you let me conjure living people out of thin air, making a bunch of unregistered citizens, do you want to send me straight to Qin prison?”
In this era, normal food was already hard to get. She could not help but complain silently in her mind.
【Then… then what should we do?】 The system’s electronic voice seemed ready to cry again, 【This is different from the Fourth Calamity novels in my database QAQ】
The novels it read were all of the type where the protagonist binds a system and at the start can directly summon players, then experience “because there is no money for promotion, only small advertising push, the first players entering the game are all attracted to prove the 100% simulated claim, and finally all become absolute holographic, as if the game is another real world, conquered by fans, and the whole world begs for accounts” kind of “wish-fulfillment fiction” plot!
How come with its host, even the first players who were supposed to be slapped by the game and ended up being slapped themselves could not be summoned?
Hearing the silly system recount the summary plot of the novels, Li Xi could not help but comment, “Did you not notice, in those novels, no matter the era, even if the protagonists were destitute, they always had a piece of land, big or small, but it belonged to them?”
And what was she? A normal girl in Qin state. Although her brother would be the highly powerful chancellor in the future, now Li Si was only a small official. Speaking bleakly, they were two powerless little poorlings.
Conjuring living people out of thin air for no reason—if discovered by the authorities, she and her brother would be arrested immediately and thrown into Qin prison.
Hearing Li Xi’s words, the system felt somewhat guilty.
But the naïve little silly system was still trying to rescue itself, 【But host, the summoned players can revive infinitely, they are brave and fearless, they will protect host you with their lives!】
Li Xi was speechless, “…You talk about brave and fearless people in Qin state with the military merit system?”
In any other of the six states, with a larger number of players, she might gamble a bit, relying on the “infinite revival” buff to bluff people.
But Qin state? Forget it. Infinite revival just meant that Qin soldiers would infinitely earn ranks and wealth, and the highly trained Qin sharp soldiers could kill the players until they quit.
Moreover, players only pursued two things: ease or excitement. A game where they just joined and constantly got killed, like NPCs slicing them, would have extremely poor gameplay experience. Unless they were a supreme masochist, who would play such a bad game?
Li Xi felt she couldn’t even complain about these points enough.
And moreover…
“Actually, strictly speaking,” Li Xi suddenly lowered her voice, softly saying, “seeing Zheng Ge (Ying Zheng) is also my human ideal.”
Then she said again, “Anyway, you don’t need to worry about this. Once I swindle—” She corrected in time, “obtain a piece of fief through words—then I can summon players.”
Honestly, she really wanted to handle construction. After all… in the Warring States period, no modern person could endure this standard of living. She absolutely could not bear it.
Li Xi was not a procrastinator. After confirming she wanted to copy someone’s path to swindle land, that very night she went to find someone who could help her access the royal palace to meet Ying Zheng.
Her older brother, Li Si.
Hearing Li Xi’s intention to enter the royal palace, Li Si was a little stunned and asked, “Sister, why suddenly like this?”
Hearing her brother’s question, Li Xi instinctively blurted, “Because I admire the king.”
This answer made the young man almost spill the tea he was brewing.
Realizing she had just misspoke, Li Xi’s beautiful eyes drifted upward, “Cough, I mean, I found a treasure and want to present it to my king.”
“So…” Moving her eyes, looking at her brother’s handsome side profile, she asked with hope, “Brother, can you help me smooth the way to meet the king?”
Seeing his sister’s expectant look, Li Si’s heart softened instantly, feeling he could not refuse.
But… if Li Xi only wanted a simple royal palace tour, or just to glance at Ying Zheng from afar, he would have agreed directly and been left worrying about how to handle things.
But what she said about presenting a treasure was more serious.
A treasure is a broad definition; standards differ for different people.
He was afraid that if his sister presented something, and it did not please the king or the queen dowager, she might accidentally offend the most respected two in the palace, bringing disaster on herself.
“Is it okay?” Seeing her brother seeming to ponder, Li Xi knelt and hugged one of his arms, trying to act cute and coax him, “I promise, what I present will definitely please the king and queen dowager.”
“Just knew you would use cuteness to manipulate me.” The young man raised his other empty hand, lightly flicking her forehead, complaining but with a gentle, indulgent tone, “Fine, who else can I do anything about but you. I’ll figure out how to get you into the palace, but you must behave, understand?”
Li Xi blinked, obediently saying, “I will behave.”
Seeing the little girl so obedient, Li Si’s heart softened again, and he added, “Actually… being a bit out of line is not impossible.”
After all, as long as it was not extreme, even a king would not kill his minister lightly. He had just recently refreshed his status with the king.
At worst, if Ah Xi really got into trouble, he would run with his sister from Qin state to Korea to join his older brother.
Li Si thought so.
Otherwise… he might as well start preparing bags tonight in advance, just in case?