Fu Ruheng’s constitution was poor. Since childhood, he had suffered from lingering health issues, and with his innate bone talent having been extracted, his body was extremely weak. After walking for a while, his jade-like face was already flushed with two patches of red, his eyelashes damp, exuding an air of sickness.
Breathing slightly labored, he walked over to a tree, intending to rest for a moment. Before he could sit down, the branches rustled, and a red jade ring fell into his lap.
Fu Ruheng: “…”
As expected, this was an item capable of storing things.
Yet, he hadn’t even thought about needing a storage item… The ring’s appearance was utterly sudden.
Even if this were an illusion realm, it couldn’t possibly be so nonsensical.
That could only mean someone was deliberately sending him this item.
That person was likely the one who had healed his injuries.
Moreover, that person seemed to know exactly what he needed.
So many blood lotuses… He could exchange them for many things he required.
Fu Ruheng rubbed the red jade ring, hesitated for a moment, then returned to the spot where he had been struck by the blood lotuses earlier.
Using the faint spiritual energy from the blood lotuses, he stored all one hundred of them into the ring.
Since it was intentionally given to him, he would simply accept it.
When that person appeared in the future, he would repay them in kind.
From Ruan Ruoyin’s perspective, the Chibi Character remained expressionless throughout. Even upon seeing something he needed, there was no fluctuation in his emotions. His fair, tender face was set in an especially serious expression.
Ruan Ruoyin was utterly charmed.
She loved this kind of contrast cuteness!
Ruan Ruoyin held her phone, giggling foolishly.
The Game System felt a chill run down its spine.
It couldn’t help but think the player was a bit perverted.
Ruan Ruoyin quietly watched the scene on the screen for a while. Due to the excessive quiet, drowsiness washed over her like a tide, and her eyelids began to droop uncontrollably.
She forced herself to stay awake and asked the Game System, “If I log off, will Zaizai stay at the current progress?”
Game System: 【No. If the player is in the game, the time flow in the game matches the time flow in the player’s reality. If the player logs off, the game will switch to double the speed of the player’s reality.】
Ruan Ruoyin thought to herself, quite intelligent indeed.
But since Zaizai could progress the storyline on his own, she might as well take a little break.
Judging by how effortlessly Zaizai had been handling things along the way, it seemed the Heavenly Sword Forest wasn’t all that dangerous.
Ruan Ruoyin yawned, said “goodbye” to the Game System, then curled up on the sofa and closed her eyes.
Game System: …
The phone screen went dark. With the only light source in the living room gone, it turned pitch black and fell into complete silence.
Having obtained the blood lotuses, Fu Ruheng did not venture deeper into the Heavenly Sword Forest.
He began retracing his steps back the way he came.
The dried leaves on the ground crunched under his feet.
In the cold, desolate atmosphere, the figures of several men appeared ahead of him.
They wore sect uniforms bearing the characters Avoid Sword Sect.
The men also noticed Fu Ruheng and whistled provocatively.
“Hey, another fish.”
“Dressed so shabbily, could he be hiding something?”
They didn’t recognize Fu Ruheng, but that didn’t stop them from entertaining thoughts of killing him and seizing his treasures.
This was their usual modus operandi.
They strode forward, greedily scanning Fu Ruheng, their eyes lingering on his tattered clothes. “Little trash, hand over everything valuable you have.”
Fu Ruheng lowered his gaze, remaining silent.
Yet, an uncontrollable surge of brutality rose within his heart.
The one who dug out his spiritual root talent was also from the Bijan Sect.
That person was the son of the Bijan Sect’s sect master.
Relying on the sect master’s favor, he committed all manner of evil deeds.
He still remembered the scene from his previous life when he slaughtered his way through the Bijan Sect.
That once high and mighty son of the sect master knelt before him like a stray dog, begging for forgiveness.
Excrement flowed all over the ground.
Utterly disgusting.
The distant memories overlapped somewhat with the current scene.
Watching these few men strutting about arrogantly, Fu Ruheng’s eyes suddenly turned deep and dark.
The men felt as if they were being watched by a ferocious beast.
Their hearts involuntarily tightened.
But sensing no cultivation fluctuations from Fu Ruheng, they forcibly pushed aside their unease.
The tall man menacingly brandished the knife in his hand, “Are you deaf? Didn’t you hear what we said? Hurry up and hand over anything valuable you have!”
Fu Ruheng spoke calmly, “I don’t have anything valuable on me.”
The short man spat, “You’re lying. I can smell the spiritual energy on you.”
Only spiritual herbs could produce spiritual energy.
Judging by the intensity of the spiritual energy on this kid, the herb was at least a second-grade spiritual herb.
He licked the drool at the corner of his mouth, “Hand over the spiritual herb, and we won’t kill you.”
Fu Ruheng slowly raised his eyes, his thin lips curving into a faint, mocking smile, “Do I look like a fool to you?”
These men had no intention of letting him go at all.
Whether he handed over valuable items or not, they would kill him.
Disciples of the Bijan Sect had never had any principles.
Their hypocritical words were merely toying with their “prey.”
The hook-nosed man said viciously, “You ungrateful wretch, we’re giving you a chance to live and you won’t take it.”
He waved his hand, “Brothers, chop him up and feed him to the sect’s dogs.”
The men were already poised for action. Hearing the hook-nosed man’s words, they immediately charged forward with their swords without another word.
Fu Ruheng’s expression remained unchanged. He bent down, picked up a slender tree branch, and with swift, precise movements, blocked the incoming longsword. With a light twist of his slender wrist, he easily suppressed the sword.
The short man gripping the longsword winced in pain, his entire face contorted as he exerted all his strength.
But unexpectedly, with a “crack,” a cunning force dislocated his arm.
He immediately screamed and stumbled backward.
The others exchanged horrified glances, shrinking back in fear for a moment.
Their hesitation gave Fu Ruheng an opportunity, allowing him to clearly identify their weaknesses.
Using the tree branch as a weapon, he deftly and cleanly disarmed them all.
A former Demon Lord, even without cultivation, possessed killing techniques and methods sufficient to establish himself among low-level cultivators.
Fu Ruheng picked up a longsword that had fallen to the ground and approached the groaning men.
Without giving them a chance to beg for mercy, he pierced their throats with a single thrust.
The smell of blood instantly filled the air.
Fu Ruheng threw away the sword in his hand, coldly averted his gaze, his frail body trembling slightly from the intense movements. His cool, beautiful face turned unnaturally pale.
Fu Ruheng covered his mouth and coughed, his lips moist and pink, adding a touch of captivating beauty and allure to his pale, bloodless, exquisite face.
It took him a while to recover before he staggered away from the blood-soaked killing ground.
Ruan Ruoyin was awakened by the urgent ringing of her phone.
She rubbed her eyes and answered, her voice hoarse, “Who is it?”
“It’s me, Ji Minchen.” Probably sensing that Ruan Ruoyin had just woken up, the voice on the other end sounded very gentle.
Ruan Ruoyin instantly became fully awake.
Goosebumps prickled all over, and her scalp tingled with dread.
Ji Minchen was the repulsive, domineering CEO who had been harassing her!
According to the plot of that ancient-style tragic romance novel, Ji Minchen was approaching her now because he saw a slight resemblance in her face to his white moonlight, sparking the idea of finding a substitute.
Ji Minchen’s white moonlight was named Shen Qingxue.
Years ago, Shen Qingxue had saved Ji Minchen’s life, but due to severe injuries, she had become a vegetable.
Ji Minchen constantly yearned for Shen Qingxue. Upon seeing Ruan Ruoyin’s face, which bore some resemblance to Shen Qingxue’s, he was struck with awe and conceived the notion of keeping her by his side.
After all, Shen Qingxue was a vegetable, while Ruan Ruoyin could speak and move, offering Ji Minchen a different kind of solace.
Then came the typical tropes of ancient tragic romances—Shen Qingxue would eventually awaken and discover another woman by Ji Minchen’s side.
For Shen Qingxue’s sake, Ji Minchen would sever all ties with Ruan Ruoyin.
But as time passed and various melodramatic events unfolded, Ji Minchen would eventually come to understand his true feelings, draw a clear line with Shen Qingxue, and achieve a happy ending with Ruan Ruoyin.
Throughout this, only Ruan Ruoyin suffered. Ji Minchen didn’t even need to go through a “chasing wife through fire” ordeal before she forgave him.
Ruan Ruoyin was utterly exasperated.
Couldn’t the female lead of this novel just change her name?!
She was genuinely disgusted by such a plot.
The thought that Ji Minchen would later remove one of her kidneys to save Shen Qingxue made Ruan Ruoyin want to stab him.
If you’re so desperate to save Shen Qingxue, why not use your own kidney?!