Chapter 18: This Is Something Very Important
Li Qingran had a dream.
In her dream, she was being relentlessly chased by hordes of demonic beasts. There was no light in sight; darkness surged toward her like a suffocating tide.
But just as the beasts were about to catch her, a crisp clap of thunder echoed through the sky.
A young man in strange clothing appeared on the horizon, his features obscured.
Like seasoning food, he flung talismans from his left hand, and with his right hand, unleashed a barrage of magical artifacts.
The beasts pursuing her were either struck down by lightning from the talismans or impaled by the descending artifacts.
“Is… is that the senior?” Li Qingran gazed up at the sky.
She had a strong intuition—it had to be him. The senior had come to save her.
Though she couldn’t make out his face, he seemed far younger than she’d imagined.
Before she could observe more closely, the senior suddenly appeared right in front of her.
Flustered, Li Qingran felt her face flush red, the color creeping to her ears. In her panic, she prepared to bow down in reverence.
But in the next moment, a pair of strong hands gently stopped her.
Then, the figure handed her a square-shaped object.
The item was pitch black and looked like a brick, though it was much lighter than one.
Etched on its surface were three simplified characters that seemed to read… "Electric Charge Full"?
What was "Electric Charge Full"? Some kind of magical artifact?
As she stood there, puzzled, the senior’s figure grew fainter and fainter, like mist dissipating into the air.
“Senior… I’m so grateful to you. I…”
“This is something very important.”
The senior’s voice echoed faintly through the dispersing mist.
“Make sure to take good care of it…”
“Let’s go with this one—‘Electric Charge Treasure.’ It sounds reliable.”
Chen Huai’an clicked on the purchase button.
He couldn’t afford a three-yuan fried egg, but a 300-yuan power bank? That was an instant buy.
After his earlier ordeal, he was now terrified of being without a power bank. From now on, he vowed to carry one at all times—and it had to have plenty of capacity.
As for replacing his phone, he had considered it. But could he transfer the "My Virtual Girlfriend" game to a new phone? After all, it wasn’t even a proper app but a mysterious virus-like program with no installation file. He had no idea how to handle that.
Glancing at his computer, he saw that it was already 9 p.m.
It had been over an hour since he’d gotten home.
“Li Qingran should be awake by now.”
Chen Huai’an opened the "My Virtual Girlfriend" game. Sure enough, Li Qingran was awake. The girl sat curled up in a corner, wrapped in tattered clothing, her knees clutched to her chest. Her vacant eyes stared at the ground, lost in thought.
Chen Huai’an noticed a half-burned red incense stick at her feet.
[Your virtual girlfriend, "Li Qingran," has lost her home. Recharge 6 yuan to restore it.]
Without batting an eye, Chen Huai’an clicked, “Recharge!”
[For just 88 yuan more, you can gift your virtual girlfriend two stylish new outfits!]
“Recharge!!”
[Your virtual girlfriend, "Li Qingran," is hungry and feeling down. Recharge 68 yuan to…]
“Recharge!!!”
In an instant, her house was fully repaired, new outfits appeared neatly on her bed, and plates of chicken, duck, fish, and fruit clattered onto the table.
The commotion was impossible for Li Qingran to ignore.
She knew the senior had come to check on her.
She already suspected he’d been here earlier.
After all, the small craters of scorched earth surrounding her house, the demon beast corpses reduced to ash by lightning, and her own recovered injuries were evidence enough.
The sudden appearance of the beasts was bizarre, but while exploring the charred surroundings, she had found a broken "Frenzied Beast Incense" stick under a tree.
This kind of incense, used to lure beasts, was a common tool for sects when hunting.
Different sects crafted their incense sticks with distinct markers.
For instance, Qingyun Sect’s Frenzied Beast Incense was marked with azure cloud patterns at the base.
These cloud patterns, an essential part of the incense’s design, were engraved using specific materials. Removing them would significantly weaken the incense’s effect. Naturally, since this was a dangerous item, all sects made sure to brand it to avoid false accusations.
The person who threw the incense likely assumed it would burn away completely, leaving only ash.
Little did they expect the senior to arrive and turn the surrounding 500 meters into a wasteland.
The perpetrator probably hadn’t intended to kill her—yet had been reduced to ash alongside the beasts.
“Senior.” Li Qingran gazed at the ceiling, her face etched with exhaustion. Her dry lips parted slightly as she whispered:
“Senior… do you think I’m someone who’s hard to like?”
Hehe, I’m absolutely smitten with you. How could you think that?
Before the first dialogue option could finish appearing, Chen Huai’an dismissed it and switched to freeform conversation.
Fresh from drawing in the Fortune Carp lottery pool, he now had over seventy communication talismans. He was feeling invincible.
Clearing his throat, he held down the talisman and spoke in a gentle tone:
“Of course not. In my eyes, you’re a polite, thoughtful girl who works hard in your cultivation. Blah, blah, blah… Why would you think that?”
What Chen Huai’an said was a heartfelt 300-word mini-essay.
What Li Qingran heard, however, was the solemn voice of the Dao:
“Why would you say that?!”
“If that’s not the case, then why… why does Qingyun Sect—my senior brothers, my master—want to kill me? My dantian and spiritual roots have already been destroyed. I’ve been expelled from the sect and banished to Wanqing Mountain to fend for myself. Why won’t they leave me alone? Did I commit some grave sin?”
Chen Huai’an watched Li Qingran’s eyes, once clear and bright, now shrouded in darkness.
He understood her doubts all too well.
Li Qingran was a textbook example of a self-sacrificing personality.
She repaid kindness a hundredfold.
When Daoist Qingxuan accepted her as a disciple, she revered him as her most respected elder, even though he never formally guided her.
When Senior Brother Lu Changtian looked out for her during her initiation, she treated him like a true elder brother.
When Second Brother Xiao Yifeng gave her leftover elixirs, she managed his spiritual herbs and even volunteered to test his pills.
When Third Brother Yun Zimo gifted her a storage ring, she silently accepted his false accusations and allowed herself to be expelled.
When Fourth Brother Zhang Hanxiao helped her once during a mission, she spent most of her monthly spiritual stones cleaning up the messes he created.
Like a flower blooming under sunlight, she thrived on even the slightest warmth. But beneath her smiling facade was likely a face full of scars and tears.
Kind people are often taken advantage of, just as gentle horses are ridden harder. It’s not a joke—it’s wisdom passed down by ancestors.
Just like how he’d poured his heart into his ex, only to be betrayed. Stories like this were all too common: treasures wasted, loyalty repaid with betrayal, hearts broken.
No wonder people now devoted their time and money to pets or virtual companions.
Were they foolish?
No. They were just tired of being hurt.
“Li Qingran.”
Chen Huai’an gazed at her through the screen, their eyes seemingly crossing the boundaries of space and time to meet.
He stared into her eyes, and in their reflection, he saw himself.
“Today, I will help you restore your dantian.”
The solemn voice of the Dao transmitted his words without omission:
“No matter how muddy your past may be, your future will bloom with brilliance!”