Chapter 284 - 270: Participant: Wang Xiedi
With that said, Su Ling’er withdrew her oppressive aura and turned to head back to the Su Mansion. But at that very moment, from an inconspicuous shadow on a street corner...
A cloaked figure lifted its head. Its gaze pierced through the bustling crowd, landing on Su Ling’er and the magnificent structure in the sky.
...
Su Ling’er crossed the courtyard, but before she could even step into the main hall, she heard the sound of conversation drifting from within.
She stopped in her tracks, and her heart instantly sank.
Through the open doorway, she saw a sight that sent a chill down her spine: her parents and younger siblings were gathered around Lin Qingfeng, all smiles.
’I’m doomed! What is my Senior Brother trying to pull this time?!’
Lin Qingfeng was sitting in the seat of honor, a cup of hot tea in hand and a troubled expression on his face.
"Sigh... There’s something you both should know." Lin Qingfeng let out a long sigh, addressing Mr. and Mrs. Su. "Your daughter’s enthusiasm is, frankly, a bit... overwhelming for me."
Su Ling’er: ???
"You have no idea. Last night, I was sleeping soundly in my guest room when your daughter suddenly began casting powerful Magic! Moving mountains and hauling stone, she forcibly built this Heaven-Reaching Palace right over my head, claiming it was to make my stay more comfortable."
Mr. Su was taken aback. "Huh? Ling’er... she..."
Lin Qingfeng immediately interjected, his expression screaming, ’I get it, I totally get it.’ "Sigh... While I do think your daughter went a bit overboard, she is a Cultivator, after all. Her methods are different from us mortals. It’s understandable, so don’t worry about it! I completely understand!"
He took a sip of his tea and continued his torrent of words. "Perhaps this is a testament to your daughter’s power as the Holy Daughter of the Guixi Sect. With a single wave of her hand, a magnificent structure was complete."
"I didn’t have time to stop her, so I could only passively accept her kind gesture. As a result, your daughter spent all night on construction above my room—CLANG, CLANG, BANG, BANG! It was so noisy I barely got any sleep."
He shook his head helplessly. "Ah, but let’s not dwell on that."
"But!" His tone shifted, now filled with profound emotion. "I never expected that your daughter would then, on a whim, decide she wanted to do something for the good people of her hometown and insist on holding a marathon in Anhe City!"
"She even spared no expense, putting up immortal manuals and treasures as prizes! This must be what the storybooks mean by ’never forgetting your roots,’ right? The moment she returned home in glory, her first thought was to give back to her community! Sigh, it’s just so moving!"
Su Ling’er’s foot, poised to cross the threshold, nearly tripped on the threshold itself. She steadied herself against the doorframe, listening to Lin Qingfeng’s speech, completely dumbfounded.
The terror that had filled her moments ago was instantly washed away by a wave of exasperated helplessness.
’So... after all that, my Senior Brother was just... expertly passing the buck? I really overthought this... Or maybe my impression of him is just too deeply ingrained...’
’But... are you trying to spin some kind of epic tale?! You’re the one who did all this! Why are you pinning it all on me?! Do I look like I have that kind of god-like power? Piling it all onto a mere Foundation Establishment Cultivator like me?’
Watching the expressions on her parents’ faces—a mixture of shock, elation, and pride that was about to boil over—Su Ling’er felt a complex mix of emotions.
’Senior Brother, this... ’gift’ of yours is too much! What has this disciple ever done to deserve you going to such lengths to write a script for me!’
Inside the hall, Mr. Su had already spotted her, and a deeply gratified smile spread across his face.
"Ling’er, you’re back." He stood up, walked over to Su Ling’er, and clapped her firmly on the shoulder. "I heard everything Mr. Lin said. Well done. You’re truly a good daughter of the Su Family. To possess such incredible power and still think of giving back to our hometown!"
Mrs. Su came over as well, taking her hand as her eyes reddened again. "My dear child, it’s the thought that counts. You mustn’t work yourself so hard again. Look at your poor face, you look exhausted."
Her younger brother and sister crowded around, looking at her with immense admiration. "You’re so amazing, Sis!" "Our sister is the best!"
Overwhelmed by her family’s praise and concern, Su Ling’er was at a loss for words. She could only manage a stiff nod as her gaze slowly shifted to the true culprit—Lin Qingfeng.
Su Ling’er put on a pleasant smile. "That’s right. To ensure you had a comfortable stay and to bring joy to the people of my hometown, I truly exhausted myself, working all through the night. Unlike some people, who have the leisure to be sipping tea."
Lin Qingfeng immediately set down his cup, his face a mask of self-reproach as he turned to Mr. and Mrs. Su. "You see? This is just what she’s like! And look at you," he said, turning to Su Ling’er, "you have dark circles under your eyes!"
"All from pulling an all-nighter for our Anhe City! As your friend, I appreciate the sentiment, I truly do! But you must never do this again! Seeing you work so hard... as your senior, it pains my heart!"
Su Ling’er: ’Okay, now you’re just laying it on too thick... Fine. You win.’
And so, the family sat down together and began to eat breakfast.
Just then, a knock came from outside the mansion. The butler hurried in, bowed to Mr. Su, and reported, "Master, City Lord Zhao Decang is at the gate. He has brought his advisor and generous gifts, and requests an audience with you."
Hearing this, Mr. Su frowned slightly. He glanced at his daughter, then said to the butler, "Please ask the City Lord to wait. I will be there shortly."
He turned to Su Ling’er. "Ling’er, don’t you worry about these social formalities. Just entertain Mr. Lin. Don’t let this hold you up; go and do what you want."
With that, Mr. Su straightened his robes and headed for the front courtyard.
Su Ling’er then led Lin Qingfeng toward the guest rooms. "Senior Brother, so... where will you be watching the race from later? At the finish line? On top of the pyramid?"
Lin Qingfeng looked at her as if she were a complete idiot. "Watch the race? Are you kidding? I went to all this trouble to build such a fun course, and you think I’m not going to run it myself?"
"I went through all this trouble to build it so I could have fun with it, of course! Besides, didn’t I say anyone can participate? Everyone is welcome. As the creator, why can’t I join in?"
Su Ling’er: "..."
’Wait... The organizer is going to compete in his own event? Then what’s the point of the competition? Why don’t I just give you all the prizes at the starting line?! Can we Cultivators please not be so childish?!’
Su Ling’er took a deep breath, another problem occurring to her. "But Senior Brother, didn’t you say you wanted to avoid trouble and not attract attention? If you, the creator, personally compete... isn’t that a bit inappropriate? And if you win first place... won’t that just... again..."
Lin Qingfeng just waved his hand dismissively. "Of course I’m going to participate now that I’ve built it. Why would I go to all this trouble if I wasn’t going to have fun? And no, that won’t be a problem. Because the person running the race will be ’Wang Xiedi.’ What does that have to do with me, Lin Qingfeng?"
As he spoke, he reached out, made a swiping motion in front of his own face, and with a shimmer of light, Su Ling’er watched, wide-eyed, as her Senior Brother’s face instantly transformed into that of Wang Xiedi.
He winked at Su Ling’er, then waved his hand again, and his face returned to normal. "Little Junior Sister, you still have a lot to learn!"
Su Ling’er: ???
Su Ling’er stood frozen, utterly speechless.
...
Meanwhile, Wang Xiedi and Li Chunfeng finally saw the blurry silhouette of a city on the distant horizon. Wang Xiedi looked at Li Chunfeng. "Finally... we’re almost there! Mr. Li... don’t you think something feels a little strange here?"
"Huh? Now that you mention it... you’re right. Why does it look like some giant beast has been chewing on it?" Li Chunfeng had to agree.
"And look at the sky!" Wang Xiedi pointed. "Look! Above Anhe City! Is there something up there?"
...
「Real World」
「News Archives」
Following the collapse of the Biqu Dynasty, players filed a class-action complaint regarding the mandatory quest "Elixir of Long Life," which required the submission of "the hearts of young boys and girls." Players who refused the quest were hunted down by the Dynasty Guard. A related rescue mission, though marked as having "Red Name Exemption," still imposed a 72-hour penalty, leading to accusations of deceptive game mechanics.
Ashen Heaven’s customer service announced that the incident was a "Dynamic Scenario Branch of a Dynasty’s Rise and Fall" and advised players to purchase a "Rebirth Certificate" from the in-game store to reset their spawn point. This triggered a second wave of public outcry, with players posting their purchase histories and accusing the officials of entrapment.
Some players reported the game to cultural regulatory authorities for "violating moral and ethical principles." Ashen Heaven Group’s stock price plummeted 7.2% in a single day, and the official complaint channel for the keyword "Biqu Dynasty" has since been closed.