Chapter 20: She Could Not Endure the Bitterness of Love
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Lu Ziji said, “I want to ask Sister Yun to deliver a storage ring to Zi Ji, containing some items essential for his survival. However, that will have to wait until after he wakes up. Before he wakes, please visit him once and give him a Serenity Body Nourishing Pill. In three days, he should regain consciousness and be able to stay awake for a month without falling into a prolonged coma… During this time, he will likely seek you out on his own. When that happens, you can personally hand over the storage ring to him; I’m uneasy about anyone else delivering it.”
This storage ring is specially made; it doesn’t require spiritual power to operate. It only needs a slight release of soul energy. Lu Ziji used his own soul to bind and claim ownership of the ring. Because their soul energies share the same origin, Zi Ji on Earth can also use it.
As for the items meant specifically for “Lu Ziji,” no one in the Lu family would dare to conceal them.
Lu Ziji’s instructions had another purpose…
Of course, it was to create more opportunities for Zi Ji to proactively step outside!
Otherwise, judging from Zi Ji’s personality inherited from his memories, besides slaying demons and evil spirits, his only hobby was staying home to cultivate. Without urgent matters, he simply wouldn’t want to leave!
How could he possibly meet his destined love and start a relationship early?
At this moment, Yun Zhi had not yet detected Lu Ziji’s subtle schemes.
She still thought Lu Ziji was truly the easygoing, friendly neighborly big brother he pretended to be!
She even felt a bit sorry for him, bearing a life that was never meant for him.
Endless dull cultivation, destined to end in a sacrificial demise.
As for the potential promotion after death… if by chance the world-saving failed, forget about promotion—he wouldn’t even have a chance at reincarnation.
High reward, but equally high risk!
Still, the task Lu Ziji entrusted her with was simple: just feed medicine to a comatose person and hand over something after he wakes.
This was right up her alley!
Yun Zhi sent a “cat rubbing hands expectantly” expression.
Running errands was fine, but the reward couldn’t be missing!
Lu Ziji immediately understood and mentioned the task reward he prepared: “Don’t worry, you won’t be shortchanged. However, your system’s built-in space can’t guarantee that energy items won’t lose their potency, and with your current soul strength—your mental fortitude—you can’t open the storage ring yet.
I’ve put some things inside the storage ring for Zi Ji that you might find useful later. Once he gets the ring, ask him what’s inside and see what you need or lack. Feel free to ask him for anything—it’s like a storage fee for keeping the ring.”
“What suits you now is the Tendon-Washing and Marrow-Cleansing Pill. This pill is only for physically strong people; otherwise, the effects are too harsh. You’ve previously taken powerful health potions from the martial world when you were in good health; this pill will be just right.”
“Though it can’t compare to true cultivation, after taking this pill, your physique will surpass ordinary people severalfold, reaching Earth’s limits. Practicing various martial arts will become easier, and if you ever get a chance to cultivate, you’ll absorb spiritual energy more readily.”
Yun Zhi: !!!
Lu Ziji truly is a big shot from the cultivation world—generous from the start.
Task reward: at least one Tendon-Washing and Marrow-Cleansing Pill.
More benefits depend on how she interacts with Zi Ji after he wakes and how much she can get from him…
Doesn’t this mean she’ll have plenty of reasons to deal with Zi Ji in the future?
At this point, Yun Zhi suddenly realized Lu Ziji wasn’t as innocent as she thought!
Well, after all, the Lu family’s eldest young master in Haicheng holds dual master’s degrees in Business Management and Finance from one of the world’s top three universities.
It’s said that since age eighteen, Lu Ziji has managed part of the Lu family’s enterprises, overseeing the most profitable Huaxing Electronics under the Lu name.
During his tenure as CEO, Huaxing’s market value multiplied several times.
Even after Lu Ziji was in a coma for four years, the business world still whispered legends about him…
His approachable demeanor is merely a calculated effect.
Not long ago, she even pitied such a favored son of heaven and earth, thinking him pitiable!
Now, on reflection, it’s terrifying.
Yun Zhi raised her guard cautiously. “Brother Lu, then please post the task commission. Once I finish what I’m doing, I’ll try to visit the Lu family.”
Lu Ziji: “It’s simple.”
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“When the white jade dragon-shaped ornament made of mutton fat jade is auctioned starting at one yuan, you bid 999 yuan to win it.”
“Someone from the Lu family will come to invite you over.”
“That ornament is also for you. How to use it, ask Zi Ji after he wakes.”
Yun Zhi: …Damn, this feeling of being schemed is even stronger now!
Hasn’t this person been in the cultivation world for four years? How does he even know she’s at the auction where the jade dragon ornament starts at one yuan?
And… how many times has he mentioned Zi Ji?
This task seems just about delivering medicine, but there’s a whole lot of hooks dangling afterward.
Yun Zhi asked in embarrassment, “Brother Lu, can you do fortune-telling or divination?”
Lu Ziji: “No, it’s not as mystical as you think. I just occasionally communicate with Zi Ji in dreams across realms. He can receive some external information via soul projection, and he can send messages to my grandfather in dreams nearby.”
“Also, I saw in the chat group that you’re attending the Haicheng auction today.”
Yun Zhi: …So it’s all relying on dream messages. Sister Mu Xue can do that too!
Lu Ziji, a big shot from the cultivation world, knows this trick—it’s not surprising.
Suddenly, she felt she’d been scaring herself for no reason.
What’s so special about her, a plain Earthling, that she’s being schemed by a cultivation world big shot like Lu Ziji?
Probably the many reasons to interact with Zi Ji are just to conveniently have another self nearby to watch over her.
But then, the next moment, Yun Zhi was slapped in the face.
Lu Ziji: “I hope you can persuade Zi Ji more, urge him to quickly find someone to date. If you have a suitable candidate, you can even introduce them to him! If he doesn’t help me cross the emotional tribulation in the modern world, I can’t reach a peaceful mind, sigh!”
Lu Ziji: “Sister Yun, just consider this me owing you a favor! Whatever you need in the future, just ask. As long as I can do it without breaking principles, I won’t refuse!”
Yun Zhi: …
Damn it. She knew the Tendon-Washing and Marrow-Cleansing Pill, far better than the health potions, wasn’t that easy to get.
He prepared one big carrot after another just to get her to willingly work overtime!
Previously, she had already accepted the bizarre “meet a netizen on behalf of someone” task from Chi Xiaoyu.
Never expected there’d be an even more shocking commission—to urge someone to get married or fall in love!
And the one to be urged is his own past or future self…
This is too dramatic!
Yun Zhi: “Brother Lu, since you can communicate with Zi Ji across realms in dreams, can’t you urge him yourself?”
Lu Ziji, bitter and resentful: “It’s useless when I do it. Every time I bring up this topic, he insists on switching back with me! He says women only slow down his sword drawing speed!
If I could switch back, would I need to urge him? Though I’ve never dated, no matter how you look at it, finding a wife is way easier than saving the cultivation world!”
Yun Zhi: …
So if you can’t handle it yourself, you outsource it to me!
Why does Lu Ziji think she can persuade a guy who is practically emotionless in matters of love to start dating?
She can’t even endure the hardships of love herself; telling others to love is just cruel!
Fortunately, the task has a guaranteed reward—at least one Tendon-Washing and Marrow-Cleansing Pill.
More benefits… if she can get them, great; if not, she’ll slack off.
Yun Zhi: “Alright, Brother Lu, I understand your request.”
Lu Ziji: “Then I’ll post the task now.”
A new notification popped up on the task interface.
[Task commission from Zi Ji Realman (Lu Ziji) of the cultivation world: Do you accept? Accept/Decline]
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[Host confirmed “Accept” task commission. Lu Ziji has pre-paid the reward with physical items: Tendon-Washing and Marrow-Cleansing Pill x1, Serenity Body Nourishing Pill x1, Storage Ring x1, all automatically stored in personal space!]
[Complete Commission 1: Administer medicine (three-day limit), reward 300 points; Complete Commission 2: Deliver storage ring (one-month limit), reward 200 points; Complete Commission 3: Help modern Lu Ziji (Zi Ji) find a partner (80-year limit), reward 3000 points.]
[PS: Host currently has 590 points remaining. Reach 10,000 points to level up to 3 and officially unlock cross-realm travel function.]
[Keep it up!]
Having been exposed by Lu Ziji that the system assistant is actually a sentient spirit with self-awareness.
This thing is becoming more and more reckless!
He posted a task full of personal interests!
First, Lu Ziji’s task commission still has no refusal option.
Although accepting the task carries no penalty for non-completion, the task list always shows incomplete, which is maddening, practically tormenting the compulsive.
Secondly, the flexible points reward based on task completion is a very good improvement.
But the time limit and points reward for helping Zi Ji find a partner—isn’t that set way too high?
Eighty years must be Zi Ji’s lifespan limit on Earth.
It seems even a sentient system doesn’t think she can persuade Zi Ji to date!
Yun Zhi wanted to take out the Tendon-Washing and Marrow-Cleansing Pill recently acquired in her personal space to examine it.
The small jade bottle can preserve the pill’s potency for a month; every time it’s taken out, the effect fades slightly.
In any case, it’s best not to take it out too often. No matter how tempted she feels, she must restrain herself.
According to Lu Ziji, this pill should be taken at home, ensuring safety and no disturbances. After ingestion, it causes pain and a one- to two-day coma.
Upon waking, the body will expel impurities and toxic blood.
It’s best to have someone knowledgeable about the pill’s effects nearby to guard, in case of emergencies!
For example, if the body can’t withstand the pill’s effects, someone must use soul power to guide out the violent, excessive effects.
…Another hint that she should find Zi Ji to help!
Anyway, having the Tendon-Washing and Marrow-Cleansing Pill feels like getting a month’s salary before even starting work—she was delighted!
At that moment, on the auction stage, an etiquette lady presented the special item—a mutton fat jade dragon-shaped ornament.
The auctioneer introduced, “This special item is provided by the Lu family, starting at one yuan. However, there is an additional condition: only those with a safe and reliable method to awaken Mr. Lu Ziji from his comatose state may bid. Please consider carefully and bid rationally!”
Yun Zhi had liked this jade dragon ornament when she saw its picture earlier.
Now, seeing the actual item from afar on the stage, her excellent eyesight, aided by spiritual power, allowed her to clearly sense a very faint but gentle and beneficial energy field surrounding the ornament…
That’s not all—Yun Zhi’s spiritual power even perceived a faint white dragon shadow above the ornament.
Only she could see this; Tao Qi noticed nothing unusual.
Yun Zhi was shocked—what was going on?
Could it be that this jade dragon ornament has become sentient, gaining intelligence?
This possibility was not impossible.
But now was not the time to dwell on it. Two cautious bidders had already placed bids, and she joined the bidding.
“I bid 999 yuan! I have a method to save Mr. Lu Ziji.”
As soon as Yun Zhi’s oddly specific bid of 999 yuan was announced, others raised their bids to tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, even millions and tens of millions…
All aiming to snatch a rare treasure potentially worth 80 million yuan.
However, the auctioneer halted the bidding and, with a single hammer strike, declared: “Box B15, bid 999 yuan! Congratulations on winning the mutton fat jade dragon ornament!”