Second Life Simulation

"Don't tell me you're here to steal something?"

Xiao Ming smiled. As expected of a transmigrator—if it were other children in this situation, they would probably have been scared out of their wits long ago.

Only Xiao Yan could stay clear-headed and turn the tables on him.

Unfortunately, he had prepared for this question long ago.

"I appeared here because I fell asleep while bathing in a hot spring on the back mountain and only just woke up. The back courtyard is close to the back mountain, so I naturally had to pass through here to get back. You're the one who's truly strange for coming here. I remember your little courtyard isn't this way, is it?"

Xiao Ming flicked his still-damp hair, proving the truth of his words as he looked at Xiao Yan teasingly.

"Tell me your purpose quickly, or I'll call the Law Enforcement Hall."

"Th-this, I..."

Creak.

The courtyard gate opened, interrupting Xiao Yan's words.

Gu Xun'er appeared in the doorway wearing green sleepwear, her expression blank.

Gu Xun'er's face was pale at that moment, lacking the rosy complexion Xiao Ming had seen when he first met her that day. Her body trembled lightly, as though she were enduring something.

"What are the two cousins doing here?"

Looking at Gu Xun'er, whose temperament was cool and detached but who carried an additional sickly beauty compared to usual, Xiao Ming knew that the side effects of the Golden Emperor Sky Burning Flame had flared up.

The Golden Emperor Sky Burning Flame was ranked fourth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking. Gu Xun'er had subdued it when she was only a few years old. Even though she had only subdued a child flame, it was still extremely impressive.

Although Gu Xun'er had subdued the Golden Emperor Sky Burning Flame, she was still young and weak, so it had been somewhat forced.

As a result, her constitution was extremely poor. It would only gradually improve once she grew older.

Under Gu Xun'er's indifferent gaze, Xiao Yan felt even more inexplicably flustered.

"Th-this... I came here... uh... because..."

Xiao Yan's face reddened as he stammered for a long time without managing to say a single word. Finally, under Xiao Ming's astonished gaze, he actually turned around and ran away.

Watching Xiao Yan's back as he ran faster than a rabbit, Xiao Ming, who had originally wanted to enjoy the show, fell silent.

He hadn't expected Xiao Yan to pull something like this.

Brother, could running away solve the problem?

Forget it. He had run, so let him run.

"Cousin Xiao Ming, what did you come here for?"

With the main person already gone, Xiao Ming could not be bothered to say more. He waved his hand. "Nothing. I just happened to pass by. I'm telling you, you're still so young, so be careful living alone. Lock your door tightly from now on. If you encounter someone dangerous, call for help immediately. The Law Enforcement Hall guards on night watch will arrive soon enough."

After saying that, he turned and left without the slightest hesitation, having absolutely no intention of chatting with her, getting close to her, or deepening their relationship.

Gu Xun'er seemed like someone who could greet anyone and was easy to get along with, but she was actually very cold inside. Talking to her more was simply a waste of time.

If he had not disliked Xiao Yan sneaking into a little girl's room in the middle of the night, he would never have appeared here.

Tsk, it was so late. He should hurry back and sleep.

After yawning, Xiao Ming walked even faster.

Gu Xun'er returned to her room with a cold expression and called softly.

"Elder Ling."

As soon as her voice fell, a shadow silently appeared and knelt on one knee before her. If Xiao Ming had been there, he would definitely have recognized him. This man was Ling Ying, one of the guards who had accompanied Gu Xun'er to the Xiao Family.

"Young Miss."

"Elder Ling, explain what just happened to me in detail."

"Yes..."

Ling Ying quickly explained the whole story, including how Xiao Ming had indeed overslept on the back mountain and, after coming down, passed by Xiao Yan's little courtyard and lingered by the corner of the wall for a while.

The Xiao Family was not that large, so naturally none of this could escape the eyes and ears of Ling Ying, a Seven-Star Dou Emperor.

After Ling Ying finished his report, Gu Xun'er recalled how Xiao Yan, with that lecherous smile, had nearly slipped into her room. Her little face immediately turned frosty.

"Ling Ying, I hope there won't be a next time."

"This old servant was negligent."

Elder Ling, still half-kneeling, broke out in cold sweat. He knew what Miss Xun Er meant. She did not want anyone to be able to climb over her wall in the middle of the night again.

Speaking of which, Ling Ying also found it rather strange. With his temperament, if he encountered someone like Xiao Yan climbing his young miss's wall in the middle of the night, he would have gone over and given him a hard slap long ago.

Even if someone else was nearby, at worst he could have arranged for a little accident to happen to him. For a Dou Emperor like him, that would have been effortless.

For some reason, he had remained completely unmoved this time and nearly let the Third Young Master of the Xiao Family sneak in. Fortunately, Xiao Yan had been stopped by Xiao Ming. Otherwise, he would have committed a grave mistake!

The consequences...

Thinking of that, Ling Ying could not help but shiver. Xiao Yan's somewhat cute face now seemed utterly hateful to him.

If that brat dares come again next time, I'll break his dog legs. How could he possibly defile the young miss? Not just him—everyone else is the same.

Gu Xun'er did not notice the murderous glint in Ling Ying's eyes. She waved a hand. "All right, withdraw."

"Yes." Whoosh. Ling Ying vanished from where he stood.

"Xiao Ming... he was quite a strange person..."

The next day.

Xiao Yan got up in fear and trepidation. He had thought that he would be scolded by his father, but unexpectedly, Xiao Zhan seemed to know nothing at all.

After asking around, he understood. Xiao Ming and Xiao Xun'er had not spread word of what happened yesterday, and he could not help but breathe a sigh of relief.

While feeling fortunate, he also lost any desire to experiment with Dou Qi.

This left Ling Ying, who had been prepared to give Xiao Yan a thorough beating, with his plans falling through.

Time passed quickly, and soon it was time to begin the second Life Simulation.

Xiao Ming went to the back mountain again.

The Xiao Family had many people and many watchful eyes, while the back mountain was exceptionally quiet. Xiao Ming found that he was growing more and more fond of coming here.

In the same secluded corner as last time, Xiao Ming sat cross-legged and called out in his mind, "Life Simulator, begin the Life Simulation."

[Ding, current simulation attempts: one.]

[Simulation Start--]

[Day One: You got up early to cultivate and cultivated for the whole day.]

[Day Two: You got up early to cultivate. On the Xiao Family's back mountain, you were bitten by a snake. You killed it and discovered that it was nonvenomous.]

[Day Three: You headed to the Xiao Family Marketplace to buy snake repellent and insect repellent. Since you were also a member of the Xiao Family, the medicine was sold at a twenty percent discount. You returned home in a good mood and cultivated for a day.]

...

[Day Twenty-Two: You cultivated diligently and broke through to Dou Qi Power Stage Three.]

[Day Twenty-Three: During the family's Dou Qi test, you witnessed Xiao Yan, also a transmigrator, steal the limelight. You remained unmoved.]

[Day Twenty-Four: You wandered around the marketplace and discovered a Yellow Rank Mid Grade Dou Technique, Shattering Stele Hand. However, due to your empty pockets, you watched it get bought by someone else.]

...

[Day Eighty-Seven: You got up early to cultivate and broke through to Dou Qi Power Stage Four...]

...

[Day Ninety-Seven: You headed to the Xiao Family's Dou Technique Hall. At this point, most children of your generation had already cultivated Dou Qi. You entered successfully and learned the Yellow Rank Low Grade Tiger Strength Fist. You were extremely dissatisfied with being able to learn only such a common low-grade Dou Technique, but there was nothing you could do.]

[Day Ninety-Eight: You got up and went to the back mountain to practice your Dou Skill.]