A Smooth-Talking Scumbag from the First Word...

"Eight years!"

"Another eight years! Has the system crashed?"

"Eight years, and you haven't given me a single multiple-choice question! If you still don't, I'm going to open an apothecary!"

Xiao Lang was nearly going mad. Over the past eight years, he had tried every possible method to trigger the system's choices, yet he had failed every single time.

If he had not been able to keep selling pills and snowballing his profits, he would have suspected that day had been nothing more than a dream.

Over the past eight years, he had used the pills bought with the proceeds from Qi Gathering Pills to begin an endless nesting-doll cycle, gradually accumulating assets worth over a hundred million.

That was only because he did not want to keep too low a profile. Otherwise, he would have amassed even more!

The Mite'er Auction House had also become famous throughout the Jia Ma Empire because Xiao Lang had been constantly selling all kinds of pills. Everyone knew that a mysterious high-tier alchemist had appeared in Wutan City.

Still, he was only somewhat famous within the Jia Ma Empire, because Xiao Lang was not foolish enough to sell extremely high-grade pills. Most of what he sold were low-grade pills that moved in bulk.

Otherwise, if someone disregarded his status as an alchemist and attacked him, the aura he disguised with the God-Tier Disguise Technique would not be enough to scare off such desperate people.

After all, once they had decided to attack you, who would still care what realm you were in?

Xiao Lang also did not dare disguise himself with the aura of a Dou Saint. After all, the appearance of a Dou Saint in the Jia Ma Empire would absolutely cause an earthquake-like sensation.

Unless he obtained a Dou Saint Pill and could briefly act with the strength of a Dou Saint, thereby intimidating everyone.

But clearly, if he had been able to trigger the system's choices over the past eight years, he would not have been raging so helplessly.

Fortunately, he had continuously nourished his body with various pills over the past few years, laying down an extremely powerful foundation.

The strength of his physical body had already reached the level of a Da Dou Shi using Dou Qi!

Of course, if he fought a genuine Da Dou Shi, the other party would have the enhancement of Dou Techniques. Empty-handed as he was, he still could not defeat them.

But below the Da Dou Shi realm, he could crush anyone with his physical body alone, let alone the water-control techniques he had painstakingly trained for eight years, which had already reached a consummate level.

With just one glance, anyone whose Dou Qi was weaker than his would wet themselves. Their blood could even be drained dry, turning them into mummified corpses!

Over the past eight years, even though Xiao Lang used Foundation Building Spirit Liquid every day to accelerate his cultivation, he had still only reached the sixth stage of Dou Qi.

If he did not break through tomorrow, he could only be assigned to work in some poor, remote backwater.

With the help of Foundation Building Spirit Liquid, Xiao Yan had soared to great heights over the past eight years. At the age of nine, he had condensed a Dou Qi Vortex and become a Dou Zhe.

Now, at thirteen, he had directly reached the Three-star Dou Practitioner realm!

Although he was not the youngest Dou Zhe in the Xiao clan, he was now the strongest among the younger generation!

"Brother Xiao Lang, don't be discouraged. Xun Er believes you can definitely reclaim everything that belongs to you." Xiao Xun'er entered at that moment and comforted the dejected-looking Xiao Lang.

During the test seven years ago, Xiao Lang had somehow tested at only the fourth stage of Dou Qi, which had once again shocked everyone.

They had never seen anyone cultivate themselves backward in realm.

However, no one dared mock Xiao Lang, because they did not know when he might return to the Dou Zhe realm.

Yet as time slowly passed and another eight years went by, Xiao Lang once again found himself receiving those disdainful looks.

If Xiao Yan had not been around, he would have long been called trash.

"Ding! Detected that Old Yao is about to absorb Xiao Yan's Dou Qi. Choice triggered!"

"Choice one: Seize Xiao Yan's opportunity and take the ring! Reward upon completion: [Destined Great Villain] title, plus ten levels! Title effect: You will earn the appreciation of the Hall of Souls and become a Destined Great Villain. Note: However, you will not escape the fate of being killed by the Child of Destiny!"

"Choice two: As a Demon Brother Who Dotes on Younger Brother, how can you bear to watch your little brother have his Dou Qi absorbed by Old Yao and be called trash for three years? You choose to bury the ring in a cesspit. Reward upon completion: plus ten levels! Obtain alchemy skills on Old Yao's level! Note: Old Yao will hold a grudge against you. Your life will be in danger!"

"Choice three: Turn a blind eye and continue waiting for the main storyline to develop. Reward upon selection: plus one level."

"Choice four: Use the God-Tier Disguise Technique to impersonate a Dou Saint and deceive Old Yao. Reward upon selection: plus two levels. Reward upon completion: Invisibility Pill ×3, First-grade Enhancement Pill ×3, Nine-star Dou Venerate Pill!"

"Hahaha, I finally got you! Good thing I didn't give up!"

Just as Xiao Lang was looking utterly despondent, the long-absent system prompt finally rang out again. He became so excited that he hugged Xiao Xun'er and fiercely kissed her forehead.

But after seeing the first three choices, he went completely numb.

Only two words remained in his mind...

That's it?

He had waited bitterly for eight years. During those eight years, he had helped Xiao Yan improve faster so that he could cling to his thigh. Yet the first choice wanted him to become a villain, and in the end, he still could not escape the fate of being killed by the Child of Destiny!

Wasn't that fucking setting him up?

If he chose it, what had he been doing for the past eight years?

Raising the Child of Destiny so he could kill him?

Besides, he felt that Old Yao was inferior to the system. He could do without that sort of opportunity.

He was equally speechless about the second choice. Old Yao would not die even after that, unless Xiao Lang killed him. Otherwise, if Old Yao bore such a stubborn grudge against him, once he recovered his strength, Xiao Lang's life would definitely be in danger. The system had already warned him about that.

Besides, only with Old Yao's help could the main storyline continue. Xiao Lang could then use that chance to trigger more system choices and keep growing stronger. That was what mattered!

At first glance, choice three was the safest, even though the first two choices both offered ten additional levels.

But when he saw the fourth choice, Xiao Lang knew...

The man who had fooled the CX Organization was about to return!

After all, his nickname in his previous life had been Master Head Wash!

Besides, deceiving Old Yao was such an exciting thing to do. That was what suited his honest and upright persona.

Although the level reward was only two levels, it also rewarded three kinds of system pills!

The Invisibility Pills and Enhancement Pills were unimportant. What mattered was that there was also a Dou Venerate Pill!

With a Dou Venerate Pill, he would possess a trump card that could save his life within the Jia Ma Empire.

After provoking Yun Yun that time, Xiao Lang had gone back and reviewed everything. It had scared him into breaking out in a cold sweat.

Because without any trump cards, he never should have provoked an expert capable of killing him in an instant!

So when he saw that he could obtain one at random, Xiao Lang chose the fourth option without the slightest hesitation.

Besides, as long as he made the choice, he would gain two levels, which was just enough to get him through today's test.

Thinking of this, Xiao Lang finally understood certain truths.

Some people worked hard their entire lives yet gained less than what others got from a single choice.

To spread positive energy, Xiao Lang then felt that if he had not cultivated diligently over the past eight years, even after making the choice, he would only be at the fifth stage of Dou Qi.

Therefore, opportunities were reserved for those who were prepared.

As for how to deceive Old Yao, did his experience in his previous life—picking up girls and freeloading in the CX Organization until he was thrown out—really need any explanation?

"Brother Xiao Lang, were you waiting for me?"

Xiao Xun'er looked at Xiao Lang with a flushed face and asked.

Xiao Xun'er was already twelve years old. Because of cultivation, she had grown graceful and lovely, like a flower bud waiting to bloom.

She only needed to reach adulthood for the bud to blossom and the peach to ripen.

After Xiao Lang suddenly kissed her, her heart was still pounding nonstop like a startled deer.

"Of course. Of course I was waiting for Xun Er. After all, aside from my family, Sister Xun Er is the only one in the entire Xiao clan who cares about me so much."

Xiao Lang immediately came back to his senses. Without even needing to think, he instantly followed Xiao Xun'er's words.

From the very first sentence, he sounded like an old scumbag.