Qian Renyu stumbled out of the Worship Hall, still dazed. I was Qian Daoliu's grandson and Qian Xunji's son. Apparently, I was even an illegitimate child.
But none of that mattered. This was already good enough. What more could I ask for?
Tell me, wasn't the Spirit Hall a powerful backer?
It was. A very powerful one.
When Qian Renyu looked around again, why was the sky so blue? Why was the water so clear? Why was the grass so green? Why were the flowers so red? Why was Flame Hawk so beautiful?
Oh, right. Flame Hawk Douluo was still following him.
My past misfortunes are nothing to boast of;
Today, I let my heart roam free.
The spring breeze fills my sails, my horse flies swift;
In a single day, I see all Chang'an's blooms.
The ancients truly did not deceive me!
Everyone talks about Su Qin. They say that if he'd had two qing of good farmland in Luoyang, how could he have been worthy of the seals of six states? But if you gave him those two qing of farmland, just see if he'd take them or not.
Who wouldn't want to be born into a good family?
Qian Renyu sorted out the relationships in his head:
Me, Qian Renyu.
My grandfather, Qian Daoliu.
My father, Qian Xunji.
My elder sister, Qian Renxue. Mm, that was a bit of a shame.
And Bibi Dong, the current Pope of the Spirit Hall—was she my stepmother, or only half a stepmother?
No, wait. Bibi Dong seemed to be the first wife, though an unwilling one—and apparently one who couldn't be acknowledged publicly. But she was still the first wife.
An incident this big had happened in the Worship Hall, so naturally, Bibi Dong had heard some rumors. But since she didn't know exactly what had happened, she sent out her two lackeys, Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan and Ghost Douluo Gui Mei, to investigate.
Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan and Ghost Douluo Gui Mei hadn't wanted to take the assignment, but under Bibi Dong's pressure, they hadn't dared refuse. They didn't dare get close to the Worship Hall, so they could only fish for information from people close to it. Their efforts brought little result, and eventually they simply resorted to dragging things out.
Over the next few days, Qian Renyu made inquiries around the Spirit Hall, mostly in the Elder Hall and the Worship Hall. (Qian Daoliu didn't want certain people to know Qian Renyu existed, so he wouldn't let him show his face in public.) At last, he figured out the current timeline of the Douluo World.
Four years ago, the former Pope of the Spirit Hall, Qian Xunji, had taken Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan and Ghost Douluo Gui Mei, his two lackeys, along with several Soul Douluos and Soul Saints, to hunt down Tang Hao of the Clear Sky Sect and Ah Yin, the Hundred-Thousand-Year Transformed Soul Beast Blue Silver Grass.
As for the outcome, everyone probably knew it already: Ah Yin, the Hundred-Thousand-Year Transformed Soul Beast Blue Silver Grass, sacrificed herself to Tang Hao, making him the youngest Titled Douluo in history. He then grievously wounded Pope Qian Xunji, who was level ninety-five and possessed a god-level Martial Soul, as well as Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan and Ghost Douluo Gui Mei, who were also level-ninety-five Titled Douluos. From then on, he became famous throughout the world.
The baffling part was, how could Tang Hao—a man who had only just become a Titled Douluo thanks to his wife's sacrifice—defeat three level-ninety-five Titled Douluos in one fell swoop? Sure, Tang Hao's ninth Soul Ring was a hundred-thousand-year one, but wasn't that power a little too much? And the Six-Winged Angel was a god-level Martial Soul, too.
It really was baffling.
Still, this gave Bibi Dong, then the Spirit Hall's Saintess, her opportunity. While Pope Qian Xunji was gravely wounded, she killed him and devoured his body and soul, thereby beginning the Rakshasa God Trial.
And Qian Daoliu had managed to control himself and not kill Bibi Dong. Instead, he put her on the throne as Pope of the Spirit Hall.
Part of it was because he didn't want Qian Renxue to lose her father and then her mother, and part of it was because he meant for Bibi Dong to serve as a puppet until the position could be handed over to Qian Renxue. But even considering only his nerve, Qian Daoliu was undeniably a remarkable man.
Who could understand the pain of losing a son in old age? Just think of the Hongwu Emperor and Crown Prince Yiwen.
Since this had happened four years ago, Tang San must have been born four years ago, too. And I, Qian Renyu, was four this year, which meant Tang San and I were the same age.
In the original story, Qian Renxue was nine years older than Tang San, so she should be thirteen this year. By now, she had probably already infiltrated the Heaven Dou Empire to carry out that so-called Country-Stealing Plan.
I'd missed my chance. Otherwise, I would have done whatever it took to stop Qian Renxue from going to the Heaven Dou Empire.
Why take a genius with level-twenty Innate Full Soul Power and keep her from cultivating properly, only to send her off to carry out such an unreliable plan? What kind of brilliant mind came up with that?
Qian Renxue might have the potential to become a god, but even she couldn't take that kind of abuse forever.
But since I was the same age as Tang San, some things would be much easier to arrange. For example, I could enroll in Nuoding Academy and beat up that pure-and-spotless hypocrite Tang San; go take a look at that hundred-thousand-year Rogue Rabbit; and pick a fight with that theory-invincible Grandmaster, who had just 0.5 levels of Innate Soul Power and would never break past level twenty-nine. I could take the entrance test at Shrek Academy and see its run-down campus, experience its harsh admissions standards, and meet the legendary Evil-Eyed White Cat, who loved hanging around the Goulan, and the Evil-Fire Grass Chicken.
Why not take up arms and reclaim the fifty provinces of our homeland?
The great cause of unifying the continent was a duty my generation could not shirk.
Just then, a metallic voice suddenly rang out in Qian Renyu's mind. "Congratulations, host, on activating The System." Hearing it, Qian Renyu was overjoyed. Being Qian Daoliu's grandson had already been more than enough, and now he'd gotten a system, too. All he could do was observe three minutes of silence for Tang San.
"System, system, what can you do?" Qian Renyu asked impatiently.
"Host, this system grants rewards at irregular intervals."
"What do you mean, rewards at irregular intervals?"
"Just take the words at face value."
"Oh. So how do I complete missions and claim rewards?"
"Host, you still may not understand this system's function. As the phrase 'grants rewards at irregular intervals' suggests, rewards are granted at irregular intervals. You don't need to complete missions."
"Let me give you an example."
"For instance, if your Soul Power increases and you need a hundred-thousand-year Soul Ring, this system might reward you with doubled hair growth."
"Or, if you happen to get injured in a fight with someone, this system might reward you with a tube of toothpaste with exceptional cleaning power."
"Wait, what good is toothpaste if I'm injured?" Qian Renyu asked in surprise.
"So you can brush your teeth clean."
"That way, when you cry out in pain, people won't laugh at your black teeth."
"To put it simply, when rewards are granted and what they are depends entirely on this system's mood."
"Is that explanation clear enough for you, host?"
"Crystal clear!!!"
"Couldn't be clearer!!!"
Just as expected, systems were standard issue for transmigrators. But why did mine seem so unreliable?
Before you continue