Bzz-
The illusory lettering swiftly began to coalesce again.
[Name: Zhou Qing] [Race: Human] [Strength: Mortal] [Age: 16] [Talent: None] [Simulations remaining: 1]
At the same time.
A flood of information surged into Zhou Qing's mind.
So that's how it works... I can expend a simulation attempt to simulate the future. It ends when I voluntarily quit or die within the simulation.
At the end of each simulation, I can choose to inherit all of my cultivation, cultivation realm, memories, and skills from it.
If I don't choose to inherit all my cultivation, cultivation realm, memories, and skills, I can instead bring back any one treasure I possessed in the simulation.
And depending on my performance in the simulation, I can also obtain a talent each time it ends?
Zhou Qing held his breath. Before transmigrating, he had played quite a few little simulation games.
If he really could run simulations, his future would be boundless.
Then what am I waiting for? Let's start a simulation.
Zhou Qing steadied himself and, without much hesitation, chose to begin.
Rustle, rustle.
The illusory lettering rapidly changed.
[Year one. You are sixteen and begin studying the "Qi Introduction Art" day and night.] [In your spare time, you seek out your father, Zhou Shizhong, and mention your concerns about the eldest prince personally going to the northern battlefield.]
This feeling...?
Zhou Qing rubbed his chin. Although the simulated future was presented as text,
he discovered that, whenever he wished, he could intervene in the choices his simulated self made.
Or rather, whenever his simulated self faced a difficult choice, he would have to make the decision himself.
[Upon learning of your concerns, your father, Zhou Shizhong, looks deeply gratified and says, "My son has learned to concern himself with affairs of state."] [Your father, Zhou Shizhong, then explains why the eldest prince is doing this.] [First, the eldest prince possesses the strength of a martial grandmaster and can fight a hundred men single-handedly on the battlefield. Coupled with his status as a prince, he will be able to repel the barbarians within a year at most, provided he personally goes to the northern battlefield.] [Although the old emperor is advanced in years, he remains fairly robust. Living another eight or ten years will not be a problem.] [Repelling the barbarians will further cement the eldest prince's position and prestige, greatly benefiting his future succession to the throne.] [Second, virtually none of the other princes amounts to anything.] [The old emperor has nine children in total: six princes and three princesses.] [Apart from the eldest prince, none of the remaining princes possesses sufficient prestige.] [After hearing your father Zhou Shizhong's explanation, you remain somewhat worried. However, seeing his confident expression, you realize it would be inappropriate to keep trying to persuade him.] [As the young master of the Zhou family, you certainly enjoy high status, but status is all it is. You have little say in the family's decisions.] [And even if you persuaded Zhou Shizhong, what would that accomplish? The eldest prince has made up his mind. Everyone in and outside the court now knows he is about to go to the northern battlefield in person. Backing out now would also have a significant impact on his reputation.] [You can only hope that everything really will go as the eldest prince expects, and that the fighting on the northern battlefield will end swiftly.] [To guard against the worst-case scenario, you secretly establish more than a dozen "secret bases" in various corners of the capital, stocking them with plenty of food and water, as well as silver and identity documents.] [You hope these "secret bases" will never be used.] [Six months later, the eldest prince departs for the northern battlefield, seen off by the assembled officials.] [Year two. You are seventeen and faintly sense the elusive "qi" permeating heaven and earth.] [You therefore attempt to draw this "qi" into your body.] [The hardest part of cultivating the "Qi Introduction Art" is the first step: sensing the existence of "qi."] [Being able to sense "qi" means you possess the aptitude of a spiritual root and have the potential to become an immortal cultivator.]
Reading this, Zhou Qing's spirits soared.
His greatest concern had been that he might have no spiritual root aptitude.
It seemed his luck in this life was quite good after all.
I wonder what grade my spiritual root aptitude is...
Zhou Qing thought to himself.
According to the description in the "Qi Introduction Art," Spiritual root aptitude was divided into grades.
Low-grade spiritual roots were naturally the lowest, followed by mid-grade and high-grade spiritual roots.
There were supposedly even rarer forms of aptitude above high-grade spiritual roots, but those lay beyond what the "Qi Introduction Art" could document.
[After a night's effort, you have made little progress in drawing "qi" into your body. Yet you do not give up and instead become even more motivated.] [The following day, while strolling through the residence, you notice your father, Zhou Shizhong, heading out with a grave expression. Your eldest brother, Zhou Wen, and your second brother, Zhou Wu, also look solemn.] [You approach and ask what has happened.] ["His Majesty suddenly fainted. All the imperial physicians in the palace have now been summoned."] [Your second brother, Zhou Wu, speaks in a lowered voice.] [This is a closely guarded palace secret. Only because Zhou Shizhong commands the imperial guards has he caught wind of it in advance. As the Zhou family's second son, Zhou Wu often accompanies his father and has thus learned of it as well.] [Learning that the old emperor has suddenly collapsed, you feel an uneasy twitch between your brows, sensing that something momentous is about to happen.] [That night, you have Dachun keep watch outside your room at all times.] [The first half of the night passes uneventfully. Just as you begin to think everything will blow over, you faintly hear the sounds of fierce clashes.] [Then come the sounds of fighting.] [Finally, a deep voice rings out.] ["Zhou Shizhong has colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country! Spare no one in the Zhou residence!"] [You jolt out of bed, realizing that the very thing you feared has happened.] ["Dachun!"] [You push open your door, intending to have Dachun escort you out of the Zhou residence.] [But Dachun is nowhere outside. Presumably, the sounds of fighting have drawn his attention.] [Without hesitation, you swiftly leave your room, preparing to escape through the Zhou residence's back gate.] [Regardless of whether the Zhou family can hold off the enemy, your most urgent priority is to keep yourself safe.] [Not long after you leave your room, dozens of tall, armored figures arrive.] [The tall figure in the lead spots you at once, his gaze blazing like a torch.] ["Seize him!"] [The dozens of armored figures swiftly close in.] [Utter despair fills your heart. With your slight build, you will have no chance of escaping once they surround you.] [However, you notice that the enemy does not seem intent on killing you. Otherwise, the order would not have been "Seize him."] [Just as the dozens of tall, armored figures are about to catch you-] ["Young master!"] [A furious roar rings out.] [It is Dachun.] [With his mountain-like bulk, Dachun plants himself behind you.] ["Run, young master! I'll hold them off!"] [Dachun charges toward the dozens of tall, armored figures with great strides.] [For a moment, blades flash and swords gleam.] ["Run!"] [You do not hesitate. This is a chance Dachun has bought with his life.] [Those dozens of tall, armored figures all wield weapons, while Dachun does not even have a decent weapon of his own. Charging at them like this is tantamount to seeking death.]
"Good man, Dachun!"
Outside the simulation, Zhou Qing could not help looking moved. He had long known that Dachun's loyalty was beyond question.
But seeing Dachun trade his life for a chance for him to escape still touched him.
[Before long, you leave the Zhou residence through its back gate.] [This back gate is extremely well concealed. Even most of the residence's servants do not know about it.] [After leaving the Zhou residence, you do not run blindly about. Instead, you follow a route you memorized long ago to one of the "secret bases" you prepared.] [More than a year ago, you prepared over a dozen "secret bases" for yourself, scattered throughout the capital.] [You never expected to actually use one today.] [You steady yourself in the modest courtyard. This "secret base" sits in a corner of the capital, yet even here, you can still hear the fighting.] [You are filled with worry. You may have escaped, but what about all the people in the Zhou residence?] [Yet at this moment, you can barely protect yourself, let alone spare any strength to look after others.] [Several hours pass, and you suddenly see a dark figure dart inside.] ["Oh no!"] [You turn pale with fright. Could the enemy have followed the traces you left and tracked you here?] [But you soon discover that the dark figure who darted inside, his clothes in tatters, is none other than Dachun.] ["Dachun!"] [Your eyes widen, and you cannot help saying, "You're not dead?"]