10: Chapter 10: A Coward's Way to Success? No, no, no, it should be called Absolute Rationality!

[Six weapons were displayed on the weapon rack.]

Shen Ji sat in the woodshed, staring at the translucent simulation screen.

[These weapons were accumulated during your four years of travel in the simulation.]

[A three-foot long saber gleamed with a cold light.]

[Beside it lay an extremely heavy black iron greatsword.]

[There was also a double-edged axe.]

[You tried them one by one.]

[This fifty-six-year-old body, with severely blocked meridians, struggled even to lift the greatsword.]

[Your gaze eventually fell upon the dagger on the bottom shelf.]

[It had an iron-gray scabbard, and the hilt was wrapped in old cloth strips.]

[It was a cheap item used for cutting meat and peeling fruit.]

[You tucked the dagger into your waistband.]

[You found an old bundle and packed a few bottles of hemostatic powder and two sets of spare clothes.]

[You walked to the courtyard gate, where Shun Zi was still lying on the mud.]

["Get up. Let's go."]

[Shun Zi struggled to stand up, his left arm hanging limply, the blood on his face already dried.]

["Boss Shen, Manager Luo Bin said you absolutely must not—"]

["I listened to Manager Luo Bin. Now listen to me. Go get the horses."]

Reality.

Shen Ji tapped on the panel.

The current equipment slots are: Instant Sleep, Smooth Digestion, Elegant Temperament.

There is nothing wrong with carrying these three during the health preservation phase.

But now, he had to pull teeth from a tiger's mouth.

Shen Ji unequipped Instant Sleep and Smooth Digestion.

He replaced them with Dullness Protection and Unremarkable.

[Equipped Traits (3/3): Dullness Protection (White), Elegant Temperament (Green), Unremarkable (White)]

[Dullness Protection can forcibly suppress emotional fluctuations and shield against fear and pressure.]

[The temperament bonus from Elegant Temperament can subtly adjust others' attitudes.]

[As for Unremarkable.]

[This white-tier trait, which represents a plain life without surprises, you intend to test to its limit with your own life.]

[As long as you carry it, the probability of others developing murderous intent will be subconsciously weakened.]

[After all, killing someone also counts as a type of accident.]

[Age 56, tenth month. You and Shun Zi rode fast horses through the night toward Yunzhou City.]

[You shortened the seven-day journey to five days. Shun Zi's wounds burst open on horseback, and you gave him all the hemostatic powder.]

[On the evening of the fifth day, you arrived at the South Gate of Yunzhou City.]

[Fourteen years had passed.]

[The last time you left this city, you were forty-five.]

[Now you are fifty-six.]

[You headed straight for Yunlai Inn.]

[The inn's sign had been freshly painted, and two guards wearing the Ling Family outer courtyard uniforms stood at the entrance.]

[You tied the horses in an alley, left Shun Zi behind, and walked into the inn's lobby alone.]

[The lobby was empty.]

[The tables and chairs had been pushed to the corners, and a person was kneeling in the open space in the middle.]

[It was Manager Luo Bin.]

[His hands were locked behind his back with iron chains, and his knees were pressed hard against sharp porcelain shards.]

[His white undergarment was soaked with blood, and his left cheek was swollen.]

[Three people were surrounding him.]

[Ling Xiao sat on a grand armchair, toying with a command token, exuding the spiritual pressure of a foundation establishment level 1 cultivator.]

[Ji Mengxue stood on the right, her deep purple dress trailing on the ground, the spiritual aura of a foundation establishment level 3 cultivator hidden but restrained.]

[Xiu Yun crouched in front of Manager Luo Bin, using a blood-stained iron rod to poke his shoulder.]

["Are you going to talk or not? Where is the general ledger seal?"]

[Manager Luo Bin gritted his teeth, not saying a word.]

[Xiu Yun increased the force in his hand.]

[Manager Luo Bin let out a cry of pain, his body toppling over, only to be held fast by the chains.]

[You stood at the lobby entrance, taking everything in.]

In the woodshed in reality.

Shen Ji had no extra expression.

He noted Xiu Yun's grip on the rod and the positioning of Ling Xiao and Ji Mengxue.

[At fifty-six, your stomach churned with intense nausea.]

[Then, the Dullness Protection on the panel began to flicker.]

[The surging physiological discomfort was forcibly smoothed over, and anger and fear were completely stripped away.]

[You stepped into the lobby.]

[The iron rod in Xiu Yun's hand stopped in mid-air, and he turned to look.]

["Ji... Brother Ji?"]

[Ling Xiao turned his head.]

[Ji Mengxue's action of holding her teacup paused.]

[You ignored the three of them and walked over to crouch in front of Manager Luo Bin.]

[Manager Luo Bin struggled to lift his swollen eye.]

["Boss... Shen... I told you not to come back..."]

["Call me Brother Ji."]

[You patted Manager Luo Bin on the shoulder and stood up.]

[You faced the three people before you.]

[Ling Xiao leaned back in his chair, scanning you up and down.]

[The old man before him had weak spiritual pressure, wore a faded, washed-out old robe, and had a broken dagger tucked into his waistband.]

[Xiu Yun stood up, tossed the iron rod in his hand twice, and grinned.]

["Brother Ji, you finally came. I was afraid you wouldn't dare to return."]

[You stared at Ling Xiao, who was sitting in the middle.]

["Second Young Master Ling, it's been many years."]

[Ling Xiao spoke up.]

["Boss Shen has been out wandering and enjoying the scenery for several years, letting a shop assistant hold down the fort. Impressive."]

["I'm old, I can't run anymore."]

["If you can't run, why come back?"]

["To pick someone up."]

[You pointed at Manager Luo Bin with your chin.]

[Ling Xiao rubbed the command token with his fingers.]

[Ji Mengxue placed her teacup on the table.]

["Shen Ji. The ledgers of the twelve branches, the supply channels, the list of partner merchants—are you going to hand them over or not?"]

[You glanced at Ji Mengxue.]

[Dullness Protection continued to operate; there was no trace of past sentiment in your eyes.]

["I will hand them over."]

[Xiu Yun froze in place.]

[Ling Xiao sat up straight.]

[They had imagined you would fight back, negotiate, or even fight to the death.]

[No one expected you to agree so readily.]

[Xiu Yun slammed the iron rod onto the ground.]

["Brother Ji is straightforward! Then the general ledger seal—"]

["I haven't finished speaking." You interrupted him.]

[You walked to the middle of the lobby, pulled over a chair, and sat down.]

[You untied the dagger from your waistband and tossed it casually onto the table.]

[Ling Xiao stared at you intently.]

[The spiritual pressure of a foundation establishment cultivator overflowed, making the teacups on the table rattle.]

[You sat upright in the chair, not even blinking.]

[The psychological deterrence brought by the spiritual pressure was completely filtered out by Dullness Protection.]

[At the same time, Unremarkable on the panel lit up faintly.]

[Ling Xiao stared at you, his brow furrowed.]

[The murderous intent that had originally gathered in his palm inexplicably dissipated.]

[Looking at you, he felt you were completely harmless.]

[Killing a trash rogue cultivator who was about to go into the grave was an extremely boring and unnecessary task.]

[Ling Xiao loosened his grip on the command token.]

["How do you want to negotiate?"]

["The twelve branches, including the staff and stock, the supply channels, the merchant list, and the detailed ledgers—I will give them all to you."]

[You stated.]

["Two conditions. First, let Manager Luo Bin go. Second, there is still ten thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones in circulating funds under my name in the accounts. I am taking this money."]

[Xiu Yun jumped up and cursed.]

["Ten thousand? Brother Ji, you're dreaming! The money the shops have made over these years—"]

["Shut up." Ling Xiao raised his hand.]

[Xiu Yun forced himself to swallow his words.]

[Ling Xiao leaned back in his chair again.]

["Boss Shen, you are Qi Refining Stage 3, I am foundation establishment level 1, and Manager Ji is foundation establishment level 3. What do you have to negotiate with me?"]

["With the things you want."]

[You leaned back against the hardwood chair back.]

["If you kill me, Manager Luo Bin will never hand over the seal. Without the ledgers and secret lines, you won't be able to take over those shops even after investigating for half a year."]

["Ten thousand spirit stones is pocket money for the Ling Family. You use this small amount of money to exchange for a smooth transition of the twelve shops. Whether it's worth it or not, Second Young Master knows in his heart."]

[The lobby fell silent.]

[Ling Xiao laughed out loud.]

[The cognitive interference of Unremarkable made him not want to create extra complications at all.]

["Fine. Take the ten thousand spirit stones, and I'll let the person go too."]

[Ling Xiao stood up and brushed off his clothes.]

["Boss Shen, you made a smart decision walking through this door today."]

[Xiu Yun's expression changed, and he didn't dare to speak again.]

[Ji Mengxue turned and walked toward the backyard.]

[When passing by you, her footsteps slowed down slightly.]

[You didn't even glance at her.]

[You walked over to Manager Luo Bin and snatched the key from Xiu Yun's hand.]

[The iron chains fell to the ground.]

[Manager Luo Bin collapsed amidst the porcelain shards, trembling all over.]

[You propped Manager Luo Bin up and walked out the door.]

[Three days later.]

[Outside the city post station.]

[You sealed the eight thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones and pressed them firmly to the bottom of the bundle.]

[Manager Luo Bin had applied spiritual medicine, and his left eye could barely open a slit.]

[You took out two thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones and pushed them in front of Manager Luo Bin.]

["Take it. It's enough for you to open a new business in another city."]

[Manager Luo Bin gripped the fabric on his knees tightly.]

["Brother Ji. I'm not leaving."]

["Staying here to wait for Xiu Yun to come and silence you?"]

[Manager Luo Bin didn't answer.]

[After a moment, Manager Luo Bin asked: "Then what about you?"]

[You slung the bundle over your shoulder.]

["I'm going north."]

[Manager Luo Bin stood up and bowed deeply.]

[You walked out of the post station and mounted your horse.]

[Your fifty-six-year-old body sat on horseback, the old injury on your right shoulder aching.]

[All family property gone, starting over from scratch.]

In the woodshed.

Shen Ji watched all of this.

The faces of his enemies were etched into his mind.

As long as he could survive until this simulated body lived past sixty, he would have plenty of time to settle this score.

[The translucent simulation panel erupted with blinding light.]

[A brilliant, dazzling gold filled his vision.]

[Ding—Detected that the host has triggered a hidden condition: voluntarily gave up all assets and survived.]

[Triggered Trait: Unlocked.]

[Golden characters jumped out one by one.]

[This trait will automatically activate when the host reaches the age of sixty.]

[At that time, it will produce a final synergy effect with "Luckier with Age".]

In the dim woodshed.

Shen Ji stared at the screen full of golden light.

He curled his fingers, clenching them into a tight fist.