28: Chapter 28 Three Lives Three Worlds

[Through Chu Sheng's efforts.]

[He carefully opened the furnace lid.]

[It's done!]

Chu Sheng let out a long breath and slumped to the ground, feeling exhausted.

Chu Sheng looked at the pill and clicked his tongue in wonder: "This actually worked?

The Strong Luck trait really never fails at critical moments.

But that trace of life force from the bloodline...

Could it be that the baby Lin Wanqing just gave birth to fed its father from a thousand miles away?

[The half-month period arrived, and Liu Chengqian came as promised.]

["Good! Good! Alchemist Qin is truly a god-like man!" He carefully put away the pill and left behind a reward far exceeding what was agreed upon.]

[Two hundred spirit stones, and he mentioned the idea of a marriage alliance again.]

[Chu Sheng politely declined.]

[Although Liu Chengqian felt slightly disappointed, gaining the friendship of an alchemist who could refine second-tier pills was already an unexpected joy.]

Two hundred spirit stones, that's quite a generous gesture.

It seems that although the Liu family has declined, they still have some family assets.

But this marriage alliance... how badly do they want to tie me down?

After seeing Liu Chengqian off, Chu Sheng's heart remained unsettled.

Liu Qingxue... is not Lady Liu.

Then where is Lady Liu in this lifetime? Is she still trapped by her family, facing a forced marriage?

[He decided to investigate actively.]

[The eldest daughter of the Liu family's direct line is named Liu Qingyan. It is said she is exceptionally beautiful, but because the Liu family is weak, there is huge disagreement within the family regarding this.]

["I must see her," Chu Sheng thought to himself.]

Looking at the three characters "Liu Qingyan," complex emotions welled up in Chu Sheng's heart.

In the second simulation, she was the runaway girl who depended on him for survival under the cliff.

In the first simulation, she was the gentle and virtuous Lady Liu.

This time, she has still reached the point of being forced into marriage.

"This time, I will not let you run into the mountains alone again."

[Just at this time, a group of roaming bandits outside Jin Xiao City attacked a Liu family caravan transporting medicinal herbs.]

[The Liu family issued a bounty, recruiting cultivators to go and clear them out.]

[Chu Sheng's eyes lit up. He accepted the bounty under the name "Qin Shou" and set off with several other rogue cultivators.]

[Black Wind Gorge had dangerous terrain, and the bandits were cunning, but with Chu Sheng's Qi Induction Fourth Grade cultivation, he quickly defeated them.]

[The mission was completed, and he returned to Jin Xiao City to report and claim the reward.]

[The person in charge of this matter for the Liu family was none other than Liu Chengqian.]

[He was quite impressed with "Qin Shou's" strength, gave an extra reward, and hosted a banquet.]

[After three rounds of drinks, Liu Chengqian became talkative.]

["To be honest with you, Brother Qin, the Liu family is currently... sigh, beset by internal and external troubles. The ancestor doesn't have much time left, and the Chen family is pushing hard for the marriage... Even my sister, Liu Qingyan, has been depressed lately, which is heartbreaking."]

[Chu Sheng's heart stirred, and just as he was about to take the opportunity to ask, he suddenly heard footsteps outside the hall.]

[The bead curtain tinkled, and a young girl walked in, supported by a maid.]

[Her features were like a painting, and her temperament was refined, but a layer of sorrow shrouded her brows.]

Unlike her resilience when in distress in the simulations or her gentleness after becoming Lady Liu, she appeared more fragile in this lifetime, like a delicate flower battered by wind and rain.

But that beauty and kindness carved into her bones remained unchanged.

Chu Sheng looked at that familiar face in the scene, and his heart felt as if it had been pinched by something.

["It's her."]

["Big Brother."]

[Liu Qingyan's voice was soft and gentle; she bowed to Liu Chengqian and then lowered her eyes.]

[Liu Chengqian greeted her to sit down, "Liu Qingyan, this is Alchemist Qin, Qin Shou. This time, the extermination of the Black Wind Gorge bandits relied heavily on Alchemist Qin's efforts."]

[Liu Qingyan bowed gracefully: "Thank you, Alchemist Qin, for eliminating the scourge for the Liu family."]

[Chu Sheng took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his surging emotions, and raised his cup in return: "You are too polite, Miss Liu, it was my duty."]

[The banquet continued, but the atmosphere became dull due to Liu Qingyan's arrival.]

[She just sat quietly, occasionally answering her brother's questions, but most of the time she stared out the window in a daze, the sorrow in her eyes making one feel pity.]

[After the banquet, Liu Qingyan rose to leave.]

["Young Master Liu, I have some insights into alchemy prescriptions for nourishing meridians that might be beneficial to your sister. I wonder if it would be possible..."]

[Liu Chengqian, who was just looking to win over Chu Sheng, was overjoyed to hear this.]

["Naturally! Please do so, Alchemist Qin. Liu Qingyan, take Alchemist Qin for a walk in the garden and listen to his guidance."]

[Liu Qingyan was a bit surprised, but since her brother had spoken, she had to agree.]

[The two walked one after the other, silently arriving at the Liu family's back garden. The moonlight was hazy, and the fragrance of flowers drifted in the air; it was indeed a place suitable for... plotting.]

["Miss Liu," Chu Sheng stopped, looking at the young girl's slender back in front of him, and suddenly spoke, "Do you believe in... fate?"]

[Liu Qingyan was slightly stunned. She turned around, her clear eyes appearing exceptionally bewildered under the moonlight: "Fate...?"]

[She shook her head gently, revealing a bitter smile, "Alchemist Qin is joking. Nowadays, I only believe in destiny."]

[She paused, her brows slightly furrowed, "I don't know why, but when I first met Alchemist Qin, I felt... a strange sense of familiarity. Yet, I am certain I have never met you before."]

Familiarity?

That is the familiarity that transcends the cycles of simulation, branded deep within the soul!

[He took a step closer, "Perhaps, in some cycle you are unaware of, we knew each other, understood each other, and stayed together."]

[Liu Qingyan looked up in astonishment, "Alchemist Qin... what do you mean by that?"]

Chu Sheng watched this scene, a mixture of emotions swirling in his heart.

The way he said that definitely counts as harassment.

But in the world of cultivation, combined with the love from two lifetimes of simulations... it seems understandable?

But the "me" in the simulation is really bold, saying things like that the first time we meet.

[Chu Sheng shook his head, composed himself, and said seriously: "Miss Liu, your brother has mentioned a little to me. Regarding the Chen family matter, are you... willing to accept it?"]

[Liu Qingyan's face turned pale: "What if I am willing? What if I am not? The Liu family... needs to survive. I... have no other choice."]

["Not necessarily."]

[Chu Sheng said in a deep voice, "What the Liu family needs is not the lingering survival of selling a daughter, but an opportunity to truly stand firm and regain its former glory!"]

["An alchemist with a bright future who can refine second-tier pills, a cultivator who can eliminate bandits—isn't his friendship more valuable than a foolish son-in-law?"]

[Liu Qingyan turned her head sharply, "Alchemist Qin, you..."]

["I will do my best to help the Liu family, and I will also... help you."]

[Chu Sheng's gaze was firm, "But I need time, and I need the Liu family to show the courage to burn their bridges. Do you want to run away? Don't. Delay the wedding!"]

[Just at this moment, the simulator's prompt suddenly sounded in Chu Sheng's mind:]

[Achievement Unlocked: Three Lives, Three Worlds (Purple)]

[You have deeply intertwined with a specific soul across different space-time trajectories, causing your fate lines to resonate mysteriously.]

Chu Sheng looked at this line of text, his eyes wide open.

"Three Lives, Three Worlds? A purple achievement? Does this mean... my bond with Liu Qingyan has transcended the cycles within the simulator?"

[Liu Qingyan looked at the silent man in front of her, and the bewilderment and distress in her heart actually calmed down a little.]

[Her secret thoughts had been exposed, but she wasn't angry. She asked softly, "Then... what should I do? The Chen family is pressuring us tightly, and my father and the others... probably won't be able to hold on for much longer."]

[Chu Sheng's eyes became sharp: "This is not a suitable place for a long conversation; I will tell you next time when I deliver the pills."]

[Under the moonlight, the bewilderment in the young girl's eyes was gradually replaced by determination.]

["I... understand. Alchemist Qin, I... am willing to try my best!"]

Chu Sheng looked at the two people gazing at each other under the moonlight in the scene and let out a long breath.

"In this lifetime, at least she isn't running away alone anymore."

He stretched his neck, and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"Liu family, Chen family, Jin Xiao City... just wait, this time we'll play slowly."

[Simulation continues...]