“Senior, Qingran has made her own decision. Tomorrow, she wishes to return to the Bluecloud Sect.”
Lu Changtian left. Li Qingran returned to her room and bowed toward the roof, kneeling for a long time.
“Qingran is not a stubborn fool, nor does she harbor feelings of gratitude towards the Bluecloud Sect and Chixiao Peak. It’s just that they have become obstacles on her cultivation path. Qingran must personally sever these ties in order to continue her cultivation and live up to your expectations.”
Li Qingran lowered her head, her words sincere.
She knew the Bluecloud Sect was a dangerous place but had no choice but to face it.
She also understood that from the senior’s perspective, he certainly wouldn’t want her to return to the Bluecloud Sect, and such actions might even arouse suspicion. She had already received too much favor, and returning now would make her ungrateful.
So she waited, waiting for the senior’s opinion.
If the senior told her to go back, she would go. If not, she would stay here.
Chen Huaian thought for a moment, then pressed the sound transmission talisman and said, “It’s fine. The knot can only be untied by the one who tied it. Since this matter started at Chixiao Peak, let it end there. You handle it yourself, I believe in you!”
In the small room, Li Qingran waited for a while before hearing a distant voice.
[Joy turns to sorrow, recognizing that everything has its limits. Every sip and bite, determined by fate, all has its cause and effect. You must take responsibility. Go ahead!]
Li Qingran pondered Chen Huaian’s words, her heart trembling. She bowed deeply, her originally hesitant eyes becoming resolute.
“Youngster Qingran thanks you for your guidance!”
[Well, before you go, I bestow upon you something.]
Swish!
A flying sword appeared on the table. The scabbard was as white as the moon, and the tassel was as red as blood.
[This sword is named Su Xian. It is an exquisite magical weapon. I see that your original flying sword is broken, so use this one to protect yourself!]
Li Qingran picked up the Su Xian sword, her heart touched once again. She was overwhelmed with emotion.
She wiped away her tears and, holding the Su Xian sword, bowed deeply in gratitude.
“I will not disappoint you, Senior!”
…
[Hello, may I speak to Mr. Chen?]
“This is he.”
[This is about a variety show we’d like to invite you to participate in. Are you interested…]
“What a scam call.” Chen Huaian frowned and hung up immediately. He was worried about how to help Li Qingran get through tomorrow’s crisis since he had no money left. This game would surely find ways to pressure him to spend more. He didn’t have time to deal with these scammers. In the past, he would have spent an hour talking about life and ideals with them.
Just as he hung up, another call came in.
Chen Huaian smiled coldly as he saw the caller ID and answered.
Alright, if you don’t appreciate my kindness, today I, Chen Xianzun, wanted to lay down my weapons, but these scammers are rushing to their doom. Don’t blame me for being a big talker!
[Mr. Chen, please don’t hang up. We’re not scammers. We are an outdoor variety show called ‘Kaleidoscope Adventure.’ We watched your Panshan challenge video, and our director is very interested in you. He specially invited you to join our show. Many popular young stars are participating, and it’s doing well on Mango TV. If you join, it will promote your live stream account and increase your fans. It’s a win-win situation!]
Chen Huaian’s eyes narrowed. He realized this wasn’t simple.
He quickly opened his hotel computer and searched online, finding out that the show was indeed popular. The basic content involved taking a group of young stars on outdoor extreme challenges like hiking, diving, bungee jumping, and wilderness survival. Such shows were perfect for building star personas.
Of course, some spoiled stars might reveal their true colors during these challenges.
But why would they invite him? He wasn’t a star.
Chen Huaian, puzzled, opened his live streaming account and was stunned. The casually edited vlog had over a hundred million views, with more than seven million likes. The backend comments and private messages were overwhelming, taking a long time to load.
“Damn! Am I famous?”
Chen Huaian, seeing his fan count grow to 270,000, suddenly exclaimed.
This is the age of the internet…
He couldn’t help but shake his head and sigh.
Times change, and he finally understood why college students nowadays want to become internet celebrities.
After all, working for a boss leads nowhere, but being an internet celebrity might offer a glimmer of hope. The self-media industry is broad, allowing people to do what they love. Even if they don’t make money, life isn’t meaningless.
His vlogs were linked, one of which was the high-ranking search term ‘Panshan Sealing the Sea of Illusions.’ Experts explained that a film crew in Shanghai projected their production onto Panshan Mountain through atmospheric optical effects. To prove this, Shanghai actually pulled out a crew filming ‘Panshan Sealing the Sea of Illusions.’
Chen Huaian checked it and confirmed that the crew was hastily assembled.
Although the actor playing the emperor wore a black robe and was handsome, their aura was vastly different.
To put it bluntly, it was like comparing a mud eel to a real dragon—there was no comparison.
…
Seeing this, Chen Huaian understood.
His live streams and vlogs promoted neither products nor charity, and he didn’t exploit tragedies. They conveyed a positive spirit of struggle. It wasn’t wrong to promote or raise funds, as many patients rely on these methods for treatment. However, people were tired of scams, and his content became a refreshing breeze, outshining others in the same field. With platform support, it naturally gained popularity.
His videos and streams had only been out for three days, leaving ample room for growth.
The variety show likely saw this potential and wanted to ride the wave.
Ha, what a win-win, they want to take advantage without effort.
Indeed, capitalists have no morals!
“I don’t want to participate in any variety shows,” Chen Huaian immediately declined. “I just want to live out the rest of my days peacefully.”
The person on the other end of the line seemed to have anticipated Chen Huaian’s response. He chuckled and said,
[Mr. Chen, who wouldn’t want to be cured if given the chance? Just attend this show, and we’ll pay you 500,000 yuan as appearance fees!]
“Steal from the poor?!”
Chen Huaian’s eyes widened.
[500,000 yuan to buy out your appearance fee for this season. We shoot about three shows per quarter. Regardless of whether you appear in future episodes, this money will be transferred to your account immediately after you agree and sign the contract!]
Chen Huaian calmed down.
500,000 yuan was the level of appearance fees for many second- and third-tier stars.
The producers of the show were genuinely committed to riding this wave of popularity.
Many new artists would even pay to appear on shows, let alone receive appearance fees.
[What do you think, Mr. Chen?]
Chen Huaian always believed in mutual benefits. A smile spread across his face.
“I think it’s great. Can you tell me what this episode plans to film?”
[We plan to hike up Heavenly Gate Mountain. A professional mountaineer will accompany you. Besides you, we’ve invited five other star artists, from big names to newcomers. You will appear as a mystery guest. If you agree, send me a green message, and I’ll send you the electronic contract right away.]
“Agreed, completely agreed! I love mysteries! Haha!”
Chen Huaian’s lips curled into a sinister smile.
After hanging up, both parties were satisfied.
Chen Huaian looked at Li Qingran, who was diligently meditating in the game, feeling a mix of emotions.
Although he had spent a lot of money in the game, appearing crazy, without the game’s motivation and opportunities, he wouldn’t have 500,000 yuan. Only the combination of the ‘Panshan Sea of Illusions’ and ‘Cancer Patient Climbs Panshan’ created his current terrifying popularity, leading to the variety show offering him a high price.
Cause and effect, wondrous indeed!
After signing the electronic contract and submitting his bank details, seeing the additional 500,000 yuan in his account, Chen Huaian still felt a glimmer of hope.
Who wants to die when they can live?!
Ten thousand yuan is nothing against cancer, but 500,000 yuan offers a chance, doesn’t it?
He immediately put on his clothes, hailed a taxi, and went to the hospital where he had previously undergone examinations.
The attending physician performed a biopsy according to standard procedures.
In the diagnosis room, Chen Huaian and the doctor silently looked at the X-rays on the computer, the atmosphere tense.
“Did you really just climb Panshan and then fracture your leg?”
The doctor turned his head, frowning.
“Yes, I didn’t do anything else,” Chen Huaian replied, feeling uneasy at the doctor’s expression.
Then he heard the attending physician sigh.
“This is the first time I’ve seen something like this.” He pointed to the X-ray, his tone filled with sorrow. “In less than a month, your cancer cells have spread from your leg and pancreas to your entire body, even starting to form tumors in your brain… Under normal circumstances, this kind of rapid spread is impossible. You must understand that cancer cells need nutrients to reproduce and spread. It’s as if they obtained massive nutrients in an extremely short time and then explosively multiplied! This is unheard of.”
Chen Huaian sighed, “So, there’s still no cure?”
The attending physician looked at Chen Huaian with a complex expression and sighed, “Young man, didn’t you say you earned 500,000 yuan? Enjoy your remaining time. As long as you don’t break the law, do whatever makes you happy. Make sure you’re happy every day…”
