For the next few days, you drifted in and out of consciousness.
Sometimes you were lucid, other times you were lost in a feverish haze.
You knew someone was taking care of you, but you could never quite make out who it was.
The evil spirits within the Ten Thousand Souls Banner had drained a massive amount of your life essence, bringing you to the brink of death.
Several times, I thought about settling your account, but under someone's care, you managed to pull through each time.
Year twenty-four, age forty-one.
You replaced "Effort Guarantees Reward" with "Spider Sense".
You finally regained your vitality and could stay awake normally.
You discovered you were now living in a wooden cabin in the woods, surrounded by picturesque mountains and rivers, with fresh, invigorating air.
"You're awake!"
You heard a woman's voice.
Presumably, she was the one who had been taking care of you, pulling you back from the gates of the underworld several times.
Even a dutiful son grows weary at a long-sick parent's bedside. For someone to care for you for so long, she was undoubtedly your benefactor.
"Benefactor, please accept my... Xu Linglong?!"
You were stunned.
Turning your head, you saw that it was actually that mountain bandit, Xu Linglong, from back then!
She had lost a little weight, but her substantial frame was still very much present.
"Hahaha! Great, the benefactor is awake! You're finally awake!!"
Xu Linglong jumped for joy, causing the entire wooden cabin to tremble.
Worried the house might collapse, you hurriedly told her to stop jumping.
"No, how... how is it you? Also, why are you calling me 'benefactor'? Isn't that backwards?"
Xu Linglong told you about her experiences over the years.
Back when she was a bandit in Baiyun County, she happened to run into you.
For some reason, you knew her name and warned her to be careful of the Second-in-Command of the Feihu Stronghold.
Xu Linglong took those words to heart and remained vigilant.
Sure enough, she discovered the Second-in-Command had issues and was colluding with the government.
Unfortunately, her father, Xu Hu, was too stubborn. Even after Xu Linglong talked herself hoarse, Xu Hu refused to believe the Second-in-Command would betray the stronghold.
With no other choice, when the government soldiers came to raid the mountain, Xu Linglong, who had been prepared, had no option but to flee for her own life.
Later, she made her way to Sanjiang Prefecture, where a local sect discovered she had Mid-Grade bone structure and took her in as a disciple.
Finally, a year ago, while dealing with a demonic fiend with her sect elders, she ran into you.
"If it weren't for your warning back then to be careful of the Second-in-Command, I would have died in that government raid too. It's a pity... my stubborn old man wouldn't believe me."
"Uh... everyone has their own fate, their own fate..."
"Benefactor, actually, all these years, I've never married..."
It was too awkward.
You could see the longing in Xu Linglong's eyes as she looked at you.
Wouldn't being too cold to her be a disservice to your life-saving benefactor?
Suddenly, you had a flash of inspiration.
"Ahem... Linglong, you see, I was conscripted into the army when I was young. I took too many pills in the barracks, and my body... ahem... accumulated too much Pill Toxin... On top of that, this time, the vengeful spirits in the Ten Thousand Souls Banner injured my life essence, ahem... So, I'm... deficient in yang energy."
"What does that mean?"
"I can't perform."
You saw the clarity instantly return to Xu Linglong's eyes.
She was still herself.
Having married six husbands while being a bandit, she definitely couldn't accept a seventh husband who couldn't perform.
"Now that the benefactor has recovered, I consider this debt of gratitude repaid. What are your plans for the future, benefactor?"
Aside from the "you can't perform" part being a bluff, everything else about your body being weak wasn't a lie.
So, where should you go from here?
Find a small town, open a martial arts school, and fulfill the last wishes of your former comrades-in-arms. Continue traveling and see if any opportunities arise. Go find Old Liu and take back the Ten Thousand Souls Banner! That treasure is mine, hehehe!!!
Outside the simulation, Chen Yi sighed with feeling.
"What a mess..."
To run into Xu Linglong like this, Chen Yi was truly at a loss for words.
It was one thing in the simulation, but in reality, Chen Yi didn't want to get too entangled with Xu Linglong.
Looking at the progress options, Chen Yi chose 1.
The simulated self had mentioned earlier the desire to fulfill his comrades' wishes.
Furthermore, between the Pill Toxins and the Ten Thousand Souls Banner ordeal, the simulated Chen Yi's body was indeed in poor shape.
Continuing to wander outside would just be suffering. Better to retire early, maybe live a few more years and draw a few more traits.
You chose option 1.
"Is my luggage still here?"
"Of course, benefactor. I didn't touch any of your things."
"There are a few Spirit Artifacts inside. If you like any, I can give them to you."
"No need. I'm with the Clear Soup Sect now, I don't lack for such things."
"Since the luggage is still here, I'd like to settle down in a small town, recuperate, open a martial arts school, take on some disciples, and earn some money to support myself."
"Great! Benefactor, I'll help you! With my status as a Clear Soup Sect disciple, getting things done will be very convenient!"
"Thank you, then."
You weren't picky about the location and settled in the nearest town, Makou Town.
You had money, so the venue, equipment, and such were quickly arranged.
As for recruiting students.
Xu Linglong used the sect's prestige to her advantage, claiming you were a training Instructor from the Clear Soup Sect, had a long-term partnership with them, and that your teaching was very professional.
She successfully tricked a large group of youths into signing up.
You named your martial arts school the "Cheng'en Martial Arts School".
After all, the teaching materials you planned to use all came from Sun Cheng'en's personal guards, so the name was quite fitting.
Makou Town was a very small place. With yours being the only martial arts school, there was absolutely no competitive pressure.
Regardless of whether they had bone structure or not, as long as they were willing to pay the tuition, you accepted them.
Those without bone structure practiced martial arts for physical fitness. Those with bone structure, you taught them cultivation techniques and guided them into the martial path.
They wouldn't achieve great heights studying under you. Once they had a basic foundation in martial arts, you recommended they try their luck with the Clear Soup Sect to see if they'd be accepted.
Back and forth like this, you actually became a quality partner for the Clear Soup Sect, sending them quite a few promising seedlings.
Over three years, the martial arts school business flourished, with numerous apprentices.
You now comfortably played the role of boss, occasionally giving pointers on martial arts, while the routine teaching work was handed over to hired martial arts Instructors.
Most of the time, you focused on nurturing your health, hoping to recuperate and live a few more years.
"This year's trait is another useless white one. The probability increased, but the luck didn't... Huh?"
One day, on the street, you saw two grimy beggars. Looking closer, one of them, a chubby beggar with eyes that seemed to look in different directions, was clearly Da Chun!
You rushed over to Da Chun in a few quick strides.
"Da Chun!"

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