Chapter 17
"What can't kill me? It's always trying to kill me!"
"An'an, what's wrong?"
Shen Wanqiu keenly noticed Shen Shuan's suddenly stunned expression.
Shen Shu'an snapped back to reality and met Shen Wanqiu's concerned gaze into his dark eyes.
"It's nothing, sister."
She spoke softly, and as before, she nestled against Shen Wanqiu's shoulder again, though her small body was slightly curled up.
……
That night, after Shen Shuan returned to her room to rest, the system's voice sounded again.
[Host, you have collected a total of 800 emotion points today. Would you like to exchange them for points?]
Shen Shuan had already told the system that unless the emotional value fluctuations were particularly large, there was no need to remind her all the time.
After all, emotions are generated frequently, and abruptly interrupting one's concentration can easily lead to losing composure in front of others, just like in the afternoon.
Shen Shuan lay on the soft bed, shook her head, and said to the system in her heart, "No, this is not urgent."
"Tell me about the calamity of Qingcheng first."
[Okay, host, do you remember the massive hurricane that struck Qingcheng in the original story?]
[The scene where the female lead rushes home from her sect to participate in disaster relief and care for the wounded.]
Shen Shuan lay down properly, and upon hearing this, closed her eyes tightly and tried hard to recall.
...However, several minutes passed, and Shen Shu'an's eyes remained closed as she continued to try to recall.
Damn it, think quickly! This concerns Qingcheng!
However, several more minutes passed, and Shen Shuan's eyes remained closed.
The system helplessly reminded, "Host, wake up, don't fall asleep."
Shen Shuan's eyelids twitched suddenly, and she opened her eyes in surprise.
Holy crap, she's just been possessed!
"System, there's something wrong with this bed! Something unseen is trying to possess me!"
The lights in the room were off, but perhaps because of his dragon body, Shen Shu'an could now see in the dark.
She quickly sat up, leaned against the pillow, and wiped her face with her small hands, quite frightened.
The system paused for a moment: […It's alright, host, it's normal to be sleepy.]
[After all, so much happened today, it took a lot of mental and physical exertion, and my body is still young, so I tire easily.]
In short, the hurricane that suddenly struck Qingcheng and caused huge damage in the original text was caused by the Hidden Sparrow during the mission.
The hurricane caused thousands of casualties in Qingcheng, most of whom were ordinary citizens, and the damage to buildings was even greater...
Shen Shuan listened intently with her eyes open, but as the system's monotonous, mechanical voice, like reporting data, began to crease her eyelids, she couldn't help but gradually close them again.
This feels so much like an advanced mathematics class, and for some reason, lying on the bed on Dragon Island and closing my eyes feels so comfortable...
[Ahem, host! That's basically it!]
"Um!"
Shen Shu'an opened her eyes again, sat up straight, and said seriously, "Yes, System, leave this to me, don't worry!"
system:?
[No, host, you were almost asleep just now, did you understand?]
Shen Shu'an patted his chest: "It's about saving the female sparrow on the mountain behind the Shen family and helping her avoid a difficult childbirth, right?"
"That hurricane was also caused by the returning male bird discovering that his mate and chicks had all perished, and his grief and rage led to its outbreak, right?"
"Chief, don't be fooled by my closed eyes, I heard everything!"
The system was taken aback; it truly hadn't expected Shen Shu'an to actually remember: [Host, you actually listened attentively.]
Shen Shuan smiled slightly.
Hmph, back in the day, teachers would call on students who were sleepy during class, she's already mastered that!
"But how could a bird have a difficult birth? Don't birds lay eggs?"
As Shen Shuan spoke, a look of confusion appeared on her small face.
[Host, birds also experience difficult births. The chick in that egg is exceptionally gifted, absorbing too much nutrition from the mother, resulting in its larger size.]
Shen Shu'an frowned upon hearing this: "I see!"
"Okay, Mommy Sparrow's due date is still two months away, there's plenty of time!"
Shen Shu'an nodded as she made her own plans.
[Alright, host, there's one more thing.]
The loan you asked me to apply for has been approved, but the credit limit is only 250 points.
Upon hearing this, Shen Shu'an suddenly perked up, sat up straight, and protested, "Why only two hundred and fifty points?"
"And why does this sound so much like an insult to me?"
[Ding, host, your credit rating is insufficient according to the assessment above.]
"What?"
Shen Shu'an stood up abruptly again, "Outrageous!"
She put her hands on her hips and said seriously, "Then let's see what's wrong with your evaluation system."
"As someone destined for ascension and task completionist, I seem like a person who would keep their word no matter how you look at it!!!"
Shen Shu'an was heartbroken and spoke with righteous indignation, arguing his case forcefully.
but--
[…Host, we haven't paid back the points we borrowed last time.]
"Oh dear, didn't I already say? It's not that I won't pay, it's that I'll pay it back slowly, gently, and with preferential treatment!"
Shen Shu'an silently and guiltily sat down again.
"That just means it hasn't been paid back, host."
[Also, host, how can you be so sure you're destined to complete the mission?]
Shen Shu'an frowned slightly and said earnestly to the system, "System, if I don't ascend within thirty years, won't I be dead?"
As she spoke, thinking of the main quest, Shen Shuan felt the pressure return and quickly sat down again to practice the "Dragon Breath Technique".
Although it still hurts a little, it doesn't hurt as much as it did at the beginning.
Shen Shu'an no longer cared about such pain.
Even while channeling his inner energy, Shen Shu'an didn't forget to continue speaking to the system: "System, I protest!"
"What can't kill me is constantly killing me; what's unseen is constantly oppressing me!"
The system couldn't help but chuckle: [I understand, host. In your Earth's terms, wouldn't that be called a capitalist?]
We, too, have the capital to unify the world.
[But you can't file a complaint, host.]
To improve your credit score and increase your loan amount, you must continue to demonstrate your potential and repay your loans on time.
Shen Shuan listened to this familiar procedure and closed her eyes.
She had a feeling that something familiar was starting to wrap around her neck again.
So tired. Didn't she transmigrate? Why is the old Blue Star system still clinging to her?
It makes one unable to feel homesick.
"All right."
"Including the points earned from the loan, how many points do I have now?"
[Host, you currently have a total of 300 points, 800 emotion points, and 100 points in debt.]
Shen Shu'an completely ignored the second half of the sentence. She did some serious calculations and said to the system, "System, I want to buy 'Dragon Language Mastery.' Is it available in the system shop?"
[You have the necessary points, but you don't have enough. 'Dragon Language Proficiency' requires 500 points.]
Shen Shuan thought for two seconds, then frowned, realizing that this matter was not simple.
With the points that can be converted from emotion points, how come she was just a little bit short again?
"No, system, I'm starting to suspect that something is secretly setting me up."
Shen Shu'an's face tightened, her tone became serious, and she said earnestly, "It's been putting pressure on me from where I can't see it!"
[Ding, host stress level has risen to 50, cultivation efficiency has increased by 50% simultaneously.]
In the pitch-black room, the monotonous system notification sound suddenly broke the silence.
I vaguely heard the system chuckle again: [Host, do you remember my name?]
Shen Wanqiu keenly noticed Shen Shuan's suddenly stunned expression.
Shen Shu'an snapped back to reality and met Shen Wanqiu's concerned gaze into his dark eyes.
"It's nothing, sister."
She spoke softly, and as before, she nestled against Shen Wanqiu's shoulder again, though her small body was slightly curled up.
……
That night, after Shen Shuan returned to her room to rest, the system's voice sounded again.
[Host, you have collected a total of 800 emotion points today. Would you like to exchange them for points?]
Shen Shuan had already told the system that unless the emotional value fluctuations were particularly large, there was no need to remind her all the time.
After all, emotions are generated frequently, and abruptly interrupting one's concentration can easily lead to losing composure in front of others, just like in the afternoon.
Shen Shuan lay on the soft bed, shook her head, and said to the system in her heart, "No, this is not urgent."
"Tell me about the calamity of Qingcheng first."
[Okay, host, do you remember the massive hurricane that struck Qingcheng in the original story?]
[The scene where the female lead rushes home from her sect to participate in disaster relief and care for the wounded.]
Shen Shuan lay down properly, and upon hearing this, closed her eyes tightly and tried hard to recall.
...However, several minutes passed, and Shen Shu'an's eyes remained closed as she continued to try to recall.
Damn it, think quickly! This concerns Qingcheng!
However, several more minutes passed, and Shen Shuan's eyes remained closed.
The system helplessly reminded, "Host, wake up, don't fall asleep."
Shen Shuan's eyelids twitched suddenly, and she opened her eyes in surprise.
Holy crap, she's just been possessed!
"System, there's something wrong with this bed! Something unseen is trying to possess me!"
The lights in the room were off, but perhaps because of his dragon body, Shen Shu'an could now see in the dark.
She quickly sat up, leaned against the pillow, and wiped her face with her small hands, quite frightened.
The system paused for a moment: […It's alright, host, it's normal to be sleepy.]
[After all, so much happened today, it took a lot of mental and physical exertion, and my body is still young, so I tire easily.]
In short, the hurricane that suddenly struck Qingcheng and caused huge damage in the original text was caused by the Hidden Sparrow during the mission.
The hurricane caused thousands of casualties in Qingcheng, most of whom were ordinary citizens, and the damage to buildings was even greater...
Shen Shuan listened intently with her eyes open, but as the system's monotonous, mechanical voice, like reporting data, began to crease her eyelids, she couldn't help but gradually close them again.
This feels so much like an advanced mathematics class, and for some reason, lying on the bed on Dragon Island and closing my eyes feels so comfortable...
[Ahem, host! That's basically it!]
"Um!"
Shen Shu'an opened her eyes again, sat up straight, and said seriously, "Yes, System, leave this to me, don't worry!"
system:?
[No, host, you were almost asleep just now, did you understand?]
Shen Shu'an patted his chest: "It's about saving the female sparrow on the mountain behind the Shen family and helping her avoid a difficult childbirth, right?"
"That hurricane was also caused by the returning male bird discovering that his mate and chicks had all perished, and his grief and rage led to its outbreak, right?"
"Chief, don't be fooled by my closed eyes, I heard everything!"
The system was taken aback; it truly hadn't expected Shen Shu'an to actually remember: [Host, you actually listened attentively.]
Shen Shuan smiled slightly.
Hmph, back in the day, teachers would call on students who were sleepy during class, she's already mastered that!
"But how could a bird have a difficult birth? Don't birds lay eggs?"
As Shen Shuan spoke, a look of confusion appeared on her small face.
[Host, birds also experience difficult births. The chick in that egg is exceptionally gifted, absorbing too much nutrition from the mother, resulting in its larger size.]
Shen Shu'an frowned upon hearing this: "I see!"
"Okay, Mommy Sparrow's due date is still two months away, there's plenty of time!"
Shen Shu'an nodded as she made her own plans.
[Alright, host, there's one more thing.]
The loan you asked me to apply for has been approved, but the credit limit is only 250 points.
Upon hearing this, Shen Shu'an suddenly perked up, sat up straight, and protested, "Why only two hundred and fifty points?"
"And why does this sound so much like an insult to me?"
[Ding, host, your credit rating is insufficient according to the assessment above.]
"What?"
Shen Shu'an stood up abruptly again, "Outrageous!"
She put her hands on her hips and said seriously, "Then let's see what's wrong with your evaluation system."
"As someone destined for ascension and task completionist, I seem like a person who would keep their word no matter how you look at it!!!"
Shen Shu'an was heartbroken and spoke with righteous indignation, arguing his case forcefully.
but--
[…Host, we haven't paid back the points we borrowed last time.]
"Oh dear, didn't I already say? It's not that I won't pay, it's that I'll pay it back slowly, gently, and with preferential treatment!"
Shen Shu'an silently and guiltily sat down again.
"That just means it hasn't been paid back, host."
[Also, host, how can you be so sure you're destined to complete the mission?]
Shen Shu'an frowned slightly and said earnestly to the system, "System, if I don't ascend within thirty years, won't I be dead?"
As she spoke, thinking of the main quest, Shen Shuan felt the pressure return and quickly sat down again to practice the "Dragon Breath Technique".
Although it still hurts a little, it doesn't hurt as much as it did at the beginning.
Shen Shu'an no longer cared about such pain.
Even while channeling his inner energy, Shen Shu'an didn't forget to continue speaking to the system: "System, I protest!"
"What can't kill me is constantly killing me; what's unseen is constantly oppressing me!"
The system couldn't help but chuckle: [I understand, host. In your Earth's terms, wouldn't that be called a capitalist?]
We, too, have the capital to unify the world.
[But you can't file a complaint, host.]
To improve your credit score and increase your loan amount, you must continue to demonstrate your potential and repay your loans on time.
Shen Shuan listened to this familiar procedure and closed her eyes.
She had a feeling that something familiar was starting to wrap around her neck again.
So tired. Didn't she transmigrate? Why is the old Blue Star system still clinging to her?
It makes one unable to feel homesick.
"All right."
"Including the points earned from the loan, how many points do I have now?"
[Host, you currently have a total of 300 points, 800 emotion points, and 100 points in debt.]
Shen Shu'an completely ignored the second half of the sentence. She did some serious calculations and said to the system, "System, I want to buy 'Dragon Language Mastery.' Is it available in the system shop?"
[You have the necessary points, but you don't have enough. 'Dragon Language Proficiency' requires 500 points.]
Shen Shuan thought for two seconds, then frowned, realizing that this matter was not simple.
With the points that can be converted from emotion points, how come she was just a little bit short again?
"No, system, I'm starting to suspect that something is secretly setting me up."
Shen Shu'an's face tightened, her tone became serious, and she said earnestly, "It's been putting pressure on me from where I can't see it!"
[Ding, host stress level has risen to 50, cultivation efficiency has increased by 50% simultaneously.]
In the pitch-black room, the monotonous system notification sound suddenly broke the silence.
I vaguely heard the system chuckle again: [Host, do you remember my name?]