All ten grids represented fortunate outcomes: one hundred silver taels, one thousand gold taels, a maiden’s token of affection, the favor of the magistrate’s wife, a Martial Arts companion, the fortunate purchase of a Secret Manual, the County Magistrate’s praise, distinguished military service, a promotion of one grade, and guidance from an expert.
Li Qingxian glanced at the "guidance from an expert" grid. ’That’s certainly good, but the Fallen Marquis is already a grandmaster of the Upper Three Grades. The Celestial Profound Skill and the Great Star-Destroying Saber are both Upper-Grade cultivation methods. Getting another expert’s help would just be icing on the cake.’
Aside from the expert’s guidance, three of the other options weren’t worth a single Jade Pendant.
’As long as I continuously achieve merits and avoid conflict with the County Magistrate, his praise is meaningless. A higher official rank is illusory; true strength is what’s real. Military merit looks good, but like the first two, it’s merely a result. The cause is my own ability.’
’The Secret Manual grid is practically useless for a Martial Cultivator.’
’A Magic Cultivator can never have too many skills, but a Martial Cultivator must specialize and achieve profound mastery. Before reaching a bottleneck in the Cultivation of his two Upper-Grade cultivation methods, any other Martial Arts secret manual would only have negative side effects.’
’The favor of the County Magistrate’s wife... a little dangerous. What a pity.’
’As for the County Magistrate’s daughter sending a handkerchief to declare her love, wouldn’t that just interfere with the Destiny Gentleman’s Cultivation? A trap!’
Finally, Li Qingxian looked at the "Martial Arts companion" grid.
’This grid isn’t just about expanding my network. The key is having a sparring partner, someone who can lend a hand when things get tough.’
’Since he’s a newcomer to Beisha City, having a Martial Arts companion would be a great help.’
Li Qingxian chose "Martial Arts companion."
A scene materialized in mid-air. The Destiny Gentleman, who appeared as a Cross-Eyed Dog Head, was eating in a tavern when he witnessed a man thrashing some hooligans. He cheered loudly and then joined the man for drinks and lively conversation.
As they talked, the Destiny Gentleman learned that this man was surprisingly a former subordinate of the Fallen Marquis, now serving in the Beisha City military.
The two began to address each other as brothers. Once they had eaten and drunk their fill, they headed straight for the military training grounds to spar.
The Beisha General, who was passing by, saw them and praised them both profusely.
Upon learning that the Destiny Gentleman was the Fallen Marquis’s direct disciple and seeing the Moon-Blocking Saber the Marquis had once used, the Beisha General was overjoyed and hosted a banquet for them both.
When the County Magistrate heard that the Destiny Gentleman had befriended the Beisha General, he treated him with even greater favor.
Thanks to his Martial Arts companion, the Destiny Gentleman frequently visited the military camp to spar. His martial prowess advanced by leaps and bounds, and his fame in Beisha City grew continuously.
Li Qingxian smiled faintly. ’This Promotion Map is quite interesting.’
Li Qingxian casually glanced at the other players before pondering his choice and its repercussions. ’Every choice, every trial the Destiny Gentleman faces, doesn’t just reflect the mindset of a Great Fate Master. More importantly, it represents a mode of thinking that is effective at least at the First Grade level.’
Finally, Li Qingxian glanced down at the four All-Purpose Jade Pendants at his waist.
He was beginning to understand the significance of the later stages of this Life Play.
Or rather, the hidden criteria being tested beneath the choices.
After pondering for a good while, the voice of the Stone Giant Leader suddenly echoed in his ears, "Please choose the second dilemma."
Li Qingxian looked ahead.
The ten grids were: Encounter Deceit Mid-journey, Demon Race Siege, Infighting Between Two Houses, Horse Bandit Attack, Qigong Deviation, Demon Race Pillage, The Flying Thief, Martial Arts World Gathering, Yellow Sand Treasure, and Grand Army Mobilization.
Li Qingxian skipped over the first two grids and evaluated the subsequent ones one by one.
’Infighting is no good. Horse Bandits, unlike mountain bandits, don’t have a fixed lair, meaning the rewards are small. Plus, they excel at mobile warfare, making them incredibly difficult to deal with. Only an idiot would choose Qigong Deviation. Demon Race Pillage is a decent choice. Catching the Flying Thief requires Lightweight Skill, which my Destiny Gentleman doesn’t specialize in. The Martial Arts World Gathering will inevitably stir up trouble. Yellow Sand Treasure is good, but Grand Army Mobilization is far too dangerous...’
Li Qingxian looked at the grids of the thirteen remaining players. He saw that only two of them had "Yellow Sand Treasure" as an option, and their Fate Grids were unremarkable. They were far from being his match.
’If I can get into the Yellow Sand Treasure, not only can I obtain treasure, but I can also likely intercept a future rival.’
However, as he reached this conclusion, Li Qingxian suddenly sensed that something was off. Recalling his previous choice, he had a flash of insight.
’I have to be clear on my priorities. First, follow the greater trend of events. Second, focus on self-cultivation. Only if neither of those is an option should I choose something else. In this case, Demon Race Siege, Demon Race Pillage, and Grand Army Mobilization all represent the greater trend. But in terms of safety, Demon Race Pillage is the best option. Wait... self-cultivation is a lifelong pursuit. Could that be considered my own personal greater trend?’
Li Qingxian considered this for a moment, then threw the dice. The Destiny Gentleman leaped into the "Demon Race Pillage" grid.
A scene appeared overhead.
In the Yellow Sand Desert, a merchant caravan traveled slowly. Suddenly, hundreds of members of the Demon Race erupted from the sand, howling as they charged forward.
The men in the caravan were all robust and strong. They calmly distributed weapons and, as the Demon Race closed in, they took the initiative and charged out to meet them.
The Destiny Gentleman was dressed in plain clothes. He kept the Moon-Blocking Saber slung on his back, unused, fighting only with a common saber.
After fighting for a while, the Destiny Gentleman suddenly attacked an Eighth-Grade Tiger Demon from the flank. He drew his treasured Moon-Blocking Saber, severed the demon’s hind leg with a single slash, and immediately turned to flee.
The Eighth-Grade Tiger Demon’s eyes went crimson as it lunged about madly, but after a short while, its strength began to fail. The Destiny Gentleman found another opening and chopped off its seemingly useless tail, causing the Tiger Demon to completely lose its ability to balance. It was quickly slain by the crowd.
In the end, the Beisha Soldiers and Officials drove back the Demon Race and returned to the city with their spoils of war. The Destiny Gentleman was awarded the highest merit.
One scene after another flashed by, all depicting the Destiny Gentleman battling small bands of the Demon Race. He frequently encountered minor dangers and suffered light injuries, but he always managed to turn peril into safety and was repeatedly awarded the highest merit.
In the final battle, the Destiny Gentleman achieved a breakthrough mid-combat, advancing to the Eighth Grade. His Spiritual Eye reached major completion, and he gained the ability Spiritual Eye Observing Wind.
Spiritual Eye Observing Wind allows a Martial Artist to more precisely perceive the flow of nearby Qi Force, which is an immense advantage in close combat.
Li Qingxian wondered, ’How did the Destiny Gentleman get so prudent? Who did he learn this style from?’
With this thought, he looked over at the others.
The White Deer Head’s Destiny Gentleman had been ambushed. The cause was his excessive killing during the treasure battle; the forces backing those he had slain took their revenge in secret. This resulted in his Destiny Gentleman suffering grievous injuries, forcing the White Deer Head to consume another All-Purpose Jade Pendant to use a Fate Skill, which was the only thing that saved him.
Li Qingxian was baffled. Given the White Deer Head’s skill, this shouldn’t have happened. He thought about it for a while before the realization struck him.
’The Destiny Gentleman is the Destiny Gentleman, and the White Deer Head is the White Deer Head!’
’The White Deer Head had made the biggest mistake of all: he assumed that just because he could handle something, his Destiny Gentleman could too.’
’This was why the dilemma the White Deer Head chose was too aggressive, and he ended up suffering for it.’
Li Qingxian saw the White Deer Head looking down in deep thought, occasionally glancing at the projected image of his own Destiny Gentleman. Li Qingxian guessed he had come to his senses.
The other players were in similar situations. They either faced repeated, grueling battles or were deliberately thwarted by their colleagues. One by one, they suffered injuries, demotions, or imprisonment, forcing them to use their All-Purpose Jade Pendants.
Only Li Qingxian and Panda Head had a smooth run through the second dilemma.
Panda Head’s Destiny Gentleman hadn’t been doing well initially, but his Qi Fortune was so immense that he always managed to turn disaster into fortune.
Panda Head looked over, a green leaf dangling from his mouth. He smiled and gave Li Qingxian a congratulatory wave.
Li Qingxian nodded and returned the gesture with a smile.
When the second dilemma ended, a series of white lights descended on the field. Afterward, only six people remained. Even Parrot Head, who had been right beside him, had vanished.
Aside from Cross-Eyed Dog Head and Panda Head, the Destiny Gentlemen of the other four players were all gravely wounded.
Li Qingxian observed their grids and the scenes playing out, constantly pondering the reasons for their outcomes.
Atop the Beast Bridge, the Middle-Grade Fate Masters began to offer their commentary.
"Looks like these kids are finally starting to get it."
"I was originally favoring Panda Head, but now, I’m starting to think Cross-Eyed Dog Head has a better chance. A pity the betting is already closed."