Mini World Game Console

"Great Good Fortune"

Glancing at the fortune slip in Qiao Muyi's hand, Ren Suo also let out a silent sigh of relief. He really did draw the lucky lot after reloading the game thirty-three times.

Although Young Master Mu had indeed drawn the lucky lot in the game, drawing lots involved too much luck. Perhaps a different strength or direction of shaking could result in a different fortune. But now it seemed that the Mini-World Game Console was quite reliable.

Ren Suo wanted to take a closer look at the content of the fortune, but Qiao Muyi quickly folded the slip and stuffed it into her pocket.

"Let me have a look."

"No. Are you drawing one too?"

Ren Suo blinked. What if I draw a bad lot? Will it ruin the mood? So he shook his head and said, "We shook the lot together just now, so it's like we drew it together, which means I also got the 'Second Great Good Fortune' lot... So let me see what the fortune says."

"No." Qiao Muyi's cheeks showed a faint blush as she turned and pulled him toward the main hall. Ren Suo scratched his head but didn't mind much. After all, drawing the lucky lot generally meant that everything would go smoothly, and the content was just fancy words of praise and blessings.

As they reached the main temple, the image of a standing Guanyin presided over the hall behind the merit box. Ren Suo explained, "This is where the Inner Sanctuary is. What we're seeing here is the front area. There's an Inner Sanctuary behind this, housing a secret statue of the deity that sounds intimidating. However, we can't enter or see it unless we wait until the open-door ritual on December 13... Those two beside her are the attendant images of Brahma and Indra, and the two figures behind are..."

Qiao Muyi took out her wallet and pulled out two 5-yuan coins she received as change. When praying at Sensoji Temple, it is customary to use five-yuan coins, as the sound 'five' is a homophone for 'ties of fate' in Chinese.

Ren Suo tossed a coin into the box without much ceremony, simply bowing slightly—if one were to follow the most formal way of praying, it would involve 'two bows, two claps, one bow.' But that's because worshippers have many wishes to convey to Guanyin, thus extending the ceremony to nearly a minute to express all their greedy desires.

Ren Suo, however, didn't believe in deities or Buddha. He had a chubby friend serving under a deity who was always chanting 'Endless Mercy Gatling, rotating three thousand six hundred times within a breath.' If he had any wishes for health and longevity, he could simply take a shortcut with his friend, and there was no need for formal prayers. It was more like saying hello to Guanyin, a brief courtesy.

Looks like I've muddled through it, after all, he thought.

In the game, their sightseeing was just a fleeting glance, and they merely ate and drank their way through. However, once back in reality, Ren Suo found himself playing the role of a tour guide.

Of course, during the game, the protagonist, Young Master Mu, was also led around to various places, which seemed perfectly normal—because the protagonist was a player. A player doesn't really know what's interesting here, what the stories are, so they need NPCs to introduce them.

And so Ren Suo became the knowledgeable NPC, causing Qiao Muyi to wonder why he knew so much, especially since he didn't even recognize the streets here.

Ren Suo glanced at Qiao Muyi, who was beside him praying. Looks like I've finally bluffed my way through, he thought. Qiao Muyi no longer dwelled on that point and focused on listening to his introductions, enjoying the pleasure of sightseeing.

After Qiao Muyi tossed her coin in, she put her hands together with a gentle clap, her mind reflecting on the trip so far.

Ren Suo... he did so much homework before we came, she thought.

Recalling how Ren Suo displayed his knowledge like a peacock spreading its feathers, trying his best to make her happy during her stay in a foreign land, and never letting her feel bored for a single minute, Qiao Muyi silently sighed inside. At the flowering depths of her heart, there was a hint of bittersweetness.

If only we could have come to Tokyo normally, how wonderful that would have been. To make a travel plan in advance, sleep soundly on the five-hour flight, stay in a modest but centrally located hotel, start each day with a vibrant buffet breakfast, taste the local specialties, fully enjoy the fun of traveling, and receive countless 'jealous' and 'buy for me' comments with each shared travel photo on social media... Instead of this: hiding our true identities, feeling like outcasts, unknown to anyone, snatching moments of leisure during an urgent investigation. And he, all by himself, had made the travel plans, leading me along to enjoy the trip.

If Guanyin can truly hear my prayers, if I can really have good luck, then please bestow all the blessings on that silly boy who works so hard in secret.

After praying was completed, they left the main hall. Qiao Muyi was led by Ren Suo to visit the Five-story Pagoda and Asakusa Shrine, listening attentively and quietly to his introduction along the way, like a real tourist, taking photos with her phone as keepsakes.

"It's really great to be able to visit Tokyo with you this time."

After leaving Eikou-dou and getting the Goshuin from Sensoji Temple, Ren Suo suddenly said as he was walking Muyi back.

Muyi was slightly startled and said softly, "...Really?"

"Yeah, I haven't traveled for a long time myself." Ren Suo remembered the last time his parents went on a trip to Sanya without telling him. And I also came to Tokyo secretly without telling them, he thought. "This is my first time traveling abroad, too," he added.

Muyi looked at the visitors heading to the main hall in pairs and groups, her tone slightly complex as she said, "If it wasn't for dragging you into this, you wouldn't have had to flee here. Even if you wanted to travel to Tokyo, you could have come with friends…"

"How can we talk about dragging each other down between us," Ren Suo said casually. "You've helped me a lot too. Without your help, I definitely couldn't have obtained the 'Mystery of the Sovereign Lord·Chapter Two' before the third turn, and if I hadn't gotten the Second Chapter, it would have taken me even longer to advance to third turn… Time is life, my friend, saving my time is like saving my life!"

Muyi was not swayed by Ren Suo's talk and became even more downhearted, letting go of his hand and said, "But those were just small favors. Did you only help me because of those reasons?"

Ren Suo smiled and replied, "There are many other reasons too… However, as soon as I knew about the Tactical Bureau Watchers' manhunt for you, I already knew what was going to happen."

"I also knew what I had to do to help you, that's why I was so determined to join you in fleeing."

Originally, when Ren Suo saw this dialogue in the game, his first impression was that Maid Xiao Suo said these motivational words to express her determination and to encourage Young Master Mu.

But now, standing behind the Treasure Gate on Omotesando, with the main hall that enshrines Guanyin behind him and surrounded by a bustling crowd, Ren Suo turned around and saw Muyi standing among the lively flow of people, as lonely as the last firework of the night, and he understood that these words were not just motivational.

They were the truth.

Ren Suo held Muyi's hand tightly, pulling her forward. His gaze went over her shoulder to the solemn statue of Guanyin in the great hall as he said with a determined tone, "I was prepared from the beginning."

Muyi looked at him blankly, and Ren Suo continued, "Young Master, trust me, trust yourself, trust that all stories will definitely end with a happy reunion."

She asked, "Will the Demon King's story end in a happy reunion, too?"

"Of course," Ren Suo turned his head to avoid Muyi's gaze and said confidently, "I guarantee with my life that this time there will definitely be a happy ending, with no one getting hurt."

Following Ren Suo as they left Sensoji Temple, Muyi felt as if the last thorn in her heart had quietly been removed by him.

You always know just what I'm thinking. You always say just what I want to hear, she thought.

Muyi felt her steps become a bit lighter. It was as if the chains of resentment that dragged at her feet—the negative emotions she had clung to—were silently cleansed after she completely let go of her guilt. These feelings transformed into the strength that supported her to keep moving forward.

She touched the fortune slip and Goshuin in her pocket. My prayer earlier was the right one, after all, she thought.

I don't need luck bestowed by deities. He is my luck, she realized.

"Where should we investigate next?"

Nine o'clock at night, Itabashi Ward, Shingashi River bank.

Tokyo has two famous rivers: the Ara River, which flows from Saitama, and the Sumida River, which comes from the Shin-Iwabuchi Water Gate. The Shingashi River is a tributary of the Sumida River, passing under several large bridges. Ren Suo and Qiao Muyi had come from the Funado Bridge.

After getting off at Nishi-dai Station, they had some Jiro Ramen before leisurely walking over. Ren Suo was not in a hurry at all. Since Qiao Muyi suggested ramen for dinner, this must be part of the normal storyline; skipping it would mean missing out, he reasoned.

"Up ahead is where followers of the Demon King were exterminated. Transcendents from the Martial Soul Hall had surrounded and utterly defeated him here." Walking along the river bank, Qiao Muyi said as they moved, "It seems like there are quite a lot of people across. How come it's so empty here..."

Ren Suo glanced to the opposite bank, only making out faint lights and greenery, and said, "That side is a riverside park. There's nothing here, no shopping district, so of course, it's deserted at night. The places that are still crowded at night are just Shibuya, Ikebukuro, Shinjuku, and Akihabara. There isn't even an izakaya here. Why would anyone come... Huh?!"

Qiao Muyi and Ren Suo simultaneously noticed strange noises emanating from the river ahead. Upon running over, they found a person thrashing and calling for help in the pitch-black water, which reflected the faint neon lights. However, their cries for help were very faint. They sounded as if they had swallowed too much water, and Ren Suo wouldn't have heard them if not for 'Insight into the Mortal World.'

Without waiting for Ren Suo to speak, Qiao Muyi dashed over with the speed of an arrow. Her figure was like a dark wraith as she sprinted down the slope in the blink of an eye.

"There's something strange in the river!" Ren Suo shouted.

At the same moment, the dark surface of the river suddenly blossomed with five splashes. Five greenish figures, about one and a half meters tall, with mouths like turtles and dish-like indentations filled with water on their heads, leaped from the river, all converging on Qiao Muyi!

Qiao Muyi didn't take a single step back. Her hands glowed faintly, and the air around her palms twisted, as if a blur filter had been applied—

"'Spirit Shock Technique Enhanced Version!'"

Her hands, like high-frequency blades, pierced through the Water Ghosts' heads and bodies. With a sweeping pull, she flung the Water Monsters away, heavily wounding them!

No sensation of flesh and blood... Qiao Muyi thought as her hands plunged into the Water Ghosts, immediately realizing something was amiss.

And the Water Ghosts didn't disappoint her. Although they suffered serious injuries such as split heads and chests, they quickly recovered and stood up. What Qiao Muyi had sliced through and splattered wasn't flesh but water.

However, compared to before, they were noticeably smaller. Qiao Muyi immediately understood the strengths and weaknesses of the Water Ghosts' supernatural abilities and realized she wouldn't be able to deal with these five Water Ghosts quickly. The person in the river was now almost inaudible.

"'Ghostly Rapid Step Enhanced Version!'"

Qiao Muyi turned into a phantom once more, breezing through the encirclement of Water Monsters. With light steps upon the river, she reached the person about to sink in the middle of the water, then pulled them up, only to discover that the drowning victim was incredibly heavy!

I'm a Third-turn Cultivator, and my physical abilities are among the strongest of Third-turn Cultivators. Even Ren Suo can't compete with me, yet I can't pull up a single person? she wondered.

At that moment, Qiao Muyi felt a powerful force from beneath the drowner. There's another Water Ghost below! she realized in an instant.

Just as Qiao Muyi was about to cast a spell to deal with the Water Ghost in the river, the anxious cries of Ren Suo rang out from the riverbank, "AAAAH—"

"Young Master, come back quickly!~"

She turned her head and saw Ren Suo riding on a Water Ghost, unleashing blows left and right, his hands whipping the Water Ghost's head until it splashed water everywhere. While whipping, he shouted, "Young Master, come back and help me deal with these enemies first!~ I can't beat them!~"

He seems to be enjoying the fight, doesn't he? she thought.

Qiao Muyi felt the Water Ghost was only at the level of a Second Stage Cultivator, or perhaps not even that. Since Ren Suo was a Third-turn Cultivator skilled in armor spells, it was unlikely he would be in any real danger even if he couldn't defeat it.

And his cries sound so flamboyant and shameless. Is he really asking for help? she wondered.

"Young—Master—"

After calling out several times and realizing that the 'Arrogant Humility's Mouth' buff only stacked once, Ren Suo let out a silent tsk. This prop is really only suitable for use in broad daylight, with everyone watching. But my calls weren't just about stacking buffs; battling these non-human creatures also made me a bit panicky... he thought.

After calling out a few times and seeing that Qiao Muyi no longer paid him any attention, Ren Suo let loose, unleashing all his abilities like 'Wax and Wane,' 'Flame Overlord,' 'Ice Age,' and 'Storm Restraint' in a wild barrage. 'Ice Age,' in particular, could instantly freeze these Water Ghosts, after which Ren Suo would use 'Flame Overlord' to enchant his Fire Fists and shatter them directly, turning the Water Ghosts into filthy water in just two rounds.

When Qiao Muyi returned with the drowning high school girl in her arms and saw that Ren Suo had already finished the battle, sitting on the grassy riverbank daydreaming, she casually said, "Xiao Suo, you're not that young anymore. You should learn how to fight by now. You once defeated Zhao Huo head-on, why are you still so flustered in real combat?"

"Well, fighting for your life is a different feeling from friendly sparring." Of course, fighting with my True Form is different from using a clone. Haven't you ever heard that advertisement content is purely for reference? he thought.

Qiao Muyi put down the soaked high school girl and asked, "I think for drowning, you need to press on the chest and perform artificial respiration? I've never learned how to do it."

"I have learned it." Ren Suo had indeed learned it, albeit only in theory. He knew roughly what to do, having picked it up while volunteering in college for volunteer credits.

Qiao Muyi quietly watched him, not saying a word. Under her gaze, Ren Suo quickly conceded and honestly said, "But I'm a Healing Cultivator, so naturally, I don't need to use such complicated first aid methods."

Ren Suo placed his hands above the high school girl's body, casting the healing light of 'Saving Lives and Healing the Injured,' which filled the girl's body. The girl, who was lying on Qiao Muyi's thigh, quickly expelled the water in her mouth and came to before long.

"Are you awake?"

The girl opened her eyes, saw a man and a woman looking at her, and, still groggy, instinctively sat up and decisively hugged the man, whose voice sounded gentle, kind, and comforting.

Feeling the lively yet dripping wet body of the girl against him, even through his coat, Ren Suo could feel this stirring warmth and softness.

He looked at Qiao Muyi's slightly narrowed eyes, spread his hands helplessly, and said, "I really only wanted to be a good person."

Looking at the familiar scene before her, as if it had just happened the night before, Qiao Muyi said with a smile in her voice, "Xiao Suo, you are quite lucky, especially when it comes to romantic encounters."

The Guanyin of Sensoji Temple... is she really that effective? she wondered.