Chapter 4

Chapter 4: You Must Be the Strongest System in All Realms!

Startled, Chen Miao Miao stumbled back and almost fell as she cried: “Ah!”

Closing in on her, Qian Qi let her expression grow darker as she said: “Miao Miao, you really did me dirty. Because of your wrong answer, I almost died.”

Chen Miao Miao shrieked without taking any responsibility for Qian Qi’s injuries as she said: “How was I supposed to know you were going to steal the Fire Qilin Fruit?” [With Qian Qi’s temper, she will never let me off. She might even kill me.]

Narrowing her eyes, Qian Qi gave a cold little laugh as she said: “I don’t remember saying I stole a Fire Qilin Fruit.”

Chen Miao Miao froze: [Oh no, I slipped up.]

Waving her hands in a panic, Chen Miao Miao rushed to explain as she said: “No, I mean, you said you stole a fruit, and it made me think of the question you asked yesterday, so I just linked it in my head. Right, that’s all, so I guessed it was a Fire Qilin Fruit.”

Bit by bit, Qian Qi’s expression softened until she looked like someone else entirely, and she spoke in a gentle tone as she said: “Miao Miao is so smart. You definitely didn’t give me the wrong answer on purpose.”

Chen Miao Miao pressed a hand to her racing heart as she said: “Of course.” She had almost been scared to death. For a moment she truly thought Qian Qi wanted payback.

Trying to sound casual, Chen Miao Miao grabbed her coat as she said: “Don’t overthink it. I have to step out for a bit,” then she rushed out of the dorm.

After hanging her washed clothes on the line and wiping the water from her hands, Qian Qi walked to the windowsill. While digging through the original host’s memories, she had already noticed something was off about Chen Miao Miao. The old Chen Miao Miao never dared to talk loud in front of her. She always kept her head down, and even a single glance would make her shake for a while. Now she actually dared to yell at Qian Qi. It was obvious someone was backing her up.

Watching from the window as Chen Miao Miao hurried away downstairs, Qian Qi narrowed her eyes in a dangerous way. [Who is helping Chen Miao Miao from the shadows? And why did the original host steal the Fire Qilin Fruit?]

System Panel suddenly opened before Qian Qi: [Are you burning with curiosity? Clawing your head, desperate for answers? Pay 97 yuan to unlock every mystery.]

Qian Qi stared, then blurted out in shock as she said: “I only have 97 yuan total, and I borrowed it. You really want to strip me clean?”

System Panel sniffed: [Shouldn’t your focus be on how awesome this System is?]

Qian Qi slapped her palm like she had seen the light and buttered it up as she said: “Exactly. Lord System is incredible. The moment you appeared, I felt your noble, fresh, and extraordinary aura. No golden finger could shine like you. You must be the strongest System in all realms.”

System Panel preened a little: [Well, well.]

Tilting her head with a hopeful smile, Qian Qi asked softly as she said: “So could this one be free?”

System Panel snapped: [Scram. No bargaining.]

Qian Qi’s face flipped in a second as she said: “Tsk. I can investigate on my own.”

Right now, that 97 yuan was her lifeline. There was no way she would hand it to the System. Besides, solving the mystery could wait. She was dead broke and still needed Classmate Miao Miao to float her some money.

Clapping her hands, she changed gears as she said: “Let me check my skills first.”

She pulled the Fire Qilin Fruit from her pocket and scanned it with Analysis Skill.

[Name: Fire Qilin Fruit
Magiplant: Fire Qilin Lotus
Rank: E
Effect: Slightly increases a Flame Hound’s fire power; no other special effects
Market price: 20000 per fruit]

“Twenty thousand?” Qian Qi’s eyes went wide as she said: “Didn’t they say Magiplants are useless and not worth much? Why is a Fire Qilin Fruit this expensive? And what is a Flame Hound?”

Opening her Light-Brain, she searched and quickly found the answers. The Flame Hound was a very common E rank Magibeast. Since low level canine Magibeasts are easy to form a Beast Contract with and the backlash is small, they are the first choice for most beginner Beast Tamers. The Fire Qilin Fruit happened to boost a Flame Hound’s strength. This was also why the Magiplant Research Institute still hadn’t been shut down. Magiplants might not help humans, but they did offer small benefits to Magibeasts. Even though only a few known Magiplants helped Magibeasts, they still brought real profit. So the Fire Qilin Fruit was a special case.

Muttering to herself, she frowned as she said: “Hmm, you need a Planting Permit to grow Magiplants.”

Qian Qi agreed with that. Magiplants were dangerous. If anyone could grow them, who knew how many people would get hurt. Still, students in the Magiplant major at Awakener University were allowed to plant on campus.

Turning toward Liang Yu Ting’s bed, Qian Qi asked as she said: “Liang Yu Ting, how can I get Magiplant seeds?”

Caught off guard, Liang Yu Ting blinked and answered as she said: “Don’t we get to apply for 10 Magiplant seeds for free every semester?”

Since Qian Qi had never planted anything, her quota was still untouched.

Qian Qi’s eyes lit up as she asked quickly as she said: “Can we get Fire Qilin Lotus seeds for free too?” [Ten Fire Qilin Lotus seeds. Even if each plant only bears one fruit, that’s 200 thousand.]

Liang Yu Ting shook her head as she said: “No way. Valuable Magiplants cost extra. One Fire Qilin Lotus seed is 1000 yuan.”

The numbers looked great on paper, but the success rate was low and planting was hard. Even if you planted Fire Qilin Lotus, it might not bear fruit. If it failed, your time and money went straight down the drain.

Qian Qi tapped her chin as she said: “Hmm. Magiplants are hard to grow and yield is low, but my second skill, Godly Hands, seems like it can increase output.”

After thinking for a bit, she decided to find a Fire Qilin Lotus seed and try.

Most of the Magiplants on the school’s Back Mountain were tagged with their owners’ names. Qian Qi remembered clearly that the Fire Qilin Lotus belonged to a sophomore Senior, Li Shu Yun. She found the girl’s dorm, knocked, heard a “come in,” and opened the door.

She glanced around and asked in a steady voice as she said: “Which one of you is Senior Li Shu Yun?”

A very pretty girl looked up at the sound. Her hand shook so hard her brow pencil dropped to the floor as she stammered: “Qian… Qian Qi?”

Apparently her reputation was loud enough that even a sophomore Senior knew her.

Under Li Shu Yun’s frightened gaze, Qian Qi took out the Fire Qilin Fruit and said sincerely as she said: “I’m sorry, Senior. I was so hungry and spaced out that I picked your assignment by mistake.”

Li Shu Yun’s eyes flicked toward her roommates for help, but they all shrank deeper into their quilts and didn’t move. Left with no one to save her, she looked back at the fruit in Qian Qi’s hand and forced a smile as she said: “It’s fine. If you want it, you can keep it.”

This particular Fire Qilin Fruit wasn’t high quality and wouldn’t sell for even a few thousand. Her family had money. She was here mostly to get a degree.

Qian Qi refused flatly as she said: “No.” She never ate charity. She strode over, placed the Fire Qilin Fruit in Li Shu Yun’s palm, and clasped both of Li Shu Yun’s hands tightly.

Speaking with firm sincerity, Qian Qi said: “Senior, my hoe damaged part of your Fire Qilin Lotus. It might not bear fruit anymore. How about I help you replant it?”

Li Shu Yun trembled harder as she said: “That’s… that’s not a good idea. I can replant it myself. And Fire Qilin Lotus seeds are expensive. You probably…” She stopped short, suddenly remembering how poor Qian Qi was, and she wanted to slap herself. Afraid that Qian Qi’s strong pride would make her lash out, she rushed to add as she said: “The Fire Qilin Fruit is really hard to grow. I only got one because I was lucky. I’m the only one in our whole major who managed it.”

Qian Qi put on a show of awe and gasped dramatically as she said: “Heavens, only you succeeded? That’s amazing, Senior.” Then she scolded herself with a guilty face as she said: “And I hacked up your hard work. What a sin. Clearly, I must help Senior grow a new Fire Qilin Fruit.”

Eyes shining, Qian Qi lifted Li Shu Yun’s hands between her own and looked at her with hope as she said: “So, Senior, you will definitely buy a Fire Qilin Lotus seed, right?”

Li Shu Yun fell silent: [……] Then her thoughts spun: [So she doesn’t want to plant it. She just wants to freeload a seed off me.]

Qian Qi leaned in with her most shameless grin and asked again as she said: “Well?”

Li Shu Yun’s upper body tilted back as she finally managed to say: “Okay.”

For her, getting one Fire Qilin Lotus seed wasn’t hard. As long as Qian Qi didn’t hit her, anything was negotiable.

Satisfied, Qian Qi left her Light-Brain number and, just before leaving, offered a friendly reminder as she said: “Senior, don’t forget. I’ll remind you.”

In Li Shu Yun’s ears, that sounded exactly like a warning and a threat: [I’m watching you. If you don’t buy the Fire Qilin Lotus seed, I won’t let you off.]

When the door closed, Li Shu Yun was on the verge of tears as she groaned: “Why did I ever plant a Fire Qilin Lotus?”