NOVEL WEB Chapter 3:
Chapter 3: Sweetness That Pierces the Heart—A Blessing or a Curse:
“Madam, this is the candied sweet potatoes made by Steward Su.”
Inside the general’s wife’s chambers, a golden, glossy plate of candied sweet potatoes, emitting a rich, sweet aroma, was placed on the table.
Huang Qingwan stared at the dish before her, momentarily lost in thought.
Chunzhu, standing beside her, urged softly.
“Madam, please eat quickly. Once it cools down, the sugar won’t stretch anymore.”
But Huang Qingwan didn’t respond.
Instead, she asked, “Did he say… that he knows how to make Crisp Willow Sings to the Nightingale?”
Chunzhu shook her head.
“No, from the look on his face, it seemed like he had never even heard of it.”
Huang Qingwan’s expression dimmed slightly.
“I see…”
She let out a soft sigh, then picked up a piece of candied sweet potato with her finely carved ivory chopsticks and placed it into her mouth.
The texture was soft and sticky, the flavor sweet and rich.
And yet…
At this moment—
It tasted unbearably bitter.
…
Because it was the Second Young Miss’s birthday, everyone in the household had been busy until midnight before finally retiring to rest.
Returning to his room, Su Mo collapsed onto his bed, letting out a long breath.
Damn it.
That was exhausting.
If not for the fact that every time he completed a simulation, his exhaustion would vanish completely, as a modern-day person, he wasn’t sure he could survive such grueling work.
After washing his feet, Su Mo’s heart filled with excitement.
Finally, he could continue his simulation.
This little simulation game was the only thing that kept him entertained in this world without phones or computers.
He summoned “Fateful Life.”
A light screen appeared before his eyes.
On it, a single line of bold text flickered.
[Would you like to begin the simulation?]
“Start!”
[Randomizing birthplace…]
[Your birthplace in this simulation is Hangzhou Prefecture.]
[Randomizing fated partner…]
[Your fated partner in this simulation is Bai Suzhen.]
The moment “Bai Suzhen” appeared on the screen, Su Mo’s mind went completely blank.
Bai Suzhen.
What the hell?
A legendary figure from mythology?!
Did this mean that this world wasn’t just a regular ancient setting with a few martial artists but instead a world filled with gods, demons, and supernatural beings?!
If that were the case—
With his weak mortal body, wouldn’t he be drained dry the moment he encountered a fox spirit?!
This… this couldn’t be real!
A mythical world? Was the universe playing a joke on him?
Other transmigrated protagonists got divine treasures, invincible systems, or heaven-defying cheats.
And his so-called ‘cheat’ was just a simulation game?!
Su Mo was having a hard time accepting this.
But there was no denying it—
The name “Bai Suzhen” was clearly displayed on the light screen.
Bai Suzhen…
A thousand-year-old snake demon, residing in Hangzhou.
This had to be the world of The Legend of the White Snake!
Could it be—
He had transmigrated into The Legend of the White Snake?
Hiss—!
The more Su Mo thought about it, the more uneasy he felt.
In folklore, fox spirits and demons particularly favored men like him—strong, healthy, and good-looking.
What if one came to drain his life essence while he slept?!
At that thought, Su Mo forced himself to calm down.
He had scared himself for no reason.
“Fateful Life” was just a simulation game.
Even if it randomly paired him with one of the Seven Fairy Maidens, he wouldn’t be surprised.
With that in mind, Su Mo focused back on the game.
No matter what, the simulation had to continue.
[Randomizing identity…]
[Your identity in this simulation is the legitimate son of the Hangzhou Prefect.]
…
[Randomizing talent…]
Seeing the talents being randomized, Su Mo felt a surge of anticipation.
Talents were divided into five ranks—white, green, blue, purple, and gold.
The stronger the talent, the better the simulation experience.
For example, in a previous simulation where he started with his real-life identity, he had drawn a green-ranked cooking talent called “God of Cooking.”
That talent alone had helped him avoid multiple life-threatening situations during the simulation.
As he pondered, a dazzling golden light suddenly burst across the screen.
[Your randomly assigned talent this time is “Reincarnation of an Arhat.”]
[Reincarnation of an Arhat: You are born with an extraordinary affinity for Buddhist teachings. Mastering Buddhist martial arts and scriptures poses no barriers to you.]
…
Reincarnation of an Arhat?!
Su Mo was thrilled—this was the first time he had ever drawn a gold-ranked talent.
He was eager to see what kind of life this talent would give him in the simulation.
…
[You have been born as the legitimate son of Su Donglai, the Prefect of Hangzhou.]
[Prefect Su Donglai had a child late in life. He cherishes you deeply and indulges your every whim. You spend a very happy childhood.]
[At the age of eight, an old monk named Fahai comes to your home. He tells your father that you are the reincarnation of an Arhat, destined for a great Buddhist path. He hopes that you can become a lay disciple at Jinshan Temple. This will not prevent you from marrying, having children, or taking the imperial examinations.]
At that moment, in Su Mo’s vision, a projection of Fahai appeared.
The old monk had kind eyes and a benevolent face, his gray robe pristine and neat, a nine-ringed staff in his hand.
Seeing Fahai, Su Mo immediately realized—
This was definitely The Legend of the White Snake!
Now, he was curious…
What did Bai Suzhen look like?
How did she compare to the general’s wife from his last simulation?
That woman had been the most beautiful character he had ever encountered in a simulation.
Unfortunately, everything in the game was virtual—he could look, but he couldn’t touch.
…
[As the Prefect of Hangzhou, Su Donglai holds great respect for Elder Fahai. However, he does not wish to make the choice for you and instead asks for your decision.]
[What do you choose?]
[Option 1]: Tell your father that you love Buddhism and wish to become a disciple at Jinshan Temple, while acting innocent and lovable to earn Fahai’s favor.
[Option 2]: Ignore them completely and go play with your friends at the private school.
[Option 3]: Pretend to agree, then persuade your father to let Fahai stay overnight in your home. When dinner is served, mix croton powder into his food, and by the next day, make it clear you have no intention of becoming a monk!
…
Su Mo carefully examined the three options.
Since he was the reincarnation of an Arhat, there was no need to care about Fahai’s opinion.
Might as well make things as fun as possible!
Without hesitation, Su Mo picked the third option.
…
[You pretended to accept Fahai’s request to take you as a disciple. You also told your father, Su Donglai, that you wanted Fahai to stay for one night before departing for Jinshan Temple the next day.]
[Upon hearing this, your mother began to cry and protest. Since you are her only child, she cannot bear to let you leave.]
[Your father tried to console her, while Fahai stayed the night at the residence.]
[That evening, you took croton powder from the family’s medicine cabinet and mixed it into the vegetable porridge that was meant for Fahai.]
[Fahai drank the porridge without any suspicion. An hour later, he was overcome with unbearable stomach pain and spent the entire night running to the latrine.]
[The next morning, in front of both your parents, you mocked Fahai and called him an “old bald donkey”, accusing him of using Buddhism as an excuse to recruit disciples—when in reality, he just wanted free labor.]
[Seeing that you had no intention of leaving, your mother was overjoyed.]
[Your father, Su Donglai, had not expected you to behave this way. He quickly apologized to Fahai, even promising to take you to Jinshan Temple during the Dragon Boat Festival to make amends.]
[Weak and miserable, Fahai had no choice but to give up on taking you as his disciple.]
[After returning to the temple, he knelt before the Buddha statue for a long time.]
[He could not understand—why was the reincarnation of an Arhat so rebellious?]