NOVEL WEB Chapter 9:
Chapter 9: Dedicating Yourself to Buddhist Studies and Returning to Jinshan Temple:
[Xiao Qing was overjoyed to see her sister and eagerly shared her experiences from the past few months with Bai Suzhen.]
[Since her cultivation was still shallow, she lacked the human sense of modesty regarding relationships. The way she described her experiences with you left Bai Suzhen blushing in embarrassment.]
[Seeing that Xiao Qing was safe, Bai Suzhen felt reassured and prepared to leave.]
[At this moment, you had a choice:]
[Option 1: Persuade Bai Suzhen to stay for a meal before leaving and take the opportunity to apologize for what happened last time.]
[Option 2: Follow Bai Suzhen secretly after she leaves to protect her from the possibility of Fa Hai targeting her again.]
[Option 3: Accompany Bai Suzhen home and forcibly make Xu Xian divorce her, claiming Bai Suzhen for yourself…]
…
Su Mo carefully considered the three choices before him.
The first and second options were reasonable.
But the third option…
He wasn’t inclined to choose it.
This was because Xiao Qing had previously mentioned that Bai Suzhen’s marriage to Xu Xian was part of her destined tribulation.
Besides, this scenario was based on Legend of the White Snake, and he didn’t want to make reckless choices like he had in previous simulations.
After some thought, Su Mo chose the simplest option—Option 1.
[You chose to persuade Bai Suzhen to stay for a meal before leaving.]
[Bai Suzhen hesitated at first but eventually agreed. Xiao Qing personally prepared four dishes and a soup, and the meal was enjoyed in a cheerful atmosphere.]
[However, as Bai Suzhen was about to return to Xu Xian, you felt an inexplicable pain in your heart.]
[You offered to escort Bai Suzhen home, but she declined, choosing to return on her own.]
[Xiao Qing noticed your emotional turmoil and attempted to comfort you.]
[She reminded you that once Xu Xian passed away, Bai Suzhen’s tribulation would end, and she would ascend as an immortal.]
[At that point, she could use her connections to become a carefree celestial being.]
[But as for you—if you failed to attain the Arhat fruit in this lifetime, you would age and die like a mortal. She didn’t want her sister and herself to have to wait through another cycle of your reincarnation.]
[Hearing Xiao Qing’s words, you fell into silence.]
[A deep sense of confusion settled over you.]
[Now, you had another choice:]
[Option 1: Abandon the Buddhist path and embrace the demonic way, becoming a dark monk. Sacrifice your Arhat Golden Body to the primordial god Candle Dragon in exchange for supreme demonic powers.]
[Option 2: Dedicate yourself to Buddhist studies and strive for enlightenment as soon as possible.]
[Option 3: Ignore Xiao Qing’s words and focus on studying the Four Books and Five Classics, aiming to earn scholarly honors in this lifetime.]
…
Su Mo was surprised by the options.
Since when was Candle Dragon considered a primordial god?
According to Earth’s mythology, the creators of the world were Pangu, the Three Pure Ones, or figures like God or Brahma.
But Candle Dragon?
And if it were truly a primordial god, why would it accept his sacrifice and grant him demonic powers?
Something didn’t seem right.
Since he hadn’t yet fully developed his relationship with Bai Suzhen, Su Mo didn’t want to make unnecessary complications.
This simulation felt different from the ones before.
He had a strong feeling that if he made the wrong choice, he might lose his connection with Bai Suzhen entirely.
He needed to proceed carefully.
The past romance-based simulations had likely been mere practice runs.
But now, the real game had begun.
Because he could reset and replay simulations, Su Mo had never truly valued any single playthrough.
To him, every choice required careful thought.
But even if he made the wrong decision and didn’t end up with the female lead, it wouldn’t be a big deal.
After all, by the next evening, he could start a brand-new simulation—one with different, equally beautiful women to pursue.
In the end, scarcity is what makes things valuable.
It was like playing a game—at first, every resource and item seemed precious, and players were reluctant to use them.
But once they spent hundreds of dollars on in-game purchases and had everything at their fingertips, nothing felt special anymore.
Of course… hoarders were an exception.
With that thought, Su Mo decisively chose Option 2—dedicating himself to Buddhist studies.
He wanted to see how his fate with Bai Suzhen would continue to unfold.
…
[Determined and resolute, you decided to focus on Buddhist studies and strive for enlightenment.]
[However, you still planned to earn scholarly honors, as you believed that experiencing the mortal world was crucial for deepening your Buddhist understanding.]
[With Xiao Qing’s reminder, you shifted your mindset and studied diligently for several months. You easily passed the student examination, earning the rank of ‘Scholar Candidate.’ Soon after, with the help of your father’s connections, you took the ‘Scholar’ exam.]
[You passed the Scholar exam effortlessly as well.]
[By this year, you were twenty-eight years old.]
[As a Scholar, you were exempt from taxes and labor and were granted the privilege of meeting officials without kneeling.]
[Previously, you had relied entirely on your father’s influence for such privileges, but now, you had finally secured your own place in the privileged class.]
[Now, you only needed to wait three years for the provincial-level ‘Juren’ examination. Once you became a Juren, you would be eligible to hold an official position and bring prosperity to the people.]
As the scene progressed, the Dragon Boat Festival arrived. Every household was preparing rice dumplings and realgar wine.
Xiao Qing had also consumed some realgar wine, her gaze turning sultry and affectionate.
[You curiously asked Xiao Qing why she was able to drink realgar wine, as you had always believed that snakes were unable to tolerate it.]
[Xiao Qing explained that ordinary realgar had no effect on her. Only special realgar refined by powerful Buddhist or Daoist masters could suppress her.]
[Hearing this, you felt reassured and enjoyed a night of drinking with Xiao Qing.]
As the night deepened, Su Mo found himself entangled with the soft, pale silhouette before him.
However, just as the atmosphere turned heated, a fierce gust of wind suddenly swept through, shattering the moment.
…
[As you and Xiao Qing were in the midst of passion, Bai Suzhen appeared, dragging a long white serpent tail behind her, her body covered in wounds.]
[The two of you were startled by her appearance and rushed forward to help.]
[Once Bai Suzhen reverted to her human form, you immediately asked her what had happened.]
[Bai Suzhen explained that during the Dragon Boat Festival, people commonly drank realgar wine to ward off evil spirits. Fa Hai, taking advantage of this tradition, tricked Xu Xian into mixing a specially crafted realgar into Bai Suzhen’s regular wine.]
[Two hours after drinking it, the medicine took effect, and Bai Suzhen couldn’t suppress her true form any longer, revealing her serpent body in a medicine shop.]
[Upon seeing her true form, Xu Xian was so terrified that he died on the spot.]
[Bai Suzhen, fearing that Fa Hai would come after her, fled to your residence.]
[Xiao Qing, upon hearing this, was furious and wanted to seek revenge against Xu Xian and Fa Hai.]
[You stopped both Xiao Qing and Bai Suzhen.]
[You told them that you would personally confront Fa Hai to understand his true intentions—why was he so determined to eradicate them?]
[Now, it was time to return to Jinshan Temple!]