I Can Only Cultivate In A Game

Chen Wu nodded, understanding but clearly still restless. "I know you're right, but it's difficult knowing she's there alone."

Victor reassuringly squeezed Chen Wu's shoulder before stepping away.

His eyes scanned across the makeshift campsite. His gaze softened upon seeing the former slaves resting more peacefully, recovering their strength.

Many waved and bowed gratefully as he passed.

They had to hide out here in the meantime to avoid getting caught since the Bai Qin guards were everywhere. They were even searching nearby towns alongside Lingyun.

Back in the Bai-Qin family estate, the discord Victor had sown was bearing fruit. Elders from both families were gathered inside a great hall with their voices raised angrily.

"We've lost all credibility," Bai Elder Bai Lin snarled. "First, forcing the slaves into labor, now allowing them to escape! The townspeople hate us."

Qin Elder Qin Yue glowered in frustration. "This is your family's weakness speaking! Perhaps if your Bai youngsters could be less incompetent instead of behaving like pampered fools, this wouldn't have happened!"

"You Qins think brute force solves everything!" Bai Elder Bai Hao thundered. "No wisdom, no subtlety—this whole disaster stems from your arrogance!"

Watching quietly from quite a distance away with his Space Echo, Victor subtly spread whispers among younger disciples. Carefully chosen phrases soon permeated the estate:

"The Qin family is dragging the Bai family down."

"Bai elders lack backbone."

"The Qins have failed to keep order."

These rumors quickly took root, rapidly intensifying internal fractures.

Soon, each family eyed the other suspiciously as their trust deteriorated like a fragile dam nearing collapse.

Days passed in this manner with Victor expertly navigating between cultivating, gathering intelligence, and covertly fanning the flames of internal strife.

Each night, he would secretly visit the lonely Pagoda where Bai Ting Ting was held.

Under the moonlight, the Pagoda appeared mythical as it's carved eaves glistened gently. Victor climbed silently over the walls, landing lightly behind Bai Ting Ting, who sat quietly beneath the moonlight, staring melancholically into a small koi pond.

As Victor stepped closer, his gentle footsteps disturbed a few petals scattered across the courtyard.

Bai Ting Ting didn't bother turning as she seemed to have mastered his footsteps.

"Is that you, Fang Chen?"

"Yes, it is me, Fang Chen," Victor whispered.

She relaxed immediately and exhaled softly. "You startled me again."

Victor smiled lightly. "You remain vigilant as always."

Bai Ting Ting laughed faintly as sadness tinged her eyes. "What else can I do, trapped here alone every night?"

Victor reached into his robes, pulling out a delicate scroll, which made her eyes widen slightly. "Another letter?"

He nodded. "From Chen Wu. He's impatient to see you again."

Bai Ting Ting's expression softened and tears filled her eyes as she gently took the letter. "How is he?"

"He's doing fine," Victor assured her. "Worried about you, though. He begs me every day to hurry."

She nodded as a tear slipped down her delicate face while she unrolled the letter carefully.

A soft chime echoed through Victor's mind as a new notification appeared.

[Objective Completed: Deliver Chen Wu's Letter to Bai Ting Ting]

[Rewards Received: 25,000 Wisps of Qi, Bai Ting Ting's Friendship increased to [Trusted], +10 Charisma]

Victor glanced at the system notification while smiling faintly. This task wasn't just about rewards, he genuinely wanted to reunite these two star-crossed lovers. "Soon," he promised quietly. "I'll get you out of here."

...

...

After yet another day at the academy, Victor logged back into Ascendant Realms.

At this point, it was already the next week of his punishment but he still wasn't done with all he was orchestrating in Lingyun Town.

Victor spent the next few days carefully orchestrating more chaos within the Bai-Qin estate.

He secretly caused arson in the iron vein when they were about to employ new workers which threw the entire family into panic.

The distrust between the Bai and Qin elders had reached boiling point.

And he had plans for this night so he threw in further distraction.

Earlier that day, Victor had arranged for an anonymous letter to be delivered to one of the Bai elders, supposedly written by a Qin elder. It claimed that the Qin side had already begun to plan taking full control and disposing of all the Bai bloodline members. And vice versa.

When the hour of the tiger arrived, both elders stormed into the meeting hall, shouting and hurling accusations.

Shouts erupted. Veiled threats flew. Disciples nearby were soon dragged into the argument, and what was supposed to be a routine meeting devolved into chaos.

He knew tonight would be his best chance to finally free Bai Ting Ting from her imprisonment and strike a blow against Qin Fei so he quietly moved along the shadows near the secluded courtyard where Bai Ting Ting had been kept.

Just earlier that day, he had learned something new from the whispers among the Bai family's servants.

Bai Xue, who had helped him escape Lingyun Town more than a year ago, had not abandoned her younger sister willingly. Instead, the family had deliberately sent her away on a dangerous mission, knowing she would interfere if present.

The ones who could actually interfere; the Bai Elders were too cowardly, thinking it would cause more tension between the annexed family.

This realization only strengthened Victor's resolve. Tonight, he would ensure that Bai Ting Ting's nightmare ended.

Meanwhile, Bai Ting Ting was standing alone beside the serene koi pond in her courtyard, quietly contemplating her situation.

The soft glow of the full moon reflected on the water's surface, accentuating her delicate features. Her silken robes swayed gently in the night breeze, and her heart felt lighter as she thought of her secret conversations with Fang Chen.

So absorbed in her thoughts, she didn't immediately notice the footsteps approaching from behind. A slight smile appeared on her lips, believing Victor had returned to reassure her again.

"Fang Chen," she said softly, without turning around, "You really need to stop sneaking up on me like this. What if someone else caught you?"

Suddenly, the footsteps halted abruptly. A chilling voice broke the tranquility:

"Who is Fang Chen?"

Bai Ting Ting's blood turned to ice. Her body tensed as she spun around in panic to see Qin Fei standing there with his face twisted in barely contained rage. His fists were clenched, and jealousy burned fiercely in his eyes.

"Qin… Qin Fei," she stammered as her heart raced in fear. "What are you doing here?"

"You didn't answer my question, Ting Ting!" Qin Fei growled menacingly while stepping closer. His voice trembled with suppressed fury. "Who is this Fang Chen? Your new lover?"

She quickly gathered her composure and met his gaze defiantly. "It doesn't concern you."

"It doesn't concern me?" Qin Fei exploded. "You are my wife! How can another man not concern me?!"

Bai Ting Ting laughed bitterly, filled with scorn and hatred. "Your wife? I was never your wife! Marrying you was my family's decision, not mine. You never had my heart, Qin Fei. You never will!"

Qin Fei's eyes widened with shock and disbelief. He struggled with his emotions as Bai Ting Ting words deeply wounded his pride. "Why won't you love me, Ting Ting? I've done everything for you! Given you the world, protected your reputation—"

"Protected my reputation?" she mocked angrily, cutting him off. "You destroyed my happiness, took away my freedom, and forced me to live as your prisoner. You think I could ever love someone like you? Go to hell!"

His expression twisted further into dark fury. The veins in his forehead bulged as his cultivation aura burst forth uncontrollably. "Fine, Ting Ting. If I can't have your heart, no one else will."

In a burst of rage, Qin Fei lunged forward, grabbing Bai Ting Ting roughly by her wrists.

She fought desperately, struggling against his grip as she unleashed her qi to push him away. But Qin Fei's cultivation was stronger, and her resistance was quickly overpowered.

"What are you doing? Stop!" she cried with a terrified look as Qin Fei dragged her toward the koi pond.

"Silence!" Qin Fei roared before forcibly shoving her head beneath the water.

Her screams became muffled gurgles as she struggled wildly, splashing water everywhere, trying desperately to break free.

Bai Ting Ting clawed, shook and flailed all to no avail.

She couldn't count the seconds anymore as water began to rush up her nostrils. It seemed like she had been under for eternity and was starting to give up.

Just when the world turned white...

"You are a terrible husband," a masculine voice echoed across the surroundings and in the next instant...

Bam!

A powerful palm strike accompanied by a turbulent wind strong enough to uproot a tree, slammed into Qin Fei's back, causing a deafening boom to ring out.

Qin Fei was launched away violently before smashing into a stone bench and shattering it into rubble.

"Cough! Gasp!" Bai Ting Ting emerged from the water, sputtering desperately for air.