[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten":3,"chapter-simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-699":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Simulated to Reality: I Once Looked Down Upon Ten Thousand Ages?",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2347714,4587,"Chapter 699: The Wutong Crisis: Murder in Bianjing","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-699",699,"\u003Cp>Afternoon, outside the Xie Fu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The students had dispersed in small groups, leaving only Jin Zitan and a few others lingering on the steps. The ladies from the West Wing Pavilion had not yet departed; several of the courtesans swayed their silk skirts, particularly eye-catching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuge Jian and the others also left. Zhang Yuzhi kept glancing back at you, unsure how to speak, and finally followed her father away in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Zitan, beside you, spoke with solemn gravity: “Young Master Guan, today’s affair is far from over. You must be extra cautious—these great families resort to any underhanded means. I’ve seen too much.” With that, he took his leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lady Yuan’s face was dark as she took Xie Yu away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many other women from the West Wing Pavilion remained in the courtyard—such as Song Tingting, the qin player you’d seen before at Qi Mo Chun Fang. She did not come to greet you, but gave you a distant bow before departing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, only Hu Yunniang and a few others, along with Xie Yuan, remained. You thanked each one in turn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Master Dongshan gone, Zhou Yuner and the other girl returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Yuner’s eyes sparkled with playful teasing: “Now that you’ve seen my purity, I must take responsibility for you, Young Master Guan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Yunniang, Chen Xiang, and the others heard this and blushed deeply, their cheeks flushed with shame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan strained to listen, subtly leaning closer, lowering his voice: “Young Brother Guan, what exactly did you do to these girls?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The courtesans, hearing this, turned their beautiful eyes toward you, all gazing expectantly. You fell silent, at a loss for words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Yunniang let out a soft “pfft” laugh, her slender finger brushing her cloud-like hair: “Young Master Guan… all the things he ought to have done for me… have long been…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her gaze swept over the group, lingering with particular languor on the final words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Xuan, standing nearby, froze in shock. He had intended to exchange a few polite words with the courtesans he once knew—after all, these women had once been favored patrons of Su Yun, and he himself had deep ties with Su Yun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, his eyes were locked firmly on Hu Yunniang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman’s shoulders were slender as if carved, her waist slender as if bound. Her walk resembled tender willows swaying in the wind. Beneath her pomegranate-red skirt, three-inch golden lotus feet were faintly visible, each step swaying with endless grace—especially her frowns, the restrained poise of her expression, inviting endless imagination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a beauty… had already been taken by Xie Guan!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Xuan’s Adam’s apple rolled. His breathing grew hurried. Emotions churned in his chest—indistinguishable envy and jealousy—only a nameless fire surged upward, scorching his ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xiangjun’s eyes flickered, her hand covering her lips in a light laugh: “It’s not just Yunniang, Elder Sister. All of us sisters are now Young Master Guan’s.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Xiang was even bolder, twirling a strand of black hair around her fingertip: “I wonder… which one of us does Young Master Guan favor most?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These words struck Xie Xuan like thunder exploding beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze swept rapidly between Hu Yunniang, Chen Xiang, Li Xiangjun, and Zhou Yuner—each of them flushed with rosy delight, radiant with joy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Could it be… all of them…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Xuan suddenly recalled the rumors in the mansion—recently, four courtesans had entered Xie Guan’s courtyard together, shutting the gates tight during daylight hours…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Guan alone… and Hu Yunniang and the others totaled four…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Xuan had never imagined this!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Yuner suddenly grinned mischievously: “Right now it’s just us four, but don’t forget Sister Yunwan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Xuan’s breath caught. Yunwan… the head courtesan of Yuehua Xuan, taller than the four by half a head, always speaking in soft, cool tones—she too…?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Xuan did not resent your favor with powerful patrons—but these four women’s words struck him hard, leaving him both shaken and feverish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You helplessly watched the four women speaking one after another; each word they uttered made Xie Xuan’s expression grow more bewildered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You dismissed the four courtesans. Xie Xuan departed with a complex expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan sidled up to you, raising an eyebrow with a smirk: “I knew these courtesans would throw themselves at you. But Young Brother Guan… you’ve got the heart but not the nerve, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You sighed and waved your hand: “I don’t even have the heart.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan clicked his tongue, looking disappointed: “Young Brother Guan, you’re blind to your own fortune.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You and Xie Yuan returned to the mansion, chatting as you turned into the West Garden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Your primordial spirit trembled faintly; the nine swords within your heart sea also seemed to warn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a rare ability possessed by high-level primordial spirit cultivators—intuition born of profound cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young Brother Guan?” Xie Yuan, noticing your sudden stop, turned in confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You narrowed your eyes, your spiritual sense surging like a tide across the West Garden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two Zhao Ming Luan birds had vanished without a trace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A quiet unease stirred within you. Only one thing could cause this reaction—and it had nothing to do with you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Your gaze grew cold, your fingers tightening slightly: “Wutong is in trouble.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan’s pupils shrank in shock: “Inside the Xie Fu’s inner quarters? How could anyone dare…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You wasted no time. One hand seized Xie Yuan’s shoulder; in your heart sea, one of the nine swords—“Lian Xu!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the sword of boundless distance, Lingwu ed by the Second Master after observing the First Master’s life-sword, “Xiao Yao You.” One strike could cross a hundred or a thousand li.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Xie Yuan could react, he heard only the piercing ring of a sword and the roar of wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dizzy and blinded, he felt as if lifted bodily, spun repeatedly through the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait… puke!” Xie Yuan felt the world upside down, his five viscera and six bowels twisted by invisible hands. The morning’s meal surged to his throat, then forced back down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When his vision cleared, he stood outside the small courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the main gate of the Xie Fu to this West Garden was over a li.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You arrived in an instant?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You gazed at the familiar courtyard. The aura of Ziwei Hengjie erupted violently—a phantom palace’s shadow enveloped the entire grounds. Within your dantian, the divine flame blazed fiercely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Boom—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A wave of air surged, flinging open the courtyard gate. Fallen leaves rose like startled butterflies, rustling over the eaves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The courtyard stood empty, silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The intruder’s skill was extraordinarily refined. No signs of struggle. No blood. Not even a trace of qi remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least a True Fire Igniter—or a martial cultivator of the top three realms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Your form blurred like an afterimage, appearing beside the stone table within the courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A plain slip of paper lay quietly on the green stone table, weighed down by a silver hairpin you knew all too well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan recognized it immediately—the hairpin Wutong had worn at the Qunfang Banquet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two lines were written on the note: “At the seventh hour, West Wing Pavilion, Yanbo Lake.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come alone. Otherwise, Wutong dies. No delays.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No signature. No seal. No further words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as Xie Yuan finished reading, the paper burst into flame. Black ash spiraled down to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan’s face paled: “Wutong is in danger!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Seventh hour. Only half an hour left.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He immediately thought of the Xie Fu: “How could Xie Renfeng dare this? No—if he truly meant to act, he’d have done it long ago. Why wait until today?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The coldness in your eyes could no longer be concealed—then slowly settled into a raging, murderous intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan, infected by your aura, felt as if plunged into an ice cave. His teeth clenched involuntarily; he shuddered violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan, though anxious, regained his composure: “Even if it’s not Xie Renfeng, he’s involved. Who else in the Xie Fu would know about Wutong?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And they demand you go alone. This isn’t walking into a trap—it’s walking to your death.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan knew Wutong’s place in your heart. You had grown up together, dependent on each other. Though master and servant, you were family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Your entire aura receded once more… Facing this, you decided:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>1. Refuse to go. (Hint: May affect the future. Wutong is in danger.)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>2. Ignore this matter. (Hint: May affect the future. Wutong is in danger.)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>3. Go alone. (Hint: May benefit the future.)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>4. Participate personally. (1\u002F3)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>5. Predict the future once. (1\u002F2)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The great tripod rang, spewing myriad rays of light. The characters upon it slowly stabilized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Ke stared at the five options above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since “Xie Guan” entered the Grand View Garden, the options had never once changed—meaning no one had threatened him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Xie Guan grew older, the frequency of these options had decreased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, no hesitation. Yu Ke made his choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>3. Go alone. (Hint: May benefit the future.)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You slowly opened your eyes. The surging aura around you receded like a tide, sinking into the stillness of a deep pool. Only the coldness in your eyes remained—sharper than a blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Your spirit stirred. A clear sword-song echoed from the wutong tree’s canopy. A long sword landed in your hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blade bore dragon patterns; its edge was razor-sharp, gleaming with frost-like radiance, reflecting your stern features. Its name—Long Ying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young Brother Guan, you’re going alone?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sixth Brother, if too many go, Wutong won’t be safe.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan’s eyes reddened with urgency: “This is a trap! They want you to walk into your death!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You must not go… but if you don’t, Wutong will die!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sun had already dipped westward. The sky was bright, the air fresh after the recent rain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Only half an hour left. They’re rushing you—so you won’t have time to gather help.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He seized your wrist: “I won’t call anyone else. Just me—come with you. If we die, we die together.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You gently brushed his hand away: “Sixth Brother, do you trust me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You turned, gazing at the ancestral tablet of your mother, placed inside the main chamber of the small courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【“I still have unfinished business—how can I die here!”】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【You hung your sword at your waist and tied your hair into a crown.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【You watched the anxiety and hesitation on Xie Yuan’s face, then suddenly smiled: “Six Brother, haven’t you always longed for the Jianghu? In ancient times, when a knight-errant left Yanjing, how should his close friend bid him farewell?”】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the parasol tree, Xie Yuan’s face twisted with bitterness, his voice hoarse: “He should send him off with wine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【You took from the inner chamber the aged Huayu wine that Hu Yunniang had sent. The moment you smashed the clay seal, the aroma of wine filled the courtyard.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【You smiled, “Truly an excellent vintage.”】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Xie Yuan’s face was bitter as he lifted the wine bowl, his hand trembling slightly: “But if I never see Guan Di  again, who will I turn to for solace?”】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【“After I wander the world, traverse a thousand mountains and ten thousand rivers, who will I tell my tales to?”】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【You tilted your head and drained the cup.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Xie Yuan also swallowed it in one gulp, feeling the burn in his throat like a knife.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【“Six Brother, the Jianghu is long and distant—but above all, never cling to sorrow.”】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【“When the Second Master once entered Dezehu to test his sword against demons and monsters, today you shall enter this misty lake, and test whether the sword intent I’ve nurtured in this small courtyard is worthy.”】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【You stepped out of the small courtyard; the precious sword at your waist let out a clear, resonant hum within its scabbard.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【You drank another cup with a smile, and killed in Bianjing.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1968,"2026-06-21T01:33:03.787Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","96b99b2378c4ac513cc23c00d461fa583969927a803bd683d5649fac993e969c","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-700","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-698",728,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsimulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-cover.jpg"]